Falcon Lacrosse Welcomes No. 7 Syracuse for Thursday Showdown

GAME 07
Air Force (1-5) vs. No. 7 Syracuse (5-2)
3 p.m. MT, Thursday, March 12
Falcon Stadium – USAF Academy, Colo.

Another lacrosse powerhouse is coming to the Academy as No. 7 Syracuse takes on Falcons on Thursday, March 12. The visit marks first time the Orangemen have made the trip to USAFA. Gametime is slated for 3 p.m. MT.

Base Access
Access procedures at the U.S. Air Force Academy continue to affect athletic events. While the installation remains open, anyone without a DoD ID card must obtain a visitor pass to enter the base.

New this year: Passes will now be issued monthly instead of requiring a separate submission for each event. This means ticket holders only need to complete the form once per month to gain access to all events during that time. Ticket holders can request a base pass using the link provided below.

After registering, you will receive a message on our phone to present at the gate when entering the Academy. Fans must also present their game tickets at each venue. All tickets and credentialed attendees can enter through the North or South gate. North gate is recommended for access to athletic fields; while fans are encouraged to use the North and South gates for football games.

Note: When completing the information from the link, please use the information directly from your driver's license (Robert vs. Bob). Your ID must also be REAL ID compliant. Anyone under 18 will not be required to do a QR code.

Intercollegiate Athletics Access Link, March 2 - March 31, Click HERE.

Coach Wilson Says

A Brief History
The Falcons and Orange Men have met twice in program history; April 1986 and March 2002, with Syracuse winning both games in 20+ point fashion. The last time they played was in Denver's Face-Off Classic in 2002. Syracuse toppled Air Force, 20-8.

A Look at Syracuse
Syracuse will take the field under the command of coach Gary Gait in his sixth season. The Orange knocked off then-no. 1 Maryland on February 13 and recently picked up Top 15 wins against Penn and Johns Hopkins. After picking up the W at Hopkins, Syracuse players Joey Spallina and Jimmy McCool earned ACC weekly honors. The former was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week while the latter was selected ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week.

Spallina racked seven points on four goals and three assists as the Orange knocked off No. 11 Johns Hopkins, 12-8. Spallina scored his four goals on six total shots, five of which were on cage. While having a hand in half of the Orange goals, Spallina helped push Syracuse past the 10.00 goals per game the Blue Jay defense was surrendering on average entering that game.

In net for Syracuse, McCool stopped 14 Blue Jay shots while holding No. 11 Hopkins to its fewest goals at home this season. McCool made saves at a 63.6 percent rate while dropping in an assist to close defenseman Billy Dwan III and helping the Orange clear at nearly 90 percent on the road.

In the Doldrums—For now
The Falcons are on a five-game skid since their season-opening win on February 1 and are averaging just 7.40 goals in those five losses. Despite the turbulence, Air Force tends to bounce back well, turning three of the last four losing starts into winning seasons in the ASUN Conference.

Cunningham Moves into the Record Book
C1C Cole Cunningham, a groundball vacuum, has moved into the all-time top 10 ground balls leaders. Cunningham, with 33 this season and 163 career ground balls, is now tied for eighth with Bryan Gilbreath (2008-11). His 85 ground balls last season were enough for sixth in single-season ground balls.

Freshman Phenom
C4C attacker Christian Schweiger is a force to be reckoned with in the early season. A native of Lebanon, New Jersey, Schweiger leads the Falcons with 13 goals and seven assists so far this season. He has four hat tricks in six appearances, including three-goal games against No. 5 Duke and No. 10 Ohio State.

A Look Ahead
The Falcons hit the road for the road to take on Providence in the non-conference finale, March 21. Action against the Friars at Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium is set for noon ET.