https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/UAlbany-men-s-lacrosse-prepares-for-biggest-stage-12932009.php
UAlbany men's lacrosse prepares for biggest stage at Final Four
Great Danes say championship weekend not too big a moment for them
Updated 6:36 pm, Monday, May 21, 2018
Albany
University at Albany senior midfielder Kyle McClancy was among a crowd of 48,443 lacrosse lovers who flocked to Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium to watch the 2007 national championship game.
He was only 11 years old at the time, making the trip from his home on Long Island with his soccer travel team for a tournament. He and his friends and their parents decided to stay in Maryland an extra day and take in Johns Hopkins’ 12-11 victory over Duke in college lacrosse’s equivalent of the Super Bowl.
“I just remember how many people were there and how loud it got,’’ McClancy said. “It was unbelievable, especially as the game grew toward the end of the fourth quarter. I think Duke was down one goal with the ball with under a minute to go and they missed a couple of shots and the fans were all hooting and hollering.”
Even then, McClancy knew he wanted to experience that atmosphere firsthand someday. He gets his chance this weekend when the second-seeded Great Danes make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s championship weekend.
UAlbany (16-2) will face No. 3 Yale (15-3) on Saturday at noon in a semifinal at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The winner will play for the national title on Memorial Day against the winner of Saturday’s other semifinal between No. 1 Maryland and No. 4 Duke.
The Great Danes finally broke through to lacrosse’s biggest weekend by knocking off Denver 15-13 in a quarterfinal at Hofstra on Saturday. Though they hugged each other and accepted congratulations, they insist they’re not happy just to be one of the four Division I teams still alive.
The UAlbany lacrosse team celebrates reaching the NCAA Final Four for the first time by beating Denver on Saturday, May 19 at Hofstra. (Mark Singelais / Times Union)
Media: Times Union“We know our work’s not done,’’ McClancy said. “We know we have the talent to beat anyone in the country. As long as we’re putting in 100 percent effort and coming to work with a positive attitude every single day, we don’t think any team in the country can hang with us.”
McClancy said the coaches very sternly reminded the players during their film session on Monday they have to remain focused on beating Yale, a team that defeated the Great Danes 14-6 in New Haven last month.
“They gave us some time to be excited and happy because our program’s never been here before, so this is an unbelievable accomplishment,’’ McClancy said. “But at the same time, we know our work’s not done.”
The fact remains, though, that head coach Scott Marr is the only member of the program who’s participated in lacrosse’s Final Four. This is his sixth trip with two as Johns Hopkins player and three more as a Maryland assistant.
He said he tells his players to visualize being on this stage and possibly scoring the winning goal. But now they’re finally here and could be playing in front of a crowd of 30,000 or more on Saturday. The semifinals drew 30,530 in Foxborough last season.
He said all the trappings will be different, from a detail as minute as NCAA staff waiting in the hotel for the team to get their rooms.
“You certainly have to expect more than what you (normally) get,’’ Marr said. “Just all the hoopla and all the media being at practice. Playing in a big stadium, playing in front of that many people, which we’ve never done. But it’s all business. We’re there for a reason. We’re there to win on Saturday and have a chance on Monday.”
Marr said his players’ lack of experience at championship weekend, except as fans, could help the Great Danes more than hurt them.
“I think sometimes that can be the best thing,’’ Marr said. “Sometimes when you’re loose and you’ve never experienced it before, sometimes those are the greatest moments.”
Loose certainly describes this team. Connor Fields, who didn’t practice while resting his knee, danced and directed traffic like police officer while his teammates ran at the end of Monday's practice.
UAlbany senior attack Connor Fields didn’t practice on Monday, May 21 because he’s resting his knee. But he still enjoyed himself as the Great Danes prepared for their next game. (Mark Singelais / Times Union)
Media: Times UnionFields has never attended championship weekend on his own, preferring to wait until he could play in it.
“It’s definitely a really cool opportunity,’’ Fields said. “Not everyone gets to experience it, so I wanted my first time to be as a player. It’s a dream come true. We’re going to enjoy it while we’re there, but we’re not going to sit back and let it pass us. We’re going to play our best and hopefully it goes our way.”
msingelais@timesunion.com ■ 518-454-5509 ■ @MarkSingelais
