No. 5 Syracuse commands UAlbany 10-8, wins 8th straight
In its first unranked clash in two and a half weeks, No. 5 Syracuse scraped past UAlbany 10-8, while a steady back line limited midfielder Paisley Cook to just two goals. Zoe Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor
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Katie Thomson is a Syracuse women’s lacrosse legend.
During her glory days of 2008, she broke Syracuse’s single-season points record with 142. The magnum opus? An eight-assist and 13-point show-stopper against Towson that year.
“Coach (Thomson) is one of the best all-time ever to play at Syracuse,” SU head coach Regy Thorpe said Monday. “Unbelievable person.”
Now, Thomson roams the sidelines two hours down the road as UAlbany’s head coach. She hadn’t beaten SU in her last seven tries since taking the Great Danes’ job. Thomson’s seen lowlights, like a 12-goal defeat last year.
But the task of dethroning the team she set records for remains constant. Another opportunity arose Tuesday.
It was the same result again — but it came down to the wire. No. 5 Syracuse (8-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) scraped past UAlbany 10-8 (7-3, 2-0 American East). Caroline Trinkaus and Emma Muchnick scored hat tricks to show signs of their 30-plus goal form from a year ago. The Orange back line held strong, with former Great Dane Mackenzie Salentre helming the defense with four ground balls and three caused turnovers.
It was appropriate Salentre jarred a ball loose on UAlbany’s first possession, scooping and clearing it. Trinkaus weaved through a sea of UAlbany defenders to open the scoring 82 seconds in.
“We’re fortunate to get the goals we got tonight,” Thorpe said. “We needed every one of them.”
About three minutes later, UAlbany delivered a riposte. Ravan Marsell, entering 14th in the nation in assists with 26, located Riley Forthofer across the 12-meter fan to knot things at one.
It seemed the contest would take a seesaw form, as Guzik inevitably extended her goal streak to 11. The sophomore cycled her stick, maneuvering toward the goal to dunk it in.
The margin never dropped to one the rest of the way. Trinkaus scored her second tally of the day 29 seconds later, high-stepping on UAlbany goalie Grace Cincebox’s crease to pocket a 3-1 lead.
SU only went 1-for-3 in the free position. Annie Parker made the lone conversion for its third goal in under two minutes. The Great Danes never wavered. With the sun blinding Daniella Guyette, she couldn’t spot Zareena Sorho’s bouncer.
On top of the scoreboard lead, it was a refreshing draw start for SU. Guzik gave Paisley Cook, a top-six specialist in the country, issues. That earned the Orange five of the opening quarter’s seven tie-ups.
After logging five hat tricks last year, it seemed Trinkaus’ production dipped. She rediscovered her fine fettle Tuesday, completing her hat trick 36 seconds into the second quarter for a 5-2 advantage.
With Cook being the Great Danes’ leading scorer entering Tuesday with 26 goals, it was a matter of time before she gave SU troubles, even if the draw wasn’t her forte against Guzik. Cook cut past Salentre to fling the Great Danes’ third goal.
“I thought we were complacent,” Thorpe said. “We got to show up every day and play a full 60 or more minutes. We haven’t played our best 60.”
Every time Cook mustered a draw or goal, SU had more in store for her. Mackenzie Rich pelted a deep shot outside the 12-meter fan to earn a 6-3 lead, still in the opening minutes of the quarter.
Jaedyn Frink netted her 17th goal of the season. But neither team struck for the next five minutes, with Syracuse up by two. It got back up to three, courtesy of Muchnick.
While Trinkaus has taken a step back this season, Muchnick’s taken a grander one. Her tally was her eighth on the year, but it comes as a shock, considering she led the Orange in goals last season.
Cook, who rebounded in the second quarter to take a 7-6 draw lead for the game, delivered out of a free position in the first half’s final minute.
“We were cruising in the first period on draw controls, and she did a good job in the second period to get some wins and give them a little momentum,” Thorpe said.
Similar to the third quarter against then-No. 6 Yale, it was Syracuse’s driest hour. With a 12-goal barrage shared by both teams in the first half, a long drought was improbable.
But it took eight and a half minutes for SU to pick up where it left off. On a fast break over halfway through the frame, Parker eyed Bri Peters running to her right. On the go, Peters fired into the back of the net.
The third quarter marked the second straight game SU blanked its opponent in the third quarter and the seventh time this season it held an adversary scoreless in any quarter.
The dry second half spilled deep into the fourth quarter. Muchnick countered a Mya Carroll goal to take a 9-6 lead. SU’s five-game streak of holding its opponents to six goals or less terminated Tuesday off a Kloey Roos woman-up goal 37 seconds after Muchnick’s tally.
“The defense has been our anchor all year,” Thorpe said, as SU allowed its most goals since Feb. 28.
Muchnick retaliated, working the right side for her first hat trick of the year, putting the game out of reach.
Thorpe marched on to embrace Thomson’s hand at midfield, knowing he stamped his dominance.
“We can beat any team in the country,” Thorpe said. “In the same breath, I think we can lose to any team in the country. We’re very fortunate to get out with a win.”
