The Hall-Of-Famers

Ryan Boyle/Matt Striebel feature from 2011

TigerBlog has written a lot of feature stories in his time.

One of his favorites is from back in 2011, when he wrote about Princeton men's lacrosse alums Ryan Boyle and Matt Striebel and the bond - and the championships - that they have shared through the years.

It goes back to 2001, when Boyle was a freshman who took Striebel's spot on attack, moving the then-senior to midfield. The result was Princeton's sixth NCAA championship.

TB went back and looked at that story yesterday for the first time probably since he wrote it. And here was the 11th paragraph:
They are two of the best players in the history of the sport of lacrosse, Matt Striebel and Ryan Boyle are, sure-fire Hall-of-Famers one day. In a sport where there has been a direct correlation between the marketing of its superstars and an unimaginable explosion of the game in the last 10 years, there haven't been too many players who have been more in the eye of the hurricane than Striebel and Boyle.

As it turns out, TigerBlog was completely right about this one.

As of yesterday, they're both Hall-of-Famers. Well, they won't actually get inducted until Oct. 19, but they are both in the US Lacrosse National Hall of Fame Class of 2019.

They're actually not the only Princetonians in the group of nine inductees. Rachael Becker DeCecco, who is the only defender to win the Tewaaraton Awards as a defender, will also be enshrined come October.

Just as TB knew that Boyle and Striebel would make the Hall of Fame, it was pretty clear that Becker DeCecco would as well. 

Becker DeCecco was also the Most Outstanding Player at the 2003 NCAA Final Four, something that is almost the exclusive domain of goal scorers and goalies. She was also an All-Ivy League field hockey player who helped Princeton reach the Final Four in that sport as well.

A three-time first-team All-America in lacrosse, she was also part of seven Ivy League championship teams in eight season. Not bad, right? It's not a coincidence either.

TB texted Becker DeCecco yesterday to offer her congratulations, and her response was "I can't believe it." TB's response to that was that he thought she'd already been inducted.

Becker DeCecco remains one of the program's biggest fans. She's also one of its color commentators on the ESPN+ broadcasts of home games, and she's a natural at it.

With all of the success that Princeton women's lacrosse has had through the years, including three NCAA championships, she is the first former player to reach the Hall of Fame. Chris Sailer, the Tiger head coach for all three of those titles and 14 Ivy League titles, is also in the Hall of Fame.

Boyle and Striebel will be the 17th and 18th inductees from the men's lacrosse program, which of course had about a century head start on the women.

When TB saw the list of Hall-of-Famers for this year, he was happy for all three Princeton alums. He was especially happy that Boyle and Striebel are being inducted together. The sport of lacrosse may never have had teammates like these two, which makes it so perfect that they're in the same class for the Hall.

What could have been a disaster instead turned out to be a perfect partnership.

Striebel led Princeton in assists in 1999 and 2000 and was All-Ivy both years. Princeton reached the 2000 NCAA final before falling to Syracuse, and Striebel would be back, along with a lot of other pieces, in 2001.

So what happened? Boyle came in and took Striebel's spot. Striebel moved to midfield. Would anyone have blamed him had he moped? Not really.

Instead, they won a championship together. Then they won some more together.

There would be two World Championships, in 2002 and 2010. There would be three Major League Lacrosse championships, with the Philadelphia Barrage. That's six major college, pro or international championships as teammates.

Striebel, somewhat ironically, is a Hall-of-Famer in part because he found his best position, midfield, where his speed, athleticism, vision and shooting allowed him to flourish at the highest levels. He was a really, really good college attackman for three years. He became the best middie in the world for the next decade.

As TB wrote in the feature (he just read it again; it's pretty good), Boyle and Striebel are extremely close. Boyle is cerebral, laid back; he's exactly how he comes across on TV, if you've ever seen him do a game on ESPN. Striebel is the opposite. He's non-stop energy, fast-talking, lots of laughter.

Boyle is the feeder who sees everything on the field before it happens. Striebel is the one running all over the place to get open or to get his hands free.

Boyle and Striebel are two of TB's favorite Princeton athletes ever. They're also Hall-of-Famers in every sense of the word.

It wouldn't have been the same if they'd gone in one at a time though.

This way is perfect.