WoodyUK
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Casey and Ryan Powell fought constantly while they were growing up. That is what brothers do. There was the time Casey pushed a totally dressed Ryan into a bathtub full of water because Ryan was going to wear Casey's jeans to school. Then there was the day Ryan chased Casey up the stairs, ripped off his older brother's shirt and landed a few solid blows. "Probably the greatest feeling in my life," Ryan says. Last fall the brothers were guarding each other during a pickup basketball game in a gymnasium at Syracuse, where they are standout attackers on the Orangemen's tournament-bound lacrosse team. Ryan fouled Casey, Casey fouled Ryan. Shortly thereafter, their teammates were pulling them off each other.
Sitting in an office adjacent to Syracuse's lacrosse practice field, the brothers recount their litany of bruising sibling battles, laughing themselves silly. "One time we were playing in a peewee baseball game," says Casey, who is two years older than Ryan. "I was the pitcher and he was the catcher. I was pitching really badly, and we were yelling at each other for four straight innings. Every time I threw a bad one, he'd be like, 'Nice pitch.' "
Ryan can hold his tongue no longer. "He tried to throw a curveball, and it sailed over the backstop," Ryan says. "I just fell on my knees and started laughing. He throws down his glove and goes, 'I'm not pitching anymore.' When we came off the field after the fourth inning, we got into a fistfight. Our dad was the coach, and he had to step in."
Welcome to the best one-two punch in college lacrosse. Casey, 22, a senior, is leading the nation in points scored (goals and assists combined) with 5.8 per game and is a good bet to win his second consecutive player of the year award. Ryan, 20, a sophomore, is No. 2 in the nation in points (5.2 per game).
Syracuse completed the regular season with a 10-2 record and earned a No. 3 seed and a first-round bye in the NCAA tournament. The Orangemen will face Virginia on May 16. But the tournament is more than an opportunity for Syracuse to win its seventh national championship and its first since 1995. The Powell brothers have been winning lacrosse titles together since they were in elementary school, and the NCAAs look to be their final run, one last opportunity for them to fight the good fight.
"Ryan is my best friend," Casey says. "It's not just a brother thing. It's a teammate thing and a friendship thing. We picked up the sticks together, and we've been on a great ride because of lacrosse."
A brother act is not new at Syracuse. Eight years ago the school was gearing up for the NCAA final with Gary and Paul Gait, identical twins from Brentwood Bay, B.C., who, in addition to winning three national championships and being named first team All-America three times, played with a flair that brought the game unprecedented exposure and helped to build its popularity. Near the end of their senior year, Gary and Paul were sent out together during player introductions at home games. The public address announcer presented them as the Golden Gaits.
The Powells grew up idolizing the Gaits, often making the 89-mile drive from their upstate New York home in West Carthage toSyracuse to watch the twins play. When they practiced, Casey woreGary Gait's number 22 and Ryan wore Paul's number 19.
Casey, in particular, worked hard to embellish his game with moves that mimicked the Gaits' baroque style. That was evident toSyracuse's Hall of Fame coach, Roy Simmons Jr., the first time he saw Casey play as a high school sophomore. "He did a lot of things with either hand that you wouldn't have seen before unless you had seen Paul and Gary Gait," Simmons says.
That kind of hubris can drive a coach batty, so Kirk Ventiquattro, Casey's high school coach, devised a simple rule. "Anything went, as long as it worked," Ventiquattro says. "The behind-the-back shot that missed meant he was coming out. And the worst thing you can do to him is take him out of the game for one second."
Still, Simmons was impressed enough that he gave Casey number 22, the jersey worn for the Orangemen not only by Gary Gait but also by Charlie Lockwood, another All-America, who played from 1991 to '94.
Casey was an instant sensation, leading the '95 national championship team in scoring as a freshman and earning first team All-America honors the following year. In an NCAA quarterfinal game last spring, Loyola coach Dave Cottle dispatched a slew of defenders to throttle Casey, preventing him from scoring a goal for only the fourth time in his collegiate career. Casey's riposte: eight assists, which tied an NCAA tournament record, in a 13-12 win. SaysMaryland coach Dick Edell, " Casey Powell is the best player in the world."
