Salisbury's Forgotten Weapon

Wednesday National Notebook: Salisbury's Forgotten Weapon by: Sam Atkinson Lacrosse Magazine April 20, 2005

O Danny Boy

Salisbury men's lacrosse goalie Dan Korpon admits he gets nervous before every game. He has been getting nervous since he started playing the game back in fourth grade. His nerves bother him before the game. But once the opening whistle blows the anxiety of playing goalie for the top-ranked team in the country goes out the window. Like a light switch Korpon puts on his game face and with no fear he throws his 5-foot-10 body frame every which way towards the ball, trying to keep the opponent off the scoreboard.

"I just try to feed off my nerves," said Korpon. "When you get to this level any team has the possibility to make you look stupid. And I don't want to look stupid."

The senior goalie and the two-time defending NCAA Division III National Champion Sea Gulls (14-0) haven't had to worry about looking stupid as they have run through their 2005 schedule so effortlessly. It makes you wonder if the Sea Gulls think game days are part of their weekly practice schedule - except fans, officials and another team show up to watch.

For Korpon things can get lonely on a team that is all glitz and glamour on the offensive end of the field. Salisbury has been dubbed the "Evil Empire" by another lacrosse publication, in comparison to the New York Yankees, for its dominance in Division III lacrosse over the past 11 years. Perhaps winning five national championships, two in a row twice (1994-95, 2003-04), and holding separate winning streaks of 47 (1994-96) and currently 43 (2003-present) will make people take notice. Not to mention the countless number of All-Americans that have suited up in Maggs Gym and marched over to Sea Gull Stadium as a team decked out in their gold-on-gold attire.

Overlooked on most Salisbury teams have been the goalies, like middle relievers and bench players are overlooked on the Yankees. Korpon's name is not Mike Stanton, but at the end of the season they both end up with rings.

When a team averages 19 goals a game you would think all Sea Gull coach Jim Berkman has to do is raid the Salisbury football team and grab the biggest body he could find to throw in front of the goal and tell him not to let the opponent score 18 goals. But it doesn't happen that way. Instead, Berkman has consistently gotten really good goalies, mostly from Maryland, that have been good enough to win championships but not necessarily good enough to claim some of the highest goalie awards.

"That has always been the case for our goalies," said Berkman, now in his 17th year at the helm in Salisbury. "They have never probably gotten some of the recognition that they deserved. We always have that because we score a lot of goals and we don't play as much defense because we dominate the face-offs."

It has been 10 years since the Sea Gulls last had an Ensign C. Markland Kelly, Jr. Award winner, better known as the USILA Goalie of the Year, in Rich Betcher. The year before (1994) Sea Gull goalie Erik Miller won the award.

Korpon came to Salisbury following the footsteps of fellow Severna Park High School graduate Pat Tewes. Korpon, who wears the same jersey number that Tewes wore in goal (No. 33), has started 65 games for the Sea Gulls including all 18 his freshman year. He holds a 60-6 record with two national championships to his credit. His numbers have been impressive as well. In four seasons he has never allowed more than 6.72 goals per game, averaging 130 saves a season.

"I don't make a whole lot of saves. I just try to make the ones that I have to," said Korpon.

Korpon is the first to admit that his numbers and performance are all not about him but that of the team and the defense in front of him.

"I have two national championship rings because of those good guys in front of me," said Korpon. "I don't score any goals. I have never scored a goal from playing goalie. Without them we are not going to win."

Maybe this is the year Korpon gets his recognition - he was an honorable-mention Division III All-American in 2004 - or maybe not. For Korpon there is something more important then a personal award in 2005 - something missing from his hand.

"To be honest with you, I am more worried about that third ring," said Korpon.