The “Meg Show” took over another contest as number three Syracuse women’s lacrosse slipped past number four Stony Brook 12-11 for its first top-five win of the season.
Both Meaghan Tyrrell and Megan Carney have been on fire to start the season. The dynamic duo has combined for 23 goals in just three games so far. That didn’t stop Sunday afternoon against its toughest competition yet. In fact, it was more of the same. The “Megs” finished with seven goals and that’s not where their impact stopped. The pair also had five assists combined.
Those assists largely came from Carney. The senior record a season-high four assists, which contributed to her season-best seven points. Although the stat only really showed up next to the number 22, it helped Tyrrell produce some much-needed offense. Two of the team-leading four goals by the Mount Sinai product were assisted by the other Megan. This is a connection, led by Carney’s passing, that changes the way SU plays both tangibly and intangibly.
“She’s a really high lacrosse IQ player. When a team plays a zone against us, she’s able to see a lot and she’s really like having a coach out on the field,” Head Coach Kayla Treanor said.
The combination of these two attackers made the difference for an Orange team that had to keep up with some firepower on the other side. The Seawolves held a lead early on and stayed within striking distance down the stretch. SBU sophomore Ellie Masera gave the SU defense trouble. Along with Tyrrell, the midfielder notched four goals. The game may have had a different outcome if the Seawolves had a strong number two. The next leading scorer for Stony Brook was UAlbany transfer Kyla Zapolski, who finished with a couple of scores, but no assists. To compare: The Seawolves’ combination had six points. The “Meg Show” produced 12.
Those numbers gave Syracuse the one-point edge over fourth-ranked Stony Brook, but SU is not satisfied with this big win and has higher goals for itself.
“Early, we don’t want to be playing our best lacrosse. We know that we have a lot of potential and a lot of work to do,” Treanor said.
The Orange just narrowly escaped their first true test of the season with a tight one-goal win. One of the factors that the Seawolves eliminated was the effectiveness of both Tyrrell and Carney in the fourth period.
The Syracuse offense was rolling in the third period with a 4-0 run to give it its largest lead of the game at three. The combo was involved in three of four of those success opportunities with either a score or an assist. That was all shut down in the final 15 minutes of play. The Seawolves clamped down on defense and shut out the “Megs” and, in turn, the entire SU attack. Then, all of the sudden, Stony Brook was back within one.
Luckily for the ‘Cuse, it held on to earn the first resumé win of the season for first-year head coach Kaylor Treanor.
Syracuse women’s lacrosse is back in action on the road against Notre Dame on Saturday for its first taste of ACC action. Follow WAER Sports on Twitter for updates and all things Syracuse lacrosse on both sides.