UAlbany Men's Basketball Home Opener @ SEFCU Arena Saturday, November 17, 7pm

The UAlbany Men's Basketball program will be playing in their home opener at SEFCU Arena on Saturday, November 17. Join the veteran and newly rising stars this weekend, as another season of Division I basketball at home begins.

Help celebrate the UAlbany players and coaches from the 2006-07 team as they accept their America East championship rings. Congratulations on winning the America East for the second consecutive season.

Who: UAlbany vs Columbia

Where: SEFCU Arena, University at Albany

When: Saturday, November 17

Time: 7pm

Directions to UAlbany:

SEFCU Tickets

UAlbany Volleyball's Kellam Named First-Team All-League; Cowdrey Chosen America East Rookie of the Year

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Cambridge, Mass. – University at Albany’s Amanda Cowdrey has been named the America East Conference Rookie of the Year, leading a group of five student-athletes named to the all-conference teams, as announced at the America East Volleyball Championship banquet on Friday, Nov. 16.

Junior Kamisha Kellam earned all-conference first team honors while Cowdrey and senior Ashley Crenshaw were named to the second team. Cowdrey, along with classmates Tawny Dahmes and Brooke Stanley, earned spots on the conference’s all-rookie squad.

Cowdrey is the first Great Dane to win the top rookie accolade since Ashley DeNeal in 2003. Cowdrey, who was named the conference’s rookie of the week on four occasions this season, led the team and all freshmen in the conference with 3.47 kills and 4.01 points per game. She also recorded 3.43 digs per game to place her eighth in the league.

Kellam was named to the all-conference first team after earning second-team accolades as a sophomore. She was a top-10 conference leader in hitting percentage (.322), kills per game (3.27) and points per game (3.94), and finished the regular season ranked fifth in blocks with 1.05 per game. She is currently second on UAlbany’s career blocks chart with 283.

Crenshaw earned all-conference honors for the third time in her career, after leading the America East with a .344 hitting percentage and averaging 3.42 kills per game. The senior outside hitter recently recorded her 1,000th career kill as a Great Dane, and is ninth all-time in the UAlbany record book. Crenshaw, a communication major, was also named to the all-academic team, which recognizes all-conference nominees who also hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

Dahmes, a libero, and Stanley, a setter, join Cowdrey on the all-rookie team. Dahmes led the Great Danes with 4.24 digs per game after playing in all 28 matches this season. Stanley averaged 10.45 assists per game and recorded the fifth-highest single-season total in UAlbany history with 1,108 assists. Stanley earned the conference’s setter of the week honor twice this season.

UAlbany (19-9, AE 8-4) is seeded third for the America East Volleyball Championship and will face New Hampshire on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Stony Brook, N.Y.

UAlbany breezes past Colgate, 86-62,in Women's Basketball Home Opener

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. – UAlbany freshman Janea Aiken scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Great Danes to a 86-62 win over Colgate in non-conference women’s basketball action on Thursday evening at SEFCU Arena in the team’s 2007-08 home opener.

UAlbany (1-2) jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead to start the game, but Colgate fought back, taking a 19-18 lead with 9:18 on the clock on a jump shot by Caitlin Gillard. The Raiders built up a nine-point lead, 33-24, with 2:56 left to play in the half, but UAlbany went on a 13-4 run to end the half with the score tied at 37 apiece.

The Great Danes came out of the locker room firing, as senior Kristin Higy hit a 3-pointer at 18:26 to give UAlbany back the lead. Colgate (0-3) would pull within one, 44-43, three minutes later, but UAlbany would pull away. A shot by TaNika Thrower from long range at 11:02 gave the Great Danes a nine-point lead, 56-47, and Kirsten Peterson made three consecutive free throws to build the lead to double digits with just over nine minutes remaining.

UAlbany outscored the Raiders 12-2 over the next three minutes to give the Great Danes a 75-52 lead with 4:05 on the clock. Aiken, who made 7-of-11 from the floor, nailed her fourth 3-pointer of the game in the late going. Peterson drained two more free throws in the closing seconds to set the final 24-point margin.

