Syracuse-Cornell Turns 100

(4) SYRACUSE (1-0) vs. (10) CORNELL (0-0)
Game Details: Sunday, February 15 | 4 p.m.
Location: Carrier Dome | Syracuse, N.Y.
Game Links: Tickets | Watch | Listen | Live Stats
Television: Time Warner Cable SportsChannel
Radio: WTKW 99.5 FM (Syracuse)
Twitter: @CuseMLAX | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes
Cornell Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – One of the longest-running rivalries in college lacrosse hits the century mark when No. 4 Syracuse (1-0) hosts No. 10 Cornell (0-0) on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. The game marks the 100th meeting between the two Upstate New York powerhouses.

Sunday's contest is the middle game of an Orange lacrosse tripleheader. In addition to the men's game, the SU women host Canisius at noon and Presbyterian at 7:30 p.m.

Syracuse opened the 2015 campaign with a dominating 21-7 victory against Siena last weekend. The Syracuse game is the season opener for Cornell, which posted an 11-5 record in 2014 and reached the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated in the first round at Maryland.

TWO HISTORIC PROGRAMS
SU and Cornell rank second and seventh, respectively, on the list of all-time winningest Division I programs. The Orange has compiled 858 victories, while Cornell has 725. The two schools have combined to win 14 NCAA titles (SU 11, Cornell 3).

Both sides have been excellent recently. Since 2008, Syracuse is 97-25 (.795) and has won two national titles, including the 2009 championship in overtime against Cornell. The Big Red is 82-26 (.759) in that same stretch with three Final Four appearances.

DESKO GOES FOR WIN NO. 200
Orange head coach John Desko is 199-63 (.760) since taking over the program in 1999. His next victory will be his 200th, making him the ninth active Division I coach to reach the milestone. Desko would be the third Syracuse head coach to hit the 200-win plateau, joining Roy Simmons Sr. (253) and Roy Simmons Jr. (290).

Syracuse is on the cusp of becoming the first Division I program with three 200-win coaches. As it is, Syracuse and Maryland are the only schools that can boast multiple 200-win coaches. Jack Faber (251 wins) and Al Heagy (246 wins) achieved the feat for the Terps.

WILLIAMS POWERS ORANGE AT THE X
Sophomore Ben Williams made his Syracuse debut in the opener against Siena and won 17-of-20 faceoffs (.850). He picked up 11 ground balls and also scored a goal in the first quarter. Williams won the game's first six draws and 7-of-8 in the first period to propel the Orange to a 6-1 lead.

Overall, Syracuse was 25-for-30 (.833) at the X versus Siena, the most faceoff wins for any Division I team in a game so far this year.

MIDFIELD DOES DAMAGE
Eleven of Syracuse's 21 goals in the Feb. 7 opener against Siena came from either offensive or defensive midfielders. Starter Hakeem Lecky had his best game in an Orange uniform. He scored a goal on his only shot and passed out a career-high four assists. The four helpers matched his career total achieved in 52 previous games.

First-liner Nicky Galasso recorded his first hat trick since transferring to Syracuse from North Carolina prior to the 2013 season. Two of his goals came off Lecky passes.

Middies Ryan Simmons (2 goals), Tim Barber (1 goal, 1 assist), Joe Gillis (1 goal) and Paolo Ciferri (1 assist) all recorded their first career points against Siena.

SCOUTING CORNELL
The Big Red started the 2014 season 9-0 and finished 11-5 under interim head coach Matt Kerwick, who was hired full-time in the offseason.

Cornell bring back their top five scorers, including All-American attackmen Matt Donovan (35 goals, 23 assists), Dan Lintner (47 goals, 5 assists) and Ivy League Player of the Year midfielder Connor Buczek (30 goals, 17 assists).

All-American Jordan Stevens (52 ground balls) and reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Christian Knight lead the Cornell defense. Knight totaled 143 saves, a .542 save percentage and a 9.98 goals-against average in his first season.

Kerwick owns a 120-106 career record. He made previous head coaching stops at Randolph-Macon, Hobart and Jacksonville before taking the Big Red reins last year.

THE CORNELL SERIES
The Syracuse-Cornell series dates back to 1920 and the two schools have met at least once every season since 1979. The Orange holds a 63-35-1 series advantage and is 33-16 in games played in Syracuse. The home mark includes a 13-12 win in 2013, the last time the two teams met in the Dome.

Sunday's game is the first February encounter between the teams and the first time since 1979 they've played before April.

UP NEXT
The Orange renews its rivalry with Army on Sunday, Feb. 22. Faceoff against the Black Knights is slated for 7 p.m. at the Carrier Dome.

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Players Mentioned

Tim Barber

Paolo Ciferri

Nicky Galasso

Joe Gillis

Hakeem Lecky

Ryan Simmons

Ben Williams

Syracuse University Athletics