|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Syracuse Men's Lacrosse News |
|
| |
|
|
| |
May 18, 2008
Orange Advances to National Semifinals with 11-9 Victory Over Notre Dame |
|
| |
|
|
| |
ITHACA, N.Y. – The third-seeded Syracuse men’s lacrosse team (14-2) will make its 25th appearance in the national semifinals after a dramatic come-from-behind 11-9 win against sixth-seeded Notre Dame (14-3) in front of 6,121 fans at Cornell’s Schoellkopf Field on Sunday. The Orange rallied from three one-goal deficits in the second half, scoring the game’s final three goals en route to the victory. Junior midfielder Dan Hardy (Tully, N.Y.) paced the Orange attack with a team-high four points on three goals, including the game-winning score, and one assist.
Ticket information for the national semifinals will be available on SUathletics.com Monday. The Orange will meet second-seeded Virginia at 12 p.m. in the first half of next weekend’s doubleheader at Gillette Stadium. The Cavaliers earned an 8-7 overtime win versus Maryland on Saturday to earn a trip to the Final Four. Top-ranked Duke, 21-10 winners against Ohio State in Sunday’s first quarterfinal meets Johns Hopkins in a rematch of the 2007 title clash in next weekend’s second semifinal.
Senior attackman Mike Leveille (Delmar, N.Y.) tallied one goal and two assists against Notre Dame, extending his consecutive points streak to 55 games which ranks fourth all-time in the Syracuse record books. He continues to climb the Orange career charts, moving into sole possession of 12th-place all-time in goals (126) and 14th-place all-time in points (205).
Senior midfielder Steven Brooks (Libertyville, Ill.) posted two points on two goals, including the contest’s final score with 3:14 remaining in the fourth quarter. Junior attackman Kenny Nims (Watertown, N.Y.) and junior midfielder Matt Abbott (Syracuse, N.Y.) collected two points apiece on one score and one helper.
Senior Danny Brennan (Farmingdale, N.Y.), the nation’s top-ranked faceoff specialist with a .676 winning percentage entering Sunday, recorded an efficient 17-for-24 (.708) performance at the X against Notre Dame’s Taylor Clagett. Clagett ranked second nationally heading into the quarterfinal round with a .645 success rate.
Additionally, Brennan moved into second-place all-time in career faceoff wins (453) and career faceoff attempts (757). He also lists eighth all-time in the Orange single-season ledgers with 182 victories at the X.
Rookie netminder John Galloway (Syracuse, N.Y.) made 11 saves in the triumph, including five in the final stanza with the Orange mounting a rally. With Syracuse leading 11-9, Galloway stoned Notre Dame attackman Alex Wharton on the doorstep at the 1:29 mark, preserving the Orange’s two-goal edge and the eventual victory.
With the win, Syracuse advances to the NCAA semifinal round for the eighth time under 10th-year head coach John Desko. The veteran sideline general improved his career record to a flawless 8-0 in quarterfinal contests. With Desko at the helm, the Orange has won three national championships (2000, ‘02, ‘04).
The Orange led 3-1 following the first 15 minutes of play behind Brennan’s performance at the X and patient scoring opportunities. The veteran faceoff specialist posted a perfect 5-for-5 period, which included three procedure violations against Clagett. After Abbott tickled the twine from 12-yards out, the Orange tallied two extra-man goals from Hardy and rookie attackman Stephen Keogh (Toronto, Ontario) to take a two-goal margin in the second quarter.
Irish netminder Joey Kemp kept the Syracuse offense at bay, making several key stops in the first stanza. On the same possession, junior midfielder Pat Perritt (Holtsville, N.Y.) and Leveille were denied goals on the doorstep. Minutes later, Hardy’s streak from midfield and shot from five-yards out was stifled by Kemp. The Orange out-shot Notre Dame 19-6 in the opening period.
After nearly 10 minutes of offensive silence to begin the second quarter, Brooks broke the scoring stalemate with a goal at the 5:46 mark, beating Kemp high down the left alley. Hardy found the back of the cage 100 seconds later, catching a feed in front from Nims.
Notre Dame responded at the 3:00 mark, trimming the Orange lead to 5-2 after Michael Podgajny’s man-up goal. Syracuse wasted no time in rebuilding a four-goal advantage. After Brennan’s seventh faceoff win of the half, Abbott raced up field and found Nims, who locked, loaded and ripped a 12-yard attempt past Kemp at the 2:46 mark.
The Golden Domers emerged from the locker room and scored the half’s first five goals, storming to a 7-6 advantage with just over five minutes remaining in the quarter. Podgajny ignited the run with his second score of the game on Notre Dame’s initial possession at the 14:34 mark. Midfielder Peter Christman handed the Irish its first lead of the game with a goal at the 5:02 mark.
The Orange rallied and evened the scoring with 1:59 remaining in the third following Greg Niewieroski’s (Watertown, N.Y.) score in front. Leveille created the chance after a rollout from behind the cage, finding Niewieroski alone in front of the crease. The junior attackman uncorked a low shot that beat Kemp five-hole.
However, Notre Dame carried a one-goal edge, 8-7, into the final period following attackman Alex Wharton’s second goal in a six-minute span with 31 ticks remaining.
Leveille erased the one-goal deficit and knotted the score at 8-8 after scooping up a rebound and depositing the equalizer at the 13:26 mark of the fourth quarter. Following Notre Dame’s third and final retaliation score, Perritt tied the game at 9-9 after a spin move from 10-yards out created enough space for a quick left-hand release.
Hardy notched his third score of the contest with 5:05 remaining, firing a left-handed missile past Kemp and providing Syracuse with a 10-9 edge.
Brooks provided the Orange with some much-needed breathing room, finding the back of the net from 10-yards out with just over three minutes remaining.
The Orange won the ground ball battle, 27-19, led by a team-high five from Nims. Brennan and rookie long-stick midfielder Joel White (Syracuse, N.Y.) each contributed four ground balls. Syracuse went a perfect 2-for-2 in man-up situations, scoring both goals in the opening period.
Kemp tallied a season-high 20 saves in between the pipes for the Irish. Wharton led all Notre Dame scorers with four points on two goals and two assists. Christman and Podgajny added three points on two scores and one helper. Clagett finished just 5-for-21 on faceoffs.
Sunday’s victory was SU’s 24 straight win the quarterfinals. It also improved SU’s all-time record against Notre Dame to 3-0
|
|
| |
Source: SU Sports Information Department
|
|
|
|
