Syracuse loses No. 1 rank following loss to Boston College

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Heading into the postseason, Syracuse fell to the No. 2 on the latest Inside Lacrosse Women and Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association rankings. The Orange dropped a spot for the first time this year after their 17-16 loss to then-No. 5 Boston College on Saturday.

Syracuse had previously won 15 straight games and held the No. 1 ranking for the past five weeks — both of which are program records. The Orange were on the cusp of completing their first undefeated regular season in program history.

Syracuse jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead by the end of the first quarter. At the halftime break, SU led 11-6, spearheaded by a Maddy Baxter hat trick. With 3:10 remaining in the third, Syracuse attack Meaghan Tyrrell notched her 397th career point to become the program’s all-time points leader. Positioned at X, Meaghan assisted her sister, Emma Tyrrell, to give the Orange a 13-8 advantage.

Kayla Martello’s score at the start of the fourth cut the Syracuse lead to three and also spurred a 7-2 run to end the game. McKenna Davis scored her fourth goal with 1:21 remaining, giving the Eagles their first lead since the scoreline read 1-0. BC won the ensuing face-off before running the clock out.

Northwestern took over the No. 1 spot, receiving 14 first-place votes after its 13-6 win over No. 12 Maryland. The Wildcats’ only loss this season came against Syracuse. SU received seven first-place votes and 580 total points. No. 3 Denver maintained its position for the fourth week running after a 15-2 win over Georgetown. The Orange’s loss meant the Pioneers are now the only undefeated team in Division-I. Boston College moved into the No. 4 slot, overtaking No. 5 James Madison.

On Wednesday, Syracuse will take on Virginia Tech in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. The Orange are ranked No. 2 seed behind Boston College. Opening draw will be 4 p.m.