No. 2 Syracuse tops No. 17 Hobart, 13-4

Hobart Sports Information

The No. 2 Syracuse lacrosse team used a big second quarter to knock off No. 17 Hobart 13-4 in the Carrier Dome tonight. The Orange broke open a 2-0 game with seven straight goals in the second quarter to claim the Kraus-Simmons Trophy.

Stephen Keough led Syracuse with four goals, while Kenny Nims added a game-high six points (2-4). Senior attackman Jeff Colburn scored twice for Hobart, while junior midfielders Tyler Cassell and Mike Suits accounted for the other two Statesmen goals.

Orange goalie John Galloway earned the win with eight saves, while junior Max Silberlicht turned back 15 shots for the Statesmen.

Hobart's defense played well in the opening minutes of the game, keeping SU off the scoreboard for nearly 12 minutes. The Orange managed to break through for a pair of goals late in the frame to build momentum.

In the second quarter, the SU attack forced the Hobart defense to overextend itself, using speed, spacing, and patients to lure the Statesmen to double the ball. When that happened, well timed cutters would flash to the middle of the field and take in-close shots that Silberlicht had little chance to stop.

The Orange (6-1) put its depth on display. Seven different players scored the team's first seven goals, with eight different Syracuse players accounting for the team's nine goals in the opening 30.

Hobart (5-2) finally got on the board with 1:24 remaining in the first half. Cassell hit the lower right corner of the cage with a blistering shot to make the halftime score 9-1.

The Statesmen scored twice to start the second half and close to within six. Colburn ran from behind the cage and dunked home the first from the edge of the crease. He also netted the second, again racing out from behind the goal, but launching a 12-yard shot this time for his 10th tally of the year.

SU squashed any hopes of a comeback with four straight goals, including two man-up, spanning the third and fourth quarters.

Suits, assisted by junior attackman Kevin Curtin, closed out the night's scoring with a man-up goal at the 3:35 mark.

Syracuse outshot Hobart 49-26 and converted 3-of-4 man-up opportunities, while limiting the Statesmen to 1-for-5 on the extra-man.

Hobart will return home for a conference showdown with Fairfield on March 28. Faceoff at McCooey Field is scheduled for noon.