UMass Dartmouth winter sports fans have become somewhat spoiled over the last decade and this winter was no different. Successful seasons for the Corsairs' men's basketball and ice hockey teams are almost taken for granted and yet, both team's performances were again the season's highlights, winning their respective league championships.

Coach John Rolli's ice hockey team was equally successful, winning the ECAC Central Division and advancing to the ECAC championship game before losing to Fitchburg State in overtime. Coach Brian Baptiste's Corsairs finished the season 19-8, won another Little East Conference (LEC) regular season title and qualified for a post-season tournament for the seventh consecutive season.

It wouldn't be a complete winter sports seasons at UMass Dartmouth without the success of these two teams and neither disappointed the students and fans in 1995-96.

In a season which the Corsairs (25-2) were among the best offensive ice hockey teams in the entire country, their season closed with an ironic twist.

After winning 25 of 26 games, going 14-0 for another ECAC Central title, and running off 17 straight victories heading into their second straight ECAC North-Central-South Championship game, UMass Dartmouth fell one goal shy of successfully defending the championship. The top-seeded Corsairs saw their dreams of a second straight championship season disappear in a thrilling 2-1 overtime loss to Fitchburg State College at Hetland Arena in New Bedford.

The loss also ended a magnificent season for Corsair senior goalie Shawn Grenier (East Taunton, MA). Despite turning away 41 saves in the championship game, Grenier picked up the loss to finish his season with a 24-2 record (.923), the second-best winning percentage among all Division III goalies in the country. His goals against average of 2.12 was fifth best in the country and he led a defensive unit that finished third in the nation, allowing only 58 goals in 27 games.

In his 12th season leading the Corsairs, Rolli received three awards for his coaching success during 1995-96. He was selected the 1995 96 ECAC/Koho North/Central/South Coach of the Year, the New England Hockey Writer's All Star Coach of the Year for the third time in his career and he received the first ECAC Coach of the Year award.

Joining Rolli on the New England Hockey Writer's All-Star team were P.J. Schneider (Plymouth, MA) (13-17-30) for a third straight season, along with teammates Grenier, forward Jarrod DiBona (Weymouth, MA), and defenseman Jason Cormier (Waltham, MA) (20-35-55). DiBona, the Corsairs' leading goal scorer as a sophomore (25-39-64), also earned All-ECAC Central and ECAC North/Central/South All-Star recognition. Grenier was also named to the All-ECAC Central and ECAC North/Central/South All-Star teams. Brendan Murphy (Malden, MA) (2-10-12) was selected to the All-ECAC Central squad.

End of the year statistics bear out what UMass Dartmouth's ice hockey opponents had already figured out first hand, the Corsairs were the top scoring offensive team in college ice hockey. According to the final NCAA statistics for teams in Divisions I, II and III, UMass Dartmouth scored an average of 6.44 goals per game (174 goals, 27 games) to lead the nation. By scoring that many goals, the Corsairs finished second in scoring margin, an average margin of 4.30 goals per game (174-58), second only to Alabama-Huntsville (4.70). The Corsairs were also among the top ice hockey teams in four other categories, including second in power-play efficiency (50-148, .338), third in winning percentage (.926), and fourth in both scoring defense (2.15 goals per game) and shorthanded goals (15-136, .890).

Jarrod DiBona led all Division III players with seven game-winning goals, was fifth in both points per game (2.37) and assists per game (1.44) and 14th in goals per game (0.93). Grenier finished fourth in saves percentage (.918) and fifth in goals against average (2.12).

Among all Division III teams in the country, UMass Dartmouth scored 174 goals in 27 games for an average of 6.44, one-half goal per game better than second-place St. Thomas of Minnesota. UMass Dartmouth was also the top Division III team in scoring margin, out-scoring opponents by a margin of 4.3 goals. The 1995-96 Corsairs averaged 6.44 goals per game and allowed only 58 goals, an average of 2.15 per game. As a team, UMass Dartmouth placed second in winning percentage (.926), second only to Middlebury College (26-2, .929) and third in scoring defense (2.15 goals per game).

For the fifth straight season, UMass Dartmouth's men's basketball team captured the LEC regular season championship. But a semi-final loss to the eventual tournament champions, Western Connecticut State University, was enough to keep the Corsairs, ranked fourth in the NCAA New England Men's Division III Northeast Poll, out of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1991-92. The 1995-96 regular season title was UMass Dartmouth's seventh regular season title in the 10-year history of the LEC.

