BALTIMORE – Late in the third quarter of Monday’s NCAA Championship game, Jay Pfeifer lay on the ground after making yet another save. In fact, it seemed that for the last five minutes of third quarter Monday, all Pfeifer did was dive to the ground, sending away a barrage of Navy shots.

The Syracuse men’s lacrosse team ended the third quarter of Monday’s NCAA Championship game against Navy up, 10-8. Though SU went on to win, 14-13, if Pfeifer wasn’t in goal at the end of the third quarter, the Orange might never have had the chance to put away Navy in the fourth to clinch its ninth national title.

And, as usual, Pfeifer’s play at soggy M&T Bank Stadium on Monday went largely unnoticed. After the game, most of the talk was about senior Michael Powell scoring the game-winning goal in his final college game. Pfeifer sat at the press table, mostly ignored, patiently waiting for someone to finally ask him a question. Though Powell knocked in the winning goal, it was Pfeifer’s play in the game’s first 59 minutes that made the score consequential.

‘Unfortunately, Jay has had to make (point-blank saves) a number of times this season, so he’s had good practice at it,’ SU head coach John Desko said. ‘We’ve asked Jay to do an awful lot this season.’

Pfeifer finished with 15 saves for the game and five of those came in the third period. Left off of the STX/USILA All-America Team, which was announced prior to the game, Pfeifer certainly appeared like he belonged. Opposed on the opposite side by Matt Russell – the nation’s top goalie – Pfeifer appeared unfazed. Of course, he already had a championship and two Final Four appearances.

For the game, Navy fired 44 shots at Pfeifer, and the Midshipmen spent much of the afternoon in SU’s half of the field.

‘We had our chances,’ Navy head coach Richie Meade said. ‘Pfeifer came up big a couple of times.’

Pfeifer’s strong play was recognized by his selection to the All-Tournament first team. The junior’s play has gotten better all season, as the defense around him has improved. Against Johns Hopkins on Saturday, Pfeifer allowed just nine goals on 37 shots. The 13 he surrendered against Navy were the most he allowed since giving up 14 in a 14-10 loss to Rutgers on April 17.

‘The defense has gotten better each game,’ Desko said. ‘A lot of times, (Jay’s) saves have been turning points for us by him coming up with a save and sending it the other way. A lot of times you think it’s going to be a goal on the scoreboard for the other team and there isn’t one because he’s able to react.’

Published on May 30, 2004 at 12:00 pm