Fourth-Ranked Men's Lacrosse Takes on No. 15 Penn in Final Road Game of the Regular Season
4/18/2002 1:24:52 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Game 12: at #15 Pennsylvania
Fri., April 19, 2002, 3:30 p.m., Franklin Field
Listen to the Game
Syracuse dropped from No. 1 to No. 4 in both the coaches and media polls this week following a 15-11 loss to nationally-ranked Cornell on April 9. It is SU's lowest ranking of the season. The Orangemen rebounded later in the week to defeat Rutgers, 13-4, on the road. Their record is now 9-2 with three regular-season games remaining.
With a win against Syracuse, No. 15-ranked Pennsylvania will have nine victories for the first time since 1989. The Quakers bring an 8-3 record into this Friday's contest, including three-straight wins against Dartmouth (10-7), Lehigh (7-6) and Brown
(11-9). Other quality wins for Penn include a 7-6 decision against Notre Dame and a 7-5 win against Bucknell. The Quakers have dropped three games in this year's competitive Ivy League race, losing to Yale (11-5), Cornell (7-4) and Princeton (18-4).
Friday marks the 27th meeting between Syracuse and Penn. The Orangemen own a 24-1-1 record and a streak of 23-straight victories in the all-time series. The two teams tied, 1-1, in 1920. Pennsylvania's only win against Syracuse was a 2-1 outcome on May 23, 1919.
On the Air
SU's games will be broadcast on the school's flagship radio station for lacrosse, ESPN Radio 1260 AM. Andy Jones will handle play-by-play duties, while Syracuse equipment manager Kyle Fetterly will serve as the color analyst. The games can be heard through the internet at www.suathletics.com. WAER FM 88 will also broadcast all the games, led by sports director Andy Demetra.
Time Warner 13 in Syracuse will broadcast the three remaining home games and air them on a tape-delay basis. Doug Wright will handle play-by-play duties, while Dale Drypolcher provides analysis. The next home game against Massachusetts will air on Sunday, April 28, at 7 p.m.
Orangemen Still Leading the Nation in Scoring Offense
Syracuse is still the top-scoring team in the nation, according to the April 14th NCAA Division I Statistics. The NCAA releases the Division I statistics each Tuesday on its web site, www.ncaa.org.
At the start of the week, the Orangemen were averaging 14.27 goals per game, the most of any team in the nation. Massachusetts was second with 13.20 goals per game. SU also ranked high in scoring margin (2nd - 5.09), win percentage (5th - .818), man-up offense (4th - .451) and man-down defense (4th - .860).
Individually, Michael Powell was second in points per game (4.82), while Josh Coffman was 13th with 3.82 points per game. Powell was tied for fifth in assists per game (2.45).
Track SU's Five Tewaaraton Trophy Candidates on the Web!
Syracuse University is proud to unveil a new feature on its athletics web site dedicated to the promotion of SU's five men's lacrosse Tewaaraton Trophy candidates. The new feature can be viewed and bookmarked at www.suathletics.com/tewaaraton.
This new page was designed to help media members, fans and voters track SU's five Tewaaraton candidates. The site includes each player's season statistics, their career biographies and a small photo gallery. Statistics and bios will be updated following each game the Orangemen play during the remainder of the season.
The five Orangemen who are vying for the second annual Tewaaraton Trophy are: Josh Coffman, John Glatzel, Michael Powell, Michael Springer and Spencer Wright.
The Tewaaraton Trophy is presented annually following the collegiate season to the top male and female varsity collegiate lacrosse players in the United States. Scholarship money is given to the award recipient's college or university general scholarship fund. Five finalists will be announced in May. The Tewaaraton Trophy Awards Dinner will be held at the University Club of Washington, D.C. on June 5, 2002 at a banquet honoring the finalists and winners.
Syracuse vs. The Ivy League
The Orangemen are 156-47-2 all-time against teams from the Ivy League -- good for a winning percentage of .766. They are 2-1 against Ivy League teams this season, after beating Princeton, 11-8, Brown, 14-13, in overtime and losing to Cornell, 15-11.
Pennsylvania will be SU?s final Ivy League opponent before playoffs.
Since 1990, Syracuse has posted a 48-8 record against teams from the Ivy League.
Cornell is the Ivy League team with the most wins against Syracuse (31). The Big Red have played the Orangemen more times than any other Ivy League school (86).
SU has 24 wins against Pennsylvania, the second-most victories for the Orangemen against an Ivy League school, and the second-best winning percentage (.942).
By percentage, SU has had the most success against Harvard (17-0).
The Rutgers Contest Represented the 1,000th Game in SU Lax History
SU's last outing against Rutgers represented the 1,000th game in Syracuse lacrosse history. Earlier in the season, the Orangemen reached another noteworthy milestone, by picking up win No. 700, against Army on February 23.
The Orangemen's all-time record is now 708-277-15 (.716). The only other Division I program with more victories is Johns Hopkins (800+).
Powell Ranks Second in the Nation in Scoring
Sophomore attackman Michael Powell is ranked second in the nation in points per game this week (4.82 ppg), behind Hartford's Brian LaMastro (5.00 ppg). Georgetown's Steve Dusseau is in third place with 4.78 points per game. Powell is coming off his second-straight game with at least five points and four assists. He was the game's high scorer at Rutgers with two goals and four assists. One game prior at Cornell, Powell had three goals and four assists, the most he accumulated in a game since the season opener against Army when he tallied a career-high eight points on five goals and three assists.
The eight points Powell put up against Army marked the most points registered by an Orangeman since the 2000 NCAA quarterfinals when older brother, Ryan Powell, torched Georgetown with four goals and four assists.
Michael Powell, the Preseason Player of the Year, had three goals and an assist at Brown. His third goal against Brown, marked his 50th career tally. Against Hobart, Powell reached the century mark for career points. He had a goal and three assists vs. the Statesmen. His assist on the first goal of the game just 42 seconds into the contest marked his 100th career point. Against Virginia, Powell scored four goals and had two assists. At Denver, he had three goals and three assists in each of SU's two games.
In 27 career games, Powell has registered at least five points, 13 times. He had three games last season in which he posted six points (vs. Loyola, Brown and Virginia). Presently, Powell leads the team in scoring with 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists), or a 4.82 point-per-game average. He is the owner of 123 career points (56 goals, 67 assists). Powell has never been shut out of a game. He has either scored a goal or had an assist in all 27 games of his career.
A Win at Penn Will Be Desko's 50th Victory as Head Coach at Syracuse
John Desko is one win away from reaching career coaching victory No. 50. Now in his fourth season as head coach at Syracuse, Desko's overall record is 49-11. He owns the unparalleled distinction of being the only Division I men's coach to guide his team to the national championship game in each of his first three seasons. He brings this accomplishment and others into his fourth year at the helm, continuing to prove why he is one of the most successful lacrosse coaches in the game today. Last season, Desko guided the Orangemen to a 13-3 record, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the program's 19th consecutive appearance in the national semifinals and the school's 12th appearance (third straight) in the national championship game. It was the second year in a row that SU earned the top seed. He and his staff have achieved success by scheduling the nation's toughest competition and coming out on top in those games. Since Desko took over in 1999, Syracuse is 16-6 against top 10 teams. His teams are 8-2 in the postseason. In 2000, Desko led the Orangemen to the NCAA title. It was the school's seventh crown and first since 1995. That year, he guided SU to a 15-1 record, the best finish since 1988, and an 18th-consecutive appearance in the final four. The 1999 season saw Desko become the third head coach in Division I history to reach the NCAA title game in just his first year at the helm. He led the Orangemen to a 12-5 record, a 17th-consecutive trip to the NCAA Final Four and the program's 10th appearance in an NCAA championship game. It was the first time a No. 8 seed ever reached the national semifinals and finals. This year, he will be serving his third term as a member of the NCAA Lacrosse Committee, a group that oversees and regulates rules, championships and other issues pertinent to the sport. Desko was selected to the committee in 1999.
