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Stony Brook Athletics

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Hailey Zeise in action in Stony Brook’s America East semifinal victory. Photo by Andrew Theodorakis

The matchup everyone had been anticipating a year ago finally is ready to take place. The No. 2-seeded Stony Brook women’s basketball team defeated No. 3 UMass Lowell, 75-55, on Sunday, March 7 at Island Federal Arena in the America East semifinals.

That sets up a matchup at top-seeded Maine on Friday at 5 p.m. for the right to head to the NCAA Tournament.

Stony Brook and Maine had been set to meet a year ago in the America East finals on Long Island, with the seeds flipped, when COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the conference tournament.

“We’re excited,” coach Caroline McCombs said. “It’s been a long journey, when you go back and think about the opportunity we had last year to play Maine at home. And now we get another opportunity. It’s not on our home floor, but we did all the little things in order to have an opportunity to play in this championship game. I’m just really proud of our players.”

On Sunday, the Seawolves (14-5) used a 21-8 second quarter to turn a one-point lead into a comfortable advantage.

Anastasia Warren, Asiah Dingle, India Pagan and Earlette Scott scored in double-figures in the victory.

“We really wanted this for us,” Warren said. “… It means so much to me and my teammates, even the transfers who came. We wanted this so much for each other, because obviously you know what happened last year.”

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Evan Fox (7) is congratulated after doubling on his first collegiate swing and scoring en route to being named America East Rookie of the Week.

The Stony Brook baseball team came up just short of a season-opening series sweep against Sacred Heart last weekend.

The Seawolves did sweep the first America East weekly player honors of 2021 on Monday.

Sam Turcotte earned Pitcher of the Week, John LaRocca earned Player of the Week and Evan Fox earned Rookie of the Week recognition.

Turcotte, a graduate student from Toronto, retired the first 21 batters he faced in a 7-1 win in Game 2 of Friday’s season-opening doubleheader against Sacred Heart. He then surrendered a single with his 85th and final pitch against the first batter of the eighth. That baserunner eventually came around to score for the only earned run surrendered by Stony Brook in the three-game series.

LaRocca, who transferred from Division II New York Tech after the suspension of that school’s athletics program, set the tone for the season by driving in the lone run in a 1-0 victory in Game 1 on Friday. The center fielder produced a team-best .556 average (5-for-9) with two doubles, two runs scored, three RBIs and two steals during his first games with the Seawolves.

Fox, a freshman from upstate Ballston Spa, earned his first start in Friday’s second game. He doubled with his first collegiate swing and scored what ultimately became the deciding run. Fox (1-for-3 in the game) also had a diving catch in left field after exclusively playing infield throughout his teenage years.

The Seawolves (2-1) return to play with noon doubleheaders against UMass on Saturday and Sunday at Joe Nathan Field.

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

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Jimmy Morrell (29) charges forward during the first quarter against Hofstra on Saturday.

The Stony Brook men’s lacrosse team entered the USILA rankings this week for the first time in four years. And things are looking bright under second-year head coach Anthony Gilardi.

However, the 17th-ranked Seawolves suffered their first blemish of the season on Feb. 27, falling to host Hofstra, 20-17.

With the teams deadlocked in the third quarter, Dylan Pallonetti had a pair of goals and Wayne White also scored to open a 14-11 lead. However, Hofstra answered with five straight goals to take a two-goal lead early in the fourth quarter.

Pallonetti’s fifth goal of the game stopped Hofstra’s run and pulled the Seawolves within 16-15 with 11:35 remaining. But Hofstra did not relinquish the lead the rest of the way.

Pallonetti finished with a team-high five goals in the defeat. Tom Haun and Mike McCannell each added a hat trick. Haun moved to 99 career goals.

Stony Book won only 14 of 41 faceoffs.

“Obviously it’s not the result we wanted in a rivalry game,” coach Anthony Gilardi said. “It came down to making stops and winning faceoffs. We struggled in those two areas. Credit to Hofstra. They did a great job of earning high-quality shots and finishing the ball. We will watch the film, learn from it and get back to work on Monday as we open America East play.”

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

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Nia Wattley (7) had 15 kills last Sunday.

The Stony Brook women’s volleyball team suffered a second straight five-set heartbreaker to begin conference play. UMBC swept matches on consecutive days against the freshman-laden Seawolves, winning 25-23, 19-25, 25-21, 19-25, 15-9 on Feb. 27 at Pritchard Gymnasium.

Nia Wattley had a team-high 15 kills. Kiani Kerstetter and Torri Henry had 21 digs apiece.

The Seawolves (0-5, 0-2 AE) return to action on March 7 with a doubleheader at NJIT.

