The Face-off allows for comebacks that would otherwise not be possible in a "lost's out" format. Basketball is the most commonly cited example, but the 24 second shot clock and higher likelihood of turnovers (smaller space to run, dribbling rules) make it a poor comparison. Lacrosse would end up looking more like soccer, just with teams just killing a long shot clock. Four goals down with 5 minutes to go would be game over. Not so with the Face-off, where a guy can get hot and turn the tide quickly. Look at the Duke/ND game last week as a perfect example of an exciting (even though I was rooting for ND) outcome that would otherwise not be possible.
The original post cited "going early" as cheating. That is not cheating, that is poor refereeing, and not a hard call to get right. Sometimes it is hard to see if a kid is sneaking his hand up the plastic or pulling off a quick hook/hold that is too fast for the eye to see in real time. But Face-off kids do not cheat anywhere close to where the game was 20 years ago, and refs are generally pretty good at catching on if a kid is pulling stunts. Kids are taught to learn and train tight to the rules so they can compete in a well refereed game. If the ref is missing stuff, it is up to the coach and/or the FOGO to point it out.
Finally - for the complaining because a dominant FOGO can change an outcome - how is that any different than a dominant goalie? Ban the goalie? The game would sure be faster. | 
