HEATING UP: Syracuse on 4-game win streak after win over UMass
AMHERST, Mass. – Behind a strong defensive effort that limited Massachusetts to a season-low three goals, No. 3 Syracuse defeated the No. 15 Minutemen, 10-3, Saturday afternoon here at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Syracuse (11-2) won what appears to be the last regular-season meeting between the two in front of the 24th-largest crowd in men’s lacrosse history, extending its winning streak to four games.
UMass (8-5) started fast, taking a 2-1 lead when Ryan Marcus beat sophomore goalie John Galloway with 9:37 remaining in the first quarter. SU, though, then buckled down defensively to limit the Minutemen to just one more goal.
Pat Perritt tied the game with 7:39 remaining in the second quarter, and Josh Amidon scored the go-ahead goal with 1:32 left in the first. SU added a goal by Kenny Nims in the second quarter to take a 4-2 lead into the half.
Despite the sluggish start, SU came out and dominated the second half en route to victory. The Orange outscored UMass, 6-1, with Stephen Keogh scoring twice in the half to finish the day with his fourth-consecutive hat trick. Amidon, Scott Kahoe, Kevin Drew and Matt Abbott all tallied goals as well for the Orange.
Cody Jamieson appeared in his first game for the Orange, playing about four minutes near the end. The highly anticipated transfer from Onondaga Community College was cleared to play by the NCAA on Thursday. He entered the game with 4:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, and appeared to have a goal on a diving shot, but it was waved off for crease infraction.
In the net, Galloway had one of his best statistical games of the season, stopping 14 shots and yielding only three goals. Syracuse outshot UMass, 37-30. Doc Schneider, the Minutemen’s goalie and Tewaaraton Trophy candidate, had 17 saves for UMass.
Syracuse will potentially move to the No. 1 spot in the national polls with the win, after recent losses by frontrunners Princeton and Virginia. The Orange finishes up its regular-season slate with Colgate next Saturday at the Carrier Dome on Senior Day.
