Between the Lines
4/24/2011 8:03:59 PM | Men's Lacrosse, General
Trivia Question (You Supply the Answer Edition): Given the topic to come, I'm wondering, who is your favorite Syracuse lacrosse midfielder(past or present)?
Your Questions: Want them answered? Your tweets always welcome @BrianHigginsSU.
This week: The second midfield takes center stage. Looking back at Syracuse's last three title teams, it quickly becomes obvious that it takes more than the top six scoring to win the national championship. Let's examine 2004, 2008 and 2009.
The '04 title squad was led by Michael Powell and the rest of a strong senior class. But the second midfield was paced by sophomores Greg Rommel and Brett Bucktooth. Rommel scored 13 goals that year including a pair in the 15-9 Semifinal win vs. Johns Hopkins and one more in the title game. Bucktooth's 14 point season included a goal in the semis and one more in the 14-13 Title Game win vs. Navy.
2008 featured an especially strong second midfield that at various points during the year included Dan Hardy, Pat Perritt and Jovan Miller. That year Hardy scored 38 points, Perritt added 11 goals and Jovan contributed 10 points as a freshman. Hardy then dominated the 13-10 Finals win vs. Hopkins with a hat trick.
In 2009 Perritt and Hardy both plied their trade on the top middie line leaving room for Scott Kahoe, Josh Amidon and Greg Niewieroski to carry the mail on the second line. The Georgetown transfer grad student Kahoe delivered 16 points in his lone year in Orange and Amidon added 23 of his own. Niewieroski scored 9 goals, including one in the Title Game win vs. Cornell, after starting on attack the year before.
That brings us to this year. Scoring from the second midfield was nearly nonexistent early in the season. But Bobby Eilers' hat trick against Providence last week brought the group to life. “It's a very satisfying feeling,” Eilers said. “We do it throughout practice during the week and we were always frustrated that it didn't translate during the games, to have a good breakout day against Providence things are looking good for us and our confidence is high.”
From the opposite end of the field John Galloway watched the group take shape in recent weeks. “I think it was definitely a frustrating point of concern at the beginning of the season, now you've got three guys out there stepping up. Maybe even four guys, you throw Jeff Gilbert in the mix who's just a smart senior player making good plays throughout the game. Then you add the six foot monsters of Zito(Steve Ianzito)and Bobby Eilers and Scott Loy, all of a sudden you have guys who are dangerous and you don't really know who to pole.”
In the 13-7 win against Hobart Tuesday night, the opposing long stick middie moved from its usual second line spot guarding Ianzito to Eilers thanks to his Providence performance. “When we get in there, our second line, we're all pretty big guys,” Ianzito said. “Adding Bobby to that second line adds more weapons for us. It takes pressure off me, it takes pressure off Scotty cause they're going to be favoring (Bobby) a little more now. Not many short sticks can stop him and it's going to open up a lot more opportunities for other guys on the field.”
But why has this group begun to assert itself now? “I think it's aggression, I think it's confidence,” John Desko simply stated. “I think you put those two terms together and they're great attributes not only for midfielders, but any lacrosse player to have, and we're starting to develop that right now.”
As the playoffs draw near the second midfield suddenly features four men, in any combination of three, combining to be one big offensive threat. “I would play with any of those guys any day of the week,” Eilers said, “having any of them out there is helpful to us.”
Memorial Day weekend will be the ultimate test for the line, but for now it's holding strong.
Higgo's Hero: Switzerland. This week the kings of neutral site lacrosse tip their hats to the most neutral of nations. The Orange are already 3-0 this year at neutral sites having won in M&T Bank Stadium, the New Meadowlands, and Gillette Stadium. They'll go for a fourth Saturday against Rutgers at UConn's Rentschler Field.
“I think a lot of these places are starved to see lacrosse played at its highest level,” Coach Desko said. “Anytime you put it in a venue like the ones we've been playing in it just attracts more people. All the games have been on national television also, so not only does it help the area but it helps the sport nationally.” Perhaps next season the Orange can take their neutrality international by facing Hopkins in Basel.
Tastes from the Road: Mike's Pastry in Boston's North End is exactly what an Italian dessert shop should look like. Gelato in the window tempts folks in from the street, but the fast paced lines inside indicate most there already know what to do. The back wall is filled with 18 varieties of delicious looking cannolis. While one can be a perfect capper to a locally procured plate of veal, it's easy to leave the premises with a dozen tucked under your arm.
Trivia Answer: You'll provide the answers this week. Send a tweet my way @BrianHigginsSU with your favorite Cuse middie. We'll discuss your answers in a week's time.
Upcoming Schedule: A taxing stretch of five games in 15 days for the lacrosse team concludes Saturday in Hartford against Rutgers. The Orange are taking part in the second ESPNU Warrior Classic. Syracuse and Rutgers face off at 5:30 after the first game of the day featuring CAA rivals Hofstra and UMass. TK99 and Orange All Access are your spots for the game, we're on the air with Orange Pregame at 5:00.
