No. 2 Syracuse (4-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) hadn’t played on a more abrasive grass surface since opening weekend, but that didn’t slow the team down Sunday afternoon in Charlottesville, Va.

Kayla Treanor netted five goals, and Kailah Kempney added six points as the balanced Orange fended off No. 9 Virginia (1-3, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) for an 18-14 victory in the team’s ACC debut. Eight different players scored goals for SU, which won its first game at Virginia since 2004.

“It’s still early in the season, but they played great,” Orange head coach Gary Gait said. “Just a great team effort all-around.”

The Cavaliers jumped ahead on a goal from Mary Alati only 1:04 into the game. However, that would be their only lead of the afternoon.

Devon Collins quickly scored the first of her four goals to knot the game at one. Thirty-seven seconds later, Alyssa Murray put SU ahead for good with her 11th goal of the season.

The teams then traded blows through much of the first half, and Casey Bocklet’s goal near the midway point of the frame cut Syracuse’s lead to 6-5.

However, the Orange answered with a four-goal run that Virginia couldn’t recover from. Two tallies came from the stick of freshman Taylor Poplawski, who now has 10 goals in her first four collegiate games.

“The first half, we didn’t miss many shots,” Gait said. “The middies got the ball upfield and also played great defense.”

The Cavaliers fought back to make the score 14-12 during the second half, but a pair of Treanor goals highlighted another four-goal spurt that allowed the Orange to cruise to the finish.

Syracuse now has little time to rest before facing off Wednesday at Boston College at 2 p.m. in its second conference game.

“We’ll go home and get a good night’s sleep,” Gait said. “We’re 1-0 now, and we’ve got the best of the best coming up.”

Published on February 24, 2014 at 12:43 am

Contact Tyler: tfpiccot@syr.edu