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COLLEGE PARK, Md. — After Syracuse’s Final Four loss to Boston College last May, it headed into the offseason uncertain. Due to the extra year of eligibility awarded to players for COVID-19, SU graduated two classes at once and lost 217 points of offense in total. Emma Tyrrell, Natalie Smith, Maddy Baxter and Savannah Sweitzer all departed.

Heading into 2025, it was unclear who’d step up to replace their production. Emma Ward and Olivia Adamson, who combined for 164 points in 2024, were expected to take the mantle. They’ve been phenomenal thus far, including Ward’s seven-point effort Saturday against Maryland. But alongside them, freshman Caroline Trinkaus has emerged as a viable choice.

In No. 6 Syracuse’s (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) 15-9 victory over the No. 7 Terrapins (0-1, 0-0 Big Ten) Saturday, Trinkaus scored three goals on five shots, emerging as a needed secondary scoring option for the Orange. After her three-point performance in SU’s season-opening win against UAlbany, the usual midfielder mostly played attack Saturday.

“She just doesn’t come off the field as much,” Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor said postgame. “She’s such a threat with and without the ball. So I’m really happy with her performance today.”

With numerous holes across the board entering the campaign, the Orange needed to reel in a strong freshman class. And they did, with five players ranked in Inside Lacrosse’s top 100 newcomers.

SU added defender Lexi Reber, who started the first two games next to veterans Kaci Benoit and Coco Vandiver. Besides Trinkaus, its offensive haul included Mileena Cotter and Molly Guzik, who both notched three points versus the Great Danes.

In their preseason media availability, Ward, Adamson and Treanor lauded the group’s efforts in practice, expecting them to make a big impact in games. They have, and Treanor mentioned she’ll continue playing them if they keep performing at high levels.

“We have a lot of really good freshmen that got a ton of opportunities today,” Treanor said after defeating UAlbany on Feb. 7. “I just wish the game could go longer. I just want to keep watching them play.”

But the most consistent thus far has been Trinkaus. The 5-foot-6 midfielder slotted behind Guzik, Reber and Cotter at No. 39 on Inside Lacrosse’s list. Her six points through two games lead the group.

After Cotter started versus the Great Danes, Trinkaus slid in her place Saturday. The Ridgefield, Connecticut, native wasn’t heavily involved in the first quarter, only producing one shot. But as SU’s once four-point lead was trimmed to 5-3 to close the first quarter, she made her presence known midway through the second.

With just over 10 minutes remaining in the half, Gracie Britton corralled the ball to the right of the goal. As the shot clock wound down, nobody seemed open. But then, Trinkaus broke free from her defender and sprinted toward Britton to the right of the eight-meter circle.

Britton dished her the ball, and she was guarded tightly by UMD’s Annabella Schafer. Trinkaus faked left twice, got a sliver of daylight on her right and fired a line drive that squeaked through goalie JJ Suriano’s legs. This extended the Orange’s lead to 6-3.

Syracuse took an 8-4 lead into the half, and Trinkaus immediately added on to begin the third quarter. This time, there were theatrics. Ward possessed the ball at X, and after a five-point first half, the Terrapins wouldn’t leave her one-on-one with a defender. So, UMD’s Fallon George and Shelby Sullivan immediately gravitated to her.

As Sullivan switched from guarding Trinkaus to Ward, Trinkaus was left wide open in front of the goal. Ward delivered a behind-the-back pass to the freshman, who copied her maneuver to beat Suriano up high.

As a midfielder by trade, Trinkaus had no struggles transitioning to an attacking role versus UMD. Treanor acknowledged she could leave her on the field for longer periods of time due to her previous midfield experience.

Trinkaus got back in on the action just three minutes later. After Maisy Clevenger cut Syracuse’s advantage to 9-5, SU embarked on a long offensive possession. Guzik floated a high pass to Cotter in front of the crease, but it was swatted down by Maryland’s Neve O’Ferrall. Joely Caramelli picked up the ball, and it was eventually dished to Trinkaus on the left of the net.

She gathered, circled, then cut to her left past O’Ferrall. Her speed was too much for Maryland’s junior defender. After Suriano fell for a pump fake low, Trinkaus easily deposited the ball into the net’s upper third for her first-career hat trick.

Trinkaus’ tally made the score 10-5. Though she didn’t etch her name on the box score again, her performance gave the Orange some necessary breathing room in the second and third quarters, helping them to a top-10 victory.

Though it’ll be nearly impossible to completely replace the offensive production SU lost in the offseason, Trinkaus and Syracuse’s freshmen proved they can provide some help. Treanor believes that with more game time, they’ll blossom into major scoring threats.

“They just need more time and more game experience, and obviously they’ll get that,” Treanor said after SU’s win over UAlbany. “They’re going to play really big roles for us, and there’s a lot of freshmen that are going to play.”

Published on February 16, 2025 at 11:41 am

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99