SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Manhattan men's lacrosse fell to No. 9 Syracuse in their non-conference season opener. The final score of the game was 16-3 in favor of the Orange.
The Jaspers ultimately fell tonight due to the Orange's fierce offense, putting up seven goals on the scoreboard by the end of the first, and another five before the end of the half. In the second half, the Jaspers held the Orange to two goals per quarter; however, the Jaspers were only able to put up one in the half.
"Our goal is to learn from today's game against one of the top teams in the country and use this experience to help us get better for our next challenge...We have a strong group of resilient players that embrace every opportunity to compete," said head coach Doug Sage.
The game started with an Orange blitz, scoring three goals within the first two minutes. This took the Jaspers off guard, only scoring once that quarter to break up the three-point run.
This energy continued through the first half with a shift in pace in the second. The second half saw the Jaspers able to hold the Orange to a two-goal maximum for each quarter; however, they only scored one of their own in the third.
Scoring all three goals tonight was junior attack Scott O'Connor, putting up a hat trick and tying his all-time record at Manhattan. Assisting on two of the three goals was graduate student attackman Kyle Gucwa.
On the defensive end, Drew Hiner led the Jaspes in ground balls picking up six. While Matthew Scully caused three turnovers.
Connor Harpward was in net today for the full 60 minutes and made a total of 12 saves
Manhattan hits the field again next week for its non-conference home opener against the University of Vermont. The game will take place Saturday Feb. 17, at 12 p.m.
For the latest on the Manhattan College men's lacrosse program, follow the Jaspers on Twitter @ManhattanMLAX and Instagram @Manhattan_Lacrosse.
