May 1, 2008

by Jac Coyne, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff

Sitting in his office a year ago this week, Middlebury men's lacrosse coach Dave Campbell had to wonder what the immediate future held for his program.

After taking over for long-time coach Erin Quinn, Campbell's first year with his alma mater had not been what he, and many Midd watchers, had come to expect. The Panthers had already suffered six losses - the most since 1993 - and for the first time in the history of the conference, the NESCAC tournament semifinals would not be held at their Northern Vermont campus. With Tufts and Wesleyan, two teams that had already beat the Panthers, awaiting them that weekend, the chances of Middlebury extending its consecutive NCAA tournaments streak to 10 seemed dim.

Something was missing. Middlebury had always made its bones - especially during its three-year national championship run from 2000-02 - in coming through in the clutch. But in 2007, the Panthers lost four conference games in overtime.

Unbeknownst to many, while Campbell was curious about what the conclusion of the '07 campaign held, he actually felt pretty good about his chances. And his optimism was rewarded.

Middlebury returned to its clinical persona in the conference tourney, bouncing top-seeded Tufts, 8-7, before dominating Wesleyan in the final to continue its domination of the conference and extend its postseason streak.

Those stomach-churning moments were not much fun, but Campbell said he would not have changed a thing.

The manure Middlebury stomped through in 2007 has acted as fertilizer for its success in 2008.

"Our team learned a lot last year," said Campbell. "It was a very young team, and by the end of the year, we were playing as well as anyone in the league. But we had to learn some lessons, and we've had to apply that to this year. Instead of coming out on the losing end of some overtime games and some one-goal games, we've been in those this year, and we've kept getting better. That's been the difference: more experience."

"The experience, knowing what happened last year, really helped us," added junior Mike Stone, the Panthers' leading scorer. "We were starting a bunch of freshmen and sophomores who hadn't really played college lacrosse before. We had that experience this year, and it helped a ton."

The wisdom has yielded a 12-1 record, including a 7-1 mark in conference, and the luxury of again hosting the conference semifinals in the familiar confines of the Panthers' lair.

Middlebury's veteran leadership will not disappear at the end of this year, either. While seniors Jim Cabrera and Frank Granara have provided scoring and classmates Glenn Bickley and John Bambrick anchor the defense, the bulk of the heavy lifting is done by the junior class. Four of the Panther's top six scorers - Stone, Matt Ferrer, Tom Petty and Skyler Hopkins - and shutdown long pole James Guay are all juniors.

Starting goalie Pete Britt, who has stepped in admirably to fill the shoes of three-year starter Alex Palmisano, is also a junior. Despite having little experience coming into this season, Britt has played every minute this spring, amassing a 7.46 GAA and 58.5 save percentage.

As Middlebury's players have evolved, so too has Campbell. While no rookie - he was the head coach at conference rival Connecticut College for three years prior to coming to Middlebury - Campbell has tweaked his approach this season.

"I think as coaches, we're always learning from prior seasons. I can't put my finger on anything specific, but I'm coaching this team a little bit differently than I did last year, because it was so inexperienced," said Campbell. "I'm giving the team a little more freedom this year, because these guys are able to read situations a little bit better than a young team would. Putting it in their hands a little bit more has helped us."

"I think last year, he was just getting to know everybody and getting a feel for the team," Stone said of Campbell. "I think this year, he is more comfortable with the team and is not afraid to get on guys. He knows how the guys play and what they are capable of doing, and he has used that to his advantage."

As all coaches know, the line between advantage and disadvantage is a fine one, and can change from game to game. While Middlebury is a lock for the NCAA tournament, it still has two tough games remaining, starting Saturday with a NESCAC semifinal against No. 20 Williams and potentially finishing Sunday against No. 15 Wesleyan. A loss in either of those games could stunt much of the progress made this year.

For now, the Panthers will lean on their experience and the maturation of their coach in their continued pursuit of NESCAC domination. And a year from now, Campbell might be able to recollect this spring with a bit more nostalgia.

