No. 11 Syracuse upset by Virginia Tech 14-11
No. 11 Syracuse was hindered by a slow start in Blacksburg, as it never led in its 14-11 upset loss to Virginia Tech. Courtesy of SU Athletics
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Syracuse was already on thin ice entering its matchup against Virginia Tech Saturday. The Orange sat at their lowest ranking since 2019, and their five losses also marked their most defeats under fourth-year head coach Kayla Treanor.
After making back-to-back Final Fours the last two seasons, the Orange had high expectations. And heading into a marquee showdown with rival No. 2 Boston College on Thursday, Syracuse couldn’t afford to slip up Saturday in Blacksburg, Virginia.
But it did just that. No. 11 Syracuse (9-6, 5-3 Atlantic Coast) was upset by Virginia Tech (9-7, 3-5 Atlantic Coast) 14-11 Saturday. SU started almost as poorly as possible, finishing the first half down 8-4 with nine turnovers. It couldn’t complete a second-half comeback, instead hindering its NCAA Tournament prospects heading into its final regular-season game against BC.
“ We didn’t play well in the first quarter and we never got out of it,” Treanor said postgame. “And we really played like that throughout the game.”
None of the Orange’s earlier losses were as concerning as Saturday’s. All five of their previous defeats came to ranked squads, with two coming against top-3 teams in the country in No. 1 North Carolina and No. 3 Northwestern.
Syracuse had also shown it could beat the bottom dwellers on its schedule. It handily knocked off UAlbany and Cornell to start the year 3-0, and it flew by unranked ACC foes Pittsburgh and California. SU was in a strong position to make the NCAA Tournament, seemingly hitting its stride at the right time with five wins in its last six games.
That’s why SU headed into Blacksburg as heavy favorites. The two squads entered with an extreme mismatch in talent. VT had gone 0-6 against ranked opponents entering the match, while SU had five ranked victories. To make matters worse, the Hokies hadn’t defeated the Orange in their last eight matchups.
So, it was important for SU to strike first Saturday to squash the Hokies early. That was key against Cal, as Syracuse blitzed the Golden Bears for five straight goals in the first quarter to take a 6-2 lead. Cal never got within one goal the rest of the way.
But Syracuse didn’t even come close to matching that success. Because of offensive blunders, it was forced to rely on its defense early. SU’s path to victory was obvious. Virginia Tech entered with just two players — Mia Pozzi and Lauren Render — over 17 goals. Quieting them was the key to success.
It did anything but stop them. Syracuse’s unit consistently opened its gates, letting VT’s high-powered duo gain space to fire shots at SU goalie Daniella Guyette from point-blank range.
The Orange were bound to fail that way. As a result, Render and Pozzi got whatever they wanted all day. In just the first quarter alone, they scored two goals apiece to put VT up 4-1. From there, they continued to run the Hokies’ offense, finishing as the only Hokies with multiple scores. Render scored a game-high seven goals, the most an SU opponent has scored all year, while Pozzi added four.
Offensively, Syracuse never established a rhythm. It had seven more shots than VT in the game, and even held an uncharacteristic 16-13 lead on the draw. But unlike the Hokies, the Orange didn’t cash in on their opportunities, and they were often thwarted by VT goalie Aaliyah Jones.
“Our shooting was really bad and the goalie was great,” Treanor said. “If you can’t shoot and you’re playing against a hot goalie, you’re gonna lose. And we learned that today.”
The second quarter was a prime example. Guyette, who entered Saturday ranked ninth nationally with 134 saves, stalled Render and Pozzi for 10 minutes, claiming seven stops at half. Her play helped the Orange rebound to make it 4-3.
But their jubilation wouldn’t last. Syracuse knew Render and Pozzi were getting the ball. But it couldn’t do anything, as the pair scored three more times to put SU down 8-4 at halftime.
In order to turn around the game, Syracuse needed a change in the back half. It looked like it’d found a spark initially. The Orange rattled off nine third-quarter shots, five more than the Hokies. This allowed Syracuse to take advantage of Virginia Tech’s mediocre defense, which entered allowing the second-most goals in the ACC (12.67). With three straight goals, SU quickly cut the deficit to 9-7.
But it couldn’t hold onto that momentum. Emma Ward, Syracuse’s points leader, was nowhere to be found, failing to score until the fourth quarter. Despite recording five points, she couldn’t dictate SU’s offense, leading to an 11-7 fourth-quarter deficit.
“ I didn’t think Emma had a great game today,” Treanor said. “I don’t think anybody really did.”
The fourth quarter was SU’s final chance to avoid an upset. But everything continued to go wrong. Each time Syracuse scored, its defense failed to produce a stop. Render converted her sixth goal with a nifty spin move to put the game away with eight minutes left, capping the Orange’s shocking loss.
Syracuse entered Saturday with its fate in its hands. A win over a floundering VT team would’ve solidified its position in the NCAA Tournament. But Saturday’s loss just prolonged SU’s worst campaign under Treanor, muddying its hopes for a deep playoff run.
