#3 Syracuse Rolls to Fifth-Straight Win

Saturday, March 12

Syracuse, NY

4 p.m.

Syracuse University

5-0

St. John's

1-5

St. John's

Syracuse

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

3/12/2016 6:50:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

Williams wins 15-of-19 faceoffs and 10 players score in the route

The No. 3 Syracuse men's lacrosse team (5-0) made quick work of St. John's (1-6) on Saturday, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first-12 minutes of action to set the tone in a dominant 15-4 win.

Nick Mariano posted his second-straight hat trick to lead all scorers, while Dylan Donahue and Jordan Evans each turned in four-point days as 10 players would score in the win for SU, including the first-career goals from Brad McKinney and Pat Carlin.

Ben Williams was his usual dominant self at the faceoff X as well, winning 15-of-19 faceoffs on the day.

"Obviously a big win for us today," said head coach John Desko. "Ben Williams gave us so many possessions off the faceoff to get the ball to our offense and put some pressure on the St. John's defense. It limited the opportunities for their offensive men on the field. When they did get it, I thought our defense was pretty stingy as a group and individually. We cleared the ball pretty well and got it back to our offense. So all and all a good day for the Orange, good execution offensively, and I think we shot the ball fairly well against a couple of good goaltenders for St. John's."

Syracuse got the scoring started with Barber picking up a ground ball after Sergio Salcido's shot hit the post to keep the possession alive. Barber then found the back of the net for the game's first tally just 3:25 into play. Less than a minute later, Donahue scored his first goal in nearly the same fashion, roll dodging to create separation and scoring from the left side of the cage.

Barber then recorded his second goal of the afternoon with just over six minutes gone in the first, when he finished a feed from Derek DeJoe for the score.

Mariano then scored back-to-back goals for SU, with both coming as unassisted goals. Mariano found the back of the net with 4:47 left in the first, then after a Red Storm turnover, the junior scored his 10th goal on the season 1:02 later.

Nick Weston's first goal of the season capped the 6-0 Syracuse run to start the game when he buried a feed from Evans.

Eric DeJohn scored with 1:54 left in the first to get St. John's on the board, but Mariano's man-up goal for the hat trick off a Donahue assist rolled Syracuse's momentum into the second quarter.

After Jason DeBenedictis scored for the Johnnies to make it 7-2, Syracuse would go on another 6-0 run to put the game out of reach for good.

Six different players scored over the stretch for 'Cuse, with Evans finishing a Salcido feed starting the run with 5:35 remaining before halftime. Carlin got into the scoring column for the first time in his career when he netted a pass from Donahue to finish the first half scoring with the Orange owning a 9-2 advantage.

Syracuse continued to roll out of the locker room, with DeJoe scoring on a pass from Mariano starting the third quarter, followed by Donahue, Salcido and Brad McKinney each scored in the first 6:13 of the third quarter to open an 11-goal lead, the largest on the day.

Thomas Stackpole then found the back of the net for the Red Storm to halt the run, but Evans opened the fourth quarter with another goal, his second on the afternoon.

Nick Heller capped St. John's scoring with 12:05 remaining in the game before Gale Thorpe posted a highlight reel behind-the-back goal to end the scoring at 15-4.

Three Syracuse goalies saw time in net, with Warren Hill making two saves in the opening 45 minutes, while he faced just five shots on net. Evan Molloy and Tyler Avallone each came in and picked up a save apiece for SU.

Syracuse will next hit the road for its first-of-two games away from the Dome, beginning with longtime rival Johns Hopkins on Saturday at 4 p.m.