Monday, January 23, 2012

This Week in Saint Michael’s College Athletics ‒ January 16-22

Men’s Basketball (7-10, 6-7 NE-10) Drops Two More Decisions by 10 Points or Less

The Saint Michael’s College men’s basketball team went 0-2 last week, losing two Northeast-10 Conference match-ups by a combined 13 points. The Purple Knights fell to the University of New Haven at home, 75-65, on Tuesday and then traveled to the College of Saint Rose on Saturday, dropping a 71-68 decision. Saint Michael's has suffered six setbacks by six points or fewer this winter.

Sophomore Mike Holton Jr. (Portland, Ore./The Winchendon School) led the way with a game-high 26 points and six assists against the Chargers, while senior Tom Ward (Brighton, East Sussex, England/Saint Francis [N.Y.]) contributed 16 points after shooting 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. Freshman Corey Crawford (Dover, Del./The Phelps School) notched seven points, classmate James Cambronne (De Bary, Fla./The Winchendon School) blocked three shots, and junior Derek Knutty (Rocklin, Calif./Whitney) had six boards.

Holton once again tallied the game high at Saint Rose, scoring 23 points, as the Purple Knights yielded the winning bucket with three seconds left. Crawford, who sank two tying free throws with 24 seconds left, totaled 16 points while dishing out three assists. Cambronne and freshman Dom Ditlefsen (Portland, Ore./Sunset School) each contributed nine points, with Cambronne adding six rebounds and four blocks.


Women’s Basketball (7-10, 4-9 NE-10) Posts Two Late Comebacks, Earns a Victory and Loses by One

The Saint Michael’s College women’s basketball team went 1-1 last week in Northeast-10 Conference play, posting an 8-0 run in the final minute of each contest to nab one triumph but lose just before the buzzer in the second outing. The Purple Knights picked up a 64-57 victory over the University of New Haven at home on Wednesday before traveling to the College of Saint Rose on Saturday and losing 62-61.

Sophomore Cara Deroy (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) netted 18 of her career-high 20 points in the second half versus New Haven. Senior Coreen Hennessy (Chatham, N.H./Fryeburg Academy) was 3-for-5 from three-point range en route to 15 points and three steals, while classmate Samantha Steinmetz (Washington, Conn./Shepaug Valley) contributed 11 rebounds and four blocks, which were both career highs. Sophomore Alexa Long (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) had nine points and eight boards, while junior Nicole Adach (Schenectady, N.Y./Mohonasen) added nine points, dropping in the go-ahead hoop with 48.1 seconds left.

Deroy totaled 14 points and three assists at Saint Rose, and Adach tallied 13 points and eight boards while converting a go-ahead three-point play with 23 seconds remaining, but the Golden Knights scored the winning hoop with three ticks left. Hennessy and junior Megan Olsen (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) each contributed nine points, with Olsen also collecting four steals. Senior Caitlin Quinn (Oakdale, Conn./Montville) added eight points and three steals, while Steinmetz swatted three shots.


Men’s Ice Hockey (3-10-2, 1-8-1 ECAC East, 1-1-1 NE-10) Falls Twice to No. 1 Norwich

The Saint Michael’s College men’s ice hockey team went 0-2 last week in an Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) East home-and-home series against No. 1 Norwich University. The Purple Knights hosted the Cadets on Friday and dropped a 7-1 decision before traveling to Northfield on Saturday and falling 8-0. Norwich is the top-ranked team in the nation according to the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III poll.

During the first match-up, the Purple Knights trailed the top-ranked Cadets by only one goal nearly midway through the contest. Freshman Will Cote (Quebec City, Quebec/Rice Memorial) tallied for the hosts, while junior Mike Dizgun (Kirkland, Quebec/OCN Blizzard) had 33 saves in his 50th career contest.

On Saturday, the Purple Knights blanked the third-highest-scoring team in Division III during the first period while outshooting them 7-4 before the Cadets pulled away. Dizgun finished with 20 stops, which put him over 1,500 saves for his career.


Women’s Ice Hockey (1-14-1, 0-11-1 ECAC East) Drops Two Home Contests, Including One in Overtime

The Saint Michel’s College women’s ice hockey team went 0-2 last week at home in Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) East play. The Purple Knights lost to Nichols College, 4-3, in overtime on Friday and then dropped a 4-0 decision to Manhattanville College on Saturday. Saint Michael's has taken five of its losses by just one goal this winter.

