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(02/23/16 9:54pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team ended its season on a high note on Wednesday, Feb. 17, when the Lions were able to defeat the Kean Cougars, 65-62, at the Harwood Arena in Union, N.J.
The Lions ended the season with a 13-12 record, finishing the season with a 9-9 conference record within the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). The team is now seventh in the conference.
The game against Kean closed out the careers for senior guards Angelica Esposito and Jess Lynch and freshman forward Christina Merlin. Merlin was not able to play in her career finale due to an injury.
The seniors ended their collegiate careers with 65 wins. They also made three NJAC playoff appearances.
“The past four years have been incredible and there is no one else I would have rather spent it with than Christina and Ange,” Lynch said. “Other than being great basketball players, they are just incredible people… They truly have become a part of my family.”
Esposito says the team wanted to end the season with a victory.
“We were going to do whatever it took to win this last game,” Esposito said. “For myself, having that many points is an accomplishment, but I would not have had them if it weren’t for my teammates finding me when I was open and always believing in me.”
Kean jumped out to an early 4-0 before Lynch and Esposito scored back-to-back baskets. The Cougars made it 8-4 before freshman guard Kate O’Leary cut the lead to 8-6. Kean ended the first quarter with a 16-10 lead.
To begin the second quarter, junior guard Taryn Corrigan scored six straight points. The burst of scoring from Corrigan tied the game at 16 before junior guard Jacquetta Owens made a three-pointer to put the Cougars up, 19-16. The game was tied at 21 when junior forward Katy Amato scored a basket.
“Taryn Corrigan was definitely a huge spark in the first half for us,” Lynch mentioned. “We started off playing a little timid, I think, but when she came in, everything just started to flow again.”
Esposito gave the College a 30-26 halftime lead when she had five straight points. After Amato made a basket, Esposito gave the Lions a 27-26 lead — their first lead of the game.
The Lions scored 27 points in the third quarter and Esposito led with 15 points in the quarter. Junior forward Cindy Napolitano scored two three-pointers, while sophomore guard Charlotte Schum had four points and Lynch had a basket.
Late in the game, Esposito made two free throws that sealed the win. With the free throws, she ended the game with 29 points. The career-high allowed Esposito to end the season with a 14.7 points per game average.
The two free throws by Esposito were two of eight points by the Lions in the fourth quarter, but the Cougars outscored them, 26-8, in the quarter. Lynch had two free throws while Corrigan and Amato scored baskets, as well.
“All the games I have played in over the years have prepared me for moments such as that,” Esposito said. “While a million different thoughts were on my mind at the time, the one that stands out the most is I don’t want to let my teammates or coaches down. As a senior, I have had more experience than most of my teammates, and being able to hit free throws under pressure situations, such as the one in that game, is something that is expected of myself as a leader.
“The moment that Kean missed that last three-pointer and we won the game is a feeling that you always remember,” she added. “This last game was more about pride for the TCNJ women’s basketball program and as individuals, it was about our passion for the game. I think that winning this last game proved that our hard work throughout the season was worth it and it let us end our 2015-16 season on a positive note.”
(02/16/16 9:05pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team split their games last week, beating the Ramapo Roadrunners on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at home, 51-39, and falling to William Paterson University on Saturday, Feb. 13, 61-57. However, with the loss, the team’s New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) playoff hopes ended as they were eliminated from contention and will miss out on further postseason play.
On Wednesday, the team defeated the Ramapo Roadrunners, 51-39, in Packer Hall, improving to 12-11 overall and 8-8 within the NJAC.
“It’s big that we are keeping our postseason hopes alive,” Lions head coach Dawn Henderson said. “We’re taking it one game at a time right now and we know what we need to do — we need to win our next two games in order to make the playoffs. If we lose one, we know that our season will come to an end short of our expectations.”
The Lions jumped out on the Roadrunners in the first quarter, as they scored the first eight points in the game, before freshman guard Alexandra Seedes scored a three-point basket for the visitors. The first quarter ended with the Lions leading 17-7.
The team led throughout the first half. Junior guard Kim Dana gave the Lions an extended lead going into the break, as she made a two-point basket just before the buzzer rang for the half to make it 29-20.
Before Dana’s basket, the Roadrunners had cut the team to 27-20 after three straight points.
Senior guard Angelica Esposito had four out of six points when the Lions scored three straight baskets.
“We got away from our game plan there (with Roadrunners junior forward Kellie Lane scoring six straight),” Henderson said. “She was able to score against us, then I called a time out to change things up. After that, we stopped them from doing those same things and I don’t think she scored another point the rest of the game.”
Lions sophomore center Nikki Schott scored a basket just before Esposito scored to make it 46-35.
Both teams traded baskets in the final minutes, but it was Dana who made a three-pointer for the final basket of the game.
“I’m happy for Kim,” Esposito said. “She’s a good player and she was hitting her shots. It’s good to get others involved in the game and have them lead the team in scoring for a game.”
This was also the final home game for Esposito, guard Jess Lynch and Merlin. Each senior knew that her season was coming to a close.
“It’s been a great journey,” said Esposito, who has had 62 wins with the Lions. “To be a part of this team for the past four years, it’s something that I don’t want to end. It’s been a fun ride and I’ve enjoyed being around these girls. Hopefully, we’ll have at least one more game here so this isn’t the last one.”
On Saturday, the Lions lost to the William Paterson Pioneers, 61-57, officially ending their playoff hopes.
The Lions cut the lead to 59-57 when Lynch made a basket. But the Pioneers made two late free throws to seal the win. The game was tied at 55 before William Paterson went on a 6-2 run to end the game.
The team began the fourth quarter with the lead at 48-44, and held a 55-47 lead, before the home team starts to mount its comeback.
The College dominated the Pioneers in the third quarter, as they scored 22 points. After the game was tied at 39, the Lions went on a 9-5 run to end the quarter.
Esposito had seven of the team’s nine points in the second quarter.
The game was tied at 19 when Pioneers senior forward Brittany Harden made a basket. Esposito’s three-pointer gave the Lions a 22-21 lead before the Pioneers led the rest of the quarter.
They are 12-12 on the season and will close out their season on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at Kean University.
(02/09/16 8:47pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team went 1-2 in three conference games last week. The Lions fell to the Montclair State University Red Hawks, 49-57, on Monday, Feb. 1, and the Rowan University Profs, 66-87, on Wednesday, Feb. 3. The College was able to close out the week on a high with a win against New Jersey City University (NJCU), 74-41.
Before the game began, the senior players were acknowledged for their time with the team during the team’s senior day. The three seniors — guard Angelica Esposito, forward Christina Merlin and guard Jess Lynch — were recognized by head coach Dawn Henderson, as well as the players’ families, who were in attendance.
As a group, the seniors have won 62 games in their four years.
“They’ve had a great season and have been mainstays for us,” Henderson said. “I was really happy for them, but I’m sad to see them go. They’ve been great players here for us over the past four years.”
On Monday evening, in the postponed game from Winter Storm Jonas, the Red Hawks defeated the Lions, 57-49, in Packer Hall. The loss dropped the team to a 10-10 record, as well as a 6-7 record within the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
Seniors Esposito and Lynch led the Lions with 10 points each. The team shot 35.8 percent from the field.
On Wednesday evening, the team suffered a loss to the Rowan Profs at Esby gym in Glassboro, N.J. The loss dropped the Lions to 10-11 overall and 6-8 in the NJAC.
There was only one lead change in this game. The Profs led by as much as 31 points in the second quarter.
Esposito led the team with 20 points. Freshman guard Kate O’Leary added 13 points and junior guard Kim Dana had 11 points. The Lions shot 39.3 percent from the field in the game.
“I think we did a good job of passing the ball around,” Esposito said. “As our coach said, we had 25 assists, so we able to get it inside and out. Everyone was scoring, so it was a fun game all around.”
On Saturday afternoon, the Lions defeated the NJCU Gothic Knights in Packer Hall. The Lions got back to .500 with the win at 11-11, which kept their conference playoff hopes alive.
Right now, the Lions are in the seventh position and there are only three games left in the season. The Rutgers-Camden University Scarlet Raptors have the same 7-8 conference mark — however, they defeated the Lions twice this season, so they have the sixth position.
“It’s going to be really important that we win all three games,” Esposito said. “We’re not really thinking about the end, as we are taking it one game at a time. In the back of our minds, we have to play all out, because we don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Esposito led the Lions with 20 points. Sophomore forward Nikki Schott added 14 points, while Lynch scored 10. The Lions shot 48.4 percent from the field.
The College’s final home regular season game will be on Wednesday, Feb. 10, against Ramapo College, before the team ends with back-to-back road games against William Paterson and Kean Universities.
“We’ve been up and down and the two games that we would love to have back are our first (William) Paterson loss and our last (Rutgers) Camden loss, which we lost by a few points,” Henderson said. “We’ve lost so many close games, but those things happen. We’re focusing on winning one quarter at a time and then go from there.”
(02/02/16 9:42pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team split their games, narrowly falling to New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival Stockton University on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 54-53, but coming up big against Rutgers University-Newark, 70-63, on Saturday, Jan. 30. The Lions head into their crucial remaining conference games with a 10-9 record.
The College is 6-6 within the NJAC and tied for fifth within conference play with Rutgers University-Camden, who has defeated the Lions twice this season.
At this time, Kean University and William Paterson University are tied for fourth with 7-5 records and only the top six teams make the conference postseason tournament.
“I have every confidence in this team that we’ll be where we need to be when the season’s over,” head coach Dawn Henderson said. “I feel we can make the tournament.”
On Wednesday night, the Lions were defeated by the Richard Stockton Ospreys, 54-53, in overtime at Packer Hall for their third straight loss.
The Lions led for much of the game, except in the fourth quarter, when the Ospreys scored 14 points to take the lead.
In the waning moments of the fourth quarter, both teams battled for the lead, exchanging baskets with one another until the game was tied at 53.
“They’re a really good team,” sophomore guard Angelica Esposito said. “They’re doing really well and we expected them to come back on us. I think it proves that we can play with anyone if we can play to our potential.”
With 1.9 seconds remaining, Esposito was called for a controversial foul that sent Ospreys’s sophomore forward Sasha Williams to the free throw line.
“As I said to the kids, I didn’t see a foul,” Henderson added. “What made me upset about it, (was that the referee) made a call against us in the final seconds of our last game. So as much as that’s upsetting, there were other things that we could have done better in the game.”
After missing the first shot, Williams completed the second one, giving Stockton the one-point lead.
Henderson immediately called a timeout following the completed free throw. That advanced the ball to near court in hopes of giving her team a better chance of getting off a good shot.
Sophomore guard Cindy Napolitano was given the opportunity to make the final shot, but was unable to get it off in time and the Ospreys escaped with the close win.
The game was also tied when the score hit 44, 46 and 48 points. Esposito had to make a two-point basket to send the game into overtime.
Williams was a force in the paint, as she scored 22 points for her team when they needed it, while her teammate, sophomore guard Lea Mendolla, added 19 points to the board. Treadwell had six points.
“(Williams and Treadwell) are tough and they’re very good players,” Henderson said. “They have two shooters to balance it out. I thought we did the best that we could against them.”
Esposito scored a game-high 24 points. Napolitano and sophomore forward Nikki Schott had eight points each. Junior guard Kim Dana also had six points and senior forward Christina Merlin had four points.
The Lions’s largest lead was by nine points in the third quarter at 9:45. There was two lead changes and five time that the game was tied. The Ospreys’s largest lead was at 5:11 in the first quarter, when they led by three points.
On Saturday evening, the Lions defeated the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders, 70-63, at the Golden Dome Arena in Newark, N.J. This was the Lions’s first win since Friday, Jan. 13, against Kean University.
There were nine lead changes in this game. The game was tied five times and the Lions led by nine points with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Esposito led the College with 23 points. Junior forward Katy Amato was the other player with double-figures, as she had 12 points. Senior forward Christina Merlin and Dana also added nine points each.
“I think we have to learn from our mistakes,” Esposito said. “We’ve learned a lot from them and do our best. If we can do that and limit our mistakes, we have a good chance of winning on Saturday.”
Freshman guard Kate O’Leary had eight points. Sophomore guard Charlotte Schum and senior guard Jess Lynch had four points each and Schott had a point.
At halftime, Rutgers-Newark led, 28-24. But after the end of the third quarter, the Lions led, 52-49.
Then, in the final quarter, the College pulled ahead, scoring 18 points to secure the win. The Scarlet Raiders were only able to score 14 points in the final session.
(01/26/16 10:48pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team had a 7-2 record during the break, turning their season around after a rough, six loss start and now stand at 9-8.
Currently, the team stands at 5-5 within the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), which ties them with the Kean University Cougars for fifth place.
This past weekend’s games with Montclair State University was postponed due to Winter Storm Jonas and is set to be rescheduled in early February in Packer Hall.
On Wednesday, Dec. 16, the College defeated the Delaware Valley Aggies, 62-54, in Doylestown, Penn. Senior guard Angelica Esposito lead the Lions with 17 points, with eight coming from the foul line in the close game.
There were three lead changes and the game was tied four times. The Lions led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter with 4:13 left in the game.
After Christmas, the College played in the City University of New York (CUNY) Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament in New York City, falling to Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham on Sunday, Dec. 29, 59-56. Sophomore guard Cindy Napolitano scored 11 points, helping her team advance to the championship game against LehMan College on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
There were five lead changes in this game and it was tied three times. The Lions led by as many as nine points in the first quarter with 1:42 left in the game.
In the championship game, the Lions defeated the Lightning, 65-48, to win the tournament.
There was only one lead change in the game. The College led by as many as 30 points in the third quarter with 2:47 left.
In their first game after the new year, the women’s team won, 62-53, at Ramapo College on Sunday, Jan. 6, reaching .500 for the first time this season. Esposito led the team with 22 points against the Roadrunners.
There were three lead changes in the game, and the Lions led with 56 seconds in the third quarter by 13 points.
Three days later, the team was back on the road at New Jersey City University in Jersey City. They defeated the home team in a 63-37 rout. Esposito had 15 points in the game.
On Monday, Jan. 11, the College continued its win streak with a 64-59 win over Stevens Institute of Technology. This game went into overtime, after Esposito sunk both of her last second foul shots to tie the game at 51. But in a nail-biting matchup, the Lions outscored the Ducks, 13-8, to secure the win.
Esposito led the team with 23 points. There were two lead changes and the College had a six point lead with 1:39 in the first quarter.
Two days later, the College won its seventh straight game with a 63-57 win over Kean University. Juniors, guard Kim Dana and forward Katy Amato, led the team with 13 points.
There was only one lead change in the game, and the College led by as much as 15 points with 3:21 in the second quarter.
On Saturday, Jan. 16, the Lions lost their first game since early December, falling, 62-54, to the William Paterson Pioneers.
Esposito led the team with 14 points. The College had a three-point lead with 1:10 left in the first half. The game only had one lead change.
Then, on Wednesday, Jan. 20, Rutgers-Camden swept the season series against the Lions. Esposito and sophomore forward Nikki Schott had 12 points.
The game was tied three times and the College led by four points at 7:44 in the first quarter.
(12/01/15 10:38pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team has lost all three games over the past two weeks, all within a week span before the players and coaches went on Thanksgiving break.
The first two losses came on the road, the first being on Tuesday, Nov. 17, against Moravian College, 76-53, and Saturday, Nov. 21, against Montclair State University, 66-48. The final came in the team’s home opener against Rutgers-Camden on Tuesday, Nov. 24, falling short, 74-71.
Coach Dawn Henderson thinks a few things are keeping the Lions back in their games.
“It’s a combination of things,” she said. “We’re young and we’re trying to figure that out. We’ve also played very good teams — and a few of them got away from us. Widener got away and we could have upset Scranton.”
The game against Moravian was close in the first half, before the Greyhounds pulled away in the second.
The Greyhounds scored 48 points in the final two quarters, while the Lions scored just 23. The College shot 26.7 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from the three-point line. They were 16 of 18 from the free throw line for 88.9 percent.
Junior guard Taryn Corrigan led the College with 12 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal. Forward Christina Merlin and guard Angelica Esposito, both seniors, had eight each and Merlin also had five rebounds. Esposito added six rebounds and an assist in the game.
Junior Kim Dana and sophomore Cindy Napolitano, both guards, had six points each. Dana also had three rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Charlotte Schum, senior Jess Lynch and junior Gina Barrett, all guards, contributed two points each, while sophomore forward Nikki Schott had a point.
On Saturday, Nov. 21, the Lions dropped to 0-4 on the season when they lost their first conference game of the season against the Montclair State Red Hawks.
The Lions led going into halftime, as the score was 36-29. The team had a game-high 22 points in the second quarter.
Much like the game against the Greyhounds, the Lions were outscored in the second half. The Red Hawks outpaced the College, 37-12, in the final two quarters, as they could only muster five points in the third and seven in the fourth.
In this game, the Lions were 32.2 percent from the field. However, they were just 12.24 percent in the second half. They were 32 percent from the three-point line and 2-3, for 66.7 percent, from the free throw line.
Esposito and Schum led the team for 10 points each. Esposito also had five rebounds and two assists, while Schum had three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Napolitano added nine points, while Dana had five and Merlin and Corrigan had four each. Napolitano added two boards, while Dana had three rebounds and four assists. Lynch, Scott and freshman forward Allie Dunn had two points each.
On Tuesday, Nov. 24, the Lions played their first home game of the season against Rutgers-Camden, but fell short as the final buzzer sounded.
The Scarlet Raptors held a 39-32 halftime lead, but were outscored, 39-35, in the final two quarters of the game.
With 15 seconds left, Esposito made a three-pointer to cut the Scarlet Raptors’ lead to 72-71. Schum fouled Raptors’ forward, senior Kamari Talley, who made back-to-back free throws.
Instead of taking the final shot, Esposito passed the ball to Napolitano, who was not guarded by two players, and missed a three to end the game.
The Lions shot 50 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from the three-point line. They were seven of nine, making for 77.8 percent, from the free throw line.
Esposito led the team with 19 points, and added five rebounds and two assists. Lynch added 14 points with six rebounds, an assist and a steal. Dana had 13 points with three rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Corrigan came off the bench with seven, while Amato added four. Merlin and Napolitano added three each, as Schott and freshman guard Kate O’Leary had two each.
“It’s hard to be 0-4, 0-5 as doubt starts to creep in,” Henderson said. “When doubt creeps in, you lose your composure. I thought we lost it a little bit towards the end of the first half. I also thought we lost our composure a little bit in the middle of the second half. That’s going to hurt you, so we’re a work in progress."
The team continues its season on the road against Stockton University on Wednesday, Dec. 2.
(11/18/15 12:39am)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s football team was motivated to win their last game of the season and end on a high mark. Under the Friday night lights on Nov. 13, the Lions were able to do exactly what they wanted to and win their fourth straight game against Rowan University.
Away in Glassboro, N.J., at Coach Wacker Stadium, the Lions defeated the Rowan Profs, 20-0, to close out their season.
Not only did they end the season on a win streak, 4-5, but they also picked up their first shutout of the season. Coach Wayne Dickens expected the team to have their first shutout against the Southern Virginia Knights, but was pleased to close out the season with a blank out.
As they’ve done in the previous games, the team rode on the shoulders of senior running back Victor Scalici, who put up a career-high mark for the third straight game. In his final game in a Lions’ uniform, he had 47 carries for 264 yards.
In his final three games total, he had 620 rushing yards, including 222 yards in his final game on home turf.
With his performance, he individually outgunned the entire Profs offense. They had just 125 yards, with 71 through the air and 54 on the ground.
The Lions also had 79 passing yards by junior quarterback Michael Marchesano, who went nine for nine in the game. Senior tight end Andrew Lachawiec had 31 yards, while sophomore tight end Chase Vena added 28. Scalici contributed 18, and senior tight end Mitch Miller had a catch for four yards.
In the first half, Scalici scored both touchdowns. Scalici added a 15-yard run at 9:40 in the first quarter, as the visitors went up, 6-0. The extra point by sophomore kicker Brian Nagy was blocked. At the 12:52 minute mark in the second quarter, he scored on a one-yard run, as the Lions went up, 13-0.
Marchesano scored on a one-yard run as the Lions went up, 20-0, in the third quarter.
The Lions turned the season around and ended on a winning streak that can possibly carry over into the 2016 season.
(11/17/15 9:01pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team got off to a rough start to their season in the DeSales Tip-off Tournament, on Saturday, Nov. 14. They lost both games to their Pennsylvania competition, Widener University and the University of Scranton, in very close fashion.
