Orange Host NCAA Tournament Opener on Sunday

Sunday, May 13

Syracuse, N.Y.

7:15 p.m.

Syracuse University

Cornell

Buy Tickets

5/12/2018 12:07:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Madonna Previews Tournament Mellen Previews Opener Hype video

#11 Syracuse vs. #8 Cornell
Game Details	Sunday, May 13 \| Carrier Dome \| 7:15 p.m.
Game Coverage	Live Coverage: Stats Watch: ESPNU \| WatchESPN Listen: Cuse.com \| Tk99/105 \| Syracuse IMG Sports Network \| WAER Tickets: Buy \| Walk-ups welcome! Twitter: @CuseMLAX Instagram: @CuseMLAX Facebook: /CuseMLAX
Syracuse Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule
Cornell Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

THE GAME
- One of the oldest rivalries in college lacrosse is renewed for the NCAA Tournament.
- The game will be broadcast on ESPNU with Chris Cotter, Paul Carcaterra and Ric Beardsley calling the action. Brian Higgins and Kyle Fetterly will call the action on TK99/105, Cuse.com and the TuneIn App, while WAER will also bring the action.

Fan Info
- Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for youth (12 and under) and students with valid ID. Students need to purchase tickets in person at Gate B to obtain the student discount.
- Tickets can be purchased at Cuse.com/Tickets. 888-DOME-TIX or by visiting the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).
- Parking costs $10 in the Carrier Dome surface lots. However, season parking passes that were purchased this year will be honored.

IF IT'S FIRST ROUND SUNDAY NIGHT, IT'S IN THE DOME
- The last game of the first round has become a Syracuse staple. With the Carrier Dome hosting University commencement on Sunday morning, the Carrier Dome changeover to lacrosse for the Sunday night time slot has become a yearly tradition.
- Coupled with the team's success, 'Cuse hosting on Sunday night has become a tradition. The Orange have now hosted the first round in six-straight seasons, and 13 times since the tournament began this structure in 2003 (16 seasons). SU is 29-3 in the Dome in the postseason and 10-2 in those 12 prior first round matchups.
- This is the second-straight season 'Cuse has drawn the Ivy League Champion in the first round.

THE CORNELL SERIES
- This will be the 104th meeting between Syracuse and Cornell, making it the fourth-longest running series in lacrosse history.
- The first meeting between the two sides came on May 21, 1920, with 'Cuse winning 5-3 in overtime.
- The Orange own a series record of 65-37-1 all-time against Cornell, including a record of 35-16 at SU and a 15-5 mark in the Carrier Dome.
- Twice, the Orange has defeated the Big Red in the National Title Game to hoist the NCAA Championship Trophy. A 13-8 victory over Cornell in 1988 gave Syracuse its second national title in program history. In 2009, Syracuse won 10-9 in overtime against Cornell for its 11th championship, the team's last-to-date
- The Orange has won four of its last six against the Big Red, despite dropping the earlier matchup this season, 13-8 in overtime. Head coach John Desko is 13-8 against Cornell (since 1999).
- In the prior matchup, Stephen Rehfuss led the way with a goal and three assists, Jamie Trimboli (1-1), Tucker Dordevic (1-1) and David Lipka (2-0), also had multi-point days.

AGAINST THE IVY
- Against the seven current members of the Ivy League lacrosse conference, Syracuse owns a 183-56-1 record all-time, including winning records against each team.
- In addition to Cornell, 'Cuse has faced Penn (25-1), Princeton (20-9), Yale (19-4), Dartmouth (19-4), Harvard (18-0), Brown (17-1).

LORDS OF THE RING
- Syracuse is on its quest for a 12th NCAA Championship (and 16th national title, including four USILA championships).
- The Orange owns the some of the best marks in NCAA Tournament play by a number of metrics, including most NCAA Championships (11), highest winning percentage (.728), second most wins (68) and fourth most appearances (37).

DESKO IS THE MASTER OF MAY
- Head coach John Desko took over the program in 1999 and has guided the Orange to 19 NCAA Tournaments in his 20 seasons, including five NCAA Championships (2000, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009).
- Desko's clubs combine for an overall record of 34-13 in NCAA Tournament play, good for a .729 winning percentage, which is the third-best all-time of any coach who has coached 10 or more games.
- Desko is third all-time with five NCAA Championships, one behind predecessor Roy Simmons Jr. and tied for third all-time with 33 NCAA Tournament wins with Simmons Jr.

GRADUATION SUNDAY
- The Orange will take to the field hours after the Carrier Dome turf was setup for commencement
- 10 members of the Orange, (9 players and the team's video coordinator) will receive diplomas on Sunday prior to faceoff. Brendan Bomberry (communication and rhetorical studies), Pat Carlin (economics), Laz Chavez (information management and technology), Marcus Cunningham (biology), Seth DeLisle (mechanical and aerospace engineering), Tyler Ford (sociology and forensic science), Chris Jastrembski (broadcast journalism and sport analytics), Matt Lane (Master's in advertising), Dom Madonna (mechanical engineering), Brad McKinney (communication and rhetorical studies), and Ryan Simmons (communication and rhetorical studies, with a minor in physical education and coaching).

A WIN AGAINST CORNELL WOULD...
- Be the program's 904th victory, second all-time behind Johns Hopkins.
- Improve SU's record to 58-20 since the start of the 2014 season u Give John Desko his 245th career coaching win, fifth among active Division I coaches and 23rd all-time at the NCAA Division I level.
- Advance Syracuse to the NCAA Quarterfinal round for the 34th time, and fourth-straight season.
- Improve Syracuse's NCAA Tournament first round record to 14-4. u Move head coach John Desko into sole possession of third all-time in NCAA Tourmanet wins, moving past his former boss and Syracuse legend Roy Simmons Jr. (34).
- Improve the Orange to 4-0 in postseason games against in-state rival Cornell.

PASSING A LEGEND
- Head Coach John Desko can pass his former boss and mentor Roy Simmons Jr. in numerous NCAA Tournament categories with a successful run.
- Desko and Simmons Jr. enter the NCAA Tournament with 34 wins each, a win in the first round would move Desko into sole possession of third on the NCAA's all-time tournament wins list.
- A deep run and an NCAA Championship would tie Simmons Jr. for the second-most all-time with six.
- He could also continue to rise up the NCAA Tournament win percentage ranks. He's currently No. 2 among active coaches and No. 3 all-time with a .723 win percentage in NCAA Tournament action.

NO. 8 SEED SUITS CUSE
- The Orange have been the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament twice previously, including one trip to the NCAA Championship game in 1999.
- Overall, the Orange are 4-2 as the No. 8 seed, most recently being seeded eighth in 2016, when the team reached the quarterfinals before losing to Maryland.

21 SAVAGE
- After a stellar 2016 campaign that saw true freshman Nick Mellen head into the 2017 offseason garnering preseason All-America honors, he missed the entire season due to injury.
- Mellen was the first true freshman defender to start 10-or-more games on defense since Brandon Mullins in 2012.
- So far in 2018, Mellen has seen some of the nation's best attackmen, facing three of the nation's top-four scorers and five of the top-11 (in six games with Kraus twice. He also guarded Ben Reeves in a scrimmage.).
- Mellen is holding opponents to 3.29 points per game in games he's guarded them. In all other games, they're averaging 3.94 points per game.
- Nation's leading scorer Jeff Teat (2-4) scored a pair of goals against Mellen, with one goal and an assist coming when Mellen was not on the Cornell star. Duke's Justin Guterding and Albany's Connor Fields combined for three goals and four assists in Mellen's other matchups vs. the nation's top scorers this season.