Women’s volleyball
Third year head coach Steven Pike is starting to bring the Golden Eagles back to their glory days. They finished last fall with 22 wins and a top-four finish in the SUNYAC conference.
“We are very excited about this season after last year’s top-four finish and semi-final appearance in the conference championships,” Pike said. “We have a strong core returning and look to improve on our ability to score from the service line and develop a faster tempo offense. We look to improve our Blocking and team serve receive from last year with improved performance from returners and some impact newcomers.”
All-SUNYAC senior Kayla Barber is the main cog leading the team in kills while finishing second in digs and blocks. Sophomore Noelle Poloncarz runs the offense and had 646 assists. Classmate Brianna Richardson is also back up front after her 56 blocks led the team and senior Ashley Capone was second on the team in kills.
Senior Hannah Sawicki along with sophomores Rachel Fiser, Emily Flohr and Aimee Spilman will all be expected to contribute more to fill the numbers lost to graduation.
Freshman outside hitter DeAnna Ortiz-Whittemore will see time to supply some offense. Other newcomers expected to help include Lidia DeHaven, Jes Marini, Kathleen Irwin, Maddy Taylor, Jamie Schlesinger and Gabby Morey.
The campaign opened with the six-team Brockport Invitational Sept. 4-5. They also host the Golden Eagle Invitational Oct. 16-17.
Men’s soccer
A first round loss in the NCAA playoffs left a bad taste in the mouths of the Golden Eagles and, with 20 returning players including several experienced seniors, they could go even deeper in the postseason.
“Our goal, which we set every year, is to finish in the top four in our conference and qualify for the SUNYAC Playoffs,” 19th year head coach Gary LaPietra said. “Our goal is to win the conference and to earn a bid to NCAA soccer tournament.”
Senior goalkeeper Casey Sullivan was 8-4-6 with six shutouts over 17 appearances last year. Senior forwards Peter DiLorenzo and Spencerport native Collin Goettel accounted for 22 of the team’s 37 goals scored as well as just under half of the team’s assists. DiLorenzo was a First Team All-East Region selection.
Seniors David Rougeux and another Spencerport grad in Patrick Sprague will anchor the midfield with seniors Matt Roorda and Mike Bernard on defense in front of Sullivan.
The top recruit — all will have to fight for any playing time with the veteran roster — is midfielder Quintin Volvpe via St. Antony’s HS on Long Island.
The campaign opened Sept. 1 at St. John Fisher with the home opener against Medaille Sept. 18 and the first conference game at home against Buffalo State Sept. 25.
Women’s soccer
After just their fourth season falling short of ten wins over the last 18 years and missing the postseason for the first time in 17 years, the Golden Eagles look to bounce back in a big way.
“My goal for this season is to make the SUNYAC playoffs after just missing last season,” 28-year head coach Joan Schockow said. “We lost a top scorer in Cayli Carmona, but we return Chelsea Stahl, so hopefully we can find some forwards to accompany Chelsea up top. I think we have some sound, talented returners and a good group of recruits. I think we’ll be solid this season at all positions!”
Stahl, from Brockport High, led last year’s squad with 12 goals and tied for the team lead with 28 points.
Senior Courtney Szcznesiak, junior Liz Wilson and sophomore Lauren Moore anchor a solid midfield along with Christina Leonardo, who is coming back from year off to ACL tear.
On the backline, juniors Emily Boehm and Chelsea Bowers plus sophomore Stephanie Szakos will see the most action in front of junior goalkeeper Catherine Eliasson, who steps into the starting role for the first time after she was 3-1-1 in five starts last fall.
Among the newcomers expected to contribute are Carly Bulich, Kendall grad and Genesee Community College All-Region selection Ashley Makowski and Kelsey Sammon.
The team opened on the road in Utica Sept. 1. Their home opener is with St. John Fisher Sept. 10 with the SUNYAC lid-lifter at Buffalo State and Fredonia Sept. 25-26.
Football
Losses in the final three games in 2014 sent what was a promising season into a forgettable 5-5 campaign. Injuries played a huge factor, so staying healthy will be one of many keys for 2015.
“We are excited because we are young but talented,” head coach Jason Mangone said. “We ended the year on a horrible stretch and we are excited to get started to start over. We had a problem staying healthy last year on all three phases and in order to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves, we have to find a way to avoid injuries.”
The offense averaged almost 250 yards per game passing – third in the Empire 8 conference. The team is 9-1 over the career of often injured starting quarterback Wayne Bonsell, so there is optimism should he manage to stay healthy. 2014 starter Chase Venuto is in reserve for his senior year.
Halfback Dan Andrews finished second in the conference averaging 111 yards per game on the ground and Bonsell will have Nate Wilkinson, who had four touchdowns with 36 receptions, as his primary target. Andrews caught 31 balls out of the backfield as well.
The defense allowed a second worst in the conference 187 yards rushing per game and will turn to veterans Tarik Bennett and Jeff Scialo on the defensive line to correct that while matching their second best 29 team sacks.
“Bennett and Scialo will be anchoring our defensive line, which is where we think we will be both talented and deep,” Mangone said of his defensive captains. “They will both put pressure on quarterbacks, but will also work to clog up running lanes for our opponents.”
