Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse Looks to Continue Win Streak Saturday
By: Ashley Wenskoski | @AshleyWenskTV
Syracuse men’s lacrosse (5-4, 0-2 ACC) is set for the second matchup of their final homestand of the season this Saturday. After hitting a bit of a rough patch in conference play, the Orange look to keep their recent momentum going after back-to-back wins against Hofstra and St. Bonaventure.
SU will host in-state rival Hobart (4-3) inside the JMA Wireless Dome. It’s the 108th all-time meeting between two of the winningest programs in college lacrosse history.
The two schools are only separated by about fifty miles, a rivalry that includes the Kraus-Simmons Trophy. The trophy has been presented to the winner of the annual contest every year since 1986. It is named for iconic Syracuse head coach Roy Simmons Sr. who won 253 games over 39 years at the helm of the Orange (1931-1970) as well as Babe Kraus who won 208 games as the head of the Statesmen (1925-1966).
Syracuse leads the all-time series 79-26-2, dating back to 1916. The Orange have won 32 of 35 meetings since the trophy has been awarded. SU retained the trophy once more in 2022, besting the Statesmen 18-16 inside the Dome.
After a 3-0 start to the season, the Orange dropped four straight to ranked opponents including No. 4 Maryland and ACC rivals North Carolina, Duke, and Johns Hopkins. Earlier this week, they blew out St. Bonaventure 22-6 behind three-goal performances from Alex Simmons and Owen Hiltz. Joey Spallina contributed six points as well with two goals and four assists.
The large win margin allowed SU to slot many non-starters into the game in the third and fourth periods, and the Orange finished the game with goals from 14 different players. Five members of the offense scored their first goals of the season, including senior captains Pete Fiorini and Max Rosa.
For their part, Hobart has alternated wins and losses this season with losses to No. 3 Cornell, Lehigh, and Dartmouth. They’re coming off of 13-11 win over Providence that garnered recognition for multiple players. Mark Synnott was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week after a goal, ground ball, and caused turnover. First-year goalie Elhanan Wilson made 12 saves in his first collegiate start for the Statesmen to earn the A10 Rookie of the
Week award.
Syracuse looks to earn their third-straight win this Saturday against Hobart. Faceoff from the JMA Wireless Dome is scheduled for 1:00 pm. CitrusTV will have full coverage for you on Twitter from @CitrusTVSports and @AshleyWenskTV.
