July 7, 2008

Garden City, N.Y. - Adelphi University was crowned as winners of the 2007-08 the East Coast Conference Commissioner's Cup. The award is the seventh overall, and first since the 2004-05 season, for Adelphi since the Cup was established in 1994-95.

The Panthers were powered by ECC titles in women's cross country and women's lacrosse, and overall second place finishes in softball, men's cross country and men's basketball. Panther programs also finished among the conference's top four in women's tennis, women's volleyball, and men's tennis.

Seven teams earned post-season bids, including a first-time trip for the volleyball team. In all the Panthers garnered 86 all-conference, 11 all-region and five All-American honors.

Men's Soccer (4-11-3, 2-2-1 Atlantic Soccer Conference)

The men's soccer program went through a change in 2007 as Bob Montgomery stepped down as Head Coach, ending a 30-year stretch. Carlo Acquista was tapped as Montgomery's successor and guided Adelphi to their second straight appearance in the Atlantic Soccer Conference (ASC) tournament and a 2-2-1 conference mark.

Junior Patrick Figueiredo was named ASC Player of the Year after leading the conference in points (26) and goals (13) in 18 contests. Freshman John Koutsounadis earned Rookie of the Year honors as three Panthers received all-conference accolades. Junior Mark Hoffman was a first-team selection at defense, while Figueiredo earned first-team honors and Koutsounadis was a second-team honoree.

Women's Soccer (12-6, 7-3 ECC) NCAA Participant

A strong strength of schedule and a solid overall record propelled the Adelphi women's soccer team to a fifth NCAA berth in the last six years.

After a 0-2 start, the Panthers put together a 12-3 finish, blemished only by tough losses to Dowling, C.W. Post and Bridgeport. Adelphi was selected as the #6 seed going into the NCAA Regional and took on # 3 Slippery Rock. The Panthers took an early exit, falling, 2-0, in the first round.

Five players earned all-conference honors led by first-team selection and senior Denise Auer. Sophomore Caitlin Morrison was named to the second-team with senior Christine Conway and juniors Amanda Herrera and Theresa Ennis selected to the third team.

Auer, the team's assists leader, was also named a Daktronics first-team All-Northeast Region selection and named the ECC Women's Soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Cross-Country (Women - East Coast Conference Champions/Men - Second Place)

For the second year in a row the women's cross-country team captured the ECC title, placing nine women on the all-conference team. Junior Ify Anene led the way, picking up Runner of the Year honors by virtue of her first place finish, while freshman Barbara Green was named Rookie of the Year. The men placed second, missing out on first by a mere seven points, placing five runners on the all-conference team, including Rookie of the Year Ryan Pezzulo.

Women's cross-country won their second straight ECC title.

The Panthers continued their success at the NCAA Division II Northeast Regional, where Anene placed fourth overall, earning NCAA All-Northeast honors along with a trip to the NCAA Division II National Championship meet. Anene's finish helped the women to a fourth place finish, while the men placed sixth on the strength of a 20th place showing by senior Matt Dispensa.

Anene would go on to place 79th in the country at the National Championship meet, while Dispensa placed 18th overall at the IC4A Championship meet, earning All-East honors. In addition Dispensa was named the ECC Cross-Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a USTFCCA Division II All-Academic honoree along with graduate student Jen Malenovsky and Heather Troutman.

Women's Tennis (5-6, 5-2 ECC)

With a 5-2 finish in the East Coast Conference, Women's tennis showed it's ready to be in the mix for a team title. Also at the helm of the Women's squad, Ed Canner in his first year helped to develop the young team into a solid program.

Freshmen Alda Ribeiro highlighted the women's season, receiving ECC Rookie of the Year Kudos and finishing second in the ECC Singles Flight Tournament in the number one spot. Also for her efforts, Ribeiro was given a spot on the ECC first-team. The Panthers earned a third seed in the ECC Final Four and finished the season 5-6 overall, 5-2 in the ECC.

Volleyball (27-8, 7-2 ECC) NCAA Participant

The 2007 season for Adelphi Volleyball would go down in the books as a Panther best, seeing seven records shattered, a 27-8 overall record and a first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament as the seventh seed. On their way to the tournament bid, the Brown and Gold also placed second at the East Coast Conference (ECC) Tournament, their highest finish ever.

