John Desko is entering his 11th season as head coach of the Orange.
Men's Lacrosse Opens 2009 With A Three-Way Scrimmage Thursday
1/28/2009 5:34:15 PM | Men's Lacrosse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse men’s lacrosse squad will play host to a three-way scrimmage on Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Carrier Dome. The event begins at 1:30 p.m. with the day’s opening matchup pitting the Hofstra Pride against the Division II Le Moyne Dolphins. The Orange is featured in the afternoon’s next two games, a match against Hofstra at 3:30 p.m., and the day’s final contest against LeMoyne at 5:30 p.m.
Admission is free. In addition, live video of the Orange’s two games will be available on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All Access.
Syracuse also opened the 2008 season with a three-way scrimmage involving Hofstra and Le Moyne. The Orange topped the Pride, 12-5, and posted a 9-3 decision against the Dolphins. LeMoyne edged the Pride, 7-6, to start the event.
ABOUT THE ORANGE
Syracuse enters Thursday’s exhibitions with high expectations for the year and is ranked No. 2 in the Inside Lacrosse and Lacrosse Magazine rankings. The team also boasts eight players that were tabbed as preseason All-Americans, the most of any Division I school.
Syracuse enters Thursday’s exhibitions with high expectations for the year and is ranked No. 2 in the Inside Lacrosse and Lacrosse Magazine rankings. The team also boasts eight players that were tabbed as preseason All-Americans, the most of any Division I school.
The Orange features first-teamers Matt Abbott (Syracuse, N.Y.), a senior midfielder, and senior defenseman Sid Smith (Ohsweken, Ontario). Abbott has received some player of the year buzz and earned third-team All-America honors in 2008. Senior midfielder Dan Hardy (Tully, N.Y.) and Kenny Nims (Watertown, N.Y.), a senior attackman, earned a preseason second-team distinction, and Nims is the team’s top returning scorer (58 points). Sophomore long-stick midfielder Joel White (Cortland, N.Y.) is the lone third-team representative for the Orange, and Pat Perritt (Holtsville, N.Y.), a senior midfielder, sophomore defenseman John Lade (Randolph, N.J.) and junior attackman Cody Jamieson (Six Nations, Ontario) were named as honorable mentions.
Head coach John Desko is entering his 11th year at the helm of the program. He is 118-40 and owns the second-best winning percentage among active coaches (.747). He has guided the team to four NCAA titles. Only Princeton’s Bill Tierney (6) and Syracuse legend Roy Simmons Jr. (6) have more. Desko is also the winningest head coach in NCAA Tournament history by percentage (.821). He is 23-5.
SCOUTING LE MOYNE
For Le Moyne, a program that has been a participant in the last three Division II NCAA Championship games, the 2009 season marks the opportunity to rebound from a title-game loss in 2008 to New York Tech. LeMoyne is led by 2008 All-America first-team selections Drew Bezek, a junior defenseman, and senior goalie Doug McIver.
For Le Moyne, a program that has been a participant in the last three Division II NCAA Championship games, the 2009 season marks the opportunity to rebound from a title-game loss in 2008 to New York Tech. LeMoyne is led by 2008 All-America first-team selections Drew Bezek, a junior defenseman, and senior goalie Doug McIver.
McIver, a 2009 team captain, led the nation in goals-against average (4.12) and made 118 saves in his first season as a starter in 2008. Bezek was the Northeast-10 Defensive Player of the Year and anchored a defense that allowed 3.94 goals per game, while recording 35 ground balls.
Offensively, sophomore attackman Jack Venditti is the team’s leading returning scorer. He tallied 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points a season ago.
SCOUTING HOFSTRA
Hofstra enters the 2009 campaign ranked 15th in the Inside Lacrosse preseason poll. In 2008, the team qualified for the NCAA Tournament with a 10-5 record during the regular season. The Pride suffered a 10-4 first-round defeat at the hands of a Johns Hopkins squad the Orange eventually defeated to win the national championship.
Hofstra enters the 2009 campaign ranked 15th in the Inside Lacrosse preseason poll. In 2008, the team qualified for the NCAA Tournament with a 10-5 record during the regular season. The Pride suffered a 10-4 first-round defeat at the hands of a Johns Hopkins squad the Orange eventually defeated to win the national championship.
The Pride is led by senior midfielder and 2008 honorable mention All-American Anthony Muscarella. Muscarella notched 28 goals and 42 points last season. Classmate Michael Colleluori was the Prides’ top assist man with 15 helpers. Sophomore Jay Card was one of the top freshmen in the nation last year, scoring 40 points, including 27 goals, in the Pride’s 16 contests.
Junior goalie Danny Orlando returns between the posts for head coach Scott Tierney. Orlando recorded an 8.56 goals-against average and made 133 saves.
A LOOK AHEAD
For the Orange, Thursday’s scrimmages serve as preparation for the team’s regular-season opener on Sunday, Feb. 15, against the Friars of Providence College. Syracuse will also host a scrimmage against Harvard on Saturday, Feb. 7, as part of the second-annual “Gary Gait Laxapalooza” before beginning the regular season.
For the Orange, Thursday’s scrimmages serve as preparation for the team’s regular-season opener on Sunday, Feb. 15, against the Friars of Providence College. Syracuse will also host a scrimmage against Harvard on Saturday, Feb. 7, as part of the second-annual “Gary Gait Laxapalooza” before beginning the regular season.
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