Top 10 Showdown Between No. 7-Ranked Men's Lacrosse and No. 8-Ranked UMass
4/29/2005 12:39:23 AM | Men's Lacrosse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse (7-4) plays its final game of the regular season on Saturday, April 30, at Massachusetts’ Garber Field, beginning at 1 p.m. The Orange is ranked No. 7 in this week’s Geico/STX Coaches Poll and has won six of its last seven games, including two-straight at home. In its most recent outing, SU defeated No. 13-ranked Albany, 14-13. The Orange offense is averaging 15 goals per game in its last three games, quite an improvement after starting the season with an average of 9.00 goals per game after its first three contests. In this week’s NCAA statistics, Syracuse and Massachusetts are tied for sixth in the nation in scoring offense with 11.55 goals per game.
The Minutemen are 10-2 on the season, riding a five-game winning streak and ranked No. 8 in the latest national coaches poll. Last weekend, they knocked off No. 3-ranked Georgetown, 13-12, in Amherst. They followed that up with an 8-5 victory at Harvard on April 26. Tewaaraton nominee Sean Morris, a junior midfielder/attackman, leads the team in scoring with 50 points and 32 goals. Senior attackman Jeff Zywicki is second on the team with 36 points (29 goals), while goaltender Bill Schell has started all 12 games and is the owner of a .547 save percentage and a 6.95 goals against average. In addition to having one of the more productive offenses in the country, UMass also boasts one of the stingiest defenses. The Minutemen are ranked eighth in the nation in scoring defense with a 7.45 goals against average.
This will be the 31st meeting between Syracuse and Massachusetts on the lacrosse field. The Orange leads the all-time series, 25-5, however the last three times SU has played at Garber Field, the games have been decided by a total of four goals, including a 14-13 overtime win for UMass in 2003. In 2001, the Orange squeaked out a 9-8 victory. The two teams met last year in the Carrier Dome for SU’s Senior Day. Mike Powell pulled off a front flip late in the game and Syracuse went on to win, 17-10. Last year’s game featured 17 penalties between the two teams. This year’s contest will mark Senior Day for UMass.
