It was not a one-sided affair in the first half. Tyrrell assisted Swart with 13:31 left in the half for a 6-2 Syracuse lead, but Sam Fiedler (two goals) answered about 90 seconds later with a player-up goal for the Greyhounds.
That’s when Syracuse began building its lead. The Orange scored seven straight between the first and second halves, with five of the seven goals assisted. Overall, Syracuse assisted 11 of 18 goals, an unselfishness that Gait praised.
“It looked like we just continued from where we left off last March,” he said.
Where Syracuse left off last March was from a place of dominance. After Stony Brook came to the Carrier Dome and beat Gait’s team in a one-goal thriller, Syracuse ripped off six consecutive wins — including marquee victories over Northwestern and Maryland.
At the time their season ended, the Orange had the makings of a team bound for Memorial Day Weekend. That trajectory still appears reasonable. With a bona fide Tewaaraton favorite in Hawryschuk leading an offense with an embarrassment of riches to count on and a defense that should continue to pester opponents, the Orange might be as complete a team as there is in the nation.
Gait, perhaps showing some humility, wasn’t sure what type of performance his team would put together.
“You just never know because you [have only been playing] against yourself,” Gait said in reference to expectations after such a long layoff. “We have been [playing against each other] for the entire year with the little bit of time we had in the fall and in the preseason, both shortened from a normal year. They look sharp to each other, but you don’t know if they can play somebody.”
Though she was discouraged by her team’s performance, Adams knows her team is still brimming with potential. While Syracuse started 2021 with a bang, Loyola might need just a little more time to put it together. Such will be the case for many teams early this season, as most squads are starting from different points — an unfortunate consequence brought about by varying COVID-19 protocols across the country.
“I think ‘hope’ is the word. That’s still there,” Adams said. “We made a lot of errors. We looked like we hadn’t played lacrosse in 11 months today.”