#3 Orange, #2 Wildcats Clash in National Semifinals

Game Details: Friday, May 28 | 2:30 p.m. | Johnny Unitas Stadium
TV: ESNPU | Watch ESPN
Radio: WJPZ 89.1 FM
Twitter: @Cuse | @CuseWLAX
Live Coverage: Stats
Syracuse Links: Notes | News | Schedule | Roster
Northwestern Links: News | Schedule | Roster

TOWSON, Md. – A spot in the national championship game is on the line when No. 3/3 Syracuse faces No. 2/2 Northwestern at Towson University on Friday, May 28. Draw time for the second semifinal from Johnny Unitas Stadium is set for 2:30 p.m.

The contest will be broadcast on ESPNU. Fans in the Syracuse area fans can also listen to all the action on WJPZ 89.1FM. Live updates will be available on Twitter (@CuseWLax).

ORANGE UPDATE
A career-best six goals from freshman attack Emma Ward powered Syracuse (16-3) to a 17-11 victory against Florida on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals at SU Soccer Stadium. The teams were knotted at five after 30 minutes, but the Orange tallied five unanswered goals in the first nine minutes of the second stanza and would lead for the remainder of the contest. The win improved Syracuse's all-time record in the NCAA Tournament to 20-17 and boosted its record in quarterfinal contests to 8-3.

Ward's six goals are the most by a Syracuse freshman in an NCAA Tournament contest and one-shy of the most by a Syracuse freshman in any game. She led the team with seven points on the game. Both Emma Tyrrell (4G, 2A) and Meaghan Tyrrell (3G, 3A) notched six points during the contest. Meaghan owns the second-highest points per game average (8.00) among tournament participants.

Graduate goalkeeper Asa Goldstock stopped seven shots from the Gators on Sunday, upping her career saves total to 649. She needs 11 more stops to tie Liz Hogan (660) for the most saves in program history.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Northwestern dispatched Duke 22-10 on Saturday, improving the team's unblemished overall record to 15-0. The Wildcats' last loss came on March 9, 2020 against North Carolina by a 20-18 margin. The lone Final Four team not belonging to the ACC, Northwestern opened the tournament with a 19-4 victory against Denver before defeating Duke in the quarterfinals.

The Wildcat attack is headed by junior attack Izzy Scane. The Clarkston, Michigan native leads the nation in goals (94), goals per game (6.27), points (117), and points per game (7.80). Scane's goals per game average would be a Division I record if the season ended today and her points per game average would come .01 shy of matching Virginia alum Lindsey Sheehan's Division I record (7.81) from the 1986 season. Additionally, her 94 goals are tied for the sixth-most by a player in Division I history. She needs just six goals to match Courtney Murphy's Division I goal record (100) that was set at Stony Brook in 2016.

Lauren Gilbert has also been a scoring asset for Northwestern this season. She ranks second on the team with 65 goals and ranks seventh in the nation with 4.33 goals per game. Sophomore attack Erin Coykendall leads the team in assists (44) and ranks seventh in the nation in assist average (2.93).

Kelly Amonte Hiller is in her 20th season at the helm in Evanston. She owns a 315-81 record while leading the Wildcats. The four-time IWLCA Coach of the Year has led Northwestern to seven national titles and won the 2020 Tewaaraton Legend Award.

THE SERIES
The Wildcats own a 14-6 advantage in the all-time series against the Orange. However, Syracuse claimed victory when the schools last met in 2020. After trailing 8-7 at halftime, the 'Cuse compiled an 8-1 run over the final 19 minutes to secure a 16-11 victory. Emily Hawryschuk tallied a team-best six goals while Meaghan Tyrrell scored five of her own.

Northwestern has won each of its four matchups against Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament. The teams last met in postseason play in 2019, when the Orange came up short, 18-14, in the quarterfinal round in Evanston.

UP NEXT
The winner between Syracuse and Northwestern advances to play the winner between North Carolina and Boston College in the 2021 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship Game.

#3 Orange, #2 Wildcats Clash in National Semifinals

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Players Mentioned

Asa Goldstock

Emily Hawryschuk

Emma Tyrrell

Meaghan Tyrrell

Emma Ward

Syracuse University Athletics