BALTIMORE – Baltimore has an atmosphere in which Syracuse thrives, and has been thriving for years.

It represents one half of a double-headed monster in the lacrosse world, the other being Central New York. It’s a city where children are born with lacrosse sticks that never leave their hands. They’ll cradle lacrosse balls before they even leave their cradle.

Saturday, thousands of such kids came to Baltimore to watch the Final Four. There were enough of them wearing Teflon lacrosse jackets to keep the rain-soaked Ravens stadium dry, and enough netting from their sticks to stitch it all together to make a Carrier Dome-like bubble.

To a lacrosse fan in Baltimore or Syracuse, SU’s 19-8 embarrassment meant the end of the world.

It’s not. Syracuse was never supposed to be there.

Think back to April 26, when after a loss to Massachusetts, Syracuse fell to 7-5. There was talk of the Orangemen missing the playoffs. To the die-hard lacrosse fan, that’s a foreign subject. For the past 20 years, fans had hoped for – no, expected – an NCAA championship. Why shouldn’t they? The Orangemen had made the Final Four 20 consecutive years.

But back on that sunny day in Amherst, Mass., they were the closest they’d been in years to not making the cut.

Think back to May 17, when the Orangemen played a Princeton – a team who had beaten them earlier this year – for a chance to get to Baltimore. Syracuse fought for its life and dominated the whole game, winning in a 15-5 rout in the Carrier Dome.

But the last time Syracuse lost 5 games in a regular season was further in the past than their Final Four streak. This year was an anomaly; the fact that Syracuse was able to keep the steak intact is a testament to its skill.

‘We have some of the best players in the country,’ said senior midfielder Pat Hogan, who played his last game in a Syracuse uniform on Saturday. ‘No one would have ever thought it would end like this.’

He’s right; it should have ended sooner. Granted, Syracuse only lost by a total of six goals all season, including two overtime games. But on Saturday, the scoring streak it allowed to Johns Hopkins was more than twice that. It has to be a little draining to fight so hard to make the playoffs. Then, fight so hard to make the Final Four. Then, come out and fight even harder in the Final Four.

The Orangemen did make the Final Four, but they didn’t do so in normal Syracuse fashion. This year they had to claw for it. Because of that experience, they should be even better next year. Although they graduate their top defender, Sol Bliss, and senior attacks Liam Banks and Mike Springer, the Orangemen return arguably the best player in the country – college or professional – in Michael Powell. Sophomore goalie Jay Pfeifer will be a year older and wiser in front of the cage. Thirty-point men Sean Lindsay and Brian Nee will return to head a senior class that includes Powell.

But after the embarrassment to Johns Hopkins, the Syracuse players were solemn, like it was the end of the world. Powell was barely audible at the post-game press conference. The loquacious Bliss didn’t even speak.

Later, Bliss said, ‘I’ve been here for five years and I’ve never had to go back to the hotel and checkout before.’

Bliss has been spoiled by success. And so have SU’s fans.

Published on May 24, 2003 at 12:00 pm