From the West Haven Twilight League

The West Haven Twilight League will honor outstanding past and present players and league members at its 47th Annual Gold Bat Dinner, Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at the Italian American Civic Association (Westwoods), 85 Chase Lane, West Haven.

Tickets are $35 per person and are available by contacting Chairman Tom "Tinker" Blake at (203) 934-3820.

"The Gold Bat recipients are honored for their contributions to the league, which is celebrating seventy-eight years as one of the country’s oldest amateur baseball leagues," President Vin DiLauro said. "This event is our way of saying thank you to the players, area fans and the City of West Haven for helping to keep amateur baseball alive."

Gold Bat awards will be presented to Andrew Cicarella of East Haven; Dan Ford of Hamden; Arthur Hubbard, Jr. of West Haven; Henry "Hank" Luzzi of East Haven; and Dan Montesi of North Branford. The WHTL Gold Bat Community Award recipient will be Nick DeMatties of West Haven.

A closer look at the recipients:

Andrew Cicarella, 34, of East Haven was a stand-out player during his nine years in the WHTL. He played on five championship teams with Shoreline Masonry including an undefeated season in 1999. Cicarella was twice awarded the league batting title. He is a graduate of Notre Dame of West Haven and Albertus Magnus College where he played baseball.

Dan Ford, 62, of Hamden was a dominating pitcher during his two years with the WHTL. In 1968, he was named Pitcher of the Year for the league going 8-0 with a 1.16 ERA and led the league in innings pitched, strikeouts, and complete games. After graduating from Quinnipiac University, Ford went on to play minor league baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins.

Arthur Hubbard, Jr., 84, of West Haven served as an umpire in the WHTL during the 1970’s and 1980’s. His experience as an umpire was extensive having served many years for the Greater New Haven Baseball Umpires Association and the New Haven Federation of Softball Umpires. Hubbard graduated from West Haven High School and served in the United States Navy during Word War II.

Henry "Hank" Luzzi, 73, of East Haven was an All-Star outfielder for the WHTL from 1955-1959. After his playing years, he served as an umpire for the league. Luzzi graduated from East Haven High School and was a two sport athlete at Southern Connecticut State University – baseball and football. Away from the playing field, Luzzi is the former Mayor of East Haven.

Dan Montesi, 41, of North Branford was an exceptional infielder for the WHTL during the late eighties and early nineties. His solid defensive play at second base and his strong contributions as a hitter helped lead his team, Pat’s Place, to two championships. Montesi graduated from West Haven High School and went on to play baseball for the University of New Haven.

Nick DeMatties, 71, of West Haven is being honored as the Gold Bat Community Award recipient for his extraordinary commitment to the WHTL and community service. DeMatties is currently a Board of Director of the WHTL, Executive Director of the West Haven Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of the West Haven Rotary Club and mentor in the Bridges Mentoring program. He has dedicated numerous hours to the Special Olympics, Junior Achievement, Alzheimer’s Association and as a coach for youth baseball, softball and basketball teams.

Additional awards will be given at the dinner to league champions A-Plus Plumbing, MVP, Best Pitcher, Batting Champion, Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year. In addition, the All-League team awards and sportsmanship award will be presented.

The Southern Connecticut men’s cross country team was selected fourth in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll. New Haven was selected eighth.

1. UMass Lowell (7) — 188

2. Stonehill (7) — 185

3. American International (1) — 157

4. So. Connecticut — 154

5. Adelphi — 145

6. Bentley — 135

7. Saint Rose — 122

8. New Haven — 102

9. Assumption — 82

10. Le Moyne — 80

11. Saint Michael’s — 59

12. Saint Anselm — 56

13. Merrimack — 51

14. Southern New Hampshire — 35

15. Pace — 24

(First-place votes in parentheses)

WOMEN
The Southern Connectiut women’s cross country team was picked to finish third in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll. New Haven was picked eighth,

1. Stonehill (14) — 224

2. UMass Lowell (1) — 206

T3. Adelphi — 190

T3. So. Connecticut (1) — 190

5. Saint Rose — 159

6. Bentley — 147

7. American International — 128

8. New Haven — 127

9. Merrimack — 125

10. Le Moyne — 115

11. Saint Michael’s — 78

12. So. New Hampshire — 63

13. Pace — 59

14. Saint Anselm — 57

(First-place votes in parentheses)

You know you've made quite an impression when the coaching position you have is named after you.

His full name is included three times in the first three sentences of Yale's release.

In all seriousness, Mark Young has done an extraordinary amount for Yale and the sports of track and field and cross country over the years.

Here is part of Yale's release. The full release can be read at www.yalebulldogs.com

Mark Young ’68, Yale’s Mark T. Young ’68 Director of Cross Country and Track and Field, announced that he will retire from that position at the conclusion of the upcoming cross country season.

Young, who is entering his 31st season as a coach at Yale, will remain with the program coaching the women’s track and field team’s distance and middle distance runners through the spring.

Associate head coach David Shoehalter will be Yale’s new Mark T. Young ’68 Director of Cross Country and Track and Field.

Young’s retirement caps a career that has been marked by many significant accomplishments.

Since returning to his alma mater as a coach in 1980, Young has led Yale to six Heptagonal Championships and four top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships in women’s cross country.

The Bulldogs have also won four ECAC titles under Young's guidance. The director position that now bears his name was endowed in his honor in 2008.

Young was the national Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1987, when he led Yale to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships -- the best finish ever for an Ivy League women’s team.
He also earned District I Cross Country Coach of the Year honors for the third straight time that season.

In track and field Young was named NCAA District I Outdoor Track Coach of the Year in 1987, when Yale won the outdoor Heptagonal Championship and finished second indoors.

In addition, many individuals have been recognized for their achievements. Yale has had 19 All-America selections in cross country and 17 in track and field during Young's tenure.

Southern Connecticut named senior Lindsay Stanton of Oxford and juniors Michelle Desmarais of South Windsor and Alison Ditolla of Trumbull as team captains for the Owls this year.

All three have been recognized as Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll selections for their academic work over the course of their collegiate careers.

The Owls open the season on Sept. 3 with a game against Felician College at Franklin Pierce in Rindge, N.H.

The Sound Tigers released their home regular season schedule recently. To learn more visit http://www.soundtigers.com/

Oct. 9 vs. Worcester at 7 p.m.

Oct. 10 vs. Manchester at 3 p.m.

Oct. 16 vs. Hartford at 7 p.m.

Oct. 17 vs. Portland at 3 p.m.

Oct. 30 vs. Manchester at 7 p.m.

Nov. 3 vs. Springfield at 11 a.m.

Nov. 6 vs. Hartford at 7 p.m.

Nov. 13 vs. Norfolk at 7 p.m.

Nov. 20 vs. Manchester at 7 p.m.

Nov. 21 vs. Portland at 3 p.m.

Nov. 24 vs. Providence at 7 p.m.

Nov. 26 vs. Hartford at 7 p.m.

Nov. 28 vs. Norfolk at 3 p.m.

Dec. 4 vs. Providence at 8 p.m.

Dec. 8 vs. Springfield at 7 p.m.

Dec. 17 vs. Springfield at 7 p.m.

Dec. 18 vs. Worcester at 7 p.m.

Dec. 19 vs. Portland at 3 p.m.

Dec. 26 vs. Hartford at 3 p.m.

Dec. 31 vs. Worcester at 1 p.m.

Jan. 2 vs. Providence at 3 p.m.

Jan. 5 vs. Portland at 7 p.m.

Jan. 8 vs. Worcester at 8 p.m.

Jan. 18 vs. Providence at 7 p.m.

Jan. 25 vs. Albany at 7 p.m.

Feb. 5 vs. Springfield at 7 p.m.

Feb. 11 vs. WB/Scranton at 7 p.m.

Feb. 13 vs. Portland at 3 p.m.

Feb. 20 vs. Manchester at 3 p.m.

Feb. 23 vs. Providence at 7 p.m.– Kids Free Game

Feb. 26 vs. Manchester at 7 p.m.

Feb. 27 vs. Hershey at 3 p.m.

Mar. 16 vs. Charlotte at 7 p.m.

Mar. 18 vs. Charlotte at 7 p.m.– Kids Free Game

Mar. 19 vs. Manchester at 7 p.m.

Mar. 20 vs. Binghamton at 3 p.m.

Mar. 27 vs. Syracuse at 3 p.m.

Apr. 5 vs. Springfield at 11 a.m.

Apr. 8 vs. Hartford at 7 p.m.

Apr. 10 vs. Albany at 3 p.m.

This is from the Connecticut Tigers, of the New York-Penn League.

The Connecticut Tigers and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a two-year extension to their player development contract (PDC), guaranteeing the agreement through the 2012 season.

"We are proud to continue our affiliation with the Detroit Tigers for two more years," said
Connecticut Tigers General Manager Andrew Weber, whose team plays at Dodd Stadium in Norwich. "They are one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports and we feel privileged to have a part in their minor league system."

The current PDC was set to expire at the end of the current season.

"The Tigers are very pleased to enter into this extension agreement with Connecticut," said Detroit Tigers Director of Minor League Operations Dan Lunetta. "Our partnership with Miles, Andrew and the Connecticut management team has developed quite well over the past two years and we view Norwich as a locale that fits well into our player development system. We are confident that the fan base will grow in the coming years and that the facility will be well maintained. We look forward to continuing our relationship for many years to come."

The Connecticut Tigers organization moved from Oneonta, New York to Norwich, Connecticut prior to the 2010 season after playing in Oneonta since 1966. Detroit had been affiliated with Oneonta since 1999.

For the first time in program history, the Southern Connecticut women’s cross country team has earned a national ranking. The Owls were ranked No. 25 in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association preseason poll.

Previously, the Owls were ranked No. 2 in the USTFCCCA regional poll.

The Owls open the 2010 season on Sept. 11 at the Central Connecticut Blue Devil Invitational.

Southern Connecticut senior running back John Wiechman has been named a preseason All-American by www.d2proday.com.

He's a two-time All-Conference performer and the 2008 Northeast-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

Courtesy of Quinnipiac athletics:

Some observations:
That's a lot of people to be inducting at once.

I'm too young to have written stories about so many of these inductees.

Queen Edwards and Linda Wooster have done so much for athletics in this area, not just at Quinnipiac and are very deserving.

Quinnipiac will induct 14 individuals and two teams into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 9 during Homecoming Weekend. An induction brunch will take place at 11 a.m. at the TD Bank Sports Center. Cost is $45 for adults and $12 for children, age 12 and under.

Register online at www.quinnipiac.edu/events.xml or call 203-582-8610 for more information.

Advanced ticket purchase is required.

Rick Buckholz '88 was a four-year member of the men's ice hockey team, from 1983-87. He holds the all-time single-game records for goals and points. He totaled six goals, the most in school history, against Scranton on Feb. 21, 1987, after totaling eight points against Lehigh on Jan. 28, 1986. Buckholz sits in third place all-time in goals in a season (31), and in fifth place all-time with 76 career goals. His 126 career points put him in a tie for 15th all-time.

Mike Buscetto '93 finished as one of the greatest point guards in school history. Buscetto was the all-time assists leader with 624 helpers-a mark that stands today. In addition, he also broke the single-season, three point field goals record and ranks eighth all time in that category. Buscetto ranks in the Top 20 in career points with 1,165, second all-time in steals with 195, and also compiled the top two, and three of the top 10, single-season assist totals.

A four-year member of the field hockey team, Catie Canetti '00/ '02 was named Female Athlete of the Year after earning All-Northeast Conference honors after her junior season in 1999; she earned All-Region honors as well. She was named to the All-NEC team twice and earned All-Region honors in her final two seasons. Canetti graduated as the all-time leader in goals (30) and points (69). She held single-season records with 13 goals in 1999, while also totaling 33 points. She currently ranks second in career goals and points, while her single-season goal and point totals also stand second all-time. Canetti also played two seasons for the women's lacrosse team.

Chris Cerrella '01, who played from 1997-2001, is Quinnipiac's all-time leading scorer. He made an immediate impact as a freshman, scoring 32 goals while assisting on 34 more for 66 points. His first-year totals stand today as program records. A two-time All-MAAC Hockey First Team selection in 2000 and 2001, Cerrella holds the record for goals (99) and points (205) in a career and is the only player in QU Division I history to score four goals in a game. Playing his final three years at the Division I level, Cerrella holds the University's Division I record for career goals (67) and points (149), while his 72 assists ranked second.

In 2001, Colleen Dooley '01 finished her career at Quinnipiac as the program's all-time leader in goals (84), assists (29) and points (113). In addition, she was one of two players to score 20 goals and 30 points twice in a four-year career. A two-time All-NEC selection, Dooley was the leading scorer for most of her career in the early stages of Quinnipiac's Division I history. She became the first women's lacrosse player at Quinnipiac to score in her first seven collegiate games, winning Athlete of the Month honors.

Queen Edwards' Smith '96 successful career culminated in 1995 with 1,207 points, 594 rebounds, 476 assists and 394 steals. She ranks in Quinnipiac's All-Time Top 10 in all categories today. After serving as a reserve as a freshman, starting in just seven of 27 games, Edwards cracked the starting lineup as a sophomore and started 74 of her final 76 games. That season, she scored a career-high 451 points for a 16.7 per-game average, while also collecting a career-best 156 assists. She was a three-yearAll-Northeast-10 Conference selection, while also earning Defensive Player of the Year honors twice.

As a four-year starter for the baseball team, Lou Iannotti '82 led Quinnipiac to the first NCAA Division II Regional Tournament in the school's history. Following a successful freshman campaign that saw Iannotti lead the team in triples (3), he also was tops in the most offensive categories over his final three seasons. In 1982, he was selected to the Division II All-New England All-Star Team as well as the Greater New Haven Diamond Club All-College team. His 15 career triples stand today as the program record.

Second baseman Steve Kulpa '93 was the first to reach the 200-hitmark-his 201 career hits were a record in 1993 and rank fourth today. He also broke the record for doubles (40), while ranking among the top three in career home runs (19) and runs batted in (137). Kulpa was a four-time All-Northeast-10 Conference and All-New England Region honoree, and also earned Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Year honors in 1990. He was the only Division II player chosen for the New England College Baseball All-Star Game for four straight years. In 1993, he was honored with the Edwin L. Steck Award and was the Quinnipiac Male Athlete of the Year.

Roland Lavallee '01 enjoyed a storied career at Quinnipiac as a member of the men's cross country team. In 1997 he was named Northeast-10 Conference Runner of the Year when, as a freshman, he won the NE-10 Championship while setting a course record at the Catamount Family Course. That year, he was named the Quinnipiac Freshman of The Year and in 1997-98, was named the Quinnipiac Male Athlete of the Year. Lavallee was a two-timeNortheast-10 First Team Selection and two-time All-Northeast Conference First Team selection. He also won the Division II New England Championship with a course record time in 1997.

Patrick Nguyen '97 holds the distinction of being the first Quinnipiac men's tennis player to reach 100 wins for his career. In a four-year span that saw him compete at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles each year, Nguyen posted a 101-36 combined record, good for a .731 win percentage. He led Quinnipiac to its first Northeast Conference Championship in six seasons with wins at No. 1 singles and doubles in 1997, earning him NE-10 Player of the Year honors. Nguyen was a two-time All-Northeast-10 Conference selection and a two-year captain for the men's tennis team that won a then-program record 18 matches in 1997.

