Redshirt freshman Henry Schoonmaker scored twice in the 2011 Orange Alumni Classic.
Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
2012 Season Preview - Part I
1/31/2012 9:52:08 AM | Men's Lacrosse
During the next two days, SUathletics.com will preview the upcoming 2012 men's lacrosse season. Part I of the preview focuses on the attack and midfield.
It is often said that elite programs reload. They don't rebuild. With the departure of last year's senior class, the winningest in school history with 60 victories over four seasons, and the loss of seven starters, that's exactly what the 2012 Syracuse men's lacrosse team is aiming to do – reload.
“This is a new group,” said head coach John Desko. “The last couple of years we have talked about having guys who have been starters, kind of set in their positions, for a couple of years. This year with seven of our 10 starters graduating, it's a new group.”
Among the pieces Desko must replace are leading goal scorer Stephen Keogh, the entire first midfield (Jovan Miller, Josh Amidon and Jeremy Thompson) and two-thirds (John Lade and Thomas Guadagnolo) of the starting close defense. Not to mention the NCAA's all-time wins leader and a four-year starter in goal (John Galloway).
Desko will do it with a talented crop of veterans, who may not all be household names, but possess valuable game experience, and a group of dynamic newcomers. However, Syracuse's losses to graduaton have not gone unnoticed by the national lacrosse media. This year's new-look Orange is ranked eighth in the 2012 Lacrosse Magazine preseason rankings and seventh in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook preseason poll, uncharted territory for a perennial top-five program.
“All the rankings are about is what we've lost, what we did last season, and what we have coming back,” said junior defenseman Brian Megill, a preseason Inside Lacrosse Second Team All-American. “So, those rankings are a little skewed, but a lot of teams are going to be surprised come spring time.”
Among the 2012 opponents Megill and the Orange will look to surprise are seven members of the preseason top 20 (Virginia, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Notre Dame, Villanova and Princeton). Making the task even more difficult will be facing Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Cornell and Notre Dame on the road and Duke in a neutral venue. Overall, Syracuse's schedule features 14 games, only six of which are at home.
“We are so excited,” Desko said. “We have a great schedule. We're on the road a little bit too much, but I think that will make us better if we are still standing at the end of the year.”
In addition, Syracuse could play two more games away from the Carrier Dome should it qualify for the inaugural BIG EAST Conference Tournament scheduled for May 3-5 at Villanova.
It's a challenge Desko believes his squad is up for.
“I think the team in general is really starting to bond together and they have a common goal,” Desko said. “They have not been ranked very high in the preseason. They feel they have something to prove and it shows in their work ethic.”
ATTACK
Arguably, the most experienced players on the SU roster are the attackmen. Three members of the unit have starting experience and four of last year's top five at the position are back, including junior JoJo Marasco, who tied for the team points lead (41) in 2011.
A USILA Honorable Mention All-American, Marasco will likely see an increased role in the midfield this season, but his ability to dodge from behind, as well as up top, adds versatility to the Orange lineup.
Senior Tommy Palasek, a transfer from Johns Hopkins, returns for his second year with the Orange. Palasek played in all 17 games last season, starting the last eight in place of Tim Desko, who sustained an injury midway through the year. After taking some time to get his feet wet, Palasek finished the season third on the Orange in points (35) with 17 goals and 18 assists. His 18 assists were tied for the team lead and he tied for eighth in the BIG EAST in assists per game (1.06).
Desko, now a redshirt senior, was on his way to a breakout season in 2011 before getting hurt. He registered 19 points on 16 goals and three assists, and still managed to garner All-BIG EAST Second Team honors despite missing seven games. Now fully healthy, Desko is the team's most established finisher and he was rewarded in December with 2012 preseason All-America honors.
Also back in the fold is senior Collin Donahue. Syracuse's fourth attackman the second half of last season, Donahue is perhaps the team's most precise passer. He played in 11 games last year and recorded three goals and seven assists.
Sophomores Derek Maltz and Billy Ward are both looking to crack the attack rotation after seeing time as rookies last year. Maltz recorded a perfect shooting percentage in 2011, scoring three goals on three shots and he is a slick operator around the crease. Ward totaled three points on one goal and two assists in 10 games a year ago.
Redshirt junior Pete Coleman, sophomores John Fitzgerald, Pat Powderly, redshirt freshman Kyle Henry and true freshmen Kevin Rice, Eric DeJohn, and Dylan Donahue round out the unit. Coleman returns to his more natural position after playing in the midfield last season. Fitzgerald and Powderly each played sparingly last year.
Rice (Skaneateles), DeJohn (Jamesville-DeWitt) and Dylan Donahue (West Genesee) are all high-scoring local products. Rice led all of Section III with 138 points in 2011. DeJohn was The Post Standard's 2010 Player of the Year before taking a post-graduate year at the Trinity-Pawling School (N.Y.). Dylan is Collin Donahue's younger brother. Dylan led West Genesee with 112 points in 2011 and enrolled at Syracuse in January.
