Syracuse’s defensive slides were too sloppy, communication was weak and 16 goals were just too many.

Even when the Orange double-teamed Albany, the Great Danes’ attack had its way Sunday.

“We knew their attack was good, but I don’t think we were expecting them to come out firing as hot as they did,” sophomore defender Brandon Mullins said. “Kind of being surprised like that, it just threw us off-guard the whole game.”

After allowing eight first-half goals, the Orange played from behind the rest of the game, and Albany continued to score from close range on blown defensive coverages. Syracuse’s defense must regroup when it hosts Army this weekend in the Carrier Dome.

The Black Knights play a more physical attack that will look to fire from outside, different from an Albany team that attacked in close. Six-foot-3, 231-pound attack Garrett Thul leads the unit. In three games, he has 12 goals on 45 shots. Midfielder John Glesener will rotate in and out of attack.

“They switch it up, they go back and forth with it, so you got to be ready for that,” SU head coach John Desko said. “Those are two big, strong physical players who can really shoot the ball hard from the outside.”

Thul and Glesener will break through double-teams and slides, Desko said. And while the Orange can’t fully plan for physical dominance, it can scout better in preparation and talk better on the field.

Albany’s game-winning goal Sunday came off of a missed slide. Defender Brian Megill slid to cover Lyle Thompson in the first minute of the second overtime, leaving Miles Thompson open on the crease. No one covered for Megilll when a midfielder should have checked down.

SU goaltender Bobby Wardwell said he thinks it came down to communication. Two or three players moved to cover Lyle Thompson, and a couple Great Danes were left open on the backside.

Mullins chalks the defeat up to more than communication. Even when the Orange could get two defenders on an attack, it couldn’t stop the quick hands and feet of the Thompsons.

SU will have to push out more on defense and tie up the hands of the Black Knights shooters. Mullins expects a physical battle throughout with picks to free up Thul. Still, Army presents a more manageable challenge.

“I have a feeling they’re going to be a little more traditional,” Mullins said. “I think our defense will be able to adjust a little more to what they’re used to.”

Army will be better scouted, too. Megill rattled off Thul and Glesener’s shooting stats after watching film of Army’s victories over Virginia Military Institute and Massachusetts. Mullins used the game tape from SU’s loss to look for adjustments.

Even with the tinkering and improvements, SU’s defense is expecting a long, brutal fight in front of a sizable pro-Black Knights crowd.

“There’s no coming-to-the-Dome jitters, they’re used to it, they come here every year,” Megill said. “And they never quit, I mean, they’re Army. They’re the Army.”

Published on February 20, 2013 at 1:52 am

Contact Jacob: jmklinge@syr.edu | @Jacob_Klinger_