Syracuse head coach John Desko said he needs to prevent his offense from getting off to a slow start against Loyola on Saturday. But his defense – that’s something he doesn’t have to worry about.

‘When you talk about slow starts, you may be talking about the offense only scoring two goals,’ Desko said. ‘Yet the other team didn’t have any, so I’m not sure the defense had a slow start there.’

In the past two games, Syracuse has scored three goals in the first quarter. Despite the Orange attack’s low-scoring performances, the SU defense has kept opponents under wraps. Syracuse went on to defeat both teams 13-4.

The No. 2 Orange defense will attempt to lower its 6.57 goals against average it travels to No. 15 Loyola Saturday (noon, ESPNU). The Syracuse defense will take on a Greyhound offense that averages 9.4 goals per game.

‘They say offenses win games,’ SU defensemen John Lade said. ‘But defenses win championships. And our defense has been playing real well.’

The defensive trio of Sid Smith, Matt Tierney, and John Lade, along with goalie John Galloway, shut out its offensive opponents for 57 minutes and nine seconds over the past two games, a feat Lade said ‘not many defenses in the country could accomplish.’

But at the start of the 2009 season, the defense was a big question mark for Syracuse. Smith was the only returning starter after losing starters Evan Brooks and Kyle Guadagnolo to graduation.

Lade, a transfer from Villanova, and Tierney stepped in.

The Syracuse defense has been yearning for people to talk about how well it has been playing – the unit has kept Syracuse in many of its games while the offense has stuttered in the beginning of games. SU has allowed five goals or less in four of its games thus far.

‘Each game we have been talking more to each other,’ Lade, a sophomore, said. ‘Our communication is getting better every game and that’s a big key to our defense and how we’ve been playing so far.’

Many of the opponents Syracuse has faced so far this season have had a slower style of play, sitting on the ball. So the defense’s challenge has been to break down the other team’s offense and return the ball to the Orange attack.

‘I have confidence in our defense, we play good team defense,’ Lade said. ‘We make them move the ball around a little bit and then wait and go after them. Our middies played good defense and John (Galloway) made some good saves, so we were all able to work together.’

Galloway ranks seventh in the nation as of March 22 with a 7.45 goals against average for the Orange, allowing 40 goals thus far.

But Lade has done his fair share for the Orange so far this season, too. He held Binghamton’s leading scorer Andy Cook pointless the entire game. The Syracuse defense as a whole held the Bearcats to four goals, tying the mark for its lowest output of the season. Lade also has 19 ground balls this season, good for fourth-best on the team.

At the halfway mark through its season, Lade said he’s happy with how Smith, Tierney and himself have come together to provide a strong barrier between their opponent’s attack and Galloway.

‘I watch Sid play and his play wears off on me,’ Lade said. ‘And Tierney’s play rubs off on me. Every time we step on the field we blend with each other and gel more… Everyone on the defense is having an outstanding year so far.’

mkgalant@syr.edu

Published on March 26, 2009 at 12:00 pm