No. 3 Syracuse women's lacrosse turns the page to Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia is a town rich in history. It was founded in 1671 when English explorers finally found a crossing through the ridges of the Allegheny Mountains. It’s the site of the Huckleberry Trail, named for the bushes that sit alongside the state’s mid-19th century train routes.

And Saturday, it’s where Syracuse women’s lacrosse will attempt to steer its offense back on track.

The Orange played their worst game of the season Wednesday at the University of Florida, suffering a 14-10 defeat at the hands of the 13th-ranked Gators. Among many other lowlights, it was Syracuse’s lowest scoring output of the season, the first time the Orange were outscored in the third quarter and their first time losing the turnover battle. In summation, it was a performance Kayla Treanor and her team would like to forget.

So, in many ways, it works in Syracuse’s favor that it has another game to look forward to in such quick succession. The issue? They’re running into a Virginia Tech squad that looks much better than anticipated to begin the season.

The Hokies come into the matchup winners of five straight, which includes victories over ranked opponents James Madison and Notre Dame. Now 7-3 overall, Virginia Tech debuted this week at 24 in the national rankings and sits just a game behind Syracuse in the ACC standings at 2-1. It’s a promising start to the season for a team with a 13-84 all-time record in conference play.

The Hokies have top quality caliber players on their roster for Syracuse to contend with as well. Freshman midfielder Olivia Vergano has become an instant sensation, winning the most recent ACC Offensive Player of the Week Award.

Vergano leads the team with 27 goals, tied for 18th in the nation. And the team is led in points by grad student Sarah Lubnow, who will become Tech’s all-time leader in assists with her next helper.

The plus side for Syracuse? Statistics would indicate that it is unlikely the trio of Emily Hawryschuck, Meaghan Tyrrell and Megan Carney will combine for just five goals in back-to-back games.

The three captains had scored at least seven in each of the team’s previous games this season and still managed 15 shots against the Gators. Hokie goalie Morgan Berman will need to perform to the All-American standards of Florida’s Sarah Reznick in order to stem the tide of Syracuse’s big three once again.

Another encouraging sign for the Orange was the emergence of Kate Mashewske against Florida. The junior helped SU to a 17-11 advantage on the draw, the first game the Orange led in that stat since Feb. 26 at Notre Dame. Mashewske seemed to particularly find a winning strategy after halftime, successfully helping win nine of 10 consecutive draws during a last-ditch comeback attempt.

Looking at the full picture, there are clearly reasons to anticipate a better performance from Syracuse coming Saturday afternoon. Yet, as the Orange found out Wednesday, being the number three team in the country is no guarantee of a victory. And whether the three-game road trip is judged as a success or a failure will hinge squarely on the outcome against the Hokies.

The stakes, therefore, are high. Will the Orange escape the Huckleberry Trail with win number seven? The answer will begin to unfold with the opening draw from Thompson Field, Saturday at 1 p.m.