Standing in a solemn locker room at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, the senior midfielder said he needed to beat feet back to Annapolis and prepare for an early morning departure for flight school.

"I'm going to pack my car tonight and start driving tomorrow. I've got to be in Pensacola (Fla.) by Friday," Bailey said.

It was a similar story for goalkeeper Matt Russell, who was scheduled to carry the pain of a separated shoulder and the disappointment of a six-save performance onto a 4 a.m. flight this morning bound for Jacksonville, Fla., home port of an aircraft carrier to which he's been assigned.

At the Naval Academy, sports are put into perspective by Midshipmen facing much greater responsibilities. Which is why the words distraught and devastated do not accurately describe the scene in Navy's locker room following yesterday's 14-13 loss to Syracuse in the NCAA title tilt.

There were the expected tears and hugs, but for the most part the players and coaches were upbeat about having been apart of a fantastic season. Led by a strong senior class and an infusion of talented youngsters, Navy became only the second team in college lacrosse history to make the NCAA championship one year after enduring a losing record.

"This is a big step forward for Navy lacrosse. I think the bar has been set higher," said Bailey, who scored his 54th career goal yesterday. "We made a great run this season and that definitely builds the confidence level within the program. Hopefully, future players will see winning a championship as an attainable goal and not just a dream."

Navy loses eight valuable seniors, all of whom were starters or key reserves. Left-handed attackman Joe Bossi (team-high 44 goals), long stick midfielder Thomas Morris and starting defenseman Jared Bosanko are among those departing.

However, there is a ton of talent returning, including All-American selections such as goalie Matt Russell, attackman Ian Dingman, midfielders Graham Gill and Steve Looney and defenseman Mitch Hendler.

"This team has set a tone for years to come. Navy is capable of winning a national championship and should strive for nothing less next season and beyond," said Gill, who totalled 24 goals and 10 assists this season. "We have a strong junior class that needs to assume the leadership role. We also have some outstanding young players that need to step up and make a name for themselves."

Head coach Richie Meade said there are some intangibles that can be drawn from this year's playoff run. Returning players now know what it takes to reach the NCAA final and also can savor the taste.

"It is a very intoxicating thing to get this far. This is an incredible experience that sticks with you. Having been to this level once makes you want to get back," Meade said. "I think something good is going to come out of this if we handle it the right way as coaches and players."

Meade praised the evolution of Navy's offense under the direction of assistant coach John Tillman. He pointed out that Syracuse had to play a zone defense in order to stop the Mids yesterday.

Opposing coaches marveled all season at Navy's depth, athleticism and speed. That was on display yesterday as the Mids went toe-to-toe with a program that has been the standard bearer for those traits.

"Syracuse is the most athletic team we've been on the field with this season, but they weren't running by us or anything," Meade said. "I think in terms of overall talent and skill level, we have elevated this program to the point people want it to be."

A major reason for Navy's success this season involves the fact lacrosse has more slots for recruits at the prep school. Meade said there are some outstanding players at the Naval Academy Prep School and also expects to get a strong class of direct-entry recruits.

"I would hope there would be a nice bump in recruiting. Obviously, having the Naval Academy compete for a national championship speaks well for our program and our players," he said.

Dingman, a 6-foot-3, 255-pound attackman, is the type of marquee player Navy needs to attract. The second team All-American showed yesterday why he is such a force, repeatedly forcing Syracuse to double- and triple-team him.

"Syracuse really struggled with Ian. They could not cover him and that created a lot of opportunities for our offense," Meade said.

Dingman, who played with Syracuse star Michael Powell at Carthage High, also possesses the type of attitude that players in a premiere program must have.

"I'm not happy about coming this far and coming up short. We could have won this game and we didn't because Syracuse made the plays and we didn't," Dingman said. "This has to be the expectation for our program from here on out. We need to set a goal of getting here every year."

A final record of 15-3 that included five wins over Top 10 teams provides proof that Navy was for real this season. Many of the Midshipmen scoffed at the notion this was a Cinderella-type season that may never be repeated.

"This whole Cinderella thing was ridiculous. We proved ourselves all season," Bossi said. "We came into the tournament as the No. 2 seed. It should not have been unexpected that we would reach the championship. Some people might have been surprised, but we weren't."

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