Everything to know before No. 14 Syracuse hosts Virginia Tech
Last year on its own grass, Virginia Tech’s lone ranked win upset Syracuse. But on Friday, the Hokies venture to the JMA Wireless Dome. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
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Escaping the Atlantic Coast Conference’s abyss, Syracuse has finally found its footing.
Sure, it needed tune-up games against unranked opponents. But the matchups couldn’t have been more timely in boosting SU’s confidence. From losses to top-ranked North Carolina to now-No. 2 Stanford to now-No. 3 Maryland, the Orange could have been demoralized, scoring just 6.67 goals per game.
Instead, Syracuse unleashed against then-No. 13 Loyola, more than doubling its previous goal average. Louisville may have played the Orange close, but they had one of their feistiest defensive performances in recent memory. California was the finishing touch, as the Orange allowed their fewest goals in a game in over six years.
Before SU’s back-to-back clashes with No. 4 Northwestern and No. 6 Yale, it has one more unranked conference game to clean things up.
Here is everything to know about Virginia Tech (4-3, 1-2 ACC) before it visits No. 14 Syracuse (3-3, 2-2 ACC) Friday:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 17-2.
Last time they played
This was one of those two losses.
In Blacksburg, Virginia, the then-No. 11 Orange crumbled 14-11 on April 12, 2025. The defeat marked the beginning of the end, as SU dropped three of its final four games.
For Syracuse to win that matinee, it would’ve needed a stronger first quarter. Negating a 4-1 Virginia Tech rout with early braces from attacks Lauren Render and Mia Pozzi would’ve resulted in an even affair. It was uncharacteristic of the Orange to trail after one frame, not doing so in their previous eight matchups.
Although SU won the fourth quarter, the Hokies capitalized on minuscule hiccups. Syracuse committed 14 turnovers after recording 12 or less in its last five games. It also couldn’t convert any of its free-position opportunities for just the second time through 15 contests. SU also failed five clears off the heels of a perfect outing against Cal. Render scored seven times, dooming the Orange.
The Hokies report
While SU’s been battle-tested with four top-13 opponents, VT played its first on Tuesday against Stanford. Like Syracuse, it tumbled to the Cardinal, losing 16-6.
Once again, SU must handle Render and Pozzi, Virginia Tech’s lone double-digit scorers with 14 and 12 goals, respectively. Render is minacious in free position, ripping twine three times. Pozzi is the Hokies’ lone player with double-digit assists with 12.
Head coach Kristen Skiera’s squad is the only team in the ACC with an even goal differential. But Virginia Tech’s defense is unproductive, causing just under nine turnovers per game — below average in the conference. And Zoee Stencil has been the Hokies’ lone promising defender, nabbing 13 ground balls and causing 14 turnovers.
They may be ahead of Syracuse, but the Hokies are tied for the third-fewest draw controls per game in the conference with 12.
How Syracuse beats Virginia Tech
The Orange have unearthed new starting defenders in Izzy Lahah and Mackenzie Salentre. They’ve contributed to a whip hand VT cannot stymie: ground balls. SU leads the ACC on a per-game basis with almost 18. Virginia Tech records the third-fewest with just over 13. Syracuse also likes to engender chaos on defense to trigger ground balls. Across its last two games, it’s caused 37 turnovers.
Offensively, the Orange can ride balanced scoring. Eleven players scored versus Cal. Twelve have multiple goals this year and 15 are on the board. Against Maryland, it was the Caroline Trinkaus show. At Louisville, it was all Molly Guzik. SU plays its best when, as Mackenzie Rich put it Tuesday, “Everyone wants to eat.”
Yet, Syracuse has struggled to clean its plate with its shot accuracy. No ACC squad shoots as inefficient as its 34.1% mark. In bludgeoning the Golden Bears, it took a season-high 43 shots. Hokies goaltender Malie Follet stops 41.4% of opponents’ attempts, making the test slightly easier. Plus, the aforementioned draw struggles on either side could prove critical, and it’s up to Guzik to lead that charge.
Number to know: 9
Playing in the only indoor lacrosse stadium in the country is an adjustment for anyone. But doing it against a ranked opponent like the Orange is more burdensome.
VT knows this firsthand, having never won at the JMA Wireless Dome. But regardless of playing under a cover or the sun, excluding neutral sites, it’s been a long time since it won a ranked road matchup. Its last nine tries have been losses.
Across these defeats, Virginia Tech’s been outscored 145-65. With one ACC Tournament win in the previous seven seasons, there’s little reason to believe it can compete with the cream of the crop, especially away.
Player to watch: Mia Pozzi, attack, No. 32
No Hokie has a more jack-of-all-trades repertoire than Pozzi. Second on the team in scoring, she’s nearly top 10 in the ACC. But Pozzi’s 12 assists differentiates her offensive game from someone like Render, who made the All-ACC Second Team last year with 55 goals.
Pozzi’s versatility serves her at the draw, where she’s already won 45 tie-ups — fourth-best in the ACC and only six victories away from tying last year’s mark. She’s worked back on defense, racking up four ground balls and causing six turnovers.
Throughout the early season, Pozzi progressed game by game. Her magnum opus was capping a 10-point outing against Elon last week. SU’s struggled to defend the junior, allowing her to score in 2024 and conceding four times last year.
