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(10/04/06 4:00pm)
The College's women's tennis team captured its 24th consecutive New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship by defeating the Kean University Cougars and the William Paterson University Pioneers during a doubleheader Sunday afternoon.
The Lions won both matches by the score of 9-0, giving them a 5-0 record for the season and in the NJAC.
The victories extend the Lions' NJAC win streak to 146 matches, as the College has never lost a league match since tennis became an NJAC sport in 1982.
Freshman Jackie Shtemberg won in both first singles and first doubles. Shtemberg has won 12 consecutive singles matches and is 15-1 overall. The NJAC's Rookie of the Week for three straight weeks, Shtemberg beat William Paterson freshman Evelyn Tam 6-0, 6-0 in the first singles match. Shtemberg then paired up with junior Christina Contrafatto to win the first doubles match 8-0 against Pioneers seniors Evonne Tan and Alima Williams. The Lions duo has now won nine straight matches and is 13-2 overall.
Freshman Stefanie Haar also won both of her singles matches 6-0, 6-0, while playing at the No. 2 position against the Cougars and the No. 3 spot against the Pioneers. Haar teamed up with senior Kristen Turturiello at first doubles to beat Kean's Danielle Fardin and Rosa DeJesus 8-0. Against William Paterson, Haar and sophomore Haley Kutner played second doubles and beat William Paterson's Meghan Ludgate and Victoria Cohnand 8-2.
Last Wednesday, the Lions faced Ramapo College for a 9-0 victory at home. Shtemberg collected a pair of wins as she won both first singles and first doubles. She beat Roadrunners junior Lindsay Gerhard 6-1, 6-2. The Lions rookie then paired up with Contrafatto for an 8-0 win over Gerhard and freshman Alison Tukel.
Kutner beat Ramapo's Tukel 6-3, 6-0 to improve to 10-3 overall. Kutner, last week's NJAC Player of the Week, paired up with Haar for a victory over Ramapo senior Jennifer Murphy and sophomore Elizabeth Wyble 8-0.
The College's men's tennis team will not join the women's team in Florida for Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Nationals on Oct. 12.
Lions freshman Jeremy Eckardt fell to junior New York University (NYU) captain Mikhail Gurevich 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 in the semifinals of the ITA Northeast Regional Tournament on Sunday morning at Vassar College.
Eckardt advanced to the semifinals by beating his teammate, junior Eric Ferriere, in the quarterfinals 7-6 (5), 7-5. He opened the three-day tournament with an 8-0 domination over Johan Pestec of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to move on to the second round, where Eckardt beat senior SUNY-Oneonta's Eric Bratt 2-6, 7-6 (4), 11-9. To open the third round, Eckardt beat junior Ashish Patil of Vassar College 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Ferriere opened the third round with a victory over junior Thanos Kantarelis of the University of Rochester, the tournament's top-seeded player. Ferriere won 6-2, 7-6 (3) to face Eckardt in the semifinals. Ferriere beat Stevens Institute of Technology's freshman Piotr Rusinkiewicz 8-3 and continued on to beat NYU senior Zubair Ghouse 6-2, 4-6, 10-7.
Also competing in the third round for the Lions were junior Roger Mosteller and senior Corey Ball.
Mosteller lost in the third round to Skidmore College's senior Tyson McKechnie 6-2, 6-3. Mosteller opened the tournament with an 8-2 win over Rochester senior Mike Burger and moved on to beat Oneonta sophomore Ryan Pettus 6-0, 6-2.
Ball lost in the third round as well, falling to St. Lawrence University senior Matt Dwyer 6-2, 6-2. Ball defeated Hamilton College sophomore Jared Friedbrug in the first round 8-1 and advanced to beat Rennselear Polytechnic Institute freshman Ben Rosenthal 6-0, 6-0.
Lions junior Michael Klimchak opened with an 8-4 victory over RIT's Brennan Douglas. Klimchack then fell to Skidmore senior Josh Rucker 2-6, 6-2, 10-4 in the second round.
In doubles play, top seeded Klimchak and Mosteller lost in the semifinals 8-6 to St. Lawrence University's Dwyer and sophomore Jon Satkowski. The Lions pair opened with an 8-2 victory over Hamilton's Friedburg and sophomore Tom Bacon. Klimchak and Mosteller then beat Drew University's junior Jason Swenson and senior Ross Lieblick 8-2 to move on to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, the pair beat Steven's Rusinkiewicz and junior Ricky Bawan 8-2.
Ferriere and Ball lost in the quarterfinals to the second-seeded Kantarelis and junior Eric Hansen 8-2 of Rochester. The Lions duo opened the tournament with an 8-0 win over Nazareth College's sophomore Greg Bohneberg and junior Jerry Stocker. In the second round, Ferriere and Ball beat Skidmore's Rucker and senior Alex Iselin 8-1.
Men's tennis will resume in the spring, but the women return to the courts Oct. 12 as Shtemberg and Contrafatto will participate at ITA Nationals in Fort Myers, Fla., looking for another championship.
(10/04/06 12:00pm)
With the Fall tuition bill came a charge many students at the College didn't expect, or even notice.
The College automatically bills each sophomore and upperclassman for a $230 resident parking permit. To take this charge off the billing statement, students have to visit the link in an e-mail regarding parking or go directly to the College's Web site to fill out a waiver. The waiver was available on the Web site until Sept. 5.
Several students felt that the subject title of the e-mail, "Parking Decal Fulfillment Instructions," was misleading. The content of the e-mail included parking decal fulfillment instructions for students with cars on campus, as well as steps to waive the permit charge.
Many students said they thought that only students with cars on campus would need to pay attention to the e-mail.
"The way you word things affects it a lot," Davis Verde, sophomore accounting major, said about the e-mail's subject title. "It would trick a lot of students into not signing the waiver. If you don't have a car on campus, you don't read the e-mail. It doesn't catch your eye."
"It's not right," Deborah Sadanand, sophomore nursing major, said. "It's like the fine print on commercials."
According to Dionne Hallback, associate director of Student Accounts, 641 students declined resident parking permits this year. This was a huge increase compared to the estimated 300 students who declined permits last year.
Hallback said she can see how it could be confusing, but pointed out that announcements were made on the College's Web site in addition to the e-mail sent out to students.
According to Hallback, a lot of students said they did not read the e-mail.
Several students called in before the semester started and declined the parking permit, Hallback added.
"I think the information is out there," Hallback said. "It's a matter of being proactive."
Many students said they thought automatically charging for permits makes it easier for billing, but the procedure should be made clearer to the student body.
"It's easier," Alyssa Conn, sophomore pre-communication studies major, said. "The minority of people don't have cars on campus."
There are more students on campus who have cars than students who do not, Hallback said.
"It's easier for people to tell them they don't have a car," Kevin Churco, senior marketing major, said.
Students can check to see if they are paying for a resident parking permit by checking their bill on TESS. If a student is being charged and does not have a car on campus, they can go to the office of Student Accounts in Green Hall 119 to get the charge waived.
(10/04/06 12:00pm)
Special teams can make or break a game. Montclair State University used a pair of blocked punts in the second half to break the game for the visiting Lions on Saturday.
The Red Hawks scored 10 points off of the blocked punts as they scored 27 straight points in a 27-7 Homecoming victory.
At the end of the first quarter, Lions sophomore defensive back Dave Fontura forced a fumble that was recovered by junior defensive lineman Dan Jacoby at the Red Hawks' 48-yard line. The fumble recovery would help set up the College's lone score of the night.
Senior running back Cory Schoonover dove into the corner pylon as he rushed for a 12-yard touchdown to give the Lions a 7-0 at the start of the second quarter. Schoonover would finish the game with 89 rushing yards on 21 carries.
