2005 Men’s Lacrosse Contact: Kerrin Perniciaro (315) 443-3341 [email protected] FINAL Release August 10, 2005 2005 Final Results Orange Ousted by Massachusetts in the NCAA First (7-6) February Round, 16-15 12 NAVY (scrimmage) T 13-13 The spectacular Syracuse streak ended. The Orange’s run of final four appearances lasted 19 at Maryland (scrimmage) L 7-14 a magical 22 years, but it was not to be in 2005. For the first time since 1981, SU Lacrosse 26 #14 ARMY W 9-4 lost in the first round of the playoffs. Massachusetts was the spoiler, knocking off the Orange by a score of 16-15, in Amherst on May 15, 2005. March UMass also beat Syracuse in the regular-season finale, a 14-13 overtime decision at Garber 5 #6 VIRGINIA L 11-12 Field. When the NCAA Tournament selections were announced, Massachusetts was awarded 12 vs. # 11 Georgetown L 7-10 the No. 8 seed and earned the right to host a first-round playoff game against the Orange. It (Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.) was the first time since the NCAA Tournament expanded to a 16-team field that Syracuse was 18 #1 JOHNS HOPKINS L 11-12 OT sent on the road for the first round. 26 at #15 Princeton W 10-8 SU, ranked No. 9 in the final Geico/STX Coaches Poll (May 9), finished the season with 29 at #12 Hobart W 13-12 a 7-6 record. The Orange battled some adversity down the stretch. During the first meeting against UMass on April 30, Syracuse played without two defensive starters, but battled back April from a five-goal deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime. One of the starters, Scott 2 #18 BROWN W 9-8 Ditzell, returned for the playoffs, but in an eerily similar contest, the Orange found itself 9 at Loyola W 12-6 down by four goals in the third quarter. Brett Bucktooth tied the score at 15-15 with 3:06 12 #9 CORNELL L 14-16 remaining, but the Minutemen came away with the game-winning goal. 16 RUTGERS W 17-6 This was SU’s 26th appearance (23rd consecutive) in the NCAA championship. Syracuse 22 #13 ALBANY W 14-13 played in an unprecedented 22-consecutive NCAA semifinal games from 1983-2004. All 30 at #8 Massachusetts L 13-14 OT in all, the Orange has appeared in 14 championship contests and won nine titles. The championship seasons are: 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2002 and 2004. May 15 NCAA First Round L 15-16 Orange Boasts Second-Best Winning Percentage in at No. 8 Massachusetts NCAA Tournament Play Home Games in BOLD CAPS This was Syracuse’s 26th appearance (23rd consecutive) in the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. The Orange first qualified in 1979, which coincidentally was head coach John Desko’s senior year. The team made it again in 1980 and 1981, but missed the On the Air 1982 tournament. Since 1983, Syracuse has participated Radio every year. This was only the second time in SU SU games were broadcast on the school’s flagship radio station for lacrosse, WNSS-AM tournament history that the Orange was not a seeded team. 1260. Brian Higgins handled play-by-play The 2003 season was the other time. duties, while Syracuse equipment manager Syracuse owns an NCAA Tournament record of Kyle Fetterly served as the color analyst for 51-17 to rank second in all-time tournament winning the fifth-straight season. The games were percentage (.750). Princeton (28-9), who missed the 2005 heard through the internet at www.suathletics. tournament, owns the best winning percentage (.757). com. WAER-FM 88 broadcasted all the games, Won-Lost Records in Tournament Play led by sports director Greg Bilazarian. Team Won Lost Pct. 1st 2nd Princeton 28 9 .757 6 2 Television SYRACUSE*** 51 17 .750 9 5 Eight of Syracuse’s 13 games were Johns Hopkins 56 26 .683 8 8 televised LIVE in 2005. CSTV carried the Cornell 22 15 .595 3 3 Georgetown and Princeton games. WMAR- TV produced the Loyola game and it aired on ***SU’s participation in the 1990 tournament was vacated by the NCAA Committee ESPNU. Time Warner Sports televised the Hobart, Cornell, Rutgers and Albany games. on Infractions, so the NCAA does not recognize the Orange’s 3-0 record nor its national ESPNU handled the NCAA contest at UMass. championship from that season. According to the NCAA, SU owns the second-highest winning percentage in tournament play with a 48-17 record and .738 mark. NCAA Champions • 83 • 88 • 89 • 90 • 93 • 95 • 00 • 02 • 04 22 Consecutive Final Fours (1983-2004) 2005 Game Notes FINAL Release Seven Players Earn All-America Honors in Rommel Earns Academic Honor from 2005 CoSIDA and ESPN The Magazine