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2015 Men's Lacrosse Season Review
2015 ACC Champions
After a disappointing loss to Bryant in the first round of the NCAA Championship cut Syracuse’s 2014 season short, the 2015 team came into the season with its sights set high. Ranked No. 4 in both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse preseason polls, the Orange faced a schedule featuring four daunting ACC foes, all of which also fell in the top 10 of the preseason polls.
Despite a 2-2 record in regular season ACC play, the Orange was able to assert its dominance in just its second year in the conference, taking home the ACC Championship with a pair of one-goal victories over North Carolina and Duke.
Winning undoubtedly the best conference in NCAA lacrosse, and arguably the most competitive in all of collegiate sports, ‘Cuse earned the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. The Orange finished the regular season with a 10-2 record, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the 32nd time in the last 33 seasons.
Numerous contributors to the Orange success earned national recognition as USILA All-Americans. Attackmen Kevin Rice and defenseman Brandon Mullins were named to the first team, improving upon their second-team honors from the previous year. Midfielder Nicky Galasso and faceoff man Ben Williams earned second-team honors, while attackman Dylan Donahue received third-team recognition. Attackman Randy Staats, midfielders Hakeem Lecky and Henry Schoonmaker, long-stick midfielder Peter Macartney, defender Sean Young, and goalie Bobby Wardwell all received honorable mention accolades. In total, Syracuse featured 11 All-Americans, the most for any school.
Both Rice and Mullins were worthy of their honors. Rice led the ACC in points (84) and assists (48), numbers that ranked sixth and third in the NCAA respectively and his performance earned him ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors and the Lt. Col. Jack Turnbull Award, presented to the nation’s top attackman. Rice’s ability to find teammates and score himself helped Syracuse accumulate the second most goals per game in the country with 14.88. Mullins held down a Syracuse defense that had the second-lowest goals against average (9.57) in the ACC, and caused the most turnovers per game (12.38) in the conference.
Following a year in which faceoffs were viewed as the Orange’s biggest weakness, transfer Ben Williams finished the year with a .674 faceoff percentage (256-124), the second highest mark in the country. Williams also led the nation in ground balls per game, scooping up 9.56 in his first year for Syracuse.
The Regular Season
For the second year in a row, Syracuse began its regular season in the Carrier Dome, hosting in-state rival Siena. Having beaten the Saints 19-7 to open the 2014 campaign, the Orange improved on their efforts in 2015, beating Siena 21-7 to get its first win of the season on Feb. 7. Williams proved his worth from the start, winning 17 of his 20 faceoffs, while Donahue notched four goals to lead an Orange attack in which thirteen players scored and seven recorded assists.
Quickly moving into competitive play, the Orange saw its first ranked opponent in its second game of the season, facing off against No. 10 Cornell on Feb. 15. Playing at home for the second time in as many games, Syracuse came alive after a one-goal first quarter to net eleven in the second and third quarters combined, leading to a 14-6 victory over their longtime rival. Lecky and Staats led the way for the Orange, scoring three goals apiece, while Donahue added two to give him six in just the first two games.
In their first close game of the year, Syracuse followed up its win against Cornell with a 12-9 victory against No. 11 Army on Feb. 22. After leading just 5-4 at the half, the Orange outscored the Black Knights 5-3 in the third quarter, and held them off with an even, 2-2 fourth. Again, Donahue fueled the Orange attack, scoring five goals to bring his season total to 11. Williams once again proved vital to the team’s success, winning 21 of his 25 faceoffs.
The Orange opened up ACC play with dominance in the Carrier Dome on Mar. 1, defeating No. 5 Virginia 15-9 in a game that was blown open from the start. Galasso got things going for ‘Cuse, scoring the game’s first two goals en route to an eventual 7-0 lead with 5:52 to go in the second quarter. He added a third with just 16 seconds to go in the half, capping off an 8-1 half for the Orange. Despite second-half efforts from the Cavaliers to fight back into the game, the Orange held firm on their lead, thanks in part to two fourth-quarter goals from Donahue, and yet another from Galasso.
