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.
Credit Cuse.com
There were no fans this time around for the Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse game. Nevertheless, SU handled business on Friday, downing Stony Brook 17-9.
Friday marked the first-ever matchup between Syracuse and Stony Brook. And the Orange couldn’t be any more dominant to open the all-time series between the two squads.
In an offense that centered around Griffin Cook a year ago, this time there’s a young star stepping into the role: freshman Owen Hiltz. The Canadian had a game-high four-goals en route to SU’s dominant win over the seawolves.
Hiltz’s quick draw ability is what separated him in this one. As soon as Hiltz touched the ball, it was in a flash it would reach the back of the net. The freshman had five shots on goal the entire game, converting at an 80 percent clip. Head Coach John Desko says Hiltz’s offense output is not the only thing improving week-to-week.
Credit Cuse.com
It’s been a rollercoaster of a start for the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team. The Orange opened the season with an uncharacteristic and somewhat disappointing 18-11 loss to number seven Army inside the Dome. Things seemed slightly out of sync considering the Orange finished last season ranked number one before the COVID-19-induced shutdown. Fast forward to a week later, though, and the Cuse manhandled Virginia at home. The first half was fairly close, SU took a 9-7 lead into the break. The second half was where the Orange excelled. The Cuse outscored the Cavaliers 11-3 in the second frame en route to a 20-10 victory. It was a complete turnaround considering Syracuse scored just 11 goals total in its first outing against the Black Knights.