Syracuse Earns Impassioned Win Over Maryland
By Jacob Morris
Citrus TV’s Women’s Lacrosse Beat Reporter
College Park, Md. – As the final buzzer sounded, Syracuse goalie Asa Goldstock sprinted to midfield and jumped into her teammate’s arms. Then, the rest of SU’s players ran and mobbed the goalie at midfield. Syracuse (6-1, 0-0 in ACC) had just defeated No. 9 Maryland (1-3, 0-0 in Big Ten) 10-5 in College Park.
The win marked just the second time the Orange have ever defeated the Terrapins as Maryland held a 23-1 advantage in the series. However, this victory was meaningful for Syracuse for different reasons.
Maryland and Syracuse were originally scheduled to play inside the Dome on Friday afternoon. Syracuse planned to honor 11 players and two managers in what would have been their final home game inside the Dome. The Senior Day celebrations were expected to be especially significant because of the importance of the current senior class to the Syracuse program. Emily Hawryschuk and Asa Goldstock headline a group that has won 46 games in their four years together.
However, just 16 hours before opening draw in Central New York, the University of Maryland Athletic Department announced it would not to send their athletes to Syracuse due to inclement weather. A statement released by Maryland Athletic Director Damon Evans reads, “Safety of our student-athletes is of the utmost importance at the University of Maryland. Due to the forecasted weather conditions in Upstate New York, our University Department of Transportation determined it was unsafe to travel.”
As a result, the Orange made the 365-mile trip to College Park to take on the Terrapins outdoors. The conditions were far from ideal with temperatures at just 32 degrees and wind gusts of up to 25 mph at opening draw. But, the weather didn’t seem to affect the Orange or their large contingent of fans and parents early. Syracuse jumped out an early 3-0 lead, buoyed by an early assist and goal from star Emily Hawryschuk. The senior would utilize a man-up opportunity and add another to put SU up 4-0 heading into the half time break.
Goalie Asa Goldstock and the entire Syracuse defensive unit were dominant in the first half. Goldstock saved all five shots she faced, and Maryland committed 11 turnovers en route to a scoreless half. Saturday was the third time this season the Orange have held an opponent without a goal in the first frame. The Terrapins seemed rattled for much of the half, making several uncharacteristic unforced errors while Syracuse executed at a high level.
Despite a poor first half, Maryland came ready to play to start the second half. Grace Griffin recorded two goals and an assist in the first 11 minutes to help the Terrapins cut the deficit to 5-4 with just under 19 minutes remaining in the game. Maryland moved the ball much better in the stretch, playing faster on attack.
But, Emily Hawryschuk put the game away for Syracuse. The All-American scored three goals down the stretch, including the nail in the coffin that sent Orange fans into a frenzy with just over two minutes remaining. As the final seconds ticked off the clock in College Park, Syracuse fans passionately chanted “Senior Day, Senior Day, Senior Day,” After the game, Hawryschuk talked about what the win meant to her and the team.
“It’s huge for us… We wanted to be down here, 150%. Showing up today and getting a huge team-win means everything, especially to the seniors,” said Hawryschuk.
The senior class may not have been honored in the Dome on Friday, but the matchup with Maryland was still historically significant. Emily Hawryschuk’s fourth goal of the game was her 200th of her career, while Asa Goldstock recorded her 500th save of her career.
Next up for Syracuse, they travel to Cornelius, North Carolina to take on No. 18 Virginia Tech in the Crown Lacrosse Classic. The matchup with the Hokies begins a stretch of six consecutive games away from Central New York, five of which will be against ranked opponents.
jmorri27@syr.edu | @jacobwm35
