Whether it was a wake-up call or a cry for help, Syracuse men’s lacrosse fell to UAlbany in embarrassing fashion. The Great Danes toppled the Orange 14-12 in a decisive disaster for the Cuse.
The Dane Train rolled early with the first goal of the game off the stick of junior attacker Graydon Hogg, but the momentum built later on.
The Orange managed to take the lead twice in the first quarter, securing two sets of back-to-back goals. Throughout the game, S.U. attack Owen Seebold put up some of his best numbers on the season, piecing together his first hat trick since the loss to Army over a month ago.
A pair of purple and gold goals kicked off the second quarter and broke the 4-4 tie, granting UAlbany an edge it would not relinquish.
LISTEN: In the team's first trip to Casey Stadium, Syracuse fell to UAlbany 14-12. WAER's @Trey_Redfield and @zachletson_ had the call.https://t.co/o5zWf6FXe5
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) April 8, 2022
After scoring the first goal of the game, the Great Danes saw expert production from Hogg. The junior opened up the scoring in the duel and he stayed consistent, achieving his most efficient appearance this season. The Ontario-native potted four goals on seven shots on goal.
On the other side, the SU offense showed its worst production against an unranked opponent this season. Twelve goals is the fewest the Orange have put up against a team outside of the top-20, marking even lower than the 14-9 Stony Brook win.
We didn’t finish on our opportunities. We got the shots, they didn’t go in…" SU head coach Gary Gait said. "We need to do better work on the offensive end and we need to get it done.”
He continued that UAlbany allowed Syracuse numerous chances.
“They were leaving guys open and we weren’t finding them. They did double, they did leave, especially the first half more than the second," Gait said. "The first half there were open guys. The second half there were open guys and we threw the ball out of bounds.”
The Orange showed glimpses of hope in the third quarter with four-consecutive goals which closed the gap to just one. In tune with the rest of the season, the Orange’s efforts just were not enough.
Sights turned positive for SU when Mikey Berkman took control. He dished clean passes and kept the offense moving, notching a goal of his own to accentuate the third-quarter run. Berkman’s pair of assists led the Orange in this one and the stat line stands alone as the squad’s only real bright spot.
UAlbany 11, Syracuse 9 | 0:43 3Q
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) April 8, 2022
Mikey Berkman gains a short-handed goal late in the quarter for the Orange. This is Berkman's 13th for the season.
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On the other side, the SU defense completely turned upside down.
The ‘Cuse allowed no more than 10 goals in three straight matchups falling 10-7 to No. 19 Johns Hopkins, demolishing Stony Brook 14-9 and upsetting No. 10 Duke 14-10. The Orange witnessed just 27 opposing goals in three games. Since that nearly spotless stretch, Syracuse has allowed 36 shots to find the back of the cage in just two outings.
“We had some stops early on our man-down,” Gait said. “They got the ball back and we got a bunch of stops. I thought our defense played pretty well to get some stops and, you know, we couldn’t hold them.”
Four teams remain on the schedule for SU, and all of them are ranked. The struggling troupe next returns to the Dome for No. 6 Cornell. G.Z.A. Countdown to Faceoff on WAER begins at 6:30. Gametime is at 7.