Men's Lacrosse Begins 2017 Charge on Saturday

#6 Syracuse vs. Siena
Game Details	Saturday, Feb. 11 \| Carrier Dome \| 4 p.m.
Game Coverage	Live Coverage: Stats Watch: ACC Network Extra Listen: TK99/105 \| Syracuse IMG Sports Network \| WAER Tickets: Season \| Single Game Twitter: @CuseMLAX Instagram: @CuseMLAX Facebook: /CuseMLAX
Syracuse Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Game Notes
Siena Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

TODAY'S GAME
-For the fourth straight year, the Orange hosts Siena to open the season.?
-The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. Fans can also listen to Brian Higgins and Kyle Fetterly call the action on TK99/105 as part of the Syracuse Radio Network. WAER will also broadcast the game on the radio as well.?
-Syracuse enters the season coming o a 12-5 campaign in 2016. Siena finished last season 3-10.

TICKET INFORMATION
-Year after year, the record fan turnout in Syracuse's Carrier Dome is what gives the Orange such a home field advantage. The men's lacrosse team has proven this by winning 87 percent of their games there since the opening of the Dome. Join the Orange fan base in giving the team a large in-stadium fan base and being a part of the energy that lifts them to W's.
- Orange lacrosse fans can purchase season tickets online now through Cuse.com/tickets or by calling the Carrier Dome Box office at 1-888-DOMETIX.
- Reserved season tickets cost $56 for adults and $28 for children (12 and under). Single game tickets are on sale for $10 per adult and $5 per child.
- Groups of 15 or more qualify for a special ticket discounts of $8 per ticket. Contact the Carrier Dome Box Office for more information.

THE SIENA SERIES
-The Orange and Saints have a five-game series history, with all five of the matchups being played at the Carrier Dome and being won by the Orange.
-The Orange has won three straight season-openers against Siena by a combined score of 58-19.?
-In last year's tilt, Syracuse jumped out to a 10-1 halftime lead and held on to win 18-5. 2016 graduate Dylan Donahue led the way with nine points on four goals and five assists. Nick Mariano, Sergio Salcido (2), Devin Shewell (2) and Gale Thorpe scored their first career goals for the Orange, while Jordan Evans added two as well.

SEASON OPENING SUCCESS
-SU owns an all- me record of 78-19 (.804) in season-opening games.?
-It is 37-10 in campaign starters since 1970 and has won 17 out of 18 under head coach John Desko.
-The Orange defeated Siena, 18-5, in last year's season opener behind nine points from Dylan Donahue.
-In season-opening games at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse is 21-1 (.954). The team's only loss was a 16-15 decision in double over me against Albany in the 2013 campaign starter

Versus the MAAC
-Syracuse is 8-0 all- me against the seven current members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.?
-In addition to its 4-0 mark versus Siena, the Orange has beaten Canisius twice and defeated Marist in the NCAA Tournament opener last season.?
-Syracuse has never faced Detroit, Monmouth, Manhattan or Quinnipiac.

PRESEASON All-AMERICA HONORS
-Four members of the Orange begin the year as Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-Americans.?
-Following his USILA Second Team All-America honors in 2016, Sergio Salcido enters 2017 pegged as an Inside Lacrosse First Team Preseason All-American.?
-Fellow mid elder Nick Mariano joined Salcido, earning second team honors along with faceoff man Ben Williams. Sophomore defender Nick Mellen was selected to the third team.

ACC HONORS TOO
-In addition to the four preseason All-Americans, Syracuse had a trio of players selected to the Preseason All-ACC team by Sergio Salcido, Nick Mellen and Ben Williams.
-As a team, Syracuse was picked to finish third in the league, with defending NCAA Champion North Carolina pegged as the favorite.?
-The poll and All-ACC team were voted on by the league's the head coaches.

POLL POINTS
-Syracuse enters the season No. 5 in the Nike/USILA Coaches poll.?
-Syracuse has appeared in 53 consecutive USILA polls. The last me the Orange were not ranked was April 30, 2012.?
-Overall, Syracuse has been ranked in 193 of the 196 USILA polls that have been released since 2000 and 411 of the 440 polls since the USILA began its national rankings in 1973.?
-The Orange appeared in 272 straight USILA polls from April 10, 1978 to April 30, 2007.?
-Syracuse also enters the season ranked No. 6 in the Inside Lacrosse Maverik Media Poll, No. 7 in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook Top 20, and No. 8 in the US Lacrosse Preseason Top-20.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
-Syracuse finished 8-3 in 2016 versus nonconference opponents.?
-Since joining the ACC, the Orange is 17-2 versus non-conference opponents, including a near-perfect 24-2 mark in regular-season, non-league contests.

DOMINATING STRETCH
-The Orange has the highest winning percentage in Division I lacrosse since 2008. SU is 121-33 (.786) with three NCAA title-game appearances and two national championships in that span.
- Duke (.760) and Notre Dame (.757) have the next-highest winning percentages over that span.

BREAK-OUT SEASONS
-Both Sergio Salcido and Jordan Evans experienced break-out campaigns in 2016, with each scoring more goals than they had in the rest of their collegiate careers.
-Sergio Salcido ranked third on the team with 29 goals. Prior to 2016, the mid elder had never scored in his collegiate career.
-Jordan Evans's 27 goals ranked h on the Orange. Evans' previous season-high came in 2015 (nine goals), and he entered the season with 11 on his career.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-Replacing Brandon Mullins, senior Scott Firman will dawn the #11 jersey as a defender for the Orange in 2017.
-Syracuse's #11 has been named a USILA/Nike All- American in 11 of the past 13 seasons.
-Handing down the jersey is the decision of former #11's, who talk to choose the next defender in the lineage.?
-Senior Jordan Evans will wear #22, another sacred number, for the fourth consecutive year.

TALENTED TRANSFERS
-Syracuse has received considerable help from the transfer market in recent years, most notably from Holy Cross-transfer Ben Williams and UMass-transfer Nick Mariano.
-This year, the Orange roster features a number of new additions from other colleges.
-Junior Brendan Bomberry will slot in at attack for the Orange, having played the last two seasons at Denver. Bomberry led the nation with 11 man-up goals for the Pioneers last season.
-Attackman Stephen Rehfuss and goalie William Klan also join Syracuse this season, having left Holy Cross and Ohio State respectively.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Brendan Bomberry

Dylan Donahue

Jordan Evans

Scott Firman

Willie Klan III

Nick Mariano

Nick Mellen

Brandon Mullins

Stephen Rehfuss

Sergio Salcido

Devin Shewell

Gale Thorpe

Ben Williams

Syracuse University Athletics