Opponent Preview: What to know ahead of No. 12 Stony Brook

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No. 5 Syracuse plays its second game in four days Tuesday when it hosts No. 12 Stony Brook at the JMA Wireless Dome.

After dropping two of its first three games to then-No. 1 Northwestern and then-No. 9 Maryland, Syracuse answered with two strong wins to open Atlantic Coast Conference play. First, it went on the road to upset then-No. 2 Notre Dame 16-14. A week later, it took care of business at home versus unranked Duke, winning 15-8.

Stony Brook enters its contest versus Syracuse undefeated at 4-0, though it hasn’t played a ranked opponent thus far in 2024. SU’s matchup with the Seawolves will mark its fifth game versus a ranked opponent through six contests.

Here’s everything you need to know before No. 5 Syracuse (3-2, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) faces No. 12 Stony Brook (4-0, 0-0 Coastal Athletic Association):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 5-1.

Last time they played…

Amid a nine-game winning streak, No. 1 Syracuse played host to No. 6 Stony Brook on March 22, 2023. Against the Seawolves, the Orange rode a six-goal effort from Megan Carney and seven assists from Emma Ward to a 16-11 victory, extending their win streak to 10.

Despite a seven-goal effort from Stony Brook’s Morgan Mitchell, Syracuse held on for a comfortable win. From the middle of the second to the end of the third quarter, Syracuse went on a 6-0 run and didn’t allow the Seawolves to score for over 20 minutes of play.

The Seawolves report

Stony Brook returns its top eight scorers from head coach Joe Spallina’s CAA championship team that fell in the second round of the 2023 NCAA tournament. Ellie Masera and Kailyn Hart are back for the Seawolves after tallying over 50 goals apiece a year ago. Masera is averaging six goals per game to start the season.

To complement the returning stars, they brought in Massachusetts transfer Alex Finn, who totaled 42 goals in her junior season. Additionally, Isabella Caporuscio has four goals through her first four collegiate games.

The Seawolves have been efficient offensively, posting a 41% mark, which ranks third in the nation through March 2, per Lacrosse Reference. Their turnover rate also ranks first at 15.3% and they hold possession for 58.5% of the game (third-best in the country).

How SU beats Stony Brook

So far in 2024, Syracuse’s success has been spurred by early offense. Versus the Fighting Irish, SU scored five first-quarter goals to keep it within striking distance despite a poor second quarter. Against the Blue Devils, Syracuse began on a 6-0 run.

To defeat the Seawolves, the Orange need to quickly establish their offense. As of late, SU’s attack has received contributions from many areas. Natalie Smith and Olivia Adamson started 2024 on fire, leading the team with 14 and 15 goals, respectively. Emma Tyrrell had a five-goal breakout against Duke while Emma Ward has facilitated at an elite level, working as the quarterback of the offense.

If the attack can continue its firepower to begin games, it should have no problem taking care of a team that hasn’t played a ranked opponent yet.

Another key is in the draw circle. Kate Mashewske has improved since returning from last year’s season-ending injury. Versus Duke, she had her best game yet, helping SU win 20-of-27 draws. With a strong start in the circle, Mashewske can allow SU’s attack to continue its steady progression and jump out to a lead Stony Brook can’t back from.

Stat to know: 78%

In its most recent game versus Villanova, Stony Brook won 78% of its draw controls. The Seawolves have won the battle in the circle in three of four games in 2024. Masera even broke the single-game program record for draw controls with 17.

Syracuse struggled at the draw at the beginning of the season but showed improvements with a 74% mark against Duke. Mashewske versus Masera will create an intriguing matchup in the draw circle.

Miranda Fournier | Design Editor

Player to watch: Ellie Masera, midfield, No. 12

Masera has scored five or more goals in each of Stony Brook’s first four contests, averaging six per game. The senior midfielder tallied 71 goals in her junior campaign en route to an IWLCA Second Team All-American selection.

In the Seawolves’ 20-9 drubbing of Arizona State, Masera totaled 11 points, scoring six times while dishing out five assists. While Masera is a prolific scorer and distributor, SU just shut down Duke’s top attack Katie DeSimone in its last game, limiting her to two goals.