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Message: [QUOTE="FloridaCuse, post: 5082414, member: 8912"] Excellent article by Emily. Some excerpts pointing to the future: Michael Leo sat at Gary Gait’s right hand at the microphone postgame, a white towel draped over his head like a mourning veil. Despite a season-ending loss and usually being a man of fewer words, Leo was quick to answer after Gait’s opening comments when asked what this season signified about the outlook for next year’s team. He spoke firmly, passionately, about how he and his classmates — now rising juniors for [URL='https://www.syracuse.com/orangelacrosse/']Syracuse men’s lacrosse[/URL] — would step up in their leadership next year. How it would add a new dimension to the roles they already play on the team thanks to their talent. Leo’s delivery, coupled with the fact he’d been the [URL='https://www.syracuse.com/orangelacrosse/2024/05/denver-shut-down-syracuse-mens-lacrosses-top-scoring-trio-we-had-to-be-off-ball-all-americans.html']leading scorer[/URL] of the day for both teams, sold the message. “I promise you we’re gonna be in this exact same spot but on the winning side of it,” Leo said. On Gait’s other side postgame sat Billy Dwan, his thick eye black smeared from either sweat or an emotional locker room. His red-rimmed eyes seemed to indicate the latter. Dwan, similar to Leo, stepped into an elevated role this year that will only increase moving forward. He showed his skill as a defenseman who can also be a scoring threat, netting eight goals. As they exited the press room after being dismissed from media, Leo and Dwan fist bumped and then wrapped an arm around each other’s shoulders. The Orange’s core of talent, including that pair, are now entering their third season of college lacrosse. When this time comes next year, there will be no talk of first-time postseason appearances, no heightened jitters beyond the ones typical in postseason play. Leo, Dwan, Joey Spallina, Finn Thomson, Luke Rhoa — so many of the faces that have already been so instrumental in creating what success Syracuse has had the past two years will become the names referentially mentioned by commentators in games SU isn’t even playing in, the ones dominating the All-ACC and All-American lists they’ve been beaten out of so far in their careers. “I think the biggest jump is the freshman we had last year that were playing had a lot more confidence this year and I think that’s a big thing in lacrosse is confidence, especially with me,” Leo said. “Next year we’re just gonna play how we play and we’re gonna be on top next year for sure.” The promise of the future doesn’t relieve all the sting of Sunday closing the 2024 season, though. Dwan started to list through the veteran players he learned from this season only to stop himself and realize he’d have to name them all. He acknowledged how even the smallest insights they shared often made him not just a better player, but a better person, too. “You really do win with people and I’m just so grateful to be a part of this program,” Dwan said. . . . the heart of this team is hungry to win a title and restore Syracuse to glory. The Orange got a taste of the postseason pie. It’s over the hump of being a program trying to revitalize itself, bring itself back into serious national conversation. Now it wants to lick its lips clean on Memorial Day, trophy hoisted high once again. [/QUOTE]

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