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Syracuse faltered in the first round of last year’s NCAA tournament against Princeton despite its best Atlantic Coast Conference record since 2016 and Charlotte de Vries’ 15-goal freshman season. The Tigers bolted ahead with five-straight goals across the first three quarters, and the Orange failed to advance past the first round of the tournament for the third consecutive season.

The loss ended a season that featured three wins against top-five ranked opponents — UConn, Duke and Louisville — and a poor 2-1 loss against Cornell. But only two players graduated, and Syracuse returns its top offensive players for the shortened 2020 season that begins Sept. 18 against Duke.

“You learn from your past, whether you win or lose,” head coach Ange Bradley said after the Princeton loss. “That’s the mindset about being in the moment. That’s what we do. We win 5-0, we find a way to win 7-0. If we lose 5-0, we find a way to close the gap. It’s a process of learning and growing.”

With 16 of the Orange’s 22 players returning from last season, here’s a complete breakdown of Syracuse’s roster and what to expect:

Who’s back

All of Syracuse’s top scorers from last year return, including de Vries — whose 15 goals were one shy of Marty Loncarica’s 2008 record for a freshman. In the Orange’s double-overtime win against Cal on Oct. 4, de Vries’ hat trick lifted SU and avoided an upset against the Bears.

From her first-career game with the Orange, de Vries reverse-hits off penalty corner sets and on offensive sequences stifled goalies and beat them to the corners. Complementing de Vries on offense and returning this year as a senior midfielder is Carolin Hoffmann, who scored three goals last season.

As one of the Orange’s primary facilitators, Hoffmann also finished tied for third on SU in assists (two), three behind penalty corner inserter SJ Quigley (five).

“Charlotte’s a great player and she scores a lot of goals, but there’s nine other people on the field who can also contribute,” Hoffmann said after the team’s loss to Princeton.

Sarah Luby, a senior midfielder, finished second on the Orange with four goals and complemented de Vries’ play on the wings.

Who’s gone

Syracuse was a young team last season, and only two players graduated from its 2019 roster: Claire Webb and Stephanie Harris. Webb was the backbone of the Orange’s defense, helping freshman Olivia Graham and converted midfielder Quigley adjust to the backline. 

Webb, who missed the beginning of Syracuse’s season with a hand injury, returned against St. Joseph’s on Sept. 13 and replaced Alex Morales on defense. With Webb now graduated, Morales will likely inherit the open spot.

Sasha Bull, who started eight games in 2018 — and appeared in 12 — but played in only four last year, has also left the program.

What to expect

Syracuse’s returning depth will certainly help it in ACC play, but with how difficult the conference traditionally is, even returning depth might not make a difference. UNC and Duke are perennial national championship contenders, along with Louisville and Virginia. 

“The thing about the ACC is there’s a really good chance you’re going to see people more than once,” Bradley said Oct. 9. “If you want to be a Final Four team, you can maybe see them three times. So, it really is a good measuring stick for us to see what our strengths are and what we need to do to grow to be No. 1 in the country.”

But when the Orange open their shortened 2020 season against the Blue Devils at J.S. Coyne Stadium on Sept. 18, the continuity may prove to be a head start.

Published on September 6, 2020 at 11:36 pm

Contact Andrew: arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew