News Observer

Unfortunately The Fizz predicted this, but it didn’t make SU’s early postseason exit at the hands of Duke 12-9 Saturday any easier to watch. Syracuse was out-played for the last time this season, getting out-hustled after bringing the fight to both Villanova and St. John’s just to make the NCAAs.

The game was a mirror image of the up-and-down regular season. After letting up a slew of early goals, Syracuse clawed back to tie it at 5 by the beginning of the second half. As quickly as that momentum appeared, it evaporated. Duke responded by scoring 4 straight to take a 9-5 lead as part of a Dookie-dominant third quarter. From there, SU made stupid mistakes and continually turned the ball over to a Blue Devils offense that caught fire.

Like much of the season, Syracuse faced-off like a middle school team, winning just 7-of-24 at X. The worst part about this pathetic performance is that Duke didn’t even use star C.J. Costabile for all of the face-offs. Syracuse had chances against Brendan Fowler for most of the game, who still managed to take 12 of his 17 attempts.

The last time Syracuse played Duke, the score was nearly identical (12-10), but SU at least held up on the defensive end. On Saturday, the zone defense that worked well in the Big East tournament was clowned repeatedly by Duke attacker Christian Walsh and midfielders Justin Turri and Robert Rotanz – each of whom had hat tricks. The defense was slow and left open scoring lanes all afternoon, which Duke took advantage.

When Syracuse did have chances on offense it squandered them with poor shot placement. At one point in the first half, SU was operating at 7% offensive efficiency. By the end of the game, the Orange netted just 25% of their shots.

Syracuse’s EMO unit was also pitiful. SU had 3 early chances to score with a man-advantage in the first half and failed to capitalize on all of them. Duke’s EMO wasn’t any better (both went 1-for-4), so this was an area Syracuse could have exploited.

This season’s theme was centered around rebounding from the Orange’s loss of some of the best talent in program history. While SU went down swinging, it will lose more top end talent going into next year. Tommy Palasek and Tim Desko have both worn the Orange jersey for the last time. Now, the ‘Cuse has to hope it’s battle-tested underclassmen can rise to the occasion. 

A disappointing campaign comes to an abrupt end, which brings back all of the old nagging questions The Fizz asked during the season. Is SU getting lazy on the recruiting trail? Why cant the Orange win face-offs? Does Syracuse find itself at odds with the rest of the lax world? SU Lax leaves Orange Nation to pack up the pinnies without much in the way of answers.

Posted: Jake Moskowitz

NJ.com

The remarkable about-face Syracuse pulled off in the Big East Tournament is enough to make anyone reconsider the Orange potential to win it all. Just a few short weeks ago, we debated whether SU would have a postseason at all on Fizz Radio. Now, The Fizz’s Lacrosse Insiders – Andrew Kanell, play-by-play voice for WAER and The Fizz’s lax beat writer Jake Moskowitz – take their best crack at just how far a re-energized Orange group can go.

• Kanell: Hopkins over Syracuse in the Final Four

It may not be the draw Syracuse itself could have even expected, but it still gives SU a navigable road to a potential 26th Final Four appearance. The players I spoke with all expressed a feeling of surprise, but also excitement, to battle the Blue Devils in a rematch. 

This group is confident it can compete with Duke, or for that matter any team in the nation. The Orange was outlasted 12-10 by John Danowski’s squad on April Fool’s Day, but the game still served as a turning point for SU. The team had issues with effort and hustle up until the Big City Classic, but against the Blue Devils finally appeared to play with a winning spirit. The offense just couldn’t find the cage down the stretch.

Late-game problems have disappeared for Syracuse in the meantime, along with its faceoff and man-up difficulties. As a 3-seed, Duke received a raw deal having to face Syracuse in the first-round of the tournament. The momentum SU has is palpable, and the Orange will head down to Durham and grab an upset victory. 

It’s tough to get much of a handle on UMass, which enters the tourney undefeated, but without any wins against teams in the field of 16. The Minutemen will stand strong at Garber Field (traditionally a brutal place to play) against Colgate, and move on the face the Orange in the quarterfinals. That will be UMass’s toughest test of the season, and Syracuse’s natural talent and athleticism will be too much for the untested Minutemen to contain. The Orange will head back to the Final Four. 

That sets up a potential rematch against Johns Hopkins at Gillette Stadium. The Blue Jays were easily SU’s most impressive opponent to watch in-person. They can get up and down the field with Syracuse, and the Jays play terrific defense. Hopkins will end SU’s postseason run.

• Mosk: Duke over Syracuse in First Round

SU has impressed everyone with its tremendous turnaround to win the Big East Tourney. However, those were wins over Villanova and St. Johns. Even if both victories were dominant, there is an entire echelon between the best game Villanova can play and an average showing from an elite team like Hopkins, or in this case, Duke. 

The Blue Devils present the stiffest test of any team in the field for SU. Unfortunately, that test is also the first. Duke has elite talent on every line. Starting with the face-off X, C.J. Costabile has mastered the art of using the longpole to win possession. It will be tough for even a red-hot Ricky Buhr or Brian Megill to best him at the X. From there, Duke sports one of the best single-threat attackers in the nation in Jordan Wolf. JW is Coach John Danowski’s go-to attacker, and Wolf will give freshman-goalie Bobby Wardwell plenty of tough shots to stop.

Since Duke will likely win the possession battle (barring a freak injury to Costabile), the Blue Devils will have the ball on offense constantly. The tuned-up Orange scorers will be waiting for feeds they’ll seldom get. SU’s defense will hold out, playing inspired lacrosse for 45 minutes, but fatigue will beat Megill & Co in the 4th, giving the Dookies a late win.

With question marks everywhere to begin the year, and needing a late surge in the Big East Tournament, just making the NCAAs is an accomplishment for SU. That said, high expectations set by program make it hard not to be disappointed with anything short of a Final Four. Desko’s squad doesn’t have the raw talent to bring back a 12th championship this year, but it does have a quickly maturing group complimented by a few top end recruits that will claw at the title for the next few seasons.

Posted: Jake Moskowitz

Syracuse.com

The cloud of uncertainty that hovered over this Syracuse postseason has dissipated. SU pounded St. Johns into submission 12-4 to take the Big East Championship and the automatic qualifier to the Big Dance on Saturday. Just like the dominant 15-6 semifinal win over Villanova, everything seemed to go right for the Orange. Here are the top 3 ways the SU dominated the Johnnies for the big victory.

• Ferocious Hustle

Plain and simple, the Orange was the faster and hungrier team. SU showed far more desire than St. John’s, finding and picking up loose balls 30 times as a team. Tommy Palasek (3G, 3A) tied his career best day with 6 points on the offensive end thanks to plenty of chances with the ball. He explained where the newfound intensity came from after the game.

“It comes down to our conditioning. We got guys on our team that could run for days. There aren’t many people in the country that can match our conditioning. Once you have that down, you start to execute in the right places, and the athletic ability takes over.”

SU may have had this compete level inside all along, but just waited for far too long to unleash it. It’s a whole new season now, and the guys have upped the hustle and put on their game faces to punch a ticket to the NCAAs.

• Lockdown Goalkeeping

Bobby Wardwell is no longer a makeshift answer to a goalie conundrum in the Salt City. He’s now playing premier lacrosse in net, and Saturday was no exception. With only 4 goals allowed against the Red Storm, Wardwell had all the composure of a top-level netminder. Defensive leader Brian Megill said Wardwell’s shutout first half performance is rare to see from any goalie.

“You’ve got to give credit to Bobby Wardwell. He made so many great saves in the first half, holding them to zero. That’s almost unheard of in college lacrosse, especially Division I. He did a great job.”

Not only did Wardwell close off scoring chances for St. John’s, he also led a near 100% clearing unit, sending 16-of-17 balls safely out of the defensive zone. Clearly, Wardwell has adjusted to the speed of the college game and settled into his role as the starting goaltender.

• Midfield On Fire

It’s impossible to put into words the transformation Bobby Eilers has gone through in the last two games. His confidence has skyrocketed, leading him to unload the blazing fast 20-yard shot he’s had in his arsenal all year long. We knew SU needed someone to step it up at midfield, the co-captain accepted full responsibility.

“We’ve become more assertive. We’re willing to take that extra step in and attack the goal. And, if the shot isn’t there, we’re willing to be more patient and rotate the ball around.”

Eilers has lead by example. He’s become more assertive in ripping that sick off-stick cannon of his, and the younger guys on his line are following suit. One of those teammates is redshirt freshman Hakeem Lecky. Hakeem registered his third goal of the the Big East tournament. Until the playoffs, Lecky had just 5 goals all year. Big things are happening at midfield now that the unit’s senior captain has stepped into his role.

Syracuse’s season has changed on a dime, storming from a .500 team to a scary opponent for anyone in the tourney. SU gets its first crack at crashing the party this weekend against Duke on the road. The Orange avoided the fate of a selection committee bitter about old losses, and assured itself at least one more game this season. Now, after two dominant wins in the Big East tourney, 2012 may be just beginning.

Posted: Jake Moskowitz

The unreliable, lethargic effort the Orange put on display in losses to Notre Dame and Georgetown was completely reversed. The directionless .500 group of a week ago was replaced by an energized pack of guys who have embraced the win-or-go-home ultimatum. Senior captain midfielder Bobby Eilers said his teammates have set all their ducks in a row for the postseason.

“We talked about yesterday not being our last practice. We talked about how we have the heart, that the whole team has the heart, and how we have to win out from here. That it’s important to us.”

Eilers, a senior, clearly has more lacrosse in mind for his team as he submitted a blistering 4-goal bombshell on the Cats. Just two weeks earlier, it seemed his team was stuck in the doldrums and had given up on itself. Today, Eilers matter-of-factly said his guys have more than just a Big East Championship on their minds.

 “It’s do-or-die for us, and we just keep saying that we have to go win five more games and we’re all the way.”

Win five more games. That’s not exactly taking things one at a time, working through the conference tournament to get a shot at the NCAAs. That’s an assertive outlook from a captain showing the way to a young squad toward a 12th national title. If #30’s on-field show didn’t wow you, his remarkably confident attitude should.

SU did everything it needed to do going in. It got an excellent 11-for-20 faceoff contribution from Ricky Buhr, played a fluid midfield game led by Eilers, and had freshman goalie Bobby Wardwell standing on his head with shot-stopping swagger – only 6 goals allowed. John Desko said afterward that his team had one universal focus: grinding out a full game.

“I was stressing trying to play 60 minutes of lacrosse. This year, we’ve had a good first half, and have had to play catch-up in the second half. Today we got 60 minutes of good lacrosse in, and that was our goal.”

Desko’s team was relentless, going 3 straight quarters with at least 4 goals and having 9 different players ring the net. The most deadly part of the offensive onslaught came from the midfield, which is ironic because the middies have been mediocre all season. Against the Wildcats, Eilers lit the way for redshirt freshman dodger Hakeem Lecky to notch two goals of his own. The scoring was seamless and remained a constant threat from anywhere on the field.

The brand of ball this team played against Nova can stand toe-to-toe with any elite competition in the NCAA tournament. With 4-seed St. John’s miraculously sending 1-seed Notre Dame home in the first game, SU’s road opened up even more for Saturday’s final. But Buhr says this newly invigorated group isn’t taking its eyes off the prize.

“There’s definitely no weight off our shoulders yet. We’re still stuck in the woods. We need to get out in order to make the playoffs. We’ve got St. John’s on Saturday, and hopefully after we play them, we’re going to be coming out on top. It’s a new season. We’ve got to keep climbing that ladder until we reach the top.” 

It’ll take a consistent performance at this level or higher against St. Johns to cement SU in the NCAAs, but the Orange has clicked the engine to ludicrous speed and taken down it’s first playoff obstacle in explosive fashion.

Posted: Jake Moskowitz

BigEast.org

Whether the recruiting well has run dry, or just an aberration season, ’12 has been a gigantic disappointment for 7-7 Syracuse lacrosse. Yet there’s potential salvation just 120 minutes away.

For all the repeated failures to take advantage of opportunities, Syracuse has yet another chance to change its fate tonight. SU’s hopes of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament are long gone, but the Orange can still get in by winning the inaugural Big East Lacrosse Championship.

• The Fizz will live-tweet during all postseason SU lax games

The initial postseason task for SU is exacting revenge against Villanova. The Wildcats handed the Orange the program’s first ever loss in 2+ years of Big East play (one of the several disappointing distinctions this year’s squad holds in the record books) in March at the Carrier Dome. Now Syracuse has the unenviable job of playing a “neutral-site game” in the home stadium of its opponent – one that already has the psychological edge.

Keys for an SU Victory

Win Faceoffs: You’ve heard this about the Orange heading into almost every game. SU’s production at the faceoff X matters even more against the Wildcats. ‘Nova boasts the leading faceoff conversion percentage in the Big East (54.1%). SU embarrassed itself taking faceoffs against Maryland in last year’s NCAA quarterfinal loss, and it carried over into an awful season (46.9%).

To make matters worse, primary faceoff specialist Chris Daddio (who had already been struggling) missed Saturday’s loss to Notre Dame while serving a one-game suspension. So with Daddio’s role diminishing, how often will the coaches send top Orange defender Brian Megill to take draws? He’s been the team’s most effective faceoff guy, winning 20-37 attempts, but is too vital on D to overuse at the faceoff X.

Prevent Man-Up Chances for Villanova: Villanova’s biggest strengths coincide with Syracuse’s glaring weaknesses. The Wildcats boast an insane 51.8% man-up conversion rate this season, second best in the nation. The Orange allows a goal 46.2% when a man down. Syracuse’s extra-man defense is incredibly porous.

Even if SU is otherwise able to play the Wildcats evenly, man-up chances could be the game’s deciding factor. The Orange needs to stay out of penalty box, and not allow ‘Nova to replicate its recent 4-3 EMO performance against Providence. That’s not a typo – Villanova had 3 man-up opportunities and converted 4 goals, scoring twice during a rare non-releasable penalty in the 2nd quarter.

Take Advantage of a Poor Goalie: For everything the Wildcats do well, their goalkeepers aren’t very good. Dan Gutierrez fared decently against SU earlier this season but that had more to do with poor Syracuse shooting. The Orange can’t afford to give Gutierrez confidence. He’s only saved 48% of the shots this season, and was yanked early against Providence after allowing 5 quick goals. His backups didn’t fare much better against the lowly Friars.

Meanwhile, Syracuse has repeatedly let golden opportunities slip away by rushing shot attempts and often just flat out missing the mark for no good reason. Collectively, the Orange must challenge the Villanova netminder from the very start of the game.

Once upon a time, SU lax fans argued against joining the lowly Big East conference. Many thought the poor quality of opponents would be a drag on the elite Orange program. But that “lowly” league (which beat Syracuse three times this year) now represents a life-preserver – an automatic bid is the only way SU will get to the NCAAs. The mission is simple: Win twice, and you’re in.

Syracuse was unanimously predicted to finish tops in the Big East, and here it sits as just the 3-seed in the conference tourney. Desperate is not how the Orange usually feels heading into May, yet that about describes current mindset of SU’s seniors.

It’s been a frustrating campaign the entire way following the graduation of the winningest senior class in program history. But SU has not taken its final 2012 breath yet. And until it does, you can never count out the Orange come the postseason.

