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Entering Saturday, Syracuse’s 11-game winning streak was among the most impressive feats in college lacrosse. The Orange beat six ranked teams to turn a tough 0-3 start into one of the best resumes in the country.

But the wins, of course, didn’t always come easily. Seven of those victories were determined by three goals or fewer. Five of SU’s last six wins came by two goals or fewer. It seemed the Orange were bound to lose a close game soon.

Against No. 15 Notre Dame Saturday, SU found itself in its closest game of the year, forcing four overtimes against the Fighting Irish. But the Orange again prevailed, with Caroline Trinkaus’ overtime game-winner securing their 12th consecutive victory.

Here are some observations from No. 3 Syracuse’s (12-3, 7-2 Atlantic Coast) quadruple overtime 10-9 win over No. 15 Notre Dame (11-4, 5-4 ACC):

Late chaos

Syracuse’s winning streak has been riddled with the aforementioned close games. But the one thing that’s kept the Orange rolling recently is scoring in the second half. SU picked up key goals late to separate against Cornell, and scored five times in the second half to stay even with Duke.

In another close game Saturday, the Orange needed a second-half spark. The result was no different. Both offenses caught fire, but again, SU found a way.

Once Joely Caramelli began settling Syracuse down in the draw circle, SU ambushed Notre Dame with four scores in the third quarter. Mileena Cotter got things going with an overhand shot that stung the top corner at the 8:49 mark in the third. Ashlee Volpe knotted the game at 5-5 a minute later with her second score before the Fighting Irish retook a 6-5 lead.

It took SU five minutes to find a response, but Bri Peters charged down the field and trickled a shot past replacement goaltender Isabel Pithie to tie the game at six. A leaping Mackenzie Rich then slammed an overhand shot past Pithie to give the Orange their first lead of the game. Two scores from Trinkaus early in the fourth quarter gifted Syracuse a three-goal cushion.

Notre Dame made it interesting with a 3-0 run of its own in the fourth. Two free position scores from Emma Murphy spearheaded a swift momentum swing as Uma Kowalski began dominating on the draw.

On Syracuse’s final chance before the end of regulation, it came up empty. Neither team could score in the first three overtime periods, spoiling good look after good look as the two goaltenders — and both teams’ back lines — stood on their heads.

Ultimately, Trinkaus’ audacious step-down effort at the buzzer of the fourth overtime made the difference.

Draw disparity

Molly Guzik’s first season as SU’s full-time draw specialist hasn’t come without a few hiccups. While the sophomore midfielder has settled in as a league-average draw specialist, she’s faced some tough matchups lately.

First, she was tasked with limiting the ACC’s leader in draw controls per game — Duke’s Ella White — last weekend. She did just enough to lift the Orange to a narrow win, although SU lost the draw battle 13-8.

Saturday’s task was no easier. Against Kowalski, the ACC’s second-best draw specialist with 8.57 controls per game, the Orange lost the battle 18-6. Guzik was outdone 7-1 in the first half, but Caramelli began the second half on the draw and momentarily reignited the Orange, winning five draws.

After Guzik won the opening draw, Notre Dame won seven straight draws to spring an early 4-2 run. SU couldn’t withstand possession for most of the first half and struggled to draw blood against a Fighting Irish defense allowing just 7.43 goals a game.

At halftime, head coach Regy Thorpe opted for Caramelli in the circle instead of Guzik. Like Guzik, she won her first draw — snapping seven straight losses for the Orange. This time, though, she used it as momentum. Caramelli won three straight draws, sparking a 2-0 run the other way for SU.

Caramelli hung with Kowalski in the third and early in the fourth. But Notre Dame’s specialist ultimately won four straight draws down the stretch. It allowed the Irish to score three straight and force overtime.

Guzik took over draw duties in the first overtime, but Kowalski won the opening one. Then Caramelli took back over in the second and third OT, but the result was the same both times. Guzik took the draw to open the fourth overtime. Still no cigar.

But it didn’t matter. Syracuse found a way.

Defensive duel

On paper, Saturday’s matchup was always going to be a defensive battle. The Orange and the Fighting Irish entered the game as the ACC’s two best defenses. SU allowed just 7.21 scores a game through its first 14 contests, while Notre Dame averaged 7.43, the top two marks in the conference.

Whichever offense to break down the other’s defense would be the winner Saturday afternoon. Ultimately, that was Syracuse.

The defenses combined for 32 caused turnovers, while SU’s three goals in the first half were its fewest in a first half since its season opener against Maryland.

Both offenses awoke in the second half, though, combining for 11 goals to force overtime. Both defenses then walled up in the two overtime periods, reluctant to allow a game-winner.

At times, it seemed neither defense would ever let the game end. Trinkaus’ last-minute prayer was the only thing that would unlock a game that seemed destined to never end.

Volpe ignites the Orange

In her junior season, Volpe has enjoyed the best year of her career thus far. Entering Saturday, the former five-star recruit had already eclipsed her career high with 11 assists, taking a role as a premier set-up player for the Orange.

She’s recently enjoyed some of the top performances of her career, too, scoring a hat trick and totaling four points to lift Syracuse over Duke. On Saturday, she stayed hot, totaling another five points on two goals and three assists.

Volpe scored Syracuse’s first goal of the afternoon, receiving a feed from Trinkaus in transition and bouncing a low shot into the bottom left corner of the cage to level the game at one.

She then teed up Gracie Britton at the goal line extended, who finished with an almost identical bouncing shot past Ceci Patterson. In the second quarter, she fed Emma Muchnick for a slick behind-the-back score to cut Notre Dame’s lead to 4-3.

Volpe stayed hot in the second half, scoring her second goal of the day to tie the game at five halfway through the frame. She dialed up Trinkaus for SU’s eighth goal in the fourth quarter, helping give the Orange a two-goal lead they desperately needed to hang around.

Published on April 11, 2026 at 3:10 pm
Contact Harris: harrispemberton@gmail.com | @HarrisPemb6