Syracuse’s goalies will again split time in the cage during Saturday’s matchup against Maryland, head coach John Desko said Tuesday.

Senior Dominic Lamolinara  played the first half in each of the Orange’s first two games, and junior Bobby Wardwell replaced him at halftime. It’s an approach SU has kicked around, and Desko said that the team will likely stick with  against the No. 5 Terrapins.

“I think they’re both playing really well,” Desko said. “Right now, it’s been working. We’re winning, and why change now?”

Lamolinara earned the win against Siena on Feb. 10, and Wardwell received the win during the Orange’s overtime triumph over Albany on Sunday.

Lamolinara has played 5:46 more than Wardwell has — redshirt freshman Evan Molloy received some garbage time against the Saints — and has made 14 saves to Wardwell’s 13. Yet Wardwell has yielded just nine goals, as opposed to the 13 that his counterpart has allowed.

“I think Dom is in a tougher situation,” Desko said. “He goes in, we’re not sure what the other team is doing. We have very little scouting reports because it’s so early in the season. They get a couple of goals on the doorstep, so it’s putting some pressure on him.”

Still, the Orange’s approach is not a set formula, Desko added. The season is still young and as Syracuse gets a feel for its goalies, a stellar performance by one of them would likely earn him some more time between the pipes.

Said Desko: “Dom could be on fire if he’s in the first half or if we go with Bob the first half of a game he could be on fire, and I don’t know that we’d make the switch.”

Published on February 18, 2014 at 6:52 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb