Weekly Sports Notes 2/6/01

Weekly Sports Notes 2/6/01

Women's Basketball (5-12, 0-5) Endures Tough Stretch

The Trinity College women's basketball team lost to Westfield State, 58-45, on Jan. 23 and dropped New England Small College Athletic Conference decisions against Tufts, 53-50, on Jan. 26 and Bates, 88-72, on Jan. 27. The Bantams dropped a 70-65 decision at Western Connecticut on Jan. 30 and lost, 74-58, at NESCAC rival Amherst on Feb. 2.

Trinity played without sophomore starting center and leading scorer and rebounder Kate McCloskey (Uxbridge, Mass.) against Westfield State, but still managed to cut a 16-point deficit to three in the second half. Junior guard Bridget Dullea (Longmeadow, Mass.) paced the Bantams with 23 points and added nine rebounds and three steals.

Against Tufts, McCloskey made a valiant return with 16 points and 16 boards off the bench. Trinity senior guard Jackie Siscone (Hammonton, N.J.) and sophomore guard Shannon Herold (Downers Grove, Ill.) scored 10 points apiece.

Siscone came a single rebound and a single assist from a triple-double against Bates, notching 20 points, nine boards, and nine assists. Siscone kept Trinity close for the majority of the game with five three-pointers. McCloskey paced the Bantams in scoring with 22 points and had nine rebounds, while junior guard Elizabeth Bontempo (Granby, Mass.) played the best game of her Trinity career with three three-point baskets and 11 points.

Against Western Connecticut, junior forward McKenzie Corby (Bethel, Conn.) had a season-high 25 points, along with seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Herold added 10 points for Trinity.

Trinity had three players in double figures in scoring, led by Siscone with 17 points and five assists, against Amherst. McCloskey had 13 points and 11 boards and Dullea scored 13 points for the Bantams.

Trinity is currently in ninth place in the NESCAC at 0-5. McCloskey is atop the league and sixth in the nation in field goal percentage at 54.6 (112-205) and second in the NESCAC in rebounding at 10.8 per game. McCloskey is also second in the league in scoring at 16.5 ppg.

Siscone is second in the league and 18th nationally in assists with 5.4 per game, and third in the NESCAC in three-point field goal percentage at .333 (38-114). Dullea is the eighth-leading scorer in the conference at 13.8 ppg and fifth in assists with 4.2 per contest. As a team, the Bantams are third in the league in free throw percentage at .674 (201-298).

Men's Basketball (14-3, 4-1) Alone in First

The Trinity College men's basketball team defeated Keuka, 88-64, on Jan. 23, before splitting a pair of close NESCAC contests on the road. Trinity lost at Tufts, 79-77, on Jan. 26 and won at Bates, 87-84, on Jan. 27. The Bantams downed Clark on the road, 66-61, on Jan. 30 and beat NESCAC rival Amherst, 78-74, at home on Feb. 3. With the Amherst victory, Trinity remains perfect at home with a 7-0 mark.

Senior center Julian Bah (Concord, Mass.) scored a team-high 23 points with five rebounds and seven blocked shots off the bench against Keuka, while junior forward Colin Tabb (Somers, Conn.) had 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals, and senior guard Mike Keohane (Belmont, Mass.) added 13 points, four assists, and three steals for Trinity.

Against Tufts, Trinity failed to score in the final 4:15 of the game in a bitter loss. Senior guard Scott Wallach (Scarsdale, N.Y.) came off the bench to score 18 points, matching the scoring total of Tabb. Junior forward Bryan Dion (East Haven, Conn.) had 13 points, eight rebounds, and four assists for the Bantams.

Dion led a balanced scoring effort at Bates, as four Bantams had 17 or more points, with 20 points and made 10 out of 14 shots from the field. Tabb totaled 18 points, six rebounds, and a career-high 11 assists, while Keohane had 18 points, five assists, and four steals, and junior forward Ryan Uszenksi (Woodbridge, N.J.) added 17 points and nine boards off the bench for Trinity.

Tabb had 19 points and 10 rebounds and senior guard Michael LaBella (Middletown, Conn.) scored a season-high 18 points with three steals against Clark. LaBella made six out of eight shots from the field and four out of five shots from three-point range. Dion added 11 points and six rebounds for the Bantams.

Tabb was the scoring leader again versus Amherst, tallying 27 points, 10 assists, and six boards in the comeback win. He made eight out of 13 shots from the field, three out of four three-pointers, and all eight of his free throws. Dion scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Bah notched 17 points, six rebounds, and four blocked shots. The trio scored 32 out of 43 second half points for Trinity.

