Picked to finish fourth by the Little East Conference coaches in their pre-season poll, UMass Dartmouth surprised everyone but themselves by posting a 12-2 conference record for the Corsairs' ninth championship in the 12-year history of the LEC. In the conference tournament, with an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III tournament on the line, the top-seeded Corsairs knocked off #3 seed Keene State, 81-79 in the championship game advance to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.

UMass Dartmouth's season finally ended in the tournament's first round with an 86-78 loss in overtime at the O'Keefe Center, home of the #3 seed Salem State. Coach Brian Baptiste's Corsairs (20-8), seeded sixth in the tournament, gave the Vikings, champions of the MASCAC, all they could handle before falling short in the extra period.

The final week of the season was exciting for the Corsairs. Top-seeded in the LEC Tournament, the Corsairs slipped past #8 Eastern Connecticut, 65-62 in the quarterfinal round before some last second heroics got UMass Dartmouth past #5 Western Connecticut in the semi-finals. After Western Connecticut took the lead at 71-70 with seven seconds remaining, freshman Jay Norton (Billerica, MA) took a pass from junior co-captain Jason Antonio (Mattapoisett, MA) and drove the lane, putting up the game-winning basket as time expired. In the LEC Tournament championship game, the Corsairs got a clutch three-pointer from freshman John Madden (Carver, MA) with two minutes remaining and a Manny Nunez (Lawrence, MA) free throw with 14 seconds remaining to provide the margin of victory in an 81-79 victory over #3 Keene State.

Antonio was named the LEC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player and the LEC Player of the Week for his efforts during the tournament. Joining Antonio on the All-Tournament Team was fellow Corsair, junior Michael Jordan (Jersey City, NJ).

When it came time to hand out post-season awards, several Corsairs were on the receiving end. Antonio was a first team LEC All-Star, while junior forward Tony Moreira (Pawtucket, RI) received Honorable Mention. First-year center Nick Cecilio (Centerville, MA) shared the Co-Rookie of the Year Award. Antonio also picked up ECAC Division III Second Team All New England honors as well as All-Northeast Honorable Mention by Columbus Multi-Media.

Antonio led the Corsairs in several offensive categories including scoring (18.46 pts/game, 3rd in LEC), steals (91, 1st in LEC), three-point field goals (82) and field goals (17). Antonio was the LEC's top free throw shooter, connecting on 77 of 92 for 83.7%. Cecilio finished third in rebounds (7 pts/game), second in scoring (11.96 pts/game) and tops in field goal percentage (122-226, 54%). Moreira was the Corsairs' leading rebounder with 7 per game (3rd in LEC), second in assists (70), and third in scoring (10.4 pts/game).

Nunez led the Corsairs with nine assists per game while averaging 7.8 points and three rebounds. Nunez was second in LEC free throw shooting behind Antonio at 80% (76-95). Jordan added 7.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, Madden had 4 pts and 1.3 rebounds and co-captain Tim Nelson (chipped in 7.3 pts/game.

Corsair players weren't the only ones who enjoyed a banner season in 1997-98. Head coach Brian Baptiste passed the 300 career victory mark with a 76-60 victory over UMass Boston on Feb. 10. Baptiste completed his 15th season with a career record of 306-108.

Three first-period goals in a six-minute span blew open a tight ECAC North/Central/South championship game and lifted the fourth-seeded Corsairs (22-5, 12-3 ECAC Central) to a 4-2 victory over second-seeded St. Michael's College (20-7) and UMass Dartmouth's second consecutive ECAC North/Central/South title.

UMass Dartmouth senior defenseman Kayne Beaudry (Melrose, MA), selected as the game's Most Outstanding Player, scored what proved to be the game-winner late in the first period. The Corsairs held leads of 3-0 after the first period and 4-2 after two periods before shutting down the Purple Knights in the scoreless third period. Sophomore goalie Ryan Sloper (Billerica, MA) capped a solid playoff run with 23 saves for the victory. Sloper earned all three UMass Dartmouth playoff victories in goal for the Corsairs.

The title-clinching victory at St. Michael's was also UMass Dartmouth's fifth consecutive road victory in the ECAC North/Central/South tournament in the last two years. One year ago, the Corsairs captured the championship by winning three consecutive road games. In the 1997-98 season, UMass Dartmouth opened with a 9-6 victory over #5 Bentley College, before taking to the road to knock off top seeded-Fitchburg State, 5-4, in overtime.

