What to know before No. 3 Syracuse’s road trip to Cornell
Syracuse will look to extend its winning streak to 10 games on the road Tuesday against Cornell, which hasn't beaten the Orange since 2006. Tara Deluca | Asst. Photo Editor
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The praise is appreciated. The records are cool. Syracuse is humming with nine straight wins, climbing to a season-high No. 3 in Inside Lacrosse’s Top 25 Poll. But to Regy Thorpe and the Orange, there’s still work to do.
Syracuse has passed two grueling three-game slates, going 0-3 in the first before a 3-0 finish in the second. As seen by recent North Carolina and Stanford losses, though, any team can win at any time, and until SU is hoisting a trophy in May, there’s little reason to be satisfied.
With Syracuse being one of — if not — the nation’s hottest teams, every opponent wants to play spoiler. And the Orange have a tough matchup ahead: central New York rival Cornell, which is playing its best lacrosse as of late.
Here’s everything to know about the Big Red (7-3, 2-1 Ivy) before they look to upset No. 3 Syracuse (9-3, 5-2 Atlantic Coast) Tuesday at Schoellkopf Field:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 20-4. The Orange have beaten the Big Red in 15 straight games, dating back to April 18, 2007.
Last time they played
SU couldn’t have asked for a better start to its 2025 campaign. It trounced UAlbany 21-9 before a 15-9 win over No. 7 Maryland. The ensuing matchup with Cornell gave Syracuse the chance to start 3-0 for the fourth time in five years. Was there ever a doubt?
The Orange dismantled the Big Red 18-10 on Feb. 18, 2025, flipping an early 2-1 deficit into a 6-2 first-quarter lead. Syracuse then went on three more multi-goal runs, sparked by hat tricks from Olivia Adamson, Emma Ward and Gracie Britton. Meanwhile, Cornell’s offense was stifled by Daniella Guyette, who recorded 14 saves, tied for the second-most in her four-year career.
SU’s momentum, however, slipped after the victory. It dropped its next three games, finishing the season 10-9 despite the promising start.
The Big Red report
Cornell is amid an unusually solid campaign after finishing .500 or below in three of the last four years. Its 7-3 record is daunting, too, earning a ranked win over then-No. 24 James Madison and barely falling to then-No. 17 Penn State in the final week of February.
Since that loss to the Nittany Lions, Cornell has gone 5-1, the rare outlier being a four-goal defeat to 4-5 Brown. That’s why the Big Red have repeatedly received votes in the Inside Lacrosse Poll but haven’t cracked it since being ranked No. 25 in Week 5.
With Syracuse by far Cornell’s strongest opponent, the Big Red will look to their 1-2 punch of Ellie Bergin and Ella Wilmot now more than ever. The two attacks lead Cornell in points, with Bergin scoring a team-best 26 goals and Wilmot earning 16 assists.
The defensive end, however, is where the Big Red are most likely to pull off the upset. Cornell’s strength of schedule ranks 15th in the nation, per Lacrosse Reference, yet its defense has held opponents to just 7.2 goals per game, the fourth-best mark in Division I. Still, it’ll be a tall task quieting SU’s offense, which is coming off a season-best 16-goal performance against Pitt.
Sophia Burke | Digital Design Director
How Syracuse beats Cornell
Lately, it’s been nearly impossible to know where SU is going with the ball. Look at Emma Muchnick; Caroline Trinkaus will beat you. Target Molly Guzik; good luck with Mackenzie Rich. For the Orange to extend their winning streak to 10 games, they need to embrace that unpredictability and continue to use their entire offense.
Who will it be this time? Joely Caramelli has shown flashes. Maybe Mileena Cotter or Mackenzie Borbi off the bench. Either way, Cornell’s defense is deadly, but if SU scans the full field, it will be too tough to hush.
Stat to know: 2
Cornell’s defense, as previously mentioned, has been excelling recently. It’s allowed double-digit goals in just two games this year, both of which resulted in losses. SU, meanwhile, found the back of the net on 16 of its 18 shots on goal versus the Panthers Saturday.
If Syracuse’s offense rekindles that momentum, the Big Red will likely be in unfamiliar territory.
Player to watch: Caitlin Tully, defender, No. 26
Who leads that suffocating Cornell defense? Caitlin Tully is her name. Tully is in her fourth year with the Big Red and has taken major strides since earning Second Team All-Ivy League honors in 2025.
This season, Tully leads Cornell in ground balls (25), caused turnovers (21) and draw controls (28). She’s coming off a three-ground ball, two-caused turnover performance against Dartmouth and will be the Big Red’s best bet at earning their first win over Syracuse since April 19, 2006.
