Men’s lacrosse flounders in top 10 ACC matchup
Men's lacrosse flounders in top 10 ACC matchup
The North Carolina Tar Heels laid waste to Syracuse today, earning their largest road win of the season and first win in Syracuse since 1982. Carolina led from start to finish, outhustling the Orange early and rolling to an easy 21-9 victory.
Coming into today’s match, the Orange had scored double-digit goals in every game this season. SU was held to just one goal in the first quarter, the lowest mark of the season. North Carolina jumped right on Syracuse, scoring in the first two minutes and adding to their lead by capitalizing on lackadaisical defensive plays by the Orange.
The score was 5-0 by the time Syracuse scored midway through the opening quarter. Stephen Rehfuss led a fast break and found Jamie Trimboli for the finish. The Orange trailed by 4, and they would never come closer.
The Tar Heels did not answer every Syracuse goal with a run of their own, but they never let the Orange score on consecutive occasions.
“We looked sluggish from the get-go. … Our lack of aggression at the point of attack led to losing the faceoff and ground ball battle,” head coach John Desko said of the lethargic effort his team put forth.
The Orange were outscored in every quarter and struggled to gain any ground on the Heels. A key sequence in the 3rd quarter came right after halftime when senior midfielder William Perry raced past the orange defense and glided for an easy goal.
The Orange did not make the necessary adjustments to resist the Tar Heel attack and lost the time of possession battle handily. Throughout the game, there was a sense that the Orange were a quick 3 or 4-0 spurt from vaulting back into the game, but the ball did not roll their way.
The Tar Heels had their way with the Orange and spoiled the team’s Senior Day.
Next up for Syracuse is a date with No.3 Virginia, a team the Orange knows very well and beat 20-10 earlier this season.
is a contributor to The NewsHouse.
