Purple Knights News

April 17, 2006                                                                                                    
Contact: Daniel O'Reilly
Phone: (802) 654-2929


COLCHESTER, Vt. - The women's tennis team (10-8, 8-4 NE-10) closed out its regular season with a 7-2 win over Pace University. Junior Cailie Burns (Chepachet, R.I./Ponaganset) and sophomore Michelle Wood (Chatham, N.Y./Chatham) each earned singles wins, and teamed up to take No. 2 doubles, while junior Liz Clemente (Latham, N.Y./Academy of the Holy Names) and sophomore Megan Conway (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) prevailed in No. 3 doubles after each earned singles wins. Wednesday's match marked the final home contest for senior Heidi Murphy (Norfolk, Mass./King Philip Regional), who owns a 29-23 career record in singles matches, and has gone 39-21 when competing in doubles contests. With their win, the Purple Knights reached 10 wins for the second straight season, and seventh time in the last eight years, and will travel to Le Moyne College on Wednesday for an NE-10 Quarterfinal contest.

The women's lacrosse team (7-3, 4-2 NE-10) went 1-1 last week, falling to Saint Anselm College, 9-7, on Thursday, before cruising to a 23-8 victory on Saturday at Southern Connecticut State University. Senior Kristen Palazzo (Armonk, N.Y./Byram Hills) totaled eight goals in two games, and also helped out with three assists. Junior Megan Lagasse (Newburyport, Mass./Governor Dummer Academy), meanwhile, netted four goals and also tallied four assists in the team's win on Saturday. With 14 total assists against the Owls, Saint Michael's eclipsed the single game program record of 11, set during an April 25, 1984 game against Castleton State College. Also, with the team collecting 37 total points, the Purple Knights broke a record set on April 5, 1986 against New England College, when the team tallied 31.

The men's lacrosse team (7-4, 6-2 NE-10) saw its three-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday, in the team's only contest of the week. The Purple Knights suffered a 17-6 loss to ninth-ranked Merrimack College, despite sophomore Mike Boerma's (Concord, Mass./Lawrence Academy) two goals. Senior Brandon Kobelt (Rye, N.Y./Fordham Prep) also scored and contributed a pair of assists to total 136 for his career, moving him into sole possession of fourth place on the team's all-time scoring list. Kobelt's 87 goals are good for fifth all-time, while his 49 assists rank him seventh, tied with 2005 graduate Mike Curley.
           
The baseball team (7-5) went 4-1 last week. In a doubleheader against Lyndon State College, the Purple Knights took game one, 5-1, and dropped the nightcap, 8-3. On Wednesday, Saint Michael's erupted for 11 fifth inning runs en route to a 22-3 win over Norwich University, and continued to roll as they defeated Castleton State in back to back games on Saturday, 12-2 and 9-5. Against the Hornets, senior Dan O'Connor (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy) fired a complete-game three-hitter, allowing just one unearned run in the seventh inning while walking four and striking out one. O'Connor was backed by an eight-hit effort by the Purple Knights, led by senior Kevin Foley (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial), who tripled, singled and scored a run. Senior Paul Szwedo (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna), junior Jack Owens (South Boston, Mass./Boston Latin) and sophomore Ryan Hawley (Shrewsbury, Mass./Brewster Academy) all went 1-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI, while senior Kyle Hildebrand (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor) singled and scored twice. Leading the attack against the Cadets was Owens and Foley, who each went 2-for-3 with a homerun. Saturday, Szwedo combined to go 4-for-9 in two games, scoring three times, while driving in three more, and sophomore Evan Grenier (Bridgeport, Conn./Notre Dame Fairfield) went 4-for-8, while scoring three runs and batting in three.

The men's tennis team (6-10, 4-7 NE-10) closed out its 2005-06 season with a 6-3 loss against Pace University on Wednesday. Saint Michael's dropped all six singles contests, but earned its points by sweeping the doubles portion. Sophomore Andy Samara (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington) and freshman John Lescure (Kennebunk, Maine/Berwick Academy) teamed up for a No. 1 doubles win, followed by sophomore Torr Terranova (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) and freshman Sean Steigerwald (North Andover, Mass.), who combined to take No. 2 doubles. The Purple Knights completed No. 3 doubles win a win, thanks to freshman Dave Besserrer (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union) and Tom Wu (Litchfield, Conn./Litchfield). Wednesday marked the final collegiate performance for Wu, who competed for four years on both the tennis and swim teams. The senior has totaled 11 singles victories, and 15 doubles wins over his career.
                       
The softball team (10-16, 4-8 NE-10) split a Thursday afternoon doubleheader with American International College, losing 2-0 in the opening game, before rebounding for a 4-2 victory in the game two. On Saturday, Saint Michael's dropped two contests to Southern Connecticut State University, 1-0 and 6-2. Freshman Megan O'Connor (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) earned the win against the Yellow Jackets in a complete game effort, allowing just three hits and one earned run, while striking out four. At the plate, O'Connor batted 2-for-4 with a run batted in. Junior Meggan Roberge (Sheldon Springs, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) was credited with the loss on Saturday, despite giving up just one run in eight plus innings, while striking out nine batters. Junior Casey Brooks (Colchester, Vt./Colchester) batted .357 in four games last week, and scored her team leading 21st run of the season on Thursday.

This Week's Schedule:
4/18      Men's Lacrosse @ Assumption - 5 p.m.
4/19      Women's Tennis @ Le Moyne (NE-10 Quarterfinals) - 2 p.m.
4/19      Baseball vs. Middlebury - 3:30 p.m.
4/19      Women's Lacrosse @ Franklin Pierce - 6 p.m.
4/20      Softball @ Assumption (doubleheader) - 3:30 p.m.
4/21      Baseball @ Saint Anselm - TBA     
4/22      Women's Lacrosse vs. Stonehill - 12 p.m.
4/22      Softball vs. Saint Rose (doubleheader) - 12 p.m.
4/22      Men's Lacrosse vs. Bryant - 3 p.m.
4/23      Softball vs. Bentley (doubleheader) - 12 p.m.            
4/23      Baseball @ Saint Lawrence (doubleheader) - 1 p.m.