The Syracuse Orange saw their ACC Tournament run come to an end on Friday night, falling 19-9 to the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. With the loss, Syracuse moved to 13-5 on the season, while North Carolina improved to 15-1 and advanced to the conference championship game.
The Orange stayed within striking distance early, but a decisive first-quarter run shifted control. Emma Muchnick led the offense with three goals, bringing her tournament total to seven, while Alexa Vogelman added two scores. On the defensive end, Izzy Lahah stood out with five caused turnovers and two ground balls.
After the teams traded goals in the opening minutes, North Carolina erupted for six unanswered goals in just over three minutes to build a sizable lead. Syracuse answered with a pair of goals late in the quarter but still trailed 8-3 after one. The Tar Heels extended the margin in the second quarter, scoring three more times to take a 12-4 lead into halftime.
The Orange showed fight in the fourth quarter, with Muchnick, Vogelman, Bri Peters, and Mackenzie Rich each scoring. However, North Carolina maintained control behind a dominant performance from Chloe Humphrey, who totaled nine points on five goals and four assists.
Syracuse will learn its NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday, May 3, during the NCAA Selection Show, which is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
