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There is a real sense of urgency in central New York this February. Head coach Gary Gait commented on it two days before Syracuse’s season-opener, reflecting its failures to meet the evergreen goal the last two seasons: make the NCAA Tournament and compete for the national championship.

“The disappointment level has become very high the last couple years, these guys feel that they can do it and they’re capable of doing it,” Gait said. “It’s just a matter of how they come together.”

If Saturday was a testament to reaching those goals, Syracuse (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) passed with flying colors in its 20-7 win over Vermont (0-1, 0-0 America East Conference). After being reliant on the magic of Joey Spallina throughout last season, new transfers led to its third 20-goal game since Gait took over as head coach. The defense, under new defensive coordinator John Odierna, delivered its best performance since a 22-6 win over St. Bonaventure last fall.

Most importantly, the faceoff unit dominated against an inexperienced Vermont side, posting a win percentage 15% higher than last year’s average.

“We do have a sense of urgency and we’ve worked really hard at developing an understanding for this year,” Gait said postgame. “They are holding themselves to a bit of a higher standard this year and I think this is the result of that.”

Heading into the weekend, Gait knew they were facing a “totally different” squad compared to last season. Vermont head coach Chris Feifs said the same thing about the Orange.

“We had a lot of personnel changes and so did they, and it definitely showed our youth on the defensive end,” Feifs said.

The transfer additions for SU exceeded expectations, especially on the attack. Princeton transfers Sam English and Jake Stevens filled the void of Jackson Birtwistle, who was out with a lower-body injury. And instead of Cole Kirst, Lehigh transfer Christian Mulé got the start.

Stevens and English scored their first goals in a Syracuse uniform 35 seconds apart from each other in the second quarter. Stevens found the back of the net first, receiving the feed from Mulé, who freed up space on the left side with a pump fake. Then, English set a pick for Spallina (a staple play under offensive coordinator Pat March), who quickly returned the favor and set up an easy shot from 15 yards out.

No. 9 Syracuse scored nine second-quarter goals as it built up a large lead early over Vermont in an eventual 20-7 season-opening victory. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer

Mulé scored again a minute later, cutting from X before slotting in a pass from Owen Hiltz. His placement behind the cage was intentional as Gait said Mulé’s two-handed ability grants them a second option at X outside of Spallina.

Stevens, English and Mulé’s goals gave the Orange a 6-2 lead less than five minutes into the second quarter. Their scores were part of a 5-0 run and a nine-goal period that put Syracuse in complete control with a 12-5 halftime lead.

“All three of them were great today, they didn’t try to do too much which is what we all did today and which is why I think we scored how many goals we scored,” Spallina said.

Naturally, Spallina also played a big part in the offensive onslaught. After scoring just once last year against the Catamounts, Spallina finished with three goals and four assists. The latter statistic was prevalent early as he awarded a quick clear from SU’s defense by setting up a pole goal for Billy Dwan. With three minutes left in the first half, he noticed a defensive meltdown from the Catamounts, finding an unmarked Rhoa for the easiest score of the evening.

“He’s a ball-dominant dodger and tried to go one-on-one a lot,” Feifs said, comparing Spallina’s Vermont performances. “He did a great job of moving the ball when he got out of stuff. It shows his ability to not only create but also set up other people for success.”

Out of halftime, Vermont still had issues with Spallina, who continued to rotate with Mulé on stationing at X. From his normal spot, Spallina cut to the front of the net three minutes into the second half.

With his back facing the cage, he whipped the ball over his right shoulder and past goalie George Egan. For the Orange’s next goal, he used a behind-the-back for a pass instead, hitting Stevens in perfect stride as he cut to the crease. The behind-the-back goal and assist gave SU a 15-6 advantage.

Spallina and the rest of the attack had so many opportunities because of the strong performance by Mason Kohn and John Mullen. The duo combined to win 67.7% of the faceoffs, including six straight in the third quarter.

Feifs said Kohn and Mullen did a great job of “neutralizing” the less experienced Henry Dodge and Walter Zhao. The head coach added that Kohn’s ability to “time the whistle,” which included going early and not getting a violation, was the difference maker.

To start the second half, Kohn won the first three faceoffs against Dodge, clawing his way through three Vermont players to secure the third. Mullen easily won the clamp against Zhao on the fourth before Spallina dished it to Stevens. Kohn won the final two versus Zhao, too.

Dodge and Zhao were no match Saturday, unable to fill the shoes of Tommy Burke, who recorded the third-best faceoff percentage in the country last year. The Orange’s new faceoff pair calmed down any comeback attempt from the Catamounts, leading Syracuse to a 10-point advantage before the fourth quarter.

“I think it’s huge for us,” Spallina said about the faceoff unit’s improvements. “Our offense is so potent right now and we gelled together great. When (Kohn) and (Mullen) are able to do what they do it makes the offense’s job that much easier.”

Published on February 3, 2024 at 6:35 pm

Contact Anish: asvasude@syr.edu | @anish_vasu