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(04/17/12 7:55am)
Taking advantage of playing on home court under clear skies and in warm weather, both tennis teams rode strong all-around play to a combined 4-0 record over the weekend, outscoring opponents 30-5 to showcase solid form as their regular season finales draw near.
It was business as usual for the 23rd-ranked women’s team on Saturday, when the Lions showed off their depth by steamrolling past SUNY New Paltz and Salisbury back-to-back by an aggregate score of 17-1.
“We were impressive. Obviously anytime you do a doubleheader you’re out there all day, it’s tough,” said head coach Scott Dicheck, who used 10 different players through both matches. “We’re just happy, it was an overall great team effort.”
The Lions (14-1) are on a six-game tear heading into the last week of their regular season, and their emphasis opening matches with robust doubles play has been paying off.
The team has won the doubles battle in all fourteen of their wins this year, and the streak continued when they went 6-for-6 on Saturday.
“That’s been one of our focuses the last few years. Of the three doubles teams, we feel like we’ve got one of the best (teams) in the country,” Dicheck said. “We set the tone, and the girls have really bought into that mindset. They enjoy that aspect of the game.”
Juniors Paige Aiello and Lauren Balsamo linked up to improve to 9-0 as a team on the season, seniors Felice Trinh and Emily Petersack moved up in the program’s all-time doubles winners list by combining for two more points and senior Karisse Bendijo helped earn another two wins with different partners.
The team maintained dominance in singles play, where Bendijo led the way by with a 2-0 record in the first position. Freshmen Sarah Lippincott and Deborah Wu helped by adding two points each to stay perfect in dual meets, and the rest of the Lions rolled to victories, with only one point being conceded to SUNY.
Meanwhile, the men picked up a pair of 7-2 wins over Salisbury University and Washington College to improve to 8-3 overall, extending their win streak to a season-high three games.
Like the women’s team, the men took early control of both games through early dominance in doubles, winning five of six matches and only conceding one point to Salisbury against a white-hot pairing.
“Doubles has to do with mix and matching the right playing styles and personalities together, and right now the pairings have been what (they) should be,” junior T.J. Riley said. “We are a very tough team in doubles, and we will continue to improve as the season goes along.”
Senior Steven Fernandez and Riley combined for two wins in the second position, while juniors Marc Nichols and Jordan Cruz linked up for another two in the third.
Both leads were never in danger of being lost in singles, where the Lions won both times in the third, fourth and sixth positions thanks to performances from Nichols, sophomore Howard Telson and freshman Gabe Allen.
The team wins were another couple of great results for the Lions, who have been winning thanks to a classic combination of effort and teamwork.
“We have been very good at sticking by our teammates and backing them up when they need help on and off the court,” Riley said.
The wins also bode well for the Lions’ chances at the NCAA tournament, where they will be competing with tough opponents.
“We can beat nationally ranked teams and we have had good matches with both of the ranked teams we’ve lost to,” Riley said. “We are definitely in the hunt for a national ranking, and we look to make a run in the NCAA tournament.”
(04/10/12 4:48am)
The men’s tennis team suffered a shutout loss at Villanova University on Saturday, challenging for several singles points but ultimately dropping to 5-3 ahead of a busy weekend.
The Lions will look to use the defeat at Villanova, which is 4-8 in Division I this season, as a learning experience to help them grow on the court.
“The team knew going in to the match with Villanova that we would have some close competitive matches and some that weren’t so close. We knew that they were a talented division I team and that we would have a tough time pulling off a win,” junior T.J. Riley said. “But we also knew that it was good competition that in the long run will make all of us better tennis players. Even though we lost big we were aware of what the possibilities were for the match, and we still had a good time playing a tough Division I opponent.”
Senior Steven Fernandez (second singles position), junior Marc Nichols (third) and senior Stewart Fernandez (fifth) managed to take their opponents to three sets, with Nichols just barely being outlasted in a 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-6), 16-14 result.
After playing Drew University on Tuesday, the men’s team is next in action when it hosts Salisbury College and Washington College this weekend. The women’s team will play SUNY and Salisbury back-to-back on Saturday.
(04/04/12 1:06am)
Both tennis teams enjoyed positive transitions into April, as the men’s team sandwiched a loss to No. 22 Skidmore College with a pair of wins last week while the women’s team made a strong bid to move up the national rankings by triumphing at No. 21 University of Mary Washington.
The men’s team first earned a dominant 8-1 win over Kutztown University (Division II), fell 6-3 to Skidmore, and closed out the week with a 5-4 victory over Franklin and Marshall College that showcased the renaissance week senior Stewart Fernandez had.
Fernandez clinched the win against Franklin and Marshall with a late win in singles, 7-5, 6-1, and has been perfect in the first doubles position with sophomore Howard Telson since being moved there against Kutztown.
