Momentum is a fickle thing. As soon as a team believes it has control, it often slips away. That has been the case for No. 10 Syracuse women’s lacrosse (4-3, 1-2 ACC). After starting the season 3-0, the Orange reversed course with three straight losses. However, after a nail-biting double-overtime victory over No. 6 Stanford on Friday, momentum may once again be in Syracuse’s hands heading into another top-10 matchup against No. 8 Johns Hopkins (4-2, 0-0 Big Ten) on Monday.
Despite the crucial win against Stanford, Syracuse may be facing Johns Hopkins at an inopportune time. After starting the season 1-2 with losses to No. 10 Florida and No. 16 Loyola, the Blue Jays have won three straight. A 10-9 overtime victory against No. 20 Penn kickstarted the streak, followed by a dominant nine-goal win over Georgetown. Most recently, Johns Hopkins edged No. 15 Stony Brook 14-13 after trailing by five goals entering the fourth quarter. With more than a week since its last contest, Johns Hopkins will likely come out energized against Syracuse.
In close top-10 matchups, draw control often determines the outcome, and this game should be no exception. Blue Jays freshman Laurel Gonzales ranks in the top eight nationally with nearly 10 draw controls per game. While Syracuse does not boast a top-10 draw control unit, the Orange should feel more confident after a strong performance against Stanford. Following a 4-for-21 effort in the circle against Clemson, head coach Kayla Treanor made a significant adjustment. Sophomore Joely Caramelli took over primary draw control duties, with occasional assistance from midfielders Alexa Vogelman and Mileena Cotter. Caramelli won 7-of-8 draws in the third quarter, helping Syracuse secure its first draw control win in three games.
“It’s a new role that I do have some experience with, but all week in practice I have just been working with the coaches and my teammates have been helping me out and teaching me different techniques,” Caramelli said after the win over Stanford. “But it really just comes down to doing anything for this team to win.”
Winning draw controls, however, is only part of the equation—capitalizing on scoring opportunities is just as crucial. Both Syracuse and Johns Hopkins average 13 goals per game, ranking just inside the top 50 nationally. For Syracuse, graduate student attacker Emma Ward leads the offense, averaging over two goals and two assists per game to pace the Orange in both categories. For Ward, the key has been building chemistry early in the season.
“It’s been about playing in the moment and having trust,” Ward said. “I think this whole process has been about building connections and working together on the field. Our chemistry hasn't been there, but it's starting to show and it's building.”
Johns Hopkins counters with senior attacker Ashley Mackin, who has scored four or more goals in every game this season. Mackin has also been highly efficient, posting a .680 shot-on-goal percentage, compared to Ward’s mark below .500. In addition to her scoring ability, Mackin leads the Blue Jays with 11 assists. Her combined 35 points rank first nationally in points per game.
To see if Syracuse can contain Mackin and the rest of the Johns Hopkins attack, follow @WAERSports on Twitter for live updates during Monday’s 4 p.m. matchup.