Everything to know before No. 6 Syracuse’s matchup at California
In its first season in the ACC, California is winless through six conference matchups and is 0-4 against ranked opponents. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer
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Just when Syracuse seemed on track for its season-high fifth straight victory, it fell back into old habits Wednesday against No. 13 Yale. And this time, SU’s miscues finally came back to bite it.
Right off the opening draw, the Orange struggled to play clean lacrosse. A Kaci Benoit foul seconds into the game foreshadowed one of Syracuse’s most undisciplined performances of the season. Hindered by its 11 fouls in the first 30 minutes alone, SU trailed 7-5 at halftime and never led. The Orange’s 26 total fouls translated into five Bulldog free-position tallies, which tied the most they had given up to any opponent this season.
Syracuse’s draw control unit has been shaky since game one, but against Yale, it was especially concerning. After Joely Caramelli led SU to a 1-for-4 mark to open the afternoon, Meghan Rode replaced her late in the first quarter, and the unit finished a dreadful 7-for-26 (27%) in the circle. This allowed Yale’s trio of Jenna Collignon, Fallon Vaughn and Taylor Lane to combine for 11 goals and two assists en route to its three-goal victory.
Following its first setback since March 10, Syracuse has a chance to rebound when it travels to face California this weekend. The Golden Bears are yet to defeat a ranked opponent this season and sit last in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Here’s everything to know about Cal (5-7, 0-6 ACC) before it takes on No. 6 Syracuse (8-5, 4-2 ACC) in Berkeley Saturday:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 2-0.
Last time they played…
On Feb. 22, 2009, then-No. 3 Syracuse marched into California Memorial Stadium and won 18-2 in a near-flawless performance. It took just 1:03 for the Orange to net their first goal, the first of their 11 in the opening half. SU continued to pummel Cal out of the break, filling the net seven more times by the final buzzer.
Syracuse attacker Katie Rowan’s eight points brought her past the 300-point plateau, and Halley Quillinan’s six goals tied a career-high. Seven Orange players finished with at least a goal en route to their lopsided victory. Meanwhile, the Golden Bears were held to just 10 shots.
The Golden Bears report
Last campaign, Cal finished its tenure as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference one game shy of qualifying for the Pac-12 tournament at 5-10 overall, winning just two conference matchups.
During its transition to the ACC this past offseason, Cal’s roster has seen some changes. On the attack, the Golden Bears lost three of their five leading point-getters in Mya Wang, Kennedy Goss and Isabel King. The trio accounted for 34% of Cal’s points last year. In their absence, former depth pieces Emily Moes and Avery Hoeft have stepped up. Both have already set career-bests in 2025 with 37 and 26 points, respectively.
Unlike their offense, the Golden Bears’ defensive core has stayed the same, albeit lacking the amount of depth off the bench they boasted last season. Kalena Johnson, Kennedy Herndon and Amanda Pio have done their best to hold down the fort, but the unit has struggled to come up with timely steals. Cal’s 6.33 caused turnovers per game ranks last in the conference.
Without a consistent defense protecting her, sixth-year goalie Callan Fritsch has been largely left out to dry. After transferring from Drexel, Fritsch took over as Cal’s top goalie in 2024 and notched a .464 save percentage. Even with backup goalie junior Chloe Rand to assist her, Cal has allowed a conference-worst 12.46 goals against per game, including 19 in its last matchup with No. 15 Clemson.
How Syracuse beats Cal
Given the Golden Bears’ lingering problems in the cage this season, SU’s deep offensive unit can fill the net against Cal at will. But Syracuse’s play on the defensive end is where the game will be decided.
Keeping the Golden Bears from reaching at least double-digit goals should be the Orange’s top priority. Dating back to March 16, 2024, Cal has yet to win a game when held to nine or fewer tallies.
Stat to know: 128
It’s no secret Syracuse’s weakest area in 2025 has been on the draw. The days of Kate Mashewske’s consistency are over, and the Orange have slotted in players like Caramelli, Rode and even freshman Mileena Cotter in an effort to replicate it. Still, SU may have the upper hand in the circle against Cal.
With only 128 draw controls through 12 games, the Golden Bears have won the draw control battle just three times this campaign. The unit’s 10.67 wins per game also rank at the bottom in the ACC and stand as the eighth-worst mark in the country.
Player to watch: Emily Moes, attack, No. 13
Moes never started a game as a freshman last year but was still given a taste of Division I action through 13 appearances as a depth piece. When the Golden Bears lost multiple top scorers ahead of 2025, they needed someone to step up and lead their depleted attack. Moes fit the bill.
After notching three points last year, Moes has emerged as the Golden Bears’ most consistent scorer. Since becoming a mainstay in Cal’s starting lineup, she’s logged at least a goal in every game, including six against Winthrop on March 23. Her team-high 31 tallies are also the most by a Golden Bear since 2023.