Traveling for the first time all season, the 4-0 Orange sported a No. 1 national ranking for the first time of 2015, taking it to Kennesaw, Georgia against St. John’s in the Cobb County Classic. Falling behind 3-0 in the first quarter and trailing 4-2 at the half, the Orange exploded for a 12-goal second-half effort to top St. John’s 14-6 and preserve their undefeated record. Staats proved to be a leading force for the Orange, tallying six points on five goals and an assist in the contest.
Returning home, ‘Cuse faced off with No. 17 Johns Hopkins on Mar. 14. After falling behind in the first quarter yet again, this time by a score of 5-1, the Orange strung together three improved quarters to eventually top the Blue Jays 13-10. Staats helped fuel a 5-2 run to close the game for the Orange, scoring two goals to bring his total on the season to 15.
Taking the field after two potential scares, the Orange made quick work of the season’s second ACC foe, pulling out to a 13-1 half-time lead and eventually defeating Duke 19-7. The game got started with five quick Syracuse goals, two of which came from Schoonmaker on man-up opportunities. After a Duke goal with 1:29 to go in the first quarter gave the Blue Devils life, Schoonmaker added his third of the game with just 10 seconds left in the period, reasserting the Orange’s early dominance. The second quarter featured seven Orange goals from six different players, with Donahue adding his third of the game and 20th of the season. A more even second half ensued, with the Orange tying Duke 6-6 to hold onto their 12-point lead. Williams won 14 of 22 faceoffs on the game, while Rice led the Orange with seven points (four goals, three assists).
Taking to the road for just the second time of the season, the Orange was handed its first loss of the year to No. 2 Notre Dame in a 13-12 double-overtime matchup. In a battle of the nation’s two top-ranked teams at the time, ‘Cuse fell behind 9-3 midway through the third quarter before a 9-2 run spurred by six goals from Dylan Donahue gave produced the first Orange lead of the game, 12-11 with 1:06 left in the game. However, just seven seconds later, a goal from Notre Dame knotted the game at 12, forcing it into overtime and allowing The Fighting Irish to knock off the No. 1 Orange. Donahue finished the game with a season-high seven goals
Following the loss, Syracuse returned home for a tilt with New York rival, No. 9 Albany. Despite falling behind 2-0 early in the first quarter, the Orange was able to tie the game at four at the end of the period, and went on to take an 8-5 half-time lead. Opening the second half on an 8-3 run, the Orange was able to break the game open, mustering enough offense to get back in the win column. Ten different players recorded points for ‘Cuse, with Rice leading the way on three goals and four assists. Williams also had a career-day at the faceoff X, winning 24-of-27 restarts.
Once again traveling to face-off with an ACC opponent, the Orange dropped their second of such match-ups against North Carolina on April 11. Falling behind early yet again, the Orange found themselves playing catch-up for the game’s entirety, never being able to tie the game. After trailing 5-0 in the first, the Orange fought their way into a two-goal game, with Donahue making it 8-6 at the 5:05 mark of the second quarter. However, two more Carolina goals before the half, and two more to start the third quarter, opened up the gates for the Tar Heels, allowing them to withstand an 8-3 Orange run late in the game and win 17-15.
But the Orange bounced back to close the season on a high note, ‘Cuse rolled over Hobart, 18-5, just three days later. Starting the game 15-0 behind four goals from Staats and three from Donahue, the Orange never looked back, providing strong momentum heading into the ACC Tournament.
The Post-Season
Looking to avenge the regular-season loss to North Carolina, the Orange came out victorious in the first round of the ACC Tournament, advancing behind a score of 9-8 over the Tar Heels. A back-and-forth first half resulted in a 5-5 tie after two. Galasso propelled the early Orange attack with three goals, his last coming with just 1:20 left in the half to even the score. Starting the third quarter, Staats found the back of the net for the first time in the game, fueling a 3-0 Orange run to take an 8-5 lead. Despite the Tar Heels coming back to once again level the playing field, ‘Cuse got what it needed as Rice delivered for the match’s final tally with 1:48 left.
