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Message: [QUOTE="OrangeXtreme, post: 1728260, member: 41"] [B][I]What Happened: Notre Dame was impressive[/I][/B] [I] [B]Takeaway:[/B] The Fighting Irish reminded everyone why they were the preseason No. 1 and why we shouldn’t discount them. Playing in a venue where they had never won (0-3) and facing a school that was celebrating 100 years of lacrosse with a massive reunion of Orange greats, the deck seemed pretty stacked against the Golden Domers. But that’s just the way they like it. Notre Dame was dominant en route to a 17-7 drubbing of the Orange. The loss snapped a 13-game Dome win streak for SU and marked their worst loss at home since 1987. In the process the Fighting Irish delivered a complete performance, showing balance, toughness, and focus. Offensively Matt Kavanagh (3G, 6A) showed the form that has made him one the best players in college lacrosse. The senior looked fast and fearless while playing his best game of the season. Notre Dame also saw the return of defender Garrett Epple in this one. Epple had missed three games leading up to the Syracuse tilt. His return gives the Irish more versatility with personnel and an upgrade in toughness and experience. [B]Bonus Takeaway:[/B] After a 5-0 start the Orange has dropped three straight and look a little pedestrian. The offense is good but can disappear for long stretches. Still this group is dangerous. The biggest concerns are at the faceoff and the defensive end for the Orange. Ben Williams, one of the game’s best, seems to be beaten up and has faded in the fourth quarter of several games this season, most notably against Hopkins and Duke on the road. The defense struggles off ball and the goaltending has been uneven. Against the Irish starter Warren Hill was pulled as Evan Molloy got a look. Clearing-wise the Orange was abysmal (15-23). The good news is, at least on paper, Syracuse gets a little bit of a breather in the schedule with Hobart and Cornell coming up. The bad news: These games are not played on paper, as both are rivals, and both are on the road. Both, however, offer Syracuse a chance to compete and evaluate as they enter a crucial stretch of the campaign. [/I] [B][URL]http://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/dixon-s-midseason-takeaways-will-parity-translate-to-postseason-/34635/1[/URL][/B] [/QUOTE]

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