Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Regy Thorpe has his priorities set.

On Thursday, he addressed the media for the first time since being introduced as Syracuse women’s lacrosse’s fourth head coach in program history. Thorpe opened with an emphasis on fortifying SU’s draw control, grabbing ground balls and limiting possessions.

The little things that determine possession length go a long way, and that’s what’s made the Orange a threat in both the Atlantic Coast Conference and in the nation under former head coach Kayla Treanor.

But that all evaporated last year following departures of players like record-breaking draw control specialist Kate Mashewske and star attacker Emma Tyrrell. After a subpar 10-9 season that saw the Orange exit the NCAA Tournament with a second-round loss to Yale, the questions came into further fruition.

On Sunday, SU gave a glimpse into how it may silence the uncertainty. Granted, it wasn’t against anything like the competition looming on its schedule. No rotations are going to be consistent carrying over from an exhibition contest against Niagara into a bout with an ultra-competitive No. 7 Maryland squad on Friday. But the Orange handled business with several experiments that the Purple Eagles couldn’t contest.

Here are observations from Syracuse’s 27-5 exhibition win over Niagara:

Quick start

The first quarter was everything for SU last year. In their first three games, which were all wins, the Orange found the net at least five times in the first frame. With Thorpe’s goals of controlling the little things to turn plays from the neutral and defensive zones into instant offense, his squad made sure to capitalize early Sunday.

Eighty-four seconds was all it took for SU to get on the board. Molly Guzik received a pass from Gracie Britton in front of the net, lacing it to the top-left corner. Just a minute and a half later, an already falling Britton was knocked down in front of Niagara goaltender Haley Terry, but squeaked the ball past her. It wasn’t even four minutes into the game when Guzik found Ashlee Volpe for a low, cradling shot that sailed past Terry.

Entering her senior year with expected spots on watch lists for hardware like the Tewaaraton Award, Emma Muchnick couldn’t wait past the first frame to show the Purple Eagles what she’s capable of. Despite a near-eight-minute scoring drought, Muchnick tried a shot that flew past the net and got another feed from Volpe — who dished out three assists — moments later to give the Orange a 4-0 advantage.

That lead continued to swell, courtesy of tallies from Guzik, Courtney Maclay, and then, a Bri Peters shot that ricocheted off the post. It was an advantage that multiplied by the minute and never stopped.

Guzik explosion

Guzik never started last year but flashed potential at various points, reaching 14 goals with a 67.6% shot accuracy. But with so much depth in the midfield, it seemed she’d never be able to break onto the scene.

With no rotations set, it’s unclear what her role will be as a sophomore, but she showed promise with five goals Sunday.

Following the early tally when she fell to her knees as she nicked the ball into the net, her day wasn’t done. In the second quarter, Mackenzie Salentre and Caroline Trinkaus played hot potato with the ball before finding Guzik in front of the net, and she delivered.

SU is still yearning to find a draw control specialist, and nothing is set in stone. Three of its freshmen — Mackenzie Borbi, Ella Peers and Ireland Mistretta — all recorded at least 170 draws in their high school careers. Guzik never saw too much time at the center of the field as a freshman, with a career-high of three wins. But Thorpe gave her some chances there Sunday, and she proved to be a viable option.

Run the field

Whenever Niagara seemed to be knocking on the door, the Orange shut it out and ran with it.

In the first quarter, Izzy Lahah picked up a ground ball and flew the course of the field before dropping it off for an SU recycle in the offensive zone. She did it again in the third quarter, breaking up a loose ball near the 20-yard line, sprinting across the field. Lexi Reber also took one down the field to lead to an assist.

Defending Maddy Gill was a tough task, as she found the net twice in the second quarter. She did it again five minutes into the fourth. It made sense that she’d find back iron, given her leap to 57 goals last year for the Purple Eagles.

But even when the Orange conceded a couple of tallies to the Purple Eagles, they escaped the defensive zone with several full-field sprints to set up instant offense.

Newcomers shine

In a meaningless game with 38 players, it’s expected that everybody sees the field. With SU’s 13 new additions, an exhibition bout with Niagara would be an opportunity to get a taste of what it can expect from unfamiliar faces.

The Orange didn’t attack the transfer portal too aggressively, which is justifiably excused by a coaching switch. But now is a perfect time to see what some of the nabs are capable of.

Maclay saw action and delivered a hat trick, with one goal finding Terry’s five hole. Mistretta got on the board, and Borbi found Peers for one of her three tallies. Borbi also scored with 23 seconds left.

The Orange have several options to carry the torch following the departures of their top attackers Emma Ward and Olivia Adamson. Last year, Trinkaus and Mileena Cotter burst onto the scene as freshmen and became staples for SU. Even Lexi Reber started eight games before her season-ending injury, adding to the element of surprise Maryland can expect Friday.

Published on February 1, 2026 at 11:23 am
Contact Jason: jaglick@syr.edu | @jason_glick