SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A versatile attacking performance and a stifling defensive display lifted No. 15 Harvard men's lacrosse to a key win on the road, as the Crimson toppled No. 6 Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome, 15-14. The win marks Harvard's first victory against the Orange in program history.
Junior
Teddy Malone led the line for Harvard's attack, producing four goals, one assist and five points, as the Wilmington, Delaware native was just one goal shy of matching his career-high. Between the posts, first-year
Graham Stevens was superb, stopping 13 shots across multiple high-leverage situations.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In the first regular season meeting between Harvard (2-1, 0-0 Ivy League) and Syracuse (3-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) since 1985, the hosts started the contest on the front foot. The Orange collected the first five goals of the afternoon.
From there, the Crimson offense established a rhythm, producing three straight goals to keep the Orange within reach.
Sam King connected with
Owen Gaffney for Harvard's first score of the contest with 7:01 to go in the first. Moments later, Harvard's vaunted man-up unit struck, as
Andrew Perry buried a long-range effort to reduce the deficit to three with 3:49 left in the opening frame.
Malone wrapped up the Crimson scoring run in the first, as the first quarter ended with the hosts in front, 6-3. Harvard tallied eight shots in the first, collecting six ground balls in the process.
Harvard rose to the occasion in the second period, finding success on both sides of the field in the final 15 minutes of the first half. Stevens continued to make his presence felt in the cage, ending the first half with 10 saves, seven of them arriving in the second quarter.
Just two minutes into the second, the Crimson got on the board, as Speidell picked up his team-high ninth goal of the year. After an Orange goal,
Miles Botkiss fought through traffic and launched a rocket into goal, keeping the Crimson within two.
After a strike from Sryacuse with 7:41 left in the half to push the scoreline to 8-5, Harvard stormed back with back-to-back goals. Perry collected his second score of the afternoon, as John Aurandt fired off a goal just a minute later to bring the Crimson within one, 8-7.
With 2:17 left in the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse scored back-to-back goals, but Harvard has the final say. With just 48 seconds left, King fired off a pinpoint shot, as the Crimson trailed 10-8 heading into the second half. Seven different Harvard student-athletes scored in the first half, as Perry led the way with two goals.
The third quarter was filled with back-and-forth action, as the Crimson continued to battle and find success offensively. One of Harvard's leaders on and off the field,
Logan Ip got the Crimson attacking going with his first goal of the day, as Malone logged his second two minutes later to even the score, 10-10.
In the final five minutes of the third quarter, both sides exchanged goals. Malone completed the hat trick with 4:33 left in the frame, as Aurandt fired off another with just 21 seconds left, leveling the score heading into the final 15 minutes in upstate New York, 12-12.
The Crimson attack didn't waste any time in the final quarter of action, taking its first lead of the day with 13:36 on the clock. Picking up the ball behind the net, Malone orchestrated a sensational effort, finding the back of the net while falling to the ground to put Harvard in front.
The scoring run continued, as Botkiss fought off multiple defenders for his second, putting the Crimson up two. After a tally from the hosts, King capitalized on a man-up opportunity, as patient passing paid off for the Crimson.
A penalty at the 2:28 mark in the fourth provided Syracuse a man-up advantage for two minutes. The hosts converted once, but the Crimson defense stood strong, stalling the Syracuse man-up unit to secure the win.
The Crimson completed the upset with 15 goals, recording 24 shots on goal as well. Stevens ended the contest with 13 saves, extending his streak to three. On the offensive end, Malone led the way with four goals and five points. King, Botkiss, Perry, and Aurandt all scored multiple goals against the Orange.
HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:
- Teddy Malone led the Crimson offense with four goals, one shy of his career-high.
- For a third straight contest, Graham Stevens stopped 13 shots in the cage.
- Jack Speidell and Miles Botkiss tied for the team lead in assists with two each.
- Five Crimson recorded multiple goals against the Orange.
- The 15-14 triumph marks the first win against Syracuse in program history, a series that dates back to 1919.
- One of the best man-up units in the country, the Crimson converted on both of its opportunities against Syracuse, improving its margin to 7-for-8.
- The Crimson is now 2-0 against ranked opponents this season.
NEXT UP:
The Crimson kicks-off a three-game homestand next weekend, returning to Jordan Field on Saturday, Mar. 1 for a showdown against Marquette at noon. Crimson fans can purchase tickets
here as the game will air live on ESPN+.
