Salisbury preview
After taking a look at the Division I schools in Maryland, let’s take a spin with the Division III teams. Today’s entry is the fourth of a week-long series taking a look at each of the seven Division III programs in this state according to alphabetical order. Tomorrow’s subject will be St. Mary's, but today is Salisbury’s turn.
Overview: By many accounts, a 16-4 record, a 15th consecutive Capital Athletic Conference Tournament championship and a quarterfinal appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament would be deemed a success. But for the Sea Gulls, last season was equal parts sweet and equal parts sour. The four losses were the most incurred since 2002 when that team went 13-5, and Salisbury's 12-8 loss to Stevenson on April 4 ended the program's 105-game winning streak against CAC opponents. But as pointed out by the school's sports information office, the Sea Gulls bounced back from the 13-5 record with a 20-1 campaign and the first of three straight national titles. "It's a good omen if you repeat it," coach Jim Berkman said.
Reason for optimism: Traditionally known for boasting explosive offenses, Salisbury returns its entire starting attack of seniors Mike Winter (48 goals and six assists) and Jake DeLillo (35, 17) and sophomore Matt Cannone (53, 14). That trio accounted for 173 points, which was 34.3 percent of the team's points. "They're all two steps better than they were last year," Berkman said. "Jake and Matt are much better dodgers and their off-hands are a lot better. Mike's a great leader on the inside to really keep people where they need to be. And then we added a great fourth piece of the puzzle in the Colorado Player of the Year in Eric Law, who is in the mix. So we feel that we have four very talented attackmen who can score and move the ball."
Reason for pessimism: Salisbury has a potent midfield in senior Mike Von Kamecke (27, 17), junior Shawn Zordani (10, 9) and sophomore Sam Bradman (17, 24). But after that trio, Berkman said the team is juggling personnel along the next two lines. Senior and Westminster graduate Ryan Finch, sophomore Tim Lum, juniors Logan Keyser and Kyle Piper and freshman Alex Nieves are some candidates to fill the second line. "That's our biggest concern right now, is 'Where do we go when the first line is not in there?' and 'Who is going to be able to get us the most production?'" Berkman said. "We've got some good speed and some good shooters, but they just need to get into a rhythm."
Keep an eye on: Graduating a three-time National Midfielder of the Year is usually cause for concern, but the Sea Gulls firmly believe that Bradman has the tools to carry the mantle set forth by Kylor Berkman. Bradman, who played in all 20 games alongside Berkman, will be asked to do some of the same things that his predecessor did. "Sam Bradman has the same kind of pedigree that Kylor had." Jim Berkman said. "They both were Division I players coming out of high school. I thought both of them -- Kylor as a freshman and Sam last year -- could've done more than they did, and now [Sam] knows it's his time and he can take more risks and attack the goal a lot more. I would say that Sam is at the same place -- and maybe he's a little faster -- than Kylor was as a sophomore."
What he said: On failing to reach the NCAA Tournament semifinal for the first time since 2002, Berkman said, "It's already provided good motivation. When we did our weight testing in the offseason, this is the strongest team we've ever had. That's a good sign of a lot of effort in that department. We feel very happy about how our preparation has gone in the offseason and the improvement in our players and their work ethic. I think that was definitely motivation for them to work harder and give us a better opportunity this year."