“I knew we had more talent than we had shown,” said UAlbany head coach Trina Patterson, whose team played a pair of tight games with Indiana and St. Bonaventure to start the season. “We just needed to get ourselves going. Our constant pressure wears our opponents down.”

Aiken, who played in 20 minutes off the bench for the Great Danes, finished with a team-high five assists and added two steals. Higy added 19 points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Sophomore guard Britney McGee also added double-digit points, netting 15 on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor and a 4-of-4 performance from the free throw line.

Sami Kozlowski led Colgate with 18 points and a game-high seven assists. Krista Moser added 13 points and nine boards while Katie Garman finished with 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc.

“We needed this win,” said Aiken, who reached double figures for the first time as a collegian. “We were getting a little down on ourselves because we knew we could have won those first two games. This is what we needed to do.”

UAlbany will head back to the road to continue non-conference play, visiting La Salle on Monday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.

Men's Basketball Signs Three Student-Athletes for 2008-09 Season During Early Period

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. -- University at Albany men's basketball coach Will Brown announced on Thursday, Nov. 15 that three student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to play for the Great Danes in the 2008-09 academic year. Logan Aronhalt, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound swingman from Zanesville, Ohio (Zanesville H.S.), Jake Lindfors, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward from Addison, Ill. (Driscoll Catholic H.S.), and Anthony Raffa, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard from Strathmere, N.J. (Wildwood Catholic H.S.), each made his commitment during the early signing period.

"All three of these young men are talented and very competitive," Brown offered. "They understand how to play the game and each can really score the ball. They have a strong passion for the game. This group of student-athletes will be welcomed additions to UAlbany, the basketball program and the community."

Aronhalt was named to the 2006-07 Associated Press Division II All-Ohio squad as a first-team selection. He averaged 17.3 points and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting 56 percent from the field and 74 percent from the line. Aronhalt, an honors student, was chosen the Eastern District Player of the Year by a state media panel and was voted as the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League's top player. An honorable mention all-state choice as a sophomore, Aronhalt has led the Blue Devils to three consecutive district titles, and a pair of regional runner-up finishes. His father, Scott, has guided the program as head coach to five league crowns and one state championship.

"He really understands the game as a coach's son," Brown said. "He can score in a variety of ways with his shooting range and ability to both post up and get to the free throw line."

Lindfors, who can play play in the post or move out to the three-point arc, is one of the top fifty prospects in the state of Illinois. He averaged 17.6 points and 9.5 rebounds as a junior and blocked 54 shots. Lindors, who received All-Suburban Athletic Conference recognition, recorded 16 double-doubles as a junior, including a 37-point, 13-rebound performance against Lisle High. His father, Ron, was a collegiate center at both Bradley and Northern Illinois (1980-83).

"He is a very skilled big man who can score on the low block or from beyond the arc," Brown stated. "He has a chance to be a very special player at the next level. Jake had a great summer against some of the best AAU programs and players in the nation."

Raffa, who is currently attending The Winchendon School in Massachusetts, led Wildwood Catholic High to two consecutive NJSIAA Class B state championship appearances. As a second-team Associated Press all-state selection, Raffa averaged 30.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 4.2 steals. He earned first-team All-South Jersey honors and was chosen MVP of the Cape Atlantic National League. Raffa finished his career as the school's all-time scorer with 1,890 points. The Crusaders won back-to-back New Jersey Non-Public Class B South and CAL National crowns. He averaged 22.7 points as a junior.

"He is a high energy lead guard who is very confident and fearless," Brown said. "He can really light up the scoreboard. His year at one of the best prep school basketball programs will help him to progress both academically and athletically."

UAlbany made its second consecutive NCAA appearance after winning the America East Conference championship last season. The Great Danes established the program's Division I standard for single-season victories with a 23-10 record. UAlbany has three seniors on its 2007-08 roster, including Brent Wilson, Brian Lillis and Jon Iati.

2008-09 University at Albany Men's Basketball Signings

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School)

Logan Aronhalt G/F 6-4 215 Zanesville, Ohio (Zanesville)

Jake Lindfors F 6-9 220 Addison, Ill. (Driscoll Catholic)

Anthony Raffa G 6-1 180 Strathmere, N.J. (Wildwood Catholic / The Winchendon School)

Chris Simpson Engineers His Future

Three plus two equal five. Or in sophomore Chris Simpson's case, they add up to a greater opportunity for success.

Simpson, who aspires to become a mechanical engineer, entered UAlbany's unique 3+2 Engineering Program in the spring of his freshman year. Through the program, he'll study at UAlbany for three years and then two at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, just across the Hudson River in Troy, N.Y., and emerge with two bachelor's degrees, one in physics from UAlbany and another in engineering from Rensselaer.

"I've been interested in engineering from the start," said Simpson, a well-rounded scholar-athlete who plays linebacker on the University's Division I football team while carrying a 3.91 GPA. A native of Victor, N.Y., near Rochester, he also handles the more rigorous academic program of the Honors College, and is a Presidential and National Merit Foundation Scholar. The advantage of the UAlbany 3+2 program is "you get a broader education in physics than in the typical engineering program," Simpson said, which he believes will give him a firm foundation for the future.

"The program is challenging, but we find that disciplined and motivated students handle it well," said physics professor Ariel Caticha, Simpson's 3+2 adviser. "Several graduates say that they found our program extremely valuable because it brought a richer perspective to their engineering and physics in terms of real-world experience."

UAlbany's 3+2 P rogram, which is also open to chemistry majors, is also available with Clarkson University, SUNY at New Paltz, and Binghamton University.

By Greta Petry

NEC Championship - UAlbany vs C.Connecticut

NorthEast Conference Championship Game

UAlbany vs. C. Connecticut State

Date: Saturday, November 17, 2007

Time: 12:00 pm

Where: New Britain, CT - CCS Campus - Arute Field

CCS Ticket Office: (860) 832-2583

Directions: Take I-91 South to I-84 West to Exit 39A, to Rt. 9 South. Take Exit 29 off Rt. 9 South to Ella Grasso Boulevard and take a right turn to the University.

Iati Leads UAlbany Men's Basketball Over Central Connecticut In Overtime 63-60

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

New Britain, Conn. -- Senior guard Jon Iati scored 15 points, including a key three-point field goal in overtime, to lift UAlbany to a 63-60 victory over Central Connecticut State on Wednesday evening at Detrick Gymnasium. #Central Connecticut State (0-2) rallied from a 56-51 deficit over the final four minutes. Shemik Thompson, who had 12 points, cut into the lead with a 3-pointer. Following a couple of offensive rebounds, Tristan Blackwood knifed through the lane to hit a one-hander with 16.5 seconds remaining that tied the game at 58-all.

In the extra period, the Blue Devils took a 60-59 lead on Tamir Johnson's free throw. But UAlbany (1-1) responded on its next possession when Brian Lillis converted a layup off a pass from the left wing by Brent Wilson. Iati, who made 5-of-11 from the field, then drilled a three-pointer from the top of the arc with 2::08 to play. Blackwood could only get off a one-handed heave from the right side over the final 10 seconds in an effort to force another overtime.

Tim Ambrose had eight of his 11 points in the first half, as his team held the defending Northeast Conference champions to 41.8-percent shooting. Wilson finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. CCSU's Blackwood and David Simmons had 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Blue Devils had their 11-game home winning streak halted.

"We will not get any style points. They made life very difficult for us, and we struggled with their pressure,” said UAlbany head coach Will Brown. “Central (Connecticut) had all the momentum heading into overtime. They didn't get the same looks that they did late in the second half."

