Syracuse moves on to ACC semifinals after beating Virginia Tech, 14-12
Adam Avin | @_adamavin
CitrusTV Women’s Lacrosse Beat Reporter
No. 2 Syracuse is back in the win column after outlasting No. 7 Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals. Earlier this season when these two matched up, it was just another normal, 18-5 dominant win for the Orange. Today wasn’t similar. In fact, it was almost like SU picked up from its awful fourth quarter in last week’s loss to BC. Syracuse went scoreless for the first 10 minutes, but Emma Ward snuck in a score as time expired and helped her squad take a 2-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.
It stayed close throughout the first half, but after the halftime break, the ‘Cuse came out firing. Sierra Cockerille had a hat trick for the second-straight game, and Megan Carney tagged on two more after a quiet game last week. Even though the offense got in an early second-half groove, the defense struggled all game. Against VT earlier this year, Delaney Sweitzer after having 15 saves and just five goals allowed. Today, she had just seven saves and allowed 12 goals.
Luckily, Meaghan Tyrrell had her teams’ back. The attacker finished with five points, but had two crucial, back-to-back goals with around five minutes left in the game, that put the Hokies away. Tyrrell is now up to 402 career points. She became just the ninth ever Division I player to reach the 400 career points mark, and is the only player in Syracuse Men’s or Women’s history to do so as well.
Tyrrell’s heroics definitely help, but the whole team will need to do its part to continue a postseason run. Syracuse plays No. 3 North Carolina at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 28. ‘Cuse defeated the Tar Heels in a historic win, 14-12, a couple of weeks ago. No. 1 Boston College and No. 5 Notre Dame play at 1 p.m. the same day. The winner goes to the ACC championship.
