SALISBURY, Md. – It was exactly the type of game you'd expect to see played when two of the best teams in Division III lacrosse meet up. The Capital Athletic Conference tournament championship game between top-ranked Salisbury University and third-ranked Stevenson University was no exception. In a back-and-forth battle that was tied on four separate occasions, the Mustangs clung to a four-goal lead to take home their first CAC title. The final score of the contest was 10-6.

It took 8:18 for a team to score in the first quarter, but the Sea Gulls (17-1) were eventually the first team to get on the board as senior attack Jake DeLillo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) ripped a shot off of an assist from senior midfielder Mike Von Kamecke (Winter Park, Fla.). Von Kamecke dished out the assist for the next score, as well, as sophomore attack Matt Cannone (Bayport, N.Y.) capitalized on an extra-man opportunity to give the maroon and gold a 2-0 edge.

Utilizing an extra-man opportunity of their own, the Mustangs (16-1) evened things up at two apiece with 14:13 left to play in the second quarter. Salisbury would net two more goals to take a 4-2 lead, but Stevenson quickly answered back with two scores to knot the game up at four apiece going into halftime. Salisbury held a narrow edge on shots in the first half, outshooting Stevenson 21-19. Both teams' excellent defense undoubtedly contributed to the low first-half score.

Salisbury scored its fifth goal of the game just 51 seconds into the third quarter as senior attack Mike Winter (Port Washington, N.Y.) netted an unassisted goal; the Mustangs would answer back within two minutes to once again tie up the contest. With 12:01 left on the clock in the third quarter, Stevenson's Dave Cougler would give the Mustangs their first lead of the game as his shot found its way past junior goalkeeper Johnny Rodriguez (Gambrills, Md.).

That 6-5 Stevenson advantage would carry over into the fourth quarter, but it wouldn't last long. Cannone bounced a shot past Mustang goalkeeper Geoff Hebert (13 saves) with 12:38 left to play in the game to tie the contest up at six apiece. Just over four minutes later, Stevenson would regain its one-goal lead as Kyle Moffitt snuck a shot past Rodriguez. Less than one minute later, the Mustangs would strike again to take an 8-6 lead over the Sea Gulls. From that point on, Salisbury was unable to regain possession for long enough to strike back. Rodriguez finished with 16 saves.

The loss ties up the season series between the Gulls and Mustangs at one apiece; back on April 3, Salisbury defeated Stevenson 16-10.

The Sea Gulls' next contest will be at home, on Saturday, May 8, against Washington (Md.) College in the annual Charles B. Clark Cup game. The contest will begin at 1 p.m.