Fiacchi Earns Spot On 2013 CFPA Quarterback Award Watch List

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- College Football Performance Awards, the largest awards organization in D-I college football, recently announced its watch list for the 2013 CFPA FCS Quarterback Award, and UAlbany quarterback Will Fiacchi earned a spot on the list. The preliminary watch list highlights thirty-two returning performers, vying for the top quarterback honor in the Football Championship Subdivision.

In 2012, Fiacchi led UAlbany to a 9-2 overall record. He completed 188-of-309 passes for 2,156 yards. He contributed 11 passing touchdowns with only 5 interceptions, adding two touchdowns on the ground.

"Congratulations to Will Fiacchi on earning a spot on the 2013 CFPA Quarterback Award Watch List," stated CFPA Executive Director Brad Smith. "Fiacchi's contributions were key to UAlbany's success in its final season of NEC play."

The CFPA Watch List is a rough guide to returning performers for the 2013 season. All CFPA recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. All players are eligible for awards at their respective positions; players are not preemptively eliminated from consideration.

Currently, there are 111 CFPA recipients listed on official 2013 NFL rosters. More than 130 CFPA recipients have signed professional contracts, and twenty-one have been first-round NFL Draft selections. Past CFPA recipients include: Colin Kaepernick, Trent Richardson, Dez Bryant, Von Miller, Patrick Peterson, Earl Thomas, Blair Walsh, Dennis Pitta, and C.J. Spiller.

Last season, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel earned the 2012 CFPA National Performer of the Year Trophy, while Harvard quarterback Colton Chapple earned the 2012 CFPA FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy. Multiple award presentations were broadcast live nationally on ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, as well as internationally on BYUtv.

Competition Fierce as Super DIRTcar Series Points Battle Nears

Competition Fierce as Super DIRTcar Series Points Battle Nears

Friesen, Varin, Hearn among those challenging Sheppard's Modified supremacy

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. - May 3, 2013 -After winning an unprecedented three consecutive Super DIRTcar Series championships, Matt Sheppard clearly has established himself as the Big-Block Modified driver to beat. Sheppard, though, will have his hands full when the 2013 season opens with the Hall of Fame 60 on Wednesday, June 5, at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge, N.Y.

The best in the business will be racing to unseat "Super Matt" from his championship throne. Drivers like Hearn, Friesen and Phelps will be have a target on Sheppard's No. 9s FX Caprara Car Co./Xtreme Lubricants/Bicknell.

Here are some of the superstars attempting to capture the 2013 Super DIRTcar Series crown:

Brett Hearn: Close Call

Brett Hearn, of Sussex, N.J., fell short of Sheppard by just 45 points last year, even after missing two tour races because of illness. The Madsen Motorsports/B.H. Racing Enterprises No. 20 driver claimed some of the most impressive victories, flying from a 23rd starting spot for the win at Lebanon Valley Speedway's Mr. DIRT Track U.S.A., staying strong for the victory in Orange County Fair Speedway's Eastern States 200, winning the coveted VP Small Engine Fuels 200 trophy during NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week, and wrapping it up with a victory during the World Finals in Charlotte.

Hearn started off the 2013 season strong, with a victory at the Super DIRTcar Series Florida Tour finale during UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment, giving him momentum going into the first points race of the seriesJune 5at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park.

Stewart Friesen: Bonus Points

Stewart Friesen, another strong title contender, demonstrated his skill numerous times on Syracuse's "Moody Mile" at the New York State Fairgrounds, but his lack of home track points kept him from scoring a high rank in the series. This year, the native of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, added Albany-Saratoga Speedway to his weekly schedule, qualifying him for those integral home track bonus points.

"Hopefully we seat ourselves well with the home track points at Albany-Saratoga and can put some stuff together to hit the whole (Super DIRTcar) Series," said Friesen, who in 2010 became the first Canadian to win the NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week Big-Block Modified championship race.

In addition to adopting a DIRTcar sanctioned home track in 2013, Friesen is teaming up with Brett Deyo, of BD Motorsports Media, to promote a Super DIRTcar Series race. The Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. "Dirty Jersey 60" brings the Big-Block Modified tour to New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway on Wednesday, June 19.

"Brett Deyo is a great friend of mine and we talked a little at the end of the 2012 season about getting together and promoting a race. We were going to do it, and we both knew that New Egypt Speedway in New Jersey would be a great location," Friesen said. "It's a premier facility and we didn't have to think twice about who we were going to bring for an event. We wanted to bring the premier modified organization, and that's DIRTcar."

Due to the event's location, Friesen expects the "Dirty Jersey 60" to match the best of the Northeast and Canada with some of the most talented drivers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and some of the other mid-Atlantic states.

