Previewing No. 5 Syracuse women’s lacrosse’s road clash against UAlbany
UAlbany is America East’s best team this season, featuring four players with at least 14 goals and a top-six draw specialist in the country. Charlie Hynes | Staff Photographer
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The second heat wave of Syracuse’s season has finally passed.
The Orange had a well-deserved lighter load after early losses to the nation’s three best teams — No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Stanford and No. 3 Maryland. SU capitalized on its easier stretch with four straight wins, upsetting then-No. 13 Loyola and earning three unranked triumphs.
Things picked up again. In came then-No. 4 Northwestern, then-No. 6 Yale and finally No. 20 Virginia. But Syracuse remained unfazed, defeating the Wildcats by three goals and never trailing to the Bulldogs or Cavaliers. Now, SU is at its highest Inside Lacrosse ranking of the season.
The Orange can finally relax since their slate dials down before their Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament push, with UAlbany on tap next.
Here’s everything to know before No. 5 Syracuse (7-3, 4-2 ACC) visits UAlbany (7-2, 2-0 America East) Tuesday:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 18-0.
Last time they played
SU defeated the Great Danes in a 21-9 rout on Feb. 7, 2025, a larger margin of victory than any of its seven wins this season. They’ve only come within six of the goal total, too.
To open last year’s campaign, SU rumbled to a whopping 15-4 halftime lead with eight first-quarter tallies. UAlbany opened the contest by conceding six unanswered goals.
Olivia Adamson, Emma Muchnick, Emma Ward and Mileena Cotter all nabbed hat tricks. The lead snowballed, and there was nothing Great Danes goalie Grace Cincebox could do to stop the bleeding, conceding 16 times on 19 shots before being pulled. In hindsight, it reeks of Daniella Guyette’s performance against Boston College last year.
Instead of being subbed for poor performance, Guyette, in her first-career start, was pulled to rest. UAlbany only produced 12 shots on goal — the lowest mark of a Syracuse opponent in last year’s regular season. The Orange, on the other hand, fired 26 on-target tries.
The Great Danes report
On paper, this is SU’s weakest opponent this season.
America East isn’t one of women’s lacrosse’s reputable conferences, but the Great Danes are its silver lining. They’ve won four straight and upset then-No. 25 Harvard last month. But UAlbany’s two ranked matchups don’t compare to SU’s seven.
That’s not to say UAlbany hasn’t flourished with the schedule it was dealt. Midfielder Paisley Cook leads the offensive charge with 23 goals and double-digit assists. She’s also won 99 draws, the most in America East by nearly 40. Attack Kloey Roos complements Cook with 21 scores, and three other Great Danes are north of 14. UAlbany’s 13.3 goals per game are tied for the best in the conference.
With subpar competition, UAlbany’s defense hasn’t trudged, except when it squandered 15 goals against then-No. 18 Stony Brook. Emma Torkoff and Delilah Mile anchor the back line with 28 combined ground balls. But the unit sorely misses Mackenzie Salentre, who led it in caused turnovers (25) and ground balls (34) last year before transferring to Syracuse.
Cincebox has been an aggressor in goal with a team-high 21 ground balls, and has a steady 45% save percentage, fourth in America East. But her 10.06 goals against average sits in the latter half of the conference.
Ilyan Zarech | Design Editor
How Syracuse beats UAlbany
The Great Danes haven’t encountered a defense like the Orange. While they were held to just six goals against the Seawolves, that wouldn’t even register as a dominant defensive display for SU. It’s surrendered that amount or fewer in its last five games.
Though its defense is the headliner, SU will have plenty of chances to show off on the offensive end against UAlbany. The Orange displayed that flair with hidden ball tricks in matchups with California and Virginia Tech.
If Molly Guzik could reach six goals against Northwestern, she’s capable of more against UAlbany. Though the Orange only have two double-digit scorers in Guzik and Caroline Trinkaus, this matchup could allow for balanced scoring.
Cincebox isn’t intimidating, as Syracuse knows from last year. Against an unsophisticated defense reliant on midfielders like Cook and Ravan Marsell to occasionally help, the Orange shouldn’t struggle. The only area that might trouble them is the draw, where Cook has struggled to dispatch.
Stat to know: 11
Speaking of the draw, Cook’s one of the most productive specialists in the country, winning 11 per game — sixth in the country.
While UAlbany hasn’t faced the nation’s best specialists, Cook’s prowess on the draw cannot be underestimated. Her numbers rank above any opponent the Orange have faced this season, like Northwestern’s Madison Smith, Virginia’s Kate Galica or Louisville’s Olivia Scroggie.
The Orange, meanwhile, are the worst draw-taking team in the ACC, winning eight per game. Granted, it’s Guzik’s first season as the specialist, while Joely Caramelli and Ireland Mistretta sometimes rotate in. But head coach Regy Thorpe never holds back postgame after a difficult draw day, serving as further motivation to rectify things against the Great Danes.
Player to watch: Ravan Marsell, midfielder, No. 35
Syracuse found its go-to passer in Mackenzie Rich, who’s accrued 12 assists. For UAlbany, that’s Marsell’s niche. The sophomore has 27 assists this year, ranking 13th in the nation and outpacing every America East player by 11.
But Marsell’s more than a passer. The midfielder’s scored 16 times after serving in a reserve role last year. Her 3.07 expected goals added a game, per Pro Lacrosse Reference, sit at the 91st percentile in the country. Marvell also gets back on defense, totaling eight caused turnovers and 17 ground balls.
