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Purple Knights News

THIS WEEK IN SAINT MICHAEL'S COLLEGE ATHLETICS

April 14, 2008 
COLCHESTER, Vt. - Climbing to second in the Northeast-10 Conference rankings, the men's and women's tennis teams each won their third and fourth straight matches, respectively, with matching 8-1 wins over American International this past week.  The men's lacrosse team got back on track in conference play with a pair of defensive battles, winning by a combined three goals.  The women's lacrosse team ended the week in a three-game skid, falling to Merrimack despite 10 goals in the second half.  On the diamond, the baseball team knocked off a pair of in-state rivals, while softball took their lumps on the road after recording their first conference win.

Tennis (Men: 8-5, 7-1 NE-10; Women: 11-4, 8-1 NE-10)

With their only conference losses on the season to Bryant University, the men and women remained a game back of the undefeated Bulldogs heading into the home stretch of the spring season. 
On Wednesday, the women's team fought their way past Assumption, 6-3, with sophomore Lindsay Horne (Scituate, Mass./Scituate) helping the Purple Knights to a pair of extra-set victories at No. 1 Singles and No. 1 Doubles.  To extend their winning streak to four, the women rolled past American International, 8-1, as Horne went extra sets again to pick up a No. 1 Singles win (6-7 [6-8], 6-0, 10-5).  Freshman Deahna Giguere (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) teamed up with Horne for doubles play to improve their record on the year to 5-4 as a duo.
After a seven day lay-off, the men's team handed out their second straight 8-1 drubbing to American International on Sunday afternoon at the Tarrant Recreation courts.  Senior captain Torr Terranova (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) earned convincing wins at No. 1 Doubles and No. 3 Singles to lead the Purple Knights.  Junior Sean Steigerwald (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) also recorded his first No. 1 Singles victory before teaming with sophomore Craig Lindaberry (Washington, N.J./Warren Hills Regional) to roll 8-1 at No. 2 doubles.

Men's Lacrosse (5-5, 4-3 NE-10)
            Looking to make a push in conference play with only three regular season games remaining, the men's lacrosse team picked up crucial victories over Assumption and Bentley.  On Wednesday under the lights in Worcester, the Purple Knights and senior goalkeeper Jeff Hannon (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) held Assumption scoreless through the first half en route to snapping a three-game slide, 6-5.  Allowing his second-lowest goal total of the season, Hannon blocked 15 shots to hold off the Greyhounds.  Senior Greg Lazarus (Evanston, Ill./Evanston) led the Purple Knights offense with two goals and one assist, while sophomore Mike Bednarz's (Nashua, N.H./Bishop Guertin) seventh goal of the year proved to be the game-winner.
            On Saturday, nine seniors were honored on ‘Senior Day' before the Purple Knights escaped with a 9-7 win over Bentley.  Senior captain Mike Boerma (Corcord, Mass./Lawrence Acad.) scored one of his three goals with nine ticks left in the first half to give Saint Michael's a 6-3 cushion at the break.  Lazarus would tack on two of his three goals in the third period, but the Falcons scored three unanswered in the fourth to make it a one-goal game through the last three minutes of play before junior Jake Previte (Cohasset, Mass./Cohasset) sealed the Purple Knights second straight.  Hannon withstood the barrage of Bentley shots late in the game, stopping eight in the second half and 12 on the afternoon.

Women's Lacrosse (5-4, 3-3 NE-10)
            Suffering a 20-9 loss to No. 10 nationally-ranked Southern New Hampshire on Tuesday, the women's lacrosse team dropped their second straight to the upper echelon of the Northeast-10 Conference.  Senior Brynne Curran (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) and junior Kim Berlo (Scituate, Mass./Scituate) each netted a trio of goals for Saint Michael's, but 11 first-half goals from the Penmen was too high of a mountain to climb.
            Looking to rebound at home versus Merrimack on Saturday, the Purple Knights were sluggish out of the gates, facing another sizeable halftime deficit (10-3).  Despite the adversity, Berlo and Curran combined for five second half goals to help Saint Michael's to 10 goals of their own in the half.  With a hat trick of goals from senior Amanda Soule (Hartland, Vt./Woodstock Union) in the second frame alone, the Purple Knights dropped their third straight despite the valiant comeback.

