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Following a 3-0 start to its 2025 campaign, Syracuse’s matchup against North Carolina on Saturday signaled the start of a gauntlet. The Orange breezed past two unranked, in-state foes in UAlbany and Cornell, winning both by a combined margin of 20 goals.
Sandwiched in between the two home victories was a 15-9 thrashing of then-No. 7 Maryland on the road. Within these three games, SU quickly established its identity — using its young, fresh talent to pair with the powerful punch of veteran leaders Olivia Adamson and Emma Ward on the attack. After the undefeated start to the year, the Orange begin a stretch of five opponents who sit in Inside Lacrosse’s top 20. Despite multiple difficult opponents ahead, SU first had to face the No. 2 Tar Heels.
“It’s not you’re trying to win multiple games. You’re just trying to win one,” Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor said after its win over Cornell.
To open Atlantic Coast Conference play, Syracuse was dominated by UNC. The Orange fell behind by as many as nine goals and never led.
Here are some observations from No. 4 SU’s (3-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) 16-8 loss to No. 2 North Carolina (4-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) Saturday:
Halting the Humphreys
The Tar Heels’ potent attack three games in has been led by the duo of Chloe and Ashley Humphrey, with both holding a team-high 15 points. Ashley, a graduate student with the most assists in a single season ever, and Chloe, the No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class, both hail from Darien High School (Connecticut). Chloe even teamed up with SU defender Kaci Benoit for the Blue Wave.
Against Benoit and Co., the Humphrey sisters combined for eight points. The Orange inserted their third different defensive pairing in four games, this time replacing the injured Julia Basciano with Superia Clark instead of Ella Blesi. Following a few initial stops for Daniella Guyette and SU, Chloe sparked UNC with an inside finish off a pass from Ashley.
Later in the opening quarter, Chloe fed an inside pass to Kiley Mottice, who buried it to take a 4-2 lead. The first quarter ended just as it started, with Ashley finding Chloe for another finish, helping the Tar Heels to a comfortable 8-2 lead. Even when failing to score, the sister-to-sister connection was prominent, with Ashley forcing attention at X and Chloe streaking through the middle as a cutter.
In the second quarter, the facilitator found the back of the net, adding to a deadly day for UNC’s attack. Ashley took over the second quarter with an assist and then a rip from X off a flip from her sister. Early in the third, Chloe even got one up on her former teammate, stealing the ball off an attempted clear from Benoit. With the contributions from eight total scorers, the Humphreys took over.
Adamson’s absence
A shining star through the last few years, Adamson has emerged as a focal point of Syracuse’s offense. Saturday, she missed the game due to an undisclosed injury, leaving SU’s leading goal scorer off the field.
Adamson totaled 10 goals and 16 points through three games, scoring a hat trick or more in each of the contests. Without their top threat, the Orange looked like a completely different unit offensively. They registered just three shots on goal in the opening quarter, rarely getting their usual movement with Ward as the facilitator. When they did score, it was the movements of Gracie Britton and Molly Guzik that got it done.
After Guzik’s goal at the 8:56 mark of the first quarter, SU went silent for nearly 17 minutes. Ward was deterred by primary defender Brooklyn Walker-Welch, a Preseason All-ACC First Team selection. The Orange were forced to take a shot clock violation near the end of the first quarter. Ward broke the scoreless streak, but it was simply an anomaly, separating from SU’s previous and future chances of long possessions with little to show for it.
Any halftime adjustments didn’t change the picture. SU failed to score over the first 14 minutes of the second half, barely maintaining possession and wasting opportunities when it did. Alexa Vogelman tickled the twine with 1:17 to play in the third and Ward added a few in the fourth quarter, but the Orange still fell well short, notching their least goals since the Final Four.
Trouble on the draw
SU has seen a mixed bag of results within its new draw unit. Out is Kate Mashewske, and in is Meghan Rode. With on-and-off performances through the season opener and in the first half against Maryland, Rode was substituted out for Adamson. Rode bounced back with a strong first half against Cornell but leveled out.
She similarly posted an on-and-off performance against the Tar Heels. Rode successfully used her draw circle pairings to gain a few possessions. Guzik and Clark were strong around the perimeter, but UNC’s Kaleigh Harden and Eliza Osburn stole the show. After the sixth North Carolina goal, Guzik replaced Rode as the specialist to change any momentum, but it didn’t change much as the Tar Heels outdueled the Orange 8-3 in the first quarter.
Rode did return and find a groove in the second quarter, helping SU win 4-of-7 chances. The woes in the first frame, however, severely dampened any chance of momentum. The Tar Heels tacked on an added advantage in the third quarter by winning the first three draws, resulting in a 2-0 run.
The Tar Heels closed with four more wins in the fourth quarter, finishing with an 18-9 advantage. While it’s not all on Rode, in SU’s hardest test yet, the unit faltered mightily.
Testing Guyette
To start her career as Syracuse’s starter, Guyette was tremendous. The junior posted a .528 save percentage on 71 shots faced, holding all three opponents to 8.28 goals against. After only facing 13, then 28 and then 30 shots across the first three games, SU’s goalie faced 51 shots and 32 shots on goal.
Despite the constant peppering and career-worst 16 goals against, Guyette stood her ground. She totaled 16 saves, which would’ve ranked as the most last year for previous starter Delaney Sweitzer.
Due to the Tar Heels’ diverse attack, which saw 13 players record at least one shot, Guyette faced shots from all over the field. Even when Chloe broke out for her 12 shots, Guyette denied her at times from point-blank range.
Giving up 16 goals is nothing to write home about. Especially when 12 came in the first half, and North Carolina notably took its foot off the gas across the final 30 minutes. Still, Guyette once again proved she’s the real deal and one of the key strengths of Syracuse’s winning formula. Just not Saturday in Chapel Hill.
The post Observations from SU’s loss to UNC: Adamson’s absence, Humphreys shine appeared first on The Daily Orange.