"Billy Pauch, Jimmy Horton, Ryan Godown- a lot of the big names down there - don't necessarily make it to all the series events, so it's something that's going to be kind of an all-star event," Friesen said. "The SuperDIRTcarSeries brings a lot of the northern guys, a lot of Canandiagua guys, who have never been to New Egypt. It's going to be the best race of the summer."

Bobby Varin: Ready to Travel

Bobby Varin, winner at last year's The Big Show 4 at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, may also have some tricks up his sleeve for the 2013 season. With more help preparing race cars, Varin said he will have more time to travel hopes to compete in most of the Super DIRTcar Series races.

"We're going to try and hit those shows as often as we can," said Varin, who plans on towing the No. 00 and the Atlas Paving 66 to Super DIRTcar Series shows. "We've always been fairly competitive when we show up to these events and we've got a number of Super DIRT Series wins, so I feel pretty confident that we can compete."

Like Friesen, Varin did not have the opportunity to pick up home track bonus points in 2012. This year, however, his points from Orange County Fair Speedway stand to put him in contention for top spots. Add in Varin's demonstrated strength in long-distance races, and both Sheppard and Hearn will have their work cut out staying ahead.

"I feel fairly confident that we'll be in good shape for the extra-distance races,"Varin said. "It gives you a chance to get in the car, shake the car out, get a good feel for what's going on, then adjust as a driver, and see what you can come up with at the end of the night."

Pete Britten: Confident after Success "Down Under"

Australian Pete Britten barely took time off this winter, claiming two dirt modified wins in his home country. His confidence showed in February's UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment when Britten finished third in the first Super DIRTcar Series feature race.

"I think we're at the point where things are taking a bit of a turn. I honestly don't see a reason why we can't be challenging for wins every night of the week," said Britten, who finished third in points last year but is still working toward his first Super DIRTcar Series win. "These guys better look out because I'm really confident as a driver, and I'm confident in my equipment, and when you put those two together you'll be good."

Jimmy Phelps: Clean Slate

Jimmy Phelps, who was within shouting distance of the championship up until the very end of the 2012 season, aims at improving some of his weak spots early this long before his November haul to North Carolina for World Finals in Charlotte.

"Any time you've got a clean slate and a fresh shot at trying to make a new season out of it, it's exciting," said Phelps, of Baldwinsville, N.Y., who finished third in points last year."As usual, we've got the tools to get it done, we just have to make sure that we start running a little better at certain tracks and we've got our shot come Charlotte. We just have to get a little better and eliminate some of the mediocre finishes that really hurt us. You don't really notice them until you get to the end of the year and you're digging and clawing for 30 points that you left on the table further back. The next thing is to try and build some consistency and win some races and everything should fall into place."

Justin Haers: Building Up for a Win

Justin Haers, of Phelps, N.Y., came close to a win at UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment, and said his program is strong enough going into the 2013 season to get even closer.

"Each year we just keep building on our program, and we keep getting better and better, and that's all you can ask for," said Haers, who finished fourth in points last year.



Matt Sheppard: Keeping It Together

With increasing competition in this year's Super DIRTcar Series point battle, Sheppard said his team has what it takes for another successful season -"a lot of hard work, a good motor program, a great car."

"You have to have your whole program together, and, basically, you really have to keep it together,"said Sheppard, of Waterloo, N.Y. "I think our program is a little better, but it's too early to see."

He'll set his sights on a fourth consecutive championship on Wednesday, June 5, at Rolling Wheels.

Danny Johnson: The Doctor Is In

Danny Johnson, of Rochester, N.Y., finished fifth in points in 2012 and continues to run with Canandaigua Motorsports Park as his home track in 2013. Rich Scagliotta, eighth in points last year, continues to travel with Britten to Super DIRTcar Series events.

Rob Bellinger: Star on the Rise

Rob Bellinger, of Dexter, N.Y.,was ninth in points in 2012, and is especially looking forward to running the big shows, such as the Hall of Fame 60 at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park and the VP Small Engine Fuels 200 during NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week.


2013 Super DIRTcar Series: Potential Driver Entry List

(Entry list also available at www.superdirtcarseries.com/drivers/746-2013-potential-driver-entry-list.