Posted: Andrew Kanell

If SU finds a way to win, it’ll only be because an unpredictable Orange team decided to show up. But a an early exit wouldn’t be surprising since the Wildcats came into the Dome earlier this year and handed Syracuse a mortifying defeat. ’Nova represented SU’s first ever Big East loss, and the Orange suffered two more leagues losses this season. Frankly, Syracuse just isn’t that good after having 7 All-Americans walk from its ranks.

If this is indeed a rare lost season, what does the future will look like for the most successful lax program of all-time? Four-time All American defender Ric Beardsley said on Fizz Radio the Orange may have its priorities in the wrong place on the recruiting trail.

“In a way, you’ve got to get bigger recruits. You look at Syracuse’s rosters traditionally; they’ve gotten those top guys. Look at the defense I had. We were #1, #2 and #3 for two years in the country as far as recruits as that position. So, there you go. You had the top 3 high school recruits in the country on the same roster. You have to go back to getting that. You have to get that #1 guy. SU has to do something different.”

Since 1995, when Beardsley last wore an SU jersey, there has been boatloads of talent, numerous Final Fours, and a fistful of championships. But this season has been a lost cause after Syracuse graduated a senior class that won two of those NCAA titles.

Once upon a time, Syracuse snapped up enough talent to run circles around the competition. Some of it was right place, right time. The Powell family hails from West Carthage, NY, and helped create the greatest family legacy in the sport’s annals. But as lacrosse has spread geographically, the top talent is no longer contained only to upstate New York, Long Island and Baltimore. Which means SU needs to work a little harder. 

InsideLacrosse.com/ESPN lax recruiting editor Geoff Shannon follows the sport’s incoming talent. He thinks Syracuse is already well established in their uniquely deliberate recruiting style, and would be surprised to see Desko & co. change things up anytime soon.

“Syracuse has always been a team that has built their roster differently than everyone else. They have a great area in upstate New York where they can just pull some of the best kids from there to build a nice foundation. They always get some fantastic transfers every year to help fill the roster, and they’ll win a recruiting battle here or there with a guy from Long Island. They’ll be a little bit more aggressive in the future but I don’t see their style changing that much.”

But a glance at the Tewaarton Award nominees shows Syracuse has missed on some of the elite talent on Long Island to lesser schools. While Tom Schreiber joined powerful Princeton from East Meadow, SU watched UMass and Villanova also nab kids from the area. Massachusetts plucked both Anthony Biscardi (Wantaugh, NY) and Will Manny (Massapequa, NY), while the Wildcats snared Kevin Cunningham (Garden City, NY). Meantime, Sam Bardman joined Salisbury University in Maryland from upstate New York (Canton).

That’s five of the 25 best players in the country in-state that went elsewhere. Add two southern schools grabbing Tewaarton nominees from New England in Duke’s C.J. Constable (New Fairfield, CT) and UVA’s Colin Briggs (Narragansett, RI), and it makes you wonder if Syracuse would be wise to “start changing its style.”

SU might also be targeting the wrong guys. One of the biggest reasons Syracuse has struggled to win this year has been a pitiful showing at the face-off X. SU recruited sophomore Chris Daddio specifically to take face-offs after the departure of Jeremy Thompson. Daddio was a 2010 US Lacrosse All-American who graduated high school with an incredible .880 face-off winning percentage his senior year.

But after John Desko swapped out Daddio for defender Brian Megill in at the X, some fans wondered whether SU dug its own grave. Shannon says the face-off man is just a difficult position that guys have to adjust to in college.

“It’s not that simple. You can’t just say, hey, we’re going to spend some money on this kid and he’s going to come in and be a game buster at face-off. It’s a uniquely skilled position. There are some guys you can recruit, but it’s a weird one. There are too many variables, so you can’t throw that kind of confidence at anybody.”

Shannon says recruiting at any position is going to be limited because it’s a non-revenue sport. High school lax players weigh far more factors than a football or basketball athlete who is offered a full-ride.

