Syracuse women’s lacrosse built one of the nation’s toughest schedules to be battle-tested for the postseason and earn a host site on Selection Sunday. But the committee saw it differently. Despite a strong 13-5 record and a resume stacked with wins over top competition, the Orange were slotted outside the tournament’s eight-seeded teams, sending them on the road to Annaoplis to begin their NCAA run.
“Obviously, at the beginning of the season, you hope to earn a home game in the playoffs, but five
wins are five wins no matter where you play,” said sophomore attacker Molly Guzik. “Right now, our mindset is to take the first one and go from there,” Guzik added.
She also noted that, with the decision on Sunday, the squad has decided to embrace the underdog narrative, as the team now has a bit of a reason to carry a chip on its shoulder as it makes its way through the tournament.
That approach reflects the tone across the roster. Rather than letting the committee’s decision become a distraction, first-year head coach Regy Thorpe kept his message simple when asked about the decision not to host.
“We’re just excited to be in the tournament, and all of our focus is on the Loyola Greyhounds,” Thorpe said.
The Orange have already seen and defeated this opponent, earning a 15-7 win at the Dome against Loyola earlier in the season for the team’s first win in the Regy Thorpe era. And that victory proved to be a turning point, beginning a run of 11 straight wins that followed.
But as the age-old saying goes, it is really hard to beat a team twice, and Guzik acknowledges that.
“We know that people always say that it is hard to beat a team twice, but that does not change our confidence level, as we have had the last week to focus on ourselves and we are ready to go,” said Guzik.
And junior defender Izzy Lahah agrees, noting that just because Loyola Maryland can watch footage and adjust based on the game between the two earlier in the season, so can the Orange.
If all goes well, Syracuse could be on the field twice in three days this weekend, with a potential Sunday matchup against the winner of Massachusetts and Navy. While the quick turnaround can be taxing, it’s nothing new for the Orange, who navigated the same schedule in the ACC Tournament just a week and a half ago.
“I think playing two games in three days made us tougher, because what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” said Lahah, who said it was extremely hot down in Carolina in the tournament, and if they could handle that, they can handle this weekend as well.
Regardless of prior matchups, location, or the possibility of two games in three days, Thorpe, Guzik, and Lahah share the same belief. This weekend in Annapolis is there for the taking, and they have expectations to advance beyond it.
And Thorpe isn’t even a fan of seafood, so there’s not much on his mind outside of winning lacrosse games.
Faceoff between the Orange and the Greyhounds is set for Friday at 7 PM.
How do you think the Orange will fare this weekend?
