Syracuse breezes by Duke in the first semifinal game. Cornell stuns Virginia in the second semifinal game in a lopsided victory. The Brofessor predicted wrong on both games -- not to mention Duke beating UVa in the championship game. It just goes to show that college sports are crazy and David can beat Goliath on any given day.

Only four schools have won the Men's Lacrosse D-I National Championship in the last 17 years -- Syracuse, Johns Hopkins, Virginia, and Princeton. But Cornell made it back to the title game for the first time since 1988 (a loss to Syracuse). It was refreshing to see a new face in the championship game. Cornell lacrosse represents all that is pure about college athletics. They hardly land a top-10, blue-chip recruit. Instead they develop players who were overlooked by the top programs during the recruiting process for one reason or another. They preach academics first, followed by athletics. Everything they do they do as a team. They don't rely on a few players to make all the plays. Instead they delegate responsibility throughout so everyone has a role and a job to do. A fist is stronger than five independent fingers. That is the best way to describe Cornell lacrosse -- a true team.

Since Syracuse's 2007 5-8 collapse, they have been on a mission to get SU back to prominence. They revamped their defense, playing as a defensive unit instead of individuals, and developed a second offensive philosophy to complement their patented run-and-gun style -- a settled, ball-controlled offense. No other program could match the depth the 2008 and 2009 Orange displayed. With a lethal attack unit and 6 solid offensive midfield options, it has been tough to beat Syracuse over the past two seasons.  Keep Reading »

FOXBOROUGH, MASS. --- BrofessorLax was on hand at Gillette Stadium for today's Final Four games. Here are his quick instant recaps, fired in via BlackBerry:

Game #1: Syracuse defeats Duke 17-7.
'Cuse went right after Duke's pulse.... Ned crotty. Defenseman Sid Smith was brilliant covering the nation's leader in assists. Goalie John Galloway also prevented any type of Blue Devil run in the 17-to-7 win with several spectacular saves. Canadian attackman Sid smith showed why he didn't need an off hand with many nifty cross-face plays, scoring on two, and assisting on another. Syracuse ran nine midfielders at Duke, and in the end showed tremendous depth. The program goes for its 11 title on Monday.

Game #2: Cornell defeats Virginia 15-6
One of the best playoff performances from a freshman that I have seen. Rob Panell was insane today against UVa in the 15-to-6 upset of the #1-seeded team. The attackman had 3 goals and 3 assists, but more importantly completed controlled the tempo of the game. His ability to disect the defense was unmatched. Cornell simply played harder and smarter all day. When things did not go UVa's way early, they lost composure and forced bad angle shots. Cornell played a half-field game, prohibiting Virginia from playing its signature run-and-gun style. Minnesota native (not your typical high school hot bed) Ryan Hurley finished in close scoring opportunities with slick shooting. Very little defensive help from UVa made goalie Adam Ghittleman's day a long one.

Four teams. One weekend. One champion. This is it. Every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears over the past year comes down to three games. Who will be crowned King of May? This is the second of Brofessor Lax's Final Four previews. For his Syracuse-Duke breakdown, click here.

#1 Virginia vs. #5 Cornell
Gametime: Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Gillette Stadium
TV: ESPN2

Virginia beat Cornell 14-10 in Charlottesville in their regular season match-up but that was before UVa discovered their mojo. All year long, Virginia looked like a typical Virginia team. They won a lot of games and scored a lot of goals. But then they lost to Duke twice. In fact, they didn't only lose, they got embarrassed. Everyone questioned Virginia's potential playoff run as the team looked tired and ready for the season to end. Then came Villanova. We predicted UVa would put up insane offensive numbers against Villanova, which they did. We also predicted they'd put up big-time numbers last weekend against Hopkins which they did (however, we did think Hopkins would put up more numbers and would win the game in a shoot out). Virginia no longer looks like the typical great Virginia teams of the past. Instead they resemble the OUTSTANDING 2006 undefeated Virginia squad that scored whenever they touched the ball.  Keep Reading »

Four teams. One weekend. One champion. This is it. Every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears over the past year comes down to three games. Who will be crowned King of May?

#2 Syracuse vs. #3 Duke
Gametime: Saturday at Noon EST
Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass.
TV: ESPN2

What a match-up this one is. It's unfortunate these teams don't play during the regular season, as we'd be treated to more frequent entertaining events due to their similar up-tempo styles. Kenny Nims is the offensive catalyst for Syracuse. Ned Crotty is that guy for Duke. Steven Keogh is the Orange's off-ball goal scorer. Max Quinzani is Duke's goal scorer. Will this be a shoot out where we'll see each team score in the teens, or will these two defenses lock down and keep it to a 12-11 type game? One thing's for sure: both teams will be scoring in double digits. And that's not because the defenses aren't that good. In fact, both defenses are very good, but the offensive fire power for both teams will be too strong for either defense to contain.