“Lacrosse isn’t football. Lacrosse is not basketball. You’re not getting a full scholarship to go play. You have a multitude of different factors going into where you decide to go to college. You want to go and play for the legacy. You want to go to a place because you’re getting the right amount of money as compared to different schools. You want to go someplace because you like the education. It’s nice to think ‘oh, yeah Syracuse would go wrap up all these kids,’ but there are so many factors that go into a non-revenue sport like lacrosse. I don’t think Syracuse is missing out on any of those aspects of building their roster.”

Even with the inherent restrictions on being a second-tier sport, it’s hard to believe legendary SU lax can’t clean up on the recruiting trail. Shannon says the Orange still should land top-end prospects.

“I know some of the nice pickups in their 2013 class are Jordan Evans from Jamesville-DeWitt, and you have Dylan Maltz (Derek Maltz’s younger brother) out of Stone Bridge in Virginia. They’re definitely doing a good job.”

Then again, how bad is it really on the Hill? SU just graduated 7 All-Americans and a senior class with two national titles. Clearly Desko is acquiring talent and winning with it. This could simply be a hiccup season, a young roster which may eventually mature into yet another Final Four team. Standards are incredibly high at SU, and heads will always turn to the future. The question is: will that future be a bright one?

Posted: Jake Moskowitz

Midwest Lacrosse Photography

In Syracuse’s 8-6 loss to 3rd-ranked Notre Dame over the weekend, SU was blanked at halftime for the first time this season. By the end of the game, the #17 Orange had signed the dotted line on one of the most disappointing regular seasons (7-7, 3-3)  in school history.

The ride to South Bend must have been awfully comfortable, because SU was still been asleep through the first two quarters. The effort was absent, there was zero urgency, and the compete level of a team whose tournament hopes are on life support was far too low.

In the second half, John Desko apparently put his team through a fortune-telling machine like Tom Hanks in Big. A team that had played like a disappointed 12-year-old was a fully-grown man after halftime.

For the final 30 minutes, Syracuse had energy, physicality, and will to win. SU won over 50% of face-off battles (where it has really struggled), picked up a lot of ground balls, and scored 6 times. JoJo Marasco stepped up with two goals and an assist. Syracuse managed all of this against Notre Dame goalie John Kemp, one of the best in the nation and a Tewaaraton finalist.

It became apparent SU lax has a severe case of multiple personalities disorder. The lacrosse it played in the second half is capable of winning the Big East tournament and getting the AQ to the NCAAs. Unfortunately, the Orange needs to find a way to play that brand of ball for 60 minutes. 

Andrew Kanell, who has been one of WAER’s primary voices for SU lax this season, said on a recent FizzCast, “when one guy shows up for SU, another becomes a ghost.” Derek Maltz, Syracuse’s proven offensive weapon, did absolutely nothing for the entire game. The same goes for striker Tommy Palasek, who had a lone assist. On the defensive end, the Brian Megill-led zone seemed slow, confused, and porous for the first thirty minutes. These are all mishaps that cannot happen in a Big East tournament that SU must win.

In a way, Notre Dame (11-1, 6-0) is an advantageous regular season finale opponent. With four teams slotted into the Big East tournament at Villanova this week, it’s likely the top-seeded Irish will beat 4-seed St. John’s handily. Having come within two goals of an upset on Saturday makes it a bit easier for the 3rd-seeded Orange to go toe-to-toe with ND in the finals as the Committee looks on.

As 4-time All-American defender Ric Beardsley said on Fizz Radio, don’t expect that committee to make any apologies for a disappointing .500 showing in the regular season. Even with losses to tough opponents like Virginia and Hopkins, breathing room will be scarce for a school that coldly stomped out all competition for three decades.

The lacrosse power brokers in Baltimore can’t be counted on for a ticket to the big dance, so that means Syracuse will have to fight for two hard-earned wins in the conference tournament. As Orange title hopes hang in limbo, one question remains unanswered: which version of the Orange will show up on Wednesday at Villanova?

