Salisbury Women Win Elusive Division III Title
by Jeff Cook | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online | Game Blog
GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- Big Brother casts a large shadow in the lacrosse world at Salisbury University.
On Sunday afternoon at Clark Field on the campus of Gettysburg
College in the NCAA Division III women's championship, Little
Sister finally emerged.
The men's team has won eight -- and counting -- NCAA titles. After
reaching the championship for the fourth time, including three in
the last four years, the Salisbury women won their first-ever
national crown with a heart-stopping 7-6 victory over previously
undefeated Hamilton College.
The Sea Gulls overcame an early three-goal deficit and hung on for
a win that went to the wire. A potential game-tying goal by
Hamilton's Libby Schultz came just after time expired and Nestor's
club could celebrate at last.
"We thought they were in shooting space -- so did Jim Nestor --
but it wasn't called. He was happy and I was sad," said dejected
Hamilton head coach Patty Kloidt of the conclusion. "I would like
to see it on video -- and I will, but you have to roll with the
punches. You can't wait until the last minute and expect to get
help from the referees. Salisbury played a great game. I
congratulate them on their first championship."
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2010 NCAA Division III women's lacrosse champion Salisbury celebrates after edging Hamilton 7-6 in the final Sunday. © John Strohsacker/LaxPhotos.com |
After Aileen McCausland's heat-seeking missile found the target
and gave her team its first lead of the game at 7-6 with 5:26 to
play, the Gulls milked more than three minutes off the clock. When
two Continentals were yellow-carded, Salisbury found even more
space to play keep-away. A turnover gave Hamilton (21-1) one last
chance with less than a minute left, but the Sea Gulls
survived.
Defense was on display at the outset. Maybe the shooters were
tight, but scoring was at a premium, and Hamilton's deliberate
offense sheared minutes off the clock. Meanwhile, Continentals
goalkeeper Kate Fowler made clutch stops to thwart the Sea Gulls
and totaled seven saves by intermission.
Hamilton proved adept at drawing contact at the offensive end and
scored three free position goals in the initial 11 minutes to seize
a 3-0 advantage. Anne Gravely struck first before Liz Rave twice
beat Sea Gulls goalie Julie Caulfield on freeze-frame forays.
Salisbury (21-1) got on the board when Carrie Bray finally solved
Fowler in the upper right corner. Hamilton answered when Kate Otley
cashed in an eight-shot possession to make it 4-1 at the 11:17
mark.
The Sea Gulls inched closer when Jessica Chmielewski finished off
a feed from Trish DiGirolomo, then dished to a wide-open Logan
Bilderback, who used a pump-fake to slip one past Fowler.
Hamilton came up empty on its final possession but entered the
break with a 4-3 lead.
Salisbury's leading scorer Kim Cudmore forged a second-half tie
when she took a pass from Chmielewski, juked and jived to beat
Fowler. Schultz put the Continentals back in front with an assist
by Rachel Friedman as the teams see-sawed through the second
half.
"They started figuring out the holes in our defense and that
really made a difference for them," Fowler said of Salisbury's
resurgence.
When Fowler got caught behind the cage on a free position call,
Bilderback picked off a pass and waltzed into the empty net for the
equalizer. Rave, who led all scorers with three goals, finished off
a free position chance with an overhand right to give the
Continentals their last lead before Beth Rhodey created space for
Allie Wheatley to tie it at 6.
More than 12 minutes later, Rhodey dished to Tournament MVP
McCausland for what proved to be the game-winner.
"My life is complete now," said an exultant Caulfield. "We're
definitely going to enjoy it."
All was not lost for Hamilton and its coach.
"We have it in perspective," said Kloidt. "They'll come around in
a few days and feel really proud of each other. I think they're
proud of each other right now. We have some tremendous leadership.
We have nothing to be ashamed of."
After so many stints as bridesmaids, the Sea Gulls reached the
vaunted altar.
"When we turned it over near the end, I had a flashback to last
year," said Salisbury head coach Jim Nestor, whose squad lost the
title match to Franklin & Marshall in 2009. "It's just a great
feeling, not only for the players and how hard they worked all
year, but for the alumni too. The kids were happy not just for me,
but for the whole program."
