Sports

Once a Jasper, Always a Jasper

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Caitlin Bricketto, former captain of the Manhattan College women’s tennis team and a 2015 graduate, has been named the operations manager of Manhattan’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

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“I think she brings a time dynamic in that since she was an athlete, and specifically one at Manhattan, she can help us relate to all the student-athletes,” Kevin Ross, Manhattan’s senior associate athletic director for media communications and marketing, said. “In our profession, the student-athlete is the most important element of the jobs of all administrators.”

Bricketto, a four-year letter-winner for the tennis team, was the recipient and of the Jasper Tennis Award for the highest cumulative grade point average by a graduate on the team. She also served as president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) her junior and senior years, receiving their Community Service Award.

“It’s really exciting,” Bricketto said about working at her alma mater. “I think that in my position now, it has made things really smooth. There was no transition; I knew what I was walking into. In terms of a new person coming into my role that didn’t go to undergrad here, it wouldn’t have been as easy as it has been for me to hit the ground running.”

So far, one of her major accomplishments includes overseeing the raising of more than $8,000 for multiple community service initiatives last semester. With that, the athletics program ranked second nationally in the NCAA’s Helper Helper Division 1 Community Service Competition. 

“A lot of times it is very difficult for former students to work at their alma mater immediately after graduation,” Ross said, “as the adjustment from student to professional is very difficult. However, in Caitlin is the exception to the rule as she has been able to adapt almost instantaneously and has been a professional from day one.”

Her job as operations manager involves two key parts. Primarily, she works with the Jasper Club, Manhattan’s booster club for athletics. She deals with everything that has to do with raising money for the athletics program, from fundraising and mailings to getting in contact with alumni and donors.

Another aspect of her job is working with the SAAC. This includes working directly with the athletes and getting any of their questions or concerns alleviated.

“I learned how important the athletes are to the culture,” Bricketto said about her time in the program as an athlete. “We are here; we are working as administrators to make the athletes’ lives easier.”

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“I know that is very dear to my heart because of the things I went through with the tennis team,” Bricketto continued. “When we wanted to go on trips or when we wanted new sweats, we needed to raise money. There were concerns we had that we needed to have a voice with. Being a tennis player here exposed me to what the athletes need. I am able to pay attention to that as an administrator and make sure that those things get handled.”

Before her promotion, Bricketto worked as a graduate assistant for marketing under former director of intercollegiate athletics Noah LeFevre. She is currently enrolled in the college’s MBA program and was awarded a postgraduate scholar-athlete scholarship from the MAAC in August 2015.

“Caitlin represents everything that is great about our student-athletes,” LeFevre said when Bricketto received the scholarship. “She had a tremendous career at the college and really integrated herself into the fabric of the community. We are very fortunate to have her continue with the program.”

Bricketto said that she knew about her promotion for a month but it was announced two weeks ago. She called her job a learning experience so far and looks forward to working with the athletes and coaches.

“My day-to-day work as operations manager is working directly with the coaches,” Bricketto explained. “So far, I’ve been setting up meetings with coaches and finding out ways we can solicit donors and get money for their programs. I’m also working hand-in-hand to be the liaison between athletics and advancements. We are really trying to make sure that they have everything they need from an athletics standpoint and we have everything we need from a donor-list standpoint.”

Bricketto explained her position further, noting that advancements handle alumni. When previously asked, advancements would not know what teams needed to help their programs. With her position as operations manager, Bricketto said she wants to work hand-in-hand and bridge that gap between athletics and advancements.

“I want to be able to give the coaches the resources that they need for their programs to be successful,” Bricketto said, “and that would be through raising money for the things that will make their programs better.”

Manhattan Holds Off St. Francis to End Five-Game Skid

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Manhattan still has plenty of fight in it.

Head coach Steve Masiello’s team continues to try to battle its way through a slow start and limited roster. Manhattan showed no panic as it held on for a 71-60 home victory over St. Francis College on Dec. 14 to snap a five-game losing streak.

