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(05/06/15 7:06pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
Last week, the College made the announcement that Matt Goldsmith was named the new men’s basketball head coach. This is Goldsmith’s first appointment as a head coach.
While he may be new to head coaching at the collegiate level, Goldsmith is no stranger to New Jersey. He is a Morristown, N.J., native and a Delbarton High School graduate.
He is replacing former head coach Kelly Williams. Williams resigned earlier this year following his new appointment as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics — External Affairs.
“I’m super excited to join the TCNJ family,” Goldsmith said. “I’m also excited to get back down to New Jersey, and I’m originally from New Jersey. So being able to come home and coach college basketball at such a prestigious school that has such great academics, it’s an honor.”
Goldsmith added that he’s extremely excited to coach for the Lions.
“It means the world to me, and I’m a family guy first,” Goldsmith said. “This move allows me to be closer to my family — and join such a great academic family.”
Goldsmith said that all the pieces fell into place when the job became available. He also said that recruiting in New Jersey helped him get the job.
“I’ve been recruiting N.J. for a long time,” he said. “The guys that I like to coach and be around — are those high academic student-athletes. I think to coach at The College of New Jersey, we’re going to have student-athletes that want to be coached the right way — you go to class and you do well in class, but you also excel on the court.”
He comes to the College from Amherst College in Massachusetts where he was an assistant coach to David Hixon for the last three years. During his tenure there, the team had a 78-14 record.
Goldsmith won the 2013 National Championship while at Amherst. He was also a player on the school’s first National Championship team in 2007.
“I think any time you have a new head coaching job, you do feel a little pressure, especially after how well former head coach Kelly Williams did last year,” Goldsmith said. “He had an awesome year last year, and I’m coming in with big shoes to fill. I think for me, at Amherst, I’ve been doing a lot of the head coaching duties with coach Hixon. I’ve been doing a lot of the head coaching duties for the last two years. I think I’m ready to step into that role.”
Upon being named the Lions’ head coach, one of the first tasks was to meet with his new players. He met with the players on Wednesday night, April 29, and followed that with individual meetings with each returning player for about a half an hour.
While the team is losing Jayson Johnson, Skylar Ettin and Alex Fox to graduation, he’s still excited about the roster that is returning next season. He, especially, is very interested in coaching star player junior Bobby Brackett.
“I think losing Johnson, Ettin and Fox are big losses, as they did the right things on and off the court,” Goldsmith said. “There are a lot of young guys around a very good, talented big man — in Bobby Brackett. I’ve been able to see Bobby on tape, and he’s a very special talent. He’s a great player with unbelievable athleticism.
“I think if we continue to put the right pieces around Bobby and continue to build on last year, we can hopefully win 15 or more games. If we do that, we have a very good chance of performing in the NJACs.”
While Goldsmith would like to win 15 games each season, the Lions are coming off of a season, where they went 15-11. They also went 11-7 within the New Jersey Athletic Conference, and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2008-09 season, which was Williams’ first season as head coach. In the conference playoffs, the team lost to New Jersey City, 74-60, on Saturday, Feb. 21.
The NJCU loss was the end of Williams’ tenure at the school. In seven seasons, he went 64-111, including the career-best 15-11 record this past season.
In addition, Williams has also helped Goldsmith transition to the college.
“I’ve spoken with coach Williams a few times,” Goldsmith said. “He’s been very helpful, as he’s been helping me out throughout the entire transition. He’s been a great help. I think he’s going to be a great asset for me when I have questions about the College, the guys, and the potential recruits. I think it’s going to be a good fit moving forward.”
(04/22/15 9:45pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s lacrosse team had a tough game in the middle of the week when on Wednesday, April 15, they hosted the No. 1 team in the country.
The Trinity College Bantams traveled from Hartford, Ct. to play the Lions. The visiting team traveled three-plus hours for the 7 p.m. game.
They traveled more time going back and forth than in actual game time, which lasted just an hour and 54 minutes. Yet, that did not matter, as the top-ranked team won 15-8, over the Lions.
“Playing against the top-ranked team in the country was a game we, the seniors, had been asking for since the end of last season,” senior attacker Kendal Borup said. “We made the most of our small victories, like caused turnovers and ground balls, and I think we ultimately learned a lot to prepare us for more competitive games in post-season.”
This was their first loss since Sunday, March 19, at Gettysburg College, where they lost 13-12 in overtime in Lancaster, Pa.
In the first half, the Lions jumped out to a 3-0 lead with goals by junior Courtney Natalicchio, Borup and sophomore Mia Blackman. Abby McQuillian made it 3-1 for the Bantams before senior Erin Healy and Blackman scored to make it 5-1 for the College.
But the Lions’ lead did not last long as Trinity College scored six straight goals to take the 7-5 lead at halftime.
Borup scored back-to-back goals to tie the game at seven before the Bantams went on another goal-scoring streak. They then scored eight-straight goals, including two more by Griffin and another one by McQuillian.
Natalicchio scored the final goal of the game with 37 seconds left.
Sophomore Kelly Schlupp picked up the loss after allowing 15 goals in 60 minutes. She made three saves.
On Saturday, April 18, the Lions returned to action at home against conference rival, Montclair State Redhawks. Like Wednesday night, the home team jumped out to an early lead – however, this time, it was a 5-0 lead.
With the win, the Lions are a perfect 4-0 in the conference and 11-3 overall. The Redhawks dropped to 4-1 within the conference and 8-5 overall.
“The Montclair State game was the biggest game for our conference this year,” Borup said. “Because we beat Montclair, we will be able to host the NJAC tournament, which gives us an important home field advantage. Montclair played really well, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them again in the NJAC Finals.”
Natalicchio scored twice, while Borup, senior Ava Fitzgerald and Blackman also scored. Montclair’s Sophomore Francesca Verrone scored her 25th goal at 14:35 before Borup and Natalicchio added additional goals. Freshman Amanda Muller also scored, to make it 8-2 at the half.
Natalicchio began the second half with her 32nd goal of the season before Bussiere scored her 29th for Montclair. Borup scored her 54th before Erin Healy joined the party with her 13th to make it 11-3. Schlupp picked up the win while allowing seven goals in 60 minutes.
“We would not be doing as well as we have been this season if it was not for (Schlupp),” Natalicchio said. “She really steps it up in the big games and pulls through big for the team when we need her.”
On Tuesday, April 21, the Lions host the Richard Stockton Ospreys at 7 p.m. Then, on Thursday, April 23, the team hosts their final regular season game and also Senior Day against the Neumann University Knights at 7 p.m.
(04/22/15 9:10pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
Ava Fitzgerald has found a home on the College’s lacrosse team over the last two years. The senior midfielder has been a clear leader for the Lions, recently scoring her 100th career goal.
But her collegiate career did not start that way, as she decided to stay close to home with her first institution.
She started out thinking that she was going to attend Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y. After committing to attend school there, she joined a list of seven players who transferred to Stony Brook University, two months after Adelphi head coach Joe Spallina became the head coach at Stony Brook.
