Goal at :01 ends Stony Brook's year (NEWSDAY)

By JOHN JEANSONNE  john.jeansonne@newsday.com

It was an "Oh, Brother!" ending to Stony Brook's lacrosse season: Its NCAA Tournament hopes dashed in the very last second of the America East Tournament title game Saturday. Its fourth-quarter rally from a two-goal deficit vaporized an instant before the potential overtime period. Its 11-10 loss to Hartford the sudden end to a two-year, 13-game winning streak against conference opponents.
Just for extra theatrical punch, the Hartford winner was scored by Ryan Compitello, younger brother of Tom Compitello, one of the rocks on which SBU's recent lacrosse prominence has been built.
Tom, in fact, had provided the climax to a three-goal SBU charge that put the home team ahead, 10-9, with 7:27 to play and had SBU coach Rick Sowell thinking, "OK, we get one more goal, one more goal, maybe we can get this done."
Instead, Hartford junior Carter Bender, his team's leading scorer despite starting only eight games this season, whipped a shot past Stony Brook goalie Rob Camposa with 3:14 left for a 10-10 tie. And a long Hartford possession, apparently for naught as the clock wound down, resulted in a loose ball on the ground to the left of Camposa.
Ryan Compitello scooped it and flicked it over Camposa's right shoulder at 0:01.
It was Ryan's third goal and "a heartbreaker, to say the least," Sowell said. With only the America East champion in line for an NCAA bid, Stony Brook's year was over at 10-4. Hartford, 11-6, will learn its first-round NCAA opponent Sunday night.
"Obviously, it's a sticky situation," Tom Compitello said of the brother-against-brother inevitability. "Am I happy we lost? Not even close. Let's put it this way: I would've felt better if we won."
Still, in the handshake line, Tom embraced Ryan and told him, according to Ryan, "Great job today."
Plenty of family was in the stands, he said, parents and relatives. Ryan remembered Tom starting lacrosse when Tom was in third grade, Ryan in first, and their father volunteering to coach. They were teammates on the Hauppauge High team when Tom was a senior. Ryan briefly was recruited to join his brother at Stony Brook, but a strong pitch by Hartford and the possibility that he would play more there sent him off to Connecticut.
The fact that their teams faced off in regular-season games the past three years was not so unsettling, Ryan said. But Saturday, with the NCAA berth at stake: "It's a little different. It should be interesting to see how [his parents] will handle this. Tom's always supportive. But he was upset."
Jordan McBride, SBU's career goal-scoring leader, netted a game-high four goals on only six shots, but Hartford's Tim Fallon won the faceoff battle against Adam Rand 16-8, providing Hartford a possession advantage. And when the "other" Compitello scored at 0:01, it brought down the curtain on Stony Brook's season and expectations. Said Sowell, "Yeah, I'd say 'cruel' is an understatement."

Baseball sweeps doubleheader from Hartford

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

West Hartford, Conn. - Sophomore Travis Jankowski (Lancaster, Pa.) hit a base-loaded triple with two outs in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie as the Stony Brook University baseball team defeated the Hartford Hawks, 5-1, in the first game an America East doubleheader on Saturday at Fiondella Field. Stony Brook completed the doubleheader sweep with a 3-2 win in game two.
 
Junior right-hander Nick Tropeano (West Islip, N.Y.) earned the game one win, allowing a run on four hits in 7.0 innings. Tropeano (9-1) struck out six and walked three in the seven-inning game. Junior right-hander Evan Stecko-Haley (Coral Gables, Fla.) allowed two runs in 7.0 innings to earn the win in game two.
Hartford jumped to a 1-0 lead in game one on a solo home run from Brian Hunter in the fourth. The Seawolves (32-10, 13-2 AE) tied it in the fifth as sophomore Tanner Nivins (Kitchener, Ontario) singled to lead off and then came around to score on an RBI groundout from freshman Kevin Courtney (Lindenhurst, N.Y.).
 
Stony Brook then loaded the bases with one out in the sixth. Hartford starter Ryan Lukach struck out Nivins for the second out but Jankowski followed with the three-run triple to left-center to give SBU a 4-1 lead.
Tropeano allowed the first two runners to reach in the bottom of the sixth but got Simon Kudernatsch on a fly to right before getting Rodger Wilmot to ground into an inning ending double play. Stony Brook added an unearned run in the seventh to make it 5-1.
SBU grabbed a 2-0 lead in game two with two runs in the second on a RBI single from freshman Joshua Mason (Woodland Hills, Calif.) and a sacrifice fly from Courtney. Hartford got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a Bulger sacrifice fly.

