Syracuse men’s lacrosse dropped an 11-7 decision to No. 10 Princeton on Friday night at Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium as part of the ACC/Ivy Challenge.
The Orange fell to 3-2 on the season after conceding six unanswered goals to open the game. Princeton controlled play early, outshooting Syracuse 15-5 in the first quarter while building a 5-0 lead and extending the advantage to 6-0 early in the second period.
Syracuse responded with consecutive man-up goals from Luke Rhoa and Finn Thomson, both assisted by Michael Leo, before late first-half goals from Matt McIntee and Payton Anderson trimmed the deficit to 8-4 at halftime.
Princeton regained momentum in the third quarter and carried a 9-5 lead into the final period before scoring twice early in the fourth to push the margin to six. Thomson and Leo added late goals for Syracuse to account for the final score.
Thomson and Anderson led the Orange with two goals each, while Leo finished with four points on one goal and three assists. Rhoa and McIntee also scored. Goaltender Jimmy McCool made 17 saves in a complete-game effort.
Syracuse converted 2-of-5 extra-man opportunities, while Princeton went scoreless on five chances. The Tigers held advantages in shots (52-40), ground balls (32-22) and faceoffs (12-10).
Syracuse returns to action Sunday, March 1, facing No. 19 Penn at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Opening faceoff is scheduled for noon.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