MIDFIELD
One of the areas hit hardest by graduation was the midfield. In addition to the whole first unit, the Orange also lost Jeff Gilbert off the second line.
To help fill the void, Syracuse could turn to JoJo Marasco, who recorded 23 goals and tied for team-high honors with 18 assists. One of four team captains this season, he was named an honorable mention preseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse.
The other returnees with the most experience are senior co-captain Bobby Eilers, redshirt junior Steve Ianzito and sophomore Scott Loy.
A defensive midfielder at the start of the 2011 season, Eilers joined the second midfield halfway through the year and led all SU reserve middies with eight goals. Ianzito was also a second-liner last season. He played in all 17 games and recorded eight points on five goals and three assists. Loy gained valuable game experience as a freshman, appearing in 15 contests. The Toledo, Ohio native displayed some of his offensive potential, notching three goals and one assist.
One player without experience, but loads of talent and potential is redshirt freshman Hakeem Lecky. Universally lauded as one of the team's most explosive athletes, Lecky was likely to run on the second line last season before a preseason wrist injury derailed his debut.
The coaching staff is also excited about the prospects of redshirt freshman Henry Schoonmaker. The Portland, Oregon product is blessed with excellent speed and opened some eyes in the fall with two goals in the 2011 Orange Alumni Classic.
Another player competing for time is redshirt junior Ryan Barber, who shifted to the midfield from attack in the fall of 2010. He played in seven games and recorded one assist last year.
The unit is bolstered by the addition of two transfers. Junior Matt Pratt comes to the Orange from nearby Onondaga Community College, where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American and led the Lazers to consecutive NJCAA national championships. Classmate Luke Cometti joined the Orange after spending two years at Albany, including the 2009 campaign when he was named to the America East All-Rookie Team.
Junior Christian Pagli, redshirt freshman Chris Kane and true sophomore Guy Waltman are all in the midfield mix, as are true freshmen Matt Walters, Alex Hatem, Tom Grimm, Clay Adams, Brenny Daly and Mike Messina.
Walters and Grimm are most heralded of the rookies. Walters was a driving force on last season's top-ranked high school team – The Haverford School (Pa.) Fords. Grimm put up nearly 500 points at Carthage High School in New York and was rated the 15th overall prospect in the Class of 2011 by Inside Lacrosse.
Visit SUathletics.com Wednesday for more on the 2012 season. The second installment of this year's preview features an overview of the team's defensive midfield, close defense, faceoff specialists and goalies.
It is often said that elite programs reload. They don't rebuild. With the departure of last year's senior class, the winningest in school history with 60 victories over four seasons, and the loss of seven starters, that's exactly what the 2012 Syracuse men's lacrosse team is aiming to do – reload.
“This is a new group,” said head coach John Desko. “The last couple of years we have talked about having guys who have been starters, kind of set in their positions, for a couple of years. This year with seven of our 10 starters graduating, it's a new group.”
Among the pieces Desko must replace are leading goal scorer Stephen Keogh, the entire first midfield (Jovan Miller, Josh Amidon and Jeremy Thompson) and two-thirds (John Lade and Thomas Guadagnolo) of the starting close defense. Not to mention the NCAA's all-time wins leader and a four-year starter in goal (John Galloway).
Desko will do it with a talented crop of veterans, who may not all be household names, but possess valuable game experience, and a group of dynamic newcomers. However, Syracuse's losses to graduaton have not gone unnoticed by the national lacrosse media. This year's new-look Orange is ranked eighth in the 2012 Lacrosse Magazine preseason rankings and seventh in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook preseason poll, uncharted territory for a perennial top-five program.
“All the rankings are about is what we've lost, what we did last season, and what we have coming back,” said junior defenseman Brian Megill, a preseason Inside Lacrosse Second Team All-American. “So, those rankings are a little skewed, but a lot of teams are going to be surprised come spring time.”
Among the 2012 opponents Megill and the Orange will look to surprise are seven members of the preseason top 20 (Virginia, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Notre Dame, Villanova and Princeton). Making the task even more difficult will be facing Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Cornell and Notre Dame on the road and Duke in a neutral venue. Overall, Syracuse's schedule features 14 games, only six of which are at home.
“We are so excited,” Desko said. “We have a great schedule. We're on the road a little bit too much, but I think that will make us better if we are still standing at the end of the year.”
In addition, Syracuse could play two more games away from the Carrier Dome should it qualify for the inaugural BIG EAST Conference Tournament scheduled for May 3-5 at Villanova.
It's a challenge Desko believes his squad is up for.
“I think the team in general is really starting to bond together and they have a common goal,” Desko said. “They have not been ranked very high in the preseason. They feel they have something to prove and it shows in their work ethic.”
ATTACK
Arguably, the most experienced players on the SU roster are the attackmen. Three members of the unit have starting experience and four of last year's top five at the position are back, including junior JoJo Marasco, who tied for the team points lead (41) in 2011.
