Previewing No. 5 Syracuse women’s lacrosse’s Saturday matchup vs. Pitt
Syracuse has won its last eight games, but Pitt looks to put that streak to rest Saturday in the JMA Wireless Dome. Charlie Hynes | Staff Photographer
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Syracuse’s women’s lacrosse might be the hottest team in the country right now. The Orange — riding an eight-game win streak — turned an 0-3 start into one of the strongest resumes in Division I.
On that eight-game stretch, SU took down then-No. 4 Northwestern — which just stunned undefeated No. 1 North Carolina Wednesday — and picked up another big win over then-No. 5 Yale. The Orange defense has held opponents to just seven goals per game, the third-best mark in the nation.
After a narrow win on the road against UAlbany, Syracuse returns to Atlantic Coast Conference action at home against Pitt Saturday morning.
Here’s everything to know about the Panthers (5-6, 2-5 ACC) before they take on Syracuse (8-3, 4-2 ACC):
All-time series
Syracuse leads 4-0.
Last time they played
The Orange dismantled the Panthers 17-11 when the squads last met on March 15, 2025. Joely Caramelli paced the Syracuse offense with a hat trick while five other players tallied two goals.
SU took an early lead, although both teams traded scores until the Orange led 4-3. Then, lightning around Highmark Stadium sparked an hour-long delay. Syracuse came out of the break and promptly scored five straight goals to break away, leading 13-8 the rest of the way.
Pitt cut the lead to two in the fourth quarter, but four straight SU goals sealed the victory, pushing the Orange over .500 nine games into the year.
The Panthers report
Pitt enters Saturday’s matchup having lost five of its last seven games. The Panthers started 2-0 but ran into some early trouble in ACC play. After an early statement win over then-No. 14 Duke, Pitt lost five straight conference contests against ranked teams, including a 19-3 thrashing against UNC and a narrow 11-10 loss to No. 9 Clemson.
The Panthers are led by a trio of star scorers in Kaitlyn Giandonato (30 goals), Avery Moon (22 goals) and Paige Telatovich (21 goals). The three have combined for 60% of Pitt’s goals this year, while just one other player has more than 10 scores.
Moon leads the team in assists with 18, while Gigi Leonzi has also established herself as a solid set-up player off the bench with 16 assists. All together, the Pitt offense averages 11 scores a game, but will likely face trouble against a stonewall Syracuse defense.
The Panther defense, meanwhile, allows 10.36 goals a game and 27.3 shots per game.
How Syracuse beats Pitt
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The key is simple for the Orange — keep doing what they’ve been doing on this eight-game winning streak.
That most directly refers to SU’s defensive efforts, where it’s been practically indestructible, besides a few slip-ups against UAlbany. But even then, the 10-8 win over the Great Danes was the most goals the Orange have given up since Feb. 28. The unit — spearheaded by Daniella Guyette’s recent heroics — has been the key to SU’s success this season.
On the other end, Molly Guzik has cooled down a bit after a torrid stretch against Northwestern and Virginia, but SU should still feed her hot hand to ignite the attack. Caroline Trinkaus and Emma Muchnick also look to be settling in offensively, each logging hat tricks against UAlbany. Keeping the stars going should be the key to a successful attack Saturday.
Stat to know: 5
Syracuse has allowed just five goals per game over its past six contests, the peak of a much-improved defensive season. No opponent has scored double-digit goals since Louisville on Feb. 28, when the Cardinals snuck 10 past Guyette.
Otherwise, both Syracuse’s goalie and its back line have been nothing short of phenomenal. Guyette is fourth in the nation with a 7.07 goals-against average, while SU’s defense ranks eighth in the country with 12.2 caused turnovers per game.
Simply put, Syracuse’s defense has been impenetrable over the past month. Against another weaker ACC foe at the Dome Saturday, the Orange will look to keep those numbers up.
Player to watch: Kaitlyn Giandonato, midfield, No. 1
Giandonato has been the key piece in Pitt’s three-headed offensive monster, ranking first on the team and eighth in the conference — one spot ahead of Guzik — with 2.73 goals per game.
She’s played her best lacrosse as of late, too. Giandonato exploded for six goals against Youngstown State Tuesday and had four against Clemson three days before. She’s scored 16 goals in her last four games after being held without a point against Virginia and UNC early in the month.
Along with Moon and Telatovich, it’s Giandonato’s responsibility to get the Panther attack moving against one of the nation’s best defenses.
