Goldey-Beacom Men's Basketball Visits CACC South Favorite, Philadelphia in CACC Opener

PHILADELPHIA – The Goldey-Beacom College men’s basketball team begins its 2010-11 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference schedule on Wed. night at 8 p.m. as the Lightning square off against the pre-season South Division favorite, Philadelphia University at the Gallagher Center.

Last year the Lightning were just one win shy of the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament bid, falling just short of their first CACC championship with an 84-79 loss to Felician in the title game. Their quest for the 2010-11 CACC title begins on Wed. night as the Lightning wipe the slate clean and start anew after a rough non-conference stretch that has GBC at 1-4 to start the season.

The two teams, which split games last year (both winning on their respective home floors), were picked to finish 1st and 2nd in the South Division in this year’s pre-season Coaches’ Poll. The Lightning, coming off their best season in school history last year with 19 wins and an appearance in the CACC Finals, earned 65 points and one first-place nod in a vote of the league’s 13 head coaches.

Phila U., last year’s regular season conference champion with a 16-1 record in league play, was picked to repeat this year as they earned 77 points and 12 first-place votes.

GBC, who was the only CACC team to beat Philadelphia during the regular season last year, features returnees such as All-CACC second team selection Terrence Parkes and All-CACC honorable mention guard/forward Sam McDuffie. Those two have led the Lightning in the early-going this season.

McDuffie, who eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau for his career back on Nov. 20 against Cheyney, ranks second in the league in scoring average with 20.4 ppg. Parkes ranks fourth in scoring (18.0 ppg) and third in rebounding (9.6 rpg).

Head Coach Chuck Hammond is also getting good production from senior guards Darnell Cephas and Azeez Ellegood. Cephas has come on strong of late, scoring a career-high to lead the Lightning with 16 points in a losing effort to West Chester this past Sun. Ellegood, who comes into Wed. night’s game tied with Nate Lewis (’06) for the most three-point field goals made in school history with 122, is averaging 8.0 points and 4.0 assists per-game.

The Lightning feature the third highest scoring offense in the CACC with an average scoring mark of of 74.8 ppg, and they are tops in the league in three-point field goal shooting percentage, making 38.7 percent of their attempts.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia (3-3) has the second-best scoring defense in the league, allowing opponents a mere 61.7 ppg. The Rams are also tops in the league in scoring margin (-.2).

Phila U. is led by sophomore guard Jim Connolly who averages 16.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per-game. He recently scored a game-high 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Rams slip past Millersville with a 67-64 win this past Sunday. Connolly earned CACC weekly honorable mention for his efforts last week.

Connolly is the only remaining player on this year’s roster from the Rams’ starting lineup when Phila U. and GBC last met in a historic 76-65 Rams win on Feb. 23 that gave Philadelphia head coach Herb Magee his 903rd career coaching victory and made him the most winningest NCAA coach of all-time.

Hammond, a 1999 graduate of Philadelphia Textile (now Philadelphia University), was once an assistant under Magee. He has won two of the last three meetings in the 11-game series.

These two met in what was both teams’ conference opener last year in the Jones Center as the Lightning came away with a decisive 68-55 victory. They would go on to win their first six conference games of the season.

All three wins against Phila U. under Hammond and in the all-time series, have come at home in the Jones Center for the Lightning as GBC is 0-6 all-time at the Gallagher Center.

Mars Hill Men's Lacrosse ranked No. 10 in preseason poll

MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill men's lacrosse team is ranked 10th in the nation according to Inside Lacrosse Magazine's 2011 Division II Preseason Top 10 Rankings. The Lions will host three of the top nine, including two of the top five, teams in the preseason poll throughout the upcoming season.

Mars Hill will host No. 3-ranked Mercyhurst on March 4. The Lions will take on fifth-ranked Limestone on March 12 and ninth-ranked Queens on April 9.

C.W. Post, the defending national champion, tops the Division II preseason poll. The Lions finished 10-4 last season and will open the 2011 schedule on February 16 at St. Andrews at 3:30 p.m.

Visit mhclions.com for the latest news and info on Mars Hill College Athletics.

UCO men's basketball moves up to 8th in poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Nov. 30) – Unbeaten Central Oklahoma moved up two spots in the new NABC/Division II Coaches’ Poll that was released Tuesday.

The Bronchos went from 10th to No. 8 in the rankings, earning 146 points in balloting of selected head coaches from around the country.  UCO has equaled the best start in school history at 7-0 and will look to break that record Thursday when they travel to San Antonio, Texas to take on undefeated Incarnate Word (5-0).

Defending national champion Cal Poly Pomona stayed atop the poll, earning all eight first-place votes to finish with 200 points.  Findlay (Ohio) and Bellarmine (Ky.) tied for second, with Winona State (Minn.) fourth and South Carolina-Aiken fifth.

UCO is one of two Lone Star Conference teams in the rankings, with Tarleton State falling from sixth to No. 17 after suffering its first loss of the season last Saturday to Cameron.

Gannon Women's Basketball Team Drops to No. 22 Despite 2-0 Weekend

ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon women’s basketball team fell four spots to No. 22 in the latest USA Today ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll despite finishing last weekend with a 2-0 record. The Lady Knights were picked 18th in the first regular season poll.

Delta State University (Miss.) (5-0) is the new No. 1 team, receiving 21 first-place votes. Lander University (S.C) is second after receiving five first-place votes. Fort Lewis (Colo.) (5-0), Washburn (Kan.) (4-0) and Seattle Pacific (2-0) rounded out the top five teams with Fort Lewis earning the final two first-place votes.

Arkansas Tech (5-1) drops to sixth, followed by Franklin Pierce (N.H.) (6-0), Holy Family (Pa.) (3-1), Clayton State (Ga.) and (8-0), Emporia State (Kan.) (3-1) to complete the top 10.

The Lady Knights are one of three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) teams listed in the top 25. Millersville (4-0) is 16th while California (Pa.) enters the poll in the 24th spot. In addition, six other Atlantic region programs received votes in the poll, but did not appear in the top 25.

Head coach Cleve Wright’s squad improved to 3-1 this season after a pair of wins at the California (Pa.) Tournament this weekend. Gannon earned a 66-51 victory over Molloy before taking care of Wilmington by a 75-50 score. Jennifer Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Fox Chapel) earned her second straight PSAC Western Division Freshman of the Week award after recording the first double-double of her career with 12 rebounds and 17 points against Molloy.

Gannon will play the home opener on Thursday, December 9 against Central State. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Hendrix, Dombrowski power Tornados past Lees-McRae, 76-68

Brevard survives late comeback in first win of the 2010-2011 season

Banner Elk, N.C. - Four Tornados scored in double figures and Brevard was able to hold off a late Lees-McRae rally as Vincent Dombrowski and Jermichael Tanner hit key free throws down the stretch as the Tornados recorded their first victory of the 2010-2011 season, 76-68.

Gaither Hendrix led all players with 17 points as the Tornados (1-2) converted 41.3 percent of their field goals in the game. Josh Roper added 16 points, six rebounds and four steals for Brevard, while Josh Jordan led the way down low with 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Dombrowski added 10 points, hitting two three-pointers and went a perfect four for four at the free throw line as Brevard leaves Williams Gymnasium with their first win of the season.

Daniel Sepokas led Lees-McRae (3-2) with 16 points, 10 in the second half to help lead the Bobcats comeback attempt. Sepokas added a game-high eight rebounds and six assists, while Sam Youse also reached double figures in scoring with 10 points.

The Tornados scored the first six points of the contest on their way to opening the game with a 13-1 run as Hendrix put in five early points for the Tornados. Lees-McRae battled back with a 10-0 run of their own to cut the lead back to within two at the 11:17 mark as Gerry Hairston drilled a jumper to put the score at 13-11. This was the closest the Bobcats would close the gap as the Tornados went up eight at 24-16 on a layup by Jordan off the assist from Tanner at the 6:39 mark. Jordan closed out the half with a free throw and a layup as Brevard went into the locker room with the 30-21 halftime lead.

The Tornados lead extended out to as much as 26 points in the second half, going up 61-35 with 8:27 remaining following a Roper layup, but the Bobcats weren’t done, mounting one final rally, outscoring the Tornados 29-11 over the next eight minutes, cutting the lead back to within single digits at 72-64 with 35 seconds remaining in the contest, however free throws clinched the win for Brevard as Dombrowski went 4-4 in the last 29 seconds to put the game away as the Tornados escaped with the 76-68 victory.

For the game, Brevard went 26 of 63 from the field, while out-rebounding their opponents for the third straight game, finishing with the 46-45 edge. The Tornados also had 11 steals in the contest. Lees-McRae shot 34.8 percent from the floor, but improved their mark to 48.5 percent (16-33) in the second half as they attempted to comeback. The Bobcats however were betrayed at the free throw line, converting 15 of 31 attempts for 48.4 percent in their second loss of the season.

The Tornados finish up their season opening road trip this Saturday, December 4th, as they open South Atlantic Conference play by heading to Anderson, S.C. to take on Anderson University. Tipoff between the Tornados and the Trojans in Abney Athletic Center is set for 4 p.m.

Lynn Baseball Announces 2011 Schedule

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Lynn University baseball head coach Rudy Garbalosa announced his schedule for the 2011 season on Tuesday.  The Fighting Knights have an ambitions slate with six opponents ranked in the top-25 nationally and two long road trips to start the year.

“This is a really good schedule that allows us to face top competition not only in our region but nationally as well,” said Garbalosa, the 2009 ABCA/Rawlings National Coach of the Year.  “It’s going to be a tough draw early on for us, heading to South Carolina and Alabama, but it’s our goal that these games will prepare us for our first two conference series, which we also have on the road.”

Opening day for the Blue & White is set for Tuesday, February 1, when they will battle Palm Beach Atlantic at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., in the first of four meetings between the two teams.  LU also sees St. Thomas (Fla.) before heading off on the road.

Their first trip takes them to Greenwood S.C., to face Carson-Newman, Lander and nationally-ranked Grand Valley State.  Lynn returns home only to turn around and head to Livingston, Ala., for a four-game series against West Alabama.

Just as in years past, the Fighting Knights will host a bevy of teams from the North and Northeast.  Mercyhurst, Hillsdale, Winona State, Wilmington, Molloy and another top-25 squad, Franklin Pierce, will see action at the McCusker Sports Complex.  Sandwiched in between those teams is neighbor and Division I foe, Florida Atlantic.

“The northern teams coming down are going to represent a challenge for us,” added Garbalosa.  “We’ll play a good amount of games in a short amount of time and that will get our guys prepared for postseason play when there isn’t a lot of time off.  And adding in Florida Atlantic, a quality, nationally recognized Division I team, will only make our guys better.”

Sunshine State Conference play begins in the middle of March with back-to-back road trips to Saint Leo and perennial NCAA Tournament contender Tampa.  The Knights also travel to nationally ranked Florida Tech and Barry while hosting top-25 teams Florida Southern and Rollins as well as Eckerd and Nova Southeastern.

“Our conference is as tough as it’s ever been,” Garbalosa said.  “Every weekend is going to be a battle for us so that makes our non-conference schedule even more important so that it can prepare us for the rigors of the SSC.”

Lynn went 16-37-1 in 2010 and returns 14 letterwinners.

Jordan Takes GC Athlete of the Week

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Senior Chimere Jordan (Gray, Ga.) of the Georgia College women’s basketball team (5-0) was named the Bobcat Athlete of the Week for the week ending Nov. 28. This marks the second such honor for both Jordan and the Bobcat women.

Jordan finished the week with a team high 52 points, averaging 17.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She was 17-of-49 (.347) from the field and 6-of-16 (.375) from beyond the arc.  Jordan recorded a double-double against Trevecca Nazarene University Friday, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 boards. She nearly had one to start the week, grabbing nine rebounds with her 17 points and six steals in the win over the University of West Georgia Tuesday.  She got another 17 points and six boards against St. Augustine’s College Saturday. She grabbed 25 total rebounds, dished out nine assists and only had six turnovers (1.5 A/T).

The Bobcats are back in action Saturday, Dec. 4 at 1:30 p.m., opening up the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) season by hosting No. 2 Lander University.

The Georgia College Department of Athletics, back-to-back winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at www.twitter.com/GCSUBobcats and www.facebook.com/gcbobcats for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCBobcats.com for more information, and to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GC Athletics Hall of Fame.

Kentucky Wesleyan jumps five spots to No. 11

Panthers host No. 2 Bellarmine on Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Nov. 30, 2010) — Kentucky Wesleyan jumped five spots to No. 11 in the second  weekly National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Top 25 men's basketball poll today. The Panthers debuted at No. 16 last week.
      
KWC (5-0) will open Great Lakes Valley Conference play by hosting arch-rival and No. 2 Bellarmine (3-0) on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. CT. The College will honor "Voice of the Panthers" Joel Utley for his 50th season of broadcasting KWC games on the radio at halftime. It will be his 1,418 game.
      
This marks the 309th time, a Division II record, KWC has been in the Top 25 since the rankings started in 1961.
      
Defending 2010 NCAA Champions Cal Poly Pomona held on to the No. 1 spot for the second straight week. Other Midwest Region teams ranked were No. 2 (tied) Findlay and Bellarmine, No. 16 Grand Valley State, No. 20 Northern Kentucky, No. 22 Southern Indiana and No. 25 Hillsdale.

Game Notes Available for Georgia Southwestern, Highpointe Hotel Classic

UWF Faces Georgia Southwestern, Eckerd, Columbus State

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Game notes are available for the first three-game week of the 2010-11 University of West Florida women's basketball season. The Argonauts will face Georgia Southwestern on Wednesday night at 6:30 pm in Americus, Ga. Over the weekend, UWF will host the 2010 High Pointe Hotel Corporation Classic. UWF will face Eckerd on Friday at 6 pm and Columbus State on Saturday at 4 pm. Alabama-Huntsville will also participate in the event.

The complete game notes release is attached. Live video will be available for both UWF games of the High Pointe Hotel Corporation Classic by accessing the GameCentral portal at www.GoArgos.com

ARGOS HIT THE ROAD TO FACE GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN
West Florida plays their second road game of the 2010-11 season and their first against an NCAA Division II opponent when they face Georgia Southwestern on Wednesday in Americus, Ga. The game is the first between the two schools in the Shannan Bergen Era.

ARGONAUTS DROP A PAIR AT THANKSGIVING CLASSIC
West Florida sustained their first two losses of the season at the UWF Thanksgiving Classic. On November 26, UWF fell behind, 18-2, before losing to Henderson State, 63-49. One day later, the Argos lost a back-and-forth affair to Goldey-Beacom, 80-74.

BEARDEN HITS DOUBLE-DOUBLE STRIDE
Junior guard Octavia Bearden, who tallied a double-double in both games, was UWF’s lone All-Tournament selection at the UWF Thanksgiving Classic. She collected 13 points and 13 rebounds in the loss to Henderson State while posting 12 points and 11 rebounds against Goldey-Beacom. Bearden has notched ten or more rebounds in three straight games.

UWF GOES 2-0 AT TIP-OFF CLASSIC
The Argonauts went 2-0 at the UWF Tip-off Classic, scoring a pair of double-digit victories. UWF downed Allen, 80-39, on November 19 before winning a hard-fought battle over Montevallo, 55-41, on November 20.

YOUNG NAMED TIP-OFF CLASSIC MVP
Senior Jessica Young was named MVP of the UWF Tip-off Classic after averaging 10.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg in two wins. Young’s big effort was in the Montevallo victory, when she collected 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Fans and media can access the full game notes release below.

EXHIBITION #1 - at South Alabama
GAME #1 - at Spring Hill
GAMES #2-3 - UWF Tip-off Classic
GAMES #4-5 - UWF Thanksgiving Classic
GAMES #6-8 - at Georgia Southwestern, High Pointe Hotel Corporation Classic

For information on all UWF Athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.

Merrimack Set to Host NEWISA Senior Bowl; Trio of Warriors Selected to Play

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass.- Merrimack College will serve as the host institution for the 2010 New England Women’s Intercollegiate Soccer Association Senior Bowl December 4.  Three Warriors were selected to take part in the annual event. Seniors Ashley Alnwick (Groton, Mass.), Lindsey deMont (Littleton, Mass.) and Jessie DeGraan (Braintree, Mass.) were among 21 players selected from around the Northeast-10 Conference.

Alnwick ranked fourth on the team with three goals and two assists, good for eight points. The Groton, Mass. native was one of two co-captains of the Merrimack women’s soccer team this fall. She started all 20 games for the Warriors at the center midfield position.

A product of Littleton, Mass., deMont has registered three assists in the 2010 campaign for the Warriors. She has also been a dominant force on the backline this season. She has started in all 18 of Merrimack’s matches this year and has fired three shots on net. The senior picked up Northeast-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors in the second week of the season and was tabbed to the Northeast-10 All-Conference second team.

DeGraan, a midfielder out of Braintree, Mass., paced the Warriors with six assists and tallied her only goal in the final regular season match, a 1-0 win over Stonehill. DeGraan was named to the Northeast-10 Conference All-Tournament team this season and made all 20 starts for Merrimack.

Merrimack posted a 12-5-3 overall record during the season and went 11-3-1 in the conference. The Warriors reached the semifinals of the Northeast-10 Conference playoffs before being eliminated by Franklin Pierce. Merrimack advanced to the semifinals after downing UMass Lowell 5-4 in penalty kicks in the quarters.

The annual match is slated for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Warrior Field.

www.merrimackathletics.com

Malmlov Earns AVCA All-American Honorable Mention

LEXINGTON, Ky. - University of New Haven women's volleyball senior Sara Malmlov has been named to her second straight American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Honorable Mention Team which was announced by the association. The 2010 AVCA All-America Teams for NCAA Division II women's volleyball is the 30th year of the teams.

Earlier in the postseason, Malmlov earned All-Region honors as well as being named the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year. She led the Chargers with 3.96 kills per set and registered 3.35 digs per set from her outside hitter position. The senior recorded a team-high 48 service aces and 49 total blocks as well.

The Chargers finished the season with a 27-3 overall record and a perfect 15-0 record in the NE-10. New Haven claimed the NE-10 regular season and postseason championships and advanced to the NCAA Division II East Region Championship.

For the complete 2010 AVCA Division II All-America teams, visit www.avca.org.

McElroy, Odim lead football scholars

The College Sports Information Directors of America named Alabama’s Greg McElroy and Isaac Odim of Minnesota Duluth as the 2010 ESPN Football Academic All-Americans of the Year.

Odim, a mechanical engineering major with a 3.85 grade-point average, suffered a season-ending injury earlier this season. A running back, Odim was a member of the Bulldogs’ Division II national championship team in 2008 as a sophomore. He finished his career holding school records with 4,245 rushing yards on 589 attempts, a 7.2 yards-per-rush average. In 2010, he rushed for 796 yards and scored 17 touchdowns in just six games.

McElroy, a graduate student with a degree in business marketing, is pursuing a master’s degree in sports administration while he quarterbacks the Crimson Tide for the second consecutive year. A Rhodes Scholarship finalist, McElroy has led Alabama to a 9-2 record in 2010, a year after claiming the BCS national championship. McElroy has thrown for 5,094 yards and 36 touchdowns in his career at Alabama while throwing only ten interceptions in that time.