Trinity is currently alone in first place in the NESCAC at 4-1. Bah leads the NESCAC and is fifth in the nation in blocked shots with 3.1 per game. Tabb is tied for first in the league and third in the nation in free throw shooting at 91.4 percent (53-58) and Keohane is fourth in the NESCAC at .857 (54-63). Dion is third in the NESCAC in field goal percentage at .566 (81-143) and fifth in rebounding with 7.5 per game, and Tabb is also the fourth-leading scorer in the conference at 18.6 ppg.

As a team, Trinity leads the league in free throw shooting at 71.6 percent (255-356), is second in field goal shooting at 46.2 percent (467-1011), and third in three-point field goal percentage at 36.7 percent (108-294) . The Bantams are 11th nationally in field goal percentage defense at 39.0.

For his outstanding performance against Clark and Amherst, Tabb was named the NESCAC Player of the Week (for the second time in three weeks) and the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III New England Co-Player of the Week. Tabb averaged 24.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field, 67 percent from three-point range, and 92 percent from the foul line.

The Bantams, coached by Stan Ogrodnik, are ranked No. 26 in the d3hoops.com national poll and No. 5 in the NCAA Division III Northeast region poll. The Bantams will visit NESCAC rival Connecticut College on Fri., Jan. 26, which is ranked among the top 10 in the NCAA Division III Northeast poll.

This week's NCAA Division III Northeast Poll:

1. Mass.-Dartmouth 18-2

2. Salem State 14-5

3. Keene State 15-5

4. Tufts 15-5

5. TRINITY (CONN.) 14-3

6. Clark 15-4

Also: Amherst, Colby-Sawyer, Connecticut College, Williams

Men's Ice Hockey (13-4-2, 11-2-1) Tied for Second in NESCAC

The Trinity College men's ice hockey team pounded Skidmore, 7-1, on Jan. 26, but lost, 2-1, against Hamilton the nest day in a pair of home games. The Bantams outplayed Southern Maine, 5-2, and then- No. 8 Salem State, 6-3, on the road on Feb. 1 and 2, respectively.

Sophomore forward Greg O'Leary (Reading, Mass.) led the Bantams against Skidmore with two goals and an assist, while junior defenseman Brian Fenwick (Birmingham, Mich.) had a goal and two assists, and freshman forward Tom Pierandri (Ridgefield, Conn.) added one goal and one assist. Junior forward Matt Greason (North Bridgton, Maine) and junior defenseman Mike Sayre (Keene, N.H.) were also multiple-point scorers for Trinity with two assists each. Junior goalie Geoff Faulkner (Westerville, Ohio) made 21 saves for the Bantams.

Faulkner pitched a shutout against Mass.-Boston with 29 saves, and Trinity freshman defenseman Sean Doherty (Kennebunk, Maine), junior forward Mark Colwell (Canton, Mass.), and junior defenseman Martins Lans (Carnikava, Latvia) scored the Bantam goals. Freshman forward Steven LaBrie (Springfield, Mass.) scored the Trinity goal against Babson.

Fenwick and Greason each scored a goal and assisted the other on a second at Southern Maine, and freshman forward Dan Gyllstrom (Hudson, Mass.) tallied a pair of assists. Freshman forward Colin Wilson-Murphy (Southboro, Mass.) scored his first collegiate goal to open the scoring for Trinity. Faulkner made 17 saves in goal.

O'Leary netted a pair of goals against Salem State and Greason added a goal and an assist. Lans assisted on three Bantam goals and Sayre had two assists, while Faulkner stopped 25 shots in goal.

Trinity is currently in second place in the NESCAC with an 11-2-1 league record for 23 points and just one point behind first-place Middlebury. Faulkner is ranked fourth in the NESCAC and No. 11 in the nation in Goals Against Average at 2.33. He is also No. 7 in the nation in save percentage at .926 and No. 14 in winning percentage at .688 (10-4-2). Greason is fourth in the league in scoring with 12 goals and 17 assists.

