Sporting News CT – SNCTTV

James Feldeine Named To First Team, James Johnson To Second Team

HAMDEN, Conn. – Quinnipiac University men’s basketball junior Justin Rutty (Newburgh, N.Y.) has been named the Connecticut 6 Player of the Year, following a vote of the six teams’ coaches. Joining Rutty on the Connecticut 6 First Team was James Feldeine (New York, N.Y.), while James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.) was selected to the Second Team. The Bobcats led all teams with three players named All-Connecticut 6. Fairfield and Sacred Heart had two players each, while Central Connecticut, Hartford and Yale had one player recognized.

One of just 20 players in the nation to average a double-double, Rutty adds Connecticut 6 Player of the Year and First Team to an already long list of accolades. Included are NEC Player of the Year, CollegeInsider.com NEC Player of the Year, All-NEC First Team, National Association of Basketball Coaches District 18 First Team and Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Third Team recognition.

Rutty averaged 15.3 points (8th-NEC) and a league-best 10.9 rebounds per game (8th-NCAA), while shooting 54.2 percent from the floor (2nd-NEC) in leading the Bobcats to their first NEC Regular Season Championship during his junior season. He compiled a league-best 17 double-doubles, while finishing second in the nation for the second consecutive year with 4.9 offensive rebounds per game. Rutty scored his 1,000th point in just his third season at Quinnipiac, and currently stands 15th all-time on the NEC’s career rebound list with 798 boards. He’s also 23rd on the Quinnipiac career scoring list with 1,158 points. Rutty’s effort on the boards led the Bobcats to the nation’s second-best rebounding margin (+8.5) and seventh-best rebounds per game average (40.7). Rutty led Quinnipiac to its first-ever national postseason appearance, when the Bobcats faced Virginia Tech in the National Invitation Tournament.

Feldeine averaged a team-high 16.5 points per game (5th – NEC) for the Bobcats in his senior season. He was named NABC All-District 18 First Team and finishes his career 14th in program history with 1,320 points, fourth in Quinnipiac Division I history. Feldeine led the NEC in 20-point performances with 13, while also finishing seventh in free-throw percentage (.797), 10th in steals (1.42 spg.), 13th in the league in rebounding (5.8 rpg.) and 15th in field-goal percentage (.425). With 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, Feb. 25 against Monmouth, Feldeine became one of just nine players in NCAA Division I to compile a triple-double this season.

Johnson remained one of the most consistent players in the Bobcats’ line-up, extending his consecutive starts streak to 64 games to begin his career. The sophomore averaged 12.1 points (16th – NEC), 4.0 assists (7th – NEC), 1.42 steals (10th – NEC) and compiled a 1.83 assist-to-turnover ratio (4th – NEC). Johnson greatly improved his shooting this season, connecting at 82.9 percent from the free-throw line (3rd – NEC) and 38.5 percent from long range (.385). Johnson scored a career-high 28 points as the Bobcats defeated Robert Morris, Feb. 20, en route to securing home-court advantage throughout the NEC Tournament.

2009-10 All-Connecticut 6 Teams

First Team

Student-Athlete Class Position High School/Hometown

James Feldeine, Quinnipiac Sr. Guard Cardinal Hayes/New York, N.Y.

Anthony Johnson, Fairfield Sr. Center Lake Wales/Lake Wales, Fla.

Derek Needham, Fairfield Fr. Guard De La Salle Institute/Dolton, Ill.

Justin Rutty, Quinnipiac Jr. Forward Newburgh Free Academy, Newburgh, N.Y.

Alex Zampier, Yale Sr. Guard Columbia/East Greenbush, N.Y.

Second Team

Student-Athlete Class Position High School/Hometown

Corey Hassan, Sacred Heart Sr. Forward Merrimack/Merrimack, N.H.

James Johnson, Quinnipiac So. Guard Bishop Loughlin/Queens, N.Y.

Ryan Litke, Sacred Heart Sr. Guard Windsor/Windsor, Conn.

Shemik Thompson, Central Connecticut Jr. Guard Cape Henlopen/Milton, Del.

Joe Zeglinski, Hartford Jr. Guard Archbishop Ryan/ Philadelphia, Pa.

Connecticut 6 Player of the Year

Justin Rutty, Quinnipiac

Connecticut 6 Rookie of the Year

Derek Needham, Fairfield

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 15 ranked Southern Connecticut State University baseball team captured their 32nd win of the season by defeating Felician College on Senior Day at The Ballpark at SCSU. The Owls honored their three senior class members before the game – Ed Bethke (Branford, Conn.), Greg Malen (Stamford, Conn.), Kyle Penney (Columbia, Conn.) – as they claimed a 10-1 victory to finish the 2010 regular season with a 16-4 home record. Chris Zbin (Colchester, Conn.) threw 13 strikeouts in six innings and Michael Cleary (West Boylston, Mass.) was a double away from hitting for the cycle. He was 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored.