No.	Driver	Home Town	Home Track
0	Dan Humes	Cannan, Conn.	Lebanon Valley
1h	Tim Hindley	Monticello, N. Y.	Orange County
1Jr	Stewart Friesen	Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario	Albany-Saratoga
1Jr	Jason Herrington	Troy, N. Y.	Lebanon Valley
1ny	Greg Atkins	Keeseville, N. Y.	Airborne
1	Darwin Greene	Susquehanna, Penn.
1	David Hebert	St-Danase, Quebec	Granby
1	Chris Raabe	Napanee, Ontario	Mohawk Int'l
2RJ	Ronnie Johnson	Duanesburg, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
3a	Kevin Albert	Lebanon, Penn
3b	Chad Brachmann	Sanborn, N. Y.	Ransomville
3d	Matt Delorenzo	Cropseyville, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
3e	Eric Gabany	Mercer, Penn.	Lernerville
3J	Marc Johnson	Guilderland, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
3M	Henry Maier	Spencerport, N. Y.
3	Mark Frankhouser	Altoona, Penn.	Lernerville
3	Justin Haers	Phelps, N. Y.	Canandaigua
3	Mark Kislowski	Ballston Lake, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
4*	Tim McCreadie	Watertown, N. Y.
4J	Shane Pecore	St. Andrews West, Ontario
4k	Jasmin Leveillee	Prevost, Quebec
4	Daryl Hilkert	Canandaigua, N. Y.	Canandaigua
5*	Tyler Siri	Watkins Glen, N. Y.	Canandaigua
5	Jimmy Horton	Neshanic Station, N. J.
6m	Mat Williamson	St. Catherines, Ontario - Canada	Merrittville
6ny	Kevin Bates	Lake Ariel, Penn.
6x	Jackie Brown	Hurley, N. Y.	Orange County
6	Brandon Easey	St. Catharines, Ontario
6	Carl Murdick	Butler, Penn.	Sharon
6	Pat O'Brien	Kingston, Ontario
7x	Steve Paine	Waterloo, N.Y.	Canandaigua
7	Tim Kerr	Picton, Ontario
7	Rick Laubach	Quakertown, Pennsylvania
7	Don Ronca	Clifton Park, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
007	Roy Tarbell	Hogansburg, N. Y.	Mohawk Int'l
8J	Dean Pearson	Harrisville, Penn.	Sharon
8R	Rob Bellinger	Dexter, N. Y.	Canandaigua
8	Jimmy Cottrell II	Rock City Falls, NY	Albany Saratoga
8	Rich Scagliotta	Hillsborough, N. J.	Canandaigua
9s	Matt Sheppard	Waterloo, N. Y	Canandaigua
10J	Alan Johnson	Middlesex, N. Y.	Canandaigua
10s	Dylan Scribner	East Greenbush, N. Y.	Lebanon Valley
10	Tim Currier	Auburn, N. Y.	Canandaigua
10	Rich Eurich	Warwick, N. Y.	Orange County
10	Patrick McGrail	Candiac, Quebec	Airborne
11a	Kyle Armstrong	New Milford, Conn.	Lebanon Valley
12	Chad Chevalier	Port Colborne, Ontario
13s	Toney Steiner	Jamesville, N. Y.
14a	Brian Swarthout	Beaver Dams, N. Y.
14e	Rich Eurich	Warwick, N. Y.	Orange County
14x	Don Scarborough	Brandon, Vt.	Albany-Saratoga
14	C. G. Morey	Rutland, Vt.	Albany Saratoga
15J	Tim Jones	Sanborn, N. Y.
16	Kyle Hoffman	Averill Park, N. Y.	Lebanon Valley
16	Gage Morin	St. Andrews West, Ontario
16	Lance Willix II	Theresa, N. Y.
17c	Chris Steele	Fenwick, Ontario
17d	Danny O'Brien	Inverary, Ontario
17	Marcus Dinkins	Montour Falls, N. Y.	Canandaigua
17	Rob Pitcher		Lebanon Valley
17	Elmo Reckner	Ballston Lake, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
17	Marc Therrien	Williamstown, Ontario
18	Neil Stratton	North Bennington, Vt.	Albany Saratoga
19w	Justin Wright	Piffard, N. Y.	Canandaigua
20Q	Matt Quinn		Lebanon Valley
20	Brett Hearn	Sussex, N. J.	Albany/LVS
21a	Pete Britten	Spencerport, N. Y./Brisbaine, Queensland, Australia	Albany/Canandaigua
21J	Jeff Trombley	Altamont, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
21K	Randy Chrysler	Lewiston, N. Y.
21m	Bob McGannon	Garnerville, N. Y.	Orange County
T21	Roger Chrysler	Lewiston, N. Y.
21	Yan Bussiere	Drummondville, Quebec
21	Derrick Podsiadlio	Penn Yan, N. Y.	Canandaigua
22c	Mario Clair	Drummondville, Quebec
22j	Gino Clair	St-Germain, Quebec
22J	Jeremy Wilder	Fort Plain, N. Y.	Albany-Saratoga
22	Larry Lampman, Jr.	Port Colborne, Ontario
22	Gil Tegg, Jr.	Rochester, N. Y.	Canandaigua
23b	Danny Bilodeau	Victoriaville, Quebec
23	Laurent Ladouceur	Alexandria, Ontario	Mohawk Int'l
23	Billy VanInwegen	Sparrowbush, N. Y.	Orange County
24dc	Devin Caron	Cornwall, Ontario
24	Patrick Dupree	Saranac Lake, N. Y.	Airborne
24	Chris Shultz	Pawling, N. Y.	Orange County
25	Bobby Herrington	Kingston, Ontario
25	Mike Kolka	Circleville, N. Y.	Orange County
26	Rick Richner	Niagara Falls, N. Y.
27J	Danny Johnson	Rochester, N. Y.	Canandaigua
27R	Dave Reges	Butler, Penn.	Lernerville
