No. 1 Syracuse Edges No. 16 Johns Hopkins 13-10 to Remain Perfect

Story & Photo By Robin Deehan

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The No. 1 Syracuse men’s lacrosse team edged No. 16 Johns Hopkins 13-10 Saturday afternoon in the Carrier Dome to remain perfect.

“I told the guys during the week, the only time we really care about being number-1 is at the end of the year,” head coach John Desko said. “But one of the things that we do get by being number-1 is everybody’s best game coming in.
So if you can play with our rankings and play a team like Hopkins that came in ready to play and come out with a win, it makes you a better team. So I feel good about that.”

The hard-fought battle between the two winningest programs in Division I men’s lacrosse history saw three different ties and two lead changes throughout the game in front of a rowdy crowd of 5,778.

“[Syracuse] is a very talented group that we played today,” Johns Hopkins head coach Dave Pietramala said.  “And the easiest thing to understand about a good team is that when you make mistakes [Syracuse] is good enough to capitalize on them and I thought that was the story of today’s game.”

A Crucial Second Quarter

Johns Hopkins jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter with four different Blue Jays finding the back of the net to end the first 15 minutes of play with a 5-2 advantage.

But Henry Schoonmaker’s sniper shot from the outside past Johns Hopkins goal keeper Eric Schneider at the 7:59 mark in the second quarter proved to be the catalyst the Orange needed.

Six different Orange men would go on to score six unanswered goals in the span of five minutes to give the Orange the 8-5 lead with 3:00 minutes to go before the half.

“I think we just started moving the ball well and the offense started to get into a rhythm,” Schoonmaker said. “A lot of times the slide comes and then we pass to the back side and that’ll be wide open to either dodge the guy or shoot and the offense was getting that flow.”

But Hopkins stole one back at the 2:42 mark when senior Wells Stanwick scored unassisted to send the Blue Jays into the locker room down by two.

Second Half Strength

At the start of the second half the Blue Jays came out strong, tying the game back up at eight on back-to-back goals from freshman Shack Stanwick, Wells Stanwick's younger brother.

At the 2:42 mark in the third quarter, Randy Staats took a point blank shot that was stoned by Schneider, but Staats rushed the goal, collected his own rebound and sent the ball home to give the Orange the lead back.

Just two minutes later, Kevin Rice found Nicky Galasso in front of the cage for the one-timer to give the Orange a two-goal cushion headed into the final 15 minutes.

But the Blue Jays weren’t done yet and tied the game back up at ten, thanks to back-to-back man-up opportunity goals from John Crawley and Patrick Fraser.

“With a team like Hopkins you never know, they have such great talent and such great outside shooter’s they could come back at any time so we definitely were on the edge of our seat and still fighting as hard as we can, there’s no comfort level,” Schoonmaker said.

With just 7:39 left to play, Rice found an open Dylan Donahue off a 4-on-3 fast break thanks to a Blue Jay turnover to put Syracuse back up by one.

And the Orange never looked back as Ben Williams came up with two critical face-offs giving the Orange much-needed possession in the final 6:00 minutes of play.

Thanks to Williams, Schoonmaker and Staats were able to put the final two nails in the Blue Jays coffin to give Syracuse the 13-10 advantage as time expired. 
 

Difference Makers

The teams were evenly matched in shots on goal, Syracuse-41 Johns Hopkins-40, and turnovers with seven each.

But the difference maker was groundball control, Syracuse picked up 36 to Johns Hopkins' 20.

“At the end of the day it’s ground balls deep down, the mistakes are huge, but ground balls are possessions, that’s 16 more possessions for our opponent,” Pietramala said.

Staats lead all scorers with four goals, while Schoonmaker and Galasso each netted a pair.

Rice finished with one goal and three assists and Donahue finished with one goal and two assists.

Williams won 16 of 27 face-offs and SU keeper Bobby Wardwell finished with five saves on the day.

For the Blue Jays Ryan Brown and Shack Stanwick each finished with four points on two goals and two assists while keeper Schneider recorded 13 saves.

Johns Hopkins dropped to 3-4 on the season while Syracuse improved to 6-0.

Up Next

The unbeaten No. 1 Orange men will host ACC rival and two-time defending national champion No. 5 Duke Sunday, March 22^nd at the Carrier Dome.

