HAMILTON, N.Y. (5/17/12)- The No. 9 Colgate men's lacrosse team will look to continue to make program history this weekend when it travels to Chester, Pa. for a matchup against third seeded Duke in the Quarterfinals of the 2012 NCAA Tournament on Sunday, May 20 at 2:30 p.m.

The game will be televised on ESPNU and will be the Raiders' first neutral site matchup of the season.

Colgate (14-3, 5-1 PL) is coming off a 13-11 win over No. 1 UMass on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA First Round. The team, which handed the Minutemen their first loss of the season, were able to come back from a five-goal deficit to tie the game, before taking its first and only lead in the fourth quarter. Junior Peter Baum, a 2012 Tewaaraton Award Finalist, and freshman Ryan Walsh both had three points in the game on two goals and one assist apiece. They were followed by sophomore Brendon McCann, junior Matt Baker and senior Chris Zielinski who had two goals each, while senior co- captain Jeff Ledwick also added two points from a pair of helpers. Senior Patrick Campbell as well as freshmen Matt Clarkson and Conor Braddish also tallied one goal each in the game.

The Raiders came into this year's tournament after earning an at-large bid for the first time in Colgate history. The win over UMass last weekend marked the team's first NCAA Tournament win and first Second Round visit in program history.

LUCKY NUMBER 13
Colgate University's “lucky number 13” is clearly playing a part in the Raiders' post-season success, which also includes averaging just over 13 points a game this season. After completing its regular season with a 13-11 win over No. 6/9 Maryland, which helped earn the team an at-large bid, Colgate then went on to become the only team in the country to defeat No. 1 UMass with an identical 13-11 score, and snap the Minutemen's 15-game winning streak. UMass came into the tournament as the No. 6 seed and host of the tournament game between the two teams.

ROAD RAGE
The team continues to have a perfect 6-0 record on the road this season, completing its regular season with a 5-0 road mark and adding a sixth win against UMass last weekend. Colgate first defeated Robert Morris on the road 24-14 on March 3 in its largest victory margin this season. The Raiders then went on to secure a 13-9 win over Holy Cross on March 10 followed by a 17-8 win three days later over Binghamton on March 13. The team's last two road wins before the Minutemen were over Army on March 31 with a 15-13 score, and No. 18 Bucknell in its final regular-season league game on April 20, 11-10.

RAIDERS' SCORING LEADERS
Peter Baum, who leads the league with six game-winning goals, continues to lead the team with 96 points from 66 goals and 30 assists this season. The junior is currently ranked fifth nationally amongst active Division I players with his 68-goal scoring streak, 27 career hat tricks and 127 career goals, and is tied for fifth with a 44-game point scoring streak that began on March 2, 2010. Baum is followed by PL Rookie of the Year Ryan Walsh who holds the Colgate freshman point and goal scoring records that were set by Baum in 2010, and is now tied for eighth in program history in points in a season. The attackman has 57 points from 35 goals and 22 assists this season. Behind the nation's leading freshman goal scorer is senior Jeff Ledwick who is third on the team with a career-high 46 points from 32 goals and 14 helpers. The co-captain leads the league in man-up goals with nine this season.

DEFENDING THE NET
Senior goalie Jared Madison has spent the lion's share of time defending the net this season, starting in 16 of the team's 17 games this season for an impressive 13-3 record. New in goal is sophomore Conor Murphy, who had an incredible 15-save performance in his first career start in Colgate's 13-11 win over No. 1 UMass in the NCAA First Round last weekend. He has played in seven games this season, has an 8.22 goals against average, and a total of 25 saves for a .610 save percentage.

ALL EYES ON BAUM
Peter Baum is having a standout 2012 season and has already been named the 2012 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year. The attackman leads the country in points per game (5.65) and goals per game (3.88), and has a total of 96 points. The last time a player had 96 points in a season was Duke's Matt Danowski in 2007 with 44 goals and 52 assists. This season, Baum has helped his team make program history with 14 wins in a season amongst other team records, while also setting a total of seven individual Patriot League and Colgate records. The junior's records this year include points and goals in a single season for both Colgate and the Patriot League, as well as three Patriot League Tournament records. Baum is also currently second in program history with 129 career goals, is fourth with 30 assists this season, and is fifth in career points with 175. He is also ranked third in league history in career goals.

ALL-TIME SERIES
This will be the ninth meeting and first neutral site matchup between the two teams since they first met in 1956. All seven games in the series have been played in Durham, N.C. Duke leads the all-time series 6-2, winning the last four meetings in 1995, 1999, 2008 and most recently in 2009 when the Blue Devils defeated Colgate 9-8. The Raiders' only two wins in the series were in the first matchup in history in 1956, which Colgate won 7-6, and in 1960, when the team secured a 19-0 shutout win over Duke.

SCOUTING #3 DUKE (14-4, 2-1 ACC)
The nationally ranked No. 3 Blue Devils, who are also the third seed in the tournament, are coming off a 12-9 win over Syracuse in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament last weekend. This is their 16th overall appearance and sixth consecutive in the NCAA Tournament for a 22-14 record in tournament play. The team has advanced to the semifinals seven times in program history including the past five seasons. Duke's most notable wins this season were over nationally-ranked opponents Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina twice and Syracuse twice.

The team is led by sophomores Jordan Wolf and Christian Walsh as well as senior Robert Rotanz. Wolf has a team-high 60 points from 30 goals and 30 assists while Walsh has 30 goals and 14 helpers for 44 points, and Rotanz has 40 points from 33 goals and seven assists. Duke also boasts 2012 Tewaaraton Award Finalist senior CJ Costabile who has a 119-231 faceoff record and has collected 121 groundballs this season. In goal, the team is led by junior Dan Wigrizer who has played in 13 games for a 10-3 record, has an 8.67 goals against average, and a total of 113 saves for a .526 save percentage.

RAIDERS DEFEAT # 1 UMASS IN NCAA OPENING ROUND-DUKE NEXT

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. (5/12/12) – The No. 9 Colgate men's lacrosse team became the first team this season to defeat No. 1 UMass, snapping a 15-game winning streak on Saturday, with a 13-11 win in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament at Garber Field.

The Raiders were able to come back from a five-goal deficit to tie the game, before they took their first lead in the fourth quarter. The win is the first for the Raiders in the NCAA Tournament and marks the first time in program history that they will advance to the second round where they will face No. 3 Duke, which beat Syracuse 12-9 earlier today.

Junior Peter Baum, a 2012 Tewaaraton Award Finalist, and freshman Ryan Walsh both had three points in the game on two goals and one assist apiece. They were followed by sophomore Brendon McCann, junior Matt Baker and senior Chris Zielinski who had two goals each while senior co-captain Jeff Ledwick also added two points from a pair of helpers. Senior Patrick Campbell as well as freshmen Matt Clarkson and Conor Braddish also tallied one goal each in the game.

In the first period, both teams came out playing a very quick game, moving the ball up and down the field. After a strong save by sophomore Conor Murphy in his first collegiate start, Colgate (14-3) got the first extra man opportunity of the game, off a 30-second pushing penalty on the Minutemen at the 12:26 mark but was unable to get any shots off.

Less than a minute after the penalty ended, UMass was able to cause a turnover, clear the ball and score the opening goal of the game at the 11:03 mark. The Minutemen continued to build on their offensive moment, firing a series of shots on net but were denied by Murphy and on one occasion, the post. A penalty on the Raiders then allowed UMass to score on its first extra-man advantage at the 8:41 mark, which it followed up with a second goal just over three minutes later to increase its lead to 3-0.

Colgate continued to build its offense, coming close when Walsh powered past his defender, came around the crease and took a one-handed shot on net but was denied by the goalie.

As the period came to a close, the Raiders continued to struggle to find their offensive rhythm until the 2:49 mark when Ledwick sent a quick pass to McCann, who then slipped it into the back of the net to reduce the score to 3-1 at the end of the first 15 minutes of play.

UMass (15-1) started the second period similar to the first, scoring the first goal of the period to increase its lead to three goals just 43 seconds into the quarter. Junior Robert Grabher then helped turn things around for Colgate, winning the faceoff and then dishing the ball over to Zielinski on his left who then fired the ball from down town into the top right corner of the net to reduce the score to 4-2. A pair of penalties on the Raiders then allowed the Minutemen to gain some momentum, with three straight goals, one of which was a man-up, to increase their lead to 7-2 with 9:08 left on the clock.

One of the penalties was on Murphy, putting senior Jared Madison in net during the penalty. The Raiders struggled to get their offense going again during this time, but could not find a goal with Baker hitting the cross bar in the seventh minute, Walsh hitting the post and then Baum coming close in the final seconds of a man-up opportunity.

However, an illegal body check on Baum from a UMass player after the Minutemen failed to clear the ball, then led to Colgate stringing together a trio of goals at the 5:31, 4:58 and 2:53 marks to reduce the score to 7-5 going into half time.

Baker scored the first goal during the extra-man opportunity off a pass from Ledwick. Thirty-three seconds later, Clarkson added the Raiders' fourth goal off a jumping shot to put the score at 7-4. The rookie was then followed by classmate Walsh, who scored the team's second man-up goal with help from Baum to put the game within two at half time.

The Raiders started the second half with a 19-second advantage on an extra man opportunity that had carried over from the second period. Unfortunately, they were unable to capitalize, which then led to UMass finding the first goal of the period once again to improve their lead to 8-5 less than four minutes in. The early goal then propelled the Minutemen's offense, which found a ninth goal at 9:54 mark to increase the scoring margin to four goals.

It was not until the final five minutes that the Raiders were able to come alive once again, similar to the second quarter, with four back-to-back goals from Braddish, McCann, Baum and then Baker to tie the game at 9-9 with just 37 seconds left in the quarter. Walsh had an assist in McCann's goal. Six seconds after Baker scored, UMass responded with a tally after winning the faceoff to reclaim a 10-9 lead going into the final 15 minutes of play.

The final quarter was all about Colgate this time around. After an aggressive start to the period, with both teams battling it out on the field, the Raiders got on the scoreboard first with a goal from Campbell to balance the score at 10-10 at the 10:25 mark. This was his first goal of the season. Feeling the pressure, the Minutemen responded with a tally of their own two minutes and 20 seconds later to steal back an 11-10 lead.

However, this proved to be their last lead of the game with the Raiders scoring two goals in the seventh minute first from Walsh and then from Zielinski to claim their first lead of the game 12-11. Colgate then continued to put pressure on UMass' net and then after a timeout, found a 13th goal from Baum at the 3:53 mark to eventually secure the win 13-11.

Sophomore Conor Murphy had a stellar performance in net for the Raiders with 15 saves in the game while Tim McCormack had 13 for UMass. Both teams went 2-for-5 in their extra-an opportunities. The Minutemen held a 29-19 advantage in the groundball battle.

Colgate will travel to Philadelphia, Pa. where it will face No. 3 Duke at PPL Park on Sunday, May 20. The game is scheduled to begin at noon and will be televised live on ESPNU and ESPN3.com.

2012 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Bracket

HAMILTON, N.Y. (5/6/12) – The Colgate men's lacrosse team will travel to the University of Massachusetts this weekend for the First Round of the 2012 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament on Saturday, May 12 at 2:30 p.m.

Colgate will be meeting the Minutemen for the first time in program history.

This is also the Raiders' first at-large bid. They were one of nine teams that made it into the NCAA Tournament without an automatic bid from a league tournament title win. Lehigh won the Patriot League's automatic bid this season.