On the next possession, Montclair tied it up with a 60-yard drive. Junior quarterback Michael Jump completed a 20-yard pass to junior wide receiver Rashon Walker on 3rd-and-14 to put the Red Hawks on the Lions' 44-yard line.
Jump hit senior wide receiver Fred Carter on the next play to put Montclair at the 15, and junior running back Ryan McCoach added a nine-yard reception at the 6-yard line. McCoach capped off the drive with a six-yard rush to even the score at 7.
The College's special teams breakdown would begin on the next possession. Junior defensive back Mike Ajadi blocked junior punter/kicker Matt Dalessio's attempt for the first of two Montclair blocked punts. The Red Hawks regained possession at the Lions' 15 and settled for a 27-yard field goal by senior kicker Vin Doffont.
"It's a game where in the first half, we missed the opportunity to go into halftime with the lead," head coach Eric Hamilton said. "We let them hang around and keep it close. Then the first blocked punt came; we didn't handle adversity well."
With five minutes left until halftime, the College moved the ball into Montclair territory with help from two Red Hawk penalties. On the 12-yard line with 20 seconds left, Schoonover rushed seven yards to the Red Hawks' 5-yard line, but was stopped at the line of scrimmage. Junior quarterback Jeff Struble spiked the ball with eight seconds left to stop the clock for a 22-yard field goal attempt. Dalessio's attempt hit the right upright as Montclair took a 10-7 lead at halftime.
"It's hard to say," Dalessio said about the special teams' difficulties. "We're not clicking on all cylinders."
The Red Hawk special teams would strike again in the third quarter as freshman defensive back Emmanuel Ihim blocked Dalessio's punt attempt at the Lions' 17 and rolled into the end zone, where sophomore fullback Jason Scott fell on the ball for the touchdown and a 17-7 lead over the Lions.
"I think they just had our number on special teams," Dalessio said. "They did their job and we didn't."
Doffont would add a 33-yard field goal in the third quarter to extend the lead to 20-7, while Jump added a 24-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to sophomore wide receiver A.J. Letizia.
The College outgained Montclair in total offense, 213-200, including 129-26 on the ground. The special teams for each was the deciding factor in the game.
"The name of the game is putting the ball in the end zone," Hamilton said. "Unfortunately, we didn't do that and we couldn't keep them out."
Struble finished 14-of-30 for 84 yards and an interception while being sacked three times. Junior wide receiver Dylan Leith caught four balls for 44 yards. On defense for the Lions, freshman defensive lineman Marc Fabian collected four tackles and a sack.
For Montclair, Jump finished 12-of-21 for 174 yards. Carter had 48 yards and Walker had 44 yards, both on four receptions. Defensively, sophomore linebacker Cornell Hunt had 11 tackles while senior defensive lineman Gary Andrewshetsko collected nine tackles and two sacks. Junior linebacker Sal Fama totaled nine tackles, an interception and a sack.
The College (2-2) continues New Jersey Athletic Conference play next week for the Lions' home opener after four straight road games to start the season. The College will host Rowan University on Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.
(09/27/06 4:00pm)
Freshman Jackie Shtemberg and junior Christina Contrafatto will be going to Florida to celebrate their victories at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Regionals.
However, Disney World is not in their plans at the moment. Shtemberg, who won the Northeast Singles Championship, paired up with Contrafatto to win the Northeast Doubles Championship. They will be traveling to Fort Myers, Fla., to compete in the ITA National Championships for All-America honors Oct. 12-15.
In her first college tournament, Shtemberg beat junior Dana Bacalla of Stevens Institute of Technology 6-0, 6-0 to capture the singles crown. Then, she paired with Contrafatto for the doubles championship to beat junior Eri Yamakawa and sophomore Dana Lim of SUNY-New Paltz, 8-3, on Sunday at William Smith College.
"I could not have asked for a better doubles partner," Shtemberg said. "She definitely keeps me in check all the time and really helps me out. It would not be the same without her for sure. I'm very thankful for that."
"We're both very pumped up on the court," Contrafatto said. "We're both very loud and excited. Being loud is also intimidating. We set up each other well. We can read each other. We work with each other. We got each other's back, really."
The top-seeded Lions duo advanced to the final match with an 8-6 win over New York University (NYU) juniors Hayley McLaughlin and Holly Smith. In the semifinals, the pair beat University of Rochester juniors Colleen Cross and Cassie Webster 8-3.
In their first match, Shtemberg and Contrafatto posted an improbable 8-6 win over Hamilton University twins Kara and Marni Powers after being down 6-0.
"They've been working hard; I think they know that they have talent and are a very good team," head coach Scott Dicheck said. "It takes some time for doubles teams to work really well. I think they've worked hard and are getting better and better every day."
"I've been through a bunch of USTA (United States Tennis Association) tournaments," Shtemberg said. "It's definitely a big factor. It'd be a lot tougher without that experience."
On Saturday, Shtemberg beat No. 16 Yamakawa 6-1, 6-1. The second-seeded freshman then beat NYU senior Erika Olson 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the next round. The previous day, Shtemberg beat Ithaca's junior Rachel Gunderson 6-0, 6-1 and sophomore Joanna Cash of Rochester Institute of Technology 6-0, 6-0.
"Since the first match she's been playing great, playing smart," Dicheck said about his freshman. "She seems to have gained confidence each and every match."
The College's No. 3 seeded sophomore, Haley Kutner, lost in the quarterfinals to Bacalla. Before the loss, Kutner beat Union College sophomore Brittany Miller 6-1, 6-2. On Friday, Kutner beat senior Katie Lee in the first round and won 6-1, 6-2 in the second round against Richard Stockon College senior Kelly Chin.
Lions freshman Stefanie Haar also lost in the quarterfinals to Rochester's Cross 6-3, 7-5. Before the match against Cross, Haar won 6-3, 6-2 over St. Lawrence University sophomore Kristen Lannon. Haar opened the tournament with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Drew University senior Crystal Vo and beat Jenny Grabler of Skidmore College 6-2, 6-2.
The College's No. 14 seed, senior Kristen Turturtiello, fell to No. 4 seeded Lim 6-3, 6-3 in the third round. Turturtiello began the tournament with a 6-1, 6-2 win over senior Jennie Werts of Union College and beat freshman Paisley Coats of Manhattanville College 6-2, 6-2.
The College's pair of Kutner and Haar fell 8-2 to the No. 5 seed, NYU's Olson and Lee, in the quarterfinals. They opened the first round with an 8-6 win over Stevens' Bacalla and sophomore Whitney Bender, and then beat Ithaca College sophomore Natalie Jenereski and Gunderson 8-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
On Wednesday, the Lions recorded an 8-1 home victory over Richard Stockton. The team is 2-0 on the season and 2-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). The Lions have won 113 consecutive league matches dating back to the fall of 1982, when women's tennis became an NJAC sport.
Two-time NJAC Rookie of the Week Shtemberg added two wins to her career by beating Ospreys senior Kristin Tukel 6-0, 6-0. Shtemberg and Contrafatto teamed up for an 8-3 win over Tukel and sophomore Christa Philips in first doubles. Contrafatto also won fourth singles against senior Caitlin McMahon 6-0, 6-0.
Women's tennis action continues today against Ramapo College at home for a 3:30 p.m. start. Men's tennis will begin the ITA Regional Tournament on Sept. 29.
(09/20/06 4:00pm)
A big-play offense is what the Lions have lacked for the past two weeks. After anemic performances against Muhlenberg College and LaSalle University, the offense came alive with 326 total yards as the College beat Fairleigh Dickenson University-Florham, 20-14, on Saturday afternoon at Shields Field.
