Press Release

BASKETBALL TEAMS PICKED 13TH IN NORTHEAST-10 PRESEASON POLL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                               FOR MORE INFORMATION November 3, 2005                                                                               Contact: Seth Cole                                                                                                          Phone: (802) 654-2537 COLCHESTER, Vt. – Both the Saint Michael's College men's and women's basketball teams were picked to finish 13th in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, released on Thursday. On the men's side, the Purple Knights received 44 points, edging Assumption College by eight points. Bentley College, the regular season champion a year ago, was selected as the preseason favorite with 218 points and 11 first-place votes. On the women's side, Saint Michael's received 43 points, besting Le Moyne College and Southern New Hampshire University by eight points apiece. American International College, which finished fourth in the conference last year, was chosen as the preseason favorite with 205 points and three first-place votes. The Purple Knight men, led by ninth-year head coach Tom O'Shea and captained by seniors BJ Robertson (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) and Aaron Spaulding (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth), have a pair of challenging exhibition contests coming up: at crosstown rival University of Vermont on Saturday at 1 p.m., and at nationally-ranked Boston College on November 13 at 7 p.m. Saint Michael's opens its regular season on November 18 versus New Jersey Institute of Technology at the West Chester University Tournament. The Purple Knight women are led by third-year head coach Jen Niebling and captained by seniors Brigid Hegarty (North Andover, Mass./Central Catholic), Holly Reeves (Arlington, Mass./Arlington Catholic) and Chandler Smalling (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex). They also play a pair of exhibition contests: versus Carleton University of Canada on Saturday at 5 p.m., and against Plattsburgh State University on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Saint Michael's opens its regular season on November 19 versus Queens College of New York in the Doubletree Tip-Off Classic. For the complete men's poll, click here. For the complete women's poll, click here. ###PURPLEKNIGHTS###

For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002