Welcome to The House of Pain
3/28/2001 9:51:17 AM | Men's Lacrosse
By Jerry Barca
Helmets on and some sticks raised as the 48 members of the Syracuse men's lacrosse team pack the tunnel.
The theme from the movie Braveheart plays from the ceiling speakers of the Dome and the disjointed group falls into two single-file lines as they exit the 10-foot wide opening. Wearing No. 22, freshman Michael Powell brings up the rear of one of the lines.
The team takes up half the field to stretch out. A series of symphonic songs including the theme to the movie Gladiator play until the hard-rap song "Just Another Victim" breaks the series of wordless songs.
And that is what visiting teams have been in the Carrier Dome, just another victim, 123 victims to be exact.
"They call it (the Carrier Dome) the House of Pain, enough said there," Powell said.
Since 1981, when the Orangemen started playing lacrosse in the Dome, they are 123-11. In the Dome, Syracuse has put together 12 undefeated seasons and winning streaks of 37, 26 and 21. Unlike other college lacrosse fields, Syracuse's home field is an inside, climate controlled environment carpeted with artificial turf.
"It is a pretty tough hurdle for teams to come and play in the Dome," said Roy Simmons III, SU's assistant coach. "We feel like it is at least a couple-goal advantage for us."
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| John Desko |
Syracuse head coach John Desko recalls a conversation with Virginia head coach Dom Starsia in which Starsia said a game in the Dome takes on a life of its own.
"You've got distractions in the Dome that you don't have anywhere else," Desko said. "Visiting goalies have to adjust to stopping a white ball that has the background of our silver endzone bleachers. With our fans and the roof to enclose all the sound, there is a lot of noise."
In late February,1997 Starsia's No. 2-ranked Virginia squad had a19-12 lead midway through the third quarter in the Carrier Dome. In front of 10, 960 fans and led by Casey Powell, one of Michael's two older brothers who played at SU, the third-ranked Orangemen scored seven unanswered goals to tie the game at 19. The game-winner for the Orange came with two and a half minutes left when Casey Powell scored his SU-record 13th point of the game and seventh goal, giving Syracuse a 22-21 advantage.
Redshirting his freshman year, 2001 SU goalie Rob Mulligan was on the sidelines for that Virginia game. It was his first game in the Dome. Just in his pregame warm up, Mulligan said he was shaking he was so nervous.
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| Rob Mulligan |
"The Dome has a mystique about it," Mulligan said. "There are probably some games that Syracuse shoudn't have won there, but did."
As a high school senior Mulligan saw the Orangemen host the University of Massachusetts. With less than 30 seconds to play Massachusetts led 9-7. Adding to the lore of lacrosse in the Dome, Syracuse scored two goals in the final 22 seconds of regulation. A crowd of 5,443 witnessed two-time All-American attackman Rob Kavovit score the game-winner 44 seconds into overtime to give the Orangemen a 10-9 come-from-behind win.
"Teams look forward to playing us in the Dome," Mulligan said. "They circle it on their calendar."
Two of Mulligan's best friends, twin brothers, Chris and Keith Gabrielli, currently play for Massachusetts. In 2000, Mulligan said the twins were excited to be playing at the Dome. The game had a certain hyped-energy surrounding it, he said. This year, the trio of friends approaches the Orangemen's trip to Massachusetts with less excitement, Mulligan said.
Before this season's home loss to Johns Hopkins, Syracuse's most recent loss at home came against Princeton. In front of 6,194 fans on April 25, 1999 Princeton triumphed in a 15-14 quadruple overtime game.
"Playing in the Dome is exciting," said Princeton head coach Bill Tierney. "They have great fans. It is a big-time venue for lacrosse and lacrosse doesn't have many big-time venues."
The fans, the indoor atmosphere and the fast-playing turf all contribute to the Dome's unique atmosphere. The greatest contributors to the venue and the lore are the players and the intangible mystique that filters throughout the place.
Carrying on the legacy of SU's all-time leading scorers, his brothers, Casey and Ryan, Michael Powell knows about the Dome's mystique and lore.
Michael was the first one at his first practice in the Dome. Shooting around before the workout, the youngest Powell was all alone on the field. He walked the turf remembering games he had watched from the stands and recalling moves he had seen his brothers do in games.
"It's just an amazing feeling to be on that field," Powell said.
