Game Notes (.pdf)
Live Stats
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The second-ranked Orange (12-1) will travel to Hamilton, N.Y. for a 1 p.m. contest against Patriot League champion Colgate (10-5) on Saturday, May 3 at Andy Kerr Stadium. The game is the regular-season finale for both teams. Syracuse enters the pairing with a 10-game winning streak, it's longest since 1995 and its longest regular-season victory streak since 1994. The Raiders are fresh off their first-ever league championship. Colgate knocked off Navy and Bucknell last weekend to earn the Patriot League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Orange fans can also follow the action on the Syracuse Radio Network. Brian Higgins and Kyle Fetterly will have the call on TK-99.5 FM. Live streaming audio of the contest can also be found on SUathletics.com via Orange All Access. The game will also be televised live in the Syracuse area on Time Warner 26.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Syracuse is on pace to record one of the top one-year turnarounds in NCAA history this season. After missing the playoffs in 2007 with a 5-8 mark the Orange has responded by winning 12 of its 13 games so far in 2008, which is currently the third-best, one-year win-loss improvement total (+7.0) since the NCAA began sponsoring men's lacrosse in 1971. Towson holds the record for the best win-loss improvement, posting a 14-4 record in 2001 after going 3-10 in 2000.
SU COMPLETES PERFECT HOME REGULAR SEASON
The Orange closed the home portion of its regular-season schedule with a perfect 8-0 mark after its 16-3 drubbing of UMass on April 26. It's the first time since 2004, when the Orange went 6-0, has it posted an unbeaten regular-season record in the Carrier Dome. SU was 7-0 overall in the Dome in 2004, including a first-round NCAA Tournament win against Albany.
BALANCED ATTACK PACES SU AGAINST UMASS
The Orange had nine different goal scorers and 13 different players find the scoring column in its 16-3 trouncing of the Minutemen its regular-season home finale on April 26. Seniors Mike Leveille and Steven Brooks led the way with three goals each and Leveille finished with a game-best six points. The Orange also got another great effort from its defense which shut out the Minutemen in the first half. It was the first time since March 31, 2001 against Brown that the Orange pitched a scoreless half of lacrosse.
LEVEILLE WINS SOLADAY AWARD; NAMED MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Senior attackman Mike Leveille was one the big winners Tuesday night at SU's second annual 'Cuse Awards at the Landmark Theater. He was selected as the male recipient of the Soladay Award and was also selected as SU's Male Athlete of the Year. Leveille is the third men's lacrosse player to receive the Soladay Award, joining Rob Kavovit (1997) and Greg Rommel (2006). The award recognizes athletic and academic accomplishments, University/community service and leadership. It is named for the late Doris Soladay, who served as SU's Associate Director of Athletics from 1975 through 1995. Leveille also beat out several top men's student-athletes, including Hansen Woodruff (soccer) and Mike LeBlanc (track & field).
Leveille is one of 22 nominees for the 2008 Tewaaraton Trophy, presented to the nation's most outstanding lacrosse player. He ranks in the top 10 nationally in points per game (4.7), goals per game (2.8) and assists per game (1.9) and leads the Orange in points (61), goals (36) and assists (25).
SCOUTING COLGATE
After a stretch of three consecutive losses in March, the Raiders have rebounded winning their last six games, including triumphs over Navy and Bucknell to win the school's first Patriot League title and earn the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Raiders own a 10-5 overall record and have been tough to beat home, sporting a 4-1 home record.
Tournament MVP Brandon Corp leads the Raiders with 38 goals and 52 points. He tallied three goals and five points against the Bison in the Patriot League championship game. Fellow attackman Kevin Colleluori is second on the squad with 32 goals and 41 points. The Raiders also boast one of the top faceoff men in the country in Chris Eck. Eck is winning 62 percent of his restarts (176-284) and leads the squad with 75 ground balls. E. J. Atamian and Tyler Philpot have started all 15 games on defense. Atamian is third on the team with 43 ground balls. Goaltender Tim Harrington has 159 saves and a .574 save percentage. He is 9-5 with an 8.69 goals-against average.
SERIES NOTES
Syracuse is 42-10-1 all-time against the Raiders and has won 15 of the 20 meetings in Hamilton. The Orange had won nine straight pairings prior to Colgate's victory in last season's encounter.