SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 8 Syracuse (7-2)
faces its second straight Ivy League foe on Wednesday, April 10 when it hosts
No. 2 Cornell (10-1) for a 6 p.m. contest at the Carrier Dome. It's the first of
three consecutive home games for the Orange over the next week and a renewal of
the fourth-longest rivalry in college lacrosse.Tickets are available online at SUAthletics.com, over the phone (1-888-DOMETIX), or in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office during normal business hours. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 12 and under. 'Cuse Kids Club members get in free with their membership card. Parking is $10.
The matchup is ESPNU's Wednesday "Warrior Game of the Week." Fans can hear the action live on the radio home of the Orange - TK 99 (99.5 FM) and ESPN Radio 97.7 in Syracuse. Live streaming audio is available on SUAthletics.com as part of Orange All-Access.
REMEMBERING THE SCHIMOLER BROTHERS
Prior to Wednesday's game there will be a moment of silence to remember brothers John and Paul Schimoler. John played for Syracuse from 1982-85 and was a midfielder on the Orange's 1983 NCAA championship team. He died unexpectedly in his sleep on Aug. 12, 2012. He was 50 years old.
Six months later, John's younger brother, Paul, passed away after a brief battle with cancer. Paul was a four-time All-American goalie at Cornell (1986-89) and he holds the all-time Carrier Dome record for saves in a game (34 vs. Syracuse in 1987).
TWO GREAT PROGRAMS
SU and Cornell rank second and seventh, respectively, on the list of all-time winningest Division I programs. The Orange has compiled 837 victories, while Cornell has 710. The two schools have combined to win 14 NCAA titles (SU 11, Cornell 3). Both sides have also been excellent recently. Since 2008, Syracuse is 76-18 (.809) and has won two national titles, including the 2009 championship in overtime against Cornell. The Big Red is 69-22 (.758) in that same stretch with two Final Four appearances.
SU LEADS BIG EAST IN SCORING
At 12.67 goals per game, Syracuse leads the BIG EAST Conference and ranks sixth in the NCAA in scoring offense. The Orange has 114 goals this season and has scored double-digit goals in seven of its nine game, including the last six.
The Orange's current pace is +2.32 goals per game better than last year when SU averaged 10.35 goals per contest.
SCHOONMAKER NAMED BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Syracuse redshirt sophomore midfielder Henry Schoonmaker (Portland, Ore.) was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career Monday, April 8. Schoonmaker earned the honor for six-point effort in the Orange's 13-12 win at Princeton Saturday.
Schoonmaker netted a personal-best four goals and passed out two assists against the Tigers. He scored twice in the first quarter and his last goal of the day tied the game at 12-12 with 4:31 left. Schoonmaker's six-point performance nearly matched his season scoring total (nine points) entering the game.
SCOUTING THE BIG RED
Cornell has won its last four contests since losing for the only time this season 9-8 to Bucknell on March 19. The Big Red is 10-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play after beating Harvard, 14-12, Saturday. Cornell is second in the nation in scoring (14.64 gpg) and leads the NCAA in scoring margin (+6.64).
Senior attackman Rob Pannell is the team's motor. He is one of the favorites to win the Tewaaraton Award as national player of the year and he was the recipient of the Raymond J. Enners Award as the USILA Player of the Year in 2011. Pannell has 26 goals and 33 assists. He is third nationally in points per game (5.36) and assists per game (3.0). Senior Steve Mock is the beneficiary of most of Pannell's passes. Mock has 37 goals and leads the nation in goals per game (3.4). Connor Buczek (17 goals, 13 assists) and Max Van Bourgondien (19 goals, six assists) are significant scoring threats in the midfield.
In addition to being one of the top offensive teams in the nation, Cornell leads the NCAA in caused turnovers per game (11.09) and ranks 10th in scoring defense (8.0 gpg). Jason Noble is the club's top defenseman. He is a two-time All-American and leads the team with 26 caused turnovers. Senior goalie AJ Fiore has started every game this season. He has 96 saves and a .549 save percentage.
Since taking over as head coach following the 2010 season, Ben DeLuca is 33-8 at the helm program. He led the Big Red to the 2011 Ivy League Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
THE SERIES
The Syracuse-Cornell series dates back to 1920 and the two schools have met every season since 1979. The Orange holds a 61-35-1 advantage and is 32-16 in games played in Syracuse. The Orange is 21-6 against Cornell since 1988, however, the Big Red has claimed victories in the last two pairings.
UP NEXT ...
The Orange returns to BIG EAST Conference action when its hosts Rutgers Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m. at the Carrier Dome. The game will be televised live locally on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel.
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