No. 8 Syracuse women’s lacrosse (9-3, 5-2 ACC) delivered its highest-scoring performance of the season, cruising to a 16-7 win over No. 23 Pittsburgh (5-7, 2-6 ACC) on Saturday morning at the JMA Wireless Dome.
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The Orange set the tone early, opening the game with eight unanswered goals and building a 10-1 halftime lead. Caroline Trinkaus scored just over a minute into the contest, sparking a dominant first quarter that saw Syracuse take a 6-0 advantage. Mackenzie Rich and Molly Guzik fueled the surge, combining for multiple early goals as the offense overwhelmed Pittsburgh.
Rich led all players with a career-high seven points on three goals and four assists, scoring on every shot she attempted. Guzik added six points with four goals and two assists while collecting four draw controls. Syracuse showcased balanced production with 12 players recording at least one point.
Defensively, the Orange forced turnovers throughout the game. Senior Coco Vandiver recorded her 102nd career caused turnover, setting a program record, while Izzy Lahah added a career-high five caused turnovers.
Syracuse continued to pull away in the second half, extending its lead to 15-2 by the end of the third quarter behind goals from Joely Caramelli, Mileena Cotter and Rich. The Orange maintained control in the fourth to secure the nine-goal victory.
Pittsburgh was led by Avery Moon, who totaled four points, and Kaitlyn Giandonato, who recorded a hat trick.
Syracuse returns to action Tuesday, traveling to face Cornell at Schoellkopf Field with a 7 p.m. start.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
