BY RODERICK BOONE
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Ok, so if you want to get all technical, we are in the Boston 'burbs. But as I prepare to exit stage left and head back to Long Island, I figured it would be a good idea to wrap things up before I hit the Mass. Pike. So here goes.
Let me empty the notebook and tape recorder first:
Saw Hofstra athletic director Jack Hayes, who's a good guy and someone I enjoy talking to by the way, on Saturday. After Hopkins stunned Duke, I asked him the obvious question: So does this take some of the sting out of losing in the first round to the Blue Jays? The short answer was yes. If you are going to lose, at least you lost to a team that went on to play for the national championship. No harm in that, right?
John Danowski, the former Hofstra coach and head man at Duke on the tough defeat to Hopkins: “I’m 54 years old. It’s a loss. It’s a game. It ain’t life or death. I’m not going to get any bonuses for winning or losing and guys aren’t going to sign me to a professional contract. It’s lacrosse and I’m very proud of our kids.”
Huntington product and Virginia freshman Shamel Bratton on his hunger after losing in the semifinals: "It definitely drives me. Heading into next year, the only thing we want to do is win a national championship. Anything less is a failure, so we'll just be working really hard in the offseason and come spring time, don't let anyone stand in our way. We have a lot of returning guys -- we only lose about two or three starters -- and next year we are not going to take no for an answer."
Ok, now here's a few more nuggets to chew on as you munch of those leftover goodies from your Memorial Day weekend cookouts. Enjoy.
Don't think lacrosse's popularity is on a steady rise? There was a championship record crowd of 48,970 and the three-day total also set a new record.
"We are proud of the record-setting attendance that we had this weekend," Gillette Stadium VP of business development Dan Murphy said in a statement. "It was an exciting event highlighted by somem outstanding team and individual performances. ... We are encouraged by the first-year success of this event at Gillette Stadium and look foward to hosting an even bigger championship weekend next year."
Fans from 44 states and five foreign countries (England, Australia, Germany, Japan, and Canada) descended on the area this weekend for the championships.
Hopkins lost to an opponent twice in a season for the first time ever.
It's my first time visiting Gillette Stadium and I like it. But I'm not sure why there is only one true access road to get here. Traffic is a nightmare. I can imagine what it's like for Patriots games.
We, of course, can go on and on. But that'll do it. I'm hungry and need to find the nearest eatery. CIAO.
