WNEC Womens Lacrosse downs Salve Regina 18-10

The WNEC womens lacrosse team jumped out to an 11-3 halftime lead enroute to an 18-10 victory over Salve Regina, improving to 5-3 and 3-0 in conference play, while Salve dropped to 2-6; 2-2 in TCCC play.

After jumping out to a 3-0 lead, the G-Bears played even with Salve Regina for a while, with the lead being put to 7-3 with 9:22 remaining in the first half.  At that point, WNEC would go on a 7-0 run, with 3 goals from Katie Toomy, and Kelsey Daniels scoring 4 of her game-high 8 goals on the day.  With WNEC leading 18-7 late in the game, Salve scored three unanswered goals to cut the lead to 18-10.  Salve Regina outdid WNEC in the groundballs category (15-13), but the Golden Bears dominated the draw controls, taking 18 out of 30, and force 29 turnovers against Salve Regina.

The G-Bears travel to Northampton for their next contest, when they face Smith College at 4:30.

TCCC baseball standings, leaders and D3 rankings

Team Standings (Overall W-L, Conference W-L)
WNEC (10-4, 6-0)
Anna Maria (8-6, 3-1)
Endicott (9-6, 2-1)
RWU (6-9, 2-1)
Salve Regina (7-10, 3-2)
Eastern Nazarene (5-9, 2-2)
Wentworth (8-6, 1-1)
Curry (7-9, 3-4)
Colby-Sawyer (6-6, 1-3)
Gordon (3-12, 1-5)
Nichols (5-7, 0-2)
NEC (3-5, 0-2)

Leaders
Batting Average
Chris Biskup, NEC- .538
Ben Danker, Wentworth- .517
Pierce Byrd, NEC- .474
Ashley Gott, UNE- .467
Mike Rubino, WNEC- .447

Hits 
Jeff Scafidi, Anna Maria- 18
Mike Diodato, Wentworth- 17
Mike Rubino, WNEC- 17
Alex Melcher, Salve Regina- 16
Sam Barron, Curry- 16

Runs Scored
Mike Rubino, WNEC- 16
Jeff Scafidi, Anna Maria- 13
Jared Stuczynski, Nichols- 13
Mike Guarnieri, Anna Maria- 13

RBI
Ryan Dudzynski, WNEC- 18
Jeff Kodys, Anna Maria- 13
Justin Hyland, Anna Maria- 13
Jake Northrup, Endicott- 12

ERA 
Brendan Tivnan, Anna Maria- 0.00
Pierce Byrd, NEC- 0.00
Scott Leelock, Nichols- 0.90
Zach Walker, Curry- 1.32
Evan Michaud, WNEC- 1.59

Opposing AVG
Pierce Byrd, NEC- .100
Brendon Tivnan, Anna Maria- .106
Ricky Perzenetz, Colby-Sawyer- .143
Steve Doyle, Eastern Nazarene- .152
Steve Oehlschlaeger, Eastern Nazarene- .160

Strikeouts
Doug Papuga, Wentworth- 21
Erin Lyons, UNE- 20
Zach Rafferty, Anna Maria- 19
Brendon Tivnan, Anna Maria- 18
Kevin Keith, Colby-Sawyer- 16

NCBWA Top 25
1 Shenandoah (VA)
2 Heidleberg (OH)
3 Tyler (TX)
4 Marietta (OH)
5 Christopher Newport (VA)
6 Kean (NJ)
7 UW-Stevens Point (WI)
8 UW-Whitewater (WI)
9 Linfield (OR)
10 Trinity (TX)
11 Chapman (CA)
12 Johns Hopkins (MD)
13 St. Scholastica
14 Ponoma-Pitzer (CA)
15 Augustana (IL)
16 Tufts (MA)
17 Ill-Wesleyan
18 Thomas More (KY)
19 George Fox (OR)
20 Cortland St. (NY)
21 St. Olaf (MN)
22 Mary Washington (VA)
23 Carthage (WI)
24 Eastern CT
25 New Jersey

TCCC Players of the Week- WNEC continues to be well-represented

In the latest installment of weekly TCCC awards, once again had alot of blue and gold in it, with three Golden Bears, Brewster Knowlton, Andrew Fatse, and Kelsey Daniels, taking home TCCC weekly awards.

Knowlton, the goalie of the men's lacrosse team, was named the TCCC defensive player of the week, allowing just 5 goals in 2 games while making 22 saves, leading the G-Bears to victories over NEC and UNE.  In 7 games, the junior from Somers, CT has a 3-3 record with a 10.10 GAA and a .557 save percentage on the season.

Fatse was named the TCCC player of the week for baseball, going 7-11 with a double, 5 RBI, 7 runs, and 4 stolen bases in 4 wins for the Golden Bears.  The senior center fielder from Hampden is batting .314/.353/.419 on the season with 2 2B, 9 RBI and 16 runs scored in 14 games for WNEC. 