37	Jusin Barber	Gansevoort, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
28P	Eldon Payne, Jr.	Hopewell, N. Y.	Canandaigua
28	Todd Gordon	Thorold, Ontario
29	Chris Ostrowsky	Conklin, N. Y.
31	Jim Weller, Jr.	Hubbard, Ohio	Sharon
32c	Vic Coffey	Caledonia, N. Y.	Canandaigua
33	John Lieto	Mount Kisco, N. Y.	Orange County
33	Tommy Meier	Walkwick, N. J.	Orange County
34b	Andy Bachetti	Great Barrington, Mass.	Lebanon Valley
35	Mike Perrotte	Elizabethtown, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
37md	Jeramiah Shingledecker	Polk, Penn.	Lernerville
37s	Kenny Cosgrove	Allanburg, Ontario
37	Paul St-Sauveur	La Presentation, Quebec
38	Luke Whitteker	Iroquois, Ontario
38	Scott Wood	Thorold, Ontario
39	Dustin Delaney	Mayfield, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
39	Clément Therrien	Victoriaville, Quebec
40	Joel Doiron	Alexandria, Ontario
41	Chris Busta	Ballston Lake, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
42P	Matt Pupello	East Greenbush, N. Y.	Lebanon Valley
42P	Pat Ward	Genoa, N. Y.
42	Pete Bicknell	St. Catharines, Ontario	Merrittville
43	Keith Flach	Ravena, N. Y.	Albany/LVS
44	Sébastien Gougeon	Drummondville, Quebec
45J	Wayne Jelley	Pittsfield, Mass.	Lebanon Valley
45	Steve Feder	Butler, Penn.	Lernerville
46	Kayle Robidoux	St. Constant, Quebec
48Too	Dave Rauscher	Waterloo, N. Y.	Canandaigua
49	François Bernier	Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
49	Billy Dunn	Watertown, N. Y.	Canandaigua
54	Steve Bernard	Granby, Quebec
55k	Mike King	Nassau, N. Y.	Lebanon Valley
55	Dexter Stacey	Kahnawake, Quebec
56	Vince Vitale	Phoenix, N. Y.	Canandaigua
57	Colton Chappius	Holly, N. Y.
57	Donnie Corellis	Averill Park, N. Y.	Lebanon Valley
60	Brian Berger	Castleton, N. Y.	Lebanon Valley
61	Dave Murdick	Slippery Rock, Penn.	Sharon
62s	Tom Sears, Jr.	Clay, N. Y.
63	Dominic Dufault	Ste-Victoire de Sorel, Quebec
65	Rex King	Bristolville, Ohio	Sharon
66w	Wallace Stacey	Kahnawake, Quebec
66x	Carey Terrance	Hogansburg, N. Y.	Mohawk Int'l
66	Kyle Dingwall	South Dundas, Ontario
66	Billy Pauch, Jr.	Frenchtown, N. J.
67	Dave Small	Port Colborne, Ontario
69	Tom Mattocks	Grove City, Penn.	Sharon
71	Mike Bowman	St. Catharines, Ontario
71	Delbert LeGrow	Massena, N. Y.
72	Tommy Flannigan	Port Robinson, Ontario
73Jr	Mathieu Boivert	Doraval, Quebec
73	Alain Boisvert	Lachine, Quebec
74F	Tim Fuller	Watertown, N. Y.
74	Matt Billings	Brockville, Ontario
76	Travis Braun	St. Catharines, Ontario
77F	Mark Flach, Jr.	Selkirk, N. Y.	Lebanon Valley
77x	Dale Planck	Cortland, N. Y.
83x	Tim Sears, Jr.	Clay, N. Y.
83	Brian Swartzlander	Natrona Heights, Penn.	Lernerville
84	Gary Tomkins	Clifton Springs, N. Y.	Canandaigua
85	Jim Davis	Ballston Spa, N. Y.
87	Hector Stratton	Bennington, Vt.	Albany Saratoga
88	Dave Allen	Palmyra, N. Y.	Canandaigua
88	Shawn Fleeger	Butler, Penn.	Lernerville
88	Tim O'Brien	Kingston, Ontario
88	Shayne Pierce	Welland, Ontario
89b	Todd Burley	Spencerport, N. Y.	Ransomville
91	Billy Decker	Sidney, N. Y.
91	Chad Homan	Macedon, N. Y.	Canandaigua
93x	Craig Mitchell	Poughkeepsie, N. Y.	Orange County
96b	Bob Warren	Slippery Rock, Penn.	Sharon
96	Fred Carlton	Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
96	Mike Turner	Butler, Penn.	Lernerville
97	Michel Chicoine	Ste-Cecile De Milton, Quebec
97	Jerry Higbie	Middletown, N. Y.	Orange County
97	Bobby Varin	Johnstown, N. Y.	Orange County
98H	Jimmy Phelps	Baldwinsville, N. Y.	Canandaigua
98s	Kolby Schroder	Poughkeepsie, N. Y.	Lebanon Valley
98	Eddie Marshall	Ridgefield, Conn.	Lebanon Valley
99L	Larry Wight	Baldwinsville, N. Y.
99	Bruno Lepage	Maple Grove, Quebec
101	Jimmy Burns	Delanson, N. Y.	Lebanon Valley
108	Bill Bleich	Port Robinson, Ontario
115	Stephane LaFrance	St. Albert, Ontario
115	Kenny Tremont, Jr.	West Sand Lake, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
151	Brian McDonald	Conwall, Ontario	Mohawk Int'l
165	Rex King, Jr.	Bristolville, Ohio	Sharon
172	Andre Gauthier	Granby, Quebec
188	David Papinea	Akwesasne, Ontario	Mohawk Int'l
323	Neal Williams	Pittsgrove, N. J.
667	Matt Depew	Argyle, N. Y.	Albany Saratoga
747	Ryan Godown	Ringoes, N. J.
777	Kevin Bolland	New Brighton, Penn.	Lernerville
816	Jeff Rockefeller	Scotia, N. Y.

