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Syracuse finally broke out of its funk Friday. After losing three straight games and moving to .500 on the year, SU defeated No. 6 Stanford 14-13 in double overtime to snap its skid.
The Orange commanded an early 5-1 lead, but the Cardinal fought back with a 6-0 run to go into halftime up 8-7. The squads kept battling and eventually entered overtime tied 13-13. In the second overtime period, freshman Mileena Cotter scored the game-winner, handing Syracuse the victory.
A rebound on the draw control aided SU’s success. While it held just a 16-14 advantage in the circle, it’s a major step forward from 17-6 and 17-4 disparities versus No. 3 Northwestern and then-No. 12 Clemson, respectively. Joely Caramelli got the start and helped dominate the first and third quarters, propelling the Orange’s win.
Now, SU will end its stretch of five straight ranked games with a bout with No. 8 Johns Hopkins on Monday. The Blue Jays have started the year strong, notching three ranked wins in their first six games.
Here’s everything to know about No. 8 Johns Hopkins (4-2, 0-0 Big 10) before it travels to Syracuse (4-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast):
All time series
Syracuse leads 1-0.
Last time they played …
On May 14, 2023, then-No. 3 Syracuse faced Johns Hopkins in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, looking to punch its ticket to the quarterfinals. SU did in a blowout. The Blue Jays never strung more than two goals together, while the Orange manufactured three separate runs of five scores or more, leading to a 25-8 drubbing.
SU was led by the Tyrrell sisters. Meaghan produced a team-leading nine points (six goals, three assists), while Emma added seven goals. The pair combined for 17 of Syracuse’s 37 points. Then-sophomore Olivia Adamson also dominated the draw controls, helping produce a 22-12 advantage that led to the offensive onslaught.
The Blue Jays report
Last season, Johns Hopkins had a strong campaign. Like Syracuse, it played 11 ranked teams in the regular season, going 5-6 in those games. Still, it advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling 9-7 to then-No. 6 Yale.
The Blue Jays have opened 2025 hot. With five of their first six games against ranked opponents, they’ve started 4-2, including wins over then-No. 12 Penn and then-No. 16 Stony Brook. JHU has been led by its returning attacking duo of Ashley Mackin and Ava Angello. The pair combined for 134 points last year and have continued their dominance this season with 35 and 23 points, respectively.
Johns Hopkins’ offensive success has been aided by its steadiness on the draw control. While it lost its three draw leaders from last year, freshman Laurel Gonzalez has taken the reins this season and excelled. The San Diego, California, native has totaled 57 draw wins through six games, leading to JHU’s 93-75 advantage.
While Johns Hopkins’ offense has been phenomenal, its defense has been leaky. It’s allowed at least 10 goals in every game thus far and ranks 59th in the country with a 28.4% defensive efficiency, per Lacrosse Reference. In net, Morgan Giardina has taken over for Madison Doucette, who graduated after a .453 save rate last season. But Giardina has allowed 11.83 goals per contest and has just a .330 save percentage in 2025.
How Syracuse beats Johns Hopkins
Syracuse needs to take advantage of the Blue Jays’ defensive struggles. SU’s offense rebounded from three straight games of eight goals with 14 versus Stanford. Against a much weaker unit, the Orange must pepper the net with shots. If they do, their firepower will likely overwhelm Johns Hopkins.
On defense, the Orange should keep doing what they’ve been doing — sticking Superia Clark on the opponent’s best scorer. With constant face guarding, Clark held Clemson’s Kayla MacLeod and Stanford’s Alyia Polisky, both squads’ leading scorers, to two combined points. Clark will likely do the same to Mackin on Monday, and another strong effort should lead to a second-straight win.
Stat to Know: 10
The Blue Jays’ offense is defined by Mackin and Angello. But apart from them, no other player has scored more than 10 goals. Lacey Downey’s nine ranks third behind Mackin’s 24 and Angello’s 16.
Much of this boils down to Johns Hopkins’ 2024 graduating class. Despite retaining its three leading scorers in Angello, Mackin and Campbell Case, the next four highest scorers all departed.
Player to watch: Ashley Mackin, attack, No. 27
Mackin is Johns Hopkins’ top offensive threat. Despite missing the Blue Jays’ game versus then-No. 13 Loyola Maryland, she easily leads them in points (35), goals (24) and assists (11). The senior is also efficient, boasting a .480 shooting percentage and .680 shot on goal percentage.
The Westwood, Massachusetts, native was largely a depth piece in her freshman and sophomore seasons. But she had a breakout year as a junior, tallying 66 points on 48 goals. She’s already on her way to another big year, being added to the Tewaaraton Award Watchlist.
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