Twice as nice: Men’s basketball season opens with a bang

By Adam K. Ellis

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth boy’s basketball opened up their season and the annual Hampton Inn Classic in style as they routed Albertus Magnus College, doubling their total 102-51.

As hundreds of fans poured into the Tripp Athletic Center, many wondered if the Corsairs would be capable of matching last year’s success, despite the losses of seniors Paul Pawlowski and Stephane Abelard.

But shortly after the opening tip, all doubt was cast aside as the Corsairs opened the game with a 27-8 run, fueled by eight early points from senior Corey Tynes and the defensive prowess of sophomore Jeff Macchi. In previous seasons, Tynes has been considered a raw talent with extreme athleticism who at times could show spurts of greatness.

But within the early moments of the game, he showed his improvement and versatility mixing powerful drives with mid-range jumpers, sparking his team to the early 23-6 lead.

Following a timeout by Albertus Magnus (AM) first year coach Mitch Oliver, the young AM sparked a rally of their own on the strength of junior point guard Sha’ron Young and some sloppy UMD basketball.

With nearly eight minutes remaining in the half, and AM cutting the lead down to fourteen, coach Brian Baptiste sensed his team in need of a timeout. “We got a little sloppy there in the first half, but give our guys credit, they battled through it,” Baptiste expressed.

“Battling through it”, the Corsairs locked in on defense and held AM scoreless for the remaining seven and a half minutes of the half, and inciting a 21-0 run to close the half. Sophomore sensation Jeff Macchi led the rally with four of his game-high 18 points, as well as three assists, one steal, and one charge drawn, to push the halftime lead, 53-18.

With the game out of hand, coach Baptiste thought it wise to rest his starters and flex the Corsairs’ depth by showcasing their deep bench. The Corsair bench almost outscored the AM team, accounting for 48 points collectively. Freshman Brandon Stephens led the bench with twelve points.

“The depth isn’t that big but they are scrappy. We have good players,” Baptiste explained. “All I ask of my kids is to play hard for 40 minutes. And the key to our victory was our effort as a team, from the starters to the end of the bench.”

Providing praise to the Corsair’ faithful, the fans stayed to the very end of the blowout, screaming loudly as freshman John Kanarski hit a free-throw in the last minute to put the Corsairs over the century mark.

Senior Dan Holbrook returned the lineup to contribute 12 points and 7 rebounds. Reece Freeman also chipped in with 10 points and a game-high 8 assists. With the win, the Corsairs have now won their home-opener three straight seasons in a row.

Men’s basketball defeats Husson, 77-59

The tipoff of Saturday’s Hampton Inn Classic championship game

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. —The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth men’s basketball team struggled offensively in the first half of their game against visiting Husson for the championship of the annual Hampton Inn Classic at the Tripp Athletic Center Saturday afternoon. So, in the second half, they emphasized defense.

Sophomore guard V.J. Divine entered the game at the start of the second half to help turn up the defensive pressure, the Corsairs turned two steals into fast break layups by sophomore guard Jeff Macchi and Reece Freeman and used them to start a 14-2 run that gave them the lead for good, and went on to defeat the Eagles, 77-59 to earn their second consecutive Hampton Inn Classic title and the sixth in the 10-year history of the tournament.

Macchi’s layup tied the score at 44-44, and UMass Dartmouth promptly untied it with consecutive layups by Freeman, sophomore forward Matt Walker and senior center Dan Holbrook.

Husson rallied, using a three-pointer by Brock Bradford and a free throw by Matt MacKenzie to cut the Corsair advantage to four points with 8:15 remaining. UMass Dartmouth came back, scoring the game’s next 13 points during a span of 3:42 to take a commanding 71-54 lead with 4:33 to play.

“I thought we played hard in the first half, but we didn’t play with intelligence,” said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Brian Baptiste. “We depended on three-point shots, and we didn’t shoot the ball well. We started V.J. in the second half because he gives us a good defensive presence, it picked up the rest of the team, and we got a couple of steals and fast break lay-ups and took it from there.”

Holbrook led all scorers with 20 points, grabbing 14 rebounds for a double double. He made eight of 16 shots from the field, earned the Most Valuable Player award for the second year in a row, and became the first player in tournament history to win the MVP award twice. Freshman Brandon Stephens added 17 points, Macchi had 12 and Freeman added 10. Macchi, who led UMass Dartmouth Friday night with 18 points against Albertus Magnus, joined Holbrook on the All-Tournament Team. The Corsairs made 61.3 per cent of their shots from the field in the second half after shooting 30.6 per cent in the opening half, and limited Husson to 28 per cent after intermission after the Eagles made 50 per cent of their shots in the first half.

Fabian Figueroa led Husson with 12 points and Brock Bradford added 11. Bradford and Sheraud Lee of the Eagles also made the All-Tournament Team, which also included Justin Morris of Albertus Magnus and Matt Abbott of Wentworth.

The Corsairs improved to 2-0 with the victory, while the Eagles fell to 1-1 with the loss. UMass Dartmouth will return to action when they visit Worcester State in the second game of a doubleheader Tuesday evening, while Husson will host Maine-Machias Friday, November 30.

Jeff Macchi shoots a free throw, and to the right Matt walker shoots two freebies during Saturday’s Hampton Inn Classic title game.

Solid start for hockey team

By Trevor Medeiros

Paul Moran brings the puck and put the ice on an attack during UMass’s season opening win over Plymouth state.

While it hasn’t been perfect, it’s nonetheless been a solid start to the season for the UMass Dartmouth Hockey team.

So far this winter, the Corsairs boast a record of 3-1. In their three wins, UMD has outscored its opponents (Becker, Stonehill and Plymouth State) by a whopping 17-3 margin. However, UMD recently suffered a rare home loss at the hands of nationally-ranked Babson (3-1). The loss was the first the Corsairs suffered in their last 30 games at Hetland.

It’s no surprise that Jeff Grant has picked up where he left off last year. The ECAC Northeast conference’s leading returning scorer, Grant has scored three goals so far this year to lead the Corsairs’ offense. Junior forward Nick Paquin (Warwick, RI) has also contributed two goals of his own, while the freshman sensation Joseph Hill (Newburyport, MA) has aided the offense with six assists, in what has been a balanced attack so far for UMD this season.

On the other end of the ice, senior goalie Jeff Green (Burlington, MA) has been solid in net in this early portion of the season. He made some spectacular saves in keeping UMD in the game against Babson, and has allowed the team’s offense to operate at a loose pace knowing they have him between the pipes.

The team doesn’t have any time to dwell on the Babson loss because the schedule’s only going to get harder as the season progresses. The Corsairs will travel to play conference rival Curry this Saturday and will play an exhibition match against the University of Rhode Island at Hetland next Tuesday night (Dec. 4).

Hockey team raises banner, downs Plymouth State

Senior Jon Finn plays defense as Plymouth State leads an attack.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — On the day they raised the banner, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s hockey team exorcised the ghost of their last loss at the Stephan Hetland Memorial Ice Arena.

The Corsairs were 28-0-1 in their last 29 games at Hetland since losing to Plymouth State and goaltender Karl Helgesson, 3-2 in overtime on November 19, 2005.They scored four goals against Helgesson in the first two periods and defeated the Panthers, 5-2, in their Eastern College Athletic Conference Northeast game at the Stephan Hetland Memorial Ice Arena Saturday.

No sooner had UMass Dartmouth raised a banner celebrating last year’s ECAC Northeast championship and NCAA playoff berth than PSU drew first blood. Topo LaCroix beat junior goaltender Jeff Green 42 seconds into the game to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

The Corsairs came back, tying the score on the first goal of the night by freshman forward Joe Hill at 9:26 and taking the lead for good when junior forward Chris Shore scored at 15:08 of the first period. Junior forward Nick Paquin (Warwick, RI/Winchendon Academy) made it 3-1 with a power play goal 1:01 into the second period. Hill’s second goal of the night extended the Corsairs’ lead to 4-1 before Dave Dufresne scored a power play goal for the Panthers at 17:20 of the second period to make it 4-2.

The third period was scoreless until PSU pulled Helgesson for an extra attacker at 18:05 of the third period. Freshman forward Jason Stahl took a pass from Hill and scored into the empty net at 18:40 to seal the verdict.

UMass Dartmouth out shot Plymouth State, 39-17, and killed eight of nine Panther power play chances while converting two of 10 opportunities with a man advantage. Green made 15 saves, while Helgesson was credited with 34.

The Corsairs improved to 3-0 both overall and in ECAC Northeast play with the victory, while the Panthers fell to 0-1-1 and 0-1 in conference action with the defeat.

Editor’s Note: After being ranked nationally (13th) by USCHO.com, the hockey team fell to 9th ranked Babson College, 3-1 in a non-conference game. The Basbson Beavers outshot the Corsairs, 30-14. Senior goaltender Jeff Green made a valiant effort in loss, accounting for 27 saves. UMass Dartmouth looked to improve on their perfect 3-0 conference record, as they took their show on the road against Fitchburg State.

Paul Moran calls for a pass at the UMass offensive blue line.

PROFESSOR TORCH

Pats rally late, survive Philly scare

Hours before gametime, I got into a discussion with a buddy of mine (we’ll refer to him as Mr. Lambeau for the sake of the discussion) who was debating whether or not to wager a large chunk of change on the Pats game.

We discussed the game at length, as we were certain the Pats and Eagles would collectively score over 51 points to cover the over. Lambeau was debating whether or not to give the points to the Eagles and take the over, placing both in the same bet to maximize the odds.

But with the largest spread in NFL history (24 and a half), the undefeated Patriots for some odd reason weren’t inspiring confidence. Perhaps it was the thought of some unwritten rule when a veteran team, such as the Eagles, is universally disrespected by all national media outlets and discounted as a contender, despite making the playoffs five out of the past six seasons.

Around midnight, my thoughts had fallen upon all the national prognosticators who had easily dismissed the Eagles as a walk-through for the Pats and towards Mr. Lambeau. Him and I never came to a decisive conclusion on what he chose to do with his money. Nonetheless, my pre-game sentiments were being echoed as A.J “I’ve never played this good in my life” Feeley made my heartbeat race towards a youthful cardiac arrest.

Down by three with six minutes to play, Feeley meticulously picked apart the New England secondary, engineering a seven-play 71-yard drive. As the clock ticked down to four minutes, Feeley stood under center at the Patriots’ 29, scanning the Pats’ tired and worn out defense.

Then Christmas came early (or Hannukah to be politically correct), as Asante Samuel played the role of the Grinch, snatching the life out of Philadelphia fans around the country. The dream of the biggest regular season upset of all-time, was over.

For all those who had complained about the Patriots being boring, well here was a night filled with drama. Whether the Pats took the Eagles lightly or just had a bad game is up for discussion. But for the first time this season, our beloved undefeated Patriots looked mortal.

A Sad Day for the NFL

After a sensational Thanksgiving week of high ratings and upset drama, a somber mood fell upon the NFL and its family. Washington Redskins all-pro safety Sean Taylor, 24, was shot and killed in what appears to be a pre-meditated murder.

The following is an excerpt from an Associated Press release:

Taylor, the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft following an All-American season at the University of Miami, was shot early Monday in the upper leg, damaging the key femoral artery and causing significant blood loss.

“According to a preliminary investigation, it appears that the victim was shot inside the home by an intruder,” Miami-Dade County police said in a statement. “We do not have a subject description at this time.”

But police were still investigating the attack, which came just eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor’s home. Officers were sent to the home about 1:45 a.m. Monday after Taylor’s girlfriend called 911.

This sad and tragic news comes in the aftermath of a troubled off-season that was illustrated by the deaths of numerous young NFL athletes: Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams and running back Damien Nash; New England Patriots defensive end Marquise Hill.

The NFL has released the statement the Washington Redskins will play their scheduled game this Sunday at home against the Buffalo Bills. In light of this tragedy, the Redskins with what little hopes they had of reaching the playoffs with a record of 5-6, likely will suffer; with the loss of a friend and their best defensive football player, Sean Taylor.

Sometimes while we find ourselves emerged in a game such as football, the reality of life can be lost within the entertainment of the game. Players such as Taylor while roaming the gridiron, are renowned as some of the toughest players in the league. Taylor’s SportsCenter highlight-reel-hits created a persona of a player who is indestructible. Unfortunately, situations like these, remind us about the frailty of life away from the field. And the NFL as well us the fans, are at a loss with the death of a player like Sean Taylor.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

The BC Eagles finally beat Miami

By Trevor Medeiros

Well, it only took 23 years between wins, but the Boston College Eagles finally snapped a long losing streak to rival Miami, beating the Hurricanes 28-14 last Saturday during Senior Day at the Heights.

The win was icing on the cake for the Eagles, who in the previous week, won their first ever ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) title with a miraculous road comeback against Clemson, 20-17. For seniors, the game against Miami would be their last game at Alumni Stadium, and Heisman-contender QB Matt Ryan made sure his classmates would go out as winners.

He threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns, as the Eagles improved to 10-2 on the year, 6-2 in the division. In the process, Ryan passed Doug Flutie for the most touchdown passes in a single season in BC history with 28, and he still has two games left to add to his record.

The victory marked the first time BC beat Miami in 23 years. The last time was on Thanksgiving Day 1984 in the Orange Bowl (aka Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary).

Eagles running back Andre Callender continued to display his versatility for BC, as last Saturday proved to be no different. Callender had 96 yards rushing (including a 45 yard touchdown run) and 51 yards receiving to pace the Eagle attack. Sophomore receiver Rich Gunnell had his best game of the season, adding nine catches for 135 yards. With the win, BC got to enjoy the role of spoiler as they kept Miami from bowl eligibility in the process.

Next up for Boston College is a rematch with Virginia Tech this Saturday, but this time, there’s a little more at stake. The teams will meet in Jacksonville for the ACC championship, with a trip to the Orange Bowl on the line. The Eagles will be looking to go to a BCS bowl for the first time in its program’s history, but it won’t come easy.

Virginia Tech will be looking for revenge after suffering a 14-10 loss to BC a couple of weeks ago. The Hokies will have quarterback Tyrod Taylor at their disposal, as the dual-threat freshman missed their last match-up due to a high ankle sprain. Taylor ran for two touchdowns in VT’s 33-21 win over rival Virginia last Saturday.

When the smoke clears on Saturday, don’t expect to see the Eagles eating oranges, as Virginia Tech will get its revenge and win the ACC title. It’s so tough to beat a team twice in one season in college football. Plus, VT will be angry considering the way they lost the first time to BC, and the Eagle defense will not have an answer for the speedy Taylor, someone they didn’t face back on October 25.

Despite this outcome, the Eagles will still receive a bid to play in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day, capping what has been a pretty successful year for Boston College football.

Missouri Knocking On the Door

In this crazy carousel of BCS title-game contenders, it appears as though Missouri is the latest team with its Sugar Bowl destiny in its own hands.

The Tigers beat previously-undefeated Kansas last Saturday night 36-28 and will face Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game this Saturday. Missouri QB Chase Daniel was on fire in leading the Tigers over the Jayhawks in the biggest matchup ever in the Border War. Daniel completed 40 of 49 attempts, threw for 361 yards and scored three touchdowns as UM won its first-ever Big 12 North title in Kansas City.

If Missouri can beat the Sooners in San Antonio, they will certainly lock up a spot in the BCS title game, most likely against West Virginia, who won the Big East title with a 66-21 thrashing of UCONN last Saturday.

If Missouri loses to OU, then 11-1 Ohio State will most likely play the Mountaineers in New Orleans on January 7 for the National Championship. When it’s all said and done, expect Missouri and West Virginia to play for the crystal football. Did anyone have that matchup at the start of the year? I know I certainly didn’t.

Again, Oklahoma handed Missouri its only loss earlier in the year, and it’s so hard to beat the same team twice in one season. I just don’t think this OU team is good enough to beat Daniel and company again. Plus, OU had trouble stopping Texas Tech’s spread offense (led by stud QB Graham Harrell), and UM pretty much runs the same offense. When the best team in the land (LSU) won’t be playing in the title game, what does that day about how wacky this season has been in college football?

Dance Team shakes up halftime

The UMass Dartmouth Dance Team performed during halftime of the first men’s basketball game. With their mixture of hip-hop and modern dance, the Dance Team has become a crowd favorite at Corsairs games in recent years.