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Syracuse Lacrosse Squeaks By Binghamton To Cap Thrilling Regular Season

Cuse.com

With a 9-8 win on Saturday, top-ranked Syracuse (11-1, 4-0) has now won eight games this season by just one goal. Three goals from senior Jordan Evans and a strong fourth quarter by the Syracuse defense secured a victory to close the regular season.

Hosting Binghamton (9-4, 3-2) at the Carrier Dome, the Orange started strong as redshirt junior Ryan Simmons put one away about five minutes in. Binghamton would answer quickly as Tom Moore scored the first of his five goals on the afternoon. 

Evans, Jamie Trimboli and Brendan Bomberry all scored in the last four minutes of the quarter to put 'Cuse ahead 4-1. The Orange seemed set to cruise with the defense holding and the offense clicking. 

The lead would not stay intact though. The Bearcats earned a man-up opportunity and converted less than two minutes into the second. Binghamton would add three more in a row, including the last two from Moore, bringing the tally to 5-4 in favor of the visitors. 

Binghamton would hold the lead for less than a minute before Evans responded to knot things up at five. Senior Nick Mariano scored his only goal of the afternoon with just seconds remaining in the half to give Syracuse a 6-5 lead at the break. 

Moore notched his fourth successful shot of the game to tie things up before the Bearcats scored again to retake the lead. Binghamton's seventh-ranked scoring defense showed up to blank the Orange for the first 14:56 of game play in the third quarter.  Evans finally broke through to earn the hat trick and level the game with just four ticks left on the clock. The stalemate carried into the final quarter, tied 7-7.

Syracuse earned a man-up opportunity, but could not convert early. Instead, Simmons doubled his luck on the day to take the lead for the Orange. Trimboli would add a second as well to stretch the score to 9-7. Binghamton's Moore scored his fifth and final goal in the waning minutes, but senior goalie Evan Malloy and the rest of the defense stood strong to seal the win, 9-8. 

John Desko's crew will head down to Durham, North Carolina for a matchup with the 20th-ranked Tar Heels in the first round of the ACC tournament on Friday. The winner will move onto the final.