“Stew pulled through big time in our match today against (Franklin and Marshall). He did what he knew he could do from the start and he played smart tennis, which is the key for him,” junior T.J. Riley said.
On the 7-0 Fernandez-Telson pairing, Riley said that “Stew and Howie are tough. They hit big penetrating shots that cause issues for their opponents and they also serve huge consistently, which is a big advantage in doubles because it sets up the net man to cross and put a ball away. They are a very formidable team that attacks with power and intensity and they ride both of those the whole match until it is over.”
Riley added two points in singles and earned a doubles win over the course of the week, junior Marc Nichols picked up four points across singles and doubles with senior Bill Carrig, and freshman Gabe Allen picked up his fifth and sixth wins to continue a fine debut season in the sixth singles position.
Meanwhile, the women rode a combination of strong doubles and singles play to win 6-3 at Mary Washington, staking their claim to a higher ranking in Division III.
The Lions, ranked 23rd in Division III and still undefeated against Division II and III teams, took two doubles and four singles matches to improve to 12-1.
Seniors Felice Trinh and Emily Petersack combined for another win in the second doubles position with a score of 8-4, while the partnership of juniors Paige Aiello and Lauren Balsamo won 8-3 in the third position to give the Lions an early 2-1 lead.
In singles, Trinh (second singles position) won a marathon set 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, junior Allison Tierney (third) won 6-2, 6-4, Aiello (fourth) won 6-4, 6-4 and freshman Deborah Wu (sixth) improved to 11-0 in dual meets to secure the road victory.
The women will return to the court when they host SUNY New Paltz and Salisbury University on Saturday, April 14, while the men travel to Villanova this Saturday and then to Drew University on Tuesday.
(03/27/12 8:46pm)
The women’s tennis team took a pair of matches this week to improve to 11-1 on the season, with seniors Felice Trinh and Emily Petersack reaching the 100-win milestone on the way.
Trinh and Petersack started the Lions’ 8-1 victory against Stevens Institute of Technology by winning a doubles match 8-2, their 99th wins for the College, while juniors Paige Aiello and Lauren Balsamo combined for an 8-5 win.
The Lions kept the momentum going in singles, where they swept the Ducks and Trinh and Petersack earned their 100th career wins.
“They’ve had a great career to get to that 100-win mark. They’ve been a doubles team the last two years, and they’ve been very very successful as a team,” head coach Scott DiCheck said on Monday. “I know they were both very excited the way it played out, that they got it on the same day.”
Aiello (second), Balsamo (third), freshman Deborah Wu (fourth) and freshman Sarah Lippincott (fifth) also won in singles to secure the home victory. The Lions continued their good form by beating a solid Swarthmore College squad, 7-2.
“We were geared up for the Swarthmore match since we had a great match against them last year,” DiCheck said. “We expected another great match and it turned out that way.”
An early sweep in doubles would set the tone for the Lions. Juniors Karisse Bendijo and Allison Tierney won a dramatic contest in doubles that ended 9-8 (7-5), and the pairings of Trinh-Petersack and Aiello-Balsamo won for the second time in as many matches, 8-4 and 8-3.
“We played some really good tennis and took advantage of doubles. Doubles was the turning point, once we got a 3-0 lead it really turned the match around,” DiCheck said.
Petersack’s win in doubles was her 65th, putting her in a tie for tenth on the program’s all-time winners in doubles, while Trinh is just behind at 64.
Bendijo (first), Trinh (second) Wu (fifth) and Petersack (sixth) picked up points in singles to give the Lions the victory, their 11th in 11 games against Division II and III teams.
The women’s team next heads to University of Mary Washington this Sunday, while the men’s team will compete against Kutztown University, Skidmore College and Franklin and Marshall College on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively, to continue its season.
The men’s and women’s tennis teams were scheduled to play New York University on Sunday, but the matches were cancelled due to impending inclement weather.
(03/20/12 7:30pm)
Both of the College’s tennis teams went 1-1 over the weekend, as the men dropped their home opener before rebounding against Muhlenberg College and the women lost for the first time this year after beating Goldey-Beacom College.
The men suffered a 6-3 setback to No. 20 Swarthmore College in their first loss the season, but said they will use the loss as a learning experience on how to beat tough opponents as the season goes on.
“Swarthmore is a very good team and a 6-3 loss to a team that recently beat the No. 4 team in the country is not disheartening by any means,” junior T.J. Riley said. “As our first match outdoors at home it showed our team a lot about ourselves and where we can improve. We have a very talented, trainable and motivated team, and Swarthmore is lucky that they got to play us at the beginning of the season, because the outcome of that match would be different later in the year.”