Photo by Andrew Theodorakis

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Sam Turcotte took a perfect-game bid into the eighth inning in Game 2 on Feb. 26

John LaRocca set the tone and Sam Turcotte put an exclamation point on the first February on-campus baseball games in program history.

Turcotte, 6-foot-3 right-hander from Toronto, took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning of the nightcap as Stony Brook swept a season-opening doubleheader against Sacred Heart, 1-0 and 7-1, at Joe Nathan Field on Friday.

Stony Brook (2-0) limited an opponent to one run over the opening two games of a season for the first time since performing the feat against Florida Atlantic in 2011.

It marked the first-ever February games on campus for Stony Brook and the first home opener since 1996. It ended up being a sunny, mid-40s day amid the snow piles just beyond the playing field.

“It’s unbelievable it’s the last weekend in Feburary and we played in the weather we did today,” coach Matt Senksaid. “It couldn’t have been better.”

LaRocca, a graduate student like Turcotte, had a memorable debut.

LaRocca helped lead New York Tech to a Division II College World Series appearance in 2019. Then, the Division II school disbanded its athletic program and he transferred to Stony Brook.

In his first Division I baseball game in three years, since his first college stop at Monmouth, LaRocca delivered a critical hit in his Seawolves debut.

Benefiting from a shift, the lefty-hitting LaRocca sent a roller down the third-base line for a double that plated Chris Hamilton from first base in the sixth inning for the lone run in Game 1.

Evan Giordano and LaRocca then drove in two runs apiece to support Turcotte in Game 2.

“I’m just happy to be back out here, especially after what happened at my old school,” LaRocca said.

LaRocca could not recall ever previously batting cleanup, which he did in the opener before moving to his customary No. 2 slot for Game 2.

“It’s those extra 15 pounds I put on,” LaRocca joked.

Nick DeGennaro, slated to be the No. 4 starter once America East play begins, earned the win in relief in Game 1. DeGennaro, a junior right-hander from Toms River, N.J., tossed the final 2 2/3 innings in relief of Jared Milch.

Milch had retired the first eight Sacred Heart batters he faced.

DeGennaro stranded the potential tying run in scoring position in the seventh and final inning with a game-ending strikeout of Steven Schoe. He also had stranded a pair of runners in scoring position the previous inning.

In Game 2, Giordano contributed a second-inning solo homer to open the scoring.

Freshman Evan Fox made his collegiate debut as the starter in left field in the nightcap and made a diving catch of a liner in the third to record the inning’s opening out —  a feat since Fox had not played the outfield since he was 12 years old. On his first college swing, a half-inning later, Fox led off by doubling down the left-field line and ultimately scored on a Brett Paulsen’s double in what became a three-run third.

Turcotte departed after 85 pitches, after surrendering a leadoff single in the eighth to Robert Farruggio. Turcotte had retired the game’s first 21 batters.

The last no-hitter in program history remains the third of Frankie Vanderka’s career, in 2014 against UAlbany.

“That was the longest I’ve ever had anything like that — any kind of perfect game, no-hitter, even shutout, honestly,” Turcotte said. “You’ve got to credit everybody. Anytime you put up seven runs on 11 hits, you’re going to win a lot of games.”

Stony Brook and Sacred Heart aim to complete the three-game weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m. Right-hander Brian Herrmann is slated to start for the Seawolves. He will make his first college appearance since April 13, 2019, after which he underwent Tommy John surgery.

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Alex Christie started for a second straight game on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook men’s basketball team is headed to the America East Tournament as the seventh seed.

The Seawolves dropped their regular-season finale, 67-59, at UAlbany on Feb. 21 to complete the regular season 9-13 overall and 7-9 in league play.

Coupled with an NJIT loss, the Seawolves earned the No. 7 seed and will face No. 6 UMass Lowell at New Hampshire on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The winner faces No. 3 seed and pod host UNH the following day.

“We’re excited to play against a really good Lowell team,” said coach Geno Ford, whose squad swept UMass Lowell during the regular season. “It’ll be a hard game. They played us well both times.”

Stony Brook split a pair of games this weekend with the Great Danes.

On Sunday, the Seawolves continued to play shorthanded as Mouhamadou Gueye remained unavailable.

Tykei Greene nonetheless stepped up with a double-double for the second straight day and his fifth of the season.

Juan Felix Rodriguez also scored in double-figures.

Lenny Kadisha made his first collegiate start. Alex Christie also started for the second straight day.

“I really want to give a lot of credit to Dan Leonard, our trainer, who has had to deal with testing, protocols, travel, and really has carried the brunt of the load with all of that, which has allowed the coaches and players to stay safe. He’s been the real MVP of our season,” Ford said. “I don’t think a lot of people had confidence within college basketball that we’d get this far. We have.”

