Berkman

Prior to this season, Salisbury had wrapped up the regular season with a finale against local rival Washington just a week before its opening game in the NCAA tournament. But this spring, the annual War on the Shore series was shifted to the weekend prior to the Capital Athletic Conference tournament, which wrapped up April 28. That means that the Sea Gulls (19-0) will have a two-week break before playing the winner of Goucher-Washington in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday.

Salisbury is as many as eight games away from wrapping up the program's seventh perfect season. The Sea Gulls (16-0) finish the regular season this Saturday with their annual War on the Shore contest against Washington before entering the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament as the top seed and participating in the NCAA Tournament. There is a school of thought that dropping a contest in the regular season might be beneficial for a team with championship aspirations like top-ranked and nine-time reigning NCAA titlist Salisbury.

Wednesday night, Salisbury's Jim Berkman became the first college men's lacrosse coach to amass 400 victories in a career after his team trounced Mary Washington, 16-8. Berkman, who is 400-42 in 25 years, is understandably honored at the accomplishment, but he is even happier to celebrate a clean bill of health. Berkman suffered a mild heart attack while working out at his gym March 11. After having two stents inserted to remove a blockage in one of the arteries, he was permitted to return to the top-ranked and reigning national champion Sea Gulls eight days later.

Salisbury's Jim Berkman became the first coach in any division of NCAA men's lacrosse to earn his 400th career win when the visiting Sea Gulls beat Mary Washington, 16-8, Wednesday. Matt Cannone (two goals, four assists) moved up to No. 2 in career points at Salisbury (12-0, 4-0 Capital Athletic Conference) with 306, trailing Jason Coffman with 451. Erik Krum led the Sea Gulls with seven points and six goals for the game. Goucher 13, Eastern 7: Matt Lynch and Zachary Fratella each had three goals and an assist to power the host Gophers (11-1)

Several weeks after Navy's Cindy Timchal became the first college lacrosse coach - men's or women's - to reach 400 wins, Salisbury's Jim Berkman could join her if the top-ranked and reigning national champion Sea Gulls defeat Capital Athletic Conference rival Mary Washington Wednesday afternoon. Berkman is 399-42 in 25 years of coaching and 390-37 in 24 seasons at Salisbury, which has captured nine NCAA titles under Berkman. Berkman, who was traveling Wednesday morning with the team to Fredericksburg, Va., acknowledged the potential achievement, but that's about it. “I really haven't thought about that a whole lot,” he said.

If top-ranked Salisbury was supposed to stumble without head coach Jim Berkman, someone forgot to tell the players. The nine-time reigning national champion Sea Gulls improved to 8-0 with Wednesday's 13-3 rout of Washington & Lee. Defensive coordinator Ben Sandlin, who served as interim coach, said the players looked unaffected by the absence of Berkman, who experienced heart troubles while working out this past Sunday. “We just tried to keep everything as normal as possible as far as the pregame and who does what and who goes where,” Sandlin said Thursday.

Five days after suffering what his doctor called a mild heart attack Sunday, Salisbury coach Jim Berkman has only the tender area on his leg where a catheter was inserted as physical evidence of that procedure. “I feel all right,” Berkman, 52, said Friday morning from his home. “Actually, I'm a little antsy here. I'm not a guy who can sit around a whole lot. So I'm kind of getting stir-crazy right now.” The NCAA's all-time winningest coach with 395 victories, Berkman has not been allowed to return to the top-ranked Sea Gulls, who have captured nine national championships, including last year's title, under Berkman.

Salisbury coach Jim Berkman is no longer in the hospital and is recovering at home after experiencing heart troubles Sunday. Berkman, the NCAA's all-time winningest coach with 395 career victories, was released from Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury on Wednesday afternoon, and he sent a text to defensive coordinator and interim head coach Ben Sandlin as he and the team were riding a bus en route to a game at Washington & Lee. ...

With Salisbury announcing Monday evening that Jim Berkman would not return to coach the top-ranked Sea Gulls until at least March 21 in their Capital Athletic Conference opener at York, who is going to pilot the team against Washington & Lee Wednesday night? Meet Ben Sandlin, the defensive coordinator who was a first-team All-American defenseman for Berkman in his senior year (2008). Sandlin, who has been a member of Berkman's staff since graduation, confirmed that he would be the interim coach Wednesday night, but emphasized that he would seek input from his colleagues on the staff.

Ben Sandlin, the defensive coordinator who will serve as Salisbury's interim coach against Washington & Lee Wednesday night, said head coach Jim Berkman is improving after being admitted to an area hospital Sunday after experiencing heart problems. “I know he's doing very well, and we're hoping to get him back sooner rather than later,” Sandlin said Tuesday morning. Berkman, the NCAA's all-time winningest coach with 395 career victories, was admitted to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury after experiencing troubles while working out at his local gym. As of late Monday, Berkman was still at the hospital after having a blockage removed by the placement of two stents.