Quinnipiac Lax earning honors, but coming up short in NEC Playoffs

‘Cats can’t climb the Mount
John Chagaris 

EMMITSBURG, Maryland — Two Long Islanders who were a key component to the Bobcats making their fourth straight NEC Tournament bid were rewarded with All-NEC Second Team honors. Freshmen midfielder Brittany Hauser from East Northport, NY who also won national honors being named National Rookie of the Week, and junior defender Jamie Zeitler of West Islip, NY. Hauser became the second freshman in Bobcats history to be named to an All-NEC team, Tiffany Manzi was named to the All-NEC First team last season.

Unfortunately for the Bobcats these were the only awards the team took home from Mount Saint Mary’s, as they were eliminated by the Mount Friday afternoon 13-8. 

The Bobcats started early when Tiffany Manzi scored her 23rd goal of the season just over two and a half minutes into the game to give the Bobcats the 1-0 lead. The Mountaineers struck right back with three goals, including Casey Paris’ 42nd goal of the season. Bobcat’s Banach (12) and Fiore (27) each hit a marker to tie the game at 3 with 6:23 to go in the first, as close as the Bobcats would come to the Mountaineers. 

Over the next 24 minutes, the Quinnipiac defense went limp, allowing 8 unanswered goals, 6 of which were unassisted, 3 of which from Kathleen Rossetti (17). With the Bobcats down 11-3 and just over ten minutes to go the Bobcats found their defense which sparked their offense, Lyndsey Banach scored, just over a minute later Manzi scored on a free position shot, 7 seconds later Kaitlyn Vennard scored to cut the lead to 11-6. 

Over a minute later, Hannah Nelson made a save, cleared it right to Janelle Lopez who found Manzi for her third goal of the game, a Lyndsey Banach goal 2 and a half minutes later cut the lead to 11-8. The deficit was just too much for the Bobcats who had trouble getting shots on goal, Mount Saint Mary’s took more shots in the second half (22) than the Bobcats took the entire game (19). Even facing all those shots, Hannah Nelson saved 14 of the shots, almost 3 times more than her counterpart Jane Karger who made 5 the entire game. 

The Mountaineers would score two goals, including one with 8 seconds remaining to take the game 13-8 and advanced to face Monmouth in the NEC Championship game on Sunday.
 
The Bobcats have a very bright future being led by Freshmen Brittany Hauser. While Quinnipiac is losing talent in Kara Cornelius, Kristen McCarthy, Sophia Pantelides, and Meghan Turner, they are an extremely young team who will look to make the NEC Tournament for the fifth straight year next year, and with Freshman Hauser and leading scorers Junior Tiffany Manzi, Nicole Fiore and with a healthy Ashley Valentine all returning it should be a very fun season next spring.

Sammi Allendorfer named WQAQ Sports Athlete of the Week

WQAQ Sports names Sammi Allendorfer Athlete of the Week

WQAQ Sports has named softball’s Sammi Allendorfer as its Athlete of the Week for the week ending on April 25, 2007.

The senior from Glenside, PA made sure the 4 player senior class would go out with a bang at Bobcat Field. She slammed three home runs on senior day to power the Bobcats to a sweep of St. Francis (PA) on Sunday.

She hit her first homer in the bottom of the 6th inning of game 1. At the time, the Bobcats trailed 2-1, but Sammi’s two-run home run gave the Bobcats a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish.

Her second home run of the day came in game 2. In the bottom of the first inning, Allendorfer slammed the ball over the fence in center field for her 2nd two-run home run of the day. Allendorfer ended the day 4-6 with 5 RBI and 3 runs scored. Game two ended in 5 innings thanks to the mercy rule after the Bobcats scored 10 runs in the first three innings to win the game 10-0.

The Quinnipiac softball team is back in action tomorrow for a Northeast Conference doubleheader at top-ranked LIU before facing off against league rival Sacred Heart on Saturday. The team is currently 4th in the league standings, 1 game above Robert Morris and the Pioneers of Sacred Heart. Only 4 teams will make the conference tournament, scheduled for May 12 and 13 at the highest seed.

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Bobcats Rack Up Another 10th Place Finish

Bobcats Rack Up Another 10^th Place Finish
By Jeremy Schilling

For the second time in the 2007 Spring season, the Quinnipiac University Bobcats golf team finished 10^th in a tournament, this time at the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational held April 20-21. The Bobcats’ 54-hole score was a 927, 46 strokes back of winner Longwood University, who had a team score of 881. Overall in the individual portion of the tournament, the winner again came from the Longwood University team, with Adam Webb taking the title with a 3-round total of 218.

