Most Syracuse fans would agree, the men's lacrosse team is back where it's supposed to be. Ranked in the top five. Solid record (4-1). Beating Johns Hopkins. Proving they can play with Virginia. All signs point to the Orange being a favorite to return to their rightful place in the Final Four come Memorial Day Weekend in tropical Foxboro, Massachusetts.
But we've got a long way to go before then. Thought it might be worthwhile to take a look down the road and see what's between us and a return to orange-y glory:
Date: Saturday, March 22nd
Team: Binghamton Bearcats
2008 Record: 2-1
2007 Record: 4-10
2007 Result: Syracuse 16, Binghamton 10
Notable Games: L Drexel 2-3
Scoop: What the Bearcats lack in offensive power they more than make up for in defensive ability. They let up four total goals in their first two games before giving up 8 last time. They're a perfect 11 for 11 on the season in man-down situations, which sounds dirtier than it is. Point is, you have to make your offensive possessions count. Do that and SU shouldn't have a problem this weekend.
Date: Tuesday, March 25th
Team: Hobart Statesmen
2008 Record: 3-2*
2007 Record: 5-9
2007 Result: Syracuse 13, Hobart 11
Notable Games: L G'town 12-13
Scoop: That asterisk is for the Statesmen's last game, a 19-4 win over something called the Presbyterian Blue Hose. #1, I'm pretty sure that's a church league team and #2, they're 0-9. So I'm not counting that. I feel fine predicting a win over anyone who beats up on the poor, little Presbyterians.
Date: Saturday, March 29th
Team: #17 Loyola Greyhounds
2008 Record: 3-3
2007 Record: 7-6
2007 Result: Loyola 11, Syracuse 10
Notable Games: L Notre Dame 6-7, L Duke 8-21
Scoop: Loyola seems to beat who they're supposed to beat and lose to who they're supposed to lose to. Especially Duke. Youch! This is revenge game for the Orange as well, one of many they have on the schedule this year.
Date: Saturday, April 5th
Team: #11 Princeton Tigers
2008 Record: 2-3
2007 Record: 10-4 (L, NCAA 1st Round)
2007 Result: Princeton 12, Syracuse 8
Notable Games: L Hopkins 9-14, L Virginia 10-12
Scoop: Could the Tigers be this year's version of the 2007 Orange? They already have the losing record and losing by 8 to a winless team last week certainly didn't instill hope in anyone. The Orange want this win badly as it will avenge last year's loss and, well let's face it, beating Princeton is a very good thing.
Date: Tuesday, April 8th
Team: #7 Cornell Big Red
2008 Record: 4-1
2007 Record: 15-1 (L Final Four)
2007 Result: Cornell 16, Syracuse 15
Notable Games: L UNC 13-8
Scoop: Cornell is turning into the Rutgers football of college lacrosse. They're putting up great records and lots of wins, but against who? Wins over Canisius and Denver are nice but aren't exactly going to help you when it comes to tourney time seedings, as the Big Red found out last year when an undefeated record wasn't good enough to net a #1 seed. The Orange would love to get back at the Red this year for the heart-breaker last season. I feel like a broken record...
Date: Saturday, April 12th
Team: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2008 Record: 1-3
2007 Record: 7-6
2007 Result: Syracuse 22, Rutgers 9
Notable Games: W UMBC 13-4
Scoop: Was last year's butt-whooping a sign that Rutgers wasn't as good as their record last year or that SU just underachieved the rest of the season? If the Orange had no problem with them then, they should have no problem now.
Date: Saturday, April 18th
Team: Albany Great Danes
2008 Record: 1-5
2007 Record: 15-3 (L, NCAA Quarterfinals)
2007 Result: Syracuse 17, Albany 13
Notable Games: L Hopkins 5-10, L Notre Dame 6-7, ! Princeton 10-2
Scoop: The best 1-5 team in the country, Albany has had an interesting season to say the least. After a reasonable loss to Hopkins to start the year, it's been heart-breaker after heart-breaker, losing four straight games by 1-point. Then, they beat the Princeton Tigers by 8. Go figure. Don't be fooled by their record...we played the spoiler to them last year, no reason they can't return the favor.
Date: Wednesday, April 29th
Team: UMass Minutemen
2008 Record: 2-4
2007 Record: 7-7
2007 Result: UMass 9, Syracuse 7
Notable Games: W Albany 9-8
Scoop: They haven't exactly played a murderer's row and they've come out of it 2-4. I don't see too much of a threat here and I expect the Orange to get a revenge win. Which is better than a normal win. Obviously.
Date: Saturday, May 3rd
Team: Colgate Raiders
2008 Record: 4-3
2007 Record: 11-5
2007 Result: Colgate 12, Syracuse 5
Notable Games: L Duke 7-15
Scoop: The Raiders didn't get an NCAA bid last year at 11-5, but they did get a win over the Orange which I'm sure dulled the pain a little. This year all signs point to the Orange returning the favor. You know, now that I've actually charted out the rest of the season,
I gotta say..not exactly a march through hell. Don't let the rankings on some of those teams fool you, for the most part they're courtesy rankings not unlike the ones the Orange got most of last year. SU only plays three teams that currently have winning records and every single game is winnable. If I had to make some assumptions...
