No. 15 Syracuse women’s lacrosse ends losing streak with win over Loyola

“Regy Thorpe! Regy Thorpe!”

Those were the chants of the SU bench as the final seconds ticked away in No. 15 Syracuse women’s lacrosse’s 15-7 win over No. 13 Loyola. The victory was the 12th straight for the ‘Cuse against the Greyhounds and the first overall for Thorpe, the first-year head coach of the Orange.

“It’s a fun group to be around, and I’m really happy for the team,” Thorpe said. “They’re resilient, they prepare every day, they’re doing the work on the field and in the classroom. I’m just really proud for them, our coaches, our alumni, our tradition, our family here, and it’s just good to get on the board.”

Thorpe’s first win was delayed by a three-game losing streak to start the season, the worst start in SU history. Those losses were to Maryland, North Carolina and Stanford, the three top-ranked teams in the country.

The daunting schedule only became slightly easier today against another top-15 team in Loyola. Pregame, all signs pointed toward a highly competitive game in the Dome. Early on, that certainly appeared to be the direction the game was headed.

The Orange got on the board first with a quick pair of goals from junior midfielder Joely Caramelli and sophomore midfielder Molly Guzik. But the Greyhounds fought back, leaving SU up 3-2 at the end of the first quarter with almost every statistical category in a virtual tie.

For much of the second quarter, it was more of the same. Loyola midfielder Elisa Faklaris was the biggest contributor, scoring four goals, tied for her season high. Syracuse was barely holding onto the lead, mostly thanks to goalkeeper Daniella Guyette. The senior recorded her only two saves of the game on crucial second-quarter shots. While Guyette saved just 22% of shots on goal, her worst game of the season by far, her early heroics gave the Orange a 6-4 halftime lead.

It wasn’t until the third quarter that the Orange took over. SU outscored Loyola 7-0 in the period, rapidly turning a close game into a decisive victory. Syracuse didn’t allow a shot the entire period. The success was a result of everything they’ve worked on all season finally clicking at once, Thorpe said.

“Our defense has been standing on their head all season and our midfielders have been playing great defense,” Thorpe said. “We weren’t quite clicking offensively, but tonight, we got stops and we got timely goals. When you get the balance from the offensive side, the defensive side, and the draws, it allows you to make runs.”

A key player in that success was Guzik. The sophomore scored three goals, including two in the third period. The midfielder now leads the Orange in scoring on the season. But to Guzik, the only important thing was the win. 

“It’s all my teammates,” Guzik said. “They set me up for everything. We play as a unit, and I think we really showed that tonight.”

One thing Guzik did was win draws. Loyola midfielder Mae Murphy entered the game with 45 draws controlled on the year, good enough for second in the nation. But Guzik, SU’s primary draw-taker, held her ground. Murphy, a freshman, still impressed with nine draw controls. 

Loyola finally got back on the board with a Faklaris goal early in the fourth period, its first in 25 minutes. It was far too little too late. The Syracuse players and fans loudly cheered for the head coach as the clock hit triple-zeros, giving him his first win.

The Orange visit Louisville on Saturday at noon, before hosting California and Virginia Tech to start the March slate. All three teams are currently unranked.

While the tough play may be over for now, the lessons learned from it will stick with the team for the rest of the season. 

“Sometimes you learn more about players when you lose than when you win,” Thorpe said. “Just knowing that these kids will fight and come back to work the next day, that can take a team a long way.”