"I wouldn't say that our offense was explosive," head coach Eric Hamilton said. "It was a matter of it coming together."
The upperclassmen led the Lions on both sides of the ball, displaying the big-play potential that has been talked about since the season started.
Senior running back Cory Schoonover rushed 17 times for 142 yards and a touchdown, while senior wide receiver Ryan Ross caught three passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns.
"It was a total team effort; there's no question about it," Hamilton said. "We got rhythm, we got some consistency."
"We were able to run the ball," Ross said. "They brought guys to the line and we started seeing some man coverage."
Junior defensive end Joe King had a great defensive game as he collected seven tackles (five for a loss) and four sacks. The Lions' defense forced two fumbles and recorded five sacks in total.
After a scoreless first half, the Devils broke the silence in the third quarter on a 15-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Dan Huff to make the score 7-0.
The Lions answered with a 13-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Jeff Struble to Ross, but the Devils blocked the extra point attempt by junior kicker Matt Dalessio to keep the Lions trailing 7-6.
Struble replaced sophomore quarterback Kevin Velliard in relief in the second half and finished 8-for-12 for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
Freshman Chris James was supposed to start but was forced to the bench due to injury from last week's contest against LaSalle University.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Lions forced a fumble on a punt return and recovered the ball on their 43-yard line. On the very next play, Struble hit Ross for a 67-yard touchdown pass to make it 12-7 with 14:23 left in the game. The Lions then had an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt when Struble was stuffed at the goal line.
The Devils went three-and-out on the next drive and the Lions marched down the field with a nine-play, 85-yard drive that was capped off with a 54-yard touchdown run by Schoonover. Schoonver bruised his way through the Devils' defense for a two-point conversion to put the Lions up 20-7.
"That's the Cory Schoonover we know," Hamilton said.
"Schoon played great," Ross said about Schoonover's performance. "I was really proud of him. It starts with the guys up front."
Things got interesting when the Devils capped a 13-play, 72-yard drive on a 15-yard pass from Huff to senior wide receiver Mike Smeja to make it 20-14. Huff finished the day 14-for-29 for 171 yards and a touchdown with 10 yards rushing and a score. Smeja had four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown.
With the clock running down, the Devils attempted an onside kick, but the Lions recovered. Schoonover broke a 27-yard run that allowed the Lions to run out the clock.
For the Devils, junior running back Daniel Harrison rushed 12 times for 57 yards, while senior wide receiver David Nemeth had three catches for 57 yards. On defense, junior defensive end Tom Capra had seven tackles, one for a loss, and half a sack while sophomore defensive end Rob Roberts had two sacks.
With the win, the Lions improve to 2-1 and have an 8-0 record against the Devils since the teams first met in 1989.
The Lions are coming together on both sides of the ball, but there is still room for improvement. The offense did not have any turnovers for the third straight game. There were still several mental mistakes on the field. According to Hamilton, a touchdown run by Schoonover and a 70-yard punt return were called back because of penalties.
The Lions have a bye next week, but they return to the field when they visit Montclair State University on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m.
(09/13/06 4:00pm)
On Sept. 2, senior captain Ryan Ross set a new career high with an 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Muhlenberg College. Friday night, he surpassed that mark with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to lead the Lions to a 24-21 win over the Division I-AA LaSalle University Explorers.
Ross' kickoff return gave him more total yards than the entire Lions' offense in the first half, 35. The 95-yard return ties the College record set by Tom Casperson against Glassboro State in 1981.
"I feel great; it helps us win," Ross said about his kickoff return. "But I'm happier that we won the game."
"It's not something you see every day, that's for sure," head coach Eric Hamilton said. "You got to give him a little bit of credit to be a senior and stepping up and making plays when we need it."
The Lions' offense, led by freshman quarterback Chris James, finished with only 142 total yards yet still managed to win the game on a 29-yard field goal by junior kicker Matthew Dalessio with 6:12 left to play.
The key statistic for the Lions the entire game was zero turnovers with only two penalties. With the win, the College is 1-1 on the season.
"I don't worry about our offense at all; we're going to get going," Ross said. "I think we have a great deal of potential."
Dalessio had an extra point blocked in the first quarter and missed a field goal in the third quarter, but that did not phase him from hitting the game winner.
"This early in the season, I knew it wasn't a high pressure situation," Dalessio said. "But I knew it was going to mean something."
James finished the game 4-for-12 with 48 passing yards. He hit Ross for a 15-yard score in the first quarter and rushed for another touchdown in his collegiate debut.
"(James) brings a combination of things: strong arm, pretty mobile. He's a pretty tough kid," Hamilton said. "He deserves an opportunity to see what he can do under fire."
Senior runningback Cory Schoonover led the team in rushing with 49 yards on 11 carries.
LaSalle managed a late-game run to give the Lions a scare. The Explorers blocked a punt and scored a touchdown on a pass from sophomore quarterback Chris Hanson to junior Bernie Cevis, pulling them within three.On the ensuing kickoff, LaSalle recovered an onside kick on the Lions' 45-yard line with 2:25 left in the game.
The Explorers' offense gained more total yards than the Lions, 343-142, but could not gain yards in crucial situations.
LaSalle faced a fourth-and-one with 1:10 left on the clock. Both teams called back-to-back timeouts before the Lions'
defense stood its ground as freshman lineman Marc Fabiano made the game-saving hit on a quarterback keeper. LaSalle turned the ball over on downs on the Lions' 22-yard line.
Lions' junior defensive back Andrew Larkin came up big on defense with 10 tackles, including nine solo stops, while senior Derek Tranchina added nine tackles, including one for a loss. Senior running back Kevin Sullivan led the Explorers with 20 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Under center for the Explorers, junior quarterback Joe Procopio was 6-of-11 for 99 yards with a 23-yard touchdown strike, while Hanson finished 6-of-10 for 33 yards and a touchdown. LaSalle blocked an extra point attempt and followed that with a 25-yard rushing touchdown by Sullivan in the second quarter to take a 7-6 lead.
On the very next play, Ross returned the kick 95 yards for a touchdown. James rushed in for a two-point conversion to put the Lions up 14-7.
In the third quarter, both teams had missed field goal tries and failed to break the 14-14 tie.
"Special teams isn't where it needs to be," Dalessio said. "Yet, it's coming together."
In fact, the whole team is coming together.
"I feel that between the first and second week we made huge strides in becoming a team," Ross said. "We're not playing as three different units, we're playing as one team."
The Lions snapped the tie on a 7-yard rush by James to cap a 65-yard drive to put the Lions up 21-14.
Lions' football continues Saturday, Sept. 16 against Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham at 1 p.m. in Madison, N.J.
(09/06/06 4:00pm)
Senior captain and wide receiver Ryan Ross' 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown surpassed the net number of yards gained by the Lions' offense, 79, in Saturday night's 24-14 loss to Muhlenberg College. The Mules have now collected back-to-back opening day wins over the Lions.
In an attempt to spark the offense, the Lions used three quarterbacks over the course of the game: junior Jeff Struble, who started, sophomore Kevin Veilliard and senior Chris Bell.
"(The) problem is we didn't develop a personality coming out of camp," head coach Eric Hamilton said. "Running quarterbacks in and out is not a good situation. We have to find someone who's going to be consistent."
The trio combined for one rushing touchdown but no scores through the air. Struble was sacked twice and finished 2-for-9 with 27 yards passing. Bell followed and completed 3 of 5 passes for 17 yards.
Veilliard, a transfer from Morgan State University, played some of the fourth quarter and finished with a 9-yard pass and a rushing touchdown.
With his kickoff return, Ross surpassed his previous career best of an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown last year against Rowan University and was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Special Teams Player of the Week. Ross also surpassed the 1,000 career all-purpose yards plateau on the play, after entering the season with 983 all-purpose yards. He also added two catches for 27 yards.
Muhlenberg sophomore quarterback Eric Santagato completed 15 of 21 passes for 145 yards and threw an interception to Lions sophomore cornerback Dave Fontoura.
Sophomore running back John LeDuca led the Mules with 18 carries for 69 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown in the final minute of the game. Muhlenberg dominated time of possession, 35:37-24:23, and total yards, 239-79.
Veilliard led a 15-play, 65-yard drive in the fourth quarter, capped off by Veilliard's rushing touchdown, to help the Lions pull to within five points. Bell replaced Veilliard to complete a pass to Ross on a two-point conversion, making the score 17-14 with 10 minutes left in the game.
Muhlenberg held the ball for 6:32 for a 71-yard drive before Mules' senior kicker Timothy Hughes missed a 27-yard field goal attempt wide left, leaving 3:32 for a Lions comeback.
Struble took the helm but failed to hit a receiver as the Lions were forced to punt with 2:44 left. Muhlenberg gained possession at the Lions' 38-yard line. With 25 seconds left in the game, LeDuca rushed for a 14-yard touchdown to cap a seven-play, 38-yard drive to put the game away.
The Lions looked doomed from the start after a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Mules' sophomore Brandon Doyle just nine seconds into the game.
In the third quarter, Santagato snuck the ball in from one yard out to cap a 12-play, 67-yard drive as Muhlenberg went up 17-6 with 7:53 left in the third frame.
On defense, Lions' junior lineman Joe King made eight tackles and recorded a sack for a 12-yard loss, while junior defensive back Andrew Larkin had 10 tackles with two for losses.
Sophomore linebacker Matt Rathbun led the Mules with eight tackles and a blocked kick, helping the Mules limit the Lions to just 79 yards of offense on the night.
Up next, the Lions travel to LaSalle University on Sept. 8 for a 7:30 match-up with the NCAA Division I-AA Explorers.
(08/30/06 4:00pm)
Heading into a new season, head coach Eric Hamilton enforces the principles, "Concentration, competition, and practice" to his team.
The Lions lost several seniors that were crucial for leadership and chemistry.
Returning this season is the dynamic backfield of senior running back Cory Schoonover and junior fullback Dan Dornacker.
Recovering from an injury that cost him most of last season, Schoonover looks to bounce back and prove that he is fully healed. Captain Ryan Ross, last year's team leading receiver, looks to surpass those numbers and provide the offensive with leadership.
"We have a lot of young kids here," Hamilton said. "We really like the group of newcomers."
Sophomore quarterback and wide receiver Kevin Veillard and freshman cornerback Ryan Flannery look to add some youth to the mix.
Last season, the Lions had problems with turning the ball over. Mixing the offense should keep defenses at bay and result in less turnovers.
"To be successful, you have to be as close to fifty-fifty as you can," Hamilton said. "Your best defense is your best offense."
The mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen on the team will have its benefits, but also its question marks.
"You don't know how we're going to perform under pressure in big games," Hamilton said. "We're concerned how we'll do under fire."
The Lions hope to improve on last year's 3-7 season and win the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and capture a playoff berth.
"We're as talented as we've been in a while," Hamilton said. "I hope and believe that as the season goes on we work together."
(04/26/06 4:00pm)
Head coach Sharon Pfluger became only the second member of the 300-win club in women's NCAA Division III history on Thursday when the fourth-ranked Lions' lacrosse team defeated Colorado College 15-5.
Pfluger, committed to the team concept, gave the credit to the entire program.
"Quite a few alumni were at the game," Pfluger said. "It was neat that they were there to feel the thrill that evening. They're a part of it; they're always a part of it."
Pfluger, in her 20th year as head coach, joins William Smith College's Pat Genovese as the only coaches in Division III history to have earned 300 wins. Pfluger has a career record of 300-23-1.
Genovese has a career record of 325-118-1 in her 33 seasons with the Herons lacrosse team. In all divisions, only three coaches have reached the 300-win mark: the University of Maryland's Cindy Timchal (25th season, 334-83), Genovese and Pfluger.
"I'm thrilled for everybody," Pfluger said. "This just gives me an opportunity to think back on all the great coaches we've had here and the great players. A flash of all these memories just runs through your brain in a second. It's been fun."
"It's obviously a great accomplishment," senior captain Lauren Dougher said. "It's how she teaches; she's just a great coach. I'm glad to be a part of it."
Last week, Dougher was named one of the top 21 finalists for the 2006 Tewaaraton Award. This award is given to the top collegiate women's lacrosse Player of the Year from each NCAA division. Dougher is the only finalist from Division III.
The top five finalists for the award will be announced on June 1. This season alone, Dougher has scored 39 goals with 18 assists for 57 total points. Dougher is five goals short of becoming the College's all-time leading goal scorer, and she is also only seven assists shy of a career high.
The Lions (9-2), who extended their winning streak to seven games, scored the game's first six goals and never looked back. Senior midfielder Bridget Bigley scored three of those goals and freshman attacker Rachel Gordon notched two.
After the Tigers (8-5) scored back-to-back goals by junior midfielders Kerry O'Shaughnessy and Robin Harvey, the Lions responded by closing out the half with five consecutive goals to take an 11-2 lead.
Bigley netted the first two off of Dougher's passes. Dougher then scored the next two while sophomore midfielder Toni-Anne Cavallo followed with the final goal with just four seconds remaining in the half.
In the second half, the Tigers challenged the Lions with a 4-3 edge in goals, but it was not enough to overcome the large first-half deficit.
Dougher and Bigley both had big games, combining for 10 goals and five assists. Dougher had five goals and four assists, while Bigley added five goals and one assist.
"They're a good team; they work well together," Pfluger said. "They can reach each other well. There were really some beautiful combinations between them."
For the Tigers, O'Shaughnessy finished with a pair of goals.
In goal for the Lions, senior Megan Marquardt had one save and senior Paige Lucard had two, as the Lions' defense kept pressure off the goalies.
The away game on April 22 against Frostburg State University was cancelled due to rain. Action resumes Friday when the Lions host Susquehanna University at 7 p.m.
(04/19/06 4:00pm)
The atmosphere of Lions Stadium was filled with the sights, sounds and intensity of a playoff game. Make that a NCAA Division III Championship game.
Undefeated and No.1-ranked Salisbury University faced-off against the No. 6-ranked College in a regular season rematch of last year's National Championship game. The Salisbury Seagulls sought revenge against last year's defending champ, but this year's encounter ended with the same result, a huge 11-9 victory for the Lions.
"We had to play smart, have solid fundamentals and stick to our game," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "We have to bring our game to the next level to prepare us for the postseason."
The College, now 8-2 on the season, racked up four unanswered goals to grab the lead 6-2, 15 minutes into the first half. Sophomore Karen Doane scored a pair, while freshman attacker Rachel Gordon added another. With 17:35 on the clock, senior captain Lauren Dougher, who broke the College's all-time scoring record during the week, weaved through the entire Salisbury defense and notched her first goal of the match.
To end the first half, the Seagulls notched three straight goals with five minutes remaining. Junior midfielder Kate Simmons scored two goals in that span with senior midfielder Erin McCarthy adding a goal to cut the deficit to 6-5.
Senior midfielder Bridget Bigley had a huge second half, scoring three goals, including a sneaky wraparound shot that gave the Lions a 10-7 lead with 12:42 left to play.
Salisbury fought back with two straight goals by McCarthy and junior captain Ani Khatchatoorian to make the game 10-9.
