Twice As Sweet - May 29, 2005

PHILADELPHIA - The Sea Gulls still rule the waters of NCAA Division III men's lacrosse.

The operative numbers were three, four, six and 49 yesterday after Salisbury outlasted a gritty and talented Middlebury team, 11-10, to win the 2005 division championship before 21,052 on an ideal afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.

It was the third straight national title for Salisbury (20-0), its fourth such crown that climaxed an undefeated season and its sixth championship overall.

Where does 49 fit in? That's the number of consecutive games won by the Sea Gulls since they lost to Lynchburg on April 10, 2003 - an NCAA record for any division.

The threepeat did not come without a begrudging battle from Middlebury (17-2), which carried a 15-game winning streak of its own into its sixth title game in seven years.

With an 18-6 advantage in faceoffs, a 39-33 edge in shots and 13 more ground balls scooped, the Panthers pressed the issue all day before a familiar hero, Chris Phillips, capped a three-goal Salisbury rally with 5.6 seconds remaining to decide an evenly matched game.

The junior attackman from nearby Media, Pa., is the same player who scored an overtime goal two years ago at M&T Bank Stadium to give the Sea Gulls a 14-13 victory in the finale against Middlebury.

"I picked up a ground ball off the [teammate Justin] Smith shot, looked at the clock and it said 10 seconds, so I decided to go to the goal," Phillips said. "I just put my head down and went for it. I knew I had to put it away."

Middlebury won the ensuing faceoff but could not muster an adequate shot from long range.

The final gun touched off a lengthy celebration by the Sea Gulls, who tossed a number of gloves to their backers as they departed the field. One player, senior Jeff Bigas, even launched his stick into the stands.

The most outstanding player award went to Sea Gulls goalie Dan Korpon (Severna Park), who made four spectacular saves in the first five minutes to prevent Middlebury from gaining an early lead. Korpon finished with 12 stops and a lot of satisfaction.

"These are the kids that everybody said were done after last year," Korpon said. "Nobody gave us a chance. This past summer some of us were sitting on the beach saying we weren't going to lose again this year. I'm just really proud of everybody, especially the seniors."

Neither team ever led by more than two goals as control swayed back and forth. From a point late in the third quarter until the middle of the fourth, the Panthers spurted with five of six scores and took a 10-8 edge. But an extra-man goal got Salisbury rolling again, and with 2:15 remaining, the game was tied.

"In this kind of game, it's just whoever has the momentum at the end," said Middlebury midfielder Peter Mellen, who won 14 of 19 draws. "That's kind of how it works."

Sea Gulls coach Jim Berkman decided to hold for the final shot attempt, controlling the ball before calling a timeout with 19.3 seconds to go. Then came Smith's miss and Phillips' winner.

Salisbury finished first in the nation in scoring (18.2 a game) and first in scoring defense (6.05).

That is usually an unbeatable combination.



		(also see articles from Inside Lacrosse \| Lacrosse Magazine \| NCAA Sports \| Lax.com \| SU Sports Info) from The Baltimore Sun Salisbury hangs on for 3rd straight title Late goal by Phillips edges Middlebury, 11-10, secures 49th win in row by Kent Baker Sun Staff Originally published May 30, 2005 PHILADELPHIA - The Sea Gulls still rule the waters of NCAA Division III men's lacrosse. The operative numbers were three, four, six and 49 yesterday after Salisbury outlasted a gritty and talented Middlebury team, 11-10, to win the 2005 division championship before 21,052 on an ideal afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field. It was the third straight national title for Salisbury (20-0), its fourth such crown that climaxed an undefeated season and its sixth championship overall. Where does 49 fit in? That's the number of consecutive games won by the Sea Gulls since they lost to Lynchburg on April 10, 2003 - an NCAA record for any division. The threepeat did not come without a begrudging battle from Middlebury (17-2), which carried a 15-game winning streak of its own into its sixth title game in seven years. With an 18-6 advantage in faceoffs, a 39-33 edge in shots and 13 more ground balls scooped, the Panthers pressed the issue all day before a familiar hero, Chris Phillips, capped a three-goal Salisbury rally with 5.6 seconds remaining to decide an evenly matched game. The junior attackman from nearby Media, Pa., is the same player who scored an overtime goal two years ago at M&T Bank Stadium to give the Sea Gulls a 14-13 victory in the finale against Middlebury. "I picked up a ground ball off the [teammate Justin] Smith shot, looked at the clock and it said 10 seconds, so I decided to go to the goal," Phillips said. "I just put my head down and went for it. I knew I had to put it away." Middlebury won the ensuing faceoff but could not muster an adequate shot from long range. The final gun touched off a lengthy celebration by the Sea Gulls, who tossed a number of gloves to their backers as they departed the field. One player, senior Jeff Bigas, even launched his stick into the stands. The most outstanding player award went to Sea Gulls goalie Dan Korpon (Severna Park), who made four spectacular saves in the first five minutes to prevent Middlebury from gaining an early lead. Korpon finished with 12 stops and a lot of satisfaction. "These are the kids that everybody said were done after last year," Korpon said. "Nobody gave us a chance. This past summer some of us were sitting on the beach saying we weren't going to lose again this year. I'm just really proud of everybody, especially the seniors." Neither team ever led by more than two goals as control swayed back and forth. From a point late in the third quarter until the middle of the fourth, the Panthers spurted with five of six scores and took a 10-8 edge. But an extra-man goal got Salisbury rolling again, and with 2:15 remaining, the game was tied. "In this kind of game, it's just whoever has the momentum at the end," said Middlebury midfielder Peter Mellen, who won 14 of 19 draws. "That's kind of how it works." Sea Gulls coach Jim Berkman decided to hold for the final shot attempt, controlling the ball before calling a timeout with 19.3 seconds to go. Then came Smith's miss and Phillips' winner. Salisbury finished first in the nation in scoring (18.2 a game) and first in scoring defense (6.05). That is usually an unbeatable combination.