Wright Equals Career High With Two Assists at Rutgers
Although he has failed to score in SU's last two games, senior midfielder Spencer Wright (San Diego, Calif./Junipero Serra) did equal his career high with two assists at Rutgers. The last time he scored a goal was April 6, in a win against Loyola where he tallied a hat trick. Wright was held without a point in the loss to Cornell. It was the first time in 21 games that Wright failed to record a goal or an assist.
Wright is the team's fourth-leading scorer with 23 points (16 goals, seven assists). Last season, Wright totalled 28 points (18 goals) in 16 games. Prior to the Cornell game, Wright had 10 goals and an assist in SU's previous four games. He has three hat tricks on the season and five for his career.
He had three goals and an assist in the win against Princeton, three goals versus Hobart, and a goal in the overtime win at Brown. Last year, he scored three goals against Virginia and had a career-high four goals at Georgetown.
Wright is the owner of 55 career points (38 goals, 17 assists). His .400 shooting percentage (16 goals on 40 shots) is fourth-best on the team.
Springer Now 13th All-Time in Goals at Syracuse
Junior attackman Michael Springer surpassed John Zulberti on SU's all-time goals list last weekend after he registered three goals and an assist to help beat the Scarlet Knights. Springer is now 13th on the career goals chart. He had a game-high four goals and an assist against Hobart which helped him surpass the century mark. He followed that up with three goals and an assist in SU's 14-13 overtime win at Brown, including the game-winning goal in overtime. He is SU's third-leading scorer with 30 points (23 goals, seven assists). Against Princeton, he was held without a point for just the second time in his career (the first time was against Princeton in last year's national championship game). Only six times in 42 career games has Springer been held to fewer than two points. He has recorded three or more goals 24 times in his career. He averaged 2.84 goals per game in his first two seasons at SU.
Park Leads the Team in Groundballs with 58 or 5.27 Groundballs Per Game
Freshman midfielder Jarett Park (Tully, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) is leading the team in groundballs this season with 58 after 11 games. Prior to the Rutgers game, Park scored seven goals and had two assists in SU's previous five games. He tallied his first collegiate goal at Princeton on March 23, and it turned out to be the game-winner. Against Hobart, Park found the back of the net twice. In the overtime win at Brown, Park registered two goals and an assist. He scored versus Loyola and had a goal and an assist at Cornell. His niche on the team is as part of the face-off unit. Because of his strength and quickness, Park is an asset for SU. A two-sport athlete, Park also plays soccer for the Orangemen. He was the 2001 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year in soccer and was voted the National Freshman of the Year by Soccer America Magazine. He led the team, the BIG EAST and the nation in assists (14).
Coffman Becomes 18th Player in School History to Record 100 Goals
Senior attackman Josh Coffman (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage) is SU's second-leading scorer with 42 points. He is second on the team with 25 goals, after recording three at Rutgers in SU's most recent outing. His first goal against the Scarlet Knights marked his 100th career goal. This week, Coffman was ranked 13th in the nation in points per game (3.82). Coffman had a three-goal, three-assist performance against Loyola, finishing as the contest's leading point-getter. He had a one-goal, two-assist performance in the overtime win at Brown. Against Hobart, Coffman dished out a career-high five assists. He set up the final four first-quarter goals to help SU jump out to an early 6-1 lead against the Statesmen. Coffman currently owns 168 career points (102 goals, 66 assists). His 102 goals place him 18th on the all-time goals ledger at SU. He registered four goals in the win against Denver, tying his career high. Coffman also tallied four goals in the win at Virginia. At Princeton, Coffman finished the game with three goals and an assist. Out of 60 career games, Coffman has recorded at least four points 21 times. During his first three seasons at SU, he played primarily at midfield. At that position on the field, Coffman earned first-team All-America accolades. Syracuse is 37-8 when Coffman scores a goal. He has 18 hat tricks to his credit during his time at SU. Coffman was recently added to the U.S. team that will compete in the International Lacrosse Federation World Championship this July in Perth, Australia.