With 5:14 remaining, sophomore attacker Kate Neese scored an insurance goal to put the Lions up for good.
With the clock winding down to 1:14 left, Seagulls sophomore midfielder Sue Ackermann came streaking down, looking to close the gap, but she was denied by senior goalie Megan Marquardt.
"It was everything," Dougher said. "It was do or die for us. We can't lose another game; we need to gear up for the postseason."
Earlier in the week, Bigley led the team with six goals but Dougher fired in the most meaningful one of the game, breaking the College's all-time scoring record with her 274th career point, as the visiting Lions dominated Cabrini College for a 17-3 non-conference win on April 11. Cabrini has been the reigning eight-time defending champions of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference
"Her first priority is the team," Pfluger said. "She's unselfish and will never take credit. She's a tremendous player and a dream for a coach to have."
"I'm still thinking about national champs. That's all I want," Dougher said. "It's the ultimate goal for us."
Pfluger moved closer to her 300th career win. Pfluger now owns a career record of 299-23-1.
"Whatever number it is, it's our girls" Pfluger said. "They're out there doing it, I'm just glad to be a part of it."
Dougher, who finished the match with four goals and two assists, received a pass from freshman Katie Reuther and scored the record-breaker 2:17 into the second half. The goal, her second of the day and 200th of her career, gave the College a 6-1 lead after an intense first half that ended at 4-1.
Dougher, the Division III Midfielder of the Year last season, finished the day with 276 career points on 202 goals and 74 assists. She surpassed Liz O'Connor's career point mark of 273 (2000-2003, 188 goals, 85 assists).
Sophomore attacker Diane Haddeland came off the bench to open the second-half avalanche with the first of her three goals after just 54 seconds. Dougher followed up with her record-breaker, and two minutes later sophomore midfielder Toni-Anne Cavallo scored the first of her three goals.
Marquardt needed to make just five saves for the Lions, who outshot Cabrini 31-12.
Sophomore attacker Katelyn Penrose, Cabrini's leading scorer with 37 goals, was held without an official shot by the Lions' relentless defense, led by senior All-American Meredith Spangler, junior Jessica Lacontora and sophomore Christine Cavallo.
Championship caliber lacrosse continues Thursday, April 20 as the Lions host Colorado College at 7 p.m.
(04/12/06 4:00pm)
Solid fundamentals, communication and teamwork are the three keys to the women's lacrosse team's success this season, according to head coach Sharon Pfluger.
The sixth-ranked Lions earned their sixth win of the season to improve to 6-2 overall. The College's women's lacrosse team is on a four-game winning streak, scoring no less than 12 goals a game, with no more than seven goals against.
"I think we're back on track now and we're starting to get into a groove," senior captain Lauren Dougher said.
"I think it is great for us to have positive momentum," Pfluger said. "The girls worked hard. I'm very proud of them."
Dougher, senior Bridget Bigley and sophomore Karen Doane have continued to lead the team.
The Lions received another outstanding performance from Dougher, who torched 20th-ranked Rowan University for eight points in a 14-5 victory on April 4 at Lions' Stadium.
Dougher finished the game with five goals and three assists, moving her into fourth place on the school's all-time list for both goals and points.
"I just want to win, it doesn't matter to me," Dougher said. "The ultimate goal at end of the season is winning a national championship."
"I'm really proud of her; it's amazing that she is such a great scorer," Pfluger said. "She is so unselfish and is so happy to pass the ball to whoever can put it in the cage. I know she's working incredibly hard. She just wants team to do well."
Throughout the game, Dougher received plenty of support from Bigley, who scored two of the team's first three goals, with Dougher notching the other.
After Rowan got on the board with a score from junior attacker Katie Kline midway through the half, the College scored three more goals, two from Bigley and one from Dougher, to go up 6-1.
The Profs managed to notch back-to-back goals from freshmen Kelly Angstadt and Amanda Silvesti, but the Lions closed out the half with two more goals to carry an 8-3 lead into the break.
The College burst out of the half with a 5-1 run in the opening 10 minutes, with Dougher scoring three of the goals, to help build a dominating 13-4 lead.
Bigley also had a big night with four goals and one assist for the College, with sophomore Toni-Anne Cavallo netting a pair of goals.
Sophomore Caitlin Meseroll had two goals to lead Rowan.
Against the College of Mount Saint Vincent, the Lions recorded a 15-3 home victory last Thursday.
Bigley led all scorers with six goals, while Dougher chipped in two goals and three assists. Doane added three goals and an assist, as the Lions outshot the Dolphins 27-7.
"We want to come out strong and beat them right from the beginning," Doane said.
Doane held true to her word as the College led 11-1 at the half and recorded the win after opening the game on a 7-0 run.
For the Dolphins, the underclassmen led the way. Sophomores Chanel Comis and Marie Garcia and freshman Stacie Tripp each scored in the loss.
The Lions finished off their week with a 15-1 domination of Stevens Institute of Technology on Sunday in Hoboken.
The College scored the game's first 11 goals and cruised to a 12-1 advantage by halftime. The Lions controlled the rest of the game, netting the only three goals in the second half.
Dougher and Bigley had typically productive games. Dougher had four goals and an assist while Bigley added three goals and an assist.
Adding to the Lions' mauling were sophomores Cavallo, Doane, Kate Neese and Diane Haddeland, all scoring a pair each.
The Lions will need to carry the momentum over to this week, as they will be hosting top-ranked Salisbury University on Saturday, April 15 at 1 p.m.
(04/05/06 4:00pm)
After trailing 6-3 into the second half, the women's lacrosse team scored seven unanswered goals in 18 minutes to take the 12-7 win over the No. 20-ranked Eagles of the University of Mary Washington (UMW) on Saturday afternoon at Lion's Stadium.
The Lions stand at 3-2 on the season with the win over UMW and a 9-8 loss against Gettysburg College last week.
"We know (other teams) are going to evaluate their season with their performance against us," head coach Sharon Pfluger said.
The Eagles led 5-3 at the half after opening up the game with a 4-0 run with senior Karen Pickering and junior Kaitlyn Barker scoring two goals each.
Opening the second half, the Eagles took a 6-3 lead as Barker scored on her free position attempt at 27:33. The Lions then launched an offensive barrage, scoring seven straight goals to take the lead 7-6 at 21:40 on a goal by freshman Katie Ruether with an assist from sophomore Kate Neese.
"They definitely came out more intense than us," said senior Bridget Bigley.
"I think we've learned a great deal about the way we need to play from the start," Pfluger said. "It's a hard lesson to learn and hopefully we've learned and we're going to get better from that."
Dougher led the team with three goals, including an assist on the game-winning goal, while Bigley also added three goals.
Lions' senior goalie Megan Marquardt made three saves with seven goals allowed in net to end to the team's two-game losing streak. UMW's sophomore goalie Meredith Deitrick recorded 12 saves in net.
On Thursday, fifth-ranked Gettysburg College scored twice in the opening four minutes of the game and never trailed as the Bullets gave the Lions their second straight defeat by the score of 9-8.
"It's obviously disappointing to lose two games early on in the season," Lions' captain Lauren Dougher said. "It's better to lose games now and learn and figure out what we need to fix."
By halftime, the undefeated Bullets led 6-4 and never let the College come within two goals, until Bigley scored on a free position shot with 11 seconds remaining on the clock.
"We kind of dug ourselves into a hole in the first half," Dougher said. "We didn't take advantage of the opportunities that we had."
For the Lions, sophomore Karen Doane added four goals and an assist and freshman Rachel Gordon netted two goals. Sophomores Krissy Browning and Katie Ceglarski of Gettysburg combined for six goals, with Ceglarski notching four.
