John Desko hasn’t even discussed Rob Pannell with his team heading into Syracuse’s matchup with Cornell.

That’s because Pannell, who entered the season as one of the top players in the nation, has been sidelined since he suffered a fracture in his left foot March 3. And the Orange head coach still sees a dangerous Big Red team.

One that has lost just once all season, even without Pannell.

‘You have to prepare knowing that he could possibly be there, that’s an option and we don’t know the status of his injury, so we just got to be prepared to play Cornell,’ Desko said. ‘If Pannell shows up, we’ll have a game plan for that, and if he doesn’t, then we’ve just got to be prepared with what we’ve seen on film these last few weeks.’

The film has impressed Desko. Cornell is 6-1 since Pannell went down, embracing a team concept and remaining one of the most explosive offensive units in the country. The Big Red’s lone loss came to No. 1 Virginia in a 9-8 overtime defeat, and Cornell ranks sixth in scoring offense with 12.89 goals per game. With or without Pannell, Cornell will provide a tremendous challenge to No. 14 Syracuse’s (5-4, 2-1 Big East) defense when it travels to Ithaca to take on No. 5 Cornell (8-1, 4-0 Ivy League) at Schoellkopf Field at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Cornell handed Syracuse its only defeat in the regular season last year, and Pannell led the way with six points. But Desko’s main focus is getting ready for the Big Red that has kept winning without the formidable attack.

‘They are a team. I think they’ve shared it more (without) Pannell there,’ Desko said. ‘Everybody’s adjusted from the films I’ve seen, even the Virginia game when they lost by a goal, I think they were adjusting in that game and still only lost by a goal.’

For Syracuse, the game Tuesday is a chance to build off a much-needed win over Princeton on Saturday after losing two straight. Desko said the Orange has an opportunity to add a quality win to its resume for postseason play.

To earn the marquee win against a top-five opponent, SU defender Matt Harris said the team just needs to play with the same energy it did against the Tigers. The Orange flew all over the field Saturday, forcing Princeton into 19 turnovers.

Syracuse relentlessly harassed the Tigers during Princeton’s clear attempts and offensive possessions. Harris said that aggressive mentality remains a focus for the Orange heading into its matchup with the Big Red. 

‘We’re trying to do the same thing, try and trap a little bit and try and make one guy get the ball so we can double team,’ Harris said. ‘We have a very athletic defensive midfield and our attackmen can even ride as well, so we’re just trying to keep the same concepts, build on what we had at Princeton and go from there.’

The Syracuse defense will need to disrupt Cornell’s offense for the Orange to pull off the upset on the road. Six different Big Red players have tallied at least 10 goals this season, spreading the ball around to a host of playmakers.

That poses a challenge for freshman goaltender Bobby Wardwell, who will likely start in net after earning the win in his debut against the Tigers. Wardwell turned away nine shots Saturday, and he’s ready to see plenty of shots fired his way again Tuesday.

‘They have a great attack, so that will be a little difficult,’ Wardwell said. ‘I think our defense can handle it, though. Obviously we have a great defense. Other than that I know they have a good goalie and just overall, they’re a good team.’

And with another championship-caliber team staring it in the face, Syracuse aims to finally pick up an impressive victory after losing its previous three matchups with top-10 opponents in Virginia, Johns Hopkins and Duke.

But the Orange knows it won’t be easy against a talented Cornell squad on the road. Even if Pannell remains sidelined.

‘Rob’s a great player. He’s arguably the best player in college lacrosse,’ Harris said. ‘But it’s Cornell and they have great pieces waiting to sit behind him and come in, so it might be a little kink in their armor, but they’re still a top-5 team, and their record shows that.’

rjgery@syr.edu

Published on April 9, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu