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With the 2021 selection show for the NCAA Tournament just over a month away, No. 9 Syracuse (4-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) enters a crucial stretch of games in a precarious spot. 

Back-to-back losses to Duke and Notre Dame in conference play have shunted the Orange to the bottom of the ACC along with Virginia. Four scheduled games remain for SU, starting with a matchup against in-state rival Albany (5-2, 3-2 America East) on Thursday night at 5 p.m. The Great Danes have historically struggled against the Orange, losing six of their last seven meetings and 16 of their total 18 encounters. 

Here’s how our beat writers predict Syracuse will fare as it tries to break a two-game losing streak. 

Roshan Fernandez (4-3)
Bounce back time
Syracuse 15, Albany 13

With a top-25 defense and offense, Albany could give this up-and-down Syracuse team a run for its money. The Great Danes have been fairly consistent on faceoffs via Regan Endres, and average the third-most ground balls in the nation, both areas where SU has been struggling recently. 

But the Great Danes aren’t of the same caliber as ACC opponents like Duke and Notre Dame, and Syracuse’s faceoff specialists in Jakob Phaup, Danny Varello and Jack Savage should be right on cue to snap out of their slump. Without Tehoka Nanticoke, the Albany offense has still been successful — and will likely continue to be against SU’s defense — but I think the Orange bounce back here thanks to their offense, which has continued to be extremely efficient. Syracuse gets the win before conference play returns next week.

Allie Kaylor (4-3)
In the groove
Syracuse 16, Albany 12

It’s gotten to the point where some might say it’s foolish to continue picking Syracuse to win games this year. After all, the Orange were favorites against Notre Dame, then lost by seven goals. But without Nanticoke, I just don’t see the Great Danes pulling off the upset. Nanticoke was a preseason All-American honorable mention that led Albany in goals and points before his suspension, and the Great Danes don’t have much firepower after him.

I still think this’ll be a good game, though. In three games without Nanticoke, Albany had a six-goal win over Colgate, a slim win over then-No. 13 UMass and a blowout over UMass Lowell. It has strong attacks that will put up a fight and a pretty decent defense too, but the Orange will be able to sneak out of this one before No. 3 North Carolina comes to town next weekend.

Arabdho Majumder (4-3)
Push has come to shove
Syracuse 17, Albany 11

By now, it’s really hard to know which Syracuse is going to come out in the Carrier Dome on Thursday. Will it be the one that held the No. 3 scoring offense in the country to three goals in the second half in a near-comeback win? Or is the one that allowed Notre Dame nine goals in a single quarter and won just 9-of-32 faceoffs going to stroll out against Albany? As the old saying goes, the only consistency the Orange have shown this year is that they’ll be inconsistent. 

But that needs to change down the stretch if SU wants to ensure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. And this team is just too talented to not fix its issues. One of the top midfield lines in the country, a preseason-All-American goalie and a sixth-year senior in Stephen Rehfuss who’s playing the best lacrosse of his career. Oh, and throw in a true freshman who might end up with the most points scored by a freshman for Syracuse since Dylan Donahue in 2013.

Right now, the Orange’s time of possessions ranks 52nd in the country, per Lacrosse Reference. That’s well behind their conference foes, which all rank in the top-15. If Syracuse can figure out its possessions woes, then there’s no team in the country that it can’t beat. That’s a big “if,” but at least against the Great Danes, the condition should be satisfied, and SU should snap its short losing streak. 

Published on April 7, 2021 at 11:25 pm