Daily Word: Crucial Weekend for MLAX Championship Positioning

The men’s lacrosse playoff picture will get a bit clearer after this weekend’s key matchups.

Headlining the slate is a matchup of conference unbeaten Albany and 2-1 UMBC in Baltimore as both team remain in contention for the league’s regular-season title and the top seed for the 2012 America East Championship. With a win, the Great Danes will secure one of the top two seeds for the tournament and host a semifinal contest on May 2. The Retrievers need a win to keep its hopes of earning one of the top two seeds alive.

These two teams squared off in three straight title games from 2006 to 2008 with the Retrievers bookending the three years with title wins. The Great Danes punched their ticket to the 2012 America East Championship with last weekend’s win over Vermont after not making the tourney in 2011. UMBC has gotten the best of Albany lately winning five of the last six meetings and nine of the 13 total games in the all-time series. To add some more intrigue to this matchup, the Live Well Network in Baltimore will carry the game live. For more information on how to watch that game, click here. Faceoff from Baltimore is set for 1 p.m.

Elsewhere on Saturday, a rematch of the 2011 championship game between Hartford and Stony Brook will take place on Long Island. Hartford scored an 11-10 win in the title bout last May thanks to a last second goal. The game is set up to be a classic as the league’s top defensive squad in Stony Brook battles the nation’s third-ranked offense in Hartford. The Seawolves clinched a spot in the conference tournament last weekend and can secure one of the top two seeds and a home semifinal contest with a win while Hartford looks to pick up its second straight league win. Stony Brook, which has won 17 straight regular-season games against conference foes, holds a commanding edge in the all-time series between the two teams, 18-6.

First faceoff from LaValle Stadium on Long Island is set for 7 p.m.

In the remaining men’s lacrosse contest this weekend, Binghamton travels to Vermont for a game at Virtue Field. Prior to that game, a ceremony will take place to honor and dedicate the Virtue Family. The game is also part of the first doubleheader at UVM’s new facility as the Catamount women’s lacrosse team takes on Binghamton at noon to get the day started. Details, here.

The women’s lacrosse playoff landscape will get some fine tuning this weekend as well. Boston University earned the right to host the tournament with its win over Stony Brook last weekend. Those same Seawolves can lock up to the two seed with a win at Albany Saturday afternoon. The Terriers take on Canisius at Nickerson Field and New Hampshire travels to UMBC to round out Saturday’s lacrosse docket.

UVM can clinch a postseason berth in women’s lacrosse with wins in its final two games. The Cats are in that position in large part to senior Samantha Stern, who has broken the single-season assists record (36) and also leads this team in points with 60. Check out the Burlington Free Press for an article about Stern and her playmaking ability. Let’s take a look at action on the diamond this weekend. Thanks to predicted lousy weather, several series have been moved up to Friday and Saturday to get all scheduled games in. Stony Brook and Hartford get together for a four-game set on Friday and Saturday. Maine puts its unblemished conference record on the line against Binghamton. The Maine Campus has more on that series. Lastly, Albany and UMBC play four in Baltimore.

Albany and Binghamton take the field in softball. The Danes and Bearcats start that series this afternoon. Stony Brook takes on Maine on Long Island and UMBC and Hartford play a three-game set starting today, as well. The Bangor Daily News has an article about the freshmen having an impact for the Black Bears.

Boston University’s softball team rolled to a pair of shutouts against Rhode Island yesterday afternoon. Holli Floetker tossed her first no-hitter of the season in the first game of the twinbill. The Daily Free Press has more. Stony Brook also swept a doubleheader yesterday against Bryant.

In non-athletic news, Paul Ferguson was inaugurated as University of Maine’s 19th president on Thursday. The Bangor Daily News had a recap and video of the event.

Daily Word: UVM Opens New Track & Field Facility

Something happened on the University of Vermont campus this week that hadn’t happened in 15 years.

The UVM track and field teams hosted an outdoor meet for the first time since the late 1990s on Monday and Tuesday as the Cats welcomed Middlebury for the inaugural track meet at the Frank H. Livak Track and Field Facility.

Prior to Tuesday’s action, Vermont Director of Athletics Bob Corran and Frank Livak’s son were on hand to dedicate the new facility and take in the beginning of a new era for UVM track and field.

Track and field head coach Matt Belfield knows what the facility means for the program.

“Things have been drastically enhanced here in the last few months,” Belfield said during the pre-meet ceremony. “And not just because we can compete in a track meet today but their day to day experience is that much better.”

The UVM teams split with visiting Middlebury with the Catamount women picking up the win. Overall, the Cats won 21 total events combined.

John Fantino of the Burlington Free Press was there to take in some of the unfamiliar sights and sounds and WCAX Channel 3 brings us a video recap of the day’s events.

We had a fairly busy schedule yesterday all over America East land.

Let’s start on the baseball diamond where Maine and Stony Brook picked up wins. The Seawolves defeated Rhode Island 8-2 at Joe Nathan Field to notch their 11th victory in 13 games. The Black Bears, meanwhile, pushed their winning streak to 14 straight after a win over Bates in Orono. Jon Balentina debuted his new pitching motion to grab the win on the mound. Check out the Bangor Daily News for details.

In softball action, Albany swept a doubleheader against visiting Dartmouth with two 4-0 wins over the Big Green. The Great Danes’ Brittany MacFawn and Schwieger, Brittany each pitched complete game shutouts allowing a combined four hits on the afternoon.

Two softball doubleheaders headline Thursday’s action as two of the league’s top teams take the field. Boston University hosts Rhode Island and Stony Brook welcomes Bryant to Long Island.

New Hampshire women’s lacrosse got back on the winning track with a 14-8 road win at Columbia yesterday. Kate Keagins scored five times for the Wildcats who snapped a four-game losing streak.

For all of the latest from around the conference, check out AmericaEast.com.

America East Daily Word - April 18

Take a step onto the Catonsville campus and chances run high that you will bump into UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski. It’s nothing new for him but it’s a welcome surprise to many students.

If you see Hrabowski walking around campus today, not only will you run into the President but one of TIME Magazine’s 2012 Top 100 Most Influential People. Time announced the list this morning and Hrabowski joined the likes of Barack Obama, Warren Buffet and Juan Manuel Santos, among prestigious others.

In Time’s official write-up on Hrabowski, it is duly noted that he has spent the last 20 years “turning a humble commuter school into one of the nation's leading sources of African Americans who get Ph.D.s in science and engineering.” That is in large part due to the success of the Meyerhoff Scholars program giving all students an opportunity to succeed in the sciences.

Columnist for TIME, Andrew Rotherham crafted the Hrabowski capsule piece and you can read it, here.

Hrabowski is no stranger to national recognition. In 2008, U.S. News & World Report named Hrabowski one of America's Best Leaders and in 2009 TIME honored him as one of the country’s top 10 college presidents. But as he told the Baltimore Sun, these are all shared achievements between him and UMBC.

“I accept this as a wonderful award on behalf of the whole campus," Hrabowski said in the Sun’s article. “My success and the campus' success are the same. People appreciate what we've done at the university, and I enjoy telling the story.”

For the last three years, UMBC reeled in the U.S. News & World Report’s No. 1 ranking for ‘Up and Coming’ University and Hrabowski has spoken to that on numerous occasions. America East On Campus produced a feature on the UMBC President in 2010 detailing his impressive background that has shaped the educator he has become.

Bob Ford breaks ground on the new facilities at Albany.

We mentioned the ground breaking ceremony of Albany’s new athletic facilities yesterday but have more coverage to share with you today. The Troy Record’s Andrew Santillo highlights the ground breaking ceremony from the eyes of Albany football coach Bob Ford, who has coached the Danes on the gridiron for over 40 years. Fox 23 and Your News Now have video coverage of the day’s events.

The new facilities will be completed in three phases beginning with the new home for Albany’s football and men’s and women’s soccer teams. That stadium will be situated on Varsity Field east of SEFCU Arena. Check out the Albany release from an important day in Great Dane athletics.

Hartford’s men’s basketball team made serious noise in the America East Championship with its upset win over Boston U. in the quarterfinals and then pushing Vermont to the brink in the semis. The Hartford Courant has more on what is expected to be an exciting 2013 for the Hawks.

In action yesterday, America East women’s lacrosse teams went 1-1 as UMBC defeated American and Binghamton fell on the road to Siena. The Press and Sun Bulletin has a recap of the Bearcats’ game and Your News Now has highlights.

Hartford picked up a win on the baseball diamond yesterday over Quinnipiac while Boston University and Maine softball notched midweek wins over Harvard and Husson. Check out the Daily Free Press for more on the Terrier’s 1-0 win over the Crimson and the Bangor Daily News for Black Bear softball coverage.

For today’s complete schedule, check out AmericaEast.com.

America East Daily Word - April 17

After a busy weekend of lacrosse action, the schedule picks up again tonight with several non-conference women’s games.

To start the evening off, Binghamton travels east on I-88 to Loudonville, N.Y. to take on Siena. The Bearcats enter the contest having lost five straight but a win against the Saints would give them a nice boost into the last two weekends of conference play. Binghamton still has conference games against Boston U. and Vermont. The last time Siena and Binghamton got together was in 2008 and the Bearcats came out on top, 15-7.

First draw is scheduled for 4 p.m.

In this evening’s America East nightcap, UMBC plays its final home game of the 2012 season as American pays a visit to UMBC Stadium in Baltimore. Last season the two teams battled to a 13-10 game that saw the Retrievers come away the victors. UMBC has won each of the last seven meetings in the series dating back to the 2004 season. UMBC sits at 3-2 in conference play and will wrap up that schedule this weekend against New Hampshire.

Action under lights starts at 7 p.m.

For all the live coverage links, be sure to visit AmericaEast.com.

Last evening in lacrosse action, the Stony Brook men looked for their second victory over a ranked opponent this season as they played host to #20 Yale. The Seawolves and Bulldogs needed overtime to decide this one and in the end, it was Yale that capitalized in the extra frame to score the win. Despite the loss, Stony Brook is still confident about its postseason chances given its strong start to America East play. Check out Newsday for more on that.

Stony Brook defeated UMBC over the weekend to stay unbeaten in league play but the Retrievers know there is plenty of season left. The Baltimore Sun has more on UMBC’s attitude as the season winds down.

Big news out of Albany this morning as ground finally broke on a new athletic facility for the Great Danes’ football and soccer programs. Your News Now brought its video camera and has the sights from this morning’s events.

New Hampshire thrower Brice Paey has dominated shot put competition this season for the Wildcats. Foster’s Daily Democrat wrote a feature on Paey and what he has accomplished this season.

In baseball action today, Binghamton and Hartford take the field. The Bearcats travel to Marist for a doubleheader with the Red Foxes and Hartford hosts Nutmeg State rival Quinnipiac at Fiondella Field.

Stony Brook, Boston U. and Maine all are in action today on the softball diamond. Stony Brook looks to continue its stretch of solid play in a doubleheader against visiting Rutgers, while Maine hosts Husson in Orono. Boston U. takes on Ivy League foe Harvard and the Daily Free Press has more on that midweek clash.

America East Daily Word - April 16

Sund­ay was a day of champions in Burlington.

The UVM men’s basketball and ski teams marched up Church Street in a parade to honor both of their successful seasons. Championship trophies in tow, the Catamounts greeted hundreds of UVM fans who turned out for the parade.

The Catamount men’s hoop team won the 2012 America East Championship in grand fashion knocking off top-seeded Stony Brook on the road to win the title. UVM went on to win a game in the NCAA Tournament First Four against Lamar, marking it’s second ever win in the Big Dance.

And for the first time since 1994, the ski team brought a national championship back to Burlington. Head alpine coach Bill Reichelt joked that his team wasn’t used to the TV cameras but the recognition was certainly welcome.

“I think our skiers need a little more practice in front a crowd. They are a little more nervous than the basketball guys. Those guys get in the limelight a little more,” Reichelt said in the Burlington Free Press.

Check out the rest of the Free Press article and take a look at WCAX Channel 3’s video recap of the event.

The second weekend of baseball conference play is in the books as Maine, Binghamton and Stony Brook have established themselves at the top of the league standings. The Black Bears ran their winning streak to 13 games with a win on Sunday over Hartford. Pete Warner of the Bangor Daily News recaps that series. Stony Brook took three of four from Albany and Binghamton rolled to a three-game sweep of UMBC. Check out a recap of Sunday’s action from the Press and Sun Bulletin.

Albany's Miles Thompson

Softball action featured a rematch of the 2011 America East title game between Boston U. and Albany. The Terriers took two of three from the Great Danes in Albany. Stony Brook, meanwhile, jumped into first place in the league standings with a sweep of UMBC. Allison Cukrov improved to 17-4 this year and broke the Seawolves’ single-season record for shutouts with her complete game effort on Sunday. Maine, meanwhile, picked up its first conference wins with a weekend sweep of Binghamton. Hartford split with Manhattan in a non-conference twinbill Sunday.

The two first-place lacrosse showdowns did not disappoint. The Stony Brook and Boston U. women went back and forth in their game in Boston with the Terriers coming out on top 15-14. Down in Baltimore, UMBC made a late rally but Stony Brook held on for a 10-8 win in men’s action. Newsday has recaps from both contests.

Elsewhere on the turf, the Albany men stayed unbeaten in conference play at 3-0 with a win at home over Vermont and Hartford picked up its first conference win defeating Binghamton.

On the women’s side, UMBC picked up a home win against Vermont, Albany went on the road to defeat New Hampshire and Binghamton fell to Bucknell in the lone non-conference contest of the weekend.