In their first game of the DeSales Tip-Off, the Lions lost, 59-53, to the Scranton Lady Royals.
Royals’ junior forward Alexix Roman had 22 points and seven rebounds. She was the only player in double figures on her team.
Other Royals, junior Sarah Payonk and seniors Jaclyn Gantz and Noelle Alicea all had eight points each.
The Lady Royals scored 15 compared to the Lions’ 13 in the fourth quarter for the win. In the third quarter, Scranton scored 22 points, while the Lions had 17.
At halftime, Scranton led the Lions, 23-22. Both teams had 15 in a quarter, while the College had eight in the first quarter and the Lady Royals had seven in the second.
Scranton shot 45.1 percent from the field. They were also eight for 12 from the free throw line. The Lions, on the other hand, shot 36.4 percent from the field and 50 percent from the free throw line.
Freshman Kate O’Leary scored a career-high 15 points in her first collegiate game. She was followed by sophomore Charlotte Schum, who added 14 and senior Angelica Esposito, who scored 12.
Senior Jess Lynch added seven, while fellow senior Christina Merlin added five more.
On the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 15, in the consolation game of the tournament, the Lions lost, 59-55, to the Widener University Pride.
The Pride were led by sophomore Allison Gallagher, who had a game-high 22 points. Senior Brianna Wylie was the Pride player in double-figures, as she had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
At halftime, the Pride led, 31-23. The Lions trailed, 14-10, after the first quarter, then, 17-13, in the second.
Both teams had 10 points each in the third, before the Lions went on a 22-18 run to end the game, but it was not enough to win.
Esposito had 16 points, five rebounds and three assists, along with two steals. Junior Katy Amato added 11 points and seven rebounds, as the two players in double digits.
The Lions shot 35.5 percent from the field. They were three for four from the free throw line, as O’Leary had the lone miss.
O’Leary had eight points in her second collegiate game. Schum added six, while junior Kim Dana had five.
The Lions look to win their first home game on Tuesday, Nov. 17, against Moravian University.
(11/10/15 7:07pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The women’s basketball team will return to the court on Saturday, Nov. 14. They’ll kick off the season playing in the DeSales University Tip-Off Tournament in Center Valley, Pa., where the Lions will see competition from Widener University, the University of Scranton and DeSales.
The team will take on its first opponent in the tournament, the University of Scranton, in hopes of securing a spot in the championship game on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 4 p.m.
The Lions will play their first home game on Tuesday, Nov. 17, when they face Moravian College at 7 p.m. These games will mark the beginning of the final season for the team’s seniors: guards Angelica Esposito and Jess Lynch and forward Christina Merlin.
Esposito led the team in scoring last season averaging 12.2 points and three rebounds per game.
Merlin was fourth on last season’s squad with 7.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest and Lynch averaged four points and 3.3 rebounds during 2014-15.
The seniors will have a larger role this season, filling the gaps of key graduate players. Alumni Kelly Coughlin, Jessica Goldbach and Kylie O’Donnell played their final games last season against Montclair State University in the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament.
Coughlin is currently in the police academy training to be a police officer with the New Canaan Police Department in Connecticut.
The team is welcoming three new freshmen this year. Guard Kate O’Leary hails from Trumbull High School in Connecticut — Coughlin’s alma mater. Forward Allie Dunn comes to the College from Joseph Hill Academy in Staten Island, N.Y. Guard Aly Baggitt joins the team from South Hunterdon Regional in Stockton, N.J.
After the new year, the team will play seven home games including Senior Day, on Wednesday, Feb. 10, against the Ramapo University Roadrunners.
The Lions look to make a competitive run in the NJAC playoffs in the post-season after missing a bid by just a few points last season.
(11/10/15 7:05pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
On Saturday, Nov. 7, senior running back Victor Scalici left everything on the field in his final home game at Lions’ Stadium. In fact, he produced a career-high yardage that will go down in the record books.
Scalici helped the Lions defeat the visiting Southern Virginia University Knights, 23-12. The win is the Lions’ third straight after going winless in the start of the season.
The Lions’ record is 3-5 overall with one game left in the season. The Knights fell to 0-9 this season and remain in the lower end of the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
“It was big to get this season turned around,” Scalici said. “It’s big, and we want to end the season strong. We’ve wanted to win out (the season), and we have Rowan (next). They’re a very good team and we have to work hard to come out with a W.”
Scalici was a huge factor for the Lions’ victory, as he ran for 222 yards on the ground on 35 carries. He also had two of the team’s three touchdowns.
In the third quarter, he scored on a 11-yard touchdown, as the College went up, 14-6. Minutes later, he scored again on a two-yard play, moving the score up to 21-6.
“It’s just a great game,” Scalici said of his performance. “They were grinding up front. We keep talking about hunger and the offensive line was hungry. Have to give the offensive line big props. It was everyone, the wide receivers blocked and the defense was off the charts.”
His previous career-high, 134, came during the Halloween game against the William Paterson Pioneers. Scalici’s 222 yards is a record within the top five of the College’s history, coming close to Joe Clifton in 1987 who had 300 yards against the Ramapo College Roadrunners.
Scalici has also played in every game this season, and has 153 carries for 681 yards and six touchdowns. Last season was a different story for the running back as he was bothered by injuries and played in just two games.
“The injury bug was flying around,” Scalici mentioned of his season last year. “Sophomore year, toward the end of the year, I tore up my shoulder. Last year, in our first game, I hurt my foot. I wanted to come back strong and my teammates were pushing me hard. I have to thank them for everything.”
The Lions had 381 offensive yards with Scalici making up a big chunk of that yardage. The two quarterback system combined for 139 passing yards.
Junior quarterback Michael Marchesano threw for 85 yards, including a six-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Conor Mulholland. The other half of the quarterback duo, sophomore Trevor Osler, threw for 51 yards.
In the onset of the game, Osler threw an interception into the hands of the Knights’ sophomore middle linebacker, Tristen Burnett. He then returned it 54 yards for a touchdown, which gave SVU an early 6-0 lead.
The Knights other score came early in the fourth quarter when they also scored off of another Lions turnover. Scalici was rushing the ball, before he fumbled it at the two-yard line, where freshman defensive back Morgan Smith scooped up the ball and then returned it 98 yards for a touchdown.
“I’m disappointed,” coach Wayne Dickens said. “We gave them both touchdowns. If it wasn’t for those mistakes, we could have had our first shutout of the season. As we’ve done all season, we’ve made mistakes, but we’ve been able to overcome them as of late.”
On the extra point attempt by Southern Virginia, they attempted a fake like they did earlier in the game. However, this time around, the ball was fumbled and it was recovered by Lions’ sophomore defensive lineman Shane Kelley.
“We had a mindset that we were going to stop it, and we did,” Dickens said. “Kelley scooped it up, and in college football, you can take it the other way and score. It’s something that we practice, but we don’t ever really expect it to come into play.”
He returned it for a 98-yard two-point conversion, which put the Lions up, 23-12.
