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| Press Release |
Press Release
THIS WEEK IN SAINT MICHAEL’S COLLEGE ATHLETICS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION
October 3, 2005 Contact: Daniel O’Reilly
Phone: (802) 654-2929COLCHESTER, Vt. – On Wednesday, the Saint Michael’s field hockey team (7-5, 7-3 NE-10), ranked eighth in the STX/NFHCA Division II National Coaches’ Poll, had its highest scoring output since a program-record 10-1 win against American International on Oct. 25, 2003. The Purple Knights scored four times in the first half to pull past Saint Anselm College, and second year coach Courtney Breen, a 2002 Saint Michael’s graduate and former field hockey standout, 7-3. Senior Amber Holcomb (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) and sophomores Hannah Wolfe (Bow, N.H./Bow) and Chelsea Kimball (North Berwick, Maine/Noble) each scored a pair of goals, and Johanne Skelley (Wolfeboro, N.H./Kingswood Regional) added a pair of assists. Tina Nardi (Rupert, Vt./Salem Central) stopped one shot for her seventh win in the last eight contests, and the team improved its record to 5-0 on its new turf field. On Saturday, the Purple Knights traveled to UMass Lowell, where they were defeated 2-1 by the River Hawks, as Chelsea Kimball (North Berwick, Maine) scored an unassisted goal, and Nardi turned back four saves.
The men’s soccer team (3-7-1, 1-5-1 NE-10) suffered a 6-2 loss to American International on Wednesday, before traveling to Merrimack College and playing a 0-0 double overtime draw. The Purple Knights were able to snap their three game losing streak, and were also able to put an end the Warriors’ five game winning streak. Senior Patrick Melvin (Belmont, Vt./Black River) completed the week with 14 saves, 11 of them coming against the number eight nationally ranked Warriors, including a dramatic diving save in double overtime.
The women’s soccer team (4-7-0, 2-6-0 NE-10) snapped a three game losing streak of their own by winning their first two Northeast-10 Conference games in consecutive contests. In Tuesday’s 3-1 win over American International, freshman Caitlin Cronin (Dalton, Mass./Saint Joseph’s Central) scored two goals from assists by classmates Tessa Schraven (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Baker) and Kelley Ruch (Woodstock, Vt./Woodstock Union), as senior Judy Cronin (Norfolk, Mass./King Philip Regional) tallied an unassisted score. The Purple Knights then shutout Le Moyne College on Saturday 1-0 thanks to sophomore Katie Burdett’s (Milford, N.H./Milford) first career goal, six minutes into the contest. Sophomores Molly Cole (Dover, N.H./Dover) and Gillian Goldman (Stratham, N.H./Exeter) each played one half in goal to share the shutout, with Cole stopping one shot to earn the victory, and Goldman recording two saves of her own.
The men’s tennis team (2-1, 1-1 NE-10) was edged by Merrimack on Saturday, 5-4. For the Purple Knights, sophomore Andy Samara (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington) earned victories in both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles, partnering with junior Andrew Bolduc (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington). Freshman John Lescure (Kennebunk, Maine/Berwick Academy) also notched two victories, in No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles with sophomore Torr Terranova (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand).
The women’s tennis team (3-2, 2-2 NE-10) also fell to Merrimack by a 5-4 score on Saturday. Junior Cailie Burns (Chepachet, R.I./Ponaganset) earned a three-set win in third singles, and partnered with sophomore Megan Conway (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) for an 8-5 triumph in No. 2 doubles. Senior Heidi Murphy (Norfolk, Mass./King Philip Regional) and freshman Molly Harrison (Windham, N.H./Salem) also won in straight sets in second and fifth singles, respectively. The team played again on Sunday, and won all three double matches and bested Saint Anselm, 6-3. Cara Bednar (Marblehead, Mass./Marblehead) led the way for the Purple Knights, as she notched a straight-set win in first singles, and teamed up with Heidi Murphy for an 8-5 victory in first doubles. Cailie Burns also won twice, as she earned a straight set victory in No. 3 singles and took an 8-5 triumph in No. 2 doubles with Megan Conway. Sophomore Danielle Gagnon (Gorham, Maine/Catherine McAuley) chipped in with a three-set win in sixth singles, and an 8-6 victory in No. 3 doubles with Molly Harrison.
The volleyball team (0-7, 0-6 NE-10) went 0-3 on the week, suffering straight set conference losses. On Tuesday at Saint Anselm, the Purple Knights were led by Kaitlyn Rae (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) who had a season-high 17 kills and two aces. Jessica Mulroy (Marcellus, N.Y./Marcellus) added a season-high 31 assists and four aces to the effort. Stephanie Smetana (Independence, Mo./Truman) tallied 11 kills. Saturday at Stonehill, Kaitlyn Rae notched 10 kills in the setback, while Jessica Mulroy chipped in with 22 set assists and a service ace for Saint Michael's. Playing their third consecutive road contest, the Purple Knights traveled to Bryant, where Rae again led the team in kills with 10, and Mulroy added 19 saves.
The men’s cross country team finished in third place at the Vermont State Championship, hosted by Middlebury on Saturday, as Paul Wagner (Woods Hole, Mass./ Suffield Academy) led the team, placing sixth overall with a time of 27:43.9. Thomas Lichtenberger (Bloomfield, Conn./Northwest Catholic) finished ninth overall with his 28:13 effort, as teammates James Heelan (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) and Lionel Welch (Worthington, Mass./Wahconah Regional) finished six seconds apart for 14th and 15th place finishes.
The women’s cross country team placed second at the Vermont State Championship, backed by the eighth place 21:27.7 finish by Mary Lynn Denholm (Sparks, Md./St. Paul School). Courtney Richard (Holliston, Mass./Holliston) completed the race in 21:53.1, which was good for 12th, as Anna Young (Louisville, Ky./Holy Cross) was close behind in 14th place with 22.21.1.
The women’s rugby team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 14-0 win over Mount Holyoke on Saturday on the 300s Field. For Saint Michael’s, Abbey Breckheimer and Hannah Naughton each scored a try, while Megan Sweeney tallied a pair of conversion points.
On Wednesday, the school’s baseball coach Perry Bove, the only head coach the College has known since reinstituting the program in 1989, announced his resignation effective immediately due to increased responsibilities as a full-time teacher at Bellows Free Academy-Saint Albans. Bove, a native of Burlington, retires with a career record of 145-251-2, including an 86-65-2 record since 1999. The 17th coach in the program’s 92-year history dating back to 1905, Bove is the program’s all-time leader in career wins, games (398), and consecutive years as head coach (Edward Markey ’51 coached the program for 19 years, from 1957-69 and again from 1976-81). He has also guided the team to the seven winningest seasons in program history, including a team-best 17 victories in 1999. He became the first coach in program history to reach the 100-win plateau on April 28, 2001, and guided the team to five straight .500-or-better seasons from 1999-2003, an accomplishment which hadn’t occurred since 1921.
The men’s basketball team will open the 2005-06 season earlier than normal this year, as the Purple Knights will visit Quebec for a four-game exhibition tour against top Canadian universities. The Purple Knights will take on Laval University, which compiled a 14-4 record last year, on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 4:30 p.m. at Cegep de Sainte-Foy, and again on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at Laval’s campus gymnasium. Saint Michael’s will conclude the exhibition tour on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at Montreal’s McGill University at 7 p.m. The trip is allowable due to the NCAA’s Once-in-Four-Years Exemption for foreign tours, which permits NCAA member institutions the opportunity to participate in international competition in any sport, provided certain bylaws are met. This is believed to be the first foreign tour that the SMC men’s basketball team has participated in, according to head coach Tom O’Shea.This Week’s Schedule:
10/4 Men's Soccer vs. UMass Lowell* 3:30 p.m.
10/4 Field Hockey at Franklin Pierce* 6 p.m.
10/5 Women's Soccer at Saint Anselm* 3:30 p.m.
10/5 Women's Tennis vs. Franklin Pierce* 3:30 p.m.
10/6 Men's Tennis at Franklin Pierce* 3:30 p.m.
10/7 10/7
Volleyball at Southern New Hampshire*
Men’s Basketball at Bishop’s7 p.m.
8 p.m.10/7 Men's Soccer at Stonehill* 4 p.m.
10/8 Women's Soccer vs. Southern Connecticut* 12 p.m.
10/8
10/8Field Hockey vs. Assumption*
Men’s Basketball at Laval3 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
10/8 10/9
Cross Country New England Championships
Franklin Park, Boston, Mass.
Men’s Basketball at LavalW: 12 p.m.
M: 1 p.m.
7 p.m.###PURPLEKNIGHTS###
For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002