Opponent Preview: What to know about No. 5 Boston College
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Syracuse solidified its No. 1 spot on the Inside Lacrosse Women/Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association rankings with a tough 14-12 win over then-No. 5 North Carolina.
Syracuse’s trip to Chapel Hill last Saturday started with UNC taking an early 1-0 lead off Melissa Sconone’s goal. But the Orange responded with three straight scores. SU maintained that lead until the Tar Heels made a run at the end of the second period and the beginning of the third.
North Carolina tied the game at eight apiece six minutes into the second half. Then, the teams continued to trade blows for the rest of the contest, staying within a goal or two of each other the whole time. Meaghan Tyrrell’s goal with 5:40 left in the game gave her the second spot on Syracuse’s all time point list and the Orange a 12-11 lead. UNC answered soon after, but back-to-back goals by Megan Carney and Emma Tyrrell put the game out of reach late.
SU will now host No. 5 Boston College, the last stepping stone of an undefeated regular season. The two teams will face off at the SU Soccer Stadium on Thursday night.
Here’s everything you need to know about Boston College (12-3, 7-1 Atlantic Coast):
All-Time Series
Syracuse leads 17-9.
Last time they played
Although Syracuse won the first 12 games it ever played against Boston College, the team has lost seven out of the last nine matchups. Most recently, the Orange fell to the Eagles 15-13 on April 22 of last year in Chestnut Hill.
Syracuse controlled this game at the beginning. Meaghan put her team up 1-0 just two minutes into the first, with several more SU goals to follow. The Orange found themselves up 4-2 with under two minutes left in the quarter, but BC’s Kayla Martello scored two fast goals to even it up going into the second frame.
Boston College started pulling away after halftime, leading 12-8 at the start of the fourth quarter. The Eagles extended the lead to five in the opening moments of the final period, but Syracuse began to surge back. The Orange scored four times in three minutes to bring the game back within one. It stayed at 13-12 for a while, but BC tacked on two more as the Eagles handed Syracuse its fourth loss of 2022.
The Eagles Report
Boston College has been one of the premier teams in college lacrosse in recent memory, appearing in the last three national championship games and winning in 2021. Last year, it blew a fourth quarter lead to UNC in the championship, losing 12-11.
BC started the season just 3-2 after losses to powerhouse Northwestern on February 19 and North Carolina on March 1. The Eagles proceeded to win nine of their next ten games, dropping one to undefeated Denver.
Five of the team’s top seven points leaders from last season are back this year. Attack Jenn Medjid leads with 79 points off 61 goals and 18 assists. She’s also third in the nation in points per game and first in the ACC in goals per game. Fellow attack Mckenna Davis is second in the conference behind Syracuse’s Emma Ward in assists per game.
How Syracuse beats Boston College
Similar to the UNC game, a big difference in this year’s matchup against Boston College is that Syracuse will have its top midfielders. Emma and Sierra Cockerille missed the 2022 matchup with ACL tears. This could allow Syracuse to win the possession battle, something it couldn’t achieve against the Eagles in 2022 when it fell behind in shots, turnovers, ground balls and draw controls.
Syracuse might have to rely heavily on Delaney Sweitzer as Boston College is exceptional at applying pressure on opposing goalies. The Eagles have gotten off the sixth most shots of any team in the NCAA this season, averaging over 33 per game. But Sweitzer should be ready for the challenge.
The Eagles have rotated two goalies this year, with Rachel Hall starting seven games and Shea Dolce starting eight. Collectively, the pair saves 7.47 shots per game, which is the least in the conference. The Syracuse offense has the best shot percentage in the nation and should have no trouble breaking through as long as it loads up the net with shots.
Stat to know: 13.40
The Eagles struggle to scoop up loose balls. The team only picks up 13.40 ground balls per game, which is third to last in the ACC. Syracuse, on the other hand, is second in the ACC with 15.80. Boston College does a good job on the draw control and winning the turnover battle, but this is the one area it struggles to win possession.
Player to watch: Sydney Scales, defense, No. 45
Junior Sydney Scales is Boston College’s standout player on defense. She ranks second in the conference in caused turnovers per game with 1.87. Scales also leads the Eagles in ground balls, with eight more than anyone else on the squad. In 2022, Scales earned IWLCA Second-Team All-American honors as well as a spot on the All-ACC First Team.
