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Following an upset loss to then-No. 13 Yale, Syracuse had no time to dwell on the setback. With just three days separating SU from its next matchup against Cal, it quickly had to turn the page. While their four-game winning streak was history, the Orange knew they had a prime opportunity to rebound against the Golden Bears, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s worst team. They did so emphatically.

Although Cal drew first blood in the opening minute, the tally marked its first and only lead of the evening. SU had its way for the rest of the opening frame, going on a 5-0 run backed by two goals apiece from Caroline Trinkaus and Emma Muchnick. Cal showed some fight in the second quarter, but it still trailed 9-5 at the break.

Out of halftime, SU’s offense stopped holding back. Over the next 30 minutes — despite a mediocre day on the draw — Syracuse filled the net at will, outscoring its opponent 9-1 behind eight different goal scorers. The Orange cruised to a sound 18-6 road victory that bore resemblance to their last meeting with the Golden Bears, an 18-2 bludgeoning back in 2009.

Officially back in the win column, Syracuse traveled to Blacksburg to take on another struggling ACC foe in Virginia Tech. With one last chance to perfect its chemistry before its bout with No. 2 Boston College, Syracuse instead suffered a monumental upset. Falling behind 4-1 in the first quarter, Syracuse never led the contest, allowing VT’s Lauren Render and Mia Pozzi to completely take over. The duo combined for 11 goals en route to the Hokies’ shocking win over the Orange.

Here are some observations from No. 11 Syracuse’s (9-6, 5-3 ACC) 14-11 loss to Virginia Tech (9-7, 3-5 ACC) Saturday:

Nightmarish first quarter

Faced with another ACC bottomfeeder for the second consecutive game, putting away Virginia Tech early was pivotal for the Orange on Saturday. The Hokies possessed a -72 goal margin in their previous six games against ranked opponents. SU needed to make that number uglier from the opening draw. Instead, the Orange couldn’t have started the game off worse.

Unable to connect its early opportunities, Syracuse’s attack was held back by sloppy turnovers, registering seven by the end of the frame. SU’s errors, along with multiple missed shots, gave the Hokies all the ammunition they needed to open the scoring. Just under four minutes in, Lauren Render gave VT the 1-0 lead from in close, stunning the Orange.

Joely Caramelli answered moments later off a feed from Emma Ward, seeming to signify that Syracuse’s attack had woken up. It was only fool’s gold, as the Hokies dominated the remainder of the quarter while SU’s attack disappeared.

While Syracuse’s draw unit frantically flipped between Caramelli and Molly Guzik, it only benefitted Virginia Tech. A second Render strike spearheaded a dominant 3-0 VT run that chewed up seven minutes of the frame. The run was capped off by a Superia Clark turnover that immediately translated into a VT goal with just eight seconds left. The blunder epitomized a disastrous start for the Orange against an inferior opponent.

Turnovers galore

Syracuse has found mixed success in the turnover department in 2025. Of its 14 contests before Saturday, it had won the turnover battle in nine of them. Its 13.71 cough-ups per game also ranked sixth in the ACC, just one spot better than Virginia Tech. Still, the Orange couldn’t seem to keep track of the ball against the Hokies from the opening draw.

Three SU turnovers in the first five minutes of play set the stage for one of its most giveaway-riddled outings of the season. At the 11:08 mark, Render was the first to take advantage by beating Daniella Guyette high after she misplaced a pass. Toward the midway point of the opening frame, Render again punished the Orange by capitalizing off a similar turnover by Carlie Desimone.

Following a second quarter that saw just three turnovers between both sides, the script flipped in the second half. Five Hokie turnovers over the next 15 minutes finally gave Syracuse an avenue to start shifting the momentum over to its sideline. Just past the 10-minute mark, Ward capitalized on a player-up chance after Alexa Vogelman pickpocketed Sophia Trahan. It sparked a 3-0 run for the Orange, but it was short-lived.

While the Orange and Hokies finished the contest with 14 turnovers apiece, Syracuse’s proved to be much more costly.

Another draw control adventure…

Facing one of the nation’s worst teams on the draw last time out against Cal, Syracuse’s unit was given its best opportunity to truly dominate. Instead, it finished at just a mediocre 14-for-27 mark, constantly cycling different players in and out of the circle in hopes of finding some consistency.

Against the Hokies, SU head coach Kayla Treanor adopted a similar strategy. She’s spoken highly of Caramelli’s work ethic and willingness to always give her best. Despite guiding SU to a 2-for-3 mark to start the contest, Syracuse’s early 2-1 deficit pushed Treanor to spark her offense with a change on the draw.

Despite trailing 4-1 at the end of the first frame, Guzik replaced Caramelli in the circle and pushed the unit to a 4-for-6 mark. In what has become routine this season, Syracuse’s early draw success eventually fizzled out as halftime drew closer. Strings of losses in the circle forced veteran Meghan Rode into the fold as SU emerged just 8-for-14 at the half.

As the Orange battled to keep their hopes of a comeback alive, their draw control unit remained shaky regardless of who was in the circle. Despite coming out on the losing end of the first three draws of the second half, the unit showed slight improvement against Trahan and the rest of VT’s options in the circle.

SU won the draw control battle with a 16-for-29 mark by the final buzzer. The slim victory over VT’s draw control group is a vital one for Syracuse heading into its next bout with Boston College.

Render, Pozzi run rampant

While the Hokies’ 2-5 conference record doesn’t seem like much, they still possess sneaky offensive weapons. After a sophomore season that was held back by injury, Render has been one of said players for VT. As a dual scorer and draw threat, Render has notched a team-high 40 tallies this season. Sophomore Pozzi also boasted a career-high 46 points during her first year as a solidified starter for the Hokies.

Instead of doing everything in its power to limit the duo’s production, Syracuse relied on its offense to outscore them at the other end. The result? Both of VT’s key weapons erupted for one of their most productive games of the season, torching the Orange with a combined 11 goals.

Virginia Tech racked up eight tallies in the first half. Only one of them was scored by someone other than Render or Pozzi. As Syracuse’s offense struggled to connect on passes, missed open shots and failed to establish possessions in the VT zone, Render and Pozzi single-handedly lifted the Hokies to a 4-1 lead. Already with two goals apiece to begin the second quarter, the two sliced their way through Syracuse’s backline and slotted home three more strikes before halftime to put Syracuse in an 8-4 hole.

Seconds past the 12-minute mark of the third period, Render carried VT’s first half momentum into the second. Even while the Hokies were down a player, Render found open space and beat Guyette from distance to complete her hat trick. After being guided by Render and Pozzi’s efforts for much of the first half, VT’s depth finally backed up its two stars down the stretch en route to its upset victory.

Published on April 12, 2025 at 3:07 pm
Contact Matthew: mgray06@syr.edu | @ma77hew_gray