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Syracuse Lacrosse Tunes Up For NCAA Tournament With Annual Colgate Game

Cuse.com

Following a shorter than usual stay in the ACC Tournament, Syracuse (11-2, 4-0) travels southeast to take on fellow New York team Colgate (5-8, 3-5) to wrap up the regular season. 

The Orange has won the last four matchups between the two teams and leads the all-time series 45-10-1. Head Coach John Desko will likely use this game as a tune up for the NCAA tournament. With the tournament not set to begin until May 13, this match up will bridge the gap in the action for Syracuse.

Coming off just its second loss of the season, Syracuse needs to bounce back with a solid showing to restore confidence heading into the tournament. 

Looking back to the last time these two teams met, Syracuse crushed Colgate 18-3, providing all of the confidence needed. 2017's ACC Offensive Player of the Year Sergio Salcido recorded four points in the matchup with a pair of goals and a pair of assists. Nick Mariano scored two goals as well while Jordan Evans notched a goal and set one up. 

Colgate enters the game in good form, having won two of its last three. The one loss was a single-goal defeat at Holy Cross. 

One player that Syracuse will need contain is Griffin Brown. The freshman midfielder has 23 goals on the season, leading the Colgate team. He and junior Anthony Abbadessa will likely be the ones causing the most havoc, with Abbadessa coming off a four-goal performance against Lafayette. 

Syracuse has plenty to counter with though. Evans is coming off his best performance of the year with a goal and six assists against North Carolina. Mariano and Salcido each recorded hat tricks and Salcido added two assists. Coming off that kind of performance, offense should not be the issue when the Orange take the field Saturday. 

The concern for Syracuse will be on the defensive end after having allowed a season-high 16 goals against UNC. 13 of them came in the first half before the defense locked down, allowing just three after the break. Saturday's game will give Desko a chance to iron out the errors that plagued the Orange in the first half of the ACC semifinal.