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Syracuse came into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed, setting up a first-round bye, home-field advantage and a matchup with Johns Hopkins.

Against the Blue Jays, SU dominated from the jump and never looked back, led by a dominant showing from Meaghan and Emma Tyrrell. The sister duo combined for 17 points, both tallying more than five goals each. Emma finished with a career-best tying seven goals, including a first-quarter hat trick. While Meaghan’s nine points cemented her as the program record holder for points (52) and goals (37) in NCAA Tournament play.

The Orange’s opponent in the quarterfinal is No. 7 seeded James Madison. The Dukes remained perfect in conference play and cruised past Army in the tournament’s opening round. JMU defeated Maryland in the next, fueled by Isabella Peterson’s seven-goal explosion.

In 2022, Syracuse reached the same stage before a blowout 15-4 loss to Northwestern. A win over the Dukes will clinch an SU return to the semifinals for the second time in three years.

Here’s everything you need to know about James Madison (19-2, 6-0 American Athletic):

All-Time Series

Syracuse leads 1-0.

Last Time They Played

On May 22, 2010, the two teams met for the first-ever time with a trip to the Championship weekend on the line. An unseeded Syracuse team defeated James Madison 7-3, but would later lose to the eventual champion, Maryland.

The Orange jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after goals from Halley Quillinan and Michelle Tumolo. But the Dukes answered quickly, going on a 3-0 run to hold a slender one-goal lead heading into halftime. Amid rainy conditions, the break was extended to 30 minutes before the third quarter began.

Quillinan tied the game up early in the second half and assisted Tee Ladouceur to put Syracuse back in front. Ladouceur swiftly returned the favor minutes later when she serviced Quillinan’s hat trick to increase SU’s advantage to 5-3 by the end of the third.

In the final period of play, the Orange continued to tack on points as Tumolo recorded her second goal of the contest. Then, Jackie DePetris netted Syracuse’s seventh to put the game out of JMU’s reach.

On top of Quillinan’s three-goal effort, SU goalkeeper Liz Hogan notched 12 saves, nine of which came in the first half. Tumolo and Ladouceur both finished with three points apiece.

The Dukes Report

JMU hasn’t finished on the wrong side of a scoreline since falling to North Carolina on opening day. This year, the Dukes peaked at No. 4 on the weekly Inside Lacrosse Women and Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association for good reason with wins over five ranked opponents.

Despite starting its postseason off with a loss to Florida in the AAC Tournament Championship game, JMU recovered quickly to progress to the program’s first NCAA Tournament quarterfinal game in five years. The Dukes sailed past Army before a hard-fought, come-from-behind win over Maryland

“Late draws in the game I think were crucial for us to have that ball,” JMU head coach Shelly Klaes said after beating the Terrapins. “In the end of the game when we needed it, we won them.”

James Madison is led by its attacking duo of Peterson and Tai Jankowski. The two have combined for 141 goals and 187 points while averaging at least one free-position score per game. Against Maryland, Peterson registered seven goals, including a hat trick in the fourth quarter, to lead a comeback from four goals down in the final period.

“For us to be back at the Elite 8 level coming off of sitting at that top-5, top-10 all year long, to show that consistency, it’s just an incredible group to work with,” Klaes said.

How Syracuse Beats James Madison

After JMU’s victory over Maryland, Klaes said that “it would have been a huge disappointment” if the Dukes did not get past the weekend. And, while Peterson’s heroics and a thriving James Madison offense bring back memories of the 2018 championship season, Syracuse’s free-flowing, dynamic offense might prove to be too much to handle.

Led by Meaghan, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year and 2023 Tewaaraton Award finalist, SU’s attack boasts two All-ACC first-team honorees and four IWLCA All-Northeast Region first-team selections. The Orange also average a Division-I best in both assists (9.37) and points (26.05) per game.

If Syracuse wants to progress, however, it will have to win the draw control battle. Ever since Kate Mashewske suffered a season-ending injury at Notre Dame on Feb. 26, SU has failed to stay consistent. Defensively, the Orange will have to limit Peterson’s production in the final third by playing tight. So far in the postseason, Syracuse has suffered lapses in its zone, particularly in the regular season finale versus Boston College and again in the ACC Tournament semifinal against North Carolina. But, if SU can put forward a strong defensive showing to slow down a red-hot JMU attack, the Orange should have no problem going the other way and finding the net.

Stat To Know: 12.24

James Madison’s 12.24 turnovers per game rank 11th in the country, showing an ability to keep its offense in stride. But it hasn’t converted on the lack of giveaways. The Dukes’ 22.71 shots on goal place 33rd in the nation, a poor number for a team that has consistently held a top-10 ranking this season.

If JMU continues to stick to this script, the Syracuse back line has to snuff out any attacking moves in its defensive third and shift momentum. From there, the Orange’s transition play could make all the difference.

Player To Watch: Isabella Peterson, Attack, No. 17

A 2023 Tewaaraton Award finalist, Peterson has tallied 112 points and 23 assists as a redshirt junior. A unanimous selection as this year’s AAC Attacking Player of the Year, Peterson’s 89 goals rank first in D-I and propelled her into becoming the program’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Expect JMU’s offense to run exclusively through Peterson around the 8-meter. The attacker is almost perfect in free-position opportunities and should be a handful for the Syracuse defense.

Published on May 18, 2023 at 11:08 am

Contact Tyler: trschiff@syr.edu | @theTylerSchiff