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Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse Starts its Search for Offense against Holy Cross

Syracuse Head Coach Gary Gait at his introductory press conference.
Cuse.com
Syracuse Head Coach Gary Gait at his introductory press conference.

A new season and a new era begins for Syracuse lacrosse on Saturday as Gary Gait and company welcome Holy Cross into the Dome. There are plenty of storylines around the Orange program, but none bigger than Gait.

SU began playing lacrosse in 1916. Since then, the Hall of Famer is just the fifth man to lead the program. So, any time there is a coaching change on the Hill, it’s a big deal. However, it has even more significance this time around. Gait played four seasons at Syracuse (1987-90) and was a first team all-American three times. The one time he wasn’t, he still earned honorable mention all-American honors.

Gait left SU as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 192 goals. The Orange are going to need that offensive expertise; offensive coordinator Pat March’s group lost a lot of production. Stephen Rehfuss, who led the team in points and assists a season ago, and Jamie Trimboli, who scored 20 goals, are playing in the PLL. Owen Hiltz led the team in goals last year with 29. He is reportedly out for the foreseeable future with an injury suffered in a preseason scrimmage against Michigan. Finally, there’s Chase Scanlan, who was suspended after nine games last season and subsequently kicked off the team. Yet, still finished third on the team with 24 goals.

That’s a lot of offense to replace. One man the Orange will look to is Owen Seebold. The Texas native took Scanlan’s place on the first attack line for the final four games of last year and scored 10 goals (five of them came against Robert Morris). SU needs Seebold to progress even further this year. The senior will play on the wing and is not expected to be much of a dodging or passing threat, but he will be expected to convert opportunities around the net when he gets them.

Owen Seebold (white) in Syracuse’s 2021 regular season finale against Robert Morris.
Cuse.com
Owen Seebold (white) in Syracuse’s 2021 regular season finale against Robert Morris.

Tucker Dordevic will need to be another source of offense for Syracuse. The 2021 third team all-American midfielder is reportedly transitioning to attack. Dordevic is no stranger to scoring goals, netting 23 of them last season. He is widely considered the best dodger on the team, due to his quickness, athleticism, and the fact that he can use both hands effectively. The Oregonian is not much of a passer, however, recording just eight assists last year.

Tucker Dordevic (white, 23) in Syracuse’s 2021 season opening loss against Army.
Cuse.com
Tucker Dordevic (white, 23) in Syracuse’s 2021 season opening loss against Army.

How exactly Dordevic will be deployed is a mystery. His skillset could mean that he sees some time behind the cage as an “inverted X,” meaning he will be expected to dodge from that position rather than facilitate like a traditional “X” attackman. He could also play a hybrid attackman-midfielder role that could look almost position-less. Gait may be the perfect coach for a player with Dordevic’s attributes. The head man is credited with revolutionizing the way offensive lacrosse is played, making it less stagnant and more free flowing with a lesser need for defined roles.

There are lots of questions facing the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team, especially on offense. SU fans will start to get some answers Saturday against Holy Cross. Faceoff in the Dome between the Orange and Crusaders is set for 12:30 p.m. WAER’s coverage begins at 11:30 with a special hour-long GZA Countdown to Faceoff.