Macon will not return to coach Binghamton men’s basketball

VESTAL, N.Y.—Binghamton University Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott announced today that effective immediately Mark Macon will no longer be head coach of the men’s basketball program.
“Mark Macon led the program during an extremely difficult period,” said Elliott. “I appreciate and thank him for his efforts but after careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to make a change in leadership. The decision comes after a thorough assessment of our current program and my expectations for the future.”
Elliott said a national search for a new head coach would begin shortly.
Macon, who just concluded his fourth season at Binghamton University, took over the head coaching position in 2009. He compiled a 23-70 record in his three seasons as head coach.

America East Champs! Women's tennis beats UMBC to win first AE title

Results

Flushing, N.Y. - Led by Most Outstanding Player Polina Movchan, the No. 4 Stony Brook women's tennis team won its first ever America East title on Sunday afternoon, defeating the No. 2 UMBC Retrievers, 4-2, in the finals of the 2012 America East Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center. With the victory, the Seawolves secure the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The NCAA tournament selection show will be streamed live on NCAA.com on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
A day after winning in a third set to secure the Seawolves 4-3 victory over 18-time defending champion Boston University, Movchan again delivered the clinching point for the Seawolves as she beat Kim Berghaus, 7-5, in a second set tiebreak at No. 2 singles.
The Seawolves became the lowest seed in America East tournament history to win the title.
UMBC jumped to a 1-0 lead by winning a tightly contest doubles points. The Retrievers won in a tiebreak at No. 1 singles to secure the point.
But senior Salome Mkervalidze (Brewster, N.Y.) won 6-3, 6-4 at No. 6 singles and junior No. 1 Nini Lagvilava (Tbilisi, Georgia) followed with a 6-1, 6-2 victory to give the Seawolves a 2-1 lead.
UMBC won at No. 5 singles to tie the match 2-2 but senior Prerana Appineni (Hyderabad, India) secured a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 3 singles shortly after to give Stony Brook a 3-2 lead.
Movchan won the first set in a tiebreak and Berghaus then won at 6-5 to send the second set to a tiebreak.
Bergahuas went ahead 5-4 but Movchan then won three straight points to secure the victory and the championship for the Seawolves.

Belton, Men's Lacrosse top Albany, 12-11, earn third-straight America East Regular Season Title

Final Stats

Albany, N.Y. - Senior Kyle Belton (Langley, British Columbia) set a career-high with five goals as the Stony Brook men's lacrosse team captured its third straight America East regular season championship with a thrilling 12-11 win over Albany. Senior Russ Bonanno (Seaford, N.Y.) and redshirt freshman Mike Rooney (East Islip, N.Y.) tallied two goals apiece.
By virtue of Saturday's win, the Seawolves have claimed the top seed in next week's four-team America East Championship. UMBC will be seeded second, followed by #3 Albany and #4 Hartford.
Junior Sean Brady (Huntington Bay, N.Y.) stood on his head for many saves, finishing with 11 stops.
Albany tied the game at 11 with 1:33 after Joe Resetarits' fourth goal of the game, but Belton played hero. Junior Jeff Tundo (Orchard Park, N.Y.) found Belton from behind the crease for the game winner with eight seconds left.
"To be honest with you, I was looking for him (Kyle) the whole time," said Tundo, who finished with four assists. "We've been clicking recently in practice," Belton said. "I was trying to time my cuts. I saw the defense sinking in and saw an opportunity."
Belton, whose previous career-high was three, scored four of his five goals in the first half. "Kyle has been a quiet leader for this team all year," coach Jim Nagle said. "We played through some mistakes, but, at the end, we're happy to be the top seed in the tournament."
Stony Brook finishes the regular season 5-9 overall, but 4-1 in America East play. Albany, which has lost to Stony Brook six straight times, is 4-10, 3-2.
Albany led 4-1 and 5-2 in the first half on the strength of three goals from Joe Resetarits. Back-to-back goals from Belton cut the deficit to 5-4 with 5:22 left in the first half. Bonanno tied the game at five, going counter-clockwise around the crease to beat Albany goalie Max Huber through the legs.

The Seawolves made it four unanswered goals as Tundo made a move around his defender and found Belton for the score from eight yards out. With just over 10 seconds left in the first half, Tundo and Belton connected in an identical result, capping a five-goal rally.
Albany scored to snap a 15:18 scoreless drought, but Stony Brook answered right back. Albany's Jon Newhouse was called for a one-minute slash, giving Stony Brook a man-up opportunity. Rooney took a pass from junior Nick Watson (Manchester, England) and beat Huber far side.
Ty Thompson (five goals) scored back to back to give Albany a 9-8 lead, but Rooney, the nation's leading goal scorer among all freshmen (30) scored unassisted to tie the game at nine with 11:38 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Senior Robbie Campbell (Delta, British Columbia) scored on a feed from Belton to make it 10-9 as he was clobbered. The penalty was unnecessary roughness, giving Stony Brook the man-up opportunity for two minutes. 40 seconds later, Watson scored off a feed from Rooney to make it an 11-9 Seawolves lead.
Ty Thompson made it a one-goal game with 4:32 remaining.

SFCC’s Easton signs with Stony Brook University

Sedalia News-Journal
State Fair Community College sophomore guard Ariel Easton has signed a national Letter of Intent to attend Stony Brook University in New York. She is the second Lady Roadrunner to make her college plans official.
“I had lots of offers from other schools, but I just felt more comfortable at Stony Brook,” said Easton. “When I went on a visit there I loved it. I continually had contact with the coaches and built a relationship with the head coach and assistant coach. I just felt that was the place I needed to go.”
Easton helped lead the Lady Roadrunners to an 18-12 record and an appearance in the Region 16 tournament semifinal. She earned National Junior College Athletic Association All-American second-team honors for her efforts this season.
Easton averaged a team-leading 15.8 points per contest during her one season at SFCC. She performed well against a tough schedule, which included 11 games against teams that were ranked or receiving votes at some point during the season. She also averaged 15.8 points a game in those contests.
Easton scored 23 points against Arkansas Baptist College. The South Bend, Ind., native scored 20 points against the Hutchinson Community College Lady Blue Dragons, who advanced all the way to the national championship game. Easton followed that performance with 22 points, eight rebounds, and four steals against the Seward County Community College Lady Saints, who were ranked 11th in the country at the time.
Easton led the Lady Roadrunners in steals per contest with two. She also pulled down 3.7 rebounds per contest and was the team’s leading free-throw shooter with 76 percent. She plans to major in Criminal Justice at Stony Brook.
“I think she will be a scorer for Stony Brook,” said Lady Roadrunners Head Coach Kevin Bucher. “She just plays hard. She can pass, rebound and play hard defensively. She will be a very nice complementary player for them, not only in her ability to score, but also in the other small things she does. I think she will do very well at Stony Brook.”
“I will miss SFCC a lot,” said Easton. “I feel like transferring from the community college where I was and coming to SFCC was the best thing I could have done. The program at SFCC is great, and if you want to go on and play somewhere else, coming to SFCC is a good idea.”

Football adds Maryland transfer Avery Graham

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook head football coach Chuck Priore has announced that rising junior Avery Graham (Clarksburg, Md.) has signed a grant-in-aid to play for the Seawolves beginning this fall. A transfer from the University of Maryland, Graham will have two years of eligibility left.
"We're really excited to have a player with Avery's skill level and athleticism," Priore said. "Avery should fill an immediate need at corner."
The 5-10, 195-lb Graham played in six games last season for the Terrapins, finishing with five tackles. He also added 56 kick return yards. As a redshirt freshman in 2010, he played in seven games, making 12 tackles and totaling 38 kick return yards.
A 2009 graduate of Clarksburg High School, Graham ranked among the nation's best running backs and defensive backs, earning a No. 69 by Rivals.com among all cornerbacks. As a senior, he posted 84 tackles, three sacks and four interceptions, including one for a touchdown. Graham's talents also extended to the track as he won state titles in the 55 and 100-meter run as well as the shot put.

Legends pitcher and former STONY BROOK Seawolf Nick Tropeano named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week

Lexington Legends’ right-hander Nick Tropeano has been named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the period of April 16-22, SAL President Eric Krupa announced Monday.

Tropeano made one start during the week and pitched eight shutout innings at Kannapolis April 19. He was the winning pitcher in a 2-0 Legends victory. Tropeano allowed four hits, walked two and struck out nine.

For the season, Tropeano (1-0) has fanned 27 batters while allowing one run in 19 innings pitched. He is tied for second in the league in strikeouts, and his earned run average stands at 0.47.

Tropeano, 21, was a fifth round choice of the Houston Astros in the June 2011 draft. He pitched in college at Stony Brook University.

“Nick has been outstanding for the Legends, and it’s great to see him get this recognition from the league,” said Legends General Manager Seth Poteat. “We’re looking forward to seeing him pitch on this next homestand.”

TWO MENS BASKETBALL STARTERS FOR ALBANY LEAVE TEAM.

UAlbany men’s basketball guards Gerardo Suero and Logan Aronhalt are both leaving UAlbany to begin a new chapter in their lives. Aronhalt is looking to earn a master’s in kinesiology and unfortunately the University does not have a master’s in that field or similar to it, so he will begin his search for a school that does. Suero is looking to start his professional career a year early in which he has begun that process by filing for the 2012 National Basketball Association Draft.

“I am looking to pursue a professional career right now in my life whether it be in the NBA or overseas”, said Gerardo Suero about his future. “I just wanted to thank coach (Will Brown) for everything he has taught me up to this point. He was the one who was recruiting me when everyone else was not. I also want to thank the coaching staff and the players, especially, for helping get to where I am right now.”
“I knew when I recruited Gerardo that he had a strong desire to play professional basketball. He feels that he is ready to take the next step”, said head coach Will Brown on Suero departing. “We have talked about the pros and cons of his decision. He has the support of his mother and father and it is my job to continue to help him achieve his goals. We are waiting to hear back from the NBA Advisory Committee. He is in good academic standing and attending classes on a regular basis. He had a tremendous year for us and has the type of offensive game that will allow him to be successful at the next level”.

“In looking toward the future, it was in my best interest to choose education over playing”, said Logan Aronhalt about leaving UAlbany. “My goal right now is to get a master’s in exercise science and unfortunately they (the University at Albany) do not offer a master’s for that or similar to it. I am currently looking to find a school that is suitable for me to receive that master. Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone that I have played with and the coaching staff as well and wish them the best of luck for next season”.
“Logan is a great young man who has enjoyed success on the court and in the classroom”, said coach Brown on Aronhalt moving forward. “He has battled injuries throughout his career and that has made him think twice about his future moving forward. He is a very ambitious young man and has expressed his desire to continue his education and receive a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science. Unfortunately we do not have an Exercise Science Program at Albany. Logan and I are working closely to find a school where he will be able to pursue a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science. Logan has been a pleasure to coach and will be successful moving forward.

Defense tops Offense, 39-13, in annual STONY BROOK FOOTBALL Spring Game

Stony Brook, N.Y. - The Stony Brook football team concluded spring practice Sunday with its annual spring game. The defense (red) outlasted the offense (white), 39-13, in a modified scoring system.The offense scored points the conventional way - six points for a touchdown, a point for a PAT and three points for a field goal.
The defense scored points in four ways - four points for a stop before the offense crossed the 50-yard line; seven points for a stop with a turnover before the offense crossed the 50; two points for a stop after the offense crossed the 50 and three points for a stop with a turnover after the offense crossed the 50.
Sophomore Davon Lawrence (Central Islip, N.Y.) totaled 92 yards and a touchdown to lead the offense. Senior Kevin Norrell (Los Angeles, Calif.) caught five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. Senior Kyle Essington (Chino Hills, Calif.) completed 10 of 16 passes for 174 yards and the touchdown to Norrell.
Senior Jordan Gush caught only two passes, but hauled in a 55-yard reception in the beginning of the second quarter.
Junior Lyle Negron (Bakersfield, Calif.) completed 4 of 7 passes for 58 yards, including a 37-yard strike to junior Myles Campbell (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.).
Redshirt freshman Naim Cheeseboro (King of Prussia, Pa.) led the defense with nice tackles. Senior Dan Mulrooney (Prospect, Conn.) and sophomore Janna Chukumerije (New Rochelle, N.Y.) each recovered a fumble.

Redshirt freshman Victor Ochi (Valley Stream, N.Y.) had six tackles, including two sacks.
The 2012 season gets underway on September 1 when the Seawolves host Central Connecticut. For tickets, visit www.GoSeawolves.org or call (631) 632-WOLF.

