Cornell-Syracuse Postgame

[billhoward]

Those are the kinds of strategies that looked good now that we know Moyer didn't complete the clear. (Give ball to Seibald, let him run it up solo worked spectularly earlier in the game.)

No! Cornell was not celebrating early. I don't think anyone at the game had that feeling. I had a sense of incredible relief when Moyer turned out to be closest to the ball - "we dodged a bullet" - on the Syracuse close-in shot that went wide with about :10 left and we got possession. Relief that the game wasn't tied then and there, relief that Syracuse wasn't getting another possession starting out behind the net. Not relief that the game was effectively over.

[scoop85]

I was there, and thankfully had my daughter with me to make the long trip home palatable.  We were seated in the endzone in the fourth quarter and OT behnnd the SU goal, so I did not get a great look during live action at what happened on the tying goal.  Seeing the replay, I was surprised how severely Moyer was held, but not surprised there was no flag.  Most painful to me was how close Lang got to snagging the ball, or even just being able to deflect the ball out of harms way.  That's the image that will stick in my mind.

No discussion of this game can be complete without saluting John Glynn, who was without question the best player on the field yesterday.

This ranks with the toughest Cornell loss in my 28 years(!) following the Red.  I think it's worse than Wisconsin, where we were outplayed (although we had our chances) and McKee kept us in it.  Yesterday we played sound, smart, tough lacrosse, only to see it melt away.

Kudos to the entire team and coaching staff for a memorable season and a return to the upper echelon of the sport.  It has been a joy to watch, and time will help ease the bitterness (at least a bit).  We will surely miss this awesome senior class; for all of Siebald's absolute star power, I think Glynn might be the biggest hole to fill. Kudos to both Glynn and Moyer for playing through serious injury, and a tip of the hat to Jake Myers, who played wonderfully in the tournament.

We certainly have some tremendous players returning, led by the magical Rob Pannell, and by all accounts have some excellent recruits on the way.  I love the job Tambroni has done, and have every confidence that he will keep us among the top teams year in and year out.

[billhoward]

That's the spirit.

I woke up this morning thinking maybe it was Groundhog Day again and we got to start the day over again. Too bad life isn't like the movies.

You're right about the Wisconsin loss being a heartbreaker, and you don't need to be nearing retirement age to recall that one. (Half of all Cornellians graduated since 1990.)

[Al DeFlorio]

[quote Al DeFlorio][quote ugarte]
Next year probably isn't going to be our year but I don't think it will be as long to get back as some. In particular I thought Lau and Meyers showed a lot of promise for the future.[/quote]
If you mean Jake Myers, he's a senior.

Pannell, Hurley, Lau, Lang, Ritchie, Thomson, O'Neill, Derkac, MacDonald, Feely, Howe, Boykin, and, we hope, the incoming freshman Fiore in goal are the promise for next year.[/quote]
Inside Lacrosse thinks we'll still be strong in 2010: http://blogs.insidelacrosse.com/2009/05/26/top-ten-teams-for-2010/

[Josh '99]

[quote Tom Lento]Whatever you do as a fan, don't blame Moyer for the loss due to that final botched clear. Yes, it was a terrible mental mistake, but he wasn't the only one who failed there. Someone with a short stick had to be helping him out. Besides, the guy made several potentially game-saving plays earlier in the 4th quarter despite requiring surgery on both of his knees. Running around on a torn meniscus is no joke. Running around on two of them - ugh. I'm amazed at how good he was.[/quote]Agreed completely.  Moyer was matched with Nims for much of the game and that tying goal was his only point of the day - this is a first-team All-American who led the entire NCAA with 4.25 points per game we're talking about.  He really did have an incredible game, even including the bad clear there.

[RichH]

Ray: So what was that like?

Doc: It was like coming this close to your dreams...and then watching them brush past you, like a stranger in a crowd.

Ray: It would kill some men to get that close to their dream and not touch it.  They'd consider it a tragedy.

Doc: Son, if I'd only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes...now that would have been a tragedy.

[ugarte]

[quote RichH]

Ray: So what was that like?

Doc: It was like coming this close to your dreams...and then watching them brush past you, like a stranger in a crowd.

Ray: It would kill some men to get that close to their dream and not touch it.  They'd consider it a tragedy.

Doc: Son, if I'd only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes...now that would have been a tragedy.

[/quote]
A lot of those guys better go to medical school.

