Saint Michael's College Athletics

This Week in Saint Michael's College Athletics ‒ October 31-November 6


Men's and Women's Cross Country Compete in NCAA East Regional Championships

The Saint Michael's College men's and women's cross country teams completed the 2011 season at the NCAA East Regional Championships on Sunday, with the women taking 12th and the men tying for 12th. The Purple Knight men posted their best showing since 2006.

For the women, sophomore Gabrielle Naranja (Fort Kent, Maine/Fort Kent Community) placed 15th, finishing the six-kilometer course in 23:23. Freshman Lindy Heffernan (Sutton Mills, N.H./Kearsarge Regional) was 49th, senior Caitlin Ferland (Vergennes, Vt./Vergennes Union/Bay Path) took 71st in 25:00, and freshman Colleen Gilliatt (Grantham, N.H./Lebanon) finished 78th. Senior Elyse Desmarais (South Hadley, Mass./Holyoke Catholic) and freshmen Allie Gratton (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) and Sarah Stowell (Sutton Mills, N.H./Kearsarge Regional) were the fifth, sixth and seventh Purple Knight finishers, respectively.

For the men, senior Matt Smith (Winchester, Mass./Winchester/Muhlenberg) had his best regionals showing, taking 57th in 34:05 during the 10-kilometer race. Senior Tom Perekslis (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) also had his best regionals outing, crossing the finish line in 34:28 to take 72nd in the 178-runner field. Sophomore Dana Glubiak (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) was 80th, and freshman Alex Gilgore (Scotia, N.Y./Scotia-Glenville Senior) was 84th. Junior Colin Delaney (Lake Placid, N.Y./National Sports Academy) took 87th, and senior Robert Sitzer (Lenox, Mass./Lenox Memorial) was 88th. Sophomore Sam Brigham (Montpelier, Vt./Montpelier) was the seventh member of his team to finish.


Women's Volleyball (14-19, 3-12) Tallies Three Losses During Week, McLeod Sets Assists Record

The Saint Michael's College women's volleyball team went 0-3 at home last week while completing their 2011 season. The Purple Knights fell to Middlebury College, 3-2, on Tuesday before dropping a 3-0 decision against regionally-ranked Pace University on Friday in a Northeast-10 Conference match. Saint Michael's suffered a 3-2 setback on Saturday against regionally-ranked Adelphi University in another NE-10 contest. Sophomore setter Jess McLeod (Medfield, Mass./Medfield) broke Carleen Roy's '96 17-year-old school record for season assists against Pace, ultimately finishing the year with 993.

Against Middlebury, junior Tracy Peterka (Newport Beach, Calif./Mater Dei) had a match-best 18 kills, as the Purple Knights rallied from a 2-0 deficit before falling in five sets. Junior Katie Walsh (North Kingstown, R.I./The Prout School) added 16 kills and 10 digs, and McLeod had 47 assists and 19 digs. Sophomore Chelsey Covitz (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) had 11 kills, junior Samantha Clairemont (Conway, Mass./Frontier Regional) added eight, and classmate Courtney Dunne (Hopkinton, Mass./Bancroft School) had 13 digs.

Versus Pace, which is ranked sixth in the NCAA's regional poll, McLeod handed out 45 assists to break Roy's record, and Covitz finished with 17 kills to go along with three blocks. Peterka tallied 11 kills and 14 digs, while Walsh had 10 kills and 17 digs. Sophomore Lindsay Phenix (Tewksbury, Mass./Central Catholic) had eight kills and five blocks, and Dunne totaled a team-best 18 digs.

Against Adelphi, ranked fifth in the region, Peterka paced Saint Michael's with 14 kills and nine digs, while Covitz added 11 kills, finishing with 316 this season to come within six of the school record. Phenix totaled 10 kills, seven blocks and six digs, McLeod had 42 assists and eight digs, and Dunne notched 23 digs. Walsh added 12 digs.



Men's Ice Hockey (0-1) Drops Season Opener Against Nationally-Ranked Utica

The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team dropped its season opener at Utica College, 7-1, on Saturday. The Pioneers were ranked 13th in the most recent U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III national poll. Senior Brady Earle (Columbia, Md./The Gunnery) scored for the Purple Knights, while junior Mike Dizgun (Kirkland, Quebec/OCN Blizzard) made 27 saves.


Women's Ice Hockey (0-2, 0-2) Drops Pair of ECAC East Games to Begin Season

The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team went 0-2 on the road last week in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East action. The Purple Knights opened their season with a 3-2 loss to New England College on Friday before falling 1-0 against Castleton State College on Saturday.

At New England College, sophomore Olivia Collins (South Boston, Mass./Boston Latin School) and freshman Ellia Héroux (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Thunder Bay Queens) netted their first collegiate goals. Freshman Kristen Spulecki (Orchard Park, N.Y./Buffalo Bison) tallied two assists, and junior goaltender Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears) made 34 stops. Against Castleton State, Stevens had 28 saves, including 13 in the second period alone.

Men's (1-0) and Women's (1-0) Swimming & Diving Open Seasons with Victories

The Saint Michael's College men's and women's swimming & diving teams opened their seasons with victories over Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday. The Purple Knight men grabbed a 179-109 triumph and the women a 152-127 win.

For the men, senior Dan Healy (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington) won the 50- and 100-yard backstrokes, setting a pool record in the 100 back, freshman Aidan Meehan (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) won the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events, and classmate Nathan Paluso (Windham, Maine/Windham) topped the 200 free and 100-yard breaststroke competitions. The trio joined sophomore Jack Mulderrig (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) for a 200-yard medley relay triumph and junior Kyle Esposito (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) for a triumphant 200 free relay race. Senior Michael Sprague (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) won the 500 and 1,000 frees, freshman Matthew Annenberg won both one-meter diving events, including setting a pool record in the six-dive competition (202.80), and freshman Matt Pearson (Kennebunk, Maine/Kennebunk) won the 50 breast.

On the women's side, seniors Kaytlyn Kelley (Jefferson, Mass./Wachusett Regional) and Eileen Mullowney (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) notched four victories apiece. The two sided with classmate Sammy Sweeney (Waterbury Center, Vt./Harwood Union/Franklin & Marshall) and sophomore Julie Mullowney (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) on the 200 free and medley relays. Eileen Mullowney also topped the 50 and 200 free races, Kelley won the 50 and 100 backs, and Julie Mullowney captured a victory in the 100 breast. Sweeney topped the 200-yard butterfly field, and junior Emma Hauser (Longmeadow, Mass./Longmeadow) won the 1,000 free.

This Week’s Schedule:

Friday, Nov. 11
Men's Ice Hockey @ Southern Maine, 7 p.m.^
Women's Ice Hockey vs. Southern Maine, 7 p.m.^

Saturday, Nov. 12
Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving vs. Clarkson, 1 p.m.
Men's Basketball vs. Queens (N.Y.), 1 p.m.
Women's Ice Hockey vs. Plymouth State, 3 p.m.^
Men's Ice Hockey @ University of New England, 4 p.m.^
Women's Basketball @ Shippensburg, 6 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 13
Women's Basketball vs. TBA @ Shippensburg, TBA

* Northeast-10 Conference Event
^ ECAC East Game