Posted: Jake Moskowitz

• Hear Ric Beardsley discuss SU lax on Fizz Radio here

Before the RU game the Orange was a 5-5 team guessing at its postseason future, Syracuse was approaching bubble status for the NCAA tournament. Two weeks later SU is not much more comfortable sitting at 7-6, and a 3-seed in the Big East tournament.

At the time we asked Beardsley if the Orange would earn a spot in the field of 16. ”Uncle Ricky Beast” said SU might be excluded from the tournament for reasons that go beyond its play on the field.

“You have to remember, there are a lot of naysayers in Baltimore. A lot of people have it against Syracuse for all of the prior success. If there’s a chance to bounce Syracuse, believe me, the college coaches and anyone who votes on these, the committees will do their best to bounce them out.”

Beardsley was a major part of that prior success. Does Syracuse have past enemies that shed shoulder pads in favor of a suit and a vote? The epicenter of the sport is obviously Maryland where the Men’s Lacrosse Committee serves. It votes on and receives recommendations from advisory committees in each division. SU coach John Desko served on an advisory committee in 2010.

Top lacrosse minds coming from powerful lacrosse schools carry the emotions of deep-seeded rivalries. It seems strange to suggest the sport’s most storied program is an “outsider.” But college lacrosse is still niche enough to be a family affair. While it has spread beyond its traditional borders, many point to a “lax mafia” as the brain trust of the sport. 

Could SU be punished as payback for so thoroughly dominating the sport over the past three decades? Is the committee looking to pounce at the first sign of a weakened Orange program? Even if it’s nothing personal, SU might become a victim of its own success. Beardsley says there are voters looking at Syracuse’s 11 titles, and forcing the current team to live up to tough standards.

“I honestly think that there’s too much parity in college lacrosse right now to get them in with 7-7 or 8-7 records. [Syracuse] is not Hopkins. Hopkins is going to get a lot of votes, Hopkins has gotten in before with losing records.”

Johns Hopkins is one of SU’s most storied opponents, and resides in the lax bosom of Baltimore. Are the programs on the inner circle held to a different set of expectations? Maybe it’s just a classic case of “us against the world” that so many successful athletes and coaches utilize for motivation. But Beardsley is a 4-time All-American and is still closely involved in the sport. His words carry weight.

Ultimately, there’s no one to blame more than SU itself. The Orange played uninspired lax for most of the season, and suffered it only two Big East losses ever. This tilt-a-whirl campaign has created more questions than answers. Who’s starting in goal? How is it possible Syracuse is so bad at face-offs? Who is going to step up as the true leader of this team?

The issues between the lines are numerous enough. Even if SU pulls an upset at #5 Notre Dame Saturday, this young Orange team may still have even more difficult opponent to defeat: the selection committee. All from bad blood that started boiling long before these players were even born.

Posted: Jake Moskowitz

Jim Commentucci/ Post-Standard

Syracuse’s lax season has been like walking past funhouse mirrors: you can make out the image, but it’s grotesquely distorted. The proud Orange program is struggling to grind out wins against teams it used to be able to pistol-whip half-awake. Teams just like unranked Georgetown, which came to the Dome and handed SU a humiliating 10-8 defeat Saturday.

What unfolded against the hated Hoyas was a horror show, a massive step backwards from any progress this young group had laid claim to. The Orange (7-6, 3-2 Big East) scored just three goals in the first half, and turned the ball over an outrageous 22 times. Georgetown won the hustle points too, beating SU by four ground balls, and won three more face-offs.

It was an ugly day all-around for the Orange. SU had never lost a Big East game coming into the season. This year it has lost two of them. Georgetown snapped a six-game losing streak to Syracuse, and ruined Senior Day in the process. Consider even the most ardent supporters stunned at how this season is turning out. As time wound down SU legend Jovan Miller (@JoviNation23) tweeted, “This can’t be real.”

