M. Lax seeks new coach

Princeton and U Va assistants have interviewed The rivalry between Princeton and Virginia in men's lacrosse is among the fiercest in recent history. But whereas sports rivalries usually develop along geographic or conference lines, the Princeton-Virginia rivalry has been born of competition level alone. The Tigers and Cavaliers have been two of th dominant teams in Division I lacross throughout the '90s, both making regular trips to the Final Four. But in recent years, it has been Princeton getting the upper hand in head-to-head competition, with the Tigers defeating the Cavaliers in the national title game in 1994 and again this season - both in overtime. Now the rivalry is leaving the confines of Maryland's Byrd Stadium, host of the past four national championship games, and moving to Penn's campus. With Terry Corcoran's decision to resign as Penn men's lacrosse coach and accept the same position at Skidmore, two key members of the Princeton-Virginiapping up as leading candidates to fill the vacancy. Cavaliers assistant coach Marc VanArsdale and Tigers assistant coach David Metzbower have both interviewed for the position in recent weeks and talked to some of the players on campus. Corcoran resigned three weeks ago after two seasons at Penn. During Corcoran's reign, the Quakers compiled a 10-18 record and went 0-12 against Ivy League foes. Corcoran resigned three weeks ago after two seasons at Penn. During Corcoran's reign, the Quakers compiled a 10-18 record and went 0-12 against Ivy League foes. Corcoran came to Penn after a 12-year tenure at Division III Washington College in Chestertown, Md., where he compiled a 127-56 record. During his tenure, Washington made 10 NCAA Division III playoff appearances and played in four national championship games. Corcoran was honored as Division III Coach of the Year in 1985 and served as an assistant on the U.S. national team that won the World Championship in 1990. "I think his decision to leave Penn was a combination of him not liking the city and coming from a Division III school, I don't think he understood all the administrative duties that would be expected of him, like alumni relations," Penn senior midfielder Ed Hanover said. But Corcoran was unable to turn around a Penn program that has fallen from lacrosse glory in recent years. After then-coach Tommy Seamon took the Quakers to the Final Four in 1988, Penn has crumbled to its current state as the Ivy League's bottom feeder. In the eight seasons since the Final Four appearance, Penn has accumulated a 46-63 record and has posted only one winning season. Last Thursday, Division III Skidmore announced that it had hired Corcoran, hoping he could match the success with the Thoroughbreds program that he enjoyed at Washington. Corcoran could not be reached for comment. In recent weeks, VanArsdale and Metzbower have both been on campus. VanArsdale has spent the past six years as an assistant at Virginia, where he has worked primary with the offensive unit. He also handles much of the recruiting for the Cavaliers. He is a 1985 graduate of Hobart College, where he played on four Division III national championship teams and was named a first-team All American as a senior. According to Virginia head coach Dom Starsia, VanArsdale has been considered for other head coaching positions in the past, including the top posts at Navy and Maryland Baltimore County. In fact, VanArsdale was considered for the Quakers job two years aga, but lost out to Corcoran. "He's a tremendously hard worker. He's the most honest guy I've come across in all my years of coaching," Starsia said. "That's something that's required at Pennsylvania. I started our at Brown, and Brown and Penn are very similar. They both reward honest effort." Metzbower has been an assistant with the Tigers for six years and serves as Princeton's offensive coordinator. Under Metzbower, the Tigers have averaged over 12 goals per game. The 1986 graduate of Delaware served as an assistant at the alma mater before joining the Princeton staff. "Both those coaches are excellent. They're both highly revered in the sport," Hanover said. "Either one of them is going to bring in a recruiting punch. Corcoran, coming out of Division III, was somewhat of an unknown. But every high school player has heard of these two." Despite the Quakers' recent struggles in the win-loss column, many believe Penn has a natural recruiting edge given its academic reputation and its inclusion in the Ivy League, one of the strongest lacross conferences in the nation. "In the field, we think of the Penn job as one of the premier positions in the sport," Starsia said. "Penn is on the way up. Corcoran had them headed in the right direction. They may be just another year away. In two or three years, I think Penn's a playoff team." Hanover agrees that the Quakers have made strides over the past two years and are on the right track. "We were extremely competitive this year. Against Cornell, we were up by seven in the second half," he said. "Against Dartmouth, we were up at the half. And against Harvard, we were up going into the last few minutes. As a whole, the Ivy League didn't expect us to be as competitive as we were. One or two breaks in our favor and we could have had a few wins." With a third coach in four years on the way in, a transition period is to be expected. But Hanover believes the rebuilding process need not be lengthy. "Most of the guys on the team have been playing lacrosse for 10-12 years, so we've seen in some form pretty much anything that a new coach is going to bring in," Hanover said. "But it's definitely going to be difficult to start with a new coach with a new repertoire and new beliefs. Some coaches try to be a father figure. Some try to be a friend. There's definitely going to be a feeling out period." No matter who is hired as Penn's next coach, whether VanArsdale, Metzbower or some other candidate, Hanover is determined not to endure another winless season in the Ivy League. "We're not going to have another rebuilding year. We can win with the players that we have here. I don't want four years to go by and have only one Ivy League win."