Colgate (13-3, 5-1 PL) will be making its second NCAA Tournament appearance. The first time was in 2008 after it won the Patriot League Title but fell to Notre Dame 8-7 in overtime on the road in the First Round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

UMass (15-0, 6-0 CAA), which is undefeated this season, comes into the tournament with an automatic bid after winning the 2012 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Title over Drexel on Saturday (May 5), 18-12. Its most notable wins this season were over nationally ranked opponents Bucknell, Ohio State, Penn State, and Drexel. The Minutemen have already made 18 NCAA appearances and have reached the Final Four once.

The first round of the tournament will begin this weekend with four games on Saturday, May 12 and four on Sunday, May 13. The games will take place at 12 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The quarterfinals will take place the following weekend on Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20. Saturday's quarterfinals at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., will take place in Annapolis, Md. at the Navy Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium while Sunday's quarterfinals, at the same times, will take place in Chester, Pa. at PPL Park. The semifinals and championship game are set for Memorial Day Weekend at the Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. The Final Four games will take place on Saturday, May 26 at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., and the championship game is set for Monday, May 28 at 1 p.m.

ESPN networks will provide exclusive coverage of all 15 games of the NCAA Championship. Coverage will be in high definition across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 beginning Saturday, May 12, and concluding with the national title game on Monday, May 28.

Utica, NY -- Seniors Shelby Barbay and Katlyn Banker of the Utica College women's lacrosse team were named to the 2012 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Empire Region Second Team on Friday.  Barbay is making her second consecutive appearance on the all-region team, while Banker cracked the list for the first time in her four year career.

The IWLCA honored 224 student-athletes in Division III with a selection on one of the All-Region teams for 2012. These athletes are now eligible for inclusion on the IWLCA All-American teams, which will be announced on May 24. The IWLCA will honor the National All-Americans at the IWLCA All-American banquet on June 16, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge in King of Prussia, Pa.

Barbay, who was the Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year in 2010 and 2011, finished her senior campaign with a 117 total saves, a save percentage of .502 and 54 ground balls.  She wrapped up her four year career as the college's all-time leader in saves (548) and wins (26) and she finished second in saves per game (9.96). She was a three-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection and she was also honored as the College's 2012 Richard “Dick” Miller Most Inspirational Player Award winner.  This past season Barbay compiled a goals against average of 8.77 and she stopped 12 or more shots on four different occasions.  She helped the Pioneers to the program's first two shut outs early in the year and she won eight total contests in between the pipes.

Banker, from Henrietta, NY, led the squad in scoring with a team-high 60 points on 44 goals and 16 assists. The all-conference first team selection also recorded 83 shots of which 67 were on goal, and she caused 28 turnovers, all team-high's. In the first five games of the season, Banker had multiple goals in each contest, including four consecutive games with four-plus scores.  She tallied three or more goals in ten of the Pioneers' 15 games and she finished the year ranked fourth in the Empire 8 with 4.07 points per game.  She also won 33 draw controls and picked up 45 ground balls.  She converted on 8-of-16 free position attempts as well.

Banker concluded her four year career ranked second all-time in assists (48), third in points (149) and assists per game (.86), fourth in caused turnovers (64) and fifth in goals (101).

Pioneers wrapped up their 2012 campaign with an overall record of 8-7, including a 3-4 mark in the Empire 8 Conference.

KRAJACIC-WINKLER-SCHOEN-SELECTED TO E-8 ALL CONFERENCE TEAMB

Gil Burgmaster

2012 Empire 8 All-Conference Teams

Utica, NY – Senior defender Mick Krajacic and junior attack Ben Winkler of the Utica College men's lacrosse team were named to 2012 Empire 8 All-Conference teams on Wednesday.  Krajacic is making his third consecutive appearance on the conference's first team, while Winkler is making his first career appearance on the second team.  Sophomore Joe Schoen was selected by the coaching staff as the College's representative on the Sportsman of the Year team.

Krajacic, who is a two-time Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-American, is the only player in school-history to earn All-Conference First Team status.  For his efforts, he was recently named the College's 2012 Dick Miller Award winner after an incredible four year career on the defensive end.  One of the Pioneers' three captains, he played in a school-record 61 career contests and will graduate as the College's all-time leader with 211 caused turnovers, good for an average of 3.46 per game.  He progressively improved over time as a Pioneer and each season he compiled more caused turnovers than the previous year.  This past season he broke his own single-season mark by causing 64 turnovers and he also ranks fifth all-time with 233 career ground balls.

Winkler joins elite company as he became just the fifth player in program-history to earn a spot on either the first or second team. The junior from Rodman, N.Y. had a breakout year as he set new single-season marks for points in a season (67) and goals (53).  He finished the regular season ranked sixth in the country with an average of 3.31 goals per contest and he also ranked 25th in all of Division III men's lacrosse with 4.19 points per game.

Winkler became the first player in school-history to break the 50 goal barrier and he also became the seventh player in school-history to join the 100 point club.  He now ranks seventh all-time with 106 career points (83 goals, 23 assists).  His 83 goals also ranks third on the College's all-time list behind Matt Donaldson (165) and Michael Bulger (123).

Sophomore Joe Schoen was selected as the Pioneers' representative on the Sportsman of the Year team. One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2012 Men's Lacrosse Sportsman of the Year Team. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.

Schoen finished the year ranked third on the team with 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists).  He also scooped up 14 ground balls and caused six turnovers in 14 games played.  Over the course of two years he has totaled 19 goals and 28 assists in 28 games played.  Schoen comes from a long line of Schoen brothers who have played lacrosse at UC.  Ben Schoen '04 totaled 58 career points in four years at Utica and Steve Schoen '07 is tied for fourth all time with 114 career points.

As a team the Pioneers set new program record for points in a single-season with 318 (187 goals, 131 assists).  187 goals is second all-time and 131 assists is a new school-record.  UC also tied the program's single season mark for wins after posting an 8-8 overall record.

18 different Pioneers have earned all-conference (1st team, 2nd Team, Honorable Mention, Sportsman of the Year) since 2003.

Utica Men's Lacrosse Empire 8 All-Conference History:

2012
Mick Krajacic – 1st Team
Ben Winkler – 2nd Team
Joe Schoen – Sportsman of the Year

2011
Mick Krajcic – 1st Team
Kevin Conway - Sportsman of the Year

2010
Mick Krajacic – 1st Team
Michael Bulger – 2nd Team
John Giordano - Sportsman of the Year

2009
Michael Bulger – 2nd Team
David O'Connell – Honorable Mention
Aaron Benoit - Sportsman of the Year

2008
Michael Bulger – Honorable Mention
Chris Tarkowski - Sportsman of the Year

2007
David O'Connell – Honorable Mention
Nick Evanoff - Sportsman of the Year

2006
Ryan McGowan – Honorable Mention
Rob Meyer – Honorable Mention
Blake Bernard – Honorable Mention, Sportsman of the Year

2005
Matt Donaldson – 2nd Team
Nate Jobson – 2nd Team

2004
Matt Donaldson – Honorable Mention
Ken Fischmann – Honorable Mention
Marc Richter – Honorable Mention
Shawn Ryan – Honorable Mention

2003
Ken Fischmann – Honorable Mention

HAMILTON WINS OT THRILLER OVER UTICA IN 2ND ANNUAL CONTINEER CUP

Clinton, NY – The Utica College men's lacrosse team never gave in an evenly matched contest which featured seven ties, but host Hamilton College scored with 23 seconds to go in the first overtime period to help lift the host Continentals past the Pioneers, 12-11, in the second annual Contineer Cup Wednesday afternoon.

Trailing by two with 4:05 left in regulation, the Pioneers rallied with a goal each from Trent Thomas and Justin Edelstein to knot the score at 11-11 with 2:34 left in the fourth quarter.  Hamilton's Jon Leanos scored with 23 seconds left in the first overtime to help Hamilton earn the victory.

Thomas netted a game-high six goals for Utica and the Pioneers (8-7, 3-3) now need to defeat host St. John Fisher College on Saturday

to clinch the fourth seed in the Empire 8 Conference tournament for the first time in program-history.  The do-or-die match-up is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Growney Stadium in Pittsford, NY.Junior Ben Winkler, who entered the contest leading all of Division III men's lacrosse with an average of 3.71 goals per contest, added one tally and two assists for the Pioneers, while senior face-off man Oliver Barney added two goals of his own. 

Dan Duffy scored the other Utica goal as Joe Schoen and Scott Baron were each credited with an assist. David Craig and Mick Krajacic collected a game-high six ground balls and Barney won 11 face-offs. Krajacic caused three turnovers and Joe Davis made a season-high 20 saves in goal for the Pioneers.

Hamilton had a good chance to score the game-winning goal when the Continentals received a man-up opportunity at 2:16 of the overtime period. But Utica was able to keep Hamilton off the board and the Pioneers regained possession with 1:25 left. Sadoff caused a Utica turnover with 44 seconds to play and later found Leanos at the other end for the game-winner.

Utica took its last lead at 5-4 when Duffy found the back of the net with 11:30 remaining in the second quarter. Hamilton scored three straight goals spanning the second and third quarters to open a 7-5 lead. Mullin scored with 8:21 left in the second quarter and Burchenal tallied with 1.4 seconds on the clock. Hill buried his first goal of the season at 9:08 of the third.

Barney and Thomas scored back-to-back man-up goals to tie the score at 7-7 with 6:52 remaining in the third. Sadoff found Burchenal with 4:27 left in the third and Hopper tallied an unassisted goal at 11:38 of the fourth to give the Continentals a 9-7 lead.

The Pioneers stormed back with unassisted goals by Thomas and Winkler to even the score again with 7:13 left. Walsh scored Hamilton's next two goals, including a man-up tally with 4:05 on the clock to give the Continentals an 11-9 lead.

Hamilton held a 49-40 shot advantage, including a 3-0 edge in overtime. Utica scooped up 48 ground balls to the Continentals' 37.

It was the second overtime game between the two teams, and Hamilton leads the all-time series 12-1. The Continentals claimed the second annual Contineer Cup. Hamilton won the inaugural Contineer Cup 14-5 in 2011.

Hamilton (9-5 overall) won eight of its last nine games to finish the regular season. The Continentals are the No. 7 seed for the 2012 NESCAC Championship and will travel to No. 2 seed Trinity College for a quarterfinal on Saturday, April 28, at 1 p.m.

Utica, NY (4-24-12) – The Utica College men's lacrosse team travels to nearby Clinton, NY on Wednesday to take on cross-town rival Hamilton College for the second-annual Contineer Cup.

Game Time: The game will be held at Steuben Field on campus at Hamilton College, with the opening face off scheduled for 4 p.m.

Last Time Out: UC topped conference foe Elmira College last Saturday by a score of 20-16. In this offensive slugfest, junior Ben Winkler broke the eight-year-old school record for goals scored in a single season when he tallied his 50th goal of the year.

Along with Winkler setting the scoring record, the Pioneers tied the school record for wins, with their eighth victory of the season.

Junior Ben Winkler leads the Pioneer offense with 52 goals and 12 assists on the season

Winkler Continues To Roll: The junior phenom netted a team-high seven goals against Elmira, as he raised his season total to 52. Winkler also has 12 assists on the year, giving him 64 points, just one shy of tying the school record of 65 set by Matt Donaldson back in 2005. With nine goals in two games last week, Winkler earned Empire 8 Player of the Week for the third time this season.

Defense Digs Deep: Senior All-Conference defender Mick Krajacic had one of his best games on the season against Elmira. Krajacic seemed to have the Soaring Eagle attackers in check the whole game as he caused nine turnovers, scooped up six ground balls and even tallied one assist on the day.

Senior classmate Dennis Timmons also stepped up for UC as he picked up five ground balls to go along with his three caused turnovers.

Balanced Attack: The UC offense is led by Winkler and classmate Trent Thomas with 64 and 44 points, respectively. Beyond these two however, is a very balanced stat book. There are seven other Pioneers with 10 or more points on the season, and ten different players registered at least one point against Elmira.

Scouting Hamilton: The Continentals (8-5, 5-5 NESCAC) are currently on a two-game winning streak after defeating conference foe Trinity College by a score of 9-7 on April 21.

Hamilton is led by senior Jonathon Leanos who has 25 goals and 17 helpers on the season. UC is winless against Hamilton dating back to 2006, but four of those six losses have been by two or fewer goals.

Next Time Out: UC will wrap up their 2012 campaign on Saturday, April 28 as they travel up I-90 to Rochester, NY to take on conference rival St. John Fisher. Faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

PIONEERS TIE SCHOOL RECORD FOR WINS-WINKLER BREAKS SINGLE SEASON GOAL MARK

Utica 20, Elmira 16 - Box Score

David Craig scored a career-high five points for Utica

Utica, NY – The Utica College men's lacrosse team poured in a season-high 20 goals, on its way to tying the program record for wins in a single season (eight), after a 20-16 victory over Elmira College in Empire 8 Conference action Saturday afternoon.  Junior Ben Winkler netted a team-best seven goals as he broke the College's single-season record for goals scored, surpassing 2005 graduate Matt Donaldson's mark of 49 set back in 2004. Winkler currently has 64 points this season (52 goals, 12 assists) and he needs just one more point, with two regular season games remaining, to tie Donaldson's single-season points record (65).

The Pioneers improved to 8-6 overall and they also moved to 3-3 overall

UC will hits the road for its final two regular season contests, beginning with the second annual Contineer Cup matchup against cross-town rival Hamilton College on Wednesday at 4 p.m.  UC hopes for a conference victory on Saturday when it travels to St. John Fisher to take on the Cardinals at 1 p.m.

A huge factor in UC's success against Elmira on Saturday came in the first quarter of action as the Pioneers sprinted out to a 6-0 lead.  Winkler netted the first four goals of the contest, two of which were assisted by classmate Trent Thomas, to help UC earn a quick four goal cushion.

Mick Krajacic caused a season-high nine turnovers

Mick Krajacic caused a season-high nine turnoversThe Soaring Eagles came back strong in the second quarter, outscoring UC 6-5, to cut their deficit to 11-6 at the half.  Four of the first five goals in the second quarter were scored by the visitors, until Utica's TJ Benson and Scott Baron found the back of the net less than one minute apart to push UC's lead back to five goals, 9-4, midway through the stanza.

Utica managed to score three of the first four goals in the second half to take a seven goal advantage, 14-7, after a Joe Schoen tally at the 6:09 mark.  Elmira's Jackson Correia scored two straight goals in just under 1:30 of play and TJ White added his 22nd goal of the year to keep the Soaring Eagles within striking distance, 14-10, midway through the third quarter. Correia finished the day with seven goals.

However, it appeared that the Pioneers would have every answer, as they scored three goals in a span of 30 seconds, to extend their lead back to seven.

EC made a late charge, scoring four of the game's final five goals, but the clock ran out on the Soaring Eagle rally, and UC closed out its season at home with a four goal victory.  Both teams combined for 26 penalties in the 2 hour and 25 minute affair.

10 different Pioneers registered at least one point. Schoen finished the day with four goals and one assist, while sophomore David Craig scored a career-best five points on two goals and three assists.  Benson finished with three goals and one assist, as Barney recorded three points and won 12 face-offs.

All-Conference defender Mick Krajacic had the Soaring Eagles offense flustered all afternoon, as he caused nine turnovers, picked up six ground balls and added one assist.  Dennis Timmons chipped in on the defensive end with five ground balls and three caused turnovers, while Mukrdechian stopped three shots in the victory.  Scott Baron added two goals and one assist.

Correia and TJ White each tallied eight points for Elmira, while Barrett Gast caused six turnovers and picked up six ground balls.

PIONEERS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT E8 CONTEST-UC TOPS ALFRED 14-9

Utica 14, Alfred 9 - Box Score

Utica, NY – The Utica College men's lacrosse team did not waste any time, outscoring host Alfred University 5-1 in the first 15 minutes of action, as the Pioneers went on to earn their second straight Empire 8 Conference contest, 14-9, over the Saxons on Saturday afternoon.  Alfred made a late push, outscoring UC 6-1 during a stretch in the second half to knot the score at 9-9, but the Pioneers proved they are resilient by netting the final five goals of the game in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Junior Ben Winkler netted a game-high six goals, while sophomore Joe Schoen remained hot, totaling five points (three assists, two goals) to help the Pioneers improve to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in Empire 8 Conference play.

Utica is now just one win shy of tying the school-record for wins in a single-season, which has been recorded by three different teams in the program's 13-year history ('03, '04, '09).

The Pioneers return home to the friendly confines of Charles A. Gaetano Stadium on Saturday when they will host Empire 8 Conference power and nationally-ranked No. 7 Stevens Institute of Technology.  The contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Alfred's record moved to 3-8 overall and the Saxons are now 0-3 in conference play.

After being held scoreless for the first 6:32 of action, the Pioneers exploded for four straight goals in a span of less than three minutes to take an early 4-0 lead.  Four different players scored including Chris Gibbs, Winkler, Justin Edelstein and David Craig.  Alfed answered with its first goal of the game at the 4:05 marker, before Winkler scored the final goal of the first quarter to give the Pioneers a four goal cushion, 5-1.

UC outscored the home team 3-2 in the second quarter to take an 8-3 lead into the halftime intermission.  The Pioneers did not score for the first 11:27 of the second quarter until sophomore Scott Baron broke the ice with his only goal of the day, assisted by Schoen, to put UC on top 6-2.  Winkler and junior Trent Thomas each tallied a goal with under a minute to go in the half to give the Pioneers their largest lead yet, 8-3, at half.

Alfred would not go down without a fight as it outscored UC 5-1 in the third quarter to put a true scare in the Pioneers.  The Saxons capped their run with a goal to open the fourth quarter and the contest was tied at 9-9 with 12:55 remaining in regulation.

That's when UC decided it was not going to give the game away.  The Pioneers netted five unanswered tallies, two from the stick of Schoen, to walk away with a five goal victory.  Chris Gibbs registered two assists in the Pioneers game-winning charge.

Senior goalie Joe Davis made 14 saves in the victory, while classmate Mick Krajacic caused a game-high five turnovers and scooped up four ground balls.  Senior Oliver Barney won 13 face-offs and he added five ground balls, while Tom Byrne was able to pick up a career-best six ground balls.

Alfred, which outshot the visitors 39-37 on the afternoon, received two goals a piece from Stefan Dabkowski and Derek Green.

CONSISTENT LAKERS HAND PIONEERS TOUGH LOSS

Oswego 13, Utica 7 - Box Score

Oswego, NY  -- The Utica College men's lacrosse team snapped a two game winning streak after a 13-7 loss at undefeated Oswego State on Wednesday afternoon.  The Pioneers' were led by junior Trent Thomas' two goals and two assists, while junior Justin Edelstein and senior Oliver Barney each added a pair of goals.

UC (4-2) returns from its four game road trip on Saturday when it squares off against Kings College in a non conference contest at 1 p.m.  Oswego, led by Casey Balzer's four goal outburst, improved to 5-0 overall and continued to turn heads in the Division III men's lacrosse world.

The Pioneers trailed by a mere three goals, 7-4, after 30 minutes of play, but the home team outscored Utica 6-3 in the second half on its way to a six goal victory.

UC was able to jump out to a 3-2 lead in the first ten minutes of the contest behind goals from junior Ben Winkler, Thomas and Barney.  Oswego answered before the end of the first quarter to knot the score at 3-3 after 15 full minutes of action.

The Lakers surged out of the gates in the second quarter, scoring three consecutive goals, to take a 6-3 advantage that they would not surrender.

Barney and Thomas each netted third quarter goals and the Pioneers found themselves down by just three, 9-6, with 2:13 left before the fourth quarter.  Unfortunately the Lakers were able to rattle off three straight goals once again, as they posted an insurmountable 12-6 lead early in the final stanza.

The Pioneers surrendered five man-up goals on ten penalties and they were outshot 56-30 on the afternoon.  They earned a 38-34 ground ball advantage and they also won 13-of-24 face-off opportunities.

Scott Baron and Zachary Menapace each registered one assist for the visitors.  Barney won 9-of-17 face-offs and added a team-high six ground balls.  Baron chipped in with five ground balls, while UC goalie Joe Davis stopped 18 shots in his second loss of the young season.

Utica College 16 SUNYIT 0-Boxscore

Utica, N.Y.  -- The Utica College women's lacrosse team looks to continue where it left off before break as it travels across town to first-year program SUNYIT Wednesday at 4 p.m.

UC traveled to Troy, NY two weekends ago and squared off against Sage College. 12 different Pioneers tallied at least one point, and three players had career-best afternoons as the Pioneers came away with a convincing 17-0 victory.

Balanced Scoring Attack: The Pioneers have had 12 women score at least one goal in two games this season … Senior Katlyn Banker leads the team with six goals …  Sophomore classmates Janet Campo, Vanessa Maines, and freshman Patricia Kane each have three goals for UC this season.

Defensive Effort: UC posted its most lopsided victory since 2010 when it defeated Sage College 17-0 two weekends ago … The 17-0 victory marked the first shutout in the program's 12 year history … The Pioneers are only giving up 4.5 goals per game … Sophomore Keala King leads the team with four caused turnovers.

Between the pipes: Senior goalie Shelby Barbay stopped the only four shots she saw on Saturday and sophomore Stephanie Belanger came in at half time to preserve the shut out for the Pioneers … Barbay leads the team with nine ground balls and she has a save percentage of .590.

Scouting SUNY: The first year Wildcats are 0-3 on the season and have been out scored 48-10 by their opponents … Wednesday will mark the first time in program-history that Utica will face SUNYIT.

Next time out: The Pioneers will play host to Clarkson University on Saturday, March 24th. Faceoff is set for 4 p.m.

Make sure to "Like" the Utica College Pioneers on Facebook, or you can follow the Pioneers on Twitter @UCPioneers.

WINKLER'S BREAK OUT GAME NETS HIM E8 & UC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

Utica, N.Y. – Junior Ben Winkler (IHC/Rodman, N.Y.) of the Utica College men's lacrosse team was named the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Week and the College's Co-Male Athlete of the Week after tying the school-record for goals in a single-game as the Pioneers trounced Cazenovia 18-10 on Saturday. 

Winkler's eight goal performance tied Head Coach Mike Parnell's school record, which he set back in 2000 in a game against Susquehanna.

Winkler scored seven of his career-best eight goals in the first half of Saturday's victory.  He now leads the undefeated Pioneers with a team-best nine goals this season, to go along with four caused turnovers, and two ground balls.

Over the course of 32 career games Winkler has a total of 48 points (39 goals and nine assists).  He also has 34 career ground balls and 12 caused turnovers on his resume.

