Orangemen

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The "Black Thunder" offense that was booed at Byrd Stadium in October was perfect at the Carrier Dome yesterday.The short-yardage backfield of quarterback Brian Cummings and three other freshmen, which struggled in midseason, made the most of three appearances against Syracuse with two first downs and a touchdown. The score came in the fourth quarter, two minutes after Cummings ran 17 yards on a fake punt to keep alive Maryland's comeback hopes.The Orangemen held on for a 21-16 victory that completed a disappointing day and season for Maryland, particularly its seniors.

Senior attackman Michael Powell scored six points to become Syracuse's all-time leading scorer with 288, and goalie Jay Pfeifer tied his career high of 19 saves in the fourth-ranked Orangemen's 13-9 win over No. 5 Georgetown yesterday in Washington. Powell tied the record, held by his brothers Casey Powell and Ryan Powell, with a fourth-quarter assist on a goal by Brian Nee that gave Syracuse (11-2) a 10-8 lead with 14:33 to play. He broke the record at the 12:17 mark, assisting on Brian Crockett's goal to make it 11-8.

COLLEGE PARK -- Part I of the mission was accomplished.Final score: Syracuse 15, Princeton 9, in the NCAA Division I lacrosse semifinal yesterday at Byrd Stadium.Next up: No. 1 North Carolina for the national championship tomorrow at noon here. One of these two powers has played for the title every year but one since 1981."We're right where we want to be. We've worked hard and long and this is our focus and our goal and we've got another game," said Roy Simmons Jr., coach of No. 3 Syracuse.

Third-ranked Syracuse got four goals from Steve Vallone and three from Michael Powell yesterday to defeat No. 13 Cornell, 12-10, in Ithaca, N.Y. It was the fifth straight win for the Orangemen (8-1) and first in three tries at Cornell. The Big Red (5-3) had a slight edge in shots and faceoffs but never led. Sean Lindsay scored twice in the first quarter to help Syracuse build a 4-1 lead. Cornell responded with goals by Ian Rosenberger and Sean Greenhalgh to make it 4-3 early in the second quarter before Syracuse pushed the lead to 5-3 on Vallone's second goal of the day. The Big Red pulled to within a goal four more times, but each time Syracuse countered.

Loyola realized what was at stake. The No. 6 Greyhounds knew a win over No. 4 Syracuse would mean a chance to gain the inside edge on a top four seeding and a first-round bye in the NCAA lacrosse tournament -- and to be considered among the season's elite teams.With so much to play for, no one could say why Loyola looked so listless as the Orangemen trampled the Greyhounds, 23-13, yesterday in front of 3,307 at Curley Field.Loyola's players had no explanations for the school's worst loss in four seasons; no explanations why its normally athletic defense became stationary, allowing the most goals since 1983 and more than 20 for the first time in five years.

The moment defined the player and his purpose.It was March 18, and Syracuse had just lost to Johns Hopkins, 14-13, as Blue Jays attack Terry Riordan scored the winning goal 46 seconds into sudden-death overtime.And now it was Roy Colsey's turn to step to the podium."If there is anyone to blame for this loss, it's me," said the two-time Syracuse All-America senior midfielder, who failed to score a goal. "I didn't play well, I didn't shoot well. I didn't score when we needed it. But I'll get better, and so will this team.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Johns Hopkins lacrosse coach Tony Seaman stared glumly at the statistics sheet, the one that illustrated his team's effort yesterday at the Carrier Dome.In particular, he saw the 55 shots that translated into 13 goals, and he wasn't happy with the math."Our offense," he said, "let us down today."The Blue Jays' offense revived late in the game but it wasn't enough, as second-ranked Johns Hopkins fell, 14-13, to No. 4 Syracuse before 9,511 underneath the big, bubbled roof.

The crowd inside the Carrier Dome was silent. Only minutes before, North Carolina had ended Syracuse's three-year reign as national champions with a 19-13 victory in the 1991 Division I semifinals. It was only the second loss at home for the Orangemen since 1987.At a news conference, most of the questions directed at Syracuse coach Roy Simmons Jr. centered on the end of the Orangemen dynasty. After about 15 minutes, Simmons stared out at the audience and said: "Don't lose heart. We'll be back."

No. 6 Loyola will try to slow third-ranked Syracuse's transition game when the two teams meet today in lacrosse at Curley Field.The Orangemen's trademark run-and-gun style has made Syracuse (1-1) the most dominant team in the sport during the late 1980s and early 1990s.Syracuse was at its running best last week in a 27-7 win against Michigan State."We're going to have to win faceoffs, control the ball and not let the game turn into a track meet," said Loyola coach Dave Cottle. "Their size and athleticism really concern me."

COLLEGE PARK - The Syracuse family came to Byrd Stadium and started the party early yesterday. With legendary former coach Roy Simmons Jr. and former All-America attackman Casey Powell among the scores of Orangemen fans in attendance, Syracuse owned the place, manhandled Princeton and quickly took the suspense out of the NCAA men's lacrosse championship game. And after the Orangemen scored the game's first six goals, then capped their methodical, 13-7 rout before 22,880 by taking a victory lap with their championship plaque held high, the family was officially connected by another title.

