Top-Ranked Men's Lacrosse Revisits Schoellkopf Field to Take on No. 9 Cornell
4/8/2002 10:24:07 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Game 10: vs. #9 Cornell
Tues., April 9, 2002, 5 p.m., Schoellkopf Field
Listen to the Game
With a convincing 15-6 victory against third-ranked Loyola last Saturday at the Carrier Dome, the Orangemen remained No. 1 in the coaches poll and regained their top spot in the Inside Lacrosse media poll. Syracuse has won four-straight games and owns an 8-1 overall record.
Cornell enters today's contest with a 7-1 record and a No. 9 ranking in the coaches poll. The Big Red are 10th in this week's media poll. Since losing its first game of the season to Georgetown, 8-5, the Big Red have rattled off seven-consecutive wins. Head coach Jeff Tambroni, who replaced Dave Pietramala, is in his second season at the helm with a 14-7 overall record. His team so far this season, is holding opponents to a measly 5.875 goals per game.
This will mark the 86th meeting between Syracuse and Cornell. The Orangemen own a 54-30-1 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, SU won a 14-10 decision at the Carrier Dome. Cornell's last win was a 13-12 decision in Ithaca during the 2000 campaign, the only loss of SU's national-championship season.
On the Air
Radio
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.
Television
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.
Syracuse vs. The Ivy League
The Orangemen are 156-46-2 all-time against teams from the Ivy League -- good for a winning percentage of .770. They are 2-0 against Ivy League teams this season, after beating Princeton, 11-8, and Brown, 14-13, in overtime. In addition to Cornell, SU will also face Pennsylvania from The Ivy League on April 19.
Since 1990, Syracuse has posted a 48-7 record against teams from the Ivy League.
Cornell is the Ivy League team with the most wins against Syracuse (30). The Big Red have played the Orangemen more times than any other Ivy League school (85).
By percentage, SU has had the most success against Harvard (17-0).
Wright Records Third Hat Trick of the Season Against Loyola
Senior midfielder Spencer Wright (San Diego, Calif./Junipero Serra) has 10 goals and an assist in SU's last four games. He tied for the team lead with three goals in the win against Loyola. It was the third hat trick of the season for Wright and the fifth of 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. He is fourth on the team in points (21) and goals (16). Last season, Wright totalled 28 points (18 goals) in 16 games.
Hobart was the other three-goal game of the season for Wright. Last year, he scored three goals against Virginia and had a career-high four goals at Georgetown.
Wright is now the owner of 53 career points (38 goals, 15 assists). He has tallied a goal or an assist in 20 consecutive games for the Orangemen dating back to last season.
His .471 shooting percentage (16 goals on 34 shots) is tops on the team.
Springer Moves Into a Tie for 14th on the School's All-Time Goals List
Junior attackman Michael Springer (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) had a goal against Loyola to move into a three-way tie for 14th with Jim Morrissey and Matt Cutia on the school's all-time 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 24 points (18 goals, six 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 40 career games has Springer been held to fewer than two points. He has recorded three or more goals 23 times in his career. He averaged 2.84 goals per game in his first two seasons at SU.
Park Breaks the Ice - Rookie Has Six Goals in SU's Last Four Games
Freshman midfielder Jarett Park (Tully, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) has scored six goals and has one assist in SU's last four 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 again versus Loyola. His niche on the team is as part of the face-off unit. He leads the team with 43 groundballs (4.80 per game), has played on the third middie line, and has been in key defensive situations (i.e. the fourth quarter vs. Hopkins). 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 Looking for 100th Career Goal, Now 17th on All-time Scoring List
Senior attackman Josh Coffman (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage) is SU's second-leading scorer with 38 points. He leads the team with 22 goals. He is coming off a three-goal, three-assist game against Loyola, in which he was the contest's leading point-getter. That effort moved him up to 17th on the school's all-time scoring list.
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 164 career points (99 goals, 65 assists). His 99 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 58 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 was considered one of the best in the nation, as evidenced by his first-team All-America accolades last season. Syracuse is 36-8 when Coffman scores a goal. He has 17 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 Federation World Championship this July in Perth, Australia. Coffman was selected to replace Andy Ross, a pilot in the Navy, who will be unable to participate due to a deployment beginning in May.
Bickel Wins 54-of-88 Faceoffs in Last Four Outings
Junior midfielder Chris Bickel (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga) is SU's main face-off specialist so far this season and he seems to improve each week he plays. He has won 110-of-194 faceoffs, good for a percentage of .567. In SU's last four outings, Bickel's success rate has risen to .614 as he has won 54-of-88 draws, including 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. He demonstrates huge potential and has won 22-of-48 draws so far.
Also used on the wings has been junior Matt Bontaites (Marblehead, Mass./Marblehead), freshman long-stick midfielder Joe Sabasteanski (Darien, Conn./Darien), senior midfielder John Burns (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) and at times, sophomore attackman Michael Powell (Carthage, N.Y.).