Individually for QU, Steve Velardi led all with a 54-hole score of 222, which put him in a tie for 6^th place overall. He was followed by Ian O’Connor, Eric Snow and Brady Giroux, who all had 235, and Ben Cook who had 254.

“It was a great weekend with some fine performances by Steve Velardi and Brady Giroux. We finally played golf without our winter gear on and this will prepare us for the NEC championship in two weeks. All teams play in Myrtle Beach for the championship and the winner continues on to the NCAA regional,” said Head Coach John O’Connor.

That preparation continues Tuesday, April 24 with the St. Peter’s Invitational at the Neshanik Valley GC, in Neshanik, NJ.

Men’s Lax Picks Up First League Win

Men’s Lax Picks Up First League Win
By Zach Smart

            The Quinnipiac men’s lacrosse team has officially bounced back from three grueling losses that came during the meat of their Great Western Lacrosse League schedule. The Bobcats have registered three straight victories, including their first in GWLL action.

            With an 11-6 dumping of conference foe Bellarmine on April 21 in Louisville, the Bobcats have climbed over the .500 mark. They are 6-5 for the second time in as many years, with two games remaining.

            The trip to Louisville came after a pair of dramatic, overtime victories against in-state foes Hartford and Sacred Heart.

            The wins helped the Bobcats evaporate any self-doubt and build confidence before what was essentially a barometer game.

            The ‘Cats, behind another rock-solid performance from senior standout Mike Stottler, outshot Bellarmine by a 46-37 ratio, rifling shots past Knights’ keeper J.C. Hutchens en route to arguably their best game of the season. Hutchens’ game-high 22 saves weren’t enough for a Bellermine offense that collapsed after Anthony Poerio scored on an even goal 3:25 into the fourth frame. Peorio’s goal, the senior’s fourth of the season, fueled a relentless fourth quarter attack.

            The Bobcats reeled off a 4-1 run, keeping their distance after the Knights pulled within one goal in the third stanza.

             Stottler, who leads the Bobcats with 26 goals in 11 games this season, had a hand in four of the 11 goals. The senior midfielder scored back-to-back goals to put the Bobcats ahead, 4-2, with 8:35 to play in the second. Hutchens might still be looking for Stottler’s second shot in the Kentucky bluegrass.

             Freshman Matt Loveland and senior Tucker Prudden padded the lead with two unassisted goals, giving the Bobcats a 6-2 lead before Bellermine’s Dylan MacDougal thwarted the run with a goal right before the halftime buzzer sounded.  

            The goal ignited a 3-0 spurt for the Knights, who trailed 6-5 after Bryan Brown fired a shot past freshman goaltender Jamie Prudden a minute, 37 seconds into the third frame.

            The Bobcats, a team that’s managed to use youth as a charm this season, looked to its seniors.

             Quinnipiac, despite a surplus of freshman and sophomores on the roster, play eight seniors–all of whom are captains and maintain significant roles on the field.

            Senior defenseman Mike Hennessey found the back of the net with 11 minutes to go in the third. Wedged in between Hennesey’s goal and the aforementioned Poerio’s shot was a goal from senior Jon D’ascoli, who took advantage of the man-up opportunity with 10:09 left.

           The defense tightened up, stifling several promising attacks in the fourth. Senior Adam Bartholomew, with workman-like persistence, scooped up a game-high six groundballs to lead the defensive unit.

           Jamie Prudden stopped 16 shots while allowing six goals for his third victory in net.   

           Beyond Stottler’s three goals, Prudden and Poerio each chipped in with two. Bryan Johnson’s two goals paced the Knights.

Despite loss, Quinnipiac advances into NEC Playoffs

Bobcats back in
John Chagaris 

West Long Branch, NJ – It’s been a season of highs and lows, a season of incredible defense, and a season where Coach Caro wondered where the defense is. In recent history, beginning with the Bobcats game against CCSU on March 23rd, the Bobcats began a trend where they struggled in the first half but were lights out in the second half. A trend that ended Friday afternoon at Monmouth University. 

After dropping 3 of their last four NEC Conference games, the mission was simple, win and gain a second seed in the North East Conference, or with a loss Quinnipiac could drop out of the NEC Tournament all together. The Bobcats took to the field against the Monmouth Hawks, the only team in the Northeast Conference the Bobcats have never defeated in their ten year run in the NEC. After falling to Mount Saint Mary’s last week, Monmouth was looking for revenge against the Bobcats as the Hawks have never in their programs history lost two straight NEC contests. Just under three minutes into the game, Lyndsay Banach got the game going for the Bobcats, with her 9th goal of the season the Bobcats took a 1-0 lead, which was all the momentum the Bobcats would get, within the next 9 minutes the Monmouth Hawks scored three to take a 3-1 lead. Meghan and Katie Latonick would gel together to give Megan her 7th goal of the year, to cut the lead to 3-2 but that is as close as the Bobcats would get. 

3 Minutes later and goals by Megas Brennan, on a Free position shot, Megan Nutter, Ashley Waldman on a free position shot, Carolyn Baveta and then once again by Megan Brennan gave the Hawks an insurmountable 8-2 lead. Banach would later score a second goal for the Bobcats, and Erin Coffey put in two but it just wasn’t enough as the Hawks won 17-7. 

With a Mount Saint Mary’s win on Friday over Robert Morris, Quinnipiac has clinched their fourth straight trip to the NEC Championships which begins on Friday, April 27th from Emmitsburg, Maryland on the campus of Mount Saint Mary’s. Depending on the outcomes of this weekends games, the Bobcats will either be the third seed, with a Sacred Heart loss and a Robert Morris/Long Island win, or a fourth seed with a Sacred Heart win, as Sacred Heart owns the tie breaker. A third seed will introduce a rematch against Monmouth University, while a fourth seed would be against undefeated Mount Saint Mary’s. 

The Bobcats enter the NEC Tournament for the fourth straight year, fifth overall, and are looking for their first trip in school’s history to the NEC Championship game after falling to Sacred Heart last year and Monmouth the two previous seasons, while the Bobcats are still searching for that illusive second seed or higher in the NEC Tournament, their goal now is their first NEC Tournament win.

Bobcats Finish 13th at Rain-Shortened New England Championships

Bobcats Finish 13th at Rain-Shortened New England Championships
By Jeremy Schilling

The Quinnipiac University Bobcats continued their spring 2007 season with a tie for 13^th at the rain-shortened New England Championships April 14-15 in Providence, Rhode Island. Due to the weekend nor’easter, play on the 15^th was rained out. In the team portion of the event, the Bobcats shot a 321, tying with Dartmouth. Sacred Heart University won that portion of the event with a score of 296. Due to the rainout of the second day, two players tied for the individual title. Army’s Pat Beverly and Brown’s Larry Haertel both finished with 71.

Individually for the Bobcats, Ben Cook played the best and finished with a 76. He was followed by Steve Velardi with 77, Kyle Chumas with 82, and Eric Snow and Ian O’Connor, who both had 88.

Head Coach John O’Connor said the performance was “somewhat disappointing but [did] show some signs that the team is beginning to grind out some good holes.”

The Bobcats continue their season with the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational April 20-21 at the Quail Valley Golf Club in
Littleston, PA.

Stottler Lifts Bobcats In Overtime Thriller

Stottler Lifts Bobcats In Overtime Thriller
By Zach Smart

Mike Stottler knew at the season’s start that being plunged into a leadership role would entail coming through in the clutch, something the Quinnipiac men’s lacrosse team hasn’t done enough of in recent years.

Stottler, the Bobcats senior captain and scoring leader, has been the go-to-guy when the game’s on the line. He’s responded to pressure in crunch time, leaving many jaws dropped in the process.

Against Hartford on April 12, the nerveless midfielder deposited a shot in the back of the net just 38 seconds into overtime to lift the Bobcats to a much-needed 8-7 victory. The win snapped a three-game skid.

On April 14, in a non-league game against in-state foe Sacred Heart at the turf field, Stottler and Quinnipiac were in a similar position. The score was deadlocked, 9-9, with just a few ticks remaining. The Bobcats, who suffered a critical 10-9 loss to Denver after failing to piece together a scoring attempt during their final possession, needed someone to step up.

Stottler didn’t flinch.

He scooped up a groundball and blasted a shot past goaltender Ricardo Vargas as the overtime buzzer sounded, lifting the Bobcats to a 10-9 victory before a stunned yet excited crowd of 574. With the win, the ‘Cats improved to 5-5 on the year.

It was the most coach Erik Fekete and the Bobcats could have asked from their leader, especially in a game of this magnitude. This was for bragging rights. It was for a second consecutive victory that would build confidence for upcoming Great Western Lacrosse League action, against some of the same players whom the Bobcats play on summer teams with.

Both teams reeled off strong runs in a back-and-forth battle of a game.

The ‘Cats forced overtime after Tucker Prudden’s shot tied it up with 2:54 remaining in regulation.

Stottler had five goals to lead all scorers. Prudden chipped in with three.

Freshman Jamie Prudden, Tucker’s younger brother, received his second start of the year after Roger Fish was relegated to the bench. Prudden stopped seven shots while allowing nine to get the “W.”

Moore Moves, Moore Rumors

Moore Moves, Moore Rumors
By Zach Smart

Since Tom Moore’s arrival from the prestigious University of Connecticut, rumors have swindled around campus.

Moore, who recently appointed Eric Eaton, an associate head coach via Albany, as his 2nd assistant coach, is off to the recruiting trails.

After Ben Eaves, one of UConn’s two players who recently signed a transfer waiver, decided on Rhode Island, a source revealed that Rob Garrison (the other player transferring) may be headed to Quinnipiac.

Garrison, a point guard who scouts feel should have weighed his prep school options before deciding on UConn, decided it was in his best interest to transfer back on March 22.

Huskies coach Jim Calhoun supported Garrison’s decision all the way. Calhoun said during a press conference that he will help Garrison find the right fit for him, after the floor general played second, third, and fourth fiddle to guys like Marcus Williams, A.J. Price, Craig Austrie, and combo guard Doug Wiggins.

With Moore filling the vacant head coaching spot, the 6-foot-2 sophomore from Niagara Falls, N.Y. could be headed 40 minutes down the road. This, of course, is just word around the campfire.

Moore has been actively pursuing West Haven’s Charoy Bentley, a high-octane combo guard who averaged 23 points and handed out 136 assists to lead Harding High (Bridgeport) this past season. Moore was slated to meet with Bentley in Bridgeport on Friday, according to the New Haven Register (http://www.nhregister.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18209871&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=517515&rfi=8).

Bentley, the lone Connecticut kid to catch an invite to the ABCD camp last summer, scored over 1,600 career points while playing under his father, Charlie Bentley, at Harding. You can check out his game-by-game stats this year through Max Preps (http://www.maxpreps.com/FanPages/Player.mxp/AthleteID-e3bbd3f8-49d4-4e1f-9beb-dab602de2918/SchoolID-b9a00000-0b3d-40ce-a415-e03f3c4b3d7a/Boys_Varsity_Basketball_Winter_05-06/Connecticut/AreaID-d0527dd3-223f-4fae-bf8b-56067d4d113b).

Joe Trapani, a standout freshman forward at the University of Vermont, shocked the America East world this week when he announced he is leaving school. The 6-foot-7 Trapani averaged 11.4 points and five boards—including a 25-point performance against the Bobcats in a 101-87 win Dec. 23.

Trapani said he’s leaving due to personal matters. Coach Mike Lonergan recently told the Register he has no idea for
Trapani’s decision to leave. He feels that by transferring, Trapani is “making a big mistake” and “setting the program back.” (http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=6362458)

Why is Trapani leaving Vermont after emerging as the Catamounts second leading scorer during a successful freshman campaign that ended with an NIT appearance?

I’m not certain, but what I do know is this: Trapani is from Madison, a beach town not far from Quinnipiac, and may want to stay closer to home.

Bobcats Fall Short On Senior Day

Bobcats Fall Short On Senior Day
By Zach Smart

For Quinnipiac coach Dani Caro and the Women’s Lacrosse team, it has morphed into a typical headliner of the season.

An opponent reels of a potent spurt in the first half, the Bobcats claw back in a second-half clock fight.

“We’re a team that likes to respond,” explained senior Sophia Pantelides after a recent down-to-the-wire loss against Mount St. Mary’s.

The captain’s words echoed in sophomore middie Tiffany Manzi. “In general, we’re a more put-together team in the second half.”

The trend continued for the Bobcats on Friday, April 13. The second half surge didn’t work in the Bobcats’ favor. The visiting Sacred Heart Pioneers ate up the clock in alligator-size bites, holding off another promising attack that the Bobcats wouldn’t unleash until late in the second half.

Down 8-1 early, the Bobcats came roaring back from a 9-4 halftime deficit, ripping off a 7-4 run to pull within two goals after Tiffany Manzi’s shot found the back of the net with 7:46 remaining.

The Pioneers held strong, however, moving the ball inside the restraining line to run out the clock. Sacred Heart was composed, playing sound defense to prevent the Bobcats from threatening their lead.

Opportunities emerged for the Bobcats, but they couldn’t capitalize and prolong the rally. After Quinnipiac committed a costly turnover inside the eight-meter arc, all hopes of a comeback died out. The Pioneers regained possession, cleared the ball, and burned clock time with 3:45 to go, en route to a 13-11 victory before an announced crowd of 212 on the Bobcats’ senior day.

The loss drops the Bobcats to third place in the Northeast Conference, behind Mount St. Mary’s and Monmouth, respectively. With a win, the ‘Cats would have jumped into a second-place logjam with the Hawks, who are off to a sizzling 11-4 start overall. Mount St. Mary’s now holds sole possession of first place.

Wedged in between a pair of relentless 4-0 Pioneer runs was a Katie Latonick goal that put the bleeding on hold.

Nicole Fiore wrapped around the back of the net and set up Latonick, who fired a shot near the borderline of the crease.

Freshman middie Lyndsey Banach thwarted the second 4-0 run with back-to-back goals, the first of which ignited a 3-0 run.

Just 19 seconds after Banach’s second goal, Latonick concluded the run with her second goal of the game.

For much of the first half, the two teams were engaged in a game of momentum tennis. The ball was on Sacred Heart’s court first.

Maureen Hohn’s goal kick-started the run, which gave the Pioneers a 8-1 advantage before the Bobcats answered with three consecutive goals.

The Pioneers outscored the Bobcats 4-3 the first 14 minutes of the second half.

Quinnipiac answered with a goal on a free position shot from Ashley Valentine, followed by even goals from Meghan Latonick, Katy Delagi, and Tiffany Manzi.

Like the Mount St. Mary’s loss, the surge was too little, too late. The Bobcats were handed their second NEC loss of the season and second home loss in two years.

The Bobcats outshot the Pioneers by 28-26 margin and scooped up 14 of the game’s 26 groundballs.

Chelsea Wagner got the victory in net, stopping 11 shots on 22 chances. The Bobcats’ Hannah Nelson made eight saves on 21 chances.

Banach scored a game-high four goals, establishing a new career-high. Sophomore middie Ashley Valentine, fresh off an NEC Player of the Week honor, paced Quinnipiac with three assists.

It was an emotional pre-game ceremony for the Bobcats. Kara Cornelius, Kristen McCarthy, Pantelides, and Meghan Turner—all of whom have played significant roles on and off the field—were honored. The quartet of seniors will be sorely missed next season.

Revisiting a Golf Course that Has Pained – Quinnipiac Plays in the Monmouth University Invitational

Revisiting a Golf Course that Has Pained – Quinnipiac Plays in the Monmouth University Invitational
by Jeremy Schilling

It is not often that you get to go home from college, and still be able to watch one of your teams. So it was pure coincidence that while I was home on April 1^st, Quinnipiac was competing in the Monmouth University Hawk Invitational at the Eagle Ridge Golf Club. It’s also super rare that I happened to know the golf course they were playing. But having played it four times, struggling in all four rounds, I was very excited at the prospect of being able to watch college golfers on a course I knew so well.

The conditions were rough – cold, dank, windy, with sprinkles of rain here and there. In just minutes you could tell these were not the best conditions for scoring nor comfort for the gallery members. Yet as a result, I saw some great play – players using spin to stop shots out of the rough or on upslopes, as well as hitting long tee shots, and making great putt. But there was some bad play – balls barely made contact with on heavy slopes and putts from short range missed.

But what stood out to my dad and me was the players’ swings. These players did not have the most technically sound swings – there were obvious swing faults to even somewhat trained eyes – but they stuck with them, and with remarkable consistency. They hit many shots right on line, leaving themselves excellent birdie chances. It was very evident they have grooved these sometimes flawed swings over years and years of preparation, practice, and performance to make them their OWN swings, and ones they can rely on under pressure.

Besides the performance of the players, the other thing that stood out to my dad and me on that day was how many gallery members showed up. Some were Monmouth fans who didn’t have much of a trip to make, but there were a couple of Sacred Heart fans and others from other teams who made the trip, braving the cold. It truly shows that even though the tournaments may be a long distance away, fans will always follow their children and their teams, demonstrating the devotion we expect of true sports fans.