Stony Brook tacked on a run in the fifth on an RBI groundout from sophomore William Carmona (Hempstead, N.Y.). Hartford answered with a run in the sixth to make it 3-2.
The Hawks nearly tied in the seventh as Chris Suchy walked with two outs and Matt Walker followed with a double to left-center. Suchy attempted to score but was thrown at home as the left-fielder Nivins relayed the ball to senior shortstop Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario), who threw out Suchy at the plate.
Sophomore James Campbell (Bridgeport, Conn) relieved Stecko-Haley to start the eighth and retired the side in order. After the Seawolves did not score in the top of the ninth, Campbell walked Hunter to lead off the bottom of the inning.

Hunter then moved to second on a Bulger sacrifice before advancing to third on a ground out to short from pinch-hitter Mark Sorbara. But Campbell struck out Brendan Behm to end the game and pick up his third save.

Stecko-Haley allowed seven hits and walked just one. Marshall had two hits in game two and now needs just seven more to break the program's all-time hits record.
The teams will wrap up the series with a doubleheader on Sunday. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.

Hartford outlasts #13 Men's Lacrosse to win AE Championship

Final Stats


 
Stony Brook, N.Y. - Despite four goals from senior Jordan McBride (New Westminster, British Columbia) and three from senior Kevin Crowley (New Westminster, British Columbia), the #13 Stony Brook men's lacrosse team (10-4, 5-0) fell to Hartford (11-6, 3-2), 11-10, in the America East Championship game.
Ryan Compitello (three goals, two assists), the brother of Stony Brook senior Tom Compitello (Hauppauge, N.Y.), scored the game-winning goal with one second left in the fourth quarter.
"I certainly have to commend Hartford," coach Rick Sowell said. "I think we played too much defense today, and ultimately, didn't have enough possessions."
McBride finished his career with 175 career goals, tying him with Jeff Reh of Adelphi for 10th all-time in Division I history. He finished the season with 41 goals as he's the only player in school history with four seasons of 40 goals or more.
"I'm going to look back on this game and learn from it," McBride says. "I gave it 110%. Hartford beat us."
Crowley, Division I's active leader in points with 232, finished the season with 30 goals and 26 assists.
"I could be here for a while talking about this senior class and how they've put this program on the map," Sowell said. "The program has reached new heights because of these guys."
In a game that featured six ties and three lead changes, Stony Brook took a 10-9 lead, its first since 6-5, after Compitello scored on a feed from junior Russ Bonanno (Seaford, N.Y.) with 7:27 left.
The Seawolves won the ensuing feed and maintained possession for over 1:30 before junior Robbie Campbell's (Delta, British Columbia) shot was saved. Carter Bender (three goals) scored with 3:14 to tie the game at 10.

Stony Brook won the face-off again, but did not score, leading to a good clear attempt from Hartford. The Hawks sat on the ball for more than a minute before Jared Franze's (two goals) shot went wide. Hartford continued to run out the clock before Ryan Compitello came out from the left side of the crease and scored. Martin Bowes scored all three of his goals in the third quarter as Hartford led 8-6 with 3:28 to play in the third. After Crowley scored his second of the game, Franze answered 1:40 later to put Hartford ahead by two. After Crowley tallied his third goal of the day, senior Timmy Trenkle (Commack, N.Y.), who finished with two assists, tied the game at nine with 7:54 left, setting up Compitello's go-ahead goal 27 seconds later.
Tom Compitello scored a goal and added an assist, finishing his career with 68 goals and 78 assists as well as a 42-game point streak. "This game has been a huge part of our lives," Compitello said. "I know all things come to an end; I just wasn't ready for it today.
Senior Adam Rand (Niantic, Conn.) won eight draws today, giving him 796 for his career, the third-most in Division I history.
McBride, senior Rob Camposa (Syosset, N.Y.) and junior Kyle Moeller (South Setauket, N.Y.) were named to the America East All-Tournament Team.

Sources: Mike Lonergan to take over

George Washington is negotiating a contract with Vermont coach Mike Lonergan, multiple sources told ESPN.com Thursday.


Lonergan was in Washington D.C. on Thursday working on the contract and was hoping to have it signed Friday, according to sources.


Lonergan would replace Karl Hobbs, who was fired April 26 by new athletic director Patrick Nero. Hobbs had been the coach at GW for 10 seasons, compiling a 166-129 record, including a 27-3 record in 2005-06 and a 16-0 record in the A-10. But in the past four seasons, the Colonials had struggled to 25-39 in the A-10 under Hobbs.


Nero worked closely with Vermont as the America East commissioner before replacing retiring AD Jack Kvancz at GW. Because of his ties to Nero, Lonergan had been the front-runner from the moment Hobbs was fired.


Lonergan beat out Kansas assistant and former George Washington player Joe Dooley for the job.


Lonergan took over a tough situation at Vermont, replacing local icon Tom Brennan, who retired in 2005 after leading the Catamounts to a historic NCAA tournament victory over Syracuse in the first round.


Lonergan, who was the coach at D.C.-based Catholic University and an assistant for one season to Maryland's Gary Williams, led the Catamounts to the NCAA tournament in 2010 and the America East regular-season title in 2011. He won 23 or more games in four of his six seasons in Burlington. His overall record was 126-68.


Lonergan was a two-time America East coach of the year in 2007 and '11.


Vermont could look toward Lonergan's top assistant, Hajj Turner, as a possible replacement. Vermont, which has become one of the elite teams in the America East along with Boston University, could move swiftly to keep consistency in the program. Hiring Turner in early May would allow the Catamounts to maintain a smooth transition.


Lonergan would take over a Colonials program that finished 10-6 in the A-10 last season, 17-14 overall, and returns leading scorer and assist maker Tony Taylor, top rebounder David Pellom and second-leading rebounder Dwayne Smith.

Lonergan will likely work to keep GW staff assistant Roland Houston, whose nephew Erik Copes, a 6-foot-8 center from Philadelphia, signed with the Colonials. Copes was rated as the No. 6 center in the ESPNU top 100 for the class of 2011.


Andy Katz is a senior college basketball writer for ESPN.com.

Report: Gus Johnson out at CBS...(

Photo credit: Getty Images

Gus Johnson, whose famously excited style made him a signature voice of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for more than a decade, has left CBS, SI.com reported Thursday.
The surprising news comes as Johnson prepares to call Saturday’s Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley bout for Showtime’s pay-per-view production.
SI said Johnson and CBS parted ways after being unable to come to contract terms. Johnson left MSG before the current basketball season for that reason.

Gus Johnson OUT at CBS...(

SBU beats Binghamton in lacrosse semi (NEWSDAY)

By JOHN JEANSONNE john.jeansonne@newsday.com

Just because they've been there doesn't mean they don't want to do that. Stony Brook's lacrosse players, last year's America East tournament champions, are back in the title game again Saturday on the strength of Wednesday's mostly dominant 12-8 victory over Binghamton.

Stony Brook's control of events got a little wobbly in the fourth quarter, with Binghamton (7-8) scoring the game's last six goals. In the end, though, Stony Brook (10-3) remains "on target," in the words of coach Rick Sowell, and will play Hartford, a 14-11 winner against Maryland-Baltimore County in Wednesday's other tournament semifinal, in Saturday's 3 p.m. final at Stony Brook.

"We want to win back-to-back championships. That's our goal from the beginning of the year; it's never happened before at Stony Brook," said Sowell, whose team has not lost to a conference opponent in 13 straight games dating to the 2009 championship final against UMBC.

And, from there, there would be the unfinished business of reaching the NCAA Final Four after Stony Brook's one-goal loss to Virginia in last year's national quarterfinal.

Jordan McBride and Kevin Crowley, the pair of seniors from New Westminster, British Columbia, who have been athletically finishing each other sentences for four years, again were the team's most potent goal/assist leaders Wednesday. McBride scored six goals (with one assist) while Crowley had four assists (and one goal).

That put McBride's career goal total at 171, the leader among active Division I players -- with 37 goals this season -- and Crowley's career points total at 229, also the best in Division I. It also made Crowley -- 27 goals and 26 assists this year -- the first player in Stony Brook history to collect more than 100 goals and 100 assists.

Aside from two potent, but brief, Binghamton flurries, Stony Brook ruled with its crisp, around-the-horn passing and an ability to win the ground-ball battle (39-22) despite some rugged scrums. Eight consecutive Stony Brook goals -- four of them by McBride -- from halftime through the opening seconds of the fourth period chilled Binghamton's hopes far worse than the raw, windy evening.