St. George Dishes Out First Assist of His Career at Rutgers
John Glatzel (Ellicott City, Md./Boys' Latin), Billy St. George (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) and Sol Bliss (Tully, N.Y./Tully) are back for their second straight season as SU's starting close defense unit. The trio, combined with starting goaltender Jay Pfeifer (Towson, Md./Gilman), helped hold Rutgers and Hobart to four goals. They also helped limit then No. 3-ranked Loyola to just six goals.
As a unit last season, the SU defense posted the lowest goals against average since 1988. The 128 goals Syracuse gave up in 2001 was the fewest since 1990 - when the team yielded just 124 goals in 13 games. The SU "D" - with Glatzel, St. George and Bliss - finished eighth in the nation in scoring defense, giving up a measly 8.00 goals per game. That was the lowest average a Syracuse defensive unit allowed since 1988 when the Orangemen gave up an average of 7.87 goals per game. Glatzel and St. George are three-year starters, while Bliss, who redshirted in 1999, is in his second season as a starter.
Glatzel, a 2001 first-team All-American, has been a finalist for the Defenseman of the Year award the past two seasons. He held Virginia's Conor Gill to just one goal on March 2, held Princeton's Ryan Boyle to just one assist and made a huge play at Brown, stripping Ryan Culligan of the ball which gave SU possession and allowed the Orangemen to come back and tie the game at 13-13 with 36 seconds remaining in regulation.
St. George earned honorable mention All-America laurels last year, and Bliss earned enough notice after last year's NCAA semifinals to earn preseason All-America accolades this year. Bliss shut down Notre Dame's leading scorer, Tom Glatzel, John's twin brother in the national semifinals. This season, Bliss had success against UVA's highly-touted rookie attackman John Christmas, who had just one goal against the Orangemen.
Syracuse Ranks 15th in the Nation in Face-Off Winning Percentage
Junior midfielder Chris Bickel (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga) is winning 57 percent of the faceoffs he takes this season. He has won 134-of-236 so far this year. Bickel won 9-of-14 draws at Rutgers last weekend. In his first season as SU's main face-off specialist, Bickel has enjoyed some success. In SU's last four outings, Bickel's success rate has risen to .602 (56-of-93). His best effort was a career-high 21-of-30 performance at Brown. Bickel won the last five faceoffs against the Bears, including a critical draw in overtime. At Princeton, he won 14-of-22. He was impressive in the fourth quarter, winning the final five-straight draws to help SU gain possession. Assisting Bickel from the wings has been a number of different players. Freshman midfielder Jarett Park (Tully, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) has had the most success. Another freshman, midfielder Jake Plunket (Cortland, N.Y./Homer), has also taken some faceoffs for Syracuse this season. Plunket won six-of-seven draws last Saturday at Rutgers. This week in the national statistics, the Syracuse face-off unit ranks 15th with a .558 success rate (163-of-292).