Sharon Polastry '98 became the first player in NE-10 history to be named Freshman and Player of the Year on her way to earning All-America Honorable Mention and NSCAA/ Umbro All-Northeast honors. In addition, she broke the single-season records for goals, assists and points, and was the first player in Quinnipiac history to tally three assists in a game. In her second season, she was the first sophomore in Northeast-10 Conference and Quinnipiac history to pass 100 career points. She finished her four-year career as both the Quinnipiac and the Northeast-10 Conference all-time leader in goals (77) and points (176), while also ranking among the all-time leaders in career assists (22). She also has the two highest single-season goal and point totals of all time.

Julie Smith '02 played field hockey for Quinnipiac from 1998-2002. She finished her career ranked among the all-time leaders in goals (24), assists (14) and points (62). In 2001, she broke the single-season goals mark with 15 tallies for the year. Her 35 points that season still hold as the all-time single-season best and helped Quinnipiac go to the Northeast Conference Tournament Championship in 2001. That season she also was named NEC Field Hockey Player of theWeek twice as she led the Northeast Conference in goals and points while ranking among the national leaders in both categories.

In Joe Trimarchi's '98 four-year career, he started in 101 of his 105 games. Trimarchi was characterized as a "workhorse" and in more than 3,400 minutes played at a variety of positions, he never fouled out. He finished his career averaging 12.3 points, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals, as well as 4.1 rebounds per game and was Quinnipiac's career leader in three-point field goals made with 237. In 1995, his 167 field goals broke Quinnipiac's single-season record for three-pointers. He also finished his career ranked 11th in career points (1,293), sixth in steals (136) and 11th in assists (274).

Linda Wooster served in Athletics from 1984 until 2009 and continues as a professor emeritus in the School of Health Sciences. She was coordinator of women's athletics, assistant athletic director, an associate professor of physical education and sports information director. In her last role, as the associate athletic director of athletics and recreation, she oversaw recreation on campus, the University's fitness center, intramurals, physical education, evening recreation and special events. In 2005, she received the University's Excellence Award for Service to Students. She was inducted into the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Connecticut High School Coaches' Association Hall of Fame in 2004. She received the Joseph Fontana Distinguished Service Award from that same organization for her leadership role in establishing organizations and activities at the collegiate and high school levels that create mentoring and networking opportunities for female athletes and coaches. She has also been recognized for her community service efforts with the Connecticut Secretary of the State's Public Service Award and the Connecticut Higher Education Community Service Award. She continues to be a valuable staff member, team player and close friend to many across the campus community. She is currently writing a detailed History of Women's Athletics at Quinnipiac while she continues as Professor Emeritus of Physical Education in the School of Health Sciences.

In 2000, the women's soccer team posted a 13-6-1 record, winning eight of its last 10 games heading into the Northeast Conference Tournament. The Bobcats blanked Long Island and Monmouth to win the NEC Tournament before defeating Loyola (Md.) in overtime to advance to the NCAA Division I women's soccer first round.

Roster: Jayme Alambra, Heather Allen, Dana Blom, Lauren Carmody, Rachel DeCastro, Theresa (Domingo) Martins, Mary Kate Galusha, Melissa Ganias, Elisa Goncalves, Jill Gregoire, Molly Harrington, Lisa Horowitz, Alison Jaquith, Meghan Kennedy, Megan Knapp, Linnea Lampe, Christine LaVallee, Jenna Lawless, Chandra Manuelpillai, Kristin Marcous, Jen Monaco, Renee Morin, Katherine (Nelson) Miller , Katherine (Nelson) Moy and Kristin Rathbone. Dave Clarke, head coach, and Megan Schuck, assistant coach.

In 1993, the women's tennis team won its first Northeast-10 Conference Regular-Season Championship, the first of four. That year, at 12-1 overall, including a perfect 9-0 mark againstNE-10 schools, Quinnipiac also advanced to the NCAA Division II East Regionals for the first time.

Roster: Jill (Avis) Burger, Rachael (Barry)Doherty, Renee Bulman-Allen, Meghan Cahillane, Sarah (Giannuzzi) Ciofrone, Nicole Manglass, Rian McManus, Jen Noonan, Paula (Rembac) Miller, Jodi (Robidoux) Smigelski, Jennifer Scarano, Erin (Wharton)Walsh and Carol Wiltshire. Mike Quitko, head coach, and Keith Woodward, assistant coach.

Thanks to Ken Sweeten at Quinnipiac for letting me know about the Bobcats' men's basketball team chronicling their trip overseas. Check out the links below for more:

YouTube Page: http://www.youtube.com/user/quinnipiacathletics


Multimedia Page: http://athleticsmedia.quinnipiac.edu/athletics/Photos/MensBasketball/Europe-2010/index.html


Sean Light’s Blog Archive: http://www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17500&ATCLID=204978137

Southern Connecticut basketball coach Michael Donnelly has announced the addition of five newcomers for the upcoming season.

The class consists of Trevon Hamlet (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Greg Langston (Stratford), Chazz McCarter (New Haven), Nyheem Sanders (Pawtucket, R.I.) and John Scurry (Albany, N.Y.).

Hamlet, a 6-foot-6 forward and transfer from nearby Post University, made an immediate impact in his first season with the Eagles last winter. The incoming sophomore averaged 18.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game en route to All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference laurels. Hamlet played scholastically at Bishop Loughlin High School. Donnelly coached at Post last season.

Langston joins the Owls after a decorated scholastic career at St. Joseph’s, where he collected First-Team All-State honors as a senior. The 6-foot-2 guard/forward averaged 19 points, six rebounds and five assists per game in his final season, a squad in which his team posted a 23-4 mark. Langston scored 1,332 points in his scholastic career. Donnelly played for coach Vito Montelli in high school. Donnelly still ranks as one of the toughest, most competitive players I've seen on a high school basketball court.

New Haven native McCarter is coming off a stellar stint at Gateway Community College, where he was a First-Team Junior College All-American. The Hillhouse graduate, a 6-foot-3 guard, averaged 22 points, 9.5 rebounds and five assists per contest last year. He also connected on 80 three-point field goals.

Nice to see talented New Haven players stay close to home.

Sanders also averaged double figures last season as a freshman at Post University, but now brings his talents to SCSU. The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard averaged 11.2 points, four rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest in 2009-10. He played scholastically at St. Andrew’s School.

Scurry, a freshman in 2010-11, should provide a presence down on the blocks. The 6-foot-5 forward averaged a double-double as a senior – 16 points and 10 rebounds – at Bishop Maginn High School.

The Owls open the 2010-11 season on Nov. 13 against Chestnut Hill.

Interesting that Donnelly has recruited four kids who played at private Catholic schools, just as he did.

The Register has a page devoted to the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament with a blog, story updates, photo galleries and videos.

Check it out at www.newhavenregister.com/pilotpentennis

Thanks to Steve Kirck for sending us updates.

Sunday, August 15

Stealth 8, Michigan 1

We boarded the team bus for our final game of the season. In many ways, what started with winter workouts in January seemed like a few weeks ago. In some ways, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

So much has happened since the Stealth trudged through the snow in January to playing in the humid heat of Puerto Rico. A group of ten-year old kids, some of whom didn’t know each other, grew into a family and grew up before our eyes.

The kids didn’t probably realize this was the last game of the season, maybe even the last game some would ever play together as who knows what the future holds.

They just wanted to win. It was a long trip and the last thing anyone wanted was a winless road trip.

The Stealth were too proud and too good to let this happen. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the Stealth played, well, Stealth like for the first time in Puerto Rico.

The end result, a tidy and sweet 8-1 win, a game where everyone contributed in some manner.