Kelsey Daniels won her second TCCC rookie of the week for women's lacrosse, scoring 4 points (3 G, 1 A) while picking up 3 ground balls and draw controls in 2 wins for the G-Bears in which they combined for a 35-1 score.  The freshman from South Windsor, CT has 15 goals and a team leading 9 assists and 14 draw controls to go along with 12 ground balls.

TCCC Players of the Week
Mens Tennis
Player of the Week- Jeff DiNuzio, junior, RWU- 2 wins at #1 singles and #2 doubles in 2 victories for RWU

Rookie of the Week- Zach Arpey, freshman, Endicott- 2 victoires in #4 singles and #2 doubles in 2 wins for Endicott

Softball
Players of the Week- Hannah Pirez, junior SS/3B, RWU- hit 7-17 with 2 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, and 8 runs scored in 6 games; Ashley Gott, junior C, UNE- hit 9-14 with 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, and gunned down 5 runners attempting to steal bases in 4 games played for UNE.

Pitchers of the Week- Jenna Bortolotti, RHP, Endicott- threw a no-hitter in 11-0 victory over Regis, striking out 5 batters; Marissa Simpson, pitcher, RWU- posted a 2-0 record, allowing 0 runs and striking out 16 batters in 2 shutout victories.

Rookie of the Week- Taylor Fleming, freshman IF, Eastern Nazarene- went 10-22 with 2 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, and 13 RBI and scoring 7 runs.  Hit for the cycle in a win over Wentworth, driving in 10.

Baseball
Player of the Week- Andrew Fatse, senior outfielder, WNEC- went 7-11 with 1 2B, 5 RBI and 7 Runs scored in 4 games.

Pitcher of the Week- Patrick Quinn, senior LHP, Salve Regina- 1-0, 7 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 7 K in one start.

Rookie of the Week- Jake Northrup, freshman 1B/RHP, Endicott- hit 10-19 with 4 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI and 7 Runs Scored in 6 games.

Mens Lacrosse
Player of the Week- Drew Smith, senior attacker, RWU- 15 points (13 G, 2 A) in 2 games.

Defensive Player of the Week- Brewster Knowlton, junior Goalie, WNEC- 2.50 GAA and 22 saves in 2 wins for WNEC.

Rookie of the Week- Andrew Biscardi, freshman attacker, Anna Maria- 8 points (4 G, 4 A) in 3 games.

Womens Lacrosse
Players of the Week- Ashley Hansbury, senior attacker, Curry- 15 points (11 G, 4 A), 18 draw controls, 6 ground balls in 2 Curry victories; Brittney Murphy, junior attacker, Colby-Sawyer- 19 points (12 G, 7 A), 12 draw controls and 6 ground balls.

Defensive Player of the Week- Maria Lynch, senior goalie, Curry- 11.5 GAA, saved 21 of 44 shots faced in 2 Curry victories.

Rookie of the Week- Kelsey Daniels, freshman midfielder, WNEC- 4 points (3 G, 1 A), 3 draw controls, 3 ground balls in 2 WNEC victories.

Theulen Returns to WNEC bench

After a three-year absense from the sidelines, WNEC athletic director Mike Theulen returned to the helm of WNEC men's basketball Monday according to a statement by Dean of Students Jeanne Hart-Steffes. 

Theulen coached the team from 2004-2008, posting a 69-42 record, coaching the team to ECAC tournament appearances in 2005 and 2007, including the ECAC championship in 2007.  Theulen's head coaching career goes all the way back to 1983, when he coached the Springfield College women's basketball team for 3 years, and was awarded with the 1984 Northeast-10 coach of the year.  After becoming an assistant on the men's team at Springfield in 1986, he took over the program in 1990, going 132-83 in 9 seasons with the team, leading the Pride to 3 consecutive NCAA regionals in his final three seasons.

Theulen takes over for former longtime assistant Chris Agoglia, who went just 25-51 in his 3 seasons at WNEC, including a 4-21 record in his final season.  Agoglia also played for Theulen at Springfield College.

TCCC Mens Lacrosse Standings, Leaders, and D3 Rankings

Team Standings (Overall W-L, Conf. W-L)
WNEC (5-3, 4-0)
RWU (3-3, 3-0)
Salve Regina (5-2, 2-0)
Endicott (3-2, 2-0)
Gordon (3-4, 2-0)
NEC (4-3, 1-1)
Nichols (2-3, 1-2)
Anna Maria (4-5, 1-3)
Wentworth (1-3, 0-3)
UNE (2-6, 0-3)
Curry (3-5, 0-4)

Leaders
Goals
Dan Utz, Gordon- 25 Goals
Chris Walker, Salve Regina- 22 Goals
Drew Smith, RWU- 20 Goals
Joseph Natale, Curry- 20 Goals
Mike Saulnier, Anna Maria- 20 Goals

