Orangemen Face Duke in NCAA Quarterfinals
5/15/2002 7:16:10 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Game 15: NCAA Quarterfinals vs. Duke
Sat., May 18, 2002, 12 p.m., Hofstra Stadium
Listen to the Game
The Syracuse men's lacrosse team earned the No. 2 seed in the 2002 NCAA Division I Championship by virtue of its 12-2 regular-season record and quality wins against highly-regarded opponents Virginia, Princeton, Loyola, Massachusetts and Georgetown. The Orangemen were one of four teams to receive a first-round bye. They are now ready to take on Duke, a team that defeated Hobart, 22-6, in the first round last weekend at Delaware.
The Blue Devils are 8-6 on the season. They have won three of their last four games, including the two that they hosted as part of the ACC Tournament on April 19-21. Duke won the four-team tournament by knocking off Maryland, 8-7 in overtime, and then by beating the previously No. 1-ranked Virginia Cavaliers, 14-13. It proved to be Duke's biggest win of the season and the one that secured its selection in this year's tournament.
Syracuse owns a 3-1 record against the Blue Devils. The last time SU played Duke was in the 1994 NCAA quarterfinals at the Carrier Dome. The Orangemen won, 12-11.
On the Air - Radio
SU's games are broadcast on the school's flagship radio station for lacrosse, ESPN Radio 1260 AM. Andy Jones handles
play-by-play duties, while Syracuse equipment manager Kyle Fetterly serves as the color analyst. The games can be heard through the internet at www.suathletics.com.
WAER FM 88 also broadcasts all the games, led by sports director Andy Demetra.
Television
Time Warner 13 in Syracuse broadcasted all of the Orangemen's home games this season. Doug Wright handled play-by-play duties, while Dale Drypolcher provided analysis.
Orangemen Boast the Nation's Leading Scorer, Are Ranked No. 1 in the Nation in Scoring, Man-Up Offense
According to the May 12th NCAA Division I Statistics, Syracuse is leading the nation in two team categories: scoring offense - 14.43 goals per game and man-up offense - 48.4%. The NCAA releases the Division I statistics each Tuesday on its web site, www.ncaa.org.
SU also ranked high in face-off winning percentage (15th - .561), man-down defense (3rd - .824), scoring margin (3rd - 5.00 goals per game) and overall winning percentage (T2nd - .857).
Individually, Michael Powell is leading the nation in points per game (5.00), while Josh Coffman is 8th with 4.21 points per game. Powell and Coffman are each tied for 13th in goals per game (2.57). Powell is fourth in assists per game (2.43).
The Syracuse vs. Duke Series
Date W/L/T Score Location 4/16/38 W 17-5 Durham, N.C. 3/15/78 L 7-10 Durham, N.C. 3/28/92 W 15-12 Providence, R.I. 5/21/94 W 12-11 Syracuse, N.Y. (NCAA Quarterfinals) Syracuse leads, 3-1
Syracuse and the No. 2 Seed in the NCAA Championship
Syracuse is making its 20th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championship and 23rd appearance overall. This marks the fifth time that SU has earned the No. 2 seed and the first time since 1986. The Orangemen are 8-3 as the No. 2 seed. They advanced to the NCAA finals as the No. 2 seed three times (1983, 1984, 1985). SU captured its first-ever NCAA title as the No. 2 seed in 1983.
Syracuse has won seven championships overall (1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2000).
The Orangemen have now participated in 23 of 32 NCAA tournaments. The championship was inaugurated in 1971 and Syracuse made its first-ever appearance in 1979 (Coach John Desko and Assistant Coach Kevin Donahue's senior year). The Orangemen returned in 1980 and 1981, but failed to qualify in 1982. Since 1983, Syracuse has participated every year.
Orangemen Looking to Make it 20 in a Row
A win against Duke would send the Orangemen to their 20th consecutive appearance in the NCAA semifinals. No other Division I men's lacrosse program owns a streak that long. The only other program that comes close is Johns Hopkins. The Blue Jays advanced to championship weekend 12-straight years from 1976-1987. In NCAA quarterfinal games, Syracuse boasts a 20-2 record and has won 19-straight quarterfinal contests since 1983.
Syracuse Against Teams from the ACC
The Orangemen own a .571 winning percentage against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Virginia is the only team from the league that SU met during the regular season. The Orangemen defeated the Cavs, 15-13, on March 2. SU has played North Carolina (17 times) more than any other ACC opponent.
Syracuse's Record Against Teams from the ACC
Opponent W L T Pct.
Duke 3 1 0 .750
Maryland 5 8 0 .385
North Carolina 11 6 0 .647
Virginia 9 6 0 .600
Totals 28 21 0 .571
SU's NCAA Playoff Games in Hempstead, N.Y.
Syracuse has played three NCAA Tournament games at Hofstra and won all three. In 1997, the Orangemen squared off against Loyola in the quarterfinals and prevailed, 13-12. In 1998, they overcame a six-goal deficit to knock off Virginia, 17-14, in the quarterfinals. Last season, SU fought back from four-goal deficits of 6-2 and 8-4 in the second quarter en route to its 18-13 quarterfinal win against Hofstra.
Long Islanders Come Home for NCAA Quarterfinal Matchup Against Duke
Syracuse has four players on its roster from Long Island. Defenseman Billy St. George (Baldwin) and midfielder Brian Solliday (Bethpage) are two starters who hail from the downstate region.
Bill Perritt, junior midfielder, Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem
Mike Smith, junior midfielder, Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin
Brian Solliday, senior midfielder, Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage
Billy St. George, senior defenseman, Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin
DOME-ination
Syracuse owns a record of 132-11 (.923) at the Carrier Dome. The Orangemen went a perfect 5-0 at home this season. SU is now 17-1 playing at home during the past three seasons. Its last loss at the Dome was an 11-10 loss to Johns Hopkins on March 17, 2001. The first season the Orangemen began playing under the white bubble was 1981.
Syracuse University will host two NCAA lacrosse championship events in 2003. The Carrier Dome will host the women's lacrosse final four on May 16 and 18 in 2003. On the same weekend, the men's lacrosse north region quarterfinals will be held at the Dome on May 17. This is the first time that Syracuse will host an NCAA championship event for women's lacrosse. SU has hosted a men's lacrosse championship game 14 times, including 13 at the Carrier Dome. The last time an NCAA men's lacrosse game was held at the Dome was in 1995 when the Orangemen defeated Princeton, 15-11, in the quarterfinals.
Warm Weather Means Orangemen Heat Up
As the warm weather comes to Central New York, the Syracuse lacrosse team also tends to get hot. Since 1990, SU is 62-6 in the month of April and 12-1 in regular-season May games. The only May regular-season loss the Orangemen have suffered since 1990 was a 17-13 defeat at Georgetown on May 8, 1999. Add those numbers to SU's 26-8 NCAA record since 1990 (all in the month of May) and you will learn that Syracuse has won 100 out of 115 games in April and May since 1990, good for a winning percentage of .869.
Will the Orangemen Tie the Tar Heel Women?
If the Orangemen win their quarterfinal game against Duke, it will extend the school's final four streak to 20 years. Only the North Carolina women's soccer program can boast a similar accomplishment in NCAA Division I athletics.
Surface Notes
In NCAA Tournament play, Syracuse has been successful on both artificial and natural turf. The Orangemen have won six of their seven national championships on natural-grass fields.
W L Pct. Grass Fields 17 11 .607 Artificial Turf Fields 25 4 .862