Nick Copenhaver allowed only three hits and struck out seven in a complete game win as the Connecticut Stealth defeated Michigan to finish in 7th place in the AABC World Series.

Jack Nolan had two hits, a double and triple, two RBIs and a run scored. Shamar Jackson added two hits and two runs scored while Tre Breland scored twice and singled.

Brendan Kirck gunned a runner out at home from his shortstop position. Ron Gibbs almost hit it over the center field fence. The outfield of Shamar Jackson, Kyle Pavone, Jay Brennan, Luke Larkin, and Ray Flores made all the plays. CJ Kuselias was flawless at second base as was Jack Nolan and Tyler Osbourne at the hot corners.

The Stealth completed their season with a 50-4 record. A first year team, 50-4. A great season. 7th place out of 1200 teams and a trip to Puerto Rico. Who’d have thunk it? The best part. It wasn’t a dream. It was reality.

7 p.m.
The Stealth attended the closing ceremonies as a team. They received medals, a goody bag, along with the other teams. A fireworks show ended the tournament. Congratulations to the Carolina, Puerto Rico team that won the championship.

Monday, August 16
The Stealth family awoke early again (5 a.m.) for one final police escort bus ride back to the airport for our return trip home. We arrived at JFK around 2:30 p.m. and arrived back at Hamden Hall around 6 p.m.

Conclusion
To be honest, the best aspect of Stealth 2010 had nothing to do with baseball. Sure, it is a talented group of players who loved baseball, worked hard, achieved success, and won some games. Ok, a lot of games.

The best part of Stealth 2010 was that 10 kids from the New Haven area learned about team work, camaraderie, became great friends, and learned that if you work hard, do your job, and believe in one another, great things can, and usually, do happen. What a life lesson at an early age.

Better yet, Stealth 2010 made memories that will last a lifetime. There is no doubt that a gritty bunch of 10-year olds will some day in the future, tuck their son or daughter into bed or have their grandchild sitting on their lap and tell the story of the summer they went to Puerto Rico to play baseball.

The story will probably have them finishing better than 7th and they’ll have hit 4 home runs. But, the bottom line is they will remember the police escorts, swimming in the pool and ocean and playing baseball with their friends in Puerto Rico.

As I get older, I have come to realize that life is about creating memories. For 10 Stealth families, Puerto Rico and the summer of baseball 2010 created memories that will last a lifetime. And that is way more important than hitting a fastball, stealing second base or catching a flyball.

Congratulations to the 2010 Stealth team. You won tournaments in Connecticut, Delaware, Long Island, rallied to win the state tournament in your last at-bat and breezed through regionals undefeated and earned one of eight berths in the Willie Mays AABC World Series in Puerto Rico.

Your coaches and your family are PROUD of you.

Nicholas Copenhaver P/SS (North Haven)

Tre Breland C (Hamden)

Jack Nolan 1B (Woodbridge)

CJ Kuselias 2B (Hamden)

Brendan Kirck SS/3B/P (Hamden)

Tyler Osbourne 3B/P (Hamden)

Luke Larkin LF (Woodbridge)

Shamar Jackson CF/LF/1B (Hamden)

Kyle Pavone SS/CF (Hamden)

Jay Brennan RF (North Haven)

To see pictures from the 2010 Stealth season, please visit http://stealthbaseball.blogspot.com/

A-Plus Plumbing of the West Haven Twilight League is in the final of the NABF World Series tonight in Louisville.

A-Plus defeated the Chicago Clout 7-1 earlier today in a semifinal game.

Sal Salvo went eight innings for the win with eight strikeouts for his second win of the tournament.

Garrett Walker had two hits & two RBIs, Mike Tamsin doubled in two runs, and Alan Barbaro had two hits.

A-Plus lost in the championship game.


The Beecher Muskies of Illinois defeated A-Plus Plumbing 10-4 in the championship game in Louisville, Ky.

Mike Tamsin had a home run and two RBIs and Chris Migani went 4-for-5 for A-Plus Plumbing, which ended up 5-1 in the four-day tournament. Pitcher Chris Smith took the loss and dropped to 1-1.

A-Plus Plumbing advanced to the NABF World Series for the sixth straight season and seven of the last eight.

A-Plus Plumbing won the title in 2003 and finished third last season.

A-Plus Plumbing of the West Haven Twilight League defeated Murray's Diesel of Buffalo, N.Y 11-1 to win Pool A in the NABF World Series in Louisville today.

Matt Denorfia went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs , Bill Robinson was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Mike Tamsin had a solo home run.

A-Plus was leading in the semifinal 1-0 against the Chicago Clout, but

Tonight's semifinal game between A-Plus Plumbing and The Chicago Clout was suspended in the bottom of the first inning with A-Plus Ahead 1-0 because of rain and thunderstorms.

This game will resume at that spot tomorrow morning at 9:30 A M .

The winner will play the winner of The Cincinnati Chiefs and the Beecher Muskies for the Championship Sunday after the semi final games.

Friday, August 13, 2010
With an 8:00 a.m. bus for our 10:00 a.m. game against, Georgia, it was another early wake-up call for the Stealth players and families.

The Georgia Yard Dogs are from Atlanta, with a fervent fanbase full of chants and support. Their uniforms make them look like the University of Georgia from color (red) and logo (big G).

The Yard Dogs scored two runs in the first off Stealth starter Tyler Osbourne. The Yard Dogs scored four unearned runs in the second and were on the verge of blowing the game wide open but a bullet back to Osbourne turned into a 1-2-3 double play.

That gave Stealth a boost and led to an offensive outburst. Three straight walks by Tre Breland, Luke Larkin, and Tyler Osbourne loaded the bases for Shamar Jackson, who singled home Breland. Nick Copenhaver added an RBI groundout and then Jack Nolan doubled home Osbourne and Jackson and the Stealth only trailed 6-4.

However, the Yard Dogs added four runs in their half of the third to pull ahead 10-4. After another run in the fourth inning, the Yard Dogs were on the verge of ending the game via the mercy rule after Georgia’s Kevin Smith doubled and stole third with no outs.

But, Stealth reliever Brendan Kirck induced a pop fly to right and fly out to left field that turned into a double play. Kirck threw six pitches to get three outs.

The Stealth added a pair of runs in the sixth to make the score more respectable 11-6 final.

The Stealth family spent the balance of the day at the hotel pool and beach, enjoying each other’s company before going back to the Stadium to watch the Puerto Rico team battle a team from Michigan.

Saturday is an off day. Plans include a trip to Old San Juan and some rest and relaxing at the hotel’s pool and beach. After a long season that started in January with winter workouts, it is a well deserved day of fun and sun in Puerto Rico. But, if you asked each player, they’d much rather be putting on the uniform for a ballgame.

They’ll get one final chance to play together Sunday at 10:00 a.m. against Michigan.

The AHL's two state teams, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Hartford Wolf Pack will play each other in two preseason games in the area.

Hartford will be the home team when the two meet at Quinnipiac's TD Bank Sports Center on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.

There is a $5 admission charge for that game, and proceeds will benefit Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford.

Bridgeport will then play host to Harford on Oct. 2 at the Rinks at Shelton. Also at 7 p.m.

A-Plus Plumbing of the West Haven Twilight League defeated the Detroit Jet Box 12-6 today to improve to 3-0 in the NABF World Series in Louisville. Jet Box won the title last year.

Pinch-hitter Bill Robinson hit a grand slam in the eighth inning for A-Plus. Robinson had two home runs and five RBIs in the game.

Brian Guinn pitched a complete game for the victory.

Chris Miganni also hit a home run and Garrett Walker added two hits.

A-Plus Plumbing had a bye in the fourth round and will play Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m.

A win, or loss by another team in the pool, will result in A-Plus clinching Pool A and earning a spot in the semifinals Saturday at 8 p.m.

