Syracuse Loses Scrappy Battle With Johns Hopkins to Fall Below .500
Once again, Syracuse fails to get over the hump, dropping to #10 Johns Hopkins 11-9. In the four game stretch against ranked opponents, Syracuse has gone winless and has dropped below 500 for the first time all year. They also fail to score in the double digits for the first time since the season opener against Vermont, a 7-5 victory over the Catamounts.
The whole affair was scrappy, with a total 12 penalties among the programs and multiple hard hits and scrums breaking out in the second half. This rivalry is always one to watch, and the Blue Jays came out victorious this year, making it an even 5-5 over the last 10 matches and second straight loss. After this close back and forth battle, Syracuse head coach Gary Gait reflected on the last month that encapsulated in this loss to a rival.
“You wake up in the morning excited about the opportunity in front of you, you feel good about it and feel like you did all the work necessary to have success,” Gait said. “Then you go out and play an opponent that didn’t let us have our way today.”
The game was in constant flux, with six lead changes and eight ties throughout the battle. Neither team led by more than two goals and neither scored more than two straight until the Blue Jays pulled away in the final six minutes.
Johns Hopkins’s Russell Melendenz and Syracuse’s Owen Hiltz both recorded three goals on the day, and both offenses shared the ball a considerable amount, but the real hero for the Blue Jays was senior goalkeeper Tim Marcille, who recorded an incredible 21 saves on nine goals allowed, recording a save percentage of .700. 15 of those saves were in the first half, keeping the Orange from getting too far ahead.
Though it seems the wind is out of the sails, the team is looking forward to the next game and keeps a short-term memory. Despite the difficult start, Coach Gait remains confident in his players that they will bounce back and finish the season strong.
“[Johns Hopkins] made plays when they needed to, and we showed them we’re still young,” Gait said. “This team certainly works hard, prepares, does everything possible, and the last piece of the puzzle is to go out and make plays on the field, and they will get there. It’s just not there yet.”
Syracuse drops to 3-4 and now travels to Long Island to face Hofstra on a Tuesday evening matchup. Johns Hopkins improves to 5-3 on the year and prepares for a two-game weekend against Navy and Delaware.