Syracuse’s rut vs. top teams under Farquhar persists, risks trophyless year
Friday’s second-half collapse to No. 2 UNC moved Syracuse to 1-8 versus top-five teams in head coach Lynn Farquhar’s tenure. Lindsay Baloun | Contributing Photographer
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Through the first 30 minutes against No. 2 North Carolina, Syracuse seemed to be passing its hardest test of the season.
The Orange entered halftime with a 3-1 lead over the Tar Heels. Syracuse would have scored four goals in the opening 20 minutes, but Lieke Leeggangers’ tally in the 17th minute was called back for using the wrong side of her stick.
With UNC unable to stop Syracuse’s attack, the Orange looked to be on their way to a top-five win. Instead, Syracuse was bottled up in the second half, culminating in a last-second 4-3 loss.
It was the same second-half struggles that plagued Syracuse all season. The latest collapse has the Orange still searching for their first signature win since head coach Lynn Farquhar took over the program in February 2023.
Here’s a breakdown of SU’s struggles against top opponents under Farquhar — and how second-half collapses could prevent the Orange from making a deep postseason run:
SU’s recent struggles against ranked opponents
To be the best, you have to beat the best.
Now in its third season under Farquhar, Syracuse has failed to do that. After their loss to North Carolina, the Orange are just 1-8 against top-five opponents since 2023 with a negative-13 goal differential in those losses.
Syracuse’s lone top-five win was against then-No. 3 Virginia 1-0 in the first round of the ACC Tournament last year. Outside of that victory, the Orange have been largely outmatched against the nation’s top competition, scoring multiple goals in just two of those previous seven losses.
While Syracuse’s struggles against the nation’s best are glaring, it hasn’t fared much better against other competition in the top 10. The Orange are 5-13 against top-10 teams under Farquhar with a minus-15 goal differential.
Overall, Syracuse is 15-17 with a negative-12 goal differential in Farquhar’s 32 games against ranked squads. The Orange have been better this season, with a 5-3 record in ranked matchups, but their 1-0 win over then-No. 7 Duke on Sept. 26 is the only victory in the top-10.
The Orange have been consistently ranked as one of the best teams in the country under Farquhar and haven’t fallen out of the top-10 since the 2025 preseason ranked as No. 11. Since 2023, the lowest Syracuse has been ranked is 15th, but its record against ranked opponents doesn’t reflect that.
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Syracuse’s lack of success against North Carolina and the ACC
North Carolina’s stunning second-half comeback against the Orange was just the Tar Heels’ latest success story versus Syracuse.
Since SU beat North Carolina 4-2 in the 2015 national title game, the Tar Heels have won 14 of the last 15 matchups between the two schools. Syracuse hasn’t beaten North Carolina at home since a 5-0 win in 2021, but Friday’s matchup was a chance for the Orange to rewrite the narrative.
Instead, the Tar Heels handed Syracuse its second straight loss, dropping the Orange to 2-4 in conference play. To win the ACC Tournament, something the program hasn’t done since Alyssa Manley led the Orange to that 2015 national championship, Syracuse needs to beat some of the conference’s top teams.
That starts with North Carolina, which has knocked Syracuse out of the ACC Tournament in three of the last four seasons. A win would’ve given the Orange a confidence boost before another potential matchup with the Tar Heels in this year’s postseason, but the loss keeps the Orange a step behind their conference rival.
Syracuse’s second-half collapses
Syracuse’s underwhelming record in ACC play is tied to its struggles to finish games.
To open conference play, the Orange unraveled in the second half of a 2-1 loss to Wake Forest. With a 1-0 lead entering the fourth period, Syracuse allowed the Demon Deacons to score the equalizer before giving up the game-winning goal in overtime. The Orange followed with a similar collapse in a 2-1 defeat versus No. 3 Virginia.
Against UVA, Syracuse scored at the end of the first quarter to take a 1-0 lead, but couldn’t handle the Cavaliers in the second half. Virginia tied it up in the third quarter before earning a penalty stroke in the game’s final minute, which Mia Abello scored to capitalize on SU’s collapse.
The Orange rebounded with their win over Duke, but endured a tough second half as they held onto a one-goal advantage. Syracuse’s defense struggled to handle the Blue Devils’ attack and survived a Julia Boehringer point-blank chance that her own teammate blocked.
Whether due to fatigue, their opponents making adjustments or a combination of both, the Orange haven’t been nearly as productive on offense in second halves. Excluding its 1-0 loss to California, where Syracuse never led, it hasn’t protected its leads in conference play.
Minus that loss, in Syracuse’s five ACC games, it’s been outshot 38-21 in the second half. That disparity is even larger in the fourth quarter, where Syracuse has been outshot 18-5. The limited output puts more pressure on the defense to compensate, making it harder for the Orange to hold off sustained attacks from their opponents in the final 30 minutes.
The offense’s inability to score in the second half has especially hurt the Orange against top teams, as Syracuse has lost against three ranked opponents it’s faced in conference play. With the Orange likely to face all ranked opponents in the ACC and NCAA Tournament, it doesn’t bode well for their postseason hopes if they can’t protect a second-half lead against top teams.
How will Syracuse fare in the postseason?
Syracuse’s record against top opponents under Farquhar — coupled with its inability to close out games this season — could spell disaster for the Orange in the postseason.
Considering SU is 2-4 in ACC play and is 1-2 in ACC Tournament games under Farquhar, a run to the conference championship could be difficult. In the NCAA tournament, Syracuse had to shake off its early second-round exit last season after a 1-0 overtime loss to then-No. 10 Harvard.
Despite its defeat to North Carolina, Syracuse’s first-half display and the high-octane offense it showed across its best start since 2017 are signs the Orange could overcome their shortcomings.
Syracuse’s offense has looked capable of leading a deep postseason run. Still, its collapse against North Carolina leaves doubt for this team against the nation’s top competition.
