Syracuse, N.Y. - Stephen Keogh and Max Bartig each had three goals, as Syracuse won its fifth straight in a 15-8 victory over UAlbany on Saturday, April 3 before 5,229 fans at the Carrier Dome. The Orange are ranked No. 2 in the USILA national poll and No. 3 by Nike/Inside Lacrosse.
     Syracuse (7-1) raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening 10-plus minutes. Jeremy Thompson, a junior midfielder, got his team on the scoreboard when he caused a turnover, picked up the loose ball and netted a bounce shot. Chris Daniello, who had two goals and three assists, moved from behind the cage and converted Josh Amidon's feed from the right. Keogh connected on a behind-the-back shot off a rebound after Amidon's initial attempt. Bartig sent a blast into the upper right corner after taking a crossing pass from Jovan Miller.
     UAlbany (2-7) later closed within 5-2 when Dwayne Stewart drilled his first goal as a collegian from the left after Matt Mackenzie won a face-off. The Orange answered with a pair of goals. Amidon came wide open right of the crease in a man-advantage situation, before Miller drove around a long-stick midfielder from the left. The Great Danes' Brian Caufield went low into the cage to finish off a transition play that began when defenseman Mike Banks intercepted goalkeeper John Galloway's clearing pass. JoJo Marasco and Miller upped SU's advantage to 9-3 by the intermission.
     The two teams combined for nine goals in a fast-paced third quarter. Bartig hit the top corner with an extra-man goal and Daniello, the preseason Big East Conference attack of the year, used a speed move from behind to score from right of the cage for an 11-4 lead. UAlbany's Dave Brock spun to his left shoulder on an inside roll and Mark Cometti later converted a tough-angle shot after moving around a short-stick midfielder that sliced the deficit to 12-6 with 6:55 left in the period.
     The Orange, who became the first team since Princeton in the 1990s to win back-to-back national championships last year, scored 54 seconds apart to regain control. Amidon, who had two goals and two assists, moved right-to-left before hitting a low corner. Cody Jamieson, the hero in last year's NCAA championship game, then sent sidearm from right of the crease for an eight-goal margin.
     UAlbany's Brock, who had two goals and one assist, completed a fastbreak from midfielder Mike Kehoe late in the third stanza after Banks collected a ground ball in his defensive half of the field. Rocky Bonitatibus sent a blast from the right point into the net with 11:25 remaining in the contest. Caufield finished with one goal and two assists, while goalkeeper John Carroll made 14 saves.
     "We gave them too many second chances," UAlbany coach Scott Marr explained.  "Not being able to clear the ball was certainly a key.  I thought we moved the ball well, and (goalkeeper) John (Carroll) had Matt Mackenze (face-offs) had good games.  This will serve us well as the season moves forward." 

Paw Prints:  Syracuse has won all eight meetings in the series and each has been played in the Carrier Dome, including a 2004 NCAA first-round game ... the Orange recorded their 800th win in the program's history, second to just Johns Hopkins ... Brian Caufield has 68 career assists and moved past Kurt Randall '94 into sixth place on the program's all-time list ... Dave Brock scored multiple goals for the sixth time this year ... senior defenseman Mark Kelly had three ground balls and caused three turnovers in a return to his hometown ... UAlbany meets Johns Hopkins on Saturday, April 10 at 2:00 p.m., a game televised nationally on ESPNU.

#2 Syracuse 15, UAlbany 8 (Apr 03, 2010, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.)