Trinity, coached by John Dunham, is currently ranked No. 11 in the United States Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III national poll. This week's poll:

1. Rochester Tech 20-0-1 150

2. Wis.-Superior 20-3-0 131

3. Middlebury 16-2-1 122

4. Plattsburgh State 18-4-0 107

5. Elmira 14-7-0 86

6. Wis.-River Falls 16-6-1 64

7. Amherst 12-3-3 53

8. St. Norbert 14-6-3 41

9. Wis.-Stevens Point 15-8-0 40

10. Oswego State 15-6-1 15

Also: TRINITY (CONN.) 13, Salem State 2, Colby 1

Women's Ice Hockey (1-16-2, 1-13-1) Continues Struggles

The Trinity College women's ice hockey team lost, 6-2, at Amherst on Jan. 24 and 7-0, at home against Williams on Jan. 27, before dropping a 5-0 home game against defending Division III National Runner-Up Augsburg on Super Bowl Sunday. The Bantams dropped a 4-3 decision against Holy Cross on Jan. 31, a 4-1 game against Connecticut College on Feb. 1, and a 4-0 game against Wesleyan on Feb. 2.

Freshman defense Leah Culver (Milton, Mass.) scored two goals, including the first of her collegiate career, to keep the Bantams close before Amherst scored four third period goals. Freshman goalie Blair Kurtz (Encino, Calif.) made 32 saves for Trinity. Classmate Mimi MacKinnon (Glen Cove, N.Y.) had 38 stops against Williams, and Kurtz returned to the ice with 27 saves versus Augsburg the following day.

Senior co-captain forward Vanessa Heaton (Kent, Conn.) and freshman forward Jillian Nelsen (Albany, N.Y.) each notched a goal and an assist in a losing effort against Holy Cross. Sophomore forward Lindsay Peet (Stowe, Vt.) added an unassisted goal, while MacKinnon had 23 stops in net for the Bantams.

Against Connecticut College, freshman forward Sarah Shoukimas (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) scored the Trinity goal and Kurtz had a career-high 39 saves in goal. MacKinnon stopped 30 shots the next night against Wesleyan.

Trinity is in 17th place at 1-13-1 in the 19-team Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). The Bantams will host NESCAC rival Middlebury, which is No. 1 in the USCHO.com Division III poll, on Sun., Feb. 11 at 1 p.m.

Track Teams Compete at Wesleyan and Tufts

The Trinity College women's and men's indoor track and field teams, finished seventh and ninth, respectively at the Wesleyan University Invitational on Jan. 26. The Bantam men finished sixth and the women came in eighth at the Tufts Invitational on Feb. 3.

At Wesleyan, senior co-captain Amanda Rival (Berlin, Conn.) won the 400-meter high hurdles with a time of 8.76 and placed second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:01.68 for the Bantam women. Freshman Elizabeth Brown (Ashford, Conn.) finished fourth in the mile run with a time of 5:05.37.

In the men's meet, senior Oliver Page (New York, N.Y.) took second in the pole vault for Trinity with a cleared height of 13'06.00". Freshman James Porter (New Haven, Conn.) finished fourth in the 55-meter dash at 6.73 and fifth in the 200-meter dash at 23.57.

Junior Beth Landry (Troy, Mich.) finished first in the triple jump at Tufts, leaping a distance of 34-feet-9.75 inches. Rival finished third in both the 200-meter dash (27.42) and the high jump (5-feet-3.25 inches), and fourth in the long jump (16-feet-1 inch), while fellow senior co-captain Marisa Eddy (Los Angeles, Calif.) placed third in the 800-meter run at 2:43.78.

Porter came in second in the 55-meter dash with a career-best time of 6.65 and classmate Francis Vincent (East Lyme, Conn.) finished third in the 200-meter dash (23.26) and the triple jump (43-feet-3.25 inches) for the men at Tufts.

Wrestling (12-8-1) Wins Four, Ties One

The Trinity College wrestling team rebounded from a 26-13 loss to Roger Williams in its final home match on Jan. 24 with a 38-18 win over King's Point and a 44-12 triumph against New York Maritime on Jan. 27 at Western New England. The Bantams went 2-0-1 at a quad match at Plymouth State on Feb. 3, defeating the hosts, 30-15, tying Johnson and Wales, 21-21, and posting their first-ever win over Springfield, 27-15.

Senior co-captain Michael Marcucio (Derby, Conn.) pinned two opponents in a combined time of 3:54 against King's Point and New York Maritime at 133 pounds. Fellow senior co-captains Riad deFreitas (Silver Spring, Md.) and sophomore Mark Foresi (West Springfield, Mass.) each pinned two opponents as well, each at two different weight classes. DeFreitas had a pin at 149 and 157 pounds and Foresi had one at both 141 and 149 pounds.

