The NCAA News - News and Features

June 1, 1998

Adelphi turns expected nailbiter into rout in II men's lacrosse

BY MARTY BENSON
STAFF WRITER

NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey -- What was billed as an epic battle turned out to be an early knockout.

Adelphi, which had dropped a regular-season game to LIU-C. W. Post, 9-8, weeks earlier, socked the Pioneers with a first-quarter haymaker, then never let up as the Panthers hammered their Long Island rivals, 18-6, to win a record fifth Division II Men's Lacrosse Championship May 24 at Rutgers in front of 1,663 fans.

This was the first Division II championship game to be played as part of the sport's championships weekend, which has included the Division I and III championship games since 1992. The venue for the Division II game was Yurcak Field, while the other two title games were played at Rutgers Stadium. Even with the smaller venue and thousands fewer watching, the environment was still much different from the backyard brawls these teams had waged before. The Panthers thrived in the new environment, while the Pioneers struggled noticeably from the opening face-off.

"I wasn't shocked by them drop-ping balls," said Adelphi junior Dan DeBetta. "They're a young team and they are a lot more inexperienced than we are. The first pass of the game they just dropped, and I could tell they were rattled."

The Panthers pounced on the opportunity as Anthony Picone, who was named the championship's most outstanding player, scored the first two goals of the game. By the end of the first quarter, Adelphi had twice as many goals as Post had shots.

Having led late into the game during their first meeting, Adelphi took no siestas in the bright late afternoon sunshine and 80-degree temperature, even after the Panthers opened the second quarter with yet another goal.

"I thought it was going to be war all day long," Picone said after the game. "We got up 7-0 and we didn't let up.

"Even then, I still thought it was going to be a war."

When Luis Gonzaliz finally got the Pioneers on the board with an unassisted goal with 13:16 left in the first half and Scott Jankow added another with 5:48 left, momentum may have shifted temporarily. But the third quarter was a sequel to the first. The Panthers added six more goals, while the Pioneers were blanked again. Going into the fourth quarter, Adelphi owned its biggest lead, 13-2, and Post was relegated to trying to save face.

"Obviously, Adelphi had a heck of a game plan today," said Post coach Tom Postel. "We thought we had a good game plan too, but I guess we're not as bright as we think we are. Every time we turned around, it seemed that we had to create or take care of a different situation, and we failed to handle it."Adelphi's Charlie Flaherty and James Micelli each finished with four goals, but most of them came after the eventual outcome had become clear. Seven of their combined eight goals came in the second half.

Although the Panthers' domination on the field was total, each team won 13 of 26 face-offs and the groundball battle was nearly even, with Adelphi holding a 61-59 edge.

Adelphi finished the year with a 12-3 record while Post dropped to 10-2.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Adelphi -- 6 -- 1 -- 6 -- 5--18

LIU-C. W. Post -- 0 -- 2 -- 0 -- 4-- 6

Adelphi scoring -- Charlie Flaherty 4, James Miceli 4, Anthony Picone 2, Brad Ross 2, Mark Mangan 2, Chris Babb 1, Rich Vislocky 1, Anthony Saccone 1, Brian Tower 1.

LIU-C. W. Post -- Luis Gonzaliz 2, Ernie Thompson 1, Scott Jankow 1, Mike Farinacci 1.

Shots: Adelphi 49, LIU-C. W. Post 37. Saves: Adelphi -- Greg Kulesa 14; LIU-C. W. Post -- Vin Fredericks 19. Attendance: 1,663.