#9 ’Cuse Begins NCAA Tournament Against #23 Loyola Friday

Friday, May 8

Annapolis, MD

7:00 PM

Syracuse University

Loyola

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#9 ’Cuse Begins NCAA Tournament Against #23 Loyola Friday

5/6/2026 8:30:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse

ESPN+Live Stats Tickets NCAA Tournament Bracket Game Notes

Game Details: Friday, May 8 | 7:00 p.m. | Annapolis, MD | Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Tickets: navysports.evenue.net/events/L
TV: ESPN+
Radio: WJPZ 89.1 FM
Live Coverage: Stats
Syracuse Links: Notes | News | Schedule | Roster
Loyola Links: News | Schedule | Roster

Syracuse (13-5) gets its NCAA Tournament underway on Friday afternoon when they take on Loyola (12-7) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

Opening Draw
For the 14th consecutive time, the Orange are headed to the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse earned an at-large bid and was sent to Annapolis, Maryland, where No. 6 seed Navy will host. The Orange will take on Loyola in the opening round, with the winner advancing to face Navy or UMass on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Syracuse finished 13-5 under first-year head coach Regy Thorpe, posting eight wins over ranked opponents and playing the third-toughest strength of schedule in the nation, with prior opponents boasting a .677 winning percentage. Thorpe earned his first career win as a head coach against the Greyhounds, topping Loyola 15-7 at the JMA Wireless Dome in February.

The 'Cuse Defense
Syracuse is among the nation's top defenses, holding opponents to just 8.1 goals per game, tied for the 12th-best mark in the country.

Izzy Lahah leads the charge with 51 caused turnovers on the season, setting a new Syracuse single-season record. She surpassed the previous mark of 45, set by Katie Goodale in 2024. Her teammate Coco Vandiver is close behind with 42, making the two the first pair of teammates in program history to each reach 40 caused turnovers in a single season.

Daniella Guyette was named ACC Goalkeeper of the Year last week. She enters the tournament with a .461 save percentage and a 7.81 goals-against average, with eight games this season featuring a save percentage above .500.

Offensive Production
The offense has been powered all season by sophomore Molly Guzik, who leads the team with 50 points on 40 goals and 10 assists. She has scored in 16 of 18 games this season and logged seven games with three or more goals.

Caroline Trinkaus is second on the team with 24 goals, including the game-winner in four overtime against Notre Dame. Mackenzie Rich has put together a career year with 36 points, pacing the team with 21 assists. Ashlee Volpe rounds out the top four with 30 points on 12 goals and 18 assists.

Scouting Loyola
The Greyhounds earned an at-large bid after finishing the regular season 12-7. Nobody in the country is better in the draw circle than Loyola. The Greyhounds lead the nation in draw controls per game (17.1) and draw control percentage (.667). Mae Murphy is tied for the national lead in draw controls per game at 12.11.

Morgan Quade leads Loyola in scoring with 68 points on 28 goals and 40 assists. Elisa Faklaris has posted 43 goals this season and tied a season-high with four against Syracuse in February.

Series History
The Orange and Greyhounds meet for the 28th time Friday. Syracuse leads the all-time series 21-6 and has won 12 straight dating back to 2015. The two programs have met in the NCAA Tournament twice since 2015, with the Orange winning both matchups — including a 20-8 win in 2021.

The teams met earlier this season at the JMA Wireless Dome, with Syracuse winning 15-7 — the fewest goals Loyola has scored in a game all year. The win marked Regy Thorpe's first as head coach as Guzik and Joely Caramelli each logged hat tricks.