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Syracuse entered its second Atlantic Coast Conference matchup of the season with a perfect 5-0 record, coming off a demolition of UAlbany where three different SU players scored seven points in the 22-5 win.

In the second ACC matchup of the season for the Orange, and their first in the JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse faced a Virginia Tech team coming off a 10-6 loss to No. 1 North Carolina.

Here’s some observations from No. 2 Syracuse’s (6-0, 2-0 ACC) 16-5 win over Virginia Tech (1-4, 0-2 ACC).

Sweitzer shines

Delaney Sweitzer totaled six saves in the opening quarter, reacting immediately to shots even from point-blank range. On an Olivia Vergano free-position shot from the right wing of the 8-meter, Sweitzer bent down low to save it with her stick.

By the end of the game, Sweitzer secured her career-high in saves for the third time this season, topping her 11 and 13-save performances with 15 saves against the Hokies.

Sweitzer recorded another quick-react save with seven minutes in the second. Ella Rishko dodged middle and had an open lane to the crease when Sweitzer anticipated the shot and went down on one knee to fend off the low shot.

Rishko wasn’t done, though. On a Hokies possession later in the quarter, Swietzer saw Rishko coming in hard and raised her stick high to block the shot.

To start the second half, a long VT possession ended in another point-blank range save from Sweitzer. Paige Tyson got the pass and cradled it inside the 8-meter, but Sweitzer anticipated the high shot and stuck her stick out to meet the shot at the release point. Visibly frustrated, Tyson ran back to the Hokies’ sideline as SU took possession.

Slow start with physical defense

Syracuse didn’t score until 11:09 left in the first quarter, which is the most amount of time it’s taken for the Orange to get on the board all season. The Hokies’ defense refused to let SU dodge or cut uncontested, getting sticks or hands on every SU player inside the fan.

The Orange reverted to the weave to get going after a few empty trips. With possession down low, Emma Ward saw Olivia Adamson crashing from the top of the key and she swiped down on the feed for the score, giving SU the initial lead.

Later in the quarter, with the game still scoreless, Ward passed to Megan Carney at the X. Then, Adamson got the ball running laterally across the formation, but she was slapped in the face by Jordan Tilley’s stick. A yellow card was issued for dangerous contact to the head, and SU gained a man-up opportunity.

Shortly after that, Vergano tried to drive inside but Jenny Markey cross-checked her with enough force to knock her down to the turf. Another foul was called, but Sweitzer saved the free-position shot.

The first quarter featured much more penalties than points, but that changed in the second.

Second-quarter surge

After scoring just twice in the first quarter, Syracuse scored three times in the first five minutes of the following quarter. Syracuse would go on to win the second quarter 6-0, carrying that momentum through the remainder of the game.

SU came out with the weave in the second. Emma Tyrrell passed back to Ward, who pitched to Carney. Carney had a lane, but feinted and made the extra handoff to Meaghan Tyrrell. Meaghan accelerated and dodged middle to get inside and convert around Lizzie Lohrer – the goalie lunged left to stop her cross-body shot but couldn’t stop it.

On the next possession Ward backed up behind the 12-meter to see the field better. Just to her right, Emma moved inside, and Ward passed over the top to her inside the 8-meter – Emma took it to the cage with authority for the score.

Once again, Ward set up the next score for SU. She cut across the middle and swiped sidearm from the yellow circle, threading the shot through multiple defending sticks.

A free-position score for Meaghan ensued, and then Sierra Cockerille scored on a crease roll a few minutes later. Before the Hokies could catch their breath, it was 8-1 in favor of the Orange.

Warding off defenders

Ward ranked second on the team in assists, coming in with 12, before tacking on four more in her six-point effort against the Hokies. She was involved in three scores during the second period, which escalated the Orange’s lead to seven.

A shooting space violation led to a free position shot for Ward. With her feet perpendicular to the goal, she whipped a sidearm shot from the 8-meter into the back of the net. That gave SU a 7-1 lead and was her third point in eight minutes.

In the second half, Ward continued to convert.

Syracuse continued to run the weave, but Ward got the pass the handoff inside the 12-meter this time. She pitched the ball back to Emma, who took two steps to the middle before shooting underhand into the bottom left corner of the net.

With just over nine minutes remaining in the game, Ward was biding time at the top of the 12-meter when Adamson cut between her defender and the goalie, right in front of the crease. Ward put the feed in front of her, where only Adamson’s stick could reach – she cradled, stepped through the feed and then chucked it backwards to get on the board and give the Orange a 13-4 lead.

Ward finished with two goals and four assists and was second on the team in points (six).

Published on March 5, 2023 at 1:30 pm

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu