A quick take on No. 1 Syracuse’s 5-4 double overtime victory over rival No. 9 Johns Hopkins:
How the game was won: There weren’t many goals today, but attackman Stephen Keogh had three of Syracuse’s (6-0) five goals. Although Syracuse had lost 10 of the first 13 faceoffs in the game, the Orange won the faceoff to start the second overtime and Joel White found Thompson who was coming off a screen. Thompson then drove hard toward Blue Jay goalie Pierce Bassett and flipped it to Keogh who scored 15 seconds into the second extra frame, sending 8,421 in the Carrier Dome home happy. SU wouldn’t have even been in that position had it not been for Keogh’s equalizer with 1:40 left in regulation.
Disallowed goal: With four seconds left in the first overtime, Johns Hopkins seemingly won the game on a Kyle Wharton goal. But Wharton was deemed in the crease, and the goal was waived off, setting up the dramatic double overtime finish.
Tempo control: The Orange had come into the game averaging 12.6 points per game. But it was no coincidence that Syracuse only ended up scoring five goals. The Blue Jays (5-2) did their best to slow the game down and limit Syracuse’s possessions. SU scored its first goal about a minute into the game thanks to Josh Amidon, but its second goal didn’t come until less than two minutes remained in the first half on another Keogh goal. The Orange started taking more shots in the second half, and outshot the Blue Jays 33-25 for the game.
Quote to Note: “I thought Syracuse in the end showed why they’re the No. 1 team. They showed why they’re extremely talented. They made a play when it mattered the most. Those things happen, my hat’s off to them.” – Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala during his post game press conference.
Star gazing: For the Blue Jays, Tom Palasek paced Johns Hopkins with two goals while Bassett had 16 saves. The sophomore notched seven saves in the fourth quarter, and his 16 saves was good for the second most saves he’s had in a game in his career. Meanwhile, John Galloway notched five saves for the Orange, and more importantly, picked up the 50th win of his illustrious career, giving him sole possession of second place on the all time NCAA Division I wins list.
Historically speaking: With the win, the Orange is now 22-26-1 all time against the Blue Jays. SU has won six of the last seven matchups, including a five-game series winning streak, which is the longest in Syracuse’s history against Johns Hopkins.
What’s next: The Orange will travel to Pennsylvania to face Villanova on March 26. The 15th ranked Villanova Wildcats (7-1) were also victorious on Saturday with a 10-6 win over Manhattan. Villanova has now won six straight games.