Against Nichols, senior Madelena Santore (Millington, N.J./New Jersey Rockets) and freshman Fernanda Saavedra (Miami, Fla./Pittsburg Penguins Elite) tallied for the hosts, with Saavedra netting the first goal of her career. Freshman Kristen Spulecki (Orchard Park, N.Y./Buffalo Bison) provided two assists, and junior Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears) made 33 stops.

Stevens shined during the loss to Manhattanville, as she piled up 38 saves and allowed just two even-strength goals against a team that grabbed a lead against top-ranked Norwich the evening prior.


Men's (2-6) Swimming & Diving Earns Comeback Victory with Strong Final Event as Women (3-4) Fall

The Saint Michael’s College men’s swimming and diving team rallied in the final event on Sunday to down visiting Saint Lawrence University, 115-114, while the women fell, 122-101.

The men claimed victory after the 200-yard freestyle relay teams collected 15 points in the final event, as the Purple Knights trailed 112-100 heading into the final race. The 200 free relay team that brought Saint Michael's within 112-111 consisted of senior Chris Jones (Santa Fe, N.M./Saint Michael's), juniors Kyle Esposito (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott), Andrew Marshall (Kittery, Maine/Saint Thomas Aquinas/Saint Joseph's [ME]) and freshman Matt Pearson (Kennebunk, Maine/Kennebunk). The second quartet of senior Michael Sprague (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) and sophomores Brandon Gurdak (Winchester, Mass./Winchester)¸ Nicholas Lamana (Purcellville, Va./Loudoun Valley) and Derick Logan (Cape May Court House, N.J./Middle Township) finished second, with Sprague swimming the anchor leg to claim four points for the Purple Knights and clinch the comeback victory.

Senior Dan Healy (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington) won the 50 free and 100-yard backstroke, while freshman Nathan Paluso (Windham, Maine/Windham) topped the 100-yard breaststroke field.

During the women's meet, seniors Kaytlyn Kelley (Jefferson, Mass./Wachusett Regional) and Eileen Mullowney (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) each played a role in three wins. Kelley bested the 100 back and 200-yard individual medley fields, and Mullowney won the 100 and 200 free competitions. Each swam a leg for the top 200 free relay, joining sophomore Julie Mullowney (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) and freshman Steph Nadow (Charlton, Mass./Saint Peter-Marian). Julie Mullowney also won the 100 breast.


Skiing Starts Season with Bates College Carnival, Sandell Posts Pair of Top-10 Finishes in Collegiate Debut

The Saint Michael's College skiing teams finished the season-opening Bates College Carnival on Saturday by taking 10th place out of 15 teams, which is where they stood after the first day of the competition on Friday.

Freshman Fredrik Sandell cracked the top 10 in an Alpine race both days, including a sixth-place finish in the giant slalom in his collegiate debut on Friday and a 10-place showing in Saturday's slalom. Sophomore Carl-Oscar Bredengen (Reistad, Norway/Donski VGS) took 21st out of 80 racers in the slalom. In the women's slalom, graduate student Heidi Robbins (Mendon, Vt./Killington Mountain School/Saint Lawrence) was 19th in a field of 73, while freshman Shannon Conroy nabbed 22nd. Junior Gabbi Hall (Incline Village, Nev./Forest Charter School) was 23rd in the giant slalom.

Junior Colin Delaney (Lake Placid, N.Y./National Sports Academy) had the best performance by a Purple Knight men's Nordic skier both days, including finishing in 59th place out of 110 on Saturday during the 10k classic mass start race. Sophomore Gabrielle Naranja (Fort Kent, Maine/Fort Kent Community) had the best showing both days for the women.


Upcoming Schedule:

Tuesday, Jan. 24
Swimming & Diving vs. Norwich, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 25
Women's Basketball @ Assumption, 5:30 p.m.*
Men's Basketball @ Assumption, 7:30 p.m.*

Friday, Jan. 27
Skiing @ New Hampshire Carnival, 9 a.m.
Women's Ice Hockey vs. New England College, 4 p.m.^
Men's Ice Hockey vs. University of New England, 7 p.m.^

Saturday, Jan. 28
Skiing @ New Hampshire Carnival, 9 a.m.
Women's Ice Hockey vs. Castleton State, 1 p.m.^
Swimming & Diving @ SUNY Potsdam, 1 p.m.
Women's Basketball vs. Le Moyne, 1:30 p.m.*
Men's Basketball vs. Le Moyne, 3:30 p.m.*
Men's Ice Hockey vs. Southern Maine, 4 p.m.^

* Northeast-10 Conference Game
^ ECAC East Game

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