Virginia’s Friday semifinal matchup in the ACC Tournament was one to forget for the No. 6 Cavaliers (14-4, 6-3 ACC), who were thoroughly beaten by Syracuse (14-5, 8-1 ACC) by a 19-4 margin. Virginia was second-best in almost all facets of play, and an early lead taken by the No. 4 Orange was too much for the Cavaliers to come back from.
The first quarter was immediately all Syracuse, as junior attacker Olivia Adamson scored two goals within the opening 90 seconds of play. Graduate midfielder Emma Tyrell added to the scoring just over a minute later, which was then followed by three consecutive goals on free-position shots.
Virginia had no answer for the Orange’s offensive firepower, and after two more goals for Syracuse, the quarter ended with the Cavaliers down an astounding 8-0. The contest’s momentum was held solely by the Orange, who didn’t offer Virginia many chances to respond on the offensive end.
Senior attacker Morgan Schwab got the Cavaliers on the board early in the second quarter when freshman attacker Madison Alaimo feinted a dodge and picked out Schwab on the crease for a finish in the top left corner. However, this would be the last time that Virginia added to the scoreboard during the first half. Tyrell completed a first-half hat trick, and freshman midfielder Joely Caramelli, senior attacker Emma Ward and senior midfielder Maddy Baxter all added to their totals for the Orange. A 13-1 halftime deficit was indicative of the Cavaliers’ first half struggles, and Syracuse had begun to run away with the victory.
The Orange scored again just 16 seconds into the third quarter thanks to senior midfielder Natalie Smith. Virginia answered back quickly via senior midfielder Mackenzie Hoeg, who Schwab found on the crease for the Cavaliers’ second score of the day. After Syracuse scored twice more, Schwab once again picked out senior defender Maggie Bostain with five seconds left to play.
The fourth quarter scoring began with three consecutive free-position shots that were dispatched coolly — two for the Orange and one for Virginia. Syracuse scored one last time late in the final period to end the game with a shocking 19-4 scoreline.
Ultimately, a forgettable first half performance sunk the ship for the Cavaliers. Usual standout sophomore goaltender Mel Josephson being benched during the second quarter due to surrendering a flurry of goals — although she would return later — was just one of the markers of a disappointing display by Virginia.
Furthermore, the Cavaliers were beaten on the draws by a 22-3 margin. Whenever the Orange would score, they’d get possession right back, making a comeback near impossible for Virginia. On the offensive end, Syracuse had four players earn a hat trick on the day, namely Adamson, Smith, Tyrell and Ward. Meanwhile, Schwab was the only Cavalier to record more than just one point.
On the defensive end, Virginia’s zone was consistently picked apart by the Orange’s attack. The transition defense struggled as well, and coupled with the draw control margin, that meant the Cavaliers were doing a lot of chasing in the first half. Discipline was also an issue for Virginia — Syracuse scored a whopping seven goals via free-position attempts — and the lopsided foul margin halted any momentum that the Cavaliers attempted to build.
Virginia will hope to shake off this tough loss and hear its name called during the NCAA Tournament seeding reveal. The selection show is set for May 5 at 9 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPNU.
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