“I guess you could say that Stony Brook chose me,” Fitzgerald said. “Without a clear direction as to my future plan, lacrosse was a large portion of my original college decision. Committing to a big name, successful program meant a lot to me at the time. Being that I had committed to Adelphi University first, the switch to Stony Brook happened pretty fast after finding out the coach was moving schools.”
After two seasons at Stony Brook, it was time for her to move on. Fitzgerald made the switch to the College, which she said was very necessary for her at that point in her life.
“After two years at Stony Brook, I finally had my priorities straight and could see a clear future path for myself,” Fitzgerald said.
She explained that she realized Stony Brook was ultimately not making her happy and didn’t have her desired major of Health and Exercise Science.
“Once I decided to make the transfer, TCNJ was the only school I could see myself at,” Fitzgerald said. “Having already developed a relationship with such an amazing coaching staff, I was comforted and excited knowing I would be playing for them. Knowing that this school had the major I finally saw a career for myself in, along with a very prolific lacrosse program, I put all my energy into making sure it would be the school I would attend after my transfer.”
At the Division III level, Fitzgerald has dominated with 67 goals in her first campaign at the College, which led the team in scoring. This season, as a senior, she has 39 goals with the Lions, including her 100th career goal scored on Tuesday, April 7 against Rowan University.
“To be honest, I hadn’t realized I scored my 100th goal until one of my teammates saw the article posted online after one of our games,” Fitzgerald said. “But what I can say is that having the opportunity to make the most of my last two years as a collegiate athlete has meant the world to me. Scoring my 100th goal was just a result of being in an environment where I love what I am learning and love playing my favorite sport again. I am a firm believer in surrounding yourself with people and things that make you happy, and once I did that, the rest just fell into place for me.”
Fitzgerald is currently second on the team with 39 goals. Fellow senior Kendal Borup leads the team with 55 goals. The eighth-ranked lacrosse team is 11-3 on the season with three games left in the regular season.
“The level of lacrosse at TCNJ is much like that of a DI level,” Fitzgerald said. “I think that the major separation for me is the decreased level of stress and increased focus on academics. Aside from making some amazing friends, Stony Brook as a whole was not the best fit for me. Transferring to TCNJ gave me the ability to chase my dreams in terms of my career, and to have fun playing lacrosse again.
The move was not only about academcis, though.
“The level of play at TCNJ is very competitive, always keeping you on your toes and I think that is one thing I love so much about it,” Fitzgerald said. “The athletes here play because they want to be here and because they love the sport, and surrounding myself with those people has only made the transfer that much more enjoyable.”
(04/15/15 4:24am)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s lacrosse team had two blowout wins this week, both on the road and a tight win at home on Thursday, April 9.
The Lions are now 10-2 on the season. With the win on Thursday, they are a perfect 5-0 at home this season.
On Tuesday, April 7, at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., the Lions defeated the Profs, 12-4.
Traditionally, Rowan has been a tough opponent for the College. However, this year, the Profs have struggled.
The Lions jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the first, then 5-1 in the second half in front of the 78 people in attendance for the game at Coach Wackar Stadium.
Senior Ava Fitzgerald led the Lions with six goals, including the 100th of her career, while fellow senior Kendal Borup added five. Junior Cortney Natalicchio scored the other point.
Sophomore Lions goalie Kelly Schlupp made four saves and allowed four goals in 60 minutes for the win. Her counterpart, Profs freshman Erin Horner, made eight saves and allowed 12 goals in the loss.
On Thursday night, the Lions escaped with a two-goal win over the Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks. The College won 7-5 in front of 51 fans at Lions Stadium. The loss snapped the Ducks’ eight-game winning streak.
Both teams scored three goals each in the first half, as there was a dominant defensive effort on each side. Stevens jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the half before the College battled back to score the next three goals to make it 3-2. Stevens scored in the final minute to make it 3-3 with a goal by freshman Julianna Ricci.
Borup and Fitzgerald went on to score right after halftime to give the home team a 5-3 lead. After trading goals throughout, the game stood at 7-5.
The Ducks cut the lead to 7-6 with 1:18 left in the game. However, the goal was waved off following an illegal stick.
Then, after getting possession, the College ran out the clock for the win.
Schlupp made five saves and allowed five goals in 60 minutes for the win. Stephanie Schneizer, a freshman from Stevens, made seven saves and allowed seven goals for the loss.
On Sunday, April 12, the Lions rolled past the Salisbury Sea Gulls in Salisbury, Md. They won, 10-3, at Sea Gull Stadium in front of 200 fans.
On the road, the College jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first half. In the second half, they also scored five goals, but the Sea Gulls added three of their own.
Fitzgerald and Borup each scored three goals. Sophomore Mia Blackman scored twice, while senior Erin Healy and freshman Amanda Muller scored once. Schlupp made two saves and allowed three goals in 60 minutes for the win.
(04/11/15 6:33pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The women’s lacrosse team successfully came home with two blowout wins this week, as both victories were by more than 15 goals each.
On Tuesday, March 31, the team returned to Lions Stadium for the first time since Tuesday, March 10. In this game, the College went on to roll past Manhattanville Valiants, 18-0.
The Lions scored 13 goals in the first half before adding five in the second half. The Valiants did not register a single shot on goal in the game.
The attack was led by seniors Kendal Borup, Ava Fitzgerald and Erin Healy. Combined, they had 10 of the goals, and junior Cortney Natalicchio added four more.
Junior Megan Devlin, sophomore Mia Blackman and freshmen Kelsey Aeberli and Amanda Muller added a goal each.
“Having these past two wins at home allowed our team to really prepare ourselves for the rest of the season,” Fitzgerald said. “We were able to try some new things, see what worked and what didn’t necessarily suit us best. We have grown a lot as a team, and continue to grow as the season progresses, and being able to see that growth is exciting.”
Lions sophomore goalie Kelly Schlupp played the first half, before being replaced by freshman Christina Fabiano. Fabiano played the second half while Schlupp picked up the win.
Valiants sophomore goalie Lauren Cassidy allowed all 18 goals in 60 minutes and recorded only two saves.
On Saturday, April 4, the College also cruised past the Ramapo Roadrunners. In this game, they won 17-2 over their New Jersey Athletic Conference opponent.
The Lions led 14-2 in the first half before adding three more in the second half. The home team had 25 shots, while the visiting team from North Jersey had only six.
Fitzgerald scored six goals in this game, while Borup added three. Natalicchio, Blackman and Muller each scored two.
They were also joined by seniors Healy and Lauren Karpovich, who scored a goal each.
Schlupp was in net for the Lions for 35:50 and picked up the win while making a save. She was replaced by Fabiano, who finished the remaining 24:10 and had a save during her time in net.
Next up for the 7-2 Lions are the Rowan Profs in Glassboro, N.J., on Tuesday, April 7. So far this season, they are 3-2 on the road and perfect at home.
“These past couple of games have allowed us to get some newer faces on the field, which is always important,” Fitzgerald said. “The new faces are the future of the team, and getting them playing time is only going to benefit us in the long run. I think we are well prepared going into Rowan and know what we need to do to get the job done.
(04/02/15 12:04am)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The women’s lacrosse team was a perfect 2-0 this week, even though both of the games were on the road in Pennsylvania.
With these wins, they are now 5-2 on the season. However, they’re 3-2 on the road and 2-0 at home.
On Tuesday, March 24, the College traveled to Collegeville, Pa., to take on the Ursinus College Bears whom they defeated, 11-3, in an hour and 35 minutes.
The Lions scored seven goals in the first half and added four in the second half. The Bears, conversely, scored a goal in the first and two in the second.
Junior Cortney Natalicchio scored four goals, while senior Kendal Borup added three goals. Freshman Amanda Muller added two, while sophomore Mia Blackman and senior Ava Fitzgerald had a goal each for the College.
Bears goalie Margaret Philbin picked up the loss for Ursinus, who had seven saves in 49:57 minutes. Meaghan Corbin made three saves in 10:03.
Kelly Schlupp picked up the win for the College, while making five saves in 60 minutes.
On Saturday, March 28, the Lions returned to Pennsylvania as they faced the Eastern University Eagles. Much like the Ursinus game, this was another blowout win.
In this game, the College won 17-1 over the Eagles. The team scored 12 first half goals and five in the second half, while Eastern only had a second half goal.
Fitzgerald and Borup each scored four goals for the Lions. Four players had two goals each, including senior Erin Healy, Blackman, Muller and Natalicchio. Freshman Emily Kratz also scored a goal, the first of her career. The Eagles lone goal came from Victoria Rath.
Alina Odjemski picked up the loss, as she gave up 10 goals and made four saves in 12:31. She was replaced by Courtney Adnres, who made two saves and allowed seven goals in 47:29
Schlupp picked up her fifth win and made a save in 46:41 in the Lions’ win. Then, she was replaced by Christina Fabiano, who allowed Rath’s goal at 13:19.
(03/26/15 3:34pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s lacrosse team is .500 in their last four games, having rotated wins and losses during this time.
On Tuesday, March 10, they were able to defeat Cabrini College, 16-6, at Lions Stadium. They scored seven goals in the first half and nine in the second. Cabrini was able to score three goals in each half.
Senior Kendal Borup led the Lions with six goals while her teammate, junior Courtney Natalicchio, had three. Seniors Ava Fitzgerald and Erin Healy and sophomore Mia Blackman each chipped in two goals each.
Cabrini was led by Lacie Doubet and Bree Thompson, who scored two goals each.
Sophomore goaltender Kelly Schlupp made three wins while picking up her second win of the season. Cabrini’s Megan Barlow made five saves in the loss.
The Lions lost their first game of the season on Saturday, March 14, against Messiah College. They mounted a huge second half comeback but fell one goal short, losing 12-11 in Grantham, Pa.
The College scored four first-half goals and seven in the second half. Messiah had eight in the first and just four in the second.
Borup once again led the Lions in goals, this game with four. Natalicchio and Fitzgerald added three each, and sophomore Nina Costantino scored, as well.
Messiah goalie Alexa Dipeso had 13 saves and picked up the win. Schlep had seven saves in the loss.
Then, the College rolled past Rutgers-Camden, 17-1, on Tuesday, March 17, at the RUC Community Park in Camden, N.J. The Lions had 11 goals in the first half and six in the second.
The Scarlet Raptors were held to just one goal in the first half. Borup had four goals in this game for the Lions. Fitzgerald, Blackman and freshman Amanda Muller scored three goals each.
Costantino scored twice, while Healy and sophomore Ana Baranowski added solo goals.
Schlupp picked up the win and made one save before being replaced by freshman Christina Fabiano at 44:09.
In their most recent game, the Lions lost to Gettysburg College, 13-12, in Gettysburg, Pa., on Thursday, March 19.
Gettysburg jumped out to a 9-4 lead at halftime. Then, the Lions outscored them 7-2 in the second half to tie the game at 11-11 to go into the extra session.
The game went into overtime as Gettysburg scored two goals in OT while the Lions scored once.
Borup recorded five goals for the visitors while Natalicchio added four more. Fitzgerald added two goals, and Muller added one more.
Shannon Keeler had six saves and picked up the win. Schlupp dropped her second game while making four saves.
(03/10/15 2:01pm)
Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The women’s basketball season came to an end on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Montclair State University after losing 58-53 to the Red Hawks in the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament.
The team finished with a 16-11 record and also ended the season winning seven of their last eight games.
In their final game, the seniors combined for 32 points. Kelly Coughlin led with a team-high 13 points while Jessica Goldbach had 11 and Kylie O’Donnell added eight.
“(Coughlin), (Goldbach) and (O’Donnell) are irreplaceable,” coach Dawn Henderson said. “They have been our heart and soul and will be greatly missed. Their leadership both off and on the court really is what led us to our 7-1 finish.”
Junior Angelica Esposito had nine points while junior Christina Merlin added six and Jess Lynch had four. Sophomore Katy Amato had the other two points.
The Red Hawks were led by Juanita Aquino, who had a game-high 20 points. She was followed by Melissa Tobie, who had 18.
The Lions led for nearly the entire first half. The only time they didn’t was when the Red Hawks got the first basket of the game.
The Lions were up by as much as nine points in the first half with 5:18 left. In the second half, the Red Hawks led by seven points with 15:24 remaining.
The home team began the second half with back-to-back three pointers by Aquino. Then, Melissa Tobie added a two-point basket to make it 33-27.
The game was tied at 37 with 11:08 remaining when Coughlin made another basket. The team was down 37-35 following back-to-back baskets by O’Donnell and Merlin.
Coughlin made a key three pointer to make it 42-41 before Montclair State scored six straight to make it 47-42.
In the final minute, the Lions were down 56-53 after the score being 53-50 minutes before. The Red Hawks made both free throws to secure the win.
“I am so, so proud of the team,” Henderson said. “Nobody but us thought we could win. We came out right from the opening top and just played so tough. We played our game and that’s what allowed us to take and hold the lead in the first half.”
(03/04/15 11:02pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The women’s lacrosse team had an early start to their season. Traditionally, they have begun the first week of March, but this season, they started the season just days before the end of February.
The snow limited the team’s practice leading up to the game. According to coach Sharon Pfluger, the team was only able to practice at Lions Stadium just two days before the game because of the inclement weather.
The team struggled at times as they opened the season, yet were able to escape with an 11-8 win over the FDU-Florham Devils at home on Friday, Feb. 27.
“I’m really happy that we won,” Pfluger said. “I don’t think we played our best, but it’s only our first game.”
In the second half, senior Ava Fitzgerald added two goals, bringing her total to four on the day. Senior Kendal Borup also scored another goal, while fellow classman Erin Healy scored her first of the year. Freshman Amanda Muller scored the final goal of the game.
“I think overall the team played well,” Fitzgerald said “There are things we need to do better and things we successfully carried out. This first game was a good opportunity for us to begin to mesh in the game setting.”
The Devils saw goals by Courtney Rendinaro and Brianna Capobianco. Joelle Manganella scored twice in the half, while Brienna Reasoner added her second of the game.