The Owls improve to 32-9-1 overall as Felician dropped to 23-22.

Southern opened the game early by taking a 6-0 lead after the first. Kyle Rosadino (Berwyn, Pa.) started things off with a double through the right side. He later advanced to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the game. Eric Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) later drove in Nick DeProspo (Worcester, Mass.) on an infield groundout and a single from Jordan Hockenberry (Glastonbury, Conn.) brought Ryan Geffert (Plymouth, Pa.) across home plate as Southern went ahead by three.

They weren’t done yet as Bryan Dorsey (Cheshire, Conn.) walked to put runners on first and second. Cleary stepped to the plate with one out remaining and hit his first career home run over the right field wall as the Owls took a 6-0 lead.

Southern added four more runs in the ballgame as they pulled away to take a 10-1 win.

Rosadino and Hockenberry each went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Rosadino added a RBI and Hockenberry drove in two runs. Dorsey went 1-for-2, walked twice and scored three times and Cleary hit a single, triple and a home run. Zbin recorded the win and is now 7-1 on the season. He went six innings, allowed just one run on two hits and struck out 13 batters. Bethke and Simon entered the game in relief efforts as they pitched three hitless innings.

The Owls return to action on Saturday for their final regular season game in a doubleheader at Southern New Hampshire.

###

Southern Connecticut 10, Felician 1 (04/28/10 at New Haven, Conn.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Felician............ 001 000 000 - 1 2 2 (23-22)

Southern Connecticut 600 020 11X - 10 10 0 (32-9-1)

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Pitchers: Felician - KOSSAK; SIEDLER(4); ROSE(6); CALABRESE(7). Southern Connecticut -

Chris Zbin; Ed Bethke(7); Steve Simon(9).

Win-Chris Zbin(7-1) Loss-KOSSAK(2-2) T-3:00 A-37

HR SCS - Michael Cleary.

Zbin faced 1 batter in the 7th.

HAMDEN, Conn. -- Quinnipiac University Director of Athletics and Recreation Jack McDonald has announced that Men’s Basketball Head Coach Tom Moore has signed a contract extension through the 2014-15 season. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“I am thrilled to receive this contract extension from Quinnipiac University,” Moore said. “President John Lahey and Director of Athletics Jack McDonald have been incredibly supportive of me and my program since I arrived here three years ago. I am excited about our future as we continue to establish Quinnipiac as one of the elite programs in the Northeast Conference.”

Moore will be entering his fourth season at Quinnipiac in 2010-11. This past year, the men’s basketball program reached new heights, breaking the university record for wins in a season. He guided the Bobcats to their first Northeast Conference Championship, while also advancing to the 2009-10 NEC Championship Game, held at Quinnipiac’s TD Bank Sports Center. Moore was named the Northeast Conference, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District 18 after leading the Bobcats to their program record 23 wins.

In addition, Quinnipiac was one of just 11 Division I teams to go undefeated at home in the regular season, posting a 12-0 record at the TD Bank Sports Center, as well as 16-0 in the state of Connecticut.The Bobcats went on to make their first national postseason appearance when they traveled to Blackburg, Va. to take on Virginia Tech in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).

“The entire Quinnipiac community is so pleased with the success that Tom and his staff and team have brought to our Quinnipiac community” Director of Athletics and Recreation Jack McDonald said. “This season we all experienced all that is good about intercollegiate athletics with record wins and attendance as well as excellent academic success and community service. We all look forward to continued athletic success and academic progress with Tom and his staff."

Under Moore’s guidance, Quinnipiac’s Justin Rutty has been a two-time NEC First Team selection, while also earning NEC Player of the Year honors in 2009-10. Last season, James Feldeine was named the NEC’s Most Improved Player in the first year of the award’s existence. This past season, Rutty and Feldeine also earned NABC All-District First Team honors while Rutty was also named to the All-ECAC Division I Third Team.

In 2006 Moore became the sixth men’s basketball head coach in Quinnipiac history and just the Bobcats’ second coach at the Division I level. Moore took over after spending the previous 13 years as a member of the coaching staff at the University of Connecticut. After guiding Quinnipiac to their first non-losing season since the 2002-03 season, Moore was named the CollegeInsider.com Coach of the Year.

During his time in Storrs, Conn., Moore helped build UConn into a national powerhouse and played a major role in guiding the Huskies to the 1999 and 2004 NCAA Division I Men's National Championships.

Recognized as one of the top recruiters and evaluators of talent in the country, Moore either recruited or coached numerous current NBA players at UConn as the Huskies currently claim 14 active NBA players, the most of any Division I program in the country. UConn's 2004 recruiting class was the consensus #1 recruiting class by every major recruiting publication.

Moore currently resides in Tolland, Conn. with his wife, Eileen, and their three daughters: Elizabeth Rose, Catherine Grace, and Caroline Mary.

The First and Only Heavyweight World Champion of Latino Heritage Calls it a Career

an Emily Harney photo

LAS VEGAS (Apr. 26, 2010) – After a professional career spanning 18 years, highlighted by becoming the first and only Heavyweight World Champion of Latino heritage, two-time world champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz today announced his retirement from the ring.

Ruiz (44-9-1, 30 KOs) defeated three world champions – Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman and Tony Tucker – as well as top contenders such as Andrew Golota, Fres Oquendo, Jameel McCline and Kirk Johnson. Six of John’s nine career losses were to world champions.

“I’ve had a great career but it’s time for me to turn the page and start a new chapter of my life,” Ruiz said. “It’s sad that my final fight didn’t work out the way I wanted, but, hey, that’s boxing. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished with two world titles, 12 championship fights, and being the first Latino Heavyweight Champion of the World. I fought anybody who got in the ring with me and never ducked anyone. Now, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family.

“I want to thank all of fans for staying in my corner through a long, up-and-down ride, as well as members of my family and team – my manager and legal advisor, Atty. Tony Cardinale, my brother, Eddie (cornerman), and Keith McGrath (strength-and conditioning coach) who’ve been with me so long. I also want to thank my trainer Miguel Diaz and (assistant) Richie Sandoval for teaching an old dog, new tricks, and my promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, the fairest promoter in boxing.

“I was proud to be the WBA champion twice and have the opportunity to fight 12 times for the WBA championship, the oldest and most respected organization in boxing. I’d particularly like to thank WBA President Gilberto Mendoza.”

Ruiz plans to move from Las Vegas back home to the Boston area this year and open a boxing gym in the inner city. “With my experiences in boxing,” he explained, “I want to go home and open a gym where kids will have a place to go, keeping them off of the streets, so they can learn how to box and build character. Someday, I’d like to see one of them go on to represent the United States in the Olympics. I want them to have the same opportunity to see the world that I had as an amateur. I’ve always tried to be involved in community and charity work in the past and now I’ll have more time to work with kids.

“Maybe, someday I’ll get into training, but right now I just want to spend time with my wife, Maribelle, and my children. I wasn’t around as much as I would have liked for my two oldest children, John and Jocelyn, because I was away training or fighting. Now, I’ll be around for them and my 3-year-old son, Joaquin, as he grows up. I’m going back to my roots in Massachusetts, where a lot of my family and friends live, and look forward to helping young boxers avoid some of the bad things that I experienced in the sport but help them to experience the good times, too. Boxing is brutal but also beautiful. As I look back, I’m happy about my career, and my future is very bright.”

The New Haven Register and Dan Nowak announced their 2009-10 All-State Hockey Team on Sunday.   After watching close to 100 games this past year I feel we can make an educated appraisal of the selections.  We'll start with the "Coach of the Year" - Bill Verneris did an outstanding job getting his team prepared for the skate to two consecutive D1 championships.  The evidence is easy to read , they struggled verses Darien in game one of the season needing OT to pick up the win. Later in the year they lost to Fairfield Prep in a game played at Quinnipiac University, but all the while you could  see this team was on a mission.  Verneris was able to harness the Green Dragon's emotions and work ethic and guide them down the stretch. It all resulted in a 6-5 instant classic win over the Jesuits on March 20 and their second consecutive championship.  A job well done.

Great teams, especially teams that are blue-collar teams need a leader who can dig in the corners, grind the puck down ice and inspire through self-sacrifice. Hamden's  Sr. forward P.J. Vakos was all that and more.  He was the Velcro to which the team stuck.  Do you need the puck to the front of the net, he got it there, maybe a blocked shot, he'd slide in front of it and of course a timely goal or two, he'd turn on the electricity. Vakos a great choice for State MVP.

The 1st team goaltender Will Love. I applauded this young guy. He was the "Wow" factor as Simon Cowell of American Idol fame might retort. Only a junior, Love was focused and was an inspirational leader for all of us to follow.  His team was downright in trouble during most of the year.  They played disjointed hockey just trying to find their way and when they did it was because Love never gave up.  He found a way through adversity to become the leader for a Darien team that shocked D1 number one seed West Haven in round one of the CIAC tournament, pitched a shut-out at Tri-Town later in the tournament  and held his team close to Hamden in the semifinals at the Ingalls Rink. I'd take him on my team.

My problem with the All-State team selections is the fact that only one defense was named to the team. It was Fairfield Prep's Sr. Jackson Bargiello. I thought you always played defensemen in pairs. I guess this team was built  with a power-play mentality.  Bargiello was that good to be named as the only defenseman on the 1st team. He is big, strong, smart and crafty. Pardon the pun but at 6'1 he was head and shoulders above the other blue-liners in 2009-10. He is a player to watch. Can he can play at the next level?

Conor Crouse a Jr. at St. Joe's was by far the magical play-maker in 2009-10.  I don't think there was a player in the state that equaled  his on-ice vision and ability to handle the puck.  I just loved to watch him work his magic.  Despite being under-sized he was tough.

Hockey sense is a gift and gifted was Sr. Alex Zlatkus.  The Glastonbury forward was pure excitement and dependable.  He had the ability to anticipate the play and make the right decision with the puck and perhaps more importantly without the puck.  That's the hockey sense part of it.  He moved with a purpose away from the puck.  All young hockey players should watch tape on his play away from the action.  And by the way he could shoot the puck too.

West Haven Sr. Jon Ascenzia was an all-purpose forward for the Blue Devils.  His work ethic rivaled that of P.J. Vakos.  Ascenzia was gritty and was able to overcome adversity through sheer determination.  A second baseman on the Blue Devils 2009 Class LL championship baseball team Ascenzia brought that winning attitude to the rink every game.

Farifield Prep Sr. forward Darric White was just plan cool out on the ice. Big and strong White understood his role as a leader, play-maker and scorer.  He was the shark lurking and ready to attack.  If you lost track of his whereabouts you'd pay the price. White is also a terrific lacrosse player.

There are many reasons why teams have success, with of course personnel being at the vortex of it all.  Hamden's  Jr. forward Jim Burt was at the center of it all for the Green Dragons.  Burt was speed, power, skill and nasty out there. He was a tone setter, need someone to crash the wall Burt would be the guy, power the puck to the front of the net Burt would flex a muscle, need the puck out of the zone Burt had the ability.  Let's see, he won a D1 championship as a sophomore, one as a junior can you say hat trick?

Well we have not mentioned a pure goal scorer yet.  The All-State hockey team had a pair of those guys. You know the guys that just shoot and score from anywhere in the offensive zone.  Let's start with St. Joe's Jr. forward Pat Corcoran. He was a hawk swooping around the ice ready to pounce on a loose puck or dangle and maneuver around a defender and when it was time to fire away lookout there was a laser beam heading into the back of the net.  Corcorran was gifted with quick hands and power. Oh did I mention he was accurate too?

West Haven's Jr. forward Tim Baylis was the other pure scorer.  Baylis  used his skating ability to find an open shooting lane and when he did he was lethal.  What I liked about this Blue Devil  was his play in neutral ice he'd zig and zag  and be on his way.  He'd use touch and power to turn on a red light.

Amity placed a pair of players on the All-State team Jr. forward Corey Shea and So. forward Joe Bianchi.  We'll begin with Shea.  Corey  was a a three-zone player  who used his hockey sense in the defensive end  and his speed to transition to offense by the time hit his owe blue-line. He was a good passer and not afraid to mix it up in the corners.  Shea did the little things in a big way.  A pure battler.

We speak last of  Amity So. Joe Bianchi because after-all aren't we brought up to respect our elders.  Bianchi in my estimation might become the best forward in CT high school hockey by the time he graduates from Amity High School. ( I hope he stays) Bianchi is big, strong and a natural goal-scorer. For a young guy he possess great hockey skills and hockey sense.  He was the most comfortably player in front of the oppositions net that I saw play all year long.  Big with a long reach and a devastating wrist shot.

Great job by the New Haven Register and Dan Nowak, but do me a favor next year and add another defenseman.  For all the former blue-liners out there we deserve the recognition too.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University softball team came away with two victories on Sunday afternoon, as the Owls swept a doubleheader against Franklin Pierce on Senior Day at Pelz Field. SCSU defeated the Ravens by the final score of 3-1 in game one, followed by a 5-1 triumph in game two. Prior to the second game of the double-dip, the Owls honored their four seniors for their career contributions.

