Orange and Loyola Clash Saturday at 4 p.m.
3/28/2008 3:04:36 PM | Men's Lacrosse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Orange men's lacrosse team (6-1) will play its third game in seven days Saturday, March 29 when it hosts #18/18 Loyola at the Carrier Dome at 4 p.m. The Orange has had a busy week, playing Binghamton on March 22 and Hobart on March 25 before facing the Greyhounds. Saturday’s contest also marks the fourth game against a top 20 opponent SU has played this month.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for youths 12 and under. They are available via SUathletics.com (click here) or the Carrier Dome Box Office (1-888-DOMETIX). Orange fans not in attendance can follow the action on the Syracuse Radio Network. Brian Higgins and Kyle Fetterly will have the call on TK-99.5 FM. Live streaming video and audio can be found on SUathletics.com via Orange All Access In addition, Saturday's game will be televised live on Time Warner 26 in Syracuse.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
With its victory at Hobart Tuesday, the Orange recorded its sixth win of the 2008 campaign. It has already surpassed its victory total for all of last year when the team finished 5-8. The Orange is ranked No. 2 nationally in both polls, higher than it was listed all of last season.
DEFENSE DOES THE TRICK
The Orange held Binghamton to two scores on March 22, the lowest total for an SU opponent since Penn managed just one tally in 1989. The Orange followed up that showing by holding Hobart to five goals. It marked the first time since April 2000 when SU shut down Penn (9-4) and Princeton (16-4) on back-to-back days that it held consecutive opponents to five goals or less.
The team’s turnaround in its defensive third of the field has been reflected in the statistics. The Orange’s goals-against average has improved from 11.38 in 2007 to 7.71 this season. Syracuse is allowing fewer shots than a year ago (38.3 last year to 29.1 in 2008). Its opponents shooting percentage has dipped as well. SU’s foes converted on 29.7 percent of its attempts in 2007. They’re shooting at a 27 percent clip this year.
ORANGE RETAINS KRAUS-SIMMONS TROPHY
Senior Mike Leveille finished with three goals and one assist against the Statemen. He became the 21st player in school history to reach 100 goals and now has 102 for his career. Leveille ranks in the top 10 nationally in points per game (4.7), goals per game (2.7) and assists per game (2.0). Junior Kenny Nims led the Orange with five points (3g, 2a) against the Statesmen and rookie goaltender John Galloway finished with 14 saves.
ABBOTT COMING ON STRONG
The Greyhounds enter Saturday’s game with a 4-3 overall record. Three of their four wins have come against conference opponents as Loyola is 3-0 in ECAC action. Coach Charley Toomey’s club bounced back from a one-goal to Siena on March 18 by putting up a season-high 15 goals in a 15-1 rout of Massachusetts on March 22.
Senior attackman Shane Koppens is the team’s top scorer with 21 points, including a team-best 13 assists. Sophomore attackman Cooper MacDonnell leads the squad with 12 goals. Like Syracuse, the Greyhounds are one of the top faceoff teams in the nation. Loyola is eighth nationally in faceoff winning percentage (.594). Senior midfielder Tim McDermott is the squad’s top drawman. He has won 64 of his 108 faceoffs (.592).
Junior defender P. T. Ricci leads the team with 44 ground balls. Highly-touted freshman Jake Hagelin owns a 7.82 goals against average in the cage. He has 70 saves and has played 407 of a possible for 420 minutes.
SERIES NOTES
Syracuse has won five of the last six meetings and seven of the last nine dating back to May 1999. The Orange has scored double-digit goals in each of the last nine games against the Greyhounds, and has put up at least 10 scores in 20 of the 22 meetings.