The Lions return to the road for their last game of the regular season against the against the Rowan University Profs on Saturday, Nov. 13.
(11/03/15 11:06pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s football team has now won two straight games. This Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, the Lions defeated the William Paterson University Pioneers, a New Jersey Athletic Conference competitor, 20-17, on the road at Wightman Stadium.
The Lions improved to 2-5 on the season, while William Paterson dropped to 2-6. The College’s conference record also improved to 2-4, while the Pioneers dropped to 1-6.
Junior quarterback Michael Marchesano went five for seven on passing for 58 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while sophomore quarterback Trevor Osler went two for eight on passing for three yards. William Paterson’s quarterback, junior Anthony DiMarsico, went 28 for 45 on passing for 308 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
The College’s senior running back Victor Scalici had 134 yards on 25 carries and sophomore running back Khani Glover had 48 yards, while their teammates had 26 yards total or less all game.
DiMarsico led William Paterson in rushing with 118 yards on 10 carries and the Pioneers’ junior running back Malcolm Robinson had 86 receiving yards while senior wide receiver Mike Vannucci added 69.
Marchesano hit sophomore tight end Chase Vena for a 20-yard touchdown — his first college career touchdown — for the early lead. The extra point attempt by sophomore kicker Brian Nagy failed.
William Paterson kicker, freshman Nick DeAngelis, connected on a 44-yard field goal to cut the Lions’ lead, 6-3. DiMarsico threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Pioneers’ junior running back Malcolm Robinson in the third, as William Paterson led 10-6.
The Lions struck back in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, as both of the Lions’ running backs scored. Glover scored on a four-yard run, bringing the College’s lead up 13-10 and Scalici also added a seven-yard run, increasing the lead to 20-10.
With 5:25 left, DiMarsico broke loose for a 67-yard run for a touchdown, minimizing the score to 20-17.
The College’s defense came up big in the final seconds of the game. On a fourth-and-goal attempt from the Lions’ nine-yard line, DeAngelis attempted a field goal with nine seconds remaining.
Seconds after the ball was snapped, sophomore defensive lineman Troy Domenick blocked the kick and helped seal the victory for the Lions.
With a two-game win streak under their belt, the team returns to Lions’ Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7, to face off against another NJAC competitor, Southern Virginia University.
(11/03/15 9:30pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The University of Mount Union’s Purple Raiders are a dominate Division III college football team from Alliance, Ohio. However, their long-running win-streak received little national press.
On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Purple Raiders defeated the Wilmington Quakers, 69-0. The win was historic because it was the Raiders’ 100th-straight regular season win.
“Our players understand that, right now, we are competing against ourselves, and they hold that in the highest of standards,” Mount Union coach Vince Kehres told the Ohioan newspaper T Tedeschi he Review. “They’re not about letting themselves get complacent. They want to continue to improve. They are certainly locked in right now.”
In fact, in their current win streak they are 210-1 in their last 211 regular season games.
They haven’t lost a game since a 21-14 loss to Ohio Northern University Polar Bears on Oct. 22, 2005.
They had a similar streak in the past, as they won 110-straight regular season contests from 1994 through 2005.
Mount Union had 25 first downs compared to Wilmington’s six in the blowout win. Two of their six first downs came on a penalty.
The Purple Raiders, 7-0 this season, had 533 total offensive yards, while Wilmington (1-6) had just 87.
Purple Raiders’ senior quarterback Taurice Scott had a career-high five touchdown passes in the middle of the second quarter after going 11-of-12 for 254 yards. The team scored a touchdown on their first nine possessions.
“The eye contact between Taurice (Scott) and his receivers was on the money,” Kehres said in the same Monday, Oct. 26, article. “There were a couple of plays that became evident of the rapport he’s developed with them.”
Scott also had two rushing touchdowns. He had a 19-yard rushing touchdown at 13:14 in the first quarter, then added a four-yard touchdown run at 8:41.
Senior running back Logan Nemeth also added a seven-yard run for the Raiders.
Mount Union stopped the bleeding in the second half, as they only scored three times, including two field goals. In the third quarter, junior kicker Jake Antel completed a 33-yard field goal.
With 1:30 left in the third quarter, freshman defensive back Louis Berry had a 40-yard interception returned for a touchdown. Antel also had a 20-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
“You can’t be upset if you don’t get a lot of interceptions, and at the same time, if you get them, you have to take them with a grain of salt,” Kehres told The Review. “With our style of play (a match zone-man combo) we don’t get to see a lot of quarterback reads right before the throw so we might not get as many interceptions. There were some balls that were hung up there and we made some plays.”
With such an impressive style of play it is surprising that this team is still receiving little coverage compared to larger teams who don’t do as well. As the team continues to succeed, the press should keep them on its radar as they reshape the way fans view Division III football.
(10/27/15 4:53pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
As family, friends, alumni and students gathered for the Homecoming festivities, the football team had the breakthrough they had been waiting for all season and overcame the Montclair State University Red Hawks, 23-20, on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Lions’ Stadium.
This win snapped the Lion’s losing streak in their first triumph since last November against Kean University. Their record is now 1-5.
Coach Wayne Dickens is now 2-1 in Homecoming games as the Lions’ head coach. He’s also 2-1 against the Red Hawks in his three-year tenure at the school.
“It’s tough in the sport of football, as you have to physically come out and play hard every week,” Dickens said. “When you don’t get that joy at the end of winning, you have to dig deeper the following weeks to come out and play. We’ve been able to do that, and it finally paid off for us. Montclair has a heck of a team —they’re strong at just about every position. The difference was we made some key plays when we needed to make them.”
As the time was expiring, Red Hawks quarterback Ryan Davies threw a pass into the end zone as the six remaining seconds were coming off the clock. The ball hit several players’ hands but fell to the ground, prompting the Lions to rush out onto the field to celebrate the triumph.
“That’s a huge play,” Dickens said. “You go over it in practice, but we don’t rep it in practice. You want to high-point the ball, and I saw a defensive players hands higher than the rest. He made sure the ball didn’t get caught in the end zone. That’s what you have to do in that play.”
With the Lions up by 10 in the fourth, the Red Hawks went on a four-play drive that resulted in a 28-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Julanee Prince from Davies.
The Lions led, 10-0, against the Red Hawks after they had several fumbles that set up scoring plays. First, kicker Brian Nagy connected on a 25-yard field goal for the 3-0 lead.
On the next drive, Lions’ junior quarterback Michael Marchesano threw a pass, which was deflected into the hands of wide receiver Nick Craig for a 27-yard touchdown.
“It’s always hard to play catch up, but we had the lead this time,” Craig said. “We knew it wasn’t enough, and thankfully, we were able to go out there and score some more. Our defense really helped us out today.”
In the waning minutes of the first half, the visitors got on the board, as running back Denzel Nieves scored on a five-yard touchdown.
Davies hit wide receiver Aaron Williams for a three-yard touchdown for the lead. However, the extra point was blocked for the 13-10 lead.
