Syracuse Defeats Rutgers And All Is Right Again

We're still not back to doing this in football yet but the Syracuse lacrosse team is keeping order in the universe by beating Rutgers.  The 9-2 Orange defeated the Scarlet Knights 10-3 in a "workmanlike" victory over the weekend.  The defense held the 4-8 Knights scoreless in the first half and goalie John Galloway played well, which the Orange desperately needed.  Chris Daniello and Stephen Keough led the Orange with three goals apiece.

Coupled with the Cornell win earlier in the week, the Orange moved up in both polls.  In the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Poll, the Orange moved all the way back up to #3, even jumping undefeated Notre Dame.  In the Coaches Poll, the Orange are tied for fourth with...Cornell...the team they just beat.  Duh.  Quint Kessinich has the Orange at #3.

Big shake-up at the top as #1 Virginia lost to Duke.  The Cavs drop to #2 in both polls and Princeton takes over as the new #1.  Syracuse's only two losses have come to both of these teams. 

Now here's why I love the lacrosse polls so much,  Last week, Duke was #8 in the country and 4-loss Johns Hopkins was #9 in the Coaches Poll.  A week later after Duke knocks off the #1 team in the nation and Johns Hopkins beats a decent Maryland, Duke is STILL #8 and Johns Hopkins is right there at #9.  Logic!

The #3/#4 Orange have three remaining games against Albany, UMass and Colgate.  Don't be fooled, they're all going to be tests.  The Great Danes (6-4) are 20th in the nation, the Minutemen (7-3) are #15 and the Raiders (9-3) are #13.  The Albany game is Friday in the Dome.