Observations from No. 7 SU’s win over No. 9 UVA: Baxter’s career day, crucial 4th-quarter run

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No. 7 Syracuse has played one of the toughest schedules in the country thus far, facing off against three of the teams placed ahead of it in the most recent Inside Lacrosse Poll.

“We definitely play the toughest schedule in the country and that is by design,” SU head coach Kayla Treanor said after Tuesday’s win over UAlbany. “Because our ultimate goal is to win a national championship and I’m not sure how you do that if you’re not playing the best teams.”

Entering off of a three-game winning streak where SU took down Virginia Tech, then-No. 9 North Carolina and UAlbany, the Orange traveled to Charlottesville Saturday for their fifth top-10 matchup.

No. 9 Virginia entered the contest on a six-game win streak where it took down then-No. 4 Notre Dame and, most recently, then-No. 6 JMU. Against the Cavaliers, the Orange fell behind early but fought back. After trailing by two at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Orange finished on a 3-0 run to steal away victory.

Here are some observations from No. 7 Syracuse’s (7-3, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) 15-14 win over No. 9 Virginia (9-2, 3-2 ACC):

Early blunders

In the first seconds of the contest, Syracuse committed a crucial error. After winning the opening draw, Kate Mashewske missed the mark on a pass. The delivery sailed well over her intended target and out of bounds.

The Orange made a stop on Virginia’s first attack but the Cavaliers scored on the following trip. When SU gained possession on another draw control by Mashewske, Delaney Sweitzer turned the ball over. UVA answered through a goal from Mackenzie Hoeg. And though Mashewske won her third straight draw control when play resumed, she turned it over seconds later.

Despite multiple give-aways, Mashewske was dominant on the draw. She won 18 and led SU to a 21-of-33 mark against a team that entered the contest with just a 42.6% success rate on draws.

Following SU’s first goal from Natalie Smith and Virginia’s third goal, the SU defense made a stop but Hallie Simkins failed on a clear attempt, passing it over the head of Coco Vandiver. The Cavaliers scored their fourth goal on the ensuing possession. Following a media timeout, the Cavaliers won the draw control and Kate Galica sprinted through the SU defense to take a 5-1 lead.

Due to multiple turnovers, the Orange attack had rare opportunities. They failed to record a shot on goal for nearly five minutes — between Smith’s goal at the 10:12 mark to Maddy Baxter’s goal at 5:57. Though the Orange clawed their way back into the contest in the final minutes of the quarter, eight first-quarter turnovers and defensive miscues put them in an early hole that limited early offensive momentum. Eleven first half turnovers was the most in the first half for SU this season.

Power play surge

The Orange were reeling early, not able to get much going offensively. But luckily for SU, UVA was undisciplined, committing multiple penalties to give Syracuse power play chances.

Smith scored the first goal for the Orange on the player-up to open Syracuse’s scoring. Despite Syracuse trailing by as much as five, it had a 7-on-5 opportunity. After working the ball around, Baxter used her frame to squeeze inside and beat UVA goalie Mel Josephson.

Just over a minute later, Baxter scored another power play goal to cut the deficit to two. On the player-up, SU started 3-for-3. Though Syracuse played poorly throughout the opening frame, taking advantage of Virginia’s mistakes allowed it to remain competitive. When the Orange got going in the second quarter, they scored through balanced passing and quick attacks to break the Cavalier’s strong defense, one that entered the game with just 9.30 goals allowed per game. On another UVA penalty with seconds remaining in the half and a 9-8 lead, Payton Rowley converted on a free position goal to tie the game.

After Tuesday’s win over UAlbany, Treanor explained that the player-up was much improved compared to SU’s win over UNC. Versus the Tar Heels, the Orange scored two, and against the Great Danes, they scored five. Saturday versus the Cavaliers, it was yet another improved performance as Syracuse tallied three.

Baxter’s career day

Baxter has been a key contributor this season. The midfielder often uses her taller frame to split through small windows. Her long strides help SU’s defense clear the ball efficiently. But against the Cavaliers, Baxter assumed a more aggressive offensive role. Tallying a career-high five goals, she made her mark on the scoresheet.

The senior has scored at least one goal in every game this season, excluding the outing against Maryland. In a game where Syracuse’s top scorers were limited, Baxter emerged as the No. 1 option, keeping the game close early on and converting on crucial second-half opportunities.

In the third quarter, with the game tied 9-9, Baxter took a pass from Adamson at the top of the 12 meter. Running in stride directly towards Josephson in the net, she fired it at the eight-meter mark to beat Josephson off a bounce and gave the Orange their first lead of the afternoon.

Baxter has morphed into a steady contributor throughout her time at Syracuse, despite not becoming a mainstay in this year’s starting lineup. After a career-high 25 goals in 2023, she’s has already reached 19 in 2024.

And in one of Syracuse’s biggest matchups of the season, Baxter starred, further showcasing its prolific scoring depth.

4th quarter heroics

Trailing by one entering the fourth quarter, Syracuse opened the frame nightmarishly. Off of a draw control by UVA’s Kate Miller, Katia Carnevale sprinted down the left side and beat Sweitzer on a one-on-one opportunity, extending the Cavaliers’ lead to two.

Syracuse then won the following draw but Baxter turned the ball over. But once the Orange defense secured a turnover on the defensive end, SU’s attack patiently worked the ball around before getting it to Emma Ward at X. Ward flipped to Olivia Adamson, who converted to cut the deficit back to one.

After another defensive stop, SU turned to Baxter. She worked inside and beat Josephson for her fifth goal, knotting the game at 14-14. After working the shot clock down on the next possession, Adamson was fouled but missed a free position opportunity.

When the attack received the ball again with the game tied, the Orange once again worked the clock down. Rowley found Emma Tyrrell cutting through the middle to take the lead back with five minutes to play.

SU caused a turnover on UVA’s next two possessions. Carnevale was called for a green card, giving Syracuse a power play with just over two minutes to play. The Orange worked the ball around but Baxter turned the ball over, giving UVA one last chance, but Syracuse’s defense held on to complete the 3-0 run and clinch its fourth straight win.