Baseball (4-14)
 The baseball team opened up their home schedule nearly a month into the spring season on Monday, hosting a double-head versus Lyndon State.  After being blanked, 7-0, in the opener, the Purple Knights rallied to knock off the Hornets, 8-4, in the nightcap that was called after six innings due to darkness.  Senior captain Kyle Gingras (Pittsfield, Mass./Pittsfield) pitched a solid four-plus innings, allowing one earned run in his first victory of the year.  
On Tuesday, Saint Michael's continued their in-state dominance versus Vermont Tech, exploding for 16 runs in the fifth after trailing 5-0 in the first inning.  Freshman short stop Ben Yodzio (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) lead the trouncing with 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs batted in.  Sophomore Kevin Wickles (Hatfield, Mass./Suffield Acad.) earned the win in three innings of relief, striking out three and allowing two hits. 
Continuing their quest for Vermont-state bragging rights, the Purple Knights played host to Middlebury on Thursday.  With a hot start, Saint Michael's and sophomore pitcher Mike Robert (Wellesley, Mass./Babson) held a 4-0 advantage entering the fourth inning.  The Panthers subsequently rang up five runs in the top of the fourth and three in the seventh to run away from the Purple Knights, 9-5.  Freshman Mike McDonough (East Hampton, Conn./Stetson Univ.) also posted three impressive scoreless relief innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four.

Softball (7-12, 1-9 NE-10)
            Following their first Northeast-10 Conference win over UMass-Lowell on Tuesday, the softball team was mired with four straight losses to Southern Connecticut.  In the 5-3 win over the River Hawks, junior pitcher Megan O'Connor (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) pitched a complete game for the Purple Knights while striking out four batters.  O'Connor, who was equally imposing in the batter's box, went 3-for-4 on the afternoon to bat in two runs in the victory.
            In New Haven, Connecticut on Thursday, the Purple Knights suffered a pair of one-run losses to Southern Connecticut (4-3, 7-6).  Junior Ashley Harkins (Colchester, Vt./Colchester) tallied three hits in the double-header while freshman Meghan Colitti (Dover, N.H./Berwick Acad.) went a perfect 3-for-3 in the nightcap. 
            On Sunday at Pace, Saint Michael's fell 6-3 in game one and 8-4 in game two as O'Connor knocked five hits in the double-header, while striking out five batters in the late game.

This Week's Schedule:
Tue.      Apr. 15              Baseball @ Middlebury                                       3:30 p.m.
Tue.      Apr. 15              Men's Lacrosse @ American International*          4:00 p.m.
Wed.    Apr. 16             Baseball vs. Southern New Hampshire            3:30 p.m.
Wed.    Apr. 16             Softball vs. Saint Anselm (DH)*                        3:30 p.m.
Wed.    Apr. 16              Women's Tennis @ Southern New Hampshire*     4:00 p.m.
Wed.    Apr. 16              Women's Lacrosse @ Saint Anselm*                  4:00 p.m.
Thu.     Apr. 17             Baseball vs. Norwich (DH)                                3:00 p.m.
Thu.     Apr. 17             Softball vs. Southern New Hampshire (DH)*    3:30 p.m.
Fri.       Apr. 18              Baseball @ St. Rose (DH)                                  3:30 p.m.
Sat.      Apr. 19             Men's Tennis vs. Merrimack*                           12:00 p.m.
Sat.      Apr. 19              Softball @ American International (DH)*               1:00 p.m.
Sat.      Apr. 19             Women's Lacrosse vs. Bentley*%                    2:00 p.m.
Sat.      Apr. 19              Men's Lacrosse @ Merrimack*                           2:00 p.m.
Sat.      Apr. 19             Women's Tennis vs. Merrimack*                      3:00 p.m.
Sun.     Apr. 20              Baseball @ Saint Lawrence (DH)                         1:00 p.m.
Sun.     Apr. 20             Women's Lacrosse vs. C.W. Post                     12:00 p.m.

Bold indicates home contests
* denotes Northeast-10 Conference contest
% denotes ‘Senior Day' event