Syracuse University
Army
SU-Army Highlights Dome Doubleheader
2/27/2010 7:51:43 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Tickets | Watch/Listen Live | Live Stats | Game Notes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Top-ranked Syracuse (1-0) hosts Army (1-1) in its second game of the 2010 season on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The matchup is the first of two games featuring Empire State teams. At 6 p.m., Cornell and Hobart will square off in the season opener for both squads.
Tickets for the doubleheader are available online at SUathletics.com, over the phone (1-888-DOMETIX), or in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office during normal business hours. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 12 and under. 'Cuse Kids Club members get in free with their membership card. Parking is $10.
The SU-Army game will be televised live in the Syracuse area on Time Warner Sports. Fans can also hear the action live on the radio home of the Orange - TK 99 (99.5 FM). Live streaming video and audio are available on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All-Access.
LACROSSE ELITE
Sunday's twin bill will feature four of the seven winningest programs in college lacrosse. All four teams have at least 650 all-time wins with Syracuse, Hobart and Army each topping 700 victories. The Orange is the second winningest program behind Johns Hopkins with 794 victories. Hobart is fourth (719 wins), Army ranks fifth (706 wins) and Cornell is seventh (665 wins). It should be noted the Statesmen earned many of their triumphs at the Division III level before moving to Division I in 1995.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Orange freshman midfielder JoJo Marasco will see a familiar face on the Army sideline Sunday. His older brother, Matt Marasco, is a junior defenseman for the Black Knights. Matt has played in two games in his career, including Army's season-opening win against VMI on Feb. 20. JoJo tallied a goal and two assists in his collegiate debut versus Denver on Feb. 19.
SHOOTING DISPLAY
The Orange came out firing against Denver in its season opener. Syracuse outshot the Pioneers, 41-31, and recorded a .366 shooting percentage for the game. More remarkable than the raw numbers was the accuracy Syracuse displayed. Thirty-four of the Orange's 41 attempts were on goal (15 goals, 19 Denver saves), including 20-of-21 shots in the first half. Syracuse netted goals on its first shots of the season as midfielders Jovan Miller and Kevin Drew each found the cage in the game's opening minute.
LIGHTNING STRIKE
The Orange tallied two goals in six seconds as part of a 5-0 run during the latter stages of the first quarter and beginning of the second versus Denver. The back-to-back tallies were just a second off the NCAA and school records for the fastest consecutive goals by the same team. Junior Jeremy Thompson found classmate Josh Amidon for a goal with 3:31 to play in the opening quarter. Thompson won the ensuing faceoff, sprinted to the cage and unleashed a shot that found its mark with 3:25 showing on the clock.
Brendan Sheehan and Tom Marechek set the school record and tied the NCAA standard against Yale in 1992, scoring five seconds apart. Mike Leveille and Kenny Nims equaled it against Binghamton in 2007.
NEWCOMERS DAZZLE IN DEBUT
Several fresh faces contributed to the Orange's season-opening win against Denver. Marasco had a goal and led the team with two assists. Thompson and true freshman Brian Megill both started in their Orange debuts. Thompson had a goal and an assist. He also won seven of his 11 faceoffs. Megill started on close defense. After being beaten on Denver's first goal, Megill responded by forcing three turnovers. He also had a ground ball.
SCOUTING THE BLACK KNIGHTS
The Black Knights are coming off their first loss of the season, 7-6, against Bryant on Feb. 23 after defeating VMI in their season opener. Defensively, the team has been solid, allowing 8.0 goals per game in its first two outings. In addition, its been a fierce riding team. The Black Knights have harassed their two foes into a .556 clearing percentage (20-36). However, offensively the Black Knights are averaging just 8.5 goals per contest. Faceoffs have also been an achilles heel. Army has won just 13 of its 40 draws (.325) on the year.
Baldwinsville native Jeremy Boltus is the team's top offensive threat. He leads the squad with 10 points, including a team-best six assists. He tallied a goal and three assists in the loss to Bryant Tuesday. Rookie attackman Garrett Thul is team's top goal scorer. He has six on the season. Junior goalie Tom Palesky has started both games in the cage. He has 18 saves and a .529 save percentage.
THE SERIES VERSUS ARMY
The Black Knights lead the all-time series, 38-18. Army dominated the rivalry's early years, but has beaten the Orange just three times since 1980. Syracuse has won 13 of the last 14 meetings dating back to 1984, including a 17-6 victory at the Dome last season. The Orange is 7-1 against the Black Knights since the programs began playing annually in 2002.