Sophomore Eric Egolf (Glastonbury, Conn.) won three matches at Plymouth, including two by pin. Senior co-captains Steven Mulvihill (Melrose, Mass.) and Marcucio won three matches apiece, as did Foresi and freshman Michael Doros (Simsbury, Conn.).

Mulvihill outscored his heavyweight opponents by a combined score of 43-4, and Marcucio won at 133 pounds by a total count of 28-7. Foresi won two matches at 149 pounds by decisions and pinned his opponent in just :10 in his third match, while Doros posted two wins at 184 pounds and a third at 197 pounds.

Marcucio, Foresi, and Doros are ranked No. 1 in New England at 133, 141, and 184 pounds, repectively. Mulvihill is ranked No. 3 at heavyweight and senior captain Ted Govola (Rocky Hill, Conn.) is No. 4 at 174 pounds.

The Bantams, coached by Sebby Amato, are ranked No. 4 in the New England Division III Coaches Poll and No. 9 in the New England All-Division Coaches' Poll. All four of Trinity's four opponents this week are against ranked opponents, including Wesleyan and American International at Wesleyan on Feb. 7 and Bridgewater State and Rhode Island College in Providence on Feb. 10. This week's Division III and All-Division New England polls:

Division III New England All-Division New England

1. Coast Guard 10-4 90 1. Harvard 90

2. Roger Williams 16-8 89 2. Brown 81

3. Bridgewater State 17-7 72 3. Sacred Heart 71

4. TRINITY (CONN.) 12-8-1 66 4. Boston 63

5. Norwich 10-9 65 5. Coast Guard 44

6. Springfield 10-17 63 6. Roger Williams 42

7. Johnson and Wales 10-4-1 36 7. American International 30

8. Plymouth State 8-9 26 8. Bridgewater State 25

9. Wesleyan 11-7 25 9. TRINITY (CONN.) 18

10. R. I. College 10-7 15 10. Norwich 15

Men's Squash (9-0) Beats All Comers

The Trinity College men's squash team continued to make dominance the norm with 9-0 triumphs, at Amherst on Jan. 25, and at No. 6 Williams on Jan. 27. The Bantams, who had won 44 consecutive matches dating back to a 5-4 loss to Harvard in the 1998 National Intercollegiate Squash Racquets Association (NISRA) Team Championship finals, extended the streak to 45 at No. 2 Harvard, 5-4, on Feb. 2.

All nine Bantams won 3-0 decisions against Amherst, including junior Gaurav Juneja (Bombay, India) and senior co-captain Duncan Pearson (Philadelphia, Pa.). Both allowed just 10 total points scored against them in the three games, playing at No. 3 and No. 8, respectively.

Against Williams, junior Lefike Ragontse (Gaborone, Botswana) surrendered only six total points in a 3-0 victory at No. 4, and classmate Rohan Bhappu (Bombay, India) allowed eight total points, as Trinity once again posted nine 3-0 wins. Freshman No. 1 Jonathan Smith (Leeds, England), freshman No. 2 Michael Ferriera (Stamford, England), and sophomore No. 3 Nickolas Kyme (Pembroke, Bermuda) all blanked nationally ranked opponents for Trinity.

Ferriera downed the No. 6 player in the nation with ease at Harvard, 3-0, while classmate Patrick Malloy (Boston, Mass.) posted a 3-0 win at No. 8. Junior Rohan Juneja (Bombay, India) clinched it for Trinity with a 3-2 triumph at No. 5. Trinity played the match without Smith and Bhappu, who were suffering from the flu.

Trinity, coached by Paul Assaiante is ranked No. 1 in the NISRA national poll. This most recent NISRA Top 10:

1. TRINITY, CONN.

2. Harvard

3. Princeton

4. Yale

5. Western Ontario

6. Williams

7. Denison

8. Cornell

9. Dartmouth

10. Navy

Women's Squash (6-0) Stay Perfect at Harvard

The Trinity College women's squash team competed admirably in the mid-season Constable and Princeton Invitational tournaments on Jan. 26-28 at Princeton. On Feb. 2, Trinity returned to the dual season with a 5-4 upset of No. 1 Harvard on the road.

Freshman Amina Helal (Manchester, England) won three matches to advance to the finals of the Constable Tournament, which features the top-ranked intercollegiate squash players in the nation. Sophomore Clare Austin (Banbury, England) captured the 4.5 level tourney at Princeton with four straight victories, and senior Sarah Greenwood (Philadelphia, Pa.) won three out of five matches to reach the semifinals of the 3.5 level consolation semifinals.

