Preview: No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse looks for revenge against No. 5 Syracuse

No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse (1-0) travels to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday to take on No. 5 Syracuse (1-1) in a top-10 rematch of last year’s disappointing early season loss for the Terps.

Maryland is coming off a dominant 16-3 win over Saint Joseph’s, featuring a standout seven-assist performance from senior Eloise Clevenger. The Terps spread the scoring around as 10 different players found the back of the net and six scored multiple goals. 

Libby May and Hannah Leubecker both scored twice and were particularly aggressive in terrorizing the Hawks’ defense. 

Maryland will look to replicate that offensive outburst in a revenge game against Syracuse. The Terps hold a 23-3 all-time advantage over the Orange but Syracuse got the best of Maryland in similar circumstances last season. 

The Terps came into last year’s match also riding high after a big win over Saint Joseph’s but ran into a buzzsaw in a 20-11 loss, the most goals allowed in a game by Maryland in 2023. Meaghan Tyrrell led the way with six goals and five assists. 

Tyrrell has since moved on but the Orange still boast plenty of players who will challenge and create problems for the Terps’ defense.

“Syracuse is a really dynamic offense,” coach Cathy Reese said. “They’ve got a lot of people that can score. They lost some people to graduation but they’ve had other players step right up and step right in.” 

Junior Olivia Adamson and senior Natalie Smith lead the Syracuse offense with seven goals apiece through the first two games. Senior Emma Ward serves as the conductor of the attack with a team-high five assists along with five goals. 

The Orange began their season with a tight 18-15 loss to No. 1 Northwestern but bounced back in a 18-7 win over No. 18 Army, featuring four-goal outings from Smith and junior Payton Rowley and a hat trick from Ward.

“They’re a team that capitalizes on your mistakes,” midfielder Shaylan Ahearn said. “They’re not someone that I would say necessarily is the fastest team, but they’re very smart and their lacrosse IQ is better than most teams that we play against.” 

Reese said her squad has improved defensively from last season with added experience, and they need to stay disciplined and play as a team to limit the Syracuse attack. 

The disruptive Maryland defense held Saint Joseph’s to just 17 shots with 13 on goal in its last match, while also forcing 18 turnovers. Goalkeeper Emily Sterling wasn’t challenged too often but still made nine saves while only allowing two goals.

On the other end, the Orange boast plenty of experience after returning their entire defense from last year. Preseason first team All-American goalkeeper Delaney Sweitzer is also back after a breakout year and will challenge the Terps to have to be at their best offensively. 

Reese said her unit is preparing for Syracuse’s signature strong zone defense but needs to be ready for anything the Orange throw at them. Ahearn said the Terps are preparing the same they do for every game but recognize the matchup is a big game with a little extra intensity. 

“It’s definitely an exciting game, definitely have like a bad sour taste in our mouth from last year and ready to come out swinging this year,” Ahearn said.