(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) TWO TIMERS: Former Princeton University lacrosse standouts Matt Striebel, left, and B.J. Prager are all smiles after a Philadelphia Barrage win. In late August, the duo helped the Barrage top the Denver Outlaws 23-12 in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) title game as Philadelphia won its second MLL crown in the last three seasons. For Striebel, the title was particularly sweet since he had endured the frustration of playing for the U.S. national team which lost to Canada this July in the title game of the 2006 International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) World Championship tournament.

Rebounding from U.S. Setback at Worlds, PU Lax Great Striebel Savors 2nd MLL Title

By Bill Alden

It was one of the more miserable moments in Matt Striebel's otherwise glorious athletic career.

With the rain pouring down in London, Ontario this past July 22, Striebel, a former soccer and lacrosse star at Princeton University, commiserated with his U.S. teammates after they fell 15-10 to Canada in the title game of the 2006 International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) World Championship tournament.

It was the U.S.'s first loss in the tournament since 1978, snapping the team's 38-game winning streak in the quadrennial event.

But that stinging defeat sowed the seeds of Striebel's latest triumph as the high-scoring midfielder helped lead the Philadelphia Barrage to the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) championship.

Striebel scored eight points on four goals and four assists to lead the Barrage to a 17-12 win over the Boston Cannons in the MLL semis. In the title game, the 6'1, 190-pounder tallied nine points on four goals (including one two-pointer) and four assists as the Barrage cruised past the Denver Outlaws 23-12 in Los Angeles.

Striebel's former PU teammates, Ryan Boyle and B.J. Prager, also came up big as the Barrage won its second MLL crown in three years with Boyle passing for four assists and Prager chipping in three goals and an assist in the win over the Outlaws.

In reflecting on his up and down summer, Striebel, a member of the U.S. team that won the 2002 world title, acknowledged that the loss to Canada stung.

"I think frustration is a perfect word," said Striebel, reflecting on the world championship game.

"Going into it we felt a tremendous amount of responsibility knowing that the U.S. had been winning for the last 28 years. It was by far the most talented team I've been on, going in the expectations were high. I think Canada won 75 percent of the faceoffs in the title game, possession is so important in lacrosse. It was very frustrating."

But in the wake of that disappointment, Striebel had a telling conversation with some U.S. teammates who also were on the Barrage.

"I remember a moment after the final whistle where Ray Colsey, Ryan Boyle, Kyle Sweeney, and I said to each other that we have an opportunity to win a championship," recalled Striebel, a 2001 PU graduate who earned All-Ivy honors in soccer and lacrosse, helping the Tiger men's lax team to NCAA titles in 1998 and 2001. "The minute we got back from Canada, we had a chip on our shoulder."

True to their word, that quartet helped the Barrage go on an offensive roll in the late stages of the season.

"We were playing at a high level the last five games of the regular season, I think we were scoring 20 goals a game," said Striebel. "I think it started with the Baltimore game after the worlds."

In addition to producing a high-powered attack, the Barrage benefited from a special chemistry. "You couldn't go into a lab with such mismanaged parts that ultimately fit together," added Striebel with a laugh.

"We have the tough guys like Bobby Horsey and Brian Spallina. We have the trash talker in Brian Dougherty. We have Boyle who is the smartest player in the league."

In Striebel, the Barrage has one of the most productive midfielders in the league as he tallied 35 points during the regular season on 23 goals and 12 assists.

In assessing his individual production, Striebel sees it as the outgrowth of the team's chemistry. "I think a lot of it has to do with the level of comfort I have with my teammates," asserted Striebel.

"We have six guys on offense who have been playing together for so long. We've learned how to make one another better and how to exploit things on the field."

Striebel had a feeling that he was going to be a pivotal player for the Barrage in the MLL Final Four.

"In the game before the playoffs, Boyle had a great day, he had eight points or something like that," said Striebel.

"We thought the mindset for the other teams would be that we've got to stop Boyle and force the midfield to beat us. We really stepped up."

For Striebel, the triumph in the title game triggered some deep emotions. "It was a combination of relief and excitement," remembered Striebel.

"The win in L.A. was sweet. I played with a group of guys all season; that's where my heart is. I know it sounds trite but it's what makes team sports team sports."

In the final analysis, when Striebel reflects on the highs and lows of his summer, the main thing he takes from the experience is a lesson in teamwork.

"You look at the U.S. roster and from top to bottom the team was filled with all-stars and all-time greats," said Striebel, who is currently studying fiction at the famed University of Iowa Writers' Workshop.

"You get there and it's really tough for guys who are used to being No. 1 all the time to be wing men. What you saw with Philadelphia is that everybody settled into their roles; each individual embraced his role."

And with his latest title, Striebel solidified his role as a top midfielder who thrives under championship pressure.

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