SU’s roadmap to making its 2nd straight ACC Tournament title game
Syracuse will likely need to get through the top three seeds in the ACC Tournament in North Carolina, Boston College and Stanford to claim its first ACC title since 2015. Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
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Syracuse women’s lacrosse has started to slip majorly. Despite producing a four-game winning streak to boost its record to 8-4 midway through the season, SU finished its campaign losing three of its last four games. A 14-11 loss to unranked Virginia Tech and a 17-2 decimation by No. 2 Boston College capped off the Orange’s season, marking a new low for the program.
Against the Eagles on Thursday, SU was off from the opening draw. It went scoreless for the game’s first 41 minutes, allowing BC to amass a 10-0 lead by halftime. It marked the first time the Orange didn’t score in the first half since 2010. Ultimately, Syracuse couldn’t fight back, notching its eighth straight defeat in its rivalry with the Eagles.
Now, after slipping to No. 17 in the Inside Lacrosse Poll, Syracuse sets its sights toward the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Last season, the Orange advanced to the championship but fell for the second of three times in the campaign to BC. Head coach Kayla Treanor dubbed the postseason as “Season Two” after facing BC this season, searching for a rebound. But to do that and capture its first ACC title since 2015, SU will likely need to get through the top three seeds in the field.
Here’s Syracuse’s (9-7, 5-4 ACC) roadmap through the ACC Tournament beginning on Wednesday:
Quarterfinals: No. 3 Seed Stanford
Syracuse’s path back to the ACC title game begins on Wednesday against No. 3 Seed Stanford. In their first year in the conference, the Cardinal went 13-4 overall and 7-2 in the ACC.
The two squads faced off on March 7 in a tightly contested battle. Syracuse entered on a three-game losing streak while Stanford started the season 6-0. The game had two lead changes and four ties, eventually heading to overtime. In the second extra period, SU freshman Mileena Cotter buried the game-winning goal to give the Orange a 14-13 win.
SU’s success started with holding the Cardinal’s leading scorer Aliya Polisky to zero goals via constant face-guarding. The draw control was also a major factor in the game, often propelling runs by either team. Syracuse won the overall battle 16-14, but a 9-2 second-quarter lead for Stanford helped it climb out of an early 5-1 hole. The Orange need to take advantage of the Cardinal’s middling 13.06 draw wins per game to beat them a second time.
Since the two teams played, Stanford has remained a top team in the country, notching three more ranked wins. Polisky is still its main offensive threat with 51 goals, though no other player except Ava Arceri (40 goals) has over 21. Lucy Pearson has also come up strong in net, allowing just 9.31 goals per game and helping the Cardinal to the 17th-best save percentage in the country (.471).
Semifinals: Likely No. 2 Seed Boston College
A second win over Stanford would likely match the Orange up with Boston College again, assuming the No. 2 Seed Eagles beat No. 7 Seed Virginia.
Thursday’s blowout was nothing new for BC this season. It’s been one of the top two teams in the country all year, occupying the No. 1 spot for nine weeks before falling to then-No. 2 North Carolina on April 5 and dropping to No. 2 as a result. With a staggering scoring margin of 291-110, BC presents a towering semifinal obstacle for the Orange.
Boston College’s offense is its driving force. Led by the electric trio of Rachel Clark, Mckenna Davis and Emma LoPinto — each with over 75 points — BC boasts the highest-scoring attack in the country at 18.19 goals per game. Clark’s career-high eight goals against SU boosted her to a nation-leading 79 tallies, as she battles with Northwestern’s Madison Taylor for the Tewaaraton Award.
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LoPinto compliments Clark on BC’s attack, while Davis often sets them up, sitting second in the country with 60 assists. But BC’s defense is just as airtight, allowing just 6.88 goals per game — second-best in the country behind UNC.
A pair of Tewaaraton top-25 nominees, defender Shea Baker and Shea Dolce, anchor its backline. Baker, a junior, has shattered her career high with 29 caused turnovers. Meanwhile, Dolce owns the nation’s best save percentage at .555. She was nearly unbeatable in last week’s win over SU, stopping 12 shots and posting a season-best .857 save rate.
Finals: Likely No. 1 Seed North Carolina or No. 4 Seed Duke
If SU rebounds from its embarrassment to BC by beating it in the second round, it’d make the finals for the second straight year. There, the Orange would probably face No. 1 Seed UNC or No. 4 Seed Duke.
Syracuse played the Tar Heels on Feb. 22, with both squads entering at 3-0. But without star attack Olivia Adamson, the first game she missed before being ruled out for the season, SU couldn’t keep pace. North Carolina blitzed SU for eight first-quarter goals en route to a 16-8 blowout.
Since then, North Carolina has only strengthened its case as the nation’s top team, finishing the regular season undefeated. On offense, it’s led by sisters Chloe and Ashley Humphrey. Against Syracuse, Chloe tallied three points while Ashley totaled five. Chloe, a redshirt freshman who was the No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class, has scored a team-high 61 goals this season and is one of two underclassmen to be a Tewaaraton nominee. Ashley, the team’s primary playmaker, leads the country with 61 assists.
But for as good as its offense is, UNC’s defense might be better. The unit has allowed 92 goals through 15 games; its 6.13 goals allowed per contest is the best mark in the nation by far. Redshirt freshman Betty Nelson has been steady in goal, totaling a .516 save percentage in her first year as a starter.
However, if Syracuse doesn’t face the Tar Heels, it’ll likely play No. 4 seed Duke for the first time this season. The Blue Devils finished the regular season 12-4, with all of their losses coming to top-15 teams. Duke’s offense isn’t nearly as impressive as UNC’s, but it still possesses three players with at least 37 goals. Carly Bernstein leads the pack, accumulating 37 goals and 27 assists for a team-leading 68 points.
The Blue Devils’ biggest weakness comes between the pipes. After switching between two goalies last year, both of which posted sub-.400 save percentages, Duke hasn’t had much more success in 2025. Kennedy Everson has become its full-time starter, posting a .435 save percentage, ranking 55th nationally. Still, the Blue Devils have the 28th-best scoring defense in the country, mainly due to their 145 caused turnovers, a top-30 mark.
