In his new role in Syracuse’s attack, Tucker Dordevic has taken the majority of SU’s offensive duties alongside Brendan Curry following Owen Hiltz’ injury before the season.

Dordevic’s five goals against No. 1 Maryland nearly helped the Orange pull off an upset victory in their second game of the year. In a close 18-16 win over Hobart, another five-goal performance from Dordevic helped SU maintain its possession of the Kraus-Simmons Trophy.

But against Johns Hopkins, when Dordevic only scored three goals, the Orange lost by three. He was able to bounce back on Saturday, though, scoring six goals against Stony Brook with a career-high nine points.

“Our offense played really well. I kind of just happened to be at the end of a lot of it,” Dordevic said.

Here’s a look at Dordevic’s career night against the Seawolves:

First score

After Syracuse lost to Johns Hopkins, when it failed to score more than seven goals despite taking 54 shots, Dordevic put most of the blame on himself. He said he was personally responsible for the offense’s inability to score, specifically struggling against the press and constant doubles from the Blue Jays’ defense.

Like Johns Hopkins, Stony Brook presses Dordevic from the opening faceoff, forcing him to distribute the ball for the Orange’s first score instead of finding a clean angle to shoot. But with two minutes left in the first period, Dordevic uses his dodging abilities to beat a late double.

Dordevic is able to create just enough separation by sprinting to the middle of the field before spinning back to free up a right-handed shot. When he turns back, defender John Stewart pressures him with a late slide. But knowing that help would be coming, Dordevic fires a low, underhanded shot that successfully finds the back of the net.

Faceoff and goal

Dordevic stayed quiet for the rest of the first half, but at the start of the third period, Syracuse exploded on a 5-1 run, with Dordevic leading the charge with two of Syracuse’s goals.

Dordevic notches his second score of the game less than three minutes into the second half, receiving the ball from Jakob Phaup. Phaup occasionally tries to shoot on his own after a convincing win at the faceoff circle, but right before he’s knocked to the ground by a Stony Brook defender, Dordevic cuts parallel to Phaup to give him an easier pass.

Immediately after receiving the ball, Dordevic shoots differently than his last score, using a little hop to send a high left-handed shot into the back of the net.

Man-up scores

Against the Seawolves, the Orange scored twice on man-up opportunities, with Dordevic scoring both times. On each, Dordevic was able to score after Stony Brook failed to frequently mark him with double teams.

The Seawolves’ man-down defense keeps their pressure closest to the cage, allowing Dordevic and Curry to get open attempts from 10 to 15 yards out. After receiving a pass from Curry, Dordevic has enough space for a step-down shot, finding the back of the net with ease.

On another man-up opportunity less than a minute later, the Orange continues to quickly move the ball, forcing the Seawolves’ defense into a mistake. Dordevic wants to repeat his same play from the last man-up opportunity, trying to find enough space for another step-down shot.

Again switching up his shot selection, Dordevic positions himself on the other side of the field from his previous score. He quickly gets the ball from Pete Fiorini roughly 10 yards out, shuffling a few steps in to give the Orange a 9-6 lead.

Final goal

Dordevic assisted Owen Seebold on two of his three goals on Saturday afternoon, both of which came in the final five minutes of the game. But a few minutes earlier, Dordevic scored his final goal, unassisted, to give Syracuse a six-goal lead.

Similar to his first score, Dordevic gets himself into a one-on-one situation, faking one way before spinning back and unloading an attempt. While a double team eventually comes at Dordevic, Griffin Cook sets a pick for the Orange’s leading goal scorer, again putting him in isolation. This play is one that SU has used repeatedly this year, with Cook being the main player creating space for Curry or Dordevic.

“It’s kind of just part of our offense,” Dordevic said about the strategy. “We like to set picks for one another, especially with the short sticks on the other poles.”

While Cook is thrown to the ground setting the pick, Dordevic gets enough space for a sidearm shot. He shoots low between Anthony Palma’s legs for his sixth goal.

Published on March 21, 2022 at 9:11 pm

Contact Anish: asvasude@syr.edu | @anish_vasu