Previewing No. 6 seed SU’s ACC 1st round matchup against No. 3 seed Stanford
No. 6 seed Syracuse begins the ACC Tournament with a first round matchup against No. 3 seed Stanford on Wednesday night. Avery Magee | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse’s worst regular season in recent memory fittingly came to an end. Falling to Boston College — its seventh loss of the year — SU has its most defeats since 2018.
Though the 17-2 loss to the Eagles added another historic element. The Orange were dominated from wire to wire, going scoreless in the first half for the first time in 15 years and scoring their fewest goals in a game ever.
Despite a disappointing regular season, Syracuse made the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Orange take on No. 3 seed Stanford in the tournament’s first round after defeating the new ACC foe in the regular season.
“I think we’re gonna just start fresh and look at this as Season 2,” SU head coach Kayla Treanor said after losing to BC.
Here’s everything to know about the No. 3 seed Cardinal (13-4, 7-2 ACC) ahead of their matchup with No. 6 seed Syracuse (9-7, 5-4 ACC) Wednesday in the ACC Tournament First Round:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 3-1.
Last time they played …
Riding a three-game losing streak, then-No. 10 Syracuse hosted then-No. 6 Stanford on March 7 in need of a bounce-back performance. The Orange blew a three-goal lead in the fourth quarter, but in the second overtime, freshman Mileena Cotter took a low pass from Emma Ward and buried it, capturing a 14-13 win.
The sides swung like a pendulum back and forth as SU grabbed a three-goal lead in the first quarter, but the Cardinal answered with a seven-goal second quarter. The Orange mounted a three-goal lead in the third quarter with success in the draw circle before collapsing down the stretch to force overtime. Syracuse then finished off Stanford in overtime, winning its first game in nearly three weeks.
The Cardinal report
The Cardinal have cruised through the 2025 season despite a few blemishes on their resume. They’ve reached as high as No. 5 in the Inside Lacrosse Poll and enter the ACC Tournament No. 12 nationally.
During the season, Stanford fell to then-No. 1 Boston College but rattled off two top-10 wins with victories over then-No. 7 Virginia and then-No. 4 Yale. The Cardinal currently ranks fifth in the ACC in goals per game (13.94) and sixth in points (20.0).
Their attack is led by the tandem of redshirt sophomore Aliya Polisky and sophomore Ava Arceri. Polisky leads the squad in points at 62 on 51 goals and 115 shots. Arceri isn’t far behind, building off her four points a year ago to a career-high 57. Other key contributors to Stanford’s potent attack include sophomore Elise Murphy and freshman Martha Oakey, who use their facilitating prowess to aid the unit.
Defensively, the Cardinal are one of four ACC teams that’ve allowed fewer than nine goals per game. Led by Lucy Pearson between the pipes and Olivia Rose on defense, they’ve given up only 8.75 goals per game. Pearson ranks fifth in the conference with a .469 save percentage, and Rose ranks seventh with 1.47 caused turnovers per game.
Cole Ross | Digital Design Director
How Syracuse beats Stanford
The Orange advance to Friday, and a likely rematch with BC, if they emerge victorious in the draw circle and capitalize on opportunities. It’s difficult to find much positivity regarding SU’s attack in the regular-season finale. The Orange did find some success on the draw, where Joely Caramelli and Meghan Rode took turns and won 10-of-22.
The Cardinal and the Orange are both in the middle of the pack of the conference. SU averages 12.31 draw controls per game while Stanford has 13.94. If SU can find frequent success in the circle, it can create more opportunities on the attack, possibly getting Ward more involved and building a lead.
Stat to know: plus-55
In Stanford’s first season in the ACC, it’s been simply dominant. The Cardinal have scored 130 goals compared to 75 allowed, marking a plus-55 scoring margin. Stanford didn’t play undefeated No. 1 seed North Carolina or No. 4 seed Duke in its first year in the conference, only falling to BC and SU. Still, the Cardinal overall are 6-2 against ranked opponents and are well-prepared entering the postseason.
Player to watch: Ava Arceri, attacker, No. 2
Arceri, a sophomore out of St. James, established herself as a top threat for Stanford in 2025. Through 16 games, Arceri ranks second on the team in goals (40) and points (57). She’s also one of the finest draw control weapons in the Cardinal’s artillery, ranking second with 44 draw controls.
In the first matchup between Syracuse and Stanford, Arceri was a significant attacking threat as the Orange keyed on Polisky. Thus, Arceri was freed up, recording three goals on eight shots. Her unassisted goal with 2:14 to play in regulation sent the game to overtime. If SU wants to extend its stay in Charlotte, it will need to slow down both Polisky and Arceri this time around.