With the two victories, SCSU ascended to 31-9, 19-3 in Northeast-10 Conference competition. Furthermore, the Owls have completed its home regular season schedule, recording a mark of 21-1 at Pelz Field.

As they have done so often this season, the Owls jumped out to an early lead in the first inning of play. Seniors Khristle Lee (Aztec, N.M.), Megan Caporossi (Northford, Conn.) and Kerry Iacomini (Northford, Conn.) began the rally by loading the bases with two singles and a fielders’ choice. Alyssa Pagano (Monroe, Conn.) manufactured the first run with a sacrifice fly to right field, followed by a two-run double from Kristin Whitley (North Andover, Mass.) for a 3-0 lead.

Those three runs were all that Iacomini, Brittany Hill (Durham, Conn.) and Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) would need. Iacomini was stellar in her final regular-season home game, as she threw four shutout innings, scattered five hits and struck out three for her 10th win of the season. Hill came on for the fifth and sixth and Larson closed out the game with a two-out save (fourth on the season) for the win.

In the back end of the twinbill, after a scoreless opening frame, the Owls put the first run of the game on the scoreboard in the second inning. Southern took advantage of two errors by the Franklin Pierce defense, bringing Whitley across the plate. Meryl Ragaini (Seymour, Conn.) was credited with an RBI on the play.

The Owls surrendered the tying run in the top half of the fourth, but quickly regained the lead. In their ensuing at-bats, Ragaini launched a two-run homerun to the opposite field, granting Southern a 3-1 advantage. Ragaini’s blast marked her second of the season.

Southern added two more in the fifth when Iacomini recorded her fourth homerun of the season. Iacomini tagged a shot over the centerfield fence, bringing Caporossi home from second for a 5-1 lead.

Game two starter Larson kept the Ravens off the board for the remainder of the game, concluding the two-game sweep. She tossed a complete game, allowed two runs on six hits and struck out one for her 12th win of the campaign. Larson lowered her season ERA to a miniscule 2.36 with the outing.

The Owls return to action on April 27 when the squad travels across town to face New Haven at Chargers Field. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The Quinnipiac University baseball team took the final game of its four-game Northeast Conference series against Central Connecticut State, 3-2, at the CCSU Baseball Field in New Britain, Conn. Quinnipiac won three of the four games against the Blue Devils this weekend to improve to 9-7 in conference play and 10-25 overall. Central Connecticut drops to 10-10 in the NEC and 17-15 on the year. Quinnipiac has now won eight of its last 10 NEC games, including five of its last six.

Junior Ben Farina (Waterford, Conn.) was 3-for-5 with an RBI double in the seventh inning that drove in Mickey Amanti (Waterford, Conn.) with the go-ahead run. Joe Poletsky (Riverside, Conn.) and Mike Bartlett (Milford, Conn.) extended their hitting streaks against NEC competition, as Poletsky has a hit in nine straight games against NEC teams while Bartlett stands at eight. Sophomore Anthony Cinelli (Wall, N.J.) scattered seven hits over 6 1/3 innings while giving up two runs for his first win of the year to improve to 1-3. The Quinnipiac bullpen quieted the CCSU bats as freshman Derek Lamacchia (Whitestone, N.Y.) picked up his first career save after holding CCSU scoreless over the final 1 2/3 innings.

Quinnipiac plated a run in the top of the first when Farina singled to right field and stole second base. After Brian Monack (Branford, Conn.) struck out for the second out of the inning, Joe Poletsky (Riverside, Conn.) doubled to right field to drive Farina in and give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.

Central Connecticut tied the game in the bottom of the second inning when Mitch Wells homered to lead off the inning. The Bobcats regained the lead in the top of the third inning when Mike Bartlett (Milford, Conn.) doubled to lead off the inning. After Amanti flew out, Farina and Monack followed with singles to load the bases. Bartlett scored on a fielding error by the Blue Devils’ shortstop.

Cinelli was cruising after Wells’ home run in the second, sitting down 12 of the next 15 batters he faced without letting a CCSU runner past second base. In the sixth, Jeff Meade led off the inning with a double to left center before Cinelli retired the next two batters. Kyle Zarotney delivered a two-out RBI with a single through the left side of the infield that scored Meade to tie the game at 2-2.

In the seventh, Amanti singled through the left side of the infield and scored the go-ahead run on a double to right-center field by Farina. In the bottom of the inning, Cinelli retired Sean Miller-Jones to start the inning before walking Sean Allaire. The walk ended Cinelli’s day in favor of Andrew Rinaldi (East Rockaway, N.Y.). Rinaldi gave up a single to Anthony Scialdone before getting Pat Epps to line into a double play to end the inning.