Instead of an NCAA tournament invitation, UMass Dartmouth accepted a bid into the 1996 ECAC Division III tournament. Seeded second in the eight-team field, the Corsairs hosted a first-round game against #7 Tufts. behind 25 points by Eric Eaton (Worcester, MA), including 5 three-pointers in the second half, UMass Dartmouth defeated the Jumbos, 88-85 and earned a spot in the semi-finals against #6 Colby College. Leading 38-29 at half time against the White Mules, the Corsairs suffered through a costly eight-minute drought in the second half, eventually losing 64-59.

For the fifth time in his 13-year career at UMass Dartmouth, Baptiste was named the LEC's Coach of the Year. Picked to finish third in the pre-season LEC coach's poll, Baptiste's team finished 10-2 in the LEC regular season, despite losing three first-team LEC all stars from the previous season, and posted a 19-8 overall record.

Mosadi Caldwell (Providence, RI) was named to the LEC's 1995-96 Men's Basketball All-Conference Team at the end of the season and teammate Ryan Bland (Dartmouth, MA) received Honorable Mention. Following the LEC Tournament hosted by UMass Dartmouth, Caldwell was named to the LEC Tournament All-Star team.

Both Caldwell and Bland joined the Corsairs after the first semester and made significant contributions immediately upon their arrival. Bland led the team in scoring with a 14.1 points per game average (9th in the LEC) and 5.95 rebounds per game in 19 games. He also had a team-leading 92 assists, was second in steals (50), and an LEC-leading 4.6 assists per game. Caldwell ended up averaging 10.3 points per game and led the Corsairs with 8.62 rebounds per game (2nd in the LEC) to go along with a team-high 19 blocked shots and 37 steals. Bland was the LEC Player of the Week for the final week of the regular season and was also an Honorable Mention the week before. Caldwell received Honorable Mention during the season's final week and Steve Motta (Fall River, MA) (7.3 pts, 8.3 reb) was Honorable Mention on February 4.

Eaton was UMass Dartmouth's three-point leader, connecting on 59-163 (36%), while Bland was second with 32-101 (32%). Eaton finished second in scoring with an 11.7 points per game average and 3.2 rebounds per game. In his first season with the Corsairs, Jason Antonio (Mattapoisett, MA) made a solid impact, averaging 8.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game and a team-leading 51 steals, while hitting 25-81 (31%) three-pointers. Antonio was named LEC Rookie of the Week February 3, one of two Corsairs to receive such honors. During the third week of the season Tony Moreira (Pawtucket, RI) (4.2 pts, 2.3 reb) was the LEC Rookie of the Week.

Lynn DeFonzo (Milford, MA) qualified for the NCAA National Swimming and Diving Championships by winning the 1M event in a special diving competition held at UMass Dartmouth in February. DeFonzo's winning dive (252.20 pts) qualified her a trip to the Nationals held at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia March 22-24.

After beating Bridgewater State College, 73-59, on December 7, 1995, improving her team's record to 3-2 on the young season, UMass Dartmouth women's basketball coach Cathy Houtman could have never guessed how the rest of her team's season would turn out.

A rash of injuries to starters and replacements depleted the Corsairs' roster periodically throughout the season and despite a lack of players, UMass Dartmouth came dangerously close to upsetting some of the top teams in New England. In the end, however, the Corsairs finished 5-20 for 1995-96, but it was a season not without highlights.

For starters, co-captains Christine Lentini (N. Easton, MA) and Jennifer Connery (Leicester, MA) both turned in solid seasons for the Corsairs, earning LEC Honorable Mention at the end of the season. Lentini was named LEC Player of the Week on February 11th and Connery was an Honor Roll selection on December 3.

Lentini closed out her career by leading UMass Dartmouth with a 15.9 points per game average, fourth best in the LEC, and became the Corsairs' fourth player to reach the 1,000-point mark. She also averaged 9 rebounds per game (6th in LEC) to go along with 28 assists, 28 steals and 6 blocked shots. Connery was second on the team in scoring and rebounding this season, averaging 14 points (6th in LEC) and 8.7 rebounds per game (7th). Connery also had a team-high 45 steals. At the season's conclusion, Connery was invited to participate in the New England Women's Basketball Association Senior Classic played at Brandeis University.

One of the bright spots for UMass Dartmouth was the development of its backcourt, featuring a pair of first-year players. Guards Maria Day (Rehoboth, MA) and Kelly Berger (Buzzards Bay) were highly touted local high school players who walked into starting positions as first-year players. Day averaged 13.1 points (10th in LEC) and 3.1 rebounds, while Berger added 9 points and 4 rebounds per game. Neither Berger nor Day were shy about shooting the three pointer either. Berger led UMass Dartmouth in treys, connecting on 29-85 (34%, 6th in LEC) and Day was a close second (20-65, 31%). Day also finished 6th in the LEC in field-goal percentage, connecting on 93-207 for 44.9 % and was fifth in assists average (3.1 per game).

