25 Top CNY Lacrosse Stories of 2009: 1-5

 

Just hours after the OCC Men won their 2009 National Championship by downing Nassau CC, head coach Amy Spin and the OCC women took their turn at winning a National Championship, downing Monroe Community College 9-7 at Herkimer. It was the first NC for the women's program because this was the FIRST YEAR of the program. A truly amazing accomplishment that may be a first in college athletics.

We all saw that something special was happening on Onondaga Hill back in March when the Lady Lazers defeated the #1 and #2 teams in their first two games ever. Their third game was the only loss they would suffer all season, coming at the hands of the Monroe CC team they defeated in the Championship Game. Not only did they go 15-1 in the regular season, they did so convincingly, outscoring their opponents 286-106.

We couldn't find any reference to a Women's JUCO Coach of the Year Award, but surely Spin deserves one. Spin, formerly a phys ed teacher and head coach at Auburn High, was recognized by Auburn Mayor Mike Quill with a letter of commendation. Just the start, we believe, of many honors to come.

Syracuse.com Photos

The first week of 2009 was barely complete when LoHud.com was reporting . . . the economic crunch causing the state government to tighten its belt, the 32nd Empire State Games might have a drastically different look when they come to Poughkeepsie July 22-26. . . . Initially that different look turned out to be a $285 fee for Summer Games' participants. It didn't quite work out that way in the end as the Lower Hudson organizers, not happy with the play for fee idea as going against the basic principles of the Games, withdrew from hosting the event.

Others saw the writing on the wall and began the process of setting up alternatives for would-be ESG laxers. Joe Ancona, President of the Suffolk Coaches Association for boys lacrosse and East Islip head coach, began organizing a Long Island Showcase, while Tom Hall, NYS Boys Lacrosse Chairman, formulated a concept that would help keep the region format of the ESG's. That idea, with the help of Nike, resulted in the New York Shootout.

The saying goes that every cloud has a silver lining. With the loss of the 2009 Summer Empire State Games, competitive regions were able to realign slightly, giving what was the annual statewide event a fresh look. Long Island sent teams from both Suffolk and Nassau counties. The Southern Tier, usually split up between Central and Western, got a chance to field their own team. And the traditionally lacrosse-rich  Buffalo and Rochester areas also were able  to field separate teams.

Another plus, the plan as of July was to continue an annual New York Shootout even after the return of the ESG's. A common theme in the process of chosing each regional ESG team is squabbling over which chosen players actually deserved the honor, who was left off and why, are the coaches playing politics in their decisions? Obviously there are enough deserving players to make a second, similar tournament a worthwhile endeavor for players, administrators, and college coaches alike.

Of the nine years The Tewaaraton Award Foundation has been recognizing the top male and female NCAA lacrosse players,  there has never been more doubt about who the winner on the men's side might be as there was this year. Pundits had theories for each of the final candidate as to why they should or shouldn't win, and when Cornell and Syracuse found themselves in the NCAA Division I Championship Game, some thought Matt Abbott and Max Seibald had a slight edge over the others. The Award winner would come from the team that finished with the title. Only twice in the eight years of the Award had the winner not also earned a 'ring' the same year. The late-game turn of events however, after it looked like the Bid Red was ready to win for the first time since 1977, put even that tried and true theory in doubt.

Once Max Seibald was announced as the winner, there was little room for doubt that he was deserving of the recognition. After all, he had already won the USILA Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award for the Outstanding DI Player of the Year, as well as the USILA Lt. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Award, for the Outstanding Midfielder of the Year. He was also named the Lowe’s Senior Class Award winner for his achievements in the classroom, in the community and on the playing field.

Seibald makes the fourth Tewaaraton to go to a player from a central New York University. Syracuse University's Mike Powell won Tewaaraton's in 2002 and 2004, and Mike Leveille was the 2008 recipient. Max also joins other upstater's Roy Simmons, Jr., Mike Messere, Trenna Hill, and Ike Hopper as upstate laxers being honored by the Tewaaraton Foundation in 2009.

You can both listen to a short interview with Seibald shortly after receiving the Tewaaraton Award, and you can actually watch the Award Ceremony in four parts at YouTube.

Cornell had everything under control. Going into their last conference game the Big Red were undefeated and looking to both clinch an undisputed IVY Crown and the Automatic Qualifyer to the NCAA Tourney. Their opponent that day had other ideas. Brown's upset of Cornell that day gave Brown the edge in the Ivy. A Brown win vs. Princeton the following week would give the Bears the AQ. But the Tigers had their way, and Cornell won the tie-breaker to earn the free trip the NCAA's.

After an 11-8 win over Hofstra in the first round, the 5th seeded Big Red found themselves facing the 4th seeded Princeton Tigers for the second time in 2009. After sixty-nine meetings it would be the first time these two teams would battle in the NCAA's. Cornell advanced to the Final Four, 6-4,  in a game that saw only 21 of 58 shots on cage, only 11 saves combined, and the lowest score of the season for either team.

Momentum was building, but the win over Princeton meant a date with the #1 seed Virginia at Gillette Stadium. After the Big Red pulled off perhaps the biggest upset of the season, downing UVa 15-6, it appeared momentum had chosen a seat on the Cornell bench. Only Duke, losers to SU in the other semi-final, had held the Cavs to fewer goals in 2009.

So, the scene was set. Two long-time, central New York foes coached by West Genesee alums were set to do battle. And with thoughts of George Boiardi always prominent in the hearts and minds of the entire Cornell family, sixteen seniors had won 21 IVY League games over four years, and the Big Red was 21 years from their last title game appearence.

 Cornell over Virginia Post-Game Press Conference

 courtesy SU Athletics