In 1st start at attack, sophomore Emma Tyrrell leads Syracuse with 6 goals

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Syracuse entered uncharted territory on Saturday as Megan Carney hobbled onto the field with a crutch around her right hand instead of her stick. Carney had never missed a game in her SU career, but after she fell to the ground clutching her knee on Thursday against Boston College, head coach Gary Gait said it was time for other players to step up.

Emma Tyrrell entered in Carney’s place for her first career start for the Orange, switching to attack for the first time in her SU career, too. After scoring two early goals, Tyrrell would finish off her hat trick in typical Carney fashion.

Tyrrell started the play from the left side, where Carney is usually stationed. As the ball worked its way to the top of the scoring area, Tyrrell made a darting run across the goal. She raised her stick high in the air and called for the ball. Sam Swart laid a pass up, and Tyrrell snagged it out of the air, took one step and blasted the ball into the left side of the goal.

“The last few games, she’s been playing great,” Gait said of Tyrell earlier this week. “She’s super talented, and she’s been making great decisions, passing the ball, dodging, really becoming a threat on the offensive end.”

Tyrrell ended Saturday afternoon with five more goals as she helped No. 3 Syracuse (12-2, 8-2 Atlantic Coast) defeat No. 4 Boston College (12-2, 8-2) 16-7. Tyrrell fit seamlessly into Carney’s role by recording a career-high in goals, with her previous best being only four, set a week prior against Louisville. The rest of the offense also helped fill the void left by Carney as four different players notched at least three points.

“Emma Ward, Emma Tyrrell, (Meaghan) Tyrrell really stepped up to take control of the offense and make a lot of decisions,” Gait said. “They’re young, but they all have experience, and they all know how to play, and they did a great job today.”

Tyrrell was the first to get on the board, just five minutes into the game. Her sister Meaghan cradled the ball around the defense and surveyed the field for a passing option. Tyrrell started opposite Meaghan and made a diagonal run infield toward the goal. Meaghan found her sister in stride, and Tyrrell sent a low shot into the bottom-left corner of the net.

On the second goal, Tyrrell took control of the offense as the shot clock was winding down. She gathered the ball on the edge of the scoring area and sized up her defender. With a quick spin move, Tyrrell breezed past her defender and bounced off another before spiking the ball into the bottom of the net.

After capping off her hat trick from Swart, Tyrrell entered halftime successfully replicating Carney’s goal output from the game prior. Both players scored first-half hat tricks in nine minutes against Boston College in the two games.

But this was Tyrrell’s first game at attack, and she said she was surprised in the first period of the game. Her prior experience playing with Syracuse’s attack helped her change positions, she said, which showed in the latter part of the game.

As Syracuse continued to build on its lead in the second half, Tyrrell maintained her first-half play. She rolled around to the top of the scoring area and juked past two defenders for her fourth score.

Emma Tyrrell had a six-game point streak before putting up six goals against Boston College. Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports

After a free-position goal, an assist to Ward and a strike to the top right corner of the net, Tyrrell had seven points. She scored almost 40% of SU’s goals, and she had as many points as Boston College had goals.

“We played the exact same offense, the only difference (was that) Emma Tyrrell was playing (at) attack today for the first time ever and taking Meg Carney’s position,” Gait said. “She was on the field the full game and had opportunities to make plays, that was the only difference.”

In the Orange’s first game without Carney and Emily Hawryschuk, they were able to turn to Tyrrell to step up and fill the offensive void. With the ACC Tournament next week, the Orange will need her and other players to replicate Saturday’s blowout.

“It just made sense to move Emma Tyrrell to attack, to fill in down on that position and she played a great job … and we hope she continues that moving forward,” Gait said.