Stevenson makes case for No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament
Seven days after falling to Capital Athletic Conference rival Salisbury in the conference tournament final, No. 3 Stevenson took out its frustration on No. 16 Denison, racing to a 14-1 advantage after three quarters en route to a 14-2 thumping on Saturday.
Mustangs coach Paul Cantabene acknowledged that there might have been a little carryover effect from losing to the Sea Gulls in the CAC title game on April 23.
“I thought the guys were pretty motivated after that game and did a real good job of understanding that we still have a shot at the No. 1 seed in the South for the tournament,” he said Tuesday. “So I thought they came out and played really well and dictated the pace. So it was a good effort by the guys, to refocus and understand how we needed to play.”
Although Salisbury (16-1) is the top-ranked team in the latest United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association poll, Stevenson may have just as strong of a case for the No. 1 seed in the South Region of the NCAA tournament, which will be announced on Sunday.
According to Laxpower.com which does a very credible job of compiling numbers that the selection committee takes under consideration, the Mustangs are No. 2 in RPI, while the Sea Gulls are No. 5.
In the department of quality wins, Stevenson has top-five wins against Cortland (fourth in RPI) and Salisbury, a top-10 victory over Roanoke (eighth) and top-20 wins against Haverford (12th), Lynchburg (17th) and Denison (19th). Salisbury has a top-five victory over Stevenson, a top-10 win against Roanoke and top-20 victories over Gettysburg (14th) and Lynchburg.
“I think it is a big edge for us,” Cantabene said of the team’s tough schedule. “We did play Cortland, we did play Tufts, and we did play Western New England. Those are all regionally ranked teams, and that really helps us. So those extra games that we’ve played have really helped us out with making a stronger schedule, and I think when you look at the NCAA tournament, that’s what they’re looking at.”
The Mustangs have the weekend off before preparing for the NCAA tournament, and the time off couldn’t have come at a better time. According to Cantabene, senior attackman Richie Ford still isn’t 100 percent after injuring his groin in a 14-13 loss to No. 7 Tufts on March 23, senior attackman Jimmy Dailey is dealing with a swollen elbow, senior midfielder Kyle Moffitt had to have his knee drained after a bursa sac burst, and junior goalkeeper Ian Bolland is nursing a sore thumb.
“We’ve played so much this year,” Cantabene said. “We played Wednesday-Saturday for so long. I think it was seven weeks. At times you want to play because you worry about your rhythm, but at times, the guys need to rejuvenate their bodies and get physically and mentally healthy. You can’t play all those games and think you’re still going to be fresh. So it’s good for us to get an opportunity to get out legs fresh and be 100 percent to go in our first NCAA game.”
