America East Daily Word - December 9

If you weren’t tuned into the Maine-Notre Dame game last night on ESPN3, you missed a good one.

The Black Bears has the Irish on the rope thanks in large part to a three-headed offensive monster comprised of Gerald McLemore, Justin Edwards and Alasdair Fraser. McLemore and Edwards both average 20+ points per game, the only conference tandem to do so, while Fraser averages just under 13 per.

And they didn’t disappoint last night.

The trio combined to score 64 of Maine’s 78 points and kept the Black Bears in the game with a chance to grab a signature win.

The Irish went on a 10-0 run very late in the second half to pull away from Maine and eventually win by the final of 87-78. In no way does that indicate just how close this one was. In fact, the game featured 7 ties and 15 lead changes before Notre Dame pulled away at the end.

The Bangor Daily News and Portland Press Herald have all your game coverage. But you should really go back and watch the game and you can on ESPN3.

UMBC picked up the lone win for our basketball squads last night as the women defeated a solid George Mason squad in a back and forth affair at the RAC. Michelle Kurowski and Erin Brown led the way for the Retrievers. Watch them light things up in the highlights!

The schedule for this weekend is pretty intense with several TV games and chances to pick up some nice wins.

Tomorrow the Boston U. men take on #24 Harvard at Agganis Arena. This is the first ranked team the Terriers have hosted since 2003. Elsewhere in Boston this weekend, Stony Brook comes to town looking for the America East’s second win against Boston College on Sunday. Both of those games are on NESN and the Seawolves’ contest is also on ESPN3.

The only game tonight pits the New Hampshire women against Manhattan. The Jaspers played in the preseason WNIT earlier this year so this will be a good test for UNH. Elsewhere this weekend, keep an eye on the Hartford-Boston College matchup in West Hartford and the Marist-Boston U. contest at the Roof. The Hawks and Terriers are coming off nice wins over Hofstra and Yale, respectively.

For the complete weekend schedule and all the live coverage links for this weekend’s games, head over to AmericaEast.com.

America East Daily Word - December 8

After starting the 2011 field hockey season amongst the unranked, the New Hampshire field hockey team exploded on to the national scene as the season progressed cracking the top 20 and making its way all the way to No. 7 at one point.

It doesn’t hurt when you have the two of the most prolific scorers in the Northeast on your sqaud. Whitney Frates, the region’s Offensive Player of the Year, lit fire to cages all season while Hayley Rausch did the same as the two combined to score 119 points, on 49 goals and 21 assists.

And it was announced yesterday that Robin Balducci, the Wildcats’ bench boss, is the region’s Coach of the Year. Foster’s Daily Democrat takes us through some of the coach’s accomplishments which include receiving the same award back in 1998.

UNH finished the season with a 17-5 record overall, was crowned America East Champion after defeating Boston U. in the title game and set three single-season program records for goals, assists and points.

Balducci is now eligible to receive the National Coach of the Year award which will be announced in January.

We had a truly busy night in both men’s and women’s hoops and it was a largely successful night at that. Women’s squads went 2-1 while the men went 3-2.

Let’s start in Hartford, where the Hawks faced a tough test, on television mind you, against a Hofstra team that Jen Rizzotti called the “best we’ve played so far.” The Hawks passed the test squeaking out a 61-59 doozy of a game. The Hartford Courant takes you through the action.

According to the Daily Free Press, the Boston U. women were busy schooling the Ivy League last night as the Terriers posted a nice win over Yale on the road.

Vermont was the only women’s team to stumble last night, falling to Brown in Providence by four, 61-57. The Burlington Free Press has more on that one, here.

Over to the men now where Albany needed to flush Monday’s loss to Siena down the drain and grab a win versus visiting Colgate. The Danes, behind 29 points from Gerardo Suero, ran past the Raiders with a potent offensive attack, 87-63.

Speaking of offense, Stony Brook put its share of points on the scoreboard last evening routing Fairleigh Dickinson, 70-46. Newsday wasthere and so was WWE legend Mick Foley. New Hampshire picked up the other men’s win on the night, defeating Brown on the road 69-56.

Vermont and Boston University were not so fortunate. Playing against two tough opponents, the Terriers and Catamounts could not recover from some big runs and fell to St. Louis and St. Joseph’s, respectively. The Burlington Free Press and Daily Free Press have all the game coverage.

Make sure to tune into ESPN3 tonight to catch the Maine men take on Notre Dame at 7:30 and head over to AmericaEast.com for the rest of tonight’s schedule!

 
Bangor Daily News: UMaine women take on James Madison
Stony Brook Statesman: Disappointing year for women's soccer

America East Daily Word - December 7

The winter season may be in full swing but always have time for a little lacrosse news here in the Daily Word.

Inside Lacrosse released its 2012 Face-Off Yearbook preseason All-American teams as well as its preseason rankings earlier this week and America East left its footprint all over them. 

The Albany women’s lacrosse squad had one of the best seasons in program history last spring winning its first ever NCAA Tournament game and finishing the season with a remarkable 18-1 record. It comes as no surprise, then, that we see the Danes in the IL preseason rankings. They check in at #15 in the 20-team field. UAlbany’s only loss last year came in the NCAA Quarterfinals at the hands of the #1 team in the rankings and last year’s national champion, Northwestern. 

Over to the men now, where a handful of conference standouts cracked the All-American honorable mention list. Vermont junior Drew Phillie, Albany senior Joe Resetarits, Hartford senior Carter Bender and Stony Brook seniors Robbie Campbell and Kyle Moeller all saw their names amongst the best players in the nation. Phillie, a second team all-conference selection in 2011, led UVM with 42 points on 30 goals and 12 assists. Resetarits tallied 44 points on 31 goals and 13 assists in a first-team all-conference season in 2011. Campbell, a second team choice in the midfield, scored 17 goals in 2011 while Moeller, a first-team defender, picked up 45 ground balls and forced 25 turnovers last year. Bender scored 35 goals last season for the conference champion Hawks and was awarded with a second-team all-conference nod.

The men’s teams will have to work their way into the team rankings, currently on the outside looking in. 

We’ve got a very busy night in hoops action including three televised games on the men’s side and one on the women’s slate.

Tonight marks the first of 11 Stony Brook men’s and women’s basketball on Optimum Local Channel 18, available to all Cablevision iO TV digital cable subscribers in Nassau and Suffolk County. The Seawolf men take on Fairleigh Dickinson at 7 p.m. and that when things go live on Long Island. Take a look at this TV opener courtesy of the Pack Network, which will be producing the game.

Meanwhile, Albany has to shake off the tough loss to Siena on Monday as it gets set to battle Colgate tonight back at SEFCU where the Danes are 2-0 this year. Logan Aaronhalt says the Danes are ready in a preview in the Troy Record today. That game can be seen on Time Warner Sports. And another tough challenge awaits the UVM men’s team as it takes on St. Louis on the road. All that action can be seen on Fox Sports Midwest but you should read the Burlington Free Press’ preview first. 

The Hartford women are also on the tube tonight. Check them out on CPTV Sports as they host Hofstra. This should be a very good game and an even better win if the Hawks can pull it out. 

It was a solid 3-2 night for the women last evening as UMBC, Binghamton and Albany picked up wins. The Baltimore Sun, Press and Sun Bulletin and Albany Times Union have all your game coverage. 

For the complete schedule tonight head over to AmericaEast.com and take a look at some more previews of the games tonight.

 
WICZ TV: Bearcats fall to Bison (Video)
Hartford Courant: Hawks still winless after loss to Quinnipiac
Foster's Daily Democrat: Reed's eight 3s not enough for Wildcats against Harvard
WMUR: UNH men improving (Video)
Burlington Free Press: UVM women look to bounce back at Brown
Daily Free Press: Terriers prepare for Hawks
Daily Free Press: Back at home, women's basketball ready for Yale

America East Daily Word - December 6

It’s arguably the biggest non-conference basketball rivalry game for any of our schools - Albany vs. Siena for the Albany cup.

The cross town battle between the Saints and Danes is the America East version of Louisville-Kentucky, or Xavier-Cincinnati. And it lived up to the billing last night at the Times Union Center. 

Albany already beat up on Siena for the women’s cup over the weekend and the start of last night’s game had all the makings of a blowout. The Danes were up 19 at one point during the contest, but as the Troy Record writes, it just wasn’t meant to be for Will Brown and company.

Close to 8,000 fans came out for the battle and they got to see a tremendous game. Mike Black propelled Albany to an early lead connecting from long range three times in the opening half while Jayson Guerrier reached double digits in points with 10.

Siena is a gritty team, however. The Saints proved that in their comeback against Vermont (a game the Cats eventually won) so Albany was going to be tested. Siena grabbed the lead about mid-way through the second half and never relinquished it taking back the Albany Cup from the Danes in a 64-60 win.

Media attention swirled around this game and rightfully so. Multiple news stations and several newspapers covered the game. Fox 23 had your video highlights, while the Times Union and Troy Record continue to cover both schools with a tremendous fervor.

The New Hampshire men’s basketball team is one, big, family. In fact, the entire UNH athletic department can be described as such. Evidence? Head coach Bill Herrion not only coaches his own son on the basketball team, he coaches the football coaches son, as well. Tommy McDonnell, son of head football Coach Sean McDonnell, stayed close to home for his first year of college and the Portsmouth Press Herald dissected the interesting dynamic. Check out the feature, here.

Vermont swimmer Claudia Etherington is used to being on the road. Coming to Burlington all the way from Perth, Australia, the sophomore has made her impact known in the pool. WCAX Channel 3 sports reporter Scott Fleishman caught up with the UVM swimmer to talk with her about her experience as a Catamount.

In other Vermont news, men’s basketball forward Ben Crenca will miss time after having surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee. John Fantino of the Burlington Free Press has the details while WCAX’sAshley Chase has all the video.

Two winless men’s basketball teams try to got off the snide tonight. Hartford hosts Nutmeg State rival Quinnipiac while Binghamton welcomes Bucknell to the Events Center. Bearcat head coach Mark Macon hopes his team has been listening in practice the last few days, the Press and Sun Bulletinreports, because they will need to learn quickly for a shot at beating the Bison.

Three women’s home games on the slate tonight as well. UNH hosts Harvard, while UMBC welcomes UMES and Albany returns to SEFCU Arena for a tussle with  Niagara.

For the complete schedule and all the live coverage links, head over to AmericaEast.com.

America East Daily Word - December 5

Darryl Partin has been nothing short of dynamic this season for Boston University.

The nation’s third-ranked scorer poured in 27 points against Boston College on Saturday to lead the Terriers to their first win against the Eagles in 37 years, 75-61. And it brought them back to the .500 mark after starting the season 0-4.

Boston sports media were all over the game, seeing the potential for a Terrier win against a power conference in a down year for BC.

Despite his gaudy numbers, Partin’s success thus far is a product of a collective effort, as reported by the Boston Herald. The team is full of players who understand their roles – and Partin’s role is to score. And in the season of giving, the 6-foot-6 swingman gave the Terriers a nice gift over their Comm. Ave. rivals.

The Daily Free Press gets a little bit more in depth about Partin and what BC bench boss Steve Donahue calls “off the charts” offensive ability.

And how about some highlights. The ESPN3 crew breaks down the Terriers' solid day.

Thought Boston U. was the only team picking up solid wins this weekend? Think again. The Maine men moved above the .500 mark with an overtime win on the road at Rhode Island. Alasdair Fraser tallied 23 points and Justin Edwards dropped 21 for the Black Bears. Edwards ranks fourth in the conference in scoring at 20.2 points per and, as the Maine Campus tells us, he can do pretty much anything on the hardwood.

Speaking of Maine, the Black Bear football team marched into Boone, N.C. and popped Appalachian State right in the mouth. Maine held the Mountaineers to just three rushing yards in the 34-12 victory. The Black Bears will now face Georgia Southern in the national quarterfinals.

The two other gridiron gangs from America East schools, New Hampshire and Stony Brook, narrowly missed notching two impressive road wins. New Hampshire fell to Montana State, 26-25, after UNH’s game-tying PAT was tipped and bounced off the upright. Head coach Sean McDonnell is all too familiar with the 1-point losses to Montana St. as Foster’s Daily Democrat reporter John Doyle tells us.

Meanwhile, Stony Brook took top-seed Sam Houston State to the wire but gave up the winning score with just a minute left. Despite the loss, Newsday’s Greg Logan says, it takes nothing away from what the Seawolves accomplished this year.

The battle for the Albany Cup in men’s basketball between Albany and Siena takes place tonight at the Times Union Center in Albany. The crowd is expected to exceed 10,000 to watch a “grateful” Gerardo Suero and the favored UAlbany squad take on a scrappy Siena team. Albanyalready captured the Cup on the women’s side after disposing of Siena over the weekend, 72-48.

 
Eagle Tribune: Agboola off to a terrific start for BU women
Hartford Courant: Hartford men still winless 
Portland Press Herald: Mainers fitting in well at Vermont
Baltimore Sun: Brown notches 1,000 in UMBC loss
Burlington Free Press: Yale runs past UVM in men's basketball
Daily Free Press: Soaring with the Eagles - men's basketball gets historic win
Hartford Informer: Senior defender reflects on Hartford career
Hartford Informer: Three seniors play together one last time