The final four in Stony Brook, N.Y., begins Friday when No. 4 seed Syracuse takes on No. 1 seed Florida. No. 2 Northwestern and No. 3 Maryland will square off in the second matchup. The semifinals not only boasts the top four teams in the nation, but also four of the nation’s top five players.
Jet lag couldn't slow down Ashley Dimon's mind. The return trip from Tempe, Ariz., gave the junior catcher ample time to think about her goals for next season.
So at 8 a.m. the morning after that cross-country flight, Dimon met head coach Leigh Ross in her office to reveal her plan for 2013.
Austin Wilson, a quarterback out of Pennsylvania, committed to play for Syracuse in 2013 on Sunday.
Syracuse beat ASU 1-0 in 1st game; Sun Devils win 4-1 in 2nd game
As Jenna Caira exited her final game as a Syracuse player, SU fans rose to their feet to applaud her superb pitching career. But as the senior ace crossed the first-base line and joined her teammates in the dugout, the rest of the crowd in Tempe, Ariz. joined them in a standing ovation.
No. 3 Arizona State 3, Syracuse 1; Syracuse 2, Long Beach State 1
After her first batting practice in Tempe, Jasmine Watson didn't look like a slumping hitter to Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross.
No. 4 Syracuse 17, No. 5 North Carolina 16; SU will face No. 1 Florida in Stony Brook on Friday
Michelle Tumolo raised her stick up in her right hand and slammed it head-first into the Carrier Dome turf. Teammate Bridget Daley jumped into her arms in celebration.
Syracuse 4, Long Beach State 2; Syracuse will play No. 3 Arizona State on Saturday at 4 p.m.
After Syracuse defeated Long Beach State on Friday, head coach Leigh Ross relived the Orange’s previous two trips to the NCAA tournament with her team.
No. 4 Syracuse vs. No. 5 North Carolina: Saturday, 1 p.m., Carrier Dome
For 12 games during the middle of this season, the Syracuse offense was nearly unstoppable.
But on April 27, Loyola (Md.) held SU scoreless in the final 15 minutes of their matchup. The following weekend in the Big East tournament, Syracuse scored just 14 goals in two games, eventually losing to the Greyhounds in the Big East championship to snap its 15-game winning streak.
Syracuse landed its second recruit for the class of 2013, receiving a commitment from ASA College (N.Y.) defensive tackle Wayne Williams.
Despite the loss of seven All-Americans, this year’s Syracuse team still started the season with championship aspirations.
The Orange started its season as an enigma with new players taking on the role of starters and a goaltender situation that was going to be settled as the season progressed. Still, the talent level of the personnel gave hope the program could compete at an elite level.
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced its scheduling structure for when Syracuse and Pittsburgh begin competition in the near future.
Syracuse’s wide receiving corps received a boost on Wednesday, as Quinta Funderburk plans to transfer from Arkansas to play for the Orange.
At Syracuse’s NCAA tournament selection show viewing party inside the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center, head coach Leigh Ross polled each of her players about where they thought they'd end up.
3-star tight end Tyler Provo decides to follow path of brother, Nick, to SU
Tyler Provo saw the interest level balloon and the offers from colleges pile up over the last few weeks. But after every offer, Syracuse remained at the top of the tight end’s list.
Though Pittsburgh filed a lawsuit against the Big East last Friday to leave for the Atlantic Coast Conference early, Syracuse does not currently intend to follow the same plan of action.
Syracuse will continue postseason play in the Tempe region of the NCAA tournament after earning an at-large bid Sunday night.
Though the Orange suffered an upset loss to St. John's in the first round of the Big East tournament last week, its 40 wins during the regular season were enough for the team to reach the tournament for the third straight season.
This time around, Dartmouth was hanging with Syracuse.
After being crushed by 18 goals in their regular-season matchup on April 9, the Big Green played the Orange to a halftime tie in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
But SU midfielder Sarah Holden knew she could spark another blowout.
No. 3 Duke 12, Syracuse 9
DURHAM, N.C. — Stick over head, Tim Desko walked slowly onto the field for the final time in his Syracuse career. Down by four goals to Duke with 25 seconds left, the Orange’s season was all but over.
DURHAM, N.C. — Frustration mounted early for Syracuse as it misfired shot after shot. Through the first 14 minutes, the Orange couldn’t crack the Duke defense.
SU reeled off 11 shots and all 11 missed. And with the Blue Devils already out to a three-goal lead, the Orange showed signs of breaking down early.
DURHAM, N.C. — John Desko couldn’t escape the topic. From his opening statement to the questions he faced following Syracuse’s loss to Duke on Saturday, the head coach repeated himself over and over.
Syracuse softball won't three-peat as Big East champions.
In the opening round of Thursday's Big East tournament, the Orange (40-14, 17-5) could muster only one run in a 2-1 upset loss against St. John's (22-33, 9-12).
SU still currently planned to depart in 2014
Syracuse and Pittsburgh’s timetable to leave the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference remains uncertain after the resignation of conference commissioner John Marinatto on Monday.
The timetable attached to Shamel Lewis was five months — or less.
People from his hometown of Riverhead, Long Island, questioned if he’d last even that long at Syracuse. With every heart-wrenching experience Lewis went through growing up and his troubles as a teenager, lasting even a semester at SU would be a miracle.
When Derek Maltz and his Syracuse teammates saw their matchup with Duke flash onto the NCAA tournament bracket during the selection show Sunday, they immediately thought back to April 1.
Syracuse will remain in the sports headlines throughout the summer. The men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse and softball teams all open postseason play in May with hopes of making deep runs in the NCAA tournament. The NBA Draft and Summer Olympics will feature former Orange athletes moving on to the next stop in their careers. And finally, the football team will open training camp in August in preparation of the 2012 season
Strong play from Bobby Wardwell in net
Every game Bobby Wardwell starts in goal for Syracuse, he gets a little better. And for Wardwell, that’s a good thing because he’s about to start the biggest and most important game of his young career.
Michelle Tumolo found the silver lining in Syracuse’s disappointing loss to then-No. 10 Loyola (Md.).
Lisaira Daniels was one of the Syracuse seniors honored last weekend, but her sister stole the show.
Alessondra Parra uncomfortably shifted her weight from right to left as she awaited a serve against Louisville in the Big East tournament. When the ball crossed the net, the senior captain took three explosive steps to her left, lunged at it, and came up short grimacing in pain.
The conference announced he is stepping down in a release on Monday.
John Marinatto resigned as commissioner of the Big East Monday after helping the league rebuild amid conference realignment last fall.
Syracuse at No. 3 Duke: Saturday, noon, Durham, N.C.
Syracuse will face No. 3 Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Durham, N.C., on Saturday.
The game is a rematch of the Big City Classic on April 1, when Duke defeated Syracuse 12-10.
Despite a 16-3 record, a Big East regular season championship and being ranked No. 2 in the nation for much of the season, Syracuse earned just the No. 4 seed in the 2012 NCAA tournament with an at-large bid.
With a quick throw from second to first, Stephanie Watts and Kelly Saco completed a storybook regular-season ending for Syracuse.
Carey-Leigh Thomas was questioning herself at the plate. Anytime she missed a pitch, she kept wondering what she was doing wrong.
The Syracuse freshman let go of all doubt and put a charge into an outside pitch, sending it over the right-field wall for a grand slam and Orange lead in the first inning.
No. 3 Syracuse 12, No. 4 St. John's 4
VILLANOVA, Pa. — Brian Megill made no effort to wipe the smug smile off his face as he plunked the Big East tournament trophy directly in front of his seat at the postgame press conference.
“Enjoy that,” he said contently.
No. 3 Syracuse 12, No. 4 St. John's 4
VILLANOVA, Pa. — Bobby Wardwell led the charge into the locker room. The centerpiece of Syracuse's stifling display, he and the rest of the Orange raced across the field and through the tunnel at halftime, carrying an insurmountable seven-goal lead.
VILLANOVA, Pa. – Tommy Palasek was named the Big East championship’s Most Outstanding Player after combining to score four goals and dish out seven assists in Syracuse’s two games this weekend.
No. 2 Loyola (Md.) 13, No. 1 Syracuse 7
The Syracuse defense bent in the first half, allowing seven Loyola (Md.) goals on 15 shots.
But in the second, it broke.
No. 2 Loyola (Md.) 13, No. 1 Syracuse 7
Michelle Tumolo tried to confuse the defense. As Devon Collins wrapped around the net,
Tumolo attempted one of her patented fake tosses, looking to make a play to spark a stagnant Syracuse offense.
No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 4 St. John's, Saturday, noon
VILLANOVA, Pa. — The weight is still heavy on the Syracuse players’ shoulders. A win over Villanova in the Big East tournament semifinals was only the first step toward reaching the NCAA tournament.
VILLANOVA, Pa. — John Desko voiced to his players they needed to change the angle on their shots or else they weren’t going to be St. John’s goaltender Jeff Lowman.
In the first half of Syracuse’s 9-8 victory over the Red Storm on March 10, the Orange sent countless high shots toward the net, providing St. John’s goaltender Jeff Lowman with the upper hand early in the game.
No. 3 Syracuse 15, No. 2 Villanova 6
VILLANOVA, Pa. — Villanova midfielder Max Hart walked slowly to the sidelines with teammate C.J. Burke trudging behind, stick over his head. Through three periods, Syracuse held a four-goal lead thanks to an efficient offensive performance.
Syracuse is no stranger to early deficits this season. Three times in the Orange’s four previous games, SU allowed its opponent to score the first goal.
VILLANOVA, Pa. - During the week of practices leading up to Syracuse’s game against Villanova, SU players were constantly reminded about the importance of gaining one more possession than the opposing team.
The pressure of needing a win to keep its season alive amplified the importance of the possession battle for the Orange.
With about 25 minutes remaining, Syracuse faced a rare second-half deficit. Georgetown jumped out to a three-goal lead to start the game, and went into halftime up by one.
In three minutes, that all changed. SU scored three consecutive goals to start the second frame to take the lead and control of the game.
VILLANOVA, Pa. – After Brian Megill lost the first two faceoffs of the game, head coach John Desko turned back to his faceoff specialists.
Chris Daddio and Ricky Buhr have struggled all season at the faceoff X, a facet of the game that has haunted Syracuse in its seven losses this season.
No. 1 Syracuse 7, No. 4 Georgetown 6
Georgetown’s patience kept it in the game, but Syracuse’s won it.
The Hoyas capitalized on a series of defensive Orange blunders to earn an early three-goal lead. Yet Georgetown was subsequently beaten as its own game as Syracuse completed a dynamic comeback.
Leigh Ross still tries to joke with Hallie Gibbs about the South Florida series from last season. But Gibbs, Ross' former standout at third base, refuses to laugh about how Syracuse was swept in three games by the Bulls.
A season after that sweep, Gibbs won't even talk about those surprising losses with her former coach, Ross.
No. 3 Syracuse at No. 2 Villanova, Thursday, 7 p.m.
John Desko doesn’t see this as a matter of life and death, but as an opportunity. Syracuse starts a new season Thursday with the chance to put its disappointing regular season in the rearview mirror.
No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 4 Georgetown, Thursday, 8:15 p.m.
When the final whistle sounded at the end of Syracuse’s 18-3 victory over Villanova, the celebration began. The Orange huddled around the Big East regular season trophy on the sideline for a team picture to commemorate the most successful regular season in SU history.
Syracuse stopped official practices more than a week ago.
A pair of late-season upsets had derailed the team’s NCAA tournament hopes, so when the brackets were released Tuesday night, the Orange’s exclusion came as no surprise.
Jim Boeheim and Carmelo Anthony helped restore the legacy of USA Basketball in the 2008 Beijing Games.
Coming off a disappointing bronze medal performance at the Olympics in Athens in 2004 — the United States national team’s first finish without a gold medal in 16 years — the team breezed through five games in pool play with a 32.2-point average margin of victory and beat Australia and Argentina handily to advance to the finals.
The whispers quickly made headlines in the sports world on Sept. 16, 2011. Syracuse and Pittsburgh, longtime members of the Big East, were discussing the possibility of joining the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Syracuse’s most effective option right now against opposing defenses isn’t to beat them but to give them headaches. Stump them, and force them to make fast decisions.
Leigh Ross maintains a poker face even when her nerves are all over the place.
And that’s especially been the case this year with all the late-inning drama Syracuse has faced.
One family’s era as coxswains on the Syracuse rowing team is coming to an end. For eight years, a member of the Todd family has called the stroke patterns and strategies for the varsity eight or varsity four boats.
After closing its regular season on a 14-game winning streak, No. 2 Syracuse enters the Big East tournament as the No. 1 seed. Hosting the conference tournament in the Carrier Dome, the Orange (15-2, 8-0 Big East) will play the No. 4 seed Georgetown (9-7, 5-3) in the semifinals Thursday at 8:15 p.m.
Athletes were about to have some extra money in their pockets. They would not be getting paid, but the stipend they were close to receiving would at least provide some degree of financial assistance. For close to four months, those stipends looked like they were a done deal. Then, 160 universities realized their financial effect and stopped the measure.
Frank Taylor makes it a point to wear a certain shirt to many of his track and field meets. It’s a white, cotton long-sleeve shirt with the word “Field” in orange lettering across the chest.
For the first time since Wes Johnson came to Syracuse, SU has brought in a transfer player from a major college program.
Michael Gbinije, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound swingman, has decided to transfer from Duke to Syracuse.
Chandler Jones is officially in the NFL.
The New England Patriots selected the former Syracuse defensive end with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft on Thursday at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The Patriots traded with the Cincinnati Bengals to move up from the 27th pick.
For nearly 38 minutes, Syracuse couldn't score. The Orange offense couldn’t find clear paths to the net against a suffocating Notre Dame defense and it couldn’t solve the nation’s top goaltender.
Andrew Tiller's selection ended the drought. More than 150 picks after Chandler Jones was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft, Tiller, an offensive guard, became the second Syracuse player selected.
The Syracuse attack was unstoppable at times this weekend. The firepower was unmistakable and the precision was flawless.
After scoring seven consecutive goals in the first half against Loyola (Md.) on Friday, and another five in the second, the Orange repeated that production against Villanova on Sunday to finish the weekend with two wins.
Kailah Kempney did what she does best. After two quick Loyola (Md.) goals just three minutes apart, Kempney needed to slow the Greyhounds’ run.
So with seemingly little effort, Kempney flipped the ball up over her head and reached up for her eighth draw control of the game. For a moment, the Loyola comeback was stalled.
Jenna Caira became the first Syracuse pitcher and the first in Big East history to notch 1,000 career strikeouts as the Orange (38-12, 15-4) swept a three-game series against Connecticut (21-26, 9-13) during the weekend.
The awkward silence in Veronica Grant's car indicated her passenger, Jasmine Watson, had something bad on her mind.
Justin Moore filled Syracuse’s schedule with tough competition this season. Eight of its opponents are currently in Top-20 or have received votes in the CRCA/US Rowing Coaches poll.
Chandler Jones and his brother, Jon, boarded the same plane Sunday afternoon, a 3 p.m. flight from Atlanta to Syracuse.
Emotionally, though, they were headed in opposite directions. One was relieved, the other tense with anxiety.
The stretch of games where Syracuse’s offense came alive to score at will is in the past. The last time SU played, its offense was sloppy, scorers took ill-advised shots and the unit as a whole looked off.
In the semifinals of last season’s Big East tournament, Syracuse trailed Loyola by three goals with less than 1:30 left. The Orange cut the deficit to one but fell short.
SU was eliminated from the conference tournament and failed to make the NCAA tournament.
This Friday, Syracuse has its first opportunity for revenge.
After dropping the first game of a doubleheader to Syracuse 3-2, the Orange earned a 5-3 victory in extra innings in game two.
Katie Hursey only started competing in track and field at North Carroll High School (Md.) to stay in shape for soccer. When she started having success, her allegiances switched.
But that was only the start.
After his team beat UNC Asheville in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 15, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim took to the microphone at the postgame press conference to take on one more opponent — a member of the U.S. president’s Cabinet.
Roy Simmons Jr. had a requirement for each player that joined the Syracuse lacrosse team when he took over the program from his father in 1971.
JoJo Marasco never imagined Syracuse would be in this position. With just one game remaining in the regular season, the Orange owns a mediocre 7-6 record.
The ink from Wally King's highlighter was still wet when he tacked the preseason Big East rankings to the wall at the start of the season. As Syracuse’s softball players trickled into the locker room before practice, they were drawn to their hitting coach's newest addition to the team bulletin board.
Syracuse is in the bittersweet part of its season.
After suffering an upset loss to Louisville on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament, the Orange’s NCAA tournament chances are slim.
Mike Messere was never one to bask in the glory of individual accolades. The thought of personal pride violates every principle he believes in.
The West Genesee head boys’ lacrosse coach prefers to deflect all of the credit for the success of his program to his players and coaching staff.
Once again, Syracuse football became a joking matter. Football's version of the Bad News Bears.
Ryan Nassib fired a pass so wide of the field it flew into the throng of Syracuse cheerleaders. John Kinder ran around helplessly and fumbled what became a defensive touchdown.
The Orange is in an unfamiliar position. With just one regular-season game and the Big East tournament left, Syracuse still has work to do to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament.
Without All-American Liz Hogan in net, Gary Gait turned to a professional to mentor the inexperienced goaltenders tasked with filling her place.
Lacey Kohl was the calming presence Stacy Kuwik needed.
Kuwik was beginning to unravel in the fifth inning of the second game of a Syracuse-Rutgers doubleheader on Saturday. The junior hurler was losing her command and struggling to find the strike zone.
Gabby Jaquith took to lacrosse quickly. Her parents could never get the stick out of her hands after she first learned the game.
They knew they needed to find a way to put her newfound skill to use, so they looked for a girls’ team for Jaquith to play for, but none existed in their hometown of Cazenovia.
The Jaquiths then turned to the next best thing, an all-boys team.
Georgetown 10, No. 14 Syracuse 8
Five games in two weeks finally took their toll. In the final 30 minutes of a grueling stretch, a tired Syracuse team broke down and suffered another disappointing defeat in a tough regular season.
Team Anselmo 9, Team Moore 0
Weeks of anticipation ended in a letdown.
After Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone opted to close spring practice to “further the development of the program,” Saturday’s final product offensively in the annual Spring Game was disappointing at best and painful to watch at worst.
Georgetown 10, No. 14 Syracuse 8
They walked around the field near their sideline slowly and solemnly. Heads down, hands on hips, sticks slamming into the turf, Syracuse’s players appeared pained and dejected. The loss carried a heavy burden, tossing the Orange’s future into doubt and casting a cloud over its final week of the regular season.
Matt Winter turned in his best performance of the year Saturday. From start to finish, the Georgetown goaltender was sharp in net.
Winter made a slew of spectacular saves to keep the Hoyas within striking defense in the first half and added a few more in the second half to preserve a crucial victory for his team.
Jenna Caira threw a no-hitter, but Kelly Saco was the center of attention by the end of the game.
Facing three consecutive top-15 teams last week, Syracuse cruised to three victories by a combined margin of 36 goals.
This week, SU had a bit of a breather against two mediocre teams in Louisville and Cincinnati. But the Orange didn’t take its foot off the pedal and did exactly what head coach Gary Gait wanted.
Stephanie Watts and Jasmine Watson made a pact in center field.
In the second game of a doubleheader against Rutgers on Saturday, they swore they wouldn't give Scarlet Knights center fielder Lindsey Curran the chance to track down their fly balls.
Syracuse (14-6, 6-2 Big East) lost its quarterfinal match to Louisville 4-2 Friday afternoon at the Big East tournament in Tampa, Fla. On Saturday, the Orange won a consolation match against Rutgers 4-0.
Orange Spring Game: Saturday, noon, Carrier Dome
Doug Marrone isn’t speaking to some of the coaches on his staff. Players have been told not to divulge too much information to teammates who will be lining up on the other side of the ball. Plays and schemes are on thumb drives, not stored on hard drives, to ensure no one has access to the opposing side’s game plan.
In hopes of climbing back into national relevancy in college football, Syracuse has initiated major renovations to its facilities at Manley Field House.
Head coach Doug Marrone said last Thursday the upgrades will benefit the program in various areas. He would not speak about what the facilities had been lacking, but did say they have needed improvement for a long time.
With a single, unadulterated statement, Lisaira Daniels was a softball player again.
"I'm coming to Syracuse," Daniels blurted out to her mother, her sister and her soon-to-be coach, Leigh Ross, over dinner. None of the three knew the then-sophomore had already made up her mind.
10 years later: Where are they now? Part 2 of 3
It wasn’t always easy dealing with his brother.
As a child, Craig Forth would often try to teach his brother basic skills, colors in particular. Try as he might, Forth couldn’t get his brother to lock down those skills at a young age.
Syracuse vs. Georgetown: Saturday, 3 p.m., Carrier Dome
John Desko knew Syracuse’s ineptitude at the faceoff X severely limited its attacking opportunities. And the head coach was willing to do anything to reverse the Orange’s struggles.
After a brilliant three-touchdown, 172-yard performance in the 2010 Pinstripe Bowl, Marcus Sales was supposed to be Syracuse’s top receiver in 2011. But Sales missed the entire season after he was suspended indefinitely following his arrest in July on felony drug charges.
Jenna Caira finally felt comfortable in the circle. For the first time in a few weeks, the senior ace was loose.
It showed with the brilliant performance she notched Wednesday.
Bridget Daley’s injury came at a tough time for Syracuse. The Orange just completed its second game in a span of three days. SU had only one day to prepare for play without a starting midfielder.
Luke Jensen’s team has seen adversity before.
The SU tennis head coach and his players had plenty of hurdles to overcome throughout their remarkable regular season. Plagued by persistent injuries, the Orange will be shorthanded for its first Big East tournament match.
But Syracuse is still keen on what it needs to accomplish.
Wally King knew Julie Wambold was the right hitter to break the streak. Syracuse spent two innings taking bad swings, and Wambold had the potential to turn that around.
If Pittsburgh pitcher Savannah King was going to pitch on the far outside of the plate and refuse to throw Syracuse hitters inside, she was playing to Wambold's strength: hitting to the opposite field.
Flings Owusu-Agyapong began running track in elementary school. She started training seriously by 15 and discovered her passion for the sport soon after she met Toronto track coach Earl Letford.
Owusu-Agyapong credits Letford for refining her talents to help her catch the attention of the Syracuse coaching staff.
No. 14 Syracuse 13, Hobart 12
GENEVA, N.Y. — No one expected this type of ending. Not the way the first half ended. Not with Syracuse holding a commanding six-goal lead along with the confidence of Hobart goaltender Peter Zonino.
Yet the Orange lost all that momentum in the second half and allowed the Statesmen to claw within one goal in the final seconds.
Bob Chavez thought he recognized the man down the aisle in a Bass Pro Shop in Auburn, N.Y. He had a feeling it was Mike Powell, but it had been a few years since the two last crossed paths.
Chavez decided to go with his gut and said hello to the Syracuse lacrosse legend. Conversation ensued and they spent a few minutes exchanging deer hunting stories.
No. 14 Syracuse 13, Hobart 12
GENEVA, N.Y. — The sense of relief went coursing through the entire Syracuse sideline as the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard.
No player felt the pressure lifted more than Bobby Wardwell.
No. 2 Syracuse 16, No. 13 Cornell 8
Another ranked opponent, another dominant first half for Syracuse.
The Orange sprinted out to a 10-3 lead over Cornell behind a balanced and efficient scoring effort.
No. 14 Syracuse 13, Hobart 12
GENEVA, N.Y. — Derek Maltz refused to take all of the credit. Instead, he choose to include his teammates in his career night. Syracuse’s offense had a stellar 10-goal first half, with Maltz providing five of them.
All season long, Syracuse has received some of its biggest hits from two of its most inexperienced players. Playing beyond their freshman standing, Julie Wambold and Carey-Leigh Thomas have come through time and time again.
The team van was practically silent for two hours.
Fresh off a crushing loss to unranked rival Georgetown, a mix of fatigue and disappointment hushed a team usually seen high-fiving and shouting on the court.
John DeFrancisco made his case to reinstate the Syracuse baseball program on four separate occasions. A New York state senator and 1968 SU baseball captain, DeFrancisco tried to shed light on the sport’s significance in college athletics to the university’s administration.
Steve Ianzito was exhausted. He had never played this much in any game during his first two seasons at Syracuse. Cornell won faceoff after faceoff, earning possession throughout the night, and Ianzito was on the field for nearly the entire game trying to stop the Big Red.
Despite the rushed exchange, Devon Collins vividly remembers the day she met a legend.
Standing on the sideline during the Syracuse-Towson game March 13, her attention was drawn away from the blur of players running on the field in front of her. In the middle of a possession, Floyd Little, one of the all-time greatest SU football players, greeted her.
Michael Roe feels a little disrespected.
Despite all Fairfield’s accomplishments this season, the sophomore midfielder takes notice of critics’ claims that the Stags don’t belong with the upper-echelon teams across the nation.
The Yankees played their home opener Saturday at Alliance Bank Stadium
Along the first-base line, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees warmed up in their home white uniforms with the iconic Yankee blue pinstripes. On the other side of the field, the Syracuse Chiefs adorned their road grays.
For one day at Alliance Bank Stadium, the number 42 was encircled in the dirt behind home plate, taking the spot where an interlocking “SC” would normally be. The tradeoff, though, was well worth it.
No. 14 Syracuse 19, Rutgers 6
Brian Megill had a day to prepare for his new role as Syracuse’s faceoff specialist.
After assistant coach Kevin Donahue told the starting close defender that he would be the starter at the faceoff X against Rutgers, it was all Megill could think about.
And he flourished.
Syracuse’s scoring attack was firing on all cylinders again. Just five days after scoring 22 goals against then-No. 6 Dartmouth’s 11th-ranked scoring defense, the Orange dismantled yet another stellar defense with 22 goals against Georgetown on Saturday.
Gary Gait said the stellar performance of Becca and Linley Block is consistently overlooked.
In Saturday’s 22-goal performance against No. 11 Georgetown, they tallied only three points, but their contributions — some of which didn’t show up in the scoring column — undoubtedly helped propel SU to victory.
Syracuse’s eight-game winning streak was finally snapped in a weekend filled with dramatic endings.
After losing its first game in two weeks Saturday, the Orange recovered to win the final two games to take the weekend series against Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. Two of the three games were decided by one run and came down to the final inning of play.
Stacy Kuwik was in complete control. The Syracuse pitcher was mowing down the Binghamton batters at a torrid pace.
But even Kuwik didn’t realize how many hitters failed to even make contact at the plate.
If Jasmine Watson timed her swing a split second better, the ball would have flown over the left-field fence. Instead, her monster cut sent a line drive into foul territory, kicking up a cloud of dirt when it landed in the Syracuse bullpen.
Justin Moore has been at the helm of the SU women’s crew team for a year and a half. During that time, the varsity eight boat has gone from a middle of the pack competitor to the cusp of the top-tier competition.
Nerlens Noel announced his decision on ESPNU Wednesday evening
Nerlens Noel, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2012, announced he will attend and play basketball at Kentucky next season.
Noel had previously narrowed his choices down to three schools: Kentucky, Syracuse and Georgetown.
At 6 a.m. on the Erie Canal Trail two weeks ago, 13 members of the Syracuse University Army ROTC stood in unison, eager to take the first collective step on their assigned 20-mile march.
Cornell erased any progress Syracuse made over the weekend. With the Big Red’s tenacity in grabbing loose balls and long, drawn-out offensive possessions, it halted the momentum SU had from last Saturday’s win over Princeton.
After the game, Bobby Eilers felt helpless.
Janelle Stegeland reminisced with her fellow defenders at practice Wednesday. The moment was certainly a memorable one.
In the NCAA tournament two years ago, Stegeland, then a sophomore, and the Orange went to Washington, D.C., for a first-round matchup with Georgetown, a team it had played twice in the previous two weeks. SU returned with a 15-8 victory.
Syracuse applied relentless, constant pressure to Cornell. And it was more than enough to pull out two easy wins Wednesday against the Big Red.
Frank Taylor was born into track and field. His great-grandfather, Morgan, won gold in the 400-meter hurdles in the 1924 Olympics. Morgan Taylor Jr., Frank’s grandfather, was a standout in the long jump for Princeton in the early 1950s.
So it’s no surprise that Frank Taylor has followed in their footsteps and competed in hurdling and long jump events.
Luke Jensen admits his Syracuse team is sitting squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble right now. With a No. 57 national ranking, the Orange knows there is still work to do before it can achieve its season-long goal.
No. 5 Cornell 12, No. 14 Syracuse 6
ITHACA — Bobby Wardwell and the Syracuse defense kept Cornell’s explosive attack at bay. Facing a barrage of shots, SU was elated to head into halftime tied at 3.
Three weeks ago, Nerlens Noel narrowed his list of schools to Syracuse, Kentucky and Georgetown.
ITHACA — Bobby Eilers shook his head as he explained his frustration. Standing in a hallway of Schoellkopf Field, it was painful for Eilers to think about the lack of opportunities for Syracuse’s offense.
Stephanie Watts and Morgan Nandin grew up on opposite coasts of the country. But that may be one of the only contrasts between the two middle infielders.
When developing into college softball players, both Watts and Nandin took similar paths to their destination as the starting SU middle infielders. It’s gotten the two the results they wanted, and they’ve shown that on the field, especially this year.
The potent offensive duo of Michelle Tumolo and Alyssa Murray has garnered attention all season long for Syracuse. Both of the attacks have been named Big East Offensive Player of the Week once this season and have combined for more than 100 points.
ITHACA — Bobby Wardwell knows there is definite room for improvement.
The freshman goaltender showed flashes of brilliance in net, holding Cornell scoreless in the second quarter, but there were also some moments he wishes he could have back.
The math is simple. Sixty-four teams make the NCAA tournament. Syracuse is currently ranked No. 57.
With potentially backbreaking away matches at Georgetown and Seton Hall this weekend, Syracuse’s postseason is in the balance. Yet the team remains unfazed.
John Desko hasn’t even discussed Rob Pannell with his team heading into Syracuse’s matchup with Cornell.
That’s because Pannell, who entered the season as one of the top players in the nation, has been sidelined since he suffered a fracture in his left foot March 3. And the Orange head coach still sees a dangerous Big Red team.
No. 2 Syracuse 22, No. 6 Dartmouth 4
The Dartmouth defense stepped onto the field clearly intent on shutting off Alyssa Murray, and for good reason.
SU’s leading scorer entered the game with 33 goals as one of the nation’s most dangerous attacks.
No. 2 Syracuse 22, No. 6 Dartmouth 4
In less than nine minutes, Alyssa Costantino already had three saves. But she also already allowed a pair of goals.
After clearing the ball following a point-blank save against Dartmouth’s Liz Calby, Costantino, the Syracuse goaltender, jogged over to the sideline to talk to her position coach, Brett Queener.
After a stressful few days, Drew Babb sat on the couch in his home with his father, John, trying to relax. His father got up and left for work, but five minutes later, he walked back in the door to deliver news that would shake up Babb’s life.
Behind the curtain at the tennis courts at Drumlins Tennis Center, there is a chair, a partially completed mural and an artist.
The chair is to help the artist reach the mural on the wall. The mural, when completed, will be a painting of the logos of all four Grand Slam titles. The artist, Syracuse freshman Breanna Bachini, hopes to win a Grand Slam and be the No. 1 player in the world someday.
When Bryce Harper finally took the field on opening day last Thursday, the Syracuse Chiefs’ fans’ excitement immediately boiled over.
Alyssa Costantino turned in a sloppy first-half performance against Rutgers on Saturday. Though Syracuse went into the break up one, the sophomore made just four saves and allowed six goals.
The Syracuse track and field team started its outdoor season Saturday at four different meets across the country. The squad was split and competed at the Tiger Track Classic at Auburn University, the Cornell Spring Invitational in Ithaca, the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., and the Sam Howell Invitational in Princeton, N.J.
No. 17 Syracuse 10, No. 11 Princeton 9
The anticipation started to build. A three-goal scoring barrage late in the third period gave Syracuse its first lead of the game.
The Orange sideline and Carrier Dome crowd came to life after Ryan Barber’s go-ahead goal. And they erupted when Kevin Drew drove down the right alley for another score 11 seconds later to cap a dominant SU run.
Before he could even settle into his place between the pipes, Bobby Wardwell was down three goals. Princeton was taking shots aggressively, sending bullets past him that he could barely even react to. In his first minutes of collegiate action, the freshman was understandably unnerved.
Syracuse’s win over Princeton was as much about the way it disrupted the Tigers’ clear attempts as it was about finding the back of the net. On six different occasions, Princeton failed to clear the ball into its offensive zone, as the Orange hacked away on the Tigers as they tried to bring the ball up the field.
With all the potent bats throughout Syracuse’s lineup, Leigh Ross knows the Orange has the ability to produce remarkable rallies. And she let her team know that.
Stacy Kuwik had to get ready to finish the game she started.
Syracuse reliever Lindsay Taylor surrendered a three-run home run to Seton Hall’s Kristen Kaelin to tie the second game of Friday’s doubleheader in the sixth inning. In freezing weather — as Syracuse’s players scrambled to put on thick winter coats to combat plummeting temperatures — Kuwik was asked by head coach Leigh Ross and pitching coach Mike Bosch to return to the mound.
No. 3 Syracuse 15, Rutgers 10
For most of the first half against Rutgers, Syracuse was sluggish. Just one day off in between a game at Notre Dame on Thursday and Saturday’s home game created a slow start for SU.
ROCHESTER — Marcus Sales re-emerged to Syracuse fans in the same way he left them. Fifteen months and eight days after hauling in his third touchdown against Kansas State in the Pinstripe Bowl, Sales reached the end zone twice in his first public appearance with the Orange since being suspended.
Penn wins the event held on Onondaga Lake
The Syracuse women’s rowing team battled chilly temperatures and variable headwinds on Onondaga Lake at the Orange Challenge Cup on Saturday. The University of Pennsylvania won the three-school event between the Quakers, Orange and Northeastern.
Kailah Kempney didn’t feel Syracuse was at its best Thursday against Notre Dame.
The freshman scored five goals and the Orange came away with a 16-10 victory over the No. 6 Fighting Irish, but Kempney wasn’t satisfied.
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