Opponent Preview: Everything you need to know about Louisville

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Syracuse faced both ranked and unranked opponents over the last week. Last Saturday, the Orange hosted No. 1 North Carolina in a 14-12 loss, keeping it close against the Tar Heels as the game was tied at halftime. But a season-ending injury from Emma Tyrrell earlier in the week and an in-game injury to Megan Carney hurt SU down the stretch. 

Against Cornell on Tuesday, the injuries opened the door for young freshmen to make an impact. With this support, Emily Hawryschuk scored a team-best seven goals and 11 points — a single-game career-high. Following this up-and-down week, the Orange host Louisville, one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s lowest ranked teams.

Here’s everything to know about Louisville (6-8, 1-5 Atlantic Coast) before it takes on SU (11-3, 5-1 ACC) at Christian Brothers Academy:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 11-1.

Last time they played

Due to COVID-19 last season, Syracuse played multiple teams in back-to-back games. The Orange traveled to Kentucky for the final two road games of the regular season where they scored 19 goals each in two wins over the Cardinals. 

In Syracuse’s second win, midfielder Cara Quimby scored the opening two goals in the first 10 minutes and the rest of the team dominated the rest of the way. Over a two-minute span in the first half, Carney and Emma Ward notched a combined five goals. Then in the second half, Emma scored three consecutive goals to finish the game with four goals. The Orange also remained stout defensively, with Asa Goldstock making six saves in the 19-7 win.

The Cardinals report

For the past two seasons, Louisville has only recorded two ACC wins. The Cardinals started their conference schedule with a strong 14-11 victory over Virginia Tech. Since that first win, they have lost every conference game with a goal differential of minus 34. The Cardinals’ offense also lost their top two point-scorers from last season, as Ally Hall and Caroline Blalock both graduated.

Another issue for Louisville is the lack of a true starting goalie. The Orange have struggled with this problem too but have been able to rely on strong offensive performances. The Cardinals do not have this cushion. Neither of their goalies — J Pleck and Sara Addeche — have impressed enough to be the starter. This has led to Louisville having a save percentage that ranks 111th in the country. It doesn’t benefit Pleck and Addeche that the Cardinals also have a middle-of-the-road turnover percentage among the defenders and midfielders.

How Syracuse beats Louisville

Being the top two scorers on one of the best attacking units in the ACC, Hawryschuk and Meaghan Tyrrell will have no problem carving up Louisville’s defense. Meaghan will most likely create isolation matchups and Hawryschuk can draw free-position chances in the 8-meter, where both thrive. The key will be if the younger players get involved as well. Since Carney and Emma have been out on injury, Natalie Smith has scored five goals while Olivia Adamson has seen an increased role. With the guarantee of good play from Hawryschuk and Meaghan, the younger players will need to provide support to secure the win.

Kimber Hower will have to play sharper as well, specifically on long-range shots. Against the Big Red, the Utah native gave up four goals from shots at the top of the 8-meter arc. Louisville will probably create screens to cause dysfunction at the front of the net. Hower has proven she can make big stops and she will have to again so the Orange can cruise against the Cardinals.

Player to watch: Hannah Morris, attack, No. 4 

Morris has been the Cardinals’ finest player even as the team has struggled in the past six games. In that stretch, Louisville has won once, but Morris has scored 21 times. This included a season-high six goals against Ohio State, a team with one of the best adjusted defensive efficiencies. Against UNC on March 13, Morris recorded one of her 10 hat tricks on the season.

This season has been a breakout year for the senior, who leads all Cardinals in goals and points. In 2021, Morris had a career-high 27 points in 16 games played. In just 14 games this year, the Canadian has recorded a total of 51 points. The Cardinals have relied on her not just to score, but to also generate shots. The senior has a 19.5% share of the team’s shots, according to Lacrosse Reference.

Stat to know: 12.93 goals allowed per game

While Louisville has lacked offensive success this season, the defense has been a much greater cause for concern. The Cardinals have conceded the highest goals against average in the ACC, with an adjusted defensive efficiency under 30% in four of its last five games. Like Syracuse’s goalies, both Pleck and Addeche have a save percentage under 40%. The Cardinals struggle at limiting teams’ shots, with an allowed shooting percentage of 46.8%, ranking 97th best in the country.