‘Sky’ is the limit for St. Joe’s Athletics

Brooklyn Campus Announces New Athletic Conference Affiliation

September 11, 2014 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

After winning a school-record 29 games last season, the St. Joseph’s Brooklyn Bears will test their skills in the Skyline Conference beginning in 2015-16.

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So long Hudson Valley Conference. Hello Skyline!

The Bears of St. Joseph’s College’s Brooklyn Campus will be competing at a higher level in 2015-16 as SJC President Dr. Jack Calareso revealed Wednesday that all 13 of the intercollegiate varsity sports programs at the school will join the Skyline Conference.

The Bears, who have been competing in the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, will end that affiliation following this school year.

St. Joseph’s Long Island campus has been a member of the Skyline since 1999, and the Brooklyn campus jumping on board was viewed as an inevitability after the school achieved full NCAA Division III membership in September 2011.

“St. Joseph’s is proud to have both of its campuses as members of the Skyline Conference,” Calareso said. “This opportunity will provide our student-athletes on our Brooklyn Campus with the opportunity to compete against the best competition in NCAA Division III and showcase their talents, dedication, and character to a wider audience.”

“We’re honored that Brooklyn will join their Long Island counterpart as members of the Skyline Conference,” said Skyline Conference commissioner Linda Bruno. “St. Joseph’s has been a tremendous asset to the conference and I’m confident that the addition of the Brooklyn Campus will further our tradition of academic and athletic excellence.”

The L.I. campus has captured the Skyline’s annual Presidents Cup—a measure of all-sports excellence in conference competition—four times in the seven years it has been awarded.

Brooklyn’s Bears hope to enjoy similar success as they join a league that will be comprised of 10 members located around the metropolitan region.

“Joining an NCAA-affiliated conference was always in our roadmap of attaining NCAA membership,” noted St. Joe’s Brooklyn Athletic Director Frank P. Carbone.

“With the recent success and growth of our teams and programs over the past few years, I cannot wait for the enhanced competition and the new rivalries that are sure to develop with our joining the Skyline Conference.”

Formed in 1989, the Skyline Conference conducts championships in 17 sports, including all 13 intercollegiate varsity sports that St. Joseph’s offers. Those include men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s swimming, baseball and softball—with the conference champions receiving an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Championships.

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Brice Merwine scored two goals for the second time in as many games, but the LIU-Brooklyn soccer team produced little else in a 5-2 home loss to Rider on Wednesday night, dropping the struggling Blackbirds to 0-4 on the young season.

Merwine, who also tallied twice in Sunday’s 4-3 overtime home loss to Saint Joseph’s, peppered the Rider net with a game-high seven shots, helping LIU back from an early 3-0 deficit by connecting for goals in the 32nd and 51st minutes.

But the Blackbirds would get no closer as they now set their sights on Friday’s 7 p.m. match against Columbia at LIU Field.

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In local pro sports news, the Nets announced Thursday that they have signed free agent center Jerome Jordan, who spent last season with Virtus Bologna in the Italian League.

The 7-footer split the 2012-13 season playing in the NBA Development League for the Reno Bighorns (24 games) and the Los Angeles D-Fenders (18 games).

Jordan was named to the 2013 All-NBA D-League Third Team after averaging 12.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 42 games (36 starts).

During the 2011-12 season, Jordan played 21 games, including one playoff contest, for the rival New York Knicks, averaging 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.1 minutes.

In addition, he spent part of the 2011-12 season with the D-League’s Erie BayHawks, appearing in eight games.

Selected out of Tulsa with the 44th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, Jordan was traded to the Knicks on July 8, 2010 before pursuing his career abroad with KK Hemofarm in Serbia (2010-11) and BC Krka in Slovenia (2011).

He figures to provide Brooklyn with an extra big body during training camp and perhaps beyond as the Nets look for some center depth behind returning All-Star Brook Lopez and current Team USA pivotman Mason Plumlee.

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Though they’re still more than a year away from arriving Downtown, the New York Islanders are doing their best to build a local fan base.

On Friday, Islanders players TJ Brennan, Cory Conacher, Colin McDonald and Anders Lee will be at the Nets Shop by adidas at the Barclays Center from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The quartet will meet fans and sign team gear in advance of their much-anticipated Sept. 26 preseason game against the New Jersey Devils at the state-of-the-art arena.

Last September, the Islanders played the first-ever NHL game in Brooklyn, dropping a 3-0 decision to the Devils in a preseason contest.