One of the most exciting and popular sports among those of the highly successful athletic department at the University of Mary Washington, the men's lacrosse program again reached new heights in 2005, continuing the most successful era in the sport's history at the school. The Eagles, who finished tied for second place in the Capital Athletic Conference standings, received its second national ranking in as many years, thanks in part to a decisive victory over fifth ranked and undefeated Washington & Lee University, which was the highest ranked opponent the Eagles have ever defeated in program history.
The Eagles opened the 2005 campaign with a pair of tough losses to nationally ranked opponents (Roanoke College and Hampden Sydney College) in games in which several key players were absent from the lineup. What followed was one of the best runs in recent memory, as the Eagles reeled off five straight wins, including an impressive 9-2 win at Randolph-Macon College, a 9-8 double overtime win over Dickinson College, a 9-6 win over York College in a CAC matchup, and the historic 9-6 win over Washington & Lee University before a packed stadium at the Battleground. The streak reached five with a convincing 17-8 win at Catholic University in CAC play.
After dropping a close game at Goucher College, UMW responded with a big 8-7 overtime win over St. Mary's College and then downed Villa Julie College, 17-9. A pair of tough losses, to nationally ranked Salisbury and Greensboro College, followed, but the Eagles rebounded well to defeat Marymount University in the regular season finale, moving their conference record to 4-2, which tied them with St. Mary's and Goucher for second place in the league standings with a 4-2 league mark.
After losing a coin flip and receiving the fourth seed, the Eagles opened the CAC Tournament with an exciting 11-10 victory over Catholic University before falling on the road at top-ranked Salisbury University to close the season with a 9-6 record. The senior class, consisting of seven players, finished their careers as the winningest class in school history, as they won a combined forty games in their careers, as the program reached never-before-seen heights, capturing national rankings and defeating nationally-ranked opponents in each of their last two years.
Offensively, the Eagles of 2005 were led by junior Dave Morris, who led the team with 31 points (22 goals, nine assists) despite missing one game. Senior Mark Fiore added 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists), and junior Greg Rose scored 26 points on a team high 24 goals and two assists. The balanced offensive attack also saw seniors Dave Justen (25 points) and Lee Thompson (23 points) crack the twenty-point plateau. Among the attackers, Rose and Morris return for 2006, and should team up to be a formidable attack, along with returnees Adam Castellani, Danny Love, and Dan Punaro. The midfield loses several to graduation, but returnees Drew Hebble, Matt Morrell, Nick Martino, Matt Richman-Raphael, and Keith Sweeney will add experience in the middle of the field.
Long stick middie Sterling Montague joins a defense that loses three contributors to graduation, but veterans Brad Matson, Gabe Butler (LSM) and Mike Cataldo will look to help fill the void left by departed seniors Drew Cartwright and All-CAC selection Jamie Stoddard. The goal situation looks to be very competitive again in 2006, as returnees Erik Everitt, Dan Thayer, and Brad Buck will also push for playing time. Buck saw the majority of the action in 2005 as a freshman, logging over 600 minutes while posting a respectable 7.59 GAA with 94 saves and a .543 save percentage.
If the Eagles are to remain one of top emerging programs in the nation, they will have to traverse a very difficult schedule again in 2005. In addition to CAC contests (in which UMW has gone 19-5 over the past four seasons) against Salisbury University, St. Mary's College and Goucher College, top nonconference foes such as Roanoke College, Washington & Lee University, and Hampden-Sydney College will again appear on the 2006 slate.