In a rematch of the Orange’s largest ACC win of the regular season, the team met back up with Duke to determine the conference champion. This time in a more even matchup, the Orange trailed 6-2 at the end of the first before outscoring the Blue Devils 7-1 in the second to take a 9-7 half-time lead. Six different members of the Orange netted goals in the quarter, with Staats scoring two of his three goals on the game during the run. The third quarter played to a 3-3 draw, with Syracuse maintaining its two-goal lead. After extending the difference to three with 3:15 to go in the fourth quarter, the Orange held tight against two Blue Devil goals, finishing the game 15-14 and winning the ACC Championship by the same score that Notre Dame defeated them in just one year before.
The ACC title was the team’s first, and its fifth-conference championship in the last six years, having taken four in-a-row to end its reign in the Big East. Rice earned the tournament’s MVP honor behind 11 points on five goals and six assists. Following the title, the Orange earned the number two seed in the NCAA tournament, setting up a match-up with Marist in the first round.
Destined to avoid another first-round mishap, the team scored early and often, eliminating any doubt of its postseason potential and beating the Red Foxes in a 20-8 rout to advance to the second round. Jordan Evans led a 10-0 Orange run in the first half, scoring three goals to help ‘Cuse take a 10-1 lead midway through the second quarter. After four straight goals from the Red Foxes to finish the half and start the third quarter, the Orange rallied to a 10-1 run, ridding Marist of any comeback hopes. Evans finished the game as the Orange’s leading scorer with five goals, while Rice added four goals and five assists for a total of nine points.
In the second round, ‘Cuse met back with a familiar foe, facing off against Johns Hopkins for the second time of the season. The first half served as a back-and-forth affair, with the two teams trading one and two point runs to an eventual 7-6 halftime lead for the Orange. However, a lopsided third quarter in favor of the Blue Jays ended in a goal as time expired to give Hopkins an 11-8 lead heading into the final period. With 3:50 left in the game, the Blue Jays extended their lead to five, leading the Orange 15-10. Rallying off two points in the next minute, the Orange fought within three, only to concede yet another goal to the opposition to make the score 16-12. Despite three goals in the final minute of play, the Orange fell to Johns Hopkins, 16-15, ending their season and cutting short a run at the NCAA championship.
After a disappointing loss to Bryant in the first round of the NCAA Championship cut Syracuse’s 2014 season short, the 2015 team came into the season with its sights set high. Ranked No. 4 in both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse preseason polls, the Orange faced a schedule featuring four daunting ACC foes, all of which also fell in the top 10 of the preseason polls.Despite a 2-2 record in regular season ACC play, the Orange was able to assert its dominance in just its second year in the conference, taking home the ACC Championship with a pair of one-goal victories over North Carolina and Duke.
Winning undoubtedly the best conference in NCAA lacrosse, and arguably the most competitive in all of collegiate sports, ‘Cuse earned the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. The Orange finished the regular season with a 10-2 record, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the 32nd time in the last 33 seasons.
Numerous contributors to the Orange success earned national recognition as USILA All-Americans. Attackmen Kevin Rice and defenseman Brandon Mullins were named to the first team, improving upon their second-team honors from the previous year. Midfielder Nicky Galasso and faceoff man Ben Williams earned second-team honors, while attackman Dylan Donahue received third-team recognition. Attackman Randy Staats, midfielders Hakeem Lecky and Henry Schoonmaker, long-stick midfielder Peter Macartney, defender Sean Young, and goalie Bobby Wardwell all received honorable mention accolades. In total, Syracuse featured 11 All-Americans, the most for any school.
Both Rice and Mullins were worthy of their honors. Rice led the ACC in points (84) and assists (48), numbers that ranked sixth and third in the NCAA respectively and his performance earned him ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors and the Lt. Col. Jack Turnbull Award, presented to the nation’s top attackman. Rice’s ability to find teammates and score himself helped Syracuse accumulate the second most goals per game in the country with 14.88. Mullins held down a Syracuse defense that had the second-lowest goals against average (9.57) in the ACC, and caused the most turnovers per game (12.38) in the conference.
Following a year in which faceoffs were viewed as the Orange’s biggest weakness, transfer Ben Williams finished the year with a .674 faceoff percentage (256-124), the second highest mark in the country. Williams also led the nation in ground balls per game, scooping up 9.56 in his first year for Syracuse.
