The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) Bears' perfect season has come to a perfect conclusion. The undefeated (14-0) Bears beat the Limestone College Saints 9-4 for the Division II men's lacrosse national championship - the powerhouse program's second championship in four national championship games over the last ten seasons. Senior Matt Hunter was spectacular in goal, making 12 saves while earning Most Outstanding Player honors.

The 15,417 fans at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD, watched as Hunter put on a clinic between the pipes. No team has ever scored fewer than four goals in a national final. After the Saints scored in the first quarter, Hunter held Limestone scoreless for 40:52.

"I saw the ball release from the stick really well," said Hunter, who was also selected, for the second consecutive year, as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Lacrosse Player of the Year.

The Bears played a zone defense, relying on Hunter to stop the long-distance shots. "Every time he makes a save and the crowd oohs, it pumps us up," said NYIT defenseman Chris Vitucci . "He played a great game."

NYIT avenged last season's NCAA Championship Finals loss to Limestone-the Bears' only loss in two years. "I've been second-guessing myself for a year," NYIT coach Jack Kaley said of his decision to play man-to-man against Limestone in last year's title game, an 11-9 loss.

In a game dominated by the defense, NYIT's sophomore midfielders Tom Zummo and Joe Gabrysiak led the way on offense, each finishing with four points on two goals and two assists. Sean Meagher opened the scoring and gave the Bears a 1-0 lead with 11:50 left in the first. Robert Woddy tied the game for Limestone at the 3:18 mark, but NYIT's Zummo scored with one second remaining on the clock to end the first quarter.

The Bears carried that momentum over the next two quarters: Paul Montali scored each of his two goals in the second quarter; Gabrysiak and Zummo each scored in the third; and Gabrysiak and Meagher scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter. The Bears held the 8-1 lead until 7:26 in the fourth when Limestone's Devan Spilker scored the first of two consecutive goals to cut NYIT's lead to 8-3. Freshman Joseph Vasold responded less than a minute after Spilker's second goal to stop Limestone's run and give the Bears a 9-3 lead. Robert Woody scored his second goal of the game with 3:31 remaining, but it was too late and the Bears went on to win by the final margin.

NYIT's previous NCAA Division II National Championship was won in 1997 over Adelphi University.

New York Institute of Technology is an independent, comprehensive college that offers, through eight schools, more than 100 courses of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. NYIT currently educates more than 11,000 students on three physical campuses-in Old Westbury and Central Islip, Long Island, and Manhattan, near Lincoln Center-and one virtual campus via the Internet. More than 61,000 alumni have received degrees from NYIT.