Men's lacrosse

Staats says he’s eligible for spring season after sitting out fall due to academic ineligibility

Logan Reidsma | Asst. Photo Editor

Syracuse attack Randy Staats, seen here playing against Duke last March, said Monday he is eligible for the Orange's upcoming season. He was academically ineligible during the fall.

By Sam Blum

Syracuse attack Randy Staats will be eligible to play in the spring after losing his fall eligibility last semester, he said at SU’s media day on Monday.

Staats was in full uniform Monday and said he was excited for the 2015 season, which starts on Feb. 7, while noting that his fall ineligibility was “unfortunate.” He said he was supposed to take a summer class that he didn’t end up taking, which forced him to miss the Orange’s fall season. He said, though, that he was still able to practice with the team.

He said he was aware that he had to take the class and that he was signed up for it, but that he made the decision not to take the class regardless.

“I was like, ‘Ehh,’” Staats said, “and it worked out to be all good anyway.”

As a result he missed the alumni game scrimmage and scrimmages against Bellarmine and Binghamton as a result, but said his main focus is now playing in the spring, which he was able to do because he took more classes in the fall.



He participated in the Federation of International Lacrosse World Championship over the summer and scored 13 goals and recorded eight assists for the Iroquois Nationals, which took home the bronze medal. But doing that and traveling made focusing on homework too difficult, he said.

“The big picture is this year, and this season,” Staats said.

Desko said Staats was able to get on the field so quickly last season because of how quickly he picked up on the offense despite starting practice with about a week and a half to go before the season started.

He ended up second on the team in points (56), third in goals (33) and second in assists (23), despite playing in just 14 of 16 games with nine starts on the attack.

Now, with nearly a full season under his belt and a fall semester of practice, he figures to play a prominent role in an attack that returns Staats, along with its two other offensive stars in Kevin Rice and Dylan Donahue.

“I think you can expect great things from him,” SU head coach John Desko said. “It’s great to have him back… He had a great fall and we’re excited to have him back out there.”





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