Hilton grad Jake Brickler led the 2014 squad with 115 tackles including 58 solo.
Senior defensive back Brynell Middleton will also captain the defensive side of the ball in his second year with the program.
“Middleton possesses great cover skills and will work on shutting down the opposing team’s best receiver,” Mangone noted.
Among the recruits, defensive ends Austin Dean (6’4 285) and Terry McDonald (6’2 220) could contribute right away. And quarterback Danny Roberto provides depth if needed.
“We play in a conference that there aren’t any days off,” Mangone concluded. “As long as we stay focused on the process rather than the outcome, we should be ok. It will be a fun year.”
The team opened at Oberlin College in Ohio Sept. 5 before hosting Hartwick in the home opener Sept. 19 after a bye week. The now-annual Courage Bowl with St. John Fisher is on the road this year Sept. 26.
Women’s tennis
Coming off a fifth place finish in the SUNYAC conference, the Golden Eagles lost four seniors including their first and second singles players as their first and second doubles units. But Second Team All-Conference picks Sam Malak and Beth O’Rourke along with Natasha Hale form the nucleus of a deeper team.
“Our general outlook for this season is a very good one,” head coach Ben Klempka said. “We have a strong core of returning players as well as some fresh faces that will make an immediate impact on the lineup. Although our conference is very competitive at the moment I am looking for this team to continue to improve and move up in the conference as we have done for the past few years.”
Hale played at second singles last season while O’Rourke was slotted mostly at fifth singles. “Returners Sam Malak, Iyanna Sinclair and Allison DeRose will use their experience on the court to contribute to our success.”
Dilara Kumbul joined the team in the spring and is expected to play a key role. “Other key incoming players include Emma Wagner, Emily Marge, Kelsey Shanahan, Autumne Venturino and Faith Montgomery. I am excited to see what each of these players will bring to camp. I am expecting big things from these transfers and freshmen.
“We have a good split of veteran and new players which should help us continue to grow.”
The season began at home Sept. 2 against Alfred before the Golden Eagles host four consecutive SUNYAC opponent beginning with Fredonia Sept. 5.
Cross country
The post-Rachel Malone era begins for the Golden Eagles women’s team and a new head coach in Danielle Novara begins to put her stamp on the program.
“I am so excited to finally meet the team face to face and start developing relationships with my student athletes,” Novara said. “I know that we have a fairly young men’s and women’s team and I’m excited to hit the ground running (literally) with the training and team culture building.
“Heading into camp I am really looking at helping people start to solidify the “why” behind our sport. Distance running is such a grueling, roller coaster of a sport that unless people know their purpose or inspiration it is easy to get defeated. I know that in order to grow physiologically we need to expand our capacity mentally and emotionally as well. That is always my focus, to prepare my athletes to take on and handle the challenges ahead of them. Pre-season is the time where we lay the foundation for the rest of the season, in order to achieve our goals.”
Seniors Elizabeth Merritt and Sarah Swertfenger will be called on to lead the women’s squad. Merritt set a personal best in a 5K last season at Roberts Wesleyan finishing in 21:11.2 while Swertfenger beat the 19 minute mark at Oswego.
For the men, fifth year senior Gary Messina is back after being named All-Region after finishing among the top 35 individuals in the NCAA Atlantic Regional held at Genesee Valley Park in Rochester.
Junior Sean Kurcoba also will be called on to lead. Fully 11 freshmen are listed on the camp roster among 16 underclassmen for the young squad.
“As always it’s our goal to score as high as possible in the SUNYAC conference,” summarized Novara. “I believe our women should be aiming for a top 3 spot and our men for top 5.
“It’s always difficult to say so early, and especially as a new coach coming into a young and growing team, but I believe that is well within our capabilities. A lot will depend on how the student athletes adapt to a new training style, but I have all the faith in the world that things will go great.”
Field Hockey
A 4-14 season in 2014 spurred the coaching staff to virtually begin anew in 2015.
“We are bringing in 13 new players to help build a brand new team to represent the college,” 16 year head coach Andrea Zurlo said. “We lost four players last year to graduation and several others for various reasons. This year we are starting fresh and will utilize the new talent that is coming in including three brand new goalies.”
The team could sport a veteran core on the backline with returnees Autumn Swavely, Kelsey Devine, Kat Weyant and Ryenn Sanger on defense in front of those new goalkeepers. Devine is the only one of the four not to start every game last season missing five due to injury.
Offense will be a key early question with Caitlin Croghan and Nicole Fazzolari back after each scoring one goal in 2014.
The coaching staff hopes transfer Morgan Murray helps with some offense. Other newcomers who could move immediately into the lineup include: “Nicole Landes comes from Weedsport and has a great game sense and can read opponents defensively. Christina Conkling comes in from Long Island and can carry and release the ball in pressure situations. It’s anyone’s game in the net; all three come with very different styles and it will most likely be a game time decision.”
The team opened their season at the Plymouth State tournament as two of five consecutive road contests before their home and conference opener versus Oswego Sept. 18.
