It took nearly three hours and quadruple overtime, but No. 3 Syracuse women's lacrosse (12-3, 7-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) found a way to outlast No. 15 Notre Dame (11-4, 5-4 ACC) 10-9 in the longest game in program history on Saturday.
Caroline Trinkaus Called Game. pic.twitter.com/LmtrWMXLy8
— Syracuse Women's Lacrosse (@CuseWLAX) April 11, 2026
With a second remaining in the fourth overtime, Orange sophomore Caroline Trinkaus delivered the game-winner to secure SU’s twelfth straight victory — the longest active collegiate women’s lacrosse win streak in the nation.
“A lot of emotions. I’ve never been in a game like that,” Trinkaus said. “Everyone on my team was in the back of my head — the seniors, our goalie, our defense was standing on its head. I had to finish it off for them.”
On Senior Day, the moment only meant more.
Syracuse struggled early, particularly at the draw circle. Notre Dame won seven of the first eight draws and used that advantage to build a 4-2 lead in the second quarter. SU’s offense started a bit slower as well, working methodically but failing to concisely break through. Junior Ashlee Volpe helped change that.
The attacker was a steady presence throughout, finishing with five points on two goals and three assists. Coming off a hat trick performance against then-No. 18 Duke, Volpe continued her strong stretch, creating opportunities and keeping the Orange composed in key moments.
Volpe. So Gritty.
— Syracuse Women's Lacrosse (@CuseWLAX) April 11, 2026
📺 ACCNX pic.twitter.com/eboixuDVHr
After trailing at halftime, Syracuse made a key adjustment in the draw circle, turning to junior Joely Caramelli. The shift paid off immediately. Caramelli helped the Orange gain possession, and the Cuse capitalized, stringing together multiple draw controls and eventually taking its first lead late in the third quarter.
Syracuse carried that momentum into the fourth, building a three-goal lead. But Notre Dame responded with a 3-0 run, tying the game at 9-9 with 2:35 remaining and forcing overtime.
From there, neither team could find the breakthrough. Possessions stalled. Shots missed. And both defenses held film through three overtime periods. Entering the contest, Syracuse’s backline ranked first in the ACC in ground balls a game (17.79), and second in the conference in save percentage (46.8%), scoring defense (7.21), and caused turnovers a game (11.64).
In net, Syracuse goalkeeper Daniella Guyette stood strong. The senior boasts the top goals against average (6.98) in the ACC and second save percentage in the league (.482) and kept up the momentum with several key saves, including a critical stop late in overtime that preserved the deadlock.
The game finally shifted in the fourth overtime when Notre Dame midfielder Madison Rassas was called for a late slashing penalty, giving Syracuse a woman-up opportunity in the closing seconds. Trinakus delivered.
“We’ve just been in some dog fights,” SU head coach Regy Thorpe said. “We battled and just kept battling. And this team, they don't give up. They’re resilient, whether it’s one goal or 10 goals. Lots of things we could do better, but we fought, and we showed a lot of grit.”
The win is another step in a remarkable turnaround for the Orange. After starting the season 0-3, the Cuse sits at 12-3 and haven’t lost in over 50 days. SU has one last chance to fight and close the regular-season on a high note at No. 10 Boston College (8-6, 5-3 ACC) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Follow @WAERSports on X for live updates throughout the game.