Blue Devils Loom Large

Tonight under the lights at Harvard Stadium, the No. 14 Harvard men’s lacrosse team (5-2, 1-1 Ivy) looks to close out its non-league schedule and head into the remainder of Ivy League play with a win against perennial powerhouse No. 7 Duke.

To the Crimson, the contest represents much more than just another non-conference matchup—it’s a pivotal moment in the process of bringing the team to the forefront of the lacrosse world.

“When I took the job three years ago, I was really exited about the potential this program had,” Harvard coach John Tillman said. “One of the visions I had was to try to make Harvard one of the flagship schools for lacrosse in New England.”

Standing in the way are the Blue Devils (7-3, 0-2 ACC), who aim to avenge last year’s upset at the hands of the Crimson—Duke’s first loss to Harvard since 2001.

“That’s last year,” Blue Devil coach John Danowski said. “You have to move on, and many times, losses help you.”

Although neither team is focusing on last season’s upset, both squads have had tonight’s game circled on their calendars all year.

“All semester, the kids were talking about how much the campus was abuzz about the Duke game, that people were excited,” Tillman said. “I think it’s really exciting for everyone around our program.”

The Blue Devils, coming off of a 11-10 win over Brown on Tuesday, now turn their full attention to the midseason test.

“Our focus right now is playing this very talented Harvard team,” Danowski said.

Tillman hopes that the historic venue and likely record-breaking crowd will make this game unlike any other in Harvard lacrosse history.

“When you walk into Harvard Stadium and play in a great venue like that, under the lights and in front of a terrific crowd, that’s going to present some motivation on both sides.”

The young Crimson team will need to focus on channelling its surplus of energy to compete with an experienced opponent like Duke.

“Everyone is going to be really excited,” said Harvard sophomore attack Jeff Cohen. “It’ll be really important for us to manage those emotions, use the excitement and [not] get nervous. Just play with passion and energy and be excited.”

Danowski, on the other hand, is confident that his team can handle the big stage.

“We’re used to playing in big stadiums,” Danowski said. “This is something we look forward to; it adds a lot of excitement and a lot of fun to the game.”

Although the Blue Devils coaching staff might not have to worry about the big-game environment, it should certainly be distressed at the sight of Cohen on the opposing team.

Cohen, who began his collegiate career with a hat trick and an assist in last season’s 9-6 upset over Duke, has scored a point in every collegiate game he has played.

“I’ve seen an improvement in [Jeff’s] desire to be a complete attacker this year,” Tillman said. “He’s making the guys around him better.”

“I don’t know that you can stop Jeff,” Danowski said. “He’s already one of the great shooters in the history of the game as a sophomore.”

After Cohen’s performance against the Blue Devils last season, it’s not surprising that Danowski has so much respect for the sophomore, who leads his team this season with 19 goals, averaging almost three per game.

“He’s not good at what he does—he’s great at what he does. Before it’s all over, he’s going to rewrite some record books,” Danowski said.

Duke chose to make the trip to the Northeast this year rather than playing Harvard at home because n increasing number of the Blue Devil players grew up in the area. The game will be a homecoming of sorts for Duke All-American senior attack Max Quinzani, who hails from nearby Duxbury, Mass. Many of his family and friends will be in attendance, and Duxbury High School’s lacrosse team will play a game at Harvard Stadium earlier in the day.

Although this game holds some special significance for the Blue Devils, Tillman recognizes how important this game is to the Harvard lacrosse program.

“To be able to [play lacrosse] Friday night in front of their peers and in front of a great crowd, in a great stadium and against a great opponent, what could be better?”