The Great Danes trailed by five early in the opening stanza but came back to tie the contest at 12 apiece. Brent Wilson converted a four-point play to draw his team even when he was fouled on a three-point shot from the left corner. Central Connecticut State later regained the lead as Marcus Palmer canned a 3-point field goal on the left baseline for a 24-22 advantage.

With the game tied at 26, UAlbany ran off eight unanswered points to take a halftime lead. Freshman Al Turley scored in the lane on a high-low exchange from Brian Connelly to ignite the run. Tim Ambrose, who was making his first appearance of the season, added six straight, including an offensive rebound basket with 24 seconds left in the period.

"We were in the same situation against Bucknell and we wanted to change that,” said Iati, who played 35 minutes off the bench. “We wanted to learn from our mistakes. It's a win on the road despite not playing to our potential. Our defense was good. They were forced into tough shots, but we didn't always get the rebound."

UAlbany Places Four on Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Northeast Region Team

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. – UAlbany’s Michelle Simpson earned Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Northeast Region honors for the second consecutive season, highlighting four Great Danes on the squad. Simpson, along with freshman Anouk Vandenberg, earned first team accolades, while junior goalkeeper Ashley Ross and sophomore Nicole Savage were named to the second team.

Simpson earned America East Conference First Team honors for the second straight year after finishing with 13 goals and eight assists for 34 total points as a senior. Vandenberg was named to the all-conference first team and all-rookie squad after finishing the season ranked first in the conference and seventh in the nation with 13 assists.

Ross, an all-conference first-team member for the second time, earned Northeast second team accolades after compiling five shutouts and a 1.14 goals against average, putting her sixth in the country. Savage led the team with 14 goals and added three assists for 31 total points, en route to being named to the all-conference second team.

UAlbany finished the season at 15-5 overall after falling to conference champion Boston U. in the America East Championship on Nov. 4.

UAlbany Seeded Third For America East Conference Volleyball Championship

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Cambridge, Mass. – The 2007 America East Conference Volleyball Championship seedings have been finalized with regular-season champion Stony Brook earning the No. 1 seed and the right to host the four-team tournament that will be held at Stony Brook Arena on November 17-18.

Stony Brook (23-7, AE 11-1) will face No. 4 Binghamton (16-17, AE 7-5) on Saturday at 1 p.m., while the second semifinal at 3:30 p.m. will feature No. 3 UAlbany (19-9, AE 8-4) squaring off against No. 2 New Hampshire (19-8, AE 8-4). Winners of each semifinal match will play for an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Great Danes, who are making their sixth consecutive trip to the conference postseason and have won two of the last three A-East championships, have been led offensively by freshman Amanda Cowdrey (3.47 kills/game), senior Ashley Crenshaw (3.42 kpg) and junior Kamisha Kellam (3.27 kpg). The trio all rank in the top-ten in the league in kills. Freshman setter Brooke Stanley ranks fourth in the conference in assists (10.45 pg) and is second in service aces (0.46 pg). Defensively, freshman lilbero Tahny Dahmes leads the team and is fifth in the league in digs per game with 4.24 and Kellam averages 1.05 blocks per game.

New Hampshire swept the regular-season series over UAlbany, winning in University Gym, 3-2, on Oct. 5 and taking the season finale on Nov. 11 by a score of 3-1. The Wildcats have relied on the offensive production of Kirsten Bates and Emmy Blouin. Bates is third in the league in points with 4.33 per game, while Blouin is averaging 4.28 points per game. Libero Alyse Lahti is leading the defensive charge, as she ranks first in the conference with 4.78 digs per game.

In the other semifinal, Stony Brook, who fell in last year’s tournament semifinal to eventual champion UAlbany, will continue their quest for the program’s first-ever league title. The Seawolves grabbed a pair of wins over Binghamton in the regular season, winning both matches by 3-1 scores. The Bearcats won the conference crown in 2005.

Live scoreboards and statistics for all matches of the 2007 America East Volleyball Championship will be made available on www.AmericaEast.com.


2007 America East Conference Volleyball Championship

Stony Brook Arena (Stony Brook, N.Y.)


