Syracuse struggled to start the game going down 3-1 with just over five minutes to go in the first quarter. All three, first period goals for Hopkins came off the crosse of Wells Stanwick who picked up the first quarter hat trick. Throughout the first half, the Syracuse defense looked shaky. The Orange long poles were slow on the slides and looked to be ball watching a bit.
Coach Desko expressed his frustration with the defense after the game: "We didn't see anything different than what we had been seeing. We just hesitated a few times.