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix has the same feeling most have about New Haven's world champion: he needs to be more entertaining and knock more people out to gain the attention he deserves.

And Dawson's explanations are the same that they've been for years: "I just want to win."

Still, a good read.

Here's the link

Here's the Register's story from this week

And ESPN's take

And an article from the Montreal Gazette

This article from the Sports Network focuses on Dawson fighting someone younger for the first time.

Love this quote from Pascal in the story:

"This is my country, my town and my belt," he said. "I hope Chad Dawson is coming to fight like a champion, but if he thinks he is going to run like a chicken and leave with my title he is making a big mistake."

An ESPN chat with Dawson

And this look at a future opponent

Here's an update from Steve Kirck on the Connecticut Stealth's trip to the Willie Mays AABC World Series in Puerto Rico .....

Wednesday, August 11

The alarm went off at 2:45 a.m. Yet, across Hamden, North Haven, and Woodbridge, a bunch of ten-year old boys, who have to be pried and cajoled out of bed to go to school, were bright eyed, ready and raring to go.

You would be too if you were getting up early to board a plane at JFK Airport for Puerto Rico and the Willie Mays AABC World Series.

And that’s exactly where the Connecticut Stealth baseball was headed. The team, its coaches, parents, siblings, and even grandparents met at Hamden Hall at 3:15 a.m. for a flight to San Juan.

The team, coaches, and a few other supporters were on an American flight, while the rest of the parents took Jet Blue. The planes left five minutes apart and landed at virtually the same time in sunny, warm, and tropical San Juan.

The Stealth, who won the regular season in both leagues they entered, earned the right to play in the AABC World Series by winning the state tournament in Waterbury and the regional tournament in New Jersey.

The road was not easy. After breezing through the winners bracket in the state tournament, the Connecticut Capitals forced a deciding game with an 8-1 win. The Capitals led the championship game 4-0 in the fourth inning before the Stealth rallied for a dramatic 5-4 win with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Stealth then defeated Clarkstown, NJ and the High Heat Kings from Brooklyn and a team from Ware, Mass. twice each to win the North Atlantic Regional in Hackensack, NJ to advance to Puerto Rico.

The Stealth are comprised of the following players: Tyler Osbourne (Hamden), Shamar Jackson (Hamden), Nick Copenhaver (North Haven), Jack Nolan (Woodbridge), CJ Kuselias (Hamden), Kyle Pavone (Hamden), Jay Brennan (North Haven), Tre Breland (Hamden), Luke Larkin (Woodbridge) and Brendan Kirck (Hamden). The coaches are Chris Kuselias, Bernie Brennan, and Mike Copenhaver.

11:40 a.m.
After both teams landed, AABC officials met the team and provided not only two busses but also a police escort from the airport to the hotel. The kids loved that while the parents just laughed as we sped through traffic lights and around cars on the highway and streets to Dorado, Puerto Rico.

Now, we know how the President and major league players feel. Even better, the bus, its driver and an AABC official are there for us the whole trip.

After getting to the hotel, everyone enjoyed the pool and the beach, even though we were all tired. But, who wants to sleep when there are four pools and a beach in your backyard.

6 p.m.
The AABC held a dinner reception at the hotel for all teams and family members. The food was great and each coach introduced his team. A band played music and it was a great experience for the kids to meet the other teams.

The early wake-up call took its toll and the team was tired so it was lights out after the ceremony. A day that started in Connecticut at 2:45 a.m. ended with going to bed in Dorado, Puerto Rico at 9:00 p.m. After all, we came here for baseball and our first game was rapidly approaching.

The other teams competing are: Farmington Cardinals (New Mexico), Georgia Yard Dogs (Georgia), Cincinnati Flames (Ohio), Arizona Angels (Arizona), Macomb Wildcats (Michigan), Carolina Braves (Puerto Rico champion), and the host team Toa Baja Mets.

Thursday, August 12

9 a.m.
Gameday vs Cincinnati Flames at 1 p.m. Team breakfast was held at 9 a.m. in a room set aside for all the AABC World Series teams. The Stealth entourage boarded the bus at 11 a.m. for a short ride to a local field for batting practice.

The police escort brought us to the field, a mini-Stadium. Neatly manicured with large concrete stands, the Stadium had overhead construction that kept the stands in the shade – a beautiful thing on a typical hot, muggy, Puerto Rican summer day. The sweat just pours out of you.

Special thanks has to be mentioned for all the team Moms’, who have been supportive all year juggling life’s responsibilities and baseball, but they were the true heroes after they went and bought each player a water bottle at a shopping plaza across from the hotel. They also bought a ton of bottled water. It was needed.

1 p.m.
Cincinnati Flames 4, Stealth 1
The Stealth, who have won tournaments in CT, Del, and NY and entered the World Series with a 52-2 record, were a tad awestruck and didn’t play typical fearless, fast, aggressive, and fancy-free Stealth baseball. And it cost them as they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Cincinnati Flames in the opening game of the double elimination tournament.

The Flames, whose 10U team last year also advanced to Puerto Rico, got off to a quick start with a run in the top of the first inning on a single by Keegan Fish. He stole second base, and scored on a pair of wild pitches by Stealth starter Nicholas Copenhaver that eluded catcher Tre Breland.

The deficit doubled in the second when Daulton Amburn singled to start the inning, stole second and eventually scored on ground out.

Treyburn Funderbur made it 3-0 when he singled, stole second and third, and scored when Breland’s throw to third went past Tyler Osbourne.

Osbourne got the Stealth within 3-1 when he scored in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by Copenhaver.

Cameron Swanger increased Cincinnati’s lead to 4-1 with an opposite field home run in the fifth inning.

Cincinnati doubled the Stealth in hits (6 to 3) and made some nice defensive plays when they had to. In addition, catcher, Keegan Fish, threw out four Stealth runners trying to steal.

“We got outhit, out pitched, and out-defensed today,” said Stealth head coach Chris Kuselias. “Their pitcher mixed his pitches, speed and location very effectively. Tomorrow is a new day and we will be ready.”

6:30 p.m.
After a quick team dinner at a local pizza restaurant, the team returned to the Stadium for the Official Opening Ceremonies. Each team processed in as did league and AABC officials, the Puerto Rico State Police horses, and a local dance team. After some remarks, a fireworks show was held.

It was time to call it a day. The team had hoped to stay and watch the two Puerto Rico teams play their opener (they played the night game since school has actually started already in Puerto Rico), but it was late and we have the first game Friday. The Stealth will try to stay alive in a 10 a.m. game against the Georgia Yard Dogs, who look just like the University of Georgia from their logo and team colors standpoint.

Curfew was 9 p.m. as another early wake up call awaits. The team bus leaves at 8:00 a.m. for batting practice.

A-Plus Plumbing of the West Haven Twilight League is scheduled to play two games today in the NABF World Series

Thursday August 12 at 9:30 a.m. vs Beecher Muskies

Thursday at 4:30 p.m. vs Youngstown

Here is a link to the World Series site

Schedule is below.

The following are notes from Yale SID Tim Bennett.
BOLD comments that follow are my thoughts.

The Bulldogs will face seven teams that reached the post-season last year – Cornell (NCAA), Vermont (NCAA), Lehigh (NCAA), Quinnipiac (NIT), Illinois (NIT), Harvard (CIT) and Princeton (CBI).

Good mixture of conferences. Like the fact they play top teams from Patriot and America East. Other good games at Holy Cross, at Stanford and vs. Albany.

Yale will play five afternoon home games in Lee Amphitheater – Army (Nov. 27), Sacred Heart (Dec. 19), Lehigh (Dec. 31), Baruch College (Jan. 8) and Brown (Jan. 22). All are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

Big fan of afternoon games, not only because of deadline, but because you can take your kids. Watching games on ESPN and every other cable channel is fine, but nothing beats the experience of watching games live. That's what I remember as a kid.

