Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

When Syracuse defeated Northwestern 16-15 to open the 2023 campaign, the Wildcats scored just four first-half goals. At halftime, NU trailed by four and despite outplaying the Orange in the second half, it didn’t complete its comeback effort.

Twenty-two games later, which followed 21 straight victories and its eighth national championship victory, Northwestern came out firing against SU. The Wildcats doubled last year’s first-half scoring total in the first quarter alone Saturday. Like NU did last year, the Orange won the second half, but their early deficit hindered them in their season-opening loss.

“It was a tough quarter for us,” SU head coach Kayla Treanor said postgame.

Despite outscoring the Wildcats 13-10 over the last three quarters, No. 5 Syracuse (0-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) struggled on draw controls, which led to its 18-15 defeat to No. 1 Northwestern (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten). In the first frame, Northwestern won 8-of-11 draw controls, setting it up to finish 24-of-37 over SU.

The Orange sent graduate student Kate Mashewske, who only played in seven 2023 games due to a season-ending injury, to the circle for the game’s opening draw. Mashewske was named an Inside Lacrosse Second Team All-American in 2022 and has won the second most draw controls in SU history, but she struggled to replicate that success early on versus the Wildcats.

Immediately after the initial whistle, Northwestern’s Samantha Smith popped the ball up to its side of the field and Sammy White scooped it. White maneuvered her way near midfield, where she attracted a crowd of four SU defenders. This allowed Madison Taylor to leak open down the right sideline, and White fed her the ball in open space.

Uncontested, Taylor charged down the field with a full head of steam. As she neared the crease, Taylor avoided pressure from Syracuse’s defense before firing a shot past Delaney Sweitzer 22 seconds into the game.

Though Mashewske responded by winning the next draw, the Orange turned the ball over. On the other end, backed by a patient attack, NU eventually found Erin Coykendall wide open 10 feet from the net, who scored the second goal of the game just over three minutes in.

While Mashewske lost the next draw, SU notched its first defensive stand and Maddy Baxter notched a goal to cut NU’s lead in half. With an opportunity to tie the game up by gaining possession, Mashewske lost her third draw and like it did on its second goal, Northwestern patiently moved the ball around before Coykendall cut near the crease and scored again.

The Orange proceeded to trade goals with the Wildcats, trailing 4-2 at the 6:31 mark of the opening period after Natalie Smith scored her first of three goals. But following Smith’s score, Mashewske lost another draw. Though Coykendall missed consecutive shots, Northwestern retained possession. On its third opportunity, Lindsey Frank gave NU a 5-2 lead, scoring an off-balance shot that squeaked into the top left corner of the goal.

Including Frank’s strike, Northwestern finished the first quarter on a 4-0 run. Throughout the first frame, the Wildcats netted eight of their 11 shots on goal while the Orange only scored two of their six. NU’s offense stemmed from its draw control success, dominating the first quarter 8-3.

“We had a tough day on the draws…24-13, that’s not good,” Treanor said.

Though Syracuse’s defense — including Sweitzer, who notched 13 saves — played much better throughout the rest of the game, limiting the Wildcats to 10 goals on 20 shots on net, the hole SU created for itself early on proved to be too much.

The Orange hung with Northwestern throughout the next two frames, outscoring it 8-7. Yet SU still trailed 15-10 heading into the final quarter — where it played its best.

To begin the period, Mashewske won the draw but a turnover and penalty led to a free position shot. Sweitzer, the reigning Inside Lacrosse and ACC goalie of the year, made the save, leading to Olivia Adamson scoring a no-look goal for her fourth score of the game.

Mashewske proceeded to win her second straight draw and Adamson followed with another highlight reel goal, bringing Northwestern’s lead to 15-12. Though she was held in check for most of the contest, Emma Ward, with the Orange a player-up, received the ball near the X and went to work after Katie Goodale forced a turnover and picked up the ensuing ground ball.

After the Orange patiently moved the ball around, Ward found an open lane, bulldozing her way near the crease before cutting SU’s deficit to 15-13. Mashewske, now in a rhythm, won her third consecutive draw and Smith drove the ball down the field.

Savannah Sweitzer missed SU’s first opportunity, but Ward restarted its attack. Despite tight 1-on-1 defense from NU’s Hannah Gillespie, Ward maneuvered her way around her before whipping a shot into the back of the net. Syracuse now trailed 15-14, but it was never able to tie the game back up.

The Wildcats responded to SU’s 4-0 run with a 3-0 run over the next seven minutes, putting the game out of reach. Despite strong play down the stretch, the Orange’s first-quarter hole was too deep to dig out of.

“We all know we want to win a national championship,” Ward said on Feb. 6. “But this year, we really take the time to look at the steps that it’s going to take to get there instead of that overarching goal.”

Published on February 10, 2024 at 6:58 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon