Opponent Preview: What to know ahead of Louisville

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In February, Syracuse went 2-2, falling to then-No. 1 Northwestern and then-No. 9 Maryland. But, since the calendar turned to March, Syracuse has performed much better, going 6-1, only falling to then-No. 12 Stony Brook in overtime on March 5.

The Orange’s recent success began in their last game of February when it topped then-No. 2 Notre Dame. The comeback victory marked SU’s first Atlantic Coast Conference win and first against a top-10 ranked opponent. Since then, Syracuse has stayed undefeated in conference play and defeated four top-10 programs, most recently No. 7 Loyola.

SU welcomes Louisville to the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday for its final game in March. After a 1-4 start to the season, the Cardinals have climbed their way to .500 while notching two wins over ACC teams.

Here’s everything you need to know about Louisville (6-6, 2-3 ACC) ahead of its matchup with Syracuse (8-3, 5-0 ACC):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 13-1.

Last time they played…

The Orange took down the Cardinals 17-5 on the road last season. The win marked the 10th straight game in which SU held its opponent under 11 goals. Syracuse scored the first five goals of the contest and took a 12-2 lead into halftime. Natalie Smith tallied two third-quarter goals as SU’s dominance continued into the second half.x

Emma Tyrrell scored a game-high four goals to lead the SU offense which combined for 10 different goal scorers. On the defensive end, SU goalie Delaney Sweitzer stopped 61.5% of Louisville’s shots. The Orange won the draw control battle 15-9.

The Cardinals report

Midway through its ACC schedule, Louisville has already matched its conference win total from 2023. Last season the Cardinals went 5-12, a step down from their seven wins in 2022. In 2024, the program is trending upward, as it has won three of its last four games, including a victory over then-No. 20 Clemson.

The attack returns four of its top five leaders in points from 2023, including its top two Nicole Perroni and Kokoro Nakazawa. In Louisville’s 19-11 win over Pitt on March 2, the pair combined for 13 points.

Defensively, the Cardinals allow 12.75 goals per game, a mark that ranks third-worst in the conference. They’ve only allowed fewer than 10 goals in three games. Louisville goalie Sara Addeche averages an ACC-leading 8.5 saves per game.

How SU beats Louisville

During Syracuse’s five-game win streak, its recipe for success has come in different ways. But against unranked opponents, the Orange succeeded by getting off to fast starts. SU scored seven of the first nine goals in its 20-11 win over UAlbany and used a 7-0 run to start the game against Virginia Tech.

With its plethora of attacking options, Syracuse has demonstrated an ability to score at the fourth-highest rate per game (15.45) in the ACC. Meanwhile, Louisville’s offense could be stifled by SU’s strong defense. If the Orange jump out to an early lead and find success in the draw circle, they will improve to 6-0.

Stat to know: 54.2%

Louisville’s time of possession of 54.2% ranks 18th in the country, per Lacrosse Reference. The Cardinals’ ability to take the ball deep into the shot clock could lead to a change in approach for Syracuse’s defense.

The Orange are coming off two of their closest games of the season, winning by a combined margin of victory of four goals. In their latest game against Loyola, which ranks 2nd in time of possession, Sweitzer struggled in net with a 23.5% save rate.

Player to watch: Kokoro Nakazawa, attack, No. 11

In her first three collegiate seasons, Nakazawa didn’t start a game. This season as a senior, Nakazawa tallied eight points off the bench across the first three games, which propelled her into the starting lineup. On the attack, Nakazawa has recorded a hat trick in 9-of-12 games.

With five games left in the regular season, Nakazawa has set career-highs in goals (38) and assists (19) while running away with the team lead in points (57). A native of Japan, Nakazawa tallied a season-high eight points in back-to-back games against Pitt and Cincinnati.