As a result of Pat Perritt’s withdrawal from Syracuse University, seldom-used attackman Mike MacDonald stepped into a role on SU’s second attack line.

MacDonald took advantage of the opportunity as he scored his first goal of the season Sunday – then he tallied the second, third and fourth.

MacDonald’s scoring display highlighted an all-around powerhouse performance by the SU offense. The Orange put up a season-high scoring total, pounding Rutgers, 22-9, at the Carrier Dome Sunday.

‘I can’t take any credit; it’s really my teammates just getting the ball and moving it, and going hard at practice,’ MacDonald said.

The junior praised the team’s ability to correct mistakes from previous weeks. He attributed the number of goals to the fact that the team was not forcing shots. MacDonald’s teammates controlled the possession until a scoring opportunity opened up and MacDonald said he happened to be the player who was in the right place during those possessions.

MacDonald started his scoring salvo with six minutes left in the first quarter, and he did not tally his last goal until two seconds remained in the third quarter.

He tied starter Kenny Nims with the game-high four goals. MacDonald looked like a natural alongside Nims and the rest of Syracuse’s lauded attack as he maneuvered through the RU defense to create open shots.

‘Mike’s been doing a good job all year,’ SU head coach John Desko said. ‘Early in the season he had some open looks and didn’t finish. I think the difference now is he’s executing like he had been earlier, but now he’s finishing when he gets the opportunities.’

Brothers RommelWhen Rutgers announced its starting lineup, a lone cheer came from the Syracuse section of the Carrier Dome. The shouts came from a caravan of fans cheering on the Rommel brothers, including the siblings’ mother, Janet Rommel.

Greg Rommel is a captain for the Orange, who plays midfield, while his brother, redshirt sophomore Jeff, captains the Rutgers squad.

Injuries to both brothers in previous seasons resulted in this year’s matchup between Rutgers and Syracuse being the first time the sibling rivalry reached the college stage.

The Rommel contingent in the crowd sewed together red and orange shirts to wear for the game as they rooted for both teams on the field.

Greg Rommel easily had the upper hand in the meeting. He put up two goals and an assist.

The younger brother did not score until early in the third when the game was already out of hand. When Jeff Rommel fired in Rutgers’ fourth goal of the game, the only cheering in the entire stadium appeared to come from the convoy of Syracuse locals who had come to the game to cheer on the brothers, as Scarlet Knight fans seemed to have lost interest in the game with the Orange leading, 15-4.

Backup buildupBy the end of Sunday’s game, almost the entire Syracuse roster participated in the clash against Rutgers.

Only goalie Casey Rotella, midfielder John Carrozza and defenseman Mark Cahak did not step onto the field.

A couple performances by the back-ups stood out in the Orange’s victory. The most notable accomplishments came from midfielder Joe Coulter and backup goalies Al Cavalieri and Nick Huertas.

Some nifty moves by Coulter elicited a positive reaction from the home crowd. Near the end of the third period, SU defenseman Steve Panarelli scooped up a Rutgers turnover and quickly flipped it to Coulter. The midfielder immediately turned on the jets and darted down the middle of the field. He flung a shot past the goalie just as two Rutgers defensemen slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

On the defensive side, Cavalieri and Huertas combined for five saves in the fourth quarter. The two goalies were appearing for the first time this season, but neither appeared rusty. Huertas made one close-range save during the game’s final minutes that woke up a muted crowd as SU fans cheered for the goalkeeper.

Published on April 14, 2007 at 12:00 pm