Top-Ranked Orange Pulls Away from Army
from press release
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Top-ranked Syracuse
(2-0) used a 4-0 second-half run to break open a tie game and went
on to defeat Army, 12-7, on Sunday, Feb. 28 at the Carrier
Dome.
Senior Chris Daniello scored a career-best four goals to lead the
Orange. Junior Stephen Keogh contributed three goals, and redshirt
sophomore Tim Desko tallied his first two goals of the year in the
contest. Two of Keogh’s three scores came during the
game-clinching run that turned a 5-5 stalemate into a 9-5 Orange
advantage.
Syracuse needed the late surge after Army (1-2) scored three
straight goals in the third quarter to erase a 5-2 halftime
deficit. Baldwinsville native Jeremy Boltus and senior Tyler
Seymour keyed the spurt. Boltus had a hand in all three tallies,
scoring once and assisting on two goals by Seymour, the last coming
with 6:52 left in the third to tie the game.
The score wasn’t deadlocked for long as Keogh notched his
second of the day six seconds later to give the hosts a 6-5 lead.
Daniello and junior Josh Amidon followed with unassisted goals and
Keogh capped the spurt, scoring with 12:05 left in regulation to
give the Orange a 9-5 advantage.
A man-up score by Army’s Garrett Thul with 10:25 to play
ended the SU run, but the Orange responded with three straight
goals to take a 12-6 margin and put the game out of reach.
Syracuse dominated the statistics Sunday. It outshot Army, 55-26,
and held a 38-20 advantage in ground balls. However, the Black
Knights got a terrific performance from goalie Tom Palesky to keep
them in the game. The Orange peppered Palesky with at least 11
shots in every period, but he made 21 saves, including seven in the
third quarter, to keep the Black Knights in it.
Palesky was on his game early, making four saves in the opening
quarter and holding the Orange to a pair of goals. An unassisted
score by Conor Hayes with 12:58 left in the half cut the SU lead to
one, but the Orange notched consecutive goals, including Desko's
first of the season on a man-up chance, to open up a 4-1
margin.
The two teams traded goals in the latter stages of the second
quarter to make it 5-2 at the break.
For the second straight game, senior Gavin Jenkinson and junior
Jeremy Thompson controlled the faceoff X. Jenkinson won eight draws
and Thompson won seven to lead the Orange to a 15-for-23 showing in
the game. Thompson also had a goal and assisted on Keogh's go-ahead
score after Army tied the game at five, shifting the momentum back
to Syracuse.
Orange junior goalie John Galloway had another solid game in the
cage. He stopped 13 shots, including six in the second quarter, to
help Syracuse to a three-goal lead at the half.
Boltus paced the Black Knights with five points, including a
game-best three assists. Seymour finished with three goals. He also
added a ground ball.
Syracuse will face its first road test of the year next week. The
Orange travels to Charlottesville for a matchup with No. 2 Virginia
on Sunday, March 7. Faceoff is at 1 p.m.
Game Notes: Syracuse has won its last 11 games, the longest current
winning streak in the nation ... Junior Jovan Miller collected a
personal-best nine ground balls in the contest … The victory
improved the Orange’s record to 15-2 all-time in February
games and head coach John Desko’s career record to 8-1 versus
the Black Knights.
