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With its 17-8 win over No. 9 seed Louisville Wednesday afternoon, Syracuse women’s lacrosse advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinals for the second straight season. SU jumped on the Cardinals early on, tying a season-high for goals in the first quarter with eight and cruising to its opening-round win.

Syracuse is expected to face a bigger test in the second round. Following its win Wednesday, SU faces the team that helped it clinch the No. 1 seed. Virginia’s overtime win over Boston College on April 13 gave Syracuse its first-ever ACC regular season title.

In the ACC quarterfinals, UVA knocked off No. 4 seed North Carolina to clinch a spot in the semifinals. Syracuse looks to make the tournament championship for the first time since 2021 and first under head coach Kayla Treanor while Virginia is trying to break a 15-year drought.

Here’s everything to know about No. 5 seed Virginia (14-3, 6-3 ACC) before it faces No. 1 seed Syracuse (13-4, 8-1 ACC) in the conference tournament semifinals.

All-time series

Syracuse leads 16-9.

Last time they played…

Just over a month ago, on March 23, No. 7 Syracuse traveled to Charlottesville for a top-10 bout with No. 9 Virginia. SU trailed 13-12 entering the fourth quarter, but strong defense and a balanced scoring attack willed the Orange to victory.

They allowed just one goal in the final frame and finished on a 3-0 run, winning the game 15-14. Maddy Baxter had a career day, notching five goals. In the draw circle, Kate Mashewske’s season-high 18 draw controls gave Syracuse added possessions, helping it to its fifth straight win to start conference play.

The Cavaliers report

Virginia hasn’t lost a game in April, rising to No. 6 in the latest Inside Lacrosse poll. First-year head coach Sonia Lamonica has transformed the program in her first year, leading UVA to its best season since 2019. The Cavaliers have knocked off three top 10 teams this season, including wins over then-No. 4 Notre Dame and more recently an overtime win over-then-No. 3 Boston College.

Wednesday in Charlotte, after trailing 8-7 at halftime, the Cavaliers scored five goals in the third quarter, boosting it to a one-goal win.

This season, Virginia’s attack has been relatively spread out with four players scoring over 45 points. Morgan Schwab is UVA’s main option with 67 points (16 goals, 51 assists). Katia Carnevale is close behind with a team-leading 47 goals and 60 points overall. Along with experienced stars, UVA has top freshman talent. It led the ACC with three All-ACC freshman team selections including Madison Alaimo, Jenna Dinardo and Kate Galica.

Virginia’s attack ranks 11th in offensive efficiency according to Lacrosse Reference but its defense is far behind. The Cavaliers’ back end ranks eighth in the ACC in goals against per game with 13.03.

How Syracuse beats Virginia

Syracuse will beat Virginia by repeating its draw success. In the first rendition between the two teams SU struggled in other areas, but dominated the circle, winning the battle 21-12.

Mashewske is currently in the midst of a historical pace. In Syracuse’s last game against Louisville, Mashewske became the ninth-ever Division I player to pass the 500 career draw controls threshold. She also led the Orange to an 18-11 advantage. Meanwhile, Virginia ranks deadlast in the ACC in draws per game with 12.72 compared to Syracuse’s 16.76 mark.

If Mashewske remains near automatic, the added possessions will add up over time, leading Syracuse to the conference championship.

Stat to know: 8.41

The Cavaliers’ attack often produces by making the extra pass. UVA ranks first in ACC in assists per game with 8.41. In comparison, SU ranks fifth with 6.88.

Virginia’s facilitating prowess derives mainly from Schwab and Alaimo. Schwab ranks third in the conference with 3.00 while the latter ranks 10th with 1.29. Against UNC in the quarterfinals, despite the win its attack was limited with Schwab assisting one and Alaimo having zero.

Player to watch: Jenna Dinardo, attack, No. 4

While Virginia has a plethora of stars on the attack like Schwab and Carnevale, no player is riding higher into the semifinals than Dinardo. Versus UNC Wednesday, the freshman tallied five points off the bench, helping the Cavaliers to a one-goal win.

Dinardo has tallied three or more points in 10-of-18 games in her first collegiate season. After two goals and an assist in the first half against the Tar Heels, the Corning, N.Y., native assisted Mackenzie Hoeg’s go-ahead goal in the third quarter and scored the dagger with two minutes left in the game.

Published on April 25, 2024 at 10:15 pm

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