Saturday, November 17

Semifinal #1: No. 4 Binghamton at No. 1 Stony Brook, 1:00 p.m.

Semifinal #2: No. 3 UAlbany vs. No. 2 New Hampshire, 3:30 p.m.



Championship: Sunday, November 18

Winner Semifinal #1 vs. Winner Semifinal #2, 1:00 p.m.

UAlbany Women's Basketball Drops 64-62 Decision To St. Bonaventure

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

St. Bonaventure, N.Y. – Dana Mitchell scored in the lane with 20.3 seconds left and the St. Bonaventure defense held UAlbany scoreless for the final seconds to lead the Bonnies to a 64-62 win in non-conference women’s basketball action on Tuesday evening at the Reilly Center.

UAlbany sophomore TaNika Thrower tied the game at 59-59 with 1:21 left to play, hitting a jump shot from the foul line as she fell backwards. Armelia Horton gave St. Bonaventure back the lead, 61-59, collecting a rebound from her own blocked shot and laying the ball in with 46 seconds on the clock. Charity Iromuanya made a steal under the basket for the Great Danes and put the ball in the basket with 27.9 ticks remaining to tie the game at 62-62.

UAlbany was forced to foul with just 3.8 remaining, but Erica Schiefen missed her first foul shot, giving the Great Danes back the ball. Kristin Higy passed the ball downcourt to Thrower, who was unable to get a shot off before time expired, giving the Bonnies the two-point victory.

St. Bonaventure (3-0) outscored the Great Danes 14-4 to start the second half before Higy hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc at 12:48 to pull within 12, 48-36. Horton and Scheifen both made two free throws to give the Bonnies a 50-40 lead with just over ten minutes to play. The Great Danes continued to go to the basket, pulling within 59-56 with just over two minutes to play, as Thrower got to the line on consecutive possessions and made four straight free throws to score four of her 16 total points.

"We just got started too late,” said head coach Trina Patterson. “If we played 40 minutes like we played the last seven or eight, I really believe we would have won this game. We couldn't make the plays at the end to get the win."

UAlbany (0-2) took a 13-11 lead at 13:33 in the first half as Higy, who led the team with 20 points, hit back-to-back three pointers. After Katelyn Murray pulled the Bonnies to within a point, 13-12, with one free throw at 12:39, Thrower converted one of two from the stripe to give the Great Danes back their two-point lead at 11:43.

Thrower then hit consecutive shots, one from the top of the key followed by a 3-pointer, to give the Great Danes a 19-18 lead. After exchanging baskets, St. Bonaventure took a one-point lead, 24-23, on two free throws by Mitchell at 6:16.

The Bonnies increased their lead, scoring six unanswered points before UAlbany’s Joy Sterling found the basket at 2:08 to pull the Great Danes within five, 30-25. Mitchell dropped a jump shot in an attempt to pull St. Bonaventure away, but Sterling struck again with 1:29 left in the half to keep the Great Danes within striking distance. Scheifen scored two of her 10 first-half points with just over a minute remaining, but Thrower hit a running jumper in the lane with less than a minute to play to set the deficit at five, 34-29, as the teams headed to the locker room at the halftime break.

Mitchell and Horton each scored a team-high 16 points for the Bonnies, while Schiefen and Tiara Johnson pulled down a game-high eight rebounds each. Iromuanya and Sherri Mikus came off the bench to each grab a team-leading five rebounds for the Great Danes.

UAlbany Athletics - Dane Zone Webcasting of Live Basketball

UAlbany is excited to offer the Dane Zone, your online destination for exclusive LIVE & on-demand streaming video & audio straight to your computer. This broadband video channel is the ultimate place for UAlbany fans on the web!

The Dane Zone can be accessed through UAlbanySports.com , the Official Website of UAlbany Athletics, or go directly to the Dane Zone Registration Page .

There will be 20 live men's and women's basketball games covered. Coverage begins Thursday, when the women's basketball team squares off against Colgate.

