Stevenson Eyes Shot at National Title
from press release
OWINGS MILLS, Md. - After advancing to the semifinals of
the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship for the
second-straight year, Stevenson men's lacrosse team looks to take
the next step by becoming the first team in the school's 16-year
athletics history to play for a national championship when it
travels to No. 2 Salisbury on Sunday.
Stevenson and Salisbury will meet for the sixth time in the last
two seasons and for the third time at Sea Gull Stadium beginning at
1:00 p.m.
Tickets will be available for sale at the ticket booth located at
Sea Gull Stadium and gates will open at noon. Tickets are all
general admission and are $5 for adults, $3 for students with I.D.,
senior citizens and children 12 and under.
A win would give Stevenson its first 20-win season in the program's
16-year history after having set a new school record for wins in
each of the last five seasons under head coach Paul Cantabene.
The Mustangs, who are 36-3 the last two seasons, have won 14
consecutive road games, including two-straight at Sea Gull Stadium.
The last road loss for Stevenson came at Salisbury back on Apr. 20,
2008 in the CAC championship game, 20-10. The team is 7-0 on the
road this season.
Sunday will mark the first road game for the Mustangs in six games
in the NCAA championship after they posted a mark of 4-1 in their
first five at Caves Athletics Complex.
The game will also be the third time in the last four that
Stevenson and Salisbury have been the top two ranked teams in the
nation. The Mustangs have been No. 1 all three times and are 1-1 in
the previous two which came earlier this year on April 3 and May
17, 2009, both at Stevenson's Caves Athletics Complex.
Stevenson has won three of the last five meetings against the Sea
Gulls, including both at Sea Gull Stadium where they snapped
Salisbury's 105-game unbeaten streak on April 4, 2009 and won their
first CAC championship earlier this season on April 24.
The Mustangs are 3-5 all-time versus Salisbury with all eight
meetings coming since 2007. Four of those eight meetings have come
in either the CAC or NCAA championship. Stevenson is 2-2 at Sea
Gull Stadium and 1-0 versus the Sea Gulls in the NCAA championship
after winning last year's quarterfinal match-up, 12-9 at Caves
Athletics Complex.
During its two-game win streak at Sea Gull Stadium, Stevenson has
outscored Salisbury 22-14 after being outscored 39-18 in the
previous two.
Also of note, the road team has won five of the last six meetings
in the series.
In seven career games against the Sea Gulls, senior Steve Kazimer
(Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger) has totaled 18 points and 13 assists,
both team-highs, while junior Richie Ford (Baltimore/Towson) has
scored 17 points, including a team-best 14 goals, four of which
have come with a man advantage.
Junior Jimmy Dailey (Westminster/Winters Mill) has posted 16 points
on five goals and 11 assists in six career meetings with Salisbury
after missing both meetings in 2008 due to injury. He has seven
points on four goals and three assists in the previous two games
this season.
However, ball control will be a huge factor as the big three have
also totaled 54 turnovers against the Sea Gulls.
Junior Ray Witte (Annapolis/St. Peter and Paul) has won 32-of-70
face-offs in five career games while totaling a team-high 22 ground
balls. He has won 24-of-48 face-offs this season with 17 ground
balls.
Defensively, senior Geoff Hebert (Lutherville/Dulaney) has also
done well against Salisbury, totaling a record of 3-1 and 50 saves
in six appearances. He has also has a 9.00 goals against average in
just under 276 minutes.
Hebert is 28-2 as a starter, boasting a 7.22 goals against average
and a 62.4 saves percentage.
In five career games in the NCAA championship, Hebert is 4-1 and
has totaled a career-high in saves three times, including each of
the last two. He stopped a career-high 27 shots in the team's 15-14
overtime win against Roanoke in the quarterfinals Wednesday.
In front of the net, senior Mike Gustowarow (Annapolis/DeMatha) and
junior Evan Douglass (Exeter, N.H./Exeter) have combined for 29
ground balls and 20 caused turnovers, including 11 and nine this
season. In the last meeting on April 24, Douglass totaled a school
record seven caused turnovers and four ground balls.
