Top Ranked Orangemen Play Host to No. 3 Virginia in Second Game of Lacrosse Doubleheader March 3
3/2/2001 3:12:41 PM | Men's Lacrosse
This will mark the 14th meeting between the Syracuse and Virginia men’s lacrosse teams. The Orangemen own a 7-6 advantage in the series which began in 1938, and have won five of the last six meetings. On March 4, 2000, SU defeated the Cavaliers in Charlottesville, 13-12, in overtime. The last time Virginia beat Syracuse was in the 1999 NCAA title game, 12-10.
Other Odds and Ends About the Syracuse-Virginia Series
Proving how fierce this rivalry has become, just look at the goal
differential between these two teams. During the last six meetings, the
games have been decided by an average margin of 1.67 goals.
In the 13 games played, Syracuse has outscored Virginia, 180-177.
In 1997, the two teams combined for 43 goals in a 22-21 Orange victory. That set an SU record for most goals scored by both teams in a game.
Last Year’s Meeting Between Syracuse and Virginia SU and Virginia met in the first game of the 2000 season for both teams at Klockner Stadium in Charlottesville, VA.
Ryan Powell fired a low shot into the Virginia net at the 2:53 mark of sudden-death overtime to give No. 2-ranked Syracuse a 13-12 victory over No. 1-ranked Virginia in a re-match of the 1999 NCAA championship game.
AGATE RESULTS:
1 2 3 4 OT Final
VIRGINIA 2 4 4 2 0 12
SYRACUSE 5 4 0 3 1 13
Goals: SU - Ryan Powell 4, Josh Coffman 3, Liam Banks 2, Michael
Springer 2, Tom Hardy, Matt Caione. Virginia - David Bruce 3, Drew
McKnight 2, Ian Shure 2, A.J. Shannon 2, Jason Hard, Connor Gill, Chris
Rotelli.
Assists: SU - Powell 2, Coffman 2, Caione 2, Banks, Hardy. Virginia -Jay Jalbert 2, McKnight 2, Hard.
Saves: SU, 19 (Rob Mulligan) Virginia, 10 (Derek Kenney).
Shots: SU 31, Virginia 45.
Ground Balls: SU 57, Virginia 47.
Faceoff: SU 12, Virginia 17.
Penalties: SU 8/6:00, Virginia 6/4:30.
Extra Man Opportunities: SU 3/6, Virginia 2/8.
Att: 4,643
ON THE AIR
Radio
SU’s games will be broadcast on the school’s flagship radio station
for lacrosse, WFBL 1050 AM. Carter Blackburn will handle play-by-play
duties, while Syracuse equipment manager Kyle Fetterly will serve as the
color analyst.
WAER FM 88 will continue its long-standing tradition of broadcasting the games. Andy Jones is the sports director.
Television
Time Warner 13 in Syracuse will broadcast the Orangemen’s seven
remaining home games, including the March 3rd contest against Virginia,
on a tape-delay basis. Ted DeLuca will handle the play-by-play duties,
while Dale Drypolcher will provide analysis.
The broadcast of the SU-Virginia game will air Sunday, March 4 at 7 p.m. on Channel 13.
Collins and Donatelli Also Named to Fall 2000 Athletic Director’s Honor
Roll
Fourteen members of the lacrosse team were named to the Fall 2000 Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, including sophomore midfielder John Collins (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) and freshman goalie Nick Donatelli (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott), who both achieved grade point averages above a 3.5.
The Syracuse Athletic Director’s Honor Roll was started in 1995. Student-athletes must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the semester to be recognized.
Other student-athletes that earned the distinction were Chris Cercy (Bethpage, NY/Bethpage), Jason Januszkiewicz (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park), Dan Stessen (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee), junior John Glatzel (Ellicott City, MD/Boys’ Latin), sophomores Chris Bickel (Berwyn, PA/Conestoga), Sol Bliss (Tully, NY/Tully), Matt Bontaites (Marblehead, MA/Marblehead), Asher Flaum (Rochester, NY/Brighton), Rich MeKeel (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh), Dave Puccia (Watertown, NY/IHC), and freshmen Travis Bryan (Houston, TX/Lamar) and Steve Vallone (Corning, NY/Corning East).
Camp Fire Boys and Girls Team With SU Lacrosse to "Give a Kid a Goal"
Syracuse men’s lacrosse coach John Desko is teaming up with Camp
Fire Boys and Girls to make every goal count for area children during
the 2001 lacrosse season.
The "Give a Kid a Goal" program will raise money that is needed to support ongoing Camp Fire programs for the more than 3,000 children in the Syracuse community that the programs serve. Camp Fire Boys and Girls has been serving the Syracuse area since 1925, with programs that focus on helping area children become caring, confident youth and future leaders.
Individuals, as well as corporate sponsors, are asked to pledge a specified amount for each goal the Orangemen score during the 2001 season, including the NCAA Tournament. During the last six years, the Orangemen have averaged 222 goals per season.
