Opponent preview: What to know about No. 6 Loyola
Nick Luttrell | DO Sportscast Executive Producer
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Syracuse moved up to the No. 4 spot in Inside Lacrosse’s rankings after a 22-7 win over Temple that saw 10 different players score and the Tyrrell sisters combine for 10 goals and eight assists.
Temple scored the first goal of the game, but Emma Tyrrell led the charge and was responsible for four of the next five goals, scoring on three and assisting on one. Her sister, Meaghan Tyrrell, then finished the first quarter with two more goals, and Syracuse never looked back after going up 7-2.
Playing against Temple was a break in Syracuse’s rigorous schedule, as the Orange had previously played seven straight ranked opponents. On Tuesday, Syracuse will play another ranked team in No. 6 Loyola Maryland, its ninth ranked opponent of the season.
Here’s what you need to know about the undefeated Loyola Maryland (9-0, 2-0 Patriot League) before it visits Syracuse (8-2, 4-0 Atlantic Coast):
All time series
Syracuse leads the all-time series 17-5.
Last time they played
Syracuse dominated then-No. 9 Loyola in the second round of the NCAA Tournament 20-8 to advance to the quarterfinals.
The game was close for the first eight minutes and was tied at 2-2 after Catie Corolla scored, but Syracuse scored five straight goals after, and Loyola couldn’t keep up. The Tyrrell sisters combined for 17 points, with Meaghan Tyrrell recording seven goals and three assists and Emma Tyrrell notching four goals and three assists.
Loyola had 29 shots on the day, but Asa Goldstock saved seven of them to keep the Greyhounds out of range throughout the game.
Maya Goosmann | Digital Design Director
The Greyhounds report
Loyola has yet to be beaten this season and has also amassed four wins this season over ranked opponents, in wins over Johns Hopkins, Penn, Florida and Princeton.
Loyola poses a defensive challenge, holding opponents to single digits in six-of-nine games. But then-No. 10 Princeton, the Greyhounds’ toughest opponent this season so far, managed to score 15 goals. Regardless, Loyola was still able to get a win by scoring 16 goals when its defense wasn’t performing well.
How Syracuse beats Loyola
Syracuse’s draw control specialist Kate Mashewske will be key in Tuesday’s game, as the Greyhounds are one of the nation’s top teams in securing draw controls. They rank seventh in draw control percentage and 22nd in total draw controls won.
If Syracuse can’t beat Loyola on the draw, it will need to have a collectively strong defensive performance. Loyola has scored 139 goals this season, but 82 were unassisted and 31 came from the free position. Forcing Loyola into long possessions, along with good help defensively instead of allowing the Greyhounds isolation looks, will result in a win.
Stat to know: 90.6 clear percentage
Part of the reason Loyola is able to score so many unassisted goals is because it is able to successfully transition from offense to defense, which forces the isolation opportunities.
The Greyhounds are 21st in the country in clear percentage, and on top of their draw control success, they can control the game aside from just scoring goals.
Player to watch: Livy Rosenzweig, attack, No. 4
Livy Rosenzweig is a versatile player that can impact the game in multiple ways. This is her fifth year on Loyola, and she currently leads the team in goals, is second in assists and second in draw controls.
Part of the reason Syracuse was able to dominate the Greyhounds last year was because she was held quiet. She had two assists and won seven draw controls but had three turnovers and was held scoreless in SU’s 2021 season opener against the Greyhounds.
Published on March 28, 2022 at 10:26 pm
Contact Adam: amccaffe@syr.edu