Le Moyne Athletics : Dome host to a lacrosse feast (by Dave Rahme) Saturday tripleheader and Sunday doubleheader feature many of game's giants

Dome host to a lacrosse feast
Saturday tripleheader and Sunday doubleheader feature many of game's giants
Friday, March 16, 2007
By Dave Rahme, Staff writer
Syracuse Post-Standard

Direct Link: http://www.syracuse.com/articles/localcolleges/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1174035682277030.xml&coll=1

The main event will feature a couple of college lacrosse heavyweights sparring for pride, bragging rights and the honor of being considered a serious contender for the national championship. Never mind that No. 3 Johns Hopkins has already been KO'd once this young season and No. 8 Syracuse twice. Odds are at least one of them will still be in the ring at final-four time.

That is how it has been for the last two decades, anyway, which will make Saturday's 3:30 p.m. contest in the Carrier Dome one of the highlights of the season.

It gets better. College lacrosse junkies can watch 2006 Division III national champion SUNY Cortland tackle Springfield College on the undercard and D-II champion Le Moyne take on C.W. Post in the nightcap. And if that three-course feast fails to satisfy them they can return to the Dome on Sunday to watch the SU women play Notre Dame in a Big East tilt and then catch a rematch of last year's junior-college men's semifinal game, as champion Onondaga opens its season against Essex (Md).

Talk about excitement.

"We're pumped," Cortland coach Steve Beville said. "Most of our kids have grown up going to games in the Dome."

"It's great," Le Moyne coach Dan Sheehan said. "Anytime you can play in the Dome and be associated in the same sentence with Syracuse and Johns Hopkins, it's great."

"Very exciting," OCC coach Chuck Wilbur said. "Four or five years ago people didn't even know we had a program. Now we are on the big stage."

Here is a look at the three games involving the men's teams that will share the spotlight with the Orange and Blue Jays this weekend: No. 16 Cortland vs. Springfield, 12:30 p.m. Saturday: The Red Dragons authored a Cinderella story last season en route to the D-III crown, but the heart of the team departed afterward.

"We're off to a rocky start, trying to find ourselves here," Beville said. "I think the boys are realizing that all those kids who did so much last season are not here anymore. Hopefully, we've reached the point where they understand this is their team now."

Springfield (0-3) has also gotten off to a rough start, but it is a perennial NCAA Tournament team and will be looking to right itself Saturday.

The Dragons (1-2) will be bolstered by the return from injuries of starting close defenders Luke Lemon and Kevin Mitchell but could be missing star Mike Felice (C.W. Baker), who took a hard hit in a loss at St. Lawrence.

"We want to be peaking and playing our best lacrosse at the end of the year," Beville said. "That's going to be this team. It is getting better all the time." No. 1 Le Moyne vs. No. 5 C.W. Post, 6:30 p.m. Saturday: Sheehan believes his team got a gift last week during an 8-7 overtime win at No. 3 Mercyhurst.

"It was one of those games where we did everything we possibly could do to allow them to win the game, yet somehow, some way, we won," Sheehan said. "There are not too many times you get a chance to make a mistake and come out on top."

The Dolphins (2-0) led the Lakers by three goals with less than three minutes to play when Sheehan said they strayed from their game plan and took the easy way out, committing penalties on loose-ball situations that eventually sent the game into sudden death, where junior midfielder Alex Bily (West Genesee) won it.

The decision increased the Dolphins' regular-season victory streak to 62 games and their overall streak to 20. Next up is Post (6-0).

Sheehan seemed to be more worried about his team at this stage of the season than any opponent.

"We spent some time this week letting our kids know they're the No. 1 team for a reason," Sheehan said. "We've got to do the things that we do well. I think we have the best, if not one of the best, players at each position, and we're also pretty deep. We simply need to play as a team to be successful." No. 1 OCC vs. No. 5 Essex, 3 p.m. Sunday:On the one hand, Wilbur believes his Lazers have the potential to storm through the JUCO ranks the way they did last season. On the other hand, he worries that Essex (0-2) has had two months of practice outdoors while his team has been confined by a harsh late winter that is only now loosening its grip on the area.

"We've been outside twice," he said in the middle of the week. "We are definitely not as good now as we are going to be at the end of the season. It is going to be a challenge, especially against Essex, which has been outside for two months."

Many of the players who fashioned a dominating 22-7 victory last season over Essex have departed, but Wilbur believes enough are back - including final-four MVP Cody Jamieson, Kent Squires-Hill, Lee Nanticoke (LaFayette) and Brooks Robinson (Tully) - to carry a team that again is loaded with talent.

"We lost a lot of experience, but a lot of these kids have been through big games before," Wilbur said. "Still, there is always concern when you're playing a great team in your first game and you haven't had much full-field practice. Le Moyne got a reality check without losing. That's the best thing that can happen. We never want to lose."

