SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse withstood a valiant second-half comeback attempt by No. 18 Albany and defeated the Great Danes 13-11 in the Carrier Dome. The Orange scored two of the game’s final three goals to hang on for its fifth consecutive victory.
Sophomore Kayla Treanor led Syracuse’s offense with six points (4g, 2a), while senior Alyssa Murray had four points (3g, 1a). Senior Amy Cross and junior Devon Collins had two goals apiece for the Orange. Albany senior Allie Phelan led all scorers with five goals.
The Orange (11-1) jumped out to an early lead, tallying six of the game’s first seven goals. With the score tied 1-1 Murray scored on an assist from Treanor at the 24:43 mark to give SU the lead for good. That goal was the first of four consecutive for Syracuse. Senior Katie Webster and Treanor netted unassisted goals before Treanor assisted on sophomore Erica Bodt’s goal. Cross recorded her second goal of the game at the 16:20 mark to give the Orange its largest lead of the game at 6-1. Syracuse led 7-2 before Phelan scored three consecutive goals in the final 11:01 of the half to cut SU’s lead to 7-5 at intermission.
Syracuse opened the second half with three unanswered goals by Treanor, Murray and Collins to extend its lead to 10-5 with 22:32 remaining. Albany (9-1) wouldn’t go away and Megan Keegin’s goal at the 22:05 mark sparked the Great Danes on a 4-0 scoring run that brought them within one at 10-9 with 10:29 on the clock. Phelan had the final two goals during the offensive outburst.
Treanor converted a free position attempt at the 8:14 mark to end Syracuse’s scoring drought of 14:07 and put the Orange up by two. Albany took advantage of a man-up situation when Sarah Martin found the back of the net to again cut SU’s lead to one. The Orange again responded with Murray’s free position goal with 6:00 to play to give Syracuse a 12-10 lead. On Albany’s next possession, Ariana Parker converted a free position attempt to again cut the lead to one with 4:29 remaining.
The Orange won the ensuing draw and Treanor recorded her fourth goal of the game on a free position attempt to push Syracuse’s lead to 13-11 with 3:08 on the clock. Junior Kailah Kempney recorded her 11th draw control of the game to give Syracuse possession, but an Orange turnover gave Albany the ball. The Great Danes couldn’t take advantage as they turned it over in their offensive end and a ground ball by senior Kasey Mock gave Syracuse possession. The Orange was able to run out the clock for its eighth win against a top-20 team this season.