Junior midfielder Greg Rommel was the headliner of Syracuse’s Junior midfielder Greg Rommel was named to the ESPN the 2005 USILA All-America class, earning his first career All-America Magazine Academic All-District I Men’s At-Large Team on May 26. It nod by being selected to the second team. A total of seven SU starters was the second-straight year that he earned the honor for his hard work earned All-America honors, the most for the Orange since 2002. Senior in the classroom and on the playing field. Jay Pfeifer, junior Brian Crockett and sophomore Steve Panarelli The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) earned third-team honors, while senior Scott Ditzell, junior Brett selects Academic All-America teams in 12 programs. The nominee Bucktooth and freshman Mike Leveille received honorable mention must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic accolades. credentials and at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a Rommel started in all 13 games as a member of the Orange’s 4.0 scale) in both undergraduate and graduate work. He/she must have top midfield line. He posted a career-high 28 points (25 goals, three reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution assists) to rank fifth on the team in scoring overall, third in goals. He (true freshmen, red-shirt freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are scored at least one goal in every game and had two or more goals on not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at nine occasions. In the NCAA First Round against Massachusetts, the institution. Nominated athletes must have participated in at least 50 Rommel tallied three goals, equaling his career-high for goals in a percent of the team’s games. game. Rommel started in all 13 games as a member of the Orange’s Pfeifer completed his fourth season as Syracuse’s starting top midfield line. He posted a career-high 28 points (25 goals, three goaltender. He posted a 10.57 goals against average and a .521 save assists) to rank fifth on the team in scoring overall, third in goals. He percentage in 2005. He finished with 725 career saves, second on scored at least one goal in every game and had two or more goals on SU’s all-time saves list. In a March 29th contest at Hobart, Pfeifer nine occasions. In the NCAA First Round against Massachusetts, recorded a personal-best 21 saves. Rommel tallied three goals, equaling his career-high for goals in a Crockett was chosen to the All-America Third Team for the second game. A bio-engineering major, Rommel has appeared on the SU consecutive season. He finished 2005 as the team’s leading scorer Athletic Director’s Honor Roll all six semesters. with 42 points and a team-high 35 goals. After switching positions from attack to midfield near the end of the season, Crockett responded with 18 goals in Syracuse’s final four games. He had a season-high Orange in the North/South Game six goals in a 14-13 win against Albany on April 22. Panarelli, who was an honorable mention All-America in 2004 Jay Pfeifer and Scott Ditzell represented Syracuse in the 2005 from his long-stick defenseman position, made the third team in 2005. USILA Division I Men’s Lacrosse North-South Senior All-Star Game He started all 13 games, had a goal, an assist and 31 groundballs. on June 11 at Cortland Stadium. Both played for the north team He was usually assigned to cover the opponent’s top threat from the coached by Princeton’s Bill Tierney and Cornell’s Jeff Tambroni. The midfield. South defeated the North, 14-11. Pfeifer played the first half in goal The Orange’s three honorable mention picks are all first-time All- for the North. He made three saves and allowed seven goals before Americans. Ditzell, a defenseman, started all but one game because of giving way to Albany’s Kevin Rae in the second half (seven saves, illness. He scored a goal, had an assist and collected 30 groundballs. seven goals allowed). Bucktooth made the switch from midfield to attack this season and poured in a career-high 41 points (21 goals, team-high 20 assists) to finish in a tie for second on the team in points behind Crockett. Syracuse in the 2005 Major League Bucktooth tallied four goals in each of SU’s final three games of the Lacrosse Collegiate Draft - June 1, 2005 season. Three Orange players were selected within the first three rounds of Leveille was the freshman attackman who finished tied for second the 2005 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft on June 1 at Sacred on the team in points with Bucktooth.