Brendan Nichtern, launched the pass before anyone could react. Except Bobby Abshire, that is. The junior midfielder dove forward and managed, somehow, to unleash a shot that flew into the back of the net past Syracuse’s Drake Porter before he fell onto the Carrier Dome turf.

Porter and the rest of the Syracuse defense then looked up at the replay on the new scoreboard inside the recently renovated Carrier Dome. The display, which is 62.5 feet wide and 20 feet tall, is the second-largest indoor center-hung system in the United States. 

Few predicted the 18-11 Army win it displayed at the end of the game.

Remember the names.



They give us this #SCTop10 play and fuel @ArmyWP_MLax's 18-11 win over @CuseMLAX.

Nichtern: 4G, 3A
Abshire: 4G, 1A pic.twitter.com/vyFHY7xo7w

— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) February 21, 2021

The No. 15 Black Knights pulled off the upset and dealt No. 2 Syracuse its first loss in 652 days in convincing fashion through a balanced attack and defense that imposed its will after the first quarter. 

Nichtern, a junior captain, led the charge with four goals and three assists. If the youngest player in Army history to reach the 100-point plateau wasn’t in the Tewaaraton conversation entering today’s matchup, he is now. 

“When you’re talking about Brendan, I think there’s only a handful of attackmen that are similar in ability and impact that he has,” Army head coach Joe Alberici told Patrick Stevens this fall. 

4th | 7:31 - Plain and simple, absolute DOMINANCE by Nichtern.

Army 16 | Cuse 10

Watch live on ACCN: https://t.co/P5P1x3GjTq#GoArmy | #BEATCUSE pic.twitter.com/iSwh5KblLX

— Army M.Lacrosse (@ArmyWP_MLax) February 21, 2021

Army’s offense proved it still has plenty of firepower despite not having a bevy of fifth-year returnees like Syracuse and other ACC powers. Abshire scored four goals, most of them highlight worthy, and added two assists. Attackmen Aidan Byrnes and Nickolas Edinger, plus midfielder Gunner Philipp, all registered hat tricks. 

After trading goals early in the first quarter, Syracuse looked like the team that went undefeated last spring and was ranked No. 1 before the season’s cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Orange exploded for a five-goal run that started with a natural hat trick from redshirt-sophomore midfielder Tucker Dordevic (four goals, one assist). 

Safe to say Tucker Dordevic was ready for 2021 

The @CuseMLAX had a HAT TRICK in the first quarter, and the Orange lead @ArmyWP_MLax 6-1. pic.twitter.com/p0bAdDvFHw

— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) February 21, 2021

The Black Knights returned the favor in the second quarter, outscoring Syracuse 6-1 in the period to pull ahead 8-7 before halftime. 

The offensive onslaught did not cease after the intermission. Army poured in 10 second-half goals compared to four by Syracuse. The Black Knights’ defense, which double-poled Cuse’s much-heralded midfield for most of the game, held the Orange to only two goals between the second and third quarters. Sixth-year attackman Stephen Rehfuss (two goals, one assist) was the only Syracuse player besides Dordevic to score multiple goals. 

Army also seemed to cure their clearing woes that doomed them in a 14-9 loss at Virginia a week earlier. They converted 23 of 25 chances. While the Black Knights again lost the faceoff battle, this time losing 18 of 31 draws, they still managed to outshoot the Orange 43-37 and put 31 of those shots on goal. 

On the other end, Wyatt Schupler, an Inside Lacrosse third-team All-American in 2020, made 12 saves against the Orange — including many spectacular ones on point-blank shots. 

Those stops provided more opportunities for Nichtern, Abshire and the rest of the Black Knights offense to deliver one of the more impressive performances of this early season. 

For its part, Syracuse will look to bounce back quickly when they face Virginia at home next Saturday.