Syracuse snapped a three-game losing streak, topping Hobart, 18-16, at the Carrier Dome on Sunday.
In a back-and-forth affair, John Herilhy scored with 36 left to pull the Statesmen to within 17-16, setting up a dramatic final faceoff that decided the game. Jakob Phaup won at the X, and Brandon Aviles scooped up the roundball as Syracuse called timeout with 14 seconds to go.
Brendan Curry put the game out of reach out of the timeout, ripping a shot into the empty net against a double-team, and the Orange ran out the clock from there.
“With a one-goal lead, I was going to get doubled teamed anyway,” Curry said. “If I had the angle, I may as well put it in.”
It was not the cleanest of victories, as the Orange turned the ball over 16 tops, the second straight game the Orange had 15 or more turnovers. Syracuse also struggled with penalties, as Hobart had six man-up opportunities, and converted on five of them.
Hobart jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but Syracuse responded with six of the next seven scores, and took a 10-7 lead into halftime. That would be the largest lead of the afternoon, as the Orange was consistently ahead, but could never pull away.
Aviles’ unassisted goal with 6:49 left put the Orange up 17-14, and appeared to seize momentum for good. But Tommy Mott scored roughly two minutes later, setting up the dramatic finish.
With the win, Syracuse also retains the Kraus-Simmons Trophy, its 33rd time in the 37 times the game has been played.
» Related: Syracuse lacrosse’s slow start ‘not the end of the world,’ says former captain
“It was a great game,” head coach Gary Gait said. “I certainly appreciate the team’s effort to get the job done today.”
Curry and Tucker Dordevic led Syracuse with five goals each, while Herlihy paced the Statesmen with four goals. Phaup won 25 of 38 faceoffs and tied a career high with 13 ground balls.
The Orange also used two goalies, with Harrison Thompson getting the start before being relieved by Bobby Gavin in the third quarter. The two combined for 11 saves.
Syracuse travels down to Baltimore to play Johns Hopkins on Sunday at 4 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPNU.
For more Syracuse coverage, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and listen to our podcast.
