Syracuse lacrosse coach John Desko calls it luck. After Hofstra declined to play Syracuse this year, the Orangemen needed a team to add to their schedule. Then, Albany head coach Scott Marr called and offered to play.

Of course, Marr had no way of knowing that Syracuse would be coming off an embarrassing loss to Rutgers and has a strong itch to get back on the field and beat up on some weaker opponents.

If only more teams could be so lucky.

The No. 5 Orangemen have chance for redemption against Albany when they play on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. For the SU players, it will be a chance to shake off the rust from last week’s 14-10 loss in Piscataway, N.J. For the Great Danes, the game in the Carrier Dome will be an opportunity to play in perhaps college lacrosse’s grandest stage.

‘They want to get some exposure and have a chance to play a team like Syracuse,’ Desko said. ‘It just worked out timingwise. We were at the right place at the right time for them and for us.’

For Albany (8-3), the Great Danes’ arrival at the Dome could not come at a worse time. Syracuse will have a week to prepare for the Great Danes. Albany, meanwhile, won at Hartford on Wednesday and has only two days to rest and prepare for SU (8-2).

Syracuse last played Albany in the fall at the Lacrosse for Leukemia Tournament. The Orangemen beat the Great Danes in the scrimmage, but SU knows it can’t take too much stock in that win.

‘From our standpoint, fall ball doesn’t really mean much,’ Desko said. ‘We’re trying to look at ourselves and see how our players are going to do in game situation.’

But Albany tied Syracuse in the fall of 2002 at Coyne Field. Even though the teams and circumstances are different, the Great Danes may use that effort as motivation.

‘When they tie us in the fall, I think they can get something from that and go into the game with more confidence,’ Desko said, ‘knowing they’ve run close with the Orange before.’

Albany is powered by a strong offense. Freshman Merrick Thomson has 36 goals, and Wednesday at Hartford, Thomson set a school record with eight goals. He also added three assists in Albany’s 21-13 win. SU’s leading goal scorer, Brian Crockett, has 26 goals.

The Great Danes boast wins over Massachusetts and Quinnipiac, but they lost to Johns Hopkins, 17-6, in March. SU also lost to Hopkins, 17-5.

Even though Syracuse is anxious to return to the field after a week layoff, after the Rutgers game, SU knows it can’t take any team for granted. This week in practice, Desko echoed that sentiment. Last Monday, some players said it was the toughest practice they’ve ever been a part of. Another said it was mostly a ‘yelling’ day.

But most of the Orangemen said that they would focus on the positives in gearing up for an Albany team that has won four straight.

‘It’s late in the season,’ senior midfielder Steve Vallone said. ‘We can’t start losing now. If we lost two in a row, it would just be very disheartening. So we have to pick it up. This is a big game for us. It’s a must-win.’

Published on April 22, 2004 at 12:00 pm