Sign up now... the 2007/08 Dane Zone is free the entire season.

David McCarty Named NEC Offensive Player of the Week; Football Remains Third in Mid-Major Polls

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Somerset, N.J. – University at Albany’s David McCarty has been selected as the Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Week in football for his performance in last Saturday’s 21-3 victory over Monmouth, as announced by the conference office on Monday, Nov. 12. McCarty, a sophomore tailback from Gansevoort, N.Y., earned the weekly award for the third time this season.

McCarty rushed 28 times for 167 yards and one touchdown against Monmouth. His 67-yard scoring run on a third-and-four play sealed the outcome with 4:07 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Great Danes clinched a share of the conference title with the win. McCarty ran for 100 or more yards for the fourth consecutive game and sixth time this season.

McCarty is ranked 18th nationally among the NCAA Division I FCS rushing leaders at 112.2 yards per game. He became the seventh player in the UAlbany program’s history to reach the 1,000-yard mark last week. McCarty currently has 1,122 yards, the third-best mark in school annals, and nine touchdowns.

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UAlbany's Single-Season Rushing Leaders

1,524, Gary Jones (2003, 211 carries)

1,509, Gary Jones (2002, 231 carries)

1,122, David McCarty (2007, 184 carries)

1,043, Nicholas Bazan (2004, 194 carries)

1,041, Brian Manigault (2000, 187 carries)




UALBANY REMAINS THIRD IN NATIONAL DIVISION I FCS MID-MAJOR POLLS


Albany, N.Y. – Following their 21-3 victory over Northeast Conference opponent Monmouth last Saturday, UAlbany stayed in the third position in both The Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Top 10 Mid-Major Poll and Football Gazette mid-major rankings.

The Great Danes, who established the program’s Division I FCS record by winning their sixth straight game last week, are also receiving votes in all three national top-25 polls, including the FCS Coaches and The Sports Network.

UAlbany (7-3, NEC 5-0) has clinched a share of its first conference title since 2003. The Great Danes can win the championship outright at Central Connecticut State this Saturday. Kickoff is 12 noon. The winner of the game will represent the NEC in the Gridiron Classic on Dec. 1 against Dayton, the Pioneer Football League co-champion.

UAlbany’s defense moved up to 14th among the FCS national leaders in rushing yards allowed (111.8 ypg), 16th in scoring against (17.7 ppg) and 27th in total defense (325.5 ypg). The Great Danes are 21st in rushing offense at 203.9 yards per game.

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THE SPORTS NETWORK: 1. Dayton, 2. San Diego, 3. Albany, 4. Morehead State, 5. Iona, 6. Duquesne, 7. Central Connecticut State, 8. Drake, 9. Davidson, 10. Wagner.

FOOTBALL GAZETTE: 1. Dayton, 2. San Diego, 3. Albany, 4. Morehead State, 5. Davidson, 6. Drake, 7. Duquesne, 8. Monmouth, 9. Wagner, 10. Iona.

NEC Football Championship Game - UAlbany vs C.Connecticut

2007 NEC Football Standings
including games played through 11/10/2007

1. Albany.......... 5-0, 7-3
2. C.Conn......... 4-1, 6-4
3. Wagner........ 3-3, 6-4
4. R.Morris....... 3-3, 4-6
5. Monmouth..... 3-3, 3-6
6. St.Francis..... 2-4, 2-7
7. Sacred Heart.. 0-6, 3-8

UAlbany has clinched a share of its first conference title since 2003. The Great Danes can win the championship outright at Central Connecticut State this Saturday. Kickoff is 12 noon.

NorthEast Conference Championship Game
UAlbany vs. C. Connecticut State
Date: Saturday, November 17, 2007
Time: 12:00 pm
Where: New Britain, CT - CCS Campus - Arute Field
Directions: Take I-91 South to I-84 West to Exit 39A, to Rt. 9 South. Take Exit 29 off Rt. 9 South to Ella Grasso Boulevard and take a right turn to the University.
CCS Ticket Office: (860) 832-2583

The winner of the game will represent the NEC in the Gridiron Classic on Dec. 1 against Dayton, the Pioneer Football League co-champion.

UAlbany Volleyball Drops Regular-Season Conference Finale to New Hampshire, 3-1

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Durham, N.H. – Kirsten Bates recorded a double-double with 20 kills and 17 digs to lead New Hampshire to a 3-1 win over UAlbany in America East Conference volleyball action on Sunday afternoon, in the regular-season conference finale. With the win, the Wildcats claim the second seed in the conference tournament with an 8-4 league record, including a season-sweep of the Great Danes. UAlbany, which also finished 8-4 in conference play, will be seeded third in the championship field.

Freshman outside hitter Amanda Cowdrey finished with 16 kills and 15 digs to lead the Great Danes, while sophomore Valerie Sourbeer added 15 kills for UAlbany. Junior middle blocker Kamisha Kellam added 11 kills and three block assists. Senior middle blocker Ashley Crenshaw totaled five kills, and now has 999 in her four-year career with the Great Danes. Freshman setter Brooke Stanley had 44 assists while freshman libero Tawny Dahmes led the team defensively with a match-high 24 digs.

Emmy Blouin added 15 kills, eight digs and three service aces for the Wildcats, while Jessica Compton finished with 11 kills and three block assists. Setter Sara Heldman recorded a match-high 46 assists, while libero Alyse Lahti tallied 23 defensive digs for New Hampshire (19-8, AE 8-4).

UAlbany (19-8, AE 8-4) will travel to regular-season champion Stony Brook for the America East Conference Championship on Saturday, Nov. 17 and Sunday, Nov. 18.

UAlbany Dane Zone - Live Webcasting

Thu Nov 15,2007 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Women vs. Colgate
Sat Nov 17,2007 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs. Columbia
Tue Nov 20,2007 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs. Lehigh
Sun Nov 25,2007 2:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs.Sacred Heart
Wed Dec 5,2007 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Women vs. Buffalo
Sat Dec 15,2007 2:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs. St.Francis
Sat Dec 22,2007 2:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Women vs. Marist
Sat Dec 22,2007 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs. Boise State
Fri Dec 28,2007 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Women vs.St.Francis
Sun Dec 30,2007 7:50 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs. Iowa State
Sun Jan 6,2008 1:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs. Vermont
Sat Jan 12,2008 2:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs. Binghamton
Sun Jan 13,2008 2:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Women vs. Maine
Tue Jan 22,2008 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Women vs. UMBC
Wed Jan 23,2008 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs. Maine
Wed Jan 30,2008 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Women vs. Bingham
Sat Feb 2,2008 4:30 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Women vs. St Brook
Sat Feb 2,2008 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs. St Brook
Wed Feb 6,2008 12:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Women vs. BU
Wed Feb 6,2008 7:00 PM (ET) BB - UAlbany Men vs. N Hampshire

It looks as though the following games will be webcasted beyond Feb 6

Women:
Feb 10 NH
Feb 16 VT
Feb 27 HTF

Men:
Feb 9 HTF
Feb 20 UMBC
Mar 2 BU

UAlbany Captures Share of Northeast Conference Title With 21-3 Victory

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

West Long Branch, N.J. - David McCarty rushed for 167 yards and one touchdown and Justin Gannon scored on an 87-yard screen pass in the fourth quarter as UAlbany rallied in the second half for a 21-3 victory over Monmouth in Northeast Conference play on Saturday afternoon at Kessler Field.

UAlbany (7-3, NEC 5-0) clinched a share of its first conference title since 2003. The Great Danes can win the championship outright at Central Connecticut State next week. The winner of the game will represent the NEC in the Gridiron Classic on Dec. 1 against the Pioneer Football League champion.