The Regular Season
For the second year in a row, Syracuse began its regular season in the Carrier Dome, hosting in-state rival Siena. Having beaten the Saints 19-7 to open the 2014 campaign, the Orange improved on their efforts in 2015, beating Siena 21-7 to get its first win of the season on Feb. 7. Williams proved his worth from the start, winning 17 of his 20 faceoffs, while Donahue notched four goals to lead an Orange attack in which thirteen players scored and seven recorded assists.
Quickly moving into competitive play, the Orange saw its first ranked opponent in its second game of the season, facing off against No. 10 Cornell on Feb. 15. Playing at home for the second time in as many games, Syracuse came alive after a one-goal first quarter to net eleven in the second and third quarters combined, leading to a 14-6 victory over their longtime rival. Lecky and Staats led the way for the Orange, scoring three goals apiece, while Donahue added two to give him six in just the first two games.
In their first close game of the year, Syracuse followed up its win against Cornell with a 12-9 victory against No. 11 Army on Feb. 22. After leading just 5-4 at the half, the Orange outscored the Black Knights 5-3 in the third quarter, and held them off with an even, 2-2 fourth. Again, Donahue fueled the Orange attack, scoring five goals to bring his season total to 11. Williams once again proved vital to the team’s success, winning 21 of his 25 faceoffs.
The Orange opened up ACC play with dominance in the Carrier Dome on Mar. 1, defeating No. 5 Virginia 15-9 in a game that was blown open from the start. Galasso got things going for ‘Cuse, scoring the game’s first two goals en route to an eventual 7-0 lead with 5:52 to go in the second quarter. He added a third with just 16 seconds to go in the half, capping off an 8-1 half for the Orange. Despite second-half efforts from the Cavaliers to fight back into the game, the Orange held firm on their lead, thanks in part to two fourth-quarter goals from Donahue, and yet another from Galasso.
Traveling for the first time all season, the 4-0 Orange sported a No. 1 national ranking for the first time of 2015, taking it to Kennesaw, Georgia against St. John’s in the Cobb County Classic. Falling behind 3-0 in the first quarter and trailing 4-2 at the half, the Orange exploded for a 12-goal second-half effort to top St. John’s 14-6 and preserve their undefeated record. Staats proved to be a leading force for the Orange, tallying six points on five goals and an assist in the contest.
Returning home, ‘Cuse faced off with No. 17 Johns Hopkins on Mar. 14. After falling behind in the first quarter yet again, this time by a score of 5-1, the Orange strung together three improved quarters to eventually top the Blue Jays 13-10. Staats helped fuel a 5-2 run to close the game for the Orange, scoring two goals to bring his total on the season to 15.
Taking the field after two potential scares, the Orange made quick work of the season’s second ACC foe, pulling out to a 13-1 half-time lead and eventually defeating Duke 19-7. The game got started with five quick Syracuse goals, two of which came from Schoonmaker on man-up opportunities. After a Duke goal with 1:29 to go in the first quarter gave the Blue Devils life, Schoonmaker added his third of the game with just 10 seconds left in the period, reasserting the Orange’s early dominance. The second quarter featured seven Orange goals from six different players, with Donahue adding his third of the game and 20th of the season. A more even second half ensued, with the Orange tying Duke 6-6 to hold onto their 12-point lead. Williams won 14 of 22 faceoffs on the game, while Rice led the Orange with seven points (four goals, three assists).
Taking to the road for just the second time of the season, the Orange was handed its first loss of the year to No. 2 Notre Dame in a 13-12 double-overtime matchup. In a battle of the nation’s two top-ranked teams at the time, ‘Cuse fell behind 9-3 midway through the third quarter before a 9-2 run spurred by six goals from Dylan Donahue gave produced the first Orange lead of the game, 12-11 with 1:06 left in the game. However, just seven seconds later, a goal from Notre Dame knotted the game at 12, forcing it into overtime and allowing The Fighting Irish to knock off the No. 1 Orange. Donahue finished the game with a season-high seven goals
Following the loss, Syracuse returned home for a tilt with New York rival, No. 9 Albany. Despite falling behind 2-0 early in the first quarter, the Orange was able to tie the game at four at the end of the period, and went on to take an 8-5 half-time lead. Opening the second half on an 8-3 run, the Orange was able to break the game open, mustering enough offense to get back in the win column. Ten different players recorded points for ‘Cuse, with Rice leading the way on three goals and four assists. Williams also had a career-day at the faceoff X, winning 24-of-27 restarts.
