SU Takes Down Binghamton in its Season Opener

By Zachary Levine

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse men’s lacrosse put a new meaning to the word “dominance” as it took down Binghamton, 21-4, in its season opening contest.

Brendan Bomberry shined bright again, racking up a game-high five goals, while redshirt sophomore Stephen Rehfuss had his second career hat trick. Without Nick Mariano and Sergio Salcido, it was Bomberry’s time to step up and take over as the team’s go-to scorer. Dan Varello was impeccable at the faceoff strike once again, winning 15 of his 17 tries.

SU redshirt senior Dom Madonna wasn’t tested much in his first game and start at goalie, only facing 19 shots in contrast to the Orange’s whopping 53. Madonna is expected to get the starting nod this season, taking over for the now-graduated Evan Molloy.

Overall, head coach John Desko was happy with his team’s opening performance.

“I thought the guys really came in focused, offensively and defensively,” Desko said. “Danny did a great job on the face-offs to give us all those possessions, especially in the first half of the game and put a lot of pressure on their defense.”

Bomberry had similar feelings, and was quick to point out how important this game was for the freshman on the team.

“It’s been a long time coming with the fall we had and it’s been a long time leading up to getting in the Dome,” Bomberry said. “This is the first time the freshman have even seen the Dome. They haven’t been in here, they didn’t get to experience the alumni game,” Bomberry said.

Both the men’s and women’s Lacrosse teams were plagued by the mumps outbreak that overcame the campus during the fall semester. The usual alumni game, as referred to by Bomberry, was cancelled due to the outbreak.

“I’m a little surprised with how well we played, especially early in the game, but, a good win for us. Now we’ve gotta buckle up and get ready for next week.”

Today’s matchup marked the first time the two teams have met in a season opener. No matter the time of season, SU has persevered against the Bearcats, beating them in their previous six matchups.

SU’s performance today was in stark contrast to their matchup last year against the Bearcats, which came down to one goal. In their last meeting, Jamie Trimboli and Ryan Simmons each found the back of the net twice, while Bomberry tallied a team-leading three points.

Next week the Orange will host one of the top ranked schools in the country, Albany. SU hasn’t lost to the Great Danes since 2013 in a game that took double-overtime.