So much for diplomacy. Forget the Bull Durham clichs, the ‘every opponent is the same’ fodder. Use that for Hobart or Rutgers. But not for Massachusetts.

Not for the team that knocked the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team out of the NCAA Tournament last season in the first round, preventing the Orange from reaching the semifinals for the first time in 23 seasons.

The Syracuse players aren’t mincing their words when discussing No. 11 UMass, which No. 9 SU hosts on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Carrier Dome for the final home game of the regular season and Senior Day for 14 players and one team manager.

And they’re not mollifying their disdain for the Minutemen, whom the returning players begrudge after last season.

The preparation started minutes after Syracuse’s overtime win against Albany last Friday night, when Steve Panarelli, who was still in his spandex sleeveless undershirt from the game and exasperated after SU’s fifth straight win, quickly shifted from the thrilling victory to the UMass matchup. Panarelli looked at a room full of reporters and said, ‘There’s no denying both teams don’t really like each other.’

The Orange didn’t back off the words before Wednesday’s practice. In fact, it was the exact opposite. While quotes are often bland and listless, SU was particularly candid about its feelings for UMass.

‘They’ve hated us for a long time because they could never beat us,’ senior attackman Brett Bucktooth said. ‘And then they finally got a couple of wins and they think they’re everything, so we need to put them back where they belong.’

UMass beat SU in the Orange’s final two games last season – the season finale and the playoffs. Both games were in Massachusetts, both decided by one goal: the first game a 14-13 overtime loss, the second a 16-15 loss.

‘The first time we lost to UMass was enough,’ senior midfielder Brian Crockett said. ‘But to go back there and lose again, especially with a lot of the stuff those guys were saying to us, myself and a lot of other people are ready for this game.

‘I don’t know a lot of (the UMass) players personally, but the ones I do know, I don’t like. The team in general, I don’t really have a whole lot of respect for them, and I want to beat them pretty badly.’

To add eeriness to intrigue, Saturday will almost be Twilight Zone-like. The date will be April 29. Last season, the Orange visited UMass on April 30. SU was coming off a 14-13 overtime win against Albany, just like this season.

Working in SU’s favor, though, is UMass’ ineptitude in Syracuse. The Minutemen are 0-11 all-time in the Carrier Dome. UMass is 9-4 this season with its marquee win against No. 2 Hofstra in February. But it seems the only UMass number SU is focusing on is the two wins against the Orange last season.

Even the newcomers on SU have been versed about the importance of the game. Joe Yevoli, a transfer from Virginia who’s often seen wearing a New York Yankees hat after games, compared the game to the Yankees-Boston Red Sox rivalry. Sophomore John Carrozza, a transfer from Delaware, described the rivalry as ‘bitter.’ Freshman Kenny Nims said the players are taking the game personally, keeping last season in the back of their minds.

‘They got filled in along the way,’ Crockett said. ‘They understand what this team means to us. Anytime a team knocks you out of the tournament, thank God we have one more chance to come back to them this year.’

Published on April 27, 2006 at 12:00 pm