Dudzynski named to NCBWA Division III All-American Team

WNEC Senior DH Ryan Dudzynski was named to the NCWBA Division III Team as an honorable mention, after a season in which the senior hit .353 with 14 2B, 6 3B, and 40 RBI to go along with a home run in 47 games for the Golden Bears.  The senior from Bristol, CT has played 122 games, hitting .333/.442/.494 with 29 2B, 10 3B, 3 HR, 85 RBI, and 106 runs scored, and was a regular in the starting lineup his junior and senior seasons.

First Team
Michael Tucker, junior catcher, Anderson U.- .433/.539/.901, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 45 RS
Andrew Thole, junior 1B, Thomas More- .385/.462/.867, 17 HR, 52 RBI, 49 RS
Ryan Walsh, senior 2B, UMASS Boston- .445/.511/.806, 12 HR, 51 RBI, 20 SB
Chad Mullins, senior 3B, Case Western Reserve- .437/.504/.658, 16 2B, 8 HR, 69 RBI, 55 RS
Charlie Carluccio, senior SS, Haverford- .391/.471/.615, 15 2B, 6 HR, 46 RBI, 19 SB
Ken Gregory, senior OF, Kean- .402/.463/.698, 22 2B, 11 HR, 54 RBI
Brandon Rogalski, junior OF, Washington U.- .438/.470/.722, 20 2B, 5 3B, 6 HR, 60 RBI, 28 SB
John Snyder, senior OF, Marietta- .461/.535/.677, 20 2B, 4 HR, 58 RBI, 47 RS
Troy Tarrant, junior DH, Hardin-Simmons- .408/.490/.680, 15 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 51 RBI
Greg Van Sickler, senior UTL, Shenendoah- .390/.474/.661, 21 2B, 7 HR, 46 RBI, 48 RS
Brendan Close, junior RHP, Moravian- 11 starts, 10-0, 1.00 ERA, 80.2 IP, .707 WHIP, 11.16 K/9
Brian Gasser, junior RHP, Marietta- 14 starts, 14-0, 1.02 ERA, 88.2 IP, .823 WHIP, 8.63 K/9
Andy Lowe, senior RHP, Heidelberg- 33 app, 65 IP, 17 R (15 ER), .985 WHIP, 8.03 K/9
Brian Rauh, sophomore RHP, Chapman- 15 starts, 11-0, 1.74 ERA, 113.2 IP, .897 WHIP, 10.53 K/9
Greg Van Sickler, senior UTL, Shenandoah- 13 starts, 11-1, 1.81 ERA, 89.2 IP, 1.149 WHIP, 8.33 K/9

Second Team
Kyle Felix, senior C, Trinity (TX)- .365/.443/.729, 24 2B, 14 HR, 61 RBI, 51 RS
Mike Eaton, senior 1B, Southern Maine- .426/.503/.796, 18 2B, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 54 RS
Kyle Wooden, senior 1B, Guilford- .467/.525/.637, 17 2B, 2 HR, 29 RBI
Esteban Meletiche, junior 2B, Keystone- .423/.500/.724, 13 2B, 10 HR, 43 RBI, 59 RS, 22 SB
Dan Haugh, junior 3B, Wheaton (MA)- .398/.478/.614, 22 2B, 4 HR, 61 RBI, 38 RS
David Kennett, sophomore SS, Thomas More- .418/.500/.616, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 49 RS
Connor Madden, junior OF, Christopher Newport- .412/.425/.712, 23 2B, 8 HR, 58 RBI, 37 RS
Daniel Putnam, senior OF, UW-Whitewater- .396/.487/.482, 11 2B, 3 3B, 22 RBI, 29 SB
Tim Wilson, freshman OF, Linfield- .490/.557/.716, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 33 RS, 19 SB
Cam Stephens, junior DH, Concordia (IL)- .453/.533/.691, 19 2B, 4 HR, 45 RBI, 34 RS
Cody Kuback, junior UTL, UW-Stevens Pt.- .424/.516/.701, 11 2B, 7 3B, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 71 RS
Ed Bernstein, senior RHP, Tufts- 20 app., 32.2 IP, 4 R (0 ER), .857 WHIP, 11.85 K/9, .127 OBA
Greg Ross, senior RHP, Frostburg St.- 13 starts, 11-2, 1.49 ERA, 90.2 IP, 1.092 WHIP, 11.12 K/9
Mike Russo, junior RHP, Kean- 14 starts, 10-2, 1.93 ERA, 88.2 IP, 1.252 WHIP, 6.6 K/9
Luke Westphal, junior LHP, UW-Oshkosh- 8 starts, 7-0, 1.34 ERA, 60.1 IP, .912 WHIP, 9.55 K/9
Mark Williams, senior RHP, Marietta- 20 app./11 starts, 8-1, 1.59 ERA, 79 IP, .899 WHIP, .173 OBA
Cody Kuback, junior UTL, UW-Stevens Pt.- 9 starts, 6-1, 3.26 ERA, 58 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 7.91 K/9

Third Team
Mike Nodzenski, junior catcher, Grinnell- .465/.556/.850, 11 2B, 12 HR, 47 RBI, 38 RS
Jordan Walton, junior 1B, Randolph-Macon- .452/.480/.704, 31 2B, 4 HR, 57 RBI, 43 RS
Jordan Marks, junior 2B, Louisiana College- .340/.472/.652, 12 2B, 10 HR, 55 RBI, 46 RS
Brian Bilius, senior 3B, Adrian- .424/.518/.604, 14 2B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 14 SB
Greg Van Horn, senior SS, Wooster- .422/.548/.609, 11 2B, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 22 SB
Josh Davidson, junior OF, Aurora- .429/.489/.494, 1 HR, 35 RBI, 48 RS, 39 SB
Matt Oliveto, senior OF, FDU-Florham- .434/.543/.654, 8 2B, 6 HR, 48 RBI, 47 RS
Nick Stein, sophomore OF, Coe- .374/.497/.680, 15 2B, 8 HR, 51 RBI, 23 SB
Mike Foley, sophomore DH, Aurora- .362/.410/.595, 14 2B, 6 3B, 4 2B, 57 RBI, 31 RS
Jeff Donovan, senior UTL, UW-Whitewater- .403/.491/.716, 22 2B, 9 HR, 55 RBI, 45 RS
Jim Schult, senior UTL, Eastern CT- .392/.478/.711, 19 2B, 5 3B, 11 HR, 64 RBI, 56 RS, 21 SB
Andrew Kirk, junior RHP, Alvernia- 13 starts, 10-2, 1.62 ERA, 88.2 IP, 1.060 WHIP, 11.98 K/9
Derek Johnson, senior RHP, Redlands- 15 starts, 13-2, 2.45 ERA, 106.2 IP, 1.022 WHIP, 9.03 K/9
John O'Hara, senior RHP, Rowan- 14 app., 14.2 IP, 1 ER, 1.159 WHIP, 5.53 K/9, .167 OBA
Jason Pankau, senior RHP, Illinois Wesleyan- 11 starts, 8-2, 1.53 ERA, 88 IP, .886 WHIP, .203 OBA
Chad Sherman, senior RHP, TX-Tyler- 8-1, 1.49 ERA, 72.2 IP, 1.032 WHIP, 11.77 K/9
Jeff Donovan, senior UTL, UW-Whitewater- 14 starts, 10-0, 3.54 ERA, 89 IP, 1.213 WHIP, .254 OBA
Jim Schult, senior UTL, Eastern CT- 12 starts, 10-1, 3.31 ERA, 87 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 9.52 K/9

Honorable Mentions from TCCC
Ryan Dudzynski, senior DH, WNEC- .339/.417/.506, 14 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 44 RBI, 44 RS, 18 SB

A preview to tonight's Keystone-WNEC game

The WNEC baseball team will make its first appearance in the Division III College World Series Friday night when they face Keystone College, heres a look at the two teams, who are both making their first trip to the College World Series

Keystone Giants
2011 Record- 36-10, 17-1 in CSAC (Colonial States Athletic Conference), won CSAC tournament and NCAA New York Regional

Road to the World Series- Earned a NCAA bid by winning the CSAC tournament, the winning the NCAA New York Regional by defeating Ramapo, Farmingdale State, and the 2010 Division III runner up, Cortland St. twice.  They have won their last 16 games.

Top hitters: Esteban Meletiche (.423/.500/.724, 13 2B, 10 HR, 43 RBI, 59 RS), Brian Henry (.404/.448/.731, 16 2B, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 42 RS), Roberto Santana (.372/.422/.503, 15 2B, 41 RBI, 31 RS), Andy Vega (.368/.429/.711, 11 HR, 37 RBI, 41 RS), Andrew Saino (.359/.481/.613, 10 2B, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 50 RS)

Rotation: Rob Rogers (9 starts, 6-1, 2.40 ERA, 56.1 IP, 1.172 WHIP, 8.47 K/9), Jeff Frost (12 starts, 8-4, 2.41 ERA, 74.2 IP, 1.098 WHIP, 9.64 K/9), Brad Higgins (11 starts, 7-1, 3.08 ERA, 61.1 IP, 1.125 WHIP, 7.48 K/9), Blaine O'Brien (10 starts, 8-1, 3.61 ERA, 62.1 IP, 1.348 WHIP, 8.95 K/9)

Bullpen: Derek Alex (18 app., 19.2 IP, 4 ER, 1.22 WHIP, 25/15 K/BB, .136 OBA), Adam Krebs (17 app., 18.1 IP, 7 R (4 ER), 1.364 WHIP, 18/13 K/BB, .185 OBA), Connor Smith (9 app., 14.1 IP, 10 R (8 ER), 1.395 WHIP, 14/7 K/BB, .232 OBA), Mike Rossi (8 app., 8.1 IP, 5 R (1 ER), 1.2 WHIP, 7/0 K/BB, .278 OBA)

Team Offense- hitting .343/.414/.531 as a team, 509 hits (171 extra bases), 43 homers, 371 runs, stolen 90 bases in 111 attempts

Team Defense- .961 fielding percentage, 58 errors in 361 innings

Team Pitching- 35-10, 3.07 ERA, 361 IP, 1.252 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, .213 OBA

Team Overview- A team that sure can hit, has a team batting average of .343, and a team OPS over 1.000, they'll challenge the WNEC pitching staff that has a fairly high OBA of .263.  Andy Vega has 11 homers, Esteban Meletiche has 10; WNEC as a team has gone yard just 10 times.  Tonight's probable starting pitcher, Jeff Frost has held opponents to a .213 batting average while posting a 1.098 WHIP and punching out nearly 10 batters per 9 innings.

WNEC Golden Bears
2011 Record- 42-9, 20-2 in TCCC, won TCCC tournament and NCAA New England Regional

Road to the World Series: Won TCCC tournament despite loss to Wentworth in second round, came back to beat Wentworth and Endicott twice, then won New England Regional with wins over Husson, St. Joseph's (ME), and Bridgewater State twice.  They have won their last 9 games and have gone 38-5 since starting 4-4.

Top Hitters:  Mike Rubino (.417/.484/.490, 10 2B, 41 RBI, 44 RS), Kyle McKelvey (.370/.469/.459, 8 2B, 1 HR, 33 RBI, 35 RS), Andrew Fatse (.351/.422/.427, 9 2B, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 48 RS), Ryan Dudzynski (.347/.423/.521, 14 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 44 RBI, 43 RS), Matt Anthonis (.347/.438/.483, 9 2B, 6 3B, 41 RBI, 47 RS), Mike Taylor (.302/.439/.470, 12 2B, 3 HR, 43 RBI, 39 RS), Tony Trubia (.302/.396/.418, 16 2B, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 46 RS)

Rotation: Evan Michaud (9 starts, 8-0, 2.53 ERA, 57 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 6.32 K/9), Matt Rogers (13 starts, 11-1, 3.31 ERA, 89.2 IP, 1.249 WHIP, 6.02 K/9), Zach Cloft (11 starts, 8-2, 3.65 ERA, 69 IP, 1.261 WHIP, 8.74 K/9), Kevin Jefferis (11 starts, 4-3, 5.15 ERA, 50.2 IP, 1.855 WHIP, 5.86 K/9)

Bullpen: Mike Lawlor (27 app., 39.2 IP, 13 R (7 ER), 1.008 WHIP, 54/6 K/BB, .227 OBA), Brendan Nugent (15 app., 21.2 IP, 10 R (5 ER), 1.385 WHIP, 16/1 K/BB, .305 OBA), Jeff Richardson (11 app., 20.1 IP, 7 R (5 ER), 1.082 WHIP, 14/7 K/BB, .208 OBA), Mike Lospinuso (11 app., 15.1 IP, 6 ER, .978 WHIP, 11/3 K/BB, .218 OBA)

Team Offense- hitting .327/.422/.431 as a team, 558 hits (136 extra bases), 10 home runs, 409 runs scored, and 61 steals in 74 attempts

Team Defense- .964 fielding percentage with 64 errors in 415 innings

Team Pitching- 42-9, 3.23 ERA, 415 IP, 1.263 WHIP, 7.44 K/9, .263 OBA

Team Overview- A team that hits more for average than a team that hits for power.  Has nearly 50 more hits than Keystone but still 35 less for extra bases.  They've hit just 10 homers in their 51 games played.  They have a slightly higher ERA and WHIP than the Giants, but have also thrown a substantial amount of innings.  They play good defense as well, with a .964 fielding percentage in their 415 innings in the field.

WNEC's key's to victory
- offense must get on base at a good clip and match up to the powerful Keystone lineup
- pitching must not allow as many guys as they have been on base, as the Giants have many threats to hit extrabase hits and drive in those runners.

WNEC Goalie Brewster Knowlton named to USILA All-American Team

The USILA All-American Teams were released for Divisions II and III today, with the Division III team featuring one WNEC player, goalkeeper Brewster Knowlton, who was named an honorable mention.  Knowlton, a junior from Somers, CT, is currently in his third year as a starter for the Golden Bears, and had his best year yet in 2011.  Knowlton started in 20 of the 21 games played this year, allowing 147 goals on 625 shots faced, a 7.66 GAA and also posted a .606 save percentage.  His 2011 campaign garnered several accolades, which aside from the All-American Honorable mention included the TCCC Defensive Player of the Year, All-TCCC team, All-New England team, and was named to the Capital one District 1 Academic second team for his accomplishments in the classroom.  Knowlton was also named TCCC Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the season, the second time he received such an honor in his career.  In his three years in the WNEC net, he has posted a 43-13 record with 561 saves (.600 save PCT) in 56 career games, all of them starts.

USILA Division III All-American Team
Bold= WNEC Player
 
First Team
Matt Cannone, junior attack, Salisbury- 47 goals and 37 assists in 21 games for Salisbury
Jimmy Dailey, senior attack, Stevenson- 60 goals and 58 assists, led Mustangs with 118 points
DJ Hessler, senior attack, Tufts- led Jumbos with assists (54) and points (90)
Sam Bradman, junior midfielder, Salisbury- second on team with 70 points
Chris DeLuca, senior midfielder, Cortland- scored 27 goals/44 points while winning 72% of faceoffs
Matt Witko, senior midfielder, Tufts- had 31 goals, 5 of them game-winners, which led the team
MJ Kiekebelt, senior LSM, RIT- led team with 131 groundballs in 20 games
Craig Bunker, senior SPEC, Colby- took 287 of Colby's 340 draws, winning 205
Evan Douglass, senior defense, Stevenson- forced a team-leading 59 turnovers, and had 62 groundballs
Justin Schneidman, senior defense, Cortland- forced a team high 31 turnovers
Collin Tokosch, senior defense, Salisbury- second on the team in groundballs (44), forced 21 turnovers
Johnny Rodriguez, senior goalie, Salisbury- went 18-1 with a .621 PCT and 5.55 GAA in 19 games

Second Team
Neal Barthelme, senior attack, Stevenson- led Mustangs with 73 goals
Jason Distefano, senior attack, Cortland- had team leading 57 points (35-22)
David Hild- senior attack, Middlebury- led team in goals (47) and points (67)
Jordan McIntosh, senior midfield, RIT- had team-leading 75 points (43-32)
Kyle Moffitt, senior midfield, Stevenson- 4th on team with groundballs (46) and goals (35)
Justin Tuma, senior midfield, Roanoke- led team with  groundballs (200)
Alec Bialosky, senior LSM, Tufts- second on team with 81 groundballs, also scored 11 goals
Eric Parah, senior SPEC, Cortland- had 54 groundballs
Alex Burkhead, senior defense, Roanoke- forced team-leading 47 groundballs
Shane Crossett, senior defense, Cortland- had 19 groundballs and 9 forced turnovers
Matt Rayner, junior defense, Middlebury- 4th on team with 45 groundballs
Sean Aaron, junior goalie, Union- 13-5 with a .627 PCT and 6.90 GAA

Third Team
Kelso Davis, senior attack, RIT- second on team with 44 goals
Jeff Keating, junior attack, Roanoke- led team in points (87) and assists (32)
Sean Kirwan, junior attack, Tufts- led Jumbos with 65 goals
Nick Billy, senior midfield, RPI- second on team with 50 points (32-18)
Brandon Faubert, senior midfield, Stevens- led team with goals (59) and points (81)
Kevin McCormick, junior midfield, Tufts- second on team in goals with 40
Brandon Palladino, sophomore LSM, Dickinson- led team with groundballs (72) and forced turnovers (47)
Ray Witte, senior SPEC, Stevenson- won 65.1% of the 387 faceoffs he took
Theodore Bascom, senior defense, Trinity- scooped up 40 groundballs
Joe Lisicky, sophomore defense, Lynchburg- forced team-leading 38 turnovers and scored 8 goals
Zach McHugh, senior defense, Stevens- forced 20 turnovers and had 39 groundballs
Joe Banno, junior goalie, Haverford- went 11-4 with a .650 PCT and a 7.24 GAA

Honorable Mentions from TCCC
John Gabriel, senior attack, New England College
Chris Cotter, senior midfield, Endicott
Dan Utz, senior midfield, Gordon
Andrew Pochebit, senior defense, Endicott
Brewster Knowlton, junior goalie, WNEC

New England Regional All-Tournament Team

Dan Gusovsky, sophomore Catcher, Wheaton- 8-18 (.444), 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 RS
David Pierce, sophomore 1B, Bridgewater St.- 9-20 (.450), 3 RS, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Tim Clark, sophomore 2B, WNEC- 7-19 (.368), 2 RS, 2 2B, 2 RBI
JP Stone, senior 3B, RIC- 1-7 (.143), 1 RS
Kyle McKelvey, sophomore SS, WNEC- 9-15 (.600), 5 RS, 2 RBI
Andrew Fatse, senior OF, WNEC- 8-16 (.500), 5 RS, 3 RBI
Eric Laliberte, senior OF, Wheaton- 9-23 (.391), 5 RS, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Hadi Raad, senior OF, Wheaton- 7-17 (.412), 2 RS, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Zach Cloft, senior pitcher, WNEC- 1-0, 8 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 9 K (1.13 ERA/.875 WHIP)
Corey Batista, senior pitcher, Bridgewater St.- 1-1, 9.2 IP, 5 ER, 12 H, 1 BB, 7 K (4.66 ERA/1.344 WHIP)
Jeff Puopolo, senior pitcher, Bridgewater St.- 1-0, 8 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 10 H, 3 BB, 10 K (2.25 ERA/1.625 WHIP)

WNEC Baseball wins first regional Championship

The WNEC baseball team won its 42nd game of the season by beating Bridgewater State, 9-0, advancing to their first Division III College World Series in the 44-year history of the program with their second victory over the Bears in three days.

The Golden Bears didn't waste any time getting in the lead, exploding for five runs in the bottom of the first to take a 5-0 lead.  Bridgewater starter Corey Batista was chased from the game after Mike Taylor singled to right, scoring Andrew Fatse and Mike Rubino, making it a 5-0 game.  Batista stayed in the game, moving to third base.  Jim Balboni came in and put runners on the corners after a wild pitch moved Taylor to third, then walked Kyle McKelvey, but then forced Matt Anthonis to fly out to right, ending the inning. 

After a quiet second, the Golden Bears attacked for two more runs, with Jason LeClerc and Kyle McKelvey crossing the plate for WNEC to make it 7-0.  That was more than enough for starter Kevin Jefferis to work with.

Jefferis pitched into the eighth inning after a one-out walk to Seob Yoon loaded the bases for Bridgewater State, running his pitch count to 134.  Jefferis threw 7 and one-third shutout innings while allowing 7 hits, walking 4 and striking out 8.

Mike Lawlor then came in and got out of the jam by striking out Jose Polanco before Dave Billotte got caught in a rundown, finally being tagged out by the shortstop McKelvey 2-5-2-6 on the play.  Lawlor then sat down the side in order in the ninth, with Bridgewater pinch hitter popping out to McKelvey to end the game, and send the Golden Bears to the College World Series.

The G-Bears will now travel to Appelton, Wisconsin to face Keystone College (PA) on Friday at 8:45 ET.  Keystone won the New York Regional.  It is the first time that WNEC has gone to the Division III College World Series in the 44-year history of their program.

WNEC baseball tops Bridgewater St. to advance to NCAA Regional Championship round

After knocking off the NCAA New England Regional's No. 1 and No. 5 seed, the Bridgewater State University's baseball team finally looked like a typical 8 seed, getting knocked off by WNEC, 11-4.  It was win #41 for the Golden Bears, and will need a 42nd in order to advance to their first ever NCAA National championship tournament.

After having just one baserunner in the first two innings, the Golden Bears got right to work in the third frame, when Tim Clark delivered WNEC's first hit of the game on a double that drove in Kyle McKelvey and Matt Anthonis, who were hit by a pitch and walked, respectively.  After a wild pitch advanced Clark to third, he would score on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Dudzynski, making the score 3-0.

After McKelvey scored his second run of the game in the fifth off an infield single by Tony Trubia, the G-Bears attacked for two more runs in the sixth on Ryan Dudzynski's 2nd and 3rd RBIs of the game, scoring McKelvey and Andrew Fatse.

The Golden Bears weren't done, scoring 3 more in the 7th, Mike Rubino scored on an Andrew Fatse single.  Fatse would score the inning's third run off an Anthonis single after Jason LeClerc scored on a throwing error by Bridgewater 1B David Pierce.  The Golden Bears tacked on two more runs in the 8th.

WNEC starter Evan Michaud ran his record to a perfect 8-0, tossing 6 innings, allowing just one run on six hits and a walk, striking out one.  He retired the side in order in the first and fourth innings.  Mike Lospinuso and Brandon Nugent pitched the final three innings in mop-up duty, with Lospinuso allowing three runs in 1.2 innings, with Nugent making the game's final four outs, allowing two hits in the ninth.

With the win the Golden Bears secure a spot in the New England Regional Championship game, and will await the winner of Bridewater State vs. Wheaton College, who face each other a 4 pm Saturday.  WNEC defeated Wheaton on April 25th, 7-4.

WNEC Baseball Defeats St. Joseph's to move on

The WNEC baseball team reached the 40-win mark for the first time in program history by defeating St. Joseph (ME), 4-1, in the second round of the NCAA New England Regional at Harwich, MA on Thursday. 

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning, when St. Joseph's drew first blood on a Mike Pratt homer run to right field off Golden Bears starter Zach Cloft, the second of three hits on the night for Pratt, who was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. 

The G-Bears would respond in the top of the fifth.  After Mike Taylor and Andrew Fatse reached base on back-to-back base hits, WNEC played a little bit of small ball, with Kyle McKelvey moving along the two into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.  Leadoff man Matt Anthonis then drove in the pair on a 2-run single down the left field line, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead. 

That would prove to be more than enough for the Golden Bears, as starter Zach Cloft threw 4 and 2/3 shutout innings, allowing just 4 base runners on hits by Nate Martin, Ian Lee, and Mike Pratt, as well as walking Sam Butts.  He would finish with 1 run on 6 hits and a walk while striking out 9.  Meanwhile, the offense continued to give him support by tacking on insurance runs in the sixth and eighth innings to further the lead to 4-1.

In the ninth, Mike Lawlor came in, and once again shut the door, picking up two quick outs by forcing Pratt to ground out to McKelvey, and striking out Alex Markakis, the cousin of Orioles RF Nick Markakis.  After allowing Ian Lee to reach on a single, he would force Dan Achorn to flyout to Casey Dadio in right to end the night.

St. Joseph's will move on to meet top-seeded Tufts in an elimination game on Sunday, while WNEC faces Bridgewater St., who has been a surprise thus far in the tournament, knocking off the top-seeded Tufts, as well as RIC, the fith seed in the tournament.


Thursdays' Other Scores
No .1 Tufts 3, No. 4 MIT 2
No. 3 Wheaton 7, No. 7 Husson 4
No. 8 Bridgewater St. 8, No. 5 RIC 5

Friday's Games
No. 3 Wheaton vs. No. 5 RIC
No. 6 St. Joseph's (ME) vs. No. 1 Tufts
No. 2 WNEC vs. No. 8 Bridgewater St.
  

WNEC Baseball No. 2 Seed at NCAA New England Regional

The WNEC baseball team's 38-9 record thus far this season has been good enough for the best record in school history, to go along with the program's sixth consecutive conference championship.  The team hopes to build on the record-setting season as they head to Cape Cod for the NCAA New England Regionals, as they look for the first regional championship in school history.  The team is ranked No. 21 in the nation, and No. 3 in New England. 

They will face Husson (ME) Wednesday night in their tournament opener.  Husson went 29-15 in the 2011 season en route to an NEAC championship.

2011 NCAA New England Regional Seedings
1- Tufts (26-7-1)
2- WNEC (38-9)
3- Wheaton (29-10)
4- MIT (25-13)
5- RIC (21-18)
6- St. Josephs (ME) (30-13)
7- Husson (29-15)
8- Bridgewater St. (23-15)

WNEC Lacrosse Captures ECAC Championship

The WNEC Mens Lacrosse team won the ECAC Championship for the first time since 2005 on Sunday with an 18-5 win over Hartwick.  The game quickly got out of reach after Hartwick tied the score at one, with the Golden Bears scoring 9 of the next 10 goals to jump out to a 10-2 halftime lead.  The lead got up to 17-3 after Marty O'Brien scored with a minute remaining in the third quarter.  Hartwick scored 2 of the 3 goals scored in the final quarter, the final being 18-5.

The Golden Bears had three different players score three times (Patrick White, Corrigan Harreys, Joe O'Keefe).  O'Keefe had three assists to go along with his three goals as well.  Brewter Knowlton logged nearly 57:00 in net, allowing 5 goals and making 20 saves.  Zack Hoening had two saves in three minutes, not allowing a single goal.

The Golden Bears finished the season with a 16-5 record, the 16 wins being second most to 2007, when they won 17 games in a season that resulted in just one loss.

WNEC Womens Lacrosse wins ECAC Championship

The WNEC womens lacrosse team captured its second ECAC championship in three years on Saturday when they defeated Curry College, 14-10.

Curry started out the game quickly, with Ashley Hansbury scoring two goals in the first minute and a half, to put Curry up 2-0.  WNEC would respond with two quick goals, but Curry scored five unanswered goals to go up 7-2 with 17:33 remaining in the first half.  WNEC would turn it on from this point on.  The Golden Bears would score three goals, two of which were scored by Jeanmarie Barbado, to cut the lead to 7-5 at the half. 

In the second half, WNEC would score 9 of the 12 goals scored in the final 30 minutes, despite their final goal being a Katie Toomy goal with 12:36 left.  Senior standouts Jeanmarie Barbado and Nicole Poli both had games to remember on Saturday, as Barbado had 6 goals and an assist in the victory, whiel Poli had 3 groundballs, 3 draw controls, and 3 forced turnovers to go along with a goal and two assists.  Barbado finished her career with 245 goals, 76 of which were scored in 2011.  Her 245 goals ranks second in the program's 12-year history behind Lindsay Fenton, who finished her career last may with 253 goals.

Curry finishes the season 16-5.

WNEC mens lacrosse upended by Endicott in OT thriller

In one of the best games played on the WNEC campus in recent memory, the Endicott mens lacrosse team defeated the WNEC lacrosse team in a 13-12 overtime victory, giving the Gulls their second consecutive TCCC lacrosse championship.

In the first quarter, Endicott jumped out to a commanding 5-1 lead on a 4-0 scoring run after WNEC attackman Patrick White tied the score at 1.  The G-Bears would charge back into it in the second, with 5 goals in the quarter, including two by Corrigan Harreys, who netted two of his four goals to tie the score at 7 going into the half. 

After going back and forth in the third quarter, it seemed as if WNEC was beginning to pull away in the fourth, taking a 12-10 lead when a Justin McKinney feed to Harreys set up his fourth goal of the game.  Endicott would come right back though, with the Gulls tying the score with 1:21 remaining in regulation, taking full advantage of a cross-check that sent Jim Murphy to the box with 2:16 remaining.  The Gulls would go on to take the game in overtime, when Kyle Jordan scored with 1:04 remaining to end it.

With the victory, the No. 17 ranked Gulls recieve and automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.  The G-Bears could possibly join them in the tournament as well, as they are ranked 19th in the nation.

WNEC girls lacrosse falls in TCCC championship

Just 15 days following a 15-12 victory over Endicott to solidify the TCCC regular season title, the Golden Bears lost to the Gulls on their home turf, 10-4, as they failed to capture the program's first ever conference title.

The Gulls jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by Holly Davis in the first period to give Endicott an early lead.  After Nicole Poli scored to cut the lead in half, Endicott struck for five consecutive goals to open up the score to 7-1.  WNEC would get goals from Liz McRoberts, Katie Toomy, and Jeanmarie Barbado, but was too little too late as Endicott come out on top, 10-4. 

The win gave Endicott its 6th consecutive conference championship as well as NCAA tournament bid.  The Golden Bears will learn of their fate in the upcoming days, with an ECAC appearance being likely.

WNEC Softball falls to Endicott in TCCC Championship

The WNEC softball team had its TCCC title hopes dashed by Endicott for a third straight year, losing to the Gulls 7-2, giving Endicott their 8th consecutive conference championship (3 TCCC, 5 CCC). 

WNEC starter Rachelle Fecteau was phenomenal through the first 5 innings, holding Endicott scoreless through four of the five innings, allowing two runners to cross the plate in the second inning on an 2-run double by Krista Fales.  Offensively, the Golden Bears once again had no answers for Endicott's star hurler Jenna Bartolotti, who held WNEC to 2 runs, allowing 7 runners to reach base the whole game, despite striking out just one batter. 

The G-Bears struck for runs in the fourth and sixth innings on RBI singles by Elyse Gauvin, which scored Katie Eckert and Erin Griffin.  Griffin crossing the plate in the sixth tied the score at two, before Endicott rallied for 5 runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away.

With the win, Endicott moves on to the NCAA regionals.  WNEC will learn their fate on their season in the upcoming days, with an ECAC bid being likely for the G-Bears.

WNEC Softball advance to TCCC semi-finals with win over UNE

The WNEC softball team advanced to the TCCC finals with a 7-4 win over UNE Saturday, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after three innings.  UNE would climb back into the game after getting on the board in the 4th inning Marie Mantelli drove in Stephanie Podolski on an RBI-double.  Mantelli would drive in three more in the 7th when she hit a 3-run homer that cut the lead to three.  It would prove to be too little for UNE, as they made three quick outs following that, ending the game.

WNEC starter Sarah Lempicki got the win going the distance, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits and walk while striking out 4.  She also got good support from the Golden Bears lineup, having 5 players with multiple hits, and Jenna Longo and Elyse Gauvin both scored twice as well.

In the TCCC championship game, WNEC will look to win its first conference championship since 2006, when the team was still in the GNAC.  They will have to beat Endicott twice, the same Endicott team that defeated the G-Bears 13-2 on Wednesday.

WNEC Baseball bounces back with 3-2 victory

After suffering their third loss against a TCCC opponent Thursday in a 7-1 loss to Wentworth, WNEC bounced back to defeat Salve Regina 3-2 in 11 innings to advance to the TCCC semi-finals. 

Salve Regina began the game with a bang in the top of the first, with Charles Matarazzo leading off the game with a single and scoring one batter later when Alex Melcher doubled to left center, giving Salve a 1-0 lead.  The G-Bears would finally answer in the third inning when Andrew Fatse crossed the plate on a fielders choice by Tony Trubia to tie the score at 1.  Salve would regain the lead in the 6th with a Matt Copone RBI single that drove in Melcher, giving the Seahawks a 2-1 lead.

Both starters held batters at bay, with Brandon Bursie going 6.1 IP with 1 unearned run on 3 hits and 3 walks and striking out 7.  WNEC starter Evan Michaud outlasted Bursie, going 7 innings allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 strikeouts. 

The G-Bears season and 5-year conference championship streak was an out away from ending when freshman Jeff Schult was driven in by Andrew Fatse to put the game into extras.  In the extra frames, WNEC reliever Mike Lawlor retired all 6 men he faced, 4 of which were strikeouts.  In the bottom of the 11th inning, Schult would score his second run of the game off the bat of Fatse, giving the Golden Bears the win and a spot in the TCCC semi-finals.

The G-Bears face will attempt to avenge their loss to Wentworth when they face them once again Saturday.  They will need to win twice in order to advance to the finals and have a chance at their 6th consecutive conference championship.

WNEC Softball blown out by Endicott in first round of TCCC playoffs

The WNEC softball team lost to Endicott 13-2 in the second round of the TCCC softball championship's double elimination phase.  The Golden Bears started out the game strong, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first inning against TCCC pitcher of the year Jenna Bartolotti.  In the inning, they sent 6 batters to the plate, and gained 2 hits and took advantage of 2 errors.  Tricia Breault and Rachel Wyrwa scored for the G-Bears.

The game would go back into Endicott's hands in the bottom of the first, as the Gulls exploded for 4 runs on 6 hits, sending 8 runners to the plate as well as chasing WNEC starter Alyssa Obin from the game after just 0.2 IP.  Endicott would put the game away in the third inning with a 9-run inning, bringing the score to 13-2.  Bartolotti would also settle down after the rough first inning, retiring 11 of the final 12 batters faced in the final 4 innings of the game.  Meanwhile the Golden Bears failed to have a pitcher go beyond 1.2 IP, allowing 13 runs on 14 hits and 4 walks over 4 innings pitched.  The game was stopped in the middle of the fifth.

The Golden Bears will face UNE on Saturday morning, and with a win will face Endicott in a 2-game set starting at noon.  WNEC will have to win both games in order to win their first TCCC championship, as well as their first conference championship since winning the GNAC tournament in 2006.

TCCC Baseball Tournament roundup

Endicott 6, Roger Williams 1- #3 seeded Endicott scored two runs in both the third and fourth innings enroute to up-ending #2 seed RWU in the second round of the TCCC tournament.  Jake Northrup led the way from the cleanup position, going 3-4 with 2 RBI.  Leadoff hitter Danny Melo drove in 2 as well.  Endicott starter Mike Nich went the distance, allowing just one run on 6 hits while striking out 5 in a complete game effort.  RWU got their only source of offense in the fifth inning when Zach Porter scored on a Eric Bransfield single.  Endicott earns a bye and await the winner of Anna Maria/Salve Regina, facing them on Saturday at 11:00 am.  Roger Williams faces Anna Maria Friday.

Salve Regina 3, Colby-Sawyer 2- Anthony Conte broke a 2-2 tie in the 10th inning when he crossed the plate on a Matt Capone double, as Salve Regina walked-off into the next round of the TCCC tournament.  Both the games starters went 9 innings, with Colby-Sawyer starter Ryan Gillan going the distance, allowing just 3 runs (2 ER) on 2 walks and 2 strikeouts over 9.1 IP.  Colby-Sawyer is now out of the tournament, while Salve Regina will move on to face TCCC regular season champion WNEC on Friday. 