“We stay with our process,” Masiello said. “We grind it out. We get better everyday. We’re a blue-collar program that rolls our sleeves up. We’re not afraid of adversity.”

An obstacle so far this season for the Jaspers (2-7) has been the lack of depth because of injuries. Against St. Francis (3-7) the team only had seven healthy players. Shane Richards and Thomas Capuano played 37 and 31 minutes respectively.

Manhattan built a 41-27 at halftime, but St. Francis attempted to come back on three separate occasions. It cut the deficit to eight points in the second half. However, Manhattan regained control with less than five minutes to go in regulation as Zane Waterman and RaShawn Stores both notched three-pointers to keep the Jaspers comfortably ahead.

“The first half was kind of slow,” Terriers forward Chris Hooper, who scored 15 points and had eight rebounds, said. “We went in for break and coach told us to pick it up more and trust the offense. Trust what we do on offense. Get the ball inside and play from the inside out. That’s what we did. It picked up a little bit.”

Manhattan, on the other hand, clicked on offense from the beginning. It scored the first seven points of the game, ultimately holding on to the lead the whole game. Tyler Wilson and Rich Williams had key three-pointers each before Capuano hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to close the half, giving the Jaspers the 14-point lead.

“It’s been a common trend for us,” Masiello said. “We do a lot of good things and we do a lot of bad things. I think we improved in some areas defensively. The thing that I’m struggling with is coaching with the lack of depth. You see that with the numbers. I’m happy we got the win, but I thought we made some mistakes.”

Richards led Manhattan with 19 points. He went 5 of 12 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line with eight rebounds and two steals. The Jaspers shot over 55 percent overall and made 8 of 13 three-pointers. Williams added 15 points and seven boards. Waterman notched 13 points and Wilson had a game-high seven assists along with nine points.

“We have to do what it takes to win,” Richards, who played in a more defensive role for Manhattan against St. Francis, said. “If it means me getting rebounds, I have to do it. We rebounded collectively as a group, against a strong offensive rebounding team.”

Antonio Jenifer led St. Francis with a career-high 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Tyreek Jewell notched 12 points and Yunus Hopkinson had nine.

“Give Manhattan all the credit,” St. Francis coach Glenn Braica said. “They got off a plane from Memphis Sunday and came out and played with great energy, great focus and we didn’t. There are no excuses. We need to learn that you have to play every night. These games happen but we can’t accept them.”

This article originally appeared in the Bronx Times. 

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.”

Amy Bright Leading the Jaspers in Her Final Season

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“’Attitudes are contagious.’ One person with a bad attitude can ruin a lot. It’s a strong reminder to always stay positive and always be a good teammate and player.”

Senior starting pitcher Amy Bright was asked about the best advice she has ever been given. Bright has this mindset before going into every game and it helps her succeed on the mound.

“Amy is awesome,” assistant coach Bridget Hurlman said. “She definitely always wants the ball. She’s our number one. She definitely owns that mound and we are lucky to have her.”

Two MAAC All Academic Team selections and three MAAC Pitcher of the Week awards are just some of Bright’s accomplishments at Manhattan and in softball altogether. She has been posting great numbers over the years and this season as well, including a 2.68 ERA and 14-7 record. Now preparing for the playoffs for the last time, she looked back at her four years on the team.

“MAACs last year were definitely the best,” Bright said about her favorite memory. “We came in and we were 6th place. We won three games in a row. It was so awesome. It was definitely the coolest thing.”

Back to back shutouts and a streak of 15 scoreless innings. This is just one highlight from Bright’s career at Manhattan. This happened on a trip to California earlier this season in March where the team played opponents including Brown and UC Santa Barbara. Despite their 2-4 record out there, Manhattan had some important competition to get prepared for MAAC play and Bright led the team to an overall successful trip, earning her second Pitcher of the Week title.

“The pitchers of the week awards are really awesome,” Bright said. “It’s great to be recognized and having two of them this season was really cool.” I don’t really think about it while I’m playing. It was really fun to be out there. When I finished that second game and still hadn’t given up a run, I realized what I had done and it was really cool.”