For more information about the Academic All-America football teams, visit www.cosida.com.

NABC/Division II men's basketball rankings (Nov. 30, 2010)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The top three spots – albeit, with a slight change – remain the same in the new NABC/Division II men’s basketball rankings, with No. 1-ranked Cal Poly Pomona retaining the top spot for the second week in a row.

Findlay, who was ranked second and one spot ahead of Bellarmine last week, is now tied with the Knights for the No. 2 position in the poll.  Bellarmine posted an impressive 24-point win at West Virginia State last week and followed that a night later with a 20-point victory over Charleston.  Last week’s No. 4 team, Grand Valley State, and No. 6 Tarleton State both suffered losses over the holiday weekend, moving a number of teams up the charts in the process.

Winona State moved up from fifth to fourth, while South Carolina Aiken also moved into the top five from the No. 7 spot.  Alabama-Huntsville checks in at No. 6, with West Liberty, Central Oklahoma, Indiana (Pa.) and Montevallo rounding out the top 10.

The second 10 begins with undefeated Kentucky Wesleyan at No. 11, followed by Central Missouri, Rollins, Fort Hays State and Cal State-Dominguez Hills.  Grand Valley State dropped 12 spots to No. 16, while Tarleton State landed at No. 17.  Augusta State moved up two spots to 18th, while Bowie State and Northern Kentucky complete the first 20 spots.

Arkansas Tech checks in at No. 21, while the balance of the top 25 is made up of teams that were unranked in the first regular season poll.  Southern Indiana leads that group at No. 22, while Chaminade -- who beat Oklahoma and played Michigan State to an eight-point game in the Maui Invitational – is 23rd this week.  The final two teams in this week’s poll are Central Washington and Hillsdale.

NABC/Division II Coaches Poll (November 30, 2010 – Poll #2)
Record Points Pvs
1. Cal Poly Pomona (8 first place votes) 1-0 200 1
2. (tie) Findlay, Ohio 5-0 185 2
2. (tie) Bellarmine, Ky. 3-0 185 3
4. Winona State, Minn. 3-0 1745
5. South Carolina Aiken 4-0 163 7
6. Alabama-Huntsville 6-0 162 8
7. West Liberty, W.Va. 5-0 151 9
8. Central Oklahoma 7-0 146 10
9. Indiana, Pa. 3-1 126 12
10. Montevallo, Ala. 4-0 108 13
11. Kentucky Wesleyan 5-0 105 16
12. Central Missouri 5-1 100 14
13. Rollins, Fla. 5-1 90 15
14. Fort Hays State, Kan. 6-0 87 18
15. Cal State-Dominguez Hills 5-0 76 19
16. Grand Valley State, Mich. 3-1 75 4
17. Tarleton State, Texas 4-1 74 6
18. Augusta State, Ga. 4-0 72 20
19. Bowie State, Md. 4-0 64 23
20. Northern Kentucky 4-0 48 25
21. Arkansas Tech 4-1 29 22
22. Southern Indiana 4-0 19 NR
23. Chaminade 5-2 17 NR
24. Central Washington 3-0 15 NR
25. Hillsdale, Mich. 6-0 13 NR

Others receiving votes: Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.) 12, Merrimack (Mass.) 12, Metropolitan State (Colo.) 10, Minnesota State 11, Virginia Union 10, Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) 8, Ferris State (Mich.) 7, Bentley (Mass.) 6, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 6, Winston-Salem State (N.C.) 6, Midwestern State (Texas) 5, Christian Brothers (Tenn.) 4, Stonehill (Mass.) 4, Eckerd (Fla.) 1, Quincy (Ill.) 1, Saint Rose (N.Y.) 1.

Dropped out: Metropolitan State (11), Clark Atlanta (17), Florida Southern (21), Ferris State (24).

Records are through games of Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010.

Saint Michael's Baseball To Rejoin Northeast-10 Conference Starting In 2012

COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College baseball program will rejoin the NCAA Division II Northeast-10 Conference beginning in the 2012 season, as the result of a revised league schedule that the conference office announced today.