This will be the 13^th meeting between the two teams with Syracuse leading the all-time series 7-5.

Face-off is scheduled for 12:30pm.

CBA Wins First Section Title in Six Years

Story and photos by Thomas Zhou

Syracuse, N.Y- During halftime CBA head coach Buddy Wleklinski reminded his players of how special they could be, as he had told them at the beginning of the season. Two quarters later, they finally lived up to that expectation.

Christian Brothers Academy used a strong second half to beat Jamesville-DeWitt, 69-46,  Sunday afternoon to win the Section III Class A  at SRC Arena. It marked the first CBA Section championship in six years.

"It's great," Wleklinski said. "This whole atmosphere and everything is just great for the kids to experience.

"We were talking about it in the locker room. It has been six years, so none of these kids were at CBA when the last time we won a sectional championship. It seems like a long time but I am really proud of this group."



Stroman sparks and CBA pulls away 

J-D's second leading scorer Dom DeRegis was held out of the game. According to Syracuse.com J-D head coach Bob McKenney said it was a "team issue" and would not elaborate.

Still the Brothers and the Red Rams traded the lead back and forth in the first half. J-D rallied from trailing 7-3 to a 11-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. After the Brothers had a 8-0 run in the second quarter, the Red Rams responded with a 5-0 run, cut CBA's cushion to two and forced a timeout.

That was when Monte Stroman began to take over.

Stroman hit three consecutive shots after the timeout. His spurt gave CBA a 30-24 lead at the half.

"Early in the game he got shut down," Wleklinski said. "It seemed he was like struggling to get into a flow. We got him in the end of the second of the quarter. ...We set up something for him. We were able to get it off a screen and he was able to get to the basket...The second half he was unbelievable. He is certainly a difference in the game."

A different Stroman helped CBA outscore J-D, 39-22, in the second half. Its man-to-man coverage stifled J-D’s offense.

"We picked up our defense really good," Stroman said. "We finally went offense as smoothly as defending. That's what we did."


Dunks and an MVP award

Stroman got his first dunk in the game off a fast break, putting the Brothers ahead by 15 late in the third quarter. Midway through the fourth quarter, his second dunk ignited the crowd.

Stroman accelerated from the baseline, soared into the air and hammered a one-handed dunk. He made the basket, drew a foul, and converted the free throw. The and-one play expanded CBA's lead to 59-39.

"It was kind of hard because he grabbed my arm," Stroman said. "I don't know how I still got it, but I did it. It was really nice. I usually don't do that."

Stroman finished with a game-high 18 points and earned the tournament MVP award. His  freshman teammate Charles Pride contributed 13 points off the bench.

J-D's Isaiah Williams finished the game with 10 points. The scoring ace hit his head against the backboard near the end of the third quarter when he lost control on a layup attempt. He left the game but returned in the fourth quarter. 

  

Other games

Class AA - Henninger 59, Bishop Ludden 51

Class B - Westhill 66, Syracuse Academy of Science 43

Class C - Waterville 53, Watertown IHC 50


Class D - New York Mills 40, Sackets Harbor 38 (OT)

Orange Ends Disappointing Season With NC State Loss; Boeheim Skips News Conference

By Lizzy Gomez

Raleigh, N.C. — Sunny, 45 degrees, and not a cloud in the sky — The weather outside PNC Arena on Saturday beamed with cheerful anticipation of the end of winter on the eve of daylight savings time.

But inside, the Syracuse men’s basketball locker room housed a much more somber atmosphere after the Orange fell to North Carolina State by a final score of 71-57 in its season finale.

After the game, the body language said more than the players.  

Rakeem Christmas and Trevor Cooney both looked worn down while fielding questions from reporters, their eyes often drifting down to the floor while shrugging their shoulders — Especially when it came to questions regarding the NCAA sanctions handed down to the program just a day earlier.

“They made a decision and it is what it is,” Cooney said. “You just move forward.”  

The team moves forward with the loss of 12 scholarships over four years, 108 vacated wins, and a suspension of Coach Jim Boeheim for the first nine ACC games of the 2015-2016 season.  

Cooney said he hasn’t read the full 94-page report from the NCAA, which gives a complete summary of the violations and penalties involved in the investigation.

“I won’t really look into it,” Cooney said. “I’ll read it, but there’s no point in going in and reading in-depth or anything like that.”

When asked by a reporter if the announcement by the NCAA influenced the team’s emotions heading into its game against the Wolfpack, Christmas quickly shook his head and said, “No.”  

And that was about all anyone in Orange had to say about the matter, including Head Coach Jim Boeheim, who declined to speak to the media after his team’s final game of the season.

Hopkins Steps in for Boeheim

With the head coach suspended for nine conference games next year, SU Assistant Coach Mike Hopkins gave an early glimpse at life without Boeheim after Saturday’s game, replacing the now sixth winningest collegiate basketball coach in history during the postgame news conference.

Hopkins prefaced his thoughts by saying Boeheim decided to stay silent because he, “doesn’t want to say, ‘no comment,’” in regard to questions involving the NCAA investigation and sanctions.

Instead, Hopkins said it for him.

“I don’t want to answer anything in regard to the stuff yesterday,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins did open up when asked about senior Rakeem Christmas playing in his last game as a part of the Orange, though.

“Rak[eem] is a special kid,” said Hopkins as his voice grew shaky and tears began to form in his eyes. “You get a guy who’s done everything you want him to do, and when it comes to a conclusion...it’s not easy. It’s hard to see a kid like that leave.”

Hopkins said Christmas played as well as any other player in the country while carrying his team throughout the season on both offense and defense.

Last Christmas for Syracuse

The 6’9” senior earned his 12th double-double of the season against NC State with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Christmas shot 5-of-16 from the field, but went a perfect 5-for-5 from the line with 5 blocks during his final 39 minutes of play for the Orange.

“You saw tonight, Rak missed some shots he usually makes around the basket,” Hopkins said. “But he’s been a warrior. He’s been that 40-minute guy every night. He’s rebounding, he’s brought it and he’s been a great leader.”

Coach Boeheim took Christmas out of the game as Syracuse trailed NC State by 18 points with 1:22 left in the game.

With the self-imposed postseason ban keeping the Orange out of the ACC and NCAA tournaments this year, Christmas’ collegiate career ends a little earlier than expected.

“Stuff happens for a reason,” Christmas said. “I’m not disappointed at all. You’ve just got to keep a positive mind and focus on the future.”

Christmas averaged 17.6 points and 9 rebounds per game this season and leaves Syracuse with more than 1,000 career points to his name.

On Saturday night in Raleigh, Christmas nearly tied Tyler Roberson as the night’s leading scorer for SU, missing the mark by one point.

Double-Double For Roberson

Roberson also ended the afternoon with a double-double, putting up 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against the Wolfpack.

The 6’8” sophomore made 6-of-14 attempts from the field and went 4-for-5 from the line along with 2 steals.

Michael Gbinije scored 10 points for the Orange, while Trevor Cooney ended the season with an 8-point performance, shooting 1-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Kaleb Joseph and walk-on Carter Sanderson both accounted for 3 points, while Ron Patterson failed to make a field goal during the final game of the season, scoring his only two points from the foul line.

Orange Struggles on Offense, Wolfpack Dominates Second Half

Patterson wasn’t the only SU player to struggle finding a field goal.

Christmas didn’t find the hoop from the field until 15 minutes into the first half.

As a team, the Orange shot 32 percent from the field and 25 percent from the three-point line.

“We just didn’t make any shots,” Hopkins said. “It’s been one of the main reasons why we’ve lost some close games this year, based on shooting the basketball.”

Syracuse scored 13 second-chance points and took advantage of NC State turnovers for 6 points, but the Wolfpack nearly tripled that number, finding 17 points off SU turnovers.

The score remained close during the early parts of the first half, but NCSU began to find its rhythm before halftime.

The Orange led by eight points with 4:18 left in the first 20 minutes of play, but NC State came back within one point after a foul on B.J. Johnson resulted in two made foul shots for the Wolfpack.

With 26 seconds left in the half, Abdul-Malik Abu made a layup in the paint, putting NC State ahead of Syracuse, 26-25, going into the break.

In the second half, the Wolfpack continued to play well, going up by11 at the 15:49 mark.

The Orange trailed by more than ten points for much of the remainder of the game, until a foul on Trevor Lacey put Ron Patterson on the line for two shots with 5:11 on the clock.

