Student Press Freedom Day is a reminder of the vital role student journalists play in holding institutions accountable. The money raised between now and March 6 will go directly toward supporting our independent newsroom. Donate today.

The dog days are over.

Fielding questions after a 14-11 upset defeat to Virginia Tech last year, all former Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor could do was complain. She’d be remiss not to.

Emma Muchnick was the first to hear it. It wasn’t her worst outing, having scored twice in that matinee — something the midfielder had done in the previous three games. Treanor later justified the jab, saying nobody played well.

She acknowledged subpar shooting, as the Orange fired 36 shots to the Hokies’ 29. Treanor couldn’t help but compliment VT goalie Aaliyah Jones, who stymied 13 shots.

That loss triggered the beginning of the end for Treanor. Syracuse lost four of its last five games, and she departed.

But the life Regy Thorpe brings to the table reversed that uncharacteristic blow because No. 14 Syracuse (4-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast) handled Virginia Tech (4-4, 1-3 ACC) 13-3 Friday to go above .500 for the first time this season. Molly Guzik had her third hat trick of the season, scoring four goals in the first 30 minutes alone. Caroline Trinkaus, Ashlee Volpe and Muchnick scored twice, while Daniella Guyette held strong in goal to stamp the Orange’s second straight game, allowing just three goals.

Not even a minute in, Muchnick pivoted outside the 8-meter arc and whipped the game’s opening shot wide. Seconds later, she worked the same move on the right side, bouncing the ball under Hokies goaltender Malie Follet for a 1-0 advantage.

Guzik’s been inconsistent on the draw, notably fumbling against top-ranked North Carolina and Louisville. There were times when she was too helpless that Joely Caramelli and Ireland Mistretta replaced her. But Guzik gave the Orange the game’s first four draw wins Friday. Even when the tie-ups didn’t go her way, she still found a way to be the game’s most effective offensive player.

She watched SU’s massacre unfold. First, it was Mackenzie Rich at X, finding Guzik galloping toward cage. The junior had no troubles, hitting the ball off the left post, watching it soar and nicking Follet’s jersey before trickling into the net.

Guzik wasn’t done. Along the left sidelines, Volpe was swarmed. With two Hokies in her face, the junior flung the ball to Caramelli, who poached behind the net’s left corner. Guzik, sitting back in the midfield, sprinted toward the 12-meter fan, flinging a sidewinder on cage.

The theme was threes — three goals, three possessions, three minutes.

Gaining a power-play edge, VT’s Mia Pozzi found a wide-open Lauren Render, who scored seven times in last year’s meeting, for a rapid strike to trim SU’s lead to 3-1.

Virginia Tech carried the momentum on the draw circle on the ensuing play, with Pozzi flicking the ball to Sarah Murrell for the control. But in came Izzy Lahah, jarring the ball loose for Mackenzie Salentre to grab and execute a successful clearance, something the Orange did on 19 of their 22 attempts Friday.

The teams went on to trade possessions throughout the middle of the first quarter, with SU causing multiple turnovers. Coco Vandiver had a strong interception with about six and a half minutes to go. And although Pozzi ripped it and scooped it up, Kaci Benoit had Vandiver’s back.

Finally, Trinkaus broke Syracuse’s near-eight-minute goal drought off a tactful pass from Rich, who avenged herself after missing a free-position shot. The Orange picked up where they left off after the quarter intermission. Volpe shuffled at X, locating a cruising Guzik to notch her third hat trick of the season just under 17 minutes in.

Alexa Vogelman executed an elongated clear from SU’s own 12-meter fan all the way down to VT’s. But Ally Phalines stamped her stick on Vogelman’s face, allowing the junior to rip twine on a free-position opportunity.

SU had a critical clearance down Lahah after a green card and nearly converted on the other end. But the disadvantage plagued the Orange on offense for the next several minutes. Still, defensively, they had one of their best moments. A Vandiver peg led Salentre to push the ball out of Pozzi’s stick, scampering to Lahah.

Volpe took over at the end of the second quarter. She did things herself, fidgeting at X and sprinting toward the cage to knock Syracuse ahead 7-1.

Then came the wizardry.

Volpe faked a handoff to Rich behind the goal, with the redshirt senior pretending the ball was in her stick. Instead, it was an overlapping fixture, as the design was for Guzik to receive the ball in front of the net and score her fourth. The astute gameplan helped the Orange hold their opponent to one goal at halftime for the second straight game. Thorpe had more up his sleeve.

Caramelli knocked the ball away from Sophia Trahan for Vogelman to carry. SU kept the ball in VT’s end for nearly 90 seconds. Trinkaus was smacked in the neck by Paige Kawa. Out of free position, the sophomore opted for the conservative route, and Muchnick went to work, weaving through the VT zone defense, splitting Caroline Little and Murrell to extend SU’s lead to 9-1.

The Orange had multiple ensuing free-position opportunities. After Trinkaus worked her way in to notch a brace, Volpe was set up for an open shot following a foul and quickly bolted off the 8-meter arc and flung the ball to the left corner.

The Hokies, on their final limb, found life in Pozzi, beating Guyette for her first goal late in the quarter, terminating a near-37-minute goal drought to trim the SU lead to 11-2.

Still, it was a stout day for Guyette, who notched five stops and a season-high 71.4% save percentage. Perhaps it was because she donned the classic football shorts under her singular pant leg, paying homage to SU’s all-time saves leader, Liz Hogan, until backup Allie Hanlon entered.

Alongside Hanlon came more reserves, as Ava Peers — with her sister Ella Peers in as well — cut toward the net to receive a pass from Grace McHugh. Ella nabbed her first collegiate goal in the final two minutes, cementing the SU victory.

Published on March 6, 2026 at 7:17 pm
Contact Jason: jaglick@syr.edu | @jason_glick