Women’s Lacrosse Takes Home Major Conference Awards

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – For the first time in program history, the University at Albany women’s lacrosse took home all three major America East Conference end of the year awards, one outright and two shared on Thursday, May 2. Senior attack Rachael Burek split Player of the Year honors with Stony Brook attack Demianne Cook. Redshirt-freshman Rachel Bowles shared Rookie of the Year with New Hampshire’s Lindsey McHoul. Head coach John Battaglino was named Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons at UAlbany. Burek is having arguably one of the best seasons in a Great Dane uniform. The senior attack is on the cusp of re-writing the UAlbany record book and began with the program’s individual record of points in a single game with 11 (4g, 7a) against Binghamton on April 20. Her fourth goal against Binghamton made her the 10th Great Dane to hit the 100-goal plateau. Her 49 assists are tied with Taylor Frink’s 2011 record for most assists in a single season and her 79 points are five shy of breaking Frink’s 2011 record for most points in a single season. For her career, she is third all-time at UAlbany in assists with 62 and 20 behind Frink’s career record of 82. Bowles has fit into the UAlbany offense well in her first full season. The redshirt-freshman midfielder leads all freshmen in the conference and is second on the team in scoring with 33 goals. The Cicero, N.Y. native tallied five America East Rookie of the Week honors, which is the most that any Great Dane has taken home in a season and is tied for second all-time in conference history behind Boston University’s Jenny Hauser’s six in 2005. Coach Battaglino has recorded the best start as a Great Dane head coach in program history. In his first three seasons, Battaglino’s squad has recorded double-digit wins in every season. With just two seniors on the roster, Battaglino has guided his team to an 11-4 record this season. He boasts the nation’s fourth best defense (allowing 7.40 goals/game) and ninth best offense (scoring 14.40 goals/game). Along with Burek, senior midfielder Jess Antelmi and junior defender Kathleen Lennon were named to the 2013 America East All-Conference First Team. Antelmi has been on a tear on offense, scoring 24 goals in the last five games with an eight-goal performance on Senior Day against Vermont. The Clarksville, N.Y. native leads her team in scoring and is fourth in the conference with 42 goals. Lennon has been dominant in the draw control circle, tallying a conference-best 96 draw controls. She is averaging 6.40 draw controls per game, which is third best in the nation. The Sea Cliff, N.Y. native is five draw controls of breaking both the program’s and the conference’s record for draw controls in a season of 100 held by UAlbany’s own Nikki Branchini set in 2011. Ariana Parker was the lone Great Dane on the America East All-Conference Second Team. This is the third straight season the junior midfielder has been featured on an America East All-Conference squad. Parker has played a dual role this season, playing a crucial role on both sides of the field. Offensively, she has recorded her third straight seasons of 20-plus goals. On defense, she is second on the team with 19 caused turnovers and third in ground balls at 20. The Port Ewen, N.Y. native became the ninth Great Dane in program history to record at least 100 goals in a career this season. With Bowles, freshman midfielder Christine Johnson was added to the America East All-Rookie squad. Johnson has played in 13 games this season, recording seven points on four goals and three assists. The Reading, Mass. Native has also tallied six ground balls, 10 draw controls and one caused turnover. All-Conference members Antelmi, Burek and Parker also impressed in the classroom to be selected on the 13-member All-Academic team. Burek’s 3.54 GPA in business administration put her on the squad for third consecutive season. Antelmi’s 3.31 GPA in mathematics garnered her back-to-back selections. Parker accrued a 3.32 GPA in psychology for her first nod on the team. The Great Danes, in search for their third straight conference tournament championship, will begin with a battle against No. 3 New Hampshire in the semifinals on Friday, May 3 at LaValle Stadium. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be viewed for free on AmericaEast.com.

SYRACUSE ADVANCES TO BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH 9-3 WIN OVER NOTRE DAME

VILLANOVA, Pa. – Junior Derek Maltz (Ashburn, Va.) and senior JoJo Marasco (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) each had four points to lead second-seeded Syracuse (12-3) to a 9-3 win against No. 3 seed Notre Dame (10-4) in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship Thursday, May 2 at Villanova Stadium. Maltz recorded two goals and two assists, and Marasco finished with four assists to tie Paul Gait’s school season record for most assists by a midfielder (34 in 1990).

The Orange advances to the conference championship game for the second straight year and will face either Georgetown or Villanova Saturday, May 4 at 12 p.m. on ESPNU.

In addition to Marasco and Maltz sparking the offense, Syracuse received a tremendous effort from its defense for the second time in six days against the Irish. Last Saturday, Notre Dame scored a season-low four goals against the Orange. Syracuse did even better Thursday, limiting the Irish to three goals. The Orange kept Notre Dame off the scoreboard for a stretch of 35:19 from the second to the fourth quarter and helped force 15 Irish turnovers.

“I thought the defense, once again, was superb,” Orange head coach John Desko said. “They just played solid all game long. When they did have some good opportunities, I thought Dom (Lamolinara) made some great saves today. As a result, I think that’s why the score was the way it was.”

With the defense keeping the Irish at bay, the Orange offense scored three goals in the last four minutes of the second quarter to take a 5-2 halftime lead. Redshirt freshman Dylan Donahue (Camillus, N.Y.) started the scoring spree by finishing a Maltz feed in transition with 3:14 left in the half. Less than a minute later, Maltz dished to redshirt sophomore Hakeem Lecky (Duxbury, Mass.) who fired past Notre Dame goalie John Kemp to make it a 4-2 advantage. Sophomore Kevin Rice (Skaneateles, N.Y.) capped the first-half scoring by converting a Marasco feed at the 1:25 mark of the period.

In the third quarter, Syracuse continued to pour it on as Maltz scored back-to-back goals to extend the Orange advantage to 7-2. The Orange lead eventually swelled to seven (9-2) before Nick Ossello notched the last goal of the game, finally snapping the Notre Dame scoring drought.

Lamolinara anchored the defense with 10 saves, five in each half. Redshirt senior defenseman David Hamlin (New Hartford, N.Y.) also played a key role. Hamlin picked up two ground balls, caused one turnover and shut out Notre Dame leading scorer Matt Kavanagh.

Ossello, Tyler Kimball and Sean Rogers accounted for Notre Dame’s three goals. The Irish also got 15 saves from Kemp in the loss.

Game Notes: Syracuse improved to 6-0 against top 10 teams this season and 3-0 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament play with the victory … Marasco’s four assists is an Orange BIG EAST Tournament record … Redshirt sophomore Peter Macartney (Evergreen, Colo.) collected a season-high five ground balls … Lecky finished the game with two goals … He has four goals in two games against Notre Dame this season … For Kavanagh, it was the second time in 14 games this year he was held without a point … The other was March 9 versus Hofstra … The 35:19 scoring drought was the longest for an Orange opponent this season.

B-Mets Baffled in Series Finale, 9-1

BINGHAMTON, NY – Erie starter Kyle Lobstein took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and led the SeaWolves past the Binghamton Mets by a 9-1 score on Thursday night at NYSEG Stadium. The B-Mets were held to a season-low two hits in their second straight loss.


