Sea Gulls

After Salisbury's 14-13 overtime victory over Stevenson on Sunday propelled the Sea Gulls to their 12th NCAA Division III national title game, Sam Bradman opened his Facebook account to find 90 congratulatory messages. "Kids I don't even know are Facebook-ing me," the Salisbury sophomore midfielder said. "So I'm trying to do it for those guys; I'm trying to do it for the people back home; I'm trying to do it for my parents and my family. I guess that's a lot of pressure, but it's like any other game."

With nine national championships in 13 attempts, Salisbury's run of postseason success is eclipsed only by Hobart's record of 13 NCAA titles in 14 tournament final appearances. Sunday's title contest against SUNY-Cortland will be the third consecutive year in which the Sea Gulls have reached the NCAA championship game, but just getting there is not enough for a few players. “We all know what it takes,” senior midfielder Sam Bradman said. “We know it's not anything if we just make it there.

Who says that first-year teams must struggle? The women's soccer team at Salisbury State is in its first season of intercollegiate varsity play, and already the Sea Gulls are making veteran-like noise.Led by coach Jim Berkman, who last spring guided the Sea Gulls men's lacrosse team to its first NCAA Division III title, Salisbury State has won five of its past six games to improve to 6-2. Further- more, in only the program's second month of existence, the Sea Gulls have cracked the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America South Region rankings for the first time, weighing in at No. 10.Salisbury State's only loss during its 5-1 streak was 2-0 to Mary Washington, which is ranked second in the South Region.

When Salisbury and SUNY-Cortland meet Sunday in the NCAA Division III men's lacrosse final at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., there might be no one on the field as emotional as Sam Bradman. The senior midfielder is always excited when he steps onto the field for a game, but in recent years, he has been able to tone it down and save his energy for scoring goals and making plays. But Bradman is still vulnerable to letting his emotions get the best of him. For instance, in last Sunday's 7-2 victory over Stevenson in the semifinal round, Bradman was flagged for a one-minute unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after scoring a goal to give the Sea Gulls a 3-0 lead with 6:59 left in the third quarter.

Matt Hickman and Bruce Richardson each scored four goals and host Salisbury stayed perfect, beating Ohio Wesleyan, 13-5, yesterday in the second round of the NCAA Division III men's tournament. The Sea Gulls (19-0) advanced to face Cabrini (17-2), a 13-10 winner over Haverford, in a quarterfinal Wednesday. The Sea Gulls outshot the Battling Bishops 39-28. Nick Gallagher led Ohio Wesleyan (10-7) with two goals. CCBC-Essex 17, Herkimer County (N.Y.) CC 10 --The Knights broke open a tie game with four unanswered goals over three minutes spanning the second and third quarters to advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association championship game in Garden City, N.Y. Neal Barthelme had five goals, Andrew Reinhardt added four goals and four assists and Tony Kikola made 19 saves for No. 3 seed Essex, which will face No. 4 seed Nassau Community College today at 1 p.m. Essex beat Nassau, 11-9, in Bel Air on April 5. "It's hard to beat a team twice, but I think we're capable," Essex coach Brian Duncan said.

Casey Musick scored 43 points, including 19 in the two overtimes, to lead visiting Salisbury State to a 122-114 triumph over Mary Washington in a Capital Athletic Conference game.The Sea Gulls (14-8, 10-2) went on a 10-2 run to start the second overtime, with Musick scoring the first eight, including all six of his free throws.Salisbury State overcame a 17-point deficit at 64-47, tying the game at 91 with 35 seconds left on a three-pointer by Musick. The Eagles (5-16, 4-8) were paced by Dave Mahoney, who had 16 of his career-high 24 points in the first four minutes of the second half.

For good luck, some people throw salt over their shoulders, while others caress rabbit's feet. Still, a hardy few carry horseshoes.Jim Berkman has Byrd Stadium in College Park.The coach of the Salisbury State men's lacrosse team has won two Division III championships in three attempts, and both victories occurred at the home of the Maryland Terrapins.As the No. 3 Sea Gulls prepare to meet fifth-ranked Middlebury in the title game at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Byrd Stadium, Berkman is crossing his fingers that his streak will continue.

SALISBURY -- Since 1995, the Salisbury men's lacrosse team has dominated the Capital Athletic Conference, capturing the league championship every year. So the difference in experience between the Sea Gulls and upstart Villa Julie, appearing in its first CAC tournament final since joining the league last season, was apparent as Salisbury turned a three-goal cushion at halftime into a 20-10 rout before an announced 928 at Sea Gulls Stadium yesterday. Ranked No. 1 by Inside Lacrosse, the Sea Gulls (17-0)

SALISBURY - Defending national champion Salisbury State got revenge on Eastern Shore rival Washington College yesterday in the NCAA Division III lacrosse quarterfinals, as the Sea Gulls ousted the Shoremen, 21-9, before 1,228 in another heated renewal of the "War on the Shore." Tempers flared as emotions ran high in the 31st meeting between these two schools. Washington defeated the Sea Gulls, 15-10, two weeks ago to end Salisbury's 24-game winning streak and hand the Sea Gulls their only loss of the season.

SALISBURY -- An hour before Salisbury's NCAA Division III men's lacrosse quarterfinal game against Eastern Shore rival and ninth-ranked Washington College yesterday, there was one thing missing for the top-ranked Sea Gulls: their coach. Salisbury coach Jim Berkman had to be rushed from Peninsula Regional Medical Center to Sea Gull Stadium in time for the game. Berkman, who recently had knee surgery, has been dealing with a staph infection for the past few days. Berkman watched the first half from the Salisbury sideline.

Former Navy coach Richie Meade is expected to be named the first men's lacrosse coach at Furman, Inside Lacrosse reported Tuesday. Meade and an official in Furman's athletic department declined to comment when reached; however, the Furman athletic department has confirmed that it has planned a news conference for Saturday in Boston to name its first head coach. Inside Lacrosse reported on April 20 that Meade led a list of candidates that the newly formed South Carolina Division I men's program was considering, and sources have told Inside Lacrosse that Meade visited campus last week and has been in negotiations with the university.

Salisbury's defensive display in Sunday's 7-2 victory over Stevenson in an NCAA tournament semifinal at Sea Gull Stadium in Salisbury helped that unit overtake Cabrini as the stingiest defense in Division III, surrendering just 4.8 goals per game thus far. One reason why opponents are having trouble scoring on the Sea Gulls is that their man-down defense is nearly as imposing. That unit ranks sixth in the nation after allowing opposing offenses to score on just 13.6 percent (19-of-140)

Salisbury will meet SUNY-Cortland in Sunday's NCAA tournament final with an unblemished 22-0 record, a 29-game winning streak and a history that includes capturing nine national championships including last year's crown. Perhaps as a reward for their season, the Sea Gulls led all Division III programs by placing seven players on the All-American first team as published by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association ( via Inside Lacrosse). Senior Matt Cannone, who leads the country in assists (64)

The Salisbury women's lacrosse team fell one game short of a perfect season, losing to Trinity (Conn.), 8-7, in the NCAA Division III championship game Sunday afternoon in Montclair, N.J. In addition to seeking the school's second national title, the Sea Gulls were trying to become the first team in the program's 40-year history to finish a season undefeated. Salisbury (22-1) got off to its slowest start this season, not scoring until the second half. The first half was the only period this season where the Sea Gulls were held without a goal.

The semifinal round of the Division III men's lacrosse NCAA tournament is over, and the championship final for Sunday is set. Here is the schedule: Sunday, May 27 (at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.) SUNY-Cortland (21-0) vs. Salisbury (22-0), 4 p.m. A little history: The all-time series between these two programs is split 5-5. Salisbury has won the last three meetings and is 3-2 against SUNY-Cortland in the NCAA tournament. The Sea Gulls won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2007 and 2008 against the Red Dragons.

Defenseman Andrew Sellers and goalkeeper Alex Taylor were unified in their assessment that Salisbury's offense deserves every inch of print and every second of the highlight reel as that unit is tops in Division III. The Sea Gulls defense is not exactly chopped steak either. After Sunday's 7-2 win against Stevenson in an NCAA tournament semifinal at Sea Gull Stadium in Salisbury, that unit vaulted over Cabrini to lead the country in goals allowed per game. Reminded of the defense's national status, Sellers, a senior who hails from Baltimore and graduated from Archbishop Curley, conceded, “That's true.

SALISBURY -- Salisbury State completed its first undefeated regular season and ended a 12-game losing streak against rival Washington College yesterday with a 20-4 lacrosse victory.The rout of the Shoremen -- playing without 10 players suspended before the season for drinking -- should keep Salisbury (13-0) in the No. 1 spot in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association's Division III poll. The victory also should guarantee that the Sea Gulls will have the home-field advantage throughout the Division III playoffs.

SALISBURY -- Salisbury State, powered by three goals and one assist from Scott Walstrum, defeated cross-shore rival Washington College, 14-11, yesterday before 1,018 at Sea Gull Stadium.The No. 2 Sea Gulls (11-1), whose only loss is to No. 1 Ohio Wesleyan, put themselves in good position for the NCAA Division III tournament, with only New York Tech and Denison left on their schedule."It's just a matter of playing for a seed," said Salisbury coach Jim Berkman. "We know we're in the tournament."

Salisbury is 9-4 in this series against its Capital Athletic Conference rival, but since coach Paul Cantabene took Stevenson's reins in 2005, the Mustangs have tagged the Sea Gulls with four of their eight losses over that same span. Stevenson (18-4), which has won its last four contests, is making its third Final Four appearance in the last four years, but has never gotten to the NCAA tournament final. The nine-time reigning national champion Sea Gulls (21-0) haven't lost since April 16, 2011 - to the Mustangs - and are playing to get to their 14th title game.

Horse racing 'Redux' retirement home still up in air Rapid Redux is still retired, but his retirement home has yet to be determined. On Thursday, owner Robert Cole said the horse would not race again, and trainer David Wells said Rapid Redux would be going to the Kentucky Horse Park. But Wells said Friday that he learned that the part of the Kentucky Horse Park he had been speaking to was actually the Secretariat Center, which retrains racehorses for post-racing careers.