It was as much guts as anything that allowed the Midshipmen to give Syracuse University the battle of its lacrosse life in yesterday's NCAA Division I championship game.

The 14-13 loss by Navy, which was playing in its first championship game since 1975, to a Syracuse team that has been a part of the national semifinals in each of the past 22 years, came from a gutsy, gritty performance by the Midshipmen.

Russell epitomized the courage of the entire Navy team. He came off the rain-soaked M&T Bank Stadium field with 7:52 remaining in the third quarter of a game that was so close that it was tied 10 times with "a shoulder problem".

Quite the problem it was. A dislocation that popped out and was popped back into place three times before Russell finally gave in to the pain and admitted he couldn't continue.

How typical of the Navy attitude. That's what encouraged the record 43,898 fans who purchased tickets to sit through the rain and had most of them offering their support to the Midshipmen.

Russell, a slightly build 5-foot-7, 155-pounder who just finished his second year at the Naval Academy, was scheduled to leave Annapolis at 4:30 a.m. today to get to BWI Airport and catch a flight to Jacksonville, Fla., where he was to report for his summer cruise on the USS John F. Kennedy.

"It's bitter-sweet because we made it so far and we had a great season," Russell said of the Mids' loss. "Right now, with the way things ended, I think we have to remember the rest of the season.

"I think that leaving the game when I did and the way I did was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Russell said. "It isn't that I don't have 100 percent confidence in (back-up) Colin Finnegan because he is a great goalie, but I felt like I let the team down. "

The youngster admitted he was less than satisfied with his own play in both the semifinal win over Princeton and yesterday's game against Syracuse. Russell blamed only one of the Syracuse goals on the shoulder problem that wouldn't allow him to even lift his right arm.

After the game, Russell's right arm and shoulder was heavily wrapped. His gray sweatshirt sleeve hung limply as the arm bulged from underneath the fabric. He grimaced with each movement.

But when Russell was asked about his feelings his first comment was, "This was tough, but I really feel badly for the seniors. A few of them leave for flight school in a few days."

Navy coach Richie Meade said, "I'm proud of the way everybody played today, but I'm particularly proud of Matt Russell who played until the middle of the third quarter when we had to take him out. We had to call one of our timeouts to pop his shoulder back in, but he couldn't continue to play.

"I thought Matt displayed the type of courage we expect of the Midshipmen at the Naval Academy and officers of the Navy and Marine Corps."

Meade thought the injury occurred when Russell came out of the goal and got his stick caught in the ground when he tried to throw the ball. Russell, who said he had problems with his left shoulder in the past, said he wasn't sure when the first dislocation happened. He said it suddenly hurt when he tried to lift his arm.

After getting his shoulder popped in early in the third quarter, he stayed in the game. And he came back after it went out and was popped in a second time. And there's no doubt he would have come back again if he felt he could still help his team. He didn't feel that confident.

And, just as it took guts for him to keep playing with the injury, it took guts for him to confess his problem and take himself out of the game.

Published June 01, 2004, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2004 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.