Syracuse, NY —The banner. The trophy. The smiles, hugs, laughs, jubilation, jumping up and down and pure joy that comes from clinching a bid to the Final Four.
The Syracuse University women’s lacrosse team experienced all that for the third time in the last four years and the tenth time in program history on Thursday afternoon with a dominant 19-9 victory over Yale in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Orange led the Bulldogs from opening draw to final horn. Syracuse scored four-or-more times in each of the four quarters of the game and scored more than 10 goals for the 17th straight game.
Emma Tyrrell put on one of her finest performances at the JMA Dome in her swan song playing on Ernie Davis Legends Field with seven goals and two assists. Tyrrell’s seven goals equaled a career-best effort in the NCAA Tournament (Johns Hopkins, 2023) and moved her into a second-place tie (Alyssa Murray) with 33 career tournament goals.
Emma Ward (3g, 4a), Savannah Sweitzer (3g) and Olivia Adamson (3g) also turned up the offensive juice for the Orange.
Kate Mashewske played keep away with Yale, winning 15 draw controls. Mashewske set a program record for drawing controls in a season (220), breaking a mark (217) held by her head coach, Kayla Treanor.
“She’s a generational talent on the draw,” Yale head coach Erica Bamford said of Mashewske.
Syracuse goalie Delaney Sweitzer made seven saves including what may be the stop of the NCAA Tournament. Sweitzer reached out with one hand on his stick and swept way a shot from Yale’s Jenna Collignon in the third quarter like Dominick Hasek would light up ‘Sportscenter’ back in the day denying hockey pucks a place in the net.
“I’m very excited we are going back to a Final Four,” Treanor said. “This was a destination we wanted to be all year and we’re finally here. They’ve worked so hard all year to be in this position and have this opportunity.”
“It’s definitely a very special group,” Treanor said. “A group that is just so fun to coach. I’m looking forward to moving on and getting an opportunity to compete in a Final Four.”
Hopefully Syracuse soaked in the three hours or so of sweet victory until it learned its Final Four opponent.
Uh huh.
Boston College.
Again.
The Eagles defeated Michigan 14-9 to clinch its seventh straight trip to the NCAA semifinals.
You may know the stat by now, but it bears repeating: Boston College has defeated the Orange six straight times.
That streak started with the 2021 national championship game and the Eagles have had their talons firmly on SU’s neck since.
Syracuse has already faced Boston College twice this season. The 15-8 loss for the Orange in the ACC tournament 18 days ago was one of its worst in the series.
The Orange said all the right things about the Final Four matchup after its win over Yale not knowing who the opponent was at the time.
“We’re ready to play anybody,” Ward said. “If you want to win a national championship, you have to play everybody and beat everybody. Whoever we get to play, we’re excited to play.”
“Whoever we play, we’re going to be really prepared for,” Sweitzer said. “Our coaches do a great job with that. I think we’re just trying to get better everyday and compete against each other so we can be ready to play on Friday.”
If Syracuse is going to claim its first national championship in program history, it has to continue to dominant draw controls, score in bushels, defend like white on rice, get more Hall of Fame saves from Sweitzer and play like the cohesive machine it can be .
The X’s and O’s are finely tuned.
The Orange has a week to figure out how to get the BC boogeywoman out of her nightmares.
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