So, look for the Orange to push the ball from defense to offense. Syracuse wants to keep constant pressure on Cornell and not allow the Big Red to get Seibald and Glynn off the field. The idea is to make both those players stay on as long as possible and wear them down.
The Orange has a numbers advantage on attack, as well. Most teams play with three, but the Orange starts Stephen Keogh (47, 6), Kenny Nims (31, 42) and Chris Daniello (20, 3) and rotates in Tim Desko (13, 4) and Cody Jamieson (7, 2).
The Orange attacks in waves because Syracuse can shock and awe an opponent. The Orange is unrelenting, especially on offense, where it averages 15 goals a game. Syracuse has scored 13 or more goals in 10 games this season.
It's an improbable task for Cornell to upset Syracuse today, but not impossible. The Big Red plays the perfect style to pull off the victory. Besides being methodical on offense, Glynn is the top faceoff specialist in the college game, which means Cornell will get its share of possessions. The Big Red has a 564-434 advantage in ground balls over its opponents this season, and few teams can outhit the Big Red.
Cornell has a great work ethic, and fortunately for the Big Red, it didn't have to expend a lot of energy in its win over Virginia. Unfortunately for Cornell, neither did Syracuse in the Orange's lopsided victory over Duke.
"In practice, no matter what drill it has been, we've taken a much more focused look at how we're doing controlling the pace of the game," Seibald said. "If we can focus on that tomorrow, I think we have a good chance at the end."
There are two magic numbers for this game, and the first one is 11. If Cornell can hold Syracuse to fewer than 11 goals, the Big Red can win. The other is 13. Cornell goalie Jake Myers has to make somewhere near 13 saves to keep the Big Red in the game because Syracuse will get its share of shots.
One way or another, Syracuse always puts on pressure. The Orange can do that because of an abundance of talent, which wears down an opponent. And it will probably happen today against Cornell because the Big Red has had only two days to recover from its previous game.
It's a near-perfect opportunity for Syracuse.
Today's game
Inside
After a long journey, Rocco Romero and Cornell look to stop reigning champ Syracuse
PG 10
Today's game
Syracuse vs. Cornell
1 p.m., ESPN, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
