The Syracuse Orange are heading back to the Final Four for the third time in four years after blasting the Yale Bulldogs19-9, in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon in the JMA Dome.
It’s the Orange’s 10th trip to Championship Weekend in program history.
‘Cuse really dominated Yale in a game that was never all that close. The Bulldogs kept it within touching distance at times in the middle of the game, but the Orange scored the first four goals less than five minutes in, and Yale never got closer than four the rest of the way.
SU jumped out early with an 8-1 lead that put them into cruise control by the mid-second quarter. But Yale punched back with a flurry in the late second and early third quarters, going on a 5-2 run to make it 10-6 in the middle of the third.
That was as close as the Bulldogs would get, though, as ‘Cuse fired back with three goals and ended the quarter with a 13-7 lead. After Yale scored the first goal of the fourth, the Orange went on their biggest run of the game with six straight goals to start the running clock and send SU into the Final Four with authority.
This was a game in which the Orange executed their game plan pretty much exactly as they wanted to.
As has become the norm, it all started with Kate Mashewske (15DC) at the draw circle, who was once again dominant in leading SU to a 22-9 advantage on restarts. Natalie Smith (5DC) had a nice day on the circle, too, as Kate was nice enough to let someone else have a chance to scoop up some draw wins in this one. Kate’s 15 draws in this game helped her break Kayla Treanor‘s program record for drawing wins in a single season (220).
The dominant day on draws was critical for helping ‘Cuse take control of the game, as the Orange were able to command possession and scoring chances against the stingy Bulldog defense.
Playing against Yale’s difficult zone, the Orange were looking to attack quickly off draw wins and in transition whenever they could, which they did successfully a handful of times. When Yale did get settled defensively in the 7-on-7, SU really emphasized efficient and quick ball movement while simultaneously remaining patient and waiting for the best look.
They were at their most efficient when they were able to draw double teams in the zone from an individual dodge, and then pass out of it to create an advantage and eventually get a solid open look. As a result, they finished with 12 assists on their 19 goals and a .543 shooting percentage (19-of-35) to really emphasize their tremendous teamwork and efficiency in this one.
One final big factor for the offense was the fact that Yale committed seven cards in this game and were punished for their physical play by a ‘Cuse man-up unit that went an incredible 6-of-7 on their chances.
Four players scored at least a hat trick for SU, five players scored multiple goals, and seven players had multiple points.
Emma Tyrrell (7G, 2A) was just incredible with seven goals on 7-of-8 shooting and nine points. Her seven goals tied a career high and also tied the Orange record for goals in an NCAA Tournament game, previously held by Emma and her sister lei. Her nine points also set a new career high.
Emma Ward (3G, 4A) was terrific herself with a hat trick and four assists as she played her usual role conducting for the SU offense. Natalie Smith (2G, 2A) had a tremendous all-around day, filling up the stat sheet with two goals, two assists, two ground balls, one caused turnover and five draw controls.
Olivia Adamson (3G) and Savannah Sweitzer (3G) each recorded hat tricks, while Joely Caramelli (1G, 1A) and Emma Muchnick (2A) rounded out the multiple-point scorers. Gracie Britton (1A) was the only other player to record a point.
The defense had a solid day as the Yale offense struggled with their movement in and around the ‘Cuse zone. They held the Bulldogs to a 9-of-27 (.333) shooting day and only 16 shots on goal.
Delaney Sweitzer (7SV, 4GB, 2CT) was the star of the day for the defense, making seven saves with a .438 save percentage, and then leading the team with four ground balls and creating two turnovers.
She also had one particular moment of brilliance when she made what could be considered the save of the year, or the save of any year, for that matter.
Partly out of the crease because of an initial shot that hit the pipe to his right, Delaney was forced to dive back in after the rebound pinged straight to a Yale player. She went into a full dive in which she stuck her stick out as far as she could while holding it in just her left hand, and proceeded to make an insane one-handed, diving save:
That is an absurd combination of athleticism, quickness and strength all in one play.
Delaney and the Orange now move on to the national semifinals, where they will face the Boston College Eagles for the second year in a row. The Final Four is set to take place next Friday, May 24 down in Cary, NC.
