Syracuse women's lacrosse falls to Maryland in season opener

The Orange were outshot 38-19 but made a late push before falling to the No. 7 Terrapins

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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Syracuse women's lacrosse dropped its season opener Friday night, falling 9-5 to No. 7 Maryland after the Terrapins built an early lead and relied on strong goaltending to hold off a late push. Despite being outshot 38-19, Maryland capitalized on early scoring opportunities while goaltender JJ Suriano anchored the defense with 16 saves.

Why it matters

This loss marks a tough start to the season for the Syracuse women's lacrosse team, which is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign. The Orange will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to face the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels next week.

The details

Maryland opened the game with three consecutive goals in the first quarter and extended the advantage to 6-1 midway through the second period. Caroline Trinkaus ended the early scoring drought for Syracuse with a goal early in the second quarter and later added a second tally in the third period to lead the Orange with two goals. Syracuse trimmed the deficit late in the third quarter when Molly Guzik scored, bringing the score to 7-3 entering the final frame. Joely Caramelli and Mileena Cotter added fourth-quarter goals to complete the Orange scoring.

  • The game was played on Friday, February 7, 2026.
  • Syracuse returns to action on Friday, February 13, 2026, hosting No. 1 North Carolina at 2:30 p.m.

The players

JJ Suriano

The Maryland goaltender who anchored the defense with 16 saves.

Daniella Guyette

The Syracuse goalkeeper who recorded eight saves on 17 shots on goal.

Caroline Trinkaus

The Syracuse player who scored two goals for the Orange.

Molly Guzik

The Syracuse player who scored a goal and led the team with six draw controls.

Lauren Lapointe

The Maryland player who paced the Terrapins with five goals, including two in the opening quarter and two more early in the fourth quarter.

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What’s next

Syracuse returns to action Friday, February 13, hosting No. 1 North Carolina at 2:30 p.m.

The takeaway

This loss highlights the challenges the Syracuse women's lacrosse team will face this season as they look to rebound from a disappointing 2025 campaign. The Orange will need to find a way to overcome their early scoring struggles and shore up their defense if they hope to compete with the top teams in the country, starting with a tough matchup against the No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels next week.