The title was UMass Dartmouth's eighth ECAC Championship and extended the Corsairs' won-loss record in the ECAC playoffs to 33-9 dating back to 1981. The appearance in the title game was UMass Dartmouth's fourth in as many years.

For Coach Rolli, the ECAC North/Central/South title is the Corsairs' third in the last four years and sixth overall in his 14 years behind the UMass Dartmouth bench. Rolli concluded his 14th season by improving his overall record at UMass Dartmouth to 293-62-7.

The Corsairs had a pair of players named to the ECAC Central All-League squad. Senior captain Steve Bartkus (Quincy, MA) and Beaudry represented UMass Dartmouth on the All-ECAC Central team at forward and defense, respectively. Bartkus and Beaudry were also the Corsairs' representatives on the New England Hockey Writers Division III All-Star team

With a team-high 28 goals and 30 assists, Bartkus was the Corsairs' leading scorer with 58 points. Jim Egan (Billerica, MA)was second with 21 goals and 21 assists for 42 points followed by junior Jamie DiBona (Weymouth, MA) (20-17-37) and senior Pat Schultz (Wareham, MA) (17-19-36).

Sloper and sophomore goalie Louis Weimann (Burlington, VT) shared the Corsairs' goaltending chores throughout the season. Sloper posted an 11-3 record with one shutout, a 3.80 goals against average and a .892 saves percentage. Weimann finished the season with a 10-2 record, a 3.87 goals against average and a .880 saves percentage.

Bartkus and Schultz also placed their names in the UMass Dartmouth ice hockey record books. Bartkus set a the Corsairs' record for power play goals in a season with 13 and the career mark with 29 power-play goals. Schultz set the single-season record for short-handed goals with seven and the career record with eight. In a 13-0 victory over Framingham State College, Schultz scored two power play goals within a seven-second span.

The Corsairs' 1997-98 ECAC North/Central/South championship will be the last under that division makeup. The ECAC Division III ice hockey structure has been reorganized for the 1998-99 season.

For the second straight year, senior Mike Lane (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) competed in the NCAA Division III Men's Swimming and Diving Championships. Last year , Lane had captured Division III All-America honors, but this season he lost out on his chance to repeat as an All-America selection by a margin of one second.

Lane finished seventh in the 200 breast stroke preliminary race with a time of 2:06.47 and earned a spot in the championship final. With NCAA Division III All-America honors going to the first six finishers in the championship final, Lane missed All-America honors for a second year by one second by finishing seventh with a time 2:06.41. His best finish came in the 100 breast stroke consolation race with a time of 57.55, finishing ninth overall.

One of the highlights of Lane's senior year at UMass Dartmouth were his record setting performances at the New England Championships held Feb. 28 at Wesleyan University. Lane captured first place in the 100 breast with a time of :57.95. He also added a first place finish in the 200 breast with a time of 2:06.60. Lane completed his three-race sweep by taking the 50 breast with a time of @26.73. All three of Lane's winning time established new New England Conference and pool records. Lane's first-place times in the 100 breast and 200 breast qualified him for the NCAA Division III nationals.

Lane was one of five Corsairs who qualified for the New England Championships at the end of the 1997-98 season. Joining Lane at Wesleyan were sophomore Gary Jones (Seekonk, MA) (200 medley relay, 200 free relay), junior Jason Howe (Short Hills, NJ) (100 fly, 200 medley, 200 free medley), freshman Damien Smoller (Falmouth, MA) (1 meter, 3 meter diving) and junior Matt Tweedie (New Bedford, MA) (100 breast, 200 breast and both free and medley relays).

As a team, Coach Jerry Jennings' Corsairs posted a 4-6 record with victories over Trinity College, Worcester Polytech, Clark University and Wheaton College.

Despite a 1-10 overall record as a team, UMass Dartmouth had five athletes qualify for the New England Division III swimming and diving championships at Wesleyan University and one qualifier for nationals.

When senior Lynn Defonzo (Milford, MA) scored 252.55 points in the one meter diving competition against Babson College, she qualified for the NCAA Division III national championships. Although she did not participate in the nationals, her accomplishments capped a career of hard work and dedication to her sport.

In addition to qualifying for the New Englands in the two diving events, Defonzo also qualified in the 200 free relay and the 200 medley relay.

