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Men's Lacrosse

Beat writers weigh in, predict Orange to rebound from mediocre 2012

David Wilson

Overall record: 12-4

Big East record: 4-2

Big East tournament finish: Runner-up

Postseason finish: Second round



A lack of experience was  at the root of Syracuse’s problems last season. An extra year should fix most of those issues. Some of the Orange’s key contributors in 2012, such as Derek Maltz and Hakeem Lecky, had never started a game before the season began. SU’s schedule also fell more favorably this season. In 2012, Syracuse had tough road tilts at Johns Hopkins and Virginia. This year, both teams come to the Carrier Dome instead.

 

Trevor Hass

Overall record: 13-3

Big East record: 5-1

Big East tournament finish: Champions

NCAA Tournament finish: Final Four

Syracuse has four games against top 10 teams, so the Orange will certainly be up for a challenge. It’s a challenge they should be ready for, though, as JoJo Marasco, Brian Megill, Derek Maltz and company have one more year of experience under their belts. Bobby Wardwell will have a strong second year in the net overall, despite some inevitable bumps and bruises, as Syracuse exceeds preseason expectations but comes up just a bit short in the tournament.

 

Jacob Klinger

Overall record: 14-2

Big East record: 6-0

Big East tournament finish: Runner-up

Tournament finish: Final Four

In the relative history of Syracuse lacrosse, this team has none of the pressure and enough of the talent. There’s no true veteran unit, but there’s enough experience sprinkled across the field in combination with more than capable youth. Chris Daddio, Cal Paduda, Brendan Conroy and Ricky Buhr should offer vast improvement from last year’s inconsistent-at-best faceoff showings. Players like Billy Ward and Hakeem Lecky look likely to grow into larger roles around a potent front-six core centered on JoJo Marasco and Derek Maltz. Desko is confident in both of his goaltenders, too.





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