No. 4 SU’s woes against No. 16 BC persist in 7-4 loss to end regular season
Syracuse’s woes against Boston College continued Thursday in a regular-season-ending 7-4 loss. Avery Magee | Photo Editor
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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — In a cavernous Alumni Stadium, it’s impossible not to hear the cheers of a 12-man Boston College fan club positioned in the lower level’s back row. First comes the classic, “Let’s go defense” chants as Caroline Trinkaus tries to evade All-American defender Shea Baker.
One of the men then sets his Kona beer aside to whistle at BC’s Julia Hodell snaring Bri Peters’ errant pass. Another one makes a punching gesture at one of his peers moments before Molly Guzik and Giulia Colarusso line up for a draw with BC leading 1-0. It symbolizes Boston College’s first punch.
When a mistake happens, which BC had very few of, loud groans replace the cheers. In a lacrosse game between Syracuse and Boston College — a rivalry spanning decades — it’s just the customary hostile environment.
“They’ve been a great program for a lot of years. We’ve been a great program for a lot of years,” SU head coach Regy Thorpe said.
Thorpe’s right. Both programs are among the best in the sport, but as of late, the Eagles have had Syracuse’s number. SU entered Thursday losers of eight straight meetings. If you just heard the 12 fans settled in Alumni Stadium, you’d be sure that skid extended to nine. And, you’d be correct. No. 4 Syracuse’s (12-4, 7-3 Atlantic Coast) struggles versus No. 16 Boston College (9-6, 6-4 ACC) persisted in a 7-4 defeat.
The loss slots the Orange as the No. 4 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament. But to Thorpe, Thursday’s matchup wasn’t the final act of the regular season and instead signaled the beginning of the postseason.
“Our intensity was there, but it’s playoff lacrosse,” Thorpe said. “You gotta crank it up.”
The Eagles opened the game with two unanswered goals, while SU’s lethal defense lacked its usual rhythm. If Syracuse defender Izzy Lahah’s game-opening turnover on the offensive end was any indication of what would ensue, it wasn’t pretty for the Orange.
But this wasn’t anything new. The most recent chapter in this storied rivalry — in 2025 — ended with Syracuse falling 17-2, marking a low the program had never experienced before.
Though the main plot of this season hasn’t been revenge, the Orange looked poised to get some as winners of 12 straight games, while the Eagles were amid an unusually poor campaign. But this rivalry presents a fresh slate every time it occurs, and Syracuse simply wasn’t prepared.
The Orange committed 14 turnovers, and their issues in the draw circle continued, ending at an 8-4 deficit. While Trinkaus found twine to bring Syracuse hope just 13 minutes in, the next 47 minutes swung in BC’s favor.
“(Boston College) came out firing,” Thorpe said. “We came back, they matched a couple of our punches, but unfortunately, we couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.”
All evening, SU’s defense looked frazzled. It was most apparent when Daniella Guyette let Kylee Colbert erase Trinkaus’ goal 32 seconds later with a gentle bounce shot past the goalie.
More dejecting, though, were Syracuse’s offensive inabilities. The Orange’s four goals and four draw wins marked season lows. Their 18 total shots were their third-worst, and they were held without an assist for the first time this season. Thorpe said SU simply needed to shoot the ball “better.”
It had to do more than just that, though. Over these teams’ all-time history, a BC win has become an expectation. Even before Syracuse’s latest eight-game skid versus the Eagles, Boston College had won five of the previous seven.
An expectation doesn’t always come true, but at Boston College’s confines and in what Thorpe described as “a must-win game,” this was BC’s destiny. Mistakes that wouldn’t normally plague the Orange repeatedly arose.
Despite a respectable 46.2% save percentage, Guyette’s inconsistencies shone through five days after a heroic performance against Notre Dame. Joely Caramelli and Peters turned the ball over a season-high three times. SU finished with zero free-position makes for the third time all year.
While Syracuse’s 4-2 halftime deficit was definitely not the conclusion, BC’s 12 fans, sipping on their beers and leading chants like they attended a high school rivalry, had plenty more fun ahead.
A Guzik putback goal off Emma Muchnick’s missed shot cut Syracuse’s disadvantage to one. But again, a few BC saves and a near-immediate Colbert response restored the Eagles’ two-goal lead.
“They were able to hit a couple shots,” Thorpe said. “We got on our heels a little bit, and then we just couldn’t cash in.”
Chestnut Hill’s gelid temperature took over as the second half waned, and the only thing keeping BC’s fans from unbearable chills was their beers in hand. Oh, and Boston College’s relentless pursuit to erase any Syracuse hope.
The Orange had previously proven they were “immune” to losing close games. Thorpe used that exact terminology when describing Syracuse’s clutch gene this season. But BC is a different challenge, and it highlighted SU’s inefficiencies.
The score, which grew to its final three-goal margin in the fourth quarter, didn’t capture how lopsided this game was. In the waning moments, celebratory music echoed throughout Alumni Stadium. Boston College had done it. Again.
Thorpe paced Syracuse’s sideline, while its bench stood in silence. It was a scene that mirrored late February, when SU was 0-3. He knows the Orange can beat any team. He’s said it before, and they’ve backed him up. But Boston College has more certainty when it plays the Orange. No matter the record, stage or venue, the Eagles have been SU’s kryptonite.
It was no different Thursday.