Unfinished business? "I think last year we wanted to be in the [conference] final and expected to be in the final," Crowley said, "and we knew if we played to our potential, that's where we'd be. So we're looking at it game-to-game and excited to play in it again."

To finish that thought, as McBride so often has finished Crowley's assists with a goal, McBride said, "I think, from last year, we just want to get to that spot we were, to overcome that and win that game."

McBride's six goals leads #13 Men's Lacrosse past Binghamton, 12-8

Seawolves face Hartford for America East Championship on Saturday (WUSB)

Final Stats


 
Stony Brook, N.Y. - For a third season in a row, the Stony Brook men's lacrosse team will play in the America East Championship final after defeating Binghamton, 12-8, at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Wednesday night. Senior Jordan McBride (New Westminster, British Columbia) scored a game-high six goals to lead the 13th-ranked Seawolves.
Tonight's win is the 13th straight America East victory for the Seawolves, whose last loss came in the conference championship game against UMBC on May 2, 2009.
"Our goal all season long has been to win back-to-back championships, and we're excited to have that opportunity this weekend," coach Rick Sowell said.
Stony Brook, the top seed in the America East Championship, will host #2 Hartford on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
McBride, who has a team-best 37 goals this season, scored four in an 8-0 run as Stony Brook (10-3, 5-0) led by as many as nine, 12-3. The senior attackman has 171 goals during his career, which puts him 14th all-time in Division I history.
The six goals also were one shy of tying an America East Championship record for a game.
Senior Tom Compitello (Hauppauge, N.Y.) added two goals and an assist and senior Kevin Crowley (New Westminster, British Columbia), Division I's active leader in points with 229, tallied a goal and four assists. Crowley and senior Adam Rand (Niantic, Conn.) each had six ground balls.
Crowley's third assist of the game was the 100th of his illustrious career. He's one of just 40 players in Division I history to record 100 or more goals and assists.

Matt Springer, David Raleigh and Michael Antinozzi each had two goals for Binghamton (7-8, 3-2).

Stony Brook opened the game with a 4-0 lead before Binghamton answered with three straight to end the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, junior Graham Adams' (Royal Oak, Mich.) man-up goal sparked the 8-0 spurt. McBride scored four of the next seven goals, with junior Russ Bonanno (Seaford, N.Y.), Compitello and senior Timmy Trenkle (Commack, N.Y.) also finding the back of the net. Trenkle's goal gave Stony Brook a 12-3 lead with 14:09 left in the fourth quarter.
The Bearcats scored five straight goals to end the game.

McBride, Sowell headline America East awards

McBride named Player of the Year; Sowell is Coach of the Year
 
Cambridge, Mass. -

Senior Jordan McBride (New Westminster, British Columbia) has been named America East Player of the Year and Rick Sowell was chosen Coach of the Year, headlining the Stony Brook men’s lacrosse team’s yearly honors, the conference announced on Tuesday. Stony Brook had a conference-best nine all-conference selections.
McBride has 31 goals and six assists this season, including 19 goals and three assists in five America East games. He has 165 career goals, tying him for 16th all-time in Division I history. In addition to earning Player of the Year honors, he also was named to the all-conference first-team for the fourth straight season.

Sowell, who was named America East Coach of the Year last season, has led the Seawolves to back-to-back America East regular season titles and undefeated conference seasons, both program firsts. Moreover, the last team to go undefeated in back-to-back seasons was Hofstra from 1995-98.
Joining McBride as all-conference first-team selections are senior Tom Compitello (Hauppauge, N.Y.), senior Kevin Crowley (New Westminster, British Columbia), senior Timmy Trenkle (Commack, N.Y.), junior Kyle Moeller (South Setauket, N.Y.) and junior Jared LeVerne (Jericho, N.Y.).
Compitello, a first-team honoree last season, has 14 goals and 16 assists this season. Currently on a 40-game point streak, he’s fourth all-time in assists (76) and eighth in points (141) in school history.


Crowley, who joins McBride and Anthony DiMarzo of Delaware as America East’s only four-time first-team selections, leads the conference with four points per game. Tallying 26 goals and 22 assists this season, Crowley is three assists shy of becoming the only player in school history with 100 or more goals and assists. His 224 career points is tops among all active players.

Trenkle has enjoyed an outstanding season as a midfielder, scoring 18 goals, a career best. He has four career hat tricks, including three this season. His 24 points this season also are a career-high as he has 72 points in four seasons.
A transfer from Manhattan, Moeller has provided the Seawolves with one of their best takeaway defensemen in recent history. He has 37 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers while guarding some of the nation’s best attackmen.
A second-team all-conference selection as a freshman, LeVerne, a short stick defensive midfielder, went over 100 career ground balls with six at Vermont on April 30. He also has contributed on offense, tallying a career-high three assists against Albany on April 23. LeVerne has played in all 44 games during his career.
Earning second-team all-conference honors are junior Robbie Campbell (Delta, British Columbia) and seniors Adam Rand (Niantic, Conn.) and Rob Camposa (Syosset, N.Y.).
Campbell has 17 goals and nine assists this season, but has saved his best for America East play, tallying 11 goals and an assist in five games. He scored a career-high four goals at Hartford in the Seawolves’ 10-8 come-from-behind victory. With two more points, he’ll become the 22nd player in school history to reach 100 points.
One of the nation’s premier face-off specialists, Rand is third all-time in Division I history with 776 face-off wins. He’s 167 of 264 (.633) this season and is a career 61% from the ‘X’. He has 89 ground balls this season, a career-high, which ranks third in Division I this season.
Camposa has enjoyed his best season as a Seawolf, taking over the starting duties in goal in 2011. He owns an 8.03 goals against average and a .553 save percentage. During conference play, his numbers are even stingier, recording a .696 gaa and .590 save pct.
The conference also announced that Crowley, Trenkle and Campbell were named to the all-academic team. All three student-athletes are business management majors with GPAs over 3.3.

Tropeano named to Golden Spikes midseason watch list

Durham, N.C. – Junior all-american Nick Tropeano (West Islip, N.Y.), of the Stony Brook University baseball team, has been named to the Golden Spikes Award midseason 60-man watch list, USA baseball announced on Tuesday. The Golden Spikes award is presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country.  

Tropeano is 8-1 with 1.37 ERA in 65.2 innings pitched this season. The right-hander has allowed only 42 hits and struck out 87 batters.

The 2010 America East Co-Pitcher of the Year, Tropeano has held opponents to a .180 batting average and has given up just six extra-base hits, all doubles, this season. He is 12^th in the nation in victories, 13th in ERA and fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.92).

The 60-man midseason list will be narrowed to 30 semifinalists on May 31 and the winner will be announced live on MLB Network on Friday, July 14.

The first-place Seawolves (30-10, 11-2 AE) return to action on Wednesday for a mid-week game, traveling to take on Marist. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

Priore Adds McIntyre, Hemphill To Coaching Staff

Stony Brook, N.Y.  – Stony Brook head football coach Chuck Priore has announced the addition of Bobby McIntyre and Lyle Hemphill to his staff on Monday.

McIntyre, who will coach the Seawolves’ linebackers, brings 30 years of coaching experience, serving in the same capacity at Bryant last season.  McIntyre also coached at Hofstra, working with eight players who went on to sign NFL contracts.  A 1976 graduate of Salem College in West Virginia, McIntyre returned to the college game in 2008 when he coached at Nassau Community College.

McIntyre takes over for Greg Toop, who retired from coaching.

“Coach McIntyre brings a wealth of experience and character to our team,” Priore said.  “He’s been a winning coach at many different levels.”

Hemphill, who will work with the Seawolves’ secondary, comes to Stony Brook after a year at Delaware as its cornerbacks coach.  Anthony Bratton, who led all CAA defensive backs with 99 tackles and Anthony Walters, who was tied for second in the nation with seven interceptions, were among many Blue Hens who earned all-conference honors.

“Coach Hemphill has a strong understanding and knowledge of recruiting as he understands the type of student-athletes we’re looking to bring in to Stony Brook,” Priore said.

No stranger to Long Island, Hemphill coached four years at Hofstra.  During his time with the Pride, he served in a number of capacities, including recruiting coordinator and special teams coach.

A 2002 graduate of Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, Hemphill began his coaching career at Delaware Valley College.  He played high school football at St. Elizabeth for his father, Joe, one of the most successful coaches in Delaware history.

Hemphill replaces Joe Tricario, who accepted a position at Massachusetts last week.

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