The Post-Week Tailgate: February 18, 2024

There’s almost a generation of lacrosse fans that doesn’t remember when Syracuse and Memorial Day Weekend were inextricably linked. For 22 straight years (1983 through 2004), Syracuse made it to championship weekend. That’s 22 STRAIGHT years.

The Orange were there, and so were their fans.

But, Syracuse hasn’t played on Memorial Day Weekend since 2013. On Saturday night, the Dome felt like old times, even if it ended with Maryland winning a controversial thriller 13-12 in overtime.

The Syracuse faithful were unhappy when Michael Leo’s potential game-winner was waved off, and upheld after review, for a goal-mouth violation. Moments after the review, Maryland shortstick defensive midfielder George Stamos caught the Orange defense off-guard and delivered the game-winner.

 

 

 

 

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Random Observations

Good players, do what they’re supposed to do. Great players do it all.

No. 2 Duke was trailing Saint Joseph’s 4-2 and had just thrown the ball away on the clear. The Hawks were in clear control of the game’s momentum and the Blue Devils were pressing.

Duke’s reigning Tewaaraton winner Brennan O’Neill then took matters into his own hands. He knocked down Saint Joe’s clearing pass, picked up the ground ball, ran to the cage and scored a behind-the-back shot while running at full speed for a Blue Devil goal.

THIS MAN. BRENNAN CAN DO EVERYTHING. 🤯

The deflection. The BTB. Everything comes up perfect for O’Neill. pic.twitter.com/6F9LZNzRqn

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) February 17, 2024

It was the first of three Duke goals in a span of just 41 seconds and the Blue Devils never trailed again, breaking the game open in the third quarter on their way to a 19-10 victory.

The most jaw-dropping score of the weekend was Towson dominating Navy 17-5. Navy had averaged 17.5 goals in two wins to open the season, but Towson dominated from the jump. Nick DeMaio scored two goals in the opening four minutes and finished with a career-high nine points on four goals and five assists.

Navy put just 16 of its 38 shots on goal and Towson goalie Luke Downs made 11 saves.

Everything pretty much went right when reigning national champion Notre Dame dominated Cleveland State 25-3 on Wednesday to open its season. Cleveland State’s first goal was actually an own-goal when Notre Dame star LSM Will Donovan accidentally threw it in his own goal after a scramble for the ball on the faceoff.

pic.twitter.com/SSIg7TFr8b

— No Context Lacrosse (@NoContextMLAX) February 15, 2024

I’d actually argue that even that play was a positive as it showed the strength of the Notre Dame culture. Yes, the Irish were already up comfortably 10-0, but as soon as Donovan realized what he had done and hung his head, Notre Dame goalie Liam Entenmann – who had just lost his shutout – came over with a big hug for Donovan.

Lars Tiffany calls Matt Nunes a coach on the field and Virginia’s goalie showed his game-feel at the end of the third quarter of Virginia’s 14-10 win over Richmond. With Virginia leading by just a goal, Richmond longpole Jake Kapp took an outside shot. Nunes was not surprised by the shot at all, gathering the save and immediately firing out an outlet pass to midfield showing a great understanding of the clock while focusing on the Spider offense at the same time.

America’s favorite road warriors, Colgate, improved to 3-1 with an 11-10 win at UAlbany. Saturday’s winner was a thing of beauty as Rory Connor finished off some precision passing from Griffin Walker with 1:25 to play after a forced turnover to give the Raiders the win.

THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL TURNING DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE 

📺 https://t.co/IxfzBsG6mg | @ESPN | @PatriotLeagueTV#GGG pic.twitter.com/tLjYgSoWf5

— Colgate Men's Lacrosse (@ColgateMLax) February 17, 2024

Colgate, which has now matched last season’s win total, has played each of its first four games away from home, will play Yale on Wednesday in Albany and won’t be home until its first Patriot League game against Loyola on March 2.

There will be no Hoya paranoia for the time being at least. Georgetown picked up a much-needed win, winning at Penn, 12-9, to avoid an 0-3 start for the second straight year. With a road trip looming to No. 1 Notre Dame, the win was even bigger.

Marist’s late-season run to the NCAA tournament in 2023 was fueled by offense, but the Red Foxes showed they can win with defense. Noble Smith made 16 saves, outdueling Jacksonville’s Ryan Della Rocco (15 saves) in a 9-8 overtime thriller on Saturday. Jake Deacy had the slam-dunk winner.

JAKE DEACY CALLED GAME!#MARIST #LACROSSE #EC34 pic.twitter.com/ZZsLy5polD

— Marist Lacrosse (@Marist_MensLax) February 17, 2024

Princeton was the last Division I team to step on the field – delayed until Sunday due to a snowstorm in New Jersey that flipped the contest to a home game for the Tigers. Princeton blanked Monmouth in the second half in a 15-5 win. The young guns came out to play as freshmen Colin Burns and Nate Kabiri – teammates at Georgetown Prep – combined for seven goals and five assists.

Johns Hopkins was not delayed on Saturday, getting a helping hand from the school’s football team to get the field ready for a 13-7 victory over Charles Street rival Loyola. Jacob Angelus had three goals and four assists as Hopkins won its third straight.

This morning we had a great group of guys get up early to help clear the snow off Homewood Field in preparation for the @jhumenslacrosse Charles St. matchup today! 

Go Jays! ❄️🐦#PrideandPoise x #WeWantMore pic.twitter.com/0PdOSvxPMu

— Johns Hopkins Football (@JHU_Football) February 17, 2024

Paul Carcaterra has spoken frequently about his good friend and former teammate, Rob Kavovit, who took his own life in 2021. Syracuse used the platform of its game against Maryland to highlight the 15 for Life Foundation that was created by Kavovit’s family. Carcaterra shared some powerful words on ESPNU focused on one simple message: “Be vulnerable.”

By the Numbers

4,012 • Fans at Robins Stadium in Richmond to watch the Spiders battle against Virginia. A great crowd and show of support for two outstanding programs in the commonwealth.

46 • Goals for Notre Dame in its first two games. A veteran attack unit of Chris and Pat Kavanagh alongside Jake Taylor and a first-line midfield with All-Americans Eric Dobson and Devon McLane running with dual-sport star Jordan Faison. Good luck to the defensive coordinator trying to stop that group.

3 • School record consecutive wins for NJIT to open the season after beating Mount St. Mary’s 11-7 on Sunday. Patrick Stevens caught up with NJIT coach Eric Wolf ahead of this weekend’s game. 

487 • Career faceoffs wins for Army junior faceoff specialist Will Coletti, setting a new school record. 

6 • Times in his career that Delaware’s Mike Robinson has scored at least seven goals in a game. Robinson did it for the second time in as many games this season in the Blue Hens 17-6 road win at St. John’s on Saturday.

4 • Times that Ohio State has held its opponents to single digits in its 4-0 start. The Buckeyes shut down Air Force 12-4 on Saturday in Colorado Springs. The stakes get a little higher on Sunday when the Buckeyes head to No. 3 Virginia.

14 • Combined points for redshirt freshman Dominic Pietramala and true freshman Owen Duffy in North Carolina’s 19-8 win over Fairfield. Pietramala, who sat out last year with an injury, had five goals and two assists and Duffy, the No. 1 ranked recruit in this year’s freshman class, had three goals and four assists.

14 • Career-high tying saves for Denver’s Malcolm Kleban in the Pioneers 16-8 win over Utah despite getting outshot 42-38. Denver is 3-0 for the first time since 2017.