Riley (first singles position), freshman Gabe Allen (sixth) and the doubles team of junior Howard Telson and Stewart Fernandez earned the College’s points against Swarthmore and also won against Mulhenberg the next day, when the Lions won 9-0.
The shutout win gave the Lions a 3-1 record heading into this Sunday’s match at New York University.
“At this point in the season, even though we’d like to be 4-0, 3-1 is a good spot to be in,” Riley said. “Now we just need to work on some things, put it all together and win a big match that will really send us down the right path.
The women’s team also won one and lost one, beating Goldey-Beacom (Division II) by a score of 6-3 but ending its season-long undefeated streak of nine games against Villanova (Division I), 7-2.
In singles, juniors Allison Tierney (third), Paige Aiello (fourth), Lauren Balsamo (fifth) and freshman Deborah Wu (sixth) earned wins against Goldey-Beacom, while Wu earned the team’s only singles win against Villanova, 6-0, 6-2.
In doubles, the first team of junior Karisse Bendijo and Tierney and the third team of Aiello and Balsamo won against Goldey-Beacom. Aiello and Balsamo also took a point later on versus Villanova, 8-4.
This week the women’s team hosts the Stevens Institute of Technology at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, then travels to Swarthmore College and New York University over the weekend.
(03/12/12 10:27pm)
The College’s tennis teams started off the new semester in style, as the men’s and women’s programs each picked up a pair of comfortable wins in Florida on Monday, March 5.
The women’s team brushed aside Haverford College and Minnesota State University, a Division II team, with identical scores of 8-1.
The 19th-ranked Lions now own a sparkling 8-0 record on the year, which head coach Scott DiCheck attributes to the team’s unique combination of experienced veterans and hungry rookies.
“We have a lot of energy and excitement, a mixture of upper classmen and freshman,” DiCheck said. “If we continue to gel, I think we can have a great season.”
Junior Lauren Balsamo had the best record on the day at 4-0, taking two singles matches and dominating doubles play with her partner, junior Paige Aiello, who also won a singles match against Haverford, 6-3, 6-1.
Aiello, junior Karisse Bendijo, junior Alison Tierney and freshman Deborah Wu each earned three wins across the two matches, with Bendijo and Tierney combining for a doubles win against Minnesota State.
All of the Lions who competed won at least once, and it was another positive performance on a long list of them ahead of Friday’s home meet against Goldey-Beacom College.
Meanwhile, the men’s team had a momentous week, easing past Ursinus College 9-0 before handing a talented Wheaton College team an 8-1 match in what DiCheck labeled a “major match.”
“The match against Wheaton was probably our biggest match of the year in terms of getting into the NCAA tournament because they are an independent team from the midwest region,” junior T.J. Riley said. “The fact that we beat them so badly makes us looks better as they go along and have a good season.”
Riley (positioned first in singles on the day), senior Steven Fernandez (second), junior Marc Nichols (third), senior Daniel Lee (fifth) and freshman Gabe Allen (sixth) won at each opportunity in singles play, while Howard Telson (fourth) picked up a point against Ursinus.
The points were Allen’s first in his collegiate career, and lifelong friend Riley knows he can continue to contribute to the program.
“I don’t have enough words to describe the benefits he brings to the team,” Riley said. “In short, (Allen) is a fighter and you need to be very mentally tough to beat him and even then you may not succeed.”
“(Allen) gave us a great attitude,” DiCheck said. “It’s a great start and he’s definitely going to have a great career at TCNJ.”
The College’s three doubles teams went undefeated, in part as a result of Fernandez’s contributions to the second and third teams.
Riley and Nichols took two 8-4 decisions, Fernandez and Telson earned 8-3 and 8-2 wins, and Fernandez and junior Jordan Cruz won 8-1 and 8-5 against Ursinus and Wheaton, respectively.
The men’s team looks to stay hot when it hosts Swarthmore College this Saturday.
(02/29/12 5:45am)
Three wrestlers are heading to NCAA Division III Championships on March 9 as a reward for deep runs at the Metropolitan Conference Championships, where the College finished sixth in a field of nine and placed five wrestlers overall.
No. 1 senior Mike Denver became the College’s most winningest wrestler and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler en route to winning the highly competitive 184-pound weight class, which he last won in 2010.
Denver went a perfect 3-0 at the tournament, earning an 8-2 victory against No. 8 Mike Reilly of King’s College in the final, to improve his winning streak to 32 bouts and earn his third berth to nationals in as many years.
Denver’s second bout at the tournament gave him his 137th career win, propelling him past 2011 graduate and former teammate Justin Bonitatis in the College’s all-time wins column.
“It’s a great thing for (Denver). He’s committed and relentless,” head coach Joe Galante said. “He’s worked his way from a very average college wrestler to the elite.”