Patterson connected on both shots, his only two points of the game, to put Syracuse within nine. 

After a dunk by Lennard Freeman for the Wolfpack and a jumper by Gbinije for the Orange, SU still trailed by nine with 4:19 left in the game.

But that would be as close as Syracuse would get to making it interesting.

By the 1:57 mark, NCSU led the Orange by 20 points.

The Wolfpack ended the afternoon with a 71-57 victory over Syracuse, and ended the SU season by handing Boeheim and his team its third loss in a row.

“Our kids have really worked hard, through a lot of adversity,” Hopkins said. “We overachieve. We’re not used to losing 13 games. I know our guys will be in the gym, trying to get better every day, learn from this season, and move forward. That’s all you can do.”

The Orange completed the 2014-2015 season with a 18-13 overall record, and a 9-9 record in the ACC.

Coach Hopkins Post-Game Conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g5HxNnnX1s

Four Titles in Four Years For J-D Girls

Story and photos by Thomas Zhou

Syracuse, N.Y- After a game the Jamesville-DeWitt high school girls basketball team and players' parents usually go to Tully's on Erie Blvd to relax. Saturday night,they had another Section III Class A championship banner to carry with them and celebrate. 

J-D beat Whitesboro, 40-34 at SRC Arena, on Saturday afternoon to win its fourth consecutive title.

"It's great," J-D head coach Rob Siechen said. "It shows the dedication of the kids. The kids know what it takes to win. The two seniors we have here have been here for all four. It is a special thing for them."


No easy win

While J-D never trailed after taking a 3-2 lead  it was not an easy victory.

Whitesboro's Gianna Gotte's two free throws cut the Red Rams' lead to three with under a minute left.

J-D senior Maddy Frank then dished out perhaps the most important assist in the game, finding senior Alyssa Robens for a transition layup to seal the win.


"I knew we were on a fast break," Frank said. "I saw her before I got the ball. I knew it was either now or never because they were recovering. I figured out that if she kept cutting through I would hit her. Good layup and it worked."

Whitesboro rallies

The Red Rams led 20-10 at one point and were ahead by seven at halftime. Maria Lapertosa sparked the Warriors with five straight points in the third quarter in a 6-0 run. The Red Rams answered with a Carly O'Hern shot off a pump fake from behind the arc. That gave J-D a six-point lead.

Whitesboro came back again midway through the fourth quarter. This time, the Warriors cut the lead to two. J-D responded with a Frank three-pointer. Her second three-pointer of the game fired up the bench and fans.

"I was feeling good." Frank said. "I was open. We were moving the ball around. I knew this was a good shot to take. I was in good rhythm. If felt good going off my hand and it felt good going through the basket."

Robens left the game in the first quarter after she fell to the floor and hurt her knee. She came back to the court in the third quarter before making that huge bucket near the finish.


"We were a little worried about how she went down and how she reacted," Siechen said. "For her to get back to the game, it was great. She had a tough game. She had four fouls. But seeing her make that basket was great."


Locking down Lapertosa

One key to the J-D win was controlling Lapertosa, the Warriors' leading scorer. She made some baskets, attacked the rim to draw fouls, and kicked out the ball to open teammates when she was doubled. But she was no surprise to J-D as the Red Rams have faced her for four years and while she finished with a game-high 15 points, she went 3-of-9 from the field.

“She is a mismatch nightmare,” Siechen said. “We tried to run a couple of kids at her so she has to recognize and deal with different types of defenders.”

Other games

Class AA - Cicero-North Syracuse 55 Rome Free 27

Class B - Westhill 56-South Jefferson 48 (OT)

Class C - Cooperstown 48 Weedsport 33

Class D -  Oriskany 51 Copenhagen 46 (OT)

Syracuse Tennis Loses First Time at Home to Miami

Story and photos by Thomas Zhou

Syracuse, N.Y-  Three days after it picked up its first ACC win against Pittsburgh, the Syracuse women’s tennis team failed to upset No. 14 Miami at Drumlins Tennis Center on Friday afternoon, The Hurricanes won the match 7-0.

The loss dropped Syracuse to 6-5 (1-4, ACC).  It was the first home loss this season for the Orange who had been 3-0 at Drumlins.