Assists
Evan Gates, Salve Regina- 13 Assists
Brendan Carroll, Salve Regina- 11 Assists 
John O'Donnell, Curry- 11 Assists
Joe O'Keefe, WNEC- 9 Assists
Drew Smith, RWU- 9 Assists

Points
Drew Smith, RWU- 29 Points
Dan Utz, Gordon- 29 Points
Chris Walker, Salve Regina- 29 Points
Brendan Carroll, Salve Regina- 26 Points
Joseph Natale, Curry- 26 Points

Ground Balls
Rodrigo Henriques, Anna Maria- 72 Ground Balls
Chris McKeon, Salve Regina- 63 Ground Balls
Sam Ozyc, Endicott- 53 Ground Balls
Stuart Knechkle, Gordon- 50 Ground Balls
Austin Fehringer, RWU- 42 Ground Balls

NCAA Top 20
1 Tufts (MA)
2 Salisbury (MD)
3 Stevenson (MD)
4 Cortland (NY)
5 RIT (NY)
6 Stevens Tech (NJ)
7 Middlebury (VT)
8 RPI (NY)
9 Haverford (PA)
10 Roanoke (VA)
11 Dickinson (PA)
12 St. John Fisher (NY)
13 Denison (OH)
14 Amherst (MA)
15 Trinity (CT)
16 Wesleyan (CT)
17 Hampden-Sydney (VA)
18 Cabrini (PA)
19 Skidmore (NY)
20 Gettysburg (PA)

WNEC lacrosse falls just short of #1 Tufts

The WNEC mens lacrosse team traveled to Medford Monday afternoon to face #1 ranked and defending national champions Tufts, losing 14-13.

After going down 9-4 at halftime, the G-Bears rallied in the third quarter to tie the game at 10 apeice.  Tufts would then pull away after DJ Hessler and Matt Witko goals put them up 12-10.  A Nick Jez goal with 1:06 remaining put WNEC within a goal, but it was too little too late as the game ended in a 14-13 final.  Patrick White led the scoring attack for WNEC, putting in 3 goals, while Mike Santare was the only other Golden Bear to find the net on more than one occasion with 2 goals.  Brewster Knowlton stopped 15 shots in net on 57 shots faced in the game overall.  Tufts dominated in groundballs, taking 46 of 67 ground balls on the game, while winning 22 of the 31 faceoffs.

WNEC falls to 5-3 on the season, while Tufts moves their record to 6-0.  The G-Bears travel to Newport, RI on Wednesday when they return to TCCC action against Salve Regina, face-off at 4:30.

WNEC Tennis extends streak to 6

The WNEC men's tennis team stayed perfect in TCCC play and 6-2 on the year by defeating Colby-Sawyer for the first time in program history on Sunday afternoon, 9-0.  The Golden Bears took all 6 singles matches, with Brian Relihan, Mike Jones, Chris Holzinger, JonPaul Oullette, Matt Minahan, and Tim Santye all winning both their sets.  They then went on to take all three doubles matches by the score of 8-3, 8-2, and 8-1, respectively.

WNEC now goes on a 3-game road trip, beginning Tuesday in Weston when they face Regis at 3:30.  They return home next Tuesday when they face Endicott at 3:00.

WNEC Baseball sweeps Nichols to stay undefeated in TCCC

WNEC baseball improved to 10-4 on the season and 6-0 in conference play Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep over Nichols College, winning both games by the score of 13-1 and 13-8.

In game 1, the G-Bears put Nichols away early, putting up 7 runs in the first inning, collecting 6 hits, 4 of which went for extra bases.  In the fourth, WNEC rallied for 5 more runs when Kyle McCelevey walked in the game's 8th run, followed by a 2-run base hit, and a 2-run double by Matt Antoninis and Casey Dadio, respectively.  The Bears scored once more in the fifth, capping off the offensive attack by WNEC in game one.  Zach Cloft ran his 2011 record to 2-0 after earning the win in 6 innings of work, allowing 1 run on 4 hits, striking out 5.

In game 2, WNEC starter Evan Michaud (W, 6 IP, 7 R, 5 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 5 K) got plenty of run support early on, when the G-Bears exploded for 6 runs in the second inning, jumping up to a 6-0 lead.  Nichols would try to climb back into the game, however, scoring 4 times over the next innings to cut the WNEC lead to 2.  The Bears responed the next inning when Matt Antoninis led off the inning with a single to right, and later scored on a Mike Rubino RBI double, starting a 5-run 4th inning that pulled WNEC away for good.  WNEC cruised to a 13-8 victory behind an 18-hit attack in the finale.

The Golden Bears travel to Paxton Tuesday afternoon to face TCCC rival Anna Maria in a doubleheader starting at 2.  They return to Trelease Park on Thursday, when they face Keene State at 3:30.

