Paul Gait (left) and Gary Gait (right) led the Orange to the 1989 NCAA title.
'89 NCAA Champs To Be Recognized
3/10/2009 4:38:33 PM | Men's Lacrosse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Members of the 1989 Syracuse men's lacrosse team will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their NCAA Championship with a reunion Saturday, March 14 at the Carrier Dome. More than 20 members of that legendary squad, including Coach Roy Simmons Jr., will be recognized at halftime of second-ranked Syracuse's 2 p.m. game against No. 6 Johns Hopkins.
The 1989 squad was the second of three consecutive Orange NCAA-title winning teams. Syracuse finished that season with a 14-1 overall record, including a thrilling 13-12 victory against Johns Hopkins in the championship game. Ironically, the 1989 Blue Jays featured a defenseman by the name of Dave Pietramala who will also be in the Dome Saturday as the current head coach of his alma mater.
Pietramala's club was the only team to beat the Orange in 1989 as Johns Hopkins defeated Syracuse, 14-13, in the season opener. From there Syracuse reeled off 14 straight wins to secure the program's third NCAA title. The 1989 Orange scored at least 10 goals in every game and topped the 20-goal mark four times, including a season-best 27 in a win against Rutgers.
The team featured nine All-Americans, including first-teamers Gary and Paul Gait, Pat McCabe and John Zulberti. The Gaits and McCabe are all National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductees as is Tom Marechek, who earned second-team All-America recognition in 1989.
McCabe is expected to be on hand Saturday as are All-Americans Mark Stopher, Phil Schulter, Steve Scaramuzzino and a host of other players. Scaramuzzino and Zulberti served as team captains.
Zulberti led the Orange with 78 points (30g, 48a) in 1989 and won the Lt. Col. Jack Turnbull Award as the nation's top attackman. Gary Gait paced the club with 51 goals on his way to winning the Lt. Donald C. MacLaughlin Jr. Award as the USILA Midfielder of the Year. Paul Gait finished the season with 67 points (38g, 29a). He scored 16 points, including nine goals, in the NCAA Tournament and was named the event's Most Outstanding Player. Goalie Matt Palumb started all 15 games and had 171 saves.
This year marks the second straight season an Orange NCAA title team has held a 20-year reunion. In 2008, members of the school's 1988 championship squad were recognized at halftime of the Princeton game.
Postgame | #7 Syracuse at #19 Penn
Monday, March 02
HIGHLIGHTS | #7 Men's Lacrosse at #19 Penn
Sunday, March 01
HIGHLIGHTS | #7 Men's Lacrosse at #10 Princeton
Saturday, February 28
Postgame | #7 Syracuse at #10 Princeton
Saturday, February 28
