Freshman Marasco ties for team-high in points with increased playing time
With JoJo Marasco starting to see more playing time, he is reveling in the opportunity.
After scoring two goals and adding an assist in Syracuse’s game against Hobart March 23, the freshman erupted again Monday for the Orange.
He dealt out a career-high four assists and added a flashy behind-the-back score to tie for the team lead with five points.
‘He’s done a nice job,’ SU head coach John Desko said of Marasco. ‘I think that we’ve asked a lot of him as a freshman to learn two positions within the offense and to learn the rides and clears. I think it’s difficult at first. It’s a little confusing at first, but it really makes you a better player going on down the road.’
Marasco worked from behind the net for most of the day, dishing out passes to open players for easy scores. On his first assist, he faked to his left and took a couple steps right before spinning back around to the left. With the newly created space, he found an open Stephen Keogh standing right on top of the crease. Keogh buried the shot and gave the Orange a 4-2 advantage.
Other than two incidents when Villanova longstick midfielder Brian Karalunas knocked the stick out of the freshman’s hands, Marasco managed to create space and make plays at ease for most of the game.
‘I’m starting to relax a lot more,’ Marasco said. ‘Moving around midfield and attack, I think it helps me a lot to see the field and by knowing where the attackmen are and where the middies are. And when I go behind, I’m able to look up for that and play with my head up, and I was able to find a couple guys in the crease.’
Goals of the day
It appeared for at least a few minutes that Cody Jamieson was going to walk out of the Carrier Dome with Syracuse’s most impressive goal for the second time in three games.
After scoring against Johns Hopkins on March 20 with a shot between his legs, Jamieson found the back of the net against Villanova with another trick tally in the third quarter.
Marasco hit the senior attack with a pass as he cut through the Wildcats’ zone defense. As the defense closed in around Jamieson about 5 yards away from the net, he uncorked a behind-the-back shot that connected with the top corner of the net.
And that would have stayed the goal of the day were it not for Marasco.
‘His shot was unbelievable,’ Marasco said. ‘I always joke around with him, try to get back at him.’
This time, Marasco was on the receiving end of a pass from redshirt freshman attack Ryan Barber. He got the ball and cut across the middle of the field. As he moved from right to left in front of the goal, he too unleashed a behind-the-back shot that found the back of the net.
‘I was coming across the goal, so I had the whole net to shoot on,’ he said. ‘The defenseman threw a good check on me, and I just tried to throw it behind the back. I’ve missed a couple this season, so I tried to shoot low for once and I got a lucky bounce.’
Happy reunion
As soon as John Lade got his hands on the 2009-10 lacrosse schedule, he marked his calendar for March 29.
While most players were looking at the Virginia game, the Johns Hopkins game or the Cornell game, Lade couldn’t wait to play Villanova. Sure, those other games were exciting, but Villanova meant a lot more to the defender.
‘I had this game marked because it was the first time I have played my old buddies from my old school,’ Lade said.
Lade started his career off as a Wildcat. He was a part of the Villanova team that came into the Carrier Dome two years ago and was dismantled 21-6. Though he enjoyed the school and the guys on the team, Lade wanted to compete for national championships.
He transferred after his freshman year and became a part of the Syracuse defense. And in his second season with the Orange, Lade found himself on the better side of a 20-6 Syracuse win.
‘They are good guys and I looked forward to playing them,’ Lade said. ‘But I am happy with the outcome today.’
Though the score was similar to 2008’s, the Wildcats are a young team that has improved over the past two seasons. They had won five of their last six games and came into the Dome fresh off an impressive defeat of No. 11 Drexel.
‘They definitely challenged us in certain situations in the first quarter,’ Lade said. ‘They put a couple nice goals in and they were moving the ball real well. They probably are going to be real good in the future.’
But on this afternoon, Lade got the best of his old teammates. He collected four ground balls and spent the majority of the game shadowing Wildcat Kevin Cunningham. Cunningham entered the game leading Villanova in scoring with 23 points, but was held scoreless by Lade.
Even thought the Wildcats were familiar with Lade, Villanova head coach Michael Corrado pointed out that didn’t stop him from doing what he does best.
‘He did pick off two passes, which we know is one of the things he does best,’ Corrado said. ‘Even our guys who know him better than most still fell into that trap.’