DENVER - If Hakim Warrick ever decides to give up basketball, he might want to consider a career as a ballet dancer. For the better part of 40 minutes last night, Syracuse's 6-foot-8 junior forward was so smooth, so graceful, it felt like his movements were choreographed to go with orchestra music. Warrick scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Syracuse's 72-70 second-round victory over Maryland, but he just as easily could have been playing the lead in Swan Lake. Maryland's post players stood flat-footed for much of the evening as Warrick soared for rebounds, hung in midair to nail jumpers and glided through the lane to finish off a fast break with a ferocious dunk.

The question was posed several times following Johns Hopkins' resounding 17-5 men's lacrosse victory yesterday over No. 3 Syracuse. Are the top-ranked Blue Jays that good, or did Syracuse just play that poorly? Syracuse coach John Desko said it was the former. "They have a great plan offensively, good team defense, and when their goalie plays like that, you can't beat them," said Desko. Dominating in all facets - most notably in the faceoff circle - the Blue Jays (5-0) scored 13 of 14 goals at one point, taking apart the Orangemen (3-1)

It wasn't simply adjusting to the speed of the game or the size of the defenders. For North Carolina sophomore attackman Scott Falatach, the hardest part of the transition from high school to college involved a mental adjustment more than anything physical. "It was assuming a role that was not as large as the one I had in high school," said Falatach, who recorded 111 points during his senior year at St. Mary's, grabbing All-Metro Player of the Year honors and the C. Markland Kelly Award, given to the state's best high school lacrosse player.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- No. 9 Virginia's losing streak and Syracuse's dominance of the Cavaliers continued yesterday as the defending national champions lost for the third straight time, this time to the No. 2 Orangemen, 18-12, at Klockner Stadium. Sophomore attackman Brian Crockett torched Virginia goalkeeper Tillman Johnson and the Cavaliers for six goals to lead Syracuse (2-0), which is 9-2 against Virginia in the teams' past 11 meetings. Michael Powell and Steve Vallone had three goals each for Syracuse.

The Blue Jays are a better team than the one that lost a 15-14 decision at Syracuse more than two months ago, and the Orangemen were inconsistent enough to lose five games. But this is Syracuse, and this is May. If the Orangemen get on one of their patented runs and knock off the top seed, no one will be shocked. Hopkins thinks it has enough depth, balance and steady hands to wear down anyone, and the Blue Jays expect those factors to push them past the Orangemen.

PEOPLE WHO KNOW these things say that tens of thousands of lacrosse fans will descend on Baltimore this weekend, which is not exactly like the Hell's Angels coming to town. Let's face it, the only way you'd know that lacrosse fans are in town is that suddenly there would be a lot more guys wearing tassel loafers without socks. And the percentage of SUVs with those annoying STX stickers would triple. But if that's the worst thing you can say about lacrosse fans, then that's not too bad. Anyway, all these people will be here for the NCAA Division I Final Four, which pits Syracuse against Johns Hopkins and Maryland against Virginia Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium, a name I can barely type without my fat little fingers trembling with anger.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Sometimes 18 goals are not enough.Yesterday, No. 17 Towson State played No. 7 Syracuse to an 8-8 tie at the half but couldn't withstand a late surge by the defending national champion and lost, 21-18, at the Carrier Dome.The Tigers (1-3) have lost five straight to the Orangemen (3-2).Towson State assistant coach Jeff Clarke was pleased with the team's play. "This was the best effort of the year so far," Clarke said. "You score 18 goals, you normally win a game."Said Syracuse coach Roy Simmons Jr.: "We had spurts.

COLLEGE PARK -- Syracuse has never been accused of turning lacrosse into a complicated game.Recruit good athletes, run and gun on offense, play take-away on defense.It's a simple philosophy that has made Roy Simmons the game's winningest active coach, but yesterday the Orangemen added a few strategic wrinkles to the mix, and pulled away from Virginia for a 20-13 victory in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament before 30,327 at Byrd Stadium.No. 3 Syracuse (12-2) advanced to the championship game for the ninth time in 13 years, and will meet host Maryland tomorrow at Byrd Stadium.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The chatter started about three weeks ago, when the Syracuse men's lacrosse team stumbled to three straight losses, all to teams it has traditionally handled. This was the year, people were saying, that a final four would be contested without the Orangemen. Syracuse's response came yesterday - and it was emphatic. The Orangemen took out a season's worth of frustration on fourth-seeded Princeton, breezing to a 15-5 victory before 8,198 in an NCAA quarterfinal at the Carrier Dome.

After needing only one season to showcase his prodigious talent and take his school where it never had gone before, Melo officially is moving on. Syracuse University freshman forward Carmelo Anthony, who led the Orangemen to their first NCAA men's basketball championship 18 days ago, made his much-anticipated decision a formality yesterday by announcing he would skip his final three years of school to enter the NBA draft on June 26. Anthony, who grew...