Prior to Virginia's offensive dominance in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, Syracuse and Duke were clearly the two most consistent teams with plenty of momentum in their favor. Despite UVa's two staggering blowouts, Syracuse and Duke are still the NOW teams. A \`NOW' team is a team that is playing their best lacrosse at the moment. And these two programs are playing their best right now.

Both Duke and Syracuse are led by two coaches who don't necessarily game plan for their opponents, but let their opponents game plan for them. John Danowski of Duke and John Desko of Syracuse believe that their personnel, at both ends of the field, are athletic and skilled enough to beat any team on any given day. No matter what defensive or offensive scheme their opponents throw at them, they know they have the talent to beat it. That's not to say both teams run a free-for-all brand of lacrosse. That's not the case at all. But the coaches trust their athletes' instincts to make the necessary plays at the right times.  Keep Reading »

Quarterfinal weekend is now behind us so let's recap the games.

Syracuse vs. Maryland
Winner: Syracuse (11-6)
BroBible Prediction: Syracuse

Syracuse weathered the storm early as Maryland tested %u2018Cuses' backup goalie Al Cavalieri (starter John Galloway couldn't play because of the flu), but couldn't capitalize on the junior's inexperience. Instead, Cavalieri finished the day with 14 saves (70% save percentage) and was a bright spot for the Orange as they advance to their second consecutive Final Four.

Maryland goalie Brian Phipps left the game in the first quarter on a freak ACL tear as he was jumping up and down to contest a call. Jason Carter came in for relief, but it didn't matter who was in goal for Maryland on this day. Syracuse was too athletic for Maryland. Kenny Nimms had a solid 2 goals and 2 assists. Syracuse had 7 other goal scorers in the game as well. That just goes to show the depth this team has%u2026And depth means everything this late in the season.  Keep Reading »

With the quarterfinals of the D-I lacrosse NCAA tournament now behind us, the Final Four is set for Memorial Day weekend: #1 Virginia will face #5 Cornell and #2 Syracuse will battle #3 Duke on Saturday in Foxboro, Mass., for a chance to play in the National Championship next Monday. While the entire lax community debates the big match ups, the players and coaches are going through the most important week of their entire seasons -- and for some, their entire careers. Under intense media scrutiny, with practices every day and film sessions late into the night, these national powerhouses are preparing for the game they've been dreaming of since they first picked up a lacrosse stick years ago. And perhaps no player in recent memory knows what this week is like more than Paul Rabil, the former Johns Hopkins middie and McLaughlin Award winner who helped lead his team to the 2005 and 2007 titles as well as a 2008 runner-up finish. So BroBible asked Rabil, now of the San Jose Stealth and Boston Cannons, to take us behind the scenes of the week leading up to the Final Four. Here's Rabil's exclusive interview with BroBible.

BroBible: What is preparation like the week leading up to the semifinals on Saturday? Do you practice every day? Are girls or partying or anything else of that sort off limits that week? Or does the normal routine of college life help you relax?

Paul Rabil: There's no better time during the year than the NCAA Tournament. It starts with the Sunday night Selection Show on national television, and hopefully ends Monday afternoon of Memorial Day. In terms of routine for the Final Four, the only thing that should really change is that certain excitement and anticipation you get all week during practice, film, and extra shooting. As far as practicing every day, the way I see it is that there is no way throughout the year that a team would even sniff the Final Four if they not only practiced every day, but put in extra work as individuals after. For me, shooting extra before and after practice prepares me for each game every weekend. There's no better way to gain confidence for a game than to feel completely comfortable with your stick. I've done some crazy things on the field, good and bad... but I would have never tried any of it if I wasn't confident in my ability. Lastly, believe it or not, girls and partying are absolutely off limits for me the week of the Final Four. However, this isn't because I don't think it's unhealthy in preparation, but more so I'm just entirely too fired up to get out on lacrosse's biggest stage. Plus, by this time of the year finals are over and each day is wide open to practice and hang out with your boys.

When does the reality of "I'm going to be playing in front of 60,000 people at Foxboro" set in?