[Al DeFlorio]

An excerpt from an Inside Lacrosse piece by Dave Ryan, who broadcast the game on ESPN:  

On the Thruway Monday night, my family and I paused for a break at a rest stop outside Schenectady. The Syracuse team had pulled over for a break as well on its westward journey back to campus. I stopped and chatted with Hardy, White and goalie John Galloway.

The players still had their new championship hats on, along with the wide grin and giddy demeanor of a newly crowned winner. All agreed with me: they were outplayed. Cornell deserved this championship. Hardy's final words hit the mark: "They had us, they just couldn't finish. Cornell is a great team. We were just one goal better. The bottom line? We'll take it."

Doesn't make me feel any better.  Complete article here: http://blogs.insidelacrosse.com/2009/05/27/dave-ryan-final-thoughts-on-a-thrilling-final/

[TimV]

[quote ugarte][quote RichH]

Ray: So what was that like?

Doc: It was like coming this close to your dreams...and then watching them brush past you, like a stranger in a crowd.

Ray: It would kill some men to get that close to their dream and not touch it.  They'd consider it a tragedy.

Doc: Son, if I'd only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes...now that would have been a tragedy.

[/quote]
A lot of those guys better go to medical school.[/quote]

That's a great quote, Rich H and really applies here.  Thanks.  Makes me feel better.

ugarte:  trust me dude, medical school is over-rated. I've been there.  Also, as a lacrosse alum I know about 30+ years of these players, and of course there's a full spectrum of life's successes and failures, but the median on the scale falls far to the right.

For you non-techies out there, that means these guys generally are very successful in their chosen fields.

Doesn't mean that this nightmare won't repeatedly pop into their heads for the rest of their lives, though...::cry::

[ugarte]

[quote TimV]For you non-techies out there, that means these guys generally are very successful in their chosen fields.
[/quote]
I'm sure that's true ... but would the scene have been as poignant if Moonlight had said "If I had only gotten to be a banker for five minutes..."

[TimV]

Ha! Right- I see your point.**]

[TimV]

[quote Jacob '06][quote ugarte]A lot of people have mentioned that Tambroni should have called time out to set up the clear but nobody has asked why nobody called time when Moyer got trapped at the midfield line. Would it have been legal for Siebald (for instance) to call time before Syracuse knocked the ball free, giving Cornell a restart with 15 or so seconds remaining?[/quote]

No, you have to wait until the ball gets past the top line of the restraining box, either in the alley or the box itself.[/quote]

Jacob:  Almost right:

NCAA 2009 Lacrosse Rule Book Page 57

Team Timeouts
SECTION 27. When the ball is dead, only a member of either team who is on
the field or a team's head coach may request an official to call timeout.
During play, official team timeouts may be called by a field player of the
team in possession of the ball or by that team's head coach only when the
player in possession of the ball has contact with the ground with at least one foot in contact with the ground on or across the restraining line in his offensive end of the field.  

[ugarte]

[quote TimV][quote Jacob '06][quote ugarte]A lot of people have mentioned that Tambroni should have called time out to set up the clear but nobody has asked why nobody called time when Moyer got trapped at the midfield line. Would it have been legal for Siebald (for instance) to call time before Syracuse knocked the ball free, giving Cornell a restart with 15 or so seconds remaining?[/quote]

No, you have to wait until the ball gets past the top line of the restraining box, either in the alley or the box itself.[/quote]

Jacob:  Almost right:

NCAA 2009 Lacrosse Rule Book Page 57

Team Timeouts
SECTION 27. When the ball is dead, only a member of either team who is on
the field or a team's head coach may request an official to call timeout.
During play, official team timeouts may be called by a field player of the
team in possession of the ball or by that team's head coach only when the
player in possession of the ball has contact with the ground with at least one foot in contact with the ground on or across the restraining line in his offensive end of the field.  

[/quote]
I'm not sure what the distinction you are making is, Tim. I think the rule is ambiguous but I'd give it Jacob's reading. If Jacob's reading was wrong, it would be easier to say "... one foot in contact with the ground inside the restraining box." The phrasing used would appear to include the alleys next to the restraining box.

[Jacob '06]

I didn't specifically say that you had to have possession which I meant to. That is the only real difference between what I said and the rule as written.

[TimV]

You are right in your last post, as was Jacob in his reponse to your initial question: The alleys in the attacking end are OK for calling time out.  This actually came up I think in the Brown game.  Previously as I read (past tense)those two posts, I was interpreting yours as asking why no time-out when Moyer had not yet crossed the midfield line - and jumped to a wrong conclusion about Jacob's answer, thinking he was talking about the defensive restraining line.

My bad.  Sorry Jacob.  I'll find an adult ed remedial reading course.::blush::