As in college, Romero was often overlooked as the Lakers had a midfield that included Shane Walterhoefer (who played at North Carolina) and Davey Melera (Notre Dame). But Cornell, which began recruiting Romero when he was a junior, never relented, and neither did Romero, said Boys' Latin assistant coach Quint Kessenich.
"Every college coach came and looked at him and said, 'He can't play for us.' But they totally undervalued the kid's heart and his work ethic and his focus and his drive," said Kessenich, a former All-America goalie at Johns Hopkins and a lacrosse analyst for ESPN. "To me, it shows his will, his love of the game have overcome some of the shortcomings."
Romero has scored at least one goal in 11 consecutive games and five times in the tournament. It's the kind of production he expects from himself.
"It's been a long time coming," he said. "Coach T [Jeff Tambroni] and a bunch of the guys have confidence in me, and it was just a matter of time for me to step up and make the plays I know I'm capable of."
Cornell (13-3) vs. Syracuse (15-2)
What: NCAA tournament final
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
When: Today, 1 p.m.
Outlook: The first championship final to feature programs from the same state since 1988, when the Orange beat the Big Red, figures to be a test of which team can impose its will. Cornell tried to run with Syracuse on April 7, but the Orange prevailed, 15-10. The Big Red, the No. 5 seed, will try to be patient and value long possessions with the ball going through senior midfielder Max Seibald (26 goals, 10 assists) and freshman attackman Rob Pannell (24, 41). Syracuse, the No. 2 seed, doesn't mind getting into a half-field game, but the team is built to take advantage of depth in the midfield and attack. Senior attackman Kenny Nims (31, 42) torched Cornell for two goals and four assists and will likely see a lot of senior defenseman Matt Moyer, who limited Virginia senior attackman Danny Glading to two goals and one assist.
- Edward Lee
