ROANOKE COLLEGE LACROSSE TEAMS WANT A LITTLE MORE

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

DATE: FRIDAY, February 26, 1993                   TAG: 9302260083
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
ROANOKE COLLEGE LACROSSE TEAMS WANT A LITTLE MORE
The men's and women's lacrosse programs at Roanoke College have chosen not to live off of their postseason success in 1992.
If they don't return to the national championship game (the men) or make the final four for the third time in four years (the women), somehow the experience won't be as memorable.
"I thought I'd be satisfied just going to the championship game," said men's co-captain Mark Dibenedetto, a senior attackman. "But the game had hardly ended before I realized how much I wanted to get back."
The men were beaten 22-11 by Nazareth College in a game that was 14-11 with 12 minutes remaining. The women were trounced 17-3 by Trenton State in the semifinals.
"First on our priority list this year is mental attitude," senior Donna Galligan said. "We went into the [Trenton State] game not thinking we could win. We were intimidated by the history of their program."
A loss to Trenton State, winner of five of eight Division III women's lacrosse championships, was no embarrassment. Less acceptable was an overtime loss to Washington and Lee in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship game.
The women, who opened with 14 wins before finishing 15-2, were ranked third at the end of last season. So were the men, who finished 12-5 after being ranked 13th in the preseason.
"We took it as an insult," coach Bill Pilat said. "It helps to be high in the preseason. When you start out low, you can spend a whole year beating teams and moving up slowly or not moving up at all."
The Maroons welcome back four All-Americans but must overcome the loss of Division III defenseman of the year Dan Morison. "He took the team on his shoulders and took the season on his shoulders," Pilat said.
Roanoke, whose opener Saturday against Greensboro College could be jeopardized by snow, will receive a lift from the return of 1991 leading scorer Brett Smith, who missed the 1992 season with an injury. Returning All-Americans are goalie Craig Fleming, midfielder Colin McGahren and defensemen Steve Hoffman and Joe Latona.
\ WASHINGTON AND LEE: The Generals, who finished the season with five wins in its last six games, are tied for 13th in the preseason poll. That may be a reflection on the loss of All-America attackman Jeff Roberts, by far their leading scorer with 38 goals and 68 points.
Coach Jim Stagnitta, looking for his fourth winning record in as many seasons at W&L, also must find a replacement for goalie Coleman Devlin. Offense shouldn't be a big problem, however, with the return of five players who scored 18 goals or more in 1992.
\ VIRGINIA: With the end of the 15-year Jim Adams coaching era, UVa will have a new coach in Dom Starsia, formerly of Brown, and a new home grass field in Klockner Stadium, which it shares with the men's and women's soccer teams.
Starsia, a two-time Division I coach of the year, will have the services for one season of attackman Kevin Pehlke, who needs 13 goals to break the school record of 116 in a career. One of the other starters on attack will be freshman Tim Whitley, player of the year in Maryland in 1992.
UVa was picked No. 5 in the country in the preseason despite a 7-5 record that left the Cavaliers home for the playoffs for the third time in six years.
\ VMI: The Keydets are touting midfielder Spencer Gill as an All-America candidate after a junior year in which he led the Keydets with 42 goals and 58 points.
VMI jumped to an 8-1 start, including a 13-10 upset of nationally ranked Maryland-Baltimore County, before losing four of its last five games. Much firepower returns with Gill and attackmen Dan Delawyer and Mike Peters, who combined for 58 goals. It will be hard to replace Matt Ott in goal.
\ RADFORD: The Highlanders squandered a 10-4 halftime lead in dropping their opener Feb. 18 to New York Tech, but there is reason for optimism with the return of Steve Govett, a senior from Burnaby, British Columbia.
Govett scored four times against New York Tech and has 89 goals in his career, two short of the school record established by Tom Branch from 1984-88. He will be joined on attack by 5-foot-5, 130-pound Chris White, whose 39 points led the Highlanders (6-9) last year.
\ ODAC WOMEN: Washington and Lee, in only its fourth season, served notice last year that it could compete with Roanoke. Top returnees from last year's 12-3 team are 45-goal scorer Lisa Dowling, All-South choice Angie Carrington and defensive wing Ginny Dallam, who shut down Roanoke's high scoring Courtney Dittman in the ODAC championship game. . . . Hollins is hoping for improvement after finishing seventh in the conference (4-8 overall, 1-6 ODAC).

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB