'Cuse-Hopkins Rivalry Renewed Saturday

Buy Tickets | Watch/Listen Live | Live Stats | Game Notes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The two most storied programs in college lacrosse renew their annual rivalry on Saturday, March 14 when No. 6 Johns Hopkins (3-1) invades the Carrier Dome for a 2 p.m. matchup with No. 2 Syracuse (3-1). It marks the 27th consecutive season the two schools have met at least once dating back to 1983. Saturday's game is a rematch of last year's NCAA title game won by the Orange, 13-10, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

Tickets are available online at SUathletics.com, over the phone (1-888-DOMETIX), or in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office during normal business hours. Fans will be able to receive their tickets right after purchase by using the "Ticketfast" delivery method. 'Cuse Kids Club members get in free with their membership card. Gates will open at 12:30 p.m. Fans should plan on arriving early as a large crowd is expected.

Saturday's game will air live locally on Time Warner Sports 26 in Syracuse. Fans can listen to the action via the Syracuse ISP Sports Network's flagship station TK 99 (99.5 FM). The audio and video streams of the broadcast are available world-wide on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All Access.

LORDS OF THE RING

Syracuse and Johns Hopkins have combined to win half (19) of the 38 NCAA Championships since men's lacrosse became an NCAA-sponsored sport in 1971. The Orange has an NCAA-record 10 NCAA titles. Johns Hopkins has nine.

WINNING TRADITIONS

The Orange and Blue Jays are the two winningest programs in Division I lacrosse. Johns Hopkins is the only program with more than 800 all-time victories and it enters Saturday's game with 885 wins since it began playing the sport in 1883. Syracuse is second on that list with 780 all-time wins dating back to 1916.

1989 NCAA CHAMPS CELEBRATE 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Members of the 1989 Syracuse men's lacrosse team will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their NCAA Championship with a reunion on March 14 at the Carrier Dome. More than 20 members of that squad will be recognized at halftime of Saturday's game. 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.

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.

KEOGH TAKES OVER GOALS LEAD

Sophomore attackman Stephen Keogh netted four goals at Georgetown on March 7 to increase his season total to 13, which leads the team. The performance vaulted him into seventh in the nation in goals per game (3.25) and 12th in points per game (4.25). Keogh is second on the team with 17 total points. Keogh has had two five-point showings already this season. He scored a career-high seven points, including five goals, against Providence. He also had an assist in addition to his four goals against the Hoyas.

ABBOTT BREAKS OUT AGAINST GEORGETOWN

Senior midfielder Matt Abbott had his best offensive game of the season on March 7 at Georgetown. He tied his career-best with three points, including two goals in SU's 3-0 scoring in the second half that clinched the victory. It was the sixth multi-goal game of his career.

AMIDON STEPPING UP

Sophomore midfielder Josh Amidon has found his offensive stride as a member of SU's second midfield this season. Amidon already has five goals and seven points through four games. He scored five goals and totaled six points all of last season. He's proved to be a marksman from outside and he ranks second on the Orange in shooting percentage (.625, 5-8) among players with at least five shot attempts.

SCOUTING THE BLUE JAYS

Johns Hopkins has won its last two games since losing to Princeton, 14-18, on Feb. 28 and enters Saturday's game with a 3-1 record. Sophomore Kyle Wharton leads the squad in points (14) and goals (11). He scored a career-best five goals in the Blue Jays most recent outing, a 12-7 victory versus Hofstra. Junior midfielder Michael Kimmel has been the team's best feeder with six assists. The defense is led by senior Tewaaraton Trophy candidates Matt Drenan and Michael Evans. Both have started all four games and Drenan leads the squad with 18 ground balls.

Like Syracuse, the Blue Jays have been hit by injuries at the faceoff X. The team's best faceoff man, Matt Dolente, missed the Hofstra game and was replaced by freshman Marshall Burkhart and junior Michael Powers. Powers was 6-of-9 on faceoffs against the Pride.

Dave Pietramala is in his ninth season as the head coach of his alma mater and his 12th year as a collegiate head coach. He owns a 122-43 career record and ranks fourth on the NCAA's list of winningest active coaches by percentage. Pietramala has guided the Blue Jays to two NCAA Championships (2005 and 2007). He is 99-26 since taking over at Johns Hopkins in 2001. He goes for his 100th win as head coach of the Blue Jays Saturday against Syracuse.

THE SERIES

The Blue Jays own a 26-19-1 advantage in the all-time series, but the Orange won both contests last season. Syracuse defeated the Blue Jays, 14-13, in overtime at Homewood Field during the 2008 regular season and 13-10 in the national championship game. With a win Saturday, Syracuse can match its longest winning streak in the series. The Orange won three consecutive meetings from 1986 to 1988.

Syracuse holds the edge in NCAA Tournament pairings with the Blue Jays. The Orange is 8-4 all-time against Johns Hopkins in the postseason. Five of those tournament meetings (1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 2008) were in the NCAA Championship game with the national title on the line. The Orange won three, defeating the Blue Jays in 1983, 1989 and 2008 to win the national crown.

Syracuse University Athletics

Next Event

Related Videos