Anna Maria 12, Curry 3- Anna Maria jumped out to a 9-0 lead after 3 innings, enroute to a 12-3 win over Curry College.  The biggest production of runs came from the top of the Anna Maria order, with Mike Galvin, Andy Fallon, Jeff Scafidi, and Mike Guarnieri combined for an 10-15 day with 8 runs and 9 RBI on top of a Jeff Scafidi double.  Anna Maria starter Zach Rafferty went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 2 hits, 5 walks and 6 strikeouts.  Dean Diamantopoulos earned a save in three innings, allowing just one baserunner.  Anna Maria will move on to the next round, facing Roger Williams on Friday afternoon.

Friday's Games
#5 Salve Regina vs. #1 WNEC, 3:00 pm
#6 Anna Maria vs. #2 Roger Williams, 3:00 pm

Saturday's Games
#4 Wentworth vs. Salve Regina/WNEC, 11:00 am
#3 Endicott vs. Anna Maria/RWU, 11:00 am
Salve Regina/WNEC vs. Wentworth, 2:00 pm (if necessary)
Anna Maria/RWU vs. Endicott, 2:00 pm (if necessary)

TCCC Championship- Sunday @ 2:00 pm

Top-Seeded WNEC baseball loses to Wentworth

The WNEC baseball team was stunned by Wentworth in their second TCCC tournament game, 7-1.  Starter Zach Cloft (6 IP, 6 R (3 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, 9 K) began the game with two shutout innings over Wentworth, with the trouble coming in the third inning, when they struck for 3 runs off three hits and two errors by WNEC LF Matt Antonis.

The Golden Bears offense had no answers for Wentworth starter Adam Farrar, who retired 8 WNEC batters in a row, enroute to pitching 8 shutout innings, allowing just four hits, two walks, and striking out five batters.  Meanwhile the Engineers chased Cloft from the game in the 7th inning without making an out, walking to Jon Spitz, allowing a single to Connor Flisnik.  Ben Danker reached on an error by 1B Tony Trubia, scoring Spitz and chasing Cloft from the game.  Reliever Brandon Nugent allowed three runners to cross the plate on a Jake McManus fielders choice and a 2-run double by Ryan Delgado, two of the runs being charged to Cloft, extending the Wentworth lead to 7-0.  WNEC got on the board in the ninth inning when Vinny Alloco crossed the plate on a Ryan Clark double, but was too little too late as the game ended with Wentworth on top 7-1. 

The loss comes on the heals of a 20-2 season in conference play for the Golden Bears, their best conference record since joining the TCCC in 2008.  WNEC will face Salve Regina in their next game, as they must now win the rest of their games in order to win their fourth consecutive TCCC title and sixth straight conference title, going back to their back-to-back championships in their final two seasons in the GNAC.

TCCC Womens Lacrosse Final Standings, Awards, and Tournament Pairings

Standings
WNEC (14-4, 10-1)
Endicott (12-6, 10-1)
Curry (15-3, 9-2)
RWU (11-7, 8-3)
Gordon (11-6, 8-3)
Colby-Sawyer (8-10, 6-5)
Salve Regina (7-10, 5-6)
Nichols (4-12, 3-8)
NEC (6-11, 3-8)
UNE (4-13, 3-8)
Regis (4-12, 1-10)
Anna Maria (3-14, 0-11)

Playoffs Round 1
WNEC 15, Nichols 8
Endicott 24, Salve Regina 15
Curry 13, Colby-Sawyer 8
Gordon 23, Roger Williams 13

TCCC Semifinals
WNEC vs. Gordon, Wednesday May 4 @ 4:00 pm @ WNEC
Endicott vs. Curry, Wednesday May 4 @ 4:00 pm @ Endicott

TCCC Finals
WNEC/Gordon vs. Endicott/Curry, Saturday May 7 @ 1:00 pm, site TBD

All-TCCC Team

First Team
Jeanmarie Barbado, senior attack, WNEC- had a team leading 60 goals in 17 games
Danica Delia, junior attack, RWU- finished 4th in TCCC with 89 points
Morgan DeShaw, junior attack, Endicott- led Endicott with 52 goals and 64 points
Ashley Hansbury, senior attack, Curry- led TCCC with 129 points, and goals with 93
Jessie Coffman, senior attack, Curry- second in TCCC with 106 points, led TCCC with 41 assists
Kelsey Daniels, freshman midefielder, WNEC- led WNEC with 76 points in rookie season
Claire Holliday, senior midfielder, RWU- led RWU with 56 goals
Brittney Murphy, junior midfielder, Colby-Sawyer- finished 2nd in TCCC with 96 points
Kelsey Adams, senior defense, RWU- had 38 ground balls and caused 9 turnovers
Mel Brickley, freshman defense, Curry- led Curry with 41 forced turnovers
Nicole Poli, senior defense, WNEC- had 66 groundballs and forced 68 turnovers
Marissa Bonitatibus, senior goalie, WNEC- went 11-4 a 7.85 GAA

Second Team
Jordan Alexander, junior attack, Gordon
Kelly Burke, sophomore attack, Salve Regina
Molly Sowles, senior attack, Endicott
Kellie Cunningham, senior midfielder, Endicott
Holly Davis, sophomore midfielder, Endicott
Kate Malenczak, senior midfielder, RWU
Katie Toomy, junior midfielder, WNEC
Brittany Kane, senior defense, Endicott
Krysti Leach, junior defense, Gordon
Deb MacEachern, senior defense, Colby-Sawyer
Nicole Papasergiou, senior defense, RWU
Leah Neff, junior goalkeeper, Endicott

Honorable Mention
Danielle Cate, senior attack, UNE
Nicole Squadrito, senior attack, WNEC
Hannah Tavella, freshman attack, UNE
Ana Bottary, sophomore midfielder, Curry
Teresa Busiek, freshman midfielder, Regis
Shephanie Fitzgerald, freshman midfielder, Gordon
Kelsey Barnes, freshman defense, Endicott
Veronica Miano, junior defense, WNEC
Julie Monroe, freshman defense, Nichols
Erica Palmer, senior defense, RWU
Lauren Todd, sophomore defense, Endicott
Maria Lynch, senior goalkeeper, Curry
Justine Sullivan, sophomore goalkeeper, RWU

Offensive Player of the year- Ashley Hansbury, Curry
Defensive Player of the Year- Nicole Poli, WNEC
Rookie of the Year- Kelsey Daniels, WNEC
Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year- Angel Jarmusz, UNE
Coach of the Year- Aimee Klepacki, WNEC
Team Sportsmanship Award- Regis College

TCCC Mens Lacrosse Final Standings, Awards, and Tournament Seedings

Standings
WNEC (13-4, 10-0)
Endicott (13-4, 9-1)
Gordon (7-3, 9-7)
NEC (7-3, 13-5)
Roger Williams (6-4, 8-9)
Salve Regina (6-4, 9-8)
UNE (4-6, 8-10)
Nichols (2-8, 4-10)
Curry (2-8, 5-11)
Wentworth (1-9, 3-10)
Anna Maria (1-9, 5-12)

Playoffs Round 1
WNEC 14, Nichols 3
Endicott 17, UNE 5
Gordon 10, Salve Regina 6
NEC 9, Roger Williams 8

TCCC Semi-finals
WNEC vs. NEC, Wednesday May 4 @ 4:00 pm @ WNEC
Endicott vs. Gordon, Wednesday May 4 @ 4:00 pm @ Endicott

TCCC Finals
WNEC/NEC vs. Endicott/Gordon, Saturday May 7 @ 1:00 pm, site TBD

All-TCCC Team

First Team
John Gabriel, senior attackman, NEC- led the league in goals (54), assists (29), and points (83) in 17 games
Drew Smith, senior attackman, RWU- led RWU with 56 points (36-20), which was 4th in the TCCC
Pat White, junior attackman, WNEC- led WNEC with 28 goals and 39 points
Chris Cotter, senior midfielder, Endicott- had second-most assists in TCCC (24) to go along with 30 goals
Jim Turenne, senior midfielder, RWU- led RWU with 50 ground balls
Dan Utz, senior midfielder, Endicott- his 43 goals and 57 points were good enough for 3rd in the TCCC
Stuart Knechtle, senior LSM, Gordon- had a TCCC-leading 144 ground balls
Robert Crossett, senior defenseman, Endicott- second on the team with 80 ground balls
Billy Kelsey, senior defenseman, WNEC- 31 groundballs and just 4 turnovers in 14 games
Andrew Pochebit, senior defenseman, Endicott- had 41 groundballs and 31 caused turnovers in 16 games
Joe Martin, junior SPEC, WNEC- had a team-high 53 groundballs and won 96 of 168 faceoffs
Sam Ozycz, sophomore SPEC, Endicott- scooped up 53 groundballs and won 68 of 98 faceoffs
Brewster Knowlton, junior goalkeeper, WNEC- went 11-4 in 15 games with a .598 save PCT on 499 shots

Second Team
Jack Curtis, senior attack, Endicott- was second on the team with 46 goals (24-22)
Brian Estes, sophomore attack, Endicott- had 32 goals and 42 points
Connor McCormack, sophomore attack, Endicott- led the team with 37 goals scored
Chris Walker, junior attack, Salve Regina- finished 2nd in TCCC with 47 goals
Evan Gates, senior midfielder, Salve Regina- had a team leading 22 assists to go along with 27 goals
Logan Roebuck, senior midfielder, RWU- was second on the team with 31 goals
Brendan Rooney, senior midfielder, Salve Regina- had 41 points and 47 groundballs
Mike Santare, senior midfielder, WNEC- was second on the team with 27 points off the bench
Chris D'Angelo, senior LSM, WNEC- had 9 groundballs in 14 games
Kevin Downes, senior defenseman, Endicott- had 31 groundballs and 14 caused turnovers in 16 games
Greg Jacques, junior defenseman, NEC- had 57 groundballs and 18 caused turnovers in 14 games
Derek Weckbacher, senior defenseman, NEC- had 19 groundballs and 14 caused turnovers in 16 games
Austin Fehringer, senior SPEC, RWU- won 175 of 306 faceoffs taken
Mike Klein, sophomore goalkeeper, Endicott- won 11 of 14 decisions, and had a 7.92 GAA

Honorable Mention
Zac Blue, senior attack, Gordon- tied for second on the team with 22 goals
Matt Carey, senior attack, NEC- had a team leading 24 assists to go along with 27 goals
Chad Hollensade, freshman attack, Salve Regina- was second on the team with 36 goals and 49 points
Wesley Chittick, junior midfielder, Gordon- tied for second on the team with 22 goals
Kyle Jordan, senior midfielder, Endicott- had 18 goals off the bench
Andrew Mariani, senior midfielder, WNEC- was fourth on the team with 24 points off the bench
Joe Natale, sophomore midfielder, Curry- led the team with 55 points (39-16)
Mike Woods, senior midfielder, UNE- had 27 points and 21 groundballs
Brad Peterson, junior LSM, Anna Maria- was second on the team with 108 ground balls, also had 28 points
Bill Ainslie, senior defenseman, Wentworth- led the team with 51 ground balls and 32 caused turnovers
Jimmy Benjamin, senior defenseman, NEC- had 19 ground balls in 17 games, all starts
Chuck Dowd, junior defenseman, UNE- led the team with 48 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers
Maurice Fitzgerald, senior defenseman, Salve Regina- had 57 groundballs
Brian Leistikow, sophomore defenseman, WNEC- led the team with 13 caused turnovers
Michael Nardella, senior defenseman, WNEC- had 10 groundballs and 6 CT's in 15 games
Jake Flynn, junior SPEC, NEC- had 82 groundballs and won 171 of 331 faceoffs
Nick Aquaviva, junior goalie, NEC- had a .624 save percentage on 527 shots faced
Tyler Roebuck, senior goalie, RWU- had a .571 save percentage on 503 shots faced

Offensive Players of the year- John Gabriel, UNE; Dan Utz, Gordon
Defensive Player of the year- Brewster Knowlton, WNEC
Rookie of the Year- Chad Hollensade, Salve Regina
Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year- Chris Gugino, Endicott
Coach of the Year- John Klepacki, WNEC
Team Sportsmanship Award- Anna Maria College