Things all looked to be going south for Syracuse. After the Orange had a five-goal lead to start the fourth quarter, Notre Dame steadily cut into the lead, and scored with just 16.7 seconds to play to tie the game. All the momentum was with the home team as the game headed to overtime.
Then, Meaghan Tyrrell happened.
The senior, who had by far her least productive game of the season through 60 minutes, found some space to her shooting side and rifled a shot past All-American goalkeeper Bridget Deehan to propel the third-ranked Orange to a 4-0 record.
Here’s your game winner‼️ pic.twitter.com/QEyn5nTWFy
— Syracuse Women's Lacrosse (@CuseWLAX) February 27, 2022
The goal was just Tyrrell’s second of the night, but her 17th of the young season, as the senior ranked in the top five in the nation in scoring to start the night. Her first goal of the game was the 140th of her career, which moved her into the top ten all-time in the Syracuse record books.
The loss dropped the Irish to 1-4, after they were ranked fifth in the country to start the season. Despite the record, the Orange knew not to take this game in South Bend lightly.
“Notre Dame’s a great team,” head coach Kayla Treanor said earlier in the week. “All the ACC games are competitive and mean a lot.”
It was a balanced offensive effort for Syracuse, who had five players score at least two goals. Emily Hawryschuck and Emma Tyrrell, the team’s third- and fourth-leading scorers, stepped up and carried the load on this night with four goals apiece. It was the first time Hawryschuck scored more than two goals this season, after returning from a torn ACL in 2021.
🎩 for Emily Hawryschuk in the first half. Catch the second half on ACC Network Extra. pic.twitter.com/gmKkztKbTe
— Syracuse Women's Lacrosse (@CuseWLAX) February 27, 2022
“It’s been a journey,” Hawryschuck said. “I felt lots of emotions going into that first game and they’ve just seemed to stick with me. [I’m] very excited to be back playing again.”
For Emma Tyrrell, the four goals were supplemented by three assists, giving her seven points for the night to lead the team and tie the season high by any Orange player. Meanwhile Sam Swart, who had just one goal in the team’s previous three games, scored twice, including a free-position goal that gave the Orange their first lead at 2-1.
“Fortunately, we’ve had a lot of players who are able to step up and own the moment,” Treanor said. “It gives them a chance to shine, and I think a lot of the players have done that.”
One player who has been shining all season is Megan Carney. The senior turned in another rock solid performance with a hat trick and an assist. This included a diving shot past Deehan on a lightning strike from the Orange in transition, featuring a long run from Swart and an expert pass from Emma Tyrrell.
Teamwork makes the dream work 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/h1t3qByLwB
— Syracuse Women's Lacrosse (@CuseWLAX) February 26, 2022
The Orange will certainly take the win, but the fourth quarter has been something of a bugaboo for the team in the past week. Before losing a five-goal advantage in this game’s final period, Syracuse nearly lost a three-goal lead after failing to score in the fourth against Stony Brook Sunday night. This Orange team has put a strong emphasis on the film room under Treanor, and this game certainly provided them plenty of material
“There [are] just so many learning points you can take away from the film,” Hawryschuck said. “Our focus is just to continue to build in that positive direction.”
After they watch their film, the Orange will have perhaps their best test yet when they take the field again Tuesday.
Syracuse travels to Evanston, Illinois to take on No. 6 Northwestern in a 2021 Final Four rematch. The Wildcats have won three straight after losing to top-ranked Boston College in their season-opener. And Wednesday, the Cats took down Notre Dame by an identical 17-16 final score. It’s the latest in a string of early-season tests for the Orange, who have thus far emerged unscathed.
Tuesday’s game is set for 4 p.m. EST.