Observations from SU’s win over Denver: Midfield scoring, slowing Pioneers
Syracuse's midfield led by Wyatt Hottle, Luke Rhoa and Payton Anderson combined to score nine of SU's 13 goals against Denver. Courtesy of SU Athletics
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After six games, 31 days and more than 2,500 miles traveled, Syracuse men’s lacrosse ended its road trip Tuesday. The finale was a midseason litmus of all the vicissitudes Orange had encountered during their travels. It pitted SU against Denver, the best defense in the nation, which allows a mere 6.30 goals per game.
However, in a game that increased in pace and saw jolts of scoring, Syracuse avenged the loss that ended its 2024 season in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals with a 13-12 win over the Pioneers Monday. The Orange exploded for five goals in the second quarter alone and three goals in the first three minutes of the second half. Then, SU weathered a three-goal fourth-quarter Pioneer run that drew them within two goals.
SU ended its road trip by blitzing the best defense in the country, scoring over double its average goals allowed total. But it was a nail-biting finish. Marek Tzagorunis missed the mark for DU on the last shot of the game, and a minor scrum ensued after the final whistle blew.
Here are some observations from No. 8 Syracuse’s (7-2, Atlantic Coast) narrow win over No. 14 Denver (4-3, Big East):
Midfielders in the Mile High City
Syracuse’s offensive weapons run deep — even into its midfield. That was apparent Monday night in the Mile High City. Nine of the Orange’s 13 goals came from midfielders.
It was a sign of all the SU midfielders can offer. There was the unerring shooting of Luke Rhoa, who scored four goals, including a man-up goal at the end of the first half. There was the swift speed of Wyatt Hottle, who pitched in a score nine seconds after a faceoff win. There even was the bench spark of Matt McIntee, who contributed one as well.
Payton Anderson was deployed in midfield, as he has been frequently this season, while Michael Leo played attack. Anderson used his size to take advantage of a short-stick matchup for the Orange’s first goal of the game.
And how about Tucker Kellogg, who Finn Thomson previously said has the best shot on the team? He got in on the action in the third quarter during a three-goal SU frisson in less than two minutes.
You can silence Syracuse’s attack, but its midfielders will step right up and punish you.
Manning the net
Grayson Manning is tough to beat. The Denver goalie leads the nation with a 67.3% save percentage.
Hottle’s rip was saved on the opening possession, but Manning spilled the ball at X. But Thomson picked up the ball and fed Anderson, who cut downhill and tattooed a shot to the roof of the net.
It took an Anderson feed from X and a pixel-perfect shot Rhoa shot for SU to enter Manning’s net for the second time on the day in the second quarter. His net was under frequent assault, and he gave up five second-half goals on 10 Orange shots on goal. But he had nine saves by the break under frequent torment from Syracuse shots.
His shot-stopping ability, particularly his stick use and reflexes, were impressive under duress from SU’s high-speed shots. He had a hint of flair, too, like a soccer goalie. Once, he made a big stick save in transition, then jumped in excitement and pumped his fists.
But Manning had little answer for Syracuse’s avalanche of shots in the second half. He allowed 13 goals on the day, tying his previous season-high goals allowed tally on a 50% save percentage. The nation’s best goalie met his match against Syracuse’s high-power offense.
Plodding Pioneers
Though Denver’s defense is best in class, its offense is middling, slotting in 40th in the country. After showcasing that languid, ineffective nature in the first part of the opening stanza, DU broke through for two games in under a minute.
The Pioneers’ Sam Tumble turned up the speed in transition to catch the Orange off guard. Then, Chase Bruno unlocked the SU defense on the move, faked out Jimmy McCool and deposited the ball into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead at the 5:18 mark of the first quarter.
Syracuse impressively escaped a two-minute man-down penalty unscathed to end the first quarter. Jake Spallina had a gratuitous high-stick penalty, but the Orange’s man down unit — nicknamed “The Junkyard Dogs” — prevented the Pioneers from scoring despite being put under the cosh for almost the entirety of the penalty.
The pace picked up in the second quarter, as DU put away three goals. But then the Pioneers went largely quiet. They surrendered a 5-0 Orange run, and went a measly 3-for-8 on man-up opportunities.
However, when DU’s back was against the wall, it strung together three goals in 30 seconds in the beginning of the fourth quarter. A comfortable five-goal lead evaporated into a two goal deficit. The offensive energy and speed arrived when the Pioneers were in panic mode.
A 5-1 fourth-quarter run got Denver within one in the final minutes, but it was belated. Despite the Denver offense’s improved pace, it couldn’t catch up with SU before the final buzzer.
Fast pace, high scoring?
Only the most ironic pundit could look at this game on paper between two top-10 defenses and predict a prolific, back-and-forth shootout.
That’s exactly what happened for a spell in the second quarter. The goals flowed like Coors beer, native to The Centennial State.
The game surprisingly took up a breakneck pace, as three goals arrived in a 1:03 spell. SU had two of them. Thomson tapped one home with rapid stick work in front of the net. After Denver answered, Hottle made like the Flash, racing down field to even the score at 4-4.
The spree continued. Lucas Klokiw pasted one past McCool at the 2:57 mark of the second frame, but 47 seconds later, McIntee converted on the move to level proceedings at 5-5.
There were eight goals in the second quarter, between two teams that combined to average less than 14.5 goals allowed per game this season. There were five SU goals in the frame, against a Denver team that averaged just over six goals conceded per game. Those stats will shock a few. But that’s just classic unpredictability of lacrosse.
