In a departure from its traditional road orange, the Syracuse men's lacrosse team will debut custom anthracite Nike Vapor uniforms this weekend at Princeton. The Vapor is Nike's lightest lacrosse uniform to date and the Orange is one of three teams (Virginia and Duke are the others) it was offered to this spring. What makes the Syracuse version special is that it's the only one available in anthracite – a dynamic shade of gray developed exclusively by Nike.
The Vapor jerseys are made from lightweight 100% recycled Dri-Fit body fabric which is optimal for moisture management. The jerseys and shorts also include Dri-Fit mesh panels that provide ventilation for high-temperature areas of the body.
As part of the custom design, the shoulders of the jersey feature an orange screen print of the Syracuse University Hall of Languages facade. It's the same element Nike used as part of its aerographics design for the SU men's basketball jerseys.
To complement the uniforms, Syracuse will don new Cascade Matte Grey CPX-R helmets. The helmets include SU's signature block "S" logo and feature a custom orange chinstrap. The letters "HHH" adorn the titanium facemask in a nod to the "Head, Heart, Hustle" motto that has defined the program for years. The letters are also a reference to the team's 2013 Twitter-based theme #HHH.
Finally, Syracuse will unveil gray versions of the STX Shadow and Nike Vapor Elite gloves to complete the makeover and create a two-tone look that's sure to be one of the most unique in college lacrosse this season.