Syracuse-Albany: Preview and Prediction

Featured photo credit: ualbanysports.com.

The Syracuse Orange look to kick off the 2013 lacrosse season with a win over the Albany Great Danes. Face off is set for 4:00 from the Carrier Dome, and is being televised on Time Warner Cable Sports in the Syracuse market.

Albany is led by all-league player Miles Thompson. Thompson scored 35 goals last season, while also giving out 25 assists. If Albany is going to hang with the Orange in this one, Thompson is going to have to have a great day.

In goal for the Great Danes is sophomore Max Huber. Huber recorded 89 saves in 12 games last season, and is the only experience goalie on the roster for Albany.

The Great Danes are coming off of a tough year last season, going just 5-11 overall with a 3-2 mark in the America East Conference. The Great Danes have taken great strides though, as they are the preseason favorite to win the conference. Syracuse is 10-0 historically against Albany, with their most recent win coming last February in a 12-7 Orange win inside the Dome.

Here is the probable lineup for Syracuse this afternoon:

This game will be interesting from a few aspects. This is a team that was relatively young last season, both in goal and offensively. Syracuse fans will be very curious to see how these guys have progressed from last season, and Albany will be a great test to view that progression. I found it pretty funny hearing the team talk about how they need to “prove people wrong” because they are only ranked in the top 15 instead of the top 5, but thus is Syracuse Lacrosse. I think that Albany keeps it close for a while before Syracuse pulls away in the second quarter and doesn’t look back.

Prediction

Syracuse 13

Albany 5