Syracuse 10 - Princeton 9: Return Of The Kings

The Syracuse Orange lacrosse team is down this season, but they are far from being counted out.

With quite-possibly their chance of making the NCAA Tournament hanging in the balance, the Orange rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Princeton Tigers 6-3 on Saturday in the Dome.

The Orange end their first multi-game losing streak since 2007 and climb back into the world of winning records (5-4).

Tommy Palasek was your hero of the day, scoring four goals, including the game-winner with 4 minutes left in the contest.

"I’ll tell you what," Palasek said, "it feels so much better to win than to lose, that’s for sure."

Amen, bro.

I noticed in the last couple losses that the Orange have still seemed rather loose in post-game interviews. Instead of talking in desperate measures and freaking out, they've maintained a level head and focused on the positives. That's reflected in their ability to keep fighting and stay alive in the hunt for an NCAA Tourney berth.

Goalies has been a big issue for the Orange all season and that issue was magnified when freshman Bobby Wardwell got the start in the net. Wardwell got off to a rough start but settled down thanks to a defensive unit that shifted into a zone, making the Tigers work harder for their shots.

"I was pretty rattled after they hit the first couple pipes," Wardwell said, "but the rest of the team kind of calmed me down and we all got back into it."

Credit the Orange's ability to shut down P-town's clear as a way to slow down the offense and keep SU in the game as well.

The Orange aren't out of the woods yet. They now get a showdown for New York bragging rights with the No. 5 Cornell Big Red (8-1) on Tuesday night on the road. A win there and the Orange will have re-established their spot in the country. Lose and you spent the rest of the season in must-win mode.