Rabil: Call it cocky, call it dumb, but being a Hopkins player, as soon as we step on campus we expect to make it to the Final Four. Most teams are congratulated for making the tournament, but Hopkins is ridiculed for not making a top-4 seed. It's kind of a joke. But in the end, I think all of the pressure, strength of schedule, and exposure to all game situations makes us a better team. If you get caught up thinking about playing in front of 60k, instead of just embracing it and getting excited about it, you'll forget how to catch and throw.  Keep Reading »

With the NCAA D-I lacrosse quarterfinals on tap for this weekend, Brofessor Lax has broken down all four match ups. Yesterday he previewed Virginia and Johns Hopkins, Cornell and Princeton, and Duke and Carolina. Up next:

#2 Syracuse vs. Maryland
Game Time: Saturday at Noon EST at Hofstra
Previous Matchups: Have not played each other since 1997 Semifinals (Maryland won 18-17)
Faceoffs: Syracuse, 49.9%; Maryland, 51%

Syracuse Players to Watch:Kenny Nims, A, Sr. (25 G, 39 A)
Stephen Keogh, A, So. (44, 6)
Dan Hardy, M, Sr. (21, 14)
Pat Perrit, M, Sr. (12, 11)
Matt Abbott, M, Sr. (12, 6)
John Galloway, G, So. (56% save percentage)
Joel White, D, So.
Sid Smith, D, Sr.

Maryland Players to Watch:Grant Catalino, A/M, So. (23, 20)
Ryan Young, A, So. (19, 18)
Dan Groot, M, Sr. (21, 14)
Will Yeatman, A, Jr. (13, 15)
Travis Reed, A, So. (16, 7)
Jeremy Sieverts, M, Sr. (15, 6)
Jeff Reynolds, M, Sr. (12, 4)
Bryn Holmes, M, Jr. (2, 2)
Brian Phipps, G, Jr. (59.3%)
Jason Carter, G, Sr. (49%)
Brian Farrell, D, Jr. (2, 1)

Analysis:
It seems like I just listed half the Maryland roster. But the truth is that they have a lot of guys taking on smaller roles, as opposed to fewer guys taking on more responsibility. Syracuse and Maryland are two of the most historic programs in college lacrosse, yet very rarely do we get to see them square off against each other. The last time they played was in the 1997 semifinals. It's a shame they don't play more often. Syracuse comes into this game as the clear favorite with one of the best offensive teams in the country, scoring 13 goals per game. Maryland upset undefeated Notre Dame last week (as we predicted they would) with a balanced scoring attack and displayed great defense. It was probably the best defensive performance by the Terps all season long. They played a zone and locked off Notre Dame's crease man, Ryan Hoff, and didn't allow him to shoot the ball once. Can Maryland use this momentum to upset the Orange?  Keep Reading »

With the NCAA D-I lacrosse quarterfinals on tap for this weekend, Brofessor Lax has broken down all four match ups. Yesterday he previewed Virginia and Johns Hopkins and Cornell and Princeton. Up next:

#3 Duke vs. #6 North Carolina
Game Time: Sunday at 3 p.m. EST
Location: Navy
Regular Season Result: 12-8 Duke win @ North Carolina
ACC Finals Result: 15-13 Duke win @ North Carolina

Duke Players to Watch:
Ned Crotty, A, Sr. (21 G, 47 A)
Max Quinzani, A, Jr. (41, 10)
Zach Howell, A, So. (23, 19)
Brad Ross, M, Sr. (20, 6)
Rob Schroeder, G (51.8% save percentage)
CJ Costabile, D, Fr. (7, 5)
Mike Manley, D, So.

North Carolina Players to Watch:
Billy Bitter, A, So. (46, 23)
Bart Wagner, A, Sr. (35, 15)
Gavin Petracca, A, Jr. (25, 16)
Sean Delaney, M, Jr. )32, 8)
Ben Hunt, M, Sr. (17, 12)
James Petracca, G, Fr. (49.6%)

Analysis:
Can Duke beat UNC three times in the same season? That's a tough feat for any team to accomplish in lacrosse. This is the toughest game to pick of the weekend. That doesn't mean it will be the closest contest of the four games, but these two teams are playing their best lacrosse at the right time that it's just hard to find weaknesses in any of these two teams. The best way to break these two teams down is by position...  Keep Reading »

With the NCAA D-I lacrosse quarterfinals on tap for this weekend, Brofessor Lax has broken down all four match ups. First up was Virginia and Johns Hopkins. Up next:

#4 Princeton vs. #5 Cornell
Game Time: Saturday at 3 p.m.
Location: Hofstra
Regular Season Result: 10-7 Cornell win @ Cornell

Princeton Players to Watch:
Mark Kovler, M, Sr. (26 G, 16 A)
Tommy Davis, A, Sr. (33, 9)
Rich Sgalardi, M, Sr. (18, 24)
Jack McBride, A, So. (34, 7)
Tyler Fiorito, G, Fr. (59% save percentage)
Chad Weidmaier, D (Fr.)
Chris Peyser, D (Sr.)

