2009 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
Encyclopedia
The 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament was held from May 9 through May 25, 2009. This was the 39th annual Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
tournament. Sixteen NCAA Division I college men's lacrosse
teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament.
The first round of the tournament was played on May 9 and 10 at the home fields of the seeded teams. The quarterfinals were held on May 16 and 17th on neutral site fields at Hofstra University
(James M. Shuart Stadium
) and the United States Naval Academy
(Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
). The tournament culminated with the semifinals and final held on Memorial Day
weekend at Gillette Stadium
in Foxborough, Massachusetts
. The tournament was won by Syracuse University
who defeated Cornell University
, 10–9, in overtime
in front of 41,935 fans.
Five conferences held tournament championships, which also determined their NCAA bids. Siena
earned an automatic bid by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
(MAAC) championship for both their first conference title and first NCAA tournament appearance. Villanova
earned an automatic bid by winning Colonial Athletic Association
(CAA) championship and also made its NCAA tournament debut. Navy
earned an automatic bid by winning its fifth Patriot League
championship in six years. Both Notre Dame
and UMBC
repeated as conference champions by winning the Great Western Lacrosse League
(GWLL) and America East Conference
, respectively.
Two conferences awarded their bids based on regular season performance. UMass
earned the Eastern College Athletic Conference
(ECAC) championship and its automatic with a 6–1 conference record. The Ivy League
awarded its automatic bid to Cornell
. Princeton
and Cornell possessed identical conference records and were named co-champions. The head-to-head regular season game, which Cornell had won, acted as the tie-breaking criterion.
The remaining nine berths were awarded to at-large teams. Duke
won the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) tournament for the third straight season, but the league does not receive an automatic bid because it does not have at least six members. Nevertheless, all four ACC teams received at-large bids: Duke, Maryland, North Carolina
, and Virginia
. Additionally, the NCAA Selection Committee awarded at-large bids to: independents Johns Hopkins and Syracuse
, Brown and Princeton of the Ivy League, and Hofstra
of the CAA.
described the first round of the tournament as "chalky", because seven of the eight seeded teams advanced. Every past NCAA tournament had been won by seven of the eight teams that advanced to the quarterfinals, with Duke being the only one to have never won a national title. For the first time, all four Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) teams advanced to the second round. It was just the second time in tournament history that four teams from the same conference advanced. The first instance occurred in 1990
with Brown, Harvard
, Princeton, and Yale
of the Ivy League
.
The tournament began on Saturday, May 9, when the Brown Bears traveled to face the eighth-seeded Johns Hopkins Blue Jays at Homewood Field
in Baltimore
. The Blue Jays pulled away to three-goal leads in the first and final quarters, but the Bears equalized both times. In the final ten seconds of regulation, Brown attackman Kyle Hollingsworth batted in a loose ball to even the score, 11–11. In overtime
, Hopkins won the faceoff and called a timeout, before Brian Christopher drove up the right side of the field and made a game-winning top-corner shot on the run. It was the third overtime goal by Christopher in Hopkins' past four games.
UMBC
then played at number-six seed North Carolina
. The UMBC Retrievers possessed the most efficient extra-man offense (EMO) and the best-rated midfield in the nation. Their roster, however, lacked depth, and the first-string midfielders were forced to play in the 90 °F (32.2 °C) heat for almost the entire game. At halftime, the Retrievers led the Tar Heels, 8–6. The lead changed hands several times in the third period, before North Carolina took control for the remainder of the game to win, 15–13. Tar Heels attackman Billy Bitter, who attempted only nine shots, matched the school single-game record with eight goals.
Hofstra
played at fifth-seeded Cornell
, where the teams were even at halftime, 5–5. The third period was the decisive quarter, and Cornell won three face-offs and outscored Hofstra five-to-one. In Durham
, third-seeded Duke
hosted Navy
. At halftime, the Blue Devils led 10–0 and expanded the rout to 13–1 at the start of the final period. Duke advanced with a final score of 14–5.
The second day of the tournament began with the Maryland Terrapins facing the seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish
at home in South Bend, Indiana
. The Fighting Irish entered the game in possession of a perfect 15–0 record, but still considered an unknown variable due to their schedule. The magazine Inside Lacrosse
called the Terrapins a talented team that had underachieved during the regular season. The first-ranked Notre Dame defense frustrated Maryland, but the Terps still managed to gain a 6–1 lead in the third quarter. Maryland's defense effectively shut-down Notre Dame and the leading Irish scorer Ryan Hoff was unable to make a single shot on goal. Maryland was the only unseeded team to advance to the quarterfinals.
Both schools making their inaugural NCAA tournament appearance suffered quick elimination. The Villanova Wildcats
were trounced by the Virginia Cavaliers
, 18–6. The Cavaliers were led by Brian Carroll's career-high five goal performance. The Siena Saints
were held scoreless for nearly 42 minutes in their loss to the Syracuse Orange
, 11–4. Onondaga Community College
transfer Cody Jamieson, who had just been cleared academically, scored three goals in his first start for the Orange.
At Princeton University
, the Tigers defeated the visiting UMass Minutemen
, 10–7. Princeton was led by Mark Kovler's six-point effort. The game was the final in the collegiate career of Minutemen goalkeeper Doc Schneider
who led his team to the 2006 championship game
as a freshman
. His opposite number, Princeton's Tyler Fiorito, became just the second freshman goalkeeper to start an NCAA tournament game for the Tigers.
The quarterfinals took place over the weekend of May 16 to 17 at two neutral sites. The first doubleheader was sponsored on Saturday by Hofstra University
, followed by games held at the United States Naval Academy
on Sunday. Despite overcast weather at both locations, it was the first time that each NCAA quarterfinals venue attracted in excess of 11,000 spectators.
The second round opened at Hofstra's James M. Shuart Stadium
with the Maryland–Syracuse match-up. Al Cavalieri filled in as the Orange goalkeeper for long-time starter John Galloway who was sick with the flu. Syracuse scored three unanswered goals in the first quarter before Maryland goalie Brian Phipps suffered an ACL
tear. Terrapins midfielder Grant Catalino narrowed the deficit to 5–3 before halftime on an extra-man score. In the second half, Syracuse made defensive adjustments to shut down Maryland's behind-the-goal attack, and the Orange tallied three times in the span of 2:10 to pull away in the third quarter. Syracuse won, 11–6, and extended its postseason streak against Maryland to five.
Ivy League rivals Cornell and Princeton then had their 70th meeting, but first in the NCAA tournament. Earlier in the postseason, the Big Red defeated the Tigers to split the Ivy League championship. Three Princeton shots hit the post in the first half of the second quarter, and Cornell entered halftime with a 5–1 advantage. In the third quarter, Tigers attackman Tommy Davis ended their 27:58 scoring drought with a 15-yard shot. Princeton quickly tallied again with 28 seconds in the period. In the final quarter, the Big Red withstood two penalties to win, 6–4.
The second day of the quarterfinals took place at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
in Annapolis, Maryland
. The first game featured top-ranked Virginia and Johns Hopkins. The Cavaliers dominated the Blue Jays, 19–8, in their worst postseason defeat in school history. Shamel Bratton of Virginia scored a career-high five goals. The victory marked the 300th of head coach Dom Starsia
's career, and he became the third coach in Division I lacrosse history to win as many games. Virginia advanced to their fourth Final Four appearance in five seasons. With the quarterfinals elimination of both Maryland and Johns Hopkins, 2009 became only the third time since the NCAA tournament began
that no team from the state
participated in the Final Four.
The final game of the round featured intrastate rivals Duke and North Carolina in their third meeting of the season. In the first quarter, the Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead and survived a two-man-down penalty, but the Tar Heels scored four unanswered goals to briefly take the lead in the second quarter. Late in the final period, North Carolina rallied from a four-point deficit to trail by one goal, 12–11. As time expired, a shot by Sean Delaney missed high over the goal, and Duke defeated North Carolina for the third time of the year. The Blue Devils' Zach Howell scored a career-high three goals and Tewaaraton Trophy
finalist Ned Crotty tallied twice and had six assists. The Duke defense held Carolina's leading scorer, Billy Bitter, to just two assists.
in Foxborough, Massachusetts
, which was attended by 36,594 fans, a decrease from the previous year's 48,224. Nine Orange players scored in a rout of the Blue Devils, 17–7, which demonstrated the depth of the Syracuse offense. It was the most goals allowed by Duke all season. Seniors Kenny Nims
and Patrick Perritt led the Orange with four goals each. Freshman Tim Desko, son of head coach John Desko
, and heralded transfer Cody Jamieson
each tallied twice. The Orange dominated the faceoff circle and won 18 of 28 draws. To open the third quarter, senior Jake Moulton won the opening faceoff and scored nine seconds into the half. With the victory, the Orange advanced to the championship game for the seventh time since 1999.
, May 25. Cornell controlled the tempo of the game for the first 56 minutes and frustrated Syracuse with a tough defense. Late in the fourth quarter, the Big Red led, 9–6, before Syracuse's Stephen Keogh and Cody Jamieson narrowed the deficit to one goal with 2:46 remaining. Keogh attempted another shot but missed, and Cornell took possession with 27.6 seconds left to play. The Orange's Kenny Nims
then dislodged the ball from Matt Moyer, and Keogh recovered possession. He took a wild shot, which was caught by Syracuse's Matt Abbott. As he was flattened by Cornell defenders, Abbott got off a pass to Nims, who had run from midfield to the very edge of the crease. Nims connected with his shot on goal to send the game into overtime. Cornell won the overtime faceoff, but Syracuse defenseman Sid Smith
stripped Ryan Hurley to create a turnover. Dan Hardy feigned a shot before passing to Jamieson, positioned just beyond the crease, who scored the game-winner.
was honored with the Tewaaraton Trophy
for the most outstanding Division I men's lacrosse player. Syracuse attackman Kenny Nims
was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. The NCAA named its "All-Tournament Team" following the championship game, which consisted of five players each from Syracuse and Cornell. The following individuals made up that team:
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
tournament. Sixteen NCAA Division I college men's lacrosse
College lacrosse
College lacrosse refers to lacrosse played by student athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played in both the varsity and club levels...
teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament.
The first round of the tournament was played on May 9 and 10 at the home fields of the seeded teams. The quarterfinals were held on May 16 and 17th on neutral site fields at Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
(James M. Shuart Stadium
James M. Shuart Stadium
James M. Shuart Stadium, formerly known as Hofstra Stadium, is a 15,000-seat multi-purpose stadium on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. It first opened in 1962, and was known as Hofstra Stadium until August 29, 2002. It is the home field of the Hofstra Pride lacrosse teams...
) and the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
(Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Navy – Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium near the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It is the home field of the Navy Midshipmen football team, the men's lacrosse team, and the Chesapeake Bayhawks lacrosse team....
). The tournament culminated with the semifinals and final held on Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend at Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
in Foxborough, Massachusetts
Foxborough, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...
. The tournament was won by Syracuse University
Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse
The Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team represents Syracuse University in NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse. The Orange have won 10 NCAA championship titles, and currently competes as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference men's lacrosse conference...
who defeated Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, 10–9, in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
in front of 41,935 fans.
Qualifying teams
The NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Committee selected the participating teams for the championship tournament. The committee announced the qualifying teams and the seeding order on Sunday, May 3, 2009. Seven conferences received automatic bids for their top team. The remaining nine teams were selected by the committee as "at-large" bids.Five conferences held tournament championships, which also determined their NCAA bids. Siena
Siena Saints men's lacrosse
The Siena Saints men's lacrosse team represents Siena College in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college lacrosse competition. The Saints play their home games at the Siena Turf Field, which has a capacity for 1,000 spectators...
earned an automatic bid by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider...
(MAAC) championship for both their first conference title and first NCAA tournament appearance. Villanova
Villanova Wildcats men's lacrosse
The Villanova Wildcats men's lacrosse team represents Villanova University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. The Wildcats were elevated to the varsity level in 1981 after competing as a club sport since 1961...
earned an automatic bid by winning Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
(CAA) championship and also made its NCAA tournament debut. Navy
Navy Midshipmen men's lacrosse
The Navy Midshipmen men's lacrosse team represents the United States Naval Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. Navy currently competes as a member of the Patriot League and play their home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland...
earned an automatic bid by winning its fifth Patriot League
Patriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...
championship in six years. Both Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's lacrosse
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's lacrosse team represents the University of Notre Dame in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college lacrosse...
and UMBC
UMBC Retrievers men's lacrosse
The UMBC Retrievers men's lacrosse team represents the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college lacrosse competition. The Retrievers play their home games at UMBC Stadium, located in Baltimore, Maryland with a capacity of 4,500...
repeated as conference champions by winning the Great Western Lacrosse League
Great Western Lacrosse League
The Great Western Lacrosse League, also known as the GWLL, was a NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse athletic conference that existed from 1994 to 2009...
(GWLL) and America East Conference
America East Conference
The America East Conference is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located mainly in the northeastern United States. The conference was known as the ECAC North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from the fall semester of 1988 to the end of the spring...
, respectively.
Two conferences awarded their bids based on regular season performance. UMass
UMass Minutemen men's lacrosse
The UMass Minutemen men's lacrosse team represents the University of Massachusetts Amherst in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. UMass had competed in the ECAC Lacrosse League, but as of 2010 transferred to the Colonial Athletic Association . They play their home...
earned the Eastern College Athletic Conference
ECAC Lacrosse League
The ECAC Lacrosse League is an NCAADivision I college athletic conference and part of the Eastern College Athletic Conference. This part of the conference only sponsors men's lacrosse. The league was founded in 2000...
(ECAC) championship and its automatic with a 6–1 conference record. The Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
awarded its automatic bid to Cornell
Cornell Big Red men's lacrosse
The Cornell Big Red Men's Lacrosse team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. Cornell competes as a member of the Ivy League, of which they have won 23 conference championships. The Big Red have appeared in the NCAA tournament 22...
. Princeton
Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse
The Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse team represents Princeton University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
and Cornell possessed identical conference records and were named co-champions. The head-to-head regular season game, which Cornell had won, acted as the tie-breaking criterion.
The remaining nine berths were awarded to at-large teams. Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse
The Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse team represents Duke University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
won the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) tournament for the third straight season, but the league does not receive an automatic bid because it does not have at least six members. Nevertheless, all four ACC teams received at-large bids: Duke, Maryland, North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's lacrosse
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's lacrosse team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
, and Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers men's lacrosse
The Virginia Cavaliers men's lacrosse team represents the University of Virginia in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
. Additionally, the NCAA Selection Committee awarded at-large bids to: independents Johns Hopkins and Syracuse
Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse
The Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team represents Syracuse University in NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse. The Orange have won 10 NCAA championship titles, and currently competes as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference men's lacrosse conference...
, Brown and Princeton of the Ivy League, and Hofstra
Hofstra Pride men's lacrosse
The Hofstra Pride men's lacrosse team represents Hofstra University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse competition. The university first fielded a varsity men's lacrosse team in 1949, hiring Howdy Myers the following season from Johns Hopkins to take over the...
of the CAA.
Tournament bracket
- * = Overtime
First round
The Washington TimesThe Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
described the first round of the tournament as "chalky", because seven of the eight seeded teams advanced. Every past NCAA tournament had been won by seven of the eight teams that advanced to the quarterfinals, with Duke being the only one to have never won a national title. For the first time, all four Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) teams advanced to the second round. It was just the second time in tournament history that four teams from the same conference advanced. The first instance occurred in 1990
1990 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 1990 tournament championship game was played at Rutgers University in front of 19,070 fans. The Syracuse Orangemen defeated the Loyola Greyhounds, 21–9. Syracuse's participation in the tournament was later vacated by the NCAA Committee on infractions. Syracuse was found to have violated rules...
with Brown, Harvard
Harvard Crimson men's lacrosse
The Harvard Crimson men's lacrosse team represents Harvard University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
, Princeton, and Yale
Yale Bulldogs men's lacrosse
The Yale Bulldogs men's lacrosse team represents Yale University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. Yale competes as a member of the Ivy League and plays their home games at Reese Stadium in New Haven, Connecticut. The Bulldogs have captured the Ivy League...
of the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
.
The tournament began on Saturday, May 9, when the Brown Bears traveled to face the eighth-seeded Johns Hopkins Blue Jays at Homewood Field
Homewood Field
Homewood Field is the athletics stadium of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. It was built in 1906 and has an official capacity of 8,500 people. The name is taken, as is that of the entire campus, from that of the estate of Charles Carroll of Carrollton. It serves as the home...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. The Blue Jays pulled away to three-goal leads in the first and final quarters, but the Bears equalized both times. In the final ten seconds of regulation, Brown attackman Kyle Hollingsworth batted in a loose ball to even the score, 11–11. In overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
, Hopkins won the faceoff and called a timeout, before Brian Christopher drove up the right side of the field and made a game-winning top-corner shot on the run. It was the third overtime goal by Christopher in Hopkins' past four games.
UMBC
UMBC Retrievers
The UMBC Retrievers represent the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in NCAA Division I athletics. The official colors of the Retrievers are black and gold with red . The Retrievers field 17 varsity sports; eight men and nine women. UMBC competes in the America East athletic conference...
then played at number-six seed North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's lacrosse
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's lacrosse team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
. The UMBC Retrievers possessed the most efficient extra-man offense (EMO) and the best-rated midfield in the nation. Their roster, however, lacked depth, and the first-string midfielders were forced to play in the 90 °F (32.2 °C) heat for almost the entire game. At halftime, the Retrievers led the Tar Heels, 8–6. The lead changed hands several times in the third period, before North Carolina took control for the remainder of the game to win, 15–13. Tar Heels attackman Billy Bitter, who attempted only nine shots, matched the school single-game record with eight goals.
Hofstra
Hofstra Pride men's lacrosse
The Hofstra Pride men's lacrosse team represents Hofstra University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse competition. The university first fielded a varsity men's lacrosse team in 1949, hiring Howdy Myers the following season from Johns Hopkins to take over the...
played at fifth-seeded Cornell
Cornell Big Red men's lacrosse
The Cornell Big Red Men's Lacrosse team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. Cornell competes as a member of the Ivy League, of which they have won 23 conference championships. The Big Red have appeared in the NCAA tournament 22...
, where the teams were even at halftime, 5–5. The third period was the decisive quarter, and Cornell won three face-offs and outscored Hofstra five-to-one. In Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, third-seeded Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse
The Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse team represents Duke University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
hosted Navy
Navy Midshipmen men's lacrosse
The Navy Midshipmen men's lacrosse team represents the United States Naval Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. Navy currently competes as a member of the Patriot League and play their home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland...
. At halftime, the Blue Devils led 10–0 and expanded the rout to 13–1 at the start of the final period. Duke advanced with a final score of 14–5.
The second day of the tournament began with the Maryland Terrapins facing the seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's lacrosse
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's lacrosse team represents the University of Notre Dame in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college lacrosse...
at home in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
. The Fighting Irish entered the game in possession of a perfect 15–0 record, but still considered an unknown variable due to their schedule. The magazine Inside Lacrosse
Inside Lacrosse
Inside Lacrosse is a lacrosse media entity and ESPN affiliate. It includes many parts including a news website, an 11 times annual magazine, online video streaming, internet forums and an ESPN television show...
called the Terrapins a talented team that had underachieved during the regular season. The first-ranked Notre Dame defense frustrated Maryland, but the Terps still managed to gain a 6–1 lead in the third quarter. Maryland's defense effectively shut-down Notre Dame and the leading Irish scorer Ryan Hoff was unable to make a single shot on goal. Maryland was the only unseeded team to advance to the quarterfinals.
Both schools making their inaugural NCAA tournament appearance suffered quick elimination. The Villanova Wildcats
Villanova Wildcats men's lacrosse
The Villanova Wildcats men's lacrosse team represents Villanova University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. The Wildcats were elevated to the varsity level in 1981 after competing as a club sport since 1961...
were trounced by the Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers men's lacrosse
The Virginia Cavaliers men's lacrosse team represents the University of Virginia in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
, 18–6. The Cavaliers were led by Brian Carroll's career-high five goal performance. The Siena Saints
Siena Saints men's lacrosse
The Siena Saints men's lacrosse team represents Siena College in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college lacrosse competition. The Saints play their home games at the Siena Turf Field, which has a capacity for 1,000 spectators...
were held scoreless for nearly 42 minutes in their loss to the Syracuse Orange
Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse
The Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team represents Syracuse University in NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse. The Orange have won 10 NCAA championship titles, and currently competes as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference men's lacrosse conference...
, 11–4. Onondaga Community College
Onondaga Community College
Onondaga Community College is an accredited two-year educational institution that services Onondaga County, New York at three campuses. Onondaga Community College is a college of the State University of New York system and one of 30 locally sponsored community colleges throughout New York...
transfer Cody Jamieson, who had just been cleared academically, scored three goals in his first start for the Orange.
At Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, the Tigers defeated the visiting UMass Minutemen
UMass Minutemen men's lacrosse
The UMass Minutemen men's lacrosse team represents the University of Massachusetts Amherst in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. UMass had competed in the ECAC Lacrosse League, but as of 2010 transferred to the Colonial Athletic Association . They play their home...
, 10–7. Princeton was led by Mark Kovler's six-point effort. The game was the final in the collegiate career of Minutemen goalkeeper Doc Schneider
Doc Schneider
Jonathan David "Doc" Schneider is a goaltender formerly of the Hamilton Nationals of Major League Lacrosse.-Early life:Schneider, who is Jewish, acquired the nickname `Doc' from his family...
who led his team to the 2006 championship game
2006 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament was the 36th annual Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament. Sixteen NCAA Division I college men's lacrosse teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament.The semifinals and...
as a freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
. His opposite number, Princeton's Tyler Fiorito, became just the second freshman goalkeeper to start an NCAA tournament game for the Tigers.
Quarterfinals
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
, followed by games held at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
on Sunday. Despite overcast weather at both locations, it was the first time that each NCAA quarterfinals venue attracted in excess of 11,000 spectators.
The second round opened at Hofstra's James M. Shuart Stadium
James M. Shuart Stadium
James M. Shuart Stadium, formerly known as Hofstra Stadium, is a 15,000-seat multi-purpose stadium on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. It first opened in 1962, and was known as Hofstra Stadium until August 29, 2002. It is the home field of the Hofstra Pride lacrosse teams...
with the Maryland–Syracuse match-up. Al Cavalieri filled in as the Orange goalkeeper for long-time starter John Galloway who was sick with the flu. Syracuse scored three unanswered goals in the first quarter before Maryland goalie Brian Phipps suffered an ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
tear. Terrapins midfielder Grant Catalino narrowed the deficit to 5–3 before halftime on an extra-man score. In the second half, Syracuse made defensive adjustments to shut down Maryland's behind-the-goal attack, and the Orange tallied three times in the span of 2:10 to pull away in the third quarter. Syracuse won, 11–6, and extended its postseason streak against Maryland to five.
Ivy League rivals Cornell and Princeton then had their 70th meeting, but first in the NCAA tournament. Earlier in the postseason, the Big Red defeated the Tigers to split the Ivy League championship. Three Princeton shots hit the post in the first half of the second quarter, and Cornell entered halftime with a 5–1 advantage. In the third quarter, Tigers attackman Tommy Davis ended their 27:58 scoring drought with a 15-yard shot. Princeton quickly tallied again with 28 seconds in the period. In the final quarter, the Big Red withstood two penalties to win, 6–4.
The second day of the quarterfinals took place at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Navy – Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium near the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It is the home field of the Navy Midshipmen football team, the men's lacrosse team, and the Chesapeake Bayhawks lacrosse team....
in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
. The first game featured top-ranked Virginia and Johns Hopkins. The Cavaliers dominated the Blue Jays, 19–8, in their worst postseason defeat in school history. Shamel Bratton of Virginia scored a career-high five goals. The victory marked the 300th of head coach Dom Starsia
Dom Starsia
Dom Starsia is an American lacrosse coach. He is currently the head coach of the University of Virginia men's lacrosse program, with whom he has won four NCAA national championships, in 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2011. Previously, he served as the head coach of the Brown University lacrosse team where...
's career, and he became the third coach in Division I lacrosse history to win as many games. Virginia advanced to their fourth Final Four appearance in five seasons. With the quarterfinals elimination of both Maryland and Johns Hopkins, 2009 became only the third time since the NCAA tournament began
1971 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 1971 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament was the first Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament. Prior to this the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association had voted for the national champion and, subsequently, awarded the Wingate Memorial Trophy for the NCAA...
that no team from the state
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
participated in the Final Four.
The final game of the round featured intrastate rivals Duke and North Carolina in their third meeting of the season. In the first quarter, the Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead and survived a two-man-down penalty, but the Tar Heels scored four unanswered goals to briefly take the lead in the second quarter. Late in the final period, North Carolina rallied from a four-point deficit to trail by one goal, 12–11. As time expired, a shot by Sean Delaney missed high over the goal, and Duke defeated North Carolina for the third time of the year. The Blue Devils' Zach Howell scored a career-high three goals and Tewaaraton Trophy
Tewaaraton Trophy
The Tewaaraton Trophy is an award given annually, since 2001, to the most outstanding American college lacrosse player. It is the lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. The trophy is presented by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance and the University Club of Washington, D.C...
finalist Ned Crotty tallied twice and had six assists. The Duke defense held Carolina's leading scorer, Billy Bitter, to just two assists.
Syracuse vs. Duke
Syracuse met Duke for the first game at Gillette StadiumGillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
in Foxborough, Massachusetts
Foxborough, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...
, which was attended by 36,594 fans, a decrease from the previous year's 48,224. Nine Orange players scored in a rout of the Blue Devils, 17–7, which demonstrated the depth of the Syracuse offense. It was the most goals allowed by Duke all season. Seniors Kenny Nims
Kenny Nims
Kenny Nims is a lacrosse player for the Chicago Machine of Major League Lacrosse. He played college lacrosse for the Syracuse Orange in Division I. Nims played for the Orange from 2006 to 2009, leading the team to two straight NCAA tournament championships in 2008 and 2009...
and Patrick Perritt led the Orange with four goals each. Freshman Tim Desko, son of head coach John Desko
John Desko
John Desko is the head coach of the men's lacrosse team at Syracuse University taking over the reins in 1999 from Hall of Fame coach Roy Simmons, Jr....
, and heralded transfer Cody Jamieson
Cody Jamieson
Cody Jamieson is an Iroquois lacrosse player who plays for the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League, the Hamilton Nationals of Major League Lacrosse, and the Six Nations Chiefs in Major Series Lacrosse...
each tallied twice. The Orange dominated the faceoff circle and won 18 of 28 draws. To open the third quarter, senior Jake Moulton won the opening faceoff and scored nine seconds into the half. With the victory, the Orange advanced to the championship game for the seventh time since 1999.
Cornell vs. Virginia
In the second game of the day, fifth-seeded Cornell upset first-ranked Virginia. The Big Red upset the Cavaliers decisively, 15–6, and advanced to the championship game for the first time in over two decades. Cornell controlled the game from the start, and accounted for the game's first three tallies and entered halftime with an 8–2 advantage. Big Red freshman Rob Pannell, junior Ryan Hurley, and senior Chris Finn each scored three times. The Cornell defense created 18 turnovers and stymied Virginia's high-powered attack. Commenting on the upset, Cornell head coach Jeff Tambroni said, "We knew we weren't going to have a whole lot of believers out there. We needed to play hard first and believe second."Syracuse vs. Cornell
The final game was also held at Gillette Stadium and took place on Memorial DayMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
, May 25. Cornell controlled the tempo of the game for the first 56 minutes and frustrated Syracuse with a tough defense. Late in the fourth quarter, the Big Red led, 9–6, before Syracuse's Stephen Keogh and Cody Jamieson narrowed the deficit to one goal with 2:46 remaining. Keogh attempted another shot but missed, and Cornell took possession with 27.6 seconds left to play. The Orange's Kenny Nims
Kenny Nims
Kenny Nims is a lacrosse player for the Chicago Machine of Major League Lacrosse. He played college lacrosse for the Syracuse Orange in Division I. Nims played for the Orange from 2006 to 2009, leading the team to two straight NCAA tournament championships in 2008 and 2009...
then dislodged the ball from Matt Moyer, and Keogh recovered possession. He took a wild shot, which was caught by Syracuse's Matt Abbott. As he was flattened by Cornell defenders, Abbott got off a pass to Nims, who had run from midfield to the very edge of the crease. Nims connected with his shot on goal to send the game into overtime. Cornell won the overtime faceoff, but Syracuse defenseman Sid Smith
Sid Smith (lacrosse)
Sid Smith is an Iroquois lacrosse player who plays for the Hamilton Nationals in Major League Lacrosse and the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League.-Junior career:...
stripped Ryan Hurley to create a turnover. Dan Hardy feigned a shot before passing to Jamieson, positioned just beyond the crease, who scored the game-winner.
Post-tournament honors
After the championship, Cornell midfielder Max SeibaldMax Seibald
Max Seibald is a lacrosse player for the Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse and the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League. He graduated with the at Cornell University. He is from Hewlett, New York, and attended Hewlett High School...
was honored with the Tewaaraton Trophy
Tewaaraton Trophy
The Tewaaraton Trophy is an award given annually, since 2001, to the most outstanding American college lacrosse player. It is the lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. The trophy is presented by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance and the University Club of Washington, D.C...
for the most outstanding Division I men's lacrosse player. Syracuse attackman Kenny Nims
Kenny Nims
Kenny Nims is a lacrosse player for the Chicago Machine of Major League Lacrosse. He played college lacrosse for the Syracuse Orange in Division I. Nims played for the Orange from 2006 to 2009, leading the team to two straight NCAA tournament championships in 2008 and 2009...
was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. The NCAA named its "All-Tournament Team" following the championship game, which consisted of five players each from Syracuse and Cornell. The following individuals made up that team:
Record by conference
| Conference |
Bids |
Record |
Win % |
Quarterfinals |
Semifinals |
Final |
Champions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities... |
4 | 6–4 | .600 | 4 | 2 | – | – |
| Ivy League Ivy League The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group... |
3 | 4–3 | .571 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – |
| Independent | 2 | 5–1 | .833 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Colonial Athletic Association Colonial Athletic Association The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,... |
2 | 0–2 | .000 | – | – | – | – |
| America East Conference America East Conference The America East Conference is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located mainly in the northeastern United States. The conference was known as the ECAC North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from the fall semester of 1988 to the end of the spring... |
1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | – | – | – |
| Eastern College Athletic Conference ECAC Lacrosse League The ECAC Lacrosse League is an NCAADivision I college athletic conference and part of the Eastern College Athletic Conference. This part of the conference only sponsors men's lacrosse. The league was founded in 2000... |
1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | – | – | – |
| Great Western Lacrosse League Great Western Lacrosse League The Great Western Lacrosse League, also known as the GWLL, was a NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse athletic conference that existed from 1994 to 2009... |
1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | – | – | – |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider... |
1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | – | – | – |
| Patriot League Patriot League The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision... |
1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | – | – | – |