Syracuse Overwhelms Hoyas Despite Strong Start, Early Lead

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Despite an early 2-0 and 3-1 lead, the No. 13 Georgetown men's lacrosse team was unable to hold off the explosive offense of the No. 8 Syracuse University Orange, falling 18-12 on the road on March 22. The Hoyas jumped out to an early advantage, but Syracuse rallied to score 11 unanswered goals spanning the first and second periods to take control of the game.

Why it matters

The matchup marked the first time since 2021 that the Hoyas and Orange have faced off, as the two former Big East rivals have played sparingly since Syracuse left the conference in 2013. The loss drops Georgetown to 3-4 on the season, while Syracuse improves to 8-2 as both teams look ahead to conference play.

The details

Georgetown first-year midfielder Jake Bickel and senior midfielder Joe Cesare scored early to give the Hoyas a 2-0 lead, but Syracuse rallied with three straight goals to take a 3-2 advantage. The Hoyas briefly regained the lead at 3-2 before Syracuse scored 11 unanswered goals over a 6-minute stretch to pull away. Georgetown made a late push but was unable to overcome the Orange's offensive onslaught.

• The matchup was the first time since 2021 the Hoyas (3-4) squared off against the Orange (8-2).
• Georgetown first-year midfielder Jake Bickel opened the scoring at 13:14.
• Senior midfielder Joe Cesare put Georgetown up 2-0 at 11:50.
• Syracuse midfielder Wyatt Hottle made it a 1-score game at 2:38.
• Syracuse attacker Finn Thomson scored with just 27 seconds left in the period to give the Orange their first lead of the game.

What’s next

The Hoyas remain on the road, traveling to Colorado next Saturday, March 28, to open up Big East play against the No. 14 University of Denver, a tough squad that has played recent top-ranked teams down to the wire.