It doesn't have the levels of hysteria generated when the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers clash or when the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees meet, but the series between Syracuse and Virginia has been gaining steam in the sport of lacrosse.
That's why Friday night's contest at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y., is already being called the game of the 2011 season, and it's only early March.
"I believe it is the game of the year just because there are two great senior classes on display," ESPN analyst and former Syracuse All-American midfielder Paul Carcaterra said. "These teams have gone back and forth and played in multiple one-goal games. When these guys were freshmen, Syracuse came back and won the NCAA semifinals [against the Cavaliers]. Virginia has beaten them in the regular season three years in a row by one goal. So I feel that it has all the makings of another up-tempo classic."
Both teams top every lacrosse poll, including The Sun's rankings, where the Orange (2-0) is No. 1 and the Cavaliers (4-0) are No. 2. Syracuse has captured an NCAA-leading 10 national championships, while Virginia is tied with North Carolina for fourth place with four.
The Cavaliers lead the overall series, 14-12. On six occasions, the two teams have met in the regular season and postseason; three times, the team that proved victorious in the regular season also won in the NCAA tournament.
Those ingredients have fans salivating every year when these two juggernauts meet, but the excitement trickles down to the players, too.
"Coach [Dom] Starsia really says that there are no big games, and we try to treat every game the same, but I think it's kind of hard not to [be amped up] just because of the tradition the two teams have and the recent games we've had," said Cavaliers junior attackman Steele Stanwick, a Baltimore native and Loyola graduate. "The two styles of play are very similar. This is one we all circle on the schedule, and I think we're all excited for Friday night."
Added Orange senior goalkeeper John Galloway: "Ever since I got here, our focus has been on taking it one game at a time, but there's no question that a game against Virginia this early in the season really tells you a lot about where you are as a team and where you're headed. In a game like that where it's very high-tempo and high-scoring, we usually learn a lot about ourselves on defense, and it's just a good gauge in the beginning of the year to see where we're at as a team among the national contenders."
The two sides first met in 1938 but played only one other time before Starsia landed with the Cavaliers prior to the 1993 season after a successful stint at Brown. Starsia asked school officials to add Syracuse to the schedule, but the 1993 and 1994 schedules had already been set.
As luck would have it, the Orange and Virginia found themselves in an NCAA tournament semifinal in 1994, and the Cavaliers overcame a five-goal deficit heading into the fourth quarter to win, 15-14, in overtime.
"I always admired the way Syracuse played lacrosse," Starsia said of the reasoning behind seeking an annual date with the Orange. "They were aggressive, they always played hard, they got up and down the field. So part of who I've been as a lacrosse coach is modeled, in some ways, after that style and after those Syracuse teams. They always played with flair and passion, and we wanted to bring some of that to Virginia."
Perhaps the apex of the rivalry occurred Feb. 28, 1997, when the Orange prevailed, 22-21, led by attackman Casey Powell's seven goals.
"The first one I remember was that '97 game," Galloway recalled. "You watched Casey Powell score what seemed to be 15 goals in that game. It was just a high-scoring, back-and-forth thing. It was fun to watch, and it was one of those games that made you want to be a part of this program, and we're just going to try to carry on that legacy when they come in here Friday night."
Offense has usually taken center stage when these sides convene. In this series since 1994, the Cavaliers have scored a total of 316 goals, and the Orange has 314. Only once in the past 12 meetings has one team been held to under 10 goals. (Syracuse scored eight in a three-goal loss March 3, 1997.)
Both teams play an up-tempo, no-holds-barred style — one that would seem to represent lacrosse's brash boast as "the fastest sport on two feet."
"You go into the Virginia game, and I think both coaching staffs and players aren't afraid to take a shot or make something happen right away because the other team probably isn't going to do a lot of zone," Syracuse coach John Desko said. "The ball isn't going to be in the other half of the field for half an hour. Syracuse will try to generate a quick shot, Virginia will get it back if we don't score, they'll try to generate a fairly quick shot. So sometimes you are more hesitant when you have the ball on offense just because you've been playing defense for so long. I think in this kind of game, neither coach or player anticipates that. So you don't feel as bad with a turnover or when you're trying to make something happen."
Starsia joked that one enjoyable part of the week's preparations leading up to the game is that he doesn't have to motivate the players, who are already looking forward to testing themselves against the Orange.
By the same token, Starsia said he makes sure that his players savor the rivalry.
"We emphasize to our kids to look forward to an event like this," he said. "It's a privilege to play in this game, and it's a privilege to go up there and play in that atmosphere and to be a participant in this exercise."