Men's Lacrosse

Fast reaction: 3 takeaways from SU’s 15-14 victory over Blue Devils in ACC title game

Logan Reidsma | Asst. Photo Editor

Syracuse attack Randy Staats scans the field. The senior scored three goals to go with two assists in SU's win over Duke.

CHESTER, Pa. — Third-seeded Syracuse (11-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) defeated second-seeded Duke (11-5, 1-3), 15-14, in the ACC tournament final on Sunday afternoon at PPL Park. Here are three quick observations from SU’s title game triumph.

Get the white off Rice

Kevin Rice was pressed hard by Duke’s defense, but it didn’t matter.

The senior attack repeatedly made something out of nothing, as two of his three goals came from seemingly impossible angles almost horizontal to the goal. He carried over his late-game heroics from Friday night into Sunday and led Syracuse with seven points, tallying four goals and three assists.

He also remained his distributing self, finding the open man when Duke’s defense clamped down on him. And as Dylan Donahue remained somewhat ineffective, Rice and Randy Staats combined to lead the Orange attack.



Up and down

Syracuse scored three goals with its man-up offense and didn’t allow one any of the four times Duke had a man advantage.

When man-up specialist Derek DeJoe came in for the Orange’s first opportunity, he ripped a left-handed shot that hit behind the cage, enciting cheers from the crowd, which shortly realized the ball didn’t go in. But seconds later, DeJoe got it back and from the same spot, found the back of the net, fist-pumping ferociously as he entered a cluster of teammates.

In a game that was only decided by a goal, SU’s man-up and man-down units were a deciding factor in the Orange eeking out the championship.

X-unfactor

Ben Williams — who all season has been lauded as Syracuse’s savior — was not his typical self on Sunday.

The Orange only won 11-of-32 faceoffs — its worst performance on the season — and Williams was even replaced by backup Cal Paduda multiple times at the X. It forced Syracuse to revert into its defense quicker and Duke was able to push SU’s defense back into its own half when Syracuse has typically done the same to its opponents.





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