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Syracuse improved to 2-0 with a 20-7 win over UAlbany on Friday night, getting hat tricks from three players, including highly-touted freshman Joey Spallina, who picked up five goals. Spallina had struggled in his first career game a week prior against Vermont, scoring only once despite taking a team-high 15 shots. But his dominant 5-for-5 performance versus the Great Danes helped SU cruise.

The Orange returned to action after just a one-day layoff, matching up with Holy Cross, which started the season 0-2 after finishing 1-13 last year. It was Syracuse’s last game against an unranked team only until it faces off against Johns Hopkins on March 11.

SU got out to a strong start, leading 5-1 after the first quarter and opening up a double-digit advantage in the third quarter. Finn Thomson notched a first quarter hat trick, Spallina added five goals and six other SU players scored. Goalie Will Mark recorded nine saves, and Syracuse outshot the Crusaders 51-33.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (3-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) 15-6 win over Holy Cross (0-3, 0-0 Patriot League):

Diverse scoring attack

Head coach Gary Gait said after the Vermont win that Syracuse’s offense is designed to get several players involved and isn’t supposed to be a one-man show. In that UVM game, the Catamounts didn’t slide to Spallina, and the freshman opted to dodge and try to score on his own, rarely looking to pass. Spallina’s fellow attack Owen Hiltz only notched one goal in that game, too, recording five shots.

Gait said after the UVM game that SU would work on playing the offense it wants, and that showed on Friday when 10 different players scored.

That trend of diverse scoring carried into Sunday, when the Orange got goals from seven different players. Three different players scored in the first quarter, with Thomson’s three goals leading the way. The freshman got on the board less than three minutes into the game when he caught a pass from Alex Simmons, turned and rifled it into the net. Simmons, like he was Friday when he registered four assists, was a catalyst for the offense, totaling three assists.

Mark doesn’t see much action

Mark, Syracuse’s new goalie after transferring from Long Island University in the offseason, made a quick impression in his first two games, notching 13 saves, respectively, against Vermont and UAlbany. Mark earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors last week, and his play helped SU outlast UVM and dominate the Great Danes.

Holy Cross, though, couldn’t get to Mark as much as those first two opponents did, and the goalie only faced 12 shots on goal. Syracuse outshot Holy Cross 14-2 in the first quarter, and 12-2 in the third, giving Mark plenty of time to put his left hand on his hip while standing on the other side of the field, waiting for some action.

Mark did allow three goals, including one late in the first quarter when Thomas McIntire dove toward the net and threw a soft shot toward the ground. Mark wasn’t able to fully get in front of it, and the ball squeaked into the back of the net for the Crusaders’ first goal of the afternoon. Holy Cross only got on the board five more times over the ensuing 48 minutes, though. Mark left three minutes into the fourth quarter, getting replaced by Harrison Thompson with the game’s outcome already sealed.

Holy Cross wins faceoff battle, but can’t stop coughing it up

Syracuse beat UAlbany, 17-12, in the faceoff battle, after losing by two in that area to Vermont. The Crusaders mixed between two different faceoff specialists, Connor DePiero and Jordan Naso, who both finished with at least 50% success rates. SU stuck with sophomore Johnny Richuiasa, who finished 9-for-21. Richuiasa has replaced Jakob Phaup, who took a program record number of faceoffs last season to cap off his five-year career.

Those faceoff wins, though, didn’t lead to consistent scoring opportunities for Holy Cross, in large part because of its 23 turnovers. The Crusaders failed on seven of its 22 clear attempts, with SU’s ride forcing repeated ground balls (and the Orange won that battle, too, 35-31), and had multiple shot clock violations.

After a Syracuse timeout late in the second quarter, Holy Cross tried to produce something with the shot clock running out. But Dean DiNanno airmailed a simple pass out of bounds, giving the Crusaders their 14th turnover of the first half. Then, midway through the third quarter, Cole Kratovil tried to fake a pass at the X, but instead lost control and handed it to Billy Dwan.

Holy Cross’ undisciplined play — which also included four penalties, all leading to Syracuse man-up goals — drew the ire of head coach J.L. Reppert. After goalie Dawson Friers made a close-range stop in the first quarter, he chucked a no-look pass behind him that went out of bounds to SU. An angry Reppert walked up his sideline and yelled “discipline” at his players.

A fun, freewheeling offense

Gait’s teams have typically been known for their exciting, flashy style of play, resembling what the former Syracuse attack did when he played for the Orange. SU’s attacks tried some behind-the-back passes and shots against Vermont, but they never led to points.

Sunday, though, it did work. At least on a few plays, like the one late in the first quarter when Thomson and Hiltz played give-and-go, and Hiltz tossed a behind-the-back pass to the freshman for an easy goal. In the second quarter, Hiltz used the same behind-the-back loss to find Michael Leo, whose crossfield pass to Spalina — and ensuing goal — made it 8-2 Syracuse.

Granted, the blowout made it easier for SU to try some flashy passes and shots, but if the offensive style on display in the Dome resembles what Syracuse can do once its schedule toughens up, it should make for an exciting season.

Published on February 12, 2023 at 3:21 pm

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_