Ryan bolstered his schoolboy credentials during Casey's first two seasons at Syracuse, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to join his brother in college or set out on his own. Ryan had been the backup quarterback to Casey on Carthage Central High's football team, and he also had relieved Casey at point guard on the basketball team. As for lacrosse, Ryan recalls, "The newspaper articles wouldn't even say my name first. They'd say, 'Casey's brother, Ryan, scored two goals.' But my ultimate goal is to win a national championship, and that's why I came here. I knew I'd be in his shadow, but I think I've learned to accept it very well. My junior and senior year I'll be ready to take over."
Last year, as a freshman, he started at midfield in all 14 of the Orangemen's games and was an honorable mention All-America.Syracuse finished with a 11-3 record but was eliminated 18-17 byMaryland in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. Ryan has had an even bigger impact this season as an attackman. He had a career-high six assists in the season finale, a crucial 14-11 victory over No. 8 Georgetown. No one would blame Ryan, though, if he thought he was playing inside a George Orwell novel, given the way Big Brother is always watching. "If Casey sees Ryan letting down just an inch, he rides him pretty hard," says redshirt freshman Robby Mulligan, a reserve goalie.
"He always thinks he's right," Ryan says. "If Coach tells me to do something, and Casey wants me to do something else, Casey will still get on my case."
Ryan has a specific instance in mind here, but Casey doesn't buy it. "Coach didn't tell you to throw that ball out-of-bounds," he says with a smirk.
These days the kids in upstate New York pretend they're the Powells, and just like the Gaits before them, Casey and Ryan will not leave a game until every autograph is signed. The Powells arrived officially on April 26, when public address announcer Carl Eilenberg surprised the brothers during player introductions by calling them out together before a home game against Massachusetts, saying, "From West Carthage, New York, a pair of Powells..." As their mother, Sue, teared up in the stands, Casey and Ryan looked at each other and had the same thought: just like the Gaits.
Actually, the Powell brothers might give Syracuse a dimension that even the Gaits couldn't provide. Mike Powell is a 15-year-old sophomore at Carthage Central who handles a lacrosse stick with more aplomb than his brothers did at the same age. "The reason I recruited Casey and Ryan is so I could get Mike," Simmons says with a wry grin.
Says Casey, "We call Mike 'Smalls' because he's only five-four, but once he grows, he's going to be phenomenal. He's facing a lot of pressure from being our little brother. It doesn't really bother him, but he's got some big shoes to fill."
Casey and Ryan Powell fought constantly while they were growing up. That is what brothers do. There was the time Casey pushed a totally dressed Ryan into a bathtub full of water because Ryan was going to wear Casey's jeans to school. Then there was the day Ryan chased Casey up the stairs, ripped off his older brother's shirt and landed a few solid blows. "Probably the greatest feeling in my life," Ryan says. Last fall the brothers were guarding each other during a pickup basketball game in a gymnasium at Syracuse, where they are standout attackers on the Orangemen's tournament-bound lacrosse team. Ryan fouled Casey, Casey fouled Ryan. Shortly thereafter, their teammates were pulling them off each other.
Sitting in an office adjacent to Syracuse's lacrosse practice field, the brothers recount their litany of bruising sibling battles, laughing themselves silly. "One time we were playing in a peewee baseball game," says Casey, who is two years older than Ryan. "I was the pitcher and he was the catcher. I was pitching really badly, and we were yelling at each other for four straight innings. Every time I threw a bad one, he'd be like, 'Nice pitch.' "
Ryan can hold his tongue no longer. "He tried to throw a curveball, and it sailed over the backstop," Ryan says. "I just fell on my knees and started laughing. He throws down his glove and goes, 'I'm not pitching anymore.' When we came off the field after the fourth inning, we got into a fistfight. Our dad was the coach, and he had to step in."
Welcome to the best one-two punch in college lacrosse. Casey, 22, a senior, is leading the nation in points scored (goals and assists combined) with 5.8 per game and is a good bet to win his second consecutive player of the year award. Ryan, 20, a sophomore, is No. 2 in the nation in points (5.2 per game).
Syracuse completed the regular season with a 10-2 record and earned a No. 3 seed and a first-round bye in the NCAA tournament. The Orangemen will face Virginia on May 16. But the tournament is more than an opportunity for Syracuse to win its seventh national championship and its first since 1995. The Powell brothers have been winning lacrosse titles together since they were in elementary school, and the NCAAs look to be their final run, one last opportunity for them to fight the good fight.
"Ryan is my best friend," Casey says. "It's not just a brother thing. It's a teammate thing and a friendship thing. We picked up the sticks together, and we've been on a great ride because of lacrosse."
