WALKING THE PLANK
Five Corsairs earn ECAC honors
Sophomore goaltender Jeff Green (Medway, MA/Valley Jr. Warriors) has been named ECAC Northeast Goaltender of the Year, and was one of two Corsairs earning ECAC Northeast first team All-Conference honors. Junior forward Jeff Grant (Burlington, MA/Austin Prep) also earned first team All-Conference honors. Senior forward Kyle McCullough (Danvers, MA/Boston Jr. Blackhawks) and senior defenseman Paul Carr (Springfield, MA/Springfield Cathedral HS) received second team All-Conference honors, and Head Coach John Rolli was named Co-Coach of the Year.
Green led the conference in goals-against average with a 1.86 mark, was first in save percentage at .924 and led in winning percentage at .911. Grant was the leader in points per game (1.89), was third in goals per game (0.86), and tied for fourth in assists per game (1.04). McCullough was second in points per game (1.78) and assists per game (1.15), and tied for twelfth in goals per game (0.63). Carr was third in scoring among defensemen with 0.85 points per game. Rolli was named Coach of the Year last season.
“With the offensive season that he’s had, Jeff Grant is certainly a first team, All-Conference selection,” said Rolli. “Jeff Green has the best individual statistics in goal. Kyle McCullough and Paul Carr have been leaders on this team throughout the season.”
THE SPORTS MONSTAH
The UMass Dartmouth hockey experience
Today in the Monstah, Scott Ferrara describes what it is like to attend a UMD hockey game and applauds the UMD faithful that made it to the games. Please, enjoy this week’s Monstah.
Yes, our own UMass Dartmouth hockey has won their division the ECAC Northeast. I went to the deciding game against the Wentworth Institute of Technology at Hetland Arena. It was a pretty sight watching my fellow class mates cheer on the boys. Even though the campus seemed dead over the weekend the student body showed up ready to cheer and heckle.
Hetland Arena was packed to the rafters with UMD’s finest fans. The Wentworth team had no idea what was in store for them when they hit the ice. The boos spread through the stands like wildfire and a number of the players were jeered as they warmed up. Before the drop of the puck in the first period, enthusiastic students handed out copies of the Torch. Being a hockey fan, I knew what to do: when the away team comes on the ice and is announced you are supposed to hold the paper like you are reading it. Of course the fans who did not know what to do with the paper quickly learned.
After the students sang a heart warming rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, the puck was dropped and a great hockey game commenced. Eddie Letsche a sophomore at UMD played to the crowd by bringing a Leopard hung with a noose. This was a just a taste of what was to come.
Next came the hard hitting, fast paced first period which ended in a 1-1 draw with Wentworth scoring first. The second period started and finished in the same way. The game was tight and the anticipation was amounting among the fans. Both schools’ fans were going back and forth with chants, and no doubt the teams could hear them in the locker rooms as they awaited the start of the third period.
When the teams glided onto the ice for the third period, the fans started getting antsy. Wentworth scored again for the third time, leaving the Corsairs trailing 3-2. UMD made another comeback and actually took the lead with about three minutes left in the period. Jeff Green, the UMD goaltender, held the lead and when the whistle finally blew, the UMD crowd blew the roof off of Hetland.
I got in touch with Paul Carr, who is a senior defenseman on the hockey team he had this to say, “It’s funny to look back on my years here and see how far this program has come. Our team’s success has coincided with our fan support. Two seasons ago we had only begun to gather a steady fan base, losing in the finals. Last season the fans really started to turn out in support, and we finally won a championship. Then this season they took it to a whole new level, and now we are the number one ranked team in the NCAA Eastern Region. It is no secret that our success is from hard work and the tremendous support of our fans. Our fans keep us motivated to constantly improve which has lead to great success on the ice.”
This was a classic example of what UMD students should do for our teams. This season I went to many regular season games and the fan base was minimal, but our turnout in the playoffs was great. I know that it is tough for students to get off campus and that’s ok. I believe we should show the same support to other teams on campus as well. This spring season will showcase a lot of teams such as the baseball, softball, lacrosse and both the men’s and woman’s rugby squads. Last but not least I would like to congratulate the UMD men’s hockey team on their dominance in the division and even though they lost to Middlebury this Saturday, 3-2, they had a good run and I know all of UMD looks forward to next season.
Red Sox look to be all smiles when October comes
Coming into the 2007 season the Boston Red Sox are going to be trying to forget about last year and focus more on a new ending that looks very much like 2004. This off-season they prove to be a team on a mission to build towards making a run in the playoffs. With the acquisitions of numerous pitching talents they seem to be listening to the age-old phrase, “Pitching wins Championships.”
With the big acquisition of #18 Daisuke Matsuzaka from Japan they will be adding him to an already loaded list of starting pitchers that are on the roster for 2007. The pitching rotation will showcase Curt Schilling, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon and Tim Wakefield. With the dominant Papelbon moving into the rotation it is seemingly like having a pitcher with the effectiveness of a number one starter placed into the four hole of the pitching lineup. This is a line up which will be anchored with Jon Lester who also has tremendous potential as starting pitcher number six (if he can reassemble last years form when he went 5-0 in his first 5 starts). This can also be good in the way of replacing any injured or struggling starters, or it may be seen as a security blanket in case the “Dice Man” doesn’t roll out as expected in the major leagues. Ask any Red Sox fan and this will not be the case. This Sox fan is predicting a minimum of 15, matching Schilling’s final total of last season.
Another security blanket is the ever widening, and maturing of the Red Sox bullpen and closer positions. New pitcher Joel Piñeiro from Seattle may be the new closer of the team, unless another candidate for the job bumps him to reliever. The candidates, who will fill out the bullpen, are: Julián Tavárez, Devern Hansack, Brendan Donnelly and Hideki Okajima. This may even include plausible set up man Mike Timlin, who has some experience in the closing role. Making this pitching staff even scarier is the thoughts of Matt Clement, Manny Delcarmen, Lenny DiNardo, Kason Gabbard, Craig Hansen, David Pauley, and Kyle Snyder who are all potential big arms in the bull pen race for 2007.
The only potential concern may be the effectiveness and resiliency of the Red Sox bats, which slumped at numerous times throughout last year. If the bats, led once again by Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz can help this Red Sox rotation get into October they will not be stopped. This may be the year again for the BoSox, (yes I am a Boston native Sox fan, glad you noticed). With injuries plaguing the team last year, the returns of players like: Coco Crisp, Willy Mo Pena and Manny Ramirez, the lineup is looking stronger. Now with the signing of J.D. Drew in right field the Red Sox add a strong fielder with a .283 BA and 100 RBI’s last season into the lineup. It may not be too glamorous however, because Drew comes with questions about his resiliency and strength in his shoulder, giving him the potential to be an injury plagued player. The Red Sox Nation hopes he will emerge strong and ready to fill in all year in right field, with days off to give the powerful Willy Mo Pena a swing at the plate.
The fielding may not be as solid as it was last year, which may not be so disappointing because of the season the team had in the field last year; but it looks to be a lot faster with the additions of the speedy Julio Lugo (24 SB in 122 games for 2 teams last season). This may help the Red Sox get runners into scoring position, and keep balls from exiting the infield, both of which will be a very good thing for this team. With the pitching and line up set now for the Red Sox this looks to be a very dominating year for the team (but then again when hasn’t a member of Red Sox Nation said this?). Look for the Red Sox to be entering October with smiles from Manny, Ortiz, Drew and the entire Red Sox pitching staff; (and not to mention ownership and fans, I know I will be smiling).
Coach Curran talks UMD baseball
Last year the UMD baseball team had a rough year, going 10-27 overall and 5-9 in the Little East. I caught up with head coach Bob Curran and spoke with him about this year’s team.
Torch: How does this year’s team compare to the team you had last year?
Coach Curran: We have deeper pitching, we’re more experienced, and we’re more talented this year.
T: Where are you looking for your team to improve as we approach the 2007 season?
CC: Infield defense. Last year third base, second, and shortstop were all freshman. They had mental lapses last year, but now they’re more mature, more experienced.
T: What players are you looking forward to seeing play this year?
CC: Senior captain Will Mahoney. He pitches and plays occasional centerfield. Catcher Mike McClain, he’s been a three year starter for us. Our core of sophomores at second, third, and shortstop. Also, junior first basemen Dylan Zygmont who’s moving for the outfield (CF) to first.
T: How far can this team go?
CC: Our first goal is to make the conference tourney, play well, and try and get the NCAA tournament bid.
T: A word for the UMD community?
CC: College baseball is exciting. Even thought we’re D3 we’ve still got kids that can throw 85-86mph. We use aluminum bats and it’s a very fast paced game. You’ll see the players hustle on both teams, because they love to play the game. I was surprised last year to see how many fans came out (to the game), because we don’t play in the best of weather. I would look over the dugout and see more people than I thought were actually there and that would come to our games.
The UMD baseball team starts there season on the west coast at California Lutheran University on March 16. They return from the California trip, March 24 and host Springfield College the next day for their first home game of the year.
Pats turn into an aggressive buying phase
While the rest of New England salivates over Daisuke and his Gyroball, I can’t help my thoughts from wondering towards my beloved Patriots. Since the free agent signing period began, the Pats cannot stop stealing the headlines! “Brady excited about fatherhood,” “Dillon asks for release,” and “Pats sign....” Then there is my personal favorite “Is Gisele pregnant with QB’s kid, too?” (which, for now, is dead).
Beyond Brady, I am wondering how much Red Bull Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick have consumed in the past two weeks. We are talking about two men who have for the past few years, frugally obsessed over not spending excessive amounts of money and not dealing out “the big contracts.” But within the past two weeks the passive face of Pats organization has morphed into an aggressive buying phase. And I love it! Hell we’re the only organization with more press releases than Britney Spears.
Go ahead, tell me to get off my Belichick-kissing-a$$ and join the Sox frenzy. But you wait; wait until September when Donte Stallworth lines up wide and streaks deep for 80 yard scores; wait til’ Adalius Thomas eats division quarterbacks for breakfast; and wait until Mr. Brady holds up that newborn in one hand and the Super Bowl trophy in the other.
So obsess over pitches that sound like a sound dirty Saturday night (Gyroballs) and cry as Manny devotes his endless love to Boston ($$$). As for me, well I’m uploading the new Madden rosters and playing out the fantasy. Professor Torch, back in the house.