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Syracuse improved to 3-0 for the first time since the pandemic-reduced 2020 season with an easy 15-6 win over Holy Cross on Sunday. It was the Orange’s third win in eight days after they eked out a 7-5 season-opening victory over Vermont, and then handled UAlbany 20-7. The win streak boosted SU to No. 18 in Inside Lacrosse’s top 25 rankings after it started the season unranked. Through three games, freshman Joey Spallina leads Syracuse with 11 goals and 13 points, while Owen Hiltz and Alex Simmons each have 10 points.

Next up for the Orange is a trip south to face No. 9 Maryland, which lost for the first time since 2021 last Saturday against Loyola (Maryland). UMD went 18-0 last season, winning its fourth-ever national championship by beating Cornell and opened the season ranked No. 2.

Here’s everything to know about the Terrapins before faceoff on Saturday afternoon:

All-time series:

Maryland leads, 12-6.

Last Time they played:

Then-No. 1 Maryland and No. 9 Syracuse battled in the Dome last February, with the Terrapins coming out on top, 14-10. UMD led 4-0 after the first quarter, and tacked on another goal early in the second quarter. SU played the rest of the game in catch-up mode, and while getting within one goal twice, were outscored 5-2 in the fourth quarter, leading to its first loss of the season.

“That’s the difference in the game, right? Spot them five and then you fight, spend the whole game trying to get close,” head coach Gary Gait said postgame.

Tucker Dordevic posted five goals to lead the Orange, and Lucas Quinn added a hat trick. Half of the Orange’s goals were unassisted, though, and the offensive went through lengthy stretches without scoring. Maryland turned the ball over 15 times, and SU goalie Bobby Gavin notched 11 saves, but the inconsistent offensive performance couldn’t get Syracuse over the hump.

The Terrapins report

Maryland lost a significant chunk of the production it received from last year’s national championship squad, including 297 points — 103 of which came from the Tewaaraton Award-winning Logan Wisnauskas. Four short-stick defensive midfielders departed, too, and UMD’s top returning scorer, attack Eric Malever, suffered a knee injury and is out for the season.

The Terrapins, though, do have five players who were named either first or second-team preseason Inside Lacrosse All-Americans. That group is led by defensemen Brett Maker and Ajax Zappitello. UMD did lose Logan McNaney, who tore his ACL and is out for the season.

Faceoff specialist Luke Wierman also returns. Wierman won 66% of his faceoffs last season, and has posted a 71.8% success rate through two games this year. Offensively, Maryland has been led by Daniel Kelly (five goals, 11 shots) and Daniel Maltz (six points). But after scoring 15 goals in their season-opening win over Richmond, the Terrapins mustered only seven — their fewest since the 2019 NCAA Tournament — in the loss to Loyola.

How Syracuse beats Maryland

Despite Maryland’s departures from last season, and its loss last Saturday, Syracuse is still a significant underdog entering this game. Picking up a win will start at the face-off circle, where UMD’s Wierman has shined, and where SU sophomore Johnny Richiusa has been very inconsistent. Through three games, Richiusa has posted a 50% (33-for-66) face-off success rate, and was below 50% in the win against Holy Cross. The Orange won the faceoff battle against Maryland last season — 15-13 — and will need to perform similarly on Saturday to take the pressure off their defense.

Syracuse’s attack will also have to play its best game of the season. Gait has said the unit is still learning how to work together and share the ball — something that was displayed against Holy Cross, when seven different players scored — but the finishing wasn’t great on Sunday. Against Maryland, it will need to be, especially considering Maryland’s stout defense likely won’t let up many easy chances. On the other side, the Orange’s defense has been strong to start the season, and will need to continue that on Saturday. Beating the Terps will likely require holding them to 12 goals or fewer for SU to have a chance at winning.

Stat to know: 66.7%

Maryland has won 30-of-45 faceoffs through its first two games, a mark that ranks sixth best nationally and second among Big Ten teams. Wierman became UMD’s all-time single-season leader in faceoffs won and taken and was named a preseason first-team All-American. He has taken 87% of the Terrapins’ faceoffs this season. He’ll certainly provide a big test for Richiusa on Saturday.

Player to watch: Brett Makar, defense, No. 1

Brett Makar is considered one of the best defensemen in college lacrosse, earning preseason first-team All-American recognition after collecting second-team honors last season. He was also a candidate for the Tewaaraton Award last season, and helped shut out Virginia’s star attack, Connor Shellenberger, in last year’s NCAA Tournament. If Spallina, Hiltz, Simmons and Finn Thomson can find ways to beat Makar and the rest of UMD’s defense, they have a good chance at securing an upset win.

Published on February 15, 2023 at 10:25 pm

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_