MLAX | Cruise Control: After four tough games, No. 3 Syracuse rolls over Binghamton 16-2
By Andy McCullough
Posted: 3/22/08, 7:48 PM EST Section: Sports
John Desko could feel the difference as time crept off the clock for his Syracuse men's lacrosse team against Binghamton Saturday, a stark contrast to how he had felt the past four weeks.
Instead of a three or four goal deficit against a top 10 opponent, Desko's team had a more than 10-goal lead. Instead of frantic play from his front-liners, he had time to rest his starters.
Instead of tension, he had relaxation.
Desko wasn't complaining.
"It definitely had a different feel to it going into the fourth quarter than it has the last few games," the Orange head coach said. "It's been a month, you know."
After four games filled with anxiety, Syracuse (5-1) got a rest. Life was easier at the Carrier Dome: a 16-2 win over the Bearcats (2-2) in front of 5,011 fans, the largest home crowd this season, in the second-ever meeting between the two programs.
It was a breather the team had earned.
What a month it had been for the No.3 Orange, a tense slog packed with four straight one-goal games - the last three stretching into overtime - during which the team went 3-1, jumped into the Top 5 in the polls and re-established itself as a Final Four contender.
The Orange held off Army 8-7 on Feb. 24 before embarking on a brutal stretch to begin March, with road games against Virginia and Johns Hopkins bookending a home clash with Georgetown.
But the Orange took two in a row after losing to UVa at the Face-Off Classic in Baltimore. All three went into an extra session, with senior midfielder Steven Brooks scoring to send the first two into overtime. Then he netted the game-winner against Hopkins.
There was no need for more heroics from Brooks Saturday, though, no need for furious rallies in the fourth like they had against Georgetown and Hopkins and no use for overtime adjustments.
And Desko had no problem with that.
"It was good to have the lead," he said. "Though I didn't think it was enough of a lead at halftime at whatever it was, 7-1 . . . I thought the team did a better job executing and it definitely it was more relaxed as the game went on today."
Instead of a three or four goal deficit against a top 10 opponent, Desko's team had a more than 10-goal lead. Instead of frantic play from his front-liners, he had time to rest his starters.
Instead of tension, he had relaxation.
Desko wasn't complaining.
"It definitely had a different feel to it going into the fourth quarter than it has the last few games," the Orange head coach said. "It's been a month, you know."
After four games filled with anxiety, Syracuse (5-1) got a rest. Life was easier at the Carrier Dome: a 16-2 win over the Bearcats (2-2) in front of 5,011 fans, the largest home crowd this season, in the second-ever meeting between the two programs.
It was a breather the team had earned.
What a month it had been for the No.3 Orange, a tense slog packed with four straight one-goal games - the last three stretching into overtime - during which the team went 3-1, jumped into the Top 5 in the polls and re-established itself as a Final Four contender.
The Orange held off Army 8-7 on Feb. 24 before embarking on a brutal stretch to begin March, with road games against Virginia and Johns Hopkins bookending a home clash with Georgetown.
But the Orange took two in a row after losing to UVa at the Face-Off Classic in Baltimore. All three went into an extra session, with senior midfielder Steven Brooks scoring to send the first two into overtime. Then he netted the game-winner against Hopkins.
There was no need for more heroics from Brooks Saturday, though, no need for furious rallies in the fourth like they had against Georgetown and Hopkins and no use for overtime adjustments.
And Desko had no problem with that.
"It was good to have the lead," he said. "Though I didn't think it was enough of a lead at halftime at whatever it was, 7-1 . . . I thought the team did a better job executing and it definitely it was more relaxed as the game went on today."
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