First-year swimmers Antonio Cardoza (New Bedford, MA) and Mary MacGregor (Bridgewater, MA) led the Corsairs who qualified for the New Englands, earning their invitations in five different events each. Cardoza qualified in the 100, 200, 500 free, 200 free relay and the 200 medley relay. MacGregor's five events included the 500 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 200 free relay and 200 medley relay. Qualifying in two events each were first-year swimmer Jill Tereshko (Chelmsford, MA) (200 medley relay, 200 free relay) and junior Sandy Moore (Boylston, MA) (200 free relay, 200 medley relay).

Junior Maura McDonald (Greenfield, MA) picked up right where she left off at the end of the fall cross country season and put together a solid indoor track and field campaign. McDonald capped her season by earning her first appearance in the NCAA Division III National indoor Track and Field Championship.

McDonald qualified for nationals which were held March 13-14 at Brandeis University in Waltham, by clocking a 4:46.72 for fifth place in the ECAC Division III Championship meet at Wheaton College. Earlier in the year, McDonald captured the Alliance Conference (combined Little East Conference and MASCAC) Championship at 1,500 meters with a time of 4:53.87.

McDonald was named to the Division III All-East Track and Field Team in the 3,000 meters by Eastern Track Magazine. The honor is emblematic of the top Division III 3,000 meter time in the east. McDonald earned the recognition by posting a time of 10:24.7 for an eighth-place finish in the Division I New England Championships at Smith College.

Falling just short of an appearance in the NCAA nationals was senior captain Julie Briggs (Jefferson, MA) in the 20 lb weight. In the New England Division III Championships at Bates College on Feb. 21, Briggs earned the first of two provisional qualifications to the nationals with a throw of 43-8 for seventh place. Two weeks later, Briggs again earned a provisional qualification by placing ninth at the ECAC Championships with a toss of 45-2 1/2.

Among Briggs' other top performances were a second place at the New England Alliance Championships with a throw of 42-9 3/4 and qualifications in the New England Div. III, ECAC and All-New England championships with a 40-2 1/4 for seventh at the Brown University Invitational. Briggs' throw of 40-1 1/2 in the UMass Dartmouth meet at Coast Guard earned her first place.

Among the Corsairs' other qualifiers during the season were first-year runner Jackie Gorski (Warwick, RI) (NE Div. III in 3,000m and 5,000m), senior Becki Robitaille (Acushnet, MA) (NE Div. III and ECAC Championship in 55m), senior Laura Caselden (Westfield, MA) (NE Div III in 200m and 400m), and senior Jennifer Raxter (Fall River, MA) (NE Div III in shot put).

Garcia's best day of competition came in the New England Alliance Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. A pair of first-place finishes and one second-place effort lifted the Corsairs to a third-place finish in the field of 10 teams from the Little East Conference and the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference. Garcia won the 55-meter dash with at time of 6:55. In the 200 meters, he earned his second victory, posting a winning time of 22.55. UMass Dartmouth finished second and fifth in the long jump as Garcia took second at 22-7 and junior captain Mitch Sousa (Fall River, MA) was fifth (21-2). The Corsairs took second and fourth in the triple jump as Sousa was second at 44-0 3/4 and Almeida finished fourth (42-6 3/4). Sousa also earned fifth place in the high jump at 5-9.

Two third-place finishes by Garcia in the 55 meters and 200 meters along with Sousa's second in the triple jump were UMass Dartmouth's top performances at the Harvard University Invitational on December 13. With his time of :22.79 for third in the 200 meters, Garcia hit the trifecta in post-season qualifications, earning spots in the New England Division IIIs, the ECAC Championship and the All New Englands. Mello also took third in the 55 meters with a time of :06.61. Three other Corsairs, including Sousa, Mello and Almeida, posted qualifying times and distances for both the New England Division IIIs and the ECAC Championships. Mello finished seventh in the 3000 meters (8:48.96), while Sousa was second in the triple jump (44-0 3/4) and Almeida triple jumped 42-9.

Garcia opened the winter season by qualifying for the New England Division III championships in three different events while competing at the Brown University Invitational. He finished second in the 200 meters at :23.32 to earn a spot in the New England Division IIIs and the ECAC Championships. His third place finish of :06.62 in the 55 meters was good enough for an invitation to the New England Division IIIs, the ECACs and the All New England Championships as well. A fourth-place long jump of 20-10 qualified him for the New England Division IIIs. Also earning post-season qualifications were Mello and Sousa for both the New England Division IIIs and the ECAC Championships. Sousa finished fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 42 9 1/2, while Mello was fifth in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:59.51. Sousa also captured fifth place in the long jump with a 20 7 1/2 effort.