The SeaWolves grabbed an early lead, plating the first run of the game three batters in against B-Mets starter Logan Verrett. Daniel Fields led off the game with a single, stole second and scored on a double from Ramon Cabrera.



Erie put the game out of reach with five runs in the fifth. The first four batters reached safely on singles. Marcus Lemon doubled the lead with an RBI single and two runs came home when Cabrera beat out a potential inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. Tyler Collins put an emphatic cap on the inning with a two-run homer to left.



Verrett (4-1) was tagged for six runs on eight hits in his first Double-A loss. The righty tossed six innings without walking any SeaWolves. He struck out just one, the fewest strikeouts he has collected in any of his pro starts.



Erie kept the offense going against reliever Josh Edgin in the seventh. Hernan Perez looped a triple down the right field line and Cabrera walked to set the table for Collins. The left fielder blasted a payoff pitch to right for his second homer of the game and fourth of the series. The round-tripper gave Erie a 9-0 lead.



Meanwhile, Lobstein easily handled the B-Mets lineup through the first six innings. Binghamton managed just two baserunners on an error and a walk. At one point, the southpaw retired 18 of 19 B-Mets.



Binghamton finally ended the no-hit bid in the seventh. After a throwing error and a walk put two aboard, Cesar Puello dumped a two-out RBI single into right field. The hit, which extended Puello’s hitting streak to nine games, plated Josh Rodriguez with Binghamton’s only run of the game.



Lobstein (3-2) finished the inning and earned his third win of the season. He allowed just one unearned run on one hit. The lefty walked two and struck out six. Will Startup and Justin Souza each posted shutout innings to secure the win.



The B-Mets (14-13) start a three-game series against the Harrisburg Senators at Metro Bank Park on Friday night at 7:00 PM. RHP Jacob deGrom (0-2, 4.91) opposes RHP Blake Treinen (2-3, 4.76). The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show begins at 6:45 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.



POSTGAME NOTES: The B-Mets were last no-hit by the Portland Sea Dogs on August 13, 2001…Binghamton has been held to one run and eight combined hits in their two homestand finales in 2013…Binghamton has lost consecutive games for the third time this season



Individual tickets for all Binghamton Mets 2013 home games are on sale now. Visit the NYSEG Stadium box office during regular operating hours, purchase them online at www.bmets.com or call the office at (607) 723-METS.



Be sure to follow the B-Mets on Facebook, Twitter and at the team’s official website (www.bmets.com) for more team information. Fans can also stay up to date with all the action on the field by visiting “B-Mets Buzz with Tim Heiman” at bmets.mlblogs.com.

UAlbany Softball Sweeps Army in Regular Season Home Finale

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The University at Albany softball team swept their regular season home finale as they twice defeated Army on Wednesday, May 1 at Albany Field. The Great Danes scraped together two victories behind the pitching of juniors Brittany MacFawn and Emily Ostrom. Junior Alexa Toole was the hero in game two with a walk-off bunt in extra innings. The purple and gold improved to 4-1 in extra's this year.

UAlbany (33-12, 13-1 AE) triumphed in game one, 3-1, as MacFawn went the distance for her 27^th complete game this season. A two-run fifth inning gave the Great Danes the lead and eventual victory.

After three scoreless innings, the Black Knights and UAlbany exchanged sac-fly’s to tie the game, 1-1, through four frames. . Freshman Maggie Cocks hit the Great Danes' sacrifice to drive-in senior Taylor Franich. Both Franich and junior Charlise Castro had stolen bases earlier in the inning.

From there, thee Great Danes would take control. It was freshman Annie Johnson, who showed she has more than just speed. The lead-off hitter rocketed her second homer of the season to left center. A two-run dinger and eventual game-winning runs.

MacFawn struck out eight, allowing five hits, one unearned run and one walk. Sophomore Morgan Lashley (24-11) took the loss for Army (30-22, 12-8 Patriot). She went five innings, allowing two hits, striking out two and walking three.

Game two would take nine innings as UAlbany again found a way to win. After blowing her first save of the season, MacFawn (24-6) rebounded to pitch through extra’s and record her second win of the day.

Similar to game one, the Great Danes scored three runs over two innings – one in the third and two in the fourth. First, in the third, UAlbany scored the game’s first run without recording a hit. Johnson reached on a fielder’s choice, driving-in sophomore Vicky McFarland.

The Great Danes extended their lead to 3-0 as junior Lauren Alcorn singled down the left field line to drive-in one, followed by freshman Kelly Costello hitting an RBI-double to center field . UAlbany had an opportunity to score more as they left two runners on base with one out.

