Saint Michael's College Athletics

This Week in Saint Michael's College Athletics ‒ November 7-13


Men's Basketball (0-1) Falls to Queens in Season Opener

The Saint Michael's College men's basketball team fell to Queens (N.Y.) College, 70-64, in its season opener at home on Saturday. Sophomore Mike Holton Jr. (Portland, Ore./The Winchendon School) tallied 22 points on 4-of-8 three-point shooting and an 8-of-9 showing on free throws, adding six rebounds and four assists. Freshmen James Cambronne (De Bary, Fla./The Winchendon School) and Dom Ditlefsen (Portland, Ore./Sunset) each made their college debuts, with Ditlefsen scoring 12 points and Cambronne adding 11 in addition to blocking two shots. Classmate Corey Crawford (Dover, Del./The Phelps School) tacked on nine points.


Women's Basketball (1-1) Splits Pair in Shippensburg Tournament, Coach Niebling Earns 100th Win

The Saint Michael's College women's basketball team competed in Shippensburg University's Wolf's Bus Lines Classic over the weekend, falling to Shippensburg in its season opener, 85-76, on Saturday before defeating 2011 NCAA Tournament qualifier University of Charleston (W.Va.), 70-53, on Sunday. The victory over Charleston marked the 100th of ninth-year head coach Jennifer Niebling's Saint Michael's coaching tenure. Senior Coreen Hennessy (Chatham, N.H./Fryeburg Academy) and junior Nicole Adach (Schenectady, N.Y./Mohonasen) were both named to the all-tournament team.

Against Shippensburg, Hennessy tallied a career-high 20 points and added three assists. Adach totaled 17 points and three blocks, and sophomore Cara Deroy (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) notched 15 points, adding four assists and four steals off the bench. Classmate Alexa Long (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Versus Charleston, Adach tallied a double-double, recording 16 points and 12 rebounds and shooting 8-of-10 on free throws. Hennessy added 16 points and four assists, and senior Caitlin Quinn (Oakdale, Conn./Montville) added 11 points. Long had 10 points, seven boards and three blocks, and senior Samantha Steinmetz (Washington, Conn./Shepaug Valley) added seven rebounds. Junior Megan Olsen (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) and Deroy notched four assists each, with Olsen adding eight points.


Men's Ice Hockey (1-2, 1-1) Splits Pair of ECAC East Contests

The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team went 1-1 on the road last weekend in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East action. The Purple Knights defeated the University of Southern Maine, 5-3, on Friday before falling 6-2 to the University of New England on Saturday.

Against Southern Maine, freshman A.J. Pieprzak (Barrie, Ontario/Ridley College) tallied a hat trick and an assist, becoming the first Saint Michael's freshman with three goals since Feb. 1, 2005, and the first with four points since Dec. 10, 2005. Juniors Justin Castagna (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Angeles Kings) and Petr Soustal (Unicov, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Unicov) added a goal and an assist apiece. Classmate Morgan Bell (Revelstoke, British Columbia/Saint Albert Saints) and sophomore Sam Torney (Shelburne, Vt./Green Mountain Glades) had a pair of helpers each, and junior Mike Dizgun (Kirkland, Quebec/OCN Blizzard) made 22 saves.

At the University of New England, senior Brady Earle (Columbia, Md./The Gunnery) and junior Josh Geary (Wellesley, Mass./Phillips Andover Academy) both netted a goal and an assist for the Purple Knights, while Torney tallied two assists. Dizgun made 30 saves.


Women's Ice Hockey (0-3-1, 0-3-1) Goes 0-1-1 in ECAC East Action

The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team recorded one loss and one tie in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East action at home last weekend. The Purple Knights fell to the University of Southern Maine, 2-1, on Friday before tying Plymouth State University, 2-2, in overtime on Saturday.

Against Southern Maine, senior Madelena Santore (Millington, N.J./New Jersey Rockets) netted her first goal of the season and junior goalie Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears) made 34 saves. Versus Plymouth State, Santore and freshman Kristen Spulecki (Orchard Park, N.J./Buffalo Bison) both tallied a goal and an assist, while Stevens made 36 stops in the deadlock.

In just 29 career contests, Santore stands 10th in program history in points (31) while becoming the seventh Purple Knight to reach the 20-goal plateau.


Men's (1-1) and Women's (2-0) Swimming & Diving Split Against Clarkson

The Saint Michael's College men's and women's swimming & diving teams split decisions against visiting Clarkson University on Saturday, with the women picking up a 155-106 triumph. The Purple Knight men fell, 176-108.

For the women, seniors Kaytlyn Kelley (Jefferson, Mass./Wachusett Regional) and Eileen Mullowney (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) and sophomore Julie Mullowney (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) notched four triumphs apiece, including in the 200-yard freestyle relay with freshman Kathleen Lamontagne (Manchester, N.H./Trinity). Eileen Mullowney had a team-high three individual victories, sweeping the 50, 100 and 200 free races. Kelley captured the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes, and Julie Mullowney topped the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke fields. Senior Sammy Sweeney (Waterbury Center, Vt./Harwood Union/Franklin & Marshall) notched wins in the 200-yard butterfly and 200-yard individual medley before siding with Kelley, Lamontagne and Julie Mullowney for the winning 400-yard medley relay quartet.

On the men's side, freshman Nathan Paluso (Windham, Maine/Windham) captured the 100 and 200 breast races. He, senior Dan Healy (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington), sophomore Jack Mulderrig (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) and freshman Aidan Meehan (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) all swam on the winning 400 medley relay team. Freshman Matt Annenberg (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) won both one-meter diving competitions for the second straight meet.


This Week’s Schedule:

Wednesday, Nov. 16
Swimming & Diving @ Norwich, 4 p.m.
Women's Basketball @ Southern New Hampshire, 5:30 p.m.*
Men's Basketball @ Southern New Hampshire, 7:30 p.m.*

Friday, Nov. 18
Men's Ice Hockey vs. Saint Anselm, 7 p.m.*^
Women's Ice Hockey @ Saint Anselm, 7 p.m.*
Men's Basketball vs. Concordia (N.Y.), 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 19
Women's Basketball vs. Queens (N.Y.), 2 p.m.
Women's Ice Hockey @ UMass Boston, 2 p.m.*
Men's Ice Hockey vs. New England College, 3 p.m.^
Swimming & Diving @ Bentley, 5 p.m.
Men's Basketball vs. Goldey-Beacom, 6 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 20
Women's Basketball vs. Dominican (N.Y.), 2 p.m.

* Northeast-10 Conference Event
^ ECAC East Game