In two years with the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team, John Wright has had a lot to celebrate. Two trips to the final four and, of course, last year’s national championship.

He’s been part of an Orange defense that has shut down plenty of offensive powers. But one team is missing from Wright’s list of wins.

That team is Rutgers. SU has dropped back-to-back games to the Scarlet Knights. Coming off a loss to Cornell on Tuesday night, Syracuse needs a win over Rutgers now more than ever. No. 6 Syracuse will get that chance Saturday in the Carrier Dome at 4 p.m.

‘It’s big,’ Wright said of the Syracuse-Rutgers rivalry. ‘It seems like it crosses over into other sports. It seems like for one reason or another, Rutgers has our number.’

Last year’s road loss to RU was one of just two SU losses during the year. It ended a five-game winning streak. The Orange never lost again. Two years ago, a home overtime loss started a three-game losing streak.

Syracuse owns the overall series with Rutgers, 32-8, and has never lost three times in a row to the Scarlet Knights.

Wright also mentioned the trouble Rutgers seems to cause SU’s other major sports teams. Syracuse’s football team lost to RU in 2003, costing it a trip to a bowl game. The men’s basketball team lost at Rutgers in 2003 and nearly fell at the Louis Brown Athletic Center again this year.

‘It’s always frustrating when you can’t beat a team,’ said senior goalie Jay Pfeifer. ‘It adds a little something to the game.’

Right now, though, the Orange (5-4) needs just about any win. Tuesday’s 16-14 loss to Cornell ended a four-game winning streak. With only three regular-season games remaining, SU needs a strong finish to ensure its place in the NCAA Tournament.

Syracuse head coach John Desko said he checked the latest RPI standings Thursday morning and SU is ranked fourth. RPI and strength of schedule are two of the key factors the tournament selection committee uses. To be considered, though, a team must finish at least .500.

The Orange will hit that mark if it wins one of its last three games. Syracuse is taking the attitude that it can’t lose any.

‘I don’t think we want to risk losing another one,’ said freshman attack Mike Leveille.

Rutgers (4-5) may be in a dire need for wins more than the Orange. After back-to-back winning seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances, the Scarlet Knights are struggling. Rutgers has lost to three teams Syracuse has beaten – Army, Loyola and Hobart.

Syracuse, though, can’t afford to overlook Rutgers. It’s an improving team, coming off an 8-5 win over Princeton that’s been hurt by injuries, Desko said. Goalie Greg Havalchak is one of the nation’s best, allowing just 8.44 goals per game.

With Pfeifer on the other end, it could lead to a defensive struggle. No. 13 Albany and No. 10 Massachusetts loom ahead, and the Orange needs the win.

‘We’re not using that as an incentive,’ Desko said. ‘We’ve got to get into the playoffs. These guys don’t like losing, I don’t like losing.’

Published on April 14, 2005 at 12:00 pm