Syracuse coach Gary Gait spoke before the spring began about the potential of his defense, nearly a full year removed from a disappointing season on that end of the field.

He spoke — glowingly — about incoming freshman Sarah Cooper. She hasn’t disappointed.

Cooper has been instrumental in bringing Syracuse’s defense together, and the Orange rank 24th in the nation allowing 10.15 goals per game. Cooper and company will be put to the test in the NCAA quarterfinals against Northwestern, the second-best offense in the country with 17.63 goals per contest.

“She’s definitely a big difference-maker,” Gait said. “The fact that all the other players come back with experience, and then she comes in and kind of quarterbacks it, is key. She kind of brought everybody together, and they gelled as a unit. It was kind of the piece of the puzzle we were missing.”

SYRACUSE AT NORTHWESTERN

WHEN: SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2 P.M.
WHERE: EVANSTON, ILL.
WATCH: BTN PLUS/BTN 2GO

Each puzzle piece will be challenged against Northwestern, led by Tewaaraton Award finalist Selena Lasota. She was held to two goals and one assist when Syracuse earned a 15-14 win over the Wildcats on Feb. 24. Much has changed since then, but one thing probably won’t. Expect Gait to utilize an array of defenders to face-guard Lasota.

“Typically, it’s no secret: We face-guard players of that caliber,” Gait said. “We face-guarded her last time we played her.”

Faceguarding Lasota still leaves plenty of offensive players to account for. Izzy Scane, Lindsey McKone and Lauren Gilbert all have at least 63 points (and at least 40 goals), which will test Syracuse’s depth.

But if the game turns into a shootout, Syracuse is more than capable of firing back. Scoring 14.05 goals per game, the Orange have leaned on Emily Hawryschuk as the catalyst but have received meaningful contributions from Nicole Levy and freshmen Meaghan Tyrrell and Megan Carney.

“It starts with Hawryschuk,” Gait said matter-of-factly. “She’s been on fire all year and played amazing.”

Because of the similarly potent offenses, Gait thinks the matchup will come down to goaltending. Because each team shoots a fair amount of shots, he said that “the team that can shoot 50, 60 percent is probably going to come out on top.”

This places increased emphasis on the goaltending abilities of Ava Goldstock and Mallory Weisse.

“We just want to win a national championship,” Gait said. “You know, it goes through Northwestern. We just have to go there and try to take care of business.”

Virginia at North Carolina
Saturday, noon, ESPN3

When it comes to the ACC, anything can happen. The Tar Heels won this matchup March 9, as Tayler Warehime scored with 5:35 left for a 13-12 win. Virginia led 12-11 with seven minutes remaining, but UNC’s defense helped stage a comeback.

Virginia’s rollercoaster season can be attributed in large part to its ACC schedule, but the Cavaliers proved throughout the process that they’re a capable contender. To beat UNC, they’ll have to do a better job limiting secondary options. Ortega and Katie Hoeg have been a dynamic pairing, but in March’s win, Taylor McDaniels did the most damage with four goals.

Charlie Campbell has her work cut out for her in an attempt to match Taylor Moreno. Moreno, UNC’s standout goalkeeper, has a 52.8 save percentage that’s good for fourth in the country.

Princeton at Boston College
Saturday, 1 p.m., Watch ESPN

It’s a rematch of last year’s second-round contest that BC won 16-10. The most talented offensive duo in the nation dominated Colorado in the opening round Sunday, as the Eagles won 21-9 behind seven goals from Sam Apuzzo and four goals and five assists from Kenzie Kent.

Princeton’s defense allows 9.95 goals per game, a number the Tigers need to stick to in order to beat the Eagles. It’s nearly impossible to limit Apuzzo offensively, and she’s one of the best on the draw in the country. But keying on Kent and Dempsey Arsenault would force Apuzzo to do most of the heavy lifting herself.

In BC’s only loss this season, UNC limited the feeding game by sliding to cutters, forcing BC to rely on dodging. The Eagles assisted just three of their 13 goals, and perhaps that’s the blueprint Princeton should follow.

Denver at Maryland
Saturday, 7 p.m., Big Ten Network

Maryland looked vulnerable against Stony Brook for all of 12 minutes. Then, the Terrapins looked like the Terrapins. They finished the first half on a 9-2 run, sparked by Erica Evans (five goals). The Maryland defense then held Stony Brook scoreless for 22 minutes, propelling the Terps to their 13th straight quarterfinal.

Denver last met Maryland in the second round of last year’s tournament, losing 15-4. In three matchups against the Terps since 2004, Denver’s scoring output has been less than stellar — four goals, three goals and four goals, respectively. This year, the Pioneers rank 23rd in the nation with 14 goals per game.

Against a Maryland defense that can stifle the best, Quintin Hoch-Bullen, Eliza Radochonski, Julia Feiss, Hannah Liddy and Bea Behrins need to distribute the ball and patiently find open looks. An offense predicated on ball movement is best to score against Maryland. Strictly dodging won’t be enough.