WNEC Girls lacrosse wins easily over UNE

The WNEC girls lacrosse team scored early and often Saturday afternoon on their way to a 17-1 victory over UNE, moving to 4-3 on the season and 2-0 in TCCC play, outscoring their opponents 35-1 in those 2 games played.

Liz McRoberts and Jeanmarie Barbado both scored 3 time for WNEC, while Katie Toomy, Kelsey Daniels, Nicole Squadrito, and Kelsey Sherman scored twice for the G-Bears.  Toomy and Barbado had 4 points on the day as well.  WNEC plays again on Tuesday afternoon, when they travel to Newport, RI to face Salve Regina as they look to remain undefeated in conference play.

WNEC Softball splits doubleheader with Curry

The WNEC softball team traveled to Curry College on Saturday afternoon to face Curry College, and split the doubleheader, with a 6-5 loss in game 1, and an 11-1 win in game 2. 

In game 1, the game was tied at 2 in going into the bottom of the 6th inning, when a Meghan Flaherty double led to 3 Curry runs, putting them up 5-2.  WNEC would respond in the 7th, exploding for 3 runs to tie the game at 5.  But Curry came right back in the bottom of the inning, winning the game on a walk-off RBI single by Amanda Felzmann, giving Curry the 6-5 win.  Rachelle Fecteau pitched the whole game for WNEC, allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 8 hits and 3 walks in 6.2 IP.

After failing to score first inning in game 2, the G-Bears exploded for 10 runs in the final 5 frames enroute to a 10-3 victory over Curry, earning the doubleheader split after the walk-off loss in game 1.  Tricia Breault went 2-4 at the top of the order, scoring twice and driving in 3 runs.  RF Rachel Wyrwa drove in 4 from the #3 spot in the order, while Laura Madaio managed to cross home plate 3 times for WNEC in the finale.  After having to come in for Alyssa Obin after she was scrached from her start close to gametime, Sarah Lempicki got the win in 6 innings, allowing just 3 baserunners, while giving up an unearned run and striking out 8 while moving to 2-2 on the season.

WNEC moved to 4-9 on the season and 1-1 in conference play, while Curry went to 6-8 and 3-1 in conference play.  The G-Bears travel to Beverly Sunday afternoon as they continue conference play when they face Endicott in a doubleheader.

Listen to Happy Hour with O'Rourke and McGuire from 6-8

Dont forget to listen to happy hour with O'Rourke and McGuire tonight from 6-8 on WNEK 105.1 as we talk about the latest in WNEC Sports News as well as some march madness, NHL, NBA, and an MLB season preview. If you wanna call in, the number is (413) 782-1586.

WNEC Tennis defeats Wentworth in home opener

The WNEC Mens Tennis team stayed hot Saturday afternoon, winning their 5th straight match in an 8-1 win over Wentworth, going to 6-2 on the season and 1-0 in TCCC play.

Wentworth drew first blood, with Wentworth's Juan Rodriguez defeating WNEC's Brian Relihan, but WNEC would win the final 5 singles matches, as well as a clean sweep of the doubles.

WNEC plays again on Sunday afternoon, when they face Colby-Sawyer in their final home match before going on a 3-match road trip, at 1:00.

WNEC lax moves to 5-0 in TCCC with rout over UNE

The WNEC mens lacrosse team improved to 5-2 on the year and 5-0 in conference play with a 15-1 victory over UNE Saturday afternoon.

Patrick White led the way for WNEC with 4 points (2 G, 2 A) on the afternoon, with Joe O'Keefe, Mike Santare, and Corrigan Harreys scored twice for the WNEC, 4 of 11 different G-Bears to find the net for WNEC on the afternoon.  The only source of offense for UNE came on a Dan O'Gorman second quarter goal.  Meanwhile WNEC goalie Brewster Knowlton was stellar in net, making 12 saves and allowing 1 goal on 31 shots face for the day.

WNEC faces Tufts, ranked #1 overall in the USILA division III coaches poll, on Monday and Salve Regina on Wednesday before returning home to face Springfield College on April 5th at Golden Bear Stadium.

WNEC Softball loses to Amherst 5-2

The WNEC softball team fell to 3-8 on the season after an out-of conference loss to Amherst, 5-2.  WNEC starter Meaghan Reiman was chased from the game with 2 outs in the second inning after allowing 5 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits in just an 1.2 IP.  The G-Bears offense managed just 3 hits on the day, with Amherst starter Theresa Kelly retiring the first 11 batters faced, when a Rachel Wyrwa walk broke up the perfect game bid in the 4th.  A 2-run triple by Jenna Longo later that inning provided the only runs on the day for WNEC.

The G-Bears will try to get back on track when they travel to Milton for their TCCC opener againt Curry in Saturday afternoon doubleheader, with first pitch of game 1 set for 1:00.  WNEC will return home on April 2 for a doubleheader vs. NEC, following a 7-game road trip where they will face Endicott, Smith, and UNE as well.

Baseball moves streak to 4 games with sweep of Curry

The WNEC baseball team moved to 4-0 in the TCCC and improve to 6-1 in their last 7 games with a doubleheader sweep over Curry, winning 8-1 and 10-3, respectively.

In game 1, an 8-1 WNEC win, the G-Bears used a 3-run inning and a 5-run inning to put away Curry.  Matt Antoninis and Casey Dadio both went 2-4 with a run and an RBI at the top of the order, with Andrew Fatse scoring twice and Kyle McKelevey drove in two.  Matt Rogers got the win, going 6 innings, allowing just 1 run on 7 hits and 3 walks, running his record to 2-1.

In game 2, WNEC took no time getting on the board, using an back-to-back RBI singles from Andrew Fatse and Ryan Dudzinski to take a 2-0 first inning lead.  The G-Bears managed to score in every inning but the second, chasing Curry starter Joe Carrig from the game in the 4th inning after allowing 7 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks, en route to a 10-3 win.  Andrew Fatse went 4-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI, and Mike Taylor drove in 3 while scoring twice and drawing two walks.  Starter Kevin Jefferies got the win, going 4.2 IP with 3 runs on 4 hits and walking 4, improving to 2-2 on the season.

The G-Bears travel to Paxton on Saturday to play Anna Maria (8-6, 3-1) in a noon doubleheader.  They return home Sunday when they face Nichols at noon at Trelease Park.  

TCCC womens lacrosse standings, leaders, and D3 rankings

Team Standings (Overall W-L, Conf. W-L)
Endicott (3-3, 3-0)
Curry (6-0, 2-0)
Gordon (4-2, 2-0)
Colby-Sawyer (3-3, 2-0)
WNEC (3-3, 1-0)
RWU (3-2, 1-1)
Nichols (1-1, 1-1)
Salve Regina (1-5, 1-2)
NEC (1-2, 0-1)
Regis (1-4, 0-1)
UNE (1-5, 0-3)
Anna Maria (0-5, 0-3)

Leaders
Goals
Ashley Hansbury, Curry- 34 goals
Brittney Murphy, Colby-Sawyer- 26 goals
Anna Bottary, Curry- 23 goals
Kelly Burke, Salve Regina- 23 goals
Jeanmarie Barbato, WNEC- 21 goals

Assists
Ashley Hansbury, Curry- 18 assists
Danica Delia, RWU- 16 assists
Krista-Jean Forand, Nichols- 10 assists
Brittney Murphy, Colby-Sawyer- 9 assists
Jessie Coffman, Curry- 9 assists

Points
Ashley Hansbury, Curry- 52 points
Brittney Murphy, Colby-Sawyer- 35 points
Kelly Burke, Salve Regina- 31 points
Jessie Coffman, Curry- 29 points
Danica Delia, RWU- 26 points

Ground Balls
Teresa Busiek, Regis- 23 GB
Anna Blomberg, Gordon- 23 GB
Nicole Poli, WNEC- 22 GB
Amanda Naime, NEC- 21 GB
Brittney Tremont, Nichols- 10 GB

NCAA D3 Top 20
1 Salisbury (MD)
2 Hamilton (NY)
3 Franklin & Marshall (PA)
4 TC-NJ
5 Gettysburg (PA)
6 Trinity (CT)
7 Cortland (NY)
8 Colby (ME)
9 Williams (MA)
10 Stevens (NJ)
11 Washington & Lee (VA)
12 Union (NY)
13 Tufts (MA)
14 Catholic (DC)
15 Middlebury (VT)
16 Babson (MA)
17 Amherst (MA)
18 Mary Washington (VA)
19 Bowdoin (ME)
20 Stevenson (MD)

Rachel Wyrwa and Mike Rubino named WNEC athletes of the week

The weekly WNEC athlete of the week was given out to WNEC Softball's Rachel Wyrwa and WNEC baseball's own Mike Rubino.

Rubino, the starting 2B for the G-Bears, was also named the TCCC player of the week after going 10-18 with 3 RBI and 10 runs scored over the course of the week that included a 5 games at the Greater Phoenix Invitational in Arizona, and a doubleheader sweep over Salve Regina.  The sophomore from Northford, CT is off to a fast start in the 2011 season, starting all 10 games at 2B for WNEC, batting .447 with a 3B, 6 RBI, at team-leading 16 runs scored and a 1.063 OPS.  Defensively he has been solid despite making 3 errors at second.

Outfielder Rachel Wyrwa, player of the week on the womens side, was the TCCC softball player of the week, leading WNEC to 3 wins in their final 5 games at the National Training Center in Florida after dropping the first 5 contests.  In the 10 games at NTC, she hit .529 (18-34) with 7 2B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 8 runs scored to go along with an astronomical .912 slugging percentage.  The junior from Methuen, MA has already exceeded her 2B total and matched her HR total from all of last year.

WNEC Womens Lacrosse makes easy work of Regis

The WNEC womens lacrosse team got back on track after losing 3 of 4 with an 18-0 win over Regis College Wednesday at Golden Bear Stadium. 

The G-Bears jumped out to a 15-0 lead at halftime, but stepped off the gas a little bit in the second half, scoring just 3 goals.  WNEC dominated outshooting Regis 29-5 and taking 17 of 20 draw controls.  Jeanmarie Barbato led the way for WNEC with 5 points (3 G, 2 A), with Nicole Poli and Jillian Saley both having 2 goals and 2 assists apeice.  Nicole Squadrito also chipped in two goals for the G-Bears as well.  WNEC moves to 3-3 on the season, and 1-0 in the TCCC.

WNEC will travel to Biddeford, ME to face UNE on Saturday afternoon, the first of three games on the next road trip.  They return to Golden Bear Stadium on April 2, when they face Anna Maria at 1:00.

WNEC Tennis extends winning streak to 4 with win over AIC

The WNEC Mens tennis team extended their winning streak to 4 games Tuesday afternoon with an 8-1 win over AIC in their home opener, the first game following a 5-match Florida trip.  The G-Bears were able to take all 6 singles matches and 2 of the doubles matches, with the only AIC point coming from an 8-5 victory in the number 2 doubles matchup.  WNEC goes to 4-2 on the season, while the Yellow Jackets fall to 0-1.

WNEC plays again Saturday in their TCCC opener against when Wentworth travels to WNEC to face the G-Bears at noon.

WNEC Lacrosse Tops NEC

Nearly a year after the G-Bears mens lacrosse team was knocked out of the TCCC tournament in heartbreaking fashion, losing to NEC 11-10 on a last-second goal, the team returned the favor with a 6-4 victory Tuesday afternoon at Golden Bear Stadium, improving their conference record to 3-0, and 4-2 overall.  NEC dropped to 2-3 on the season, 0-1 in the TCCC.

NEC drew first blood on a Colin Gordon goal with 4:11 remaining in the first quarter, but WNEC would respond by going on with 4 goals by attacker Joe O'Keefe, putting WNEC up 4-2 with 13:00 remaining in the game.  After NEC scored twice to tie the game at 4, the Bears scored twice in the final 7 minutes with goals from Patrick White and Joe Martin to seal the deal.  WNEC also dominated in on groundballs, holding a 40-27 margin for the game over NEC, as well as winning 8 of the 14 faceoffs in the game, 6 of which were won by Joe Martin.

WNEC travels to Biddeford, ME Saturday to face UNE at noon as they go for 4 straight TCCC victories to begin the season, kicking off a 3-game road trip in which they also travel to Tufts and Salve Regina.  The Bears return to Golden Bear Stadium on April 5th when they host cross-town rival Springfield College, at 4 pm.

TCCC Baseball Standings and D3 Rankings

Team (Overall W-L, Conf W-L)
WNEC (6-4, 2-0)
Anna Maria (8-6, 3-1)
Colby-Sawyer (6-4, 1-1)
Wentworth (7-6, 1-1)
Curry (5-6, 1-1)
Endicott (6-4, NR)
NEC (3-3, NR)
Nichols (5-5, NR)
RWU (4-7, NR)
Eastern Nazarene (3-7, NR)
Salve Regina (4-8, 0-2)
Gordon (1-7, 0-2)

NCWBA Top 25
1 Heidelberg (OH)
2 Shenandoah (VA)
3 UW-Stevens Point (WI)
4 Kean (NJ)
5 Tyler (TX)
6 UW-Whitewater (WI)
7 Johns Hopkins (MD)
8 Marietta (OH)
9 Christopher Newport (VA)
10 Linfield (OR)
11 Ill-Wesleyan
12 Trinity (TX)
13 Chapman (CA)
14 St. Scholastica
15 St. Thomas (FL)
16 Wooster (OH)
17 Tufts (MA)
18 Wheaton (MA)
19 Pomona-Pitzer (CA)
20 Cortland St. (NY)
21 Salisbury (MD)
22 George Fox (OR)
23 Mary Washington (VA)
24 Millsaps (MS)
25 Thomas More (KY)
 

TCCC Weekly Awards- Rubino, Wyrwa, Jones take home awards

Mens Tennis
Player of the Week- Mike Jones, senior, WNEC- 4 victories at singles position, posted a 3-1 record alongside Brian Relihan during WNEC's spring break trip to Central Florida

Rookies of the Week- Eric Johnson, freshman, Eastern Nazarene- won #4 singles set 6-1, 6-2, and won #2 doubles by a 9-7 decision with Tim Luz; Zach Arpley, freshman, Endicott- 4-0 at #3 and #4 singles, as well as 2-2 #1 doubles record during Endicott's spring break trip

