Clemson Women's Lacrosse Heads to No. 5 Syracuse

No. 12 Clemson Women's Lacrosse will compete in their second consecutive top-25 road match-up against No. 5 Syracuse on Saturday. The Tigers are coming off a thrilling 12-11 victory over Notre Dame. The win over the previous No. 11 team was the highest-ranked victory for the program. It was also the first time the program defeated the Irish, demonstrating the team’s growth. Clemson improved to 4-0 (1-0 ACC), establishing their presence as a strong contender within the league. Now they shift their focus to a battle of orange. 

No. 5 Syracuse has one of the toughest schedules, facing multiple ranked opponents in a short period. At 3-2, the program is currently on a two-game losing streak after dropping matches to No. 3 Northwestern and No. 2 North Carolina. In their most recent loss against Northwestern, the Orange went down 4-0 early in the first quarter and could not battle back, ultimately losing 12-8. 

The program's offense is led by a pair of Emmas. Graduate attacker Emma Ward leads the team in goals (14) and points (27) so far this season. Her 13 assists rank her second in the ACC. She’s accurate, recording a 0.68 shot-on-goal percentage. 

In the midfield, Emma Munchnick draws on her experience with the United States U20 Championship last summer. She helped the team win a gold medal in the 2024 World Lacrosse Women's U20 Championship in Hong Kong, China. In the playoff opener against Puerto Rico, she scored two goals and recorded two assists, leading to her being named Player of the Match. As the team continued to dominate the tournament, going undefeated through seven games, she finished with 18 points on 15 goals and three assists. Now at Syracuse, she’s tallied 10 goals through five games. Clemson will need to keep an eye on these two offensive threats throughout the game. 

Goalkeeper Daniella Guyette has proven formidable in the cage, reaching double-figure saves in three straight games. She leads the ACC in saves (58) and saves per game (11.6). Guyette will pose a challenge for the Tigers' offense to overcome. 

Players across the board have contributed to Clemson’s historically powerful start. Senior goalkeeper Emily Lamparter recorded 13 saves on 33 shots faced against Notre Dame. Her dominant performance led to her earning IWLCA and ACC Defensive Player of the Week awards.

Summer Agostino has been a major disrupter for opposing teams, leading the ACC in caused turnovers at 12. Lastly, Natalie Shurtleff has been an offensive spark, already recording two hat tricks on the season. Clemson has one of the highest-scoring offenses in the country, averaging 18 goals and 37 shots per game while placing nearly 75% of their shots on goal.

Clemson has lost their last two contests against Syracuse. A win inside JMA Wireless Dome will not come easy, but the Tigers are primed for the challenge. Clemson has the momentum and will be looking to keep the train rolling through difficult ACC play.