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After a seven-goal loss to Army, Syracuse men’s lacrosse returns to the Carrier Dome on Saturday to face No. 2 Virginia (3-0). With one game under its belt, Syracuse (0-1) looks to show improvements made with another week of practice and a shot at the Cavaliers.

Here’s what our beat writers think will happen when Syracuse faces Virginia in the Carrier Dome:

Roshan Fernandez (0-1)
Still not enough
Virginia 20, Syracuse 16

During the first quarter against Army, Syracuse’s offense looked like it did a year ago. It scored six goals, including a first-quarter hat trick from Tucker Dordevic, but went quiet in the ensuing three frames. Chase Scanlan was tossing weak shots that almost looked like passes during the second half. Syracuse isn’t going to win games if its offense continues playing the way it did.

Against UVA, the Orange might show improvement on offense, but they’re still warming up to the 2021 season. They had only three weeks of practice prior to their season opener, and that’s not an issue that’ll resolve itself instantly — especially not against No. 2 Virginia, who’s playing its fourth game of the year. Syracuse’s offense will eventually show improvement, but it won’t be enough against the Cavaliers.

Allie Kaylor (0-1)
Saturday Night Massacre
Virginia 21, Syracuse 16

If you want a test of how these two teams will do against each other, just look at how they did against Army in back-to-back weeks. Virginia scored 14 goals on one of the best defenses in college lacrosse while holding the Black Knights to just nine. The following week, Syracuse scored 11 on Army and surrendered 18, the most goals by an opponent in a season-opener since John Desko took over in 1999. Part of the blowout was due to rust — the Orange had just three weeks of practice before facing Army, while UVA already had a game under its belt.

Another week of competition and practice will help Syracuse’s offense. But what practice won’t fix is the lack of defensive depth for the Orange. Virginia’s offense is stronger than Army’s, and the Cavaliers are already 3-0. Syracuse will have a hard time containing Virginia’s attack — especially Matt Moore and Payton Cormier, who both average four goals per game — and the Orange will lose this one in a game that’s not particularly close. The last time the Orange started the season 0-2? Former President Richard Nixon was still five months away from resigning.

Arabdho Majumder (0-1)
Off the mat
Syracuse 18, Virginia 16

With a game under their belts and another week of practice, the Orange will bounce back on Saturday night against Virginia. Syracuse’s offense stalled out in the final three quarters, but it wasn’t for a lack of chances, including multiple shots off the pipe. Army goalie Wyatt Schupler also stymied the Orange at the goalline multiple times.

The defense needs to clean up some of its miscommunications, as Brett Kennedy talked about in his midweek Zoom press conference. In transition especially, the Orange can’t give up cheap goals to the vaunted Virginia ride. But if SU can get the production it has come to expect from Pat March’s offense, it can win a shootout against the Cavaliers.

Published on February 26, 2021 at 5:10 pm