SU Meets Providence In First Game Of The New England Lacrosse Classic

New England Lacrosse Classic - #1 Syracuse (9-1, 2-0) vs. Providence (3-7, 0-2)
Event Details	Saturday, April 16 \| Foxboro, Mass. \| Gillette Stadium Tickets \| Weather
Schedule	Syracuse vs. Providence - 4 p.m. Dartmouth vs. Princeton - 6:30 p.m.
Game Coverage	TV: Time Warner Sports/Cox Sports \| Radio: WTKW 99.5 FM Orange All Access: Audio \| Live Stats Twitter: @suorangeempire
Syracuse Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Stats \| Guide \| Notes
Providence Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Stats \| Guide \| Notes

FOXBORO, Mass. - The top-ranked Orange returns to BIG EAST play on Saturday, April 16 when it faces Providence in the opening game of the New England Lacrosse Classic at Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's New England Patriots. Game time is 4 p.m.

Syracuse is coming off its first loss of the season, 11-6, versus Cornell and is 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the BIG EAST. Providence is 3-7 overall and 0-2 in the league. The Friars have lost their last two, including a 9-6 decision to St. John's in their last outing.

ABOUT THE NEW ENGLAND LACROSSE CLASSIC
This is the third year of the New England Lacrosse Classic, an event representing Gillette Stadium's effort to participate in the growth of lacrosse in New England. This year's edition features two games. Syracuse versus Providence starts things off at 4 p.m. followed by Dartmouth versus Princeton at 6:30 p.m. The doubleheader is a precursor to the 2011 NCAA Division I quarterfinals for which Gillette Stadium is one of the two sites.

The inaugural New England Lacrosse Classic took place in 2008, and after a hiatus in 2009, returned in 2010. Last year's event was an all-Ivy League affair with Cornell knocking off Dartmouth, 8-6, and Princeton defeating Brown, 9-7.

FOND MEMORIES
The Orange is 4-0 all-time at Gillette Stadium, winning the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Championships at the facility. Syracuse defeated Virginia, 12-11, in two overtimes in the 2008 NCAA semifinals before beating Johns Hopkins, 13-10, to win its NCAA-record 10th national championship. The following year, the Orange routed Duke in the national semifinals then pulled off a remarkable come-from-behind victory against Cornell to repeat as NCAA champions.

LAST TIME OUT
No. 5 Cornell dealt the Orange its first loss of the season, 11-6, at the Carrier Dome on April 12. Senior Josh Amidon tied his career high with five points (3g, 2a) in the contest. He had a hand in five of SU's six goals. The Big Red led from the outset and Syracuse trailed by as many as six before closing the gap to 10-6 in the fourth quarter. However, the team's rally was halted by Rob Pannell's unassisted goal with less than three minutes left. Pannell paced the Big Red with a game-high six points (3g, 3a).

BOUNCING BACK
Prior to losing against Cornell Tuesday, Syracuse had lost six games since the start of 2008. After each of those six defeats Syracuse rebounded to win its next game. The Orange hasn't dropped consecutive games since losing to Massachusetts (9-7) and Colgate (12-5) to close out the 2007 season.

BIG EAST BEASTS
The Orange has never lost a BIG EAST Conference game. The Orange is 8-0 all-time in league play, including wins against Georgetown and Villanova this season. Syracuse went 6-0 in conference play in 2010 to win the inaugural BIG EAST regular-season championship. The Orange is averaging 12.6 goals per game all-time in BIG EAST play and has outscored its conference foes cumulatively, 101-53.

SCOUTING THE FRIARS
At 3-7, Providence has already guaranteed itself a better overall record than last year's 0-14 performance. But after a 2-0 start, the Friars have lost seven of their last eight. The team's only win in that span was an 8-6 decision against Lafayette on April 2.

Providence enters Saturday's game last in the BIG EAST in goals per game (7.1) and second to last in goals-against average (10.0). Providence's offensive woes have been augmented by a 7-for-50 (.140) showing on man-up opportunities and a 96-for-204 (.471) performance at the faceoff X. Junior Jake Nolan leads the Friars in goals (11) and points (19). Evan Helda is second on the squad with 10 goals. Andrew Barton is the team's primary feeder with 12 assists.

Goalies Christian Dzwilewski and Jake Goodelman have shared time in the cage. Dzwilewski has started six games and owns a 10.31 goals-against average with 64 saves. Goodelman has 45 saves and a 9.5 GAA in four starts. Ryan Shaw has excelled in collecting ground balls. He leads the Friars with 45. Shaw is also the team's primary option on faceoffs (63-114, .553).

THE SERIES WITH PROVIDENCE
Syracuse is 2-0 all-time against the Friars. The Orange has outscored Providence 36-8 in the two games and owns an average margin of victory of +14.0 for the series. The previous two series meetings took place in the Carrier Dome.

UP NEXT
Syracuse returns home to face its oldest rival, Hobart, on Tuesday, April 19 at the Carrier Dome. The game is slated to begin at 7 p.m. and will air live in the Syracuse area on Time Warner Sports.

Syracuse University Athletics

SU Meets Providence In First Game Of The New England Lacrosse Classic

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