Evan Brady wanted some real insight. The Syracuse men’s lacrosse defenseman consulted his teammates so he could understand how to approach a game that doesn’t change the Orange’s NCAA tournament fate.

All the SU defenseman met were blanket statements and clichs. But there was one he liked.

‘You never want to end the season on a losing note,’ Brady said last week. ‘That just sucks. It’s going to be hard enough going into this summer knowing we’re not in the playoffs. I think the only thing that can make that worse is losing this weekend.’

But that’s what happened on Saturday. No. 19 Syracuse lost to Colgate, 12-5, on Senior Day at the Carrier Dome. It perfectly bookmarks Syracuse’s disappointing season where it failed to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in 25 years.

Even though a Colgate victory wouldn’t reverse that, Syracuse head coach John Desko and his players wanted to send this year’s senior class on a somewhat positive note. After all it was a Senior Day where Steve Panarelli, Dan Biegel, Danny Brennan, Craig Hammond, Jon Jerome and Dustin Palmer took part in a ceremony before faceoff.

SU midfielder Greg Rommel didn’t participate because he’s a graduate student, but this game also was his last after earning a medical redshirt for his injured thumb last year.

Panarelli admitted the feeling of ending his Syracuse career hasn’t sunk in yet. But he knew this would be the last time he would be answering post-game questions, and more importantly, playing on the field in the Carrier Dome.

Panarelli’s career, along with the rest of the 2007 class, almost perfectly represents the ups-and-downs of the Syracuse lacrosse team in recent years. SU won a national championship in 2004, followed by Massachusetts snapping the Orange’s 22-year final four streak in 2005 and SU’s 24-straight NCAA tournament appearances this year.

‘It’s obviously tough when you lose and not have a chance to go to the playoffs,’ Panarelli said. ‘It’s the last time I’m ever going to play. There’s a lot of things going through (my mind).’

The loss arguably could’ve been the toughest on Rommel. He turned down an offer to attend graduate school at the University of California San Diego to pursue a biochemistry medical degree. Instead Rommel decided to return to Syracuse and not waste his eligibility. But it’s been a tough year as the midfielder scored only 15 goals and struggled to adapt to a new offensive unit

‘There’s been some disappointment here certainly,’ Rommel said a few weeks ago. ‘There’s been some tough times here for us.’

At least some of the seniors can return next year and try to alter a legacy that might be remembered more for the recent disappointments than the 2004 national championship.

Palmer, a defenseman, will return next year because he was granted a medical redshirt when he suffered an injury his sophomore year. Last week, Desko said last week that Brennan, a faceoff specialist, applied for a redshirt season and might be able to return. He missed last year’s season because he was academically ineligible.

Interestingly, the seniors’ last game coincided with the halftime ceremony of former Syracuse coach Roy Simmons Jr. A banner was revealed in his honor for helping to build the SU legacy with six national championships and 16-straight final four appearances. Alumni who were in attendance noticed the irony where fans are celebrating Syracuse’s historical success during a time when the SU’s legacy has been challenged.

‘It has to be tough on them to be the senior class of this team not to make the playoffs,’ former Syracuse player Tim Nelson (1983-85) said. ‘I coached for a long time and I know how difficult it is to stay on top. These seniors do have a championship ring, though.’

That’s why Panarelli didn’t sound as disappointed as he could’ve been. No doubt, he looked flustered and worn out after a deflating season. But even if the feeling of finality hasn’t sunk in yet, he’s already been able to keep perspective of his experience at SU

‘It’s easy to be negative right now because of what happened this season,’ Panarelli said. ‘Your career is not based on a season. You look back at all four years and it’s been a pretty good run. Looking back, maybe we didn’t accomplish everything we wanted to. Maybe we wanted a couple more rings and a couple more final fours.

‘(But) if you told me my junior year of high school when I committed to come here that this would’ve happened, I still would’ve signed and still would’ve come. There are no regrets about this place.’

Published on May 6, 2007 at 12:00 pm