In its second game in four days, No. 14 Syracuse women’s lacrosse (3-3, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) showed out defensively. SU destroyed California (3-4, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) 13-3 in the JMA Wireless Dome on Tuesday evening. The victory marked the Orange’s first by double digits this year.
Syracuse drew first blood four minutes into the contest. Orange attacker Ashlee Volpe found midfielder Courtney Maclay for her third goal this year. Though the Golden Bears evened it just over three minutes later with a score from attacker Emily Moes, it marked their only goal of the half. Two more scores in the final five minutes gave SU a 3-1 lead after the first frame.
Mackenzie Rich gets one in the final seconds of the first quarter to extend the Orange lead 🍊
— Syracuse Women's Lacrosse (@CuseWLAX) March 3, 2026
📺 ACCNX pic.twitter.com/xX2LHkeYaE
Syracuse blew the game wide open in the second quarter with arguably its strongest period of the season. For the second time in three contests, the Orange didn’t allow a single shot and outscored their opponent 7-0 over one frame. SU put up 14 shots of its own and had six different players find the back of the net in that stretch. Its only repeat scorer was midfielder Mackenzie Rich, who had the last two goals of the quarter. After leading by two at the start of the period, Syracuse took a 10-1 advantage into halftime.
“We’re just playing for each other. It’s not a single effort,” Rich said. “We want everyone to get a chance with the ball and have their moment.”
This wasn’t the first time that Syracuse had Cal’s number for two straight quarters. The last time the Orange only allowed one goal in one half was also against the Golden Bears in April of last year. SU won that matchup 18-6 in Berkeley.
With the Golden Bears having seemingly no momentum, the Orange never gave them much of a chance to gain any in the second half. SU switched to a more conservative, defensive-minded approach for the final 30 minutes. After committing 10 turnovers in the first half, Syracuse only had three the rest of the way.
“(The defense has) been playing great,” Syracuse head coach Regy Thorpe said. “Our defense gave us multiple opportunities to … get our offense going.”
Despite easing up offensively, SU still outperformed Cal in the third quarter. The Orange outshot the Golden Bears 8-3 and outscored them 2-1, with both goals from sophomore midfielders. Molly Guzik netted her team-high 13th score this year, and Grace McHugh buried her first of the season on a free position attempt. Cal attacker Ashleigh Masterson had the Golden Bears’ only score of the quarter.
Syracuse sat goalie Daniella Guyette after the third period thanks to its comfortable lead, which resulted in perhaps the most unique statistical game of her career. The senior’s two goals allowed is her lowest mark in almost two years. However, Cal only managed two shots on goal against Guyette, making it the only start of her career with zero saves.
SU sophomore Allie Hanlon took over in the net for the fourth quarter for her first action this season. Each side grabbed one more goal in the final frame, with McHugh adding her second for the Orange and Golden Bears midfielder Katie McMullen notching the game’s final score. After a slow second half, Syracuse emerged with a 13-3 victory.
The win marks Syracuse’s fourth over California in as many contests across its program history. SU’s three-goal defensive performance is the fewest it’s allowed in one contest since a 20-2 win over Binghamton in February 2020.
“This was an important game for us,” Thorpe said. “(I’m) excited and proud of our kids. …It was good to go deep tonight. We feel we’re building depth as we go.”
Next up for Syracuse is another home matchup against Virginia Tech on Friday at 5 p.m. Follow @WAERSports on X for live updates throughout the contest.
