MAROONS MAKE NCAA TOURNEY LACROSSE GOAL

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 22, 1992                   TAG: 9202220117
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
MAROONS MAKE NCAA TOURNEY LACROSSE GOAL
Roanoke College lacrosse coach Bill Pilat finds it difficult to conceal his excitement over the Maroons' men's team that opens the season today at Virginia Wesleyan.
"This is the best team I've had as coach," said Pilat, who is in his fourth season as head coach at Roanoke, where he was a standout goalie from 1982-85.
The Maroons won Old Dominion Athletic Conference championships in two of Pilat's first three seasons. Now they are looking for their first Division III NCAA Tournament bid since 1987.
"I think it's going to take 10 wins," said Pilat, coming off two consecutive 8-6 seasons. "That's what we're shooting for.
"In the history of Roanoke College lacrosse, only two teams have had double-digit wins: the 1978 team that won the national championship and the '83 team that was runner-up."
Pilat says the Maroons have enough firepower with the return of junior Brett Smith, who led the team in scoring last year with 41 goals and 12 assists. All the regulars return on attack and midfield, including North Cross graduate David Gibson, the first Roanoke Valley player to serve as Maroons captain.
Pilat says senior Dan Morrison is the best defenseman in Division III and that he hopes sophomore Craig Fleming can take over in goal for third-team All-American Steve Mason, who was a four-year starter.
Roanoke will receive strong competition in the ODAC from Washington and Lee, which made the NCAA Tournament last year and has gone 20-8 in two seasons under coach Jim Stagnitta. Attackman Jeff Roberts had 41 goals and nine assists as a junior and will be joined by Wiemi Douoguih, who skipped the 1991 season after scoring 18 goals as a sophomore.
\ W&L: The Generals must replace ODAC player of the year Clark Wight on midfield and, like Roanoke, will be looking for a new goalie with the graduation of Tom Costello.
W&L opens the season next Saturday at Virginia, which had three one-goal losses last year, including a 14-13 loss to Towson State in the first round of the Division I tournament.
\ VIRGINIA: Attackman Kevin Pehlke is back for his third year after shattering the school record with 44 goals last year, but the Cavaliers have had heavy losses in the midfield, with top returnee Drew Fox going down with a knee injury in preseason. The play of sophomore James Ireland, a first-year starter, will be critical in goal.
\ RADFORD: The Highlanders won four of their last seven games under first-year coach Steve Billings and have one of the nation's most prolific scorers in junior attackman Steve Govett, who set a school record last year with 43 goals.
\ VMI: The Keydets, who have no returning player who scored more than eight goals, plays its most ambitious schedule, with eight Division I teams among 11 opponents. The top returnee is senior goalie Matt Ott, who set a school record in 1991 for save percentage.
\ VIRGINIA TECH: Considered a club team, Tech had an 8-4 record last year behind sophomore Rob Rosenquist, a transfer from Michigan State who ranked among the nation's leaders with 45 goals. Junior goalie Jason Green anchors the Hokies' defense.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB