John Galloway doesn’t need to be reminded why Saturday is important. But if he did, if he wasn’t already focused on the Syracuse’s men’s lacrosse team’s matchup with Virginia, well, a friend like Adam Ghitelman is good to have around.

Ghitelman, the nation’s No. 1 goalie recruit last year and the starter in net for the Virginia men’s lacrosse team this year, called Galloway on Tuesday, just to check in on Syracuse’s starter – the nation’s No. 2 recruit last year.

Nothing like a little friendly competition between New York goalies.

There are plenty of reasons for the No. 7 Orange (2-0) to be excited about Saturday’s showdown at the 2008 Face-Off Classic in Baltimore.

For upperclassmen like senior captains Evan Brady and Mike Leveille, it’s one last crack at the No. 3 Cavaliers (3-0). The Orange hasn’t beaten the Cavs since 2004.

For the freshmen, they get a taste of one of college lacrosse’s biggest rivalries, playing in the Baltimore Ravens’ NFL home, MT&T Bank Stadium.

But for Galloway, hooking up with an old rival is enough.

‘Me and Adam always kind of had rivalry in high school,’ he said. ‘He was the one guy, and I was the two guy.’

Yes, both teams will start freshmen in net on Saturday. But the similarities don’t end there. For all the talk of Syracuse’s comeback from last year’s 5-8 frustration, its perennial Southern rivals didn’t fare much better.

Delaware bounced them from the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Combined with Syracuse’s disappointment, it was a jolt to the college lacrosse power structure.

Things have settled this season. The Orange is back in the top 10. So are the Cavs.

Because when Virginia reloads, it [ITALICS]reloads[/ITALICS]. Head coach Dom Starsia, always an excellent recruiter, makes sure of that.

This year is no different. Ghitelman is in net. The top two recruits in the country, Long Island twins Rhamel and Shamel Bratton, command the first midfield line.

And then there’s midfielder Peter Lamade, a four-year starter at Duke.

Lamade graduated from Duke in the spring of 2007, then transferred to Charlottesville, Va. in the fall, using up the extra year of eligibility tacked on after rape allegations torpedoed the Blue Devils’ 2006 season. With All-American senior attack Ben Rubeor nursing a knee injury, Lamade has moved up front and filled the gap with three goals and four assists.

But the Orange will prepare for Rubeor to be back in the attack line-up: Starsia told Inside Lacrosse magazine on Thursday that Rubeor would be ready to go.

Virginia’s influx of talent means a fresh challenge for the Orange defense, which has allowed 13 total goals in its first two games. The Cavaliers play a fast-paced style, accentuated by the Brattons’ athleticism and the attack unit’s ability to finish.

‘It’s definitely a game where you’re going to learn a lot more about yourself, going against this kind of opponent,’ Syracuse head coach John Desko said. ‘Virginia’s extremely talented – if not the best, one of the best attacks in the whole country, especially if Rubeor is healthy.’

That puts the pressure on Syracuse’s offensive midfielders to get back in position on defense and for defenders to prepare for the Cavalier rush.

‘It’s going to happen – there’s going to be unsettled situations,’ Brady said. ‘You just got to defensively pack it in and make sure everybody’s on the same page.’

But Galloway won’t be the only one under pressure in net. The No. 2 man has made a smoother transition than Ghitelman.

Ghitelman, who won the job from fifth-year senior Bud Petit before the season, struggled against Stony Brook on Saturday. Starsia yanked him late in the third period, as Stony Brook stormed back to take the lead, 12-11, after being down 9-2 in the second. Petit steadied the ship as Virginia came back to win.

But the freshman started in Tuesday’s 15-4 win over Vermont and recovered well. He stopped four shots and gave up three goals in 45 minutes against the Catamounts.

Ghitelman bounces back well, Galloway said.

But he wouldn’t mind seeing the record skip again for his friend this weekend in Baltimore.

‘Hopefully we’ll score about 20 goals – and nothing like that [for us],’ Galloway said. ”Cause I don’t think I’ve been scored on 21 times before.’

ramccull@syr.edu

Published on February 29, 2008 at 12:00 pm