Orange Faces Undefeated Virginia in NCAA Semifinals on May 27
5/24/2006 5:54:25 PM | Men's Lacrosse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- They’re back! After a one-year absence from NCAA Championship Weekend, the Syracuse Orange is one of the last four remaining teams in Division I for the 23rd time in 24 years. The reward for the fifth-seeded Orange is a semifinal date with top-ranked and undefeated Virginia (15-0) at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, in the second national semifinal game at Lincoln Financial Field. In the first game, the No. 2 seed Maryland (12-4) meets first-time final four participant Massachusetts (12-4) at 11:30 a.m. ESPN2 will televise the games LIVE, led by the broadcast team of Dave Ryan, Quint Kessenich, sideline reporter Rob Simmelkjaer and producer Steve Melton. The winners of the two semifinal games will play for the 2006 NCAA Championship on Monday, May 29, at 1 p.m. ESPN will televise the title game LIVE.
Brian Higgins and Kyle Fetterly are with the Orange throughout the entire postseason on the Syracuse ISP Radio Network (1260 AM) and through Orange All Access at suathletics.com. Orange All Access will have video from all the excitement at this year's final four.
Syracuse (10-4) earned the No. 5 seed in this year’s tournament by virtue of an 8-4 regular-season record. The Orange has won its last nine games, after starting the season with a 1-4 record. This is SU’s 24th trip to the semifinals in 27 NCAA appearances. The Orange improved its NCAA quarterfinal record to 25-2 after beating fourth-seeded Johns Hopkins last Saturday in Stony Brook, 13-12. The Orange has now won its last 23 quarterfinal appearances (1983-2004, 2006). SU beat Harvard in the first round of the playoffs, 11-4.
This will be the 21st meeting between Syracuse and Virginia. SU leads the all-time series 11-9. It is the seventh meeting in the playoffs. Their post-season series is tied at 3-3. Syracuse and Virginia have met four times in the semifinals (1986, 1994, 1995, 2002), once in the quarterfinals (1998) and once for the national championship (1999). The last time these two teams met in the NCAA Tournament was in the 2002 semifinals, a classic that SU won in double overtime, 12-11, thanks to game-tying and game-winning goals by Tom Hardy. Virginia won this year’s regular-season matchup, 20-15, in Charlottesville back on March 4.
Against Harvard in the Carrier Dome, senior attackman Brett Bucktooth registered a career-high seven points (five goals, two assists), including the game’s first three goals by the midway point of the first quarter. The five goals equaled his personal-best which he set earlier this season against Albany.
Sophomore attackman Mike Leveille stood out in the quarterfinal win against Hopkins with four goals and one assist. Senior attackman Joe Yevoli chipped in with two goals and three assists, while goaltender Peter Coluccini collected 16 saves.
The story of the season for Syracuse has been the resiliency of the team after losing four players who were sure to be contributors. Preseason All-American midfielder Greg Rommel suffered a season-ending thumb injury in the second game of the season at Virginia. Starting midfielder Steven Brooks was lost for the season to a knee injury in the opening minutes against Army. Face-off specialist Danny Brennan, a junior who was a key cog in SU’s 2004 national championship run, was ruled academically ineligible before the start of the season. Sophomore midfielder/attackman Greg Niewieroski never really got going because of an early season ankle injury followed by an off-the-field incident which ended his season in early March.
The Syracuse coaching staff deserves major props for keeping the team focused on turning things around by concentrating on fundamentals. They displayed patience and instilled confidence in a group of newcomers, including first-year starting goaltender Peter Coluccini, midfielders Pat Perritt, Dan Hardy, Kenny Nims, Matt Abbott and transfers John Carrozza, Nathan Kenney and Joe Yevoli.
Orange veterans helped bring the new guys along, led by tri-captains John Wright, Steve Panarelli and Brett Bucktooth. The defense improved when sophomore Evan Brady was installed at close defense and Panarelli became free to play the pole. Senior Brian Crockett was asked to sacrifice his own scoring to play a position (midfield) where the team needed him most. Role players emerged and have taken pride in what they are asked to do. Junior Jon Jerome has battled all season at the face-off X and is winning nearly 50 percent of his draws. Junior Craig Hammond uses his exceptional speed on faceoffs and clears.
