Wow, to say the least.
As if Syracuse's absolute blow-out over Duke didn't stun me, Cornell's domination of Virginia definitely did.
First off, the performance of the SU offense against the Blue Devil's defense was so methodical. Cody Jamieson, Kenny Nims and especially Pat Perritt did a phenomenal job of breaking down the D, then either finishing on cage, or finding someone open who could. Seems as if Jamieson, the OCC transfer, is indeed everything he was hyped up to be. It was nice to John Galloway back in net and making some solid saves. The SU defense looked a little shaky early, but All-American Sid Smith and Matt Tierney got it together to stop Crotty, Howell and Quinzani in the long run. Let's not forget, this is a Blue Devils offense that beat Virginia twice.
Ahhh, the Cavaliers, oh how the mighty have fallen. A 15-6 drubbing by the fifth seed Cornell puts the Big Red in an all-central New York Championship showdown, the eleventh if SU wins, Cornell's first ever. Cornell possessed the ball incredibly well, and kept that talented offense of the Brattons, Garrett Billings, Steele Stanwick and Tewaraaton finalist Danny Glading in check. I must say, when I saw UVA play the Orange early in the year and winning in the Dome, I said to myself, "we'll see these guys in the NCAA finals." I guess, for the second year in a row, the buck stops in the Final Four for UVA.
Now, for the championship game itself. SU did top the Big Red earlier in the season on the Hill, 15-10. However, Cornell had a very impressive second half, and made it a contest late in the third. They have perhaps one of the better midfields, rivaling that of the 'Cuse, and an offense in general led by, I think, the Tewaraaton winner Max Seibald, freshman of the year Rob Pannell and Scott Glynn. They can run with SU, score with SU and even beat the Orange if it is not careful. What do I think? I believe the Cuse will win a nation-leading eleventh national title, but in overtime on a game-winnig goal by Kenny Nims. Give all the respect to the Big Red. They've earned it! But they've never been on a stage like this, at least in a while, and I think Desko's boys will prevail in Foxborough.
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Congrats to Cuse on a great win and a second consecutive National Championship. They had a loaded team, full of guys who really understood how to play the game, and who expected to do just what they did - win it all.
ReplyDeleteThe game really said a lot for Central NY lacrosse though, given that both teams are geographically a short drive away from one another, and recruit from the same pool. Logically, the game should have been as close as it was because it was really an all-star game of lacrosse players from arguably the best hot-bed of young lacrosse talent in the world. Cuse just didn't give up and had the leadership to squeek it out.
Championship teams always have that little exta something that get them over the top, and this Cuse team was no different. Congrats to Cornell on a nice season and a great championship game...well at least 99% of it...
Damn nice call on the championship game!
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