The NCAA News - News and Features

June 1, 1998

Shoremen shed bridesmaid tag with III men's lacrosse crown

BY MARTY BENSON
STAFF WRITER

NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey -- The Shoremen of Washington College have had better regular-season teams but until this year, they never had a championship trophy.

After their 16-10 victory over two-time defending champion Nazareth May 24 at Rutgers, they do.

Seven times before this team from Maryland's Eastern Shore had advanced to the championship game, many times as one of the top seeds. This season the Shoremen limped into the tournament with four losses, tying for second-highest in the field. Just to get to the championship game, they defeated two teams that had beaten them in the regular season (Roanoke and Gettysburg). Nazareth became the third team to fall during the Shoremen's revenge tour.

"One of our goals with this group was to become a team," said coach John Haus. "It just took this crowd a little bit longer. They kept working hard and pulled together at the right time, in the postseason."

The Shoremen fashioned a 5-2 first-quarter lead behind three goals from senior Andy Lopatin, who was part of the team that lost to the Golden Flyers in the championship game in the each of the last two years.

Nazareth stormed back to claim its only lead, 9-8, with 7:00 left in the third quarter on an unassisted goal by Dan DeVoe.

From there, it was all Shoremen. Washington went on an 8-0 run to build a 16-9 lead with 2:55 left in the game. The last three goals came from the stick of Justin McCarthy.

Washington finished the season with a 16-4 record, while Nazareth fell to 13-3. Lopatin, who collected most outstanding player honors, finished with four goals and one assist. Jamie Pollock had one goal and five assists. Nazareth was led by Dennis Foley (three goals, two assists), Eric Goodberlet (3-0) and DeVoe (2-3).

Senior Andy Taibl, who made 13 saves, said this was the perfect way to end his career.

"It's something I've waited for all my life," he said. "I came to Washington College knowing I'd be in a game with a chance to do this. I'm happy for the program. They've been waiting a long time for this."

Nazareth coach Scott Nelson also had praise for Taibl.

"He played a great game today," he said. "We had only 14 shots in the first half. He saved the ones he's supposed to save."

Golden Flyers goalie Jake Coon was no slouch himself. Coon had a record-setting tournament, making 32 saves in the 14-7 quarterfinal win over Middlebury to erase the previous mark of 30 shared by Shoremen alumni Greg Baker (against Hobart in 1982), Larry Boehm (against Hobart in 1986) and Clarkson's Chris Macrides (against Nazareth in 1992) and Ohio Wesleyan's Kevin McGurn (against Denison in 1997). Coon also established a tournament record with 73 saves in three games. The old record of 66 was set in 1990 by Dave Slomkowski of Washington.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Washington (Md.) -- 5 -- 1 -- 5 -- 5--16

Nazareth -- 2 -- 2 -- 5 -- 1--10

Washington (Md.) scoring -- Andy Lopatin 4, John Fuller 3, Justin McCarthy 3, Tyler Gilbert 2, Bill Grothman 2, Chris Beiberbach 1, Jamie Pollock 1.

Nazareth scoring -- Dennis Foley 3, Eric Goodberlet 3, Craig DeVoe 2, Adam Civalier l, Billy Serino 1.

Shots: Washington (Md.) 48, Nazareth 33. Saves: Washington (Md.) -- Andy Taibl 13; Nazareth -- Jake Coon 15.