Orange Comeback Attempt Not Enough in Regular-Season Finale

Saturday, May 2

SU Soccer Stadium

1 pm

Syracuse University

14-7

Loyola

15-4

Loyola

Syracuse

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

Orange Comeback Attempt Not Enough in Regular-Season Finale

5/2/2015 5:11:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 3/2 Syracuse's second-half comeback came up just short in a 9-8 setback to No. 16/14 Loyola in the final game of the regular season. The Orange enters next week's NCAA Tournament with a record of 14-7.

It was Syracuse's 11th one-goal game of the season and its third in its last four contests. The Orange is 6-5 in one-goal games in 2015.

Goals by senior Devon Collins and freshman Riley Donahue gave Syracuse a 2-1 lead with 4:11 remaining in the first half. Loyola's (15-4) Katrina Geiger tied the game at the 3:38 mark, sparking the Greyhounds on a 3-0 run to end the half as they led 4-2 at intermission.

The squads traded goals to start the second half before back-to-back goals by Maddy Blakeman and Hannah Schmitt gave Loyola its largest lead of the game of four, 8-4, with 15:57 on the clock. The Orange comeback attempt started with back-to-back free position goals by juniors Lisa Rogers and Kayla Treanor to cut the deficit to two with 14:14 remaining.

Emily Clark converted on a free position attempt to put Loyola back up by three, 9-6, before Treanor scored on an assist from Donahue and then came from behind the left side of the goal and found the back of the net to bring Syracuse within one at 9-8 at the 3:20 mark. She finished with a team-high four points on a three goals and an assist.

Syracuse won the ensuing draw and had a chance to tie the score but Loyola goalkeeper Molly Wolf made one of her 13 saves on a shot by Donahue to preserve the Greyhounds' one-goal lead.

Orange goalkeeper Kelsey Richardson made a save on a shot by Schmitt with 1:16 remaining, but Loyola picked up the ground ball and ran out the clock for the victory.

Syracuse outshot Loyola, 32-16, while the Greyhounds picked up 17 ground balls to 15 for the Orange. Syracuse held a 13-6 advantage in the draw circle.

The Orange awaits its NCAA Tournament assignment, which it will learn when the bracket is announced on Sunday, May 3 at 9 p.m.