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Despite its opening-game 18-15 loss against No. 1 Northwestern Saturday, Syracuse remained No. 5 in the Inside Lacrosse week one poll. The Orange outscored the Wildcats 13-10 over the final three quarters but couldn’t overcome their 8-2 first-quarter deficit.

Throughout the opening period, Northwestern dominated the draw control, going 8-for-11. The Wildcats’ draw control unit ignited their hot start and the potent combination of Samantha Smith and Sammy White won 24 of the game’s 37 draws.

The Orange will look to win their first game of the campaign Wednesday against Army at the JMA Wireless Dome. In a back-and-forth contest, Army faltered in the fourth quarter of its season opener against then-No. 17 University of Southern California, losing 13-9.

Here’s everything to know ahead of No. 5 Syracuse’s (0-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) home opener against No. 18 Army (0-1, 0-0 Patriot League):

All-time series:

This is the first meeting between Syracuse and Army.

The Black Knights report:

After finishing 2023 15-4, Army finished runner-up in the Patriot League and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Black Knights earned an at-large bid but fell to No. 7 James Madison 12-8 in the first round.

After its most successful season in program history, seniors Kathleen Sullivan and Julia Franzoni graduated. Sullivan, an attack, is Army’s all-time leader in points and notched a team-high 44 assists last season. Meanwhile, Franzoni led the team with 114 draw controls.

Despite key losses, Army bolsters a trio of talented sophomores in goalie Lindsey Serafine, midfielder Brigid Duffy and attack Allison Reilly to go along with seniors Julia Gorajek and Jolie Reidell. The Black Knights entered the season as Inside Lacrosse’s No. 15 team but fell to No. 18 after their loss to USC.

Fernanda Kligerman | Design Editor

How Syracuse beats Army:

It’s imperative for both teams to play a complete four quarters. Against the Wildcats, Syracuse was hampered by a slow first quarter while the Black Knights were plagued in the fourth quarter.

“We played great the last three quarters, but going down 8-2 is pretty unacceptable and makes it really hard to come back, so we need to start the game stronger so we can set ourselves up to win,” Olivia Adamson said at a media availability on Feb. 13.

Throughout the first three quarters, Emma Ward and Emma Tyrrell were held relatively quiet besides a goal from Tyrrell off an assist from Ward in the second quarter. It took until the fourth quarter for either Emma to get rolling as Ward scored consecutive goals after bulldozing her way toward the crease from X. If either or both Emmas can kickstart the Orange’s offense early, it could be vital to help ignite a complete game from SU.

The Black Knights faced a similar dilemma, but instead of digging themselves into a deficit early on, they faltered down the stretch. After being deadlocked with the Trojans 7-7 after three quarters, Army scored the first goal of the fourth quarter, but the Trojans responded with a 6-0 run, putting the game away.

“(Army) played great for three quarters and then they didn’t play great in the fourth, and USC kind of ran away with it,” SU head coach Kayla Treanor said of Army on Feb. 13.

Stat to know: 0.84

Last season, Army’s 0.84 adjusted shots per possession ranked sixth in Division I, according to Pro Lacrosse Reference. Despite its 33.4 shots per game in 2023, Army attempted just 23 in its opener against USC.

But if Army’s shot-taking prowess returns against the Orange, it will be pivotal for their defense to play as tightly as they did throughout the last three quarters against NU. If the Black Knight’s offense is clicking, SU will need a big day from Delaney Sweitzer, who helped lead Syracuse to the third-best adjusted save percentage in 2023, per Pro Lacrosse Reference.

Player to watch: Brigid Duffy, midfielder, No. 21

As a freshman in 2023, Duffy notched a team-high 56 goals (the most by a D-I freshman) and 82 points. Duffy’s play earned her Patriot League Rookie of the Year and Inside Lacrosse All-American Third Team honors.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Duffy was named the No. 25 player in D-I on IL’s top 50 players list and was named Patriot League Preseason All-League. Against USC, she notched a team-high four points, recording three assists and a goal.

Published on February 14, 2024 at 12:32 am

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon