Syracuse topped the Vermont 14-7 through four quarters of a scrimmage on Sunday. After its fall season ended early due to the mumps outbreak on campus, Sunday was Syracuse’s first look at different colored jerseys since Towson ended SU’s season on May 21.

Here are three takeaways from the scrimmage.

Dom Madonna appears to be the new starting goalie

After two years of Evan Molloy in the cage, it looks like head coach John Desko has found his replacement in Dom Madonna. The redshirt senior started in goal for the Orange in its first scrimmage of the season against Vermont. Madonna held the Catamounts scoreless in the first frame, and looked comfortable in the cage.

“I thought he was terrific in the first half,” Desko said. “He’s a fifth-year guy and how he played in the scrimmage is how he played in our practices this spring and this fall.”

As of today, Madonna will be in goal come SU’s first game on Feb. 10 against Binghamton, Desko said.

In the scrimmage, Desko turned to his backups in the second half, subbing sophomore Drake Porter in for Madonna. In 15 minutes of play, Porter surrendered only one goal, while making several impressive one-on-one saves. While Madonna looks like the starter, Porter played well.

“I really just want to show what I’m capable of,” Porter said, “… getting a lot of time with our starting group (of defenders), just to really talk to them and make sure they respect in the cage, and listen to me and I know what’s going on with them.”

New-look offense struggles in first half

In Syracuse’s first competition since its season-ending loss to Towson last year, the offense struggled in the opening half.

Without Sergio Salcido, Nick Mariano and Jordan Evans, its top three points scorers from 2017, the new offense totaled just five goals and didn’t shoot “particularly well,” head coach John Desko said. Tack on Brendan Bomberry’s early departure and there were only two returning starters playing the majority of the half — sophomore Jamie Trimboli and junior Nate Solomon.

“We started off pretty rough,” Solomon said. “The main difference is putting more (responsibility) on not just those three guys that were here last year, but the whole team.”

Redshirt sophomore Stephen Rehfuss played on the first line of attack alongside Solomon and Bomberry and added two goals in the win. Brad Voigt also worked onto the line when Bomberry went down.

In the second half, Syracuse poured in nine goals, working the ball more and getting open looks. SU ended the game on a four-goal run over the final six minutes.

“Things started to loosen up in the second half, we adjusted with their defense,” Desko said. “We had better possessions in the third quarter than we did in the first half.”

In the midfield, the offense figures to run around Trimboli, the only returning starter. He opened up the game with a score and finished with two goals and an assist in the win. Desko paired Trimboli with freshman Tucker Dordevic and sophomore Peter Dearth on the first-midfield line.

Brendan Bomberry “going to be fine”

Senior midfielder Brendan Bomberry left the scrimmage on Sunday midway through the second quarter, which was earlier than most other starters. Bomberry limped around the sideline with ice on his ankle after exiting the game.

“You know it’s so early in the spring here I think he just twisted his ankle,” Desko said. ‘I think he’s going to be fine.”

Bomberry, who swung between the midfield and attack last year, played attack on Sunday. He will “most likely” play there while bumping up to attack alongside juniors Brad Voigt and Nate Solomon and sophomore Stephen Rehfuss, Desko said.

“You may see Voigt or Bomberry in the midfield,” Desko said. “You may even see Solomon at the midfield and Voigt and Bomberry in there. We’ll wait and see, it’s too early to tell.”

Published on January 21, 2018 at 5:35 pm

Contact Matt: mdliberm@syr.edu