SU women’s lacrosse looks to take down Pittsburgh
SU women's lacrosse looks to take down Pittsburgh
Women’s lacrosse takes it one game at a time as they prepare for another challenging two-game week. The team makes its first-ever trip to Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Saturday at noon to face the Pitt Panthers for only the second time ever. They follow this up with a contest against the UAlbany Great Danes on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the friendly confines of the JMA Wireless Dome.
“Our whole focus right now is on Pitt,” Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor said. “It is our first trip away together. We are just trying to work on coming together even more as a team and focusing on Pitt, and then after that game, it is a 24 hour rule, and then we will focus on Albany.”
Syracuse started the season strong by downing Top 5 opponents in Northwestern and Maryland to rise to No. 2 in the national rankings according to this week’s IWLCA Division I Poll, receiving five of 25 first-place votes.
“We try to stay as level-headed as possible, enjoy the moment for 24 hours, and then move on to the next thing,” graduate attack Meaghan Tyrrell said. “It is something that every team kind works for, to keep moving up the ladder in the rankings, so moving up to No. 2 has been great for us.”
Tyrrell and senior goalkeeper Delaney Sweitzer were named the ACC offensive and defensive players of the week for their performances in the Maryland and Binghamton contests. The Orange outscored their opponents 37-21 in those two contests.
“It feels perfect. Our team is working hard,” Sweitzer said. “We’re preparing every day for our next competition. So just cue to do the little things and bring it to practice every day.”
The Pitt Panthers come into their home-opener and conference-opener unranked with a 2-1 record, having beaten Duquesne and Siena on the road while losing to the Binghamton Bearcats in Vestal, New York. The Panthers are in the second year of their program and are looking for their first winning record after going 9-10 last year.
“The players are excited we are going to begin our ACC play this weekend, and our conference, in general, is opening up this weekend,” Treanor said. “It is just exciting. We are very fortunate to play in the country’s best conference.”
In the only previous meeting between the teams, Tyrrell led the scoring as she bagged a double hat trick on route to an eight-point afternoon and an 18-6 Syracuse victory. Pitt’s scoring was led by senior attack Kierin Ratliff-Kailbourne who tallied two goals and graduate attack Paige Petty who tallied a goal and an assist. Neither will play in Saturday’s contest.
“I think the players are really prepared for whoever the defense is going to do and we play team ball,” Treanor said. “Meaghan (Tyrrell) is on the stat sheet a lot, but they are really playing selflessly and playing together, and that is why they have been very successful so far.”
The first draw control for the Syracuse-Pitt game is noon Saturday at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. After that first draw, control for the UAlbany at Syracuse game will be 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Dome in Syracuse, New York.
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