Junior Dan Herr will also be making his third nationals appearance after earning second place in the 133-pound weight class.
Herr suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat in the championship round, but will head to nationals fully aware of the challenges he faces.
“Herr is learning from his experience at the national tournament. It’s not only helped him prepare, but execute at nationals. He’s ready to go,” Galante said.
No. 10 junior John Darling booked his first-ever trip to nationals by finishing second in the 157-pound weight class, with his only loss coming to No. 4 Chris Burdge of Centenary College in the championship round.
Darling’s pair of wins, both by decision, gave the captain his first 30-win season as a Lion.
“Darling is very focused, extremely dangerous,” Galante said. “He can hit you with good points. He’s starting be more consistent with his normal tactics. He’s a two-way (wrestler).”
Two other Lions did some damage at the tournament. Senior Brian Bollette was named an alternate qualifier for nationals as a result of his third-place finish in the 141-pound weight class, and sophomore Kenneth Murphy went undefeated in the 165-pound consolation bracket to nab third as well.
The College’s point total of 75.5 put the team in a tie with Delaware Valley College for sixth place, within 25 points of first-place Centenary College and close to a crowded top five.
“If you look at the points, everyone was relatively close. Sixth we’re not happy with, but it’s something we can improve upon. There are a lot of high-ranked teams (in the Metro conference), but we want to be a high-ranked team,” Galante said.
Nationals are scheduled for March 9-10 at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.
“I’m proud of our team,” Galante said. “Our guys fought through adversity, and the guys that are committed are the difference makers.”
(02/13/12 9:36pm)
The College’s wrestling team lost its season finale at No. 23 Centenary College, 38-9, ending the dual meet portion of the season with two weeks to prepare for the 2012 Metropolitan Conference Championships.
It was the fifth consecutive loss for the Lions (11-9), with all five coming against nationally-ranked conference foes, and leaves the team ranked 30th in Division III.
“(Thirtieth) is a place we can build on, but by no means is it where we want to be — we still believe we can put four or five guys in nationals and place in the top 15 of the country,” head coach Joe Galante said. “In order to reach the goals we have, we need to start beating teams like (Centenary).”
And Galante refused to use injury and illness troubles, which kept several Lions off the mat again on Friday, as an excuse.
“We did have a couple illnesses, a couple guys throughout the season were injured,” Galante said. “It’s not the reason we lost. We still have to be responsible for these matches.”
For the Lions’ points against Centenary, senior Brian Bollette (141-pound weight class) won by decision and senior Mike Denver (184) earned a pin.
Both wrestlers, as well as a handful of other talented Lions, hope to qualify for NCAA Division III Championships by contending for their weight classes in the Metropolitan Conference Championships on Feb. 26.
At least four Lions have gone to nationals in each of the last three seasons, and the expectations for individuals are high again this year.
Denver is ranked No. 1 in the 184-pound weight class, junior John Darling (157) is ranked No. 10 in his, senior Dan Herr (141) is a ranked as a national contender, freshman P.J. Schmidt (133) is an honorable mention in the national rankings and some unranked Lions, including Bollette, are capable of doing some damage in the tournament if they are healthy.
The College, which last won the conference in 2010, might not perform as well as a team this year thanks to stiff conference competition.
“I expect our individuals to do well. I’m not sure how our team will be. There are a lot of nationally-ranked teams (in the conference),” Galante said.
Teams like No. 11 Springfield College, No. 15 York College, No. 19 Wilkes University, No. 22 Elizabethtown College and Centenary — the five teams the Lions faced to end the season — will also be at the tournament.
Regardless of what their team score ends up being, the Lions are looking to improve upon their dual meet form and send four (or more) wrestlers to Division III Championships to prove their mettle.
“We’re looking to learn from experience,” Galante said. “We’re proud of our guys and their effort this season, (but) this isn’t where we want to be.”
(02/07/12 3:14am)
The College’s wrestlers dropped three straight dual meets this week, excelling in the 157-pound and 184-pound weight classes but ultimately coming up short against nationally-ranked competition.
The 30th-ranked Lions (11-8) closed out their home season against No. 19 Wilkes University on Friday with a 27-10 defeat before suffering back-to-back setbacks to No. 21 Elizabethtown, 22-24, and No. 15 York College, 13-30, on Saturday afternoon.
Despite the losses, a few Lions had bright weeks. Freshman Michael Larcamp (285) picked up his first collegiate pin against York College.
“I was real excited (Larcamp) got a win, especially a pin,” head coach Joe Galante said. “I think if he stays committed to the program (he’ll do well).”
Senior Mike Denver (184) remains ranked as the No. 1 wrestler in Division III’s 184-pound weight class after methodically working his way to three wins last week — two by major decision and one pin-down — to extend his winning streak to 28.