The Pioneers (2-0) have outscored their opponents 36-11 in their first two contests and they figure to face their first true test of the season on Tuesday as they travel to the Philadelphia area to take on Eastern University (2-2) at 3:30 p.m.  Fans who cannot make it out to the contest can follow all of the action live online: LIVE VIDEO --- LIVE STATS. 

Make sure to "Like" the Utica College Pioneers on Facebook, or you can follow the Pioneers on Twitter @UCPioneers. 

Skidmore 9, Utica 6 - Box Score

Utica, NY – Visiting Skidmore College scored three goals in a span of less than two minutes late in the second half to help the Thoroughbreds pull away from host Utica College, 9-6, in women's lacrosse action Wednesday afternoon at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

Senior goalie Shelby Barbay stopped nine shots and added eight ground balls

The contest marked the season opener for both squads. Abbie Hamlin, Lauren Madden and Leslie Stebbins each chipped in with two goals apiece for the visitors, while sophomore Janet Campo and senior Katlyn Banker each tallied a pair of goals for the Pioneers.

Skidmore (1-0), which was receiving votes in the IWLCA preseason national poll, managed a slight advantage in the

shots column (20-18), and earned possession on 12-of-17 draw control opportunities to help limit the Pioneers' offensive attack.

The Thoroughbreds jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first 17:51 of the contest behind tallies from Abie Hamlin, Summer Segalas and Brittney Dioneda.

Campo netted two first half goals to help keep the Pioneers in the contest. Her second goal of the game cut the Pioneers' defecit to 3-2 with 5:56 to go in the first half.

Skidmore was able to manage three goals in a span of 1:37 late in the first half and the Thoroughbreds held a 6-3 advantage at the intermission.

UC got back in the contest midway through the second half when it posted two goals in just over a minute to cut the visitors lead to 6-5 with 10:44 to go in regulation.

Senior Katlyn Banker scored two goals for Utica

Katlyn Banker netted her second of the evening off an assist from Campo before freshman midfielder Megan Kane ripped a low free position shot past Skidmore goalie Rachel Kline to pull Utica within one goal. The goal marked the first of Kane's collegiate career.

Skidmore was able to answer with three straight free position tallies to seal the victory late. Freshman Samantha Gebler added a free position goal with 2:59 to go for Utica to close out the scoring on the afternoon.

UC goalie Shelby Barbay stopped nine shots between the pipes for UC, while Klein made four saves in net for the Thoroughbreds. Barbay also chipped in with a game-high eight ground balls. Banker, Lauren Gilmore and Keala King each recorded two caused turnovers for the home team.

Ali Evans made her presence felt for Skidmore by posting five ground balls and three caused turnovers.

UC returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Sage College to take on the Gators at 1 p.m.

MHTS LOCAL COLLEGE & HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD

5/19

High School

Boys Lacrosse

CBA 20 Clinton 5

LaFayette 17 New Hartford 4

Watertown IHC 14 Tully 8

Marcellus 16 General Brown 7

Skaneateles 16 Jordan-Elbridge 7

Homer 22 Blessed Virgin Mary 2

Westhill 15 Cortland 9

Baseball

Proctor Raider Classic

CBA  7 Proctor 2

Liverpool 4 New Hartford 3

New Hartford vs. Proctor in Consi Sunday @ 3:15 PM

Liverpool vs CBA Championship game 6:00PM

other action:

West Canada 10 Westmoreland 5

Sauquoit Valley 15 Mt. Markham 5

Sherburne-Earlville 6 Ilion 4

Syracuse East 7 Syracuse West 1

Auburn 6 Penfield 5

Sackets Harbor 7 Copenhagen 2

B'ville 21 Bishop Ludden 5

South Lewis 5 Beaver River 4

CNS 3 Westhill 2

Chittenango 2 JD 0

Cazenovia 11 Phoenix 6

Marcellus 4 Onondaga 3

Boys Tennis

Canastota 3 Waterville 2

Softball

Holland Patent 12 New Hartford 9

other action:

Sauquoit Valley 12 Mt. Markham 1

Phoenix 6 Oneida 5-Alexa Skibitski drove in 2 runs for Oneida.

Cazenovia 10 Cooperstown 6

Cazenovia 13 Ithaca 5

Central Square 16 Mexico 3

JD 17 Cortland 0

Girls Lacrosse

South Jefferson 17 New Hartford 7

Cazenovia 14 Marcellus 13

Mexico 7 Cortland 5

Tully 14 General Brown 7

LaFayette 10 Jordan-Elbridge 8

5/18

High School

Baseball

RFA 3 Central Square 2-Josh Luczak pitched the Knights to the win.

Little Falls 3 Oneida 1-Zach McLaughlin struck out 9 for the Mounties.

Adirondack 11  Canastota 10-8 innings

Holland Patent 5  New Hartford 4

Sauquoit Valley 18 Brookfield 0

DeRuyter 10 Madison 9

Sherburne-Earlville 6 Mt. Markham 5-

Notre Dame 4 VVS 2

Cooperstown 11 Greene 6

Sackets Harbor 8 Belleville-Henderson 5

Oswego 10 Fulton 1

FM 3 West Genesee 2

Bishop Ludden 7 CNS 5

Marcellus 15 Bishop Grimes 3

Syracuse East 11 Phoenix 6

B'Ville 5 Westhill 3

Boys Lacrosse

MPH 20 Notre Dame 9

Boys Tennis

Whitesboro 6 VVS 1

RFA 4 Proctor 3

Mt. Markham 3 Morrisville-Eaton 2

Sauquoit Valley 4 Herkimer 1

Boys Golf

Holland Patent 174 Adirondack 225

Softball

New York Mills 19 Westmoreland 0

Mt. Markham 9 Sherburne-Earlville 8-Cori Bergeron drove in 3 runs for the winners.

Oneida 7 Whitesboro 6

Clinton 12 Oriskany 1

Little Falls 16  Dolgeville-Oppenheim 3

Holland Patent 7 West Canada Valley 1

Camden 2 Proctor 1

Sandy Creek 10 Beaver River 1

JD 17 Cortland 0

Syracuse West 7 Onondaga 3

Weedsport 3 Joradn-Elbridge 2

Pulaski 10 Bishop Grimes 1

Solvay 5 Homer 0

Bishop Ludden 7 Phoenix 3

Auburn 5 FM 0

Mexico 4 Fulton 2

Port Byron 4 Tully 0

Tully 10 Port Byron 5

Marcellus 3 Westhill 2

Sandy Creek 5 Thousand Islands 4

Girls Lacrosse

RFA 17 Clinton 13-Meghan McCormick scored 8 goals for RFA.

5/17

Local College

Softball

NJCAA World Series

Game one:

HCCC 3 DuPage 2-Generals play next at 3:00PM-Krista Oakes got the win. Cheyenne Bumpus, Shannon McBride and Jess Patterelli drove in runs for HCCC. Up next is a match up with # 1 Gloucester.

Game two:

Gloucester 5 HCCC 3-The Generals battled from behind all game long and had tying runs on base and winning run at the plate before their rally ended. HCCC is back in action in a losers bracket game Friday at 11:00AM.

High School

Baseball

Notre Dame 13 Holland Patent 0- Alex Lynch pitches a no hitter and puts up 20 K's.

RFA 4 Oswego 3-Dylan Thomas drove in 2 runs for the Knights.

Clinton 12 Adirondack 0-Mike Hayduk tosses a 2 hitter.

Sauquoit Valley 10 Westmoreland 0-Jeff DeShane pitches a 2 hitter as the Indians wrap up CSC III title.

Herkimer 5 Little Falls 2

Ilion 3 Frankfort-Schuyler 1

West Canada Valley 13 Dolgeville 0

Clinton 12 Adirondack 0

VVS 5 Oneida 0-Josh Webb strikes out 10.

Little Falls 19  Rome Catholic 1-Luke Godlewski piles up 13 strikeouts.

NY Mills 8  Poland 7-Mills ends up 10-0 in league play.

Stockbridge Valley 13 Madison 3

Canastota 5  Mt. Markham 1

South Lewis 6 Sandy Creek 2

Chittenango 14 Phoenix 6

Auburn 7 West Genesee 1

Cortland 7 CBA 4

FM 3 Central Square 0

Beaver River 6 Thousand-Islands 3

Fabius-Pompey 10 Weedssport 3

Boys Tennis

New Hartford 6 Whitesboro 1

Oneida 7 Camden 0

Little Falls 4 Herkimer 1

CNS 4 Proctor 3

Cooperstown 4  Poland 1

Mount Markham 4  Hamilton 1

Boys Golf

Notre Dame 206 Holland Patent 278

New Hartford 187 Camden 214

Remsen 173 Old Forge 186

Cooperstown 160 West Canada Valley 176  Oriskany 192

Clinton 153 Canastota 179  Westmoreland 180

Softball

New Hartford 6 Proctor 2-Mikelle Deck strikes out 6 allows just 3 hits

New Hartford 20 Notre Dame 3-HITTING: N.H. ( ERIN DONOVAN 4 FOR 5/ 4 RUNS, MIKELLE DECK 3 FOR 4 / 3 RBI, EMILY ACQUAVIVA 5 FOR 6 / 3 RBI )

Holland Patent 16  Notre Dame 1-Fallon Reinold  drove in seven runs banged out four hits, including a home run and a double.

New York Mills 19 Poland 4

New York Mills 16 Poland 14

Sauquoit Valley 17  Westmoreland 0

West Canada Valley 7  Dolgeville 2

Oneida 9 Camden 0

Herkimer 9  Little Falls 1

Little Falls 8 Rome Catholic 1

Adirondack 12 Clinton 3

Central Square 4 Auburn 3

Bishop Ludden 12 Bishop Grimes 1

Syracuse East 6 FM 0

Marcellus 9 Jordan-Elbridge 0

Phoenix 11 Chittenango 3

Tully 5 Pulaski 3

South Lewis 7 Belleville-Henderson 3

Oswego 8 West Genesee 6

Girls Lacrosse

ESM 13 Chittenango 4

Girls Golf

Holland Patent 211 Notre Dame 231

New Hartford 225  VVS 232

B'ville 205 Proctor 239

Oneida 235 Camden 264

5/16

High School

Baseball

Whitesboro 5 Oneida 3

Highlights: Dan Cecilia’s fourth inning double drove in the winning runs to led Whitesboro to a 5-3 TVL victory over Oneida.

Adam Pexton, Cecilia, Mike Bunal and Adam Broski had two hits each for the Warriors (5-3, 8-10). Zach Gnatek (2-3) pitched six innings allowing three runs and scattering six hits to earn the win.

Zack Ciotti pitched the seventh to earn the save. Drew Mallinder had three hits including a double and two RBIs and Mitch Cavanagh had two hits including a double for the Indians (3-5, 6-9)

Top Hitters –WBORO – Adam Pexton; 2-for-2, Double, RBI, 2 BB

Dan Cecilia: 2-for-4, Double, 2 RBIs

Mike Bunal: 2-for-4, RBI, SB

Adam Broski: 2-for-4

ONEIDA – Drew Mallinder: 3-for-3, Double, 2 RBIs, BB

Mitch Cavanagh: 2-for-4, Double, 2 Runs Scored

Pitching Highlights – Zach Gnatek (2-3) WIN, 6 IP, 3 Runs, 6 Hits, 5 Ks, 2 BBs, 1 ER

Zack Ciotti (1) SAVE, 1 IP, 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 K, 1 BB, 0 ER

other action:

RFA 7 CNS 6-Ryan Reilley drove in a pair of runs for the Knights.

