Orange outlasts Stanford in double OT thriller, Cotter seals 14-13 victory
Orange outlasts Stanford in double OT thriller
Freshman Mileena Carter scored the final goal in double OT to give the Orange its first win since Olivia Adamson was injured.
Syracuse women’s lacrosse was back in the Dome for Military Appreciation Day. In overtime, the Orange defeated No. 7 Stanford 14-13. The last time these teams faced off was in the 2022 season opener, marking Kayla Treanor’s first game as Syracuse’s head coach. This time, the Orange was looking to make another statement.
“I thought they absolutely battled,” said head coach Kayla Treanor.
Syracuse wasted no time. Emma Ward struck first, capitalizing on a free-position assist from Gracie Britton. Alexa Volpe followed with back-to-back goals, giving the Orange an early lead. Their control extended to the draw circle, winning five of six in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the defense was locked in, allowing just one Stanford goal in the opening frame.
“I’ve just been working with the coaches and my teammates helping me out and putting us in different situations and teaching us different techniques,” said sophomore Joely Caramelli.
Freshman Mileena Cotter netted her sixth goal of the season for Syracuse before Martha Oakey broke a scoring drought for the Cardinal. The momentum began to shift in the second quarter. Stanford found its rhythm, tightening up on defense and pushing back offensively. Elise Murphy gave Stanford its first lead of the game at 12-11. A green card on Syracuse’s Caroline Trinkaus led to a man-up opportunity, allowing Stanford to tie it at nine before eventually pulling ahead.
Syracuse responded with Trinkaus tying the game again on a man-up opportunity in the third quarter. Moments later, Sam Davito netted her first goal of the night, briefly restoring the Orange’s lead before Stanford countered once again. The back-and-forth battle continued as Stanford’s Miller notched her second goal of the evening, knotting it at 9-9.
“This whole process has been about building connections and, you know, working together on the field. Our chemistry hasn’t been there, but it’s starting to show and it’s building in times like this,” said graduate student Emma Ward.
The fourth quarter saw more intensity unfold. Emma Muchnik converted on a free-position shot to put Syracuse ahead 10-9. But Syracuse wasn’t done. Vogelman’s underhand rip gave Stanford a 12-9 advantage, its largest lead of the game. Despite Syracuse’s early dominance, the Cardinal mounted a late surge, as Ava Arceri tied the game for the fourth time with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
After a strong battle between the Orange and the Cardinal, regulation ended in a 13-13 tie, forcing overtime. Six minutes into the extra period, the game was still undecided. The teams moved into sudden death double overtime. In the second round, Cotter lobbed a shot over Lucy Pearson off an assist from Ward with just under four minutes. Cotter’s seventh goal of the season sealed the 14-13 victory for Syracuse.
“It’s definitely an exciting moment and it’s a privilege to be in a high-pressure situation like that,” Cotter said. “I’m really lucky to have the belief of teammates and my coaches on my side, that makes all the difference in the world, and to play with players like Emma Ward.”
This was Syracuse’s fourth top 10 matchup this season. The grueling start continues as the Orange return to the Dome to face Johns Hopkins on Monday.