In the fall of 2009, the nine current seniors on the Georgetown men’s lacrosse team joined a program eager to return to the NCAA tournament after consecutive seasons without a postseason berth. But, since then, that group has compiled a record of 28-25, beaten only one top-10 opponent, undergone the program’s first coaching change in 23 years and never made it past the regular season.

None of this will matter on Saturday, though, when they take on rival and No. 3-ranked Syracuse in their final home game.

“With the Orange coming, with it being Senior Day and with us beating them last year, it’s big,” Head Coach KevinWarne said. “The way we’ve practiced, the way we’ve played the past couple weeks, anything is possible in college lacrosse.”

A win over Syracuse on Saturday or at Rutgers the following week would guarantee the Hoyas a spot in the four-team Big East tournament in Villanova, Pa., which represents their only shot at the NCAAs.

For this group of seniors, then, the options are simple: Win, or graduate without ever having played past the first weekend of May.

“We can’t afford to lose — you have to look at it that way,” senior defender Patrick Murray said. “If you don’t, you’re not giving yourself the chance to compete. You’ve got to look at every game like it’s a must-win.”

Syracuse Head Coach John Desko, who boasts five national championships, will arrive on the Hilltop with the sixth-highest scoring offense in the country, led by senior midfielder JoJo Marasco’s 15 goals and 28 assists. The last time the Georgetown defense — Warne’s tactical specialty — faced an offense with that kind of firepower, the Duke Blue Devils lit it up for 19 goals.

“I think in the past few games our defense has really stepped it up. We’ve looked a lot better,” redshirtsophomore goalie Jake Haley said. “Against Syracuse and Rutgers, defense is going to be the key.”

Haley took over in the third game of the season after freshman opening day starter Alex Joyce suffered a concussion.

“All throughout the fall and preseason, I knew that there was a possibility that I would have to lead this team,” Haley said. “I was well prepared when that moment came.”

“For him to be able to back up Alex in the first two games, I thinkit gave him more fire to come out and compete,” Murray said of his keeper. “Not only is he solid between the pipes, but he’s one of the most athletic kids on our team. He gives our defense another dimension.”

Haley’s athleticism was instrumental in Georgetown’s biggest play of the season thus far, as he stepped out of the cage to cover a St. John’s attackman when the Red Storm were clinging to a one-goal lead with under 30 seconds remaining April 6. St. John’s subsequently turned the ball over, and the Hoyas went on to win in overtime — the aforementioned sole top-10 triumph of this senior class. If Georgetown had lost that game, its Big East tournament hopes would have been dashed.

In its first two matchups with the Orange, the senior class lost 15-12 at the Carrier Dome and 9-8 in overtime at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium when Syracuse was ranked No. 1. Last year, the Blue and Gray turned things around, escaping upstate New York as 10-8 winners.

“As a freshman, that was definitely the best moment of the year,” sophomore attack Reilly O’Connor, who leads the team in points with 21 goals and 18 assists, said. “We thought that victory would get us into the Big East tournament, but it didn’t. This year, we can reach that goal.”

The Orange are fresh off a 13-12 loss to Hobart on Wednesday night in a rivalry game that dates back to Syracuse’s first-ever game in 1916. On Saturday, the visitors will be looking to avoid back-to-back losses to their two most hated rivals.

While their opponents will thus have a great deal of motivation, Warne and the Hoyas will have more than their fair share as well.

“They’re our seniors — they’re my seniors. I give them a lot of credit for leading in the transition of the coaching staff,” Warne said. “Hopefully, the team can pay them back. It will be the last time that this team of 37 guys will be together at home. We want to lead them out with a victory.”

Opening faceoff is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday at MultiSport Facility.