Game Thread: No. 3 Syracuse women’s lacrosse vs. No. 14 Virginia

After a brief, one-game homestead last weekend, the No. 3 Syracuse Orange women’s lacrosse team hits the road again this weekend for the first leg of a three-game road trip that will take place across only an eight-day period.

The first game is a tough ACC matchup with the No. 14 Virginia Cavaliers. The game is set for opening draw at 12 PM but due to the weather the location has been moved and will no longer be available on ACC Network Extra.

The Orange (5-1) are coming off an incredible comeback victory over No. 7 Duke. ‘Cuse was down seven goals after the first quarter, but closed the final three quarters on a 16-7 run to beat the Blue Devils, 18-16.

Despite their strong record that boasts a handful of good wins, the ladies are still looking to put together their first real complete effort of the season. The inconsistencies on defense, in the cage, on draws, and even on offense at times have all been issues at various points this season.

What type of defense will SU be playing and can they limit open looks in front of cage better than they did in the first quarter against Duke? Will Kimber Hower make her second career start after playing the full game for the first time all season last game? Can Katelyn Mashewske and the draw control unit rebound from some recent struggles and help gain extra possessions for the Orange’s best unit?

It all remains to be seen against a Virginia team that is a little tough to figure out at 4-4 so far this season. Their wins over Elon, Cal, Stanford and Richmond are nothing much to right home about, but all their losses are to really good teams in Maryland, Princeton, Boston College and Notre Dame. Those losses have all been relatively close (just under five goals per game), which is pretty good considering the caliber of opponent. One thing is for sure: they won’t be intimidated by a good team given the relative strength of their schedule so far this season.