No. 11 Syracuse took down No. 7 Johns Hopkins on Sunday afternoon at the JMA Wireless Dome 13-10.

Here are some takeaways from the game.

Syracuse plays their best lacrosse when two things happen. They push the pace and they spread the ball.

This happened early in the first quarter when Syracuse got out to an early 3-0 lead despite losing every face-off. Then they stalled for a bit until late in the third quarter. With under 2 minutes in the period Syracuse scored 3 more goals in quick succession to head into the fourth with a 9-8 lead.

During that stretch in the third, Tyler Cordes, Michael Leo, and Joey Spallina all notched their second goals of the game. The energy in the Dome was palpable, SU was fired up, and the vibe was something that hadn’t been felt since the first quarter.

While face-offs were a struggle at times today for the Orange, they performed well overall on the ground. Syracuse led Hopkins 32-20 on ground balls, recovering them well throughout the game, including 16 in the third quarter.

It wasn’t just the recovery, though. Syracuse did a fantastic job of forcing ground balls from the Blue Jays and capitalizing on their mistakes. While Hopkins was consistent in getting the ball on the ground from Syracuse, they struggled to secure the ball with the same efficiency as the Orange.

This game was a test of patience for Syracuse fans. While the scoring outburst to start the game was fun, the Orange went stagnant in the second and most of the third quarter. Starting with 2:00 left in the third, the high-powered offense Syracuse has shown flashes of throughout the season was on full display.

Syracuse scored 4 goals in both the third and fourth quarters after scoring just 5 in the two quarters prior. Owen Hiltz had 5 points on the day with 3 of those coming in the fourth quarter. Joey Spallina had 4 points, with two coming in the fourth. Patience is a virtue, one that Syracuse showed it has in spades today.

Syracuse will stay home for the next game, a March 18th tilt against Manhattan.

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