'06 "War on the Shore" to Be Held at M&T Bank

[Sonny]

2006 "War on the Shore" to Be Held at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- The hottest rivalry in small college lacrosse goes to a whole new level on April 29th, 2006, as national power Washington College square off against rival and three-time defending NCAA Division III National Champion Salisbury University at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore at 8:00 p.m. This year's game marks the first time that the annual regular season showdown between the two teams, known as "The War on the Shore," will be held at a neutral site. The winner of the game is presented with the Charles B. Clark Cup.

The Sea Gulls and the Shoremen have met 37 times since the rivalry began in 1974. Washington leads the series by the slimmest of margins, 19-18. Last year's "War on the Shore" drew an estimated 2,100 fans to Chestertown, while the 2004 game brought an official crowd of 2,808 to Salisbury. The "War on the Shore" is consistently the most well-attended regular season non-Division I men's lacrosse game.

"The War on the Shore," is so named because Washington College and Salisbury University are the only two Division III institutions in Maryland's largely-rural Eastern Shore region. The combination of small schools, small towns, and two of the most well-known teams in collegiate lacrosse gives this rivalry a unique flavor.

In 2004, a new element was added to the Salisbury-Washington rivalry with the introduction of the Charles B. Clark Cup. Clark was a student-athlete, educator and men's lacrosse coach at Washington College, and later, an educator and men's lacrosse coach at Salisbury University. A member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Coach Clark led both institutions to national lacrosse prominence while demonstrating and teaching the highest ideals of sportsmanship, teamwork and competitive athletic spirit.

This year's game in Baltimore is being held in conjunction with the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Tournament, which takes place April 28th and April 30th at M&T Bank Stadium. The Washington-Salisbury game on April 29th will be preceded by a high school double-header.

The Washington College men's lacrosse team has won 542 games in its 64 seasons of varsity play. The Shoremen won the 1998 NCAA Division III National Championship and the 1954 USILA Laurie Cox Division Co-National Championship. The Shoremen finished the 2005 season with a 10-5 record and was ranked eighth in the final Geico/STX National Division III Coaches Poll.

The Salisbury University men's lacrosse team has won the last three NCAA Division III National Championships and has won an NCAA all-division record 49 consecutive games. Overall, Salisbury has won six NCAA Division III National Championships. The Sea Gulls went 20-0 in 2005.

[OAKS]

So how many fans do you all think will show up? I'm gonna say 10-15,000.