Women’s Soccer Club Qualifies for NEC Tournament with Shutout Win
By John Torenli
Jessica Roelant’s noggin provided the difference between the Long Island University women’s soccer team being sent home for the winter or continuing in its quest for the Northeast Conference championship.
The sophomore’s first-half header provided the lone tally Friday night at Downtown Brooklyn’s LIU Field as the Blackbirds posted their third consecutive shutout win and grabbed the final spot in the upcoming NEC Tournament with a clutch 1-0 triumph over Bryant.
At 9-7-1, the Blackbirds will be the No. 4 seed in the tournament and will take on top-ranked Central Connecticut State in a clear revenge match Friday in New Britain, Conn.
After going unbeaten in conference play a season ago, LIU was stunned by CCSU in the NEC title match, denying the Blackbirds a shot at the NCAA Tournament and their first league title since 2006.
“We accomplished great things as a team in 2008,” 10th-year coach Tracey Bartholomew said entering this campaign.
“But losing in the championship has us motivated. I feel good about the standard of success we have built in the program and our student-athletes have the dedication, desire and work ethic to win a title and they don’t want to settle for anything less.”
Judging from the way they’ve played of late, the Blackbirds might not have to settle.
By going 3-0-1 in the final four regular season contests, LIU gave itself a chance to sneak into the tourney. Losses by Robert Morris and St. Francis (Pa.) on Sunday paved the way for the team’s fifth consecutive playoff appearance.
But none of it would have been possible without some brilliant teamwork in the 39th minute of the regular-season finale.
Junior Caitlin Meadows sent a long pass ahead to freshman Katie Egan along the right side before Egan collected the ball and lobbed a cross into a crowd in front of the net where Roelant was just able to nod the ball in for a 1-0 lead.
Freshman netminder Jennifer Bannon made the goal stand as she stopped three shots in the opening half and five for the game en route to LIU’s eighth shutout of the year.
CCSU and LIU played to a 1-1 draw in Connecticut on Oct. 18. It was the first meeting between the schools after the Blue Devils blanked the Blackbirds, 1-0, in last season’s title match at the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn on Nov. 9, 2008.
In other LIU sports news, freshman Rogers Kipruto won the men’s individual title at the Northeast Conference Cross Country Championships last weekend at Quinnipiac.
The first-year Blackbird crossed the finish line first with a time of 25:55.9 in the eight-kilometer course.
Senior Selina Munoz was LIU’s top female finisher, placing seventh in the five-kilometer race at 18:51.7.
As a team, the Blackbird men placed eighth and the women finished ninth.
As a result of his outstanding effort, Kipruto was named NEC Outstanding Performer and NEC Freshman of the Year.
Kirpruto, the first Long Island runner to win an individual NEC title, was joined on the All-Conference Team by Jason Lakritz, who placed 10th at 26:50.2.
For the third time this season, the five-time defending NEC champion LIU women’s volleyball team swept the league’s weekly awards.
Senior Svetlana Simic was named the NEC Player of the Week and freshman Breanna Cullity earned NEC Rookie of the Week honors for the second week in a row.
Simic averaged 3.50 kills and 3.83 digs per set as the Blackbirds won two matches last week to extend their winning streak to six. LIU remained unbeaten in NEC action at 12-0.
Simic has been named NEC Player of the Week three times this season. She also took home the honor on Sept. 14 and Oct. 12.
Cullity turned in averages of 2.17 kills and 1.17 blocks per set over the two matches. At Fairleigh Dickinson, she amassed 13 kills and five blocks. At Sacred Heart, the freshman had six kills and two blocks while hitting .400. For the week she hit .391.
LIU (15-13 overall) will visit Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Senior Dan Wright of the LIU men’s soccer team was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District First Team for District 1 as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
The defender currently carries a 3.95 grade point average in journalism at LIU after transferring from the University of Alabama-Huntsville in 2008.
In his two seasons at LIU, the Sydney, Australia native has started 34 of the 35 contests and played in every game. The senior central defender has helped the Blackbirds to seven shutouts during his tenure in Brooklyn.
The Blackbirds finish their 2009 campaign when they take on neighborhood rival St. Francis at 3 p.m. Saturday.
The Terriers, who will be celebrating Senior Day when they host the Blackbirds at Aviator Sports Complex this weekend, dropped a 2-1 home decision to Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday.
Sophomore Robbie Weir’s penalty kick provided the lone goal for St. Francis, which fell to 9-6-1 overall and 6-2-1 in the conference.
St. Francis’ nationally ranked men’s water polo club, in conjunction with St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, will sponsor a free developmental clinic for youngsters between the ages of 8 and 16 on Friday.
Igor Samardzija, the Terriers’ head coach, along with several members of the team, will instruct the youngsters in the fundamentals of water polo. The basics of positional play (goal keeping, defense, offense) will be taught during the clinic, which will run from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
“SFC has always been committed to our community and our water polo team is simply trying to extend our philosophy by giving back what we know best, that is to teach youngsters all the secrets of this beautiful game,” Samardzija said.
“At the same time we do also recognize the need for further growth of this sport in the New York metropolitan area. We hope that one day water polo will become as popular in our area as it is in California today. I would like to encourage all parents to bring their children and have them experience what is considered to be a very viable physical activity, which has the potential to lead to a college student-athlete experience. I would especially like to thank our student-athletes as this idea came originally from them and to Mr. Glenn Cassidy from St. Benedicts for allocating us space, time and effort to realize this idea.”
Participation is free. For registration, please contact either Igor Samardzija, isamardzija@sfranciscollege.edu; or Glenn Cassidy. gcassidy@SBP.org
The St. Francis women’s bowling team announced this week that it has raised over $6,000 with its Bowl-A-Thon for Breast Cancer over the last three years to help find a cure for the deadly disease.
“The Saint Francis College Women’s Bowling Team would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the Bowl-a-Thon for Breast Cancer,” said the Terriers in a team-issued statement.
“This great achievement would not have been possible without YOU, our friends and family. We are extremely grateful and very appreciative of all of your support and generosity. ¼
“Our hope is that in the near future this event is no longer needed. Until then, we will continue to do our part, with your support, to help raise the money needed to find a cure.”
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