Face-Off Classic in Baltimore Is Place to Be

February 25th, 2007

by Dave Rahme, Staff Writer
The Syracuse Post-Standard
Sunday, February 25, 2007

The roads could be iffy, especially for those traveling south from Central New York, and an early season upset will offer fair-weather college lacrosse fans an excuse to decline. Yet, there is no denying the truth of this statement: The best Division I action of the regular season will take place Saturday in Baltimore, and you are invited to attend.

The folks at Inside Lacrosse have put together a first-of-its-kind doubleheader - billed the Face-Off Classic - featuring Johns Hopkins vs. Princeton at noon followed by Syracuse vs. Virginia at M&T Bank Stadium, which will later be the site of national championship weekend. The four teams have combined to win the last 15 D-I national titles and 19 of the last 20, an amazing run interrupted only by North Carolina in 1991.

To put that in perspective, the last time a team other than the big four was crowned champ, Bill Clinton had yet to take office, Donovan McNabb was still playing high school football in the suburbs of Chicago and Carmelo Anthony was celebrating his seventh birthday.

“If you look at it closely, parity really hasn’t hit our sport yet until that last weekend of the season,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said.

Starsia’s Cavaliers, who went 18-0 last season en route to the title, then went out and got stunned at home by Drexel, picked to finish fifth in the seven-team Colonial Athletic Association, in the season opener. Upsets aside, Starsia is right. Until somebody goes out and proves it on Memorial Day, the big four will retain their stranglehold on the sport.

To have an opportunity to see all four of them on the same day at the same venue during the regular season should be hard for dedicated fans to resist. Starsia said the powers at Inside Lacrosse simply looked at the schedule, which always features Hopkins-Princeton and SU-Virginia on the same weekend, and the record attendance figures at each of the last three final fours and put two and two together.

“It has always been a unique weekend in that those two games are on the same day,” Starsia said. “I’ve always been looking over my shoulder at the other game. Now, all the pieces have come together, and we have a rare opportunity for college lacrosse fans to see these four teams on one day in a pro setting (M&T is home to the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens).”

Sacrifices have been made to make the day a big one and perhaps an annual showcase. SU and Princeton gave up home games in order to participate, no small concession when considering the quality of the competition. But Starsia said his team also yielded.

“My team was not that happy about not going to the Carrier Dome,” he said. “We love the atmosphere there, the knowledge of the fans and how they get into the game. And let’s face it: The Dome was the safest place for us to be playing on March 3. We’re giving up the best site for an outdoor venue.”

Starsia said the benefits of getting the sport’s ruling class together for one afternoon of quality lacrosse outweigh the sacrifices. So far, more than 12,000 fans agree and have purchased tickets.

If you want to join them, go to www.faceoffclassic.com to find the most convenient way to order tickets, which cost $15 for reserved lower-level seats and $25 for club-level seats (groups of 10 or more can get tickets for $10 each). Or you can call M&T at (410) 261-7283. SU fans who want to sit together should request section 153.

“I think if we have a decent day we’re going to have a heck of a crowd,” Starsia said.

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