Stony Brook men's lacrosse falls in overtime

The last time Hartford played at LaValle Stadium, the numerals "0:01" glowed on the scoreboard after a winning goal lifted the Hawks over Stony Brook in last season's America East title game.
The last-second goal, by Ryan Compitello, abruptly severed the Seawolves' season at 10-4 without an NCAA Tournament appearance to show for it. A month later, coach Rick Sowell resigned to take the job at Navy.
The loss reverberated in Robbie Campbell's memory, too, and he said he could only shake his head when he looked at the scoreboard again Saturday. It showed another dramatic Hartford goal (this time to tie the game) with one second left in regulation.
And, later, the Hawks were dancing on the LaValle turf again after an 11-10 win in overtime.
"Deja vu," Campbell said.
It wasn't Compitello but Hartford's Carter Bender who slung the underhanded winner two minutes into overtime.
This came after Stony Brook (4-9, 3-1) took a 10-9 lead with 17 seconds remaining in regulation on a lunging goal by the midfielder Campbell. But Hartford -- once again -- proved adept in the clutch. Rory Nunamacher rocketed a shot past goalie Sean Brady with one tick remaining to send the game to overtime.
In the extra period, the Hawks (5-8, 2-2) won the faceoff and controlled the action until Bender wound up for the winner. It gives the Seawolves their first regular-season conference loss since March 28, 2009 and sixth one-goal loss this season.
"I'm hoping it makes us stronger," coach Jim Nagle said of the losses. "It can wear on you but we just need to stay positive, stay optimistic."
Nagle complained after the game that a second was added to the clock after Hartford took a timeout with eight seconds remaining in regulation.
"I have no idea why," Nagle said. "I would like an explanation but I'm sure I'll never get one."
That second proved fateful. Hartford, if anything, knows what it's capable of with little time remaining. "They seem to like to score those one-second goals," Campbell said.
Stony Brook jumped out to a 6-3 lead but Hartford scored four unanswered goals to go up 7-6 in the third. The Seawolves offense dried up as the Hawks extended defensively.
A Mike Rooney goal put Stony Brook up 9-7 with 7:08 remaining but Hartford stormed back to tie. On this field, against this team, the Hawks never seem to be out of it.
Now the Seawolves need a win on Saturday at Albany and a UMBC loss to clinch the conference title outright.
"We control our own destiny next week," Campbell said. "We've just got to keep our head up and look forward to the next game."

Senk wins 600th as Stecko-Haley, Campbell lead baseball to sweep of Hartford

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook head coach Matt Senk became just the third coach in America East history to reach 600 career wins as the Stony Brook baseball team swept a doubleheader from the Hartford Hawks on Saturday to complete a four-game series sweep.
Senior Evan Stecko-Haley threw a three-shutout in the 4-0 win in the opener before junior James Campbell threw 7.0 shutout innings in the 9-4 game two victory that was 600th of Senk's career.
The all-time wins leader at Stony Brook, Senk has led Stony Brook to 30 or more wins nine times and led the Seawolves to three America East tournament titles and a school record 42 wins last season. In his 22nd season, Senk has a .579 (600-386) all-time winning percentage.
Stecko-Haley walked just one and struck out a career-high 10 batters in his 7.0 innings. Campbell allowed just five hits and did not walk a batter as the Seawolves improved to 29-10 overall and 9-2 in the America East.
The Seawolves pitching staff shutout the Hawks for 26 consecutive innings in the series before Hartford scored four runs in the ninth inning of game two. Stony Brook has won 15 of its last 17 games.
Stony Brook grabbed 3-0 lead in the opener, scoring a run in the second and two in the third on a two-run single from junior Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, Ontario).
The Seawolves added a run in the sixth on an RBI triple from junior Travis Jankowski (Lancaster, Pa.) and Stecko-Haley pitched around a leadoff single in the seventh to seal the victory.
SBU jumped to an early lead again in the second game, scoring four runs in the first highlighted by a two-run triple from junior William Carmona(Hempstead, N.Y.).

Senior Pat Cantwell(West Islip, N.Y.) added an RBI single in the third to push the Stony Brook lead to 5-0.The scored remained that way until the seventh when the Seawolves put the game away with four more runs.
Stony Brook returns to action on Tuesday, hosting Central Connecticut State.

BREAKING: TROY RECORD - Gerardo Suero leaving UAlbany basketball program

Andrew Santillo, The Record

ALBANY - Gerardo Suero burst onto the scene this past season at the University at Albany.

Suero, a junior college transfer, finished seventh in the nation in scoring (21.5 ppg) in 2011-12. It seemed like he would only get better in his second season for the Great Danes.

That will not happen.

Suero confirmed on twitter, on Friday, his 23rd birthday, that he will be leaving the program.
Suero set the program record for points in a single-season, finishing with 689 points and was also named a first team All-America East conference selection.

The Great Danes finished 19-15, losing to Stony Brook in the America East semifinals.

SBU football coach Priore looks back, looks forward

By STEVEN MARCUS steven.marcus@newsday.com
For Stony Brook University football coach Chuck Priore, spring football has been a time for reflection and planning. The session ends Sunday with an intrasquad game at LaValle Stadium at 2 p.m. Admission is free.
Priore recently scrutinized the 2011 season -- the most successful in the university's scholarship era -- and took a glance at 2012, just five months away.
Stony Brook (9-4) won the Big South title over rival Liberty to earn its first berth in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The Seawolves beat Albany in the first round, then concluded their playoff run with a 34-27 loss to top-ranked Sam Houston State, which eventually lost to North Dakota State in the FCS championship game.
Stony Brook tied the score at 20 on a 3-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Norrell with 8:56 remaining but allowed an 80-yard touchdown pass 11 seconds later. The Seawolves tied it at 27 on Brock Jackolski's 2-yard touchdown run with 6:37 to play but allowed a game-winning 7-yard touchdown run with 1:01 remaining.
When Priore gathered the team for spring practice, he did not give a collective pat on the shoulder pads. He told the players, "The last time we were on the field, we did not perform in the fourth quarter the way we needed to do to be a successful program. So let's perform today better than we did in the fourth quarter; let's take spring ball and perform better than we did in the fourth quarter of last year. I think everybody remembers the fourth quarter. We had a chance to win and we didn't.''
Stony Brook had a 10-3 halftime lead over Sam Houston State. "When we ran off the field at halftime, I looked over at the scoreboard and I said, 'Could I just continue running to the bus? I don't want to play another game,' '' Priore said. "That really defined who we were. We at every level played against what I consider a team that we can play against as well as we could play top to bottom . . . I wasn't scared to go back out in the second half, but the reality of it is, I knew another half was going to bring competition and I thought, 'Are we going to be ready for the competition?' ''
For the most part, yes. "We inched ourselves each year to be a better football program,'' Priore said. "Our ability to compete with Sam Houston means our personnel is pretty good right now. Could we do it for 13 straight games against similar competition? That's a tough one. We might be 6-5, might be 5-6. I think we can win some of those games now.
"We were on the short end; let's be straight right now. We didn't win the game. The honest two games that I think we should have won were the first one and the last one. We should have beaten UTEP and we should have beaten Sam Houston State. When you watch the film, we should have won both those games. But we didn't. I think that's where we still lack the overall big-play ability on a consistent basis. We had them both in our hands.
"Certainly the transformation for this football team is to go from 8-3 in the regular season with two Division I losses,'' including Buffalo, "and for us to go to that 9-2 team. How do we become 9-2? How do we stay undefeated in our league? How do we go down to Liberty and beat them? We haven't beaten them yet down there.''
That led Priore to the present. "How do you get different?'' he asked. "You get different by making better decisions on what you're doing as a staff when it comes down to the football-related activities. Like weightlifting. I've got five guys on the offensive line that are going to start. Every one of them benches over 400 now. We're so much stronger than we ever were.''
There's the incalculable loss of all-purpose back Jackolski but also the addition of Iowa transfer Marcus Coker. "Purely in an offensive standpoint, we added a star to the equation,'' Priore said. "We're not going to get worse with that star, but it doesn't mean we're going to be better unless we function as a unit and we make good decisions.''
Coker, who is not scheduled to play in the spring game, will team with Miguel Maysonet, the resident star running back. Priore has no concerns about a battle for carries between the two backs.
"If I come in here and make Marcus Coker the benchmark of what we're doing in every turn we make and every statement we make, then I would expect a lot of kids in this program to be ticked off,'' he said. "So it's all in the guy that sits in this chair and how he presents it to his team at all times. Everybody is the same; the third- and fourth-string tailbacks deserve a chance at practice.
"I think [Maysonet] trusts what he gets here from the first day he came here,'' Priore said. "I'm certainly confident in his ability. I'm really excited about watching them both play. You can slice and dice it however you want; Marcus isn't the type of kid -- and I wouldn't have recruited him if he was -- that's worried about it, and I know being around Miguel, he's not worried about it.''
And Coker will not get the star treatment, either. "My presentation when I met him was history tells you this is a great place to come because we run the football,'' Priore said. "There's plenty of carries in the game for more than one. One thing Brock and Miguel learned to appreciate is it's really good going on the field rested. You are that much better. A typical Stony Brook football game is going to put the ball 45 times in the [backs'] hands. You're talking 22 carries each. The sky's the limit when you touch the ball 22 times in college football.''
And the possibilities seem limitless for Stony Brook.

Jim and Lisa Fiore establish an endowment in the memory of Jim Fiore, Sr.

Jim Fiore, Sr., was a proud supporter of Stony Brook Athletics and a beloved member of the Long Beach community.
Stony Brook University announced Thursday that Director of Athletics Jim Fiore, Jr., and his wife, Lisa, have pledged a $25,000 lead gift to establish the Jim Fiore, Sr. Endowment for Academic and Athletic Excellence. The endowment will be used annually, at the discretion of the Director of Athletics, to meet various academic and athletic needs within the Stony Brook University Department of Athletics. The fund is being established in honor of Fiore's recently deceased father.

"The mutual love and admiration shared between my father and Stony Brook University Athletics was special," Director of Athletics Jim Fiore, Jr., said. "Stony Brook has been so good to my family that we were compelled to give back and support the mission of the Department of Athletics while also honoring a man who embodied all the personal traits we strive to produce in our student-athletes - Commitment, Passion, Pride, Respect and Swagger."

Jim Fiore, Sr., was born and raised in New York City and then later moved to Long Beach, N.Y., where he and his wife of 49 years, Roberta, raised their three children - Gina, Dina and Jim. Mr. Fiore served as a member of the Long Beach Police Department for 23 years, eventually retiring as Commanding Officer of the Uniform Force. As a beloved member of the Long Beach community, he served as a long-time youth coach and business owner. As a member of the Police force, Fiore was a founding member of the City of Long Beach Youth Bureau which took keen interest in the youth of the community.

While never fully retiring, Mr. Fiore spent the last nine years as a passionate supporter of the Stony Brook University Seawolves, donning his Stony Brook red at all the athletic events.

"The reason we named this endowment the 'Jim Fiore, Sr. Endowment for Academic and Athletic Excellence' was to tangibly honor a person who loved his family and Stony Brook Athletics so passionately," Fiore continued. "We also want to teach our children that giving back to a community is very, very important. We hope the children in our family will someday come to Stony Brook University and ultimately contribute to the endowment so that it will continue to grow and serve others for years to come."

The Jim Fiore, Sr. Endowment for Academic and Athletic Excellence becomes the 17th endowed scholarship within Stony Brook Athletics, which has doubled its number of endowments in just the last five years. Endowments provide a permanent source of income, which is used to fund and support the athletics department's mission. Donors who provide a gift to fund an endowment become permanently linked with Stony Brook Athletics and help support multiple generations of student-athletes.

"As Director of Athletics, I constantly articulate to our supporters the importance of building our endowments," Fiore said. "We rely so heavily on endowments to support the excellence of our athletics program that it made sense for my family to honor my father by giving back to the University we all love and helping generations of Seawolves for many years to come."

A Memorial Service will be held Friday, May 4, at St. Mary's of the Isle Church in Long Beach, N.Y., at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in the memory of Jim Fiore, Sr., may be made payable to the Stony Brook Foundation and sent to the Stony Brook Office of External Services, c/o Susan Abbott, Stony Brook University Athletics, Indoor Sports Complex, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3500, Susan.Abbott@StonyBrook.edu and 631-632-4647.

Joe Nathan '97 returns to Target Field

by Judd Zulgad
1500ESPN.com
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MINNEAPOLIS - The popular line from most athletes when asked for their reaction to a crowd's response is to claim they didn't hear it. That they tuned it out because they were in some type of zone that doesn't enable them to hear thousands of people all making noise at once.
Joe Nathan made no such claims Saturday after the closer's new team, the Texas Rangers, had handed his old team, the Minnesota Twins, a 6-2 defeat at Target Field. Nathan said that when he took the mound for the ninth inning that he eagerly waited to see how the announced crowd of 35,854 greeted him.
"If I was a little younger maybe I would have just tried to tune it out, but to me the fans here have always been special," said Nathan, who had 260 saves in seven seasons with the Twins before signing a two-year, $14.75 million contract as a free agent with the Rangers during the offseason. "They always rose to the occasion and got me up during times when I needed some energy. I wanted to hear what kind of (reaction) it was.
"I heard a little bit of everything. Big cheers. Big boos. A 'you suck.' That was what I expected. I think at one point when I first did my interview I said, 'I expect there to be both. I don't think it's going to be a big ovation, I don't think it's going to be a huge boo from everybody. But I think there's going to be a mix.' That's exactly what it was."
It would have been understandable if there also had been some confusion from the Target Field patrons.
On Friday, the Rangers held a 4-1 lead entering the ninth inning, meaning there was a save opportunity. But it wasn't Nathan who entered from the bullpen. Instead, Alexi Ogando was brought in to pitch the final inning. He gave up one hit, struck out one and came away with his first save of the season.
Nathan got up in the bullpen Saturday with the game in a save situation in the ninth, but that came to an end as the Rangers tacked on two runs to take a four-run lead. Nathan was still summoned, though, facing Justin Morneau to lead off the inning.
Nathan, 37, admitted it was odd to see his former teammate in the batter's box.
"He was the only one I looked in the eye," Nathan said. "That was the first hitter. I got the ball back, did my thing and then looked up and just kind of looked at him. I went, 'This is kind of weird.' He stepped up and I got ahead of him. Got 1-2 on him and made a decent pitch."
It wasn't good enough.
Morneau was able to drive Nathan's two-seam fastball back up the box for a base hit. "Morneau is going (to) let me know he got a hit off me for the next 12 months," Nathan said. "But, again, I'm excited for him. I'm excited that's healthy and it seems like he's having fun again playing this game. I'm excited for a guy like that."
Nathan likely wasn't nearly as excited for Josh Willingham, who joined the Twins this offseason as a free agent and entered Saturday hitting .417 with four home runs and seven RBI. Willingham doubled to left to put runners on second and third with nobody out.
This wasn't good news considering Nathan entered the game with an 0-2 record and an earned-run average of 9.00 in four appearances. He also had two saves but had blown an opportunity last Wednesday by giving up three runs in the ninth inning to Seattle. Rangers manager Ron Washington already had given him what amounted to a vote of confidence less than 10 games into the season.
"After the second hit, I got (ticked) off at myself," Nathan said. "I had made decent pitches to those guys."
Despite having another golden opportunity in a game in which they left 15 runners on base, the Twins would not get a run. Ryan Doumit and Danny Valencia went down swinging and Chris Parmelee grounded to first to give the Rangers a chance to sweep this three-game series on Sunday.
Nathan's third strike to Valencia was clocked at 95 miles per hour, after strike three to Doumit registered at 94.
"First time in three years for me. Maybe four years," Nathan said when asked about hitting 95 on the gun. "I don't know if I had that in '09. These guys told me at the end of the inning I threw it three or four times straight (at) 95. For me, the most important thing was my slider being down.
"That's what I had trouble with last outing and I was able to really throw some good sliders down, getting some people to offer at them, too. That was a better sign. The fastball location was really good, and the velocity lets me know I'm letting it go."
The velocity was important because Nathan continues to try to regain his old form after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2010.
"It felt good to get through an inning, pitch out of the stretch and not give up a run," Nathan said. "I think that was my first time counting the spring that I've been in the stretch and not given up a run. My arm felt good. I think there was a point there in the inning that I just stopped trying to guide the ball and let it go and started hitting spots that way."
While Nathan looked fresh Saturday, especially against the last three batters, he said it was in no way his idea not to pitch on Friday. That doesn't mean he was complaining about it, but clearly he would have preferred to have been on the mound when a save opportunity existed.
"No. This (was) on them," Nathan said, referring to Washington and pitching coach Mike Maddux. "They gave me the second day. The first day I think was obvious (to sit). I threw in four (games), was up and ready to go in on another day. I think that was going to be clear that the day before yesterday I was going to be off.
"(Friday), to be honest with you, it was not a popular decision (from Nathan's perspective). ... This is tough for me because I've come up through the days where you throw until you blow. Yesterday, even though I wasn't 100 percent, I've felt worse than that and gone out and thrown. ... At the same time, this year more than ever I think, I've been able to kind of take a step back and look at the big picture. We're in April, this isn't July, August, September.
"I'm 37 years old and I'm learning things. The important thing about this year is at the end of the day is it a W or an L? That's all that's important to me now. I think I've always been a team guy throughout my career, but you always want to be out there and you always want to be competing. That hasn't changed, but at the same time I have to be smart about things and know that a day off now may help me in September."
After Rangers' first baseman Brandon Snyder stepped on the bag to end Saturday's game, he tossed the ball to Nathan for him to keep. But catcher Yorvit Torrealba had other ideas and requested Nathan toss it to him.
"He has it somewhere," Nathan said of where the Rangers catcher put the ball. "He'll probably write something on it and give it back to me. So, I'm waiting for him to do that. He was like, 'Can I have that baseball,' and so I flipped it to him. He knows it's a special one so I'm sure he has it."

No. 20 Yale rallies past Men's Lacrosse in overtime

Final Stats
Stony Brook, N.Y. - The Stony Brook men's lacrosse team received two goals apiece from sophomore Matt Bellando (Miami, Fla.) and senior Russ Bonanno (Seaford, N.Y.), but Yale's Greg Mahony scored 1:06 into overtime to lift the No. 20 Bulldogs to a 9-8 victory.
Despite the loss, Stony Brook controls its own destiny in America East Conference play. Having already clinched no worse than fourth in the four-team conference tournament, the Seawolves (3-0 America East) will host Hartford Saturday night at 7.
"I'm not as frustrated with the loss as much as I'm frustrated in our failed opportunities to capitalize," coach Jim Nagle said. "For the first three quarters, I thought our defense was great against a really strong offensive Yale unit. We simply played way too much defense down the stretch."
Junior Jeff Tundo (Orchard Park, N.Y.) tied a season-high with three assists for Stony Brook, which led by as many as four, 5-1, after Bellando's second goal of the game.
Yale answered with three straight goals, but Stony Brook still held the lead. Senior Robbie Campbell (Delta, British Columbia) scored with 8:26 left in the fourth quarter to give Stony Brook a 7-5 lead.
Mahony's second of the game capped a three-goal spurt as Yale led 8-7 with 2:42 remaining in the fourth. Redshirt freshman Mike Rooney (East Islip, N.Y.), the reigning America East Rookie of the Week, scored with 1:50 left to make it 8-8.

After winning the face-off, Stony Brook attempted to clear, but was called for offsides. A subsequent penalty for too many men on the field gave Yale a 30-second, man-up opportunity. Mahoney scored with a lefty shot from 12 yards out.
Mahony led all players with three goals. Deron Dempster and Matt Gibson had two goals apiece.
Campbell finished with two assists for a three-point night. Stony Brook scored its 20th and 21st man-up goals.
"You go into every game wanting to win, but we realize what's at stake," Rooney said. "We're going to be ready to play for the games coming up."
The loss was Stony Brook's fifth one-goal loss of the season.
Prior to Saturday night's game against the Hawks, Stony Brook will honor its 10 seniors with a pre-game ceremony.

Tropeano stays hot, but Legends lose

Nick Tropeano compiled a 2.36 ERA in his first pro season in 2011. (Kevin Pataky/MiLB.com)

Tropeano stays hot, but Legends lose

Astros prospect fans eight over six scoreless, remains winless

By Andrew Pentis / Special to MLB.com

04/14/2012 10:26 PM ET

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Saturday night was shrug-worthy for Astros prospect and New York native Nick Tropeano.

"Hats off to the other guy," he offered.

·  Top Prospect, Tropeano
· Box score
· Tropeano's player page
· See the Legends play
· Astros affiliates coverage 

Houston's No. 17 prospect struck out eight over six scoreless innings, but his supporting cast was silent with the bats in the Class A Lexington Legends' 3-1 defeat to the Kannapolis Intimidators.

Tropeano scattered four hits and two walks, lowering his early ERA to 0.82.

"I was just trying to attack the zone," he said. "I had command of my fastball and mixed in my secondary pitches."

The 21-year-old right-hander also pitched well without winning in his season debut on Monday. He limited Hagerstown to a run on four hits over five innings and sat down a career-high 10 on strikes. He shares the South Atlantic League lead with 18 strikeouts in 11 innings.

"I'm just going to keep going after it," Tropeano said.

The Astros' fifth-round Draft pick out of New York's Stony Brook University last June fanned nine over six two-hit, scoreless innings in his previous best effort, a July 24 victory in the New York-Penn League. He won three of his first five pro decisions, compiling a 2.36 ERA in a dozen outings at short-season A Tri-City in 2011. Comparing the hitters he faced in the New York-Penn League to those he in the South Atlantic, he said they're noticeably more aggressive.

The Intimidators scored three times after Tropeano's exit, plating a run in each of the final three frames. Mark Haddow homered off reliever Nathan Pettus in the seventh, Kevan Smith doubled in Michael Johnson in the eighth and Collin Kuhn delivered an RBI double in the ninth.

Leadoff man Delino DeShields Jr., the Astros' No. 8 prospect, singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and eventually scored the Legends' lone run on Alex Todd's sacrifice fly in the eighth.

DeShields also walked in four plate appearances and is batting .293 this season.

"One of those scrappy players with power. He's also a great defender," said Tropeano, who recorded six groundouts. "I love pitching in front of these guys."

Kannapolis starter Keith Vance (1-0) -- that "other guy" -- allowed three hits and struck out five over six shutout frames.

Campbell, Rooney lead Men's Lacrosse past UMBC, 10-8

Final Stats
Baltimore, Md. - Senior Robbie Campbell (Delta, British Columbia) tied his career-high with four goals and redshirt freshman Mike Rooney (East Islip, N.Y.) added four as well as the Stony Brook men's lacrosse team remained unbeaten in America East Conference play with a 10-8 win over UMBC Saturday night at UMBC Stadium.
The Seawolves (4-7, 3-0) won their 17th consecutive regular-season conference game. Their last loss came against the #8 Retrievers on March 28, 2009.
Campbell scored all four goals in the first half, tying his previous mark, which was set last year in a comeback win at Hartford.
"Robbie's just a great player," coach Jim Nagle said. "He played a great team game which really stood out in the first half."
The Stony Brook defense, led by junior Sean Brady (Huntington Bay, N.Y.), allowed only two first-half goals, holding the Retrievers scoreless for stretches of 12:17 and 20:37 in the first three quarters.
Rooney registered his fourth straight hat trick and sixth this season. He leads all freshmen midfielders nationally with 26 goals after a four-goal effort.
Brady, who made 17 saves in a win at Binghamton last week, stopped eight shots in the first half and 13 for the game.
Stony Brook, which led by as many as seven, 9-2, with 1:43 left in the third quarter, had its lead cut to 9-7. Scott Jones had four of his five goals in fourth quarter as UMBC (4-6, 2-1) reeled off five straight before Rooney scored unassisted at 8:11 to regain a 10-7 lead.
"Rooney's goal was huge," Nagle said. "They really got rolling in the fourth quarter, but Mike's goal stemmed the tide."
Campbell tied his career-high in goals after he faked the toss to junior Jeff Tundo (Orchard Park, N.Y.), circling outside from left to right, beating Cohen far side to make it 6-1. In four previous games against UMBC, Campbell had three goals.

Campbell scored three of Stony Brook's five goals in the first quarter, taking only three shots. He scored two goals unassisted and was helped by a terrific pass from Tundo for a third.
Rooney and Bonanno also scored in the first quarter. Rooney's goal was a man-up score, Stony Brook's 19th of the season.
Stony Brook has a quick turnaround, hosting Yale of the Ivy League Monday at 7 p.m.

Stony Brook edged late at BU, 15-14

BOSTON - The Stony Brook women's lacrosse team fought back from a three-goal, second-half deficit at Boston University, but Mallory Collins scored the game-winning goal with 3:12 remaining in the game to lift the Terriers past the Seawolves, 15-14, Saturday at Nickerson Field.

The loss snaps a Stony Brook (11-4, 3-1 America East) six-game winning streak, and Boston University (9-5, 5-0 America East) clinches at least a share of the America East regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the America East Championship. BU will host the tournament May 3 & 5.

Juniors Janine Hillier (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and Claire Petersen (Wantagh, N.Y.) and freshman Michelle Rubino (East Setauket, N.Y.) each tallied hat tricks for the Seawolves. Petersen added two assists for a five-point day.

Boston University had seven different goal scorers, led by Hannah Frey's four. Danielle Etrasco added three goals and an assist.

"This loss wasn't just about today," head coach Joe Spallina said. "We started losing this game on Monday by having a poor week of practice leading up to today. We have work to do, and we will grow from this, get better and get another opportunity in the America East Tournament. Right now though, our focus turns to ourselves as we prep for Albany."

The Seawolves stormed out of the gate with four goals in the first 3:36 to rattle the Terriers. After SBU won the opening draw, Petersen scored 49 seconds into the game off a pass from Hillier. She scored again at 27:25 and then junior Demmianne Cook (Nesconset, N.Y.) and Hillier scored 30 seconds apart to make it 4-0.

The Seawolves explosion prompted BU to change goalies, substituting Christina Sheridan for Kim Elsworth. The Terriers responded by scoring the next three goals and then ending the half with seven of the last 11 goals. Frey scored three times in the half, and Etrasco's goal at 5:47 put BU on top 7-6.

However, Rubino responded with a pair of goals to give the Seawolves an 8-7 lead at halftime.

BU took control of the second half with five goals in the first 14 minutes, the last one by Etrasco at 16:02 that gave the Terriers a 12-9 lead.

But Stony Brook fought back on goals by Rubino, Hillier, Cook and Petersen as the Seawolves reclaimed the lead, 13-12, with 11:19 to play.

BU tied it at 9:06, and then Stony Brook scored again at 6:22 on a freshman Amber Kupres (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) goal to make it 14-13. The Seawolves won the ensuing draw, but a turnover led to Kristen Mogavero's tying goal at 4:28. This time, BU won the draw, and Collins came through with the go-ahead goal to make it 15-14.

BU won the next draw, but Seawolves goalkeeper Frankie Caridi (East Northport, N.Y.) made a save on a Frey shot, and SBU had one last shot to tie. However, the Seawolves again turned the ball over (one of only seven in the game), and the Terriers ran out the clock.

BU outshot the Seawolves 30-27 and won the draw controls battle 18-12. Neither team turned the ball over much; SBU 7, BU 8.

Despite the loss, Stony Brook has clinched a spot in the America East Championship, and the team will make its first appearance in the tournament since 2007. The Seawolves will play at Albany next Saturday and a win will clinch the No. 2 seed in the tournament.

Ahmad Reid signs NLI to complete men's hoops recruiting class

The Stony Brook men's basketball team has completed its recruiting class of 2012 with the addition of Port Washington native Ahmad Reid, who has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Seawolves this fall. 
"Ahmad is as exciting and athletic a player as we have ever had in the program," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "He's a great kid who comes from a great family, and we're thrilled to have him join our program. It's also nice to bring a local kid back home to Long Island, where he will get to play in front of his family and friends. He's a get-to-the-basket athlete, and he will fit right in here at Stony Brook."

Reid is currently finishing his third year at the Berkshire School, located in Sheffield, Mass., where he was a star on the court for the Bears and became the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,745 points and has the school's single-game points record of 49. He was named the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class B Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2011 and 2012. He also was a two-time first-team All-NEPSAC performer.

Reid is a four-sport star at Berkshire, also playing football and lacrosse and running track.

"Ahmad Reid will be a great fit for Coach Pikiell's style of play at Stony Brook," Berkshire boys basketball coach Peter Kinne said. "He will run the floor as well as anyone in America East right from his first game. Ahmad has the potential to be an All-Conference type of player during his career with the Seawolves."

Reid is a 6'4 guard originally from Port Washington, N.Y. He spent one year at Schreiber High School before transferring to St. Dominic's High School, where he was named All-Nassau County by LongIslandBasketball.com in 2009.

Reid's addition completes a formidable Stony Brook recruiting class of 2012. Joining Reid will be forward Jameel Warney (Plainfield, N.J.), Carson Puriefoy III (Wenonah, N.J.) and Ryan Burnett (Richmond, Va.).



Warney finished his Roselle Catholic career as the high school's all-time leading scorer with 1,968 points. He averaged 17 points, 13.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.5 blocks and was named second-team All-New Jersey and first-team All-Union County.


Puriefoy averaged 22.6 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 58% from the field and 44% from three-point range during his senior year and became Bishop Eustace's second all-time leading scorer with 1,688 points. He joined Warney on the All-New Jersey second team and was also first-team All-South Jersey, first-team All-Camden County, first-team All-Non Public and second-team All-Senior.

Burnett wrapped up his Benedictine Prep career by helping lead his squad to a seventh-place finish at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, the most prestigious Catholic High School tournament in the country. He also has been selected to participate in the 804 All-Star Game, which annually showcases Virginia's best players, on May 12.

"This is an exciting time for us," Pikiell said. "Ahmad really compliments this recruiting class. We have a big man in Jameel, a true point guard in Carson, a left-handed wing in Ryan and now a slasher in Ahmad. This is the best recruiting class we've had in my tenure, and I'm excited to coach this team in the fall."

The Seawolves are coming off their most successful season in the program's Div. I history. Stony Brook went 22-10 and captured its second America East regular season championship in the last three seasons. The team also advanced to the NIT for the second time in three years and narrowly fell to BIG EAST member Seton Hall in the first round. Stony Brook finished fourth in the nation in rebounding margin (+8.3) and 13th in scoring defense (59.1 PPG allowed).

In addition to the four newcomers, Stony Brook will return nine letterwinners and two starters from last season's team, including 2012 America East Defensive Player of the Year Tommy Brenton.

Rooney, Brady lead Men's Lacrosse past Binghamton, 13-5

Vestal, N.Y. - Redshirt freshman Mike Rooney (East Islip, N.Y.) scored a career-high five goals and three other players scored two goals as the Stony Brook men's lacrosse team (3-7, 2-0 America East) topped Binghamton (3-7, 0-2), 13-5, Saturday night at the Bearcats Sports Complex.
Rooney, whose previous career-best was three goals, has totaled 20 points in his last five games. He added an assist for a career-best six points on the evening.
Freshman Matt Bellando (Miami, Fla.) and seniors Russ Bonanno (Seaford, N.Y.) and Robbie Campbell (Delta, British Columbia) also tallied two goals for Stony Brook, which hasn't lost a regular season conference game since April 29, 2009, a span of 16 games.
Junior Sean Brady (Huntington Bay, N.Y.) played his best game in a Stony Brook uniform, stopping a career-best 17 shots.
After scoring in double figures just once in the first six games, Stony Brook has scored 10 or more in four straight.
The win gives Stony Brook eight straight over Binghamton, which last beat the Seawolves, 9-8, on April 30, 2005. Brandon Planck led the Bearcats with two goals.
"Tonight's effort was an unselfish one," coach Jim Nagle said. "A guy like Jeff Tundo (three assists), who sacrificed his point total to take more draws for us, has been instrumental during our two-game winning streak. Sean Brady was outstanding, and that's why he and Jeff received game balls."
Stony Brook jumped out to a 3-0 lead just over five minutes into the game. Senior Adam Dahms (Herndon, Va.) gave the Seawolves a 4-0, dodging his defender and scoring far side for his first goal of the season. SBU scored goals on four of its first five shots.

Binghamton cut the deficit to 4-2 with just over a minute to play in the first quarter. Senior Russ Bonanno (Seaford, N.Y.) scored off a feed from senior Robbie Campbell (Delta, British Columbia), capping five first-half goals from five different players.
Campbell added a second goal to make it 6-2. On the ensuing possession for Binghamton, Tyler Perrelle was stripped as senior Jared LeVerne (Syosset, N.Y.) approached the ball. Facing the Stony Brook goal and with his back to the field, LeVerne executed a perfect outlet pass to junior Nick Watson (Manchester, England), who started the transition opportunity. Precision passing led to redshirt freshman Mike Rooney (East Islip, N.Y.) finding Bellando for his second of the day and a 7-2 Stony Brook lead.
Binghamton got as close as 7-3 after Perrelle's goal at 8:32 of the third quarter. Stony Brook scored six straight after that, including four from Rooney.
Stony Brook scored three man-up goals, upping its season total to 18.
Stony Brook will travel south to face UMBC next Saturday, April 14 at 7 p.m.

