SU Rivals

[ctlax]

Rivalry week: Syracuse men’s lacrosse has plenty of teams you could call ‘rival’

The men’s lacrosse team is a nice change of pace with a plethora of options to call their rivals

www.nunesmagician.com

 

[Hoo's That]

We don't mind taking a second seat to JHU since playing JHU is really playing JHU. I think the blog summed up our case quite well.
.
Playing JHU is just as important to us as well. Recently, the 60s-70s era alumni had a ZOOM call with Coach Tiffany. The universal point of agreement was that Lars had to do everything he could to get JHU back onto the schedule. He revealed he even offered to play JHU during the week in B'more (even though it should have been our home game) if Petro would put the game back onto the schedule and Petro refused.

 

[laxobserver]

We don't mind taking a second seat to JHU since playing JHU is really playing JHU. I think the blog summed up our case quite well.
.
Playing JHU is just as important to us as well. Recently, the 60s-70s era alumni had a ZOOM call with Coach Tiffany. The universal point of agreement was that Lars had to do everything he could to get JHU back onto the schedule. He revealed he even offered to play JHU during the week in B'more (even though it should have been our home game) if Petro would put the game back onto the schedule and Petro refused.

Word on the street is that Milliman wants it back as well, may even happen as soon as 2022.

As far as Cuse rivals go, it starts and ends with Hopkins. Just too much history there between two great teams.

 

[ks orange]

I agree with all of the posts above. That said, I'm impressed at the way Albany has evolved as an important rival, especially since the arrival of the Thompsons.

 

[JeremyCuse]

I agree with all of the posts above. That said, I'm impressed at the way Albany has evolved as an important rival, especially since the arrival of the Thompsons.

Marr has done a nice job at Albany but its hard to consider a school a rival when the W/L record is so lopsided. Desko's record against Albany is something like 20-2 or something around that. Nothing against the Danes, they have had some really good squads the last decade or so but there not even in the top 5 of SU Rivals.

 

[ivorytower]

Marr has done a nice job at Albany but its hard to consider a school a rival when the W/L record is so lopsided. Desko's record against Albany is something like 20-2 or something around that. Nothing against the Danes, they have had some really good squads the last decade or so but there not even in the top 5 of SU Rivals.

JC, Glad to to see your post, know there is not much lax to discuss these days but your long absence here had me starting to worry about you given the times so relieved.

Albany has had their stars and their free wheeling play under Marr makes them entertaining to watch, was really looking forward to game being played in Albany as that would have been a frenzied sold-out event. Wonder if both coaches will still try to schedule the game in Albany in 2021.

Many historical rivals and some new ones developing . Guess Id list JHU, Cornell,UVA n Hobart before Albany but the two most in my mind at present are Duke and Cornell.

 

[CuseAlum87]

While a case can be made for a handful of teams, I see Hopkins and Virginia as the Orange's top rivals. A lot of good history with Hobart, plus the trophy, but the average margin of victory for the Orange is like 6 goals over the last decade or so. Its just too one sided to be considered a main rival. Army is an interesting one, they always play the Orange tough and have no issues playing in the dome. Cornell is close. Not enough history with Duke. Just my humble opinion, subject to change after a couple of beers.

 

[DoctahLexus]

It all really depends on what you think makes a team a top rival. The factor I value the most is the teams we play where the players on both teams openly hate each other, and the fan bases, to some extent, actually follow suit. Every time you play there is noticeable tension between not just the players but the opposing fan bases, even full on incidents between the two. Hopkins has history but when have Hopkins students in recent years egged the team bus like Hobart students did? I have never had an experience with Hopkins fans like I did with Albany guys after they crushed us in the dome in 2018, where I was actually being loudly taunted by fans in purple shirts as I left the dome. I have had similar tense moments with wasted Hobart students. Maybe this sort of thing was more common back in the day with Hopkins fans or others, but it certainly has not been the case in my lifetime.

As IT mentioned, imagine what the experience was going to be like for the Cuse team and fans in our first game on Albany's home field! Who knows what you would deal with if you managed to get a ticket and showed up decked out in orange. I think that level of hostility and enthusiasm has to count for quite a lot, even if we beat them up and down the block almost every year, and even though it is often a lot more of them hating us than us hating them. Couple that with the more external battle for local recruits we have had with them and I think the choice is clear.

At least in the present day, I consider our top rivals to be:
1. Albany (by a mile)
2. Hobart
3. Cornell
4. Hopkins
With honorable mentions for UVA and Colgate.

 

[laxobserver]

There was a stretch from like 2014 to 2017 when Hopkins and Syracuse players were getting into pre-game scuffles around the midline basically every year. Nothing that turned into a WWE match but some real heated moments. That seems to have died down in the last few years though. One reason I think is that Petro and Desko are very friendly and as far as I know there isn't any bad blood between them. The second is that the rivalry has so much history and both programs are so tradition rich and knowledgable about the game (and of eachother) that there's a lot of mutual respect.

I don't know what Desko and Milliman's relationship is like. Perhaps the animosities will ratchet up a smidge now that Hopkins has a new staff, which includes a youngish assistant who was part of the rivalry himself less than 15 years ago. Also, maybe the Fernandez transfer gets the juices going a little bit. Another issue is that the 2 of the last 3 games have not been competitive. Hop demolished the Orange in 2018; Cuse returned the favor this past season. 2019 was a good game for 3 quarters. But the scores before those, starting in 2014, were 12-10, 13-10, 16-15 (NCAAs), 11-10 (OT), 8-7 OT...about as tight and emotional as games get.

 

[ctlax]

It all really depends on what you think makes a team a top rival. The factor I value the most is the teams we play where the players on both teams openly hate each other, and the fan bases, to some extent, actually follow suit. Every time you play there is noticeable tension between not just the players but the opposing fan bases, even full on incidents between the two. Hopkins has history but when have Hopkins students in recent years egged the team bus like Hobart students did? I have never had an experience with Hopkins fans like I did with Albany guys after they crushed us in the dome in 2018, where I was actually being loudly taunted by fans in purple shirts as I left the dome. I have had similar tense moments with wasted Hobart students. Maybe this sort of thing was more common back in the day with Hopkins fans or others, but it certainly has not been the case in my lifetime.

As IT mentioned, imagine what the experience was going to be like for the Cuse team and fans in our first game on Albany's home field! Who knows what you would deal with if you managed to get a ticket and showed up decked out in orange. I think that level of hostility and enthusiasm has to count for quite a lot, even if we beat them up and down the block almost every year, and even though it is often a lot more of them hating us than us hating them. Couple that with the more external battle for local recruits we have had with them and I think the choice is clear.

At least in the present day, I consider our top rivals to be:
1. Albany (by a mile)
2. Hobart
3. Cornell
4. Hopkins
With honorable mentions for UVA and Colgate.

At the 2004 Semi's in Baltimore we had some Hopkin's fans taunting us before the game and then some sitting behind us talking smack to my daughter's and I. I told my daughter's to ignore them. But it was kind of comical after SU start spanking Hopkins.

There were some tensions with UMass when SU played them, especially after Steve Vallone got his jaw broken in 2003. In 2009, we were in Amherst and a friend of mine had a UMass student get in her 7-year old son's face telling him SU was going to get killed today.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

There were some tensions with UMass when SU played them, especially after Steve Vallone got his jaw broken in 2003. In 2009, we were in Amherst and a friend of mine had a UMass student get in her 7-year old son's face telling him SU was going to get killed today.

Garber used to be a goat track. Good for 1-2 ankle/knee injuries every game.

 

[JeremyCuse]

JC, Glad to to see your post, know there is not much lax to discuss these days but your long absence here had me starting to worry about you given the times so relieved.

Albany has had their stars and their free wheeling play under Marr makes them entertaining to watch, was really looking forward to game being played in Albany as that would have been a frenzied sold-out event. Wonder if both coaches will still try to schedule the game in Albany in 2021.

Many historical rivals and some new ones developing . Guess Id list JHU, Cornell,UVA n Hobart before Albany but the two most in my mind at present are Duke and Cornell.

Hey IT, sorry I somehow missed this post when this thread was active. Appreciate the kind words, I have been dealing with a medical issue since the beginning of the year but luckily it is not in anyway COVID related. Agree on Albany, would have been a very interesting game this past season, a lot of "what ifs" not only this past season but likely in 2021 as well I am afraid. Really a shame. As for 2021 I know Albany wanted to try and schedule SU again at home but I have heard SU isn't as enthusiastic about it.

Cornell has become a pretty fun game to watch each year, as you noted this past season woudl have been fascinating. They do return Teat but you have to wonder at what point all these coaching changes finally catches up. Hobart is definitely up there but it definitely feels like a big brother vs little bro situation. You get some understanding of what Miami fball fans in the 90s felt like, you just expect to win that game, period.

Interested to see how things play out here on 9/1 with recruiting. Really hoping SU can start out with a bang.

 

[SkyTopBus44]

Hey IT, sorry I somehow missed this post when this thread was active. Appreciate the kind words, I have been dealing with a medical issue since the beginning of the year but luckily it is not in anyway COVID related. Agree on Albany, would have been a very interesting game this past season, a lot of "what ifs" not only this past season but likely in 2021 as well I am afraid. Really a shame. As for 2021 I know Albany wanted to try and schedule SU again at home but I have heard SU isn't as enthusiastic about it.

Cornell has become a pretty fun game to watch each year, as you noted this past season woudl have been fascinating. They do return Teat but you have to wonder at what point all these coaching changes finally catches up. Hobart is definitely up there but it definitely feels like a big brother vs little bro situation. You get some understanding of what Miami fball fans in the 90s felt like, you just expect to win that game, period.

Interested to see how things play out here on 9/1 with recruiting. Really hoping SU can start out with a bang.

good to see you back!