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Syracuse entered its matchup against Boston College in a similar situation to when the two programs met in last year’s regular-season finale. The Orange, having defeated Clemson Saturday, arrived in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, riding a nine-game winning streak. In 2023, Syracuse entered with a perfect 15-0 record.

Over its last four games, SU had only faced unranked opponents. In the four matchups, the Orange outscored their opponents 70-29, allowing their offensive players to build confidence while also allowing some starters to get extra rest. Heading into the 2023 matchup, Syracuse defeated three ranked opponents before meeting the Eagles.

Unlike its past four games, SU never led by nine or more goals against Boston College Thursday. Neither team built more than a one-goal lead after the 13:45 mark of the third quarter. Savannah Sweitzer tallied two key goals in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles matched with a game-tying score with 1:27 left. As the game went to overtime, a game-winning score by Cassidy Weeks sent the Orange back home with their nine-game winning streak snapped.

Here are some observations from No. 2 Syracuse’s (12-4, 8-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) 11-10 overtime loss to No. 6 Boston College (13-3, 7-2 ACC):

Draw success sparks first-half lead

Syracuse led 5-3 at halftime, propelled by a 7-3 advantage in the draw circle. Kate Mashewske won the opening draw and worked the ball to Katie Goodale, which led to Syracuse taking a 1-0 lead less than two minutes later on a score by Olivia Adamson.

Following the score, Emma Muchnick hustled to the ball first on the next draw battle, giving SU a 2-0 advantage in the circle. This time though, the Orange couldn’t capitalize as the Eagles caused a turnover and scored on the other end to tie the game at 1-1. BC won the next draw before Mashewske went on a personal 2-0 run in the circle, sparking SU to retake the lead at 3-2.

To start the second quarter, Belle Smith won the opening draw, but that was the last win in the circle for the Eagles before halftime. At the 12:26 mark of the second quarter, just after Adamson scored to build the SU lead to 4-2, Muchnick won the next draw. Boston College cut the Syracuse lead to 4-3 three minutes later, but SU closed the quarter on a 2-0 advantage in the circle to enter halftime with a two-goal advantage.

Sloppy offense early

Despite taking a lead into halftime, Syracuse’s five first-half goals were its fewest since netting four on March 5 against then-No. 12 Stony Brook. The Orange missed shots wide of the net in close-range situations and committed multiple fouls on offense.

At the 8:16 mark of the first quarter, Natalie Smith received her first scoring look of the contest near the eight-meter, but fired wide of the net. Then, after BC took a 2-1 lead, Adamson and Savannah failed to receive open looks.

In the second quarter, when SU was looking to build momentum, it came to a stop when it committed turnovers. Maddy Baxter was called for two offensive fouls in the quarter as BC forced charges on defense. Baxter accounted for three of Syracuse’s five turnovers during the second quarter.

After SU took a 5-3 lead at the 8:35 mark of the second quarter, it won the draw but gave Boston College the ball back immediately after on a turnover by Muchnick. With six seconds left in the second quarter, Emma Tyrrell fired to extend the SU lead to four but her shot missed wide, putting a wrap on a messy first half.

Limited secondary scoring

Through the first 51 minutes of the game, only the top four scorers for Syracuse tallied goals. Emma Ward and Natalie each tallied two goals while Tyrrell recorded one. The top options for SU were keeping it afloat single-handedly.

With Syracuse trailing 8-7 in the fourth quarter, Tyrrell drove right and dished it to Adamson on the left side inside the eight-meter. Adamson wasted no time as she fired a missile into the back of the net to tie the game at 8-8 with just over 11 minutes left. The score gave Adamson a hat trick.

Savannah was the only player to score in the contest for Syracuse, not part of the program’s top four scorers. Savannah scored twice in the final nine minutes of play, giving SU the lead on both plays. But the lack of performance from usual options like Baxter (zero shots, three turnovers) and Payton Rowley (one shot, one assist) held the Syracuse offense from finishing the game. Muchnick was the only other Syracuse player to record a shot.

Delaney Sweitzer shows out

It took just 57 seconds for Delaney Sweitzer to record her first save. Kayla Martello fired a rocket toward the left side of the cage, but Delaney used her hip to deny the shot. The save was the first of six for Delaney in the first quarter, sparking her to an eight-save first half.

Nearly seven minutes after her first stop, BC was granted a free-position shot and Delaney stood tall again to reject Martello. After the stop, the rebound kicked back out to Molly Driscoll, who wristed a shot and Delaney made her third save of the game. Another scrum for the ball ensued and BC took its first lead of the game as the ball was kicked up into the net by SU defender Coco Vandiver.

For the rest of the first quarter, Delaney showed flashes of when she won the 2023 ACC Goalkeeper of the Year award, stopping all three shots she faced. Midway through the second quarter with SU leading 5-3, Delaney denied two shots by the Eagles, including a shot from point-blank range from Shea Baker.

Late in the fourth quarter, with the Eagles trying to take a lead, Delaney stood tall to deny a close-range shot by Weeks, keeping the game tied 9-9.

Published on April 18, 2024 at 8:26 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32