Adrian Coxson ready for fresh start at Stony Brook (Newsday)

His high school resume in Baltimore made Adrian Coxson one of the most sought after wideouts in the country. Name a big BCS school and Coxson likely was on its radar.
Three years and three colleges later, Coxson hopes to revive his career at Stony Brook. It may be a lower division, but Coxson believes it is the most level-headed decision he's made.
The 6-1, 205-pound Coxson drew raves when he caught 40 passes for 987 yards and 12 touchdowns in his junior year at City College High School in 2008. He committed to Penn State but said he changed his mind when Florida (then coached by Urban Meyer) showed interest. "I had all these big-time offers, I got caught up in the mess," Coxson said. "I was young, I saw the name 'Florida.' Nobody in our area had gotten offers from Florida. It was a big opportunity."
Coxson arrived in Gainesville in the summer of 2010, but left after some early workouts, saying his father's illness required his presence at home. "People said 'I heard you weren't good enough to play, it was too hard, it was this and that,' " Coxson said. "I didn't feel as if I needed my family situation out there. My father's blind and he has diabetes."
Coxson then enrolled at Maryland under head coach Ralph Friedgen. By the time Coxson was eligible last fall, Friedgen had been replaced by Randy Edsall. Coxson played sparingly in nine games as a redshirt freshman. His best came against Boston College, where he had three catches for 78 yards and a touchdown.
"I guess they used me as much as they wanted to use me," Coxson said. "I felt as though they could have used me more. I felt I should have played more. I felt as if I should have been out there. Once coach Friedgen left, I did feel as though the family aspect was gone."
A spokesman at Maryland yesterday did not address Coxson's playing time, and instead reiterated a comment Edsall made when Coxson transferred in December: "We appreciate everything that Adrian has done for us and hope everything works out for him in his future endeavors."
Coxson said his dad, who now has a home health nurse, told him, "If I want to go away from home to play ball, that's something I should do." Coxson said he called some FBS schools, but then Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore made contact. "Coach P and I had a talk, he kept it real with me," Coxson said. "I felt as though he was being real sincere with me. I didn't know anything about Stony Brook. Coach P can be in a meeting, if I knock on the door he'll come out and speak to me. He wants to make sure everything is all right. That's a big factor."
Priore said a big upside remains for Coxson.
"If he plays his cards right and we play our cards right, I think we have an extremely gifted athlete who will be able to athletically stretch the field for us and be very successful," the seventh-year Seawolves coach said.
Because this is Coxson's second time transferring, Stony Brook will need a waiver from the NCAA to make him eligible this fall. Coxson would have three years of eligibility left.
"I know I still have it, I still have the drive," said Coxson. "I would never stop my dream, this is a big opportunity for me here. Even if I have to sit out this year. I'm still going to work hard. It's not going to make a difference."

Records fall in women's lacrosse 21-13 win over Vermont

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Junior Claire Petersen (Wantagh, N.Y.) tied her own Stony Brook women's lacrosse single-game record with 10 points on seven goals and three assists to lead the Seawolves to a 21-13 win over Vermont Saturday at LaValle Stadium.

With 31 goals and 43 assists for 74 points this season, Petersen became Stony Brook's all-time single-season leader in assists and points. She surpassed Carlee Buck's previous assist record of 42 and surpassed Kaitlin Leggio's previous points record of 71.

Junior Demmianne Cook (Nesconset, N.Y.) scored six goals on the day and set a new single-season goals record, surpassing the previous record of 47, held by Amy Taylor. Cook, who has scored six or more goals four times this season, now has 51 goals for the year. Cook also added 10 draw controls in the game.

In addition to Petersen and Cook's big days, junior Janine Hillier (Farmingdale, N.Y.) had four goals and a season-high five assists. Freshman Michelle Rubino (East Setauket, N.Y.) had two goals, an assist and four draw controls. Senior Abby Ford (Baltimore, Md.) had a goal and an assist, and freshman Amber Kupres (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) chipped in a goal.

Stony Brook has won five straight matches and is now 10-3 overall and 3-0 in America East, matching the 2007 Seawolves for best conference start in program history. The Seawolves are a half-game behind Boston University for first place in the league and will battle the Terriers next Saturday with the winner gaining control of first.


"It's a huge conference win for us," head coach Joe Spallina said. "We're 3-0 and at the top of our conference, which is where we want to be. Overall, today was a good team effort. I thought we were a little loose on defense in the second half, but on offense we had a good flow and moved the ball well.

"I'm happy for Claire and Demmianne. Their records are outstanding individual achievements, and I'm not surprised they did it. They are so talented that they will continue to add to those records and probably wind up breaking them again next year."

The first half was all Stony Brook as the Seawolves found the back of the net 13 times. Within the first 3:13 of the game, Hillier, Cook and Petersen all scored goals to give SBU a 3-0 advantage.

Vermont got within one, 3-2, but Cook and Hillier scored again to make it 5-2. After Sydney Mas scored a goal at 19:42 to make it 5-3, the Seawolves blew the game open with six straight goals in a span of 10:53. Petersen scored back-to-back goals 13 seconds apart to open the run. Cook scored three straight goals to close the run, the first one at 13:33 was the record-setting goal. Her last one at 7:49 off a pass from Petersen put Stony Brook on top 11-3.

Rubino scored on a free position attempt with 10 seconds remaining to send SBU into halftime leading 13-5.

In the second half, the teams traded goals four times as the Catamounts tried to stay in the game with the powerful Seawolves. Petersen notched her record-breaking assist and point on a Cook goal at 22:37 to make it 16-8 in favor of Stony Brook.

Ford and Petersen sewed up the game with goals at 19:38 and 17:19 to make it 18-9. Hillier then displayed athleticism by taking the ball down the field past three defenders to score at 11:03 and then again at 10:02. Petersen scored the final goal of the game on a nifty pass from Hillier that found her wide open in front of the net, completing her 10-point afternoon.

All told, Stony Brook outshot Vermont 39-22 and won the draw control battle 23-13. Vermont turned the ball over 23 times, 12 forced by the Seawolves.

Stony Brook will play its final non-conference game of the regular season Wednesday when it hosts Yale at LaValle Stadium at 3 p.m. The Seawolves will resume America East competition next Saturday, April 14 at Boston University at 1 p.m.