The Duke Blue Devils are the 2013 NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse champions, taking a 16-10 victory over Syracuse in the tournament final Monday at Philadelphia.
Duke vs. Syracuse, NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship 2013: Blue Devils win, 16-10
Syracuse’s magic ran out when it lost an early lead against Duke and couldn’t put together another comeback.
Drew Hallowell
Three juniors led the Blue Devils: Jordan Wolf had four goals, with Josh Dionne and Josh Offit each adding three. Brendan Fowler, another junior, was instrumental to the win. He won 20 of his 28 faceoffs, including a stretch of 13 straight, keeping Syracuse off the ball and preventing another rally.
Syracuse had posted two last-minute comeback victories on its road to the final, but in the championship match, the Orange took an early lead. Up 5-0 early in the second, the they were leading well into the third period. A goal by Dionne gave Duke the lead, 8-7, and the Blue Devils added nine more before it was over.
The title is the second in school history, with the first national championship coming in 2010. Taking the trophy from Syracuse makes the victory even more sweet, as the Orange are the most decorated team in NCAA men’s lacrosse history. Syracuse has won the national title 11 times, and 2013 is its sixth time finishing as runner-up.
The completed tournament bracket can be found at the NCAA website.
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