W
hen Kayla Treanor inherited Syracuse’s roster after Gary Gait became the men’s program’s head coach, the Orange were coming off their third NCAA Championship appearance. SU fell short in the title game, losing 16-10 to Boston College. Throughout Gait’s 14-year tenure, Syracuse grew from a mediocre Big East conference champion to a perennial top-five team nationally.
But the thing Syracuse didn’t accomplish under Gait, or ever, is win the NCAA Championship. When Treanor was introduced as SU’s next head coach she said “My goal is to compete for championships year in and year out.” While the Orange have had success in the regular season with Treanor at the helm, finishing 13-4 in 2022 and 15-1 in 2023, they’ve fallen short in the ACC and NCAA Tournament in both seasons. This season, Syracuse looks to finally reach the pinnacle of lacrosse and also win its first ACC Tournament since 2015.
Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse women’s lacrosse will fare in 2024:
Aiden Stepansky
Over the hump?
Record: 13-3 (7-2 ACC)
MVP: Emma Ward
X-Factor: Olivia Adamson
In the first two years of the Treanor era, Syracuse’s season has ended on the cusp of a National Championship appearance. In 2024, SU will be defined by its ability to get over the hump. Despite a grueling schedule that features 11 teams who made last year’s tournament, expect Syracuse to once again finish well above .500 and go deep into the NCAA Tournament. Still, I see them falling once again at the doorstep.
While SU’s defense returns one of the nation’s top goalies in Delaney Sweitzer, its offense is losing two all-time greats in Meaghan Tyrrell and Megan Carney. But Syracuse does return top offensive weapons Emma Ward (94 points) and Emma Tyrrell (52 goals). Olivia Adamson could also be a top threat as she totaled six points against JMU in the national quarterfinals.
Yes, the schedule is daunting. But it was in 2023, too, when SU still beat eight ranked opponents in the regular season. Though for the Orange, in the end, all that will be remembered is how they perform on Championship Weekend.
Justin Girshon
Finally on top
Record: 14-2 (7-2 ACC)
MVP: Emma Ward
X-Factor: Kate Mashewske
After back-to-back seasons of heartbreak under Treanor followed a National Championship loss in 2021, the best way to describe SU’s program is one that continuously falls short at the biggest stage.
But with Treanor now having two years of experience under her belt and a group of experienced upperclassmen, led by Ward, Tyrrell and Sweitzer, this is the year. The Orange have all the pieces and talent to win the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2015 and win their long-awaited first NCAA title.
While Syracuse needs to overcome the loss of Tyrrell and Carney, it is more than equipped with depth. Kate Mashewske is returning from a season-ending injury in 2023 and upperclassmen Natalie Smith, Adamson, Maddy Baxter and Katie Goodale are ready to assume larger roles. It’s been 26 years, but this is finally the year Syracuse gets on top.
Timmy Wilcox
Resilient down the stretch
Record: 13-3 (7-2 ACC)
MVP: Emma Tyrrell
X-Factor: Ashlee Volpe
Syracuse looked unstoppable to start 2023 before the season came to a halt in May. Boston College proved to be SU’s kryptonite. In 2024, the Orange have the same mission: win the national championship.
The offensive loss will make it difficult for SU to make a run in the postseason again. Now, Emma Tyrrell and Ward will need to step up on offense. Five-star freshman Ashlee Volpe will be counted on to score and will compete for ACC Freshman of the Year.
SU starts the year with the defending National Champions, Northwestern, which will gauge the resilience of this team early on. The Orange can power through most of their regular season schedule. Syracuse will turn some heads, picking up big wins against UNC and Maryland, building momentum before the postseason.
Ending the year with BC will prove a testament to how much SU has grown since 2023. Syracuse should reach the ACC semifinals, but I don’t think it will reach the Final Four for the second time in Treanor’s three years at the helm.
Photograph by Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
Published on January 31, 2024 at 11:03 pm
