Syracuse lacrosse improved to 2-0 on the season by defeating Vermont 13-5.

Here are some takeaways from the game.

Syracuse let up only five goals in 60 minutes of play after allowing only a single goal in the first half. Today's key for the defense was causing Vermont to turn the ball over. The Catamounts had 22 turnovers in the game, 12 of which were caused by Syracuse’s stifling defense.

Syracuse junior goalie Jimmy McCool logged 12 saves with a save percentage of 68.

“The Defense has been unreal," McCool said. "I think we got three of the best defensemen in the country in Billy (Dwan), Fig (Riley Figueiras), and Gracie (Michael Grace).”

Syracuse junior attacker Joey Spallina doubled his point tally from the last game against Jacksonville. His five goals and five assists were the engine that powered the Syracuse offense against Vermont.

It continues a torrid start to the season, as he's tallied has eight goals and seven assists through two games.

While Spallina led the offense, he did not hesitate to point out that it was a team effort on the field.

“I don't think I actually put my team on my back," Spallina said. “I think we have great guys on our team. I think they set me up, and then im able to set them up.”

Though Syracuse played a mostly complete game, one area that needed some work was discipline as the Orange racked up eight penalties in the game.

The majority of these came in the first quarter, where Syracuse had five penalties. This included a point in the game when there were three penalties in just one play.

However, these penalties allowed for another bright spot in the game. The man-down defense was stellar against Vermont. They held the Catamounts to just one goal on seven man-up opportunities.

Vermont’s head coach, Chris Feifs, praised Syracuse's man-down unit.

“They do a great job of scraping passing lanes," Feifs said. "We talked about their length. If you watched their last game, they packed it in, and it was hard to get them to move.”

The man-down defense and the rest of the Syracuse team will have their first-ranked matchup of the season.

The Orange will face No. 17 Towson on Monday at 5pm EST.

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