When the phrase, "seems like yesterday" is used in the same sentence as "20 years ago" and all you can do is nod in the affirmative, you know you're officially old enough to be cast in a Dockers commercial. Be that as it may, 1991 was an especially memorable year for this guy and for many in the 410, as the kids call it now. And not just because Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch topped the Billboard charts.
Rob Shek
I'm going to gloss over the fact that I was a junior in high school and we happened to win the MD State Championship that spring of '91. No, as much as you'd probably like to hear about that, I'm focusing on the NCAA Tournament and Towson State's (not Towson University) improbable run to the National Championship game. That's right, just one year removed from Loyola's chippy title game appearance with Syracuse, TSU matched up with North Carolina in the finals. While they didn't win the game, their tourney run and final game was as impressive as Carolina's undefeated season.
That the Tigers had success in the tournament wasn't a big surprise to most in the Baltimore area. The Baltimore Sun ranked them 5th in their pre-season poll (UNC was ranked 6th). They returned 8 starters and their top 9 scorers. Guys like Lindsey Dixon, Rob Shek, Steve Kisslinger, John Blatchley, and Tony Millon headlined this talented group. They were also motivated after being left out of the tournament in 1990 despite their 11-2 record.
'91 wasn't all puppy dogs and ice cream though. Two of Towson's top players, Lindsey Dixon and Glenn Smith, started the first two games of the season on the sidelines serving a suspension for playing in the Choice Visa Lacrosse Classic fall ball event at UMBC while they were ineligible for one reason or another. During the course of the season, Towson racked up 3 losses. They did enough to get the last at-large bid though.
After squeaking into the tourney, they surprised many on their way to the title game. Unseeded Towson State, led by Carl Runk, dispatched UVA, Princeton, and Maryland before falling to UNC in the Carrier Dome. By the way, did you know Runk played football at the University of Arizona and then coached lacrosse there until he was hired by Towson. This was just after the Great Depression, so I'll excuse you for overlooking these nuggets. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
Check out WMAR of Baltimore's retrospective on the '91 Tigers.
This tourney had a couple of interesting side stories besides Towson's run. Michigan State and Rutgers also appeared in the tournament that year. That's right, the Spartans had a D1 lax program not so long ago. They were beaten soundly by Syracuse 28-7 in the '91 tourney. Michigan State folded its program just a few years later to become compliant with the dreaded Title IX. They were followed shortly thereafter by Butler University who also disbanded their D1 program in the name of gender equity.
From deep in the archive
The site of the Championships, in case you can't tell from the video, was the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. Attendance sucked, even for that time. Only 8300 fans, most of them undoubtedly from Upstate New York, opted to spend their Memorial Day Weekend in Syracuse. Compare that to over 19,000 fans at Rutgers in '90 and 13,000 fans at U Penn in '92
Towson State defeated a Princeton team that year that featured a 1st year starter on defense named David Morrow. WikipediaLegend has it that he broke or bent 25 sticks that year and spent time in his father's metal tubing shop that summer working on developing a titanium shaft. He was successful and the following year, his titanium long pole made its debut in the NCAA tournament. He scored 2 goals that game and decided that he had a winner on his hands, or in his hands as the case may be. Morrow named his company for the mascot of his high school, Brother Rice. Warrior was officially on the lacrosse scene.
1991 was Towson University's current head coach Tony Seaman's first year at the helm of Johns Hopkins after a successful stint at UPenn. It was also the first year for Dave Klarmann as the head coach at UNC. Willie Scroggs departed the year prior and left the cupboard full as the saying goes.
All four Final 4 goalies were juco transfers. Maryland's Steve Kavovit transferred from Herkimer CC. The other three, TSU's Richard Betcher, UNC's Andy Piazza, and Syracuse's Jerry DeLorenzo all attended Nassau CC.
I think Betcher was like 30 by the time he played in this game for TSU. He was at Salisbury for a few years before this I believe. That UNC team that the Tigers lost too was sick. John Webster and Dennis Goldstein were total bad-asses.
Webster went to Boys Latin if I'm not mistaken. I modeled my game after him. Well, he's why I wore white cleats back in the day. That's as close to his game as I got.
Ha! You were in high school? I was already in my 4th years of junior college by then. I played against Dixon in High School while he was at Broadneck. They were the only team that drubbed us that year. We played them twice for some reason. He was untouchable. Thanks for reminding me that I will be getting social security soon.
Tom - great post. Towson had some serious talent back then. Glenn Smith had an absolute cannon, and he did some radio play by play for Towson lacrosse for a few years. If I recall, that title game was televised by CBS on tape delay - not by ESPN - and UNC rolled. I graduated from WC in '91 and headed out west, and wound up playing club ball in the San Fran area against some UNC guys. News flash - they can all run really fast.
Michigan State was the NCAA tourney's obligatory tourney entry from "out West" every year, which meant they would come and get abused in the first round against Cuse, UNC, etc.
Did not realize 1991 was when Seaman went to the Hop - Zimmerman left under not so good circumstances, but he is, in my opinion, still the best coach in the game and gets more out of his UMBC teams than Seaman ever did with the talent he had at JHU.
That team was loaded with JUCO players and didn't make a run the next year because half of them failed out...Two Catonsville Rec products on that team as well-Rich Regan and Jay "Elvis" Myers...
Nice Post Tom. Betcher went to Salisbury AFTER his stint at TSU. He was at SU after Erik Miller and Miller graduated SU in 94. Betcher had to be 30 somthing by the time he arrived at SU.
Speaking of Salisbury, It was 20 years ago, come May, that SU made it's very first appearance in the D3 final. SU hosted a sick Hobart squad that featured the likes of Billy Miller, Cable Maddux and Jeff Tambroni.
...SU lost that 1991 Final to Hobart in Salisbury, 12-11 in OT. On another note, SU would later get solid Michigan State goalie transfer named Jason Tarnow (he plays in the MMLL) who helped SU win the 99 D3 Final.
I think Betcher was like 30 by the time he played in this game for TSU. He was at Salisbury for a few years before this I believe. That UNC team that the Tigers lost too was sick. John Webster and Dennis Goldstein were total bad-asses.
ReplyDeleteWebster went to Boys Latin if I'm not mistaken. I modeled my game after him. Well, he's why I wore white cleats back in the day. That's as close to his game as I got.
ReplyDeleteHa! You were in high school? I was already in my 4th years of junior college by then. I played against Dixon in High School while he was at Broadneck. They were the only team that drubbed us that year. We played them twice for some reason. He was untouchable. Thanks for reminding me that I will be getting social security soon.
ReplyDeleteTom - great post. Towson had some serious talent back then. Glenn Smith had an absolute cannon, and he did some radio play by play for Towson lacrosse for a few years. If I recall, that title game was televised by CBS on tape delay - not by ESPN - and UNC rolled. I graduated from WC in '91 and headed out west, and wound up playing club ball in the San Fran area against some UNC guys. News flash - they can all run really fast.
ReplyDeleteMichigan State was the NCAA tourney's obligatory tourney entry from "out West" every year, which meant they would come and get abused in the first round against Cuse, UNC, etc.
Did not realize 1991 was when Seaman went to the Hop - Zimmerman left under not so good circumstances, but he is, in my opinion, still the best coach in the game and gets more out of his UMBC teams than Seaman ever did with the talent he had at JHU.
That team was loaded with JUCO players and didn't make a run the next year because half of them failed out...Two Catonsville Rec products on that team as well-Rich Regan and Jay "Elvis" Myers...
ReplyDeleteNice Post Tom.
ReplyDeleteBetcher went to Salisbury AFTER his stint at TSU. He was at SU after Erik Miller and Miller graduated SU in 94. Betcher had to be 30 somthing by the time he arrived at SU.
Speaking of Salisbury, It was 20 years ago, come May, that SU made it's very first appearance in the D3 final. SU hosted a sick Hobart squad that featured the likes of Billy Miller, Cable Maddux and Jeff Tambroni.
...SU lost that 1991 Final to Hobart in Salisbury, 12-11 in OT. On another note, SU would later get solid Michigan State goalie transfer named Jason Tarnow (he plays in the MMLL) who helped SU win the 99 D3 Final.
ReplyDeleteNice Post..
ReplyDeleteBetcher was 24 at SU 95 Championship. TSU stint he was 21.
Towson's top defenseman would've made a difference(Carl Beernink)in 91 Champioship if he didn't blow his ankle out in the Semi's vs Maryland.
ReplyDelete