UAlbany Finishes Second in America East Conference Commissioner's Cup Standings

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Orlando, Fla. -- For the third straight year, the University at Albany placed second in the America East Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cup, the league announced on Tuesday, June 24 at Wolfgang Puck Cafe in Downtown Disney as part of the conference’s annual meeting. The Commissioner’s Cup annually recognizes the strongest athletic program in America East as determined by a scoring system which rewards a school for success both during the regular season and championship competition in the conference’s 21 sports.

Boston U., which won six league titles, three regular-season crowns and had four runner-up finishes, tallied 378 points, the most in three years under the current nine-member configuration, won win the Commissioner’s Cup. UAlbany totaled 318 points just ahead of UMBC (314) and Binghamton University (291). University of New Hampshire and Stony Brook University tied for fifth with 278 points, followed by University of Vermont (250), University of Hartford (206) and University of Maine (147).

The Terriers won regular-season and tournament championships in field hockey, women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse, while also capturing titles in women’s indoor track & field, women’s outdoor track & field and women’s tennis. Boston U. was also the runner-up in women’s cross country, women’s basketball and men’s and women’s swimming and diving.

The Great Danes, who won the Commissioner’s Cup in 2004-05, took home four titles, including their second straight in volleyball, third in a row in men’s indoor track & field and fourth consecutive in men’s outdoor track & field. Albany also won the women’s golf championship, its first since 2004, captured the regular-season crown in softball and was runners-up in field hockey, men’s lacrosse and softball.

The Retrievers, whose third-place finish is their best since joining the league prior to the 2003-04 season, won regular-season and tournament titles in men’s basketball and men’s lacrosse. In addition, UMBC swept the 2008 America East Swimming and Diving Championship and was runners-up in men’s tennis.

The Bearcats captured the men’s tennis championship and earned regular-season titles in men’s soccer and baseball. Binghamton also was runners-up in four sports (men’s soccer, men’s indoor track & field, women’s tennis and baseball).

The Wildcats, who improved two spots from a year ago, won the men’s cross country title and were co-regular-season champions in women’s soccer. UNH also finished second in five other sports (women’s soccer, women’s indoor track & field, women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s outdoor track & field), the most runner-up finishes of any conference member.

Vermont won its first men’s soccer championship since 2000 and also received significant points in women’s basketball by earning the No. 2 seed for the America East Championship.

Hartford won regular-season and tournament titles in women’s baskeball and was runners-up in men’s basketball and golf.

Maine earned significant points in women’s soccer, earning a spot in the league tournament for the fifth straight season.

The Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cup is named in honor of the first commissioner of America East. Haskell served as commissioner of the conference from 1987 until his retirement in 1997.

The scoring system for the Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cup is as follows: In sports where regular-season round robin competition is conducted, the first-place institution in the final standings receives four points times the total number of teams involved in conference play. The second-place institution receives four less points; third place receives eight less points, and so on. Additionally, the America East (tournament) champion receives two points times the total number of teams participating in the championship. The second-place institution receives two less points; third place receives four less points and so on down to the last-place institution which receives two points.

In sports where regular-season round robin competition is not conducted (cross country, golf, tennis, track and field, swimming and diving), the first-place institution at the America East championship receives two points times the total number of teams participating in the championship. The second-place institution receives two less points; third place gets four less points and so on down to the last place team which receives two points.