US Lacrosse Magazine released the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20 on Jan. 2. Team-by-team previews will be unveiled on uslaxmagazine.com through the end of the month and will also appear as part of the magazine’s NCAA preview edition in February. 

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No. 11 Syracuse

2018 Record: 9-10 (1-6, ACC)
Coach: Gary Gait (12th season)

All-Time Record: 150-48
NCAA Appearances: 10
Final Fours: 7
Championships: 0

Gary Gait didn’t call last season a fluke – and he certainly didn’t make excuses – but the 12th year coach of the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team acknowledged that his team’s schedule did his team no favors.

“We scrambled to get a schedule together,” said Gait, who added issues with the supposed renovation of his home facility necessitated the mad dash. “We had five ranked opponents in eight days. We had the worst schedule we’ve ever had.”

Being on the road can take its toll, and Syracuse had trouble finishing games. Perhaps losing five games by just one goal and traveling so much have a bit of correlation.

“If you look at the amount of days we had between opponents, it didn’t set us up for success,” Gait said.

That won’t be the case this spring, as Syracuse will return to a standard schedule in hopes of improving off its disappointing 2018 season. A top-notch recruiting class headlined by defender Sarah Cooper, who Gait said should contribute right away, has the coaching staff optimistic.

Couple that with a few key returners — Nicole Levy, Emily Hawryschuk and Natalie Wallon, to name a few — and perhaps a turnaround is in the cards.

Molly Carter, now a sophomore, could contribute more in her second year. She’ll be joined by fellow Long Islander Meaghan Tyrrell of Mount Sinai High School, a freshman attack with a knack for picking apart defenses.

The young players have already made their presences felt.

“We’ve had them in the fall, and many of them have contributed right away and will be fighting for starting positions,” Gait said. “We’re excited about their potential, and they’ve shown that they can pay at this level already in fall ball.”

A rigorous ACC schedule will throw those freshmen into the fire early, but a blend of veteran leadership could ease the pressure. Levy, of course, is a dynamic attack who was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List for each of the past two seasons.

Now a senior, Levy forms a powerful 1-2 punch with Hawryschuk that will look to put an end to those pesky one-goal losses.

“We just had trouble finishing games,” Gait said. “I think we had opportunities to win every one of the five that we lost by a goal. We had opportunities, and it was a combination of multiple things. Some things out of our control.”

What Gait can control is how he preps his young players for a new season. If his praise of their play in fall ball means anything, then Syracuse is in for a successful spring.

The Case For Syracuse

Other than an overall less stressful schedule, Syracuse is armed with returning talent. Natalie Wallon played just four games her junior season due to injury. She was named to the All-ACC second team as a sophomore and started all 22 games that season. Her return to the midfield will provide consistency and experience.

Wallon, Levy and Hawryschuk are a talented trio that can take over in any given game, allowing the younger players to feel less pressure while settling into their respective roles on the team. This group has a good blend of youth and experience, the type you tend to see in high-level teams.

The Case Against Syracuse

Gait is “truly focused” on raising the level of play of the defense, a unit he hasn’t been pleased with in recent years. The addition of Cooper helps in that regard, but it remains to be seen how much the freshman can change the defense’s trajectory.

Ranked 53rd on the draw last year (13.16 per game), Syracuse could struggle in the ACC without winning possessions. Morgan Widner ranked seventh as an individual with 7.09 draws per game, so the draw unit around her needs to improve – especially with the loss of Neena Merola. It also goes without saying that the ACC is an unforgiving conference, so Syracuse definitely has its obstacles.

Path to the Playoffs

A 1-6 conference record last season can be deceiving, as Syracuse lost four times by just one goal (twice in overtime) in the ACC. The Orange also held national runner-up Boston College to just 13 in a 13-12 loss. If Syracuse can win a few of those close ones, its playoff case could strengthen.

The problem, of course, is that the ACC is littered with tournament-worthy teams. A rematch with Boston College could make for a must-watch game, as a Syracuse upset would do wonders for the team’s playoff resume.

Players To Watch

Emily Hawryschuk​, A, Jr.
53 G, 106 SH

The team’s leading goal-scorer last season, Hawryschuk converted 50 percent of her shots into goals. She scored three game-winning goal, establishing herself as one of the primary offensive leaders. As a senior, Hawryschuk will be relied upon to take over in tough conference games.

Natalie Wallon, M, Sr.
4 GP, 1 G

Gait expects Wallon to return to her All-American level of play after appearing in just four games last season because of injury. When she was a sophomore, she scored 29 goals and contributed across the board. She’s an impact midfielder who was sorely missed last season.

Sarah Cooper, D, Fr.
N/A

An anchor on the Notre Dame Prep (Md.) defense last season, Cooper’s presence will be a boon to the Syracuse defensive unit. She’s a ground ball machine and can lock off opposing attack. Gait speaks highly of the freshman, who can be an impact player this season.

National Rankings

Power Ratings (Scale of 1-5)

Offense
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Defense
⭐⭐

Goalkeeping
⭐⭐⭐

Draw
⭐⭐⭐

13.79

Syracuse’s season will be defined by how it can keep opponents off the board. Cooper, Alexa Radziewicz, Lila Nazarian, Ella Simkins and Kerry Defliese will have to keep the attack away from goalkeeper Asa Goldstock, who improved last season. With such a strong offense, Syracuse just needs to hold the opposition down.

5-Year Trend
Scoring Defense

Coach Confidential
Gary Gait

“We want to get back to the final four and compete for a national championship. That’s our goal, to give ourselves a chance at it. It’s going to be chemistry, probably both ways, how the group comes together and develop as a team. You see teams like JMU last year, chemistry was the biggest factor, how players accepted their roles.”

Enemy Lines

"Big question mark. I don’t know. I’m excited to see what they’ll be like. They lost some names that have been playing for years, they have great talent in their youth. They’ll be unknown and super hungry. They’ll have some fun offense out of them once again. Gary always has them ready, which makes them dangerous."

“With Syracuse, they took some massive injuries last year. They do have a great team; I just don’t think they’re disciplined. But they’ve got a lot of sizzle. If you catch them on a good day, they can just take it to you.”