New Look Orange Ready for the Challenge

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

2/9/2018 12:36:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse

Having won either the ACC regular season or conference tournament in each of the last three seasons, Syracuse won't be sneaking up on anyone in the league. However, many of the players that carried the teams to those titles are gone, and new faces have emerged ready to get 'Cuse back to the top of the ACC, with their sights set on Championship Weekend.

"Obviously we had some challenges with the shutdown in the fall and not being able to scrimmage, but I think that makes the guys more anxious to get going," head coach John Desko said at the team's media day to kickoff the 2018 season. "We're really looking forward to getting out there and knocking heads with some different people. Our team is relatively young, a lot more freshman than we've had in the past, but we're really happy with that group and there's a lot of competition right now.

"I think you're going to see some younger players get on the field early, our strength of schedule is very difficult, and I'm hoping what doesn't kill us makes us stronger by the end of the year."

With First Team All-American midfielders Nick Mariano and Sergio Salcido gone, 'Cuse will need new faces to carry the offensive load, while All-American defender Scott Firman, goaltender Evan Molloy, All-ACC faceoff man Ben Williams and Jordan Evans on attack are also departed, leaving plenty of opportunities for others on the roster to prove themselves. Underclassman stars like Jamie Trimboli, Nick Mellen, Tyson Bomberry, Danny Varello, Stephen Rehfuss, Nate Solomon, Austin Fusco and seniors Brendan Bomberry and Matt Lane all return with multiple starts at their respective positions, ready to shoulder the load for the Orange with numerous others.
The young roster won't get any favors in terms of the schedule either. Syracuse is slated to take on its most difficult schedule in recent memory, with new opponents of Rutgers and Navy set to face off against the Orange in addition to Albany, Army, Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Notre Dame and North Carolina, who are also all ranked in the USILA Preseason Coaches Poll.

Attack
Despite losing Jordan Evans, who quarterbacked the offense in the prestigious #22 jersey last season, the bulk of the Orange attack returns for 2018, highlighted by pairing emerging star Stephen Rehfuss with Brendan Bomberry and Nate Solomon, who each started on the 'Cuse attack last season.

Bomberry and Solomon each recorded 28 goals apiece last season, good for second on the team behind midfielder Nick Mariano (34). The duo started every game, each coming up in big moments for the Orange last season. The duo will likely be paired with Rehfuss and junior Bradley Voigt, with the quartet set to carry the bulk of the minutes at attack.

Bomberry scored the game-winner at Johns Hopkins last season in overtime and Solomon scored four times in the NCAA Quarterfinal game with Towson, so neither shies away from the big stage, but it's Rehfuss who enjoyed the pressure most last season. Nearly 53-percent of the now redshirt-sophomore's points last season came in the fourth quarter or later. Finishing the year with 25 points, he was the catalyst in the Orange's come-from-behind win over North Carolina, scoring twice and contributing a pair of assists in the fourth quarter of a 12-11 win in Chapel Hill, which served as the unofficial coming out party to the big stage for the New York native.

Voigt, who served as a man-up specialist and the team's fourth attackman last season will likely resume the same duties this season, however is expected to see more time as Coach Desko looks to maximize his offensive weapons. The four attack standouts all could see time in the midfield as well, as 'Cuse looks to find its offensive stride in the wake of departing its top-three scorers from a season ago.

'Cuse has also seen numerous new faces to the attack unit, with top-rated recruit in the 2017 class, Owen Seebold, looking to break through in the rotation. In addition, Jake and Connor Nelson, a junior and freshman respectively, are suiting up in Orange for the first time and Troy Lauder showing his skills in the preseason and competing for time, while the

Midfield
If the ends of the field are the proven commodities for the Orange, the offensive and defensive midfields are an area where the team will need the most newcomers to step up.

Two-time All-Americans Sergio Salcido and Nick Mariano both concluded their stellar 'Cuse careers in 2017, earning USILA First Team All-America honors and leading the team to a 13-3 record, an ACC regular season title and spent the bulk of the year ranked No. 1 in the USILA Coaches Poll. The duo was drafted in the first round of the MLL Draft, leaving Jamie Trimboli as the lone player returning off the Orange's top midfield line last season.

Trimboli proved why he'd earned the spot, becoming the first offensive player to start 10-or-more games for the Orange as a true freshman since Pat Perritt did so in 2006, before going on to win two NCAA Championships with the Orange. As a rookie, he netted 13 goals, none bigger than his overtime game-winning blast from 15-yards out against Duke.

The other returning player who saw some time on the first-line midfield last season is redshirt-senior Matt Lane. The big-bodied midfielder played six games on the unit and is likely to see time on the Orange's man-up unit due to his blazing shot. Ryan Simmons, Pat Carlin and Peter Dearth all saw time on the team's second line unit, with Riley O'Sullivan and Brad McKinney getting some run as reserves as well. All those players are back, but it'll be some newcomers who could challenge for time as well.

Dearth, who played a chunk of his minutes as a defensive midfielder last season is a likely candidate to step into a role on the first line. Scoring four goals and contributing an assist last season, he's expected to be a factor for the Orange. True freshman Tucker Dordevic is a rookie who's turned some heads this preseason as well and could step into a role as a first liner, but regardless is likely to see plenty of action.

