Sporting News CT – SNCTTV

HAMDEN, Conn. – Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey head coach Rand Pecknold has announced that former Bobcats’ All-American Reid Cashman has been named assistant coach for the 2011-12 season. Cashman recently completed a five-year professional career that most recently saw him playing in Austria’s professional league.

"Reid was a special player, both on and off the ice, in his four years at Quinnipiac,” head coach Rand Pecknold. “His work ethic and competitiveness will translate into success as a coach.  He has had the good fortune of playing for some great pro coaches, including NHL Coach of the Year Dan Byslma.  Reid's hockey knowledge and his ability to communicate will make him a welcome addition to our progam."

Cashman was recently named as one of the top 50 players in ECAC Hockey history, as announced by the league during the 2010-11 season. Cashman was previously named to the ECAC Hockey All-Decade Team for the period from 2000 through 2009.

A native of Red Wing, Minn., he first earned All-America honors in 2004-05 when the Bobcats were members of Atlantic Hockey. Cashman went on to earn consecutive ECAC Hockey First Team and All-American honors when he finished as the league's top-scoring defenseman in 2006 and 2007, and was the only defenseman in the Top 20 in scoring in the nation in both years. In 2007, he captained a Quinnipiac team that played for the ECAC Hockey Championship in just its second year in the league.

In 79 career ECAC Hockey games, Cashman tallied 82 points, earning him a spot on the All-Decade team. In 2007, he finished second in the nation in scoring among defenseman with 41 points in 40 games for a 1.02 per game average. The previous season, he scored 41 points in 39 games for a 1.05 per game average, good for third in the nation among all blue-liners. In both seasons in ECAC Hockey, Cashman led the league in assists and power-play points and was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist.

The school record-holder in career assists with 125, he also holds the single-season defenseman records in assists with 35 in 2006-07 and 45 in 2004-05. The all-time leading scorer amongst defenseman, his 148 career points rank eighth overall.

Upon completion of his Quinnipiac career, Cashman signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, playing seven games that season with Toronto's top affiliate, the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL). Cashman enjoyed two stints with the Marlies, while also suiting up for the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Milwaukee Admirals. He also played for the Columbia Inferno, Wheeling Nailers and the Cincinnati Cyclones of the East Coast Hockey League before completing his professional career overseas with  EHC Black Wings Linz of the Austrian Erste Bank Ice Hockey League.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University football team has been selected No. 2 in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll. The announcement was made earlier today by the league office. The Owls were one point out of the top preseason spot. Southern Connecticut had been ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll in each of the past four seasons.

The Owls, who received two first-place votes, finished the 2010 season with a 6-4 mark. In the process, SCSU recorded its 10th consecutive winning season.

Southern Connecticut opens the 2011 season on Sept. 3 with a road game against Central Connecticut. Kickoff is set for noon.

Here’s a look at the complete poll and vote total. First place votes are in parentheses.
New Haven (6) – 59
So. Connecticut (2) – 58
Merrimack (1) – 47
Bentley – 43
American Int'l – 42
Assumption – 28
Stonehill – 23
Saint Anselm – 16
Pace – 8

DALLAS, August 16, 2011 - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today that longtime voices of college football Verne Lundquist and Brent Musburger have been named co-recipients of the organization's 2011 Outstanding Contribution to College Football Award.

"We are thrilled to honor both Brent and Verne, two of the best announcers our sport has ever known," said NFF president and CEO Steve Hatchell. "Millions of fans have had their fall Saturdays enriched by their exceptional storytelling abilities, and they stand atop the broadcasting profession as true masters of capturing the drama of the gridiron. We are all truly fortunate to have been in their audience for so many years, and we look forward to honoring them at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 6 in New York City."

First presented in 1974, the award provides national recognition to those whose efforts to support the NFF and its goals have been local in nature or who have made significant contributions to the game of football either to the manner in which it is played and coached or to the manner in which it is enjoyed by spectators. Lundquist and Musburger become the 35th and 36th recipients of this prestigious award.

Lundquist and Musburger are most recent individuals to be announced as recipients of an NFF Major Award in 2011, joining Dr. Archie Roberts (Distinguished American Award); Penn State Athletics Director Tim Curley (John L. Toner Award for superior abilities as an athletics administrator); and Ted Ruta (Outstanding Football Official Award). The Gold Medal recipient and Chris Schenkel Award recipient for excellence in broadcasting will be announced via national press releases in the near future.

