Syracuse women’s lacrosse faced the nation’s top-ranked opponent on Saturday afternoon and fell 13-9 to the North Carolina Tar Heels at the JMA Wireless Dome. The loss dropped the Orange to 0-2 on the season in their first Atlantic Coast Conference matchup of the year.
North Carolina entered the contest 1-0 after a dominant season-opening win over James Madison University, while Syracuse looked to rebound from a loss to No. 7 Maryland. The matchup also opened a lacrosse doubleheader at the Dome, with
the men’s team later defeating No. 1 Maryland 11-9.
The Tar Heels controlled the opening draw and put immediate pressure on the Syracuse defense. North Carolina first struck at the 11:23 mark of the first quarter when Kate Levy netted her first goal of the season. Syracuse responded quickly, as Molly Guzik tied the game at 9:59 with her second goal of the year.
Despite a turnover early in the quarter, the Orange gained momentum midway through the period. Gracie Britton scored her first goal of the season at 6:02, and Emma Muchnick followed with an unassisted goal to give Syracuse a 3-1 lead. The Orange carried that two-goal advantage into the end of the first quarter.
Daniella Guyette anchored the defense early in the second quarter, making a save at the 13:08 mark, but North Carolina chipped away at the lead. Caroline Godine scored at 11:18, and senior Kiley Mottice, a Tar Heel team captain, tied the game at 3-3 just under a minute later. Syracuse answered with a goal from Caroline Trinkaus at 9:44 to retake the lead.
The teams traded goals throughout the remainder of the half; Chloe Humphrey assisted Godine on a goal at 7:49 to even the score at 4-4, but Ashlee Volpe converted a free-position attempt at 6:27 to give Syracuse a 5-4 advantage. North Carolina responded again with a free-position goal at 4:35, tying the game at 5-5.
Guyette made several key saves in the closing minutes, including stops on free-position opportunities at 3:33 and 3:00. With 54 seconds remaining in the half, Muchnick scored her second goal of the afternoon to send Syracuse into halftime with a 6-5 lead.
North Carolina came out of the break strong. Humphrey tied the game at 6-6 at the 13:56 mark of the third quarter, and Godine followed less than a minute later to give the Tar Heels their first lead since the opening period. Syracuse earned a free-position attempt soon after but failed to convert.
Syracuse’s Mackenzie Rich, a former Tar Heel, tied the game at 7-7 with a free-position goal at the 5:46 mark. North Carolina answered at 2:54 when Darcy Felter scored to regain the lead. North Carolina held an 8-7 advantage entering the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Guzik scored an unassisted goal for Syracuse at 14:20 to knot the game at 8-8. North Carolina responded immediately, Levy scoring at 13:02. Humphrey extended the lead to 10-8 at 9:27, and Felter added another goal at 8:40 to make it 11-8.
Trinkaus kept Syracuse within reach with a free-position goal at 7:33, but North Carolina continued to control possession and tempo. Mottice scored at 6:44 to push the lead to 12-9, and Levy capped the scoring at the 3:37 mark as the Tar Heels ran out the clock.
As reflected in the box score, North Carolina’s control at the draw circle played a major role, as the Tar Heels won 15 of 23 draws. Syracuse also struggled with ball security, committing 17 turnovers that limited offensive opportunities. Despite the loss, the Orange excelled defensively, holding a 14-4 advantage in saves and receiving a strong performance from Guyette in goal. North Carolina attempted more than twice as many shots as Syracuse, outshooting the Orange 41-20, but Syracuse’s defensive effort kept the game within reach for much of the afternoon.
Syracuse is now 0-2 on the season, while North Carolina improved to 2-0 with the road victory. The Orange will be back in action on Friday, February 20 at 8:30 p.m. EST against #5 Stanford in their first away game of the year.
