A Look Back at Salisbury's Record Setting Streak
June 6, 2006

SALISBURY, Md. – Over the course of four seasons the Salisbury University men’s lacrosse team etched its name among the nation’s elite, compiling a NCAA lacrosse record, 69-game win streak.  "The Streak," as it often times was referred to, doesn’t only sit atop the lacrosse record books, it stands tall among some of the greatest dynasties the NCAA has ever seen.

The 69-game winning streak ranks fifth all-time in any division, any sport.  The fourth longest streak belongs to the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team.  UConn ripped off 70 consecutive victories; starting March 30, 2001 and ending March 11, 2003.  With 81 straight wins, the Washington-St. Louis women’s basketball team sits in third place.  Their streak went from February 20, 1998 to January 12, 2001. 

The top two streaks are owned by some of the greatest teams ever assembled.  UCLA men’s basketball won 88 successive games from January 30, 1971 through January 17, 1974 while the number one ranked streak stretched over a five year period from October 12, 1990 to September 30, 1994.  The University of North Carolina women’s soccer team won an unprecedented 92 games in a row.

The Sea Gull’s streak began on April 17, 2003, as the Gull’s avenged a 13-12 loss to Lynchburg by defeating Mary Washington 17-5.  "The Streak" came to an end on May 28, 2006 in the National Title game, as the Gulls dropped an overtime thriller to Cortland State, 13-12.

Over the four seasons of "The Streak," the Salisbury resume has built impressive numbers.  The Sea Gulls have seen 33 All-Americans (18 first team, five second team, one third team, and nine honorable mention), including seven in 2003, eight in both 2005 and 2006, and ten in 2004.  Former stand out player Jeff Bigas, who played from 2002-2005, was a three-time first team All-American, while his teammate for all four years at Salisbury, Sean White (pictured above), was a two-time first team selection and one time second team player.  Andy Murray and Eric Martin, who played from 2001-2004, were honored as a first team All-American in both the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

The individual accolades are remarkable, but the team awards are just as astonishing.  The 2003 team ranked No. 1 in Scoring Offense (17.85), No. 7 in Scoring Defense (6.35), and No. 1 in Scoring Margin (11.5).  First team All-American Josh Bergey (pictured below) ranked third in the country in points per game (6.0), sixth in goals per game (3.6) and 14^th in assists per game (2.4).  The ’03 Sea Gulls won their fourth overall National Title by defeating the Panthers of Middlebury College 14-13 in overtime.

The 2004 team put up numbers that are even more amazing than the ’03 team.  The ’04 National Champions ranked No. 1 in Scoring Offense (18.2), Scoring Defense (6.05), and Scoring Margin (12.15).  Cory O’Neil, a first team All-American, ranked 20^th in the nation in points per game (4.35) and fourth in goals per game (3.65), while honorable mention All-American Dan Korpon ranked number one in goals-against average (5.86).  The Sea Gulls repeated as Champions with a 13-9 win over Nazareth College.  The back to back titles were only the second time in school history that had happened (the other coming 1994 and 1995).

As players graduated, the team continued to reload.  The 2005 Sea Gulls continued the trend of dominance, ranking No. 1 in Scoring Offense (17.05) and Scoring Margin (9.75), and No. 13 in Scoring Defense (7.3).  Dan Boyer, a second team All-American selection, ranked ninth in the land in goals per game (3.45), whereas Korpon, the National Title game MVP and first team All-American, ranked third in goals against average (6.77) and 19^th in save percentage (62.5%).  The Sea Gulls ended the ’05 campaign with a 49 game win streak and a third straight National Title.  The Gulls held off Middlebury 11-10 to claim the school’s sixth National Championship.

The 2006 Salisbury team ranked No. 2 in Scoring Offense (15.6), No. 9 in Scoring Defense (6.4), and No. 1 in Scoring Margin (9.2).  Ranking seventh in the nation in goals per game (3.3) was Boyer, a first team All-American selection.  Max Zarchin, an honorable mention All-American, ranked eighth in goals-against average (6.49).

Through the years of "The Streak," Salisbury had two undefeated and three 20-win seasons, three consecutive National Titles, and four Capital Athletic Conference Championships.  The Gulls also defeated 28 ranked teams, highlighted by 11 wins over a team ranked in the top five, 22 wins over a top ten team, and six wins over a top 20 team.  The record breaking streak had Salisbury scored at least 20 goals in 20 of the contests, while holding teams to three or fewer goals in 11 games.  Salisbury averaged 17.07 goals a game, accumulating 1178 goals, and held opponents to a mere 6.62 goals a game (457 total goals).

The Sea Gulls will begin the 2007 season in uncharted territory, with a one game losing streak.  Despite losing in the ’06 National Championship, the Gulls will once again restock and chase another title in ‘07. Salisbury will return four All-Americans (Zarchin, Chase Caruso, Chris Heier, and Luis Gonzalez), and a core of young talent that will once again put the Sea Gulls back on top.  After all, the last time Salisbury lost they ran off 69 straight wins.