MLAX | OFF AND RUNNING: No. 3 Syracuse blazes past Canisius and into NCAA 2nd round with 20-3 rout
Andy McCullough
Issue date: 5/8/08 Section: Sports
May 11, 11:49 p.m. -- As far as messages go, it was a blunt one.
But the Syracuse men's lacrosse team needed to make something clear from the get-go against Canisius Sunday in the first round of the NCAA tournament, a 20-3 win for the Orange.
"We just wanted to let them know, right from the start, that they weren't really going to be in the game for real long," said junior attack Kenny Nims, responsible for two goals and three assists in the win.
Consider that memo sent.
With Danny Brennan - the No. 1 faceoff man in the country - winning draws in a short test-run at the outset, No. 3 seeded Syracuse (13-2) raced out to an 8-0 run to start the game and coasted to the double digit win against the Golden Griffins in front of 3,452 at the Carrier Dome.
It was the fewest goals allowed in the postseason by the Orange since 1996. SU is now 22-1 in playoff games played at the Dome.
The whitewash reboots the team's momentum, which was stunted by last week in a loss at Colgate in the regular season finale.
"We didn't run our offense well last week, and we lost," said senior attack Mike Leveille, the Tewaaraton Trophy finalist who paced SU with four goals and two assists. "I think we wanted to make sure we came out and executed, and you know, did the things we've done most of the season."
The Orange did.
Syracuse now heads to Ithaca, N.Y., to face No. 6 seed Notre Dame in the second round on Sunday at 3 p.m, with a spot in the final four at stake. The Fighting Irish snatched an overtime win away from those same Red Raiders in South Bend, Ind., Saturday.
The SU victory comes on opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, a round that saw many of the top seeds stumble out of the starting blocks.
No. 1 Duke looked sluggish early before pulling away from Loyola. No. 2 Virginia was life and death with Maryland-Baltimore County - the Cavs slipped past the Retrievers 10-9 Sunday.
And North Carolina, the four seed, lost at home on Saturday night to Navy.
But the Syracuse men's lacrosse team needed to make something clear from the get-go against Canisius Sunday in the first round of the NCAA tournament, a 20-3 win for the Orange.
"We just wanted to let them know, right from the start, that they weren't really going to be in the game for real long," said junior attack Kenny Nims, responsible for two goals and three assists in the win.
Consider that memo sent.
With Danny Brennan - the No. 1 faceoff man in the country - winning draws in a short test-run at the outset, No. 3 seeded Syracuse (13-2) raced out to an 8-0 run to start the game and coasted to the double digit win against the Golden Griffins in front of 3,452 at the Carrier Dome.
It was the fewest goals allowed in the postseason by the Orange since 1996. SU is now 22-1 in playoff games played at the Dome.
The whitewash reboots the team's momentum, which was stunted by last week in a loss at Colgate in the regular season finale.
"We didn't run our offense well last week, and we lost," said senior attack Mike Leveille, the Tewaaraton Trophy finalist who paced SU with four goals and two assists. "I think we wanted to make sure we came out and executed, and you know, did the things we've done most of the season."
The Orange did.
Syracuse now heads to Ithaca, N.Y., to face No. 6 seed Notre Dame in the second round on Sunday at 3 p.m, with a spot in the final four at stake. The Fighting Irish snatched an overtime win away from those same Red Raiders in South Bend, Ind., Saturday.
The SU victory comes on opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, a round that saw many of the top seeds stumble out of the starting blocks.
No. 1 Duke looked sluggish early before pulling away from Loyola. No. 2 Virginia was life and death with Maryland-Baltimore County - the Cavs slipped past the Retrievers 10-9 Sunday.
And North Carolina, the four seed, lost at home on Saturday night to Navy.
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