For an instant it seemed Syracuse could find itself again in an early hole. After losing the opening face-off, Rutgers aimed to put up the first points of the game. An instant later the game was over.

The Scarlet Knights first possession soon became a turnover and seconds later, midfielder Matt Abbott was dashing down the field, firing in the first goal of the game.

The scoring barrage was on.

For the first time this season, No. 17 Syracuse’s (4-6) much-hyped offense came alive against No. 20 Rutgers (4-5) as the Orange crushed the Scarlet Knights, 22-9, Sunday at the Carrier Dome in front of 3,365 fans.

Problems both on and off the field could be blamed for SU’s weak offensive attack. This weekend the troubles plaguing Syracuse’s offensive seemed a thing of the past.

Syracuse head coach John Desko presented a simple explanation for why Syracuse’s offense finally found consistency.

‘I thought we were shooting well,’ Desko said. ‘I thought it was something we hadn’t been doing well. Even earlier in the season when you look back at the Armys of the world, when you basically generate 50 shots and only come up with single digits on the scoreboard. And now we’re generating our shots and we’re finishing our shots, which we hadn’t been doing earlier in the year.’

On Sunday the Orange scored on almost half its shots: SU’s 22 goals came off of 45 shot attempts. The attack blasted Rutgers for its first 20-goal performance since 2004. At one point Syracuse strung together 11 consecutive goals.

All these offensive accolades came without the help from one of Syracuse’s strongest offensive players. Before the game, Syracuse starting midfielder Pat Perritt released a statement announcing he was withdrawing from Syracuse University for medical reasons.

However, any fears that the loss of one of Syracuse’s most proficient scorers would affect the outcome of the game were put to rest as soon as Syracuse gained its first possession.

Ignited by Abbott’s fast start, Syracuse’s goals came from all directions. Attackman Kenny Nims notched four goals. Sophomore Greg Niewiersoki, who moved into the starting lineup to replace Perritt, put up a hat trick. Second-line freshman midfielder Mike MacDonald, who received more time on the second line as a result of Perritt’s absence, also had a hot hand, scoring four goals for the Orange – the first four of the season. Freshman Joe Coulter and senior Craig Hammond likewise both netted the first goals of their careers.

‘The past couple games we’ve been out there and we looked a little more nervous,’ MacDonald said. ‘We looked like we don’t want to score. We turned the ball over. Today we put all that behind us. We went out there we played our game. We let the game come to us instead of forcing things. And the results were great.’

Rutgers’ defense looked clearly overmatched from the start of this game. RU starting goalie Bill Olin was pulled early in the second quarter, but the change did little to slow Syracuse. Twenty-one of Syracuse’s 22 goals came in the first three quarters. And Syracuse held a 21-5 advantage heading into the final period before the Orange substituted in primarily back-up players to finish out the rout.

‘I think we felt in the last game (a 16-15 loss to No. 1 Cornell) at least offensively more capable of showing we what we were capable of doing and getting closer to reaching our potential,’ Desko said. ‘I think any time guys get used to finding the back of the net. They feel better about themselves and play with more confidence – and on top of a must win they had to have today – so it all came together for us.’

The offense appeared entirely focused Sunday. Syracuse also reduced its number of turnovers, a statistic that had stood out in previous losses. Syracuse and Rutgers had 15 turnovers apiece.

Syracuse must win its final three games to qualify for the postseason. SU faces its toughest remaining challenge Friday against No. 3 Albany. Syracuse’s offensive performance Sunday led some members of the SU offense to believe it’s a sign the Orange finally is playing with a sense of urgency.

‘Everybody is practicing hard right now,’ Nims said. ‘We know our backs are against the wall right now. We came close against Cornell. We were proud of everyone and how hard they worked. But we have to put this win behind us, because we got three tough ones to go. And we’re not going to let up.’

Published on April 14, 2007 at 12:00 pm