Slides & Rides
- The Middlebury women's lacrosse team is the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC tourney and is an overwhelming favorite to repeat as conference champs for the eighth straight year, but the cloak of invincibility was lifted off the Panthers last weekend. Tufts, which entered Sunday's NESCAC quarterfinals as the fourth seed and was promptly dismissed by No. 5 Colby, 22-14, held Middlebury to its lowest goal total of the season in a resounding, 15-7 victory in Medford, Mass. The victory for the Jumbos was their first over the Panthers since 1982 and also snapped Midd's 76-game conference winning streak that dated back to 2000. Missy Foote's team retained home-field advantage for the NESCAC semifinals, but there is now a chink in the armor that could give Amherst, Trinity or Colby a confidence boost this coming weekend.

- Well, at least Katelyn Martin was able to say she had the most points in NCAA Division II women's lacrosse history for two years, anyway. Martin registered 365 points during her career with West Chester from 2003-06 to earn the mark. But on Saturday, Martin's former teammate, Stephanie Kienle, posted an 11-point afternoon in a 25-4 victory over East Stroudsburg to push her career total to 370. In addition to eclipsing Martin's record, Keinle will hope to do something Martin never could - win a national title.

- About two weeks ago, it seemed the stranglehold of the "Old Boys Network" in the ODAC - Roanoke, Washington & Lee, Hampden-Sydney and Lynchburg had comprised every conference tournament field since its inception - was going loosen. Virginia Wesleyan's victories over `Noke and HSC meant they were a near lock for one of the seeds, but a little-used conference rule prompted the appearance of a second fresh face in the four-team field. Roanoke, Sydney and Randolph-Macon all sported 2-4 conference records at the end of the regular season, tying them for fourth place. As the conference office went down the tiebreaking criteria, it became clear it would have to resort to the final option. At the beginning of every season in every ODAC sport, there is a blind draw held to determine the final tiebreaker (in lieu of a coin flip at the end of the season), and this year, Randolph Macon's name came out of the hat first. As a result, the Yellow Jackets earn the opportunity to face top-seeded Lynchburg in the first round, while the Maroons and Tigers did not qualify for the first time in ODAC history.

- There were smiles all around in Lancaster, Pa., this week. Not only did the defending national champion Franklin and Marshall women's team repeat as Centennial Conference champions by defeating archrival Gettysburg, 14-6, but the Diplomats' men's squad stunned second-ranked Gettysburg in the regular season finale, 11-9. Junior Mark Hild registered a hat trick to propel F&M to the triumph - the Dips' first at home against the Bullets since 1990. While the women clinched a berth in the NCAA tourney with their win, the F&M men must be content with good vibes. Even with the upset, the Dips were unable to qualify for the four-team Centennial tourney.

- Fans in the Brookville area of Long Island who will not be able to make the trip to Houston for the NCAA Division II women's championships will be able to get a sneak preview of one of the national semifinals this weekend when top-ranked C.W. Post entertains No. 3 Adelphi at 4 p.m. Both programs have clinched the two berths out of the North, so this game will do nothing but determine what color uniforms the squads will wear in Texas. The East Coast Conference title - and the accompanying recruiting perks within the fertile New York prep leagues - hangs in the balance, however.

- This weekend marks the culmination of the season for Division III men and women, with a host of conference tournament action. Stay abreast of who is in, who is out, and who is on the bubble by tracking the men's and women's results in LMO's clearinghouses...Colby is in the process of searching for a new men's lacrosse coach. Rob Quinn, the White Mules' coach for the past seven years, has accepted a position as the athletic director at Berwick (Maine) Academy...Ithaca has put its stamp on Empire 8 lacrosse, as both the Bombers' men's and women's teams rolled to conference titles...The Roanoke women won't be as fortunate as last year. Despite playing a far tougher schedule than they did in 2007, when they were a surprising at-large selection to the NCAAs, the Maroons finished with a mark of 10-8. After losing to W&L in the ODAC championship game and missing out on the AQ, `Noke will stay home this spring...If you're looking for one team no Division III men's team wants to see in its tournament bracket, look no further than Cabrini.