In his first time down the runway as a Corsair, freshman James McCall (Fitchburg, MA) captured first place in the triple jump at the Brown University Invitational in Providence, R.I. McCall's triple jump of 47' 2" not only was the meet's best, but provisionally qualified him for the NCAA National Division III meet. McCall's jump was two feet beyond the provisional qualifying mark. McCall also finished fourth in the long jump (22' 2"). In another sparkling debut performance by a freshman, Elee Pierce (Weymouth, MA) captured his first race as a Corsair with a winning time of :06.61 in the 55-meters......Linda Kuntz (Billerica, MA) and Lynn DeFonzo (Milford, MA) both captured a pair of events each at the annual UMass Dartmouth Invitational held on campus. Kuntz captured the 200 Free with a time of 2:05.19 and added her second first-place finish when she posted a 5:34.46 to take the 500 Free. Defonzo swept the diving competition, taking the 1-meter and 3-meter events. She scored 204.6 points at 1-meter and took the 3-meter competition with 221.85 points. The Corsairs' other first-place finisher was tri-captain Julia Saunders (Fall River, MA), who captured the 100 Back with a time of 1:08.51......Sophomore Brett Pacheco (New Bedford, MA) was the Corsairs' lone winner among the men's teams competing in the UMass Dartmouth Invitational. Pacheco finished first in the 200 IM with a winning time of 2:15.5 and captured the 200 Back in 2:12.97...........The UMass Dartmouth Corsair Athletic Hall of Fame added two new members to its committee. John A. (Twig) Freeman (Bradford Durfee '58, Corsair Hall of Fame '93 was appointed to a three-year term representing Hall of Fame members and Ann Jones (Waltham, MA) was appointed to a one-year term representing Corsair student-athletes. Jones is co-captain of the women's indoor track team.......UMass Dartmouth's distance medley team of Rob Peterson (Saco, ME), tri-captain Anthony Longabard (Wrentham, MA), Tom Steele (Weymouth, MA) and Tim Gonet (New Bedford, MA) were the Corsairs' top performers at the New England Division III Championship meet held at Brandeis University. UMass Dartmouth's distance medley team took third place with a time of 10:39.99. In the triple jump, tri-captain Ken Papetti (Dedham, MA) placed fourth with a leap of 42-8 1/2, while Longabard took 7th in the 500 meters (1:09.09). Mitch Sousa (Fall River, MA) also took 7th place in the pentathlon, finishing with 2,061 points......Tri-captain Michelle Doane's (Wrentham, MA) fourth-place finish in the 800 meters (2:23.53) was UMass Dartmouth best finish in the New England Division III Championships held at Smith College. Maura McDonald (Foxboro, MA) brought home a fifth-place finish in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:56.9 and Julie Briggs (Jefferson, MA) placed sixth in the 20 lb. weight with a throw of 40-4 1/4......Three UMass Dartmouth student-athletes were among 11 student-athletes honored by the LEC as 1995-96 Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards winners. Representing UMass Dartmouth among the top student-athletes in the LEC were Matthew Sylvain (Dartmouth, MA), Michelle Doane (Weymouth, MA) and David Kreiss (Dartmouth, MA). Sylvain is a history major and a member of the Corsairs' cross country team, Doane ran for women's cross country and indoor track teams and is a psychology major and Kreiss also majors in psychology, while playing tennis for the Corsairs......UMass Dartmouth finished with a 2-2 record for third place in Group B at the 1996 UMass Dartmouth Indoor Soccer Tournament. The 10-team tournament was played at the Bridgewater Indoor Soccer Center and hosted by Coach Jim Cook and the Corsairs. After dropping their opener, 3-1, to Salem State, the Corsairs got a pair of goals from Jeff Pimental (Fall River, MA) and Eric Reis (Westport, MA) in a 5-1 win over Colby-Sawyer. UMass Dartmouth was shutout, 2-0, by Wheaton College and got past Clark University, 2-1, on goals by Paul Sousa (Bristol, RI) and Pimental. Salem State College knocked off Plymouth State, 7-0 to take the championship......The Corsairs' distance relay team of Rob Peterson (Saco, ME), tri-captain Anthony Longabard (Wrentham, MA), Tim Gonet (New Bedford, MA) and Tom Steele (Weymouth, MA) finished third with a time of 10:32.64 at the ECAC Championships held at Wheaton College......Led by Matt DeGrandpre (Marion, MA) and John Santos (Marion, MA), members of the UMass Dartmouth football team helped organize a fundraising event for Hearts and Hands, a new, non-profit organization in southeastern Massachusetts. Proceeds from the event benefitted Hearts and Hands, which provides free professional and volunteer services, including medical, physical, psychological, supportive and spiritual care to medically fragile children and their families.