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Will Mark was locked in from the jump.

Less than 30 seconds into the game, Mac Fotiades’ quick-stick turnaround shot was deflected by Mark, but the Blue Devils recovered. After another 27 seconds, Benn Johnston fired a second shot-on-goal, which Mark snagged with his crosse before hurling the outlet pass. He looked quicker and more sure of himself than he had in other top matchups.

Things only got better from there. The rest of Syracuse’s defense settled in after Mark’s grand introduction, contesting nearly every shot the Blue Devils took on Wednesday night. It resulted in just four goals for the defending national runner-ups, their fewest since Feb. 18th, 2012, against Notre Dame.

“Will Mark led the way today… which is incredible, especially against probably the most potent offense in the country,” Gait said. “The defense was incredible. They trusted each other, they played team lacrosse.”

By the game’s end, Syracuse dismantled the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense (17.9 goals per game coming in). In No. 6 Syracuse’s (8-2, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) 10-4 win over No. 4 Duke (8-2, 0-1 ACC), Mark’s 14 saves were his second-most this season while his 77.8% save percentage is the grad student’s Syracuse career-high. His consistency between the pipes was partially a product of elite shot contention by his defenders in front, and reigning Tewaaraton winner Brennan O’Neill was held to just one goal on 11 shots because of it.

“We have a quote going, ‘play at the speed of trust,’” Mark said. “To be able to play so freely and so fast and aggressive because you know there’s five, six guys behind you ready to get your back, I think that’s been a big part of our defense being successful recently. It’s just playing with trust in each other.”

Mark trusted his teammates tonight because his quickness in and out of the pipes was accentuated. In the fourth quarter, when the game was all but over, Mark made an acrobatic save to swat a doorstep finish. After a high fake from the left wing, Josh Zawada dropped his stick low for a five-hole finish, but Mark wasn’t fooled. He went down to meet the shot for his 13th save of the night.

Zawada — who’s tied with O’Neill for 10th in the nation in points per game — was also held to a single goal. Dyson Williams’ 31 goals in nine games did nothing for him against Mark and company, as he was blanked for the first time this season. Mark saved three shots each from O’Neill, Williams and Zawada — one of the best attack units in the nation.

In the third quarter, Billy Dwan pushed O’Neill out so he couldn’t get topside. That’s when the slide from Nathan LeVine forced a pass back to X, and Mark jumped in front of it to cause a turnover. This possession switch paid dividends for Syracuse on the other end, as Owen Hiltz went low-to-high for a textbook score, which began on a 3-0 Syracuse run.

Gait said that he saw very few shots from the Blue Devils that didn’t feature a Syracuse stick on the gloves or in the gut. Thus, Mark didn’t have to prepare for the barrage of step-down missiles he faced against Army and Maryland.

The defensive communication was on another level on Wednesday, and very few mistakes were made. 19 turnovers are the most of any Syracuse opponent this season, and it came from what’s usually an offensive powerhouse. But in the JMA Wireless Dome, they looked more like Manhattan than Maryland.

“I think the key to goaltending is treating every shot the same, not overthinking anything,” Mark said. “A big thing I like to do is look at spots, like where they are shooting from so I can be ready. But at the end of the day, I just want to go in there with a clear head, trust my instincts and my training and just see the ball.”

Mark saw the ball clearly all game, even when it started behind him. Two separate X dodges in the second quarter – from Alex Slusher and Zawada – were snagged by Mark before the shooter could slam it into the high corner. But Mark didn’t discriminate, saving shots low, high, off the bounces and from all different angles.

Earlier this year, Mark said he was still looking for a “perfect” defensive performance from the squad. This is what he had to say about how today’s game stacks up:

“I guess a perfect 60 minutes would be 0 goals,” Mark said with a laugh. “But in terms of ACC lacrosse, you couldn’t ask for a better game defensively.”

Published on March 21, 2024 at 12:30 am

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu