Saturday’s scrimmage between the current Syracuse lacrosse team and alumni didn’t count for anything from an official, competitive standpoint.

That didn’t keep the teams from doing whatever it took to try to win.

“You go to Syracuse because you don’t want to lose,” said former SU midfielder Tim Harder, who played for the Orange from 2008-11. “It was competitive yesterday when we were playing golf against each other. When you get out here, we want to give them the best look that we possibly can.”

Both sides took a feisty approach to the game, playing a fast pace throughout the game. The current Orange team used a mid-game stretch of domination to propel it to a 14-9 victory in the Orange Alumni Classic in the Carrier Dome. The teams played a fifth quarter, which brought the total score to 17-12.

With the alumni leading 2-1 early in the second quarter, the current Orange began the push that led to the final outcome. Junior attack Derek Maltz was largely responsible for the surge. Maltz scored four goals during an 8-0 SU run that broke the game open.

Maltz and his teammates took advantage of their current training regimen during the second-quarter breakout. Having just wrapped up fall ball, the Orange has been simulating in-season conditioning demands for the last few weeks. That benefitted the team since the alumni weren’t as conditioned.

“These guys, it’s tough for them to come out here and play one game without any practices,” senior midfielder JoJo Marasco said. “We’ve been going for three or four weeks now, putting in game plans, putting in offenses. They’ve just got to come out here and play.”

The first quarter demonstrated the natural skill that the alumni still posses, though.

Less than a minute into the game, Syracuse senior midfielder Steve Ianzito was checked hard by an alumnus, jolting the ball free and giving possession to the alumni team. The hard-hitting trend lasted for most of the first quarter, with the alumni using a swarming defense and aggressive pressure to force the current Orange offense to the perimeter.

The first quarter ended at 1-1, with the alumni team holding its own in time of possession and quality scoring chances.

“There’s some friendly chirping going on back and forth,” Harder said. “The pace of it, up and down, we saw some bodies getting knocked all over the place. It definitely gets intense.”

The offensive stalemate continued into the second quarter, when things opened up and the current Orange offense began to click.

Aside from the game itself, the event served as a chance for current and former players to come together as a unit. The festivities kicked off on Friday, when players got together for a golf outing at Drumlins Country Club, despite the cool weather and damp conditions.

The teams met for a brunch before the game and planned to “break some bread” afterward, head coach John Desko said.

For current and former players alike, the connection of the past and present players is something that sets the SU program apart from others. With many alumni team members having graduated within the last few years, Saturday’s contest was a chance for players to square off against their former teammates.

Current and former players mingled on the Carrier Dome turf before and after the game, and the relationships hold strong throughout the year, Marasco said.

“They have been so good to me,” Marasco said. “All these guys have kind of been my mentors and stepped up big, going out of their way to just speak to me after each year, and during the year, just to be there for me.”

Published on October 14, 2012 at 11:53 pm

Contact Kevin: kmprisei@syr.edu