A matchup with the No. 2 wrestler in the 184-pound weight class, York College’s Alex Martocello, was avoided when Martocello wrestled in the 197-pound weight class against the Lions. Martocello’s only blemish on the season has been a pin-down defeat to Denver in December.
Junior John Darling (157) won all three of his bouts by decision, including an absurd last-gasp win that threw the Lions a lifeline against Wilkes. After going behind 5-6 in the third period, Darling clawed his way out of a bad position and earned a takedown in the dying seconds of regulation to win, 7-6.
Senior Brian Bollette (141) had his own last-minute heroics with a late win against Wilkes, and later won his bout against Elizabethtown by major decision. P.J. Schmidt (133) also picked up points for the Lions with a win by decision against Elizabethtown.
The Lions next hope to tackle No. 22 Centenary College on Friday in their last dual meet of the Spring season.
“It’d be nice to close out the dual meet season with a win and get ready for conference tournaments,” Galante said. “We’re still in the middle of the season. We’ve still got things to accomplish.”
(01/31/12 5:39am)
The College’s wrestling team rode its depth to four wins last week, including a momentous victory over fellow Metro Conference heavyweight No. 23 Delaware Valley College, before falling to No. 10 Springfield College on Sunday amidst an injury epidemic.
“We had a pretty solid week,” head coach Joe Galante said. “I think it’s great what our guys are doing for us … It’s encouraging to watch how they’re handling (adversity).”
The 30th-ranked Lions (11-5) narrowly edged Delaware Valley at home, 20-19, before routing Williams College, Roger Williams University and United States Coast Guard Academy in the New England/MET Duals by a combined score of 98-30.
The wrestlers were just minutes away from going 5-0 on the week in Springfield MA, but they had a slim lead erased in the final two bouts of a 24-18 defeat.
“After the match we talked about how even though we were banged-up and a little hurt, we were a match (away from winning) … about how we’re going to use our skills and strategy to beat any opposition,” Galante said.
During the meets, second-stringers stepped up and several starters wrestled in unfamiliar weight classes to help cover holes in a team still recovering from injury losses.
“Our health is key, and we’re still trying to get guys back,” said Galante, who started 15 different wrestlers during the week.
Three of these Lions won at every opportunity, including senior Mike Denver (184, 197), who is ranked No. 1 in Division III in the 184-pound weight class.
Denver won five of five bouts, including the meet-winner against Delaware Valley where he wrestled in the 197-pound weight class, en route to extending his win streak to 25 and scoring a team-high 26 points in the process.
Junior John Darling (157) also earned his 25th win after going 5-0 on the week, and freshman P.J. Schmidt’s (133) five wins improved his stellar rookie record to 24-3.
Other big contributions included freshman Joey Dicarlo (125) picking up a pair of wins, senior Brian Bollette (141) winning three bouts, junior Dan Herr (141, 149) going 3-2, sophomore KC Murphy (165) taking four of five and junior Dan Brill (197) doubling his season win total by finishing the week 3-1.
The Lions hope to continue their good form and grind out another victory on Friday, when they end their home season against Wilkes University at 7 p.m. in Packer Hall.
“As I always tell our guys: ‘We’re Lion Strong’,” Galante said. “Even after the loss (to Springfield), we’re looking forward to Wilkes on Friday.”
(01/24/12 8:51am)
Over the weekend 11 members of the wrestling team competed at the Messiah College Open to help determine who will help the Lions finish their season, which continues on Wednesday when the College hosts its first home dual meet in more than two months against No. 20 Delaware Valley College (7-7).
There was no team scoring at the Messiah event, a meet which helped the Lions “figure out what roles certain members of our team will player from here on (out),” head coach Joe Galante said.
A handful of the 27th-ranked Lions at the event made deep runs into the tournament. Freshman Josh Garzio (149) earned second in his weight class after going 3-1, junior Jason Ecklof (149) also took three wins for fourth place, and sophomores John Palsi (141), Justin DeAndrea (165), Rich Cordero (174) and freshman Michael Larcamp (285) each won two bouts.
The meet came just days before the Lions hope to improve to 8-4 on the season — and 2-3 against ranked teams — against a hot Delaware Valley team in a potentially pivotal event for the College’s wrestling team, which can significantly improve its conference and national standing with a victory.
“(The meet against Delaware is) very important because they are conference match ups and they are ranked above us,” Galante said. “The team needs to and can step up to the challenge.”
Delaware Valley has gone 4-1 since starting the season 3-6, most recently picking up an impressive 18-15 win against No. 19 Messiah College during a 4-0 tear before falling, 24-13, to Centenary College last Friday.
The meet will be played in Packer Hall tonight at 7 p.m. This weekend, the College will compete at the NEWA-Metro Conference Duals, held at Roger Williams University, and play a road dual meet at Springfield College.
(01/16/12 7:11pm)
The College’s wrestling team opened 2012 by competing in a pair of tough tournaments, winning five of eight dual meets at the North/South Duals and Whitehill Duals while facing quality opposition and a plague of injuries.
“Coming back from the New Year’s break we’ve gotten off to an OK start,” head coach Joe Galante said. “Seven wins is a pretty good reflection of how we’ve been competing.”
The 27th-ranked Lions (7-4) first took two of three at the North/South Duals on Jan. 7, winning a dramatic 21-18 contest with United States Merchant Marine Army before splitting a pair of matches with No. 19 Messiah College and University of Scranton.
The Lions clinched the victory against USMMA in the last round, when Trevor Salvatore (285) won by decision to break an 18-18 tie after successful bouts by Joey DiCarlo (125), Dan Herr (135), John Palsi (141) and No. 7 John Darling (157).
Against Messiah, two early injury default losses by regular contributors Herr and Brian Bollette (141) extended the Lions’ deficit to 15-0 in an eventual 31-10 loss, with wins coming from Darling and Salvatore. The Lions rebounded by pounding Scranton 42-6 in their final meet of the tournament.
The College then went 3-2 at last week’s 24th-annual Budd Whitehill Duals, beating John Carroll University, Trine University and Williams College with a combined score of 85-40 but bowing out of the tournament early with losses to No. 25 University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point and No. 9 York College.
Highlights of the Whitehills Duals include Herr pinning No. 2 Chris Albright of York College in 1:37, P.J. Schmidt (125) winning all five of his bouts, and No. 1 Mike Denver (184) going 4-0.
The 29-16 loss to York College reflected the Lions’ injury woes, though, with two more key injury default losses bloating York’s advantage 13-point advantage by 12 points.
“It’s been difficult with our injuries,” Galante said, “(and with a crowded schedule) the recovery process is definitely strained.”
The Lions expect to overcome adversity in the coming weeks, including Saturday’s trip to the Messiah College Open, to achieve their season goals and remain a conference powerhouse.
“This is when the tough get going,” Galante said. “All these guys are starting to realize they can compete with the best in the country and can beat them … as the season goes on and we recover from our injuries, I think we’ll continue to improve.”
(12/07/11 5:48pm)
The wrestling team put on a pair of clinics last week, rolling past King’s College and earning third place at the New Standard Invitational during the College’s last meets of 2011.
The 24th-ranked Lions (2-1) extended their winning streak to two games with the 31-16 victory at King’s College (1-3) on Wednesday, Nov. 30.
“Our team wrestled well,” head coach Joe Galante said. “We were focused, we wrestled hard and we did what we needed to do.”
The Lions dominated from the onset. After four bouts the College held a comfortable 22-0 lead, and after six they clinched the victory at 28-3.
Freshman P.J. Schmidt (125-pound weight class), senior Dan Herr (133) and senior Zach Zotollo (165) earned pin-downs, senior Brian Bollete (141) came back from a 5-0 deficit to win 17-9, and senior Chris Lombardi (149) won by forfeit.
Mike Denver (184) added to the victory with a win by decision.
Three days later the Lions competed at the New Standard Invitational in York, Pa., in their last meet until Jan. 7, 2012, and a handful of top performances elevated the team to third place in the field of 11.
“We always want to improve, (but) we were impressive,” Galante said. “We deserved third place … We wrestled well.”
Denver, the No. 2-ranked 184-pound wrestler in Division III, won his weight class by pinning the No. 1-ranked wrestler — York College’s previously undefeated Alex Martocello — 29 seconds into overtime of the final round.
It was Denver’s 16th straight win for the Lions, and his third in four tries against Martocello over the past two seasons.
“Mike competes hard and he trains even harder,” Galante said. “It’s a nice win for him, but he’s beaten (Martocello) before and he’ll beat him again if he wrestles with intensity.”
John Darling (157) also went 5-0 to win his weight class, albeit less dramatically.
Darling beat his first four opponents by a combined score of 41-4 and built a 6-0 lead in the final round, but then won by injury default.
Several other Lions made deep runs in the tournament and every point was crucial. The College’s final score of 85.5 was equaled by York College.
No. 10-ranked Herr reached the final of the 133-pound weight class, Schmidt finished third in the 125-pound weight class, Zotollo won five times to earn third in the 165-pound weight class and junior Anthony Damico (149) was fourth in his weight class with a 3-2 record.
The Lions pulled into third late in the tournament to end 2011 on a high note.
“We had a great championship round. We were tied with (fifth-place) Johnson and Wales R.I. going into the final around and moved into third,” Galante said. “It was a great way to end the year.”
(11/29/11 5:38am)
Bouncing back from a tough season-opening loss, the College’s wrestling team pounded Hunter College 27-10 on Nov. 17 and put in a solid performance at the Central Jersey Open three days later.
The victory against Hunter gave Head Coach Joe Galante his first win at the helm of the 20th-ranked Lions (1-1).
“It was a pretty interesting meet, a hard-fought match,” Galante said. “The guys were excited about the win. We can definitely build on it.”
The Lions took several close bouts en route to six consecutive victories to start the meet, including a 2-1 win by senior Chris Lombardi (149-pound weight class) and a comeback win from sophomore P.J. Schmidt (133), which gave them a commanding 18-0 lead.
Wins by decision came from Lombardi, Schmidt, freshman Joey Dicarlo (125), senior Brian Bollete (141) and sophomore Zach Zotolo (165), while junior John Darling (157) and senior Mike Denver (184) pinned down their opponents.
The Lions continued their good form when they hosted the Central Jersey Open on Nov. 20.
Denver went undefeated through five bouts to win the 184-pound weight class in convincing fashion, beating opponents by a combined score of 161-13 and earning a pin-down in the final.
Bollete went 4-1 to reach the final in the 141-pound weight class, Schmidt earned a third-place finish in the 125-pound weight class, and junior Trevor Salvatore (285) reached the semifinals by winning four bouts, two by pin-down.
The positive performances marked improvement for the Lions, psychologically and technically.
“I was impressed with all of our guys. Our mental toughness has improved,” Galante said. “They are looking to win, to control the match, control their positions, scoring techniques.”
The Lions are still looking to get better, though, as they start a two-month road trip on Wednesday, Nov. 30 with a meet at King’s College.
“The guys are working on their weaknesses,” Galante said. “We are improving, but we aren’t where we want to be.”
(11/15/11 3:16am)
The College’s cross country teams took two seventh-place finishes on Saturday at the Atlantic Regional Championships but fell short of earning nationals berths, effectively ending a pair of otherwise successful seasons.
Hampered by injuries and a slow start, the men’s team finished two places shy of an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships.
“It wasn’t our best showing as a team this year. We ourselves got caught in the back at the beginning of the race,” senior Andy Herschman said.
An all-senior squad of Herschman (30th out of 267 runners), Rob Nihen (34th), Nick Bond (43rd), Shaun McGeever (49th) and Alex Yersak (63rd) contributed to the College’s point total of 219. They averaged 26:30, a slight drop-off from the team’s last performance on Oct. 29 at the NJACs.
Still, the Lions are not ready to let Saturday’s disappointment characterize what has been a positive year — one that featured their 18th consecutive NJAC title and going undefeated against rival Rowan University in two meetings.
“We definitely have had a great season. We can’t let (Saturday’s result) define us,” said junior Andy Gallagher.
The Lions expect to continue their culture of success next season, even though they will lose almost all of their regular contributors to graduation.
“We’re going to have a rebuilding year next season, but there’s not that much of a drop-off in talent. We have a really deep team,” Gallagher said.
“There’s a lot of guys right there, the rising juniors, the rising sophomores. We’re going to recruit a good class of freshman next year,” Herschman said. “I’m confident in the guys that we have right now.”
The women’s team earned a similar result to that of the men’s, settling for seventh place at a tough meet with 36 teams.
Junior Cathy Goncalves (29th out of 256 runners), senior Katie Nestor (32nd), sophomore Megan Flynn (38th), junior Rachel Morris (51st) and freshman Jilian Manzo (52nd) contributed to the College’s point total of 202, which was just one point short of sixth-ranked Vassar.
“There’s nothing more we could have done,” Goncalves said. “We’re in the toughest region in the country, and unfortunately the cards didn’t fall the way we had hoped.”
It was a disappointing result for the Lions, who also stumbled in last month’s NJAC Championships against Rowan, but their team-building season featured some highs as well as some lows.
With a strong team dynamic and a returning class of experienced runners, including four of the top-five finishers on Saturday, the Lions could be a force to be reckoned with next season.
Both Lions teams did not cancel their dates with nationals. They just postponed them until next year.
“Even though we’ll be losing (Nestor), we’re more focused and determined than ever before,” Goncalves said. “We’ll make sure to take back the NJAC title and go to nationals next year.”
(11/01/11 6:24pm)
The College’s cross country teams were caught in a whirlwind of great expectations and poor weather while fighting for NJAC championships on Saturday afternoon, and while it all went according to plan for the men’s team, an excellent performance from the women’s team was topped by rival Rowan University’s jaw-dropping finish.
In what junior Cathy Goncalves described as “one of the fastest team races (the College) has ever seen”, the women’s team finished with impressive times across the board but slipped to second place out of six teams, ending the College’s streak of 16 consecutive NJAC championships.
