For the second week in a row, the Syracuse Orange are facing a first-time opponent. On March 26, the Orange defeated Temple 22-7 in the two teams’ first-ever game. And this Saturday, Syracuse will match up against Pittsburgh. The Panthers are in their first season and have a 6-6 record so far.
Panthers head coach Emily Boissonneault was hired in 2019 and since then has recruited new and transfer players to join her Panthers’ squad. Three of those players are very familiar with Syracuse. Attacker Madisyn Kittell is a graduate student who attended West Genesee High School less than 20 minutes from the Dome. She leads the Panthers with 13 assists on the season.
Meanwhile, graduate students Molly Carter and Allyson Trice played on the Orange before ultimately transferring. Trice played for Syracuse since her freshman season in 2018 and started all 21 games last year. She had three ground balls in the National Championship game against Boston College. Carter had five starts between 2018-2020 before joining the Panthers.
The Panthers are led by attacker Paige Petty, who has team-highs in goals and points this season. Before playing for Pitt, Petty was a four-year starter at Virginia Tech. During her time at VT, Petty was a four-time All-American and earned three-time ACC honors. The last time she was in the Dome, she netted two goals in the Hokies' 17-10 loss on March 27, 2021.
Though Pittsburgh is 0–5 in ACC play, Syracuse is focused on this game. Defender Sarah Cooper said after Syracuse’s win against Loyola that the team must keep working together.
“I mean, we have two losses. So like, we don't want to lose again. And especially (as) we're trying to build our chemistry slowly as we move across the season.”
A key contributor for the Orange might be missing from the lineup on Saturday. Megan Carney was standing on the sidelines in sweats during Syracuse's game on Tuesday. Carney was unavailable to play. Head coach Kayla Treanor said Carney is taking a lower-body injury day by day, but can still be impactful off the field.
“Megan has a huge impact on the offense and the team in general, especially because she's the captain and leader out there. But I think she did a great job of staying involved in the game to you know, the girls when we came over the sideline, she was really vocal and helping them through it.”
Carney ranks third in assists and fourth in goals and points earned this season for Syracuse. The Tyrrell sisters, Emma and Meaghan, are in the top three for goals, points, and assists this season and have powered Syracuse’s offense this season.
Against familiar faces on a new squad, the Orange look to start the month of April on a winning streak and continue their undefeated record in the Dome this season. The opening draw between Pittsburgh and Syracuse is set for 12 pm on Saturday.