"This is an opportunity for lacrosse and non-lacrosse fans alike to help support an organization that has served this community for decades," Desko said. "We hope that some of our success on the field will carry over into making a positive impact on the lives of this area’s youth."
"Give a Kid a Goal" is supported by the following local sponsors: AT&T, Deluxe Corporation, Keene Communications and Time Warner Cable.
To make a pledge or donation, or for further information on "Give a Kid a Goal," contact Camp Fire Boys and Girls of CNY at (315) 463-8799.
DOME-INATION
Syracuse owns a record of 121-10 (.924) in the Carrier Dome. The
first season the Orangemen began playing under the white bubble was
1981. Listed below are the only games Syracuse has lost in 20 seasons
playing at the Carrier Dome:
Date Opponent Score
April 29, 1981 Cornell 7-13
April 21, 1982 Cortland 10-16
April 11, 1987 Cornell 6-19
March 23, 1991 Johns Hopkins 12-18
May 25, 1991 North Carolina
(NCAA Semis) 13-19
March 14, 1995 Virginia 7-15
March 18, 1995 Johns Hopkins 13-14 OT
March 29, 1997 Brown 12-20
April 4, 1998 Loyola 15-18
April 25, 1999 Princeton 14-15 4OT
Syracuse Program Approaching 700 All-Time WinsThe all-time record of the Syracuse men’s lacrosse program is 689-271-15 (.714). The Orangemen need to win 11 more games this season for the program to reach the 700-win milestone in 2001.
Johns Hopkins is the only program in Division I that has won more than 700 games.
Preseason All-Americans
The Orangemen had the most players (six) of any Division I team
named to Face-Off Yearbook’s 2001 Preseason All-America First Team.
Forty-four coaches submitted their votes.
Attackmen Liam Banks (Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) and Michael Springer (Ridgewood, NJ) were recognized as Preseason First-Team All-Americans along with junior midfielder Josh Coffman (Carthage, NY/Carthage), senior face-off specialist Chris Cercy (Bethpage, NY/Bethpage), junior defenseman John Glatzel (Ellicott City, MD/Boys’ Latin) and senior goalie Rob Mulligan (Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale).
Voted to Face-Off’s Preseason All-American Second Team were midfielder Brian Solliday (Bethpage, NY/Bethpage) and close defenseman Billy St. George (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin).
John Desko: 28-6 as Head Coach, 2-1 vs. Virginia
John Desko is in his third season as head men’s lacrosse coach at
Syracuse. He completed his second season in grand fashion - by winning
the 2000 NCAA Championship!
With a 28-6 record (6-1 postseason) and two trips to the national title game in two years, it is obvious that the Syracuse program is in good hands.
Last season, Desko guided SU to a 15-1 record, the best finish since 1988, an 18th-consecutive appearance in the final four and the school’s first national championship since 1995.
In 1999, Desko became the third head coach in Division I history to reach the NCAA title game in just his first year at the helm. He led the Orangemen to a 12-5 record, a 17th-consecutive trip to the NCAA Final Four and the program’s 10th appearance in an NCAA championship game. It was the first time a No. 8 seed ever reached the national semifinals and finals.
His success after only two seasons has led Desko to opportunities outside of Syracuse. On June 10, 2000, he served as a coach for the north team in the annual North/South Senior All-Star game at Delaware. He is also a member of the NCAA Lacrosse Committee, a group that oversees and regulates rules, championships and other issues pertinent to the sport. Desko was selected to the committee in 1999.
Mulligan Climbing Career Saves Chart at Syracuse
If fifth-year senior Rob Mulligan (Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale)
records at least five saves against Virginia, he will move into seventh
place on the school’s all-time saves chart. If he totals 15 saves
versus the Cavaliers, he will surpass Chris Surran for sixth place.
Mulligan posted 12 saves in the season opener against Colgate. He now
owns 462 career stops.
Mulligan has eight NCAA Tournament games worth of experience under his belt, including starts in the 1999 and 2000 national championship games.
Last season, he ranked eighth among the nation’s Division I goaltenders in goals against average (8.34). He was ninth in save percentage (.614).
If he can continue the trend of the past two seasons when he recorded more than 200 saves, he will end up at least third on SU’s career list behind Jamie Molloy (766) and Tom Nims (692).
Career Goaltender Saves at Syracuse 1. 766 Jamie Molloy 1977-80 2. 692 Tom Nims 1981-85 3. 632 Jason Gebhardt 1994-98 4. 612 Paul Bishop 1971-73 5. 537 Matt Palumb 1987-90 6. 476 Chris Surran 1991-93 7. 466 Alex Rosier 1994-95 8. 462 ROB MULLIGAN 1998-present 9. 431 Alan Brown 1967-69 10. 411 Jim Gyory 1983-84, 86-87Banks Tallies Two Assists Against Colgate
While recovering from an appendectomy forced him to sit out of the Navy and Army scrimmages, junior attackman Liam Banks (Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) returned to play in SU’s season opener against Colgate. He responded with two assists.
Banks owns a string of 21-consecutive games in which he has registered at least one point. He has the most career points (84) of any player on the team.