A brother act is not new at Syracuse. Eight years ago the school was gearing up for the NCAA final with Gary and Paul Gait, identical twins from Brentwood Bay, B.C., who, in addition to winning three national championships and being named first team All-America three times, played with a flair that brought the game unprecedented exposure and helped to build its popularity. Near the end of their senior year, Gary and Paul were sent out together during player introductions at home games. The public address announcer presented them as the Golden Gaits.
The Powells grew up idolizing the Gaits, often making the 89-mile drive from their upstate New York home in West Carthage toSyracuse to watch the twins play. When they practiced, Casey woreGary Gait's number 22 and Ryan wore Paul's number 19.
Casey, in particular, worked hard to embellish his game with moves that mimicked the Gaits' baroque style. That was evident toSyracuse's Hall of Fame coach, Roy Simmons Jr., the first time he saw Casey play as a high school sophomore. "He did a lot of things with either hand that you wouldn't have seen before unless you had seen Paul and Gary Gait," Simmons says.
That kind of hubris can drive a coach batty, so Kirk Ventiquattro, Casey's high school coach, devised a simple rule. "Anything went, as long as it worked," Ventiquattro says. "The behind-the-back shot that missed meant he was coming out. And the worst thing you can do to him is take him out of the game for one second."
Still, Simmons was impressed enough that he gave Casey number 22, the jersey worn for the Orangemen not only by Gary Gait but also by Charlie Lockwood, another All-America, who played from 1991 to '94.
Casey was an instant sensation, leading the '95 national championship team in scoring as a freshman and earning first team All-America honors the following year. In an NCAA quarterfinal game last spring, Loyola coach Dave Cottle dispatched a slew of defenders to throttle Casey, preventing him from scoring a goal for only the fourth time in his collegiate career. Casey's riposte: eight assists, which tied an NCAA tournament record, in a 13-12 win. SaysMaryland coach Dick Edell, " Casey Powell is the best player in the world."
Ryan bolstered his schoolboy credentials during Casey's first two seasons at Syracuse, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to join his brother in college or set out on his own. Ryan had been the backup quarterback to Casey on Carthage Central High's football team, and he also had relieved Casey at point guard on the basketball team. As for lacrosse, Ryan recalls, "The newspaper articles wouldn't even say my name first. They'd say, 'Casey's brother, Ryan, scored two goals.' But my ultimate goal is to win a national championship, and that's why I came here. I knew I'd be in his shadow, but I think I've learned to accept it very well. My junior and senior year I'll be ready to take over."
Last year, as a freshman, he started at midfield in all 14 of the Orangemen's games and was an honorable mention All-America.Syracuse finished with a 11-3 record but was eliminated 18-17 byMaryland in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. Ryan has had an even bigger impact this season as an attackman. He had a career-high six assists in the season finale, a crucial 14-11 victory over No. 8 Georgetown. No one would blame Ryan, though, if he thought he was playing inside a George Orwell novel, given the way Big Brother is always watching. "If Casey sees Ryan letting down just an inch, he rides him pretty hard," says redshirt freshman Robby Mulligan, a reserve goalie.
"He always thinks he's right," Ryan says. "If Coach tells me to do something, and Casey wants me to do something else, Casey will still get on my case."
Ryan has a specific instance in mind here, but Casey doesn't buy it. "Coach didn't tell you to throw that ball out-of-bounds," he says with a smirk.
These days the kids in upstate New York pretend they're the Powells, and just like the Gaits before them, Casey and Ryan will not leave a game until every autograph is signed. The Powells arrived officially on April 26, when public address announcer Carl Eilenberg surprised the brothers during player introductions by calling them out together before a home game against Massachusetts, saying, "From West Carthage, New York, a pair of Powells..." As their mother, Sue, teared up in the stands, Casey and Ryan looked at each other and had the same thought: just like the Gaits.
Actually, the Powell brothers might give Syracuse a dimension that even the Gaits couldn't provide. Mike Powell is a 15-year-old sophomore at Carthage Central who handles a lacrosse stick with more aplomb than his brothers did at the same age. "The reason I recruited Casey and Ryan is so I could get Mike," Simmons says with a wry grin.
Says Casey, "We call Mike 'Smalls' because he's only five-four, but once he grows, he's going to be phenomenal. He's facing a lot of pressure from being our little brother. It doesn't really bother him, but he's got some big shoes to fill."
