This time last year, Duke senior attack Matt Danowski wondered if he or anyone else would ever play another game for the school?s men?s lacrosseprogram. Today, Duke is two wins away from capturing a national title.
A year has passed since Duke canceled its lacrosse season after eight games following what eventually proved to be false rape allegations against three players. Now, the Blue Devils (16-2) are focused on putting the past behind them and trying to defeat Cornell (15-0) Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. The Blue Devils are back in this position for the second time in three years after losing to Johns Hopkins in the 2005 national final.
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For players like Danowski, 2006 to present feels like much longer than one year.
“For me, it feels like the last time we were in the Final Four was like five years ago,” Danowski said. “So much has gone on, and so much has happened. This point last year, I was driving home from Stony Brook after my dad?s game against UMass. So it?s a completely different feel and a completely different team. It?s completely different, but it?s still lacrosse, and we just want to go out and have fun.”
Since Duke?s 2006 season got canceled, the school forced then-coach Mike Bressler out of his job, charges against the three players were dropped, and Danowski?s father, John, was hired from Hofstra to take over for Bressler.
Now, the school is asking for an extra year of eligibility for team members on the 2006 roster, according to the Associated Press and Duke?s sports information department.
“To us, it?s not really about anything else but playing lacrosse,” junior attack Zack Greer said. “We lost our season last year and didn?t get to play. We all went home and didn?t get to play. That?s all there was to it. Now, we?re still playing and having fun, and that?s the biggest thing.”
Despite the heated rivalry between Duke and North Carolina, Tar Heels senior midfielder David Ryan thinks Duke?s entire program got treated unfairly throughout last year?s ordeal.
“I can?t imagine having your whole season canceled,” said Ryan, following the Tar Heels? quarterfinal loss to Duke last weekend. “I am sure that they have felt that they had something to prove all year. The whole lacrosse community took a blow when that happened. I don?t like Duke, but I sided with them and I am glad the facts of the case came out in the end.”