As a member of the starting attack on last year’s national-champion club, Banks was the only player to score a goal in every game.
He was the team’s third-leading scorer last season with 66 points (39 goals, 27 assists).
Banks became the first SU attackman to be named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament when he scored a career-high six goals (on six shots) and had an assist in the 2000 national championship game against Princeton.
As a freshman, Banks played in 16 games and totalled 16 points (eight goals, eight assists).
Coffman Nets Hat Trick in Season Opener Against Colgate
Junior attackman/midfielder Josh Coffman (Carthage, NY/Carthage)
scored a game-high three goals in SU’s season-opening win against
Colgate. He has now scored a goal in the Orangemen’s last nine games,
dating back to last year.
Coffman’s point-scoring streak stands at 13 games, also dating back to last season. He is the owner of 78 career points (46 goals, 32 assists).
Springer Scores 50th Career Goal Against Colgate
Sophomore attackman Michael Springer (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood)
scored his 50th career goal against Colgate on February 23. He reached
the milestone in just the first game of his second season on the field
for the Orangemen.
Springer is averaging 2.94 goals per game for his career.
He has scored at least one point in every game he has appeared in for the Orangemen (17 games), including SU’s season opener against Colgate. Springer had two goals and two assists versus the Red Raiders. He owns a string of eight consecutive games with four or more points dating back to last season.
Springer has had 14 games in his brief career in which he has posted four or more points. He has 72 points for his career, including 50 goals and 22 assists.
Last season, Springer averaged 3.00 goals per game to finish in a tie for fifth in the nation in that category.
Powell Among Scoring Leaders in His Collegiate Debut
First-year attackman Michael Powell (Carthage, NY/Carthage) tied
teammate Michael Springer with a game-high four points against Colgate.
Powell had one goal, a team-high three assists and three ground balls in
his collegiate debut. He found the back of the net on the only shot he
attempted in the game.
Januszkiewicz Scores Career-High Two Goals Against Colgate Senior midfielder Jason Januszkiewicz (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) netted SU’s first goal of the 2001 season at the 12:07 mark of the first quarter against Colgate. He went on to tally a career-high two goals against the Red Raiders.
Januszkiewicz entered the contest with just two goals and three points for his career. He now has five career points (four goals, one assist).
Solliday Strikes Twice Against Red Raiders
Junior midfielder Brian Solliday (Bethpage, NY/Bethpage) had
back-to-back first quarter goals against Colgate. He finished with two
goals for the game, his first time back on the field for the Orangemen
since May 31, 1999.
Solliday has 23 career goals and four career assists for 27 points during his Syracuse career.
Nee Notches Two Goals in Collegiate Debut
First-year attackman Brian Nee (Cockeysville, MD/Boys’ Latin)
started his Syracuse lacrosse career with two goals against Colgate. He
was responsible for the contest’s only extra-man goal, the first score
of the third quarter which put SU ahead, 8-1. Michael Springer assisted
on the play.
Three Defensemen Serve as 2001 Tri-Captains
The Syracuse team captains this season are fifth-year senior
goaltender Rob Mulligan (Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale), junior close
defenseman John Glatzel (Ellicott City, MD/Boys’ Latin) and senior
long-stick midfielder Jay Abendroth (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius).
They were selected by a team vote in October.
This is the first time being named captain at Syracuse for Glatzel or Abendroth. Mulligan was one of five team captains last year.
Cercy Juggles Full Course Load This Semester With Lacrosse
Senior midfielder and face-off specialist Chris Cercy (Bethpage,
NY/Bethpage) picked up where he left off at the end of last season. He
won 13-of-18 faceoffs for a .722 winning percentage against Colgate.
Last season, Cercy led the nation in face-off winning percentage (.711).
Cercy has set another goal for himself this season, which is to graduate on time. In order to do this, Cercy is taking 20 credits this semester. He is majoring in finance and already made the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the fall semester.
Nee Still Out with Knee Injury
Junior defenseman Tom Nee (Cockeysville, MD/Boys’ Latin) will not
play against Virginia due to a torn ACL in his right knee. He injured
his knee in practice prior to the Navy scrimmage and has yet to compete
for the Orangemen this season.
Nee will put off having surgery until after the season. He will most likely return in a few weeks with the aid of a knee brace. He and the SU athletic training staff are hoping that he will be ready to play either for the Johns Hopkins game on March 17 or for the Princeton game on March 24.
In high school, Nee went through a similar situation when he tore the ACL in his left knee and played out the season without having surgery.
Retired Coach Simmons to be Honored This June
Retired Syracuse coach Roy Simmons Jr., who won more Division I
national championships than any other coach (six), will be honored this
June, along with SU football great, James Ridlon, by the Everson Art
Museum in Syracuse.
This year, the fund-raiser for the Everson is called "The Sports Picnic". The Honorary Chairman is Bob Costas.
Both Simmons and Ridlon will donate four of their own works of art to the fund-raiser, which is being held in order to build an additon on to the museum.
