Changing of the guard: Lerman leads a group of goaltenders hoping to fill Galloway's shoes

Standing alone in the crease, John Galloway watched the painful scene unfolding in front of him. The ball that ended Syracuse's season seconds earlier rested on the grass behind him in the net, and Maryland stormed the turf and formed a celebratory dog pile at midfield. 


While his teammates walked slowly and dejectedly off the Gillette Stadium field, Galloway stood and watched the Terrapins celebrate the win the Orange wanted so badly. It wasn't an unfamiliar sight, coming one year after Army pulled off a NCAA tournament upset in the Carrier Dome and put the dagger through the heart of SU's season. 


Unlike that loss, though, Galloway wasn't going to have the opportunity to avenge it. His time with SU was finished, and the program rested with his successor, Matt Lerman. And Galloway wanted to make sure Lerman understood the challenge ahead of him. 


"At the end of the year last year when everything kind of ended abruptly and we didn't really know what to do, Matt and I spoke and I just told him the keys are in his hands now," Galloway said. "He's just very excited to have a chance. His chance."


His chance to help restore the Orange to greatness.
When Syracuse's 2011 season came to a crushing end in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals in a 6-5 overtime loss to Maryland, Galloway walked off the field as the most successful goalie in college lacrosse history with 59 wins and two championships under his belt. With his departure, the stability that Syracuse had between the pipes was gone, too. Galloway is now 629 miles south of Syracuse as a volunteer assistant coach with Duke. Trying to replace him is no easy task, and at the start of the 2012 season, the Orange had seven goaltenders vying for the spot. 


Before one of the Orange's practices early in the spring season, Lerman stood near the sideline and looked around the field. At every spot on the Carrier Dome turf, there seemed to be a goaltender warming up. 


And Lerman said he wouldn't want to have it any other way.


"It's a huge competition, but I think it's really good for me and everyone else. It's been really good for me to come in and feel the competition and have to really earn it," Lerman said. "… For me, I always felt like it was mine to earn, and everyone else's to earn, and I just have to out-earn everyone. 


Besides Lerman, there's sophomore Ben Levy and senior Paul Dubas, who have played in a combined four games in their careers. There's Dominic Lamolinara, a transfer from Maryland, and then there are three raw freshmen who aren't likely to see much time in the net this season.


At SU's annual media day in January, Desko said the seven would be pared down to three or four, with the candidates the coaches know the best likely advancing to the next round of the competition. The process would then continue until a starter is named. But in the backdrop of Desko's assurance that it was an open competition, Lerman remained the clear front-runner. 
As Desko put it, Lerman had the nod. 


"He's a very good save in the goal. He did that, showed us that last year," Desko said. "He got better as the year went on. … We're happy with where he's at. Like the other guys, he needs to keep going. But right now, I'd say he's the front-runner based on his experience."


With seven goaltenders, they each see significantly fewer repetitions in practice. Desko said that once the coaches trim the group to three or four, the remaining goalies are going to be standing around and watching a bit more. 


Until that point, the job is up for grabs. In theory, anyway. 


"It definitely drives me. There are seven goalies on the team, so every rep is important because you don't get a lot in practice," Lamolinara said. "We're just making the most of the reps we get, and we know we're getting looked at."


Of the seven, Lerman has the obvious advantage to take over for Galloway. And Galloway said he's the perfect one to do so. 


"I remember the one thing telling him, ‘Don't be like John Galloway, be Matt Lerman,'"

Galloway said. "Matt Lerman is just as good, or even better, than I ever was. I hope he really takes that to heart and does things his way and really makes his own lasting legacy at Syracuse."


Lerman redshirted in 2010 before becoming Galloway's primary backup last season. The sophomore played in seven games, allowing five goals and making eight saves in a little more than 35 minutes of action 


Through the winter, Lerman spent time trying to get focused on the upcoming season. As the opening of spring practice approached, the idea of becoming the next starting goaltender began to crystallize in his mind.