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With an 8-0 start in conference play, Syracuse women’s lacrosse is the outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season champions. The Orange have steamrolled through their ACC games, winning by a combined 63 goals.

In its last three conference matchups, SU has won by 10, nine and nine, respectively, handily defeating multiple bottom feeders through high-powered offense, draw dominance and defensive command.

All that’s left in the regular season is a matchup with Boston College. The Orange ride a nine-game winning streak into the contest and have a chance to go undefeated in ACC play for the first time. The Eagles have flirted with the top spot of the Inside Lacrosse Poll all season, holding the position in weeks two and three, but BC recently dropped after an overtime loss to then-No. 11 Virginia.

Here’s everything to know about No. 6 Boston College (12-3, 6-2 ACC) before it faces No. 2 Syracuse (12-3, 8-0 ACC):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 17-11.

Last time they played…

In the NCAA Tournament semifinals, SU had the opportunity to avenge its regular-season loss and reach the national championship for the first time under head coach Kayla Treanor. After leading 7-5 entering the fourth quarter, Syracuse fouled seven times to BC’s two, giving the Eagles more offensive chances.

With the game tied 7-7 with three minutes left, Kayla Martello converted on a free-position shot to take the lead, ultimately ending SU’s magical season that featured 15 straight wins.

The Eagles report

The Eagles are coming off their third loss of the season, a crushing 13-12 overtime defeat. BC currently sits at third in the ACC.

Boston College’s balanced team — which ranks second in offensive efficiency and sixth in defensive efficiency — has taken down ranked teams like then-No. 13 and then-No.16 Yale, but have dropped games to then-No. 3 Northwestern, then-No. 8 Notre Dame and then-No. 11 Virginia. All three losses were by a combined margin of five goals.

On attack, UVA transfer Rachel Clark is leading the team in points with 67 and has helped replace Jenn Medjid’s lost production. McKenna Davis, Emma LoPinto and Martello are close behind Clark with 63, 57 and 52, respectively. Overall, the unit averages more than 17 goals per game.

In the draw circle, BC executes at a 55.3% mark with Ryan Smith (49) and Cassidy Weeks (45) producing the most wins. They will match up with Syracuse’s Kate Mashewske, who ranks eighth in the nation with 8.93 draws per game.

How Syracuse beats Boston College

Syracuse can defeat Boston College Thursday if it displays efficient shooting.

In their last outing, the Orange posted a 39.5% shooting percentage versus Clemson, their second-lowest of the season. SU scored just two goals in the third quarter and three in the fourth, going on multiple scoring droughts over 10 minutes in the eventual win.

“We really just did not shoot the ball well at all today,” Treanor said postgame. “It’s something we’re going to have to get better at.”

Against the Eagles, SU will need to finish its chances. The Orange’s attack has had no issue beating up on their recent unranked opponents. But facing BC will be a test they haven’t seen since the early portion of the season. If Emma Tyrrell, Olivia Adamson and the rest of its scoring depth convert their shots, Syracuse should enter the ACC Tournament on a 10-game winning streak.

Cindy Zhang | Digital Design Director

Stat to know: 7.93

Led by Sydney Scales and Becky Browndorf on the back end, Boston College averages just 7.93 goals allowed per game, the third-best mark in the nation. Through 15 games, the Eagles have held 10 opponents under double-digit goals.

The Orange’s attack has been nearly unstoppable this year, scoring 15 or more goals in 13-of-15 games. SU’s strong offense versus BC’s top-fledged defense will be one of the biggest battles of the contest.

Player to watch: Shea Dolce, goalie, No. 88

Dolce is in her second year between the pipes for the Eagles and looks to be improving upon her first season, in which she won ACC Freshman of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP. In her sophomore season, Dolce’s recorded seven games with a save percentage over 50%.

The Darien, Connecticut, native has improved her save percentage from 45.7% to 46.4%. Though when she struggles, BC falters. In games where she records a save percentage under 35%, Boston College is 1-3.

Published on April 18, 2024 at 12:43 am

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky