2009 Coach's Corner #3 - A Letter From The Desk Of Coach Priore

Stony Brook Hosts Brown on Saturday

Stony Brook, N.Y. - As the head coach of the Stony Brook University football program, the game last week at Colgate was one that does not sit well. We let an opportunity get away from us. We do not take anything away from Colgate, which is a very good program. As a team we just did not bring our "A"-game with us.
Offensively we did not react very well on the field to some of the things that Colgate did defensively. Certainly they were manageable things as a football staff. I think we are a good football team, but as a team, the ability to react to those things is what separates good teams, from teams that are not as good. What separates good teams from great teams is the ability to adjust during the game to change. That is where we lie right now. We need to be able to make those adjustments. It's not a talent issue. We have players that can play and be successful against our opponents.
But as they say, on Saturday half of the teams win and half of them lose. So you have to get up and play the next week. We are not going to dwell on Colgate.
We were pleased with the play of Dominick Reyes '13 (Hesperia, Calif.) and Benji Clements '10 (Glen Burnie, Md.), both of whom started the game in the secondary in the place of a pair of injured starters, Cory Giddings '10 (Ocean, N.J.) and Dayton Guillory '10 (Bossier City, La.), and played very, very well. Freshman Kenny Tuiloma '13 (Long Beach, Calif.) came in when Julian Glenn '10 (Uniondale, N.Y.) was injured and played well in his first real game opportunity. Overall, we have continued to maintain a decent focus on the defensive side of the ball.

Offensively some of our inexperience up front did hurt us this past week, but our performance at some positions was better. Our running backs really came and played on Saturday, so I think we will be fine in the backfield.
This week in practice our goals are simply to prepare for Brown and put our game plan in place. We have to take care of the things that gave us difficulties during the Colgate game. We need to react to actions on both sides of the football and make adjustments as needed. We have to eliminate the big plays
If you had told me at the beginning of the season that we would allow only 34 points defensively in the first two games, I would have told you we would probably be 2-0. Right now we have to increase our production offensively and maintain our base defensively. Our special teams have been solid through the first two games. We had one bad snap, but our coverage teams and our ability to make field goals have been solid.
Brown is coming in Saturday as the reigning Ivy League champion and is a program that has had tremendous success. We are excited about our home opener. LaValle Stadium is one of the finest venues in the northeast and has provided a definite home field advantage for us during my tenure at Stony Brook. We are looking forward to a great crowd of students, community members and of course the Stony Brook Marching Band! We need everyone's support! Saturday is an important game for our football program. We hope to see everyone in LaValle Stadium on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. As always, wear RED and Go Seawolves!

Aller Goal Propels Women's Soccer To 2-1 Double Overtime Victory Over Yale

Freshman Taryn Schoenbeck scores first collegiate goal.

New Haven, Conn. - Junior Debbie Aller (Stony Brook, N.Y.) scored her first collegiate goal with 32 seconds left in the second overtime to send the Stony Brook University women's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over the Yale Bulldogs on Wednesday night at Reese Stadium. Stony Brook improves to 1-5-1 while Yale falls to 3-2-0.

With time running down in the second overtime, junior Dana Adamkiewicz (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) drove a direct kick into the 18-yard box. A scramble for the ball ensued, with Aller collecting the loose ball from 10 yards out on the left side of the six-yard box. She then struck the ball into the right side of the net to give the Seawolves the victory.

Yale took a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute on a goal from Becky Brown, who got behind the Stony Brook defense off a pass from Megan Ashforth and then put the ball past SBU senior goalkeeper Marisa Viola (Cutchogue, N.Y.). Yale had scored a combined 12 goals in its previous three victories this season, with six of those coming from Brown

But the Seawolves evened the score just over 10 minutes later as junior Morgan Sims (Ambler, Pa.) dribbled down the right side on a Stony Brook counter attack and passed the ball to freshman Taryn Schoenbeck (Newark, Del.), who cut the ball back twice before slotting the ball into the left side of the net. It was the first collegiate goal for Schoenbeck.

Neither team was able to push across a goal the rest of regulation as the game headed to overtime. Schoenbeck nearly gave the Seawolves the victory just over four minutes into the second overtime but her shot from 20 yards out hit the crossbar.

It was the third straight overtime game for the Seawolves, who rallied to tie a game in the second half for the fourth time this season on Wednesday night. Aller became the sixth different Seawolves player to score a goal in 2009.
Viola finished with five saves for the Seawolves, while Ayani Sumiyasu made three stops for the Bulldogs. SBU outshot Yale 5-0 in the second overtime period.

The Seawolves return to action on Friday, Sept. 18, hosting Sacred Heart at LaValle Stadium. Game is set for 7 p.m.

Men's Soccer Falls To Long Island In Overtime, 2-1

Berian Gobeil tallies third goal of the season

Brooklyn, N.Y. - Freshman Berian Gobeil (Montreal, Quebec) scored on a penalty kick in the 89th minute to tie the game at one, but Jakeem Johnson's goal six minutes into overtime proved to be the difference as Long Island defeated the Stony Brook men's soccer team, 2-1, at LIU Field on Wednesday evening.

After Johnson scored in the 77th minute, Stony Brook (1-4-1) sent its three forwards up and got the equalizer just 1:35 before regulation. A free kick into the box deflected off a Long Island (2-3-0) defender, setting up the penalty kick. Gobeil, who is now tied for the team lead in goals with three, blasted the ball to the keeper's right while he dove to his left.

Two minutes into the overtime, junior Greg Tinari (Holbrook, N.Y.) created a scoring opportunity, dribbling between two defenders before his shot from 32 yards out sailed over the crossbar. Gobeil also had an opportunity but his shot was saved.

In the 96th minute, Johnson stole the goal kick, dribbled in and beat freshman keeper Stefan Manz (Bronx, N.Y.) to his left.

The Seawolves kept the game scoreless early after Manz was beat but sophomore Kyle McTurk (Hauppauge, N.Y.) controlled and cleared the ball off the goal line.

Manz made a career-high five saves in the contest. Stony Brook outshot Long Island, 15-11.

The Seawolves are back in action when they travel to Evansville and the Purple Aces ProRehab Classic. First up for Stony Brook is Eastern Illinois on Friday evening at 6 pm.

Stony Brook Softball Volunteers With Special Olympics

18 Student-Athletes Volunteered Their Time

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's softball team took a break from its fall workouts last weekend to volunteer at the Special Olympics Fall Classic at Cantiague Park in Hicksville. The Seawolves were scheduled to help run a softball clinic, but due to the inclement weather the 18 players split their time between soccer and golf clinics and helping with arts and crafts.
"The Special Olympics was a very gratifying experience," said senior pitcher Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.). "All of the athletes really seemed to enjoy themselves and to see all the smiles on their faces really made it worth attending. The best part was handing out the medals to the athletes, because you could really tell that they had a great time that day."
Special Olympics New York is the largest program of its type in the United States, serving nearly 47,654 athletes with the support of over 25,000 volunteers. Through their participation in Special Olympics New York athletes gain confidence and build a positive self-image, which carries into the classroom, the home, the workplace and the community.

Volleyball Sweeps Manhattan, 3-0

Seawolves have won three straight

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's volleyball team made quick work of the Manhattan Jaspers on Tuesday night, sweeping them 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-21). Senior Harmonie Calinda (Huntington, N.Y.) and junior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.) both recorded double-digit kills, 14 and ten, respectively, while senior Lisa Doremus (Glendale, Ariz.) paced the defense with 11 digs. With the win, Stony Brook improves to 5-8 while Manhattan falls to 4-7.
Headen, Stony Brook's current Athlete of the Week, started the match off with back-to-back kills to give the Seawolves the early 2-0 advantage. The Jaspers would score five of the next six points, however, to pull in front 5-3. Neither team managed to gain much of a lead until the Seawolves scored eight unanswered points to move ahead 22-13. Freshman Corinne Perry (Northport, N.Y.) highlighted the run with three service aces.
Stony Brook rode the momentum from the first set into the second as it started off on a 5-1 run on kills by Calinda and senior Lindsey Gordon (N. Patchogue, N.Y.). The Jaspers rallied to pull within two at 9-7 on a kill from Rita Welsh, but SBU's attack proved to be too much, as it held on for the 25-21 victory. The Seawolves hit .355 as a team in the second frame, receiving a set-high six kills from Calinda.
Taking advantage of three miscues by the Seawolves, Manhattan led, 4-0, early on in the third set. Stony Brook rallied back to pull within one at 4-3, but two kills from Casey Tidwell followed by a put-away from Diane Strutner increased the Jaspers lead to five. With Manhattan leading at 10-6, Doremus started a five-point SBU run with back-to-back kills which put the Seawolves in front 11-10. The two teams then traded points, eventually finding themselves knotted at 18-18. Two Manhattan attack errors, followed by a kill from Headen, gave the Seawolves a three-point cushion, which they never relinquished on their way to the deciding 25-21 win. SBU was led by its defense in the third set, as the team recorded 21 digs.

