Let’s set something straight, just so this doesn’t read like a public relations piece: I’m not trying to convince Syracuse fans the men’s lacrosse team is back after its 12-6 win over No. 19 Loyola.

Frankly, it’s not. At 2-4, SU is far from it. Given the loads of depth it has at each position this year, the Orange could do better. Its tough schedule leads to No. 7 Princeton and No. 2 Cornell in the next two weeks. SU needs a .500 mark for an NCAA tournament berth. And every game, as if players and coaches don’t think so already, is a must-win if Syracuse wants to reach that mark.

Given these scenarios, it’s easy to spell doomsday for the Orange. But if attitude has anything to do with it, Syracuse is doing just fine. After starting 1-4, it would have been easy for the players to sulk and moan about its injury-riddled midfield, its inexperienced goalie or its tough schedule. But it hasn’t.

After Syracuse started 1-3, captains Steve Panarelli and John Wright called a players-only meeting last week to discuss the changes the team needed to make while also providing a momentum booster. It turned out so well that Syracuse head coach John Desko said Monday’s practice was the best practice he’s ever seen in all his coaching years.

As it turns out, it didn’t translate much onto the field. Syracuse lost, 9-8, to Hobart the next day, leaving the Orange’s fate in question. Syracuse midfielder Brian Crockett admitted frustration when Syracuse still struggled, no matter how well it practiced. But that positive attitude didn’t fade away.

‘We had two directions we could go,’ Crockett said. ‘We could basically pack it in and prepare for next season or we could be the team who started out slow and had a great finish. I think everyone on the team didn’t want to pack it in. We wanted to come back because we have the talent to do that.’

Although Loyola was less talented than perhaps Syracuse’s earlier opponents, SU played much better in every aspect on Saturday. The Orange’s scoring spread almost evenly among its attack and midfield. The defense held Loyola to six goals, its lowest allowed so far this season. Pete Coluccini made 15 saves, showed more confidence and did not make silly mistakes.

‘We’ve been putting a lot of pressure on ourselves in the previous games,’ said attackman Mike Leveille, who scored a team-high four goals. ‘Today we went out with the mentality to play loose and play the way we normally can.’

And none of that would have been possible without a positive attitude. Before practice on Thursday, Syracuse head coach John Desko and his players addressed what was obvious – the whole team must improve. But instead of making it a blame game, every player took it upon themselves and owned part of the responsibility for SU’s early season letdown. They also noted that the problem wasn’t that they weren’t playing well, but instead that they haven’t played well consistently or well enough when it counted.

Syracuse has all the tools it needs, but it doesn’t matter if they’re not used right.

Syracuse could’ve also ignored its circumstances by saying the bad situation its record has put them in terms of NCAA tournament placement hasn’t entered its minds. Desko could’ve easily dismissed all the talk and said it has no relevancy when his team still had seven more games to play.

But the head coach, along with the rest of his team, kept everything in perspective, speaking calmly and thoughtfully. They all recognized the grim reality that awaits them while knowing only a positive attitude – including improved play and zero excuses – will be the key to fix all their problems.

‘The hardest part about being in this situation where we haven’t been in too often is to be in the situation where we have to win,’ Desko said before his team’s practice on Thursday. ‘It’s the pressure of it all now as opposed to just thinking about Loyola. I think that’s our job as coaches are to concentrate on Loyola, what it takes to beat them and use the other as incentive to play this game.’

After the game Desko lauded his team’s preparation in only two days. During practice, intensity kept up and players shared encouraging words with one another, and a 12-6 victory was the result.

As the players see it, SU took a small step forward with the win, knowing and accepting it has its work cut out down the road. Only a positive attitude will carry the team to the postseason.

Mark Medina is an assistant copy editor at The Daily Orange, where his columns appear occasionally. E-mail him at mgmedin@gmail.com.

Published on April 2, 2006 at 12:00 pm