Saint Michael's competed in the NE-10 in baseball for nine seasons from 1990-98 before becoming an independent program. A primary reason for the College's decision to become an independent for baseball beginning in 1999 was significant concern about missed class time, an area addressed in the NE-10's proposed baseball schedule for 2012. With these changes to the scheduling model in place, the conference will be able to provide a better balance between competitive opportunities and academic pursuits.

"This is a huge day for the Saint Michael's baseball program" said head coach Paul Morgan, who enters his third season at the helm of the program in 2011. "Moving back into the Northeast-10 Conference will allow us the opportunity to compete annually against some of the best NCAA Division II teams in the Northeast, and play in some of the best baseball facilities in the country. Saint Michael's baseball has such a loyal group of alumni who have supported this program, and they will be thrilled to hear this news."

"The revised NE-10 scheduling parameters for baseball announced today clearly address the issue of missed class time and make-up games," said Saint Michael's Director of Athletics Geri Knortz. "With this concern sufficiently addressed, Saint Michael's is pleased to be able to compete against our traditional conference opponents, while upholding the academic responsibilities of our student-athletes."

Under the proposed schedule, each team will play 29 conference games, using the same divisional model currently employed for men's and women's basketball. Each team will play a three-game series against their seven divisional opponents, and will play a doubleheader against four of its non-divisional opponents. Saint Michael's seven proposed divisional opponents are: Bentley University, Franklin Pierce University, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Merrimack College, Saint Anselm College, Southern New Hampshire University, and Stonehill College.

Another tenet to the NE-10 baseball schedule released today is that teams will only have to play on six mid-week dates the entire season. Only three of those six dates will be on the road, and those games will be single contests (not doubleheaders) against two of the closest institutions within one's division.

Today's NE-10 baseball schedule announcement also includes the addition of Le Moyne College beginning in 2012. In July, Le Moyne announced its intention to reclassify its baseball program from NCAA Division I to Division II, and will compete as a Division I independent in 2011 before joining Saint Michael's in the NE-10 the following season. As a result, the NE-10 will become the largest NCAA Division II baseball-playing conference in the country in 2012 with 16 teams.

In its 12 years as an independent, the Saint Michael's baseball program has produced the five winningest seasons in program history, including a program-record 17 victories in 1999, and recorded the 500th win in program history in 2004. The program also has played against several of the schools in the NE-10 during its time as an independent, and in the last four seasons, has defeated NE-10 institutions such as Merrimack, Southern New Hampshire, Stonehill, and the College of Saint Rose.

The Saint Michael's baseball program is the College's oldest intercollegiate varsity sports program, beginning in 1905. The 2012 season will mark the Purple Knights' 99th season of varsity baseball, and 23rd since the program was reinstated in 1990 following an eight-year hiatus.

With the move back into the NE-10 for baseball, 18 of Saint Michael's 21 intercollegiate varsity sports programs now compete in the conference, the biggest NCAA Division II league in the country (the NE-10 does not sponsor men's and women's skiing and women's ice hockey, the three Saint Michael's sports not affiliated with the conference).

-PURPLEKNIGHTS-

ESU Ranks Fourth in PSAC’s Dixon Trophy Standings Through Fall Sports Championships

EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University ranks fourth in the standings for the Dixon Trophy through the conclusion of the fall sports season, the PSAC announced on Tuesday.

The Warriors received conference runner-up finishes from their men’s soccer and field hockey squads and strong performances from both the men’s and women’s cross country teams to post 68 points, trailing only defending champion Shippensburg (86), California (77.5) and Kutztown (73.5) among the PSAC’s 16 schools.

The Dixon Trophy will be awarded following the 2010-11 academic year to the institution whose athletic program earns the best overall finish in conference championships and/or regular season play. Each school’s top 12 finishes, six men’s and six women’s, are used to calculate the final standings.

