No. 7 Syracuse Women’s Lacrosse looks to bring momentum into weekend clash with No. 11 Virginia
By Milo Hoffman | @mhoffnyc
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 7 Syracuse women’s lacrosse (7-4, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) is heading into a battle with No. 11 Virginia (7-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) with heavy momentum. SU has won three straight games, with the latest being the most impressive: a 12-11 win over No. 20 Notre Dame. There were a couple of key performances from ‘Cuse players. Freshman Caroline Trinkaus had a career-high four goals, including the game-sealer to make it 12-10 late in the fourth quarter.
“It all comes from my teammates,” Trinkaus said about her success following the win. “All the energy everyone brings at practice is inspiring.”
Trinkaus has 21 goals this year, which ranks third on the team. The former top-50 prospect has been a key player all season long for SU. She’s scored multiple goals in four straight contests, during a time when Emma Ward hasn’t been as much of a game-wrecker. But that changed in SU’s win over Notre Dame.
The grad student led the ‘Cuse with six points. It’s Ward’s highest point total since SU’s late February bout with Northwestern, in which she also tallied six. Despite not scoring as much recently, the preseason All-American is still dishing off the ball with the best of them. Ward leads Syracuse with 27 assists, while no one else has more than 10.
Another star of the game was goalie Daniella Guyette. For the second straight game, the netminder posted 11 saves, including a couple of clutch stops late in the fourth quarter.
“We have an outstanding unit in front of me, turning away some of these tougher looks,” said Guyette. “They set me up for success by forcing hard shots.”
That performance against the Fighting Irish helped earn the California native ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors, the first-ever weekly accolade for the junior. On the season, the goalie ranks 4th nationally with 108 saves.
In SU’s next clash with No. 11 Virginia, the ‘Cuse will look to stay hot against top opponents. The Orange have won three of four against ranked teams. The Cavaliers come into this contest winners of three straight, with key victories over No. 13 Duke and No. 14 James Madison. One area where the Cavaliers struggle is in between the pipes. With a .338 save percentage, UVA ranks dead last in the ACC.
Syracuse has an all-time record of 17-9 against Virginia and is winners of three in a row. This is also the last home game for SU, meaning it’s Senior Day. There will be ceremonies recognizing seniors and grad students throughout the day. Game time from the J.M.A. Wireless Dome is noon on Saturday. For coverage of the entire contest, go to @mhoffnyc on Twitter.
