No. 7 Syracuse blows out Quakers

The Penn men's lacrosse team's season of frustration continued Saturday, as defending NCAA champion Syracuse (8-3) dominated the Quakers (3-9) on Franklin Field, 20-11. The loss extended the Red and the Blue's losing streak to five straight games, during which they have been outscored by their opponents by an average of almost seven goals per game. "Every single game, we're in it and we're doing things right and we're scoring goals," Quakers sophomore Joe Mauro said. "And then we just stop. And a team like Syracuse takes advantage of those things." At the start, the Quakers were able to keep the game close against the No. 7 team in the nation -- keeping the game tied at 3-3 at the close of the first quarter of play. The Penn offense succeeded in putting early pressure on Orangemen goalie Jason Gebhardt, who stopped a flurry of Quakers' shots that could have given Penn the early advantage. But the renowned Orange offensive attack took over the game as it entered the second quarter. "Syracuse always brings in a lot of talent," Quakers freshman Jeff Zuckerman said. "A lot of high-profile players, some flashy players who bring a lot to the table." Using an undisciplined offensive style highlighted by behind-the-back passes and behind-the-back shots, Syracuse scored five unanswered goals to take an 8-3 halftime lead, a lead which they would not relinquish. They then outscored Penn seven to four in the third quarter to bring the score to 15-7. Five more fourth-quarter goals by the Orangemen raised their tally to 20 and put Penn's chances of attempting a miraculous late-game comeback out of reach. "I think everyone's disappointed," Mauro said. "I think it was basically a fundamental breakdown?There's a few fundamental things that sometimes we're lacking." "The basic mistakes killed us," said freshman goalie Matt Schroeder, who faced an onslaught of 40 Syracuse shots during the game. "Things like using the wrong hand on the ground ball or throwing the ball away on an easy pass or not thinking on defense?A lot of stuff that you should be learning in high school. "I was expecting an amazing team, but Syracuse wasn't that great. Princeton was a much more fundamentally sound team." Sophomore Casey Powell sparked the Syracuse offense with two goals and seven assists, while senior Jim Morrissey totaled four goals and four assists. John Ward led the Quakers with five goals, while Mauro had a goal and two assists. Despite the losing effort, the Red and the Blue once again showed that they are capable of playing head-to-head with one of the country's top-ranked teams. "I know we don't have a good record, but we are a good team," Mauro said. "It really makes me angry when people say, 'Why is Penn 3-9?' I don't think wins and losses are everything?With a couple more years under Coach [Terry] Corcoran, we're going to be that much better."