ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 12, 1996 TAG: 9605130174
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
The task facing Roanoke College's men's lacrosse team became only slightly less imposing with the news out of Salisbury, Md., this week.
Salisbury State, bidding for its third straight Division III title, will be without two of its leading attackmen when it entertains Roanoke today at 1 p.m. in the NCAA Tournament.
Mike Austin and Paul Smith, who have combined for 75 goals this season, will miss the Sea Gulls' first playoff game after a violation of team rules.
``They've got four guys doing all the scoring and that's two of them,'' Roanoke coach Bill Pilat said. ``We've had a good week of practice, as good as we've had all year. If we've got a chance, this increases that chance.''
One of Pilat's greatest victories as a coach came against the Sea Gulls in 1992, when then No.13 Roanoke defeated second-ranked Salisbury State 15-10 at Loyola College in Baltimore.
Salisbury State has not lost in the regular season since that game - a 64-game winning streak - and has a 46-game winning streak since its last loss of any kind, in the 1993 title game.
The Sea Gulls (13-0) are led by attackman Jason Coffman, who has 47 goals and 117 points. Pilat fears that midfielder Jake Bergey, who has a team-high 51 goals, may move to attack for today's game.
All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference attackman Billy Metz leads the Maroons (11-3) in scoring with 40 goals and 12 assists, and Roanoke boasts the ODAC player of the year in defenseman Chris Davin, who may get the assignment on Coffman.
Salisbury State had only one game that was closer than six goals, a 12-11 victory at Gettysburg. Perhaps Roanoke's biggest win of the season was a 10-8 triumph at Gettysburg.
LENGTH: Short : 39 linesby CNB