The 2008 season began with arguably the hammerhead’s toughest opponent, SUNY Brockport. Going into the game, Syracuse knew that they would have to contain the well-organized and explosive back line of the Doggies. From the opening kick off it was a hard hitting smash mouth rugby game with both teams tackling well. The doggies were extremely well coached and very effective on the floor. They were able to retain and successfully poach the ball at the breakdowns. When the half time whistle blew Brockport had the lead 22-13. Once the second half began, Syracuse stepped up their defense and knew that conditioning was superior to the larger Brockport team. Strong forward play and excellent support gave the Hammerheads the lead with three minutes left. Strong defense and solid organization in the closing minutes secured the ‘Cuse victory 23-22.

  The Syracuse DIII team saw its first action against the Oswego club in week one. The boys in orange came out strong against their opponent. Following their game plan, ‘cuse used strong defensive pressure and a fluid offense to manipulate the game. However, Oswego’s backs were too much for the Hammerheads. The final score of 29-5 did not truly reflect the fight put up by the orange.