Weekly Sports Notes 2/8/00 Trinity College

Women's Basketball (15-3) Continues Roll

The Trinity College women’s basketball team swept a pair of NESCAC teams, blowing out Middlebury College, 75-50, on Feb. 4 and downing Williams College, 67-55, on Feb. 5. The Bantams, who have won six consecutive games, are in second place in the league with a 4-1 record. Head Coach Maureen Pine needs just two wins to reach the 200-mark for her career. She currently has a 198-99 record in 12-plus seasons.

Junior guard Jackie Siscone (Hammonton, NJ) made 10 of 15 shots from the field and a College-record nine of 12 three-pointers in 12 attempts for 29 points, along with three assists against Middlebury. Senior forward Gretchen MacColl (Portland, OR) added 20 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore guard Bridget Dullea (Longmeadow, MA) totaled 15 points and five assists.

Against Williams, Siscone led Trinity with 19 points and MacColl notched 17 points and three steals. Reserve reshman center Kate McCloskey (Uxbridge, MA) scored 11 points and pulled down seven boards, and Dullea recorded eight assists and four steals.

Siscone was named the NESCAC Co-Player of the Week, averaging 24.0 points and 3.5 assists. Siscone also earned both the New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA) Player of the Week and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Co-Player of the Week for her strong performance. Siscone's NESCAC honor is the third consecutive league Player of the Week award for the Bantams and her NEWBA award is the second in a row for Trinity.

Trinity leads the NESCAC in field goal percentage at .438 and is third in three-point percentage at .336. MacColl is the league's most accurate shooter with a .624 field goal percentage (106 of 170), tied for second in rebounding at 9.3 per game, tied for third in scoring at 15.9 points per game, and seventh in free throw percentage at .698 (74 of 106). Siscone is fourth in the NESCAC in three-point field goal percentage at .389 (49 of 126).

Trinity is currently rated among the top teams in New England and the nation. The Bantams are ranked 34th in d3hoops.com Division national poll, second in the NEWBA Division III poll, fourth in the Columbus Multimedia TER Division III Northeast Ratings, and second in the NCAA Division III Northeast Poll.

 

Columbus Multimedia Northeast Ratings

1. Southern Maine 16-4

2. Bates 14-3

3. Wellesley 16-1

4. Trinity College 15-3

5. Eastern Connecticut 15-5

6. Middlebury 11-4

7. Western Connecticut 14-5

8. Westfield State 13-5

9. Plymouth State 14-5

10. Springfield 13-5

NEWBA Division III Poll

1. Wellesley 16-1

2. Trinity College 15-3

3. Bates 14-3

4. Southern Maine 16-4

5. Colby 13-5

6. Western Connecticut 14-5

7. Plymouth State 14-5

8. Eastern Connecticut 15-5

9. Middlebury 11-4

10. St. Joseph's (ME) 17-3

10. Westfield State 13-5

Also: Springfield, Salem State

NCAA Division III Northeast Rankings

1. Wellesley 16-1

2. Trinity College 15-3

3. Southern Maine 16-4

4. Bates 14-3

5. Colby 13-5

6. Western Connecticut 14-5

 Men's Basketball (10-5) Beats Middlebury

The men’s basketball team sandwiched a 74-57 win at New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rival Middlebury College on Feb. 4 between two losses, 97-82 against Clark University on Feb. 1 and, 68-58, on Feb. 5 at league foe Williams College. The Bantams, who have lost four of their last five games, are 2-3 in the league.

Sophomore forward Colin Tabb (Somers, CT) paced the Bantams against Clark, scoring a career-high 25 points. Senior co-captain forward Rory Neal (Springfield, MA) added 22 points, 10 boards, and five blocked shots as Trinity played its first game without injured starting sophomore forward Brian Dion (East Haven, CT).

In the NESCAC road trip to Middlebury and Williams, Tabb totaled 29 points, including an 18-point afternoon with four-three-pointers and five assists against Williams. Junior co-captain Michael LaBella (Middletown, CT) had 10 points in each game off the bench, while junior center Julian Bah (Concord, MA) gave a strong effort in his first career start with 10 points, six rebounds, and five blocks against Middlebury.

Trinity, coached by Stan Ogrodnik, continues to lead the NESCAC in field goal percentage at .486. Neal is the league's most accurate shooter with a .619 field goal percentage (99 of 160), its top rebounder at 10.9 per game, fourth in blocked shots at 1.7 per game, and fifth in scoring at 16.0 points per game. Wallach is sixth in the NESCAC in three-point field goal percentage at .512 and is seventh in scoring at 15.0 ppg, while Tabb is 10th in scoring with 14.1 ppg.

