Young Opponent, Storied Coach Make For Tough Match for M. Lax

Cornell's ace in the hole for tomorrow's pivotal men's lacrosse game against Harvard (4-2, 1-0 Ivy) at Ohiri Field may be pacing the sidelines.

Dave Pietramala, the first-year head coach at Cornell (3-2, 2-0), is a legend in the lacrosse world.

His resume is studded with lacrosse honors. As a defenseman at Johns Hopkins he was a member of a championship team, was a First Team All-American three times and won Player of the Year in 1989 and was voted World Championships MVP in 1990.

Pietramala is perhaps the best defenseman in the history of the game and certainly the most intimidating. In the same way Lawrence Taylor revolutionized his position with the sack, Pietramala mastered the takeaway, where the defenseman strips the ball from the offensive player, often in spectacular fashion.

He is a familiar sight in lacrosse highlight films and an icon for young defensemen.

After several years as an assistant at Hopkins, where he ran the defense, Pietramala has taken up the challenge of coaching with the same enthusiasm and fire that he was known for as a player.

This is a crucial game with serious implications both for the Crimson and for the Big Red. The winner will be in position to challenge Princeton for the Ivy League title and keep itself in contention for a post-season berth.

"This a huge game for us against a team who we match up very evenly with," said captain Mike Ferrucci. "We will look to wear them down with our depth and control possession."

Pietramala brings a young squad to play Harvard this weekend which has responded to his disciplined approach by going 3-2 this season, having suffered close losses to Army and UMBC. After wins at Penn and Yale, Cornell currently sits in first place atop the Ivy League standings.

With Pietramala on the sidelines, Harvard will have to concern itself with a scrappy and very athletic Cornell team. Leading the way for the Big Red are two All-Ivy performers--junior attackman Pat Dutton and senior midfielder Ian Hafner, who scored five goals against Harvard last year in an 18-16 loss.

Harvard certainly has the edge in talent and experience but Cornell has benefited from the enthusiasm and motivation of a new coach, which makes it very dangerous.

"They are well conditioned and very disciplined, and Pietramala has them playing with a new confidence and intensity," senior Owen Leary said.