Sports

Women’s Basketball Starts MAAC Play with a Win

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Coming off of a game with a poor offensive showing against Yale, the Jaspers bounced back with an 80-62 victory over Niagara to start MAAC play on Friday night. With the win, the team improved to 3-4 on the season.

This was the fourth time in five seasons and the fifth in John Olenowski’s seven years as head coach that the Jaspers won their conference opener.

“It was a big goal of ours,” Olenowski said of starting conference play with a win. “It’s always important to get that win.”

Niagara notched an early 5-2 advantage but a jumper by Kayla Grimme and a Taylor Williams three-pointer put the Jaspers on top 7-5. The Purple Eagles took the lead back briefly until Williams responded with another three-pointer. The Jaspers regained the lead and never looked back.

“It was really good to start conference play with a win,” Shayna Ericksen said. “We set the tone for the year and the rest of MAAC play.”

Williams and Crystal Ross helped lead the Jaspers with 17 and 14 points respectively. Ross also had a 6-for-6 shooting night, to go along with eight rebounds. She became the first Jasper to go perfect from the field since Caitlin Flood went 10-for-10 against Siena on Jan. 11, 2008.

Grimme notched 10 points, seven boards and six blocks. Ericksen had 10 points and six rebounds. Blake Underhill tallied seven points and four assists while Amani Tatum put up six points, four rebounds, five assists and had four steals. Freshman Courtney Hagaman notched her first career points in the game.

The Jaspers shot 51.6 percent from the field, compared to 20.8 percent in their game against Yale. They went 35.7 percent from long range and 69.2 percent at the free throw line.

“We had a lot of points in transition,” Olenowski said of the team’s improved offense. “We controlled the ball better and had more balanced scoring.”

Williams said that the team’s 1-3-1 defense is key and Ericksen noted how the team’s shooting overall has gotten better.

The Jaspers had a dominant victory over Brown 80-56 on Sunday Nov. 29. Williams led the team with 25 points, updating her season average to 8.8 points per game. Tatum is leading the scoring for Manhattan with 13 points and 2.4 steals per outing.

Nyasha Irizarry averages 9.5 points per game. Grimme tallies 7.6 points and a league-leading 10 rebounds per outing. She also ranks third nationally with 3.8 blocks per game. Underhill notches a team-high 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

Olenowski noted how the defense has improved through the season so far compared to last year and that the team has great depth. He was pleased with the team’s offensive weapons that were shown against Niagara and said that it was a key aspect moving forward.

“We’ve improved a lot,” Williams said, “and now we are tied in the conference.”

With the minutes winding down in the game against Niagara, Coach Olenowski substituted all five players on the court with players on the bench, which got every player into the game during the night.

“It really shows our depth,” Ericksen said. “Our bench picks us up.”

Manhattan is 3-0 this season when scoring 80 points or more, previously winning over Brown and an 85-78 victory against Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 14.

“We need to keep energy throughout,” Ericksen said of key aspects to take from Friday’s game. “We need to be strong all four quarters like we did tonight.”

Cardinals Comeback Falls Short in CHSFL ‘AAA’ Championship Game

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An emotional two weeks for Cardinal Hayes didn’t end with the joy of a title.

Teammate Delano Cowan died after the team’s quarterfinal win and the Cardinals road the emotion to their first CHSFL ‘AAA’ final. The team captains carried Cowan’s No. 90 jersey onto the field one more time and refused to quit after falling behind 17 points at the half.

Costly mistakes and missed opportunities caused the Cardinals’ comeback to fall short in a 20-12 loss to defending champion Archbishop Stepinac at Fordham University last Saturday night.

“We all felt him,” Hayes receiver Shameen Jones said of Cowan. “When we were down at halftime and came back we all felt that drive, that push, that momentum to get back, but we came up short.”

Down 17-0 at halftime, the Cardinals (8-3) received new life when cornerback Zahir Williams returned an interception for 43 yards. Quarterback Christian Anderson (15 of 29, 193 yards) ran seven yards or a touchdown to put Hayes on the board at 17-6 with 4:22 to go in the third quarter.

“We kept chopping away and made plays,” Hayes coach C.J. O’Neil said. “We had a big defensive turnover that helped and we kept working on it. Eventually it broke through.”

After a 26-yard field goal from Liam Butler made it 20-6, Anderson connected with Jones on a 64-yard reception for a first and goal. Running back Justin Covington, who was held to just 20 yards rushing, finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown to make it 20-12 with 8:47 left in the game. Jones caught five passes for 97 yards.

Momentum was on the Cardinals’ side until a holding penalty eliminated Covington’s 34-yard pass reception into Stepinac territory in the final minutes. Two more flags caused a promising drive to stall and resulted in Hayes punting with 2:30 remaining in the contest. Stepinac (11-0) did not give Hayes another chance.

“As a team, we had a lot of ups and downs,” Jones said. “We lost one of our teammates but we stepped up together as a family. We came out on a five game streak and made it to the championship. It was all for him.”

Stepinac’s offense fed off quarterback Tyquell Fields, who found the end zone from 4 yards out on the opening drive. Running back Antonio Giannico scored on a 4-yard run with three minutes to go in the first quarter to give Stepinac a 14-0 lead.

Anderson was intercepted twice by T.J. Morrison before halftime. The first came at the Crusaders’ 25-yard line and the second at their 11. A 25-yard field goal by Liam Butler in the final seconds of the second quarter made it 17-0 in favor of Stepinac before the Cardinals held them to just three points over the final two frames.

While Hayes was unable to dig out of the hole, it went a long way in its second season up in the top division. It still can end on a winning note against Mount St. Michael in their annual Thanksgiving Day clash.

“We moved from being the eighth seed last year to the second seed this year in the AAA,” Anderson said. “We got here to the championship with an 8-2 record. Getting to the championship in general was a pretty good accomplishment this year.”

This article originally appeared in the Bronx Times. 

Women’s Soccer Falls 5-2 to Siena in MAAC Championship

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Manhattan made it to the MAAC Championship for the first time in school history. They had a season of broken records and high-ranked players, both in the league and nationally. In a game to represent the league in the NCAA tournament, however, it was the underdog that came out on top.

After earning the second seed and a first-round bye, Manhattan played fourth-seeded Rider on Friday night in the MAAC Semifinals. Lizzy Carlson notched two goals for the Jaspers and Modena sealed the win with a goal to make it a 3-1 final. Skonieczny had a career-high 15 saves in the game.

Going into the MAAC Championship, Manhattan looked for the win in their first appearance to the finals. Sixth-seeded Siena had previously won the championship in 2010. Manhattan had a lot in their favor, but Siena was on a roll after knocking out the 1st and 3rd seeds Monmouth and Marist to get to the finals.

Siena scored in the opening minute of the game on a shot from Allison Clark. Seven minutes later, Siena notched another goal by Kristen Connors and took a surprising 2-0 lead over Manhattan, who has been known for their defense all season.

“They took advantage of opportunities that we gave them,” Brendan Lawler, Manhattan head coach, said in a halftime interview with ESPN3. “We have to score goals. We know what we have to do. The objective is simple.”

Most of the first half was spent with Siena on offense. They followed in the 20th minute with their third goal of the game by Madison Vazquez, making it a 3-0 lead for Siena. Manhattan’s defense struggled early and throughout, as Manhattan’s back line could not control the game and goalkeeper Kristen Skonieczny allowed three goals on three shots.

Erica Modena, who led the game with 5 shots, notched Manhattan’s first goal of the game with help from Lauren Barton in the 29th minute. The offense picked up in the last few minutes of the first half, but the score remained 3-1 into halftime.

Momentum did not last long on Manhattan’s side as Siena found the back of the net once again on a shot from Kensey Waterman about three minutes into the second half. It remained 4-1 until Connors scored again for Siena in the 73rd minute of the game and Manhattan’s Emily Center soon followed with a goal in the 76th minute. There was back and forth play until the clock winded down and Siena took the 5-2 victory to the tournament.

Despite the loss, Manhattan had a season for the record books. Head coach Brendan Lawler was voted the Lids Team Sports MAAC Coach of the Year. Skonieczny was named Goalkeeper of the Year. Jenny Bitzer earned Defensive Player of the Year. Modena and Nicole Copping earned spots on the All-MAAC First Team and Copping also got All-Rookie honors.

Skonieczny notched a program-record 10 wins and nine shutouts this season, which was the best in the MAAC. She holds the school career records for wins and shutouts, 24 and 17. She led the MAAC and ranks fourth nationally with a .920 save percentage. She is fifth in the NCAA with a .43 GAA, with just four goals allowed against MAAC opponents.

Modena was another key player for the Jaspers this season. She notched her team-leading 12th goal of the season in the semifinal matchup against Rider. She ranked second in the MAAC and 41st nationally with her 12 goals, which are the most by a Manhattan player since Laurie Spera scored 14 in her freshman season in 1998. Modena also ranked second in the league and 89th nationally with her 26 assists on the season.

Finishing up this year’s awards, it was announced after the game that Skonieczny, Modena and Taylor Salkowsky were named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team.

Oh Maya: Senior’s Key Goals Sends Bronx Science Back to Final

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Maya Greenfield saw her high school career ticking to a close and refused to go down without a fight.

The Bronx Science senior was able distance herself from the Francis Lewis defense in the games final minutes. A wide open Greenfield scored from left field to send the game to overtime before quickly tallying the winner in No. 3-seeded Bronx Science’s improbable 4-3 victory over No. 7 Francis Lewis in the PSAL Class A girls’ soccer semifinals on Randall’s Island Tuesday.

“I was biting my tongue,” Greenfield said as she looked back at scoring her goal. “I was really emotional before because I’m a senior; it would have been my last few minutes. I honestly wanted to take my team there. I looked at my girls and I really wanted to do it for them.”

Greenfield had two goals and two assists and four shots on goal in the game. She has scored six times his post season, but none were bigger than her two against Lewis.

“She came through when we needed her,” Annie Eckstein, Bronx Science head coach, said. “She’s been doing that for us all season. She’s great when she beats people around the corner. She feeds balls in and finishes when we need her to.”

Lewis (14-2-0) opened the scoring on a goal by sophomore Jacklyn Lada. Bronx Science answered when Meleni Rahaman scored off of an assist from Greenfield. Play went back and forth for most of the first half until Rahaman found the back of the net once again to give the Wolverines (14-3-0) a 2-1 lead at halftime.

Samantha Margolis scored in the 58th minute to draw Lewis even at 2-2. Her second goal of the game with a assist from Lada and Melanie Feliz gave the Patriots 3-2 lead in the 68th minute.

“I think we had a little bit of a let down,” Eckstein said. “When they scored to go ahead, it was a great test for us. It wasn’t really one I wanted to have at this point but it was good to see that they stayed with each other.”

It is the second straight year the Wolverines beat Lewis in the semifinals

Bronx Science, which last won the crown in 2012, advances to its four straight championship games to face rival and two-time defending champions Beacon on 3 p.m. Sunday at St. John’s University.

In preparation for the final, the Wolverines are going to look at its last few meeting with the Blue Demons, including two regular season defeats. Greenfield noted how they struggled with finishing. Eckstein said that the team is going to also talk about their last four post season games and focus on key aspects from those.

“I know that we give it our all every practice so we are just going to keep doing what we’re doing,” Greenfield said.

This article originally appeared in the Bronx Times. 

Shepherds of the Manhattan College Brand: MC Partners with Learfield Sports

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Courtesy of Learfield Sports

Serve each other. Recognize it as “we” not “I.” Dream big and chase dreams. Celebrate successes that lead to learning and growth. Celebrate mistakes that lead to learning and growth.

These are all values and mission statements on Learfield Sports’ website. It works well with Manhattan College’s mission statement to prepare students for the future and lives of personal development, professional success and civic engagement.

After months of discussions, Manhattan has partnered with the Learfield Sports Multimedia Company. It named Nicholas Williams the general manager of the Jasper Sports Properties team.

“We are very excited,” Nino Vanin, Learfield regional director, said. “We have a nice presence in the New York/ New Jersey area with our Fordham and Seton Hall partnerships. Manhattan’s property and opportunity provides a real win-win. There is a lot of value in brands, faculty, students and fans.”

Vanin noted the size difference between Fordham and Manhattan’s campuses and student bodies but he stated that Manhattan would be treated just the same.

A native of New Jersey, Williams worked with the New York Red Bulls organization for three seasons serving as a sales account executive. He led in most premium seats sold and revenue for three seasons, bringing great corporate and sales experience to Manhattan.

“That experience will help me flourish at Manhattan,” Williams said of his time with the Red Bulls.

As general manager of Jaspers Sports Properties, Williams will lead all aspects of the rights relationship. He will provide corporate partners with both traditional and new media opportunities for Manhattan. This could be through certain inventories such as event sponsorships and promotions, venue signage, corporate hospitality, television and radio, digital engagement and visibility through the Go Jaspers official athletics website.

“Nick has great experience in the New York market,” Vanin said, “so that was attractive to us. He was selling to a corporate community.”

On the official Learfield Sports website, Jasper Sports Properties is described as Learfield’s local and dedicated entity representing Manhattan. It states that with complete collaboration with the college, it is “committed to extending the affinity of the Jaspers’ brand to businesses and corporations of all sizes looking to align with the undeniably loyal and passionate collegiate fan base.”

The partnership gives Learfield exclusive rights to all multimedia aspects of the college athletics. It’s partnered with almost 120 colleges across the country, ones with huge sports programs such as The University of Alabama and Penn State. At Manhattan, it has rights to all athletics and an opportunity to sell to all the 19 varsity teams. Vanin said it was set as a long-term partnership but a year amount was not disclosed.

“Our goals are to drive revenue for athletics through the program,” Vanin said, “and to be shepherds of the Manhattan College brand. Our mission is always the same, to provide a service to the athletic department and provide opportunities for companies.”

Freshman Call-Up Nets Winner for Riverdale

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The call up stepped up.

Freshman Julian Burden scored the winner in the 75th minute to give Riverdale a 2-1 home win over Poly Prep in Ivy League boy’s soccer last Friday. He was added to varsity from the JV team just that day.

“It felt great,” he said. “It was a hard game and it felt awesome to score that.”

Riverdale, the defending NYSAISAA champion, opened the game with some strong offensive chances. Two minutes in, sophomore Drew Dworkin scored to give the Falcons a 1–0 lead. Poly Prep, one of the Ivy League’s top programs, then saw a corner kick blocked by Riverdale senior defender Edward Hermann.

It was a back and forth game after that. Poly got a big save from goalkeeper Michael Wirtz on a shot by Dworkin in the 27th minute to help keep the Falcons up just 1-0 at the half.

Early after the break, Poly had a chance to tie it on a corner kick, but Jack Hurkman’s shot went high. The Blue Devils (2-1) finally broke through with a Ben Miles goal with about eight minutes left in the game. Riverdale quickly responded with Burden’s winning goal.

Riverdale (2-0) is coming off of a championship season and head coach Andrew Fitzgerald wants his team to stay healthy and respectful as they try to win consecutive crowns.

“We know what we did last year,” he said. “Obviously we can’t repeat that, but we have a lot of mature student athletes on our team. We not only would want to be the best team in the league but we want to be the most respected, that was one of our goals.”

After losing key seniors from last year’s squad, Riverdale is rebuilding the roster around a core group of eight returning starters. It helped to have 70 players try out for the team.

“I expect guys to step up and fill in, but bring up the young guys at the same time,” Fitzgerald said. “We are still trying to figure out who we have.”

The Falcons added 10 players with half of them being freshmen. They are also preparing for the future, knowing that they are going to lose a lot of seniors after this season. One freshman paid big dividends against Poly.

“Our JV team is strong,” Fitzgerald said. “We were able to bring up a striker and he scored the game winner. It’s pretty unheard of.”

This article originally appeared in the Bronx Times. 

Reloading Riverdale Adapting to New Roles

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Defending Ivy League champion Riverdale knows there will be growing pains as it reloads after graduating a senior class that reached consecutive state title games.

The Falcons fell 3-0 to Dalton in its Ivy League girls’ soccer opener last Friday on Randall’s Island.

“It’s always tough to start out like this,” first-half goalie Gabrielle Maffezzoli said. “I told my team that we just need to keep in mind that this is the first game. We have a whole season to go.

Most of the first half was spent in Riverdale’s zone. The Falcons gave up a corner kick and three shots, with one resulting in a goal, but they were able to notch three shots of their own as well.

Reiterating that it was just the first game, Leah Moore, who was in goal for the second half, said that this year’s group is starting to come together.

“We are trying to work out being a new team and I think we are well on our way,” she said.

Dalton made it a 2-0 early in the second half with a goal on a breakaway after Riverdale turned aside it two previous attempts.

Riverdale played most of the second half without one of its top returning players – midfielder Julia Hyman. She left the game early in the half and did not go back in.

The Falcons continued to fight back with Maya Dubin, Molly Fallek and Natasha Lowitt leading the way. It wasn’t enough as Dalton sealed the win with a late goal. However, Riverdale refuses to be discouraged.

“With time, we are going to keep learning how to play better with each other,” Maffezzoli said. “We are taking it one game at a time and we keep fighting.”

Despite the loss, head coach Orlando Osorio saw some important positives to take from the game. There were certain areas where the team was connecting. He emphasized that there were spots of great decision-making and passing. One aspect that he said does need work is their transition on offense from the midfield to the forwards.

The Tigers’ defense was tough to get past for most of the game. They won many battles getting to the ball first and caused the Falcons to play defense for a majority of the game. However, playing a team at Dalton’s level will only help the Falcons prepare for the rest of the season.

“Dalton has some very strong, very physical players,” Osorio said. “They have a very fast player up front that stretches our defense a lot. They have a marvelous player in the middle that is a huge force. It demands us to run faster, anticipate more and even become more physical.”

Riverdale is coming off of an impressive season last year. It went 17-2-1 and lost on penalty kicks in the NYSAIS final. They lost a core group of seniors, including forward Amaris Hemmings and goalie Jennifer Kronish and are still adjusting to life without them.

“We don’t have the same depth that we had last year,” Osorio said. “But our goal is to have a winning season nonetheless and to be one of the top teams in the Ivy.”

This article originally appeared in the Bronx Times. 

Tennis Team Has Impressive Season

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Brianna Turano helped lead the team in her final season. Courtesy of GoJaspers.com

 

The Manhattan College women’s tennis team had a notable season. Beginning the season with two conference wins against MAAC opponents, they set the tone for what type of season they were going to have. There were some ups and downs but they made improvements throughout the season and continue to work toward a MAAC championship.

“As the season went on, there was a lot more camaraderie and support among my teammates,” senior Brianna Turano said. “There was much more determination on and off the court by the players.”

It was a fresh start for the Jaspers with a new head coach and a new program this season. Harder workouts meant being in better shape and competing at a higher level.

“I think that was our biggest improvement,” junior Caitlin Bricketto said. “The longer you can stay on the court without getting tired, the better chance you have to win the match.”

The Jaspers started their season off with a conference game against Rider and finished with a 5-2 win. They continued and had two 7-0 defeats, one over conference opponent Saint Peter’s. After this, they were holding on to a 5-3 record, 3-1 in the MAAC.

“The score didn’t always show how close we were with our competition in conference matches,” Bricketto said. “We were able to compete with every team.”

Senior Brianna Turano was honored before her last home game with the Jaspers on April 13. She brought out a victory at No. 1 singles against Niagara. Manhattan, however, finished the game with a 5-2 loss. Junior Catherine Clark was honored for the second time with a spot earned on the MAAC All-Academic team. She earned five single wins for the team and three victories in doubles with Rosello. All-Academic spots are earned with at least a year of competition and a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.

“Our new coach really had a positive impact on the returning players,” Turano said. “We had two new freshmen who fit in really well. We had fun and worked hard. It was a really great last year for me.”

Following a tough losing streak for the latter part of the season, junior Alyssa Rosello gave the Jaspers a lift against Hartford in their matchup on April 17. Her match was even at three wins each and led to a critical third set. Rosello succeeded and secured the 4-3 victory for the Jaspers, giving them a needed energy boost for the remainder of the season.

“Our program is growing and improving,” Bricketto said. “That takes time but we are all excited for the future.”

The Jaspers finished the season with a conference record of 3-5. They placed sixth in the final standings for the MAAC. Three conference victories were the most for Manhattan since the 2007 season. The team was two wins away from making the top four of the MAACs this year, which would have clinched a spot in the tournament.

“While that’s upsetting, it’s also motivating,” Bricketto said. “We know if we give it everything we’ve got next year than we have a definite shot of making it.”