Ostrom, who started game two, had left the bases loaded in the fifth inning and two-on in the third. She was finally touched for runs as two crossed the plate for Army in the top of the sixth. Freshman Bernadette Cardon hit a two-run double to bring the Black Knights back in striking range.

MacFawn looked to close the game in the final frame, but could not. A Castro fielding error scored freshman Christian McKone, tying the game 3-3. The game remained at three until the bottom of the ninth. It was Toole’s walk-off bunt that gave UAlbany the victory. It was her only hit on the day. She scored Costello.

Ostrom went six innings, allowing two runs and striking out one. MacFawn went three innings, striking out three. Her 11 strikeouts on the day put her four away from Casey Halloran’s 252 single-season K record. Braetana Roy (4-9) went 8.1 innings for Army. She allowed three earned runs, walking five and striking out four.

“We had excellent pitching today and manufactured runs at the right time,” said head coach Chris Cannata. “We need to continue to work on our hitting and giving our pitchers more run support heading into the weekend.”

UAlbany and Binghamton, who are currently separated by a half game in the conference standings, play a series for the No. 1 seed and 2013 America East Conference Tournament hosting rights. They play a doubleheader on Saturday, May 4 followed by a third game on Sunday, May 5. First pitch set for 1:00 p.m. and noon, respectively.

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Lyle Thompson And Coach Marr Headline End Of The Year Conference Awards

STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The University at Albany men’s lacrosse landed nine players on the America East All-Conference squad and featured sophomore attack Lyle Thompson as Player of the Year and Scott Marr as Coach of the Year on Wednesday, May 1.

Lyle, a 2013 Tewaaraton Award nominee, continues to add to his already impressive resume. The nation’s leader in both assists (3.79) and points (6.64) per game is the fourth Great Dane in program history to garner the conference’s Player of the Year honor. The Onondaga Nation, N.Y. native has recorded 93 points on 40 goals and 53 assists this season. His 93 points are second best in league history and 17 points behind conference leader John Grant’s(Delaware) 110 points set in the 1999 season. The 53 assists is a program best and is two assists shy of surpassing Grant’s record of 54 for the conference record.

Coach Marr has guided the Great Danes to memorable 2013 season which earned him his third Coach of the Year honor. Marr has coached UAlbany to wins over two storied programs on the road, Syracuse (16-15 OT) and Johns Hopkins (10-9). The two wins put the Great Danes in company with just one other team in NCAA history to accomplish the feat, Virginia back in 2009. Marr, an offensive-minded head coach, watches his run-and-gun offense lead the nation in scoring, averaging just under 16 goals per game (15.80). The 13-year head coach at UAlbany recorded his 100^th victory against Harvard on March 26.

Along with Lyle, Miles Thompson and Jon Newhouse were named to the America East All-Conference First Team. Miles, despite being hampered by injury this season, is fourth in the conference in points with 54. The junior attack had his best game of his career on the last day of the season, recording 14 points on five goals and nine assists against Stony Brook. The 14-point game shattered his brother Lyle’s 11-point game previously set against UMBC earlier this season and tied for the third highest point total in NCAA history (Air Force’s Bill Woolford – 16, John DiMento – 15). Newhouse, starting in 14 of the team’s 15 games, recorded the teams third highest ground ball total (39) and second highest caused turnover (19).

The Great Danes filled up six of the 13 possible positions on the America East All-Conference Second Team. Junior attack Ty Thompson tops the list, leading the team with 44 goals and is fifth in nation in goals per game at 2.93. In the midfield, Ryan Feuerstein and Mike Woods garnered their first all-conference accolades combined for 21 points on 16 goals and eight assists. The defense comprised of Cody Futia and Jack Nickla. Futia makes the squad for the second consecutive season, while Nickla makes it for the first time. Both defenders combined 31 ground balls and 23 caused turnovers. Freshman goalie Blaze Riorden has been impressive between the pipes in his rookie season. Riorden is tied for second in save percentage (51.2) and is second in both goals against average (11.35) and saves per game (11.33).

Freshmen Derrick Eccles, John Maloney and Kevin McNally joined Riorden on the America East All-Rookie Team. Maloney led the pack with 19 points on 16 goals and three assists, which was fifth best on the team. Eccles, a redshirt-freshman, and McNally combined for 15 goals and five assists.

Off the field, Futia shines in the classroom with a 3.74 GPA in business administration. His 3.74 GPA put him on the America East All-Academic squad for this first time in his career.

The Great Danes are in pursuit for their fifth America East Conference Tournament Championship and are matched up with No. 4 seed Stony Brook in the semifinals on Thursday, May 2 at LaValle Stadium. Game is slated for 7 p.m.

 

 

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