NY Mills 4 Oriskany 1

NY Mills 3 Poland 0-Mills wraps up CSC IV crown.

Westmoreland 5 Rome Catholic 4-

Herkimer 13 Cooperstown 6

Stockbridge Valley 9 Cincinnatus 2-Rober Reeder was 2-4 for Stockbridge.

Brookfield 12 DeRuyter 3

West Genesee 4 Liverpool 3

Bishop Ludden 14 Mexico 3

Marcellus 12 Jordan-Elbridge 1

Pulaski 8 Cato-Meridian 2

Phoenix 1 Cortland 0

Beaver River 16 Lyme 1

B'ville 6 Oswego 2

ESM 12 Fulton 4

Beaver River 16 Lyme 1

Onondaga 4 Tully 2

Boys Lacrosse

Whitesboro 11 Clinton 8-Ted Olney scored 3 goals for Whitesboro.

RFA 7 Auburn 4-Randy Linderman and Jake Gulla scored 2 goals each for RFA.

LaFayette 16 Tully 7

Marcellus 11 Westhill 6

Onondaga 16 MPH 7

Boys Golf

New Hartford 185 Whitesboro 192

Boys Tennis

Notre Dame 6 Holland Patent 1

Westmoreland 4 Mt. Markham 1

Softball

NY Mills 10 Oriskany 7-

Westmoreland 3 Rome Catholic 2-Christina Rondenelli struck out 6 for the winners.

Proctor 5 Whitesboro 1-Olivia Mundschenk drove in 2 runs for Proctor.

McGraw 12 Otselic Valley 1

Cooperstown 8 Herkimer 3

Mt. Markham 11 Ilion 4

Mohawk 11 Ilion 5

ESM 7 Fulton 6

Westhill 13 Homer 3

JD 16 Mexico 1

Stockbridge Valley 10 Cincinnatus 0

Liverpool 6 Oswego 3

Marcellus 8 Jordan-Elbridge 3

Marcellus 19 Hannibal 3

Westhill 20 Hannibal 1

Bishop Ludden 4 Onondaga 1

Fabius-Pompey 5 Tully 1

Girls Lacrosse

New Hartford 11 JD 9-Annika Zalewski scored 4 goals for the winners.

CNS 11 Oswego 7

Tully 12 LaFayette 9

B'ville 8 Brighton 7

Jordan-Elbridge 11 Bishop Ludden 8

Marcellus 17 Westhill 8

West Genesee 16 FM 9

Watertown 6 South Jefferson 5

CBA 17 Skaneateles 6

Story courtesy Nick Sardina: CNY Golfhome.com

May 18

Wins title by stroke over Halwig, Bulawa

NEW YORK MILLS - Nicolette Darois shot 44 Friday to edge teammate Lillith Bulawa and Holland Patent's Rachel Halwig by a stroke to win the Tri Valley League Tournament at Twin Ponds Golf & Country Club.

Darois and Bulawa also led the Black Knights to the team title, with a three person total of 140. Lauren Felice shot 51 to round out the total for RFA.

New Hartford, which was led by Marisa Mauro's 46 (4th place) finished second with a 154 total. Camden (164), Holland Patent (165) and Oneida (178) rounded out the top five.

Holland Patent's Rachel Halwig (above) and RFA's Lillith Bulawa (below) shot 45 Friday to finish one shot back of champion, Nicolette Darois.

Camden's Nora Tucker (49) placed fifth. Oneida's Maddie Hale (51), Camden's Cailin Conley (52), Notre Dame's Emily Durr (54), Holland Patent's Martha

Redmond (55) and Samantha Bossone of Proctor (55) rounded out the top 10.

The Tri Valley League also handed out a few awards Friday.

RFA's Lillith Bulawa earned Player of the Year honors. Camden's Melissa Kirby was named Most Improved Player and Maryrose Mauro garnered Rookie of the Year honors.

The All Tri-Valley League Teams will be announced in early June.

Lillith Bulawa

TVL Tournament at Twin Ponds, Par 35

Team Results (3-player total):

1. RFA 140; 2. New Hartford 154; 3. Camden 164; 4. Holland Patent 165; 5. Oneida 178; 5. Proctor 178; 7. Notre Dame 179.

Individual Results:

Nicolette Darois (RFA) 44;  Rachel Halwig (HP) 45, Lillith Bulawa (RFA) 45;  Marisa Mauro (NH) 46; Nora Tucker (Cam) 49; Lexie Raynard (NH) 50; Maddie Hale (Oneida) 51, Lauren Felice (RFA) 51; Cailin Conley (Cam) 52; Emily Durr (ND) 54; Martha Redmond (HP) 55; Samantha Bossone (Proctor) 55; Callie Terpstra (NH) 58; Courtney Doxtader (Proctor) 60; Nicole Shene (Oneida) 60; Alex Yorke (ND) 62; Adri Yorke (ND) 63; Riya Burke (Proctor) 63; Melissa Kirby (Camden) 63; Amanda Kahler (HP) 65; Susan Owens (Oneida) 67.

ABOVE: New Hartford's Marisa Mauro chips to the 5th green during Friday's TVL Tournament. Mauro shot 46 to place fourth, two strokes behind winner, Nicolette Darois.

Game two:

Herkimer made a great comeback and won the game. The Generals trailed 7-5 after six innings, then won it in the home half of the seventh.

Jess Dutka and Steph Siriano hit solo home runs to tie the game.  Cleanup hitter Andrea Rogers doubled and freshman catcher Sky Timmons drove her in with a game-winning RBI single. Final score: 8-7.

Herkimer finished the elite eight national championship tournament in fifth place. They capped a great season with a very nice win.

Generals' season record:  38-6

Game one:

Anne Arundel 2 HCCC 0

MHTS Update: 12:50 PM:

Game one:

HCCC 3 DuPage 2-Generals play next at 3:00PM-Krista Oakes got the win. Cheyenne Bumpus, Shannon McBride and Jess Patterelli drove in runs for HCCC. Up next is a match up with # 1 Gloucester.

Game two: Gloucester 5 HCCC 3-The Generals battled from behind all game long and had tying runs on base and winning run at the plate before their rally ended. HCCC is back in action in a losers bracket game Friday at 11:00AM.

Herkimer, NY – The Herkimer Generals softball team left on Monday and after an 18 hour bus ride arrived in Minnesota , eager to play in the 2012 NJCAA Divison III Softball National Championship tournament.

Head Coach P.J. Anadio joined Fred Miller and Gene Conte in the “ Cheap Seats” on ESPN Radio on Wednesday afternoon to talk about the trip and offer local listeners a preview of the upcoming tournament.

The team is preparing for a welcoming banquet tonight as they get set to meet the other seven teams in the field before starting play on Thursday.

Be sure to tune in to ESPN Radio Utica/Rome for updates on the Lady Generals all tourney long. (AM 1230-1310-1350) or online @ espnur.com

The team capped their season thus far by winning the Region 3A championship on Friday and earning a berth in the elite-eight event.

The national championship will be played in Rochester, Minnesota. Wednesday will be a day for practice and an evening banquet for the eight teams. The tournament begins Thursday morning, May 17.

The championship tournament has an enhanced double-elimination format. Fifth- and seventh-place games have been added so that every team will play at least three games.

All teams will play two games on Thursday. The championship game (or games, if necessary) is scheduled for Saturday.

Generals seeded #5

The seeding committee has assigned Herkimer the #5 seed. Tompkins-Cortland CC (“TC3”) has been seeded #2. Thus, if Herkimer and TC3 should both win their first two games, they would meet each other in the third round, on Friday afternoon.

Herkimer’s first-round opponent will be the #4-seeded College of DuPage, from Illinois.  The Generals will play the Chapparrals at 10:00 a.m. CDT (11:00 EDT) on Thursday. The winner of that game will meet the winner of the #1 Gloucester CC vs. #8 Dutchess CC game on Thursday afternoon.

Click here for the complete tournament brackets and results. (Times listed are in Central Daylight Time.)

The Generals enter the national tournament with an overall record of 36-4. They have won eight of their last nine games. They split a doubleheader with TC3 on April 30 and have not lost since. They won the Region 3A Championship this past Friday by sweeping Corning CC.

Fred Miller-MHTS

David Peroni-Game Notes

Two teams trying to gather momentum, as the regular season winds down, met on the softball diamond in Washington Mills this afternoon and luckily for New Hartford coach John Cunningham and company the Spartans had Mikelle Deck to deal aces, on Thursday, as the junior had a great outing on the bump and at the dish as New Hartford beat Proctor 6-2.

These two Tri-Valley League rivals got together back on May 2^nd at Proctor and it was coach Joseph Guidera and the Raiders who walked away with a grin on their faces and a 1-0 win over the Spartans.

The win helped New Hartford improve to 9-8 on the season and 4-5 in league play and move one step ahead of the Raiders into third place in the TVL standings behind Holland Patent and Oneida.

The loss dropped Proctor to 9-9 and 4-7, as the Raiders have now won five of their last nine down the stretch. Both teams have the talent, but both nines have been up and down all season long.

Mikelle Deck had a great day at the dish as well for New Hartford.

New Hartford started the campaign with four straight wins, then hit a rough patch. None of this matters, as the regular season ends and the post season begins.

Back to the top of the Deck. Mikelle was strong in the circle, going the distance, allowing just 3 hits, striking out 6 and walking an equal number.

Deck took a shutout, to the bump, into the seventh and final frame, only to see the scrappy Raiders plate two late runs to end the string of goose eggs on the board.

Of the three hits Deck surrendered, just one was an extra base hit, as Proctor center fielder Nicolina LaBella drove in two runs with an RBI double in the seventh inning.

LaBella chased Alexis Ramos and Tori Fiore to the plate to account for the Proctor runs.

Not only was Deck superb handling her pitching duties, but she also handled the bat with style as well. Deck led a balanced New Hartford offense by banging out 3 singles and driving in a run in her 4 trips to the plate.

Shortstop Heather Badger also had a good day at the dish with two hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Sam Holbert came up big going 2-4 and driving in two big runs. Clarisa Kelly also singled and scored a run for the home team.

Deck's pitching counterpart, Celine Laracuente, had a rough start but strong finish, as New Hartford put up a six runs in the first two innings.

Proctor starter Celine Laracuente winds and deals for the Raiders.

The Spartans plated four big ones in the first and two more in the second, to put the pressure on the Raiders.

Laracuente settled into a nice groove and blanked the Spartans the rest of the way. Celine's line went like this: 12 hits, 6 runs, 4 strikeouts and just 2 walks.

Laracuente also contributed to her own cause by singling twice.

It was a great day for softball at the the Washington Mills complex and a nice crowd came out to watch the ladies play.

Mikelle Deck set the tone early as she sat the visitors down ,1-2-3, in the top of the first inning.

Deck opened the festivities by striking out Alexis Ramos and then forcing Nicolina LaBella to fly out to left and getting Marguerite Fish to bounce back to her to end the inning.

The strong start on defense seemed to pump up the New Hartford offense as the Spartans sent 7 batters to the plate and scored 4 game changing runs.

Heather Badger started the rally as she hit one back up the middle to single and reach first.

The Raiders defense made things worse as Danielle Witchley lifted a fly ball to left that was misplayed and just like that New Hartford had two on and just one out.

Heather Badger gets her monies worth with big rip!

Mikelle Deck then loaded the bases with Spartans, as she beat out a bunt single, to help turn up the heat on the Raiders.

