Rival No. 2 Syracuse Returns

Charles Nailen/The Hoya The Orangemen will certainly prove to be a tougher opponent than Rutgers, the Hoyas’ last opponent shown above. Georgetown will renew its rivalry with Syracuse when the Orangemen visit Kehoe Field Sat

Any matchup between Georgetown and Syracuse always carries special importance and tomorrow’s game between the school’s men’s lacrosse teams should prove to be no exception. Although both teams have clinched NCAA tournament berths, the teams are so closely matched and have such a rich recent history that the game has the makings of a classic.

“It’s Syracuse and it’s Georgetown. I don’t care if they’re playing pinochle against eachother – there’s going to be a lot of interest,” Georgetown Head Coach Dave Urick said. “This place, I suspect, is going to have a lot of people here. It’s going to be a great lead-in to the tournament for us.”

The Hoyas (11-1, 5-1 ECAC) are ranked No. 5 in the country, and the Orangemen are ranked just three spots ahead at No. 2, so a victory for either team would be an highly important win in terms of seedings for the upcoming twelve-team NCAA Tournament.

The two teams also share a bitter recent rivalry with each other. Georgetown lost in two meetings with Syracuse last year, the second of which coming in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. Syracuse leads the series with a record of 6-2 against Georgetown. The last time the Hoyas defeated the Orangemen came in the 1999 season when Georgetown prevailed by a margin of 17-13.

Statistically the two teams match up very evenly.

Syrcause’s 13.08 scoring average is seventh in the nation, while Georgetown is right behind at eighth with 12.92 goals per game. On the opposite end of the field, the Hoyas are fifth in scoring defense (7.42), while the Orangemen are seventh (7.58).

Syracuse’s attack is among the best in the nation, featuring three first-team All-American candidates. Freshman Mike Powell, the team’s leading scorer, sophomore Mike Springer and junior Liam Banks have combined for 64 goals and 69 assists this season. The Orangemen also have freshman Brian Nee, who has scored 15 goals this season, to provide an extra punch off the bench.

Georgetown’s attack lost a lot of talent and experience to graduation in Scott Urick and Andy Flick, but this year’s attack has held its own over the course of the season. Sophomore ike Hammer and seniors Jamie Sharpe and Mike Henehan have scored a combined 39 goals and contributed 44 assists this season. However, Georgetown gets most of its offensive punch from its high-producing midfield than its attack.

The midfield lineup is anchored by junior midfielder Steve Dusseau. He has scored 33 goals on the season and been awarded ECAC Player of the Week honors, National Player of the Week honors and is a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded to the best men’s and women’s varsity lacrosse players in the country. Dusseau, along with senior Scott Doyle, who has 28 goals on the season, can do some serious damage on the scoring end and will likely be a large factor in the game.

However, the Syracuse midfield has a weapon of it’s own – junior Josh Coffman. He has scored 27 goals and poured in 14 assists for the Orangemen so far this season and is certainly also a candidate for Midfielder of the Year, along with Dusseau.

Coffman is likely to be covered by the Hoyas’ long stick middie, sophomore Kyle Sweeney. Sweeney has been a huge asset to the already strong Hoya defense. Led by senior captain Rodger Colbert, Georgetown has allowed double-digit goals only twice this season. Head Coach Dave Urick has been taking advantage of the Hoyas’ depth, routinely giving five or six defensemen playing time each game. But as strong as the defensive line may be, the Syracuse attack will no doubt provide them with their toughest test of the season.

Even though most of the attention this season has been given to its attack, the Syracuse defense is also a strong unit. Their lineup is anchored by juniors John Glatzel and Bill St. George, who both started for the Orangeman 2000 NCAA championship team. The defense has had some lapses this season, allowing double digits in goals against in losses to Johns Hopkins and Loyola and in a win over Cornell.

Both teams also feature excellent goalkeepers. Hoya junior goalie Scott Schroeder’s save percentage of 62.6 is the seventh-highest in the country, while Orangeman senior goalie Rob ulligan’s 60.5 is good enough for 15th. Their goals against average is almost identical, with Schroeder’s 7.27 slightly ahead of Mulligan’s 7.30.

The Orangemen have an edge in their face-off man, senior midfielder Chris Cercy. He has won 70 percent of his face-offs this season, the highest percentage in Division I lacrosse. The Hoyas’ face-off team, consisting of seniors Sean Cartin, Ryan Perraut, sophomore Mike Chiara and junior Mike Kanach, have combined for a season face-off average of .551.

“They’re just a great team from one end to the other. We just need to play very well in every aspect of the game. Facing off is going to be key again,” Urick said.

The Hoyas and Orangemen will face off at 2 p.m. on Harbin Field.