Opponent Preview: What to know about No. 11 Virginia
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In another save clinic from Delaney Sweitzer, No. 1 Syracuse downed Cornell on Tuesday night in the JMA Wireless Dome. Sweitzer’s 13 saves through three quarters gave the Orange an 11-goal lead entering the final period.
But when head coach Kayla Treanor pulled Sweitzer and other starters in favor of Kimber Hower, things got ugly. The Big Red went on a 7-0 fourth-quarter run to put a late scare into SU, but the top team in the nation outlasted the in-state rival, winning 19-13. “I own that as a coach,” Treanor said about the poor performance from the second team.
Syracuse (11-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast) will look to achieve its longest win streak in program history against No. 11 Virginia (8-3, 4-1 ACC) on Saturday. Here’s everything to know about the Cavaliers before they enter the JMA Wireless Dome:
All-time series:
Syracuse leads, 15-13.
Last time they played
For the first time since the season opener, the Orange face a team that beat them last season. Then-No. 6 Virginia knocked off an injury-riddled No. 3-seeded Syracuse in the first round of the ACC Tournament. The Orange led for one minute or less in each half.
Olivia Adamson scored unassisted on the opening possession, but Virginia responded with three straight scores in under six minutes. With Syracuse on its heels, Virginia responded to almost every goal with one of its own. By halftime, the Cavaliers led 9-8, and the game had been tied four different times.
The third started slow, but Emily Hawryschuk connected with Meaghan Tyrrell at 10:17 to tie the game once again. Then, a pair of unassisted scores from Meaghan and Megan Carney gave Syracuse its final lead of the game, 11-10. In the fourth, the Cavaliers went on a 5-0 run, featuring three goals from Ashlyn McGovern.
The Orange couldn’t claw their way back, as they fell 18-14 in an upset. Rachel Clark and Morgan Schwab led the team with seven points apiece, and McGovern finished with five.
The Cavaliers report
All of Virginia’s top-three scorers from last year’s conference tournament win have returned. Clark, McGovern and Schwab are also the three leading scorers on this year’s team through 11 games. So the Virginia offense, unlike SU’s, hasn’t changed much from last season.
Schwab is the primary facilitator, as her 27 assists are 10 more than the next closest Cavalier, while Clark and McGovern take an overwhelming majority of the shots. Their combined 178 shots account for 46.6% of Virginia’s attempts this season. It has displayed high accuracy as a team, ranking 10th in the nation in shots on goal per game.
The defensive end has been Virginia’s downfall this season. Allowing 11.73 goals per game, the Cavaliers have averaged 14.3 in losses, which might prove difficult against Syracuse’s high-powered offense that scores 16.58 times a game.
How Syracuse beats Virginia
The answer depends on Carney’s availability. Against Cornell, the Syracuse scoring leader was seen spectating from the sideline in a practice shirt, and Treanor had no update during the postgame press conference. She went scoreless on three shots against Louisville in the game prior.
The Orange need to keep their foot on the gas in this game, and Carney is one of the best at that. Her ability to convert in transition and get to the crease will be significant if she plays. If not, Meaghan, Emma Ward and Emma Tyrrell will need to pick up the slack as the team’s next-leading scorers. Emma has four straight hat tricks, while Ward has scored 16 points over the last three games. Against a high-volume Cavalier attack, Syracuse will need to stay aggressive.
Defensively, Sweitzer will be the X-factor once again. Her stellar start against Cornell ended in 13 saves over three quarters of play, allowing SU to sustain its lead despite a late comeback effort with Hower in goal.
Currently ranking second in the nation in save percentage, Sweitzer will need to stay dominant in this conference showdown. But she will face a much stronger Virginia attack this weekend, one that shoots more often and accurately than the Big Red.
Stat to know: 34.73
Virginia shoots 34.73 shots per game, ranking sixth in the nation, which is more than Syracuse’s 31.67. Both Clark and McGovern rank top 10 nationally in shots per game, and Virginia is the only team to have as many. The Cavaliers boast one of the most aggressive offenses in all of Division I.
Player to watch: Rachel Clark, attack, No. 5
As a freshman, Clark’s six goals off of eight shots helped bury the Orange last April. Clark made the All-ACC first team as well as the ACC All-Tournament Team in a breakout campaign. This season, her 44 points are tied for the team high with McGovern, and her 36 goals rank second. Clark has shot 89 times this season, over 20 more than any Syracuse player. She and McGovern will lead a strong Cavalier attack attempting to spoil Syracuse’s perfect season.
