Press release
TOWSON, Md. – Top-ranked Syracuse improved to 3-0 this preseason with a 13-12 scrimmage victory against Towson in a game that featured five 15-minute quarters Saturday, Feb. 1 at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The Orange trailed for most of the game, but scored five of the last six goals to win by one.
Attackmen Dylan Donahue (Camillus, N.Y.) and Kevin Rice (Skaneateles, N.Y.) continued their stellar play, combining for nine points in the contest. Donahue finished with a game-high five points (two goals, three assists) and Rice tallied four points (one goal, three assists). Junior Randy Staats (Six Nations, Ontario, Canada) added three goals in his first appearance for the Orange since transferring from Onondaga Community College.
The Tigers led 4-2 early in the second quarter and closed the half on a three-goal run, including a Max Siskind goal with four seconds to play, to take a 9-6 lead into the intermission.
A Ryan Drenner goal with 4:41 to go in the third gave Towson an 11-8 advantage. However, the Orange defense shut down Towson after that, holding the Tigers scoreless for nearly 25 minutes. Syracuse notched four straight goals during that time to claim the lead, 12-11.
Donahue started the run, scoring unassisted at the 2:23 mark of the third. Less than a minute later, Staats converted a Donahue pass to close the gap to 11-10. Senior Derek Maltz (Ashburn, Va.) tied it with 2:56 to play in the fourth then assisted on what proved to be the game-winner, finding Rice for a goal with six seconds left.
Both sides scored once in the fifth quarter to produce the 13-12 final.
Redshirt sophomore defender Bobby Tait (Buckingham, Pa.) came off the bench to lead the Syracuse defense with five ground balls. Tait also forced two turnovers. Classmate Brandon Mullins (Coppell, Texas) paced the Orange with three caused turnovers.
Goalies Dominic Lamolinara (Arnold, Md.) and Bobby Wardwell (Clifton Park, N.Y.) each played a half in the cage. Lamolinara surrendered nine goals and made five saves in the first two periods. Wardwell gave up two goals and stopped four shots in the second half. Redshirt freshman Evan Molloy (Manhasset, N.Y.) finished up, registering a pair of saves in the fifth quarter.
Drenner led the Tigers with two goals and one assist. Siskind and Greg Cuccinello also scored twice for Towson. Conor Pequigney was 16-for-26 at the faceoff X to help the Tigers to a 17-12 advantage in that category for the game. Pequigney also scored a goal and picked up a game-high 10 ground balls.
Saturday’s scrimmage brought the Orange’s preseason schedule to a close. Syracuse opens the 2014 regular season at home Monday, Feb. 10 against Siena.
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