The NFF Major Award winners, along with the 2011 College Football Hall of Fame inductees and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments, will be honored at the NFF 54th Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. For ticket information, please contact NFF director of national events Will Rudd at 800.486.1865 or wrudd@footballfoundation.com.

VERNE LUNDQUIST'S BIO

Known throughout the sports broadcasting industry as the "Golden Throat," Verne Lundquist has become an integral part of the sports broadcasting landscape during the past forty years with his memorable calls and a colorful approach that has made him a fan favorite. Currently, he serves as the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports' coverage of college football, a post he has held since 1998 alongside analyst Gary Danielson. Together, they have become the voices on CBS for SEC football.

The versatile Lundquist also handles announcing roles for CBS's coverage of college basketball, including the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, the Masters, the PGA Championship, and other PGA TOUR events. During his first stint at CBS from 1983 to 1995, Lundquist called the NFL and NBA, and was the network's lead figure skating announcer for the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics.

Prior to CBS, Lundquist spent eight years at ABC Sports and three years as a play-by-play announcer for TNT's coverage of the NFL, NBA, golf and figure skating coverage from 1995 to 1997. In all, he has called 20 different sports, including track and field, swimming and diving, boxing, gymnastics and horse racing during his illustrious career.

Lundquist began his career at KTBC-TV in Austin before becoming the sports director at WFAA-TV in Dallas, where he also worked as the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys for 16 seasons. He has been inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame, the Texas Radio Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Lundquist claimed seven consecutive Texas Sportscaster of the Year awards from 1977 to 1983 and was named a Legend of the Sun Bowl in 2005 by the Sun Bowl Association.

Born in Duluth, Minn., Lundquist grew up in Everett, Wash. and Austin, Texas. He graduated from Texas Lutheran University in 1962 and received that school's Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2009 Lundquist became a member of Texas Lutheran's Board of Regents.

BRENT MUSBURGER'S BIO

A multi-faceted talent with experience spanning decades and networks and nearly every sport imaginable, Brent Musburger has become one of the most-recognized voices and faces in all of sports broadcasting.

Musburger currently serves as the lead voice of college football for ABC and ESPN, and he has called the action on ABC's Saturday Night Football since 2006. He has announced the past five Rose Bowl Games and four BCS Championship games, including Auburn's 22-19 win over Oregon this past season in the Tostitos BCS National Championship.

Musburger joined ABC in May 1990 after 15 years as CBS Sports' primary host and play-by-play commentator. During his reign at CBS, his broadcast responsibilities included college football, The NFL Today, the NCAA Final Four, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the NBA and the Masters.

During his celebrated 40-year career, he has worked nearly every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA Finals, the Final Four, the World Cup, the Indianapolis 500, the Masters, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, and the Little League World Series, and he has done it across multiple media platforms for CBS, ABC, ESPN, CBS Radio Network and ESPN Radio. In 2011, he claimed a well-deserved spot in the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame.

A native of Billings, Mont., Musburger graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism before beginning his career as a sportswriter for the Chicago American. He started his broadcast career in 1968 at WBBM-Radio in Chicago as the station's sports director, later assuming the same title for WBBM-TV. He then moved to KNXT-TV in Los Angeles as the co-anchor of the nightly news.

Past recipients of the Outstanding Contributor to Amateur Football Award include:

1974 - Lathrop King Leishman
1975 - Joseph J. Tomlin
1976 - No honoree
1977 - No honoree
1978 - Jack Farcasin
1979 - No honoree
1980 - Field Scovell
1981 - Edward "Moose" Krause
1982 - Earnest E. Seiler
1983 - Gov. William Winter
1984 - No honoree
1985 - A.F. "Bud" Dudley
1986 - Rex Farrior
1987 - Chris Schenkel
1988 - Lindsey Nelson
1989 - Bob Woodruff
1990 - Bill Nichols
1991 - Don B. Canham
1992 - Eddie Robinson
1993 - John E. "Buddy" Leake
1994 - Mike Cleary
1995 - Fred Jacoby
1996 - Robert M. "Scotty" Whitelaw
1997 - Jack Lengyel
1998 - Marino H. Casem
1999 - Chuck Neinas
2000 - Tom Nugent
2001 - Thomas C. Hansen
2002 - Dal Shealy
2003 - Rudy J. Riska
2004 - Rick Dickson, Pat Harmon
2005 - Prentice Gautt
2006 - ESPN's College GameDay
2007 - The Collegiate Bowl Games
2008 - Bill Battle
2009 - Dan Jenkins
2010 - Dr. Joseph Kearney

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University football team has received votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches’ preseason poll. The Owls received 14 votes in the first poll of the year. SCSU is looking for its fifth NCAA Playoff appearance in the last seven years this fall.

Last year, the club finished with a 6-4 mark and posted its 10th consecutive winning season in the process.

Southern Connecticut opens the 2011 season on Sept. 3 with a non-conference road game at Central Connecticut. Game time is set for noon.

HAMDEN, Conn. - Quinnipiac University Director of Athletics Jack McDonald has announced that Men's Ice Hockey Head Coach Rand Pecknold has signed a contract extension through the 2015-16 season. Terms of the contract have not been disclosed.

"I'm very excited with my new contract extension. I look forward to another five years at Quinnipiac, and hopefully beyond," Pecknold said. "I'm thankful to President John Lahey, Vice President Mark Thompson and Director of Athletics Jack McDonald for the resources and support that have made Quinnipiac successful. I'm very excited for the upcoming year at the TD Bank Sports Center."

Earlier this year, Pecknold was selected as ECAC Hockey's representative on the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey committee. Pecknold will serve on the committee for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. This past season, his 17th at Quinnipiac, Pecknold led the Bobcats to its 15th straight winning season at 16-15-8 while also leading Quinnipiac to the ECAC Hockey Championship Quarterfinals. Since joining ECAC Hockey for the 2005-06 season, the Bobcats have hosted an ECAC Hockey Championship First Round series in each of the last five years and are the only team in the 12-team league to win a postseason series in each season.

"Rand and his staff continue to elevate our men's ice hockey team to national prominence," McDonald said. "I am pleased that he will continue to guide the program to be successful on the ice and in the classroom while also making an impact in the community."

For his career, Pecknold boasts a career record of 317-216-56, making him just the fifth coach in Quinnipiac Athletics history to reach the 300-win mark. Since joining the Division I ranks for the 1998-99 season, Quinnipiac ranks in the top ten in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey in wins and winning percentage. Among his many honors, Pecknold is a two-time Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year finalist, the 2005 Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year, the 2006 InsideCollegeHockey.com ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year and was a member of the inaugural class of the Elm City Legends in 2008.

In 2009-10, Quinnipiac reached new heights as the Bobcats were  ranked 4th nationally in the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA  Hockey Magazine Division I polls after winning 12 of their first  13 games. In 2010-11, Quinnipiac hosted elite national programs  in Ohio State and nationally-ranked No. 8 Nebraska-Omaha,  whom the Bobcats swept in a two-game series, at the TD Bank  Sports Center.

Off the ice, Pecknold has pushed the Bobcats to improve  academically while also facilitating the program's community  involvement. This past year, the men's ice hockey program  featured 23 players with grade-point averages over 3.00 for a  team-wide 3.245 GPA. In the community, Pecknold has  spearheaded several fundraising activities on behalf of  Quinnipiac, including the "Blades & Skates" event in 2008 to  benefit St. Baldrick's children's cancer research. The event,  through efforts by Pecknold and Quinnipiac men's ice hockey's  student-athletes, helped to raise over $30,000 for children's  cancer research. In recent years, the Bobcats have also donated  funds to benefit Autism Speaks and have volunteered with several  local youth organizations in Connecticut.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - The San Francisco 49ers have signed former Yale TE Nate Lawrie '04 to a one-year deal.
Lawrie (6-6, 255) was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round (181st overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft. He has played in 26 NFL games (five starts), registering four receptions for 43 yards. Lawrie has played for Tampa Bay (2004-05), the New Orleans Saints (2005-06) and the Cincinnati Bengals (2007-08), while also spending time with the Philadelphia Eagles (2004, 2010) and Baltimore Ravens (2008).
The new 49er end would have joined another former Yale TE on Jim Harbaugh's first NFL squad as a head coach, but Chris Blohm '11 was released after a few days on the roster.
Lawrie spent two seasons in the UFL, playing for the California Redwoods (2009) and the Sacramento Mountain Lions (2010), recording 26 receptions for 252 yards and one touchdown.
The 29-year old native of Indianapolis, Ind., set the Yale record for receptions by a tight end in a single-season with 72 in 2003.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale men’s hockey team has hired a new associate head coach with a plethora of college, professional and international experience. Dennis "Red" Gendron, an assistant at the University of Massachusetts (Hockey East) the last six seasons, joins the Bulldogs’ staff for 2011-12.

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Eight schools set to add football programs in 2011, creating a total of 36 schools fielding new gridiron teams in the span of six years.
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NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After a season that included a school record 45 victories and a trip to the national semifinals, the Southern Connecticut State University baseball team finished the year ranked No. 1 in the final National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association East Region poll.

The Owls won the Northeast-10 Conference regular season title for the second year in a row and made their second trip in program history to the College World Series. Along the way, they knocked off No. 1 nationally ranked Grand Valley State and No. 11 nationally ranked Sonoma State to reach the national semifinals. Southern Connecticut finished the season with an overall mark of 45-9-1.

CARY, N.C. – Five different players registered multiple hits, but the No. 8 nationally ranked Southern Connecticut State University baseball team was defeated by No. 16 nationally ranked Winona State on Thursday evening, 7-5. The Owls had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth but couldn’t connect. With the loss, the season concludes for the Owls with a 45-9-1 record.

Winona State (42-17) advances to Saturday’s championship game against West Florida.

It was a contrast for the Owls, who had to come-from-behind to win its last two games in the College World Series. On this night, Southern Connecticut jumped out with four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 4-0 lead.

Kyle Cummings (Hamden, Conn.) singled to start the inning and move to second base one out later on a single by Kyle Rosadino (Berwyn, Pa.). Ryan Geffert (Plymouth, Pa.) followed with another single that loaded the bases. A.J. Rouleau (Westborough, Mass.) then singled up the middle to drive in two runs. Bryan Dorsey (Cheshire, Conn.) followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0 before T.K. Kiernan (Wallingford, Conn.) singled home Rouleau to make it 4-0.

However, Winona State scored four times in the top of the second to even the score. Three of those runs were unearned.

Southern Connecticut regained the lead with a run in the third. Rouleau, Dorsey and Michael Cleary (West Boylston, Mass.) all singled to load the bases with two outs. T.J. Shea (Hamden, Conn.) then bounded a ball to shortstop to allowed Rouleau to score.

Winona State countered with three runs in the fifth inning, all of which came with two outs, to take a 7-5 lead.

From there, the Owls had the tying run at the plate in the sixth and eighth inning, and a pair of hit batsmen in the ninth put the winning run at the plate.

Rouleau, Rosadino, Kiernan, Cleary and Shea all finished with two hits apiece for the Owls.

We had a chance to sit down with TJ Shea (Hamden,CT) who was the hitting star for the SCSU Owls in their win over Sonoma 6-4 to stay alive in the D2 NCAA World Series.

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CARY, N.C. – Senior pitcher Steve Simon (Middlefield, Conn.) worked into the eighth inning and freshman designated hitter T..J. Shea (Hamden, Conn.) had two hits, including a three-run home run, three RBI and two runs scored as the Southern Connecticut State University baseball team rallied from an early deficit to defeat No. 11 nationally ranked Sonoma State on Wednesday evening, 6-4.

The Owls improved to 45-8-1 on the year with the win and will play Winona State in another must-win game on Thursday night at 7 p.m. Sonoma State’s season ended at 37-22 with the loss.

Sonoma State struck first with three runs in its first at-bat. The Owls put two runners on in the bottom of the first but were unable to score.

Southern Connecticut tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the second. Bryan Dorsey (Cheshire, Conn.) walked to lead off the frame and one out later, Michael Cleary (West Boylston, Mass.) singled to put two runners on. Shea followed with his second home run of the year, a no-doubter over the right field wall that evened the score at 3-3.

The Owls took the lead with a run in the third. A.J. Rouleau (Westborough, Mass.) doubled down the right field line to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt by Cleary, T.K. Kiernan (Wallingford, Conn.) executed a perfectly placed suicide squeeze in which all Owls were safe on the play and gave the Owls their first lead of the night.

Southern Connecticut added another run in the bottom of the sixth. Shea doubled halfway up the right field wall to begin the threat. Kyle Cummings (Hamden, Conn.) moved Shea to third with a sacrifice bunt before Shea scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3.

The Owls added another run in the seventh. Dorsey singled to open the inning and moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Kiernan. Cleary followed with a ground ball, but when the throw went awry, he reached safely and Dorsey scored all the way from second.

Simon, who gave up three runs on two hits in the first inning, allowed only one run on six hits as he worked into the eighth inning. After meriting consecutive singles to open the frame, Michael Johnston (Thomaston, Conn.) entered in relief. He induced a double-play grounder that did score a run before forcing a flyout to end the inning. He then retired the side in order in the ninth.

Simon improved to 7-1 with the win, while Johnston notched his 16th save of the year with the win.

Rouleau, Cleary and Shea all had multiple hits in the winning effort.