Once again traveling to face-off with an ACC opponent, the Orange dropped their second of such match-ups against North Carolina on April 11. Falling behind early yet again, the Orange found themselves playing catch-up for the game’s entirety, never being able to tie the game. After trailing 5-0 in the first, the Orange fought their way into a two-goal game, with Donahue making it 8-6 at the 5:05 mark of the second quarter. However, two more Carolina goals before the half, and two more to start the third quarter, opened up the gates for the Tar Heels, allowing them to withstand an 8-3 Orange run late in the game and win 17-15.
But the Orange bounced back to close the season on a high note, ‘Cuse rolled over Hobart, 18-5, just three days later. Starting the game 15-0 behind four goals from Staats and three from Donahue, the Orange never looked back, providing strong momentum heading into the ACC Tournament.
The Post-Season
Looking to avenge the regular-season loss to North Carolina, the Orange came out victorious in the first round of the ACC Tournament, advancing behind a score of 9-8 over the Tar Heels. A back-and-forth first half resulted in a 5-5 tie after two. Galasso propelled the early Orange attack with three goals, his last coming with just 1:20 left in the half to even the score. Starting the third quarter, Staats found the back of the net for the first time in the game, fueling a 3-0 Orange run to take an 8-5 lead. Despite the Tar Heels coming back to once again level the playing field, ‘Cuse got what it needed as Rice delivered for the match’s final tally with 1:48 left.
In a rematch of the Orange’s largest ACC win of the regular season, the team met back up with Duke to determine the conference champion. This time in a more even matchup, the Orange trailed 6-2 at the end of the first before outscoring the Blue Devils 7-1 in the second to take a 9-7 half-time lead. Six different members of the Orange netted goals in the quarter, with Staats scoring two of his three goals on the game during the run. The third quarter played to a 3-3 draw, with Syracuse maintaining its two-goal lead. After extending the difference to three with 3:15 to go in the fourth quarter, the Orange held tight against two Blue Devil goals, finishing the game 15-14 and winning the ACC Championship by the same score that Notre Dame defeated them in just one year before.
The ACC title was the team’s first, and its fifth-conference championship in the last six years, having taken four in-a-row to end its reign in the Big East. Rice earned the tournament’s MVP honor behind 11 points on five goals and six assists. Following the title, the Orange earned the number two seed in the NCAA tournament, setting up a match-up with Marist in the first round.
Destined to avoid another first-round mishap, the team scored early and often, eliminating any doubt of its postseason potential and beating the Red Foxes in a 20-8 rout to advance to the second round. Jordan Evans led a 10-0 Orange run in the first half, scoring three goals to help ‘Cuse take a 10-1 lead midway through the second quarter. After four straight goals from the Red Foxes to finish the half and start the third quarter, the Orange rallied to a 10-1 run, ridding Marist of any comeback hopes. Evans finished the game as the Orange’s leading scorer with five goals, while Rice added four goals and five assists for a total of nine points.
In the second round, ‘Cuse met back with a familiar foe, facing off against Johns Hopkins for the second time of the season. The first half served as a back-and-forth affair, with the two teams trading one and two point runs to an eventual 7-6 halftime lead for the Orange. However, a lopsided third quarter in favor of the Blue Jays ended in a goal as time expired to give Hopkins an 11-8 lead heading into the final period. With 3:50 left in the game, the Blue Jays extended their lead to five, leading the Orange 15-10. Rallying off two points in the next minute, the Orange fought within three, only to concede yet another goal to the opposition to make the score 16-12. Despite three goals in the final minute of play, the Orange fell to Johns Hopkins, 16-15, ending their season and cutting short a run at the NCAA championship.
