^NOT SO SASSY^

Division I Lacrosse Championship: Syracuse vs. Johns Hopkins

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Flash back to March if you will, to that wind-swept, rainy day in Hempstead when the Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse team ventured in as the top-ranked team in the nation, riding a three-game winning streak.

As Hofstra followers are quite aware, the Pride took down the defending national champion in overtime, and that effort by the Pride sent the Blue Jays into a five-game swoon. Johns Hopkins, as well as the so-called experts, kept wondering what was wrong with the Blue Jays.

Each team is gunning for national championship No. 10. Don’t think for one second the Blue Jays aren’t aware of that.

“It’s something you think about,” Hopkins’ Kevin Huntley said, “because you’d like to have that 10th championship for our school.”

Familiarity shouldn’t be a problem for these two. A week after falling to Hofstra, Syracuse handed Hopkins the second of its three consecutive overtime defeats, taking a 14-13 decision. And that was when the Blue Jays were “struggling.”

Seems like light years ago, doesn’t it, Mike Leveille?

“I think they’ve come a long way since the last time we played them,” the Syracuse senior attackman said. “I think their goalie has come a long way as well.”

Actually, so has the Orange. Remember, 2007 was an aberration for Syracuse. The Orange went 5-8, posting its first sub-.500 record in 32 seasons, and missed the postseason for the first time since 1982.

“Last year was sitting in the back of our heads,” SU senior midfielder Steven Brooks said. “All year - 5-8, 5-8. This has been like a dream come true for all of us. This is where we wanted to be starting off at the beginning of the year. We said we needed to make it to Foxborough. We’re here now and just hoping for the best.”

NCAA Div. I men’s lacrosse championship

Who: No. 3 Syracuse (15-2) vs. No. 5 Johns Hopkins (11-5)

When: 1 p.m. today

Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.

TV: ESPN

Noteworthy: Today’s title game marks the fifth time these two teams will face off with the title on the line and the first since 1989. They’ve split their four prior meetings. Hopkins scored wins over the Orange in 1983 and 1989, and Syracuse was victorious in 1984 and ‘85 … Hopkins is trying to become the first team with five losses to win the title … With a victory, Syracuse can match its single-season record for wins set in 1922

“When we were 3-5,” Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala said yesterday, “you can imagine the thoughts that were going through our head.”

The only thing dancing through the Blue Jays’ minds are visions of adding another plaque with the NCAA logo to their already large collection. Winner of eight straight games, Hopkins finds itself in a familiar spot after sending tournament favorite Duke packing Saturday. The Blue Jays will face Syracuse for the national title at 1 p.m. Monday at Gillette Stadium, the fifth time the two powerhouses have hooked up for the crown.

Read the article here.