Mackenzie Rich’s 7-point performance drives Syracuse to 9-goal win over Pitt
Mackenzie Rich finished with a career-high seven points in SU’s win over Pitt Saturday, helping spark an eight-goal run to open the game. Tara Deluca | Asst. Photo Editor
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In Mackenzie Rich’s eyes, Mackenzie Borbi wasn’t supposed to catch it. Rich picked up a loose ball and circled X while two Pitt defenders clung to her hip. A small window was all Rich needed, and Borbi gave her one by racing behind Panthers defender Aidan Carr near the tip of the crease.
When Rich turned toward the field, she fired a pass to the cutting Borbi, who scooped it up mere inches off the ground before sending it into the upper right corner as Molly Cain tried to recover. The goal gave Syracuse an 8-0 lead.
“They’re out there just making me look good,” Rich said of her teammates.
Sure, Rich doesn’t need to take all the credit, but Borbi’s timely snag was one of many moments Saturday where Rich could do no wrong. SU’s redshirt senior midfielder erupted for a career-high and game-high seven points (three goals, four assists), lifting the No. 5 Orange (9-3, 5-2 Atlantic Coast) past No. 24 Pitt (5-7, 2-6 ACC) 16-7 and extending SU’s winning streak to nine games.
Head coach Regy Thorpe worried about complacency Tuesday when Syracuse barely scraped by UAlbany 10-8. Rich said SU’s offense recognized the defensive unit had “(stood) on their head” for the offense in recent games. Saturday was a perfect time to return the favor.
“This game, we really just went out there and played for each other,” said Molly Guzik, who added six points for the Orange. “Every goal, every assist, it’s just for the person next to you.”
With that mentality, Syracuse rolled out to an 8-0 lead, unleashing the dagger before the second quarter even closed. While Pitt added five goals in the fourth quarter, making the margin appear much closer than it was, the win — and Rich’s masterclass — likely just inked SU a spot in the postseason, Thorpe said.
Guzik’s six-point performance wasn’t anything new. Neither were Caroline Trinkaus’ four points. Or Joely Caramelli’s two goals. But for Rich, who’d never started a game for the Orange before this season and scored just one goal last season, Saturday’s performance was the latest chapter in a breakout campaign.
Rich can’t pinpoint if there’s been a switch in her mindset. Like Thorpe unlocked Guzik’s potential, maybe Rich felt a similar effect. Either way, the senior admitted she’s moving with more confidence than she ever had before, and for a team that’s clicking on all cylinders, that confidence is key.
“It’s all about just being selfless,” Rich said. “We’re around a bunch of girls that genuinely wanna play for each other, have fun and wanna do it for the player next to them. I think that’s just a shift we have this year. And I think that’s a big game changer for us.”
Who wouldn’t be having fun amid a nine-game winning streak? Certainly not Rich. As Borbi’s goal found the back of the net, Rich flexed toward her freshman teammate before wrapping her arms around Borbi in excitement.
Meanwhile, Pitt’s defense scanned the video replay in exhaustion and lined back up for the ensuing draw. It was a bloodbath at that point. The Panthers couldn’t stop it. Rich, however, was in the middle of a peak showing, with Borbi’s goal marking the halfway point to her seven points.
While Rich fed Guzik for Syracuse’s next two goals, neither of the passes was as spectacular as her tight-opening feed to Borbi. Nonetheless, they were exactly what Syracuse could’ve asked for as it separated itself from the Panthers early.
“We need it,” Thorpe said. “We gotta cash in offensively, and they’ve been doing the right things.”
Before the assists came the goals. Guzik tried a shot from just beyond the 12-meter fan. It rattled off the right post, but Rich, as was the case for the next 54 minutes, was in the right place at the right time. She snared the rebound off the turf, flipped her hips and uncorked a shot past Cain.
That goal, although Rich won’t admit it, was the game’s turning point. She peacefully put her stick on the ground, quickly smiled and then locked back in. It was far too early for her to be content.
Rich was at the center of too many plays to single out, but 30 minutes after her first goal came her last — the nail in the coffin that gave SU an 11-goal lead. Rich lined up at the 8-meter arc for her first free-position attempt of the morning. She took a few steps forward before ripping a shot between Cain’s legs and into the twine.
“It was nice to be efficient offensively (this morning) and get us going a little bit,” Thorpe said.
The pieces keep piling up. First Guzik, with her team-leading 31 goals this year. Add in Emma Muchnick and Trinkaus, who each scored hat tricks against UAlbany. Now, with Rich, Syracuse’s offense looks truly unstoppable. And with a suffocating defense, the Orange look well on their way to a Memorial Day matchup each time they take the field.
“We just have to continue to do (what we’ve been doing),” Thorpe said. “And if we can continue to do that, we’re gonna be a tough team to beat.”