In the eighth, Rinaldi gave up a double to Meade and a single to Wells to start the inning, putting runners on the corners. Wells moved to second on a groundball back to the mound for the first out of the game. Lamacchia then entered the game and got Zarotney to pop up to second and pinch-hitter Chris Renzoni to ground out to third to end the inning.

In the ninth, Lamacchia got Miller-Jones to ground out to second before Allaire walked and Scialdone singled to put runners on first and second. A double-play ball to short retired Scialdone as Allaire moved to third. Lamacchia then struck out Meade, with the tying run on third base, to end the game.

The Bobcats are back in action on Tuesday, April 27 when they head to Chestnut Hill, Mass. to face Boston College in a non-conference match-up at 3 p.m. at Shea Field.

Bobcats Recognized By League Coaches

HAMDEN, Conn. – The Quinnipiac University women’s ice hockey team has been named the recipient of the SKOR Sports Trophy, as announced by the league office. The Bobcats earn the award after posting their most successful season in program history, finishing the year with a 19-10-8 overall record with an 11-4-7 mark in ECAC Hockey.

The SKOR Sports Trophy is awarded to the ECAC team that the league coaches believe reflect the values of both ECAC Hockey and SKOR sports. The defining characteristics of the recipient of this award are sportsmanship, tenacity, commitment and innovation. Quinnipiac finished the year tied for third with Harvard in the league, tallying 29 points in conference play with 11 regular-season victories.

As a team, the Bobcats accomplished several program milestones in the 2009-10 season. After compiling three consecutive wins against nationally-ranked teams in early January, Quinnipiac received votes in the weekly USCHO.com and USA Today national polls for the first time in program history. The team went on to receive votes for the next six weeks before ranking tenth in the nation on Mar. 1.

With their success in the regular season, the Bobcats earned a host position in the 2010 ECAC Hockey Championship, another first for the Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey program. The team hosted Rensselaer in a three-game series at the TD Bank Sports Center in late February, recording the program’s first postseason victory against the Engineers on Feb. 26.

In addition to their team award, two individual players also earned postseason honors. Freshman goaltender Victoria Vigilanti (Woodbridge, Ontario) was named the ECAC Rookie and Goaltender of the year, being the first Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey player to earn a major postseason award. Vigilanti was also named to the ECAC All-Conference First Team, the ECAC All-Rookie squad and the New England Division I All-Star Team. Freshman Heather Hughes (Stouffville, Ontario) was also named to the ECAC All-Rookie team, as she led the Bobcats in goals (14) and points (25).

Head coach Rick Seeley was also recognized on a national-level for his efforts behind the bench. In just his second year with Quinnipiac, Seeley led the team to one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in college hockey history. For his leadership, Seeley was named the ECAC Women’s Ice Hockey Coach of the Year and the New England Division I Coach of the Year. He was also named the runner-up for the American Hockey Coaches Association’s Division I Coach of the Year.

The finalists for the SKOR Sports Trophy were St. Lawrence, Princeton, and Harvard.

Birdsall Wins Third Straight NEC Start

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The Quinnipiac University baseball team split a Northeast Conference doubleheader against Central Connecticut State University, winning the first game 13-4, before dropping the second game 8-4. The Bobcats go to 8-7 in the NEC and 9-25 overall while Central Connecticut goes to 10-9 in conference play and 17-14 overall. The win in the first game was Quinnipiac’s fourth straight against a Northeast Conference opponent. After losing five of their first six games against NEC opponents, Quinnipiac has won seven of their last nine conference games. The loss in the second game snapped a five-game winning streak against NEC schools, Quininipiac’s longest since May, 2007.

In the first game, Kyle Birdsall (Orange, Conn.) picked up his third consecutive Northeast Conference win to improve to 3-3 on the season after holding CCSU to four runs on five hits while striking out six. Spencer Kane (Wolcott, Conn.) pitched a scoreless seventh inning. At the plate, Brian Monack (Branford, Conn.) was 4-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored. For the day, the senior centerfielder was 5-for-8 with four runs scored. Lead-off hitter Mickey Amanti (Waterford, Conn.) was 3-for-3 with a triple with two RBI and three runs scored. Joe Poletsky (Riverside, Conn.) strung together his team-best 16th multiple-hit game as he went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Ben Farina (Waterford, Conn.) and Chris Migani (Orange, Conn.) both tallied two hits while Gabe Guerino (Milford, Conn.) drove in two runs.

