Syracuse defeats Brown 15-9, advances to NCAA 2nd Round vs. Yale
Syracuse broke out for an 11-goal first half Friday, riding its early lead to take down Brown 15-9 in the NCAA Tournament First Round. Courtesy of SU Athletics
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NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Syracuse’s 16 days since its Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament loss allowed for a reset. After SU lost three-straight — including its worst offensive performance ever — to close its worst season in seven years, it had over two weeks to recover with its season on the line.
For a week, the Orange didn’t have an opponent to analyze for the first time since the preseason. Through the stretch, they focused on themselves, refining systems and pointing out recent fatal flaws.
“We saw our weaknesses in the last few weeks,” SU leading scorer Emma Ward said Wednesday. “We really tried to come together, communicate those weaknesses and figure out how we’re going to get better.”
The formula worked like a charm.
Syracuse (10-8, 5-4 Atlantic Coast) took down Brown (10-7, 4-3 Ivy League) 15-9 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday, advancing to face No. 7 seed Yale Sunday. The Orange broke out for 11 goals in the first half, mounting a lead they never relinquished.
“We were able to focus on ourselves and really put together good practices that ultimately led to a great performance,” Ward said postgame.
After winning the opening draw, the Bears pieced together an extended possession for over a minute. But quickly after SU’s defense forced a wide free position shot, the Orange came storming down the other way, taking their first lead of the game with Emma Muchnick’s bounce shot past freshman goalie Anne Booth.
Though Syracuse’s early success was limited due to its lack of possessions. The Bears entered with the 26th-best draw unit in the country at a .557 clip, and they showed off their skills by winning the first three opportunities. Early on, Annie Burton — who ranks sixth in the country in assists per game — found Riley Peterson to tie the game. A few minutes later, Burton was at it again, maneuvering to X and dishing to Beth Anderson for Brown’s first lead of the day.
Entering the game, a key for the Orange rested in their living legend. Ward has been SU’s go-to threat all season, but amid its three-game skid, she’s been held to just two points per game and her first zero-point outing since 2021. The Bears, as expected, attempted to stifle Ward through a face-guard. First, it was 5-foot-9 midfielder Rory Rothnie. The Bears then switched to 5-foot-8 freshman Peterson to block off Ward.
Rothnie held Ward down briefly. Then, the graduate student backed Rothnie down and delivered a behind-the-back strike to tie the game at 2-2. Peterson contained her, but the Bears couldn’t stop Muchnick, as she gave the Orange a 4-3 lead after 15 minutes.
“There’s a difference in this feeling where you know it’s do or die, and if you win, you get to keep going, and if you lose, our season ends,” SU head coach Kayla Treanor said.
Caroline Trinkaus struck just 19 seconds into the second frame to give SU a two-goal cushion, which it continued to build on throughout the quarter. The Orange’s success came largely from efficient shooting, scoring on their first seven shots on net and not allowing a Brown goalie — whether Booth or Claire Mahoney — to record a save until over 25 minutes in.
SU finished 75% on shots on goal, scoring 15 of its 20 attempts. Muchnick said postgame shooting efficiency was something the squad honed in on over the extended break, capitalizing on every possession.
Ward and Peterson battled throughout the second frame, but SU’s leader spun off a check and hit Bri Peters, who also spun inside and fired past Mahoney to cap a 7-1 run. The Orange continued to pour it on in the pouring rain, breaking out for their most goals in a first half since their win over Cornell on Feb. 18 and their most without Olivia Adamson.
Despite Syracuse goalie Daniella Guyette not recording a save until 9:24 left in the third quarter, SU activated its attack directly out of the gate. Mileena Cotter bounced a shot off the soaked turf into the back of the net to build a 12-6 lead, and Meghan Rode continued her dominance on the draw control.
But Guyette’s struggles eventually allowed the Bears to mount a comeback. Syracuse’s attack went scoreless for nine minutes, its longest drought of the day. Meanwhile, Brown squeezed in two shots. Finally, Ashlee Volpe twisted inside and finished high to break the drought and keep the Bears at bay. Ward put the finishing touches on with multiple nifty goals, bouncing back with a six-point performance.
Once the Orange found themselves again, the contest became largely Syracuse versus Syracuse instead of Syracuse against Brown. Treanor acknowledged postgame the season has been full of ups and downs for the program’s standards. The final three-game stretch was its nadir. But she’s seen her team come together, living to see another few days in the process.
“This is a group that knows that there’s a lot of magic that happens,” Treanor said. “They’ve had brilliant moments, and it’s just putting together a whole game. When they do that, they’re unstoppable.”
