Zachary Krissoff and RileyClark allegedly left a path of vandalized homes, mailboxes and vehicles in a Wicomico County neighborhood last week.
More than a dozen people were impacted by the accused vandals, but the biggest victims had nothing but a dream potentially destroyed.
Krissoff, an Annapolis native, and Clark were the top two goalies on the Salisbury men?s lacrosse team, but were suspended for the season after they turned themselves in to the Wicomico County Sheriff?s Office this past Saturday.
Krissoff and Clark were charged with 17 counts of malicious destruction of property under $500, two counts of malicious destruction of property over $500 and engaging in a scheme to conduct malicious destruction of property of $500.
Their suspensions left fifth-year senior and third string goalie Nick Fiorentino as the starter going into Sunday?s game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Fiorentino had eight saves in the Sea Gulls? 11-10 double-overtime victory against Gettysburg in the national semifinals.
Sunday?s game will be the third straight year Cortland State and Salisbury have met in the title game. Cortland State won 13-12 in overtime in 2006 in Philadelphia. Salisbury won, 15-9, last year in Baltimore.
“Everyone is OK with Nick in goal,” said sophomore midfielder Will Poletis, a former Loyola Blakefield standout. “It?s hard to lose your top two goalies, but Nick knows our defense as well as anyone. His play has helped the rest of the team rally together.”
Salisbury (21-0) has won 44 straight games and are going after its sixth undefeated season and eighth national title. Senior attack Matt Hickman leads Salisbury with a team-best 92 points on 60 goals and 32 assists. Overall, the Sea Gulls have seven players with at least 30 points, including junior midfielder Kylor Berkman (29 goals, 47 assists) and senior attacker Greg Titus (53 goals, 7 assists). Salisbury also has seven players, not including Krissoff, on its roster from the Baltimore area,including sophomore midfielder and Messiah transfer Ryan Finch, a Westminster High graduate.
Finch said playing a close game against Gettysburg helped Salisbury remain focused entering the championship game.
“Gettysburg is a great team and they reminded us we can be beat,” Finch said. “But we can also beat anyone if we put our minds to it.”
Cortland State (18-1) has seven players with at least 22 points, including Ryan Heath (51, 46) and Billy Fuchs (58, 29).
“We understand what is expected of us at Salisbury,” said senior midfielder Ryan Browning, a former Calvert Hall standout. “We?ve overcome adversity before and we know beating Cortland again won?t be easy. But our number one goal is always to win a national title.”