Quinnipiac scored twice in the third inning when Monack singled through the right side of the infield to score Amanti. Poletsky hit a sacrifice fly to score Farina to give Quinnipiac a 2-0 lead. The Bobcats pushed their lead to 12-0 with back-to-back five-run innings in the fourth and fifth. In the fourth, Amanti’s triple scored Mike Bartlett (Milford, Conn.) and Ryan Ullrich (Orange, Conn.). Farina then singled to bring Amanti home before Poletsky hit his second sacrifice fly of the day to score Farina. Migani followed with a triple of his own to score Monack. In the fifth, Farina, Monack, Poletsky, Migani and Guerino all drove in runs in the inning.

Meanwhile, Birdsall was dealing. The righty hurler allowed just one runner over the first three innings, a double by Jeff Meade in the second. After allowing the lead-off batter to reach in the fourth, he later picked him off to end the inning. It wasn’t until the fifth inning, and a one-out homerun by Richie Try, that Central Connecticut finally struck. The Blue Devils managed to squeeze three more runs out of the sixth inning, before Kane came on for the Bobcats to slam the door in the seventh.

In the second game, Central Connecticut used a four-run third inning, highlighted by a three-run homer by Pat Epps to jump out to an early lead. The Bobcats couldn’t solve Meade on the mound who cruised through six innings, hold Quinnipiac to two hits until their final at-bat. Quinnipiac freshman Alex Russow (Milford, Conn.) suffered his first loss of the year to drop to 2-1 after allowing four runs on five hits over five innings pitched. Kane came back to pitch the sixth, where he was tagged for four runs on three hits to give CCSU a 7-0 lead heading into the top of the seventh.

In the seventh, Monack and Poletsky started the Quinnipiac rally with a pair of singles to start the inning. After Migani fouled out, Guerino hit a double-play ball that Poletsky was retired on for the second out, but the throw to first was off-line, allowing Monack to score and Guerino to advance to second. Ullrich doubled to right field to score Guerino before Bartlett homered to center field to cut the Central Connecticut lead in half, 8-4.

Quinnipiac will close out its four-game Northeast Conference series against Central Connecticut on Sunday, April 25 at the CCSU Baseball Field at 1 p.m.

April 24, 2010 - HAMDEN, Conn. – Jack Oppenheimer (Conshohocken, Pa.) scored a career-high six goals to lead three Bobcats who tallied hat tricks as the Quinnipiac University men’s lacrosse team cruised past ECAC foe Bellarmine, 20-7, Saturday afternoon at the Quinnipiac Field Hockey & Lacrosse Turf Field. Kevin Kelly (Redding, Conn.) and Billy Alessi (Branford, Conn.) also scored three goals each for the Bobcats, who improved to 6-5 (3-3 ECAC), while the Knights fall to 8-6 (2-4 ECAC).

Christian Haggerty (West Nyack, N.Y.) dished out a career-high five assists, while Todd Kaiser (Summit, N.J.) scored twice. Kelly also added two assists, while Basil Kostaras (Southlake, Texas) added a goal and two assists. Zach Pall (Setauket, N.Y.), Garett Kerr (Caledon, Ontario), Jake Emms (Victoria, British Columbia), Jay Binkowski (Bethany, Conn.) and Jimmy Gianfelice (Wilbraham, Mass.) also netted goals for the Bobcats, while Pall, Sean Damboise (Southington, Conn.) and Ted Dimond (Marblehead, Mass.) had assists.

Derek Hopcroft and Shane Andersen scored twice each for Bellarmine, while Chase Williams added three assists. Jarrett Davis, Luke Acton and Colton Clark also scored goals, while Austin Bright, Hopcroft and Devin Arruabarrena had one assist each.

Pall was once again outstanding at the face-off x, winning 11-of-13 opportunities. Kevin Benzing (Severna Park, Md.) was stingy in net, stopping 12 of 18 chances. Jamie Prudden (Andover, Mass.) and Tim Yost (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) also made one save each in the final minutes of the fourth quarter for the Bobcats. Dillon Ward played the first three quarters for the Knights, allowing 15 goals while stopping nine shots. Scott Bowles played the final quarter, allowing five goals while making three saves.

For the game, the Bobcats outshot the Knights, 46-33, picked up 46 ground balls to the Knights’ 24, won 17-of-28 face-offs and caused 26 Bellarmine turnovers while coughing it up 21 times. Both teams were successful on the man advantage, with the Bobcats converting 3-of-4 and the Knights scoring on 2-of-3.

