Syracuse’s 2014 squad established program’s consistent model through record 21 wins
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In 2014, Syracuse advanced to the NCAA Championship, setting up a trilogy matchup with Maryland. While SU steamrolled its way through the season, the Terrapins served as its kryptonite, handing it the only two losses of the season.
“We just knew that every time we played them (Maryland), we were gonna get an unbelievable fight from them,” Alyssa Murray Cometti (then Alyssa Murray) said. “They were so talented in every position.”
In front of a crowd of over 10,000 people in Towson, Maryland, the Terrapins jumped out to a 9-6 halftime lead. SU lost Liz Harbeson to two yellow cards and Mallory Vehar to injury in the second half as Maryland extended its lead to seven in the second half. The Orange led a comeback effort behind Cometti’s three second-half goals, but the Orange fell short, losing 15-12.
Though Syracuse came up a game short, 10 years later the team is seen as one of the best in program history. The Orange won a program-record 21 games and reached its third straight Final Four. The season set the tone for the program’s future as the Orange returned to the national semifinals in 2015 and 2016 and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 11 seasons.
Current SU women’s head coach Kayla Treanor and Cometti powered the attack to 15 or more goals in 10 games. Meanwhile, a senior-led defense held opponents to 8.88 goals per game and the midfield won 58.5% of draw controls.
That year’s senior class led the program to the 2012 National Championship after missing the NCAA Tournament the year prior. From that point forward, the feeling of playing in a national championship was something the Orange became fixated on, Cometti said.
Before the historic 2014 season, Syracuse fell to then-No. 1 Maryland 11-10 in the Final Four a year prior. The team lost defenders Becca Block and Linley Block to graduation, but 2013 captains Bridget Daley and Alyssa Costantino returned for their senior seasons.
“We had amazing leadership on that team,” Treanor, a sophomore in 2014, said. “For me as an underclassman, (I) kind of just got to be a part of an amazing journey and ride with the leadership that we had that took so much ownership in what we wanted to accomplish.”
The Orange won their first six games but fell 12-10 to Maryland on March 10. SU went on to win its next nine games, including five top-10 matchups, setting it up for the ACC tournament.
Treanor scored a program-record 79 goals alongside Cometti, who led SU with 45 assists. The pair each tallied over 100 points while seven other players scored at least 10 goals, taking pressure off its top threats.
“When everyone is bought in, no one cares who’s the one scoring, it just allows you to play so much more freely,” Cometti said. “I think that’s what allowed us to be so lethal.”
The defensive unit led by Natalie Glanell, Kasey Mock Eckroth, Harbeson and Costantino — all of whom were seniors and roommates — provided constant pressure, forcing 55 more turnovers than its opponents.
“There was a deeper experience and dynamic between (the senior class), especially on the defensive end of the field,” Glanell said.
Costantino and Kelsey Richardson split time in goal, “quarterbacking” the defensive unit, according to Eckroth. Due to their differing playing styles, opponents were “thrown off” when they would substitute for each other in net, Costantino said.
“It’s just when you get that type of leadership (on defense), players elevate their game and their expectations,” SU assistant coach Regy Thorpe said. “I think they really respected the tradition that was built on the women’s side (program), and really wanted to create their own tradition and their own legacy.”
SU set out to hold its opponents under 10 goals each game. And it did, limiting opponents to 10 or fewer goals 15 times.
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Syracuse’s 15-1 record led SU to earn a share of the ACC regular season title. In the ACC Tournament, the Orange defeated Notre Dame and North Carolina to set up a rematch with Maryland. SU entered the contest on an 11-game winning streak, but two 3-0 second-half runs by Maryland led to a 13-7 loss.
On senior day, Syracuse and then-No. 11 Loyola went to overtime tied at 12-12. The Orange got out to a one-goal lead before Harbeson, a defender, intercepted a pass and scored her first-ever collegiate goal to seal the 14-12 victory. Harbeson’s goal marked one of the “greatest moments” during the 2014 senior class’s career, Costantino said.
On the sidelines stood head coach Gary Gait. The former men’s team star and current men’s coach always stayed composed no matter the events transpiring on the field.
“For the most part (Gait) was always very calm and truly had fun,” Katie Webster Fiacco (then Katie Webster) said. “He always joked that inside the dome, it’s always 70 and sunny.”
Thorpe and SU assistant coach Brett Queener supplied energy after big plays while assistant Katie Rowan Thomson (then Katie Rowan) shared her unmatched lacrosse IQ in “down-to-earth” style conversations, Fiacco said.
In contrast to Gait, Thorpe brought a more emotional approach to coaching. Thorpe, a current assistant at Florida, delivered fiery pregame speeches that gave players chills, Costantino said.
The two mixing personalities created a well-balanced staff that players could take pieces of. Then there was Rowan Thomson and Queener.
At practice, Rowan Thomson, not far removed from her SU playing career, included herself in offensive drills. Queener worked largely with goalies, quickening reaction time.
That year’s team bonded beyond team practices and games, congregating at “The Field” on Syracuse’s South Campus to play cornhole or Kan Jam. On road trips, they had karaoke sessions where Gait and Thorpe would sometimes participate as well.
The Orange entered the NCAA tournament confident, outscoring their opponents 40-23 in the first three rounds. Then, for the third time in less than three months, Syracuse faced the top-ranked Terrapins in the NCAA Championship. The matchup featured two Tewaaraton finalists from each team, including Maryland’s Taylor Cummings and Megan Douty and SU’s Treanor and Cometti.
But Syracuse failed to avoid a third straight loss to Maryland. Despite the defeat, the 2014 team is seen as one of the top in program history.
“I think we set a tone and set the bar pretty high,” Fiacco said. “We hopefully made all these younger girls in the country realize that Syracuse is an amazing school for lacrosse.”
