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In its first Atlantic Coast Conference game of the season, Syracuse trailed 10-6 at halftime to then No. 2 Notre Dame. Then, the Orange surged to a 6-1 third quarter, giving it a lead it wouldn’t relinquish, defeating the Fighting Irish 16-14.
Against Duke, SU led 10-3 after 30 minutes. Just 29 seconds into the game, Payton Rowley came around the right side of the crease and fired low past Duke goalie Kennedy Everson to give SU a 1-0 lead. Emma Tyrrell went on an individual 3-0 scoring run in the first quarter, leading to SU’s 6-1 advantage after fifteen minutes.
In its second ACC game of the season, No. 4 Syracuse (3-2, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) used a 10-goal first half to win 15-8 over Duke (3-4, 0-2 ACC). It was the second time this season that SU reached double-digit goals in the first half, as it scored 13 goals in the opening half of its 18-7 win over Army on Feb. 14. The Orange limited the ACC’s leading scorer Katie DeSimone to two goals, leading to their fourth straight 2-0 start to ACC play dating back to 2019.
Syracuse was first to score after Rowley netted a goal less than a minute into the first quarter. At the 13-minute mark, Duke got its first offensive possession of the day, but SU’s Katie Goodale forced a turnover and took the ball across midfield. Syracuse’s offense got set up and worked the ball to Emma Ward at X. Ward then came around to the front of the goal and left her defender trailing behind before doubling SU’s lead to 2-0.
Following the score by Ward, Syracuse won its third-straight draw control of the game and Kaci Benoit darted down into the Duke defensive zone to set up Syracuse’s offense. At the 11:51 mark, sophomore Meghan Rode cut to the goal and received a pass from Emma Muchnick before scoring to give SU a 3-0 lead.
A minute later, Emma Tyrrell scored which prompted a Duke timeout with the Orange leading 4-0 just 4:04 into the contest.
In the next three minutes, Tyrrell went on an individual 3-0 scoring run. Oliva Adamson deposited passes right to Tyrrell’s cutting stick before zipping the ball into the net. The scoring run put SU ahead 6-0 at the 7:53 mark.
Syracuse won the first six draw controls of the game before Duke’s Bella Goodwin ended the SU run in the circle following Tyrrell’s third goal. The Blue Devils set up a sustained offense, something it hadn’t done in the first seven minutes, and Carolina DeBellis converted the chance, making the SU lead 6-1 at the 6:47 mark of the first quarter.
For the final six minutes of the first quarter, both defenses found their rhythm. Everson and SU goalie Delaney Sweitzer each recorded two saves and the quarter ended with SU leading 6-1. The Orange outshot the Blue Devils 9-4 in shots on goal in the first quarter.
Just over a minute into the second quarter, Maddy Baxter netted a goal, increasing SU’s advantage to 7-1.
In the first 16 minutes, DeSimone had been held to just one shot. Twenty seconds after the goal by Baxter, DeSimone forced a turnover on SU’s Coco Vandiver and picked the ground ball up. Sweitzer was caught outside of the SU crease and DeSimone hurled the ball from beyond the restraining line and into the net, cutting the Orange’s lead to 7-2.
At the 9:41 mark, Benoit returned the favor, forcing a turnover on the SU defensive end, leading to a clear by the Orange. On the Syracuse offensive possession, Adamson forced a shooting space foul on Duke and converted a free position shot, stretching SU’s lead to 8-2.
Natalie Smith won the ensuing draw control for the Orange, but the Blue Devils forced another turnover. Duke’s offense stormed down the field and DeBellis found Mattie Shearer for a score, making the score 8-3.
SU responded with two goals in a minute and a half, including Tyrrell’s fourth of the game, stretching its lead to 10-3. Syracuse’s defense started to settle in even more in the final five minutes of the second quarter, holding the Blue Devils to a shot clock violation at the 2:37 mark.
Duke drew a foul with five seconds left in the quarter, which set DeSimone up for a free position shot. DeSimone dashed to the goal, but Goodale ran to her before DeSimone could fire a shot and the ball ricocheted into the air as the clock expired.
SU took a 10-3 lead into the half, leading draw controls 12-3. Despite the Blue Devils forcing turnovers to create scoring chances, SU led 5-4 in forced takeaways.
In the third quarter, Syracuse continued its dominance in the circle as Kate Mashewske won the opening draw. Duke’s defense stalled SU for the first six minutes of the quarter before Smith scored, giving the Orange an 11-3 lead at the 8:55 mark.
At the 6:23 mark, Adamson turned the ball over and Madison Beale picked up the ground ball to lead Duke into an offensive set. Goodwin found an opening and ripped a shot but Sweitzer stood tall to stop the attack. Benoit raced to the deflected shot and darted up the field with the ball, going the length of the field, before rocketing the ball past Everson. The goal by Benoit marked the first of her career. The score gave SU a 12-3 lead and it held a 13-4 at the end of the third quarter.
With 8:37 left, Tyrrell recorded her fifth goal of the game to give SU a 10-goal lead. Following a Duke clear Lexi Schmalz, its second-leading scorer from 2023, scored at the 5:41 mark to cut the SU lead to 14-5. Over the final minutes Duke netted three goals but Syracuse secured a 15-8 win.
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