UALBANY SOFTBALL SWEEPS MANHATTAN IN NON-CONFERENCE DOUBLEHEADER

Albany, N.Y - Sophomore shortstop Meagan Butsch recorded a grand slam to lead UAlbany to a 9-3 win over Manhattan in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. The Great Danes won the first game by a score of 8-0 in five innings.
Butsch's homer, her second of the day, paced a five-run third inning that gave UAlbany a 6-1 lead. The Great Danes increased their advantage to 8-2 with three runs in the fifth inning, led by a three-run homer by senior third baseman Kelly Ogden.
Manhattan (2-31) was led by senior first baseman Candice Sheridan, who hit two solo homers of her own in the game. Senior Liz Pennino took the loss for the Jaspers, fanning six. Freshman Marissa Powell earned her third win of the season for UAlbany, recording a six-strikeout, seven-inning performance.
UAlbany (22-11) scored a run in every inning in the early game as senior hurler Casey Halloran tossed a complete-game shutout, fanning nine batters.
The Great Danes started the game with a four-run first inning, led by a two-run double by Ogden followed by Butsch's first homer of the day over the centerfield fence. Freshman Michelle Connors recorded an RBI single in the second inning, and Butsch drove a triple to center to lead off the third.
UAlbany ended the game with two runs scored in the fourth, on a double by Ogden. The Jaspers were unable to score in the top of the fifth to end the game on account of the eight-run rule.
Senior Kristin Gelsleichter took the loss for the Jaspers, after fanning four in four innings pitched.
The Great Danes return to action on Saturday, as they host Hartford in a three-game America East Conference series.

Men's Lacrosse Ranked No. 2 in USILA poll for Sixth Straight Week

Baltimore, Md. -- After recording a pair of road victories last week, UAlbany remains among the top three in both national men's lacrosse polls. The Great Danes are No. 2 in the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Coaches' Poll for the sixth straight week. UAlbany is No. 3 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media rankings.

UAlbany (11-0) broke two school records in last Saturday’s 14-7 America East Conference victory against Vermont. The Great Danes established the program’s single-season victory mark. The 10-win standard was set in 1992, 2003, 2004 and 2005. UAlbany has also won 11 straight, breaking the consecutive win record that had stood since 1972. The Great Danes meet No. 16 Syracuse on Friday, April 20 in the Carrier Dome at 7:30 p.m. The contest will be televised in the Capital Region on Time Warner Cable (TW3).

USILA Coaches Top 20 Poll

1. Cornell, 2. UAlbany, 3. Duke, 4. Virginia, 5. Princeton, 6. Georgetown, 7. Johns Hopkins, 8. Maryland, 9. Navy, 10. North Carolina, 11. Notre Dame, 12. Bucknell, 13. UMBC, 14. Loyola, 15. Drexel, 16. Syracuse, 17. Towson, 18. Delaware, t19. Hofstra, t19. Army.

Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll
1. Cornell, 2. Duke, 3. UAlbany, 4. Virginia, 5. Princeton, 6. Georgetown, 7. Johns Hopkins, t8. Maryland, t8. Navy, 10. North Carolina, 11. Notre Dame, 12. Bucknell, 13. Loyola, 14. UMBC, 15. Drexel, 16. Syracuse, 17. Towson, 18. Delaware, 19. Colgate, 20. Hofstra.

UAlbany Men's Basketball Banquet Scheduled for Saturday, May 5

Albany, N.Y. – A second consecutive championship season will be celebrated at the 2006-07 University at Albany men’s basketball program’s annual postseason awards banquet, on Saturday, May 5 at the Crowne Plaza on State & Lodge Streets in downtown Albany.

The Great Danes earned a NCAA Tournament berth for the second straight year and captured their second consecutive America East Conference championship. UAlbany (23-10) posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time since 1990.

The dinner and awards program begin at 6:30 p.m. The cost for dinner, which includes food and beverage, is $35.00 per person. Reservations can be made by contacting Jeremy Friel at 518-442-3036. The reservation deadline is May 2.

UAlbany’s senior class of Jamar Wilson, David Bauman and Jason Siggers will be honored at the event. Head coach Will Brown will also present team awards and show a video of this year’s championship season.