Helal and Thompson set the tone against Harvard with 3-0 wins over two opponents who were both ranked among the top 10 in the nation. Freshman No. 8 Carolynne Minkowski (Baltimore, Md.) came back from a 2-0 deficit to win three straight games in a 3-2 victory that clinched the win for the Bantams. Trinity had never beaten Harvard on the road in its history.

Helal is currently the No.2-ranked player in the nation, followed by Thompson at No. 7. Lewins is ranked No. 20, Austin is ranked No. 30, and Anderson is ranked No. 33. Trinity, coached by Wendy Bartlett is tied for No. 3 in the Women's Intercollegiate Squash Association (WISA) national poll. The most recent WISA Top 10:

1. Harvard

2. TRINITY, CONN.

3. Pennsylvania

4. Princeton

5. Cornell

6. Yale

7. Brown

8. Williams

9. Dartmouth

10. Bowdoin

Trinity Swimming and Diving (M2-6/W2-7) Sweeps Wheaton

The Trinity College men's and women's swimming and diving teams both defeated Wheaton, 149-100, in the men's meet and, 154-145, in the women's meet. The Bantams competed against both Bowdoin and Colby at Bowdoin on Feb. 3, and the Trinity women defeated Bowdoin, 156-142. The Trinity women lost to Colby, 193-102, and the Trinty men lost to Bowdoin, 156-124, and Colby, 158-125.

Senior diver Brad Albus (New Canaan, Conn.) won both diving events against Wheaton and achieved a qualifying score for the NCAA Division III National Championships in the three-meter event with a team and personal-best score of 275.75. He scored a 242.70 in the one-meter dive.

Senior tri-captain Chris Nicholas (Seekonk, Mass.) won the 50- (28.18) and 100-yard backstrokes (1:00.08) and the 100-yard individual medley (58.91), swimming the team's fastest times of the season in the 50-yard backstroke and the 100-yard IM.

Junior Christian Sterling (Glastonbury, Conn.) took first in the 50-yard butterfly (57.13) and the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:34.29), swimming the team's fastest time of the season in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Sophomore Coley Dale (Bloomfield, Conn.) won the 50- (23.36) and 100-yard freestyles (51.59) for the Bantams.

In the women's meet at Wheaton, senior tri-captain Cory Bernard (Seymour, Conn.), junior Lydia Barrett (Haverhill, Mass.), and freshman Julia Kaye (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) each won two events for Trinity. Bernard won the 50- (28.28) and the 100-yard butterfly (1:04.95), setting a new team-best time for the season in the 50-yard event. Barrett won the 200- (2:12.48) and the 500-yard freestyles (5:49.01), and Kaye won the 100- (58.19) and 1,650-yard freestyles (18:39.39). Both of Kaye's winning times were the best in the event by a Bantam swimmer this season.

Freshman Jennifer Bartlett (Marblehead, Mass.) won the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:13.07 and Kaye won the 200-yard freestyle with a career and team-best time of 2:03.42 at Bowdoin. For the men at Bowdoin, Sterling won the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyles, posting personal and team season-bests in both events at 5:07.25, and 10:29.78, respectively.

Kaye currently has Trinity's top time in three other events, including the 500- (5:28.55) and 1,000-yard freestyles (11:09.68), and the 400-yard individual medley (4:56.16). Bernard has the team-best times in two other events and Bartlett has the Bantams' best times in three events. Bernard's other team-best times are in the 100- (1:03.57) and 200-yard butterfly events (2:24.33), and the 200-yard IM (2:22.46). Bartlett's team-best times are in the 50- (33.37), 100- (1:13.03), and 200-yard breaststrokes (2:39.01), and 100-yard individual medley (1:07.50)..

Nicholas has Trinity's fastest times in three other events, and Sterling has Trinity's fastest times in two other events, while sophomore Chris Rorer (Villanova, Pa.) has the team's top times in four events. Other Sterling's team-best times are in the 200-yard butterfly (2:06.70), the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:54.29), and the 400-yard IM (4:39.32). Nicholas has additional team-best times in the 100- (59.03) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:08.99), and the 200-yard freestyle (1:53.89). Rorer's team-best times are in the 50- (29.93), 100- (1:02.93), and 200-yard breaststrokes (2:19.44), and the 200-yard individual medley (2:07.71).