A USILA Honorable Mention All-American, Marasco will likely see an increased role in the midfield this season, but his ability to dodge from behind, as well as up top, adds versatility to the Orange lineup.
Senior Tommy Palasek, a transfer from Johns Hopkins, returns for his second year with the Orange. Palasek played in all 17 games last season, starting the last eight in place of Tim Desko, who sustained an injury midway through the year. After taking some time to get his feet wet, Palasek finished the season third on the Orange in points (35) with 17 goals and 18 assists. His 18 assists were tied for the team lead and he tied for eighth in the BIG EAST in assists per game (1.06).
Desko, now a redshirt senior, was on his way to a breakout season in 2011 before getting hurt. He registered 19 points on 16 goals and three assists, and still managed to garner All-BIG EAST Second Team honors despite missing seven games. Now fully healthy, Desko is the team's most established finisher and he was rewarded in December with 2012 preseason All-America honors.
Also back in the fold is senior Collin Donahue. Syracuse's fourth attackman the second half of last season, Donahue is perhaps the team's most precise passer. He played in 11 games last year and recorded three goals and seven assists.
Sophomores Derek Maltz and Billy Ward are both looking to crack the attack rotation after seeing time as rookies last year. Maltz recorded a perfect shooting percentage in 2011, scoring three goals on three shots and he is a slick operator around the crease. Ward totaled three points on one goal and two assists in 10 games a year ago.
Redshirt junior Pete Coleman, sophomores John Fitzgerald, Pat Powderly, redshirt freshman Kyle Henry and true freshmen Kevin Rice, Eric DeJohn, and Dylan Donahue round out the unit. Coleman returns to his more natural position after playing in the midfield last season. Fitzgerald and Powderly each played sparingly last year.
Rice (Skaneateles), DeJohn (Jamesville-DeWitt) and Dylan Donahue (West Genesee) are all high-scoring local products. Rice led all of Section III with 138 points in 2011. DeJohn was The Post Standard's 2010 Player of the Year before taking a post-graduate year at the Trinity-Pawling School (N.Y.). Dylan is Collin Donahue's younger brother. Dylan led West Genesee with 112 points in 2011 and enrolled at Syracuse in January.
MIDFIELD
One of the areas hit hardest by graduation was the midfield. In addition to the whole first unit, the Orange also lost Jeff Gilbert off the second line.
To help fill the void, Syracuse could turn to JoJo Marasco, who recorded 23 goals and tied for team-high honors with 18 assists. One of four team captains this season, he was named an honorable mention preseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse.
The other returnees with the most experience are senior co-captain Bobby Eilers, redshirt junior Steve Ianzito and sophomore Scott Loy.
A defensive midfielder at the start of the 2011 season, Eilers joined the second midfield halfway through the year and led all SU reserve middies with eight goals. Ianzito was also a second-liner last season. He played in all 17 games and recorded eight points on five goals and three assists. Loy gained valuable game experience as a freshman, appearing in 15 contests. The Toledo, Ohio native displayed some of his offensive potential, notching three goals and one assist.
One player without experience, but loads of talent and potential is redshirt freshman Hakeem Lecky. Universally lauded as one of the team's most explosive athletes, Lecky was likely to run on the second line last season before a preseason wrist injury derailed his debut.
The coaching staff is also excited about the prospects of redshirt freshman Henry Schoonmaker. The Portland, Oregon product is blessed with excellent speed and opened some eyes in the fall with two goals in the 2011 Orange Alumni Classic.
Another player competing for time is redshirt junior Ryan Barber, who shifted to the midfield from attack in the fall of 2010. He played in seven games and recorded one assist last year.
The unit is bolstered by the addition of two transfers. Junior Matt Pratt comes to the Orange from nearby Onondaga Community College, where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American and led the Lazers to consecutive NJCAA national championships. Classmate Luke Cometti joined the Orange after spending two years at Albany, including the 2009 campaign when he was named to the America East All-Rookie Team.
Junior Christian Pagli, redshirt freshman Chris Kane and true sophomore Guy Waltman are all in the midfield mix, as are true freshmen Matt Walters, Alex Hatem, Tom Grimm, Clay Adams, Brenny Daly and Mike Messina.
Walters and Grimm are most heralded of the rookies. Walters was a driving force on last season's top-ranked high school team – The Haverford School (Pa.) Fords. Grimm put up nearly 500 points at Carthage High School in New York and was rated the 15th overall prospect in the Class of 2011 by Inside Lacrosse.
Visit SUathletics.com Wednesday for more on the 2012 season. The second installment of this year's preview features an overview of the team's defensive midfield, close defense, faceoff specialists and goalies.
Men's Lacrosse Media Availability - March 5, 2026
Thursday, March 05
Postgame | #7 Syracuse at #19 Penn
Monday, March 02
HIGHLIGHTS | #7 Men's Lacrosse at #19 Penn
Sunday, March 01
HIGHLIGHTS | #7 Men's Lacrosse at #10 Princeton
Saturday, February 28
