No. 4 Syracuse women’s lacrosse holds off No. 6 Loyola in a clash of titans

No. 4 SU women's lacrosse holds off No. 6 Loyola

Emma Tyrrell's seven points helped the Orange serve the Greyhounds their first loss of the season.
Published: March 29, 2022
Emma Tyrrell Syracuse lacrosse vs. Loyola
Emma Tyrrell (24) led the Orange with four goals and three assists against No. 6 Loyola on Tuesday night.

The No. 4 Syracuse Orange (9-2) hadn’t lost a home game so far this season. That streak was put to the test against one of the highest-ranked opponents SU has faced so far: No. 6 Loyola.

The undefeated Greyhounds put up a fierce fight, but the Orange were ultimately victorious 14-13.

The game started out as a tug-of-war, exactly how many people imagined a Top-10 matchup would play out. Loyola wasted no time getting on the board, as Livy Rosenzweig scored just 40 seconds into the game. The fifth-year attack player would finish the night with a team-high four goals.

“Last year, we sent (Loyola) home from NCAAs, so it was definitely a revenge game for them,” defender Sarah Cooper said. “I think that also really fueled our fire today.”

Almost 10 minutes passed before the next goal while both teams poked at one another’s defenses. A Loyola cross-checking penalty opened the door for the Orange to tie things up. Sam Swart found the back of the net with 4:24 to go in the first, setting a theme for the rest of the night: taking advantage of the Greyhounds’ mistakes.

Loyola’s Elli Kluegel and Syracuse’s Emma Tyrrell traded two goals apiece to knot things at three. The difference? Tyrrell’s goals were both the result of free positions.

The Hounds scored two in a row before the Orange went on a 4-0 run to end the first half. Meaghan Tyrrell had two of them and finished with three, and her younger sister almost had another goal, but it ended up being deflected by Emily Hawryschuk, who also had a hat trick.

“I saw the clock ticking down and her stick was open for a second, so I just honestly threw it in there and she just tipped it,” Emma said. “It worked out really nicely.”

Emma, however, started the second half with her third goal on yet another free position shot. She added one more goal to bring her evening total to four, just after she scored five against Temple on Saturday.

“I think she’s one of the best players in the country,” said Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor. “It’s not just what you see on the stat sheet and it’s not just scoring goals – (it’s) plays all over the field that influence the game.”

While up 9-8, SU seemingly took all the momentum heading into the fourth quarter, going on a 5-1 run that featured a goal from Swart and two from Hawryschuk and freshman Olivia Adamson.

Loyola didn’t quit and scored the game’s last four goals, including two in the final three minutes. They almost tied the game up, but two crucial things went against the Hounds.

First, the clock appeared to keep running after play had been blown dead, potentially costing Loyola as much as ten precious seconds. On top of that, it seemed for a moment that they scored with 12 seconds to go – but offsetting fouls meant that the goal was called off.

Syracuse Goalie Kimber Hower finished with a career-high 12 saves in the win.

“I’m just so proud of how our team played,” Hower said. “The fact that we could do that against a top 10 team, everyone’s confidence goes up from it. We’re going to take that into our next games down the stretch.”

The Orange continue their homestand Saturday at noon against Pittsburgh (6-6). The Panthers are winless in their first five ACC contests.

Meaghan Tyrrell Syracuse lacrosse vs. Loyola
Katie Detwiler (32) and Meaghan Tyrrell (18) react to a call late in Tuesday night's fourth quarter at the Carrier Dome.