Facing the defending NCAA champions after suffering an upset loss is about as bad as it gets to end off a regular season campaign. That’s exactly the situation No. 16 Syracuse Women’s Lacrosse (9-6, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) finds itself in. SU is fresh off a 14-11 loss at Virginia Tech just five days ago. It’s the first time the Orange have lost to an unranked opponent in nearly a decade.
“We didn’t have it all game long” ‘Cuse head coach Kayla Treanor said after the loss. “We outshot them but our actual shooting was really bad while [Virginia Tech’s] goalie played really great. If you can’t shoot and you’re playing against a hot goalie, you’re going to lose. We learned that today.”
Less than 70% of SU’s shots were on net and it failed to convert on all six of its free position chances. So after facing Hokies goalie Aaliyah Jones’ top 25 national save percentage, surely it can’t get any harder than that, right? Well, Eagles junior Shea Dolce certainly throws a wrench in those hopes.
Shea Dolce: Save of the Century pic.twitter.com/ynqEiNKgWD
— Joe Keegan (@joekeegs) May 27, 2024
The skill shown in that game clinching save by the BC goalie in last year’s NCAA Championship is something Dolce has continued this season. The netminder holds a .536 save percentage this season, the second highest in the entire country and her personal best. Dolce leads an Eagles defense that places second in the nation allowing only 7.2 goals per game.
It might seem like a Boston College win is inevitable, but that’s not the only thing Syracuse is playing for.
Pretty feed from Emma to Alexa for the goal! 👀
— Syracuse Women's Lacrosse (@CuseWLAX) April 12, 2025
📺 https://t.co/NA9iUFXJqY pic.twitter.com/8YhMdoihQx
In Saturday’s loss, Orange attacker Emma Ward tied the program record for the most career assists. The Grad Student now sits atop the list alongside former attacker Katie Rowan’s 164 all-time assists.
Ward averages nearly three assists per game this season but has only notched six across her nine matchups with the Eagles.
There are two questions Syracuse will have answered in its regular season finale. Can SU break its seven game cold streak to BC? And can Emma Ward rewrite the history books despite her past struggles against the Eagles?
Find out with opening draw set for 7 p.m. tonight at Christian Brothers Academy High School. Make sure to follow @WAERSports on X for updates throughout the game.