Seniors Lauren Flanagan and Brittany Addeo earned first and second team ECC All-Conference honors, respectfully, while Flanagan was also named to CoSida/ESPN the Magazine as an Academic All-District selection. Flanagan continued her post-season kudos by being named the ECC Volleyball Academic Athlete of the Year. Head Coach Danielle MacKnight was named Nassau County Sports Commission Female Coach of the Year, for her debut coaching efforts.

As a team the Panthers eclipsed seven records that included: Kills (1742), Kills Average (13.79), assists (1517), assists average (12.43), most wins (27), best winning percentage (.794) and longest winning streak (11). Individually Addeo set a new career records in assists (4065) and service aces (232), while Flanagan moved into first as the all time blocks leader (343).

Men's Basketball (20-10, 14-6 ECC)

The men's basketball team lost six players to graduation and brought in eight new faces in 2007-08. The transition showed early, but the team came together down the stretch, winning 12 of their final 15 regular season games, securing a second place regular season finish in the conference and home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

After closing out regular season with a 99-88 victory over nationally ranked C.W. Post the Panthers slipped past Molloy (60-55) and Concordia (66-62) in the first two rounds of the ECC tournament to set up a re-match with C.W. Post in the conference final. In the final the Pioneers squeaked out a 60-57 victory.

Freshman Richard Byrd was named ECC Rookie of the Year, while junior teammate Alvin Vivican was a third-team all-conference selection. Byrd averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and has accumulated 34 steals and was ranked 12th in the conference for average points per game. Vivican averaged 10.2 points per game and led Adelphi with 65 assists and ranked second in free-throw percentage at .845.

Women's Basketball (14-15, 12-8 ECC)

The Panthers had a mixed season with both high and lows. After opening with a 0-3 record, they rallied back to win their next five straight. Then were sidelined by five straight losses before a modest 9-8 finish. Adelphi ended the regular season with a 55-52 win over C.W. Post to secure the #5 spot in the ECC Tournament. In the first round, the Panthers fell to Bridgeport, 76-62.

Adelphi earned a post-season bid in the ECAC DII Tournament as the fourth seed, but fell to eventual winners and top-ranked Wilmington University, 79-67. Senior Gianna Smith was named to the all-tournament team.

Gianna Smith is Adelphi all-time leader in points.

It was during the regular season finale that Smith made history, by becoming the school's all-time leading scorer in surpassing the 1,519 points mark originally set by Kendra Koneski in 1997. Smith, who finished her career with 1,559 points, went on to earn first-team All-ECC honors and to be named to the All-Met Division II First Team by the NIT and Met Basketball Writers Association.

Joining Smith for conference recognition was senior Mary Lepore and junior Serita Lee, both named to the third-team.

Bowling (66-67, 2nd ECAC)

The women's bowling program took some large steps toward the upper echelon in just their second season as a varsity program. The Panthers captured second place at the 2008 ECAC Championships, where they posted a record of 5-0 on the first day of team competition, earning the fourth seed in the championship round.

In game one of the championship Adelphi faced FDU, with the winner advancing to the title game. The Panthers used a 907 pin effort, including a historic 300 pin fall to top FDU and advance to the championship final, where they lost to Sacred Heart. The Panthers 300 Baker game was recorded by freshman Cristina Reale, sophomore Dianna Molenko, sophomore Michelle Montgoris, freshman Kristin Hayes, and freshman Danielle Locurto. It is only the third time in NCAA Women's Bowling history that a team has completed the feat.

Kristin Hayes was selected to receive honorable mention honors by the coaches of the NEWCBC, the first time that an Adelphi bowler has earned all-conference honors.

Swimming (Men, 7-2; Women, 4-4)

Adelphi Swimming finished the year strong with a 7-2 men's record and a 4-4 women's record. Continuing that strength into the postseason, the men finished 19th in the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships and sixth in the Metropolitan Championships - the Panthers' highest finish in a decade, while the women swam their way to a tenth place finish.

During the ECAC meet, freshman Zachary Terzano placed third in the 200-yard Freestyle with a time of 1:41.88, missing the NCAA qualifying time by a fraction of a second. Freshman Alex Griffith also had a strong showing in the 400-IM's with a 14th place finish in a time of 4:17.59. For their individual efforts throughout the season, Terzano was named ECAC Co-Swimmer of the Week, and senior Andrew Meditz was awarded the Adelphi Presidential Award for his athletic and academic accomplishments.