Stony Brook heads to Providence, Rhode Island this weekend for its final Invitational of the season. The Seawolves will face host Brown at 5:00 p.m. on Friday and then play Holy Cross at noon on Saturday.

JACK FOLEY, RETIRED THREE VILLAGE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND STONY BROOK SUPPORTER, 76

Longtime Three Village athletic director Jack Foley passed away Sunday. Foley served in the Three Village district from 1955 until his retirement in 1990, although his continuing presence was felt and support for Patriot athletes — and sports of all kinds across New York State — continued long after. Foley will be waked at Bryant Funeral Home in Setauket, opposite Ward Melville High School. on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 16 and 17, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm. A funeral mass will be held at St. James RC Church on Route 25A in Setauket on Friday at 9:30 am. Arrangements for a possible reception following the funeral, tentatively at WMHS, are incomplete. A spokesperson in the Three Village superintendent's office said donations to Hope House in Port Jefferson or Special Olympics would be appreciated by the Foley family. Full story in Thursday's Village Times Herald.

Women's Cross Country Ranked Fourth, Men Ranked 13th In Regional Rankings

Both squads competing in Iona Meet of Champions on Saturday morning

New Orleans, La. - In the latest regional rankings put out by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the women's team and men's squad are ranked fourth and 13th in the northeast region, respectively. The women's team is the highest ranked America East school while the men are two spots below New Hampshire.
Both the men's and women's squad are back in action this weekend, competing in the Iona Meet of Champions at Van Cortlandt Park.

Skiffington Named Big South Special Teams Player of the Week

Redshirt Freshman Boots Pair of Field Goals at Colgate

Charlotte, N.C. - Redshirt freshman Wesley Skiffington (Brandon, Fla.) has been selected as the Big South Special Teams Player of the Week the league announced today. The place kicker for the Seawolves, Skiffington was perfect on three kicks in Stony Brook's game at Colgate on Sunday. He is the first Stony Brook football player to be honored by the Big South in 2009.

In the contest at Colgate, Skiffington scored seven of Stony Brook's 13 points on Saturday. He hit a pair of 36-yard field goals, establishing a new career-long, and made his lone extra point attempt. Skiffington extended his perfect streak in his first season as the Seawolves' place kicker, making 3-of-3 field goals and both of his extra point attempts in two games.

Crowley, McBride Invited to Team Canada Selection Camp

Pair Will Tryout For Shot At 2010 World Championships

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Two members of the Stony Brook men's lacrosse team will be headed to Canada for a weekend next month. Juniors Kevin Crowley (New Westminster, B.C.) and Jordan McBride (New Westminster, B.C.) are among the 55 players that have been invited to selection camp for Team Canada. The team that will represent Canada at the 2010 Federation of International Lacrosse World Championship will be chosen at the camp, which will take place from October 9-12 at St. Michaels College School in Toronto. In addition to the two current Seawolves, former SBU standout Rhys Duch '08 was also invited.

First team all-America East selections in 2009, Crowley and McBride were the backbone of a Stony Brook offense that averaged 11.2 goals per game to rank 9th in the nation. McBride, who finished with a team-high 42 goals, reached the 40-goal level for a second straight season and finished second in the nation in goals per game. Crowley led Stony Brook in points with 51 and was second on the team in both goals (28) and assists (23). He finished 13th in the nation in points per game.

One of Stony Brook's all-time leading scorers with 106 points, Duch was named the National Lacrosse League's Rookie of the Year in 2009 after an outstanding first season with the San Jose Stealth. The #3 overall pick in the 2008 NLL Entry Draft, he set a new rookie scoring record with 89 points (35g, 54a), breaking the previous mark of 82 points set in 2002.

Men's Soccer Battles But Falls To Seton Hall, 3-2

Raphael Abreu tallies first goal of season

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Just as it did on Friday night at St. John's, the Stony Brook University men's soccer team fought valiantly against a Big East opponent, but a hat trick from Andrew Welker proved to be the difference as Seton Hall defeated SBU, 3-2, at LaValle Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Wilber Bonilla (Brentwood, N.Y.) and freshman Raphael Abreu (New York, N.Y.) scored for Stony Brook (1-3-1), which held a 17-16 shot differential. Seton Hall is 3-2-0.

A minute after Welker's first goal, the Seawolves had their first scoring chance when a service from junior Greg Tinari (Holbrook, N.Y.) to Abreu was saved by Pirates keeper Paul McHenry, setting up a corner kick.

Redshirt freshman keeper Anthony Rogic (Boonton, N.J.) kept it from being a 2-0 game in the ninth minute, making a diving save to his left on a shot from Dritan Sela.

Welker scored his second and third goals of the first half just two minutes apart. Despite being down 3-0, Stony Brook never went away, and tallied its first goal of the game eight seconds before halftime. On a pass from the back of freshman Leonardo Fernandes' (North Babylon, N.Y.) boot, Bonilla was all alone and blasted a shot from just outside the box into the lower left hand corner, cutting it to a two-goal margin.

Freshman Christian Galindo (Brentwood, N.Y.) created an opportunity early in the second half, dribbling around a defender and serving the ball into the box, but freshman Antonio Crespi's (North Babylon, N.Y.) header was saved. A few minutes later, senior defender Damion Brown (Kingston, Jamaica) had an opportunity but his header went off the right post. Sophomore Kyle McTurk (Hauppauge, N.Y.) got the rebound but his shot went wide. 

After Rogic made a save on a shot from Sela, Stony Brook's next offensive possession almost produced a goal but Abreu's header hit the crossbar and went over the goal.

Sophomore Tom Butler (Birmingham, England), who entered the game in the 79th minute, set up the Seawolves' second goal of the game almost a minute later. Butler made a splendid run down the right side and sent a perfect cross to Abreu who sent it home, cutting what had been a 3-0 lead to just 3-2 with under 10 minutes to play.

Stony Brook had two corner kicks with under three minutes to play but could not find the equalizer.

SBU is on the road for four straight games, beginning with Long Island University on Wednesday at 5 pm

Colgate Edges Stony Brook, 23-13

Gowins Rushes For 108 Yards In The Loss

Hamilton, N.Y. - Stony Brook trailed by just four going into the fourth quarter, but a pair of interceptions late in the game dashed the Seawolves hopes for a comeback in a 23-13 loss to Colgate in non-conference football action. One of the late interceptions was returned for a score that put the final points on the board for the Raiders, who were shutout offensively in the second half by the Stony Brook defense.

"We just made too many mistakes tonight," said Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore. "Colgate played a very good game; they were better than us tonight."

Like in the first game of the season, the Stony Brook offense got off to a slow start, gaining just 26 yards and getting shut out in the first quarter. The Seawolves defense stopped Colgate as well on its first two drives, but the Raiders marched to a score on their third drive, going 40 yards in two plays and scoring on a 37-yard pass from Greg Sullivan to Pat Simonds with 46 seconds left in the first.

Redshirt freshman Dominick Reyes (Hesperia, Calif.) broke up consecutive passes early in the second quarter to halt a drive and Stony Brook unleashed its running game on its ensuing drive, one that resulted in the first points of the night for the Seawolves. Senior Conte Cuttino (Uniondale, N.Y.) got things started with a 16-yard run, with a Colgate 15-yard personal foul tacked on the end of the run. Two plays later sophomore Edwin Gowins(Bellport, N.Y.) swept around the right side for 39 yards and the score.

Colgate answered the Stony Brook drive with back-to-back scoring drives of its own, getting a 26-yard field goal and another TD pass to Simonds, this one from 35 yards out with 4:26 left in the half to put the Raiders up 17-7. Stony Brook closed out the half with pair of scoring drives to cut into the Colgate lead. Redshirt freshman Wesley Skiffington (Brandon, Fla.) finished off both drives with field goals, with his second coming from 36 yards out in the final seconds of the quarter to make it 17-13 at the half. 

Stony Brook's defense was stout in the third quarter, holding Colgate to 46 yards and no points. The Seawolves offense could not put any points on the board either, and the four-point Raider lead carried over into the fourth quarter.

Solid defensive play by both teams continued into the fourth quarter and the score remained 17-13 when Stony Brook started a late drive at its own one-yard line after a Colgate punt went out of bounds just inside the pylon. Facing a fourth and short, the Seawolves called a fake punt, with the snap going to Cuttino who gained just enough to pick up the first down. Two plays later Coulter was intercepted, however, with Garrington Spence returning it 11 yards for the touchdown that put the game out of reach for SBU. Another Coulter interception with 2:24 left by Coree Moses halted the Seawolves last chance as the Raiders went on to the win.

Gowins went over the 100-yard mark on the ground for the first time this season, finishing with 108 yards on 17 carries and one score. Coulter completed 12 of 29 attempts for 154 yards and the two interceptions.

Stony Brook will be back in action next week when plays its first home game of the season when it hosts Brown University from the Ivy League. Kickoff will be at 6:00 p.m. in LaValle Stadium.