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Syracuse enters the NCAA Tournament in an unfamiliar position — as an underdog. It sits just one game above .500 and drags a three-game losing streak into the postseason. The Orange are unseeded in the tournament for the first time since 2018, when they were a first-round exit to Princeton.

It’s a far cry from where SU was just a year ago. The Orange were undoubtedly one of the best teams in the nation, claiming the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and defeating both Stony Brook and Yale to make their second straight Final Four. Though Syracuse fell to eventual national champion Boston College, the sustained success brought hope for the future.

But the Orange have regressed significantly this season. Most recently, they were defeated by No. 3 Seed Stanford in the ACC Tournament. The Cardinal’s 10-2 second-half advantage and SU’s inability to stop leading scorer Aliya Polisky — who scored four goals — led to a 15-10 loss.

After the defeat, head coach Kayla Treanor said she’d let her team rest before gearing up for the NCAA Tournament, where they earned an at-large bid despite their woes. In the first round, it’ll square off with Brown, which has scored the country’s 10th-most points per game (23.25).

Here’s everything to know about No. 21 Brown (10-6, 4-3 Ivy League) before it faces No. 19 Syracuse (9-8, 5-4 Atlantic Coast) Friday in the NCAA Tournament First Round:

All time series

Syracuse leads 1-0.

Last time they played…

It’s been over 20 years since the two squads’ first and only matchup on March 30, 2005. Then-No. 17 Syracuse entered on a three-game winning streak after starting the season 2-2. Backed by an eight-goal halftime cushion, the Orange handily defeated the Bears 19-6 in the then-Carrier Dome, extending their eventual six-game winning streak to four and paving the way for a 12-5 final record.

Syracuse’s offense was utterly dominant, firing 45 shots to Brown’s measly 13. SU’s scoring was scattered with four players converting three-plus goals. Defensively, the Orange were even more stifling — starting goalie Bethel Steele allowed only two goals in 44 minutes.

The Bears report

In its second year under former Syracuse assistant coach Katrina Dowd, Brown has seen a slight uptick in 2025. Last season, it missed both the Ivy League and NCAA Tournaments, going 1-4 in ranked contests. But this year, the Bears beat both then-No. 7 Yale and then-No. 24 Harvard and narrowly lost 17-16 to then-No. 5 Princeton in the Ivy League Tournament. The pedigree helped them snag an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.

Much of Brown’s success stems from its offense. Despite losing leading scorer Mia Mascone — who totaled 98 points last season — a plethora of players have stepped into larger roles this year. Led by Annie Burton’s 53 assists and 70 points and Greta Criqui’s 51 goals, five players have totaled more than 30 points this campaign. It’s resulted in the 17th-best scoring offense in the country (14.69 goals per game).

The Bears particularly excel with the draw control. Sophomore Beth Anderson increased her freshman-year production from 21 to a team-leading 82 draw wins. Her jump has helped Brown accumulate a .557 draw control percentage, the 26th-best mark in the country. Alongside Anderson, Criqui, Paige Gillen and Maddie Joyce have also pitched in at least 20 draw wins.

Brown’s biggest weakness is on defense, though the unit is still serviceable. It’s cycled between Claire Mahoney and Anne Booth in net with both making at least five starts. Mahoney has accumulated a .465 save percentage in 11 starts, giving the Bears the 30th-best scoring defense nationally.

How Syracuse beats Brown

Syracuse needs to be more balanced on offense. During its three-game losing streak, leading scorer Emma Ward was nearly nonexistent besides the final minutes against Virginia Tech. Teams have begun to figure out SU’s offense: if they clamp Ward, they can lock down the Orange entirely.

So, SU’s secondary scoring options — namely, Caroline Trinkaus and Emma Muchnick — must assert themselves early. Trinkaus has scored just two goals while Muhnick has added three in Syracuse’s last three contests. If they can get going immediately, it’ll prevent Brown from double-teaming or face-guarding Ward, opening up SU’s entire offense.

Syracuse attack Gracie Britton looks to pass off to a teammate in SU’s win against then-No. 21 Notre Dame. Britton, along with Caroline Trinkaus and Emma Muchnick, need to get going quick to establish the Orange’s offense against Brown. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer

Stat to know: 11.62

Not only is Brown’s offense potent, it’s clean as well. The Bears only commit 11.62 turnovers per game, the sixth-best mark in the nation. They’ve coughed up the ball 186 times in 16 games compared to their opponents’ 198. Individually, no player has more than 22 turnovers, while Syracuse has four players above that mark, including Ward’s team-leading 36.

With SU forcing just 7.88 turnovers per game, which ranks 73rd in Division I, it’ll need to match the Bears’ ball security to stick with them. Whichever team takes care of the ball the best could determine the game’s outcome.

Player to watch: Greta Criqui, attack, No. 3

Criqui has emerged as the Bears’ most prolific scorer this season. Last year, as a junior, she took a step forward by nearly tripling her career goal output with 46 tallies. But, she played second fiddle to Mascone, who nearly doubled her point total.

This season, with Mascone gone, Criqui is powering Brown’s offense. The Essex Falls, New Jersey, native leads the team with a career-high 51 goals, adding 11 assists — a facet of her game that wasn’t previously present. She’s also been effective on the draw control, totaling 41 wins, which ranks second on Brown behind Anderson.

Published on May 7, 2025 at 8:18 pm
Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99