When the pool waters finally settled, the men broke nine records this season including the 200 Free, 500 Free, 1000 Free, 1650 Free, 100 back, 200 IM, 400 IM, 400 Free Relay, and the 800 Free Relay.

Men's Lacrosse (7-5, 3-3 ECC)

After opening the season with a 1-2 record, the Adelphi men's lacrosse team went 6-3 to post a record of 7-5 overall which included one goal losses to C.W. Post (15-14 OT) and eventual NCAA Champions, NYIT (12-11).

Junior Edward Ege earned USILA first-team All-America honors in his first season in an Adelphi uniform. Ege led the nation in assists and points per game, while scoring 22 goals and handing out 52 assists for 74 points. He was also a first-team all-ECC selection and earned ECC Player of the Year honors.

Men's lacrosse led the nation in three statistical categories.

Senior teammate Jesse Corben also earned All-America honors, leading the nation in face-off win percentage (.716). Corben was also a first-team all-conference honoree, leading the Panthers in ground balls (94). First-year Head Coach Gordon Purdie was named ECC Coach of the Year for his efforts in putting the Panthers back into the mix for an ECC title.

Women's Lacrosse (16-1, 6-0 ECC) NCAA Participant

The women's lacrosse team returned to the NCAA Final Four after a one-year hiatus, but fell short of their goal of a third championship. Despite the lone loss, this young Panther squad strung together an impressive 16-0 run under the direction of first year head coach Joe Spallina.

Veteran Rachel Ray was no surprise as the team's overall scoring leader and a first team All-America selection. However, it was freshman Michelle Ceraso and Kaitlyn Carter who stole the show, with both players garnering IWLCA first-team All-America honors as well. Carter, the ECC Rookie of the Year, was second in scoring (48G, 13A, 61 points). Ray led the nation in assists (66), setting a new Adelphi record in the process.

Ray, Ceraso and Carter were joined by senior defender Caitlin Hilbert and sophomore goalkeeper Caitlin Fitzpatrick as IWLCA All-North Region selections. They each were also recognized with All-ECC honors, along with senior Jennifer Fucich and sophomore Jackie Bogensberger.

The Panthers clinched the ECC regular season title with 7-4 victory over top-ranked C.W. Post, snapping their 32-game win streak. This pushed Adelphi into the #1 seed going into the NCAA Final Four. The Pioneers avenged the loss by topping the Panthers, 9-4. Fitzpatrick, who had 10 saves in the contest, was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.

Baseball (25-25, 12-9 ECC)

The baseball team opened the season in a 4-9 slump, but came around late in the season by winning 11 of their final 15 regular season games to secure a spot in the ECC tournament for the fifth straight season. Adelphi advanced to the semifinal game with wins over Dowling and St. Thomas Aquinas before falling to New Haven.

Juniors Rob Paccione and Bobby Lanigan led five players who earned All-ECC honors. Lanigan and Paccione were first-team selections, while senior Matt Kenney and sophomore Mike Scudero earned second-team honors and senior Mike Mongiello was a third-team selection.

In addition Lanigan was drafted with the 15th pick in the third round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft by the Minnesota Twins. He is the first player in 15 years to be selected in the MLB draft and no Panther has ever been selected higher.

Softball (41-22, 17-3 ECC) NCAA Participant

The Panthers, under the direction of first year head coach Paige Smith, eclipsed the Adelphi Division II season wins record with 41 victories en route to their third straight NCAA Regional appearance. They were just shy of the school's overall win record of 42 set during the 1983 season for the Division I Panthers.

Adelphi, which finished second in the ECC in the regular season and tournament, earned the number three seed going into the NCAA regional but fell to Bryant College, 4-0, in the first round before rallying back with a 13-10 win over NYIT. The Panthers saw their College World Series dream cut short with a 6-4 loss to Caldwell College. Juniors Jessica Vogt and Diana DiPiano were named to the all-tournament team.

A total of six players earned all-conference honors, led by senior Julie Schaper who was named ECC Pitcher of the Year. Schaper boasted a 22-5 overall record and 1.68 ERA on the mound and led the league in strikeouts and opposing batting average. She cracked the 500 strikeouts and 50 wins mark wins, finishing her career with 570 strikeouts and 56 wins. This ranks her second and fourth in Adelphi's all-time history, respectively.

