NEWARK, Del. — An early Towson run sank Syracuse into a hole it was unable to dig out of, in part due to the Tigers’ third-ranked defense and seven man-up opportunities. The No. 2 Orange (13-3, 4-0 Atlantic Coast) never led in an eventual 10-7 loss to No. 11 Towson (12-4, 4-1 Colonial Athletic) in the NCAA quarterfinals at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware, on Sunday afternoon. This marks the first graduating class without a Final Four appearance since John Desko was a player back in 1979.

Here are the superlatives from the quarterfinals loss:

The Big Moment: First quarter scrum

Fresh off a Jordan Evans turnover, Towson looked to push transition. Evans came from behind the Towson defender while Sergio Salcido came cutting from the middle of the field. A slash sent Towson’s defender diving off to the sidelines and a yellow flag high in the air. After the play, a scrum ensued. With tensions high and Towson up an early 3-0, the double man-up opportunity cued another Tigers goal. Over the next four minutes, Towson found the back of the net two more times, a lead that Syracuse would never come back from.

Stud: Joe Seider

The senior attack dominated the Syracuse defense in the first half. Seider often stood near the top of the offense, waiting for his opportunity to draw a slide or dodge for an open shot. The bullets that came from his stick often found nylon past goalie Evan Molloy, including twice on man-up opportunities.

Dud: Syracuse’s man-up game

The nation’s second best man-up unit had no answers for Towson’s defense. Four separate occasions the Orange drew a man-up, and every time, Towson took possession and waited the penalties out. An area where Syracuse has thrived all season became a nightmare. The group that SU needed to deliver couldn’t string anything together.

Highlight: Nate Solomon’s behind-the-back goal

After a quick faceoff win, redshirt freshman attack Stephen Rehfuss took possession, running out from aside the net. He turned and found Nate Solomon. With his back to the goal, Solomon quickly released a behind-the-back shot over the right shoulder of goalie Matt Hoy. The goal pulled SU within five and contributed toward a late Orange push that would fall just short. Solomon finished with four goals, the only Orange player with more than one goal.

Lowlight: Towson’s 6-0 run in first quarter

For the first time since March of 2015, Syracuse was held scoreless for the entire first quarter. Towson’s packed-in defense limited off-ball movement near the crease and SU was left to create open shots from farther out. Pair the limited opportunities with four penalties and Towson took advantage. Fifteen minutes later, Towson held onto a sturdy six-goal lead and left Syracuse scrambling for answers. With just under a minute left in the game, Syracuse finally scored its seventh goal — just barely edging Towson’s first-quarter total.

Published on May 21, 2017 at 2:32 pm

Contact Charlie: csdistur@syr.edu | @charliedisturco