Clarisa Kelly picked up an RBI as Badger came to the plate to make it 1-0 when Kelly grounded out to Proctor second basemen Francesca Priore.

Before the fun ended, Heather Badger, Alysa Keady, Clarisa Kelly and Emily Acquaviva found their way home and New Hartford led 4-0.

Proctor tried to answer back, in a hurry, as starter Celine Laracuente singled to center field to start things off.

Ashley Fredsell worked out a walk and then Arianna Maldonado took one for the team when she was hit by a Deck offering.

With two on and two out, Laracuente was out on a force play, Deck reached back and struck out Kelsey Nemeyer to end the threat.

Speaking of threats, New Hartford did not just threaten, they scored two more runs in the second inning to build up a huge 6-0 lead.

Stephanie Smith beat out a bunt single and then moved to second on a sac bunt by Heather Badger.

Proctor catcher Aexis Ramos gets ready to receive.

Smith moved to third on a Danielle Witchley ground out and then scored when Mikelle Deck laced an RBI single to center to make it 5-0 Spartans.

Deck later moved to third and scored on an error in the Proctor infield as New Hartford now led 6-0.

It was a pitching clinic on both sides until the seventh inning when Proctor plated two runs to try and claw their way back.

Francesca Priore led off the top of the third with a walk, but got stuck on second base as Deck induced Nicolina LaBella to fly out to left and Marguerite Fish to line out to second basemen Rachel Zalewski to end the inning.

Celine Laracuente showed what she was made of in the New Hartford fourth as she worked out of a jam when Deck and Kelly both singled to set things up.

Emily Acquaviva walked to load the bases with one out. Samantha Holbert hit a comebacker to Laracuente who threw home to nail Deck at the plate for out number two. Dana DelGenio popped out to end the threat.

The Raiders refused to get back on the bus without a fight, as they scored two times in the seventh inning. Deck couldn't find the plate and walked Arianna Maldonado and then Tori Fiore to set the Raiders up.

New Hartford DH Samantha Holbert is all pumped up!

Later in the seventh, Nicolina LaBella got around on a Deck offering and ripped a two RBI double to center as Tori Fiore and Stacey DiGiorgio scored as the final score ended up New Hartford 6 Proctor 2.

The Spartans then hopped on a bus and headed off to play Notre Dame in the second of two, as the regular season winds down.

New Hartford 6 Proctor 2

                              1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Proctor                   0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 3

New Hartford         4 2 0 0 0 0 X 6 12  1

Utica, NY – Junior outfielder Meghan Matan and freshman designated player Courtney Fitzgerald of the Utica College softball team were named to the 2012 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III North East All-Region Second Team on Tuesday. Matan and Fitzgerald ranked first and third on the team in batting average this past season, respectively. The duo combined for 114 hits, 60 runs and 55 RBIs to pace the Pioneers to a 22-17 overall record.

Matan, a junior transfer, wrapped up her record setting season by earning Empire 8 All-Conference First Team status in her first year as a Pioneer. She finished fourth in the Empire 8 Conference with a .436 batting average and she also set the Empire 8 record for hits per game (1.74). She broke the College's single-season records for hits (68), stolen bases (18), total bases (85) and at bats (147). She also finished the year ranked first in the conference in runs scored (35), hits, and total bases.

Matan had at least one hit in all but five games this past year. She recorded two separate eight game hitting streaks and she also registered 19 multi-hit games. She posted ten games with at least two runs scored and she also held a batting average of .515 through the first 27 games of the the season.

Fitzgerald led the team in home runs (six) and RBIs (34) in her freshman campaign. She ranked second in slugging percentage (.558) and total bases (72), and third in batting average (.357). The Albany, NY native finished third in the conference in home runs and fourth in RBIs, while also ranking third and fourth on the College's single-season list for home runs and RBIs.

Fitzgerald posted a season-high nine game hitting streak down the stretch and in her last five games of the year she tallied nine hits, seven RBIs and six runs scored. She registered five games with three RBIs, including a two home run outburst against Oswego on April 11. She finished the year with 46 hits in 129 at-bats.

The Pioneers 22 win season marked the program's best record since 2006. UC had a program-best 11-game win streak that ran from March 14 in Florida until April 1.

FIVE PIONEERS NAMED EMPIRE EIGHT SOFTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE

Utica, NY (5/9/12) – Five members of the Utica College softball team were named to the Empire 8 All-Conference Team Tuesday. Junior standout Meghan Matan was honored with first-team status while classmate Bridgette Plummer and freshman designated player Courtney Fitzgerald earned second team recognition. Fitzgerald, also a catcher, along with junior third baseman Mallory Ingalls were selected as honorable mentions and Allie Jennings was named Sportswomen of the Year.

Matan finished fourth in the Empire 8 Conference with a .436 batting average. In her first year as a Pioneer, she set the Empire 8 record for hits per game (1.74), while also breaking the college's single-season records for hits (68), stolen bases (18), total bases (85), and at bats (147). She ranked first in the E8 in runs scored, hits, and total bases, and second in stolen bases.

Plummer concluded her junior campaign fourth on the team in hitting (.338), on base percentage (.386), runs scored (24), and hits (44). While starting in all 39 games at first base, she led the Empire 8 in chances (334) and put outs (314) while third in total plate appearances (141) and at bats (130).

Fitzgerald led the team in home runs (six) and RBI (34), was second in slugging percentage (.558) and total bases (72), and third in batting average (357). The Albany, NY native finished third in the conference in home runs and fourth in RBI while also ranking third and fourth on the College's single-season list for home runs and RBI.

Fitzgerald led the squad in home runs and RBI

Ingalls, from nearby Oriskany, NY, finished second on the team in batting average (.372), on base percentage (.410), runs scored (33), hits (48), RBI (25), home runs (four), and hits per game (1.23). She streaked in April with a 13-game hitting streak and a .556 batting average in those 13 games. Ingalls also led the E8 in pickoffs (three), finished tied for third in the conference in runs scored and fourth in hits.

Jennings, a sophomore from New York Mills, was honored with Sportswomen of the Year for her efforts and what the Empire 8 Conference defines as “competing with honor and integrity” as an essential component of a student-athlete. “Jennings exemplified sportsmanship throughout the year and is well deserving of this award”, said eighth year head coach Pat Mineo.

The Pioneers finished their 2012 campaign with an overall record of 22-17 and a 4-8 ledger in the Empire 8; marking the program's best record since 2006. UC had a program-best 11-game win streak that ran from Mar. 14 in Florida until April, 1.

UTICA COLLEGE SOFTBALL SWEEPS ELMIRA IN EMPIRE 8 PLAY

Utica 11, Elmira 1 Game One Box Score

Utica 12, Elmira 7 Game Two Box Score

Utica, NY (4-26-12) – The Utica College softball team swept Elmira College Thursday in Empire 8 play at Greenman Field.  UC downed the Soaring Eagles 11-1 in game one, by mercy rule, and 12-7 in game two.  Junior Megan Matan etched the record books as she set the single season mark for hits and stolen bases.

UC improves to 22-15 overall as well as 4-6 in the Empire 8 Conference while Elmira falls to 8-16 on the season and 2-10 in conference play. Utica returns to action Saturday as it hosts Alfred University in an E8 double header at Greenman Field.

Game one

The Pioneers took a 2-0 lead in their first at bat on two hits and the help of two Elmira errors.  EC scored one run in the top of the second to cut the lead to one, 2-1, before the UC offense caught fire scoring five runs in the second and four in the fourth to mercy the Soaring Eagles in five innings.

Matan singled in the fourth tying the college's single season record for hits (61) as she drove in the eventual game-ending runs. She finished game one with two hits, two runs scored and three RBI.

Freshman Courtney Fitzgerald added two hits, three RBI and one run scored while senior Haley Butler tallied two hits, two RBI and one run scored for UC.

Senior Heather Kingsbury registered her 11th win of the season as she tossed 5.0 innings allowing just one run on four hits while fanning three.

Game two

Utica opened up game two with five runs on three hits as Matan set the all-time school record for hits (62) with a leadoff double, sparking the home team rally.  EC tallied one run in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run homer, however could not keep up as UC managed to outscore the visitors 7-6 to close out the afternoon sweep.

Matan also set the single season record for steals (17) as she snagged two stolen bases in the game two victory and has 18 on the season.

Butler got the win on the rubber as she posted her sixth win allowing four earned runs while striking out five.

Senior shortstop Jess Anson went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored while Butler helped herself with three RBI.

Sophomore right fielder Kristie Jones added two hits and four RBI as UC recorded its 22nd win of the season.

St. John Fisher 7, Utica 0 - Game One Box Score

St. John Fisher 13, Utica 4 (5 inn.) - Game Two Box Score

Pittsford, NY – The Utica College softball team lost a pair of games at regional power St. John Fisher College on a wet and rainy day on the Pittsford, NY campus Sunday.

The Pioneers were held scoreless as they lost game one 7-0 and the Cardinals came right back and earned a convincing 13-4 (5 innings) win in the night cap.

Junior Mallory Ingalls went 3-for-6 on the day, while classmate Bridgette Plummer added three hits, one run scored and one RBI.  Freshman Courtney Fitzgerald totaled two hits and two RBIs for the Pioneers.

UC's record moved to 19-12 overall and 2-6 in conference play, while the Cardinals improved to 23-7 and 5-3 in conference play.  Utica returns to the diamond on Wednesday when it plays host to non-conference foe University of Rochester for a two game set at Greenman Field.  The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Game One – Fisher 7, Utica 0 - Final

Fisher jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in game one over the course of the first two innings of action.  UC was able to scatter two hits in those first two innings, but they could not manage to cross the plate.  Utica threatened in the top of the third inning when Meghan Matan and Christy Traglia both reached base safely, but the Cardinal pitching, led by Jennifer Vanek, proved to be too much as it retired the next three batters in succession.

Vanek was able to hold UC to just five hits in game one, while striking out five in the complete game victory. Plummer, Fitzgerald, Ingalls and Dominique Carcone all recorded one hit for UC.

Senior hurler Heather Kingsbury pitched 4.1 innings in the loss, while Cassidy Thompson came on in relief and allowed just one run to cross the plate in the final 1.2 innings of action.

Game Two – Fisher 13, Utica 4 (5 Innings) - Final

Fisher did not slow down in game two as they poured in all 13 of their runs in their first four at-bats of the game.  The Pioneers opened the game up with a 1-0 lead in the first inning behind one hit and two errors from the Cardinals.  Plummer drove home Matan after an error by Fisher's shortstop to account for UC's first inning run.

Fisher would score seven runs between the bottom of the first and second innings to mount a 7-1 advantage.  UC made one last spurt, scoring three runs in the top of the third inning, but the Cardinal's offense was just too much.  Utica's strong third inning was sparked by five hits and one SJFC error.  After Matan and Traglia both reached base successfully, Fitzgerald drove the them home with a double to cut UC's deficit to 7-3.  Senior Haley Butler later drove home Plummer to cut Fisher's lead to 7-4.

That was all the scoring UC would get as the Cardinals earned the run-rule victory by posting three runs in each of the next two innings.

PIONEERS RUN WIN STREAK TO AN EVEN DOZEN WITH SWEEP AT SKIDMORE

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – The Skidmore College softball team dropped a pair of games to Utica in Sunday's non-league doubleheader at Thoroughbred Field.  The Pioneers earned a 3-2 win in game one before picking up a 10-3 win in a rain-soaked game two.

The Thoroughbreds fall to 10-10, while Utica improves to 13-4.

