Takeaways From Syracuse's Win Over Vermont
The 2023 Syracuse men’s lacrosse season started on a good note on Saturday with a 7-5 victory over the University of Vermont Catamounts. It was mostly a battle of defense that resulted in a low-scoring affair, with only 12 goals being scored between both teams. Each side of the ball had some great first impressions ahead of the season, as well as leaving something to be desired in future games.
Momentum swings
The scoring chart clearly shows the tipping points in terms of momentum for both the Catamounts and the Orange. Both teams went on streaks of four straight goals, with Syracuse closing the door with another streak of three. The ability to change momentum with either a hero play or an opportune mistake from the other side is key in the game, and Syracuse showed that they can use both of these moments to their advantage. Will Mark’s performance in goal was an important part of these momentum swings. His 13 saves were instrumental in stalling out the Vermont offense and stopping any answers in the fourth quarter during Syracuse’s three-goal stretch, and the rest of the defensive unit forced some poor goal choices from the Catamounts in the final minute.
Sharing the wealth
Perhaps the best part of Syracuse’s offense would be the amount of unselfish play among the attackers. In the seven goals scored, six were from different scorers, and only two goals were unassisted. The benefits of depth scoring and a front three that are equal threats is dangerous for any opposing defense. The first quarter looked a bit rough for the Syracuse offense with Vermont forcing two shot clock violations and only three shots on goal, but once the offense got going, the goals started to roll in. The attack once again went cold in the third quarter before turning back after a Joey Spallina goal, so the Orange have to figure out how to keep the offense humming for longer stretches of time.
Spallina is almost there
Speaking of Joey Spallina, the number one recruit in the nation showed flashes of his brilliance in his collegiate debut. An unassisted goal late in the third quarter to equalize the game and stop Vermont’s four-goal streak was a great show of how good Joey can be. However, he led the team by a wide margin in shots taken and shots on goal; 15 and 8 respectively. With this many shots and only one goal to show for it, these numbers are not the greatest for a player of his caliber. Despite the numbers, it is just a matter of time before the shots start hitting the back of the net. Coach Gait is in favor of letting Spallina find his rhythm. “He’s just got to learn to let the game come to him, and do what he does on a day-to-day basis,” Gait said.
There is a lot to be optimistic about in this young Syracuse team, especially with the ability to pull out a victory with only seven goals to its name. With a short week coming up and two games in three days on February 10 and 12 against UAlbany and Holy Cross, Syracuse has time to both clean up the mistakes and improve what they have already shown to excel at. This upcoming slate will be a good test at their ability to adapt to their opponents and set up for conference play later on.
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