There's also no other unit on the roster that has the young depth that's pushing for immediate playing time. If the DDT line of Dearth, Dordevic and Trimboli are penciled in as the top unit, there are lots of young stars looking to dethrone them and a potential second line grouping from the likes of Lane, Simmons, Carlin, O'Sullivan, McKinney, Tyler Ford or Sam Romano, all returning players who are hoping to see an increased role in 2018.
Redshirt freshman David Lipka has proven himself to be someone who'll push to get himself on the field in his first year of action with the Orange. Fellow redshirt freshman Jack Fiorini is another big bodied player who the coaching staff is eager to see use his frame and speed as a dodger. True freshmen Brendan Curry and Lucas Quinn are a pair of highly ranked recruits, both checking in as two of Inside Lacrosse's top-100, with Jonathan Partamian and Patrick Major also adding depth to the unit.

Defensive Midfield
After losing All-American Paolo Ciferri, Joe Gillis and Cal Paduda to graduation and Dearth shifting his focus to the offensive end of the field, the short-stick defensive midfield will see a complete overhaul in 2018. Luckily for the Orange, the long-stick midfielders remain a strength of the team.

2018 captain Austin Fusco headlines the LSM group as the team's primary option at the position. He'll also be in a new number, as Firman handed down the famed No. 11 – the jersey handed down to the leader of the team's defensive unit every year – to Fusco for this season. Fusco was the top groundball collector amongst field players in 2017 and also caused eight turnovers.

In addition, Andrew Helmer is back as the team's other option at the pole, seeing significant time as a redshirt freshman last season, he caused eight turnovers and collected 14 ground balls during his first season on the field. Redshirt-junior Laz Chavez enters the preseason ranked third on the depth chart after seeing a lot of time as a faceoff wing.

Junior Jonah Swigart is joined by freshmen Sam Schluter, Brett Barlow and Jared Fernandez as players who'll see time beyond Helmer.

At shorty, Kevin Hutchings who ran with the second line of defensive midfielders last season is poised to make the jump for more minutes, while Luke Schwasnick is anticipated to round out his game from being more of a wing on faceoffs to an all-around defender. True freshman Dami Oladunmoye – a praised recruit out of Illinois – has the athleticism to shine in coach Lelan Rogers and Steve Scaramuzzino's defensive packages and is expected to make an immediate impact. Devon Sullivan is also in the mix of the group, with six appearances as a true freshman last season. True freshman Jacob Buttermore comes in as a natural short-stick defender as well. While offensive guys like Tyler Ford might see time on the defensive end as well.

Do-it-all player, Nick Martin has shown he can be a big presence on the man-down unit as well early this preseason and in the scrimmages. Look for him to be in the mix as well when he's not working with the faceoff unit.

Close Defense
Graduating Firman from the defensive unit is certainly a loss, but replacing one All-American with another is a luxury very few teams have. Nick Mellen will return to the Orange defensive unit after missing the entire 2017 campaign due to injury and he'll join an otherwise intact unit that co-starred Tyson Bomberry with Firman last season.

Bomberry was second on the team with 14 caused turnovers and earned Preseason All-ACC from Inside Lacrosse for his efforts a year ago. At 6-foot-1, 225 lbs., Bomberry is a bruising defender who thrives in the transition game from his box lacrosse experience. Mellen comes back in as the opposite type of defender, a quick-footed defender who can be the Orange's top cover guy. The duo will provide a much-needed one-two punch, that will be joined by Marcus Cunningham, who started every game last season as well.

In addition to Cunningham, Nick DiPietro served as the Orange's man-down specialist as a freshman last season and is expected to provide competition to the unit for playing time. Besides that group, Brett Kennedy, who missed all of last year due to injury, is back for his redshirt freshman campaign and will also push the group.

Freshman Grant Murphy is the top newcomer of the group, the Woodlands, Texas native was a two-time U.S. Lacrosse High School All-American.

Redshirt Freshman Cristian Edwards, and sophomore Connor Flanagan round out the defensive unit.

Faceoffs
Perhaps the most important piece to the Orange's success over the last-three seasons is no longer at the Faceoff X. Ben Williams, the man who shattered Syracuse's faceoff wins and groundball records in just three seasons departed to the MLL and will be replaced by his backup from a year ago, Danny Varello.

Varello had success in limited action as a changeup to Williams in 2017, winning over 52-percent of his attempts.

Seth DeLisle is a talented transfer who could see action behind Varello. A Nazareth transfer who also played at OCC, DeLisle has put up gaudy numbers throughout his entire career, winning 73-percent at the DIII level last season and 88-percent at the JUCO level. Now, DeLisle looks to see if he can translate that success to the ACC.

In addition to that duo, converted LSM Nick Martin has gotten some run with 'The Sandbox' group, as well as freshman Nate Garlow.

Goalies
Like the Faceoff X, the crease will have a new player in it for the first time in a couple years. Dom Madonna is the anticipated starter after serving as Evan Molloy's backup over the last-two seasons. Madonna – who transferred in from Merrimack after two seasons – will get his first crack and significant time this season.

Drake Porter saw action in one game last season and is the likely backup, with Luke Strang, Willie Klan III and Nathan McPeak providing the unit's depth.