Other Adelphi records fell as senior Dely Francisco shattered the single-season (51) and career (92) stolen bases records. She set new single season records for at-bats (216), runs scored (51) and hits (84) and led the conference in all four categories as well.

Schaper, DiPiano and Francisco were each recognized with Daktronics All-Northeast Region honors. Sophomore Katie Brophy joined the trio with Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Northeast Region honors.

Schaper and Francisco were also acknowledged for their academic achievements with each selected by CoSida to the ESPN the magazine First Team Academic All-District. Francisco was also named the ECC Softball Scholar Athlete of the Year, an honor she also received in 2006.

Track and Field (CTC Indoor - Women - 2nd, Men - 4th/CTC Outdoor - Women - 5th, Men - 10th)

The Adelphi University track and field team competed in the Collegiate Track Conference Indoor Championship meet, with the women capturing four conference titles and placing second in the 20-team field. The men placed fourth out of 19 teams and earned one conference title. This was the highest finish for both teams in at least the past decade.

Freshman Danielle Lyons led the way with two individual conference titles, capturing both the 1000 meter and the 800 meter titles. Junior Ify Anene was also crowned a conference champion, placing second in the 3000 meter run, while sophomore Heather Troutman, junior Margaret Penner, sophomore Jenilee Fuertes and sophomore Elise Maniguet teamed to capture the 4x800 meter relay title.

The men captured their only conference title in the 4x800 meter relay as Obed Bienne, Sean Harte, Ryan Pezzulo and Aaron Warner out kicked DeSales University to pick up the win. That same foursome came back a week later to set a new school record in the same relay at the IC4A Championships, stopping the clock at 7:46.95.

The Panthers also competed at the Collegiate Track Conference (CTC) outdoor championships. The women took home three CTC titles and placed fifth overall with 73 points, while the men's 48 points placed them 10th.

The women were led by Lyons and Anene, who each won individual CTC titles. Lyons captured the 800 meter title, while Anene took home the 5000 meter title. The women's 4x800 meter relay team of Lyons, Troutman, Maniguet and Penner defended their indoor 4x800 meter title.

Lyons hit NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the 800 meter run both indoors (2:15.85) and outdoors (2:14.47), missing out on a trip to the national meet by less then half a second each season. In all the Panthers broke 21 school records during the 2007-08 season and earned 31 All-CTC honors.

The men's 4x400 meter relay also captured a PENN Relay's title, winning the CTC heat of the 4x400 relay at the 2008 PENN Relays in a season best 3:20.64.

Men's Tennis (13-9, 3-4 ECC) NCAA Participant

Under direction of first year head coach, Ed Canner, the men's program had an extremely successful season. The Panthers received their first bid into the NCAA Tournament since 2003, and their second as a program.

Men's Tennis earned a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Carrying a win streak of seven games, and a .624 win percentage in singles and .617 in doubles into the post-season, the men recorded their strongest showing in years with a 13-9 overall record, 3-4 ECC. Senior Tomasz Walczak carried a 12-5 record and a 13-4 doubles record with partner Alex Molotsky. Walczak was also honored with a Certificate of Recognition at the National Student-Athlete Day Awards Dinner. Junior Molotsky was selected as the East Coast Conference Division II SAAC representative. Molotsky also was honored with a Certificate of Recognition at the National Student-Athlete Day Awards Dinner.

As a team, the Panthers efforts were good enough to earn them a fifth spot in the NCAA East Region, and their first trip to the NCAA's in five years and the second as a varsity program.

Golf (Fifth Northeast Regional)

The Adelphi men's golf program returned to the top of the region during the 2007-08 season, posting seven top-five team finishes including three top-two's and one first place finishes. The Panthers won the Army Junior Mule Kicker Fall Classic, while Maurico Saavedra captured the individual title. Oliver Hudesman also won an individual championship, winning the AIC Invitational.

For much of the year the Panthers were ranked first or second in the Northeast Regional poll and earned the top seed in the NCAA Division II East/Northeast Super Regional. At the Regional Adelphi placed fifth overall, while Brant Kummerfeld placed fourth. Kummerfeld was also named to the Division II PING All-Region teams as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) for his play during the season.