Trinity is currently ranked fifth in the TER Division III Northeast Ratings. This week's ratings:

 

Columbus Multimedia TER Northeast Ratings

1. Salem State 17-1

2. Connecticut College 14-3

3. Williams 13-3

4. Colby 13-3

5. Trinity College 10-5

6. Tufts 12-4

7. Springfield 14-5

8. Amherst 12-5

9. Bowdoin 10-6

10. Worcester State 12-5

 Men’s Ice Hockey (8-11, 5-8) Splits at Home

The Trinity College men's ice hockey team lost to NESCAC rival Williams College, 3-1, in overtime on Feb. 4, but defeated ECAC East opponent Massachusetts College, 6-2, on Feb. 5. Trinity is currently in seventh place in the nine-team NESCAC at with 10 points.

Sophomore defenseman Brian Fenwick (Birmingham, MI) and junior forward Denis Petrov (Kemerokaya, Russia) scored for Trinity against Williams. Sophomore goalie Geoff Faulkner (Westerville, OH) made 40 saves, but Trinity allowed three goals in the last 6:15 of the game after losing a 2-0 lead in the third period.

Six Bantams scored against Massachusetts College, including senior tri-captain forward Dan Lyons (West Haven, CT) and sophomore forward Jeff Griffin (Wethersfield, CT) who recorded one goal and two assists each. Fenwick added a pair of assists Faulkner made 17 saves in goal.

Trinity, coached by John Dunham, is second in the NESCAC in penalty killing with a .878 percentage and fourth in penalty minutes with 15.8 per game.

Women’s Ice Hockey (3-10-1, 2-10-1) Loses Pair on New York Swing

The Trinity College women's hockey team lost, 4-3, at Union College and, 11-1, at Colgate University on Feb. 5 and 6, respectively. The Bantams are currently in 15th place with five points in the 18-team Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

The Bantams fell short against Union, allowing three third period goals. Senior tri-captain forwards Erin Sousa (Belmont, MA) and Devon Binch (New Canaan, CT) notched a goal and an assist each for Trinity.

Sophomore defense Kate Heney (South Burlington, VT) scored her first career goal against Colgate. Sophomore goalie Eleanore Maletta (Greenwich, CT) totaled 44 saves in the two games.

Trinity, coached by Joe Snecinski, visits seventh-ranked Williams College on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Indoor Track & Field Competes at Wheaton

The Trinity College men's and women's indoor track and field teams competed at the Wheaton College Invitational on Feb. 5. The men came in third out of 13 teams, while the women finished third out of 12.

Junior co-captain Todd Markelz (Homer, AK) won the 5,000-meter run with a season-best time of 15:17.90, and freshman Ryan Bak (Suffield, CT) took first place in the 800 meter-run with a season-best 1:56.83. Junior co-captain Amanda Rival (Berlin, CT) finished second in the 55-meter high hurdles for the women with a time of 8.82 seconds.

Swimming & Diving Races Conn & Bates

The Trinity College men's and women's swimming and diving teams competed ina tri-meet with NESCAC rivals Connecticut College and Bates College on Feb. 5 in New London, CT. The men won a 107-51 decision against Connecticut College but lost to Bates, 88-71. The women fell to both teams, 100-66 against Connecticut College and 96-64, against Bates. The men's record is now 5-4 and the women's team is now 3-7.

Several Bantams have qualified for the NCAA Division III New England Championships with two men's meets and one women's meet remaining in the regular season. In all, nine women and 11 men have qualified for New Englands.

Senior co-captain Carrie Rorer (Villanova, PA) and junior Cory Bernard (Seymour, CT) have qualified in six events, and senior co-captain Emily Polito (Joliet, IL) has qualified in five events. Other qualifiers for the Bantam women include, sophomores Lydia Barrett (Haverhill, MA) and Katie Lafleur (Belchertown, MA), and freshmen Karen Huebner (Burlington, MA), Laura Centofanti (Hanson, MA), Kathryn O'Donoghue (Slingerlands, NY), and Hillary Roberts (Orange, CT).