 

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Chelsie DePonte (12) had a goal and an assist in the season opener at Hofstra.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — The Stony Brook women’s soccer team returned to game action for the first time in 464 days on Feb. 21. Unfortunately for the Seawolves, they fell to No. 23 Hofstra, 4-3, in the Battle of Long Island.

Alyssa Francese and Chelsie DePonte each scored to give Stony Brook leads, but the Pride answered with three goals in a 9-minute, 25-second stretch of the second half to take a two-goal lead.

Francese had earned a spot on the initial MAC Hermann Trophy watch list last month. And she began to back up the hype on Sunday.

Francese, a graduate student from Yorktown Heights, scored in the 15th minute and the Seawolves grabbed an early 1-0 lead.

Francese’s 31st career goal moved her into a tie with Noreen Heiligenstadt (1985-88) for fourth on the program’s all-time goals list.

After a disputed equalizer before in the final minute before halftime, DePonte scored in the 50th minute to give Stony Brook a 2-1 lead. She had a goal and an assist.

On the opening goal, DePonte made a 20-yard run and dished down the middle to Francese, who finished with her left foot underneath the goalkeeper.

Mari Brenden scored on a penalty kick in the 81st minute to pull Stony Brook within 4-3. It marked Brenden’s first game action and goal since her freshman season in 2018.

The Seawolves were playing their first match since an NCAA Tournament appearance at Penn State on Nov. 15, 2019.

Stony Brook began the post-Sofia Manner era at goalkeeper as Emerson Richmond Burke made her collegiate debut.

Right back Rachael Peters made her first collegiate start, while Rutgers transfer Alicia D’Aoust made her Stony Brook debut and Kerry Pearson and Emma Beattie made their collegiate debuts.

The game marked second-year Stony Brook head coach Tobias Bischof‘s first return to Hofstra since switching sides in the Long Island rivalry. Bischof previously served as a Hofstra assistant for eight seasons.

The Seawolves return to action March 3 at UMass.

“We had a good performance against a very well-coached top-25 team,” Bischof said. “Butm in the end, we fell short. We are going to analyze our play and improve.”

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

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Earlette Scott prepares to drive during Sunday's game against Maine. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team honored McKenzie Bushee, Jonae Cox, Victoria Johnson, India Pagan and Hailey Zeise in a pregame Senior Day ceremony on Feb. 14. The Seawolves then surged to as much as a 16-point lead before halftime against Maine with first place at stake.

Ultimately, Maine rallied for a 54-49 victory at Island Federal Arena to split the weekend showdown.

The teams could very well meet again as the top two seeds in the America East Tournament, with a ticket to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

Employing a full-court press, Maine took its first lead, 43-41, with an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter that included three steals in a 38-second span. The lead eventually swelled to six points late.

Zeise’s three-pointer with 61 seconds remaining pulled Stony Brook within 52-49, but a late possession with a bid to tie went awry.

Pagan and Asiah Dingle scored in double-figures. Dingle also contributed five assists.

Maine improved to 12-2 in America East, while Stony Brook sits comfortably ahead of the rest of the field in second place at 9-3.

“I’m definitely disappointed with the outcome today,” coach Caroline McCombs said. “I thought we were playing some really good basketball early and then allowed Maine to get back in the game by capitalizing on our mistakes. We have to learn from it and move forward, which is what we will focus on.”

The team returns to action when they host UAlbany on Feb. 22 and 23, both at 2 p.m.

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Dylan Pallonetti paced the Seawolves with six goals in his collegiate debut. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook men’s lacrosse team waited 343 days to return to game action. The Seawolves then took only 69 seconds to get on the scoreboard.

Stony Brook ultimately opened its 2021 season with a 20-8 win against Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.

Stony Brook native Dylan Pallonetti, a redshirt freshman who transferred from Maryland, tallied six goals as well as an assist in his long-awaited collegiate debut — the most goals ever by a Seawolf in his collegiate debut, and the most by a Stony Brook player since Tom Haun had that same output against Binghamton on March 29, 2019.

The 12-goal margin of victory was Stony Brook’s largest since a 14-goal victory against NJIT on Feb. 20, 2015.

The Seawolves last had played on March 7, 2020, after which the season was halted due to COVID-19. 

“It was great to be back out there playing another team,” said Pallonetti, a Ward Melville High School product. “It was the first time in a while. I want to thank my teammates. They supported me the whole way. It was a team effort today.”

Maritime graduate transfer Matt DeMeo, the lone other new arrival in the starting lineup, added a hat trick and two assists in his Seawolves debut. His tally with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter opened a game-high dozen-goal lead. 

