March 28, 2008

There's no more compelling theatre than when the top-ranked team in the polls matches up with its most immediate pursuer. It's especially exciting when the two best teams meet in March, bringing a little bit of the Memorial Day-flavored drama we love to the typically weather-scrubbed days before April's dawn.

For fans of Division III lacrosse, this Saturday has produced a special confluence of scheduling, providing a 1-vs-2 match-up in both genders.

Defending D-III men's champion and top-ranked Salisbury (10-0) travels to second-ranked Gettysburg (8-0) at 1 p.m., while top-ranked and defending D-III women's champion Franklin & Marshall (6-0) travels to No. 2 Salisbury (12-0) for a 2 p.m. tilt.

While these contests are great for the fans, who are able to see the finest the division has to offer, it's business as usual for the teams involved - in part because all four teams have been staples in the national rankings, but also due to the thorough familiarity the teams share in these rivalry games.

On the women's side, Franklin & Marshall and Salisbury met in last year's championship game, with the Diplomats taking the 11-8 victory. With most of the major players returning for both teams, including 2007 Attacker of the Year Jen Pritchard for F&M and Salisbury's Sue Ackermann (48 goals, 37 assists in 12 games this season), this year's leading candidate for the award, it would make sense that the title game is fresh in the players' minds.

"We're focused on the now, but I'm sure it's in the backs of their mind," said Salisbury coach Jim Nestor.

"It's a big game, but it's just one along the way," added Anne Phillips, F&M's skipper. "It's a rematch of the national finals, so they're excited about it, but not nervous. This is a measuring stick, and we're really looking forward to it."

Phillips almost sounds like someone hedging her bets heading into this edition of the burgeoning rivalry. She cites that the Sea Gulls will be playing their 13th game of the season, while F&M is competing in just its seventh. She also talks less about whether the Diplomats can win and more about what they can learn from it.

"From a coaching standpoint, I want to know where we stand at this point of the season against a top team in the country, and whether we are closing the gap or widening it at this point," said Phillips. "It's a big test, and I think we've got a fairly young team - only one senior - so it's a big challenge and big game, but these are the games you live for."

While he's hoping the end result is different, Nestor wouldn't be surprised if the final score mirrored the one from the last match-up - high single-digits or low double-digits - but he knows he won't have to prepare any fiery pre-game speech.

"The players are definitely psyched," he said. "We don't really have to worry about pumping them up."

Gulls, Bullets No Strangers
There are no secrets in the men's match-up.

Salisbury and Gettysburg have a longstanding rivalry bred during annual regular season dust-ups, but the rivalry has been cemented in postseason. In 2006, the two teams met in a similar circumstance - both undefeated and ranked Nos. 1 and 2 - and in both 2005 and 2007, they reprised their regular season contest with a rematch in the NCAA tournament.

The common thread? All ended in Sea Gulls victory.

While Salisbury coach Jim Berkman has made out better in the rivalry, he knows his team has been tested each time.

"It's been cat and mouse at times, and it's usually two teams with pretty good defenses," said Berkman, who is working toward his eighth national title this spring. "Last year, the scores were 9-6 and 10-6. The year before, we won up there, 13-7, but it was 3-2 at halftime. I don't think it's going to be too high of a scoring game because both defenses are pretty good and both teams have pretty solid goalies."

Berkman doesn't get caught up in the strategies and adjustments that come with games like this. He believes it boils down to talent at each position. There may be key faceoffs or ground balls that will play a pivotal role in the final outcome, but those will be determined by which team has better personnel. "It's just individual talent," he said.

Because of this, Berkman will be following the same tact as Nestor, not wasting a lot of time with motivational bon mots.

"We don't have say a whole lot to the players, but we have to pay attention to some of [Gettysburg's] tendencies when we open the game," said Berkman. "We're anxious, and I know they'll be anxious, so it will be the team that makes the least amount of mistakes that will probably be the team winning the game."

Whichever teams emerge from these 1-vs-2 clashes will have the rest of the season to tinker for assured berths in their respective Division III tournaments. If history is any guide, that's where they will earn a rematch of Saturday's foil - with much more on the line.