The opener against Quinnipiac is part of the Connecticut 6 tripleheader at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. Sacred Heart plays Fairfield and Central Connecticut meets Hartford in the other two games.

The Connecticut 6 is a tremendous idea and I'm glad it's caught on. I believe Quinnipiac and Yale should play every year and have said that for a long time. Even if they're not matched up in this event in future, they need to make that game happen. It's good for the community. Yale also plays Hartford and Sacred Heart this season.

There will be familiar faces on the opposing bench when the Bulldogs play at Boston College. Steve Donahue, who guided Cornell to last three Ivy League titles, is in his first season as the head coach at BC. His associate head coach, Joe Jones, was the head coach at Columbia for the last seven years and is the younger brother of Yale head coach James Jones.

Steve Donahue has always been one of those coaches you watched and knew would go on to a bigger program, even early on when his teams weren't winning Ivy League titles. Boston College is a good game for Yale. Bulldogs have played Eagles tough in past.

Boston College is one of six opponents that will have first-year head coaches. Hartford (John Gallagher), Holy Cross (Milan Brown), Columbia (Kyle Smith), Cornell (Bill Courtney) and Dartmouth (Paul Cormier) are the others.

Paul Cormier returns home. He came to Fairfield from Dartmouth. Also has former UConn standout Ricky Moore as an assistant.

Yale will be playing Illinois for only the second time. The first meeting was a 71-67 Illini victory in the 1949 NCAA Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Too bad Yale couldn't suit up Tony Lavelli, who played for the Bulldogs on that 1949 team. Lavelli was the top pick of the Boston Celtics that year. If he wasn't such a great musician and decided to pass on basketball, more people would know about him. The guys was the NCAA career leader in points when he graduated, with 1,964, and used to play the accordian at halftime.

This year will be a tall order for Bulldogs, as Illini have five players 6-foot-9 or taller, including 7-1 senior Mike Tisdale, whose not just tall, but good.

Yale will host a game on New Year’s Eve for the first time since 1930. The Bulldogs play Lehigh in a 2 p.m. tip-off.
Will James Jones wear a party hat?

Three of the Bulldogs’ first four Ivy games will be on the road.
If you're going to make a run in the Ivy you need to win on the road, so might as well start early.

Three-time defending Ivy League champion Cornell visits Lee Amphitheater on Feb. 4.

Big Red will miss Donahue.

2010-11 Yale Men’s Basketball Schedule

Nov. 13 vs. Quinnipiac (Connecticut 6 at Mohegan Sun Arena) TBA

15 at Providence 7 p.m.

18 at Boston College 7 p.m.

23 at Illinois TBA

27 vs. Army 2 p.m.

30 vs. Hartford 7 p.m.

Dec. 4 at Vermont 1 p.m.

6 vs. Albany 7:30 p.m.

8 at Bryant TBA

19 vs. Sacred Heart 2 p.m.

28 at Stanford TBA

31 vs. Lehigh 2 p.m.

Jan. 4 at Holy Cross TBA

8 vs. Baruch College 2 p.m.

15 at Brown TBA

22 vs. Brown 2 p.m.

28 at Penn TBA

29 at Princeton 6 p.m.

Feb. 4 vs. Cornell 7 p.m.

5 vs. Columbia 6 p.m.

11 at Harvard 7 p.m

12 at Dartmouth 7 p.m.

18 vs. Princeton 7 p.m.

19 vs. Penn 7 p.m.

25 vs. Dartmouth 7 p.m.

26 vs. Harvard 6 p.m.

Mar. 4 at Columbia 7 p.m.

5 at Cornell 7 p.m.

Southern Connecticut has released its 2010-11 women's basketball schedule.

The Owls are coming off a 13-win season last winter.

The season opener is on Nov. 12 against Bridgeport at the Pace Tournament.

They play at New Haven Jan. 2 and host the Chargers Feb. 5

Click here for the complete schedule

New Haven is favored to three-peat as Northeast-10 Conference regular season champions as voted upon by the conference's head coaches.

The Chargers received 14 first-place votes and a total of 224 points in this year's preseason coaches' poll.

New Haven (25-6, 15-0 NE-10) won its second straight Northeast-10 regular season title last year after finishing 15-0 in conference play.

In 2008, the Chargers first year in the conference, they finished 14-0 to claim the teams first-ever title.

Adelphi University (27-10, 14-1 NE-10) received one first-place vote and had 202 points and is predicted to finish second this year just ahead of Bentley (18-13, 11-4 NE-10). The Falcons received the final first-place vote and 192 points.

Southern Connecticut (26-10, 9-6 NE-10) with 119 points was selected ninth.


2010 Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll

1. New Haven (14) - 224

2. Adelphi (1) - 202

3. Bentley (1) - 192

4. UMass Lowell - 180

5. American Int'l - 154

6. Pace - 148

7. Merrimack - 142

8. Le Moyne - 126

9. So. Connecticut - 119

10. Stonehill - 117

11. Saint Rose - 91

12. Franklin Pierce - 66

13. So. New Hampshire - 63

14. Saint Michael's - 44

15. Assumption - 30

16. Saint Anselm - 22() First Place Votes

Here is a link to the schedule for the American Legion World Series schedule. Branford is the Northeast Region champion and begin play Friday at 8 p.m. in Spokane, Wash.

Here is the schedule

MEN

The Southern Connecticut men’s soccer team has been selected fourth in the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference Coaches’ preseason poll.

The Owls are coming off a successful 2009 season in which they qualified for the NCAA Tournament, reached the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament final and finished with a 14-5-2 mark.

New Haven was selected 14th.

Here’s a look at the poll:
1. So. New Hampshire (7) – 162

2. Franklin Pierce (2) – 153

3. Le Moyne – 149

4. Southern Connecticut – 138

5. Merrimack – 120

6. Bentley – 88

7. Saint Anselm – 82

8. Assumption – 76

9. American Int’l – 74

10. UMass Lowell – 72

11. Saint Michael’s – 61

12. Stonehill – 50

13. Saint Rose – 33

14. New Haven – 16


WOMEN

The Southern Connecticut women’s soccer team has been selected seventh in the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference preseason coaches’ poll. The Owls were ranked as high as No. 6 in the region last year. New Haven was picked to finish 11th.

Saint Rose was selected as the preseason favorite to win the league.


Here’s a look at the poll:
1. Saint Rose (14) – 224

2. Franklin Pierce – 209

3. UMass Lowell – 184

4. Merrimack – 177

5. Adelphi (1) – 164

6. Stonehill – 143

7. Southern Connecticut (1) – 132

8. Saint Anselm – 127

9. American Int’l – 103

10. Assumption – 96

11. New Haven – 86

12. Le Moyne – 81

13. So. New Hampshire – 72

14. Saint Michael’s – 57

15. Bentley – 47

16. Pace - 18

Just in case you missed the ceremonies this week including New Haven native Floyd Little, his acceptance speech was exceptional, and he took the time to thank many from the New Haven area as well.

The full speech is here


A shorter version is here

And the NFL Networks interview with him is here

Also, thanks to Bob Barton, here's a look at Floyd Little's stats from his last year at Hillhouse, 1960, when he was a junior. He went to Bordentown Academy as a senior.


1959
Played sparingly on 5-5 team. Scored one TD, on a 33-yard pass in 42-8 victory over Wilbur Cross.

1960
Register All-State selection for 8-1 team

Little finished the year with 132 points on ‰20 TDs and six 2-point conversions.

Sept. 17 vs. Harding (31-8 W) -- two TDs (1 run, 60 run).

Sept. 24 at Greenwich (22-18 W) -- one TD (1 run).

Oct. 8 at Danbury (44-42 W) -- two TDs (69 run, 6 run) and two conversion runs.

