Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

It seemed every time Regy Thorpe and Syracuse beat a ranked opponent over the past two weeks, they had to rapidly shift their focus to another one. SU’s season has been split into distinct phases, and the most recent was a three-game stretch against top-20 teams, all of which Syracuse took down.

There were definitely scares, especially as the Orange had to cling to one-goal leads in the final quarter against then-No. 5 Yale and then-No. 20 Virginia. But SU can finally take a deep breath knowing the stretch is over and blue skies are ahead.

Syracuse’s first unranked foe since March 6 was cause for celebration. On paper, UAlbany looked like SU’s weakest opponent this season. While the Great Danes actually put together an impressive showing, the Orange still led from start to finish in their eighth straight win.

Here are some observations from No. 5 Syracuse’s (8-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) 10-8 victory over UAlbany (7-3, 2-0 America East) Tuesday:

Salentre’s return

In an otherwise disappointing loss for UAlbany versus Syracuse in 2025, Mackenzie Salentre was one of the Great Danes’ rare bright spots. Her four ground balls fell one shy of her season-high, and her three caused turnovers were her second most in a game last year. The defender made a lasting impression against SU.

So much so that this season, Salentre used her final year of eligibility to join the Orange. Eleven games in, the 2024 America East Defensive Player of the Year has been nothing short of a spectacular addition to Syracuse’s lethal defense.

Against her former squad Tuesday, it didn’t take long for Salentre to remind UAlbany what it lost. On the Great Danes’ first possession, they worked around X. Meanwhile, SU’s suffocating defense did what it’s done all year: hold opponents beyond the 12-meter arc. With the Great Danes in search of an opening as the shot clock wound down, Salentre stepped in and forced a quick turnover.

Just over two minutes later, her wrath was felt again. UAlbany successfully cleared Molly Guzik’s saved shot, streaking down the turf to try and tie the game. Paisley Cook attempted a shot, but it went wide. While the Great Danes retained possession, Salentre quickly got it back after Kendall Boggs forced a giveaway.

She was relatively nonexistent on the stat sheet for the remainder of the contest, finishing with three caused turnovers and four ground balls. But she further confirmed her decision to join SU — and its decision to add her — was the right choice.

Guzik’s toughest test yet

Guzik’s not shy admitting she — and her fellow draw takers — haven’t played to their potential this season. Thorpe has also regularly remarked that SU could improve in the circle, despite the Orange’s dominant seven-game stretch.

For an inferior opponent like the Great Danes, their best bet in taking Syracuse to the wire would’ve been Cook, who ranked sixth in the nation with 99 draw wins before Tuesday. She’d taken over many games before. But Guzik didn’t let her.

Guzik recorded five draw wins in the first quarter, already just two short of her season-high she’d put up against Loyola Maryland. Remember what happened then? Syracuse earned its first win of the season, largely because of Guzik’s ability to get SU extra possessions. Guzik had a similar performance Tuesday, helping the Orange win eight draws.

Although Guzik lost the opening draw, she held her own in the middle minutes of the first quarter, helping Syracuse build a 4-2 lead by the end of the frame. She won the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth draws she saw, three of which led to SU goals.

Cook exploded in the second quarter with five draws, while Guzik had just one. Still, the game’s ESPN+ announcers couldn’t help but gush about Guzik’s authority. Cook’s outing in the second quarter was more of what was expected, but Guzik’s first-quarter heroics were enough to ignite the Orange’s offense.

At that point on, Guzik and Cook were playing make-it-take-it. Cook scored off a free-position shot with just under a minute left in the first half. The Orange punched back and never led by fewer than two, a testament to Guzik’s success.

Offensive masterclass? Ehhh.

By Syracuse’s recent standards, its offensive output Tuesday could be classified as a masterclass. Its 10 goals are the Orange’s most since March 6, when they scored 13 against Virginia Tech. It’s a known fact that SU’s success starts on defense, as Thorpe has called the unit its “backbone” time and time again. But it’s nice to see the offense find a rhythm, too.

Early on, it seemed Syracuse’s performance would be more of an onslaught than the final two-goal margin suggests. The Great Danes avenged SU’s game-opening goal with one of their own, but they were then held scoreless until the final two minutes of the first quarter. The Orange capitalized on the drought with three more goals by the end of the frame, two short of their total against Virginia and Yale.

Caroline Trinkaus found the back of the net for the third time to open the second, tying Syracuse’s then-game-high three-goal lead. As the Great Danes tarnished Guyette with three second-quarter goals, SU evened it with two more, holding a 7-5 halftime lead.

Both squads began the second half on a drought. Bri Peters opened the scoring with 6:29 to go in the third quarter, bolting inside on a feed from Annie Parker. With SU’s stronghold defense, the Orange don’t ever need offensive domination. But Tuesday — a game featuring hat tricks from Trinkaus and Emma Muchnick — was a reminder it’s always gladly welcomed.

Torched by Trinkaus

Initially, there was no doubt Trinkaus would be the person to replicate Emma Ward and Olivia Adamson’s offensive production. Guzik changed that slightly, running rogue for a team-leading 27 goals through 11 games, but next on the leaderboard is none other than Trinkaus.

After recording five hat tricks and being named an All-ACC Third Team honoree in her freshman season, Trinkaus has been relatively quiet this year. Yes, the Orange are finding other ways to score, but Trinkaus’ four-point performance Tuesday was an encouraging sign that the torrid Trinkaus of old may be returning.

Syracuse’s sophomore midfielder immediately got going, receiving a feed from Guzik at X and firing her shot into the net’s top right corner past UAlbany goaltender Grace Cincebox. Just like that, 1-0 Syracuse. It didn’t take long for Trinkaus to make her presence felt yet again.

Seven minutes later, she took matters into her own hands, giving the Orange a cushion with their third goal of the game. Trinkaus wrapped one-on-one against the Great Danes’ defender, cutting to the cage for her second score of the game. That wasn’t it for the sophomore, though.

Thirty-four seconds into the second quarter, Trinkaus struck once more. She cut past four UAlbany defenders, curling her stick from left to right before punishing Cincebox for the third time. It was SU’s quickest hat trick this year.

Despite Trinkaus’ silent second half, her early hat trick gave the Orange the energy that ultimately clinched their eighth straight win.

Published on March 24, 2026 at 5:33 pm
Contact Jordan: jordankimball28@gmail.com | @JordanKimball_