Draw control and depth propel Syracuse past Cornell

Following a rough start in the first quarter, No. 4 Syracuse dominated Cornell with a score of 18-10 on Tuesday afternoon at the JMA Wireless Dome.

The Syracuse women’s lacrosse team maintained its three-game winning streak, including a top-10 road win against the No. 7 Maryland Terrapins.

Within eight minutes, Syracuse found itself trailing 2-1, even after securing the first five draw controls of the match. This early setback was largely attributed to five rapid turnovers, contributing to a season-high total of 19 for the game.

“Even if you have the ball a lot, you must limit your turnovers. It starts with our turnovers, just sloppy play and decision-making,” Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor said. “That’s certainly an area we need to improve on.”

With its back against the wall, Syracuse answered quickly. An Olivia Adamson free-position goal started a five-goal run for Syracuse to end the quarter.

The poor stretch prompted Cornell head coach Jenny Graap to make a change at goalie at the quarter break. Senior goalkeeper Ellie Horner was pulled after 15 minutes and replaced by junior Mackenzie Clark for the second frame. The Big Red had a similar rotation in its season-opening 14-8 win over Jacksonville.

It didn’t matter who was in the net for Cornell, as Syracuse was firing on all cylinders offensively in the first half. By halftime, Syracuse had nine different goal scorers, led by senior Olivia Adamson, who recorded a hat trick in that period.

“The thing I like about the offense is it’s a shared offense, it’s not a one-person show. Everyone that steps on the field is a threat, and there’s a lot of balance,” Treanor said.

Syracuse’s offensive performance was fueled by a much-improved draw control unit. In Syracuse’s win over No. 7 Maryland in College Park on Saturday, the Orange struggled to gain possession, losing the draw control battle 16-12.

Syracuse attacker Meghan Rode has taken over draw control responsibilities this season, filling the role previously held by Kate Mashewske, the program’s all-time draw control leader.

Against Maryland, Rode won just one of the first 11 draw controls and was replaced by Adamson and Alexa Vogelman throughout the afternoon. However, against Cornell, Rode was settled in and ready to dominate early. The junior had six draw control wins in the first half, and Syracuse won 13 of 19.

After falling behind 12-3 just before halftime, Cornell went on a 3-0 run to close the gap, but that was as close as it would get. Syracuse shut down any comeback attempts in the second half thanks to goalkeeper Daniella Guyette and attacker Emma Ward.

Guyette finished the game with a career-high 14 saves and a 58.3 percent save percentage.

“With the quick ball movement, it’s a lot harder for a zone defense to defend that, and if I’m willing to provide a backstop in any way, shape or form,” Guyette said.

Meanwhile, Ward sealed the game when Cornell goalkeeper Ellie Horner stepped out of the cage to defend her. The Tewaaraton Award nominee capitalized, finishing with three goals and two assists.

The Big Red marked Syracuse’s final relatively easy matchup, with more demanding challenges ahead.

Syracuse begins conference play against No. 2 North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Saturday at 11 a.m. Last season, the Orange triumphed over a depleted UNC team 20-5 at the Dome. After this East Coast trip, Syracuse will host No. 3 Northwestern, the national runner-up last season.