“Neither of them were to me, as they were both to Conor (Mulholland),” Craig said. “I went up and tried to make something happen. Luckily, I was in the right place at the right time.”
After an interception by Lions’ junior defensive back Jordan Rogers in the third quarter, quarterback Trevor Osler hit wide receiver Mulholland for a 22-yard touchdown. With the extra point, to put the Lions up, 17-13.
Marchesano’s pass deflected into the hands of Craig for a 25-yard touchdown. The extra point was missed for a 23-13 lead.
“It says a lot about the guys, and that’s who these guys are. These TCNJ guys are going to do that now when they’re football guys and do it after graduation when they’re out in the business world,” Dickens said. “That’s the way they are. That’s their make-up. They will always play hard. We don’t always get the success at the end of it that we want, but we’ll play hard.”
Montclair State drops to 3-4 on the season. In addition, the loss snaps their three-game win streak.
The Lions will, appropriately, take on the orange and black William Paterson Pioneers for a Halloween away game on Saturday, Oct. 31, in Wayne, N.J.
(10/21/15 12:30am)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
Three weeks out from their last game, the Lions returned to the field. However, the result was the same as they continued their winless streak this season on Saturday, Oct. 10, with a 45-14 loss at Lions’ Stadium to visiting Wesley College.
The Wolverines, who are ranked No. 5 in the country for Division III football, improved to 5-0 overall, while the Lions dropped to 0-4, a record that has since dropped to 0-5.
Early on, it looked liked the College was the better team on the field even though they were competing with a top five team in the country.
A few minutes into the game, the Lions had a 7-0 lead when junior quarterback Michael Marchesano hit Max Boersteol for a 38-yard touchdown down the middle of the field.
However, after the poor start, Wesley regrouped and dominated the rest of the game. The Wolverines scored 28 straight points to end the first half, then added an additional 10 points in the second half.
Lions coach Wayne Dickens says the team practices enough, but can’t finish on the field.
“We practiced every day and we didn’t sit around and eat bonbons,” he said. “We were able to come out and execute and early on, we executed sharply. Then, the bug-a-boos started to come along — with us making a mistake, or us getting a huge penalty at the wrong time. When you’re playing teams that are ranked in the ‘D-III’ rankings in the nation, you can’t make those errors. It’s too hard to overcome it.”
Junior running back Jamar Baynard scored Wesley’s second half touchdown, while senior kicker Eric Speidel connected on a 25-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Early in the third quarter, the Lions’ defense came up huge with a goal-line stop. After the Wolverines got the ball to the one-yard line, senior quarterback Joe Callahan was stopped on two straight plays.
Then, on a fourth and one play, Wesley decided to give the ball to Baynard, who was also stopped with no gain. Lions senior linebacker Zack Vasilenko came up with the instrumental goal-line stop to force the turnover on downs.
That gave the Lions’ offense momentum, but the game continued to slip away.
“That was a huge stop for our defense,” Vasilenko stated. “That set the momentum for the entire second half. I wish we would have done it sooner, but I won’t say much more than that. It was a great stop.”
Just seconds into the second quarter, the Lions took a 14-7 lead when sophomore signal-caller Trevor Osler hit senior wide reciever Nick Craig for a huge 40-yard touchdown.
“It’s a play that we have ready and we practice from a consistent landmark on the field,” Dickens said. “We line up and we rep it. We were able to execute it when we needed it. We bought time with a play-fake and we had enough time and the ball was thrown where it was needed to be. It paid off for us.”
After that touchdown, the Lions’ offense didn’t produce another point for the rest of the game.
“We knew there were some opportunities and we were able to take advantage of them early,” Dickens said. “That set them up on their heels a bit and we had a chance. But the same old bug-a-boo comes back to get us in the end. When we were playing mistake-free football, it was an interesting game.”
New Jersey Athletic Conference newcomer Frostburg University continued the trend of every team this season on Saturday, Oct. 17, when the Bobcats defeated the College, 19-6, at Bobcat Stadium.
Junior Isaac Robinson started the game with a 32-yard field goal at 11:17 for the early 3-0 lead.
The Bobcats freshman signal-caller Conor Cox hit senior receiver Antonio Wood for a six-yard touchdown with 26 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Sophomore quarterback Joe Beckford, who threw for 92 yards, hit junior wide receiver Austin Bosnail for a 20-yard touchdown, as the home team went up 16-0.
In the fourth quarter, junior Isaac Robinson kicked a 30-yard field goal to give the Bobcats a 19-0 lead.
Lions junior quarterback Michael Marchesano scored on a six-yard run with a little more than six minutes remaining in the game. Sophomore kicker Brian Nagy had his extra point blocked.
The Lions return home this Saturday, Oct. 24 for homecoming. They face Montclair State, who will look to damper the homecoming festivities.
(09/24/15 12:25am)
Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s football team is struggling out of the gate this year. The team can’t buy a win, as they are 0-3 to start the season.
The Lions’ latest loss came to the Kean University Cougars, 23-6, on Saturday, Sept 19 at Lions’ Stadium in front of a crowd.
The Cougars have run over their opponents in the past two games. They had 1,133 total offense, including 601 in this game, for the 2-0 team.
While they are on the same page, Lions coach Wayne Dickens has said that the team has made too many mistakes in each loss, especially the past two weekends at home. Now, the team will have a bye week, before returning home on Saturday, Oct. 3.
In the third quarter, the team had the ball for over five minutes. However, they were not able to do much besides just eight yards.
“We find a way to not make plays when we need them,” Dickens said. “We have to get over that hump and it’s not an easy up. Once again, it was us and it wasn’t them. We had opportunities to be productive and we didn’t take advantage of those opportunities.”
The Lions made two mistakes in the red zone that would end up costing them in the long run. Quarterback Michael Marchesano threw two interceptions.
The first interception was in the end zone. Then, he threw his second interception at the one-yard line.
Marchesano and fellow quarterback Trevor Osler had 250 combined passing yards. With 11:19 left in the game, Osler hit senior wide receiver Conor Mulholland for a 63-yard touchdown, before a failed extra point.
The Lions had just 35 yards on the ground. They also had just 285 yards overall.
Kean had 338 yards on the ground, including 148 by Damian Corridor. Tyler Rodriguez threw for 263, and had a touchdown, as he hit Tahj Hammary for a 29-yard reception in the fourth for the 23-0 lead.
Kyree Tyson-Jones scored on a 10-yard rushing touchdown, before Steve Ferlisi made a 24-yard field goal as time expired for halftime for the 10-0 lead.
Corridor then added a one-yard run with 25 seconds left in the third.
“It gets old and it gets hard fighting from behind all the time,” Dickens said.
(09/09/15 9:28pm)
By Anthony Caruso Staff Writer
In recent years, the College has kicked off football season with a non-conference opponent. However, this year, the team broke tradition and started the season with a new New Jersey Athletic Conference opponent on Saturday, Sept. 5.
The Lions lost to Christopher Newport University, 31-21, at POMOCO Stadium in Newport News, Va.