Senior co-captain Ryan Young (Anchorage, AK) has qualified in a team-high 11 events for the men's squad, while fellow senior co-captain Andrew Lovig (Bethany, CT) has qualified in seven events, and sophomore Christian Sterling (Glastonbury, CT) has qualified in six. Other men's qualifiers include: seniors Matt Ruggles (Cherry Hill, NJ) and Mike Gorman (Larchmont, NY), junior Chris Nicholas (Seekonk, MA), sophomores Alex Blanchard (Warwick, RI) and Eric Biegeleisen (Falmouth, MA), and freshmen Coley Dale (Bloomfield, CT), Reese Lee (Wayne, PA), and Carrie Rorer's younger brother, Chris Rorer (Villanova, PA).

Wrestling's (11-10) Marcucio Remains Unbeaten

The Trinity College wrestling team lost, 25-21, against the Coast Guard Academy on Feb. 2 and won one of three matches in a quad-match at Springfield College, 25-21, against Johnson & Wales University on Feb. 5. Trinity lost, 33-11, to Springfield, and 29-17 against Plymouth State at Springfield. All four opponents were ranked among the top 10 in New England

Junior 133-pounder Michael Marcucio (Derby, CT) and freshman 125-pounder Anthony Marcucio (Derby, CT) both pinned their opponents against Coast Guard in a strong performance for the Bantam brothers.

Against Johnson & Wales, which entered the match ranked fifth in New England, the older Marcucio and junior 149-pounder Riad deFreitas (Silver Spring, MD) both registered pins for Trinity. Marcucio, who is undefeated at 14-0 after missing the fall semester, and junior 165-pounder Ted Govola (Rocky Hill, CT) both won three matches at Springfield.

The Bantams, coached by Sebby Amato, are currently ranked eighth in the New England Division III Coaches' Poll. Several individual Bantams are ranked among the top wrestlers in their respective weight class. Michael Marcucio is ranked second at 133 pounds, freshman Mark Foresi (West Springfield, MA) is third at 141 pounds, Govola is fifth at 165 pounds, and senior tri-captain Steve Mulvihill (Melorse, MA), who has been out with an injury since Jan. 23, is sixth at 197 pounds. This week's poll:

New England Division III Coaches' Poll

1. Springfield 16-6

2. Norwich 9-5

3. Williams 15-13-1

4. Coast Guard 7-6

5. Bridgewater State 15-6

6. Worcester Tech 11-9

7. Johnson & Wales 9-12

8. Trinity College 11-10

9. Plymouth State 9-8

10. Roger Williams 14-11-1

Men's Squash (11-0) Sweeps Ivy Foes

The Trinity College men's squash team defeated Ivy League opponents Brown and Harvard on Feb. 1 and Feb. 5, respectively. The Bantams, who have won 28 consecutive matches dating back to the 1998 National Intercollegiate Squash Racquets' Association (NISRA) Team Championship, are ranked No. 1 in the nation.

In a 9-0 win over Brown, senior co-captains Preston Quick (Lakewood, CO) and Duncan Burn (Riverside, CT) both posted 3-0 triumphs. The two have combined for a 13-0 record this season and a 67-4 career mark.

Trinity posted its third consecutive win over Harvard, 7-2, as seniors No. 1 Marcus Cowie (Norfolk, England), Quick, and Loua Coetzee (Port Alfred, South Africa), junior Akhil Behl (Bombay, India), sophomore Lefike Ragontse (Gaborang, Botswana), and freshmen Jonathan Smith (Leeds, England) and Nickolas Kyme (Pembroke, Bermuda) all emerged victorious in varsity contests.

The Bantams, coached by Paul Assaiante, will play sixth-ranked University of Western Ontario at Hobart and visit ninth-ranked Cornell University on Saturday, Feb. 12. Trinity will play Western Ontario at 11 a. m. in Geneva, NY, then travel to Ithaca, NY to play Cornell at 3 p.m.

Women's Squash's (12-1) Win First Match Against Harvard

The Trinity College women's squash won three matches in five days over top-10 opponents with 9-0 triumphs over 10th-ranked Brown on Feb. 1 and ninth-ranked Williams on Feb. 6 sandwiched around its first-ever victory over second-ranked Harvard, 5-4, on Feb. 5.

Trinity's top three players all won 3-0 matches to lead the Bantams against Harvard in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 fans. Junior No. 1 Janine Thompson (Port Elizabeth, South Africa), freshman No. 2 Nicola Clark (Brighton, England), and senior co-captain No. 3 Gail Davie (Cheshire, England) combined for an 8-0 record in three victories last week. Freshman Clare Austin (Banbury, England) won the deciding match against Harvard, posting a 3-0 triumph at No. 5 with the team tied at 4-4.

-xxx-