New UAlbany Athletics Website

The University at Albany athletic department has launched a new website, www.UAlbanySports.com. The complete transition is in process, and in the interim, both sites will be accessible to Great Danes fans. Starting Wednesday, April 11, you can redirect your browser to www.UAlbanySports.com for the latest in Great Dane news, results and notes. New features will include top stories, new athletic merchandise store, fan polls, e-newsletter, photo galleries, The Dane Zone (coming soon) and much more!

UALBANY STILL RANKED AMONG TOP THREE IN BOTH NATIONAL MEN'S LACROSSE POLLS

After defeating 18th-ranked Stony Brook last Saturday, UAlbany remains in the top three in both national men’s lacrosse polls. The Great Danes are No. 2 in the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) coaches’ poll for the fifth straight week. UAlbany is No. 3 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media rankings for the second week in a row.

UAlbany (9-0, AE 3-0) is off to its best start as a Division I program. The Great Danes have won nine straight, their longest string of wins since 1972. UAlbany travels to non-league opponent Yale on Wednesday for a 7:00 p.m. face-off.

USILA Coaches' Poll: 1. Cornell, 2. UAlbany, 3. Virginia, 4. Duke, 5. Georgetown, 6. Princeton, 7. Maryland, 8. Navy, 9. Johns Hopkins, 10. North Carolina , 11. Notre Dame, 12. Bucknell, 13. Loyola, 14. Towson , 15. UMBC, 16. Drexel, 17. Delaware , 18. Syracuse , 19. Fairfield , 20. Brown.

Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll: 1. Cornell, 2. Virginia, 3. UAlbany, 4. Duke, 5. Princeton, 6. Georgetown, 7. Maryland, 8. Navy, 9. North Carolina, 10. Johns Hopkins , 11. Notre Dame, 12. Loyola, 13. Bucknell, 14. UMBC, 15. Towson , 16. Drexel, 17. Syracuse , 18. Delaware , 19. Stony Brook, 20. Rutgers.

Wilson is ready for pro audition

Former UAlbany guard at Portsmouth Invitational

Three weeks after playing his final game for the University at Albany, Jamar Wilson will resume his basketball career tonight for ... Norfolk Naval Shipyard?

It might sound obscure, but it's a first step Wilson hopes will lead to big things professionally. Wilson is participating in the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational Tournament, an event that will allow the 6-foot-1 guard to showcase his skills for scouts from the NBA's 30 teams.

"I'm really excited," said Wilson, UAlbany's career scoring leader with 2,164 points. "I'm ready to get going. It's been a long (three) weeks since I played, so I'm going to put the shoes on again and get after it."

Wilson, one of 64 players invited to Portsmouth, will play for Norfolk Naval Shipyard in the eight-team event that began Wednesday night. Wilson is guaranteed at least two games and perhaps more if his team reaches Saturday's championship game.
The tournament gives Wilson a chance to measure himself against players from bigger basketball schools.

Wilson's teammates include University of Massachusetts forward Rashaun Freeman, a Schenectady native, and Ohio State guard Ron Lewis, who played in Monday's national championship loss to Florida.

Norfolk Naval Shipyard plays at 9 tonight against Norfolk Sports Club, whose roster includes Florida center Chris Richard and Big Ten scoring champion Adam Haluska of Iowa."It's going to be a high level of competition, and that's something I look forward to," Wilson said.

The odds are against Wilson reaching the NBA. Of the 64 players invited to Portsmouth last year, nine are on NBA rosters. Four were selected in the draft's second round, and five signed as free agents.

Wilson has hired an agent, Michael Whitaker of Washington, who said the goal is to play well enough to be invited to the more prestigious NBA predraft camp May 28-June 3 in Orlando.

"Unless he comes (to Portsmouth) and plays awful, I believe he will get an invitation to the (Orlando) camp, as well," Whitaker said.

Wilson also can earn invitations to individual workouts with NBA teams that begin on June 5 and run until the draft on June 28 in New York. "I think (Wilson) has a great chance of playing at the next level," Whitaker said.

Wilson, a combination guard in college, has to show NBA teams he can play point guard exclusively. He also said he needs to showcase his outside shot.
Wilson will be accompanied this week by UAlbany assistant Pat Filien and then coach Will Brown, who said Wilson needs to assert himself.

"He's got to go down there and be very aggressive and make plays," Brown said. "He's got to play like we're playing Vermont in the (America East) championship game. This is his time to shine."Wilson said he's not going to pressure himself because he knows playing overseas is an option. "I'll be playing somewhere next year and put some money in my pocket," he said.