The Bobcats never trailed in the game, immediately barraging the Knights with 10 of the game’s first 12 goals. Alessi got the scoring started at the 10:53 mark. After Bellarmine responded within the next minute on Hopcroft’s first of the game, Kaiser and Kelly scored at the 9:00 and 7:18 marks, respectively to give the Bobcats a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Kostaras and Dimond assisted on the goals.

After Andersen countered off a Bright assist at the 6:45 mark, Quinnipiac went on the offensive with seven straight goals. Oppenheimer scored four times in the span, while Alessi, Kelly and Kostaras also found the back of the net. Hopcroft and Andersen scored to cut the deficit to six goals at 10-4 prior to halftime.

The Bobcats once again came out firing in the third quarter, outscoring the Knights, 5-1, to take a 10-goal lead. The lead swelled to as many as 14 goals on Pall’s marker at the 3:17 mark of the fourth. Davis accounted for final tally, beating the final horn with one second left.

Quinnipiac returns to action Tuesday, when its travels to Fairfield to face intrastate foe Sacred Heart. Opening face-off from Campus Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.

April 24, 2010 - NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Sophomores Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) and Jessica Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) each collected wins in the circle on Saturday afternoon, as the Southern Connecticut State University softball team celebrated its annual ‘Think Pink Party’ by cruising past Saint Michael’s in a doubleheader at Pelz Field. The Owls defeated the Purple Knights by the final score of 8-0 in game one, followed by an 8-2 decision in game two.

With the wins, Southern improved to 29-9, 17-3 in the Northeast-10 Conference, moving to within just one game of the conference leader, New Haven.

Southern got the bats going early on in game one, scoring four runs on seven hits in the first inning. Brittany Bucko (Wallington, Conn.), Khristle Lee (Aztec, N.M.), Megan Caporossi (Northford, Conn.) and Kristin Whitley (North Andover, Mass.) all crossed the dish on hits from Lee, Kerry Iacomini (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) and Alyssa Downs (Seymour, Conn.), for a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Owls added another in the third and capped off the scoring column with three more in the fourth inning, enforcing the Mercy Rule. Caporossi provided the big hit with a two-run homerun to leftfield, her eighth of the campaign.

Larson only needed one of the eight runs, as she tossed a complete game shutout. Larson did not allow a hit, walked one and struck out six batters for her team-leading 11th win of the season.

Game two featured another quick start from the Owls, as Caporossi and Alyssa Pagano (Monroe, Conn.) produced the first two runs on back-to-back hits. Caporossi’s triple pushed Bucko across for the first run, followed by an RBI single from Pagano to score Caporossi from third. SCSU controlled a 2-0 advantage through one inning of play.

The Owls continued to swing the bats well, adding three runs in the second and another in the fourth. Pagano eventually capped off the scoring summary with a two-run blast to left field for an 8-2 lead.

Rosa pitched five strong innings, allowed two runs on six hits and struck out two for her third win of the season. Brittany Hill (Durham, Conn.) relieved Rosa in the sixth and pitched two perfect frames to conclude the sweep.

The Owls return to action tomorrow, April 25 when the squad hosts Franklin Pierce on Senior Day at Pelz Field. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.

<cpi12>

So. Conn. State 8, Saint Michael's 0 (Apr 24, 2010 at New Haven, Conn.) (Game 1)

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Saint Michael's..... 000 00 - 0 0 1 (8-23, 3-18 NE-10)

So. Conn. State..... 401 3X - 8 15 0 (28-9, 16-3 NE-10)

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Pitchers: Saint Michael's - Mercik, L.. So. Conn. State - Jayme Larson.

Win-Jayme Larson(11-5) Loss-Mercik, L.(0-1) T-0:50 A-181

HR SCSU - Megan Caporossi.

Game: SSTMSCS1

<cpi12>

So. Conn. State 8, Saint Michael's 2 (Apr 24, 2010 at New Haven, Conn.) (Game 2)

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Saint Michael's..... 010 010 0 - 2 6 4 (8-24, 3-19 NE-10)

So. Conn. State..... 230 102 X - 8 12 0 (29-9, 17-3 NE-10)

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Pitchers: Saint Michael's - Frank, Steph. So. Conn. State - Jessica Rosa; Brittany Hill(6).

Win-Jessica Rosa(3-0) Loss-Frank, Steph(5-12) T-1:15 A-181

HR STM - Condon, Kate.

HR SCSU - Alyssa Pagano.

Game: SSTMSCS2

ND Centerfielder - Chris Schierholtz

April 23, 2010 - The Notre Dame Green Knights pasted West Haven 13-3 earlier today in a game played a Quigley Stadium in West Haven. Check out the highlight of Nd scoring two-runs in the first inning.  

To watch entire game replay click here.