The College drops to 0-1, in the season and in conference play, while the Captains are both 1-0.
This was the first ever meeting between the two teams. This is also the debut of the new NJAC for football that features powerhouses Wesley, Salisbury and Frostburg State.
Lions quarterback, junior Michael Marchesano, went 16 of 27 for 238 yards and a touchdown. Alternate quarterback, sophomore Trevor Osler, went three of four for nine-yards and a touchdown.
For the Lions, senior running back Victor Scalici led the team in rushing for the College with 60 yards. Senior wide receiver Kyle Anderson, sophomore running back Khani Glover and Marchesano combined for 12 more yards.
On the other side of the field, Captains senior Tyler Quigley went 13 of 16 for 208 yards and two touchdowns. The Captains were led by Arsaiah Robinson, who had 87 rushing yards and a touchdown. Daquan Davis added 58, while four other backs added 40 yards. Robinson began the scoring with a 71-yard run for a touchdown. Less than four minutes later, their kicker Dylan Curran kicked a 22-yard field goal for the 10-0 lead.
Quigley threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Loudan to make it 17-0. With nine minutes left in the second quarter, Quigley connected with Kyree Burton for a 35-yard touchdown reception.
Glover had 61 yards for the Lions, while senior tight end Andrew Lachawiec added 54. Junior Jeff Mattonelli had 51, while senior Kyle Anderson added 39. Four other receivers had 42 yards.
The Lions defense were led by senior Sean Kley and sophomore Kevin Hennelly, who had 11 tackles each. Senior Mic Edwards led the Captains with nine tackles, with three others had six.
Each team then traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Quigley scored on a one-yard touchdown, as the Captains went up 17 points.
The Captains led 17-0 following the first quarter. Then, they added an additional touchdown in the second.
The College was held scoreless in the first two quarters. While the Lions had zero on the board, the Captains had a 24-0 lead.
Late in the third, the Lions finally got on the board with Glover scoring on a one-yard run. Then, with 36 seconds remaining in the quarter, Lachawiec caught a five yard touchdown to make it 24-14.
Glover caught a 61-yard pass from Marchesano for the last score of the game, making the final score 31-21 in favor of the Captains.
The football team returns to action this Saturday, Sept. 12, against FDU-Florham with a noon kickoff at Lions’ Stadium.
(09/01/15 8:08pm)
By Anthony Caruso Staff Writer
Sure, winning and losing matters in this double elimination tournament. However, the biggest part of this entire experience is to interact with each other.
They get to put their towns on the map during these two weeks. But the friendships are what is going to last longer — as they get to hang out with each other in The Grove, or in the pool.
The games are played on pristine fields at Volunteer and Howard J. Lamade Stadium. The championship games are hosted at Lamade Stadium, where more than 100,000 people took in the three championship games this past weekend.
On Saturday, Aug. 29, Japan went into extra innings to defeat Mexico in the International Championship game. A few hours later, Lewisberry, Pa. outlasted Pearland, Texas, for the United States Championship.
Lewisberry, Pa., who was representing the Mid-Atlantic region, was trying to become the first overall championship for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1960. That year, a Little League team from Levittown, Pa. won it all.
On Sunday Aug. 30, two undefeated teams took to Lamade Stadium in from of 42,000 fans. The majority of the fans were in red, as they were rooting for Red Lands Little League, but they saw Japan overcome an early deficit for an 18-11 win.
After scoring eight runs in the first inning, Japan’s Manager, Junji Hidaka, fired up his team. His actions worked, as the far Eastern hitters wound have 22 hits in the game.
“I told the players it doesn’t end until it ends,” he said through a translator after the game.
The Kitasuna Little League followed with seven in the second and four more in the third. They added an additional five runs in the sixth, putting the game out of reach.
This same Little League team also won it all in 2010 and 2012. Plus, Japan has won it all 10 times, including four in the past six years. They have won the second most overall championships, as Taiwan has the most with 17.
Japanese pitcher Daiki Fukuyama began the game on the mound, however he did not make it past the first inning, as he was removed without an out being recorded. After another pitcher, Hidaka gave the ball to Nobuyuki Kawashima, who lived in California for four years, before moving to Japan.
In the top of the second, Yugo Aoki hit a three-run home run to cut the lead to 10-5. Then twin brothers, Kengo and Shingo Tomita, hit solo homers.
Fukuyama did not let his troubles on the mound affect him at the plate, as he hit a two-run double to make it 10-9.
Japan tied the game in the third after Shingo Tomita hit another solo home run. Then, just three batters later, Masafuji Nishijima hit a three-run home run to give Kitasuna a 13-10 lead.
“They put the bat on the ball,” Tom Peifer, Pennsylvania manager, said. “They hit pitches I’ve never seen kids, especially 12-years-old, hit.”
It was 13-11 going into the fourth. After several scoreless innings, Japan added five in the top of the sixth.
Lewisberry, Pa. had a powerful offense, but Kawashima was able to shut them down. After coming in the second inning, he gave up one run and two hits over five innings.
“[Sunday] my fast ball wasn’t good enough,” Kawashima said. “I knew my breaking ball had to be on the corner — down low — where the batters can’t reach too far or it just get them off-balance.”
The United States team fell to 15-35 in the final against international competition. But while Lewisberry, Pa., was upset over the outcome, they did become the first team from Pennsylvania to win the United States Championship since Shippensburg in 1990.
Also, they were a part of the championship game that set a record for most runs with 29, which was previously 23 in 1947. The 10 runs in the first inning and 30 hits for Lewisberry were a record, as well.
In addition, the eight-run deficit is the largest ever overcome in a Little League World Series game.
“There are a lot of tears, even from myself, to know that the run is over” Peifer said. “But we quickly told them, ‘When we leave here, let’s get the tears out, because there is nothing to be sad about.’”
(08/25/15 9:32pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s football team has been preparing for their upcoming season, begins away from home on Saturday, Sept 5 against Christopher Newport University, hoping to get rid of the memory of the 2-8 record from last season.
Christopher Newport is a new team within the New Jersey Athletic Conference, along with Salisbury University, Wesley College and Frostburg State University. Of these new teams, Salisbury and powerhouse Wesley are the only ones coming to campus. Both will visit in back-to-back weekends, as Salisbury comes to Lions Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 3, then Wesley comes the following weekend.
In total, there are going to be six home games this year. Following the Christopher Newport road trip, they won’t return to the road again until Saturday, Oct. 17, for Frostburg State in Frostburg, Md. The team will also go road tripping on Halloween to William Paterson and to end the season on Friday, Nov. 13, at Rowan University.
All of the team’s games will be a noon kickoff except homecoming, which will start at 1 p.m. against Montclair State University on Saturday, Oct. 24.
The Lions are hoping to improve their offensive efforts this year – since in 2014 they averaged 10.5 points a game, while the opponent averaged 27.4.
The team is also hoping to improve their record, especially at home. Last year, the team’s only home win came on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014, against Kean University by a score of 20 to 10.