ESU’s men’s soccer team tied Shippensburg, 1-1, in the PSAC championship game before falling 3-2 in penalty kicks, while the field hockey team lost a hard-fought 2-1 decision to Bloomsburg in the PSAC title game after upsetting top-ranked Shippensburg, 2-1, in the semifinals. The men’s cross country team was fifth and the women were sixth, led by sophomore Rose Mascoli, who will compete in the NCAA Championships this weekend.

ESU received 14 points in men’s soccer, 12 in men’s cross country and 5.5 in football to post 31.5 points, tied for second in the PSAC. On the women’s side, ESU’s 36.5 points stand seventh, with the Warriors accumulating 14 points in field hockey, 11 in cross country, 5.5 in soccer, 5 in volleyball and 1 in golf.

The Warriors were eighth in the Dixon Trophy standings in 2009-10, their best showing since placing seventh in 2006-07. All 12 programs that counted towards ESU’s total last year finished in the top half of the PSAC in their sports. ESU’s best-ever finish was fourth in the 1995-96 season, coinciding with the inaugural presentation of the Dixon Trophy.

The complete standings through the conclusion of the fall championship season are below:

1. Shippensburg – 86
2. California – 77.5
3. Kutztown – 73.5
4. ESU – 68
5. West Chester – 67
6. Slippery Rock – 65.5
7. Bloomsburg – 62.5
8. Edinboro – 61.5
9. IUP – 61.5
t-10. Mercyhurst – 54.5
t-10. Millersville – 54.5
12. Lock Haven – 48.5
13. Gannon – 47
14. Clarion – 45
15. Mansfield – 29
16. Cheyney – 7

The Flight Plan

Men's and women's basketball open up conference play at Maryville and Missouri-St. Louis and Kathryn Hague competes for women's cross country at the NCAA Championship; highlighting the week in Lewis Athletics.

Men's Basketball: The men's basketball team split a pair of contests last week defeating Benedictine, 97-81, on Tuesday (Nov. 23) in the home opener and falling to in-region foe Hillsdale, 80-77 on Saturday (Nov. 27) afternoon. In the victory over Benedictine, the Flyers shot a season high 62.5% from the floor led by senior Dennis Thomas, Jr. who had a game-high 26 points including his 1,000th career tally. Juniors Matt Toth and Chris McClellan finished with 18 and 15 points, respectively. In the 80-77 loss to Hillsdale on Saturday, Lewis came back from as much as 18 points down in the second half to tie the game with 39 seconds to go, but a Hillsdale 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining gave the Chargers the victory. Thomas and center Marty Strus each led Lewis with 16 points apiece. The Flyers open up conference play on Thursday (Dec. 2) at Maryville at 7:30 PM.

Women's Basketball: Led by 46 bench points, the women's basketball team defeated Marygrove, 92-54 in the final game of the UIndy Classic on Saturday afternoon. Senior Carol Kruckman had 18 points and five rebounds while freshman Lauren Mead totaled 15 points and 15 rebounds. The Flyers fell to No. 23 Tusculum on Friday evening, 93-82 as junior Lory Shaw had a career-high 25 points in the contest. Senior Kelly Monaco finished with 16 points, knocking down four 3-pointers. Earlier in the week, Lewis dropped a 55-52 in-region contest to Ferris State. The Flyers open up GLVC action this week as they head to Maryville on Thursday (Dec. 2) for a 5:15 PM tip-off.

Women's Cross Country: Senior Kathryn Hague looks to repeat as an All-American this weekend as she will represent the women's cross country squad at the NCAA Championships on Saturday (Dec. 4) in Louisville, Ky. hosted by Bellarmine University.


This Week’s Schedule:
Thursday, December 2
Women’s Basketball at Maryville, 5:15 PM
Men’s Basketball at Maryville, 7:30 PM

Saturday, December 4
Women’s Cross Country at NCAA Championships, 10 AM
Women’s Basketball at Missouri-St. Louis, 1 PM
Men’s Basketball at Missouri-St. Louis, 3 PM

*All Times Local