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After finishing its nonconference slate with a dominant 17-4 win over Cornell Tuesday, Syracuse has three conference games left in the regular season. The Orange currently sit atop the Atlantic Coast Conference, winning all six of its games against conference foes.

SU kicked off ACC play with an upset win over then-No. 2 Notre on Feb. 24 before defeating Duke a game later. Then, after a loss to then-No. 15 Stony Brook, the Orange have defeated Virginia Tech, then-No. 9 North Carolina, then-No. 9 Virginia and Louisville amid their seven-game winning streak.

Next, Syracuse travels to Cicero North Syracuse High School Saturday to host Pitt. The Orange last hosted a game at CNS on April 8, 2023 against then-No. 19 Clemson. The game is the Orange’s last home game of the regular season before they travel to Clemson on April 13 and Boston College on April 18.

Here’s everything to know about Pittsburgh (4-9, 0-6 ACC) before it faces No. 3 Syracuse (10-3, 6-0 ACC):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 2-0.

Last time they played…

In its 2023 ACC opener, SU traveled to Pitt on Feb. 25. After Natalie Smith scored just over a minute into the game, the Orange never trailed and trounced the Panthers 16-4.

Syracuse’s offense was spearheaded by Megan Carney and Emma Tyrrell, who combined for seven goals. SU’s four goals surrendered was the fewest an opposing team scored against it all season.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Editor

The Panthers report

Pitt sits at the bottom of the ACC, losing all six of its conference games. In their three years as a Division I team, the Panthers have only one conference win, which came against Lousiville on April 9, 2022.

Though the Panthers have a middling 31.6 Offensive Efficiency (44th in D-1), per Lacrosse Reference, and eight players with at least 15 points this season, their defense is what sets them back. According to Lacrosse Reference, Pitt’s 33.1 Defensive Efficiency ranks 93rd in D-I. In ACC play, opposing teams have scored 18.2 goals per game.

The Panthers played Duke closely, falling 13-11 on March 8 and fell 13-9 to Virginia Tech on March 23, but they have lost every other conference game in blowout fashion.

How Syracuse beats Pitt

Against an inferior Pitt squad, the only way SU doesn’t win this game is if it gets off to a slow start and continuously plays down to the Panthers’ level. Slow starts plagued the Orange during their 3-3 start to the season, but there have been no signs of those issues repeating throughout their seven-game winning streak.

Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor has preached throughout the season that she wants her team to play complete games, and the Orange should have no problem doing so against Pitt as long as they get off to a fast start.

Stat to know: 40.2

According to Lacrosse Reference, Pitt’s 39.6-second Offensive Pacing is the eighth fastest in D-I. This means that, on average, the Panthers use less than half of the 90-second shot clock to take a shot.

Coming off a performance where Cornell only scored four goals while Syracuse caused 15 turnovers, SU’s defense must key in on slowing Pitt’s offense to ensure a similar blowout.

Player to watch: Jenna Hendrickson, attack, No. 36

In her junior season, Jenna Hendrickson led Pitt in goals (29) and points (37). Across six games this season, Hendrickson has notched at least a hat trick and scored a season-high four goals in the Panthers’ season-opening 20-4 win over Duquesne.

Though she’s not as much of a distributor, ranking third on the team in assists (eight), Hendrickson can take over a game through her passing. Against Louisville, she notched a career-high three assists en route to a season-high five-point performance.

Published on April 3, 2024 at 10:53 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon