Ziegler, Treanor Lead Orange Past Albany

Sunday, April 19

1 pm

Syracuse University

12-3

Albany

11-6

ALBANY

Syracuse

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

4/19/2015 4:27:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

Loren Ziegler celebrates Senior Day with a career-high five goals.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Loren Ziegler celebrated her Senior Day with a career-high five goals as the No. 9/9 Syracuse women's lacrosse team defeated No. 19/19 Albany, 14-12, in its final regular-season home game. The Orange enters next week's ACC Tournament with an 11-6 overall record.

"I'm happy we got through a very good Albany team that's made up of a lot of local kids who came in here to pull off the upset and gave us everything we could handle," said Syracuse head coach Gary Gait. "I'm proud that we finished the game and got through it. In a tight game we found the answers and we came back and made the play. Today we stepped up and got it done."

Junior Kayla Treanor led all scorers with seven points on three goals and four assists. She increased her career assist total to 82, which ranks sixth on Syracuse's all-time record list. Treanor moved past Albany assistant coach Tee Ladouceur, who had 81 assists from 2009-12.

A tight first half featured five ties as neither team could pull away. With the Great Danes (12-3) leading 5-3, Treanor netted her second goal, which was the first of three straight for the Orange as it took its first lead of the game at 6-5. Albany responded with two goals before Ziegler recorded an unassisted goal with 28 seconds remaining in the half as the teams were deadlocked at 7-7 at halftime.

The Orange outscored Albany, 5-1, in the first seven minutes of the second half to take its largest lead of the game at 12-8. Junior Halle Majorana started the scoring run 26 seconds after intermission with her 38th goal of the year. After Maureen Keggins again tied the score at 8-8, Treanor found the back of the net and then assisted on freshman Riley Donahue's goal. Junior Taylor Gait and Ziegler each converted on free-position attempts to extend the lead to four with 23:20 remaining.

Rachel Bowles halted Syracuse's offensive outburst when she scored on an assist from Keggins to spark Albany on a 4-0 scoring run that tied the game for the seventh time at 12-12 with 11:42 on the clock. The score stayed that way until the 7:09 mark when junior Erica Bodt scored on a hard shot off an assist from Treanor, her fourth of the day, to give Syracuse the lead for good. Donahue added an insurance tally when she scored off a rebound on her own shot.

Albany had a couple of chances to cut into Syracuse's lead, but senior goalkeeper Kelsey Richardson made one of her eight saves with 2:14 remaining to protect SU's two-goal advantage. A Syracuse turnover in its offensive end gave the Great Danes possession with 26 seconds remaining, but Albany could not successfully clear the ball and the Orange ran out the clock for its second straight victory.

Syracuse outshot Albany, 22-8, and picked up 15 ground balls to 10 for the Great Danes. Senior Kailah Kempney recorded 10 draw controls, helping Syracuse to an 18-10 advantage in the circle.

Prior to the game, the Orange's senior class of Kempney, Richardson, Ziegler, Ella Thorpe, Mallory Vehar, Paige Savia, Gabby Jaquith, Kristiana Ferguson, Caroline Grosso, Devon Collins and manager Kelsey Bray were honored in a Senior Day ceremony.