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With under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter and the score tied 8-8, Boston College’s Kayla Martello was looking to score. Martello caught the ball inside the 8-meter and flipped a shot on net, but Delaney Sweitzer booted it away and covered it up. On SU’s next possession, Savannah Sweitzer got the ball early in the shot clock and beat her defender one-on-one before sneaking a shot past Shea Dolce to give SU the 9-8 lead.

Then, about five minutes later with the score knotted at 9-9, the sisters repeated the same pattern of play. BC worked the ball to a wide-open Cassidy Weeks who fired at point-blank range, but again, Delaney denied the attack. On the ensuing offensive possession, Savannah was left on an island on the left side of the cage, and tip-toed the crease before pushing the ball past BC goalie Dolce, giving SU the lead back at 10-9.

Delaney and Savannah propelled No. 2 Syracuse (12-4, 8-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) to a late lead, but SU collapsed in the final stages as it fell 11-10 in overtime to No. 6 Boston College (13-3, 7-2 ACC) in its regular season finale. Savannah’s two goals marked her sixth multi-goal game this season while Delaney tallied double-digit saves for the first time since Feb. 17 against Maryland. Despite standout performances by Delaney and Savannah, SU’s other scoring options went dry late in the game, as the Eagles snapped the Orange’s nine-game winning streak.

Delaney found her rhythm in the net in the game’s opening minute. Martello found an opening on the left side of the cage and flung a shot on goal from close range, but Delaney slid right and denied the shot with her hip.

The Eagles scored about four minutes later, but for the final ten minutes of the first quarter, Delaney showed flashes of when she was the 2023 ACC Goalkeeper of the Year award.

With about seven minutes left in the first quarter, Martello and Delaney met on a free position chance. For the second time Martello’s shot was rejected by Delaney. The rebound drifted out into the front of the SU net where it was corralled by Molly Driscoll. Driscoll fired a shot but it was also blocked away by Delaney. In a scrum for the loose ball, it was kicked into the net by SU defender Coco Vandiver to give BC a 2-1 lead.

After BC’s score, Savannah and the SU offense responded to tie the game. Off a draw control win by Kate Mashewske, Syracuse created open looks for Olivia Adamson and Savannah, but each of their shots missed wide. The Orange maintained possession after the misses and completed the near 70-second possession with a goal from Emma Tyrrell to make it 2-2.

During the final six minutes of the first quarter, the Eagles did not capitalize on any of their scoring chances. At the 4:30 mark of the first quarter, Emma LoPinto found an opening in the SU defense and fired on net, but Delaney cleaned it up. The save gave Syracuse the ball back as Emma Ward scored less than a minute later to give SU a 3-2 lead.

The Eagles pushed to score again before the end of the first quarter but Delaney recorded two more saves, bringing her tally to six in the contest’s opening 15 minutes.

Early in the second quarter, as SU looked to build on its 4-2 lead, Savannah received the ball. The graduate-student made a move at the top of the SU offensive zone, but was knocked in the face by Lydia Colasante, creating a yellow card. Despite taking a lacrosse stick to the mouth area, Savannah stayed in the game. On the player-up advantage, Tyrrell nearly capitalized, but fired a shot off the post of the cage.

Both teams traded goals midway through the second quarter. But in the final eight minutes of the second quarter, Delaney made two more saves, as the Orange led 5-3 at halftime. Through 30 minutes, Delaney had already recorded seven saves, matching her total saves across the last two games combined.

Boston College came out of the break with momentum, but Delaney slowed it. With the Eagles looking to tie, Delaney snagged the ball away from Weeks to give SU possession.

In the fourth quarter, the Sweitzer sisters shined, with Savannah giving SU the lead twice in the final nine minutes. But a goal from Rachel Clark with 1:27 remaining tied the game at 10-10. BC looked to steal the game in regulation, but Delaney snuck underneath a pass to end the Eagles possession and send the game to overtime. After forcing the extra period, other Syracuse scoring options did not capitalize on attempts despite a standout performance from the Sweirtzers.

Published on April 18, 2024 at 11:14 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32