Softball
Player of the Week- Rachel Wyrwa, junior OF, WNEC- 11-22, 4 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 4 RS

Pitcher of the Week- Molly Ferraro, junior RHP, Nichols College- 3-0, 21 IP, 2 ER, 14 K

Rookie of the Week- Allasyn Leineck, freshman OF, Nichols College- 9-17, 1 2B, 6 RS, 6 SB

Baseball
Player of the Week- Mike Rubino, sophomore IF, WNEC- 10-18, 3 RBI, 10 RS, .652 OBP

Pitcher of the Week- Brandon Tinvan, senior RHP, Anna Maria- 1-0, 7 IP, ER, 2 H, 6 K

Rookies of the Week- Jake Northrup, freshman 1B/RHP, Endicott- 9-18, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 3 RS, 0.2 IP, 1 SV; Pierce Byrd, freshman SS/P, NEC- 5-12, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 3 RS, 6 IP, 2 H, 10 K

Mens Lacrosse
Offensive Player of the Week- Drew Smith, senior attacker, RWU- 10 points (7 G, 3 A) in 2 games

Defensive Player of the Week- Scott Gray, junior goalkeeper, Nichols College- 1-1, 33 Saves, 7.50 GAA

Rookie of the Week- Chad Hollenshade, freshman attacker, Salve Regina- 6 points (5 G, 1 A) in 2 games

Womens Lacrosse
Player of the week- Ashley Hansbury, senior attacker, Curry College- 31 pts (23 G, 8 A), 10 ground balls, 18 draw controls in 3 games

Defensive player of the week- Maria Lynch, senior goalkeeper, Curry College- 3-0, 28 saves, 8.72 GAA in 3 games

Rookie of the Week- Jessica Searl, freshman attack/midfield, RWU- 9 points (6 G, 3 A), 5 ground balls, 3 draw controls in 3 games

WNEC baseball opens TCCC play with DH sweep over Salve Regina

WNEC opened conference play with a doubleheader sweep over Salve Regina university, winning the games 18-3, and 8-1, respectively, at Reynolds Field in Newport, RI.

In the first game, Zach Cloft work five innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 walks and 5 hits while punching out seven enroute to his first win on the 2011 season.  Offensively, WNEC exploded for two six-run innings, with 3-6 hitters Mike Rubino, Tony Trubia, Andrew Fatse, and Ryan Dudzinski, with Tim Clark, Dylan Danko, and Jeff Schult subbing in off the bench late in the game, combined to go 13-16 scoring 13 times, and driving in 9 runs.  After a strong first innning, scoring 2 runs and 3 hits, Salve was shut down by WNEC pitching, getting just one more run and 5 hits in the final 6 frames.

In game 2, WNEC used a 7-run 5th inning to pull away from Salve, extending the lead to 8-0, with 5 of the 7 runs coming on a 2-run double by Dudzinski, who scored later on a double by Jason Leclerc, and a bases clearing double by Casey Dadio.  Salve Regina scored their lone run in the final inning on a pinch-hit double by Daniel Donohue, driving in Steve Collins, who was pinch-running for DH Jason Sluberski.  Evan Michaud got the start for WNEC, throwing 6 shutout innings, allowing just 4 baserunners and striking out 9.

The 3-time defending TCCC champs WNEC move to 2-0 on the young TCCC season, while improving to 6-4 overall.  Salve drops to 0-2 in the conference, and 4-8 overall.  WNEC's next TCCC bout, today with Curry, has been postponed to an undisclosed date, making their next game on Wednesday, an out-of-conference game versus MCLA at 3:30 in North Adams.

WNEC Girls Lacrosse Downed by RPI

The WNEC girls lacrosse team lost to RPI 10-5, falling to 1-2 on the season.  Freshman Kelsey Daniels led the way for WNEC, scoring 4 points (3 G, 1 A), while Jeanmarie Barbado chipped in her team-leading 10th goal and Nicole Poli contributed with a goal and 3 ground balls.  RPI shut down on WNEC in the second half, allowing just one goal the whole second half.

WNEC will now travel to California and play 2 games on the West Coast next week against Redlands and Occidental College.

WNEC makes big mark in TCCC weekly awards for the past week

The latest installment of the weekly awards in the TCCC had a number of WNEC athletes in it, with 4 Golden Bears bringing back player of the week awards.  For girls lacrosse, the TCCC weekly awards saw a WNEC sweep, with Jeanmarie Barbado getting offensive player of the week, Nicole Poli winning defensive player of the week, and Kelsey Daniels receiving rookie of the week.  The other award went to WNEC pitcher Matt Rogers.

TCCC Athletes of the Week

Mens Lacrosse
Offensive Player of the week- Joe Natale, sophomore midfielder, Curry College- 9 pts (8 G, 1 A) in 2 games
Defensive Player of the week- Mike Hibbard, junior goalie, Curry College- 34 saves in 2 games
Rookie of the week- Dan O'Gorman, freshman midfielder, UNE- 10 ground balls, 7/8 Faceoffs in lone UNE game

Womens Lacrosse
Offensive Player of the Week- Jeanmarie Barbado, senior attacker, WNEC- 9 goals in 2 games
Defensive Player of the Week- Nicole Poli, senior defender, WNEC- 12 turnovers, 10 groundball, 5 draw controls in 2 games
Rookie of the Week- Kelsey Daniels, freshman midfielder, WNEC- 5 pts (3 G, 2 A) in 2 games

Baseball
Player of the Week- Ben Danker, senior 1B, Wentworth- 5-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI in 2 games
Pitcher of the Week- Matt Rogers, senior RHP, WNEC- 1 GS, 1-0, 7 IP, 2 R(1 ER), 8 H, 1 K
Rookie of the Week- Nick Colanto, junior RHP, Wentworth- 2 G, 1-0, 3 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 4 K

WNEC Baseball has successful weekend on Long Island

The WNEC baseball team started off their season by winning both their games in the Farmingdale St. baseball tournament in Farmingdale, NY. 

In the first game, a 9-2 victory for the G-Bears over Farmingdale St., they took advantage of a 4-run first inning to coast to the victory over the Rams.  Starter Matt Rogers went 7 innings giving up just 2 runs (1 earned) on 8 hits along with one strikeout.  CF Andrew Fatse went 2-3 with 2 RBI, 2 runs and a walk, and Mike Rubino went 2-5 with a triple, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

The second game was an 8-4 victory over RPI.  WNEC exploded in the third inning with a 7-run inning to go up 7-3, and never looked back from there.  RPI Starter was chased from the game in the 3rd inning, going 2.2 innings giving up 7 runs on 5 hits and 6 walks, while WNEC starter Kevin Jefferis went 6 innings allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits and striking out 5.  Matt Anthonis went 2-3 with 3 RBI, while Ryan Dudzinski and Mike Rubino had miltiple hit games as well.

The third and final game of the tournament vs. Keene State was postponed to a later date to be determined.  The Golden Bears next game will be when they travel to Arizona for the RussMatt Invitational.  Their home opener will be on March 20 versus Salve Regina.

WNEC Mens Lacrosse loses first game of the season

The mens lacrosse team traveled to Long Island Saturday to face No. 2 Stevenson (MD), losing 18-8.  Joe O'Keefe led the scoring for WNEC with 3 points (1 G, 2 A), and Justin McKinney chipped in a goal and an assist as well.  Stevenson's Jimmy Dailey scored a game-high 5 points while Richie Ford and Kyle Moffit scored 4 goals each for the Mustangs.  Tony Rossi had a game-high 6 points for Stevenson as well.

The Golden Bears will travel to Milton, MA for their next game as they take on Curry College Friday afternoon, their second TCCC game.

Springfield College uses second half surge to beat WNEC

The WNEC girls lacrosse team suffered their first loss of the 2011 season after a 12-7 loss to Springfield College at Stagg Field.  The G-Bears held a 5-4 lead with 1:48 remaining in the first half, when Springfield's Allie Davis tied the game, the first of 8 unanswered goals to put the game out of reach.  Jeanmarie Barbato (3 goals), Nicole Squadrito (2 G), and Katie Toomy (2 G) provided the offense for WNEC, who fall to 1-1 on the season.  Marissa Bonitatibus made 12 saves in net in the losing effort.

The G-Bears play their next game Tuesday when they travel to Troy, NY to play RPI.

WNEC Womens Lacrosse opens season with 16-8 Win

The WNEC Womens Lacrosse team opened the 2011 season with a 16-8 win over Mount Holyoke Tuesday.  Jeanmarie Barbato and Katie Toomy lead the way with 6 points, while Kelsey Daniels and Nicole Poli chipped in 3 goals as well.  The G-Bears play their next game Thursday at cross-town rival Springfield College to kick off a 4 game road trip.  WNEC returns to Golden Bear stadium on March 23 when they play Regis College in their TCCC opener.

WNEC Hockey sees early exit from ECAC Northeast Tournament

The WNEC Hockey team lost to JWU 7-1 Sunday night, ending their season in their first postseason game since 2000.   The G-Bears kept it close for most of the game, being down just 3-1 after a Kory Grahl goal in the opening minute of the third period.  JWU would pull away after that, scoring 4 unanswered goals to end the game.  Eric Sorenson made 40 saves between the pipes.

WNEC ends the season with an overall record of 8-17-1, and JWU (14-11-1) moves on to play Wentworth Wednesday night in the ECAC Northeast semi-final.