Purple Knights News

May 1, 2006                                                                                                      
Contact: Daniel O'Reilly
Phone: (802) 654-2929

           
COLCHESTER, Vt. - The men's lacrosse team (9-5, 7-3 NE-10) earned the first ever postseason win in program history on Saturday with a 7-5 win over Bentley College at Duffy Field. Scoring for the Purple Knights was freshman Bryan Zaremba (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset), sophomores Mike Boerma (Birchrunville, Pa./Lawrence Academy), Mark Agostinelli (Dedham, Mass./Xaverian), and Kevin Simmons (Ridgewood, N.J./Don Bosco Prep), and seniors Eric Libby (Cohasset, Mass./Cohasset), Brandon Kobelt (Rye, N.Y./Fordham Prep), and Tom Campbell (Dedham, Mass./Dedham), while sophomore Jeff Hannon (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug) stopped 11 shots. The team will travel to Syracuse, N.Y. on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. semifinal match-up with Le Moyne College.

The women's lacrosse team closed out its season with a pair of losses last week, falling to Southern New Hampshire University on Tuesday, 13-8, and Bryant University, 14-10, on Saturday. Senior Kristen Palazzo (Armonk, N.Y./Bryam Hills) scored three times in her final collegiate game, and finishes her career with 127 points, which is good for fifth on the all-time scoring list. Her 83 goals ranks tied her for seventh, and she is second in assists, with 44. Also playing her last game for Saint Michael's was defender Noel Smith (Somers, Conn./Sommers), who totaled 123 groundballs in 56 career games. The Purple Knights finished the 2006 campaign with their third consecutive winning season, due in large part to the team's defensive backfield, which ranked third among Northeast-10 schools in caused turnovers per game, with 9.36, and second in goals against average with 10.07.
           
The baseball team (9-11) lost three of its five games last week, falling to Middlebury College on Wednesday, 3-2, before sweeping Lyndon State College in a doubleheader on Thursday, 9-7 and 5-3. On Saturday, the team dropped a pair of games at Plattsburgh State College, 10-0 and 8-4. In game one against the Cardinals, the Purple Knights scored four runs in extra innings to earn the win, due in part by sophomore Ryan Hawley (Shrewsbury, Mass./Brewster Academy), who helped force the extra play with a game-saving diving catch in right field in the bottom of the seventh inning. He also doubled and singled twice to lead the offense, while senior Kevin Koscso (Tampa, Fla./Jesuit) singled four times. Freshman Colin Dudunake (Florence, Mass./Suffield Academy) earned his first collegiate win with 3 2/3 innings in relief of starter Aaron Ciullo (Pittsfield, Mass./Pittsfield). In game two, Saint Michael's scored four runs in the top of the second inning to erase a 2-0 deficit and take the lead for good. Senior Kevin Foley (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial) had an RBI double in the second inning, while three other Purple Knights recorded RBI singles in the frame. Koscso again singled four times in the nightcap, while junior Billy Gamache (Winooski, Vt./Rice Memorial) improved to 2-0 on the season with a complete-game victory.
           
The softball team (17-23, 11-15 NE-10) went 3-5 last week, earning a 9-0, 3-1 sweep over Franklin Pierce College on Wednesday, but went on to lose its next five contests before defeating Bryant University, 8-3, in the second game of a Sunday afternoon doubleheader. Against the Ravens, junior Meggan Roberge (Sheldon Springs, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) and freshman Megan O'Connor (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) each threw a complete-game one-hitter and notched 11 strikeouts. Offensively, the Purple Knights were led by senior Meagan Newland (East Burke, Vt./Lyndon Institute). The shortstop went 3-for-3 with two home runs and five runs batted in in the opener, and 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the nightcap. Newland now has four home runs on the season and 10 for her career, good for third place in program history. After dropping game one on Sunday, 6-2, Saint Michael's snapped a scoreless tie with five runs in the top of the fourth inning of game two. Sophomore Maggie Russell (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) led the way, going 4-for-4 with four singles and two runs scored. Roberge chipped in by going 3-for-3 with three singles, while junior Casey Brooks (Colchester, Vt./Colchester) and sophomore Katy Newland (East Burke, Vt./Lyndon Institute) each doubled and singled. O'Connor pitched a complete-game six-hitter, fanning seven batters.

This Week's Schedule:
5/1        Baseball at Plattsburgh State - 3 p.m.                       
5/1        Softball vs. Bentley (DH) - 3:30 p.m.  
5/2        Baseball at New England (DH) - 3 p.m.                       
5/2        Softball vs. Merrimack (DH) - 3:30 p.m.                    
5/3        Men's Lacrosse at Le Moyne (NE-10 Semifinals) - 4 p.m.
5/6        Men's Lacrosse at Northeast-10 Championship - TBA