JeVahn Cruz waits his turn to star for Stony Brook (Newsday)

A quartet of Hansen Award winners have played for Stony Brook University's football team. Running backs Eddie Gowins, Brock Jackolski and Miguel Maysonet have made their mark for the Seawolves. JeVahn Cruz is next in line. The redshirt freshman from Half Hollow Hills West just has to wait his turn.
Cruz never expected the Hansen, awarded to the top high school player in Suffolk, to propel him ahead of Jackolski or Maysonet, the two feature backs remaining from the Hansen collection.
"You have to adjust,'' the 5-6, 160-pound Cruz said. "You just stay positive and know your time will come.''
Cruz is looking forward to Saturday's game with Sam Houston in the second round of the FCS playoffs. He is in the you-never-know position, meaning his number could be called at any time. "I try to do the same thing every single week in practice,'' he said. "I try to bring energy to practice, make sure it's a good week of practice so when we get down to Texas there's no doubts or anything. One thing I pride myself on is knowing the system. I know I'm going to have to one day play a big role in the system.''
Cruz has made strides in his understudy role. He has rushed for 334 yards and four touchdowns -- not bad for the third back on the depth chart -- and has been valuable on special teams. Against Liberty, Cruz's tackle on a kickoff thwarted a potential return for a touchdown.
"He's been able to play on two or three special teams for us,'' coach Chuck Priore said. "I think his ability to learn has been very good.''
As a senior in high school, Cruz was a one-man offense. He threw for 1,531 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 1,789 yards and 24 more TDs.
Jackolski is a senior, Maysonet a junior. Priore is always recruiting talented players, but Cruz should have a significant role next season. "He's certainly the lead person to replace what we normally do, a two-back rotation,'' Priore said. "We certainly feel he can handle that situation. I think his overall development in the weight room will be crucial to his success. He said to me after the Liberty game, 'Coach, I'm going to be 15 pounds heavier next year so I can punish people.' That's something his body needs to do.''
Cruz is patient. "Just trying to get better and better and waiting until my time comes in the game,'' he said. "Miguel and Brock are over me right now, I respect that. I just sit back, watch what they do, see how they lead the team and hope I can do that in the years to come.''

Sam Houston excited as it prepares for SBU

The eyes of Huntsville, Texas, will be on top-ranked Sam Houston (11-0) when the hometown Bearkats host Stony Brook (9-3) in an FCS second-round playoff game Saturday. The state is steeped in the tradition of major college football, but this community of 40,000 has plenty of allegiance for the local team.
"We're 50 miles away from Texas A&M, Texas is only a couple of hours away, Houston is having a heck of a season down the road about an hour away," said Dave Pattison, associate athletic director for external relations. "It's just as passionate here, just on a smaller scale."
Bowers Stadium holds 12,500. That was too small for Sam Houston's rivalry with Stephen F. Austin, so the game was moved to Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL Houston Texans, and 25,000 attended. Students usually get in for free during the regular season, but the NCAA mandates charging for playoff games, so this crowd might be less than a sellout.
"We have our loyal fans," said Jason Chandler, assistant athletic director for corporate partnerships and development. "Half of the population is tied to the Department of Criminal Justice. We have 10 prisons in town; they employ half the town. People are buying the T-shirts that say 'Undefeated.' Everybody's real excited. We're going around town asking businesses to put up on their marquee 'No. 1 seed, all in December 3.' "
Football competes for attention with Sam Houston's Division I basketball team. But it is, first and foremost, a football state, and this matchup is intriguing. "Most people here have not heard of Stony Brook before," Chandler said. "I think a lot of people have looked at the stats and are impressed with their offensive output and winning streak of nine games. It makes for an interesting matchup because you have the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses playing against each other."
Sam Houston will be favored, but coach Willie Fritz said overconfidence will not be a problem, adding: "We got up all over in our office: 'Prove it every week.' We don't look past that.''
Fritz has some knowledge of Stony Brook because his father used to be Buffalo's athletic director. "Both SUNY schools," he said.
Fritz is working hard to learn about the Seawolves. "Stony Brook's an awful lot like us: win by running the football. You don't find many teams that have two guys who rushed for over a thousand yards. This is going to be a big challenge for us. This is going to be the best running team that we faced.''

De La Rosa leaves UMBC

Maryland-Baltimore County fifth-year senior guard Chris De La Rosa, is leaving the program for “personal and family-related matters,” according to a university statement.
After undergoing foot surgery in May, De La Rosa dressed for only one game this season, going for 17 points and 10 assists against VMI on Nov. 19.
De La Rosa earned second-team all-America East Conference honors last season and was named preseason all-league this year. He was the America East’s top returning scorer (15.5 ppg) and led the league in assists as a sophomore and junior.
De La Rosa was a reserve behind Ronald Moore when Siena went to the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
De La Rosa then transferred to UMBC for more playing time. While he saw more action, he didn’t get to enjoy many victories. The Retrievers were 9-51 over the past two seasons and are off to an 0-5 start this year.

Down 18, SBU rallies to beat Albany, 31-28

By GREG LOGAN greg.logan@newsday.com

Photo credit: Joseph D. Sullivan | Stony Brook quarterback Kyle Essington (15) rolls out to pass in the second half. (Nov. 26, 2011)

 

The stopper was out of the drain, and you could see Stony Brook's Football Championship Subdivision playoff hopes spinning around and ready to go down the pipe as Albany drove to a second-and-goal at the Seawolves' 3-yard line with 54 seconds to play in their first-round playoff game Saturday afternoon at LaValle Stadium.
On the strength of three straight touchdowns by Brock Jackolski, SBU had overcome an 18-point third-quarter deficit to go ahead 31-28. But the Great Danes had all the momentum going their way, driving 52 yards with the help of a dropped interception and missed fourth-down tackle by Stony Brook cornerback Donald Porter.
If he had it to do over again, 74-year-old Albany coach Bob Ford said, "You'd say, 'Why not run it?' '' But people are creatures of habit, and SBU coach Chuck Priore said defensive coordinator Rob Nevasier knew Albany's tendencies on second-and-short at the goal line. "They throw the play-action pass,'' Priore said. "Our defensive coaches said it before the snap, and we called the perfect defense.''
Sure enough, Albany quarterback Dan Di Lella faked the handoff and fired to his right for 6-4 tight end Brian Parker. But the 5-10 Porter tipped the pass and safety Dominick Reyes caught the deflection, got his toes inside the end line and came down with the 31-28 victory.
"I locked on the tight end, he released and I played under him and got a hand on it to tip it up,'' Porter said. "It's a great way to keep our season going.''
It was the ninth straight victory for Stony Brook (9-3). A season that began with an overtime loss in Texas to UTEP of the Football Bowl Subdivision now returns to the Lone Star State, where the Seawolves will meet top-seeded Sam Houston State (11-0) at 3 p.m. (ET) Saturday in an FCS second-round game.
"It's a great opportunity for us,'' said Stony Brook quarterback Kyle Essington, who completed 12 of 24 passes for 258 yards, an average of 21.5 yards per completion, and two touchdowns. "It doesn't matter who they put in front of us. We're going to hit them in the mouth.''
That was exactly the attitude Albany (8-4) brought to LaValle Stadium. The Great Danes took a 14-0 lead with the aid of a blocked punt that Parker returned 21 yards for a TD. The Seawolves cut it to 14-10, but Albany rattled them to their toes with two lightning-strike TDs.
Just before halftime, Di Lella, who completed 24 of 43 passes for 223 yards, drilled Cole King on a 44-yard post pattern for a 21-10 lead. On the first possession of the second half, running back Drew Smith completed a 43-yard TD pass to Ryan Kirchner to make it 28-10. "It's very tough, but we came back after those big plays,'' Porter said. "You have to stay sound and trust what you're doing.''
Stony Brook's offense sprang to life, driving 80 yards to score on a 6-yard run by Jackolski, who had 103 rushing yards on 22 carries. Then Porter came up with an interception that gave Stony Brook the ball at its 47 and set up the play that got the Seawolves back in the game.
On second-and-12, Essington dropped back, pump-faked and hit Jackolski wide-open down the left sideline for a 55-yard touchdown that made it 28-24. "Kyle had an awesome ball on the long throw,'' Jackolski said.
The Great Danes went three-and-out, and Stony Brook took the lead on Jackolski's third TD, an 11-yard run with 12:40 left that capped another 80-yard drive. But to Albany's credit, the Seawolves not only failed to put the game away but had to hang on for dear life at the end.
After the heart-pounding finish, Priore was emotionally spent. "Is 'wow' good enough?'' he said. "We needed every tick of the clock. I'm proud we overcame adversity and finished the game for the ninth time in a row.''

Jackolski simply refuses to lose (Newsday)

This was the last time Brock Jackolski would perform on the field turf at Stony Brook University's LaValle Stadium. It would be the last time Long Island football fans would get a chance to watch one of the very best players of this generation.            
Jackolski, a senior halfback for the Seawolves, has been a winner at every level. As a high school player, he led Floyd to three straight Long Island Class I championships. He finished a stellar high school career with a 33-0 record. It is improbable that any player will ever match that kind of streak.
Jackolski knows only winning. So when Stony Brook teetered on the brink of playoff elimination, it came as no surprise that the coaching staff asked him to put the team on his back. And he delivered.
Jackolski, a Big South first-team selection, never has disappointed, and he didn't this time, either. After falling behind 28-10 early in the third quarter, the Seawolves mounted a furious comeback, scoring three unanswered touchdowns to edge Albany, 31-28, in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
Who scored all three touchdowns? Jackolski.
The same Jackolski who burst on to the high school scene as a sophomore, rumbling for four touchdowns in a 34-27 win over Baldwin for the Long Island Class I championship at LaValle Stadium in 2005.
The same Jackolski who as a junior scored three times in a 42-20 win over East Meadow for the Class I title.
And yes, the same Jackolski who scored three times in his senior year in 2007, sparking a 42-0 win over Farmingdale and a third Class I crown.
He totaled 3,601 yards rushing and scored 66 touchdowns in high school, including a record 10 touchdowns in the Long Island Championships.
"He's a special player," Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore said. "He's a quiet leader as our captain, and the one thing that defines a great player is he never gets too high or low."
Jackolski ignited the come-from-behind win with a 6-yard touchdown run with 4:10 left in the third quarter to get the Seawolves within 28-17. And he was far from finished.
On a play that Priore said he designed this past week on a napkin, Jackolski moved out to the slot position, faked a stalk block on a defensive back, ran by him down the sideline and caught a well-thrown 55-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Essington to make it 28-24 with 1:16 left in the third quarter.
"He sold it enough to make it work," Priore said. "We put it in the playmaker's hands."
Jackolski punctuated the win with a burst over right tackle for an 11-yard scoring run for the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter. That third score resuscitated a fabulous Stony Brook season that had teetered on the brink of elimination an hour earlier.
Jackolski finished with 232 all-purpose yards, including 103 rushing and 74 on three kickoff returns. And he had one solo tackle and an assist on defense in the second half when he was asked to play in the nickel pass defense. Jackolski was in there defensively at crunch time, dropping back into coverage as Stony Brook held off an Albany drive that reached the SBU 3 in the final minute.
"It brought me back to my high school days going both ways," he said. "It means a lot to win here on Long Island."
So a player who emerged as a sophomore playmaker at LaValle Stadium in 2005 made more headlines there in his final game on Long Island in 2011. Jackolski's path from Floyd to Hofstra to Stony Brook mirrored the way he zigs and zags through opposing defenses.
"He embodies everything this program wants to become," Stony Brook athletic director Jim Fiore said. "He's so tough and resilient. I love the kid. He's a winner all the way around. He represents his family, our school, Long Island and himself in a classy way all the time."
Jackolski's transition from high school superstar to college star has been seamless, and his work isn't finished. Stony Brook will travel to top-ranked Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas, for Saturday's second-round playoff game. And it could be more than another playoff game for Jackolski. Maybe it will be an audition for the NFL draft.
"Who would doubt a guy who refuses to lose?" Fiore said. "He has that extra gear, that vision, that desire. You can't teach what Brock Jackolski has."

STONY BROOK Football stages comeback to beat Albany, 31-28

Stony Brook's football team hadn't faced a double-digit deficit since the second game of the season at Buffalo. But a little of junior Brock Jackolski (Shirley, N.Y.) and some defense helped erase an 18-point UAlbany lead as the Seawolves topped the Great Danes, 31-28, in a wild Division I Football Championship first round game at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Saturday.

Stony Brook (9-3) will face top-seeded Sam Houston State (11-0) next Saturday in Huntsville, Texas at 3 p.m. on ESPN3.com.

"Wow," coach Chuck Priore said. "I know I say it a lot, but good teams find ways to win. I'm really proud of my alma mater (UAlbany class of 1982) and the job they did tonight, but I'm even more proud of our team. We're excited for the opportunity to play another week."

Jackolski, a Long Island high school legend who played his final game at LaValle Stadium, scored two touchdowns in the third quarter and the eventual game-winner in the fourth quarter to lead a furious comeback.

Jackolski (22 rushes, 103 yards & 1 rec., 55 yards) scored on touchdown runs of 6 and 11 yards, and a 55-yard pass from junior Kyle Essington (Chino Hills, Calif.).

But UAlbany could have won if it wasn't for a game-saving play from senior Donald Porter (Charles Town, W.Va.) and junior Dominick Reyes (Hesperia, Calif.).

After a Stony Brook punt, the Great Danes started their final drive of the game from their 45. Senior Dan Di Lella (24-43-2, 223 yards, 1 TD) converted three third downs and a fourth down to give UAlbany first and goal from the 7. On second and goal from the 4, Di Lella faked the give to Paul Booker and rolled to his right. Di Lella, who was picked off earlier in the game by Porter, was looking for Brian Parker in the back of the endzone. But Porter stepped in front of the throw, and Reyes hauled in Porter's tip for the touchback to seal Stony Brook's school-record ninth straight win.

"My defensive responsibility was on the tight end, and I was able to get underneath him and tip the pass," Porter said. "Luckily for us, Dom (Reyes) was there and did a great job keeping his feet in bounds."

"As a player, I want to be in on the action," Reyes said. "It's hard to describe what I'm feeling right now. It hasn't sunk it yet. I saw the ball up in the air and did what you're supposed to do."

UAlbany, which held an 11-point lead at halftime, scored four plays into the second half. Tailback Drew Smith, who was split wide to the left, executed a perfect halfback option to Ryan Kirchner for a 43-yard touchdown, giving the Great Danes an 18-point lead, Stony Brook's largest deficit since trailing Buffalo, 28-7 in the third quarter.

That's when the Seawolves offense and defense started to click. Jackolski's six-yard score capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive, keyed by Essington's 33-yard pass to junior Brett Arce (Coalinga, Calif.) down the sideline.

Porter ended the next UAlbany drive, picking off Di Lella at the 41.

Two plays later, Jackolski and Essington (12-24-1, 258 yards, 2 TDs) converted the Seawolves' longest completion of the season. Essington pump faked and found Jackolski down the left sideline for the score.

"Kyle threw an awesome ball," Jackolski said. "I knew that if I could beat the safety, we'd score." Said Essington, "Coach Priore and (Offensive Coordinator) Coach Behrman drew up a great play. Brock's such a great player that I knew he'd come down with it."

Stony Brook stalled a third straight UAlbany drive. Just before the end of the third quarter, Essington found junior Kevin Norrell (Los Angeles, Calif.) down the sideline for a 38-yard gain to the UAlbany 42. Four plays later, Jackolski, with the help of a great block from sophomore Matt Faiella (Freehold, N.J.), took it 11 yards for the touchdown and Stony Brook's first lead of the game, 31-28, with 12:40 left in the fourth.

UAlbany was held scoreless for the final 28:25 of the game. Di Lella completed 11 of 25 for 77 yards after the Great Danes 18-point lead.

Junior Miguel Maysonet (Riverhead, N.Y.) rushed for 75 yards on 22 carries, becoming the Big South's all-time leading rusher in a season with 1,560 yards.

Jackolski finished the game with 232 all-purpose yards, giving him 2,286 for the season. That figure already ranks as the most in a season in conference history. It also was his fifth multi-touchdown game of the season, the most in the Big South this season.

NCAA FCS FOOTBALL GAMEDAY...Albany at STONY BROOK PREVIEW

Controlling the trenches key for Stony Brook vs. Albany

WOMENS HOOPS FALLS AT #18 Ohio State

Women's Hoops falls at No. 18 Ohio State - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

STONY BROOK TAKES NORTHWESTERN TO WIRE, LOSE 63-58

Men's hoops takes Northwestern to wire, loses 63-58 - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM NORTHWESTERN

Men's Basketball practice at Northwestern University

Happy Thanksgiving from OHIO STATE

Klupenger’s three sends women’s hoops past Robert Morris

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) hit the go-ahead three with 14 seconds left as the Stony Brook women’s basketball team rallied from a 14-point deficit to knock off the Robert Morris Colonials, 42-40, on Wednesday afternoon at Pritchard Gymnasium. It was the first career win for new Stony Brook head coach Beth O’Boyle.
“What a tremendous team effort,” O’Boyle said. “We focused on doing the little things down the stretch and that put us in the position to win the game.”
Stony Brook (1-3) trailed by as many as 14 in the first half and by 10 at halftime before rallying to within 40-39 on free throw from junior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.Y.) with 34 seconds left. The Seawolves then forced a Robert Morris turnover and following a timeout, got the ball to Klupenger who drilled a three from the right wing to give Stony Brook its first lead of the game.
Josette Campbell then missed a jumper on the Colonials ensuing possession but Artemis Spanou got the rebound and was fouled with three seconds left. But Spanou missed the first free throw before missing the second on purpose and senior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.) grabbed the rebound and ran out the clock.
The Seawolves held Robert Morris to 28.3 percent shooting for the game including 21.7 percent in the second half and held the Colonials to just three points over the final 10.42 of the contest. Named SBU’s America East Player of the Game, Klupenger led the Seawolves with 13 points while senior Misha Horsey (Wyncote, Pa.) chipped in with 11 points.
Robert Morris jumped on Stony Brook early, scoring 14 of the first 16 points of the game. The Colonials still led by 13 with 2:07 left in the first half but Klupenger hit two threes in the final two minutes to pull SBU within 10 at the break.
Stony Brook scored the first seven points of the second half to get within 25-22 but Robert Morris went on a 12-2 run over the next five minutes to build its lead back to 13 with just less than 11 minutes to go.
But the Stony Brook defense clamped down from there, holding the Colonials to just one field goal over the final 10 minutes of the game. The Seawolves pulled within 39-37 on two Davis free throws with 4:28 left and then got within one on the Murray free throw.
Mary Durojaye led Robert Morris with 10 points and 16 points while Campbell had 11. Junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led Stony Brook with 11 rebounds.
The Seawolves return to action on Friday, traveling to take on No. 19 Ohio State. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

Joe Nathan '97 signs with Texas Rangers



Stony Brook, N.Y. - Former Stony Brook standout Joe Nathan '97 has agreed to a two-year contract with the Texas Rangers, the organization announced on Tuesday. A four-time All-Star, Nathan has 261 career saves.
Nathan has a career ERA of 2.87 and has struck out 761 batters in 729.2 innings. The Minnesota Twins all-time saves leader, Nathan was the recipient of the 2009 American League Rolaids Relief Man Award after finishing the season with a 2.10 ERA and compiling 47 saves in 52 opportunities.
Nathan made a $500,000 lead gift to the Stony Brook Department of Athletics for the construction of Joe Nathan Field, the home of Seawolves baseball. The field opened in May 2011 and Nathan was honored at a field dedication last month.
He was a two-time Academic All-American in his time with the Seawolves and was also inducted into the Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Fame on Dec. 6, 2006, when he became the first former Stony Brook student-athlete to have his number retired

Stony Brook uses defense to trip Columbia (Marcus Henry, Newsday)

All it took was a quick glance at the stat sheet during a timeout in the first half of Tuesday night's game against Columbia for Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell to realize his team was putting forth a great defensive effort.
Columbia had more turnovers (seven) than field-goal attempts (six) with 11:18 left in the first half. That first-half defense played a big part in Stony Brook's 67-53 win over the Lions at Pritchard Gymnasium.
"That's the kind of defense we have to play," Pikiell said. "We really spent a lot of time this week and we were ready . . . We played our kind of basketball today."
That wasn't the case in Stony Brook's 74-63 loss at Sacred Heart last week as the Pioneers shot 49 percent from the field and outrebounded the Seawolves 39-28.
"It was nice to get back to doing what we're doing, keeping teams under their average, playing good defense the whole time and getting after the rebounds," Pikiell said.
Dave Coley led Stony Brook (2-2) with 12 points, shooting 5-for-9, Bryan Dougher chipped in 11 points and Dallis Joyner and Tommy Brenton had nine points each.
Coley, the most efficient player for Stony Brook Tuesday night, attributed his offense to his defense. "I never feel like I have to get going [on offense]," the sophomore guard said. "I feel like my defense will get me going."
Playing without second-leading scorer Noruwa Agho (knee) made it especially tough for Columbia (0-4) to find its offense in the first half as Stony Brook took a 32-20 halftime lead.
Brian Barbour (23 points) was the only player for the Lions to finish in double figures.
"They made it really hard," Columbia coach Kyle Smith said. "And we had to go through some adjustments . . . I was really impressed with how Stony Brook guarded."
Although it wasn't the smoothest offensive performance for the Seawolves, who shot just 36.2 percent (21-for-58) from the field, no one seemed concerned with it.
"Coach preaches defense, defense, defense," Coley said. "As long we play defense, our offense will come to us."
Stony Brook took a 47-29 lead on a baseline jumper by Marcus Rouse with 14:07 left. The Lions answered with a 16-5 run and cut the deficit to 52-45.
But a three-pointer by Leonard Hayes, followed by a free throw and a reverse layup from Joyner pushed the Seawolves' lead to 58-45.

BREAKING: STONY BROOK'S JOE NATHAN AGREES TO SIGN WITH TEXAS RANGERS

Rangers agree to terms with Joe Nathan

Nathan Headed To Rangers

Joe Nathan agrees to 2-year deal with Rangers worth $14.5 million

Nathan Headed To Rangers

The Texas Rangers have agreed to terms with RHP Joe Nathan on a two-year contract with a club option for a third year, the team announced. The deal is worth $14.5 million, which includes a buyout.

The move means closer Neftali Feliz will move into the rotation, something the club has already informed him about.

"Jon Daniels and Ron Washington called me a couple of days ago and told me about the team's decision for me to be a starting pitcher next season," Feliz said in a statement issued Monday.
"I was a starter for my whole career before I came to the major leagues. I am happy to know the team's decision this early, and I have plenty of time to get ready. I have already started running.
"I have time to work on my changeup and all my pitches. I know I have to work hard to be ready to help my team as a starter so we can get back to the playoffs."
Nathan will be formally introduced at a news conference Tuesday morning at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Nathan missed the 2010 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March of that year and returned in 2011, pitching in 48 games (44 2/3 innings) with a 4.84 ERA and 14 saves with eight holds. He had 47 saves in 2009 with a 2.10 ERA and was one of the top closers in the big leagues. Nathan had six consecutive seasons of 35 or more saves.

George Mason rallies for 54-50 win over women’s hoops

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) scored a career-high 16 points but the George Mason Patriots went on a 26-6 game-ending run to rally for a 54-50 win over the Stony Brook University women’s basketball team on Monday night in the Seawolves home opener at Pritchard Gymnasium. “For stretches tonight, we played very well on both ends of the floor,” Stony Brook head coach Beth O’Boyle said. “We’re getting better as a team, we just have to learn how to finish games. Give credit to George Mason, they executed down the stretch and we didn’t. But we’ll learn from it, come back and practice hard tomorrow and get ready for a solid Robert Morris team on Wednesday.”

Klupenger went 5-for-10 from three and was named Stony Brook’s America East Player of the Game. Junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added nine points and six rebounds and freshman Kellie Krueger (Wilsonville, Ore.) chipped in with eight points.

Stony Brook led 44-28 with 11:12 left following Klupenger’s fourth three of the game. But the Patriots went on a 15-2 run over the next five minutes to cut the SBU lead to 46-43.

Previlon hit one of two free throws with 4:14 left to push the lead back to four but George Mason answered with five straight points, going ahead 48-47 on a jumper from Rahneeka Saunders with 1:41 to go. It was the Patriots first lead of the game.

Stony Brook then turned it over on its next two possessions as Mason pushed its lead to 52-47 with 28 seconds left. Klupenger hit a three with two seconds left to make it 52-50 but Taleia Moton knocked down two free throws on the other end to seal the game for the Patriots.

George Mason was held to 36.8 percent shooting in the first half by the Seawolves but shot 50 percent from the field in the second half. Stony Brook out-rebounded George Mason, 36-31 and went 7-for-14 from three.

The Seawolves opened the game strong, scoring nine of the first 11 points. Mason got within 15-12 with 7:50 left but SBU ended the half on a 14-7 run to take a 29-19 lead into the break.

The teams traded hoops over the first four minutes of the second half before a bucket from senior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.) kick started an 11-5 Stony Brook spurt that gave the Seawolves the 44-28 lead.

Stony Brook returns to action on Wednesday, hosting Robert Morris at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 2 p.m

NCAA FCS FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF GAME AT LAVALLE STADIUM VS. ALBANY, SATURDAY, 1:45 P.M. (WUSB)

Stony Brook, N.Y. -

Winners of an outright Big South Conference title for the first time in school history, the Stony Brook football team will host Albany on Saturday, November 26, in a Division I Football Championship first round game at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. The game time has yet to be determined and will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com.
The Seawolves, who defeated Liberty, 41-31, for the conference’s automatic bid to the playoffs, will host their New York State rival for the first time since 2006. Stony Brook and Albany, which compete as associate members in its respective football conferences, are members of the America East Conference in all other sports.
Albany owns a 9-4 series advantage over Stony Brook.
Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore is a 1982 graduate of Albany. He was the Great Danes’ starting fullback for three seasons and earned the Spud Kruzan Award as Albany’s most outstanding senior athlete. He began his coaching career at Albany as the team’s running backs and strength coach.
Priore even served as Albany’s head lacrosse coach, going 9-8 in 1986.
“I’m not sure I’d be where I am today without Coach (Bob) Ford,” Priore said. “To this day, some of the stuff I do organizationally and the way I handle my staff is because of Coach Ford. We’ve always had a healthy relationship. I trust him, and he trusts me."
Stony Brook (8-3, 6-0) has won eight games in a season for just the second time in school history (2002). Currently on an eight-game winning streak, the Seawolves have scored at least 40 points in seven straight games and lead the FCS in scoring offense (39.6/g).

2011 BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONS...NCAA SELECTION SHOW 10am Sunday ESPNU

STONY BROOK FOOTBALL SPECIAL EDITION - SPORTS SECTION SUNDAY 10 PM WUSB.FM/SPORTS

A huge victory for Stony Brook

Steven Marcus

Fans poured onto the football field at LaValle Stadium Saturday night, rushing past a passive phalanx of security guards more than happy to let the crowd enjoy the excitement of the 41-31 win over Liberty that gave Stony Brook the Big South Conference title and an automatic FCS playoff berth.
There was no holding back any emotions on the day of the most significant achievement in the history of Stony Brook football -- if not the entire intercollegiate athletic program.
Football started in 1969 as a club team. It reached Division III status in 1984 but stalled during a state financial crisis that threatened and then delayed the arrival of LaValle Stadium, which became the impetus for a bigger vision in the sport. It was not unthinkable that without the stadium, football might not have survived. A crowd of 7,896, the third-largest since the stadium opened in 2002, proved there is plenty of support.
Now Stony Brook football stands as one of only 20 teams in the nation to make the post-season tournament. Pairings will be announced Sunday, and Stony Brook has put in a bid to host the game Saturday.
"It's awesome to bring a championship to Stony Brook,'' running back Brock Jackolski said. "I think it's a statement for Stony Brook as an institution. It's a big accomplishment for all of us.''
The school has made NCAA tournaments before, but its major sports have stumbled on bigger stages. Two seasons ago, Stony Brook hosted the NCAA quarterfinals in men's lacrosse and lost by a goal to Virginia when a victory would have yielded a spot in the Final Four. Last season, men's basketball came so close to making the coveted Big Dance but lost by two points to Boston University in the America East Tournament championship game.
Football, which has come so far so fast since starting to award scholarships in 2005, lost to Liberty, 54-28, in 2010 when (because of tiebreakers) a 37-0 loss would have given SBU the FCS bid. Saturday's win in a regular-season game that was tantamount to a championship game was no small accomplishment.
"It's part of the journey,'' athletic director Jim Fiore said. "This is another step for our athletic program . . . I feel good for those kids. We were never picked to win the league. We won eight straight games for the first time in school history.''
All the past disappointment evaporated with the victory over perennial power Liberty, which lifted SBU's Big South record to 19-4. "It's definitely a great way to come out with having all the fans here,'' Miguel Maysonet said. "They were like the 12th man out there. This brings humbleness to Stony Brook University sports. For everybody.''
Coach Chuck Priore thanked everyone he could think of in his news conference. "President [Samuel] Stanley, the administration, our alumni, Jim and his staff for the support they've given us over the journey, ups and downs, peaks and valleys, winning streaks, losing streaks,'' he said. "It's a great, great, great win for all the parties involved over the course of my six years here.''

2011 BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONS! BEAT LIBERTY 41-31

It was halftime of the biggest football game in Stony Brook history, and the Seawolves led Liberty by three points in the kind of game that went back and forth like a tennis match. It seemed vital to score on every drive just to hold serve.
Replaying his halftime speech to coaches and players, Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore said he told everyone to stay the course. "Call the same defenses, call the same offensive plays, keep kicking to No. 3,'' Priore said later, referring to explosive Flames kickoff returner Kevin Fogg. "At the end of the day, they're going to make more mistakes than us. They're a good team, but they threw a pick in the red zone, and they fumbled twice in the fourth quarter.''

Priore nailed his prognostication, and the Seawolves nailed down the Big South Conference title and the school's first-ever Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff berth in a 41-31 victory over Liberty that ended with many of the 7,896 fans flooding the field Saturday night at LaValle Stadium. Stony Brook will learn the identity of its playoff opponent on the selection show at 10 o'clock Sunday morning on ESPNU.
Stony Brook tied for the conference title the previous two seasons, and running back Brock Jackolski said, "It's awesome to bring the championship to Stony Brook, and to outright win it is a statement for the institution.''
The victory was the eighth straight for the Seawolves (8-3, 6-0 Big South) and sweet revenge against the Flames (7-4, 5-1), who were ranked 16th in the FCS coaches' poll and beat SBU, 54-28, last season.
Miguel Maysonet (158 yards on 25 carries) and Jackolski (121 yards on 18 carries) totaled 279 yards after being held to 59 yards rushing between them by Liberty a year ago. Kyle Essington showed the Seawolves have a deep passing game, completing 14 of 20 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns.
Both offenses were close to unstoppable in the first half, except that Liberty quarterback Mike Brown was picked off by linebacker Craig Richardson at the SBU 2 in the first quarter. Brown completed 23 of 36 passes for 361 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to Aldreakis Allen that gave the Flames a 21-17 lead. Flames wideout Chris Summers caught 10 balls for 240 yards.
But after Liberty took the lead, Stony Brook came back with a two-play drive that ended with a 49-yard TD pass from Essington to wide-open Matt Brevi down the left sideline for a 24-21 halftime lead. "They were running a certain coverage, and the coaches saw it and took advantage of it,'' Essington said.
In the second half, Liberty tied Stony Brook at 24 and again at 31 and was driving at the Seawolves' 24 when Jawara Dudley sacked Brown and Grant Nakwaasah forced a fumble that he recovered. Kevin Norrell dropped a first-down pass, but on third-and-10, he caught a 15-yarder over the middle to jump-start a 68-yard drive capped by Maysonet's 1-yard touchdown run. "I had to make up for the drop,'' Norrell said. "The linebacker was there, but Kyle threw it and I knew where the first down was.''
When Liberty got the ball back, Brown fumbled again when safety Dominick Reyes stripped the ball and recovered at the Liberty 30, leading to a clinching 18-yard field goal by Wes Skiffington. "We knew it was going to be a barnburner,'' Reyes said. "We said we'll make the big plays when they come to us . . . I hit him, and the ball went straight into my lap.''
Now Stony Brook heads into the playoffs with a full head of steam. "When we're playing together,'' Essington said, "I think we're better than any I-AA team out there.''

TODAY ON WUSB...2011 BIG SOUTH FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

IONA RALLIES FOR 52-48 WIN OVER STONY BROOK WOMENS BASKETBALL

Iona rallies for 52-48 win over women's hoops - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

Stony Brook football has come a long way (Newsday)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As he looks forward to Saturday's home game against Liberty for the Big South Conference title and FCS bid, former Stony Brook player Stu Sharoff looked back to 1977, when the team played on a club level.
Game preparation started well before calisthenics. "The night before the game, we carried aluminum stands over to the field," he said.
Coaches often limed what was a thinly grassed, uneven playing field. Road trips to Marist, Ramapo, Worcester and Niagara were by bus. "A yellow school bus," Sharoff said.
If there was a financial shortfall, players would pay out of their pockets. As the program progressed, Sharoff remained one of its biggest fans and financial supporters; he says he has donated more than $500,000 during the past 30 years. Now the managing director of Guggenheim Securities in Manhattan, Sharoff said of his playing career, "It was the greatest four years of my life. You really learned about teamwork. As I became successful I gave back more and more.''
The football landscape started to change in 1984 when Sam Kornhauser was hired to start a Division III program, but the playing field and its surroundings were slow to improve. "When we got a Porta-Potty, it was a big thing," said Kornhauser, who retired from coaching in 2005 to become a fundraiser for the athletic department.
"If we had to hide the weight room because we didn't have one that compared to other schools, we did that,'' Kornhauser said. "If we had to hide the field, we sold all-you-could-eat lunches in the cafeteria. It was whatever we could do to bring kids in, play football, develop a program. Instead of having kids buy cleats, we were buying cleats for them. Instead of three dollars for lunch, they were getting seven."
Small strides gave way to a giant leap forward with the 2002 opening of LaValle Stadium, named for State Sen. Kenneth LaValle, who secured the funding from Albany. Then-president Shirley Strum Kenny, a former cheerleader during her undergraduate years at Texas, envisioned playing programs of that ilk. Richard Laskowski, the director of athletics at the time, tempered that thinking but did foresee a future beyond Division III and let Kenny have her vision, saying, "There's nothing wrong with dreaming."
Kornhauser fondly recalled opening night at LaValle, before 8,136 fans. "I could see the noise. It was like waves," he said. After that, anything seemed possible.
The athletic administration of Jim Fiore and coach Chuck Priore ushered in scholarships in 2005. It reached the full complement of 63 in 2009 and has paid rapid dividends in the Big South. The Seawolves shared the conference title in 2009 and 2010 and are 18-4 in conference play entering the Liberty game.
Fiore said, "I feel confident in stating that Stony Brook University and the department of athletics made a well-thought-out decision and ultimately implemented a comprehensive strategic plan when we decided to go to scholarship football -- and we do not plan to ever look back.''
The final step in this phase is gaining the automatic bid in the 20-team FCS field. "There's a lot of teams out there that have never gotten to the NCAA," Priore said. "For it to be a tangible thing on the last game of the season is pretty exciting."

Men's soccer edged by Monmouth in penalty kicks

Final Stats
West Long Branch, N.J. - After a tremendous defensive battle that went 110 minutes and saw great saves by both teams, the Stony Brook men's soccer team fell to No. 23 Monmouth in penalty kicks, 5-4, in the first round of the NCAA College Cup Thursday night at The Great Lawn.

Stony Brook ends the season 10-6-4 after earning its third America East Championship in program history. Monmouth advances to play No. 3 seed Connecticut Sunday in Storrs, Conn.

"It was a great match between two great teams," head coach Ryan Anatol said. "I thought we had some great chances tonight, and I thought we did everything we could to put ourselves in position to win. Both goalies had great games."

The match was an incredible defensive battle that featured some outstanding saves. Stony Brook had the better of the opportunities in the first half. Early in the contest junior Berian Gobeil Cruz had a pair of shots saved by Monmouth's Alex Blackburn.

In the second half, both teams went on the offensive and both goalies responded with big plays. Stony Brook junior Charlie Jones (Birmingham, England) had a clear look at the goal but his shot was cleanly saved by Blackburn in the 49th minute. Then from the 57th mount to the 61st minute, Stony Brook goalkeeper Stefan Manz (Bronx, N.Y.) had to make three saves, including a point-blank shot from Kalle Sotka in the middle of the box.

Thirty seconds into the first overtime, Manz had to make a diving stop to his right on another Sotka shot, saving the game. The Seawolves came right back down the field, and sophomore Will Casey (Setauket, N.Y.) took a cross from the far side. He was in the box and shielded by a defender when he smacked the kick towards an open net, but Blackburn raced to chase it down before it could reach the back of the net.

In the second overtime, only Stony Brook had a shot on goal as Gobeil Cruz had a good look at the net that was again taken away by Blackburn.

In penalty kicks, both teams connected on the first two shots - Stony Brook's Kyle Schlesinger (Selden, N.Y.) and Gobeil Cruz converted - but on Stony Brook's third, junior Antonio Crespi (North Babylon, N.Y.) missed high. Although Stony Brook hit its last two, Monmouth went perfect with Anthony Vazquez clinching the victory.

Manz made six saves for Stony Brook and earned his fifth shutout of the season. Blackburn made seven saves and recorded his 13th clean sheet.

Stony Brook has established itself as a strong competitive team and will look to return to the America East Championship and NCAA College Cup in 2012. The Seawolves, under Anatol, will return nine of their 11 starters.

Jamee Juarez joins softball staff as assistant coach

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Head coach Megan Bryant and the Stony Brook softball program announced the hiring of Jamee Juarez as an assistant coach on Thursday. Juarez brings a plethora of experience to the Seawolves' staff as both a player and a coach."We are excited that Jamee has decided to join our staff and the Seawolves softball program," Bryant said. "She is knowledgeable, talented, has a great personality and has a wealth of experience to draw upon as she works with our student-athletes."
Juarez excelled at the collegiate level as a pitcher/player with The Ohio State University, finishing her career as the program's all-time leader in strikeouts and shutouts. A three-time team MVP, Juarez helped the Buckeyes to the 2007 Big Ten regular season and tournament championship and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Juarez earned All-Big Ten honors in 2004-07 and was named OSU Pitcher of the Year between 2005-07.
Following her collegiate career, Juarez played for the Akron Racers of the National Pro Fastpitch League (NPF) and for Team NPF, where she combined for a perfect game in 2010 against the University of Arizona. Juarez joined the Chicago Bandits of the NPF in 2011 and helped the team to the league championship as a utility player and a pitcher. Juarez also spent two seasons in the International Softball Federation playing in Italy for Unione Fermana Softball and Macerata Softball.
Juarez's coaching experience dates back to 2008 when she took over the head coaching job at Hamilton Township High School in Columbus, Ohio. Juarez then joined the coaching staff at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana, Calif. as an assistant/pitching coach in 2009-10. Since 2009, Juarez has also worked as a private softball instructor and has taught pitching at the Sports Training Complex in Anaheim, Calif.
A native of La Puente, Calif., Juarez earned a Bachelor of Science in sport and leisure studies-coaching and management from Ohio State in 2008.

STONY BROOK - LIBERTY MID-WEEK PRESS CONFERENCE

Watch "Stony Brook football press conference - Liberty week" on YouTube

Women’s Basketball signs three to NLIs

Stony Brook University women’s basketball head coach Beth O’Boyle announced today that forward Brittany Snow (Voorhees, N.J./Seneca), guard Kim Hanlon (White Plains, N.Y.) and forward Alyssa Coiro (Califon, N.J./Rutgers Prep) have signed national letters of intent to play for the Seawolves beginning in the fall of 2012.

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Brittany, Kim and Alyssa to the Stony Brook family,” O’Boyle said. “They are each talented and skilled players who will be great additions to our program. But more importantly they are exactly the type of student-athletes that we want on our team.”

A 6-0 forward, Snow averaged 17.3 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior at Seneca High School and is rated as the No. 47 player in New Jersey by MaxPreps.com. Snow was named to the All-South Jersey second team by the Philadelphia Inquirer and was a Burlington Country Times second team All-Area selection.

“Brittany is an extremely tough and aggressive player,” O’Boyle said. “She is a terrific scorer in the post, an outstanding rebounder and has a tireless work ethic.”

Hanlon comes to Stony Brook from White Plains High School where she was a two-time all-league performer. A 5-8 guard, she was recently selected to play in the prestigious Metro Classic and is a three-time scholar athlete award winner.

“Kim is a terrific all-around guard and plays hard on every possession,” O’Boyle said. “She can definitely knock down shots and is also a good decision-maker.”

A 6-1 forward, Coiro helped Rutgers Prep to a county and state championship last season and earned the school’s 2011 Pegeen O’Connell Sportsmanship award. A three-time member of the honor roll, Coiro is a team captain in basketball and volleyball and also led Rutgers Prep to the 2011 state championship in volleyball.

“Alyssa is an extremely talented and skilled post player,” O’Boyle said. “She has a very high basketball IQ, can score in a variety of ways and will add an intensity and competiveness to our team.”

The 2011-12 Seawolves return to action on Friday, traveling to take on Iona and open up their home schedule on Monday against George Mason. For tickets, visit GoSeawolves.org/tickets or call 631-632-WOLF.
For more information on Stony Brook Athletics, please visit GoSeawolves.org and follow the Seawolves on Twitter at SBAthletics.

STONY BROOK MEN'S BASKETBALL SLIPS UP AT SACRED HEART, 74-63

Final Stats

Fairfield, Conn. - The Stony Brook men's basketball team was outrebounded by Sacred Heart, 39-28, and allowed its opponent to shoot 49 percent from the field as the Seawolves dropped a 74-63 decision to the Pioneers Tuesday night at the Pitt Center. Senior Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) led the Seawolves with 11 points. Junior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) added eight points, seven rebounds and three steals.

Stony Brook shot 42 percent from the field, but was just 29 percent (6-for-21) from the three-point line. The Seawolves forced 19 Sacred Heart turnovers and turned them into 30 points, but the team struggled from the free throw line, making just seven of 12 shots. Of Sacred Heart's 39 rebounds, 12 were on the offensive glass, leading to 14 second chance points.

"We didn't play our best basketball tonight," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Give credit to Sacred Heart, they're a good team that hustled for every rebound tonight, and that gave them extra chances and made our defense work harder on every possession."

The first half proved to be sluggish for the Seawolves, who struggled with shots and turnovers. Stony Brook was just 10-for-29 (34%) from the field in the first half and committed nine turnovers.

Stony Brook trailed 6-2 when the team went on an 8-0 run to go up 10-6. Sacred Heart, which actually had 11 turnovers in the first half, came back to start hitting three-pointers. Gibson knocked down a three, and then Greenbacker hit a three to put the Pioneers up 12-10.

The offenses started picking up, and the Seawolves led again 20-19 on a Hayes three-pointer when the Pioneers went on a 15-5 run to end the first half. Evan Kelley and Chris Evans hit back-to-back three-pointers and the Pioneers expanded their lead to nine when Evans dunked the ball in transition after Justin Swidowski blocked a Hayes shot. Sacred Heart went into halftime up 34-25.

In the second half, Stony Brook opened up on a 17-8 run that was punctuated by a pair of three-point plays. Dave Coley hit a jumper from the left elbow and drew a foul. He made the free throw, and then Marcus Rouse stole the ball from Kelley and bounced a pass to Joyner, who was fouled on his dunk. He converted the three-point play and got the Seawolves to within two, 44-42, with 13:46 remaining.

But that was as close as the Seawolves would get. Sacred Heart's Stan Dulaire answered the Seawolves run with a dunk and then Stony Brook turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions. Hayes got SBU within three, 48-45, after a three-pointer at 11:24, but the Pioneers then went on a 9-0 run that spanned six minutes of game clock as the Seawolves went 0-for-3 from the field and had three turnovers in that span.

Sacred Heart seemingly iced the game on Dulaire's dunk at 2:47 that made it a 12-point game, 64-52. The Seawolves fouled to stay in the game, but got no closer than eight points.

SBU soccer looks to step up in NCAAs (Newsday)

This is NCAA Tournament week at Stony Brook. It started Sunday when the men's soccer team won the America East title and continued Monday when the Seawolves learned they will play at Northeast Conference champion Monmouth at 7 p.m. Thursday.  On Saturday, SBU's football team will attempt to earn its first postseason bid when it hosts Liberty in the regular-season finale. The winner gets the Big South title and an automatic berth in the FCS playoffs.
The soccer team is making its third trip to the tournament and second in three seasons. The Seawolves are led by juniors Leonardo Fernandes and Berian Gobeil, who have totaled 16 goals and 10 assists. Eleven players remain from the 2009 team that lost a first-round game, 1-0, in double overtime at Brown.
"It was a tough loss,'' junior Raphael Abreu said. "It was tough to go out that way.''
Stony Brook (10-6-3) never has played Monmouth (14-5-1), which is coached by former Adelphi player Robert McCourt. Monmouth is making its third straight appearance in the tournament. The winner faces Connecticut on Sunday.
"From two years ago, our team has grown tremendously, not just soccer-wise, maturity-wise,'' Stony Brook senior defender Kyle McTurk said.
First-year coach Ryan Anatol expected nothing less than the conference title, saying, "I knew it was a team that had a lot of talent, that it had gone to the tournament, that it was a young team, so for sure I knew the potential was there.''

STONY BROOK Men's soccer draws Monmouth in the NCAA Tournament

Interactive Bracket

The Stony Brook men's soccer team will challenge Monmouth in the first round of the 2011 NCAA College Cup Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m., the NCAA announced as part of its bracket selection show Monday.

The Seawolves won their third America East Championship in program history Sunday night after a 4-2 victory over Hartford in the final to earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAAs. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The winner will play at No. 3 Connecticut Sunday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m.

Monmouth is the champion of the Northeast Conference, winning the regular season and tournament championships with a 14-5-1 overall record and 7-3-0 league mark. The Hawks were nationally ranked as high as No. 18 this season.

Stony Brook is 1-2 all-time in NCAA Tournament games. After winning the America East title in 2005, the Seawolves went to Yale for their first round NCAA match and came away with a 2-1 victory. The Seawolves exited in the second round after a 2-0 loss to Connecticut.

In 2009, Stony Brook lost to Brown, 1-0 in double overtime, in the first round of the NCAA Championship. There are 11 current Seawolves that were part of the 2009 team at Brown.

Stony Brook is led by first-year head coach Ryan Anatol, who has guided the Seawolves to a 10-6-3 record. His team finished in second in America East during the regular season and then defeated Albany and Hartford to win the league title.

On the field, the Seawolves are led by senior captain and All-America East first team defender Kyle McTurk (Hauppauge, N.Y.), America East Midfielder of the Year junior Leonardo Fernandes (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and America East Striker of the Year junior Berian Gobeil Cruz (Montreal, Quebec).

Ticket information will be forthcoming.

2011 America East Champions! Men's soccer beats Hartford 4-2 to advance to NCAAs

Final Stats
Junior Leonardo Fernandes scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Stony Brook men's soccer team to a 4-1 victory over Hartford to win the 2011 America East Championship and earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. It is Stony Brook's third conference championship, joining the 2005 and 2009 teams.

Fernandes was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and he joins senior Kyle McTurk (Hauppauge, N.Y.), junior Kyle Schlesinger (Selden, N.Y.) and sophomore Will Casey (Setauket, N.Y.) on the All-Tournament team. Fernandes' five point night breaks the America East Championship record, and his eight points in the tournament ties the conference record.

The Seawolves will now await their first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament, which takes place on Thursday, Nov. 17. The selection show takes place Monday at 4:30 p.m. exclusively on NCAA.com.

"It's all about the journey and all about getting better," head coach Ryan Anatol said. "Tonight it paid off. We're going to enjoy this championship tonight and then prepare ourselves for the NCAA Tournament."

Casey got the Seawolves off on the right foot just 3:29 into the match as Fernandes smacked a free kick into the box. The ball found its way to senior Mame Samb (Dakar, Senegal), and he kicked it to Casey who got a clear shot at the goal and put it past Hartford's Luke Citriniti.

Hartford responded with a goal in the 17th minute when David Bernhardsson was fouled just outside the box. His free kick sailed into the top left corner of the goal on the far side from 30 yards out to tie the match.

Just before halftime, Stony Brook regained the advantage as Fernandes took a played ball from junior Raphael Abreu (New York, N.Y.) and easily put the ball into the net from the middle of the field. Stony Brook went into halftime up 2-1.

Just 4:33 into the second half, Fernandes gave the Seawolves a two-goal cushion when a played ball in the box caused a collision that knocked down Citriniti. Junior Berian Gobeil Cruz (Montreal, Quebec) played the ball to Fernandes, who had an open net from the far side. He sailed the kick across into the back of the net on the near side for his second tally of the night.

Stony Brook went up 4-1 when Schlesinger took a long pass from junior Christian Molinar (Bay Shore, N.Y.), outran his defender and went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and pushed it past him.

Hartford scored a goal late, but the Seawolves defense held the Hawks to just five shots on goal for the night.

2011 America East Champions! STONY BROOK Men's soccer beats Hartford 4-2 to advance to NCAAs

Seawolves win their third program championship, all in the last seven seasons.

Final Stats

Junior Leonardo Fernandes scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Stony Brook men's soccer team to a 4-1 victory over Hartford to win the 2011 America East Championship and earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. It is Stony Brook's third conference championship, joining the 2005 and 2009 teams.

Fernandes was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and he joins senior Kyle McTurk (Hauppauge, N.Y.), junior Kyle Schlesinger (Selden, N.Y.) and sophomore Will Casey (Setauket, N.Y.) on the All-Tournament team. Fernandes' five point night breaks the America East Championship record, and his eight points in the tournament ties the conference record.

The Seawolves will now await their first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament, which takes place on Thursday, Nov. 17. The selection show takes place Monday at 4:30 p.m. exclusively on NCAA.com.

"It's all about the journey and all about getting better," head coach Ryan Anatol said. "Tonight it paid off. We're going to enjoy this championship tonight and then prepare ourselves for the NCAA Tournament."

Casey got the Seawolves off on the right foot just 3:29 into the match as Fernandes smacked a free kick into the box. The ball found its way to senior Mame Samb (Dakar, Senegal), and he kicked it to Casey who got a clear shot at the goal and put it past Hartford's Luke Citriniti.

Hartford responded with a goal in the 17th minute when David Bernhardsson was fouled just outside the box. His free kick sailed into the top left corner of the goal on the far side from 30 yards out to tie the match.

Just before halftime, Stony Brook regained the advantage as Fernandes took a played ball from junior Raphael Abreu (New York, N.Y.) and easily put the ball into the net from the middle of the field. Stony Brook went into halftime up 2-1.

Just 4:33 into the second half, Fernandes gave the Seawolves a two-goal cushion when a played ball in the box caused a collision that knocked down Citriniti. Junior Berian Gobeil Cruz (Montreal, Quebec) played the ball to Fernandes, who had an open net from the far side. He sailed the kick across into the back of the net on the near side for his second tally of the night.

Stony Brook went up 4-1 when Schlesinger took a long pass from junior Christian Molinar (Bay Shore, N.Y.), outran his defender and went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and pushed it past him.

Hartford scored a goal late, but the Seawolves defense held the Hawks to just five shots on goal for the night.