After putting up 21 goals against Colgate last weekend, the No. 5 Syracuse offense will look to hit at least 20 again this Saturday at 2 p.m. versus Binghamton. Chase Scanlan has a chance to add to his NCAA-leading tally of seven goals. On the other end, Binghamton will look to hit five goals for the first ti this season after failing to do so against Marist College last Saturday.

Here’s what to know before this weekend’s matchup.

Last time they played: One year after nearly upsetting the Orange in 2017, Binghamton entered the Carrier Dome to play a team that — for the first time in 13 years — didn’t feature a No. 22. That February matchup didn’t go as Binghamton had hoped, though, as Syracuse opened the game on a 13-0 run.

Brendan Bomberry ended the game with five goals and Stephen Rehfuss added a hat trick as the Orange cruised past the Bearcats, 21-4, chasing starting goalie Robert Martin from the net a less than 21 minutes into the game.

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 7-0

The Binghamton report: Since joining the America East Conference in 2015, Binghamton has been a perennial bottom-feeder — save for 2017. This year seems to be no different. Last weekend, Binghamton opened its season at Marist, falling 12-4. Inside Lacrosse predicts a sixth-place finish for Binghamton in a conference without any ranked teams. Binghamton also lost its top-two scorers from last year, Joe Licata and Griffin Konen, making this an ideal game for Syracuse in a week it will be missing star close defender Nick Mellen.

How Syracuse beats Binghamton: Much in the same way it beat Colgate last weekend. Syracuse’s individual dodging should be more than enough to get good looks at the net. If the Orange don’t overcomplicate things, which is unlikely under Pat March, they shouldn’t have any trouble dispatching Binghamton. Binghamton’s 81.5 clearing percentage is 38th in the nation, and given the quality and tenacity of SU’s riders, that number’s probably going down after this week.

Stat to know: 55 – Binghamton lost 55 goals through graduating seniors from last year, a little more than half its total. How the Bearcats replace that scoring will define this season for them.

Player to watch: William Talbott-Shere, Attack, No. 25

Binghamton’s best playmaker is its highest returning point-scorer from last year. He led the Bearcats with 17 assists and added nine goals. Talbott-Shere had just one goal late, in the fourth quarter, against Marist, but he tallied a team-high six shots, three of which were on goal. If the Bearcats offense wants to get going, Talbott-Shere will be the key piece.

Published on February 12, 2020 at 11:17 pm

Contact Arabdho: armajumd@syr.edu | @aromajumder