'Cuse Claws its Way to Quarters

Sunday, May 14

Syracuse, N.Y.

7:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

13-2

Yale

10-6

Yale

Syracuse

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

5/14/2017 11:06:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

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Syracuse downs Yale 11-10 in their 11th one-goal game of the year.

And then there were eight.

The No. 2 Syracuse men's lacrosse team (13-2) didn't make it look pretty on Sunday night. But thanks to a stout performance in net from senior goaltender Evan Molloy and more late game heroics – this time it was Stephen Rehfuss who delivered the game-winner – the Orange are on to the NCAA Quarterfinals after defeating No. 15 Yale (10-6), 11-10.

Survive and Advance

A post shared by Syracuse Men's Lacrosse (@cusemlax) on May 14, 2017 at 6:49pm PDT

Despite winning just four of the game's 22 faceoffs and being out-shot 42-29, the 'Cuse defense held strong, led by Molloy's 15 saves, and powered the team to the tournament's second weekend. The defense was 15-of-15 on clears, and prevented goals on all three of Yale's extra-man opportunities.

Nick Mariano and Jamie Trimboli led the way for the Orange with two goals apiece, while seven others added goals of their own, including Rehfuss' game-winner which is his eighth fourth-quarter goal of the season, and sixth in the last seven minutes of games.

Jordan Evans provided two assists, while Austin Fusco, Sergio Salcido, Mariano and Rehfuss contributed one each.

"We got some great stops defensively, especially with this guy, Evan Molloy, in the cage," head coach John Desko said. "He had 15 saves in a game like this where they had 42 shots. It's a great effort to make some great saves going down the stretch, and like usual we came out on top with a one-goal win."

The win is the 500th at Syracuse for Desko, including his time as a player (35), assistant (229) and head coach (236), and now moves him into a tie for third all-time with Roy Simmons Jr. with 34 NCAA Tournament wins.

Tonight's win was the 500th for head coach John Desko at Syracuse including his time as a player and assistant. pic.twitter.com/Rb6URds4Tq
— Syracuse Lacrosse (@CuseMLAX) May 15, 2017

The Orange struck first after controlling possession off the opening faceoff. Receiving a pass from Sergio Salcido, a diving Brendan Bomberry redirected the ball into the back of the net while falling across the crease.

After back and forth play ensued for the following four minutes, Yale knotted things up with an acrobatic goal. Catching the ball in traffic and spinning away from defenders, Conor Resch put the Bulldogs on the board, assisted by Ben Reeves.

Joe Sessa gave Yale a 2-1 advantage with 6:12 to play in the opening period, receiving a pass from Jackson Morrill and firing a point blank shot past Evan Molloy.

The Orange then evened the score on a goal from Jamie Trimboli with 3:18 to play after thwarting a long Yale possession and killing a man-down penalty. However, Yale would push back ahead just over a minute later, as Lucas Cotler received a pass from Reeves, spun out of traffic, and finished for his first goal of the day.

With time ticking away in the first, the Orange closed the gap and tied things at three. Making a save on the defensive end with 16 seconds left to play, Evan Molloy pushed the ball ahead to Paolo Cifferi. Ciferri found Salcido at the top of the box, who beat Yale goalkeeper Phil Huffard with a shot as time expired.

Again in the second, the Orange scored first, as Nick Mariano fended off a Yale defender for an unassisted goal, his first of the game.

Following over six minutes of scoreless play from both sides, Yale forced the fourth tie of the game on an unassisted goal from Reeves. Them with 1:40 left in the first half, Cotler scored his second goal of the day for the Bulldogs, pushing Yale back ahead 5-4. Reeves extended the lead to two for Yale with 8.7 seconds to play for his fourth point (second goal) of the half.

The Bulldogs extended the largest lead of the game to open the third period, as Morrill found the back of the net 1:21 into the quarter to give Yale a 7-4 lead.

But the Orange cut the lead back to two on a highlight reel behind-the-back goal from Nate Solomon, assisted by Jordan Evans with 11:55 to play in the third.

Nearly six minutes later, Syracuse converted a man-up opportunity, as Brad Voigt brought the Orange back within one, assisted by Nick Mariano.

Ending the two-goal Syracuse run and subsequent 9:11 scoreless drought, Matt Gaudet extended the Yale lead back to two on an assist from Eric Scott.

However, off the ensuing faceoff, just the second won by Syracuse and first since the first of the game, the Orange struck back. With 3:16 to play, Mariano added his second goal of the game.

Winning the following faceoff and pushing in transition, Syracuse knotted the game up for the first time since the 1:40 mark in the second quarter. After missing a shot of his own, Austin Fusco assisted Evans to tie the game at eight.

With 1.9 seconds to play in the decisive third period, Rehfuss fed Trimboli who gave Syracuse its first lead since the 6:05 mark in the second period.

A defensive battle took up the first 6:41 of the final quarter before Simmons netted his first goal of the day to push the Orange lead to 10-8.

Just 1:07 later, Reeves broke a 12:06 scoreless streak for the Bulldogs with his third goal of the game, bringing Yale within one, 10-9, with 7:12 to play. Reeves then tied the game up with 6:01 remaining on an unassisted goal, marking his sixth point of the game.

With time winding down and 2:09 to play, Rehfuss, the team's second-leading scorer in the fourth quarter this season, scored his first goal of the game to push Syracuse back ahead by one. Evans assisted on the game-winning goal. The 'Cuse defense held strong one more time and sent Syracuse on to the NCAA Quarterfinal.

A look at the game-winner: pic.twitter.com/vAGAeaj5Jy
— Syracuse Lacrosse (@CuseMLAX) May 15, 2017

Syracuse will play Towson on Sunday, May 21 at Noon in Newark, Delaware. That game will be televised on ESPN2.

GAME NOTES: The win was the 11th one goal game of the season, which bests the 2013 team's program record of 10 … The 11 one goal games are by far the most in the nation, with Notre Dame's eight as the second-most … Syracuse is 9-2 in one-goal games this season, the best winning percentage of any program with at least four or more one goal games played … Stephen Rehfuss has scored 12 of his 21 points this season in the fourth quarter (57-percent). That's the most on the team, only Jamie Trimboli (48-percent) is close for players with five or more points scored … Desko's win was the 500^th of his career at Syracuse including his time as a player or assistant. He's been on the field or sideline for 500 of the program's 895 victories (56 percent) … The win also moved Desko into a tie for third all-time in NCAA Tournament victories with his mentor Roy Simmons Jr. both now have 34 NCAA Tournament victories … Desko's NCAA Tournament winning percentage improved to .739, the best mark among active head coaches and second all-time behind Johns Hopkins Henry Ciccarone (.750) who went 18-6 in tournament play.