Especially while sharing the big stage with the sport's heavyweights.



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Dome host to a lacrosse feast Saturday tripleheader and Sunday doubleheader feature many of game's giants Friday, March 16, 2007 By Dave Rahme, Staff writer Syracuse Post-Standard Direct Link: http://www.syracuse.com/articles/localcolleges/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1174035682277030.xml&coll=1 The main event will feature a couple of college lacrosse heavyweights sparring for pride, bragging rights and the honor of being considered a serious contender for the national championship. Never mind that No. 3 Johns Hopkins has already been KO'd once this young season and No. 8 Syracuse twice. Odds are at least one of them will still be in the ring at final-four time. That is how it has been for the last two decades, anyway, which will make Saturday's 3:30 p.m. contest in the Carrier Dome one of the highlights of the season. It gets better. College lacrosse junkies can watch 2006 Division III national champion SUNY Cortland tackle Springfield College on the undercard and D-II champion Le Moyne take on C.W. Post in the nightcap. And if that three-course feast fails to satisfy them they can return to the Dome on Sunday to watch the SU women play Notre Dame in a Big East tilt and then catch a rematch of last year's junior-college men's semifinal game, as champion Onondaga opens its season against Essex (Md). Talk about excitement. "We're pumped," Cortland coach Steve Beville said. "Most of our kids have grown up going to games in the Dome." "It's great," Le Moyne coach Dan Sheehan said. "Anytime you can play in the Dome and be associated in the same sentence with Syracuse and Johns Hopkins, it's great." "Very exciting," OCC coach Chuck Wilbur said. "Four or five years ago people didn't even know we had a program. Now we are on the big stage." Here is a look at the three games involving the men's teams that will share the spotlight with the Orange and Blue Jays this weekend: No. 16 Cortland vs. Springfield, 12:30 p.m. Saturday: The Red Dragons authored a Cinderella story last season en route to the D-III crown, but the heart of the team departed afterward. "We're off to a rocky start, trying to find ourselves here," Beville said. "I think the boys are realizing that all those kids who did so much last season are not here anymore. Hopefully, we've reached the point where they understand this is their team now." Springfield (0-3) has also gotten off to a rough start, but it is a perennial NCAA Tournament team and will be looking to right itself Saturday. The Dragons (1-2) will be bolstered by the return from injuries of starting close defenders Luke Lemon and Kevin Mitchell but could be missing star Mike Felice (C.W. Baker), who took a hard hit in a loss at St. Lawrence. "We want to be peaking and playing our best lacrosse at the end of the year," Beville said. "That's going to be this team. It is getting better all the time." No. 1 Le Moyne vs. No. 5 C.W. Post, 6:30 p.m. Saturday: Sheehan believes his team got a gift last week during an 8-7 overtime win at No. 3 Mercyhurst. "It was one of those games where we did everything we possibly could do to allow them to win the game, yet somehow, some way, we won," Sheehan said. "There are not too many times you get a chance to make a mistake and come out on top." The Dolphins (2-0) led the Lakers by three goals with less than three minutes to play when Sheehan said they strayed from their game plan and took the easy way out, committing penalties on loose-ball situations that eventually sent the game into sudden death, where junior midfielder Alex Bily (West Genesee) won it. The decision increased the Dolphins' regular-season victory streak to 62 games and their overall streak to 20. Next up is Post (6-0). Sheehan seemed to be more worried about his team at this stage of the season than any opponent. "We spent some time this week letting our kids know they're the No. 1 team for a reason," Sheehan said. "We've got to do the things that we do well. I think we have the best, if not one of the best, players at each position, and we're also pretty deep. We simply need to play as a team to be successful." No. 1 OCC vs. No. 5 Essex, 3 p.m. Sunday:On the one hand, Wilbur believes his Lazers have the potential to storm through the JUCO ranks the way they did last season. On the other hand, he worries that Essex (0-2) has had two months of practice outdoors while his team has been confined by a harsh late winter that is only now loosening its grip on the area. "We've been outside twice," he said in the middle of the week. "We are definitely not as good now as we are going to be at the end of the season. It is going to be a challenge, especially against Essex, which has been outside for two months." Many of the players who fashioned a dominating 22-7 victory last season over Essex have departed, but Wilbur believes enough are back - including final-four MVP Cody Jamieson, Kent Squires-Hill, Lee Nanticoke (LaFayette) and Brooks Robinson (Tully) - to carry a team that again is loaded with talent. "We lost a lot of experience, but a lot of these kids have been through big games before," Wilbur said. "Still, there is always concern when you're playing a great team in your first game and you haven't had much full-field practice. Le Moyne got a reality check without losing. That's the best thing that can happen. We never want to lose." Especially while sharing the big stage with the sport's heavyweights.