Lacrosse Final Four Predictions

OK, this will be my last lacrosse post of the year. I promise. I know it is not one of the two main college sports, but I appreciate you bearing with me this spring. It's the sport I coach and played growing up, so I love it and really do think it is going to be the next big sport in college athletics. In fact, the Wall Street Journal gave it a plug just yesterday. But I do realize most of you don't care, so after this I will move back to the thing we all care about after this-- good ol' fashioned college football.

This year's Final Four pits 1. UVA v 5. Cornell, and 2. Syracuse v. 3. Duke. These match ups are great for lacrosse. First, it is a great mix of programs. You have two of the traditional big 4 in lax, UVA and 'Cuse. They have combined for 14 national titles, and 2 of the last 3. At the same time, you have two new comers to dance. Cornell has only made it once in the last ten years and has only recently been resurrected by coach Jeff Tambroni. Duke also only became a national power in the past 4 years, and is a great story since it was a program that was on the verge of termination only three years ago. Did you forget about that? Feel free to google "Duke lacrosse" and "rape" and see how many hits you get. It's great that parity is slowly creeping into the sport and that the Final Four isn't identical every year anymore.

So how will this weekend go down? I think UVA will be able to handle Cornell, but it will be close. UVA is simply on fire. In their first two games in the tournament, they opened the game on 18-0 and 10-3 runs. Cornell's Max Seibald is arguably the best middie in the country, but I don't think they have enough offense to keep up with UVA. Virginia's interior defense is weak, but it will hold. In the other semifinal, it gets a lot more interesting. Syracuse is the defending champion and brings back the goalie it rode through the tournament last year, but Duke is the team that is getting hot at the perfect time this year. After starting the season with bad losses to Harvard and Maryland, they ended the season by winning the ACC tournament, beating #1 UVA handily twice. and winning a nailbiter last weekend against UNC. I think this game is going to be great-- high scoring and close, but at the end of the day Duke's best player (Ned Crotty) is a feeder and not a scorer. 'Cuse wins.

This gives us a great final. It's a rematch of the semifinals last year, when Syracuse beat UVA in overtime. Both teams are built the exact same way-- fast, aggressive defense that will challenge sideline to sideline, extremely fast middies that are always looking for fast breaks and can unload 90+ mph shots, and loaded attack that aren't afraid to shoot from anywhere and are virtually unguardable. Both teams would much rather be in a game that's 12-10 than 5-4. The goals will be fast and furious in this game, so it will be interesting to watch who wins the face offs to control possession, and which goalie can keep focused with so many shots whizzing by them. First to 15 wins in this one. At the end of the day. UVA's offense will be too much. The attack is headlined by 4 time All-America and Tewaaraton Finalist Danny Glading who will draw their oppenents top defender and plenty of double teams, but attackman Garrett Billings and Steele Stanwick both had over 50 points this season. Add in twins Shamel and Ramel Bratton (the #1 and #2 recruits in the nation in 2008) in the midfield, and it's clear that the UVA offense is just unstoppable. UVA wins in a thriller.

I can't wait, hope you can catch it. ESPN2 Saturday and Monday, starting at 1pm.