In the opener, the pitchers were in control throughout most of the game as neither team was able to score until the fifth.

Bridgette Plummer put the Pioneers up 1-0, plating Haley Butler on an RBI groundout in the top of the fifth.  Utica added two more runs in the sixth on a two-run home run from Mallory Ingalls to make it 3-0.

After an error and an infield single in the bottom half of the sixth, freshman Donata Lorenzo cut the lead to 3-2 on a two-out, two-RBI single for Skidmore.

The Thoroughbreds had the tying run in scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Cassidy Thompson was able to get out of it and pick up her fourth save of the season.

Sam Crose took the loss for Skidmore, allowing three runs on eight hits in the complete game effort.  Heather Kingsbury earned the win, allowing two unearned runs on seven hits in six innings.

In the nightcap, the Pioneers struck first, plating a run in the first on an RBI single from Courtney Fitzgerald.  They added five more in the fourth highlighted by an RBI single from Jess Anson and a two-RBI single from Meghan Matan.

The Thoroughbreds got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double from Julia Schwartz, but Utica answered right back with two runs in the top of the fifth to make it 8-1.

Schwartz just missed a home run in the sixth, hitting a double off the top of the fence to plate Christina Gargiso.  The Pioneers added two more in the seventh, pushing their lead to 10-2.  Freshman Katie Amo added an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn't enough as Utica picked up the 10-3 win and the sweep.

Abby Fuhrman took the loss for Skidmore, while Briona Enny earned the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out 10 in the complete game victory.

The Thoroughbreds return to action on Wednesday, when they host Sage for a 3:30 p.m. Doubleheader.

SOFTBALL DEFEATS RUTGERS-CAMDEN-DAY FOUR OF REBEL SPRING GAMES

KISSIMMEE, FL (3/14/12)- The Utica College softball team defeated Rutgers-Camden 6-2 on the fourth day of the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, FL, on Wednesday.

UC fell down 1-0 in the first when the Raptors picked up a run.  The score remained the same until the top of the fifth inning when the Pioneers exploded, scoring six runs.

UC started the rally when freshman Briona Enny got a lead off single.  Next, Haley Butler stepped in to pinch-hit and laid a nice sacrifice bunt down the first base line to advance Enny.

Junior transfer Megan Matan recorder her third hit of the game to continue the rally.  With runners at the corners, junior Mallory Ingalls hit a long fly ball to deep center field that hit the top of the wall.  Both Enny and Matan scored, while Ingalls settled for a triple. 

Kristie Jones and Bridgette Plummer each singled and Courtney Fitzgerald walked to load the bases for Dominique Carcone who doubled to right to score three runs.

Pitcher Heather Kingsbury gave up five hits, one earned run, and struck out three in 6 2/3 innings pitched before freshman Cassidy Thompson stepped in for the final four outs.  Kingsbury moves to 3-1 on the season, and Thompson picked up her second save.

UC returns to action Thursday as it faces McDaniel College at 1 p.m. and Roger Williams University at 3 p.m.

UC SOFTBALL LENDS A HELPING HAND

Utica, N.Y. (12/22/2011) - On top of school-work and preparing for the 2012 season, the Utica College softball team has kept busy in the Utica area by participating in several community service efforts over the course of the last few months. 

Their most recent effort included helping collect donations for the Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign at Wal-Mart in New Hartford.

All over the world, public contributions to Salvation Army kettles enable the organization to continue its year-round effort of helping the less fortunate.

The Pioneers also volunteered at the second annual "Pink Diamond" softball tournament in memory of Missy Lasowski.  Missy was a Herkimer elementary school teacher and varsity basketball and softball coach at Mohawk High School.

She was 30 years old when she passed away of breast cancer last year.  The Pioneers volunteered by selling t-shirts and working the concession stand.

Amee Zbytniewski, (UC Assistant softball coach Vaughn Saville's daughter) has coordinated this tournament in memory of Lasowski to raise funds for breast cancer awareness.   The one day tournament raised over $4,000.

In October, the Pioneers volunteered at a Halloween party for young children. The Utica student-athletes were in charge of working stations at the party such as the haunted house, pumpkin painting, taking photos of the children, the arts and craft station, and a frosting station where the children frosted cookies and cupcakes.  The event had a great turn out and the children truly enjoyed spending time and working with the Pioneers.

UC also volunteered at the Elks Lodge BPOE 33 in Utica. The softball team served dinner as a way to thank them for their services to the community as well as their volunteer work.

ZACH VENNARO GOES THE DISTANCE AS NY MILLS CLOSES IN ON CSC IV CROWN

5/15

Fred Miller-MHTS

Game notes: David Peroni

The Marauders are not state ranked...because? Good question...right? Oops another question...right? Enough all ready.

Speaking of questions, Monday's dramatic 4-3 come from behind victory by New York Mills over state ranked #19 Oriskany leaves just a couple of unresolved questions for fans of Center States Division IV baseball.

Questions like.... did John Sadallah's fifth inning big blast to left field help the Marauders clinch the D IV crown?

We will know the answer to that question by Wednesday, as the mad dash to the end of the regular season continues for the three contenders, NY Mills who remains unbeaten in league play at 7-0, 11-4, overall, Oriskany now 7-3 and 13-4 and Poland 6-1, 11-4.

Game two of today's scheduled double dip, between New York Mills and Oriskany at DeLutis in Rome, was washed away by rain.

Zach Vennaro works his mound magic against Oriskany at DeLutis.

The Marauders have the game with the Skins left and then one more with Mount Markham on Wednesday.

Both teams will try to get the washed out game played on Tuesday at a site to be determined, depending on field conditions.

Oriskany has the game with New York Mills today and then a final matchup with Hamilton on Wednesday, left in their regular season.

For Poland, the regular season comes to an end on Wednesday, when they take on West Canada Valley.

Back to today's tilt. This highly anticipated CSC DIV showdown did not disappoint.

New York Mills led, Oriskany led and then the Mills led, for good,  when New York Mills first basemen John Sadallah blasted a towering home run over the left field fence to put the icing on the cake and give his team a leg up on the division crown.

Both starting pitchers acquitted themselves nicely as they worked their respective ways through both loaded batting orders.

The visitors, coached by Tom Meiss, sent Anthony Pickard to the mound to tangle with coach Gerry Fiorini's Marauders, who answered with their main man, right hander, Zach Vennaro, who has been one of the most dominant starters in the league all season long.

Pickard lasted five innings, yielded 4 runs, 4 hits, walked 5 and struck out five.

Anthony was relieved by Nate Keating who worked the sixth for the visitors.

Coach Tom Meiss and his Oriskany infielders gather for late mound meeting

Vennaro was on top of his game, as usual, going the distance, allowing 5 Redskins hits, walking just 2 and striking out 8. Another great day at the office for Zach.

With only 9 hits allowed, in seven innings, by both teams, it came down to clutch hits and near misses.

Only one error was committed, by both teams, so you can see that these two rivals came to play and play well.

First impressions are often lasting ones and Zach Vennaro certainly made one by striking out the side in the visitor's first.

It was K, K and another K as Austin Smith, Sam Martel and Nate Keating all struck out.

Pickard worked a little harder than Vennaro in the first frame, but got the same result, as he turned the Marauders away striking out Zach Vennaro and Shaun Kula with two men on base.

Down 1-2-3 went the Skins in inning two, as Vennaro and his infield mates made quick work of the visitors.

The scoreboard was not put into use, at DeLutis 2, until the Mills broke through for a run in the bottom of the third inning.

Here's how it happened. Ryan Lupia walked to start things off, and later scored from third when Oriskany catcher Pat Manna could not find a low pitch, that he blocked, but lost, as Lupia raced to the plate to make it 1-zip, New York Mills. The run was scored without the benefit of a hit.

Mills catcher Terry Nichols pounces on a loose one.

The lead didn't last long, as the Redskins plated two in the top half of inning four, as this one zipped by at a brisk pace.

Zach Vennaro got two quick outs as he induced Austin Smith and Sam Martel to ground out.

The flight at the Griff got bumpy, as center fielder Nate Keating laced one to, where else but, center field to start the Oriskany rally.

Noah Lupini then worked out a walk as the Redskins were in business with two on and two out.

Lupini and Keating moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and were then chased home on the strength of a 2 RBI single to center, off the bat of Cody Murphy, who came through in the clutch.

The big hit put the Skins up 2-1 and gave them some much needed momentum.

Oh yeah...said the Mills. Right back at you...the Marauders said, as they plated two more runs of their own to regain the lead at 3-2.

Addison Wolanin hustled his way to first, beating out an infield single, to open the inning.

Jordan Wilcox tried to lay down a sac bunt to move Wolanin into scoring position.

The Marauders got some help in the form of a throwing error to put two men on and the pressure on Oriskany.

Oriskany starter Anthony Pickard # 5 heads home.

Joe Pacini walked to load the bases with no outs. Terry Nichols earned an RBI as he worked out a walk to send Wolanin to the plate with the tying run, to make it 2-2.

JT Ross earned a run batted in of his own, as he lofted a fly ball to right, as Jordan Wilcox scored to put the Marauders up 3-2.

As these two teams would have it, the lead did not last long. Oriskany rallied to tie, as Dan Buehler doubled to left to lead off the frame.

With two outs and one on, Austin Smith came through in a big spot by singiling to left to send Buehler to the plate with run number three for Oriskany.

The game changed for good as John Sadallah led off in the home fifth. The first basemen turned on a Pickard pitch that found way too much of the plate.

A few seconds later as Sadallah watched his blast make its way over the fence in left, he and his elated teammates celebrated what would be the game winning run, as New York Mills led 4-3. A lead they would not surrender.

Tyler O'Bryan took one for the team as he was hit by a pitch from Vennaro and then put himself in scoring position by swiping second.

Unfortunately for the visitors, second is as far as O'Bryan would get, as Vennaro retired the next two Redskins to seal the deal.

The Marauders are unranked...because?

New York Mills 4 Oriskany 3

                         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Oriskany          0 0 2 1 0 0 0 3 5 1

NY Mills            0 0 1 2 1 0 X 4 4 0

Offensive Leaders:

Oriskany:

Nate Keating-1-3-1 run scored

Austin Smith-1 double-1 RBI

Cody Murphy-1 single-2 RBI

Dan Buehler-1-3-double-run scored

New York Mills:

John Sadallah-1 single-1 home run-1 RBI-1 run scored

Addison Wolanin- 2 singles-1 run scored

Ryan Lupia-1 run scored

Jordan Wilcox-1 run scored

Fans in Section III and the Mohawk Valley should be proud of their school as we have teams climbing in the rankings. That bodes well for the upcoming  post season.

Twelve Section III teams are ranked in the latest baseball poll!

Latest High School Baseball Rankings:
Class AA:

# 4  Baldwinsville

Class A:

# 8  Syracuse CBA

Class B:

# 8 Homer

# 10 Clinton

# 12 Lowville

# 14 Westhill

# 15 Ilion

Class C:

# 8  South Lewis

# 10 Little Falls

# 14  Sauquoit Valley

# 19  Mohawk

Class D:

# 3 Brookfield

# 11   Sackets Harbor

#  14 Oriskany

# 17 Poland

# 18 Richfield Springs

Hamilton's Becca Rogers in action.

Now let's take a lot at the softball side of things.

In Class D Hamilton is ranked # 2  the highest ranked girls team!

