Review and Preview: Sixth-Ranked Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse
By Dan Shalam | @Dan_Shalam
Sixth ranked Syracuse men’s lacrosse is under 24 hours away from facing number fifteen Harvard tomorrow. The Orange are coming off a 11-7 loss to now second-ranked Maryland this past Saturday. In that game SU was shut down offensively scoring just two second half goals. So what was the true issue down in College Park, and how does SU match up against the Crimson? Let’s dive into all of that and more.
Swept out of SECU
Coming into last week’s matchup against the Terps, there was lots on the line. Syracuse hadn’t won in the regular season in Maryland since 1983, the Orange had lost six straight to UMD, and it was the first road battle of the year. Safe to say, nothing went SU’s way. From the jump, there was a feeling it was going to be a long day in College Park. It was extremely cold with rain, and Syracuse seemed uncomfortable in its first few possessions. Even though the Orange led at the half, it was all for not. The second half exposed Syracuse like we haven’t seen all year. Maryland’s long poles shut down anything the SU attack was trying to do leading to multiple shot clock violations and bad shot selection. If you looked at the box score at the end of the game you would’ve thought the Orange played a good game, yet that was far from the truth. Despite the offensive adversity on Saturday though, attackman Owen Hiltz said the early season struggles could be a turning point for the group, “Sammy, gave a speech after the game and said this is the best group he’s ever played with. That kinda puts in perspective, we are a skilled enough team to do all that, we just gotta put in the work.” That work starts tomorrow against the Crimson.
Crimson in the Dome
The series between the two sides actually started all the way back in 1919, with the Orange coming out on top 3-2. Since then, the two have not only scored more than a combined five goals in a game, but also played 17 other times. Surprisingly, Syracuse has won every single matchup standing at a perfect 18-0 all-time against Harvard. Only six of those games have been played in Syracuse though, with just two occurring in the Dome (1984, 2006).
One Rookie, One Veteran
The Crimson are highlighted by two star players. Freshman goalie Graham Stevens, and senior attackman Sam King. So far this season, Stevens was a five-star coming out of high school and is the Crimson’s highest-rated player. In his first collegiate start, the netminder made 13 saves, the most by a Crimson goalie in a debut since 2007 As for King, he’s averaging over six points a game this year which leads the team. Along with that, the attackman sits third nationally for career-points per game with just over four. Overall, the Orange are going to have a lot on their plate between trying to beat Stevens and defend King.
Finishing the month strong
With the Harvard game being SU’s last matchup of the month of February, Syracuse is trying to win four games in February for the first time in back-to-back seasons. That feat has never been accomplished in program history.
Orange keys to the game
Syracuse needs to start early and fast. In the game against Maryland, it took SU nearly 10 minutes to get on the board. That was the longest scoring drought to start a game all year. The Orange need to pepper Stevens early and make him uncomfortable. If they do that, the offense will find the flow it was missing against the Terps. Defensively, goalie Jimmy McCool played a great game in College Park despite the loss. However, the junior was hung out to dry a couple of times by his defense. Tightening things up on ground balls is where the defense needs to focus to limit King having any true high-danger chances on McCool. If all goes to plan (which it should), the Orange will stay an undefeated 19-0 against the Crimson all-time. But, don’t think Harvard is going to go away without a fight.
