No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse at No. 5 Syracuse preview

After a strong start to its season, No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse heads to Syracuse seeking a second consecutive victory.

The Terps took on the St. Joseph’s Hawks in their season opener last Friday, defeating them, 16-3. Hailey Russo, Kori Edmondson, Libby May, Jaylen Rosga, Shannon Smith and Hannah Leubecker each scored two goals.

Maryland is back on the road this weekend to face the Orange. The game will begin Saturday at 12 p.m. and air on ESPN+.

No. 5 Syracuse Orange (1-1, 0-0 ACC)

2022 record: (18-3, 8-1 ACC)

In her third year as Syracuse’s head coach, Kayla Treanor has guided the Orange to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Last year, they advanced to the Final Four. They also spent five weeks as the No. 1 team in the country.

Syracuse has split its first two games to begin this season, narrowly falling to No. 1 Northwestern in its opener before cruising past No. 18 Army, 18-7.

Players to watch

Olivia Adamson, junior attacker, No. 1 — Adamson does it all for the Orange, having recorded 99 combined points over the past two seasons. She has seven goals and 11 points this season — both of which lead the Orange — and has corralled a team-high two ground balls.

Delaney Sweitzer, graduate goalie, No. 2 — Sweitzer has a strong argument as the nation’s top goalie. She is the reigning Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Goalkeeper of the Year after a phenomenal 2023 campaign and held up well against Army.

Emma Ward, senior attacker, No. 44 — Ward was an first-team all-American last season after ranking third in the nation in assists (56), the third-most in a season in Syracuse history. She has five goals and five assists so far this season.

Strength

Attack. Led by Adamson, Ward, Natalie Smith and Payton Rowley, Syracuse has one of the deepest and most dangerous attack units in the nation. Despite the loss, scoring 15 goals against Northwestern was an impressive feat, and Adamson, Ward and Smith combined for 11 of those tallies against one of the stingiest teams around. The Orange also have a deep midfield, adding to their potency.

Weakness

Injuries. Although they hadn’t yet stepped into major roles, it was assumed that freshmen Alexa Vogelman and Ashlee Volpe would be major pieces of Syracuse’s offense. But Treanor announced recently that both will miss the season with injuries — a knock to the team’s depth.

Three things to watch

1. Goalie matchup. Opposite Sweitzer in the other goal will be Maryland’s Emily Sterling, the reigning Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. It will be a tough day for attackers with two of the nation’s top goalies taking the field.

2. Assist specialists. Few in the nation have an eye for assists like Ward, but Maryland’s Eloise Clevenger is in that rarified air. She had seven assists in the Terps’ season opener. Look for Ward and Clevenger to ignite their respective offenses on Saturday.

3. New-look defense. Maryland’s defense, which features multiple new faces, held up supremely against Saint Joseph’s. But Syracuse is a different beast, presenting the Terps with their first chance to see how they stack up defensively against a dangerous opponent.