The storyline was written before the game started. Then the Syracuse Smash rewrote it by stunning Pittsburgh 10-9 in double overtime Saturday night in the Onondaga County War Memorial, winning its first game of the season and knocking the Gait brothers out of the playoffs.

Eric Seremet's long bounce shot as a Syracuse penalty expired skipped over the left shoulder of Pittsburgh goalie Devin Dalep and into the net 33 seconds into the second five-minute sudden-death extra period. His Smash teammates streamed over the boards to mob him, and the small but vocal crowd joined the celebration on the field.

Until Seremet's heroics, the crowd was the story of the game. Howard Dolgon, owner of the Syracuse entry in the National Lacrosse League, had said 11 days ago that unless 5,000 paying customers showed up for Saturday's game, he would get a clear message that the community does not want the sport. The announced crowd was 2,617.

"We now have a very clear answer," Dolgon said. "There is no gray anymore. There's nothing we're competing against tonight but bad weather, but this is Syracuse and people are challenged by that every day. There's no Final Four, no World Series, no championship fight."

And soon to be no box lacrosse, although Dolgon said a decision won't be imminent, as he continues to talk to four - perhaps five - potential buyers.

"If somebody wants to keep the team in this market," he said, "I would be more than happy to give them a better deal than I could get elsewhere. I would."

Dolgon's well-publicized challenge and the publicity surrounding it failed to overshadow a valiant effort by the Smash (1-10), which was playing only for pride against a team that needed a victory to keep its postseason hopes alive. The CrosseFire (6-6) also had former Syracuse University superstars Gary and Paul Gait in the lineup, the top two scorers in professional box lacrosse history. The Gaits combined for 17 points two weeks ago in a 21-9 rout of Syracuse.

Gary Gait was superb again Saturday, figuring in seven of Pittsburgh's nine goals (four goals and three assists). Paul Gait, though, playing his first game in the War Memorial since Dolgon traded him for cash and draft picks four games into the season, was held to one assist, as Smash goalie Derek Collins turned aside every shot he took.

"Derek was on fire," said Smash forward Ed Fay, who assisted on Seremet's game-winner. "That's the best I've ever seen him play."

"I just came out and took it one shot at a time," Collins said. "We just said the heck with all the garbage that's going on around the team and just decided to go out and have fun and play for ourselves. You hold a team to nine goals, you're going to win every game."

The difference in intensity from the team's last three games, in which it was outscored 61-25, was obvious from the start, as Smash players pounded the Gait brothers at every opportunity and hustled for every loose ball.

When Gary Gait scored twice early in the third period to give Pittsburgh a 6-2 lead, though, it appeared the CrosseFire was ready to pull away to another easy victory. Instead, the Smash responded with two goals from John Fay and Jeff Klodzen to knot the score after three periods, then took the lead in the fourth on two goals by Del Halladay.

Syracuse led 9-8 with under a minute to play, but Pittsburgh sent it into overtime with 12 seconds left in regulation and Dalep on the bench in favor of an extra attacker. Collins turned aside a hard shot from Gary Gait, but the rebound went to Jesse Hubbard, who wristed a shot past Collins before he could react.

The first overtime period was even until Syracuse's Tony Millon was whistled for holding Gary Gait, giving high-powered Pittsburgh a power play that carried into the second overtime. Somehow, Syracuse kept Pittsburgh away from the net, and when Ron Klausner won a key faceoff to give the Smash possession, it appeared the team would be content to kill the final seconds of Millon's penalty. As Millon left the box, Seremet stunned Dalep with his bouncer.

"He had stopped me on a couple of good scoring chances earlier," Seremet said, "and Derek noticed he was going low a lot so he had told me to try going to the floor with a bouncer."

The victory was huge, but in the long run it won't change the bottom line: 2,617.

"It was a great, great effort," Dolgon said. "Too bad about 2,400 people missed it. And they really missed something tonight."

BOX SUMMARY
                                  1  2  3  4 OT OT     TOT
Pittsburgh CrosseFire (6-6)       3  1  2  3  0  0  --   9
Syracuse Smash (1-10)             1  1  4  3  0  1  --  10

PITTSBURGH CROSSEFIRE         SYRACUSE SMASH
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
G Gait         4 - 3     7    Halladay       2 - 3     5
Cantabene      1 - 1     2    Seremet        2 - 3     5
Doddridge      1 - 1     2    J Fay          2 - 2     4
Hubbard        1 - 1     2    E Fay          1 - 2     3
Shearer        1 - 1     2    Morrissey      0 - 3     3
Batley         0 - 2     2    Klodzen        2 - 0     2
Tapp           1 - 0     1    T Millon       1 - 0     1
Dalep          0 - 1     1    Alexander      0 - 1     1
Fulks          0 - 1     1    Kisslinger     0 - 1     1
P Gait         0 - 1     1    Oudemool       0 - 1     1
Gonzouland     0 - 1     1    Talmo          0 - 1     1
Hiltz          0 - 1     1    Thornton       0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           58    Shots on goal           54
Saves made by           44    Saves made by           49
   Dalep                         Collins
Penalties                2    Penalties                6
Penalty Minutes          4    Penalty Minutes         12
Power Play Chances       6    Power Play Chances       2
Power Play Goals         2    Power Play Goals         1
Loose Balls             75    Loose Balls             68

*** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH SYRACUSE ONLINE ***