Gettysburg senior goalie Heather Kelley had a big night with 10 saves. Marquardt, in goal for the Lions, had two saves and senior Paige Lucard made one.
Lions lacrosse action continues Thursday when the College is scheduled to host the College of Mount Saint Vincent at 7:30 p.m.
(03/29/06 5:00pm)
The women's lacrosse team lost 9-8 to sixth-ranked SUNY Cortland, snapping their 17-game winning streak that dated back to last season.
The top-ranked Lions fell to 2-1 for the season with a loss at SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex Sunday afternoon. This came on the heels of a 13-4 win against Ursinus Wednesday afternoon. The Lions' last defeat also came at the hands of Cortland, who beat the defending national champions, 10-9, last season at Lion's Stadium.
"I don't think we played our game," said head coach Sharon Pfluger. "Cortland is a good team; I wouldn't take that away from them at all. I just don't think we played our game."
The Red Dragons ended the first half with a 3-2 lead. Cortland junior Jennifer Willis finished the match with three goals and one assist, as she scored her first goal 1:53 into the game. Goals by Lions sophomore Kate Neese and senior Lauren Dougher gave the Lions a short lead, 2-1. Cortland closed the half with scores by sophomore Beth Elmer and junior Ali Bourgal.
With about 15 minutes remaining in the match, Dougher went on a four-goal rampage in a three-minute span to tie the game at 6-6. Willis and Lions sophomore Karen Doane exchanged goals to make the score 7-7. Cortland regained the lead on Willis's third score of the game, as she cut from the left side of the cage and beat the College's senior goalie Megan Marquardt with a shot inside the left post.
Willis continued to assert herself against the Lions as she set up Bourgal for her second goal of the game to give the Red Dragons a 9-7 lead with 4:19 on the clock.
Sophomore Toni-Anne Cavallo won the ensuing draw for the Lions, and the ball eventually ended up in Dougher's stick, who scored her sixth and final goal of the game on a strong individual effort to bring the Lions within one goal with 1:23 to play.
"She had a wonderful performance. She scored with five Cortland players on her, it's just amazing," said Pfluger. "Her shooting ability is phenomenal. She's an outstanding player and one of the best lacrosse players we've had here."
Bourgal gained possession of the next draw, but Dougher stripped the ball with a stick check and moved it down the field with less than a minute remaining. As the Lions pushed towards the arc, Cortland senior Erin Gallagher knocked down a pass and collected the ground ball with 45 seconds on the clock. The Red Dragons successfully cleared the ball and ran out the clock to seal the victory.
Marquardt stopped three shots on goal for the College while her counterpart, Cortland senior goalie Regina Grosso collected five saves, with four in the first half.
Against 15th-ranked and previously unbeaten Ursinus College, the Lions closed the half with a 6-0 lead and extended the lead to 13-0 before the Bears found the net in the second half with 12:31 left to play in the game. The Lions broke down Ursinus' defense, which had previously yielded an average of 4.5 points a game.
The Bears' senior midfielder Ashley Ettinger broke up the College's shutout bid with her seventh goal of the year at 12:31 in the second half. Senior midfielder Erike Weir also added a goal and an assist for Ursinus.
The College got four goals from Doane, while Neese contributed three goals and an assist in the blowout victory. Dougher added two goals and an assist and leads the team with 14 goals and two assists in 2006.
Ursinus sophomore goalie Allyson Shicora made 12 saves but had 13 goals against.
Marquardt earned the win in net for the Lions after collecting two saves in 44:29 played with no goals allowed. She shared the victory with senior Paige Lucard, who made three saves in 15:31 of work with four goals against.
Women's lacrosse action continues March 30 when the Lions host Gettysburg College at 7 p.m.
(03/22/06 5:00pm)
Senior midfielder Lauren Dougher scored six goals and added an assist as the women's lacrosse team opened the 2006 season with a 15-5 win over previously undefeated St. Mary's College.
As the defending Division III No.1 ranked team in preseason polls, the Lions opened the match with four goals in the first 6:14 of play and never lost the lead.
"No matter what we're ranked we always want to win as many games as we can," Dougher said.
Dougher, the 2005 NCAA Division III Midfielder of the Year, now has 176 career goals, 61 assists and 237 career points after adding 102 points last year.
Midway through the first half, freshman midfielder Lauren Carrier of St. Mary's cut the margin to 4-2 with back-to-back goals, but the Lions responded with three of the final four goals in the half with senior midfielder Bridget Bigley scoring a pair, for a 7-3 halftime lead.
The Lions opened the second half with a free position goal from Dougher five minutes into the half for an 8-3 lead. The Seahawks of St. Mary's made it an 8-4 match with an unassisted goal from senior midfielder Allyson Sarigianis.
The Seahawks would eventually score two more goals but not until the Lions racked up seven goals in the final 10 minutes to finish the match with a 15-5 victory.
"I think we played well," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "I was happy that we got stronger as the game went on ... it was very competitive at the beginning. We had to fight hard. I think the girls kept their composure very well in situations when the game was getting physically rough."
Dougher led the College with her six goals and one assist while Bigley added four goals and an assist as well. Sophomores Toni-Anne Cavallo and Kate Neese added a pair each in the victory over St. Mary's.
Senior goalkeeper Megan Marquardt earned the win in net for the Lions with nine saves against 16 shots with just five goals against. Junior Melissa Puzak took the loss for St. Mary's with nine saves against 30 total shots.
"It was a really good team effort and everyone contributed," Dougher said. "I'm just glad we got the win today."
The Lions' next match will be held today at Lion's Stadium against Ursinus College. Then they take on SUNY Cortland for a 1 p.m. matchup on March 26.
(03/08/06 5:00pm)
With more than 100 career wins under his belt, Brian Dempsey closed out his college wrestling career with a third-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Division III Championships at the Student Recreation Center.
The Lions' 125-pound senior earned his third All-American honors to become the first three-time All-American in five years. Dempsey finished in fifth place last year and eighth in 2004.
"These are the best kids in the nation and fortunately I was able to come out on top," Dempsey said.
In the consolation finals, the fifth-seeded Dempsey dominated sixth-seeded junior Nate Hansen of Luther College to an 11-4 victory. Dempsey finishes his career with a record of 113-37, while going 34-5 this season.
"I didn't want to walk out with regrets," Dempsey said. "I didn't want to leave with something missing."
On Friday, the Lions senior began the tournament with a 7-3 decision over sophomore Anthony Nicolicchia of Roger Williams University before falling 5-2 to fourth-seeded senior Terry Morgan of Loras College, which knocked him to the consolation bracket. Since that defeat, Dempsey overwhelmed the rest of the competition on his way to the consolation finals match. Dempsey secured All-American honors with a 5-1 victory against junior Rob Vaccaro of SUNY Brockport.
He opened Saturday's competition against Cornell College's sophomore Chris Heilman and won by fall in 4:36 after stretching out his lead to a 10-0 advantage. Freshman Felipe Queiroz was last in line in Dempsey's path to the consolation finals, as the Wilkes University grappler was dominated en route to a 16-3 major decision loss to Dempsey.
"I'm extremely proud of Dempsey," head coach David Icenhower said. "He had a great career for us with (more than) 100 wins."
Dempsey showed that he has both brains and brawn as he was named a 2006 Division III National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American.
Top-seeded junior Joey Galante began the competition with a 6-2 decision over Thiel College's junior Michael Kemble at 157 pounds before he suffered back-to-back losses, spoiling his bid as a two-time All-American. The Lions junior fell 3-1 to junior Ross Needham from the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse in sudden overtime, and then he lost 7-3 to senior Jad Duca of Ithaca College. Galante ended his season with a record of 27-5.