“When you look at it, it’s a credit to the guys who are already here,” second-year head coach Anthony Gilardi said about the contributions from Pallonetti and DeMeo. “… We set the table the first day we were here as a new staff, saying we’re going to play unselfish, team lacrosse. One day some guy is going to have a lot of opportunities. The next day it’s going to be somebody else. But if we just do one-sixth offensively, then we’re going to be good. Those guys really bought into it.

“And Dylan and Matt come into the fold and they fit right in seamlessly. The best part about it is our current guys were the ones teaching them the offense.” 

Cory VanGinhoven also had three goals, while Tom Haun and Chris Pickel Jr. contributed a pair apiece. VanGinhoven added a team-high four assists.

Haun passed Alex Corpolongo (95, 2014-17) for ninth on the program’s all-time list with No. 96. Next up: No. 8 Chris Kollmer, who had 97 from 1994 through ’97.

Austin Deskewicz won 12 of 13 faceoffs, and the Seawolves won 23 of 30 overall.

After Jaden Walcot evened the scored at 1 early n the first quarter, Stony Brook rattled off eight straight goals while holding Sacred Heart scoreless for 18:44.

Anthony Palma, who succeeded graduated Michael Bollinger in goal, recorded seven saves in his first collegiate start to earn the win.

“Coach told us all week, ‘We’ve got to make the first move. We’ve got to really end it early,'” Palma said. “I think we came out with great energy and we kept it up the whole game. My defense played phenomenally in front of me. I have no complaints. I think every single one of them played their hearts out. They never let up intensity.”

Stony Brook returns to action next Saturday, Feb. 20 at noon when it hosts Bryant.

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Mouhamadou Gueye (#2) produced a career-high scoring output last Sunday against UMBC.

The Stony Brook men’s basketball team is now in the midst of crunch time as it aims to maximize its seeding in the America East Tournament.

Unfortunately for the Seawolves, they dropped the first of four straight games against the conference’s top placeholders, falling to UMBC, 71-65, on Feb. 7 at Island Federal Arena.

Stony Brook (8-9, 6-5 AE) slipped two games in the loss column behind UMBC (12-4, 8-3) and Vermont (7-3, 7-3) for the conference’s leading positions. The top two finishers earn byes into the America East semifinals, while the third and fourth seeds will host opening-round pods in the 10-team tourney.

UMBC shot 46.7 percent from three-point range before intermission (7-for-15) and built a 16-point advantage early in the second half.

“I think the experience factor was enormous,” Stony Brook coach Geno Ford said. “They came out at the start of the game, understood the intensity level when you’re playing for first place, and we played like an inexperienced bunch of new guys, who would like to win, but aren’t necessarily playing hard enough early.”

Mouhamadou Gueye paced Stony Brook with 17 points and eight blocks — both career highs, and the latter figure one shy of matching Jameel Warney’s program record, set in 2015 against Princeton. The scoring total supplanted a 16-point performance against Binghamton on Jan. 22, 2020 for his career high. Gueye now has 120 career blocks, matching Greg Angrum (1980-84) for fifth on the program’s all-time list.

Juan Felix Rodriguez (17 points) and Tykei Greene (11) also scored in double-figures.

A pair of free throws from Gueye and a driving layup from Rodriguez pulled the Seawolves within 49-45 and prompted a timeout from UMBC with 12 minutes remaining in the game. 

When play resumed, Jordan McKenzie produced a steal and Greene converted a driving layup at the other end to continue Stony Brook’s 16-2 run.

LJ Owens stopped UMBC’s hemorrhaging with a three-point play and the Retrievers managed to hold off Stony Brook the rest of the way.

“I’ll give our guys a lot of credit,” Ford said. “In the first half, I thought we played on our heels. And at halftime we really challenged them hard about their effort and energy level. And in the second half I thought we were fantastic. We played well enough to win for 20 minutes, but they played well enough to win for 40.”

The Seawolves played without leading perimeter threat Frankie Policelli.

Policelli, who is averaging 11.3 points per game and a team-leading .348 shooting percentage from three-point range, had aggravated a nagging hip issue late in in last Sunday’s 63-49 win against Hartford.

Still, Ford noted the Seawolves shot 13-for-34 inside the paint on Sunday.

“That is, to me, what sputtered the offense,” Ford said. “They pack the paint so hard that they force you to shoot threes. We have two or three guys out there that they’re just blatantly not guarding. They’re just standing in the lane, off of them.” 

Stony Brook and UMBC met again on Feb. 8 but the Seawolves fell again 60-48. The team heads to Vermont next weekend for a critical two-game showdown against the second-place Catamounts.

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

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