No. 5 Syracuse (14-3, 5-2 Atlantic Coast) enters the ACC Tournament as a No. 4 seed and will face No. 7 Virginia (12-5, 3-4) on Wednesday at 2 p.m. The tournament will take place at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and two of its top-three seeds — Boston College and North Carolina — handed the Orange losses. SU last snuck past Cornell, 16-13, to close out its season in the Carrier Dome, while the Cavaliers have won three straight.

Here’s how the two match up before their Wednesday game.

Last time they played: Syracuse got the best of Virginia on March 2 in the Carrier Dome, 16-11. After a come-from-behind victory against then-No. 4 Northwestern, SU’s next test against a top-10 opponent fared in a dominant offensive performance. With a 7-1 run in an about 11-minute span, the Orange cruised to a victory.

The Virginia report: UVA is led by the dual play of Maggie Jackson, who’s first on the team in assists (34) and third in goals (30). Jackson is most known for her passing — she had four assists against the Orange in March — and the senior midfielder shoots just under .400 for the season.

The Cavaliers offense primarily runs through Avery Shoemaker and Sammy Mueller, who each have more than 40 goals this season. The two combined for five goals against the Orange this season. On the draw, Shoemaker and Mueller alternate duties, but both take the bulk of them for the Cavaliers. They’re both top-four on the team in caused turnovers, too.

Similarly to Syracuse, Virginia has dominated lower-tier teams while dropping games against the powerhouses of the ACC. But the Cavaliers’ losses against the top-three seeds of the tournament show a talent disparity between SU and UVA. The Orange held a five-goal lead over No. 1 Boston College and beat No. 3-seed Notre Dame by a goal. The Cavaliers lost to both teams.

How Syracuse beats Virginia: Contain its midfielders. When Virginia is at its best, it dominates the middle of the field. SU’s losses have seen quiet games from its top scoring midfielder, Sam Swart, and shaky defense in the middle. The Orange will have to contain Jackson and Mueller like they did in their first matchup of the season and expose UVA’s defense near the crease.

Syracuse struggles playing in back-and-forth games, and it cannot rely on another second-half comeback like against Northwestern and Notre Dame. For SU to advance to a potential second round matchup with Boston College, the undefeated No. 1 seed, the Orange need a hot start.

Stat to Know – 86

Shoemaker and Mueller combined for 86 goals this season, and Virginia’s best games have come from their combined scoring presence. The UVA attack will likely get shut down by SU defenders Sarah Cooper and Kerry Defliese, so it’ll resort to its midfielders — mostly in the inverted game — to take advantage.

Player to watch: Avery Shoemaker, senior attack

Shoemaker has been face-guarded this season — even briefly against SU in March — for good reason. The Cavaliers’ best attack’s play is reminiscent of Emily Hawryschuk: dodges with long-range ability. If Shoemaker can fend off slides and utilize her skill set off the ball, it should jumpstart the UVA offense and give it a chance to defeat Syracuse.

Published on April 22, 2019 at 2:16 pm

Contact KJ: kjedelma@syr.edu | @KJEdelman