Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse coach Gary Gait’s message to Orange lacrosse all season has been a simple one.
Win the day; win the week.
Just in case that old cliché was getting a little stale, it helps when reinforced by a former Orange defenseman who used that strategy to survive as a Navy SEAL in combat.
Rorke Denver is a former Orange captain and All-American (1993-96) who spent 20 years as a SEAL.
He led more than 200 special-forces missions in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and other international hot spots.
He was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” for valorous action in combat and later trained SEALs for 20 years before becoming an author, actor and motivational speaker.
When Denver talks, people listen.
He was in Syracuse for a professional event back in March before SU defeated Johns Hopkins. He reached out to former Orange standout and ESPN analyst Paul Carcaterra looking to get in touch with Gait.
Denver then delivered a message to the team that has resonated all season, right up to Saturday’s Final Four matchup against Maryland at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts (2:30 p.m.; ESPN2).
“You gotta win the gunfight first. You can’t win that whole game until you win this individual gunfight. Win that fight and move on to the next,” Denver told the players.
“Once you keep concentrating on these individual fights, at the end of the day you are standing on top. That’s what it takes. Small measures of getting better. Small opportunities to fight and win.
“Look at less; you’ll see more.”
Denver told syracuse.com this week he didn’t know what to expect when he spoke with the Orange back on March 8.
He credits Carcaterra for a rousing introduction that put an immediate perspective on who the messenger to the Orange was that day.
What Denver got in return was a captivated room that hung on every word.
“I think there is a lot of gravitas that comes with both being a player at Syracuse and was fortunate enough to win multiple championships in my tenure as a captain,” Denver told syracuse.com.
“A leader on that team who then went on to leadership roles in one of the premier special operations units in the United States Military in one of the most violent blocks of time in our nation’s history.”
Since Denver’s speech, the message “win the next gunfight” goes up on the dry erase board in the Orange locker room before every game.
Denver has stayed in touch with the Orange throughout the season, texting SU’s captains a variety of motivational sources ranging from Teddy Roosevelt to Samurai.
“He’s been with us every step of the way,” Syracuse midfielder Sam English said. “He lets us know he’s here and he’s watching. He’s a special dude and he’s been important to us on our success for sure.”
When the Orange hit a three-game skid to end the season, Denver’s message came in before an ACC tournament matchup against Notre Dame, which at the time was SU’s last victory before the losing streak.
“When you put some wounds on an enemy, they tend to bring their best,” Denver told the Orange heading into the ACC tournament. “You really have a unique kind of opportunity to confirm for them that it was not a fluke.”
Once the Orange beat Notre Dame, the message flipped.
“The day after, you had to play a team (Duke) that beat them,” Denver said. “Now you flip the script. Now this is a team that you get to right a wrong and convince them that it was a fluke.”
Gait agreed winning the ACC championship invigorated the win-the-day message.
“I think you really saw the buy-in when we went on a run starting with the ACC (tournament),” Gait said. “They say success builds success. I think it developed the confidence to get us a couple wins in the NCAA and just looking to win the next battle.”
Denver won’t be able to attend the Final Four in Foxborough due to a previous travel commitment but said he has been “humbled and honored” to reconnect with the Orange and has never been more invested in his alma mater.
Gait has deflected the high expectations, No. 2 preseason ranking and ghosts of history that surrounded this team all season with his win the day, win the week approach echoed by Denver’s “win the next gunfight” message.
Syracuse certainly won’t divert from that now, but it may be harder to do with the Orange back in the Final Four after a 12-year drought.
One of the most passionate fan bases in lacrosse and Orange alumni are craving the next championship, one SU has not won since 2009.
Denver said it’s as important as ever for Syracuse to stick to what got it to Foxborough but also to embrace the opportunity within.
“I told them, don’t think about all that,” Denver said. “Do this for yourselves. This is for the person next to you. You want to win this thing for yourselves. Championships are special. They are rare. You get to carve your name into stone in a way that won’t ever go away.
“Appreciate it, take care of each other and have fun.”
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