Men's Lacrosse Hosts Brown at 2:30 p.m. on March 29
3/28/2003 7:06:47 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Game Seven: vs. Brown (2-3, 0-0 Ivy League)
Sat., March 29, 2:30 p.m. - Carrier Dome - 49,550
The Orangemen overcame a four-goal deficit en route to victory for the third time this season and defeated Hobart, 15-12, in Geneva Tuesday night. Syracuse is now 4-2 on the season and No. 5 in this week's STX/USILA Division I Coaches Poll. It is the lowest SU has been ranked in the national coaches poll since March 19, 2001, when the Orangemen slipped to No. 6, following an 11-10 loss to Johns Hopkins on March 17, 2001. The last time Syracuse lost two of its first six games was 1997.
Brown is on the rebound following a disappointing 8-7 loss to Fairfield at home on Wednesday. The Bears are 2-3 on the season and unranked. Their two wins came against Vermont (7-6 in overtime) on March 1st, and Hartford (13-5) on March 18. In addition to Fairfield, Brown lost decisions to two top-10 programs in Massachusetts (18-6) and Loyola (16-8).
This will be the 16th meeting between Brown and Syracuse in men's lacrosse. The Orangemen own a 14-1 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last five meetings, including last year's 14-13 overtime decision in Providence. Brown's only win in the series was posted March 29, 1997 - a 20-12 victory in the Carrier Dome.
On the Air
Radio<.i>
SU's games will be broadcast on the school's flagship radio station for lacrosse, ESPN Radio 1260 AM. Kyle Fetterly, Roy Simmons Jr. and Matt Park call the action. The games can be heard through the internet at www.suathletics.com. WAER FM 88 also broadcasts all the games, led by sports director Anish Shroff.
Television<.i>
All SU home lacrosse games will be shown on a tape-delayed basis on Time Warner 13 in the Syracuse area. Dale Drypolcher returns as the color analyst, while Doug Wright will handle play-by-play duties. This week's Syracuse-Brown game will air Sunday, March 30, at 7 p.m., on channel 13.
More Than 10,000 Tickets Already Sold for NCAA Lacrosse Championship in Baltimore
All-session ticket sales for the 2003 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships May 24-26 at Ravens Stadium surpassed the 10,000 sold mark by the end of March for the first time ever in the event's history. As of the close of business on March 26th , 10,194 tickets have been sold, shattering the old figure of 7,623 as of March 31 for the 1999 men's lacrosse championships hosted by the University of Maryland. Seating for the Memorial Day Weekend college lacrosse championships will be limited to 32,000 seats in the stadium's lower level and 8,200 luxury seats in the Club Level. The championships commence on Saturday, May 24 with the Division I semifinals. The Division II and Division III titles will be decided on Sunday, May 25. The Division I National Championship game will be played on Monday, May 26. Ticket packages include all three days and all five games of championship play. All-session Club Level tickets are $60.00 each. Lower level all-session tickets are $40.00 each. Parking passes are also available for $25.00 each. Tickets may be ordered through the Baltimore Ravens ticket office at 410-261-RAVE. For more information concerning the championships visit www.lax4baltimore.com and www.ncaachampionships.com. A seating chart for the event may be viewed by visiting www.baltimoreravens.com.
Three Former Orangemen Selected in Major League Lacrosse Supplemental Draft
Three former Orangemen were selected in the Major League Lacrosse Supplemental Draft, held March 26, 2003. Spencer Wright, who played at Syracuse from 1999-2002 and was a second-team All-American last season, was selected in the first round (second pick overall) by the Rochester Rattlers. Andrew Puccia (1990-93) went to Rochester, in the eighth round, while Kevin Kelley (1999-00) joined the Boston Cannons in the eighth round. Rochester has the most former SU players on its roster (10). In addition to Wright and Puccia, eight other former Orangemen will suit up for the Rattlers this summer: Casey and Ryan Powell, Josh Coffman, John Glatzel, Marshall Abrams, Regy Thorpe, Jim Morrissey and Charlie Lockwood.
Vallone Has Nine Goals in SU's Last Two Games
Junior starting midfielder Steve Vallone scored four goals against Princeton last Saturday and then set a new career high with five goals against Hobart. He has connected on 9-of-16 shots (.562) in SU's last two games. The sudden outburst has catapulted Vallone into third place on the team in scoring with a career-high 16 points. He is the squad's second-leading goal scorer with 14 markers. It is the most goals he has tallied in a season so far in his career. He leads the team with five extra-man goals. Vallone has reached a number of personal bests so far this season. He dished out his first two career assists against Fairfield. He also had two goals versus the Stags. The offensive outburst against Hobart marked the sixth multiple-goal game of Vallone's career. Last season, Vallone notched two goals against Army, Cornell and Massachusetts. As a member of SU's top midfield line and the man-up unit, Vallone registered two goals in the season-opening win at Army. He was held without a point in the Virginia game. His career totals are 27 goals, two assists and 29 points.
Banks' Six Points Help Orangemen to Win at Hobart
Senior attackman Liam Banks returned to the field against Princeton March 22, for the first time since the 2001 national championship game. Due to personal reasons, Banks did not play last season. His return to game action was further delayed following a shoulder injury sustained in this year's Navy scrimmage. Banks, a two-time honorable mention All-American, was a starting attackman for the Orangemen in 2000 and 2001. He helped SU to the national championship in 2000 with six goals in the title game. Banks has played in 50 games during his career. He owns 65 goals, 73 assists and 138 points. At Hobart Tuesday evening, Banks sparked the Orangemen with two goals and four assists, the most points for him since April 14, 2001, when he torched Rutgers for a goal and six assists.
A Win Against Brown Will Mark Desko's 60th Victory as Head Coach
John Desko is at the helm of the Syracuse lacrosse program for his fifth season in 2003. His 59-13 record speaks for itself. Desko has been a part of all eight championship seasons at SU. He has led the Orangemen to title-game appearances in each of his four seasons as head coach, the only Division I men's coach to do so. Syracuse is 2-2 in championship games under Desko. His teams have won nearly 82 percent of their games during the past five years, and are 11-2 in the postseason. Last season, Desko led the team to a 15-2 mark, a 20th consecutive appearance in the NCAA semifinals, a national crown and four-straight one-goal wins at the end of the year. Since he accepted the head coaching reigns, Syracuse has had 17 players earn All-America honors. Four of those Orangemen were singled out for player of the year accolades. He and his staff have achieved success by scheduling the nation's toughest competition and coming out on top in those games. Since he took over in 1999, Syracuse is 22-8 against top 10 teams. Desko's first national championship as head coach came in 2000, his second year on the job. It was the school's first title since 1995. The 2000 squad finished with a 15-1 record (the best finish since 1988), and an 18th-consecutive appearance in the final four. A year earlier, Desko became the third head coach in Division I history to reach the NCAA title game in just his first year at the helm. It was the first time a No. 8 seed ever reached the national semifinals and finals. This year, Desko will serve his fourth term as a member of the NCAA Lacrosse Committee, a group that oversees and regulates rules, championships and other issues pertinent to the sport.
