Top: Chris Daniello scored the first goal of Syracuse’s 17-7 win over Duke in today’s national semifinal victory. Above: Another former John Jay all-American, Kevin Drew, played a key role at d-middie for the Orange. (Photos by SU Athletic Communications)
Hey gang, just a few moments ago, Syracuse advanced to its 16th NCAA championship game.
I just talked to SU teammates and former John Jay all-Americans Chris Daniello and Kevin Drew.
SU junior attackman Chris Daniello:
On the lopsided score: “I thought it was going to bea back-and-forth game but we executed on offense.”
On scoring the first goal of the game: “I think it was good. We knew we had to put them on their heels and let them know who theyre playing. It was awesome, especially with my family here and couple of friends.”
On the Orange’s ritual of following the same routine during final four weekend: It’s the coaches decision and it’s what they like to do. But it’s good for us too. We know what routine is and it’s a comfortable feeling. We eat at the same restaurant (The Chart House) too. We’re basically doing everything we did here last year for the most part.”
SU freshman midfielder Kevin Drew:
On the experience of playing in his first final four game: “It feels great. Everyone is telling me to get my head into the next game and not get too excited though.”
On being surprised at how one-sided the game was: “All week, Coach (John Desko) has been telling us its going to be hard week and a game. So to come out and beat them by so much is surprising. No one would have thought it would be like that. Our goaltender (John Galloway) was awesome.”
On Daniello scoring the first goal of the game: “I think Chris scoring the first goal pumped us all up and gave us some confidence early in game. From then on, we kept rolling with it.”
On what areas of his game he still needs improve on: “I still need to work on my stick skills and play a little more offense. Also, knowing the game, knowing the packages, knowing the slides. Just getting better and better.”
How many former John Jay people have you seen so far in Foxborough?: “I saw Daniellos family. My familys here. There are some friends from John Jay. I saw (former John Jay teammate and UVa freshman attackman) Chris (Bocklet) at a banquet they had for all the teams. I talked to him. That was nice.”
Reach Joe Lombardi at joe@laxlessons.com.
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Posted In: NCAA championships
Awesome job guys and way to go Joe. The game just ended. I have no idea how you got this up so fast… Pretty impressive.
Joe nice job. Its only fair though you talk to the guys from Ytown and Somers in the final four. Wait – there aren’t any!
Purple Rain –
Town does have a player in Foxborough, Tim Kurpis, long pole for Gettysburg. They play Cortland for D3 title tomorrow. 4o get your facts straight.
Just like the state semis in 07. K-Drew has a big day and the Brattons do not.
Green/White –
Its PurpleReigns not Purple Rain. I don’t expect you to understand the difference in the spellings. I’m not a cruel man. But you should know I meant the D1 Final Four and the fact is Town hasn’t had a player in it for years. It shows how during this time John Jay has surpassed Town in terms of prestige.
Haha that is a joke right? John Jay more prestigious than Yorktown? Nobody in Section 1 is even close to as prestigous as Yorktown…in fact nobody in the state other than West Genny and Ward Melville is more prestigious than Yorktown. The Huskers, and their 6 state titles, are most likely one of the top 10 programs in the nation. John Jay, with their zero state titles (though their supporters seem to think they won one in 2007), is not close. Congrats to Chris Daniello and Kevin Drew on having good games and reaching the championship game, but I am pretty sure even they would say Yorktown is more prestigious than John Jay.
Purple – those comments are just stupid. As a Jay fan I just don’t understand why you would say something like that and try to rub it in, really ridiculous. That is not way John Jay Lacrosse is all about.
i enjoy seeing jay supporters making fools of themselves…and being obsessed with yorktown
yea purple, jay has def passed yorktown..how many state titles have they got…u forgot to mention that with even a lack of players in foxboro this weekend for yorktown..when these jay players were on their H.S team, yorktown with not many d1 players, would still win games against them.
Yeh OK Crop. Before last year JJ won 3 straight vs. Town so you’re wrong. Speaking of 3 that’s how many JJ players were in D1 final four each of the last 2 years. The number for Town during this time??? ZEROOOOOOO! Crop your reaching you need your tag team partners John Fanagan and Syracuse to throw you a lifeline – LOL!
Purple-
and what about the 20 some games before that?
PurpleReigns
Can you tell me John Jay’s all time record against Yorktown?
How many sectional titles does John Jay have? How about Yorktown?
State titles?
Don’t bother looking all of that stuff up, it won’t make you feel so great about your program comapred to Yorktown. I don’t care about JJ at all, and I am not a Town fan, but you have to pay respect where respect is due, and Town deserves that respect as an elite national program.
A list of programs with more state titles than John Jay
Lynbrook
South Side
Bethpage
Mahopac
Jamesville-DeWitt
Sachem
Wantagh
Mount Sinai
Cold Spring Harbor
Northport
I could go on and on but I won’t, you get the idea
nice pic of Chris Daniello after he scored the first goal of the ’09 Final Four …
http://www.syracuse.com/today/index.ssf/2009/05/lacrosse_final_four_su_players.html
History is great and all LI Lax but all that matters is right now. Right now JJ has three players in Final Four – Town none. We also won 3 straight vs. Town and will probably start another winning streak vs them of even more next year.
As for all those LI teams you mentioned how many of them beat the best team in HS lax history with a 58 game win streak – Huntington with the Brattons in 07??? Only one baby – JOHN JAY!
You had a nice win against Huntington. Yorktown ended West Genny’s 93 game winning streak in 1984, and with that win, they actually won the state title. John Jay lost the state title to J-D two days after defeating Huntington. John Jay is a nice program, just nothing compared to Yorktown.
Historically there’s no comparison but JJ has been making a name for themselves over the last few years.
And yes they have no state titles but they’ve been so close the last couple years. Not just in 07, last year they had a 2 goal 4th quarter lead but ended up losing to RP by a goal who easily took the title afterwards. Historically of course JJ is not up there but in the last few years they’ve been doing better and have been closer to a state title than town. Yorktown is a legendary program with so much prestige but we’re starting to see other sec 1 teams step up. This year I hope town wins it all.
Yawn. Enough already.
purple that was a nice win…equivelent of beating a 17-0 NFC team in the nfc championship and then losing in the superbowl…sure the win was great, but do they make trophys or plaques for that?
I’ve never seen someone so content with losing in the state finals in my life
All time final 4- Town 374 jay 6