Spring Break
The Daily OrangeMLAX | 'Improved' SU faces 2nd ranked team
By Kyle Austin
Posted: 3/6/08, 1:04 AM EST Section: Sports
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The Cavaliers had won their fifth game in a row against the Orange, and in dramatic fashion. Yet the players didn't wince at the mention of Saturday's game. The mood among the ranks of the 2-1 Orange was no different than it was among the 2-0 Orange.
By some measures, it was even better.
"Believe it or not, even after coming out with a loss, there's a lot more confidence there," head coach John Desko said.
Syracuse is looking to build on that confidence in a Sunday matchup against No. 9 Georgetown (2-1) at 3:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.
Freshman goalkeeper John Galloway can point to the exact moment last weekend when Syracuse's confidence hit its apex. Midfielder Steven Brooks scored the game-tying goal with 28 seconds left in regulation, sending the Orange into a frenzy.
"For Brooksie to come out and hit that shot, I think we all kind of felt, when he scored that, that we're back," Galloway said. "We have the ability to be a championship contender, and we're excited about it."
For Syracuse, they're all small steps on the road back from the 5-8 finish last year. A humbled Orange squad will take a close early-season loss to Virginia as a sign of progress. Desko said he knows his team will make mistakes early in the season, and his focus is on how his team responds and not repeating mistakes.
As Syracuse moves through one of the toughest portions of its schedule - facing No. 3 Virginia, No. 9 Georgetown and No. 1 Johns Hopkins in three weekends, two of which are on the road - it was encouraged that it played with Virginia throughout the game in a tough environment.
"It was good to have a big game experience like that, especially in M&T Bank, which is a great venue," defenseman Evan Brady said. "A lot of young guys get comfortable, especially in an overtime game. You don't get many of those, so it's good to have that experience and know that you can keep coming back because you're not going to blow every team out."
Syracuse's weekend performance did not go unnoticed by the lacrosse world. Despite the loss, the team actually rose in this week's Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, from No. 7 to No. 5.
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