No. 7 Maryland women’s lacrosse has kept its skills sharp during the fall season, commonly known as ‘Fall Ball.’ Friday will be a test to see if those habits built in the off-season can translate to the regular season.
The Terps will set the tone for their ability to perform and show up in conference play. For the past three years, No. 11 Syracuse has landed early in Maryland’s schedule.
In those years, the only time they made it past the second round in the NCAA tournament was after defeating Syracuse at the beginning of the season.
The beginning of a team’s season can really indicate the potential for the rest of the campaign. Maryland will have time to grow and learn from mistakes, but a win can boost their confidence and carry them into the next game, allowing that pattern to continue.
“If we’re not stepping on the field to win that moment, and we’re playing hesitant, we’ll lose because we play too good of a team,” head coach Cathy Reese said. “That’s on our mind, trying to shift our mental kind of toughness, where we come into play.”
Starting the season away from home, Maryland will head to upstate New York to face No. 11 Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome on Friday.
The outlook on No. 11 Syracuse
The Terps have historically done well against the Orange. However, they have lost three out of those five games.
“We’re coming in as underdogs, and we’re going to do what we need to do out there,” Kori Edmonson said.
The top two scorers from the team’s last matchup were Emma Ward and Olivia Adamson for Syracuse, as well as Jordyin Lipkin and Edmonson for Maryland. Both of Maryland’s top scorers remain on the team, whereas both of the Orange players have since graduated.
Syracuse, like Maryland, recruited five freshmen from the top-100 of the recruiting class. The best of them is midfielder Mackenzie Borbi, who was No. 22. She holds her school record for most draw controls in a season and career. Borbi has recorded 555 draw controls — 12 short of being the new world record.
Senior midfielder Emma Muchnick and sophomore midfielder Caroline Trinkaus offer continuity to the Orange.
These two were placed on Inside Lacrosse’s Top 50 NCAA Players for 2026. Muchnick earned her spot at No. 14 by leading her team in goals while reaching a career high of 34. She also has a spot on the USA final roster for the 2026 World Championship.
Trinkaus scored a hat trick, the first of her career, in last year’s season opener against the Terps. She continued to improve throughout that season and moved up to the 43rd slot on Inside Lacrosse.
Senior goalie Daniella Guyette ranked second in the ACC last year and 25th nationally in saves with a career-high 162. Guyette was one of the key reasons Maryland lost to the Orange last year, saving 11 of the 28 shots the Terps made.
Syracuse is led by alum Regy Thorpe. He is in his first year back with the Orange after spending four seasons as head coach at Florida. He previously spent ten seasons as a part of the Syracuse women’s lacrosse program, but the current team hasn’t worked with him until this year.
Syracuse set the tone right away last season, scoring five goals to Maryland’s three in the first quarter.
What will Maryland need to earn its first win?
The Terps will need to start strong and maintain a solid lead against the Orange in this upcoming game.
With two of Syracuse’s strong attackers gone, the Terps’ offense will have to focus on pressing the Orange defense and getting the ball to their end of the field as often as possible.
Maryland will need to use not only its key seniors like Edmonson but also bring in some fresh legs on the field with Ava Meyn. Dominating offensively will be the key to this game.