"I think the pressure got to his head; hopefully he'll bounce back," Icenhower said of Galante's performance. Icenhower feels Galante has not shown his full potential.
Sophomore Jeff Harrington lost 6-2 to third-seeded sophomore Josh Chelf of Wisconsin LaCrosse at 174 pounds, sending him to the consolation round. Harrington faced senior David Kraus of Johns Hopkins University and recorded an 11-5 victory.
"I rebounded nicely and was able to use my moves and show takedowns I didn't use in my first match," Harrington said.
Unfortunately, Harrington's All-American bid came to a close as he lost to junior Jonathan Dolan of Williams College 6-5 in the final seconds of the match. The Lions sophomore finished the season with a record of 19-6.
Senior Keith Bjorhus pulled out an upset victory at heavyweight over seventh-seeded senior Brett Christensen of Simpson College, 5-2. In the quarterfinals, the Lions senior fell to senior Ryan Allen of Wisconsin LaCrosse by the score of 14-7. Bjorhus was then knocked out of the tournament against fourth-seeded senior Michael Hayes from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point as he lost by fall at 6:53.
"In my final match, I gave it 100 percent and did all I could to win the match," Bjorhus said. "The final result wasn't what I hoped it to be." Bjorhus finishes his honorable wrestling career with a record of 91-28 and a 21-3 mark this season.
The Lions finished the tournament with a team score of 19 points and continued their historic streak of finishing in the top 25 for 33 straight years - the only Division III team to accomplish that feat in the NCAA.
(02/22/06 5:00pm)
The College will send four wrestlers who earned titles at the Metropolitan Conference Championships at York College to the NCAA Division III Championships on Sunday.
The Lions were unable to repeat as tournament champions as the team finished in second place with 84 points, five points behind first-place host York College and 15 points ahead of third-place Hunter College. The teams were tied at 72 points, but York was able to edge out the College in the final round. The Lions had won 23 of the previous 27 titles.
The College suffered a setback when sophomore Ray Sarinelli separated his shoulder during one of his matches. Sarinelli held a 4-1 lead and would have earned the team more points to add to its total and edge York College for first place.
"We didn't catch one break," head coach Dave Icenhower said. "That hurt us pretty badly and cost us the tournament."
Senior Brian Dempsey, at 125 pounds, was the first of the Lions' four champions, winning all three of his matches as the top seed in his respective weight class. He began with two straight pins against freshman James Anest from Montclair State University in 3:13 and sophomore Ian Mullins, captain of SUNY-Maritime, in 2:09. In the finals, Dempsey defeated freshman Kyle Flickinger of York College by a score of 5-0 to capture his third Met title. Dempsey is now 30-4 heading into the national tournament.
Ranked No. 1 at 157 pounds, Joey Galante needed two victories to win back-to-back Met titles. The Lions junior opened with a pin on Centenary College's senior Greg Tiernery in 2:29 before defeating sophomore Takafumi Hashimoto from New York University 9-6 in the finals. The two wins put Galante at 26-3 for the season.
At 174 pounds, sophomore Jeff Harrington pulled out a 4-3 win in the finals over New York University (NYU) junior Ryan Cooley. Harrington opened the tournament with a 9-1 decision over junior Seth Wisner of Centenary. The Lions sophomore boasts an 18-4 record entering the NCAA Championships.
Heavyweight Keith Bjorhus won his third conference title in four years while earning his fourth straight invitation to the national tournament. The Lions senior opened with a pin against sophomore James Layman of NYU in 5:43 and a pin against sophomore Luke Panizzi of York in 5:16 in the semifinals. In the championship match, Bjorhus edged Michigan State University's William Beiermeister for a 5-2 victory. By going undefeated in the tournament, Bjorhus has a 20-1 record this season.
Sophomore Lenny Goduto advanced to the finals at 165 pounds, but fell to junior Jerry Bowne of York. Goduto notched two wins in the tournament, beating Jorge Unigarro of Hunter 20-4 and sophomore Jared Duffy of Centenary 9-6.
Three other Lions finished fourth in their respective weight classes. Those wrestlers were freshman John Biango at 149, freshman Greg Osgoodby at 184 and sophomore Brett Jankos at 197.
"We'd like very much to run away with four All-Americans," Icenhower said. "This would certainly ease the pain of losing (the Met tournament), if we come out of the nationals with four All-Americans.
Lions action continues on March 3 and 4 as Dempsey, Galante, Harrington and Bjorhus will compete for All-American honors at home in the NCAA Division III Championships held at the Student Recreation Center.
(02/15/06 5:00pm)
Seniors Brian Dempsey and Keith Bjorhus celebrated their last regular season match as the Lions beat Wilkes University by the score of 27-10 on senior night, Feb. 8, at Packer Hall.
The seventh-ranked Lions finished the season with a record of 14-2 in dual meets with the win over the 30th-ranked Colonels.
"I think this season has been a real up-and-down season," Bjorhus said. "We've had a bunch of different guys in the lineup. Whoever we have in, we have confidence in everyone in the team."
"The team wrestled well all year, but definitely improved from the beginning to the end," junior Joey Galante said. "We improved by becoming more mature and wrestling smarter."
Dempsey came back from a 4-1 deficit to force overtime and scored a takedown to win his final home match. The senior rallied past Wilkes freshman Felipe Quieroz by the score of 6-4 at 125 pounds, giving the College a 3-0 lead. Dempsey closes the season with a 27-4 record and a career mark of 105-36.
Sophomore Ray Sarinelli added to the Lions' lead at 133 with a 15-2 major decision over Colonels freshman Shaun Farnham.
Wilkes got on the scoreboard as sophomore Adam Penberthy defeated Lions freshman Chris Prihoda by the score 10-4 at 141.
The Lions posted four straight victories to seal the victory against the Colonels. Sophomores Lenny Goduto at 165 and Jeff Harrington at 174, and freshman John Biango at 149 posted victories in their respective weight classes to put the College ahead.
Ranked first in his weight class, Galante added to the lead as the Lions junior earned a 5-2 decision against freshman Justin Barowski at 157 pounds. Galante finishes the regular season with a record of 24-3.
Wilkes cut the lead to 22-10, as senior Rex Harris and junior Brandon Kelly posted two straight victories. Harris posted a 6-3 victory over Lions freshman Greg Osgoodby at 184 pounds to earn his 29th victory of the season. Kelly scored a 13-1 major decision over sophomore Brett Jankos at 197.
Bjorhus won his final home match as he defeated junior Keith Altiery at 285 pounds, scoring an 18-3 technical fall win in 4:46. Bjorhus is now 17-1 for the season and 87-26 for his career.
The action continues Feb. 18 when the team heads to York College for the Metropolitan Conference Championships. Going into the championship, the Lions feel that they have a good chance of repeating last year's championship win.
"I think we definitely have the strongest team. I think last year we had five champions," Bjorhus said. "We plan to have some of the same success this year as we had last year."
"We should win the team title and take all 10 guys to nationals," Galante said. "If we wrestle the way we are capable of, then there is no reason that all of our guys should not get through and go on to nationals."
(02/08/06 5:00pm)
The College's wrestling team broke even in the annual New York/New Jersey Duals, falling to the ninth-ranked Red Dragons of SUNY-Cortland and then bouncing back to pull out a win against Oswego State at Packer Hall on Feb. 4.
The Lions lost by a score of 20-16 to the Red Dragons, ending their five-match winning streak in dual meets and later beat Oswego State 24-13. The match between the Lions and the Dragons featured three lead changes and a pair of ties. The Red Dragons were leading 13-10 before Cortland junior Mario Schiano's 7-5 overtime victory at 184 pounds over Lions freshman Greg Osgoodby. This proved to be the momentum changer that put Red Dragons up by a score of 16-10. Sophomore Phil Archer then secured the win for SUNY-Cortland with a 14-4 major decision at 197 pounds over Lions sophomore Brett Jankos.
Lions senior Keith Bjorhus closed the final gap to 20-16 as he pinned junior Matt Eldredge in 43 seconds at heavyweight. With the victory, Cortland gained revenge for last month when the College posted an 18-15 victory over the Red Dragons at the Budd Whitehill Dual Meet hosted by Lycoming College.
"We had to move some kids around differently," head coach Dave Icenhower said. "They just wrestled a little better than us yesterday and unfortunately that's the way it goes."
Earlier in the match, the Lions received wins from senior Brian Dempsey at 125, freshman John Biango at 149 and junior Joey Galante at 157.
Against Oswego, the Lions rebounded from an early 7-6 deficit by winning five straight bouts. Galante began the run with a 15-3 victory. Sophomore Lenny Goduto followed with a 13-3 triumph at 165. The Lions continued to roll out victories as sophomore Jeff Harrington won at 174 by major decision. Osgoodby and sophomore James Tomczuck added victories at 184 and 197.
Oswego State sophomore Jake Taylor won by fall at heavyweight to close the match at 24-13.
"You have to come back from those kind of loses," Icenhower said, about the Lions' ability to bounce back from a difficult loss. "Hopefully it shows some character and hopefully we just do some things right."
The College dominated the visiting Royals of the University of Scranton as they won nine of 10 weight classes in a 44-5 victory the day after the New York/New Jersey Duals. The win put the Lions at 13-2 in dual meets this season, while the Royals dropped to 1-10.
The Lions started out the match with back-to-back technical fall victories from Dempsey and sophomore Ray Sarinelli. Ranked sixth nationally in his weight class, Dempsey began the match with a 17-1 technical fall at 125 over Royals sophomore Richard Russell. The victory puts Dempsey at 26-4 on the season. Sarinelli followed with a win at 133, while freshman Chris Prihoda won by fall in 5:18 to put the College ahead 16-0.
Scranton finally got on the board as junior Donell Young, 18-0 for the season, defeated Biango with a 15-0 technical fall to cut the Lions' lead to 16-5.
The Lions then posted six straight victories as Galante added another win at 157 pounds. He improved his individual record to 23-3 on the season with a 16-5 major decision against sophomore Steve Gray. Underclassmen Goduto, Harrington, Tomczuck and Osgoodby then pulled off victories to complete the Lions' domination.
The Lions close out the regular season tonight for Senior Night as they host No. 30-ranked Wilkes University at 7 p.m. in Packer Hall.
(02/01/06 5:00pm)
Brian Dempsey earned his 100th career win as the College's wrestling team posted a 3-0 record at the annual New Jersey/New England Duals at Roger Williams University on Saturday.
The seventh-ranked Lions started the day with a 33-9 win over Worcester Polytechnic Institute and then defeated Roger Williams 24-12. The College concluded the day by knocking off Williams College in impressive fashion, 39-3.
Dempsey was 3-0 on the day and became the latest Lion to join the 100 career wins club. The senior hit the milestone as he received a pair of forfeits and earned an 8-3 victory against sophomore Anthony Nicolicchia of Roger Williams, giving him a career record of 100-36.
"It's like a thousand points in basketball. On this team it is hard to start for three or four years," head coach David Icenhower said about Dempsey's accomplishment.
Also going 3-0 on the day were sophomores Ray Sarinelli, who competed at 133 pounds, and Jeff Harrington at 174.
Three other wrestlers went 2-0 for the Lions, including junior Joey Galante at 157 pounds, sophomore Lenny Goduto at 165 and senior Keith Bjorhus at heavyweight.
The Lions post a season record of 11-1 in dual meets and have been able to dominate for most of the season. The key to their success is the upperclassmen trio of Dempsey, Galante and Bjorhus. "We're depending on them to pull on through almost everything," Icenhower said.
However, the underclassmen have been extremely important for the Lions' near perfect season. "Obviously, we have three upperclassmen: Dempsey, Bjorhus and Galante," Icenhower said. "All the new guys in the lineup are stepping up at different times. They seem to have enough in each match to pull us through."
The Lions earned another win as they traveled to Massachusetts to beat 20th-ranked Springfield College 25-13 on Sunday.
Against Springfield, Dempsey opened the match with a pin in 1:26 as he collected the 101st win of his career to give the Lions a 6-0 lead. The College lost the next two matches, making the score 9-7.
Ranked number one in his weight class, Galante earned a 16-7 victory that began a series of three straight wins for the Lions. Sophomores Goduto and Harrington put the Lions back on top.
Springfield inched closer with wins at 184 and 197 pounds, but Bjorhus ended the day with a pin to secure the victory for the Lions.
Earlier last week, the College dominated Montclair State University by posting a 40-4 victory in Packer Hall on Thursday, Jan. 26.
The Lions' action continues Feb. 4 as the College hosts the NY/NJ Duals in Packer Hall at 11 a.m.
(01/25/06 5:00pm)
While many students were on semester break, the College's wrestling team was grappling, slamming and pinning the competition at the annual Lions' Invitational and the Budd Whitehill Dual Meet Challenge hosted by Lycoming College.
Freshman Chris Prihoda led the Lions by collecting a 3-0 record at 141 pounds, while senior Keith Bjorhus posted a 2-0 record at 285 pounds, keeping his undefeated season intact at 9-0.
The Lions had 10 wrestlers finish with perfect records in the non-team scoring event at the Lions' Invitational. They faced Elizabethtown College and Messiah College on Jan. 6 at Packer Hall. The team maintained its sixth spot in the latest National Wrestling Coach's Association (NWCA) Brute-adidas Division III rankings with strong performances at the invitational.
"We had some younger guys do some big things," senior Brian Dempsey said. "Freshmen are starting to step up to the plate and really wrestle when we need them to wrestle."
Coming into the Budd Whitehill Dual Meet Challenge, the top-seeded Lions opened the tournament with four straight victories to propel them into the finals. The team posted wins against Case Western Reserve with a score of 31-9 and against Thiel College by the count of 30-9. The College then finished the day with a 29-9 victory over 16th-ranked Springfield College to earn a spot in the semifinals.
The Lions won in the semis against 13th-ranked SUNY-Cortland to gain a spot in the finals, where they faced Loras College. The College, ranked sixth in the nation, lost to eighth-ranked Loras College by a score of 25-9 on Jan. 14. The defeat ended the College's 16-game winning streak and left the team with a 6-1 record in dual meets.
Wins by sophomore Mike Somma and freshman Greg Osgoodby, along a 6-0 hammering by heavyweight Bjorhus, propelled the College to a 21-15 come-from-behind victory against SUNY-Cortland in the semifinals.
Two Lions are ranked among the nation's elite in their respective weight classes. Junior Joey Galante is ranked first at 157 pounds in Division III competition and has an 16-3 record on the season with two pins and a pair of victories by major decision. Galante said the secret to his success is to, "just train every day, nothing special."
Dempsey is ranked third at 125 pounds and sports a 13-2 record, with both losses coming against opponents from NCAA Division I schools. Dempsey is closing in on 100 career wins with a record of 96-36.
"I really haven't been paying much attention to that," Dempsey said of his record. "After coming off of two losses, I'm trying to get back into it. I'm four away, I have plenty of time for it."
The Lions' next match is scheduled on Jan. 26, when they will host Montclair State University at Packer Hall for a 7 p.m. matchup.