Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/3/19
Staff Report
Shipley School senior co-captain Ben Ashkenazy calls Gators veteran head coach Mark Duncan an inspiration to is players.
“Coach Duncan is a great coach who has helped me progress as a leader and as a player,” said Ashkenazy. “His ability to make in game adjustments is phenomenal and his ability to inspire his players is even greater. I have loved to play under him for four years and I congratulate him on this major accomplishment.”
That accomplishment occurred last Thursday when Duncan’s Gators capped a 4-0 Spring Break trip to Florida with a 21-5 victory over St. Petersburg Catholic, giving Duncan 200 career wins at Shipley.
When the Gators met in the far corner of the field for their standard post-game talk, assistant coach Robb Chambers, a 1994 Shipley alum, tossed him the game ball and congratulated him on his 200th win – setting off a wild celebration as 32 players, all armed with bottles of Diet Mountain Dew, put a personal touch on the typical Gatorade bath.
The celebration feted a man who has been coach and Athletic Director at Shipley for 18 seasons, winning six Friends League Championships (seven titles in all) while compiling a 200-117 record,
Duncan’s players, past and present are fiercely loyal. His coaching style pushes players to flourish and grow as committed student-athletes. To his credit, his staff is impressive with former D1 coach Chambers, respected goalie coach Joe Donnelly and current NLL All-Star Kevin Crowley.
“Coach Dunc’s love for the game goes beyond coaching,” said junior captain Henry Reed. “He seems to know everyone and everything in the lacrosse world and is a great person to be so closely connected to. His excitement about each practice gives the team energy and he pushes us to be creative and confident lacrosse players.”
Coach Duncan currently has one of his more talented teams despite its youth. Shipley is hoping to challenge five-time champion Academy of the New Church for this year’s league title.
“He’s improved my knowledge of the game, helping me understand my role as not just a player but a leader to a team,” said junior co-captain Randall Brown. “He’s always had a thirst for winning and I’m happy he’s reached this milestone in his career.”
Coach Duncan grew up on Long Island in a family of educators. His father worked at Farmingdale High School for over 30 years and his mother was a teacher at the Three Village Schools in Stony Brook. His older brother was also a state champion at Ward Melville, went on to be a captain at Penn and is now a principal in Northern New Jersey.
Coach Duncan started his career playing at storied Ward Melville HS on Long Island where he won a NY state championship in 1992. He became one of the leading scorers in the nation while at Lehigh where he as a Patriot League Player of the Year and remains the all-time leading goal scorer in Lehigh history.
He coached at Whittier College in Southern California before moving to PA with his wife Michelle. He took the job at Shipley in 2002 and in 2005 won the first league title in Shipley boys’ lacrosse history while still playing in the Northeast League.
Shipley joined the Friends League in 2006 and Duncan’s Gators won FSL Championships in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 while achieving runner-up status the last 5 years. Duncan also has coached for LB3, Dukes, and Mesa as well as other clubs from San Diego back to Long Island.
Coach Duncan would like to thank all of his players past and present as well as Dr. Piltch, Shipley headmaster, and his wife Michelle and three kids, Ella, Sadie, and Tate.
“My love for the game and for these boys has never changed over the years,” he said. “Coaching these teams has been a great experience and I look forward to many more years and hopefully many more wins!”
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