“Amy has done an amazing job of really putting this team on her shoulders,” catcher Elena Bowman said. “She comes out every start with the same fire and the same intensity. It’s going to be a big loss for us. We are really going to miss not only her physical presence but especially her emotional presence and the way she leads us.”

Bright began playing softball at the age of 8. While she played other sports as well growing up, her focus became softball. She said that one person who has influenced her as a player over the years is her pitching coach growing up. He was her pitching coach from when she first started playing through the years until she went off to college. Seeing him two or three times a week for practice or games, he became a big influence on Bright as a person and a player.

“He taught me a lot about the game, the physical and mental stuff,” Bright said.

Every team and every player improve and develop each time they step on to the field or court. By the time someone gets to their senior season, they are able to look back on their time as a player, noticing their strengths and weaknesses and how they have improved over the years. One of Bright’s improvements has become noticeable as she took her position as starting pitcher and one of the leaders of the team.

“I used to get rattled very easily,” Bright said. “I did not keep my composure when I was a freshman and even younger. As I’ve grown and worked with Bridget and Elena and my team, I have so much more confidence in the team. I am able to stay focused on the mound and stay positive. That has been a huge change. From freshman to senior year, that has definitely been the biggest change.”

Something that is crucial to a successful softball team is the relationship between the pitcher and catcher. They need to have strong communication and to be able to understand each other in order to win the game. Despite being completely different positions with different responsibilities, these two players need to be on the same page and have the same game plan. This has been a key to Bright’s success and the team’s success so far this season.

“We work really well together,” Bowman said. “One thing we really pride ourselves on is always being on the same page. We work a lot in bullpens and spend a lot of time together to make sure that we are always going with the same approach at batters. I would say as far as that relationship goes, we are close because we work together so often and so well together.”

“Each game is different,” Bright said, “the teams are different. Elena and I talk before the games. We always have a game plan and talk about specific people. We’ve seen these people multiple times, so we know what we are going to do. Mentally, when you go in, it is nice to know when you are starting and you can get that game plan.”

With the regular season coming to a close, the Jaspers are preparing for the upcoming MAAC tournament and now is the time to shine. After making it last season for the first time since 2011, Manhattan has goals set for this season and so does Bright. Along with the three other seniors on the team, Bright is making the most of her final games as a Jasper.

“Her senior season is important to her,” Coach Hurlman said. “She’s trying to put her best foot out there for her team and do her job in the circle.”

The team stands at 25-16 overall and 13-5 in the MAACs. They are tied for first place in the conference and the team is prepared to achieve their goals going into the tournament because, for some, it is their final opportunity.

“As a senior, it’s the last chance,” Bright said. “I came into this season knowing I had nothing to lose and that this was it. The four of us have put everything into this season. If we are going to win, this is going to be the year. You go into every game knowing that.”

Women’s Lacrosse Finishes Season with Win on Senior Day

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On their final game of the season, the Jaspers honored their seniors in a great fashion by earning a 9-8 victory over Marist. Despite their 1-7 record in conference play, it was an important moment for them to hand Marist a loss before the Red Foxes go into the MAAC tournament.

“We struggled a lot this season,” Donna Jo DiNorcia said. “So to pull it all together defensively and offensively was a big thing, especially for the seniors. We proved to the coaches that we really could play with a good team.”

The Jaspers honored seniors Domenica O’Brey, Carly Cappello, DiNorcia, Kaleigh Howe and co-captains Christina Fiorinelli and Caitlin Hynes before their game Wednesday April 22. In net, Fiorinelli had a team-best 60 ground balls and DiNorcia had an impressive game after returning from an injury. She helped lead the Jaspers’ scoring with a hat trick.

“Coming off of an injury, I didn’t even expect to be on the field that long,” DiNorcia said. “Putting in the first goal was enough for me. It was just a great way to go out.”

Even though the team did not have a winning record this season, they have improved greatly over the last few years and they look toward the future to get even better. Junior co-captain Megan Yarusso said that winning on senior day was the team’s best achievement this season.

Still, They have strong numbers to be proud of this season. Yarusso led the team in goals and points with 34 and 45 respectively. Junior co-captain Kaitlyn Cunningham had a team-high 12 assists and seven players finished in double digits in scoring.

“Ending on a high note showed us and the coaches that we are good,” Yarusso said. “It showed that we could hang with or even beat good teams. Finally coming together as a whole was the cherry on top this season.”

Both DiNorcia and Yarusso said that the last few years on the team have been a growing experience and a learning process. After some coaching changes over the past few years, they have found who can help the team reach their goals. Head coach Elizabeth Weber and assistant coach Amanda Trendell have been improving the program in great ways.

“In previous years, we were getting blown out by mediocre teams,” Yarusso said. “This year, we were losing to really good teams by one or two goals.”

A new style of defense has been the key to the Jaspers’ change. Coach Trendell was an impressive player at Rutgers, winning the Midfielder of the Year Award in 2013 as well as being a member of the team when they ranked sixth nationally in defense.

“Our coaches now are really going to take the program in the right direction,” DiNorcia said. “I believe that the seniors helped pave the way for that. We’ve come a long way.”

As DiNorcia finishes her time as a Jasper, she hopes to see the team improve to a winning record in the future. She said that there are different people who can work together and have a connection, which will help the team be successful.

“This whole year was a learning process,” Yarusso said. “Getting that connection should start in the fall. With the incoming class, we should start building that relationship with everyone on the team.

Tennis Honors Seniors Bricketto and Rosello

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Before their April 13th matchup against Monmouth, the Jaspers honored seniors Caitlin Bricketto and Alyssa Rosello. Both players went on to earn wins in their single matches. They notched Manhattan’s two points in their 5-2 loss to the Hawks.

Looking back at the past four years, Rosello and Bricketto recall the obstacles that they have overcome with the team. One major factor is the team’s consistent theme of a small roster. In previous years, the team just hit the average roster size of eight players. However, it has been decreasing each year and in this current season, they only have five active players. Another factor was getting a new coach last season, which helped their program change for the better.

“Getting new coaching was a major change,” Rosello said. “It brought our team to a whole different level.”

Head coach Amanda McEntire is currently in her second year with the team. While the roster size is still a factor in their matches, the team has been improving greatly over the last two years. Last season, their first under Coach McEntire, they placed sixth in the conference and qualified for the playoffs. While this achievement didn’t happen as they had hoped again this season, they continue to be improving together as a team.

“We are together 24/7,” Bricketto said. “We’ve become so strong together as a team. We’ve never really had that before but we have come together and support each other so much this season.”

Rosello added by stressing the fact that the team is always supportive of one another and that they keep positive attitudes.

Another aspect of their team that has been important to these two seniors is their level of play. The program has changed over the years along with them. It has improved to a real division one program, which means workouts, practicing everyday, having a home court and a team trainer.

“We weren’t really a division one program if you look back at our freshman and sophomore years,” Bricketto said. “It is things that normal division one teams do that we were not doing, but now we are. It is 100% a step up in the program.”

One obstacle that the team has overcome in the last few years has been their court access. With no tennis court located on campus, the team would have to always travel to a match or even just for practice. They used to play across the street in Van Cortlandt Park. However, they were not guaranteed courts there.

Now, they travel to Queens and play at the United States Tennis Association Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Or, they go to Horace Mann and use their court. However, they have had only three matches at these locations, which means that they have spent most of their season traveling to other teams’ home courts.

Both Rosello and Bricketto said that they hope for more players to join and that the team can get more home matches in the coming future. Their game at Horace Mann was the first time the team had ever played there. Only having one home game does not bring a lot of support from the school and they wish that will improve for future members of their team.

“I hope that tennis will become more of a sport on campus,” Bricketto said. “The girls who put all their time and effort into it deserve the support.”