The stats that have defined No. 9 Syracuse midway through the season
Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports
Here are the stats that have defined Syracuse through seven games this season.
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After coming off an undefeated 2020 season, expectations were high for the Orange this season. They didn’t add offensive powers like Duke’s Michael Sowers and Brennan O’Neill, but they returned eight All-Americans. It was good enough to be named Atlantic Coast Conference favorites in the preseason coaches poll.
A season-opening loss to Army shattered those expectations and a blowout win against then-No. 2 Virginia built them back up. Through seven games just over half the season Syracuse (4-3, 1-2 ACC) continues to tear down and then restore the hype surrounding a program that hasn’t won a national championship since 2009.
Credit Cuse.com
It’s not panic time yet for fans of Syracuse men’s lacrosse, but there might be some cause for concern. The #4 Orange (4-3, 1-2 ACC) played poorly in several facets of the game in Saturday’s 18-11 loss against #9 Notre Dame (5-1, 1-1 ACC).
Despite the star power SU brings to the table, it’s been inconsistency that has plagued this year’s experienced group. Outside of a dominant 20-10 win against Virginia back on February 27th, Syracuse has rarely played their best on both sides of the ball. One recurring problem has been the source of that inconsistency: faceoffs.
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Jamie Trimboli’s teeth chewed away at his black mouthguard hanging half out of the right side of his mouth while his eyes stared dead ahead, unmoving. Syracuse head coach John Desko stood beside him, arms crossed. Eric Dobson’s high, ripped shot on the man-up just capped a 9-2 run for Notre Dame to close the first half, and the Fighting Irish took a three-goal lead into the midway break.
No. 4 Syracuse (4-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) never recovered, losing a second straight ACC game, 18-11, this time at home to No. 9 Notre Dame (5-1, 1-1). Here are three takeaways from the Saturday afternoon game.
Syracuse lacrosse D wilts in disastrous 2nd quarter vs. Notre Dame: ‘We kind of came apart’
Updated Apr 03, 2021;
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Syracuse, N.Y. The disintegration of the Syracuse lacrosse team was as quick as it was shocking on Saturday afternoon.
After an impressive SU start that built a four-goal lead early in the second quarter, Notre Dame took over as few teams ever have on the Carrier Dome turf. The No. 9 Fighting Irish scored nine goals in the final 12:29 of the quarter to reverse momentum and breeze to an 18-11 win over No. 4 Syracuse.
Pat Kavanagh was a maestro for the Fighting Irish, running circles around the Orange defense with four goals and five assists, and Griffin Westlin and Will Yorke each put up four apiece.
No. 4 Syracuse loses 2nd straight game, 18-11, to No. 9 Notre Dame
Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports
Pat Kavanagh recorded four goals in Notre Dame s blowout win in the Carrier Dome.
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For the better part of the first quarter, Syracuse’s defense locked down the nation’s assist leader, Pat Kavanagh. He scored around Mitch Wykoff with five minutes remaining in the quarter, but Wykoff did well to mirror the Notre Dame sophomore’s movements. The Gettysburg transfer used his stick aggressively, limiting Kavanagh’s space to keep him uncomfortable near SU’s crease.