Of the four matchups this weekend, the least sexiest has to be the Syracuse-Notre Dame contest Sunday.That's your opinion, Inside Lacrosse. As for me, I'll be tuned to ESPNU at 3pm EST with some a bottle of Courvoisier in one hand and a bottle of KY Sensual Silk Tingling Ultra Gel in the other. Bom chicka wah wah...
Mike Leveille: Excuse me, you wanted to see me?
Me: Yes. I am interested in watching you rip some rope.
Mike: Well, I am an attack man.
Me: Nice stick.
Mike: Why don't you come over here and grip my shaft.
Sorry, we just got WAAAAAAY off track here. Apologies in advance for turning Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Mike Leveille into a gay porn star there, but, it happens. Guess those Vince young photos got me all riled up. Where were we?
Oh right, Syracuse vs. Notre Dame for the right to the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four in Boston (fine, Foxboro...close enough). Let's take a closer look at these Irish and see what we can expect:
School: Notre Dame
Location: South Bend, IN
Mascot: Fightin' Irish
Notable alumni: Regis Philben, George Wendt, Phil Donahue, Rudy
Record: 11-2
Key wins: Loyola (7-6), Ohio State (17-12), Colgate (8-7)
Key losses: Denver (8-9), North Carolina (6-8)
Coach: Kevin Corrigan, 19 seasons
Player who will haunt our dreams: Attackman Alex Wharton, who leads the Irish offense with 49 points. He only scored one goal and one assist against Colgate last week so he's pent up.
Why they will beat us: Notre Dame slows the game down, wins the intangibles match-ups (face-off, goalie) and frsutrates our defense.
Why we will beat them: We'll push the pace, force Notre Dame out of their comfort zone and we'll do it all with a home-type crowd cheering us on.
Prediction: Syracuse 11, Notre Dame 8
Also on tap for the men's side is Duke vs. Ohio State, Maryland vs. Virginia and Navy vs. Hopkins. My picks for the Final Four? Duke, Virginia, Navy and 'Cuse.
As for the ladies, it's been quite a week. The Orange extended their ten-game winning streak with a 21-9 shellacking of Towson. Katie Rowan was honored for her work. Gary Gait and the program got a fancy USA Today write-up yesterday. Now they just have to make good on what has already been the best season in program history. Syracuse hosts North Carolina on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST for the right to move on to the Final Four for the first time ever. UNC (13-6) are coming off an upset of Virginia and should provide the Orange with a fast-paced challenge.
More records await the Orange this week as well. They needs just three goals to surpass the NCAA record for goals in a season, a record set by Northwestern last season. Should they win, the Orange would like meet those pesky Wildcats in the Final Four. Northwestern tangles with Princeton while in the other quarterfinal match-ups Boston U takes on Penn and Duke takes on Maryland. My Final Four picks based on very little and not to be trusted? Northwestern, Penn, Maryland and 'Cuse.
Good luck Orange, bring home the double Final Four!
(Photo: SUAthletics)