The Lions averaged 22:39 — a 32-second improvement over their last performance at the Connecticut College Invitational, and showed spirit in a hotly contested meet.
“I can sincerely say we ran our hearts out yesterday,” Goncalves said. “Each and every person on the team improved their time by a substantial amount.”
Both the College and Rowan each finished with five of the top 10 times, but Rowan took the top three spots. This proved to be the difference in a race that ended 21-34 between the two teams.
Goncalves (fourth), sophomore Megan Flynn (fifth), Katie Nestor (sixth), Rachel Morris (ninth) and Anginelle Alabanza (10th) all recorded great finishes in the race’s field of 73 runners, despite the downpour and overall poor weather conditions.
“It might sound cliché, but we won in spirit,” Goncalves said.
The men’s team also had its share of drama at the NJAC conference championship game, but edged Rowan, 26-36, for the College’s 18th consecutive men’s title.
Conquering nasty weather and a fierce rival made the routine win sweeter than usual for the Lions.
“In past years, winning the conference didn’t mean so much,” senior Andrew Herschman said. “But the conference has been getting better and better. This year, it felt really awesome to win it.”
Led by sophomore Dominic Tasco, who earned second place out of 94 runners, the College captured five of the top 10 times and four of top six, dominating most of the other six teams at the event.
Herschman (fourth), senior Shaun McGeever (fifth), junior Andy Gallagher (sixth) and senior Rob Nihen (ninth) also contributed to the College’s point total.
Both of the College’s cross country teams next compete on Nov. 12, when they will participate in the Atlantic Regional Championships at St. Lawrence College.
The Lions are already looking ahead to Regionals, where they could run season-defining races and prove they deserve a pair of nationals berths.
“We’re there at regionals to make a statement: We’re the (College’s) cross country team, and we can go to nationals,” Herschman said.
(10/25/11 7:46am)
The College’s cross country teams put together striking performances over the past two weeks at a pair of invitationals, running well in anticipation of competing for a pair of NJAC conference championships this upcoming Saturday.
“We’re really improving from the first meet,” junior Johnny Arnold said. “The whole team is just getting better and better after every meet.”
At the Connecticut College Invitational meet, held on Oct. 15, the men’s and women’s teams each finished in the top third of their fields.
Veterans led the way for the men’s team, which earned third place out of 14 teams in the 8k event, as four of the five point-scorers were seniors, including Alex Yersak.
Yersak stormed past most of the event’s 211 runners, and with a time of 26:10, earned last week’s NJAC Player of the Week award and an impressive seventh-place finish in the race.
Senior Andrew Herschman (18th place), sophomore Domini Tasco (19th), senior Nick Bond (25th), and senior Shaun McGeever (32nd) also contributed to the College’s point total.
Progress was the theme of the College’s performance in Connecticut. The College’s top five runners combined for an average time of 26:45, an improvement over past meets, and Yersak’s 26:10 run was a 36-second improvement over his performance at last month’s College Brown 8k.
Results in Connecticut were similarly positive for the women’s team, which finished fourth out of 17 teams overall.
“We’re finally coming together and hope we can take that next step to defend our NJAC throne and receive a national bid,” junior Cathy Goncalves said.
Goncalves (12th) and sophomore Megan Flynn (13th) finished with identical times of 22:55, finishing 10 seconds behind the winning time, while junior Rachel Morris (25th), sophomore Anginelle Alabanza (28th) and senior Alyssa Bannon (33rd) helped ensure the College’s fourth-place finish.
The top five runners averaged 23:11, a massive 22-second improvement over their last performance in September.
The College also found success at the Haverford Invitational, a low-key event held Friday, Oct. 20.
The races were short, and there were no team scores, but the Haverford meet was a chance for runners to have fun and post positive individual times.
“It was nice to go out into a meet without a lot of pressure,” said Arnold, who ran the 4-mile event in 21:04. “Everybody performed well.”
Senior Rob Nihen paced the men’s team with a time of 21:02, while freshman Liz Johnson led the Lions in the three-mile event with a time of 19:06.
Nihen finished 26th in a field of 110, while Johnson finished 12th out of 77 runners.
Manzo (14th) and freshman Tara Nealon (17th) also finished in the top 20 for the women’s team.
The Haverford meet was the College’s last meet before this weekend, when the cross country teams fight to retain conference championships held for nearly two decades.
Even though it will be a difficult challenge, both teams feel prepared to continue the College’s culture of success on Saturday.
The men’s and women’s teams will be fighting for their 17th and 16th consecutive conference titles, respectively.
“We just need to remain focused and determined in order to continue our NJAC tradition,” Goncalves said.
Arnold agreed: “We feel confident we’re going to win, but it’s going to be tough.”