Opponent Preview: What to know ahead of Colgate

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Everything went right for Syracuse in its 20-7 drubbing of Vermont to begin year three of the Gary Gait era. The faceoff unit shined — with a 21-for-31 mark against the Catamounts — Joey Spallina, Luke Rhoa and Christian Mulé each posted hat tricks and John Odierna’s new-look defense broke a five-game streak of 12-plus goals allowed.

Before the season, it appeared SU would have an easy three-game slate before plunging into a very difficult 2024 schedule. Though its next opponent, Colgate, now presents as great a challenge as any. The Raiders are fresh off a season-opening upset over No. 4 Penn State, where they defeated the Nittany Lions 13-12.

Here’s everything to know about Colgate (1-0, 0-0 Patriot League) before it takes on No. 9 Syracuse (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) Monday in the JMA Wireless Dome:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 49-12-1.

Last time they played…

SU bested Colgate 21-14 at home in its 2020 season opener. The Raiders came up with consistent answers throughout the high-scoring affair. But a four-goal Syracuse run in the second to take a 9-3 lead and a three-goal stretch in the third kept Colgate at a comfortable distance.

In the contest, former SU Attack Chase Scanlan set the program-record for goals in a season debut with seven. The Orange began the 2020 campaign ranked No. 6 in the nation before COVID-19 canceled Syracuse’s season five games in.

The Raiders report

In recent years, Colgate has been among the bottom feeders in the Patriot League. It hasn’t been over .500 since 2015, and hasn’t even sniffed a middling finish since 2018.

Yet in 2024 — albeit through just one result — the Raiders look poised to make great strides. They opened their season in a thrilling, last-second victory over a top 5 Penn State team, where Liam Connor netted the go-ahead goal with four seconds left. Midfielder Hunter Drouin, after being seldom-used as a freshman in 2023, scored a career-best and game-high four goals to help power Colgate to a win.

Cindy Zhang | Digital Design Director

This year’s Raiders’ squad, helmed by sixth-year head coach Matt Karweck, is a tough team for Syracuse to scout. They’ve flipped the program on its head from a 2-9 finish last season, and appear to have a lot more offensive firepower after they had just two 30-plus point scorers in 2023.

If Saturday’s upset says anything, it’s that the Orange should expect an aggressive Colgate attack which can generate success on the ride. The Raiders’ leading point-getters from last season, Rory Connor and Michael Minicus, each tacked on a pair of goals. And with a potential breakout player in Drouin, their production can only increase.

How Syracuse beats Colgate

Colgate lost in nearly every statistical category versus Penn State, which included shots, shots on goal, faceoffs and ground balls. But the two places where the Raiders did just enough to deliver the win were turnovers and man-up opportunities.

They gave the ball away four fewer times than PSU, and held the Nittany Lions scoreless on five man-up chances. Colgate won by executing on the little things, taking advantage of its opponents’ slip ups. Syracuse has to learn from Penn State’s failures to avoid falling victim to another top 10 victory for the Raiders.

SU played clean down the stretch in its opener, with just eight turnovers from the second quarter onward. And it capitalized on 50% of its man-up opportunities. If the Orange can replicate that success on things they can control — while relying on their high-octane attack fueled by Spallina, Micheal Leo and Mulé — they should have no issue against Colgate.

Stat to know: 5-2 4th-quarter faceoff margin

The Raiders struggled from the faceoff X for most of the afternoon in their first contest. Through the opening three quarters, Colgate was down 15-7 in faceoffs. Yet, the final quarter was a different story. With Penn State’s backs against the wall, it couldn’t secure enough extra possession to win, losing the battle 5-2.

Colgate’s Johnny Hartzell is likely to match up with Mason Kohn. If Syracuse finds itself trailing versus a gritty Raiders squad, it must gather faceoffs to a similar rate it had against Vermont to maintain ball-control and embark on game-changing runs.

Player to watch: Matt LaCombe, goalie, No. 38

Colgate goalie Matt LaCombe played a large role in holding the Raiders together to defeat Penn State. Facing a high-level Nittany Lions attack, LaCombe made 13 saves and helped spur a 5-for-5 mark on clears during a crucial fourth quarter.

LaCombe, a junior, is coming off a strong sophomore campaign where he allowed the fourth-fewest goals in the nation (128) and was No. 26 in the country in saves per game (11.64). And based on his strong performance to open the year, LaCombe could cause frustration for Syracuse’s attack and go toe-to-toe with Will Mark on the other end.