Pfeifer Has Started All 11 Games in Goal for Syracuse This Season
Jay Pfeifer (Towson, Md./Gilman) stopped five shots and allowed three goals in a little more than 45 minutes of action last Saturday at Rutgers. It was a solid performance following a tough day at Cornell, where the Big Red scored 15 goals on 31 shots (.484) and marched on to a 15-11 victory. The five saves Pfeifer totalled at Cornell marked the fewest he has recorded while playing a game's full 60 minutes, while the 15 goals marked the most he's allowed in a full game. Pfeifer, SU's starter, now owns a .514 save percentage and a 9.17 goals against average. He sported a new look against Hobart, wearing orange football pants which were specially ordered for him with his #2 stitched on. Pfeifer played the game's first 34 minutes and had 10 saves, while allowing just one goal. It was his best single-game save percentage of the season (.909). He slipped the pants on again for the game against Loyola. In that contest, Pfeifer recorded seven saves and allowed six goals. At Virginia, Pfeifer had a terrific game. After allowing six goals in the first quarter, he settled down to record 18 saves, including 10 in the second half. He was solid in the win against Denver with 11 saves against the Pioneers, including 10 following the game's opening quarter. Pfeifer has strong lacrosse genes. His father, Jerry, played lacrosse at Johns Hopkins and served as an assistant coach for the Blue Jays. At JHU's Homewood Field on March 16, Pfeifer had his best performance of the season. He made 15 saves, including a few in exciting fashion. He also showed his ability to come out of the cage and initiate the break.
Nee Has 11 Goals and Two Assists in SU's Last Five Games
Sophomore attackman Brian Nee (Cockeysville, Md./Boys' Latin) registered a career-high four points (three goals and an assist) at Rutgers last weekend. He is now fifth on the team in scoring with 21 points (16 goals, five assists). He is tied for fourth on the squad in goals with Spencer Wright. Nee has contributed to SU's attack with either a goal or an assist in nine of 11 games this season. He has tallied a goal in each of SU's last five games, totalling 11 goals and two assists during the stretch. He recorded his fourth hat trick of the season against Rutgers. He also had three goals against Loyola, Hobart and Air Force. Nee has seen valuable minutes all season. In the fourth quarter against Johns Hopkins, Nee had several scoring opportunities. His teammates were trying to feed him because of his ability to finish. He sees most of his time on extra-man situations. A 6-foot, one-inch lefty, Nee is highly effective for SU when opposing teams commit penalties. This season, Nee scored twice at Virginia. He followed that up with three goals in SU's 20-8 win against Air Force out in Denver. In the win against the host Pioneers, Nee dished out his first two career assists. Last season, Nee registered 17 goals and had the best shooting percentage on the team at 50 percent. He has five hat tricks for his career. Last season, he posted a season-high three goals in a win against Fairfield.
Orangemen Prove Successful When Shooting Well and Leading at Halftime
Three stats that stand out when examining the 2002 Syracuse Orangemen are that they are 8-1 when taking more shots than their opponent, 7-1 when leading at halftime and 4-0 when getting more extra-man opportunities than their opponent. Special teams have been solid for Syracuse all season. The Orangemen are undefeated (4-0) when they have gained more extra-man opportunities than their opponent. SU beat Army with a 5-3 EMO advantage, Virginia with a 5-4 edge, Hobart by an 8-7 margin and Brown by a 5-3 EMO edge. SU's man-down unit has only allowed one goal in its last three games. The Orangemen held Loyola and Cornell's man-up teams to a combined 0-for-8 showing. Both teams were awarded four man-up opportunities against the Orangemen. Rutgers managed to convert one EMO, out of the seven they were awarded. In its last six games, SU has only allowed three EMO goals (3-for-31), good for a 90% successful stop rate. Brown scored two man-up goals on three attempts against the Orangemen. The Orangemen held Hobart to an 0-for-7 showing and yielded zero goals to Princeton on its six chances. Syracuse was ranked fourth in the nation this week in both man-up offense (23-of-51 - .451) and man-down defense (49 stops on 57 attempts - .860). Overall, SU's man-down unit has done an excellent job of limiting the opponent's success on extra-man opportunities. Syracuse opponents are a combined 8-of-57 (.140) on the man-up. Conversely, the Orangemen's man-up unit has scored on 23-of-51 opportunities so far this season, good for a .451 success rate. The Orangemen scored a season-high five extra-man goals (out of seven opportunities) in the win against Air Force. SU's extra-man unit is primarily made up of the same players from last season (Michael Powell, Brian Nee, Michael Springer, Spencer Wright, Brian Solliday and Josh Coffman).
