The Syracuse Orange are back inside the JMA Dome for the second time this week to host the Virginia Tech Hokies for some Friday Night Lights, looking to move above .500 for the first time all season.
The Orange have won three in a row and are trying to fend off fatigue as they play their third game in the last week going back to Louisville on Saturday and Cal on Tuesday.
Opening draw is set for 5 PM on the ACC Network. SU will be looking for revenge after their 14-11 loss to the Hokies down in Blackburg
last April.
Virginia Tech is 4-3 this season, including 1-2 in the ACC. Probably the most important note on their schedule is that they’re 4-0 against unranked teams, and 0-3 against ranked, so hopefully that bodes well as they face the No. 14 Orange.
Their wins are over Mercer, Louisville, VCU and Elon, while their losses are to James Madison, Pitt and Stanford. On Tuesday, they lost to the Cardinal, 16-6, at home.
The Hokies are tied for 67th in the country in scoring offense at 11.0 goals per game, and tied for 62nd in the country in scoring defense, also at 11.0 goals-against per game.
They are led by a trio of players who all had big games against SU in last year’s surprise win.
Their best all-around player is attacker Mia Pozzi, who leads the team in points (24), assists (12) and draw controls (45). She also happens to be a Baldwinsville native, and apparently likes playing against her hometown school. Last year, she had four goals, five points, two caused turnovers and two draw controls while helping lead her team to the upset.
Pozzi wasn’t the only one who feasted in last season’s matchup. Attacker Lauren Render leads VT in goals (14) and is second in points (18), and last year she dominated the proceedings with seven goals to help deliver the win. Attacker Sophia Trahan supported with three points in that game, and she’s tied for third this season with 17 points on eight goals and nine assists.
Defensively, they’re led by junior Zoee Stencil, who leads the team with 14 caused turnovers and is tied for the team lead with 13 ground balls.
In net, Notre Dame transfer and Upstate NY native (Fulton) Malie Follet is returning to her home state having started all seven games this year, making 48 saves with a .414 save percentage along the way.
We’ll have a game thread for this one and the WBB game posted later today.
