Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Syracuse nearly pulled off what could have been a marquee win against then-No. 3 Notre Dame at the JMA Wireless Dome last Saturday, but ultimately allowed nine unanswered goals in the fourth quarter and lost 20-12. Following up three straight dominant nonconference wins, the Orange struggled at the faceoff X in the fourth and wilted again on defense down the stretch, allowing another lead to dissipate into a loss.

Now, Syracuse heads to No. 14 Princeton for its first road game since Hofstra, hoping to win a ranked game for the first time since March 2022. The Tigers started off with two wins before falling to Maryland and Georgetown, then dropped close games to Rutgers and Penn. But they come into Saturday on a two-game winning streak after taking down Yale and Brown with 39 total goals.

Here’s what our beat writers think will happen when Syracuse takes on Princeton (4-4, 2-1 Ivy League) this weekend:

Anish Vasudevan (9-2)
This isn’t basketball
Syracuse 15, Princeton 11

The achilles heel of 2023’s Syracuse squad struck again last weekend. Just as fast as the Orange came back against Notre Dame, they gave up nine goals after losing nine faceoffs. It might be 11 games into the year, but SU still has no solution for its lack of ability in the faceoff circle.

Still, the Orange proved two things against the Fighting Irish — they can stop one of the best offenses in the country, and they can score without Joey Spallina. Now, the confidence from those three quarters should give them momentum on the road versus the Tigers this upcoming weekend. Princeton has consistently been ranked this season but it hasn’t faced much tough competition.

This will be a big test for Syracuse’s defense. SU is still without Landon Clary, its best defenseman, and will have a tough task against Coulter Mackesy. The Tigers’ offense itself averages 8.88 assists per game, which is fifth-best in the country. Notre Dame picked apart Syracuse’s defense by making a litany of passes before finding an open guy. Princeton could do the same but I think Syracuse, led by Saam Olexo’s aggressive play, should be OK.

Connor Smith (10-1)
Ending the streak
Syracuse 13, Princeton 11

Syracuse has lost ten straight games against ranked opponents dating back to last season, including all five of its losses this season. Most recently was the 20-12 defeat against No. 3 Notre Dame last week, a close game until a no-goal call and a flurry of faceoff losses. Head coach Gary Gait said after the Hobart win that every game for SU the rest of the season was essentially a playoff game — win or go home. So far, the Orange are 0-1 in these “must-win” games.

But this week, I believe Syracuse has a real chance to end its losing streak in ranked games and get some momentum back. Like SU, the Tigers aren’t great at the X (52nd-best nationally) or at picking up ground balls (36th-best). Those have been the two areas Syracuse has been missing against big-name opponents this season, though on Saturday, should be winnable areas for the Orange. Winning in both spots will allow Syracuse’s high-powered offense — the fifth-most efficient one in the country, per LacrosseReference — to fire away.

I see this game kept relatively low scoring — something that benefits SU. In Princeton’s four losses this season, opponents have averaged only 14 goals per game. With Will Mark doing his thing in goal, I favor Syracuse in a low-scoring contest, allowing it to pick up win No. 7 this season.

Anthony Alandt (8-3)
Winless against ranked teams
Princeton 15, Syracuse 11

If Syracuse can’t win a faceoff, it can’t expect to win a game, especially against a ranked team that averages nearly 14 goals per game. Syracuse struggled at the faceoff X in the fourth quarter last week against Notre Dame, winning just 2-of-11. One week of practice isn’t enough to mitigate all of the late-game mishaps and meltdowns that have led Syracuse to five losses this season. The Tigers are beatable, though, and SU should keep it close either way, but there hasn’t been any track record to be confident in a win.

Syracuse has struggled this year against teams with multi-pronged scoring attacks, and while Princeton isn’t as dominant as Notre Dame or North Carolina, it still flashes three leading attacks that can toy with the Orange’s defense and tire them out enough to find openings later in the second half and pull away for the Tigers to move over .500. Syracuse’s defense is what’s going to ultimately be its demise on Saturday, especially if Spallina can’t get it going again on offense.

Published on April 6, 2023 at 1:03 am