With the Orange dropping their schedule on Tuesday, some fans may have been surprised at some games absent from the slate.
The Syracuse Orange men’s lacrosse team was late to the party, but officially announced their schedule this past Tuesday.
Although this year’s 14-game slate is packed with tons of interesting and high-level games, one of the first things fans might notice is the absence of a few of SU’s historic and local rivals.
Hobart
Syracuse has played two local schools 109 times: Hobart and Cornell. Only the Big Red are on the Orange schedule this season, which means it’s a pause in the rivalry with the Statesmen.
This rivalry has been memorialized in the introduction of the Kraus-Simmons Trophy, which is awarded to the game’s winner each year. The Kraus-Simmons Trophy has been awarded every year but once since the year 1986, making this pairing a hallmark of SU’s schedule and a staple of CNY lacrosse.
A primary reason as to why Hobart was removed from the schedule may be SU’s dominance over their local rival. The Orange have only lost 2 of the 24 matchups since the turn of the century.
Albany
This matchup represents two schools that have proudly represented New York Lacrosse at the highest levels over the last 25 years. After becoming a D1 program at the turn of the century, Albany has faced SU 21 times.
With both schools producing historic and iconic players in the history of the game, it is disappointing that a new chapter will not be for the second year in a row.
With Albany only being a couple of hours away, it is also surprising that SU didn’t opt to mix in a local rival into their tough schedule, considering they will be making longer trips to Utah and Maryland. The matchup also has the benefit of putting eyes on lacrosse in New York and potentially developing young fans and the game.
This is another rivalry has become one-sided as of late. In the last 10 matchups between the two, the Orange won eight.
Army
Army and SU have a long-standing rivalry dating back over 100 years and including 70 total matchups between the schools. This includes 22 matchups since the year 2000.
Last year’s matchup between these two was one of the most thrilling lacrosse games I have ever seen, ending in a 14-13 overtime win for Army in The Dome, making it a real shame that the sides will not feature again in this competitive fixture.
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With the growth of D1 lacrosse over the last few years, perhaps it should not be that surprising that SU’s most historic rivals are featuring less frequently on the schedule.
Other major rivals Cornell, Johns-Hopkins, and Virginia will all play SU this year, so there is still going to be some games of interest for Orange fans. Whilst these matchups are often hotly contested against big-name schools, it seems that SU gives less consideration to their historic rivalries that have become one-sided, such as Hobart or Albany.
With the game growing and more teams available, SU seems to have also opted to spread its name and brand instead of staying in its comfort zone. The Orange will travel out to Utah for a significant matchup. The team will also take on Jacksonville, Towson, and Harvard who they have rarely faced.
Hopefully, we will see some of these historic fixtures return next year, but until then, we will just have to hope that SU can earn wins from their current schedule. Stay tuned for updates on these matches and all things Syracuse lacrosse.