Oct. 15 vs. Notre Dame-W.H. (18-16 L) -- two TDs (35 run, 55 run).

Oct. 22 vs. Hartford Public (14-12 W) -- one TD (10 run).

Oct. 28 at. Hamden (38-16 W) -- three TDs (10 run, 69 run, 58 run) and conversion run.

Nov. 5 vs. New Britain (28-20 W) -- four TDs (12 run, 37 run, 17 run, 16 pass from Leo Pavlow) and conversion run.

Nov. 12 vs. Hartford Bulkeley (won 12-8) -- one TD (12 run).

Nov. 24 vs. Wilbur Cross (won 46-0) -- four TDs (6 run, 3 run, 90 run, 1 run) plus conversion run.

Here's a look at the Walter Camp preseason watch list. There are links to each of the 30 finalists profile pages.

Tell us who you think will be honored at the end of the year.

The date for the 2011 Walter Camp dinner is Jan. 15 at Yale Commons.

Donald Buckram, RB, Senior, UTEP

John Clay, RB, Junior, Wisconsin

Adrian Clayborn, DE, Senior, Iowa

Jared Crick, DL, Senior, Nebraska

Andy Dalton, QB, Senior, TCU

Dwight Dasher, QB, Senior, Middle Tennessee State

Noel Devine, RB, Senior, West Virginia

Ricky Dobbs, QB, Senior, Navy

Michael Floyd, WR, Junior, Notre Dame

A.J. Green, WR, Junior, Georgia

Mark Ingram, RB, Junior, Alabama #

LaMichael James, RB, Sophomore, Oregon

Greg Jones, LB, Senior, Michigan State $

Colin Kaepernick, QB, Senior, Nevada

Case Keenum, QB, Senior, Houston $

Dion Lewis, RB, Sophomore, Pittsburgh

Jake Locker, QB, Senior, Washington

Andrew Luck, QB, Sophomore, Stanford

Ryan Mallett, QB, Junior, Arkansas

Kellen Moore, QB, Junior, Boise State

Rahim Moore, DB, Junior, UCLA $

Chris Owusu, WR/KR, Junior, Stanford $

Patrick Peterson, DB, Junior, LSU

Bernard Pierce, RB, Sophomore, Temple

Terelle Pryor, QB, Junior, Ohio State

Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Junior, Oregon State $

James Rodgers, WR/KR, Senior, Oregon State

Evan Royster, RB, Senior, Penn State

Quan Sturdivant, LB, Senior, North Carolina

Ryan Williams, RB, Sophomore, Virginia Tech

# - 2009 Walter Camp First Team All-America selection
$ - 2009 Walter Camp Second Team All-America selection

http://www.waltercamp.org/

Southern Connecticut received six first-place votes and are picked to win the Northeast-10 regular season title as determined by the conference's nine head coaches.

Southern Connecticut (6-4, 6-2 NE-10 in 2009) received 62 points edging out Merrimack.

Merrimack (7-3, 6-2 NE-10), who finished in a three-way tie with Bentley and Southern Connecticut last season for the NE-10 regular season title, received the final three first-place votes and 54 points.

Bentley (8-2, 6-2 NE-10) followed close behind for a third-place finish with 48 points.

New Haven (5-5, 4-4 NE-10) was selected to finish sixth with 32 points.

The Ivy League releases its poll Tuesday.

The NE-10 poll
1. Southern Connecticut (6) - 62

2. Merrimack (3) - 54

3. Bentley - 48

4. American Int'l - 44

5. Assumption - 35

6. New Haven - 32

7. Stonehill - 26

8. Saint Anselm - 12

9. Pace - 11

() - First Place Votes

Here's an offer from Pilot Pen Tennis ....

American tennis stars Melanie Oudin, Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish are part of a unique All American ticket package now on sale for Pilot Pen Tennis, which will be held August 20-28 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.

This limited offer includes a meet and greet with all three players on Monday, August 23, in the Courtside Club suite, box seat tickets to the evening session that night, and box seats to three other sessions of choice during the tournament for $350.

If you are interested in learning more, get the full release here.

Members of the Quinnipiac women's hockey team will be at Stop & Shop in Hamden Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to collect toys for Yale-New Haven Hospital Auxiliary's Toy Closet Program.

Cash donations will also be accepted.

The event was organized by Hamden native Bethany Dymarcyzk, who will be a junior at Quinnipiac next year. She will be joined by ECAC Hockey Rookie and Goalie of the Year Victoria Vigilanti (Woodbridge, Ontario), Regan Boulton (Brandon, Manitoba) and Chelsea Illchuk (Lockport, Manitoba).

"When I was admitted to the hospital as a child, I always had a toy from the Toy Closet," Dymarczyk said. "I want to make sure all kids in there have toys to make their stay a little more enjoyable."

For more click here

Southern has released its men's basketball schedule.

The Owls play at New Haven Jan. 2 and host the Chargers Feb. 5. UNH has yet to release its schedule.

They open at the University of Bridgeport tournament Nov. 13-14.

For the complete schedule visit here

The sites for the NABF Northeast Regional semifinal games have been switched. The schedule is as follows:

Saturday

West Haven High School
Bellows (Pool A Winner at 3-0) vs. Stamford/Stratford winner, 6 p.m.

Quigley Stadium
Baybrook Remodelers (Pool B Winner at 3-0) vs. South Bergen/A-Plus winner, 6 p.m.

A-Plus lost to Bellows of the Bridgeport City League 6-3 today. Bellow's winning pitcher was Manny Torres. Not certain but believe it's the same Manny Torres that played for St. Joseph in the mid-1990s, and also played basketball with the likes of Ken Martin and newly-appointed Southern Connecticut basketball coach Mike Donnelly.

First-year New Haven men's basketball coach Ted Hotaling has hired Tobe Carberry and Marcus Wellman as assistant coaches for the Charger men's basketball program.

Both have strong local ties. Carberry played at Hillhouse. He was at Southern Connecticut for three seasons as an assistant coach.

His brother, Tobin, will be a sophomore at Southern this season.

Some might also remember Carberry was a finalist in the slam dunk contest during the 2000 Final Four festivities while he played at Vermont.

"Our program is fortunate to add someone of Tobe's caliber to the staff. I have known Tobe since his playing days and more recently during his coaching career,” said Hotaling in a release. “He has significant recruiting ties in the Northeast and more specifically in the state of Connecticut. He has great knowledge of the game and is passionate about his role in helping young people reach their potential. I think he is an excellent role model for the student-athletes in our program."

Wellman, who is from Monroe, graduated from Hamden Hall in 2005, where he played for UNH alum David Beckerman.

He then played at Northeast-10 rival Franklin Pierce, where he was a four-year starter.

"Marcus is going to have a bright future as a college basketball coach. He has a great feel for the game and will be able to use his recent experience as a player to help our student-athletes achieve every day,” said Hotaling in the release. “Like Tobe, Marcus is a Connecticut native that has an excellent reputation around the state. He will be an outstanding recruiter and representative for our program. I am excited to watch him grow and develop as a coach.”

Former Southern Connecticut standout football player Joe Andruzzi deserves any accolades he receives, and this one is no exception.

Read more here

Branford begins play in the American Legion Northeast Regional Thursday.

All games at Palmer Field in Middletown.

Here is the schedule below, and also a link to an information page for the tournament

Thursday

Game 1: Lewiston, Maine (24-4) vs. Gibbsboro, N.J. (31-11), 9:30 a.m.

Game 2: Warwick, R.I. (24-6) vs. East Longmeadow, Mass. (23-2), 1 p.m.

Game 3: Branford (24-6) vs. Essex, Vt. (28-2), 4:30 p.m.

Game 4: Goffstown, N.H. (17-2) vs. Middletown (20-9), 8 p.m.

