Tigers lose championship

COLLEGE PARK, Md. --Syracuse cruised to its sixth NCAA Division I lacrosse title Monday, defeating Princeton 13-7 behind a career-high six goals by Liam Banks.

Ryan Powell had three goals and two assists for the top-seeded Orangemen, who built an early 6-0 lead in their second straight lopsided victory over Princeton (12-3). Syracuse (15-1) beat the Tigers 16-4 last month.

Powell finished his career at Syracuse with 287 points, tying his brother, Casey, for the school record. He left the game after recording an assist with 18 seconds left.

Banks got his sixth goal with 5:09 left in the third period but fell one short of tying the NCAA mark for goals in a championship game. He also had one assist.

Josh Sims had two goals and an assist for Princeton, which lost for the first time in six championship-game appearances.

Syracuse's six titles ranks one behind leader Johns Hopkins. The Orangemen, who had their 1990 championship vacated by the NCAA for using an ineligible player, last won the crown in 1995.

Syracuse, which lost to Virginia in last year's final, won its first title under second-year coach John Desko. The only flaw in an otherwise perfect season for the Orangemen came April 11, when they lost 13-12 at Cornell.

Princeton went into its deliberate style from the outset. But Syracuse used solid defense and a patient offense to go up 4-0 in the opening 13 minutes.

Powell started the scoring and Banks twice beat goalie Trevor Tierney from the left side before Josh Coffman added a shorthanded goal.

Things got worse in the second quarter for the Tigers, who received a three-minute penalty after it was determined Sean Hartofilis was using an illegal stick. Powell converted the extra-man situation to make it 5-0.

After Mike Springer scored for Syracuse, Hartofilis ended the Tigers' drought with 6:07 to go. Banks countered on a pass from Powell for a 7-1 lead, but Princeton responded with two goals in 30 seconds.

Banks scored twice in the opening three minutes of the third quarter to spark a 4-0 surge that made it 11-3.

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