Cornell Players to Watch:
Rob Pannell, A, Fr. (21, 35)
Ryan Hurley, A, Jr. (39, 7)
Max Seibald, M, Sr. (25, 9)
John Glynn, M, Sr. (19, 7)
Jake Myers, G, Sr. (48.5%)
Matt Moyer, D, Sr.

Analysis:
Princeton vs. Cornell for Ivy League Supremacy. Both of these teams have been atop of the Ivy League since the 1970s yet neither school's best teams have clashed with the other. First it was Cornell, winning three NCAA titles in the '70s, then Princeton in the '90's and into the early '00's. Each team has only made the Final Four once in the past 5 years, (Princeton 2004, Cornell 2007). But each team is right there on the brink of greatness and one has to beat the other in order to get there. RIVALRY GAME!  Keep Reading »

With the NCAA D-I lacrosse quarterfinals on tap for this weekend, Brofessor Lax has broken down all four match ups. First up:

#1 Virginia vs. #8 Hopkins
Game Time: Sunday at Noon EST
Location: Navy
Regular Season Result: 16 - 15 Virginia win @ Hopkins

Virginia Players to Watch:
Danny Glading, A, Sr. (28 G, 29 A)
Garrett Billings, A, Sr. (33, 17)
Steele Stanwick, A, Fr. (32, 16)
Brian Carroll, M, Jr. (29, 9)
Shamel Bratton, M, So. (25, 11)
Steve Giannone, M, Sr. (17, 8)
Adam Ghitleman, G, So. (54.5% save percentage)
Chad Gaudet, F/O, Sr. (55% win percentage)

Hopkins Players to Watch:
Michael Kimmel, M, Jr., (18, 22)
Brian Christopher, M, Sr. (28, 11)
Steven Boyle, A, Jr. (21, 16)
Chris Boland, A, So. (28, 17)
Kyle Wharton, A, So. (33, 10)
Michael Gvozden, G, Jr. (51%)
Matt Dolente / Michael Powers, F/O (52.4% win percentage)

Analysis:
The last time Hopkins beat Virginia? 2005 NCAA semifinals in a classic overtime game. This Hopkins senior class has never beaten the Cavaliers, going 0-4. And if there's one team that has given the Blue Jays fits the past 10 years, it's UVa.  Keep Reading »

Sixteen men's college lacrosse teams have their eyes on a Final Four date at Foxboro Stadium, but to even think about getting to Boston, the nations best must get through the opening weekend, which starts Saturday with Brown traveling to Johns Hopkins to take on the #8 seed Blue Jays. With all eight games on ESPN-U, this is a lax fan's dream. If you can make it to any of the games then I suggest you go. If not, then kick back and get your popcorn ready because you're not leaving the couch all weekend. Here are the Brofessor Lax's picks for the first round action.

Villanova @ #1 Virginia (Sunday, 2:30 p.m.)
Virginia is tired of hearing how they "backed" into the playoffs and were lucky to get the #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. UVA gets back on track with a win this week and will put up MONSTER numbers. They have every intention of proving to the rest of the country why they deserve the #1 seed. They'd like to enter their quarterfinal matchup the following week with some momentum and this is the game their offensive stars break out.
Pick: Virginia

Brown @ #8 Johns Hopkins (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Some people in the lacrosse community believe Hopkins got the short end of the stick with a #8 tournament seed. Last year, Hopkins got the #5 seed with a worse record than they had this year. Well, it's a different year with different teams with different players with different records. The truth of the matter is the seeds DO NOT matter. As they say, "Everything comes out in the wash." But you can bet Hopkins Head Coach Dave Pietramala is using the disrespect card to fire up his team: there's no better motivator in college lacrosse.