Friday

Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 9:30 a.m.

Game 6: Game 2 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 1 p.m.

Game 7: Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4:30 p.m.

Game 8: Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 8 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 12:30 p.m.

Game 10: Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 4:30 p.m.

Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8 p.m.

Sunday

Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 11 loser, 1 p.m.

Game 13: Game 11 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 7 p.m.

Monday

Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner, 1 p.m.

Game 15: if necessary, 7 p.m.

The winner advances to the World Series in Spokane, Wash.

Here's a look at the NABF Northeast Regional schedule for the next four days. It is round robin format:

Thursday

10:30 a.m.

Pool A: A-Plus Plumbing (West Haven) vs. New Rochelle, N.Y. at Quigley Stadium (West Haven); Bellows Baseball Club (Bridgeport) vs. Oriskany, N.Y. at Vieira Field (UNH, West Haven)

Pool B: Baybrook Remodelers (West Haven) vs. Stamford at White Piurek Field (West Haven High); Stratford vs. Ramapo, N.J. at Brinley Field (Orange).

2:30 p.m.

Pool A: Oriskany vs. A-Plus Plumbing at Quigley Stadium; New Rochelle vs. South Bergen, N.J. at Vieira Field

Pool B: Ramapo vs. Baybrook Remodelers at Whitey Piurek Field; Stamford vs. Downtown Merchants (Wallingford) at Brinley Field.

Friday

10:30 a.m.

Pool A: A-Plus Plumbing vs. Bellows Baseball Club at Quigley Stadium; South Bergen vs. Oriskany at Vieira Field

Pool B: Baybrook Remodelers vs. Stratford at Whitey Piurek Field; Downtown Merchants vs. Ramapo at Brinley Field

2:30 p.m.

Pool A: Bellows vs. South Bergen at Quigley Stadium; Oriskany vs. New Rochelle at Vieira Field

Pool B: Stratford vs. Downtown Merchants at Whitey Piurek Field; Ramapo vs. Stamford at Brinley Field

Saturday

10 a.m.

Pool A: South Bergen vs. A-Plus Plumbing at Quigley Stadium; New Rochelle vs. Bellows at Whitey Piurek Field

1 p.m.

Pool B: Downtown Merchants vs. Baybrook Remodelers at Quigley Stadium; Stamford vs. Stratford at Whitey Piurek Field

6 p.m.

Semifinals: Pool A winner vs. Pool B runner-up at Quigley Stadium; Pool B winner vs. Pool A runner-up at Whitey Piurek Field

Sunday

Noon

Championship: Semifinal winners at Quigley Stadium

NOTE: The home team will be determined by coin toss for all games except the semifinals where the pool winners will be the home teams

The Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Sports Council hosts its second annual ‘Chalk Talk – College Football in New Haven’ event on Wednesday, August 11 at Wicked Wolf Tavern, 144 Temple Street in New Haven.

All three area football coaches – Rich Cavanaugh (Southern Connecticut), Peter Rossomando (New Haven) and Tom Williams (Yale) – will gather together to discuss the upcoming campaign. Noah Finz, Sports Director at News 8/MyTV 9, once again serves as the moderator for the discussion.

The function provides an opportunity for local professionals to network and enjoy an exciting evening of college football chatter.

The event will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Cost is $10 for GNHCC members and $20 for non-members and includes free food, two drink tickets and the opportunity to win special prizes.

For more information, or to sign up for the event, please log on to www.gnhcc.com or call 203-782-4342.

Fans who can’t make it down for the event can watch a live webcast on Sporting News Connecticut – www.sportingnewsct.com

Check out our sister paper's site with all you need to know about the races and more.

http://www.saratogian.com/sports/pinksheet/

Photo: left to right – Head of Delegation: Joyce Stille, Athletes Betsy Katz, Page Vedrani, Alicia Rostkowski, AlixViolano, and Coach Michelle Lach.
Photo Credit: Chad Lyons


Team Connecticut recently returned from the national Special Olympic games in Lincoln, Neb., after winning 29 gold medals, 15 silver medals and 20 bronze medals.

Here is a look at how area athletes fared:

AQUATICS

Betsy Katz, New Haven: 4 x 25 Freestyle Relay: Silver; 25 M Backstroke: Bronze; 25 M Freestyle: Bronze; 4 x 25 Medley Relay: Gold

Page Vedrani, Guilford: 50 M Backstroke: Silver; 50 M Freestyle: 4th place; 4 x 25 Freestyle Relay: Silver; 4 x 25 Medley Relay: Gold

Alix Violano, Hamden: 25 M Freestyle: Gold; 4 x 25 Freestyle Relay: Bronze; 25 M Backstroke: 4th place; 4 x 25 Medley Relay: Gold

ATHLETICS

Stephen Cuthbert, Bethany: 200M Run: Bronze; 4 x 100 Relay: Gold; Shotput: Men 4 Kg 4th place; Long Jump: Silver

Alison Smith, Shelton: 400M Run: Bronze; 1500M Run: Bronze; 800M Run: Gold; Long Jump: Gold

BOWLING

Jody Holbink, Westbrook: Divisioning: 4th place; Singles: 4th place; Mixed team: Bronze; Doubles: 4th place

GOLF

David Dennin, Trumbull: Level 5 Stroke Play 18 Holes: Bronze

Michael Hedrick, Trumbull: Level 5 Stroke Play 18 Holes: Gold

Shawn Reilly, Milford: Level 1 Individual Skills: Bronze

POWERLIFTING

Michael Canty, Wallingford: Bench Press 110 kg: Silver

TENNIS

Stuart English, Madison: Singles, Bronze; Doubles: Bronze

UNIFIED VOLLEYBALL

4th Place: Raquel Ocasio, Wallingford; Partners: John Aronson, Higganum; Sarah DeGumbia, Wallingford; Kimberly Doyle, Clinton

Below are the finalists of the PilotPen Tennis Family Classic. They will compete for the crown at Pilot PenTennis at Yale, to be held August 20-28 at the Connecticut TennisCenter at Yale.

This year, from January through July, more than 5,000participants competed in 89 local events at tennis facilitiesthroughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, NewJersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont in order to reach thefinals.

The event is in its 10th year.

The finalists in each division are:

Mother Child 12 & Under: Lesley & Vincent Farricielli – Guilford – Pine Orchard Yacht Club
Deborah Blatt & Oren Vasser – New Rochelle, NY – Hardscrabble Club

Mother Child 14 & Under: Louise & Daniel Soifer – Stamford – Longridge Club
Trish & Danny Pavoni – Fairfield – Oak Lane Country Club

Mother Child 18 & Under: Pamelia Parker & Morgan White – Old Lyme – Old Lyme Country Club
Terri & Andrew Schwartz – Woodbridge – Paugussett Club

Husband Wife: Rebecca & Emmanuel Fernandez – Yorktown Heights, NY – Club Fit Jefferson Valley Anna Bielen-Zarska & Robert Bielen – Ridgewood, NY – Robbie Wagner-Glencove

Father Child 12 & Under: Simon & Sean Gorwara – Poughkeepsie, NY – Cross Court Tennis Club
Tom & Brendan Price – Westport – Cornwall Tennis Association

Father Child 14 & Under: Rajiv & Karan Narula – Poughkeepsie, NY – Cross Court Tennis Club
Michael & Alex Lord – Wilton – Four Seasons Racquet Club

Father Child 18 & Under: Michael & Michael Van Dusen – Avon – Farmington Valley Racquet Club
Charlie & Tyler Adams – Buxton, ME – Woodlands Club

Parent Child Open: Todd & Thaddeus Custer – Manchester – Glastonbury Tennis Club
Randy & Rohan Mani – Brewster, NY – Hardscrabble Club

For more visit www.pilotpentennis.com