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In Syracuse’s third season under head coach Kayla Treanor, it catapulted through the NCAA Tournament’s early rounds to once again face Atlantic Coast Conference foe Boston College in the Final Four.

Led by stellar offense from Emma Tyrrell and the lockdown defense of goalie Delaney Sweitzer, the Orange won the outright ACC regular-season title for the first time ever. While storming through the ACC Tournament, the Eagles defeated SU in the conference tournament championship. A few weeks later, BC again beat Syracuse to end its season.

Fresh off back-to-back Final Four appearances, SU boasts a new cast of characters for Treanor’s fourth season at the helm. Syracuse begins its quest for its first national championship with a clash against UAlbany Friday. The Great Danes fell in overtime of the America East Tournament Championship last season and are led by SU legend Katie Rowan Thomson.

Here’s everything to know about UAlbany (0-0, 0-0 AEC) before it faces No. 6 Syracuse (0-0, 0-0 ACC) in the season opener:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 17-0.

Last time they played …

The Orange saw their star power shine bright against the Great Danes on March 19, 2024. Led by four-goal performances from Tyrrell, Olivia Adamson and Emma Ward, SU easily defeated UAlbany 20-11.

Syracuse trailed 1-0 as Kate Mashewske struggled on the draw controls — losing four of five to begin the game. But SU finished the first quarter up 6-2 as Adamson took over on the draw in the second half to seal the deal.

The Great Danes report

UAlbany enters its seventh season under Rowan Thomson. Coming off an 8-10 season in 2024 and their third-straight AEC Tournament finals appearance, the Great Danes were ranked No. 2 in the conference’s preseason poll.

In 2024, Baldwinsville native Katie Pascale led the charge with 70 points, 31 more than the next best player on the team. Pascale now resides on the sideline, making the switch to assistant coach.

Second-leading scorer Gracie McCauley returns as a top threat. She totaled 39 points last season and was selected to the Preseason All-AEC Team. Attack Mikaela Mooney will also step into a bigger role as a sophomore, looking to build off 32 points in 2024. UAlbany also retained goalie Grace Cincebox following 18 starts last year and draw control specialist Haley Phalines. Phalines totaled a team-leading 110 draw controls last year and was named to the All-Conference Team with Cincebox.

Defensively, UAlbany boasts All-Conference defender Mackenzie Salentre and Xavier transfer Kimaura Schindler.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Director

How Syracuse beats UAlbany

It’s difficult to analyze how two teams with large changes over the offseason will match up in a season opener. Both squads will have different-looking attacks. But the Orange have historically dominated this matchup through their explosive scoring production. They’ll likely do the same to take down the Great Danes Friday.

SU has scored 15 or more goals in the last five contests between the two squads. The Orange must spur that offense through the draw control. Without Mashewske, SU could use a combination of players in the circle. UAlbany’s draw control unit helped it stay somewhat in reach last season as Phalines and Pascale found success. Syracuse can’t allow the same to happen if it hopes to put this one away early.

Stat to know: 215

Entering 2025, Syracuse must replace 215 points from last season. While losing its leading scorer in Tyrrell, SU also lost key contributors to its attack like Natalie Smith, Maddy Baxter and Savannah Sweitzer.

The Orange’s production will likely largely come through returning stars like Adamson and Ward, but they’ll also need new pieces to step up. Princeton transfer Sam DeVito will likely contribute but sophomores Alexa Vogelman and Ashlee Volpe may emerge in their first college action. Returners Payton Rowley, Emma Muchnick and Joely Caramelli will also be needed.

Player to watch: Haley Phalines, draw control, No. 6

Phalines establishes comfort as an experienced draw control specialist. The senior has secured 209 draw controls across three seasons with the Great Danes, including four against SU in 2024. Phalines recorded a season-high 14 against New Hampshire in the 2024 regular-season finale.

The Woolwich Township, New Jersey, native was one of four UAlbany players named to the Preseason All-AEC team, and poses a major threat as Syracuse recalibrates its draw control lineups without Mashewske in the circle.

Published on February 5, 2025 at 10:03 pm

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky