Takeaways from #5 Syracuse Women’s Lacrosse loss to #3 Northwestern
By Sydney Chan | @SydneyO_Chan
“I thought [Syracuse] battled the whole game,” Orange Head Coach Kayla Treanor remarked to open the press conference, following #5 SU’s 12-8 loss to #3 Northwestern on Tuesday afternoon. “We did a bunch of different things on offense. I thought our players did a really good job at making those adjustments.”
It’s no secret that the Cuse has officially entered its gauntlet of a schedule. After falling to #2 North Carolina on the road over the weekend, Syracuse had little-to-no turnaround and hosted #3 Northwestern just four days later, a tough ask for any team. Still, the Orange put in a good fight against the Wildcats, and there are several contentions SU can take away from this battle and build upon as it moves deeper into the season.
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Stay alert to the opponent’s defensive framework and adapt
A big reason why the Wildcats outscored the Cuse 5-0 in the first twenty minutes of the game was because of their effective zone defense. Northwestern had a game plan straight off the bat, and that was to bait Syracuse into the open gaps and channels near the goal, and then execute a perfectly timed collapse. The zone was suffocating, and the large deficit pressured the Orange to act more quickly and try to take any free shot in the opening minutes. Easier said than done, but SU needs to try to be a little more patient when it notices its opponent is applying a zone and settle the ball to tire the other team out, stretch the zone to gain a clearer line of sight, and then more effectively infiltrate and score.
Emma Ward is a true facilitator
With attacker Olivia Adamson still on the sideline due to injury, Syracuse’s Emma Ward was responsible for stepping up and serving as the true veteran on the team, and she delivered. “It’s all about having that open line of communication. I think it’s really important, especially with such a young team, [for] people [to] know what their role is, so we can execute the best that we can. It’s my job to put people in good positions, so they can be successful,” she said. The grad student was directly involved in six of the Cuse’s eight goals, tallying a hat trick and three assists. Ward records 136 career-assists, passing Coach Treanor, and is tied for fourth-most in program history. The New-York-native spent several possessions at the top of the arc, using her vision and high lacrosse IQ to thread the ball through the open channels. Plus, she was able to widen Northwestern’s zone defense and shoot from the outside, which helped her net a few goals.
Prioritize circle unity on draw controls
Dominating draw controls is key to a sound victory, and Northwestern was lethal on the X, winning 17 of 23. “We only had four possessions [in the first quarter]. That’s tough, and you have to be really efficient with those four possessions,” Coach Treanor explained. The Orange won all four draw controls in the second period, but otherwise, it was pretty much all Wildcats. “I think it’s a whole unit thing. It’s really our circle and also our center, and this is just something we have to continue to work on and get better at. It’s not up to one person, it’s really the whole unit,” Coach Treanor added.
Daniella Guyette continues to improve
Guyette entered Tuesday’s matchup leading the ACC and ranking 10th in the nation in saves per game and extended her double-digit save streak to four. The junior stood tall, composed, and patient throughout the contest and made several quick clears that helped ignite the offense and propelled the Cuse towards a fast-paced possession that pushed Northwestern’s defense on its heels. Guyette certainly had big shoes to fill after former GK Delaney Sweitzer transferred to the Wildcats last season, but she is flourishing in this role thus far.
Be weary of getting into foul trouble
Like Coach Treanor mentioned, Syracuse had a ton of fight in this game, especially in the second half of the second quarter and towards the beginning of the third. The Orange almost completely made up their deficit, scoring four unanswered goals, and forcing the Wildcats into an 18 minute scoring drought. But after a foul was ruled against SU, and Northwestern’s Madison Taylor stepped onto the line for the free position, the potential path to victory got a little more rocky. While a zone defense can certainly be effective, it also requires players to be increasingly aware of where they’re standing to avoid a three second violation (when a defender stays in the 8-meter arc for more than three seconds without actively marking an opponent). SU had multiple whistles blown against it on three-second violations and shooting space (the attacker has to have a viable chance for a safe shot; a defender cannot be closer than a sticks’ length away from the shooter), and Northwestern cashed in. Taylor scored three goals in just six minutes off of free position opportunities and leads the nation in goals this season with 30.
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“I don’t walk away today thinking [we] played badly. We’re learning a lot, and it’s still February, so these are great tests for us,” Coach Treanor concluded. “Our goal is to be great by the end of the year and to continue to get better as the season goes on. We have a huge opponent coming up on Saturday.”
An ACC victory is on the line as Syracuse hosts No. 12 Clemson in its next contest. Opening draw is scheduled for 12pm. For Saturday’s updates and season-long coverage, follow @SydneyO_Chan and @CitrusTVSports on X.