Oh it’s real, Jovi. It’s as real as it gets. ESPNU’s Anish Shroff joined Fizz Radio before the game, and wondered whether SU would even make the Big East Tournament with a loss to the Hoyas. It was iffy, but SU is slotted as the third-seed in the B.E.T. in two weeks. Still, my how the mighty have fallen.

Syracuse has taken its fans on a bumpy ride from day one. The season began with questions about who would start between the pipes, and where the leaders would come from. SU hasn’t won more than two games in a row all year. The Orange has sunk to 23rd in LaxPower’s computer rankings, behind such legendary programs as Hofstra, Drexel and Bryant.

Syracuse, the kingpin of lacrosse legacy, the standard for lax swagger, and the birthplace of the sport, is more or less a .500 team. As former defensive All-American Ric Beardsley said on Fizz Radio last week, Syracuse’s only way into the dance may be by winning the Big East Tournament’s automatic NCAA bid.

Fans would like to believe that facing these uphill battles build character for a green group in search of it’s own identity. As it is in every sport to be the best, you have to beat the best. Syracuse knows that better than anyone from king of the Hill for so long.

Is the season over? Not yet, but if SU has any fight left in it, it needs to unleash it – fast.

Posted: Jake Moskowitz

laxallstars.com

The deadly shooter has lacrosse’s biggest pair of shoes to fill, playing the same position as the first families of SU lax – the Gaits and Powells. But Maltz is blazing his own path, and he’s not concerned with fame or glory, readily giving credit to his teammates for his success.

“It’s a great feeling. It’s pretty cool to be able to lead the team in points. But my success is only part of what the other guys on my team are doing. I try to find lanes and get into shooting spots, and we have such talented feeders on this team that they can hit me and I’m able to find the back of the net.”

Maltz hails from the small town of Ashburn, Virginia. Even though he grew up watching UVA, it was always his dream to play attack at Syracuse.

“It’s been my goal my entire life to play here. Now that it has finally come true and I’m able to actually contribute, I’m really excited and I just want to contribute in any possible way.”

Maltz didn’t play at a big time high school lacrosse program, but he always had big time potential. Few knew who Maltz was coming in as a freshman. He spent last year in the shadow of former SU crease man Stephen Keogh, and he took notes on the role. Maltz says Keogh helped him raise his game to the next level.

“He was a great guy on and off the field – to me in particular. He helped me out in practice every day last year. We shot a lot together. He would spend time after drills showing me how to time my cuts.”

Though he remains humble in the shadow of his mentor, Maltz has already surpassed Keogh’s mark for most goals in a game. His 6-goal tally yesterday is the first time an Orange has had more than five since ’08.

After Keogh graduated, Maltz became the darkhorse on the attack. He was a promising replacement, but still the unknown commodity on offense. Maltz says he liked moving into the starting role under the radar.

“I liked it. Not many people knew who I was, so other teams had a tough time scouting me. The other coaches didn’t know what my strengths and weaknesses were. To come in and make a name for myself is a pretty cool feeling.” 

Maltz has made more than just a name for himself. He’s building a brand, too. He says there is an entire culture behind lacrosse swagger, and it all starts with eye black.

“Eye black is a big part of my swagger. Mikey Powell made the triangle famous, and now little kids wear his design to the games. Mine is pretty generic, just two thick black lines. But I’m working on a trademark design.”

As the old saying goes, the eye black doesn’t make the man. Maltz’s dominance as a finisher is due to his incredible dedication and focus, and he knows it’s the effort he has put in that makes him a starter week in, week out.

“I came from a small area in Virginia, so not many people thought when I was in high school that I’d ever be successful here. My hard work and dedication paid off, and if I could get fans to know that, it would be pretty cool. It just goes to show that you can come from a small area and be pretty successful if you put your mind to it.”

Maltz is putting his mind and his blazing fast shot to it every game, and it’s a big reason why he’s keeping tournament hopes alive for a struggling team down the stretch.

Posted: Jake Moskowitz