Between The Lines

Trivia Question (Low Scoring, but Winning Edition): When's the last season the men's lacrosse team won multiple games in which it scored five or fewer goals?

Your Questions: Want them answered? Your tweets always welcome @BrianHigginsSU.

This week: This lacrosse team will try its best not to send Brian Megill's father to the hospital. “I know my dad tells me he gets a heart attack every game now,” Megill said of his squad's recent penchant for close victories. “It's good that we can come out and win when we have to, and in those tight games that we keep our composure and the offense always finds a way to put the ball in the back of the net.”

Already this season five games have been decided by two goals or less. In case you haven't noticed the Orange remain undefeated. All told last year, only four games were that tight the entire season. In the 2009 title season, also just four. 2008's title campaign rode a wilder roller coaster, with seven tight finishes. The exception this season compared to the previous three is the Orange remain unblemished in their nail biters.

John Galloway's started in goal in each of those 20 aforementioned close finishes. They account for 15 of his NCAA record-tying 51 career wins. “Yeah I think we're sick and tired of this. I think we've proved it to ourselves we can win, so we can start blowing teams out, that's what we're looking forward to. The schedule has proposed some serious challenges. I can't remember in my four years a tougher schedule. This is a top-five team in the country we have to go and play after two one-goal games. It's been a challenge for our team, but I think it's a character builder.”

Among the close wins this year are Stephen Keogh's two overtime winners against Georgetown and Hopkins. OT magic is good news for the Orange. Each of the last three playoff campaigns have featured an overtime game. Mike Leveille won the 2008 Final Four matchup with Virginia in double OT. Cody Jamieson ended the 2009 season with the national-title winning tally against Cornell. And we need not discuss how last season ended.

Hopefully the Boy Scout's motto will help the Orange come playoff time, because without question they will be prepared for some close calls. “It's a good feeling knowing we can pull out wins like that,” last week's game winner JoJo Marasco said. “Even in double overtime, overtime against the best teams in the country.”

Higgo's Hero: The Clock. It's been the Orange's best friend this season, always containing just enough time for yet another win. Overtime? A second overtime? Keep on ticking as long as you need clock, you're this week's hero.

Also This Week: The last three national champs are in the New Meadowlands for the Big City Classic and Giants fan Brian Megill plans on exploring. “Very very exictied, I mean I can't wait. Last year a couple of the guys got to get into the locker room, the Jets locker room and the Giants locker room. I'm going to try to get in there this weekend, but we'll see.”

Bills fan John Galloway has other non-stadium related NFL prerogatives. He's hoping the upcoming draft makes Auburn QB Cam Newton a future fixture in Western New York.

Tales from the Road: Neither wind, nor cold, nor television robbery were going to keep me from watching the UConn-Arizona Elite 8 game last Saturday in Toledo on the eve of the WNIT quarters. Once a joint with a suitable TV was located, a request for more volume to listen to Verne and Raf was made. The longtime waitress struggled a bit before grabbing the correct remote. The reason for her issues, unfamiliarity with new equipment. It turns out the joint had been liberated of its previous televisions two nights prior. Needless to say, a change of locale was made at the half.

Trivia Answer: 1931. The head coach of that team? Not current lacrosse director of operations Roy Simmons III. Nor was it his father, hall of famer Roy Simmons Jr. It was in fact the original Roy Simmons, then in the first of his 40 years presiding over the program. In a time before Jim Brown much less some Gaits or Powells, the Orange scored five or less seven times in the '31 season, and won four of the games.

Upcoming Schedule: Lacrosse is now in the driver's seat for the rest of the 2010-2011 school year, and the Orange have yet another ranked opponent to deal with. After splitting its first two Big City Classic matchups with Princeton, this year the last three national champions will go at. Syracuse and Duke faceoff Sunday at 6:30 from the New Meadowlands Stadium. TK99 and Orange All Access have you covered for all the action from the home of the Giants and the Jets.

Syracuse University Athletics

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