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Syracuse had many questions coming into this campaign. It was unclear who would lead the draw control or how the defense would fare without many of last year’s starters. But Friday, SU put many of those doubts to rest by demolishing UAlbany 21-9 in its season opener.

Meghan Rode took the lead at the draw, allowing the Orange to win 19-of-33. On defense, Kaci Benoit and Coco Vandiver, along with goalie Daniella Guyette, led a unit that forced the Great Danes into 18 turnovers and only six goals with the starters on the field.

Next, the Orange face their first major test of the year. They travel to College Park, Maryland, to face the No. 7 Terrapins, who made it to the quarterfinal of last year’s NCAA Tournament. Like SU, though, Maryland is a very different team, having lost two of its top three leading scorers and its starting goalie.

Here’s everything to know about No. 7 Maryland (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) before it hosts No. 6 Syracuse (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) Saturday:

All time series

Maryland leads 21-2.

Last time they played …

On Feb. 17, 2024, then-No. 5 Syracuse squared off against then-No. 9 Maryland in the JMA Wireless Dome. SU got out to a 5-3 lead to open the third quarter but eventually surrendered its advantage. The two squads were deadlocked 8-8 at the end of regulation, and after two overtime periods, UMD’s Hannah Leubecker buried the game-winning goal to hand the Terrapins a 9-8 win.

While the Orange’s scoring was spread out — with three players leading the team with two goals — Leubecker and Kori Edmondson led the way with three apiece for Maryland, alongside Eloise Clevenger’s five assists.

Emma Muchnick faces pressure from Maryland’s Eloise Clevenger in last year’s home bout with the Terrapins. Syracuse fell 9-8 after Hannah Leubecker’s game-winning goal in double overtime. Calysta Lee | Staff Photographer

The Terrapins report

Last season, Maryland went 14-6 and made the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal, where it fell to Florida 15-9. The Terrapins were led by Leubecker’s 54 goals and Clevenger’s 84 points on offense, while Emily Sterling racked up 173 saves and a .516 save percentage in net.

UMD was efficient offensively last year, ranking 12th in the country with an 83.1% shot-on-goal conversion rate and 26th with a 23.5% turnover rate, per Lacrosse Reference. Defensively, the Terrapins were one of the best teams in the nation. They were second in opponent shooting percentage (28.8%) and seventh in defensive efficiency (20.6%).

However, much of that team is gone in 2025. Four of UMD’s top six goal scorers graduated, including Leubecker, Clevenger and Libby May. In addition, its three leaders in draw controls — Shaylan Ahearn, Meghan Ball and Shannon Smith — along with Sterling aren’t with the program anymore.

Still, Maryland retained its second-leading scorer in Edmondson, along with depth pieces in Chrissy Thomas and Maisy Clevenger, who should play bigger roles this year in the Terrapins’ attack. Defensive starters Kennedy Major and Neve O’Ferrall are also back, paving the way for a strong defensive front once again. It also reeled in a strong freshman class, boasting four players among Inside Lacrosse’s top-30 recruits.

How Syracuse beats Maryland

Syracuse needs to spread the ball around again. Versus UAlbany, it had 11 different goal scorers and six that didn’t record a point in 2024. While the usual suspects of Olivia Adamson and Emma Ward scored three goals each, freshmen Mileena Cotter, Molly Guzik and Caroline Trinkaus all totaled three points. If the Orange can do this again versus Maryland, it’ll be hard for the Terrapins to keep up.

Also, SU’s draw control unit must stay sharp for the entire game. Syracuse corralled seven of the game’s first 10 draws against the Great Danes. But from there, the group was inconsistent, only finishing with a 19-14 advantage. Against a Maryland team without a clear No. 1 option at the draw heading into its season-opener, the Orange need to take advantage.

Stat to Know: 10

Both Maryland and Syracuse saw their rosters depleted in the offseason via graduation and the transfer portal. But both also replenished with strong freshmen classes. The two programs have 10 combined players of Inside Lacrosse’s top 100 freshmen.

SU’s class was headlined by No. 11 Guzik and No. 14 Lexi Reber, while Maryland added No. 7 Kayla Gilmore and No. 9 Devin Livingston. The Orange’s freshmen were heavily involved versus UAlbany, and the Terrapins’ could do the same Saturday.

Player to watch: Kori Edmondson, midfielder, No. 14

Edmondson is the only player of the Terrapins’ top four goal scorers from last season who’s still on the team. The then-sophomore started all 20 games and, despite not recording an assist, ranked second on the team with 38 goals while posting a .710 shot-on-goal percentage. The Severn, Maryland, native is primed for a bigger role in 2025 with the graduations of many of UMD’s top scorers.

Published on February 12, 2025 at 9:28 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99