Syracuse defeated rival Johns Hopkins on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Baltimore. Here is a look back at the game:
WHAT HAPPENED: Syracuse jumped out to a 7-3 halftime lead and led 10-6 after the third quarter before Johns Hopkins pulled to within 11-10 with 9:38 left. It would remain that way until 2:13 left, when Dylan Donahue scored his third and final goal of the day after freshman Scott Firman created momentum changing turnover. The win was Syracuse’s fifth in its last six games against the Blue Jays, and came on an afternoon when the Orange was again dominated in the faceoff category.
WHAT IT MEANS: The good news was that Syracuse played one of its best defensive games of the season and continued its efficiency on offense. The Orange was able to hand the Blue Jays their first loss of the season by holding them to 10 goals, switching to a stifling zone defense that packed in tight around Dominic Lamolinara. Syracuse forced 12 turnovers and showed a vastly improved clearing game, going a perfect 6-6 in the third quarter and 18-21 for the game. On offense, the Orange scored on 12 of 30 opportunities (40 percent), raising its season total to 38.9 percent (82-211). The bad news continues to be faceoffs. Syracuse was once again dominated in this category, going 4-21 against the Blue Jays. If Syracuse hopes to return to the Final Four, the Orange will need a significantly better performance from Chris Daddio or will need answers from elsewhere.
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STAR GAZING: Donahue’s goal with under three minutes left gave Syracuse some much needed breathing room, and also gave him four points (3 goals and 1 assist) on the day. SU’s offensive attack was fairly balanced, with eight players accounting for the 12 goals. In contrast, Johns Hopkins got a stellar effort from Ryan Brown, who scored eight goals, but Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala couldn’t get much from anyone else.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse will play a rematch of the 2013 National Championship game when they play at Duke on March 23 at 12:30 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium. TV: ESPNU.
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