I'm On A Boat

Over the last three years when I’ve had occasion to travel to Long Island for work, I usually take a ferry across the Long Island Sound. Depending on where you’re going on the island, it doesn’t save a lot of time (though it could if there’s heavy traffic around the city), and it’s expensive, but it’s so much more civilized than battling your way down I-95 and over one of the bridges. It’s also fun because I can invoke SNL’s Adam Samberg’s profanity-laced music video parody called – “I’m On A Boat.”

So Sunday morning I boarded a 9 am ferry across the Long Island Sound, headed for Stony Brook University and the NCAA men’s lacrosse quarterfinals. The ferry ride was a bit more raucous than usual, as many of the cars on board carried lacrosse stickers and fans of each of the four schools competing at Stony Brook.

I actually hadn’t planned to attend as I was a bit weary from chasing the Big Red hockey and basketball teams around the Northeast earlier this spring. But as luck and timing would have it, I was due to speak at a conference on Long Island Monday morning, and the start time made coming in the night before advisable. So once I realized Cornell’s quarterfinal game would be on Long Island the day before the conference, I didn’t have twist my own arm too hard to make plans to come down early enough Sunday to catch the game. Jen is a good sport about my taking off for Big Red adventures – I suppose she figures I could have worse vices.

I jumped on getting the tickets as soon as Cornell put them on sale. It turned out to be a tough ticket to get as host Stony Brook was playing top-ranked Virginia in the second half of the quarterfinal double header.

Cornell was facing Army, an upset winner over second-seeded, and Cornell nemesis, Syracuse last weekend. Cornell gained its berth in the quarters by beating Loyala (MD). As has become their form this year, the Big Red lost a big lead surging ahead 9-2 and then hanging on for an 11-10 triple overtime victory, with a long stick defenseman scoring his first career goal for the win.

Army had an impressive win versus Syracuse, rallying from three behind in the second half to win in double overtime. Syracuse rarely loses in general and hardly ever at home, especially in the NCAAs where they had an 8 game winning streak by virtue of having won the last two national championships. It was a huge win for the Army team, which hadn’t won an NCAA game since 1993 when my good-natured neighbor Todd Butler was a senior.

In fact, Todd’s own special forces (his kids are 7, 5 and 4) launched a “spirit mission” against our household the Friday before the game, leaving a poster on our front door and hanging signs on our side of the fence that divides our yards which read “Go Army” and “Beat Cornell”. My 5-year old son Will and I tried to retaliate, but pressed for time and outnumbered, our response was hardly proportional. But as they left for a family trip Saturday morning, the Butlers found a placard on their windshield which said, “Go Big Red” and “Beat Army.”

Todd was also at the game with some of his fellow Army lax alumni. I stopped by during the game to say hello to him, but made it a brief visit, as my all red attire wouldn’t gain me any favor with Todd’s Army buddies. I had my own mini posse, as I met up with Farm Credit colleagues Steve Weir and Pat Wiles from our Riverhead, NY branch, at what seemed to be an ad hoc alumni gathering before the game.

The game itself was not particularly memorable. I’ll just say that after sweating out a number of close Cornell wins and losses these last few weeks, I was ecstatic that Cornell won by 9. It was a tough game for the Army faithful – as the Big Red seemed to execute well on offense and play tough, stifling “D.” Given Cornell has let teams back into a number of games recently, I didn’t rest easy until well into the fourth quarter.

After catching some of the post-game Cornell party, I went back in to check out Virginia – Stony Brook, the second game of the double header. UVa Stony Brook turned out to be the afternoon’s more exciting game from a spectator’s perspective. Virginia would typically have been a huge favorite, if not for the fact they were playing a solid Stony Brook team on its home field and the off-field troubles facing the team, with one of the Virginia players facing a murder charge in the death of a UVa women’s lacrosse player.

UVa took a 5-3 halftime lead, but Stony Brook had kept them within range and early in the third quarter, the Seawolves came back to tie the game at 5. One key for Virginia was that every time Stony Brook would tie the game – as they did at 5, 7 and 8 -- Virginia had an answer, thwarting Stony Brook from ever taking the lead. UVa’s biggest goal may have been when they scored on a breakout off the face off after Stony Brook had tied the game at 8.

The two face off specialists were unbelievable, almost every time grinding away at each other spinning slowly on the ground with their sticks and heads interlocked. In one of the face offs it took almost a minute for the ball to spring free, when it usually only takes a few seconds.

UVa extended the lead to 10-8, but Stony Brook got within one with a few minutes remaining. While they did get off one shot which could have tied the game, the UVa goalie came up with a big save and the Cavaliers were able to kill the clock and preserve the victory.

UVA will face Duke in an all ACC semifinal, while the Big Red will play Notre Dame, an upset winner over third-seeded Maryland.

I won’t be making the trip to Baltimore for the final four over Memorial Day, though of course, I’d be tempted. I’ve been on the road plenty of late and we’ll be heading to a family get together this Sunday, plus there’s no way I can work in a ferry ride to Baltimore, though come to think of it, M&T Stadium isn’t too far from Baltimore’s inner harbor area . . . no, never mind, I’m staying put.

It’s Monday afternoon on the way back from the conference and my return ferry is pulling into the dock. It’s time to return below deck to my car and rejoin the battle on Connecticut’s highways. With the semifinals on Saturday and the finals on Memorial Day, here’s hoping next Monday afternoon I’ll be glued to my TV watching the Big Red battle for the national championship. Go Big Red!

“I’m king of the world on the boat like Leo, if you all on the shore, then you sho’ ain’t me-o.” SNL Digital Short – “I’m On A Boat.”