“Rendinaro definitely drove hard to goal, which was a great way for us to see what we need to work on as a defensive unit,” Fitzgerald said. “Our team works hard at breaking things down and using every opportunity we can as a learning experience to continue to grow and improve. I have no doubt that moving forward teams will have a harder time breaking through our eight-meter defense.”
The Lions led 6-3 at halftime. Junior Courtney Natalicchio scored a first half hat trick. Fitzgerald added two goals, while Borup had the other goal in the half.
“Natalicchio was able to step up and provide the team with some momentum to keep our lead, and our transition game allowed me to capitalize on scoring opportunities on the attacking end,” Fitzgerald said. “Moving forward, we are expecting big things from a lot of players, given the depth we possess.”
Rendinaro had two goals in the first half for the Devils. Reasoner had the other goal.
Lions goaltender Kelly Schlupp made three saves, while giving up seven goals. Her counterpart, Grace Warburton, made five saves and gave up 10 goals.
The Lions will return to action this Saturday, March 7, in their second game of the season, which will also be home. This game will be at 1 p.m. against Neumann University.
(02/25/15 7:41pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
This Friday, Feb. 27, the College’s women’s lacrosse team will return to Lions Stadium where they will face Fairleigh Dickinson College at Florham at 4 p.m.
It will be their first home contest since winning their first-round NCAA tournament match against Susquehanna University on May 10, 2014. Although they won this match 19-7 and defeated Washington and Lee University 13-7 a week later, the Lions ultimately lost to Amherst College on May 18, 2014 to end their season.
Last season, the Lions went 19-2 overall, including a perfect 6-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, en route to a fourth-consecutive NJAC title. They were 11-1 at home with a 7-1 road record and 1-0 at a neutral location.
“After a 19-2 record coming off of last season, our main goal looking forward is to start fresh,” senior Ava Fitzgerald said. “Even after a successful season, there is so much to reflect and improve on. Starting this season with some new faces, we are setting big goals for ourselves.”
They have been picked as the seventh-ranked team in the country to begin the season. This season, they will be tested with several top-10 opponents.
“Looking to eliminate those two losses and having an undefeated season would be an obvious accomplishment,” Fitzgerald said.
Salisbury University, who is the defending national champion, is the No. 1 ranked team. The Lions will travel to Salisbury, Maryland on Sunday, April 12, and will then face No. 2 Trinity College on Wednesday, April 15.
They will also travel to No. 6 Gettysburg College on Thursday, March 19.
Last season, the team averaged 16.43 points per game, while giving up 5.62.
The College graduated key losses, including Jen Garavente and Lauren Pigott. Garavente had 63 goals and 33 assists for 96 points in 21 games while Pigott added 56 goals and 21 assists for 77 points.
“Losing those four is definitely tough,” senior Lauren Karpovich said. “They were amazing players and even greater leaders.” However, Karpovich is thankful for the opportunity to play with them.
Senior Kendal Borup is the highest point scorer returning. She had 61 goals and 28 assists for 89 points. Fitzgerald is the only other player in the top five in scoring that is returning, as she had 67 goals and nine assists for 76 points.
“In order to reach our ultimate goal this year, which is to make it to the national championship, we must all step up which is something I know we will do,” Karpovich said. “Every single person on the team must play at a higher level this year.”
The Lions do have their starting netminder returning. Kelly Schlupp started 17 of the 21 games. She made 63 saves and gave up 104 goals during her 18-2 record.
“(Schlupp) is amazing,” Karpovich said. “She ended the season as one of the top goalies in the country.”
Karpovich hopes to build on last season’s success and win a national championship.
“When this season is finished, we want to make sure we finish on empty, and leave no dream left behind,” she said.
(02/25/15 7:40pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team had to win on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in order to have a home playoff game on Saturday, Feb. 21. At the end of each game, the Lions came out victorious and are now scheduled to move on to the next round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament playoffs.
Now, the ladies will travel to Montclair State to play the Redhawks on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.
“They’re a tough team,” junior guard Angelica Esposito said. “We’re going to have to be prepared for them. We also have to play our best to come out of their with a win.”
On Wednesday’s regular season finale, the Lions defeated the Kean University Cougars, 72-54, at Packer Hall. This was their sixth-straight win.
Esposito led the Lions with 23 points, while senior Kelly Coughlin and Jessica Goldbach contributed 16 and 11 points.
At one point, Kean’s Najha Treadwell outscored the entire Lions’ team 8-2 to cut the lead to 53-45. Esposito and junior Christina Merlin scored to make it 57-45. Coughlin later put the lead to 12 before ending the game with an 18 point lead. Treadwell had a game-high 24 points.
With the score 40-30, the Lions held to a 10 point lead. Kean then cut it to eight at 40-32, before Esposito scored a three-pointer to make it 43-32. Seconds later, it was back to 15 at 48-33.
After halftime, the College scored back-to-back baskets before Treadwell made it 34-26, following two more baskets. Kean then made it 38-30 following a basket.
The Cougars scored three straight baskets to make it 27-21, then Esposito made a three-pointer with seconds remaining. The Lions led 30-21 at halftime and ultimately left the court with a victory.
“My teammates did a good job of getting me the ball,” Esposito said. “We tried to run our plays, but they were cheating up on everything, so we were getting a lot of backdoor cuts.”
On Saturday afternoon, the Lions edged out a win over the William Paterson Pioneers, 63-61, at Packer Hall in the first round of the NJAC playoffs.
Esposito had 19 points while O’Donnell added 14. Merlin had eight while Coughlin and Goldbach had seven apiece.
On Saturday, Feb. 14, the last time the two teams met, Pioneers’ Brittany Harden had a game-high 23 points against the College in a 78-68 Lions’ win.
“We watched a lot of tape, and we know that she liked to drive to the basket,” Esposito said. “Today, she wasn’t able to do that. She had to shoot more from the outside, which gave us an advantage.”
The game came down to O’Donnell making key free throws. She was a perfect 4-4 to score the final four points.
Following a timeout with the score 9-8, William Paterson went on to lead 20-10. Although back-to-back baskets by Amato and Merlin brought the score to 20-14, the Pioneers pushed the lead again to 22-14.
“They were more aggressive on defense,” Henderson said of the Pioneers’ lead. “I expected that. That’s their game, and that really bothered us in the beginning of the game. We were thinking too much and not playing the game.”
Esposito made a three-pointer to make it 27-20 before O’Donnell made it 27-23. Haines gave the Pioneers a 29-23 lead before Esposito and Merlin cut the lead to 29-28 at halftime.
Shortly after halftime, the game was tied at 32. This was the first time that the game was tied since the score was 6-6.
Neither team had a runaway lead in the second half. The Pioneers led by just four, while the Lions led by six at one point.
With a 57-54 lead, Esposito made a key three-pointer to make it 60-54.
“That was a huge shot,” Coach Dawn Henderson said. “Ang has nerves of steel. I don’t have to worry about Ang taking shots.”
Ultimately, the Lions came out victorious in the matchup.
“We didn’t play our best,” Esposito said. “But when we needed a score or a defensive stop, we were able to do that. We knew we needed to win to get to the next level.”