Check out the rankings for week # 3

Class AA:

# 11  Cicero-North Syracuse

# 15 Liverpool

Class A:

# 9  Oneida

# 14  Phoenix

# 214 Jamesville-Dewitt

Class B:

# 6 APW

# 7 General Brown

# 14 South Lewis

Class C:

# 3 Sandy Creek

#  9 Thousand Islands

# 12  South Lewis

# 25  Sauquoit Valley

# 25 Cooperstown

Class D:

# 2  Hamilton

# 5 Oriskany

# 6  New York Mills

# 11  Stockbridge Valley

 MVCC SPRING SEASON STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

HOME OF THE HAWKS!

MVCC offers one of the most extensive, diverse, and successful two-year college intercollegiate athletic programs in the entire country.

MVCC prides itself on the overall depth and well-roundedness of its entire athletic program. There are a wide variety of individual (12) and team (10) sports for men and women.

The diversity of the program (11 sports for men and 11 for women) virtually assures any interested student that there is the opportunity to participate in the sport of their interest at MVCC.

The majority of the coaching staff are full time employees of the college and are here to help each athlete grow and develop both in skill and as an individual.

The entire college community is excited by the achievements of our athletes sending many teams and individuals to regional and national competitions and triumphs.

5/6

2012 National Champs-MVCC Hawks

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 5/6/12 is the entire Women’s Track Team coached by Gary Parker. The team won the 2012 NJCAA National Championship. The Hawks were led by Individual National Champions; Victoria Reynolds, Savannah Boucher, Jackie Bakken, Shykiera Heyward and Jenna Hoefer. Savannah Boucher was named as the Female Track Athlete of the Meet.

5/8

Two MVCC Baseball freshman named to the All-Mountain Valley Conference Team:

Freshman Chas Parsons(Holland Patent) finished his freshman year with a 7-1 record on the mound and an earned run average of 0.82. He tied the single season record for wins by a pitcher at MVCC and ranks 4th all-time in single season earned run average.

Freshman First Baseman Zephan Kash (Homer) hit for a .323 average with 25 RBI’s, 7 doubles and 1 Homerun.

Chas Parsons

Zephan Cash

Other awards:

The Hawks MVP this season was Freshman Tyler Radcliff (Burgaw, NC) Tyler ranked either at or near the top in many offensive categories. He hit for a .342 average with 8 doubles and 27 RBI’. He stole 17 bases and notched two wins on the mound as well for the Hawks.

Tyler Radcliff

Evan Yacowenia

Sophomore Evan Yacowenia (Fort Plain) received the George Scala Award at the annual Hawk Athletic Banquet. The Scala Award is given to a student athlete in the Physical Education Program. He will be attending SUNY Cortland next year.

Sophomore Michael Fahy (Herkimer) received the prestigious Robert R. Jorgensen Award at the annual Hawk Athletic banquet. Mike was a two year starter for the Baseball Team.

He was captain of this year’s team and was an All-Region performer in his freshman year. Mike’s two year batting average was .359. He will be attending St. John Fisher next year.

Michael Fahy

2012 Mohawk Valley Community College Spring Student Athletes

4/29

Brittany Pogoda

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 4/29/12 is Brittany Pogoda. Brittany had a huge week at the plate for the Hawks Softball Team. In 20 at-bats she had; 7 runs, 9 hits, 9 RBI’s, 3 triples and 2 homeruns for a .450 batting average. The sophomore Liberal Arts-Health Science major is a graduate of Whitesboro High School.

4/22

Chas Parsons

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 4/22/12 is Chas Parsons. Chas had two wins on the mound for the Hawks Baseball Team last week including a complete game two-hit shutout of Nationally Ranked Herkimer CCC. Mr. Parsons is 5-1 with a 1.05 Earned Run Average this season. The Freshman Liberal Arts major graduated from Holland Patent High School.

4/15

Savannah Boucher

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 4/15/12 is Savannah Boucher. Savannah broke her own school record in the Steeple Chase. Her time of 11:18 bettered her previous mark by over 12 seconds. Ms. Boucher currently leads the NJVAA Division III in the 1,500m Steeple Chase and 5,000m. Her performances have led the Women’s Track Team to a #2 National ranking. The sophomore Liberal Arts major graduated from New Hartford High School.

4/8

Erik Howard

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 4/8/12 is Erik Howard. Erik is the goalie on the Men’s Lacrosse Team. He had 22 saves in the Hawks win against Niagara CC. For the week he had a 71.2 save percentage while only giving up an average of 9.5 goals per game. Mr. Howard is a sophomore Psychology major who graduated from Canton High School.

4/1

Savannah Boucher

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 4/1/12 is Savannah Boucher. Savannah broke her own school record in the 3,000m Steeple Chase. Her time of 11:30.56 surpassed the old record by 26 seconds. The Sophomore Liberal Arts major is currently leading the NJCAA D-III in both the 5,000m and Steeple Chase. Miss Boucher is a graduate of New Hartford High School.

3/18

Mike Fahy

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 3/18/12 is Mike Fahy. Mike led the Hawks baseball team to four victories last week during the team’s annual trip to North Carolina. The Hawks captain was 9 for 22 at the plate for a batting average of .409. He stole three bases and drove in seven runs. Mr. Fahy is a Sophomore Adolescence Education major who graduated from Herkimer High School.

2012 Mohawk Valley Community College Winter Student Athletes

3/4

2012 National Champs-MVCC Hawks

The MVCC Athlete(s) of the Week for the week ending 3/4/12 is the entire Women’s Bowling Team coached by George Aylesworth.

The team captured their second consecutive National Championship this past weekend.

Team members are: Brittany Macrina (NJCAA All-American), Kiamesha Philhower, Rebecca Hughes, Chelsea Byrd, Sarah Foley (NJCAA All-American) and Amber Kotary.

2/29

Victoria Thomas

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 2/26/12 is Victoria Thomas. Victoria helped the Women’s Basketball Team clinch the Mountain Valley Conference Championship with two victories last week against Schenectady and Fulton Montgomery. The freshman General Studies major averaged 15 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. She is as graduate of Brooklyn Collegiate High School.

2/12

Sarah Foley

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 2/20/12 is Sarah Foley. Sarah helped lead the Women’s Bowling Team to a Region III Championship this past weekend. Miss Foley had a 190 average at the Regional Tournament. The Freshman Adolescence Education major was named to the All-Conference and All-Region Teams this season. She is a graduate of Rome Free Academy.

2/5

Doug Mondrick

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 2/5/12 is Doug Mondrick. Doug set a personal best time of 2:36 in the 1,000m. His time qualified him for the Indoor Track National Championships to be held on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. Mr. Mondrick is a sophomore Respiratory Care major who graduated from Proctor High School.

1/29

Shanice Brown

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 1/29/12 is Shaniece Brown. Shaniece led the Women’s Basketball Team to two victories last week. The freshman General Studies major averaged 19.3 points and 10 assists. Miss Brown is a graduate of the Rochester School of the Arts.

1/24

Shykiera Heyward

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 1/22/12 is Shykiera Heyward. Shykiera won the High Jump at the Hamilton College Invitational with a leap of 5’1”. The freshman Liberal Arts major also took 3rd place in the 60m hurdles. Ms. Heyward is a graduate of Proctor High School.

1/15

Del Lewis

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 1/15/12 is Del Lewis. Del led the MVCC Men’s Basketball Team (13-3) to three victories last week. He averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds per game. Mr. Lewis is a sophomore General Studies major from the Bronx, NY.

12/4

Remington Glenn

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 12/4/11 is Remington Glenn. Remington is averaging 17 points and 6 rebounds per game, he scored 22 points in the Hawks win over Genesee CC. The sophomore General Studies major is a graduate of Charlotte High School in Rochester NY.

11/13

Ashley Cox

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 11/13/11 is Ashley Cox. In two games for the Women’s Basketball Team she averaged: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals. In the Hawks victory over Broome CC she tied her own school record with seven three pointers. She is currently leading the team in scoring, rebounds, steals and blocks. Miss Cox is a sophomore Human Services major who graduated from The Bronx Center of Science and Math.

11/6

Zach Coleman

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 11/6/11 is Zach Coleman. Zach averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds in leading the Hawks Basketball Team to three consecutive wins to start the season. Mr. Coleman was named to the All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the Anthony Torchia Classic. The freshman Liberal Arts major is a graduate of Cicero North Syracuse High School. 

2011 Mohawk Valley Community College Fall Student Athletes

10/30

Stephanie Peck

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 10/30/11 is Stephanie Peck. She finished 2^nd at the NJCAA Regional Cross Country Meet running a time of 22:21 in the snow. The freshman Recreation major is a graduate of Gloversville High School.

10/23

Savannah Boucher

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 10/23/11 is Savannah Boucher. Savannah won her second consecutive Mountain Valley Conference Cross Country Championship. Her time of 20:15 is a new course record. Miss Boucher is a sophomore Liberal Arts major who graduated from New Hartford High School.

10/16

David Gould

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 10/16/11 is David Gould. David helped lead the Men’s Soccer Team (14-2-1) to three decisive wins last week over Delhi, Broome and Onondaga. Mr. Gould had a goal and at least one assist in each of the Hawks victories. The Sophomore Liberal Arts Major is a graduate of Frankfort Schuyler high School.

10/9

Mia DeGironimo

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 10/9/11 is Mia DeGironimo. Mia led the Women’s Soccer Team to two victories last week. She had 2 goals and 2 assists in wins over Hudson Valley and Bryant and Stratton. The freshman forward is a Fine Arts major who graduated from New Hartford High School.

9/25/11

Oliva Deck

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 9/25/11 is Olivia Deck. Olivia helped lead the Women’s Volleyball Team to their first win of the season. She had an excellent week contributing; 13 kills, 14 aces, 23 digs, 14 blocks and 2 assists. Miss Deck is a Sophomore General Studies major who graduated from New Hartford High School.

9/18/11

Matt Struckle

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 9/18/11 is Matt Struckle. Matt led the Men’s Soccer team (7-0-1) to a 2-0-1 week with wins over nationally ranked TC3, Finger Lakes and a road Tie against nationally ranked Genesee CC. Matt was assigned to shut down the leading scorer on all three teams. The Senior Captain leads the Hawks defense which has allowed just two goals in 8 games this season. Mr. Struckle is a Sports Medicine major who graduated from Laurens High School.

9/11/11

Jordan Hoffman

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 9/11/11 is Jordon Hoffman. Jordan was the first Junior College Athlete to finish at the Hamilton College Invitational Cross Country Meet in a time of 20:51. Mr. Hoffman has been the top runner on the MVCC Cross Country Team the last two weeks. The Hawks are currently ranked #2 in the country. The sophomore Theater major is a graduate of Rome Free Academy.

9/4/11

Lauren Lindsay

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 9/4/11 is Lauren Lindsay. Lauren is a sophomore Liberal Arts Major and defender from Scotia, NY. While playing sweeper Lauren was instrumental in anchoring the defense which resulted in a 4-1 win over Tompkins Cortland CC and an 8-1 win over Jamestown CC this past week. MVCC is currently 4-0 and ranked 1st in Region III.

8/28/11

Armin Budnjo

The MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending 8/28/11 is Armin Budnjo. Armin scored four goals in the Weekend CCFL tourney to lead Mohawk Valley to two wins. He scored the first two goals in Mohawk's 3-0 win over Pre-season Nationally ranked #6 Howard. Sunday he scored both goals in Mohawk's 2-0 win over Roberts Wesleyan B. Mr. Budnjo is sophomore who graduated from Proctor High School.