Brown has 2008 First Team All-American Goalie Jordan Burke in between the pipes and their attack is also proven, having lit up the scoreboard in '09 with 56, 46, and 43 points each. In addition to a strong attack unit, they have BIG Reade Seligmann barreling his way to the goal from the midfield. The close defense for Hopkins has had trouble stopping elite attack units in '09, which traditionally is the backbone of their team. Can Mike Evans and the rest of the Hopkins D lead this team to the quarterfinals? The answer is yes. This Hopkins team has too much playoff experience to lose in the first round.
Pick: Hopkins  Keep Reading »

The D-I college lacrosse brackets were released tonight and #5-ranked Virginia swiped the #1 seed from top-ranked Syracuse. Brown squeaked in and will take on #8 seed Johns Hopkins, while Loyola's strong performance against the Blue Jays on Saturday (they forced two OTs only to lose 10-9) wasn't enough to get the Greyhounds a bid. Brofessor Lax will chime in Monday with his full analysis of the bracket, but here it is for those chomping at the bit for May Madness.

First round games are played at the seeded teams' home fields this coming weekend. The top half of the bracket plays its second round games in Annapolis May 17, the bottom half at Navy May 16. Gilette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., will once again play host to the Final Four May 23 and 25.

The Top Half:
Villanova (13-2) at *1-Virginia (11-5)
Brown (12-3) at *8-Johns Hopkins (9-4)
Hofstra (11-3) at *5-Cornell (10-3)
UMass (9-5) at *4-Princeton (12-2)

The Bottom Half:
Navy (11-4) at *3-Duke (13-3)
UMBC (12-3) at *6-UNC (11-5)
Maryland (9-6) at *7-Notre Dame (15-0)
Siena (12-5) at *2-Syracuse (12-2)

This is a big weekend for Quint Kessenich, the former Johns Hopkins All-American goalie and current lacrosse commentator/aficionado for ESPN and InsideLacrosse.com. On Saturday, Kessenich and eight other Blue Jays will be inducted into the university's Hall of Fame in a ceremony prior to Hopkins' 1 p.m. matchup against Loyola. Then, Sunday night at 9 p.m., Kessenich and the rest of the ESPN-U crew will host the annual selection show, as they unveil the 16-team bracket for this year's D-I NCAA tournament. BroBible caught up with Kessenich Friday afternoon as he got ready to kick off the most exciting month on the college lacrosse calendar.

BROBIBLE: First, congrats on the Hopkins Hall of Fame inductions this weekend. What are your emotions going into tomorrow?

QUINT KESSENICH: Well I'm excited. You know, I think it means more to my mom and my brothers and my sister and my teammates. As a goalie, your performance is so linked to people you played around, so the guys that I played with deserve all the credit for putting up with me and making me look good.

Right. So let's get to this year's action. How would you assess the D-I lacrosse season so far?

KESSENICH: Early season I really thought that Virginia and Syracuse were a little better than everyone else. But since making that declaration in the middle of March, we've seen both of those teams lose games, we've seen both of those teams win a lot of one-goal games. So it's a big pack this year. It's a pack of eight or 10 teams who can win the national title.

What has tripped up Syracuse and Virginia?  Keep Reading »

The last two weeks have turned Division I college lacrosse on its head and with one week to go before the playoffs begin, there is still much room for more chaos. What's not important is what the rankings are today; what is most important is how they will be seeded, grouped, and traveled. I am figuring on the following top 8 seeds (there are 16 total invitations) in this order:

1. Syracuse
2. Duke
3. Virginia
4. Princeton
5. Johns Hopkins
6. North Carolina
7. Cornell
8. Hofstra

The NCAA selection committee will want to limit travel, consolidate North and South, and reward Duke and Syracuse for their quality wins. The anticipation of quarterfinal match-ups at Hofstra with Syracuse playing Hofstra and Princeton taking on Johns Hopkins would be absolutely incredible for the game. Subject to weather, this could fill up Hofstra's 15,000-seat James M. Shuart Stadium with great ease. The southern quarterfinal match-up at Navy would pit Duke vs Cornell and Virginia vs North Carolina -- need I say more? I am really excited to see how this all unfolds; I think we are in for an incredible playoff run.  Keep Reading »

On a weekend of college lacrosse that finally did not feature a four or six-team Day of Something in a major Maryland or New York football stadium, #4 Cornell knocked off top-ranked Princeton 10 to 7 for their first victory over a top-5 team in more than a yearand in turn securing a share of the Ivy League championship. Other top 20 upsets included Bucknell over Colgate and UNC over Hofstra. Still undefeated #3 Notre Dame skated by Quinnipiac and St. John's. Here's the full top 20 scoreboard from this weekend's action.

#3 Notre Dame 12, Saint John's 2

Vermont 6, #20 Albany 9

Bryant 14, Bellarmine 4

#13 Colgate 11. #18 Bucknell 19

#4 Cornell 10, #1 Princeton 7

#8 Duke 10, Army 6  Keep Reading »