UMass Dartmouth's equestrian team opened the second half of its competitive schedule with an appearance at the Salve Regina University Horse Show in Newport, RI. Coach Susan Yacubian's Corsairs were led by Andrea Dodge, who earned a first in Intermediate Flat and a second in Intermediate Fences. Five other Corsair riders placed in two events, including Sarah Roberts (2nd Intermediate Fences, 4th Intermediate Fences, Mary Ellen Blombach (4th Intermediate Fences, 5th Open Flat), Sarah Richardson (4th Novice Fences, 6th Novice Flat), Stephanie Pacheco (3rd Intermediate Flat, 4th Novice Fences) and Robin Nunes (2nd Novice Flat, 6th Novice Fences).

Among the other Corsairs who competed at the Salve Regina University Horse Show on Feb. 14 were Jill Pacheco (3rd, Beginner Walk-Trot-Canter), Becky Torres (5th, Advanced Walk-Trot-Canter), Cara David (2nd Novice Fences), Becky Roddick (2nd Advanced Walk-Trot-Canter), and David Pineault (4th Beginner Walk-Trot-Canter).

The 1997-98 Corsairs weren't without some impressive individual performances during the season. Junior guard Kim Kelsey (Rockland, MA) led the Corsairs in scoring with a 14.78 points per game average and finished fourth among all scorers in the LEC. In 23 games for the Corsairs, Kelsey led UMass Dartmouth in field goals attempted (355) and made (128) and was second in three-point field goals (33-129, 25.6%), free-throws (51-79, 64.6%) and third in steals (41).

Junior guard and co-captain Kelly Berger (Buzzards Bay, MA) finished sixth in LEC scoring at 12.5 points per game and first in three-pointers, connecting on 37.2 percent (42-113) of her shots from behind the arc. Berger also led the Corsairs with 3.5 assists per game (80 in 23 games), 7th best in the LEC. Berger's 104 field goals were second on the team and her 708 minutes were tops for the season.

Senior guard Lakoyla London (Dallas, TX) rounded out UMass Dartmouth scorers in double-figures with an 11.3 points per game average plus 2.3 steals per game. London shot 91-233 (39.1%) from the floor and her 23 three-pointers placed her third on the team. London's 65 free throws led UMass Dartmouth and she was second in steals with 55. Sophomore guard Natarsha Silva (Brockton, MA) led the LEC in steals with a 3.8 steals per game average. Silva was fourth in scoring (9.8 points per game), second in rebounding with a 5.45 rebounds per game average and tied for first with 11 blocked shots.

First-year forward Kate Douglas (Sharon, MA) led the Corsairs in rebounds with 6.4 per game to finish 10th in the LEC. She averaged 8.39 points per game, fifth best among the Corsair scoring leaders and tied for first in blocked shots with 11.

The Corsairs will enter the 1998-99 season with a new head coach, following Coach Houtman's resignation which was announced in May.

Professor John Caruso, who serves as the faculty liaison to the Athletic Department, received the prestigious 1997 Leo M. Sullivan Teacher of the Year Award at the annual Faculty Federation/Employee Services Union Awards Banquet.

The Division of Student Affairs' Spirit Committee sponsored several events at upcoming athletic events, including Corsair Eyepatch Night, Megaphone , Sweetheart Night, Greek Night, and the first "Yell Like Hell". Two UMass Dartmouth Alumni Nights were held in conjunction with Corsair ice hockey games.

Although outnumbered by a 12-1 margin inside the Essex Junction Skating Facility, home of the St. Michael's Purple Knights, a hearty group of UMass Dartmouth ice hockey fans made their collective presence felt during the ECAC North/Central/South championship game last Thursday. In addition to family and friends who made the almost five hour trip to Essex Junction, a group of 32 UMass Dartmouth students took advantage of a free bus to the game. The Corsair fans held their own with the St. Michael's fans throughout the game. As time expired at the end of the third period, the Corsair fans kicked off the UMass Dartmouth celebration by showering the ice with dozens of UMass Dartmouth Corsair Rally Rags.

Another group of loyal Corsair fans traveled to the UMass Dartmouth-Salem State NCAA Division III tournament game on March 5. Special recognition goes to Ray Barrows for volunteering his services on the Corsairs' fan bus and Director of Athletics Bob Dowd and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Diana Hackney for their efforts to support the Corsairs' student fans.