May 6, 2026, 3:01 a.m. ET • While at Spencerport, Guzik was a rare two-time All-American. Once one of the top players in Section V, Molly Guzik’s lacrosse excellence has carried over to the collegiate ranks. The 2024 Spencerport graduate and current Syracuse University attack has been one of Division I women’s lacrosse’s breakout players […]
May 6, 2026, 3:01 a.m. ET
• While at Spencerport, Guzik was a rare two-time All-American.
Once one of the top players in Section V, Molly Guzik’s lacrosse excellence has carried over to the collegiate ranks.
The 2024 Spencerport graduate and current Syracuse University attack has been one of Division I women’s lacrosse’s breakout players this season. Through 18 games Guzik, a sophomore, leads Syracuse in several statistical categories including goals (40), points (50), shots (70, which is 30 more than the next-closest player) and draw controls (69).
That Guzik has excelled for the Orange should come as no surprise. During her varsity career in Section V, Guzik was a rare two-time All-American and the 11th-ranked player nationally in her graduating class.
Her production has been a major boon for Syracuse coach Regy Thorpe, whose Orange have 13 wins entering the NCAA tournament.
Don’t count the first-year head coach among those surprised with Guzik’s production in 2026. He remembers her as a standout player for the Monster club lacrosse program … and that he tried to recruit her to his previous stop at the University of Florida.
“She wanted to stay closer to home,” Thorpe said. “Loved seeing her play in high school and obviously club lacrosse, and was excited to have the opportunity to coach her after the coaching change. She’s one of those kids that can certainly be a game-changer with her athleticism and versatility.”
Guzik submitted a solid freshman season in 2025 with 14 goals in 19 games, strong numbers for any first-year player let alone a midfielder.
Change was inevitable, though, when then-head coach Kayla Treanor departed a month after the conclusion of the season for the same position at Penn State. Enter Thorpe, captain of Syracuse’s 1993 national title-winning men’s team, who agreed to return to his alma mater in June.
Syracuse was in desperate need of scoring threats entering 2026, as top attack Emma Ward had maxed out her eligibility. It was the suggestion of offensive coordinator Nicole Levy that Guzik switch positions to fill that void.
“We were doing individual drills with her and saw the way she was shooting and her skill level. Nicole thought it’d be a good idea to bop her down to attack and Molly just ran with it,” Thorpe said.
If Guzik wasn’t already on the national radar, that changed on March 12 when the newly-minted attack buried six goals, including three in the first quarter, to push upset-minded Syracuse past Northwestern, ranked No. 4 in the nation at the time.
Following the game, Guzik earned player of the week nods from USA Lacrosse and the ACC, and was added to the Tewaaraton Award midseason watchlist.
“It’s never easy to win at Northwestern. That was a low-scoring game and for her to come up with six goals herself was huge,” Thorpe said. “She shot the ball well, shot well from the 8-meter.”
There’s a saying in sports: Development is not linear. Players, as they grow, endure fits and starts. And as Guzik continued to pile up goals and gain notoriety, defensive attention increased.
Guzik started the season with goals in 14 consecutive games. It wasn’t until April 11 against Notre Dame that the sophomore was shut out on the scoresheet (though Syracuse still managed a dramatic four-overtime win). Another scoreless game followed three games later in the ACC tournament semifinals against powerhouse North Carolina.
“The first couple games she was overlooked a little bit, and then as things kept going she started drawing the best defenders,” Thorpe said. “She’s done a good job learning and managing against the better defenders.”
When she’s not scoring, Guzik manages to contribute in other ways. She was thrust into the draw circle this season, as the team’s previous option there transferred, and has performed admirably.
Thorpe also noted Guzik’s sky-high intangibles. Despite her underclassman status, she’s taken on leadership roles this season and remains team-oriented when shots aren’t finding the cage. Off the field, she was named to the ACC’s all-academic team freshman year as a biology major.
“I think she exemplifies what it means to be a Syracuse student-athlete,” Thorpe said. “She’s very accountable and holds herself to a high standard. We’re fortunate to have her and have her be a part of our program.”
Future is bright for Guzik, other Rochester-area players
As the eighth-ranked team in the nation according to USA Lacrosse (through April 27), there’s no need for Syracuse to look too far into the future. As an at-large bid from the ACC, the Orange’s pursuit of their first national title begins Friday, May 8 when Syracuse takes on Loyola Maryland in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
When this season concludes, however, it’ll be fair to wonder the heights Guzik can take her game.
Thorpe said a major focus looking ahead will be Syracuse’s performance in the draw circle, and that Guzik’s role might become more attack-centric while someone else takes on the bulk of that responsibility.
“We’re asking her to do a lot,” Thorpe said. “I think her production would be higher this year if we didn’t have her take a lot of draws. It’s what the team needs this year and she’s willing to do it and sacrifice a little bit of offense.”
Asked whether Guzik can become one of the top players in the nation — she was a top 25 finalist for the Tewaaraton Award this season — Thorpe was enthusiastic.
“She’s shown (that potential) this year. She just has to do it on a consistent basis,” Thorpe said.
Whatever heights Guzik and the Syracuse program reach in the years to come will be largely supported by an influx of talent from Section V. Rochester has been a longtime pipeline for Syracuse, dating back to the inaugural women’s team in 1998 that included Irondequoit’s Kelly Walsh.
The Orange’s roster currently features four Rochester-area players: Guzik, Brighton’s Ireland Mistretta, and Fairport’s Ava Peers and Ella Peers. Next year they’ll be joined by Penfield’s Peyton Rothfuss and Canandaigua’s Maci Mueller. And the list of 2027 commits include Irondequoit’s Ellie Bottiglier, Victor’s Carlina DiFondi and Fairport’s Brenna Goss.
Thorpe, who enjoyed an extensive playing career with the Rochester Knighthawks, acknowledged that the region will continue to be a major pipeline for his program.
“Rochester has really proven itself the last five to seven years, or even longer,” Thorpe said. “As a kid you grow up watching Syracuse lacrosse and coming to the Dome. We want to keep as many kids at home and playing for the Orange as possible.”
Justin Ritzel works as a sports reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on Section V athletics and high school trends.…Read more by Justin Ritzel