The Orange SHOULD finish: 12-2
The Orange WILL finish: 11-3
Come tournament time, they will be seeded: #4
Will they get back to the Final Four: Hell yeah
Of course, they could go out and lose 24-3 to Binghamton this weekend and make this all shite...but I'm willing to take that chance.
But we've got a long way to go before then. Thought it might be worthwhile to take a look down the road and see what's between us and a return to orange-y glory:
Date: Saturday, March 22nd
Team: Binghamton Bearcats
2008 Record: 2-1
2007 Record: 4-10
2007 Result: Syracuse 16, Binghamton 10
Notable Games: L Drexel 2-3
Scoop: What the Bearcats lack in offensive power they more than make up for in defensive ability. They let up four total goals in their first two games before giving up 8 last time. They're a perfect 11 for 11 on the season in man-down situations, which sounds dirtier than it is. Point is, you have to make your offensive possessions count. Do that and SU shouldn't have a problem this weekend.
Date: Tuesday, March 25th
Team: Hobart Statesmen
2008 Record: 3-2*
2007 Record: 5-9
2007 Result: Syracuse 13, Hobart 11
Notable Games: L G'town 12-13
Scoop: That asterisk is for the Statesmen's last game, a 19-4 win over something called the Presbyterian Blue Hose. #1, I'm pretty sure that's a church league team and #2, they're 0-9. So I'm not counting that. I feel fine predicting a win over anyone who beats up on the poor, little Presbyterians.
Date: Saturday, March 29th
Team: #17 Loyola Greyhounds
2008 Record: 3-3
2007 Record: 7-6
2007 Result: Loyola 11, Syracuse 10
Notable Games: L Notre Dame 6-7, L Duke 8-21
Scoop: Loyola seems to beat who they're supposed to beat and lose to who they're supposed to lose to. Especially Duke. Youch! This is revenge game for the Orange as well, one of many they have on the schedule this year.
Date: Saturday, April 5th
Team: #11 Princeton Tigers
2008 Record: 2-3
2007 Record: 10-4 (L, NCAA 1st Round)
2007 Result: Princeton 12, Syracuse 8
Notable Games: L Hopkins 9-14, L Virginia 10-12
Scoop: Could the Tigers be this year's version of the 2007 Orange? They already have the losing record and losing by 8 to a winless team last week certainly didn't instill hope in anyone. The Orange want this win badly as it will avenge last year's loss and, well let's face it, beating Princeton is a very good thing.
Date: Tuesday, April 8th
Team: #7 Cornell Big Red
2008 Record: 4-1
2007 Record: 15-1 (L Final Four)
2007 Result: Cornell 16, Syracuse 15
Notable Games: L UNC 13-8
Scoop: Cornell is turning into the Rutgers football of college lacrosse. They're putting up great records and lots of wins, but against who? Wins over Canisius and Denver are nice but aren't exactly going to help you when it comes to tourney time seedings, as the Big Red found out last year when an undefeated record wasn't good enough to net a #1 seed. The Orange would love to get back at the Red this year for the heart-breaker last season. I feel like a broken record...
Date: Saturday, April 12th
Team: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2008 Record: 1-3
2007 Record: 7-6
2007 Result: Syracuse 22, Rutgers 9
Notable Games: W UMBC 13-4
Scoop: Was last year's butt-whooping a sign that Rutgers wasn't as good as their record last year or that SU just underachieved the rest of the season? If the Orange had no problem with them then, they should have no problem now.
Date: Saturday, April 18th
Team: Albany Great Danes
2008 Record: 1-5
2007 Record: 15-3 (L, NCAA Quarterfinals)
2007 Result: Syracuse 17, Albany 13
Notable Games: L Hopkins 5-10, L Notre Dame 6-7, ! Princeton 10-2
Scoop: The best 1-5 team in the country, Albany has had an interesting season to say the least. After a reasonable loss to Hopkins to start the year, it's been heart-breaker after heart-breaker, losing four straight games by 1-point. Then, they beat the Princeton Tigers by 8. Go figure. Don't be fooled by their record...we played the spoiler to them last year, no reason they can't return the favor.
Date: Wednesday, April 29th Team: UMass Minutemen
2008 Record: 2-4
2007 Record: 7-7
2007 Result: UMass 9, Syracuse 7
Notable Games: W Albany 9-8
Scoop: They haven't exactly played a murderer's row and they've come out of it 2-4. I don't see too much of a threat here and I expect the Orange to get a revenge win. Which is better than a normal win. Obviously.
Date: Saturday, May 3rd
Team: Colgate Raiders
2008 Record: 4-3
2007 Record: 11-5
2007 Result: Colgate 12, Syracuse 5
Notable Games: L Duke 7-15
Scoop: The Raiders didn't get an NCAA bid last year at 11-5, but they did get a win over the Orange which I'm sure dulled the pain a little. This year all signs point to the Orange returning the favor. You know, now that I've actually charted out the rest of the season,
I gotta say..not exactly a march through hell. Don't let the rankings on some of those teams fool you, for the most part they're courtesy rankings not unlike the ones the Orange got most of last year. SU only plays three teams that currently have winning records and every single game is winnable. If I had to make some assumptions...
The Orange SHOULD finish: 12-2
The Orange WILL finish: 11-3
Come tournament time, they will be seeded: #4
Will they get back to the Final Four: Hell yeah
Of course, they could go out and lose 24-3 to Binghamton this weekend and make this all shite...but I'm willing to take that chance.