This Day in Dome History: May 22
5/22/2006 3:13:21 PM | Men's Lacrosse, Dome 25
The Syracuse men's lacrosse team has advanced to championship weekend with wins in the Carrier Dome. The Orange went on to win the national championship in both of those seasons.
SU put its 12-game winning streak on the line when it hosted Navy in the quarterfinals of the 1988 NCAA Tournament. Gary Gait scored Syracuse's first goal on an assist from his brother, Paul. Gary then returned the favor, assisting on Paul's goal to give SU a 2-0 lead. The Gait brothers combined for 16 goals and seven assists in the game. Syracuse broke the game open in the second half. Leading 9-4 at halftime, the Orange outscored Navy, 14-1, in the second half for a 23-5 victory. Gary Gait finished with nine goals and three assists, while Paul added seven goals and four assists. The win improved SU's record to 13-0. Syracuse went on to defeat Pennsylvania and Cornell the next weekend to win the school's second national title.
In 1993, the Orange hosted Hofstra in the quarterfinals. Syracuse scored the first six goals of the game and posted a 20-8 victory. Twelve different players scored for SU, including Matt Riter who scored a game-high seven goals to go along with two assists. Chris Surran anchored the Orange defense, recording 13 saves. The win setup a national semifinal game against defending national champion Princeton. The Orange avenged its overtime loss in the 1992 national final with a 15-9 victory. Syracuse defeated North Carolina in the championship game, 13-12, giving the Orange its fifth national championship.
More than 23.5 million people have passed through the revolving doors of the Carrier Dome since the building’s first public event on September 20, 1980. Throughout the 2005-06 SU athletics seasons the University will celebrate the first 25 years of the Loud House.
In the first 25 years of the Dome, more than 1,740 events were staged, including collegiate, professional and high school athletics events, University commencement, concerts, a circus, and community events. These activities are chronicled in the more than 100 photographs that are currently in the concourse of the Dome. Fans who attend events in the Dome can re-live the memories with these photos.
