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The preseason trajectory for Syracuse was simple this year. It was supposed to end with a game at Johnny Unitas Stadium on May 30 — the site of the national championship. And it revolved around one player: Emily Hawryschuk.

She was the fifth-year senior, the one who was second in the country in goals last season, who graced the January cover of Inside Lacrosse magazine, who had enough talent and experience to single handedly lead the Orange to their first title in program history.

Then, Hawryschuk tore her ACL the week after SU’s season-opening win over Loyola. The loss was devastating, but the Orange turned to juniors Megan Carney and Meaghan Tyrrell, three-year starters with less experience, but just enough explosiveness. Carney replaced Hawyschuk, leading the team in goals at the time and helping SU to an 11-1 record heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

But as Carney’s ACL separated from her patella and tibia on April 22, Syracuse became further separated from its preseason goal. With the NCAA Tournament looming, Syracuse’s ceiling is clear.

Last week’s ACC Tournament — a second-place finish, a loss to top-ranked North Carolina in the championship — solidified that. Less than two weeks before the NCAA Tournament, UNC sits undefeated, and two of SU’s three losses have come at the hands of the Tar Heels. Sure, they have Emma Ward, the breakout freshman with 30 goals. Sure, they have Emma and Meaghan Tyrrell. But, without Hawryschuk and Carney, Syracuse lacks the offensive depth to beat North Carolina and win its first national championship.

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In their April 3 regular-season matchup, the Tar Heels held Carney to one goal and no assists, well-below her season-average of over five points per game. SU’s offense was held to six goals altogether, its least of the year at the time, and the wound of Hawryschuk’s absence throbbed. It was the first sign of cracks in its foundation, a foundation that Hawryschuk stabilized.

Meaghan scored twice in the opening 10 minutes of that game to propel Syracuse to an early 4-1 lead, but then the Orange’s offense went quiet for the 30 minutes. Tyrrell scored twice more, but the Orange ended the game with another 15-minute scoring drought.

Against UNC in the Atlantic Coast Conference final, this time without Carney, Syracuse’s offense replicated the effort, falling flat once again. It managed a new season-low four goals and added scoring droughts of 24 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes apiece.

With four ACC women’s lacrosse teams in the top five, head coach Gary Gait has compared the ACC Tournament to the NCAA Tournament. Sunday’s championship loss to North Carolina was a window into Syracuse’s future, a reassessment of its ceiling without both Hawryschuk and Carney. The Orange’s defense held UNC to a season-low nine points, but the offense failed to crack the Tar Heels backline.

Emma Tyrrell and Ward have stepped into Carney’s role, and it has worked against the likes of Virginia Tech, SU’s first round opponent. It has worked against No. 4 Boston College on two separate occasions — SU’s 16-goal outing to close out the regular season with a win, and its 19-goal one in the ACC semifinal.

But against the best of the best in five-consecutive-time ACC champions UNC, it hasn’t worked.

“We have the players,” Gait said on May 2. “They’re just young, and they haven’t been put in this position before as we’ve always had other players in those roles.”

Syracuse has the potential to be a great team, but Gait emphasized that the Orange lack experience. They didn’t have the personnel who could handle the pressure and make big plays when needed, Gait said after the ACC title game.

UNC bottled up now-top scorer Meaghan on Sunday, holding her without a point. The Tar Heels have the No. 1 scoring defense in the country, and Meaghan drew attention from UNC’s best defenders. In a potential future matchup, the same will probably happen.

That gives Syracuse’s supporting cast the chance to step up. Sunday, Emma Tyrrell and Ward had more freedom to operate, but couldn’t manage more than three combined goals. Senior Sam Swart was quiet, too, finishing with as many shots (1) as yellow cards. She normally averages 2.2 points per game. Midfielder Sierra Cockerille finished without a point too.

“(If) we have a couple players step up on the offensive end, we’re in that game,” Gait said.

But Sunday, those players didn’t step up. They didn’t a month ago against the Tar Heels, either.

Ward and Emma Tyrrell have done as much as they can. Emma Tyrrell had a six-goal game against Boston College, and Ward’s had six games with three goals or more. Against anyone else, that’s enough. But against UNC, their best isn’t enough to replace the void of Hawryschuk and Carney. It wasn’t enough to beat North Carolina (twice), and it’s not good enough to win a national championship.

Syracuse may have future potential in Ward and Emma, but they’re underclassmen. It’s not their time yet. And, with Hawryschuk and Carney back in 2022, it’s not the Orange’s time yet either.

Skyler Rivera is an asst. sports editor at The Daily Orange, where her column appears occasionally. She can be reached at skrivera@syr.edu or on Twitter @skylerriveraa.

Published on May 4, 2021 at 11:43 pm