Bartig, Defense Key 10-7 Win At Hopkins

Saturday, March 20

Baltimore, MD

8 p.m.

Syracuse University

#7 Johns Hopkins

Joel White held Hopkins star midfielder Michael Kimmel without a point Saturday and scored a goal to help the Orange defeat the Blue Jays, 10-7.

3/20/2010 11:13:51 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

BALTIMORE – No. 2 Syracuse (4-1) received a superb effort from its defense and got a career-best three goals from senior midfielder Max Bartig on its way to a 10-7 victory against No. 7 Johns Hopkins (4-3) on Saturday, March 20 in the first-ever night game between the two teams at Homewood Field.

The victory was the Orange's fourth in a row against the Blue Jays and its fifth in the last six meetings. It was also Syracuse's second straight win at Homewood, marking just the second time in series history, and the first time since 1986 and 1988, the Orange won consecutive games on the Blue Jays' home turf.

The Syracuse defense ruled the night, holding Hopkins to 4.5 fewer goals than its season average (11.5 gpg) coming into the game. Syracuse kept the Blue Jays off the scoreboard for 17:45 at the beginning of the contest and blanked the hosts for 23:12 during the second and third quarters.

In addition, the Orange caused nine of the Blue Jays' 13 turnovers and limited them to 26 shots for the game (nine in the first half).

Senior close defenseman Matt Tierney and junior long-stick midfielder Joel White were dominant in their individual matchups. Tierney blanked Blue Jay attackman Kyle Wharton, ending his 22-game point streak. Tierney also collected a ground ball and forced a turnover.

White held Michael Kimmel, one of the best offensive midfielders in the nation, scoreless for the first time in 29 games dating back to 2008. White also recorded one caused turnover, led the Orange with a game-high six ground balls, and scored the team's final goal with 2:38 left in the game.

If the Blue Jays did get a look at the cage, junior goaltender John Galloway was there. He finished with nine saves, including seven in the second half, to help preserve the win.

Offensively, Bartig led the charge. Playing with the Orange's top midfield line for the first time in his career, he scored SU's first goal of the game 2:55 into the contest and added two more in the third quarter during a 5-0 Orange run that gave the visitors control of the game.

Senior Cody Jamieson had four points. He scored once and posted a career-high three assists. Junior Stephen Keogh and junior Jeremy Thompson had two goals each.

Jamieson had a hand in SU's first two goals of the contest. He assisted on Bartig's score with 12:05 to go in the first and then powered through a Hopkins defender and flipped the ball between his legs past Blue Jay goalie Mike Gvozden less than four minutes later to give the Orange a 2-0 advantage.

A man-up goal by Thompson at the 3:07 mark of the first extended the Orange advantage to 3-0 heading into the second period.

John Greeley finally ended the Blue Jays' scoring drought, getting the Blue Jays on the board at the 12:15 mark of the second period to make it 3-1. But the Orange responded with an extra-man goal by Keogh and an unassisted tally by freshman JoJo Marasco to push the SU margin to four (5-1) at the half.

In the third quarter, Galloway made a pair of saves on the Blue Jays' first possession. Junior Jovan Miller cleared for the Orange and Jamieson found Bartig for his second of the night to make it 6-1 with 13:37 to go in the third quarter.

Another score by Bartig and one by Keogh completed the five-goal scoring spurt and staked Syracuse to its largest lead of the game (8-1) with 7:55 remaining in the third.

But Hopkins wouldn't go quietly. The Blue Jays scored four straight unanswered goals, including a pair by Steven Boyle, to get within three (8-5) with 13:46 to play in regulation.

Thompson stopped the run with an unassisted goal at the 13:01 mark, but Tom Palasek and Greeley found the cage to cut the lead to 9-7 with 2:47 left. It set the stage for White, who sealed the victory with his first goal of the year nine seconds later in transition.

Boyle (2g, 2a) finished with four points to lead Hopkins. Palasek, who came into the game with just one shot on the season, had three points, including two goals. Gvozden made 14 saves and took the loss.

Thompson and senior Gavin Jenkinson combined to win 14 of the game's 20 faceoffs. Both players were 7-for-10 at the X and Thompson also had four ground balls.

Syracuse will play its second straight road game on Tuesday, March 23 when it visits Central New York rival Hobart. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at McCooey Field. The game will be televised live in the Syracuse area on Time Warner Sports.

Game Notes: Johns Hopkins' one goal in the first half was the fewest goals allowed by the Orange in any half this season … The Blue Jays' scoring drought of 23:12 during the second and third quarters was the longest for a Syracuse opponent in 2010 … The Blue Jays' seven goals were their fewest in the series since a 19-7 loss to the Orange in 1988 … Keogh's two goals extended his point-scoring streak to 27 games … Syracuse was 2-for-2 on extra-man opportunities against the Blue Jays … The Orange has now scored on 11 of its last 14 man-up chances dating back to the Virginia game on March 7.