It will only be Syracuse’s second game of the season, but Sunday’s matchup might present the toughest offense it’ll face all year.

The young Orange defense will be pitted against a familiar foe in Albany, who hung 16 goals on Syracuse a year ago and finished last season as the No. 1 attack in the nation.

“We’re playing probably the best attack in the country, besides our team,” SU defender Sean Young said. “It’s definitely going to be a tough game, so everyone has to be on the same page.”

Syracuse certainly remembers what the Great Danes did to it last season. The three-headed monster of brothers Lyle and Miles Thompson and their cousin Ty accounted for 10 of Albany’s 16 goals, including the game-winner in double overtime that shocked the Orange on its home field.

The rematch is Sunday at 4 p.m., and No. 2 Syracuse’s (1-0) defense has the daunting task of stopping No. 11 Albany’s (0-0) high-octane offense to protect the Carrier Dome turf.

“They really look for one another very well,” SU head coach John Desko said. “Lyle’s a great feeder. Miles has become better at carrying the ball. Even though some people think of (Lyle) as the third attackman, we can’t think of him that way.”

Although Syracuse’s defense allowed just seven goals to Siena on Monday, it wasn’t as sharp as it could’ve been.

For the goal that put the Saints on the board, a screen was set for ball carrier Richie Hurley behind the net. Brandon Mullins couldn’t get through the pick and Matt Harris reverted back to the crease, giving Hurley plenty of space to curl to his right toward the doorstep. Young was late to get over, and an uncontested Hurley scored on Dominic Lamolinara.

In transition four and a half minutes later, Siena’s Nate Barry split a double team at the 20-yard line. Mullins stepped up to pick up Barry, but Hurley was left unguarded at the crease on Lamolinara’s right. Barry flipped a pass ahead to Hurley, who jumped, corralled the pass and flicked it in with one motion for the second of his four goals.

“We watched film, we know what we did wrong and we know how to correct it,” Mullins said.

Those “uncharacteristic” mistakes, as Young called them, were against a team that averaged 11.29 goals per game last year. Albany led the country with 15.94 scores a contest, more than a full goal per game better than the nations’ second-leading team.

Mullins is Syracuse’s only defensive carryover from that season-opening game last year, as the three starters from the Orange’s defense graduated last May.

SU will start Sunday’s game playing man-to-man defense, Desko said, but will be open to utilizing some zone defense as a change-up to throw at the Great Danes, who will be opening their season.

When the Thompson trio burned the Orange’s defense a year ago, it wasn’t in fast-break opportunities that Siena took advantage of three times Monday. The Great Danes proved their ability to move the ball quickly in their offensive sets and capitalize from point-blank range.

“Everyone knows they have a great attack,” Mullins said. “They’re very freelance, so they’re kind of hard to scout. They’re really creative.”

The accolades speak for themselves. Lyle Thompson, who dished out six assists against SU, was a first-team All-American last year and a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award. Miles Thompson was an honorable mention All-American and scored in each of the 12 games he played. Ty Thompson netted five goals against the Orange, finished fourth in the country in points per game, and topped Albany in goals for the year.

And they certainly proved they can play together. One Thompson fed another for a score six times the night they beat Syracuse.

To clinch the double-overtime victory over the No. 12 Orange, Lyle Thompson dodged along the goal line from the left corner, reached the crease and hit a wide-open Miles with a cross-crease pass, and gave the Great Danes their first win over the Orange in 11 tries.

“We’d be so focused on the player with the ball, slide early to him and leave someone open on the crease,” SU goalie Bobby Wardwell said. “I think we’re going to be much better prepared for them when they come here this year.

“There won’t be any surprises.”

Published on February 15, 2014 at 4:11 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb