Gary Gait, #9 Syracuse Prepping for #1 Maryland
Syracuse lacrosse in-person media availability returned to the Ensley Athletic Center on Wednesday night. There, Gary Gait stood in front of television cameras and microphones, holding a lacrosse stick to his side.
The No. 9 Orange (1-0) smoked Holy Cross 28-5 in Gait's first game coaching the team. But No. 1 Maryland, which visits the carrier Dome this Sunday at noon, presents a bigger challenge for Gait and SU.
Here's what Gait said about preparing for the top ranked Terps.
Orange history will be made, and it's being written:
Gary Gait's jersey will be honored Sunday for his four-time All-American and three-time National Championship play with Syracuse from 1987-1990. Roy Simmons Jr., who coached Gait for four seasons and led the team to six national championships, will join SU's Ring of Honor the same day.
"It's always nice to celebrate the history of Syracuse lacrosse," Gait said. "Sunday's going to represent that. It'll give us a chance for the 2022 team to have our first real test and see what we're made of as well. We'll be celebrating the past and trying to write history."
Maryland is No. 1 for a reason:
The Terrapins jumped to the top spot in Inside Lacrosse's rankings following a 21-goal trouncing over High Point and another 20-goal showing over No. 8 Loyola. Gait mentioned UMD's defense specifically, which will duel with the Orange offense that celebrated 28 goals last weekend.
"The ball hits the ground on the d-end, they pick it up and they start going," Gait said. "You can't give them easy opportunities. You got to compete and you got to try and get some second opportunities yourself. We're going to do our best, we're going to work hard, and hopefully, things will work out."
Syracuse is expecting a 'dog fight':
Syracuse's massive offensive performance against Holy Cross pushed them from No. 13 to No. 9 in Inside Lacrosse's rankings. Gait said the group knows they'll have to scratch and claw to beat Maryland, and expects UMD's best on Sunday.
"No team ever comes in here and thinks they're just going to walk away with a win," Gait said. "With the jersey and 'Syracuse' across the front, typically the teams come in extra pumped up, extra fired up, they don’t take you for granted. Even if they're supposed to beat you, they know that they could be in for a dog fight. I'm not expecting them to overlook us by any means."
SU is locked-on the Terps:
Ranked Virginia and Army opponents lurk beyond Maryland this weekend. But Gait, who shifted his focus from Holy Cross to Maryland in his press conference after the Crusader beatdown, isn't thinking about any team but UMD now.
"Right now, it’s all about Maryland," Gait said. "We haven’t even thought about the next game because we know that happens all year long playing in the ACC, and then playing some other Top 10 teams that are outside our conference. I think we have the toughest schedule in the country, so if you start looking ahead, you start having problems. We're just going to focus on the opponent in front of us."
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