SU ties longest win streak in program history with 15th straight victory, defeats UNC
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With six minutes left in the game, UNC’s Caroline Godine was roaming behind the net. She curled around the left post, whipping a shot at Delaney Sweitzer. The SU goalie’s quick reflexes denied Godine.
Syracuse flipped the possession, transitioning up the field. Meaghan Tyrrell found herself just within the arc thirty seconds later, charging towards goal. She stutter stepped past several UNC defenders taking a side arm shot to the the left side of the goal, giving the Orange a late 12-11 lead.
Syracuse (15-0, 8-0 Atlantic Coast) squeezed out a 14-12 win over No. 5 UNC (11-3, 6-2 ACC), the defending National champions. Saturday’s victory was SU’s ninth win over a ranked opponent while also tying the record for longest win streak in program history. Meaghan Tyrrell tallied six points with two goals and four assists, moving her past head coach Kayla Treanor to second place on Syracuse’s all time points list.
The Tar Heels scored first early in the opening period. Godine was positioned directly behind the net as she scanned the zone for an open teammate. She found Melissa Sconone barreling in towards the right post, bouncing a shot to the left of Sweitzer to give North Carolina an early advantage.
Less than two minutes later, Maddy Baxter sent a pass behind the net to Emma Ward. She shuffled for a second before seeing a cutting Emma Tyrrell. Emma caught the pass in stride, held her stick high over her head, and snuck a shot past UNC goalie Alecia Nicholas to tie the game.
Baxter then drew a 1 on 1 matchup at the top of the 12 meter arc in the middle of the period. She sprinted past the defender, creating enough space for a shot, which she rocketed to the top right corner, giving the Orange their first lead of the day.
Shortly after, Emma also faced a 1 on 1 with a Tar Heel defender on the far left side of the 12 meter. She went to the left, blowing past the defender. When she got closer to goal, Emma slid inside and threw down a bounce shot that went to the right of Nicholas to extend the lead to 3-1.
After a Nicholas save on a Ward free position opportunity, UNC quickly moved up field with numbers on their side. The Tar Heels made a string of quick passes behind the net until Caitlyn Wurzburger found Nicole Humphrey cutting to goal on the right side of the eight meter. Humphrey found the back of the net to make it a one goal game with three minutes left in the period.
Shortly after, Meaghan Tyrrell noticed Natalie Smith charging in from the center of the 8 meter arc, dishing it to her. Smith grabbed the pass in stride, veering right to find space. She loaded up a powerful side arm shot to the top left corner of the cage to making it 4-2.
With time winding down in the first period, Syracuse had a woman-up chance off a Kiley Mottice foul. Meaghan had the ball at an off angle as Megan Carney set a pick for her. She passed it Emma directly in front of the goal, who received it moving to her right. Defenders followed her until she changed direction and put in another score for a hat trick.
Just over a minute into the second quarter, Godine controlled the ball behind the net. She flipped a pass over the goal to Humphrey, catching Sweitzer off-balance. Humphrey took advantage of Sweitzer’s positioning, swinging a shot in for UNC’s third goal of the day.
In response to Humphrey’s score the Orange as the team scored two goals in 20 seconds. First, Savannah Sweitzer fielded a pass from Meaghan in front of the left post. She faked a high shot and then went to her right, slamming a shot on the ground for a goal.
Immediately after, Emma had the ball directly to the left of the net. She sent a pass to Carney behind the right post. Carney ran around the right side of the goal with her back to the net. She then let off a behind the back shot while looking straight ahead, finding the back of the net.
Later on in the period, Godine once again had the ball behind the net. She looked up for a pass, but instead faked to the left and then peeled around the right side of the net. She then took a low shot to the far left post to shave the lead down to 7-4.
The Orange answered 30 seconds later as Smith drew another 1-on-1 at the top of the arc. She drove hard right, separating from her defender before releasing a missile from the far end of the 8 meter, painting the top right corner for Smith’s second of the day.
After going 0 for 6 on free positions, North Carolina was awarded another chance with a little over six minutes left in the half. Alyssa Long set up to the right side of the 8 meter, charging left, maneuvering around Sweitzer for another score.
In the final seconds of the half UNC brought the lead down to two on a Marissa White goal. Going into halftime, the Tar Heels had six more shot than the Orange.
Both teams were missing their draw specialist, but UNC had more than double the draw controls than the Orange. Sweitzer kept the Orange ahead by posting another sensational performance with eight saves off 14 shots on goal in the first half.
Godine kept pressing after halftime, scoring again from behind the net six minutes into the third period. Minutes later, Wurzburger caught a long pass at the post and shot low to tie the game at 8.
Syracuse went 16 minutes without scoring a goal, before Meaghan fielded a pass, then cutting toward the middle of the 8 meter, finding the net on a low shot. Meghan’s goal restored the Orange’s lead.
Moments after Meaghan’s goal, Humphrey cut towards the center of the 8 meter, caught a pass, and shot over Sweitzer’s left shoulder for a goal.
Two straight close saves by Sweitzer kept the game knotted up at nine before Olivia Adamson scored on a feed by Ward. With a minute left in the quarter Meghan got a free position opportunity. Set up from the right side of the 8 meter, she swung a pass to the opposite side to Smith who shot it to the top right and scored.
The assist tied Meaghan with Treanor for second in all time points in Syracuse history. It also allowed the Orange to go into the final period with a two goal lead.
North Carolina started the fourth quarter scoring as Reilly Casey took a Wurzburger pass from behind the net and shot it low past Sweitzer. Long had another free position goal to tie the game up at 11.
Midway through the period, Meaghan’s history-making score gave Syracuse a one goal lead with just under six minutes left in the game.
The Tar Heels evened it up shortly after with a Casey goal off a Godine pass form behind the left post.
But, Syracuse took another late lead half a minute later. Emma possessed the ball on the left side of the 12 meter and flipped it to Carney. She ran towards the post with her stick high in the air. Carney found an opening over Nicholas’ right shoulder, putting Syracuse up 13-12.
After two scoreless minutes, Ward found Emma in the middle of the 8 meter. With two defenders on her, she jumped up to grab the pass, shooting the ball as she fell backwards. Emma’s shot found the back of the net, giving the Orange a two-goal advantage with a minute left.
