The most anticipated game of the season approaches for the Orange as they take on reigning champions, the UNC Tarheels. This is the ninth time Syracuse takes on a ranked opponent this year. If the Orange win their next game, they will tie the school’s longest winning streak of 15 wins. That says a lot to their strength as the team was ranked as having the sixth hardest schedule in the country.
These upcoming games are really going to test the team as the Orange have a stretch of outdoor games. Kayla Treanor may have been taking this into account when she had her team practice outside this week.
Their biggest threat right now is if their relatively injury-free season continues as last season there were injuries across the board. Key players like Emma Ward, Megan Carney, Sierra Cockerille and Emma Tyrrell being just a few of their top players that were out last season.
And though Emma Tyrrell sat out last game against Clemson, according to her sister and teammate Meaghan Tyrrell, Emma is said to be set to play this upcoming game against UNC.
Though some players have been injured, their replacements have shown that Syracuse is a versatile team with talented players. The Orange had one major injury this season as draw control specialist Kate Mashewske was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a lower body injury, but the players filling in for her have not shown signs of defeat. There were three players in their last game against Clemson — Olivia Adamson, Katie Goodale, and Sierra Cockerille — that had a combined total of 20 draw controls. Not only did Olivia Adamson have 14 out of the 20 draw controls last game, but she had a career high of seven points, four goals and three assists.
The Orange take on the Tarheels in North Carolina Saturday at Noon. After that, the Orange play their last game of the season against Boston College at the SU Soccer Stadium on Thursday before the postseason starts.
