When Syracuse took the field Tuesday, in a game against No. 18 Albany that everyone expected the third-ranked Orange to dominate, it struggled to break away from the Great Danes in an eventual two-goal win.

On Saturday, there was a similar expectation for SU against Virginia Tech.

This time, the Orange made quick work of its inferior opponent.

Syracuse (12-1, 4-1 Atlantic Coast) scored the first five goals of the game en route to a dominating 18-4 win against the Hokies (7-6, 0-4) in front of 423 fans in Blacksburg, Va. Alyssa Murray had five goals and Kaya Treanor added four, as the Orange rebounded from a lackluster performance four days ago.

Murray and Treanor led the charge for SU, but 10 different players found the back of the net in the rout. Midfielder Lisa Rogers had two more and even Treanna Hill, a senior, scored her first goal of the season.

The lead ballooned to 17-1 in the second half, and as the teams played out the string on a running clock, the frustration from Tuesday’s win had been firmly taken out on the helpless Hokies.

Meagh Graham made 13 saves in the net for VT compared to just three for Kelsey Richardson and Alyssa Costantino combined. But that was just about the only statistical category that the Hokies led in.

Syracuse outshot Virginia Tech 42-13. It picked up 13 more ground balls, six more draw controls, and committed eight fewer turnovers.

Syracuse will return home to face No. 1 North Carolina next Saturday, looking for its seventh win in a row at 3 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

Published on April 5, 2014 at 7:15 pm

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3