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Exclusives: From the Cheap Seats June
6, 2001: By Matt Golden '94 He had seen it all before. In fact, Memorial Day 2001 was strikingly similar to the one that vaulted Bill Tierney and his Princeton Tigers into lacrosse's national spotlight in 1992. On that overcast spring day at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Tierney's boys jumped out to an early lead against a heavily favored Syracuse squad. A late charge by the Orangemen erased the Princeton advantage and forced the game into one overtime, then a second, before Andy Moe '92 streaked down the field and netted the deciding goal. It was Princeton's and Tierney's first national championship, and it was special. Before Tierney's arrival, Princeton had never even qualified for the NCAA tournament. He built that team from scratch -- his recruits, his style, his way. This spring, the coach, who now has six national titles, trumped even that first championship. Again, his boys faced a heralded Syracuse team as storm clouds hovered in the sky. Again, Tierney watched as his team's sizable lead eroded under a ferocious, fourth-quarter assault. Again, his boys showed their mettle by withstanding the opponent's charge and emerging from overtime with a national championship. And again, his team stormed the field and celebrated in a tangle of bodies and emotions that befitted their accomplishment. But this time something was different. This time, the coach cried. Slumped over on the turf at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey, Bill Tierney celebrated -- his way -- winning a championship with his boys. For Tierney, title number six was worth more than all the others combined, because this time, "his boys" included his sons, Trevor '01 and Brendan '02. Trevor, the Tigers' All-America goalie, played brilliantly during the title game, turning away 14 Syracuse shots. He was the backbone of the nation's top defense. Brendan, who scored the game-winner in last year's NCAA semifinal win over the University of Virginia, watched from the sidelines after accepting a reserve role this season. But both, according to their father, have contributed immeasurably to the Tigers' success. Afterward, the normally stoic coach explained the significance of sharing a title with his sons. "This one is so special to me," he said. "You've seen Trevor playing goal since he was six, heard people say he was starting only because he's my son. You watched Brendan grow up, heard he's too small, too slow to play Division 1 lacrosse. Now both have championship rings. "Yes, this one's very special."
You can reach Matt Golden at golden2@erols.com
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