Can Syracuse lacrosse return to glory days? 'We're slowly losing our blue blood status'
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Former Syracuse lacrosse star Jovan Miller (pictured) turned 30 on May 11.
He decided to spend part of his landmark day watching his former school take on Loyola in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
That turned out to be a mistake. The Orange let a lead slip away and lost 15-13, ending yet another season in disappointment. Miller was sour for the rest of the day.
"I was in a bad mood. I was obviously really sad for the seniors. I watched the game and I was sick to my stomach. I was sick for those kids."
Syracuse fans of all ages can relate. The loss will extend SU's NCAA championship drought to 11 years and counting.
The showcase program of all of college lacrosse, which leads the way with 10 NCAA titles overall, hasn't won a championship since 2009 and hasn't reached the final four since 2013. After losing to Cornell in the opening round last season, this is the first time SU has gone two seasons without winning a NCAA Tournament game since 1981-82.
Syracuse will be a spectator for yet another Memorial Day title game today as defending champ Yale takes on Virginia for the title. The matchup offers a pair of contrasts encapsulating the current lacrosse landscape: Yale is a newcomer that won its first crown in the sport last year while Virginia has five titles and has rediscovered the secret sauce to chase another after a drought that runs back to 2011.
Several ex-SU players and analysts were asked their thoughts on a handful of issues relating to the state of the Orange program.
Here's what they said.
The age of lacrosse parity, and whether Syracuse is still an elite program
"They absolutely will (win again). It's a different world. It's a different era. There's many schools now you can go to and compete for a national championship. It's a testament to lacrosse. It's a testament to the other schools. They've continued to rise."
"When I was growing up and when I was playing at Syracuse, the expectations were always Syracuse was one of two or three teams that could win a national championship," said Carcaterra, now an ESPN analyst. "It (the title drought) was never at the duration it is at now. I still feel Syracuse is an elite program, but they are one of eight instead of one of three or four.
"I do think this (current) team has pieces. This is a team that certainly could be in the mix the next couple of years. I don't think the program's going anywhere."
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How I miss those days!