Examining No. 5-seed Syracuse’s ACC Tournament path
Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer
Syracuse enters the ACC tournament as the No. 5 seed. The Orange have never won an ACC title before since joining the conference in 2013.
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Around this time in 2023, Syracuse was reeling from its early exit in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. The Orange, who went 10-6 during the regular season, were eliminated by Virginia in the quarterfinals. SU led 2-0 heading into the fourth quarter but squandered its advantage, conceding three unanswered goals to close the game.
This season, Syracuse is primed yet again for a deep postseason run. With its win over then-No. 8 UConn on Oct. 27, SU surpassed its 2023 win total. Armed with a potent attack featuring Willemijn Boogert and Bo van Kempen, the Orange have shown they can be a tough matchup for any conference foe.
Syracuse secured the No. 5 seed going into the 2024 ACC Tournament. The Orange are hoping to capture an elusive ACC Championship, something they haven’t achieved since their move from the Big East in 2013.
Here’s Syracuse’s (12-5, 4-4 ACC) path to claiming its first ACC Tournament title:
Quarterfinals: No. 4 Seed Virginia
A little over two weeks ago, Syracuse found itself tied 2-2 in Charlottesville after 80 minutes of play. A game-deciding penalty shootout ensued. The Orange were tied at 3-3 in the shootout, when Mia Abello came up with the game on the line for Virginia. She calmly walked to the penalty spot and pushed her shot past goaltender Louise Pert, icing the game for the Cavaliers.
As a defensive unit, UVA does well at limiting chances, but its 52.0% save percentage ranks dead last in the ACC. Thus, Syracuse has to convert on the few chances it gets, just like the match earlier in October.
The trouble comes with limiting Virginia’s offense, which lacks a true impact scorer but features balance throughout the lineup. The Cavaliers have four players with at least five goals: Abello, Emma Watchilla, Suze Leemans and Dani Mendez-Trendler. Though Emily Field is excluded from that list, her 10 assists are tied for second in the ACC.
Semifinals: No. 1 Seed UNC or No. 8 Seed Cal
California is better than their 1-7 conference record would indicate, as they took SU to overtime on Oct. 13. That day, van Kempen opened the scoring with a penalty corner in the second quarter and sealed the 2-1 win with a goal in overtime.
However, Cal’s 28 goals are the second-fewest in the ACC, while its 33 goals allowed ranks as the worst mark in the conference. In a scenario where the Golden Bears defeat UNC, it’s difficult to imagine them presenting too much of an issue for SU this time around.
On the other hand, it was an ugly sight for SU the last time it faced the Tar Heels. On Sept. 20, North Carolina put five goals past Pert and Syracuse was shut out.
En route to an undefeated season thus far, UNC has scored 61 goals — the most in the conference by a wide margin — scoring 20 more than SU, which ranks second. Led by Charly Bruder and Ryleigh Heck, who have scored 21 and 12 goals, respectively, North Carolina is tough to keep quiet. Bruder leads the country with 1.40 goals per game, while Heck leads the country with 1.00 assists per game.
Additionally, the Tar Heels’ defense has conceded a minuscule seven goals, the lowest mark in the ACC. Led by goalkeeper Abigail Taylor, their 82.1% save percentage ranks atop the conference.
Alex Levy | Design Editor
ACC Championship: Most likely No. 2 Seed Duke or No. 3 Seed Boston College
Stanford and Wake Forest could pull off some upsets to make the championship, but in all likelihood, SU’s potential opponent in the final would be Duke or Boston College. Either team would present a tough matchup for the Orange, as they are responsible for two of SU’s closest losses this year.
In Durham, Syracuse was deadlocked at 0-0 through 80 minutes of play but lost 3-1 in a shootout. Against Boston College last Friday, Syracuse blanked the Eagles for 59 minutes before conceding the game-winning goal to Madelieve Drion.
While Alaina McVeigh’s 11 goals have significantly elevated Duke’s offense, its stout defense is its defining trait. The Blue Devils’ 77.8% save percentage ranks second in the ACC and their 10 goals against is the second-lowest mark in the conference.
Similarly, the Eagles have a slight edge over the Orange on the defensive end. BC allows 1.18 goals per game and has a 76.5% save percentage, while SU surrenders 1.24 goals per game and has a 70.0% save percentage.
The Eagles have a very balanced attack, with three of their players finishing among the ACC’s top 10 goal scorers. Even though they don’t have a single double-digit goal scorer, Drion, Peyton Hale and Yani Zhong are all tied for sixth in the conference with eight goals apiece.
Published on November 4, 2024 at 10:12 pm
