Men's Lacrosse

Jordan Evans and Nick Mariano orchestrate offense in No. 6 Syracuse’s 19-6, season-opening win over Siena

Evan Jenkins | Staff Photographer

Jordan Evans and Nick Mariano assisted on 12 of the Orange's 19 goals

The question mark surrounding Syracuse’s offense loomed heading into its season opener. The Orange had lost top points scorer and “quarterback” Dylan Donahue to graduation. Before the season, SU head coach John Desko said senior Jordan Evans, the most experienced attack and wearer of No. 22, needed to step up.

On Saturday, Evans did just that, helping facilitate the offense like Desko asked. And he was not alone. Senior Nick Mariano mirrored Evans’ production as the duo filled the quarterback gap to combine for six goals and nine assists. The pair orchestrated No. 6 Syracuse’s (1-0) fourth consecutive season-opening win against Siena (0-1), 19-6.

“(Evans and Mariano) played well and finished well,” Desko said. “They played well together because of how they understand the offense.”

On three separate occasions, Evans and Mariano were a part of putting together three or more consecutive Syracuse scores. The duo assisted each other twice during a five-point streak mid-game that pushed SU’s lead to double-digits and the offense clicked in the team’s first game without Donahue since 2013.

In the third quarter, Siena’s goalie Aaron Lewis picked up the ball off the ground and darted to his left. Evans ran at Lewis, who tried turning and firing the ball across the field to his teammate. When he began to pass, Evans knocked his stick deflected the ball down.



Quickly, he scooped up the ball and found Mariano already cutting toward the empty net. Lewis ran back and dove block the shot. It was too late. Mariano registered his third goal.

On 12 different scoring plays for SU, Evans or Mariano had assisted or scored. Evans’ career-high eight total points was quickly followed with Mariano’s career-high of seven. For Mariano’s six shots on goal, Evans was right behind with five. The two seemed to riff off each other’s momentum as SU quickly pulled away after a slow start in the first frame.

“End of the first quarter, Nick and I looked at each other,” Evans said, “and I told him this is the best I’ve played with a duo since I’ve been (at Syracuse).”

While Mariano or Evans had possession, the rest of the team ran off-ball cuts toward the net. Keeping their heads up and quickly making decisions led to multiple opportunities. Like one particular goal from Brendan Bomberry to put SU up 10 with 6:16 to go in the third quarter.

Mariano saw Bomberry cutting right around the cage and instinctively pulled the defenseman toward him. Mariano lofted a pass high that Bomberry reached to grab. The junior transfer wound up and made it 13-3.

“It was all with our guys off ball,” Mariano said. “Our offense is facilitated through everyone; it doesn’t matter who is gonna get the points.”

There doesn’t need to be a singular quarterback, Desko said, that the offense needs to run through. Instead, it seems Syracuse has two signal-callers working in tandem.

And Mariano and Evans are entering just their second year together as teammates. If Saturday’s performance is any indication, the pair might continue SU’s offensive success without a hiccup.

“It’s good to have someone else who really knows the game inside-out,” Evans said, “and knows where to be at the right time.”

Evans is not Donahue. Neither is Mariano. But that did not matter in Syracuse’s season opener.





Top Stories