Syracuse lacrosse’s Jamie Trimboli scores game winner against Duke

Lax2017_10
Lacrosse could use a couple tweaks in the rules
Lax2017_10
Syracuse won another one-goal game

It was not supposed to be his shot but Jamie Trimboli took it, and that made all the difference.

For the sixth straight game, the Orange found itself in a matchup decided by a single goal. Locked in a back and forth battle all afternoon, Syracuse and Duke extended into overtime before Trimboli’s shot finally secured a 12-11 victory for the Orange.

“It’s just another Syracuse lacrosse game in the year 2017,” John Desko said, referring to the many close games his team has found itself in throughout the season.

After winning the initial faceoff in overtime, the Orange looked to put Duke away before the Blue Devils regained possession of the ball. Driving towards the opponent’s goal, Sergio Salcido launched a pass back in Trimboli’s direction.

Despite several Duke defenders in his path, the freshman caught the ball and rifled the game-winning shot into the upper left-hand corner of the goal from 15 yards out.

Although it set up the game’s final shot, Salcido never intended his pass for Trimboli. Rather, Salcido attempted to get the ball to Nick Mariano. Mariano had already scored three goals, including the game-tying score that propelled the matchup to overtime.

“I guess the pass was for Nick, but I thought it was for me. I caught it, rolled, and the [defender] fell over my shoulder. I saw open space and just shot the ball as hard as I could,” Trimboli said. “[Salcido’s pass] was not for me, I don’t believe.”

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“Luckily, you thought it was,” John Desko replied.

Throughout the afternoon, the Orange and the Blue Devils traded the lead. After building a two goal advantage in the third quarter, Syracuse found itself down 11-9 as Duke scored four unanswered goals in the fourth. Trimboli’s overtime shot was made possible by scores from Brendan Bomberry and Mariano that evened things up 11-11 at the end of regulation.

Desko attributed his team’s experience in close games earlier in the season with its composure throughout the game and the overtime success on Saturday.

“It’s another win for us in overtime,” Desko said. “Hopefully we’ve been able to draw on our experiences in the last five games to help us in these situations.”

While Trimboli experienced several close games during his introductory season, the Duke matchup presented the freshman with his first shot as a starter. Trimboli did not squander the opportunity to make a mark as his game-winning goal was also just his third of the season.

“It’s obviously great. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I’m thankful for my teammates and my coaches that have such confidence in me.” Trimboli said about getting his first opportunity as a starter. “I’m just looking to keep it going and keep moving forward.”

Seconds after burying the game-winning shot in the back of the net, Trimboli found himself buried under a dogpile. Rushing onto the field, Trimboli’s teammates jumped on him as they celebrated the freshman’s overtime punctuation mark to a dramatic game.

“We believe in each other, we believe in all fifty of us,” Mariano said. “No matter who it is, you can put anyone on the field, and we’re going to believe in you.”

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About Nick Salamone 26 Articles
Nick is a 2012 graduate of SUNY Geneseo, where he majored in history. He covers Syracuse football, lacrosse and basketball. Currently he is working on earning his master's degree through Norwich University.