Under-recruited, undersized transfer Cole Horan steps into starting role
Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports
Cole Horan transferred to Syracuse after Furman cut its program in 2020. Now, he s in the starting lineup.
Facebook
Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
Just over a week after Cole Horan found out that Furman University’s lacrosse program had been terminated in May 2020, he signed with Syracuse. He transferred from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference, from a lower-tier Division I program that went 9-26 during Horan’s three seasons to a nationally renowned program.
The turnaround seemed quick, and the jump significant. For Horan, though, it was neither.
Film review: Can a zone defense help Syracuse bounce back?
Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports
Syracuse experimented with a zone defense against Notre Dame last week. How the zone could help an injured and inexperienced defensive unit.
Facebook
Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
A voice rang out from the Syracuse sideline, yelling “recover” to Max Rosa, who had just switched off Notre Dame midfielder Morrison Mirer. Peter Dearth came over and prevented the dodge, but as Mirer swung the ball away, Rosa put his hands out and looked around in confusion.
ACC Network
Rosa’s uncertainty didn’t lead to any issues on that possession, but the sequence served as a premonition of the disastrous second quarter that followed.
3 takeaways from No. 8 Syracuse’s 22-8 blowout loss to No. 4 Notre Dame
Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports
Syracuse’s defense struggled to stop Pat Kavanagh, who finished with a Notre Dame record of 10 points.
Facebook
Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
In the final six seconds of the first half, short-stick defensive midfielder Peter Dearth received a pass from Stephen Rehfuss and charged toward the cage. The most unlikely scorer, Dearth, unloaded a strike into the back of the net. He walked into the locker room at halftime as the Orange’s leading scorer, with two goals.
Dearth’s offensive success was telling of SU’s failures against Notre Dame. The Orange collapsed in the second quarter, conceding a 10-2 run to close out the half. Plagued by turnovers, limited possessions and a porous zone defense, Syracuse couldn’t prevent a losing record in conference play.
Pat Kavanagh exposes SU’s defense with UND record 10 points in 22-8 win
Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports
Pat Kanavagh notched 10 points against Syracuse s defense today, a Notre Dame record.
Facebook
Subscribe to our sports newsletter here
After Syracuse lost to Notre Dame 18-11 behind Pat Kavanagh’s nine-point performance in the Carrier Dome, SU’s Brett Kennedy said the solution was simple. Kavanagh hadn’t done anything that the Orange didn’t expect, the SU long-stick midfielder said postgame on April 3 SU’s defense was “outworked” by the UND star.
Head coach John Desko said that outing was as good as he’d seen the sophomore play, but he said Kavanagh’s abilities as the quarterback of UND’s offense was “no secret” coming into the matchup.
Subscribe to our sports newsletter here
In the first five minutes of Saturday’s game, Syracuse’s offense only setup in the offensive zone once. And at the end of that possession was a disappointing turnover from the stick of Brendan Curry. Meanwhile, North Carolina poured in four goals and wrestled away any semblance of control the Orange may have thought they’d have playing in front of fans at the Carrier Dome.
A lack of possessions has become the common culprit in Syracuse’s losses this year. The offense certainly didn’t believe there was much the Tar Heels were doing defensively that slowed them down.