(02/18/15 6:25pm)
Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
With only a handful of opportunities left to play for the College coming into this week, seniors Jessica Goldbach, Kylie O’Donnell and Kelly Coughlin made it count.
Each has scored over 20 points in the past two games. Goldbach had 24 points following back-to-back 12-point performances. O’Donnell had 23 including 18 points on Saturday, Feb. 14. Coughlin had added 21 points.
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Bradley Center on the Ramapo College campus, the Lions won 62-44 in front of the 125 in attendance.
Coughlin led the Lions with 13 points, while Goldbach had 12 and junior Angelica Esposito had 11.
There were only two lead changes, with the Lions holding the largest lead at 20 points in the second half. The score was tied three times. Ramapo’s only lead was 14:25 into the first half.
On Valentine’s Day, the Lions rolled to a 78-68 win at Packer Hall. This game was Senior Day, as the coaching staff and the crowd of 163 recognized the efforts of the three seniors.
“We had a lot of family, friends and former teammates in the stands. It just makes for an exciting atmosphere, and you just have to thank them for the support,” O’Donnell said. “The game got close a couple times, and it gave us the edge to push through.”
O’Donnell led the way with 18 points, while Esposito had 15. Goldbach had 12 and sophomore Katy Amato scored a career-high of 11 points.
The Lions had a 15-point lead with 36 seconds left in the first half. The game was tied once and there was one lead change.
“We’ve been swinging back and forth all season, so it’s nice to swing upwards with a five-game winning streak,” coach Dawn Henderson said. “We’ve fought so hard and especially with these seniors to get us moving in the right direction. It wasn’t pretty the entire time, but we embraced ourselves, worked our butts off and were able to come out ahead.”
Wednesday, Feb. 18 is the regular season finale, as they face Kean University at 6 p.m. at Packer Hall.
“I have looked ahead as any coach would, and I’ve said, ‘Maybe this person will beat that person,’ but there’s a lot of basketball left in one game,” Henderson said. “If we take care of our business at home against Kean, we’ll finish in fourth place and we’ll have a home game (in the playoffs).”
(02/11/15 6:32pm)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team has been perfect in conference play this week, winning both games, and continuing to fight for a spot in the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs.
The team moved into a tie for fifth place with Kean University and Rutgers-Newark. However, while all three teams are tied, Kean is the leader with a 12-10 record, followed by the College also at 12-10, while Rutgers Newark has an 11-11 record.
“For me, especially as a senior, I’m looking at one game at a time,” guard Kelly Coughlin said. “Once one game is over, it is immediately time to prepare for the next one. As nice as it is to have won the last three games, we need to cherish each game we have left and place equal importance on each of them.”
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, at Packer Hall, the Lions won 57-48 over Rowan University.
Senior Jessica Goldbach had 15 points and eight rebounds. This was the second time that she had 15 points this season.
“Jess has been playing great and is a big reason we were able to win the last couple games, Wednesday included,” fellow senior Kylie O’Donnell said. “She is a tough player for teams to defend because she is tall and can make tough catches and layups in the paint, but she can also step outside and knock down shots from three. She has not only been great on the offensive end, but has also played a huge role defensively and on the boards.”
O’Donnell also had 14 points. She had 17 points combined in her previous three games.
“Wednesday night was an important game for us in the conference, and as a team, we talk about doing whatever it takes to get a win,” O’Donnell said. “Sometimes my team needs me to distribute the ball to get the offense going, and other times they might need me to score more. I just try my best to play whichever role is needed each game. I happened to score some points on Wednesday, but the awesome part about our team is any player is capable of stepping up on any given night.”
Additionally, on Saturday, Feb. 7, the Lions won 62-53 over the Gothic Knights of New Jersey City University. In the all-time meeting, the Lions lead 53-3, including 13 straight wins.
Coughlin lead the team with 16 points. in her first 16-point performance since William Paterson on Saturday, Jan. 17.
“Yesterday, my shot just felt natural to me,” Coughlin added. “Coach was telling me to feel the rhythm of the game, and my teammates kept encouraging me to take the open shot, so I did my best to shoot when they left me open and drive when they tried to get up on me.”
Junior Angelica Esposito also found her shot with 11 points, coming off her worst game with just three points against Ramapo College on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
She’s had 16 double figure games this season, including a career-high 23 points against Rutgers-Newark.
“Ange plays a huge role on this team whether it be scoring or leading the offense as a point guard,” Coughlin said. “She’s an excellent passer and is such an aggressive player that can drive or hit a long range three pointer. Yesterday was no different in that she was able to produce points and get our offense going through a variety of play calls.”
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the team travels to Ramapo College for a 5:30 tip-off. This is their final road contest of the regular season before hosting the final two games at home on Saturday, Feb. 14 against William Paterson and Wednesday, Feb. 18, against Kean University.
“At this point in the season, every game is basically like a playoff game,” O’Donnell said. “We look at Wednesday’s game at Ramapo as the most important game of the season. That is our team’s mentality. One game at a time. We will practice hard and prepare on Monday and Tuesday and head up to Ramapo Wednesday with the goal of getting a win and getting better as a team.”
(02/05/15 12:09am)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
Angelica Esposito has had to carry the women’s basketball team in scoring the past two games. As her junior regular season is coming to a close, she wants to get to the playoffs.
Esposito and her teammates still have an opportunity to make the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs. At 10-10, they know they must win three to four of their remaining conference games to make it.
“We’re excited to be back at .500,” Coach Dawn Henderson said. “We tried a couple of different things, and it worked for us. We struggled and didn’t shoot particularly well at times. I’m glad they were rewarded for the hard work.”
The College lost 62-52 to Richard Stockton at the Sports Center in Galloway, New Jersey on Wednesday, Jan. 28. The team struggled to score 30 points in either half.
The Ospreys were up as much as 13 points in the first half. And although the College held a three-point lead at 11:35 in the second half, the gap gradually closed.
The team was led by Esposito, who had a team high of 15 points. She was followed by juniors Jess Lynch and Christina Merlin, who had 10 points each.
“My teammates did a good job in getting me the ball,” Esposito said. “We do a good job of sharing the ball. I was able to make the shots, while other days, it could be any one of my teammates.”
Freshman Nikki Schott contributed six points, while fellow classman Cindy Napolitano added five. Senior Jessica Goldbach scored four, while senior Kelly Coughlin had two.
For the home team, Sara Farrell scored 15 points, as well. Sasha Williams scored 13, while Lauren Alwan had 11.
However, later on the College defeated the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders, 65-57, at Packer Hall on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Rutgers-Newark led by as much as eight points with 4:58 left in the first half. The Lions also had an eight-point lead with 1:27 left in the game.
Jade Howard had 21 points for the Scarlet Raiders. Shala Glenn added 12 points, while Maria Simmons had seven points.
“(Howard) is a very good player,” Esposito said. “Luckily, we got her into foul trouble in the first half and early in the second half, so she was in and out. It was hard for her to be comfortable and get a rhythm. She’s a great player, and the best player on their team by far.”
Both Rutgers players Arianna Williams and Sharée Gordon scored six points. Jasmine Lombard had five points.
Esposito scored a career-high 23 points for the Lions. Freshman Charlotte Schum also scored a career-high 11 points, while Coughlin added another 11 points.
“We were very excited coming into this game,” Schum said. “We prepared very well, and we came out with a lot of energy. We had very good shots against their defense … and we looked for the open gaps. Once we had an open shot, we had to make it count.”
Sophomore Katy Amato scored six points, Lynch and Goldbach had four points. Cindy Napolitano had three points, while Merlin had two points, and senior Kylie O’Donnell one point.
The past two games, the team shot only 38 of 118 from the field. They were shooting just 31 percent over this two game stretch.
“When we were going back and forth, our shots weren’t falling in the first half,” Schum said. “We knew they would fall eventually.”
(01/30/15 12:11am)
By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
As the spring semester begins, the women’s basketball team remains in a difficult position after dropping two straight games. The Lions record is now 9-9 overall and 4-7 within the conference.
The team has shot just 36 of 125 from the field in their past two games.
“Every game from now on is very important to us to make the playoffs,” junior guard Angelica Esposito said. “We need to keep working hard in practice to improve everyday. When we are struggling with our shooting, it is hard to score, but if we keep running our offenses and are confident, we will be able to hit the open shots.”
On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Lions lost their first game to a fellow conference member, the Rutgers-Camden Scarlet Raptors. The Lions did not have a single lead in the game.
The Lions had tied the game once before the Raptors went on a run to lead by 15 points with 1:40 left in the game.
Kamari Talley, who is regarded as a Division I talent, lead Rutgers-Camden with 20 points. She also had 14 rebounds, two assists, five steals and a block.
“She is a great player, and having her on their team really has helped them improve,” Esposito said. “She is very diverse and can handle the ball well, which helps them utilize their talented post players and outside shooters.”
Michelle Obasi was the only Scarlet Raptors player in double figures, as she had 14 points. She added five rebounds, two steals and an assist, as well.
Esposito scored a game-high 17 points for the Lions while both seniors Jessica Goldbach and Kelly Coughlin scored nine.
“Our team has always been about sharing the ball and finding the open player,” said Esposito of her game-high performances. “Over the last few games, my teammates have done a good job of finding me when I’m open, and I have been able to knock down some shots. Our team has so many great shooters that, each game, anyone is capable of scoring many points.”
Freshman Nikki Schott scored four points, while junior Christina Merlin added three. Both freshman Cindy Napolitano and senior Kylie O’Donnell contributed two points.
On Saturday, Jan. 24, the Lions lost to NCAA/USA Today Coaches’ poll, sixth-ranked Montclair State Red Hawks. The Lions lost 64-45 in this game at Montclair’s campus.
This was the second double-digit loss. Each of their four of losses since Wednesday, Dec. 10, were all by double digits.
“We can improve our intensity on defense through communication,” Coughlin said. “This doesn’t mean screaming and getting worked up, but rather strategically talking about cutters and shooters so that we can get stops. This frazzles the other team when we talk and increase ball pressure.”
The College led by one point at 16:45 in the first half. They had 15 bench points and 10 points in the paint.
Esposito also led the team with a game-high 13 points this past Saturday. Coughlin scored nine points.
Both O’Donnell and Napolitano scored six points. Junior Jess Lynch had four points, while sophomore Katy Amato scored three points. Both Schott and Merlin had two points.
The Red Hawks had three players in double-figures, as Janitza Aquino had 12 points, Melissa Tobie scored 11, while Katie Sire had 10.
Sage Bennett also chipped in nine points for Montclair, while Kayla Ceballos scored eight points. Tobie’s sister Kate scored six points, while Taylor Harmon had five points.
This week, the team will look to get their first win since Saturday, Jan. 17. The team travels to Richard Stockton on Tuesday, Jan. 28, before hosting Rutgers-Newark at home next Saturday, Jan. 31.
“I think to get two wins this coming week, we need to have a lot of energy consistently throughout the game,” Coughlin said. “We feed off of each other’s excitement during the game, and that’s what makes the game fun. If we have fun and play together, we have such a strong group that not everyone can be stopped from scoring, and our offense will flow from our defensive intensity.”
(12/01/14 8:54pm)
The College’s women’s basketball team tied its record at 1-1 at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at York College, P.A. on Sunday, Nov. 16. The Lions defeated Cazenovia College, 88-52, in the consolation game.
This is the first time that the Lions played in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. They previously played in the White Rose City Classic in 2010.
“Being part of a Coaches vs. Cancer is always a rewarding experience,” senior guard Kelly Coughlin said. “It’s a reminder that we have the privilege to be playing the game we love when some have much tougher battles to face. It’s always nice seeing teams and fans wearing pink to show their support.”
Both Coughlin and junior guard Angelica Esposito led the Lions attack with 15 points each.
Senior forward Jess Goldbach added 14 points. Sophomore guard Kim Dana came off the bench to score a career-high 11 points, while freshman Cindy Napolitano contributed nine points.
“We are a team where many different people can score for us in each game,” Goldbach said. “(Sunday) we did a great job at sharing the ball and moving the ball inside, outside and around their zone. This allowed our shooters to be open outside and knock down shots.”
Cazenovia had only one player in double figures, as Mary Salo scored 12 points. Junior Erin O’Malley added nine points, while freshman Megan Plahanski had seven points in her college debut.
The Lions led by as much as 36 points in the second half. They had 30 points in the paint and scored 30 points off turnovers.
“We mix up our defenses during the game to keep the other team from being too comfortable,” Goldbach said. “So our defensive stops helped us to push the ball forward and get some easy baskets at the other end.”
The Wildcats only had eight points off of turnovers and 22 points in the paint.
The Lions led 12-9 before going on a 17-0 run to make it 29-9 with 6:36 left. At halftime, the College led 41-27.
Both teams lost on Saturday, Nov. 15, in the tournament, as the Lions lost to Ursinus College, while Cazenovia College lost to host York College. The College lost 63-52 to Ursinus on Saturday afternoon.
Coughlin led the Lions with 19 points. Fellow senior forward Jessica Goldbach added 11 points, and sophomore guard Kim Dana was a bucket away from being the third in double figures with eight points.
“I was able to score 19 points because my shot felt natural, meaning I wasn’t thinking about it, and this was because my teammates were giving me great passes and setting hard screens,” Coughlin said. “We worked the ball in and out of the paint a lot, and I was able get to an open spot to shoot. As much as scoring can feel great and can fuel the offense, I’d take a win with scores across the board any day instead of scoring a ton of points in a loss.”
Junior forward Jessica Porada led the Bears with 17 points. Sophomore guard Gianna Pownall added 14 points, while junior guard Alyssa Polimeni and junior forward Caroline Shamrock contributed 10 points each.
Ursinus had 28 points in the paint and 20 points off of turnovers. They also had 15 bench points and 10-second chance points.
The Lions were held to 18 points in the paint and eight points off of turnovers with 13 bench points and 10-second chance points.
“Turnovers mean empty possessions, and that’s how a team can lose a lead or extend a gap when they’re losing,” Coughlin said. “I think turnovers hurt us because it allowed Ursinus to do what they want, which is run up the floor and push ahead in transition. Limiting our turnovers is key for maintaining our confidence and having more opportunities for time of possession to run our offense.”
The Lions led by five at halftime, 30-25. They increased the lead to 36-29 before the Bears used a 22-11 run in the final 15 minutes to win.
(11/16/14 3:10am)
The College’s football team was looking to make it a two-game win streak when they traveled to Virginia this past Saturday, Nov. 8. However, things did not go the way they had hoped.
The Lions, who were making a long-distance road trip, fell 28-21 in the game at the Southern Virginia University campus in Buena Vista, Virginia.
“I thought I could have played better,” Osler said. “There was definitely room for improvement. I made plenty of mistakes, but there was also some positives.”
This was the Knights’ first win on the season, as they improved to 1-8 and 1-5 in the NJAC. The Lions are also 1-5 within the NJAC, but they are 2-7 overall.
The College came into this game following a 20-10 win against Kean on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Lions Stadium. It was its first win at home on the season and its first win since Friday, Sept. 12.
This was the closest game that the Knights played since a 28-27 loss to Kean in New Jersey on Saturday, Oct. 4. All of the other games during that span were blowouts.
Following a 47-yard punt by junior Lions kicker and punter Evan Costello to the Southern Virginia three-yard line, the returner fumbled the ball. It was recovered in the end zone by sophomore Alshamiere Fields.
“The fumble recovery for the touchdown was huge from an offensive perspective,” Osler said. “We take a lot of pride in our special teams, and it showed on Saturday. Great play by Evan and Al, and any time (when) our special teams can put up points on the board, it makes our job a little bit easier.”
Harper caught a 17-yard reception from Stevenson to make it 7-6. Following this touchdown, a Shawn Honeycutt rushing attempt failed.
Harris caught his second touchdown pass from Stevenson for 13-yards at 1:50 left in the second quarter to make it 14-13. Sophomore Lions wide receiver Jeff Mattonelli caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from freshman signal caller Trevor Osler to put the College up 14-6 at 5:03.
“The pass to Jeff was the perfect call for that situation,” Osler added, “The offensive line gave me plenty of time and I let Jeff run underneath it and make a great catch. Big plays like that are momentum boosters.”
Lions back Khani Glover scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown to put the Lions up 21-16. Knights’ kicker Kieren Phelps gave SVU a 16-14 at 11:26 in the third.
Knights senior wide receiver Michael Goering caught a 20-yard touchdown from Stevenson to put SVU up 22-21 with 3:43 left in the third. Following the Goering touchdown, the two-point Stevenson pass attempt failed.
Later, junior wide receiver Kyler Harris caught a 31-yard touchdown from senior quarterback Mitch Stevenson on a three-yard drive to make it 28-21 at 13:17 in the fourth. The Lions failed to counterattack, however, and the game ended without any more scoring.
The Lions will close out their season at home this Friday at 7 p.m. against the Rowan Profs. The College can play spoiler here, as the Profs can clinch the 2014 NJAC Football Championship with a win.
The Lions haven’t defeated the Profs since a 7-0 win in Glassboro, New Jersey on Saturday Nov. 12, 2011. Since then, the Lions have been outscored 71-21 in the past two games against their end of the season rival.
(11/06/14 2:48am)
With November’s arrival, the College was hoping to break free of its losing streak and start the new month off with a fresh win. So, the Lions football coaching staff decided to change things up, putting freshman Trevor Osler on the field as the starting quarterback, his first career start.
Typically coming into games late during the five-game losing streak, Osler impressed in the starting position, going eight of 16 for 88 yards and earning two touchdowns. In effect, Osler helped the College overcome cold, rainy conditions and defeat the Kean University Cougars 20-10. It was the Lions’ first NJAC win of the season.
“(Osler) played a whale of a game,” Coach Wayne Dickens said. “We needed him to step up and play for us this week. That’s why you have three — when a couple are dinged up, you can play somebody else and play effectively. He did a great job for us.”
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Lions (2-6, 1-4 NJAC) that began with a 48-0 shutout to No. 1 ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater on Saturday, Sept. 20. This was the team’s first win since Friday, Sept. 12, when they won 17-13 over FDU-Florham in Madison, N.J.
The College used a strong defensive effort and forced five Kean turnovers. The defense had three sacks, as well.
“Defense played lights out,” Coach Wayne Dickens said. “If you win the turnover battle, you often win the football game, and that’s what we did.”
Matthew Fleck, a senior outside linebacker, had two of the four interceptions, and junior Zack Vasilenko had a game-high of 13 tackles for the Lions.
“Our defense played unbelievably,” Osler said.
Sophomore Kean signal-caller Robert Meade III went 12 of 24 for 126 yards. He also had three interceptions and two sacks, before being replaced by freshman Charles Vellis. He went zero for three with an interception and a sack.
Kean’s Quadir Johnson, junior wide receiver, had five receptions for 59 yards, while senior running back Will Ingram had four receptions for 34 yards. Senior wide receiver Brandon Robinson had a reception for 26 yards, while junior tight end Jonathan Schmitt had two catches for 10 yards.
Lions junior wide receiver Conor Mulholland had three receptions for 54 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Jeff Mattonelli and junior tight end Andrew Lachawiec had 12 yards each. Junior tight end Chris Spellman had six yards, while freshman tight end Chase Vena had four yards.
Freshman running back Khani Glover had 19 yards for 101 yards. Sophomore back Frank Fuccello had 14 carries for 54 yards, while junior back Brad Young had five carries for nine yards.
“Glover is a really good football player,” Dickens said. “He gives us another dimension with his speed.”
Ingram had 20 carries for 109 yards, while senior back Kevin O’Connor had 10 carries for 37 yards. Freshman receiver Abe Sanchez had 12 yards, while Meade III had five yards and Robinson had four yards.
Cougars’ freshman kicker Steve Ferlisi made a 34-yard field goal to put Kean up 3-0 at 7:28. Then, Spellman, the College’s former quarterback, caught a six-yard touchdown from Osler at 3:57 in the first. The Lions went up 6-3 at this point.
Fleck had a 64-yard interception at 0:46. He picked off Meade, as the defense made it 13-3.
Lions junior wide receiver Mulholland caught a 27-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Osler, allowing the Lions to increase their lead to 20-3 at 12:45 in the fourth.
“It was really nice to play with a lead,” Osler said. “Unfortunately, we’re not always able to do that, but it was nice to do it (on Saturday).”
Cougars’ sophomore OL/DL Tom Winters recovered a fumble in the end zone. The play at 2:33 made it 20-10, but the Lions would hold the score and end up on top. The Cougars (2-6, 2-3 NJAC) have now dropped their past two games.
“I think the kids were having fun,” Dickens said. “We’ve been mired in this (losing streak) for a number of weeks, and it’s really tough on them. They had a great time, and they got a great win. We really needed this.”
(10/31/14 12:20am)
Every year, students and alumni gather during the joyous celebration of Homecoming in and around Lions Stadium as the football team highlights the sporting events of the weekend.
This year, the College’s football team was looking to win its Homecoming game like last year. But by the end of the game on Saturday afternoon, the Lions had dropped their fifth-straight game, and the Homecoming festivities took a hit.
The William Paterson Pioneers defeated the Lions 21-0 at Lions Stadium.
In the past two games, the Lions (1-6, 0-4 NJAC) were outscored 49-7. Their lone touchdown in these games came with 1:12 left in the fourth quarter against Montclair State when freshman running back Khani Glover scored on a 33-yard run.
The Lions could only muster 163 offensive yards against the Pioneers. William Paterson (3-4, 1-3 NJAC) had 268 yards.
“We just didn’t execute well (Saturday),” sophomore quarterback Michael Marchesano said. “We need to do a better job of that.”
Pioneers freshman Austin Fellows went 10 of 20 for 142 yards and a touchdown. The College had Marchesano begin the game as the signal caller, before being replaced by freshman Tyler Osler.
Marchesano went three of 15 for 12 yards. Then, Osler came in and went six of 11 for 62 yards.
“Osler did some things well,” Coach Wayne Dickens said. “When he was in there, we were able to complete a long ball.”
Lions freshman Gabriel Rios had a 34-yard reception, while junior Conor Mulholland had two receptions for 18 yards and sophomore Jeff Mattonelli added two receptions for 13 yards. Juniors Nick Craig and Andrew Lachawiec each had a reception for eight yards.
The Pioneers were led by junior receiver Anthony DiMarsico, who had five receptions for 62 yards. Fellow junior Dwaine Dabney added two catches for 46 yards, while sophomore Matt Delana had two for 20 yards. Junior Ian Leary had a catch for 14 yards.
Delana had 56 rushing yards, while Dabney added 52 yards and DiMarsico contributed 45 yards.
Junior Lions back Brad Young had 60 rushing yards, while Glover added 26 yards.
The Lions had trouble marching down the field offensively, and Coach Dickens tried to jumpstart the offense by putting new players in, but nothing worked the way he had hoped.
“We’ve tried most of the bullets in the gun,” Dickens said. “It’s just not happening right now. We’re having a tough time getting out of our own way.”
The William Paterson offense struggled in the first quarter before getting on track in the second quarter. Then, in the second half, the Pioneers scored twice.
Pioneers sophomore defensive back Jason Montalvo picked off Osler with 3:11 left in the game. Following the extra point, the visitors went up 21-0.
DiMarsico scored the other two touchdowns. He caught a 15-yard touchdown reception by Fellows at 7:26 left in the fourth quarter. He also added an earlier 39-yard rushing touchdown with 2:20 left in the second quarter.
(10/22/14 9:49pm)
The struggles continue for the College’s football team as, the team goes into its Homecoming week with a four-game losing streak.
The team, which hasn’t won a game since Friday, Sept. 12, lost 28-7 this past weekend at Montclair State. In addition, they are 0-3 at home leading up to Homecoming against William Paterson this Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m.
The Redhawks improved to 5-1 on the season and lead the NJAC with a 3-0 mark. The Lions dropped to 1-5 and have an 0-3 conference record.
The Lions had 215 total yards with 146 in passing while MSU had a total of 235 with 162 in passing. Lions sophomore quarterback Michael Marchesano went nine of 21 for 138 yards, while Trevor Osler came in to throw for eight yards.
Montclair junior signal-caller Ryan Davis went 13 of 20 for 156 yards. His back-up Gabe DiMasi threw for six yards.
Redhawks junior receiver Clinton Coffey had five receptions for 84 yards, while sophomore running back Denzel Nieves had three for 27 yards. Four receivers combined for the remaining 51 yards.
Senior tight end Ryan Baranowsky led the Lions with five receptions for 97 yards. Junior wide out Conor Mulholland had three receptions for 33 yards, while Jeff Mattonelli and Andrew Lachawiec each had eight yards.
Freshman rusher Khani Glover had for 68 yards, while sophomore Frank Fuccello added 12 yards and Junior Brad Young added 11 yards.
Nieves led the Redhawks with 54 yards rushing, and senior Tariq Turner added 21 yards while sophomore John DiStefano contributed six yards.
The College’s Khani Glover scored the lone Lions touchdown on a 33-yard run with 1:12 left. The four play, 56-yard drive resulted in a 28-7 score.
Redhawks freshman safety Joshua Betts scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone. This 0-gain play increased the Montclair State lead to 28-0.
With 0:32 left in the second quarter, junior running back Pat Caggiano returned a 54-yard touchdown to make it 21-0. Sophomore running back Denzel Nieves made it 14-0 with 4:43 left in this quarter.
Quarterback Ryan Davies hit junior wide receiver Aaron Williams for a 16-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.
On Saturday, Oct. 11, the Lions dropped their fourth game of the season — and their third straight — when SUNY Cortland defeated the College 24-14 at Lions Stadium.
SUNY Cortland, who came into the game with an 0-4 record, has defeated the Lions every season since 2007. Since its last win, SUNY Cortland has won seven straight games over its New Jersey rivals.
The College’s football team now stands at 1-4 on the year, and 0-2 within the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Following this weekend’s play, only Southern Virginia, which is in its first full year as a member of the conference, is 0-5 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
Cortland had 334 total yards, including 243 passing yards. The Lions had 307 yards total with 238 passing yards.
Junior quarterback John Grassi went 25 of 41 for 243 yards with a touchdown and an interception in guiding the Cortland offense. Sophomore Lions signal-caller Michael Marchesano went 22 of 43 for 238 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Senior tight end Ryan Baranowsky had a game-high 96 yards on three receptions. Junior wide receiver Max Boerstoel had four receptions for 46 yards, and fellow junior receiver Conor Mulholland had five receptions for 31 yards.
Cortland sophomore tight end Josh Riley had seven receptions for 86 yards. Sophomore receiver Jon Mannix added two receptions for 56 yards. Junior receiver Jack Delahunty contributed seven receptions for 38 yards.
Sophomore back Layton Lassiter had 23 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown. Junior back Dylan Peebles had 10 carries for 23 yards. Sophomore Lou Buschi had three carries for 11 yards and a touchdown for Cortland.
Freshman Lions back Khani Glover had six carries for 89 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Frank Fuccello had seven carries for 14 yards.
Cortland’s running game got them out to an early lead, and the Red Dragons led 14-0 at halftime. Layton Lassiter and Lou Buschi both scored on 5-yard runs in the first half.
The Lions were within seven points when Ryan Baranowsky caught a 62-yard reception for a touchdown from Michael Marchesano. The College was down 14-7 at this point with nine minutes left in the third quarter, before the Red Dragons scored twice to put the game out of reach.
SUNY Cortland would score 10 points in the third, starting with a 35-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Shane Cronin. Less than two minutes later, Jon Mannix caught a 47-yard reception from John Grassi to go up 24-7.
With 10 minutes left in the game, Glover broke loose for an 85-yard touchdown. This run got the Lions within 10-points at 24-14, but it would not be enough as the game fizzled out to yet another Lions defeat.