By Jeff Gold

The NYIT men’s lacrosse team is back on top, defeating top-seeded LeMoyne 16-11 on May 25 to win the 2008 NCAA Division II men’s lacrosse championship (see highlight video). The victory concluded a season in which the Bears went 13-1 and secured the East Coast Conference title. Five players—Brett Neal, Kevin Hennessy, Keith Henderson, Matt Messina, and Christian Scuderi—earned All-American team honors, and Head Coach Jack Kaley was named the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association’s Division II Coach of the Year.

On Long Island, arguably the cradle of one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation, there is an expectation of excellence--of lacrosse conference champion-ships and national titles. At NYIT, it’s no different.

“Before every game, we say it’s another step on the ladder,” says junior defenseman Patrick Rogin. “The next step to winning a national championship.”

NYIT’s first NCAA Division II title in 1997 was special because it was the first—and a signal that the Bears’ lacrosse program had arrived. The second championship, in 2003, was about pure dominance. NYIT was the only undefeated team in the nation that year; the Bears made winning the trophy look easy as they beat Limestone 9-4. Two years later, in 2005, NYIT’s sudden-death 14-13 overtime victory over Limestone was pure drama.

Kaley, who has coached NYIT’s lacrosse team for 16 years, says this magical, unforgettable run of 2008 is the most meaningful for him.

“It was a grueling season, and what made it so special for me was that this was a complete team effort,” says Kaley. “The contributions we received from all our players, from our starters to our scout team, from our offense to our defense, and from all my coaches, made this one better. And we beat the so-called ‘New Dynasty,’ LeMoyne. That made this one the best.”

A Day to Remember

As they took the field on May 25 in Gillette Stadium (home to the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass.), the Bears were seemingly smarting a bit over two-time defending champion LeMoyne’s top seed and favored status. But they had no questions about their own talent, commitment, or desire. Their approach: LeMoyne might be ranked No. 1, but it hadn’t seen a team like NYIT.

“Teams outside our conference don’t have games like ours. We go through battles all year,” Kaley said. “We just had to play our game.”

And never was playing their game more important. The contest not only pitted the two top teams against each other, but also represented two entirely different approaches to the game. It was important for Kaley to see his style, one that relies on speed and aggression, defeat the more patient game of LeMoyne.

“Lacrosse is supposed to be the fastest game on two feet, and now you have these teams that just slow everything down,” Kaley says. “To me, that isn’t what lacrosse is. I believe in the way we play.”

Despite falling behind 5-2 in the first quarter, the Bears never lost their faith. Going into the second quarter, the team got a second wind when they looked over at their opponent’s huddle and saw they were exhausted. NYIT still remained fresh and quickly took over the game, outscoring LeMoyne 14-6 in the final three quarters.

“I don’t think other teams go through what we put our kids through,” says Kaley, who has coached 85 All-American athletes at NYIT. “They think they can handle playing a team like us that will pressure them for every second, but it’s tougher than they think.”

So, despite the strong competition, NYIT’s players persevered, in part due to their intense training, expert coaching, and the ability to overcome anything thrown their way.

One example of the latter: an injury to starting goalie and junior Dan Goosk could have been a setback earlier in the season, but Chris Powers, a junior transfer from Utah who had never been to Long Island before visiting NYIT’s campus, stepped in and played admirably.

And, after 11 straight wins to open their 2008 season, a loss to Dowling just before the Final Four could have shaken NYIT’s confidence. Instead, it reinvigorated the team.

“We have never had a more focused group of kids, and when we had that loss to Dowling, it got even stronger,” Kaley says. “I knew we were ready.”

He was right. NYIT followed that game with an 11-8 win over Limestone in the national semi-final, beating a team that had appeared in six national finals since 2000. The game marked the first time NYIT played host to a Final Four game.

Throughout the season, the players learned to believe in each other and formed an unbreakable bond after spending countless hours together—on the field and off—studying, training, community service, lifting weights, and sharing meals.

“We were a bunch of clowns who always knew how to have a good time, but when we needed to be serious, we were,” says junior attack Keith Henderson.

“The long bus trips to road games were like a comedy hour,” adds junior midfielder Matt Messina. “I have never been around a better group of guys, and I think that was a huge part of our success. We looked forward to practice. Ten years from now, we’ll look back on this, and I know we will still be close.”

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