One would have to look back more than six decades – to the 16 seasons of Major League Baseball played by “Swish” Nicholson – to find a Washington College graduate with a professional playing career comparable to that of Stephen Berger. The final pick of the 2004 Major League Lacrosse draft, Stephen went on to make six MLL All-Star game appearances in 10 years on the professional field.
Prior to his outstanding professional career, Stephen was one of the most decorated lacrosse players to ever don the maroon and black for the Shoremen. He was a three-time All-American, twice landing on the first team and sharing Division III Midfielder of the Year honors as a senior. He was a four-time All-Centennial Conference selection, making the first team three times and earning the title of Centennial Conference Player of the Year as both a junior and senior. Those two seasons, he was also named the ECAC South Player of the Year and an ECAC South All-Star.
Stephen’s career statistics were impressive, chalking up 135 goals, 106 assists, and 276 ground balls in 71 career games. Those numbers peaked his senior year when he put up a single-season school-record 94 total points on 53 goals and 41 assists.
As a team, the Shoremen won 52 games and lost just 19 during Stephen’s four years on the squad, winning the 2003 Centennial Conference Championship and playing in three straight NCAA Division III Tournaments. During Stephen’s senior year, the Shoremen advanced to the NCAA Division III Semifinals while winning a single-season school-record 18 games.
Stephen was named the co-male winner of the College’s Senior Athletic Award in 2004 and was also honored as a North-South Senior All-Star. He was inducted into the US Lacrosse Greater Baltimore Chapter Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Washington College considers it an honor and privilege to induct Stephen Berger into its Athletic Hall of Fame on this 17th day of October, 2015.
