Previewing No. 4 seed Syracuse’s ACC Tournament clash vs. No. 5 seed Virginia
No. 4 seed Syracuse opens the ACC Tournament against No. 5 seed Virginia Wednesday afternoon. Avery Magee | Photo Editor
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
Regy Thorpe needs his team to find its spark again.
His Syracuse women’s lacrosse squad was oh-so-close to entering the postseason on a stunning 13-game winning streak, but SU’s 12-game hot stretch dating back to February came to a screeching halt last Thursday. The Orange fell to Boston College 7-4, and totaled their fewest goals (four) and draw controls (four) in a game all season.
When asked what SU needed to do to change that fortune in the postseason, Thorpe simply said the Orange “need to heat up.” He wouldn’t reveal much more about his mindset entering the postseason — if there is much more to it.
As simple as Thorpe’s answer sounds, he’s correct.
The Orange need to find the same spark that powered their 12-game winning streak. And they get a chance to right the ship in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament First Round when they take on Virginia Wednesday.
Here’s everything to know about the No. 5 seed Cavaliers (8-8, 6-4 ACC) before their meeting with No. 4 seed Syracuse (12-4, 7-3 ACC):
All-time series
Syracuse leads 19-9.
Last time they played
Syracuse beat Virginia 6-5 when the squads last met on March 21 in Charlottesville. The win was SU’s seventh in a row, part of the streak that grew to 12 games before being snapped by BC Thursday.
The Orange scored five goals in the first half, including two from Molly Guzik, but one second-half score was all they needed to secure the victory due to a stout defensive effort. SU held the Cavaliers to just five goals, an outing that was the epitome of SU’s defensive tear. The Orange allowed just 22 goals across their first five games of March.
Guzik was the only SU player to score more than once, and four other players added a goal. Kate Galica and Jayden Piraino both scored two for UVA, but SU held the Cavaliers without a goal for 31 minutes before a late score broke the drought. Still, Syracuse held on for the win.
The Cavaliers report
Virginia’s season hasn’t been eye-popping, but the Cavaliers have quietly been a contender in the ACC.
They went 8-8 overall and 6-4 in the ACC, but don’t have the same quality of wins as the Orange. UVA’s best victory was a 9-7 win over then-No. 5 Notre Dame back in February, and it also beat Boston College in March.
Otherwise, the Cavaliers’ resume isn’t flawless. They hung close against Syracuse and then-No. 9 Clemson, but were destroyed 19-4 by No. 1 North Carolina and 17-9 by No. 3 Maryland. The Notre Dame win is their lone top-10 victory.
Galica is the reason for most of UVA’s success this year. The junior midfielder leads the team in goals (35), shots (92), ground balls (30), caused turnovers (21) and draw controls (135). Aside from Galica, the Cavaliers have seven other players scoring more than 10 goals a game, yet she’s still the biggest piece in their puzzle.
How Syracuse beats Virginia
Considering the slim margin of victory last time these squads played, Syracuse doesn’t have much room for error. And a major reason the Orange were able to beat UVA in the first place was limiting Galica offensively and in the circle.
The Orange won the draw battle 7-6 and held Galica to two goals. They’ll need to replicate that effort — especially on the draw — to beat UVA Wednesday.
Syracuse has struggled in the circle all season, and that’s been more evident as of late. The Orange have lost the draw battle in six straight games, which came back to bite them in the loss to BC. Galica is one of the best draw takers in the ACC, and SU isn’t going to stand much of a chance if it continues to struggle in the circle.
Otherwise, Syracuse’s offense needs another solid performance. SU scored a season-low four goals against BC and has narrowly scraped past other opponents recently. The Orange have heavily relied on their defense, but they can’t expect six goals to get them past the Cavaliers again.
Stat to know: 8.44
Galicia’s 8.44 draw controls per game ranks second in the ACC, posing a real threat for a Syracuse squad that’s struggled in the circle all season. SU lost the draw battle in 11 of 16 regular-season games and entered the postseason on a six-game losing skid in the circle.
The good part for the Orange is they won five of those games. The draw certainly isn’t the end-all, be-all, but it’s important. Ultimately, to win, you have to score. To score, you have to have the ball. Winning the draw is the simplest way to get possession.
And while SU’s overcome those struggles often, it can’t expect to keep squeaking by without losing some games. Limiting Galica in the circle will certainly give the Orange a better chance at securing a first-round win.
Player to watch: Kate Galica, midfielder, No. 5
If you haven’t seen her name enough in this story, here’s another mention to boot.
Galica’s game this year looks like that one graphic of Lebron James in the 2016 NBA Finals. She’s leading the team in just about every stat that matters. There’s a reason she won ACC Midfielder of the Year last year, and she’ll be a real contender for the award again this season.
As an elite two-way middie, she’s UVA’s offensive motor, its go-to draw specialist and one of its most valuable defenders. She’s the type of player who can hurt you in so many ways that it’s hard to ever stop her impact. Syracuse got about as close as possible when the squads met in May, limiting her to two points and just four draw controls. But that’s not easy to sustain.
The bottom line is, there is no UVA without Galica. The Cavaliers will go as she goes Wednesday night.