With sophomore Trevor Olser at quarterback, the team has a bright future. He will be joined in the backfield by sophomore Khani Glover who led the team in rushing. Glover had 107 attempts for 407 yards and also had five touchdowns.
Many of the team’s receivers are returning, as well. Seniors Conor Mulholland, Nick Craig, Kyle Anderson and Andrew Lachawiec; junior Jeff Mattonelli and sophomore Gabriel Rios are back at the helm and will give Osler numerous opportunities to move the ball.
Mattonelli led the team with 35 receptions for 312 yards and two touchdowns and Mulholland added 23 for 220 yards and a touchdown. Craig contributed 13 for 145, while Lachawiec had 11 for 158.
The defensive unit is going to be strong once again. Senior Sean Kley is the leading tackler returning, as he had 81 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, a sack, an interception, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery last season.
Other key returning players include seniors Zack Vasilenko, Jeffrey Skomsky and Martin Flately and junior Abdelrahman Ragab. All of-- these returning players were in the top six of defensive stats last season.
Vaselinko had 71 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for a loss, an interception, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry, while Skomsky, who only appeared in seven games, added 51 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, a sack and a fumble recovery. Flately added 50 tackles, a tackle for a loss, an interception and a fumble recovery and Ragab contributed 31 tackles and 3.5 tackles for a loss.
As the team continues its camp leading up to the new season, they are looking forward to the upcoming competition.
(05/06/15 9:48pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s lacrosse team finished its regular season this week with two home games before winning their season finale at Kean University on Saturday, April 25.
The girls ended the season with a 14-3 record, including wins in their final four games of the season.
On Tuesday, April 21, the College hosted the Richard Stockton Ospreys. In conference action, the game ended with a 13-1 win for the College.
The Lions struck first as senior Kendal Borup scored. However, junior Skyler Mahoney-Kendra tied the game for the Ospreys at 1-1.
Freshman Amanda Muller increased the College’s lead to make it 3-1, and sophomore Mia Blackman added another goal before halftime to make it 4-1.
In the second half, senior Ava Fitzgerald scored four goals. Muller added two more, and Borup and Blackman each added their second goals. Junior Cortney Natalicchio scored her 34th goal to begin the second half.
Sophomore Kelly Schlupp made two saves and allowed a goal for the win in 60 minutes. Ospreys junior Goalie Mary Stornes made 12 saves and allowed 13 goals in the loss.
On Thursday night, April 23, the women’s lacrosse team hosted Senior Day in front of 52 fans. For those in attendance, they saw the Lions roll to a 15-1 win.
Before the game started, the team recognized the six seniors. Those included Fitzgerald, Borup, Lauren Karpovich, Erin Healy, Sam Iacouzzi and Soraya Selamie.
“I thought it was a perfect way to go out,” Fitzgerald said. “The way that they did the Senior Night was special. We were super excited to play our last in-season final home game.”
The Lions jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first half, including four goals by Fitzgerald. Borup and Natalicchio had the other goals.
“I thought we really came together as a team,” Fitzgerald said. “With our team, anyone can step up. There’s not one player that a team can stop.”
After halftime, Borup came out with four straight goals of her own, increasing the lead to 10-0. Muller and Natalicchio scored back-to-back goals as the game went to 12-0.
With 11:10 left, Blackman made it 13-0 with her first goal of the game and 19th overall. Then, Fitzgerald scored back-to-back as the game went to 15-0.
“I thought we played very well,” coach Sharon Pfluger said. “We had the lead early, so we just had to maintain it. I thought we didn’t make any mistakes, and the team effort was good. I’m proud of the girls.”
Schlupp played the first 49:15 of the game. She did not register a save or allow a goal for the win. Christina Fabiano came in to play the final 10:45 and made one save.
On Saturday, April 25, the college ended its regular season against the Kean Cougars. At the Kean Alumni Stadium, the Lions rolled to a 17-3 win in front of 79 people in attendance.
Muller scored the first goal before the Cougars took a 2-1 lead. Following the short-lived lead, the College scored the next eight. Borup had three, while Natalicchio added two more. Muller, Fitzgerald and Healy also scored.
“We played our game, and we did our best,” Pfluger said. “We knew we were going to face them again (on Wednesday, April 29, in an NJAC tournament game), as it appeared we were going to play back-to-back games. We played smart on Saturday.”
Borup and Natalicchio made it 11-3 in the first half. After halftime, it was all Lions, as they scored the final six goals of the game.
Borup scored two of the six and Muller, Blackman, Natalicchio and Karpovich scored the remaining goals.
Schlupp allowed three goals with no saves in 60 minutes for the win.
“(Schlupp) has played great for us this season,” Fitzgerald said. “When she’s been called upon, she has made key saves when we needed her, too. We wouldn’t have the record we would if it wasn’t for her, especially in the close games.”
(05/06/15 8:49pm)
By Michael Battista and Anthony Caruso
Sports Assistant and Staff Writer
The women’s lacrosse team entered the NJAC Tournament on Wednesday, April 29, hoping to win their fifth straight title — and they did, with a 14-5 win over Rowan University at Lions stadium.
The first match of the tournament was against Kean University at home, in a rematch of the regular season final.
The Lions jumped out to an early lead in this game with a 4-0 start. Cougars junior Jordan Blanda made it 4-1, before the Lions scored the next five goals. The team was up 9-1 at the end of the first half. In the second half, the College scored five times compared to the Cougars’ three goals. The College had two goals scored by freshman Amanda Muller while seniors Erin Healy and Kendal Borup and sophomore Jaclyn Douglas also scored in the second half.
Lions goalie, sophomore Kelly Schlupp, made five saves and allowed four goals in 60 minutes compared to Cougars freshman Nikki Apostolopoulos, who made eight saves and allowed 14 goals in Kean’s loss.
The Lions had a few days to rest before their next game, against the Rowan Profs on Saturday, May 2, at home. The team had past success against the Profs in the regular season last month 12-4, and hoped they could repeat.
The Lions jumped out to a 6-0 start before the Profs even got on the board. Borup scored twice and Healy scored the final three goals of the first half, giving the Lions a 10-3 lead. After the Profs scored five minutes into the second, the Lions scored four straight unanswered goals, capped off by junior Courtney Natalicchio.
Schlupp made two saves and allowed five goals in 60 minutes for the win, while her counterpart, Profs freshman Erin Horner, made four saves and allowed 14 goals in the loss.
With the win, the team clinched the New Jersey Athletic Conference title and will now have more than a week off before their 31st straight appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament.
Senior Ava Fitzgerald said that the team is ecstatic about their title, but need to look forward to nationals.
“Winning NJACs is a great experience,” she said. “We have come a long way since the start of our season and I have no doubt we have a lot more room to grow and excel as the national tournament begins.
The NCAA announced that the Lions will host St. John Fisher College in the second round of the tournament on Sunday, May 10.
“This is such an exciting time and being a part of the tournament is an honor.” Fitzgerald said, “I can’t wait to see what else we can accomplish as a team.”