Syracuse lost the doubles point despite a win by Amanda Rodgers and Nicole Mitchell over Monique Albuquerque and Clementina Riobueno(8-4). The 'Canes won the other two sets.


'Canes dominate singles

Miami swept all six singles matches. Valeria Salazar retired with a leg injury in the second set    trailing Miami's Sinead Lohan 6-2, 2-1.

Breanna Bachini lost two 6-4 sets to Riobueno. Rodgers lost to Stephanie Wagner, 6-1. 7-6 (7-2).

The Hurricanes completed the sweep with Yolimar Ogando beating Komal Safdar, Lina Lileikite over Rhiann Newborn, and Albuquerque defeating Mitchell, all in straight sets . 

“The biggest thing that stood out today is playing at that high level for a longer period of time,” Syracuse head coach Younes Limam said. “I think we came up a little bit short. We played really well for a certain time in the match, but we need to do it a little bit longer.”



Fierce doubles competition

While neither the doubles nor the singles gained a point for the Orange, Syracuse showed a tough mentality, exemplified by its first doubles, Salazar and Safdar. 

Salazar started the set with three consecutive aces to set a tone quickly.

Both players had a strong serve performance throughout the doubles. First serves often were aces or led to points on smashes.  

“We were both serving really big,” Safdar said. “I got some momentum going right away. We were setting each other up because of that. We were finishing a lot of the points at the net.”

The 5-foot-6 Safdar and 5-foot-4 Salazar took control against the 5-foot-11 Stephanie Wagner and 5-foot-9 Lina Lileikite, most of the time by passing shots and lobs. 

It looked like they were going to win first of the three doubles matches when they took a 4-2 lead. 
But the Hurricanes duo managed to come back and tied the set score at seven.

By the time tiebreaker began, Syracuse and Miami had each won one of the other two doubles matches. Rodgers and Mitchells' win over Albuquerque and Riobueno was matched by Miami's Lohan and Wendy Zhang's defeat of Bachini and Newborn.


Safdar and Salazar tied the score at five in the tiebreaker after trailing 2-0, but it was Wagner and Lileikite who gained the next two points, took the win, and clinched the doubles point. 

Salazar smashed her racket into her bag after the loss.

“It’s really upsetting,” Salazar said. “I really wanted a win, but sometimes you lose. That is how it is.”


Fighting till the end

Limam said after the match he was proud of the fight of the Orange.

Salazar, who has been bothered by a chronic leg injury for months, continued to play singles after the doubles, before retiring in the second set when she trailed 4-6, 1-2. Salazar had to have her leg massaged by the staff between sets to relax her muscle.

“It is really tough,” Salazar said. “I am not going to lie.”

Rodgers, Bachini amd Newborn, who were still on the court when the team outcome had been decided. With the  Orange trailing 4-0 in the match, they focused on the game itself rather than the results. They let out shouts at their errors and held up fists when winning points.

“We talked a lot about it,” Limam said. “It’s about competing 'til the last point and not paying attention to what the score is. They did that today and we expected that from them.”

Up Next

Syracuse will host Duke to end its three game home stretch. The match is scheduled for noon on Sunday.

#2 Syracuse hosts #6 UVA in photos

by Lauren Williams


The Syracuse Orange dominated in Sunday's 15-9 victory over the University of Virginia.  This day last year the Cavaliers downed Syracuse 17-12 on their home turf. The Orange held control for the majority of contest against the Atlantic Coast Conference rivals and are now 4-0, while UVA moves to 3-1. Here is the game in photos.

Softball was Destiny for Syracuse Utility Player Mary Dombrowski

By Julia Morris
Photos courtesy of SU Athletics

Syracuse, N.Y -- Softball was a part of Mary Dombrowski’s life even before she was born. 

Her parents, Jim and Karen, met while playing in a recreational softball league for New York State employees.  One day after a game, while drinking at Sutter’s Mill and Mining Co. Bar in Albany, Jim proposed to Karen.  And since the two had met through softball he figured he would tie that into his proposal – so he put the engagement ring in a hollowed out softball.  Karen said yes.

Given Jim and Karen’s history with the sport, it is no surprise that their two daughters, Katie and Mary, quickly picked it up.   

“It’s kind of been a destiny thing for me and my sister,” Mary Dombrowski said.

Dombrowski is a righty batting utility player on Syracuse’s softball team, primarily playing center field so far this season.  Originally recruited as a shortstop, the team captain has played every position except for pitcher and catcher during her four-year career at Syracuse.   Her versatile skill set is no surprise given the fact that softball has long been a part of who she is. 

“I started playing at age four,” Dombrowski said. “It’s a constant, it always has been.”


From goofy kid to serious player

Dombrowski wasn’t the first athlete in her family – her older brother, Matt, and older sister, Katie, also started playing sports at a young age.  While Matt stuck to football, basketball, lacrosse and volleyball, Katie also played softball, which meant that she and Mary spent a lot of time playing together growing up in Delmar, N.Y.  Dombrowski still remembers the moment when she realized she wanted to take the sport seriously – she was only eleven years old.

“I was really social as a child, really goofy, always wanting to be the center of attention, cracking jokes and my sister and father were like 'do you want to do this seriously or recreationally because you need to choose now,'” Dombrowski said. “Eleven years old – like asking yourself do you want to play this in college?”

Dombrowski decided to get serious and dedicate herself to the sport - and soon the results started to show.  She led her 14-and-under travel softball team, Capital Region Rampage, to a ninth-place finish at the Pony Nationals in Cary, N.C. Dombrowski says her dad, the coach of the team, was a big reason for their success.

“His energy really infused me and my teammates and it just made it a fun, winning enjoyable experience.”
 

Lessons from her sister
 

Jim also encouraged Mary to try out for the varsity team of her future high school, Bethlehem Central, when she was in seventh grade - but Katie wanted to enjoy her senior year without her younger sister tagging along.   When Katie did graduate in 2008, Mary tried out and made the team as an eighth grader – and it did not take long for her to start flourishing.  During her time at Bethlehem, she was two-time sectional MVP and New York State player of the year in 2011.  As a senior, she also led her team to its first Section II-AA Softball title in 30 years. 

While Mary was shining at Bethlehem, Katie had gone on to play at UConn.  A corner infielder, she was equally talented- but gave playing after her freshman year to focus on her studies. Mary can remember being in the car when Katie called her coach to say she was quitting.  She says Katie’s  situation and decision helped her keep a greater perspective on the sport.

“From my sister I learned through all the losses and strikeouts, it’s about building a good character for yourself,” Dombrowski said.

That perspective has stayed with her at Syracuse where she majors in Communications and Rhetorical Studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The transition from high school star to college athlete has not gone exactly how Dombrowski pictured.  At Bethlehem, she maintained a .346 batting average her senior year.  However, during her career at Syracuse, she has never hit above .200 and currently holds a .139 average this season although she did have a solo home run against Northwestern.  While Dombrowski may not be the Orange’s best offensive player - and even refers to herself as the “strikeout queen” - she has found other ways to lead the team.

“I am not the offensive player that I was expecting to be,” Dombrowski said.  “You come in thinking that that’s going to carryover from high school and it doesn’t necessarily.  So I decided I need to be a leader in a different way and I’ll set the right example and try to make it a fun environment because that’s what makes a winning team.”

Better and stronger

Dombrowski sets a fun environment by keeping her teammates loose, which is important given the amount of travel the team has to do – Syracuse has 28 games road games before finally taking the field at Skytop Softball Stadium on March 24.   Dombrowski says while she is probably the worst dancer on the team, when she hears Miley Cyrus songs she has to bust a move and make her teammates laugh.

The Orange’s chemistry and the fun team environment has not yet translated into  winning results, as Syracuse currently has a 7-8 record to start the season. But Dombrowski thinks it is only a matter of time before things start clicking.

“The athleticism and the talent is there,” Dombrowski said.  “There’s just something mental that is not clicking in games right now because our record in no way, shape or form reflects our abilities.”

Dombrowski is especially anxious for things to start clicking because her college-career is coming to an end.   And while she values winning, she says it is the lessons softball has taught her that will stay with her, even long after her career with the sport she was destined to play comes to an end.

“Softball is a mentally demanding sport and exhausting and abusive at times on yourself but I’m so glad that I had that,” Dombrowski said.  “I’m a much better and stronger person because of the sport.”