John Desko

October 7, 2014 - 3:39pm
The fifth-year event pitted the 2015 squad against a number of well-known SU alumni.

Syracuse men’s lacrosse fans escaped the rain and headed inside the Carrier Dome on Saturday afternoon at the program’s fifth annual Alumni Lacrosse Classic.

The varsity team played a very competitive game against its All-Star alumni, with the current Orange squad pulling away to a 13-7 victory. The alumni team included a trio of four-time All-Americans, a Major League Lacrosse Goalie of the Year, a Team USA midfielder and a pair of 2014 MLL All-Stars.

May 12, 2014 - 1:50am
A furious rally in the closing seconds fell short as the Bulldogs dealt the Orange a 10-9 upset loss in the second round.

After junior Kevin Rice scored a goal to cut the Syracuse deficit to one with only eight seconds remaining, the Orange’s postseason life hinged on a faceoff—something that hindered Syracuse throughout much of the season.

Somehow, though, senior Chris Daddio won it easily and zipped a pass to Dylan Donahue, who was streaking down the right sideline. After a couple of jukes, he was within 10 yards of the cage and took one final shot.

Clang.

May 3, 2014 - 10:14pm
The Orange men's lacrosse team started strong and cruised to a 19-6 win over the Raiders.

The No. 4 Syracuse men’s lacrosse team showed no signs of any kind of post-ACC Tournament hangover Saturday, as the Orange rolled over Colgate,19-6, at the Carrier Dome. The Orange came out strong early and never looked back, giving their seniors a good memory for their last home game.

“Today was a great game for us,” head coach John Desko said. “I thought we came out and played well in all facets of the game. I was very happy with the way everyone played right from the start.”

April 3, 2014 - 11:28am
After a lackluster first half, No. 8 Syracuse controlled the game in a 10-8 win over Binghamton.

When the Bearcats boarded the bus heading up I-81 to the Carrier Dome on Wednesday afternoon, someone forgot to tell them that they were not supposed to win, or even make it close. But in the first half the Bearcats acted as if it was the favorite to beat Syracuse, instead of vice versa. It had been five years since the Bearcats had played against the Orange but the started the game with the intensity like it was an age-old rivalry.

“I was impressed with Binghamton,” head coach John Desko said. “I thought they played well,”

February 22, 2014 - 7:42pm
After dominating Syracuse on face-offs, everything else fell into place for Maryland in the win.

After months of speculation and discussion, the entire Syracuse men's lacrosse program has to be tired of talking about its problems at the X.

February 16, 2014 - 10:05pm
Henry Schoonmaker scored the winning goal 28 seconds into overtime to keep the Orange undefeated.

Almost a year ago to the day, the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team lost a heartbreaking home opener to the Albany Great Danes in double overtime. But this season, No. 1 Syracuse (2-0) would avenge that loss in about the same way No. 10 Albany (0-1) won last year.

September 4, 2013 - 4:30pm
The Orange signed 16 players, seven of which are included in Inside Lacrosse's top-100 recruits. Jordan Evans of Jamesville, N.Y., the No. 1 overall prospect, headlines the list.

Syracuse lacrosse's future has never looked brighter.

Today, Inside Lacrosse ranked Syracuse's 2013-2014 signing class the second-best in the country, behind only the University of Maryland. This is the second time the Orange have been given the No. 2 ranking. In 2010, Syracuse finished 13-2, but lost to Army in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. 

May 27, 2013 - 5:53pm
After a strong 5-0 start, SU's inability to win faceoffs and overpower Duke led to the 16-10 loss.

PHILADELPHIA - It happened all season: Syracuse would get dominated in faceoffs, but its efficient offense and strong goaltending helped compensate for the fewer possessions.

But in the National Championship matchup against Duke, the Orange’s inability to win a faceoff became too much to overcome. After a 5-0 start by the Orange, top-seeded Syracuse (16-4) was outscored 16-5, as its quest for a 12th national championship ended in a 16-10 loss to seventh-seeded Duke (16-5).

May 26, 2013 - 2:38pm
Less than 24 hours before Syracuse faces Duke in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Division 1 National Championship, head coach John Desko and a few players talk to the media.

On Saturday, a Derek Maltz rebound goal capped a comeback that sent the Orange to the national championship game.

May 12, 2013 - 11:27pm
SU capitalized on its few offensive possessions to roll past tournament newcomer Bryant at the Carrier Dome.

Chris Daddio knew his offense wasn’t going to have many chances to put the ball in the back of the net during the Orange’s first-round NCAA Tournament game against Bryant.

Facing the nation’s top faceoff specialist in the Bulldogs’ Kevin Massa can do that.