Today's Syracuse-Hopkins final is the first title game between the teams since 1989, when the Orange rallied for a 13-12 victory.

Current Syracuse coach John Desko was an assistant coach back then. Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala was a star defenseman, and ESPN analyst and omnipresent voice of lacrosse Quint Kessenich was the Blue Jays' goalie.

Kessenich couldn't have drawn a much tougher assignment --- both Gary and Paul Gait, plus Tom Marechek --- and he came up with 17 saves.

Still, there's always a chance to tweak a former teammate, which the Washington Post's Christian Swezey saw an opening for when we were talking to Petro about the '89 game after yesterday's press conference.

"If you had a better goalie, you would have won," Swezey prodded.

"I can't say that," Petro said before breaking into a big smile. "I'd like to say that. I can't."

Maybe that can just be considered collateral for a comment or two Kessenich is sure to make that will irritate Hopkins fans this afternoon.

--- Patrick Stevens