The Great Danes used their special teams and defense to break a 3-3 deadlock late in the third quarter. After punter Chris Lynch blasted a 69-yard kick that went out at the Monmouth one-yard line, sophomore linebacker Justin Brancaccio tackled tailback David Sinisi in the end zone for a safety. UAlbany's Mike Wall later blocked a punt with his left hand to set up Jason Fralicker's 40-yard field goal and an 8-3 lead.

The fourth quarter also produced two long scoring plays that broke the game open. In a third-and-30 situation from his own 13, sophomore tailback Justin Gannon gathered in a screen pass in the right flat and cut through a group of blockers on the sideline for a touchdown with 6:02 remaining. The 87-yard play was the third longest pass in school history.

"I looked straight ahead and the seam opened up,” Gannon explained. “I just tried to keep my balance and get to the end zone. I saw our team's reaction and I knew we were in a good position to win the game. Our defense just wasn't going to allow them to score."

McCarty, who rushed 28 times to reach the 100-yard rushing mark for the fourth straight game and sixth time this season, later turned a third-down run into a 67-yard TD. He seemed to be trapped on the right sideline, but then eluded a couple of defenders as he busted out of the pack en route to paydirt.

Monmouth quarterback Brett Burke completed 20 of 33 passes for 138 yards and had one interception. L.B. McCloskey picked off that throw which led to a 22-yard field goal that tied the contest in the third quarter. Sinisi, the nation's 10th-leading rusher with a 125.0 average, was held to 59 yards on 24 carries.

"They have proved that they are a good team that is well-coached throughout the year,” said UAlbany coach Bob Ford, whose team had lost four straight in this series, including a pair of last-second decisions. “We had to battle through adversity. The defense held us in there and the special teams were superb. David McCarty ran hard throughout the game and we were able to come up with some big plays."

The opening half produced an unexpected defensive struggle with both teams combining for just over 100 yards apiece. The Hawks capitalized on UAlbany's first fumble of the season when receiver Daniel Bocanegra coughed up the ball at his own 40 after making a first-down catch. After Monmouth (3-6, NEC 3-3) ran 12 plays, placekicker Fred Weingart booted a 30-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

The Great Danes' offense sputtered throughout the first two periods with poor field position and a pair of fumbles. Monmouth's defense did not allow the visitors past midfield until the last series of the half, when quarterback Vinny Esposito's heave to the end zone was knocked down to the turf.

"We knew what kind of offense they have,” offered senior linebacker Colin Disch, who had a team-high nine tackles. “We had confidence in ourselves that we could weather the storm. It was a team effort. It didn't decide the conference, but the win meant a lot to me personally and for the juniors and seniors who had never beaten them."

Men's Basketball Begins 2007-08 Campaign with 55-52 Loss Against Patriot League Power Bucknell

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

Lewisburg, Pa. – Patrick Behan scored a team-high 16 points to lead Bucknell to a 55-52 season-opening win over UAlbany on Saturday, Nov. 10 before a crowd of 4,056 at Sojka Pavilion. It was the first time in the past four seasons that the Great Danes have not won their season lid-lifter.

Late in the second half, the Great Danes made it a one-point game as junior Jerel Hastings was fouled on a jumper in the lane, and converted the free throw that followed, to set the score at 36-35 with 13:05 on the clock. After back-to-back scores by Bucknell’s G.W. Boon put the Bison back in front, senior guard Jon Iati hit his third 3-pointer of the game to tie the score at 38-38 with 11:57 left to play.

After nearly three scoreless minutes, Bucknell broke the tie at 9:15 as Behan layed the ball into the basket in the paint. The Bison added to their lead as junior guard Justin Castleberry hit two free throws, but Josh Martin responded with a 3-pointer for UAlbany at 7:39 to keep the Great Danes within one, 42-41.

UAlbany (0-1) took its first lead of the game, 49-48, at 1:43 as Lillis hit a jumper from just inside the arc as the shot clock expired. Coming out of the ensuing Bucknell timeout, Griffin hit a three to put the Bison back on top by two, 51-49, with just over a minute left to play.

Castleberry scored the final points for Bucknell, hitting a jumper with 13.5 seconds on the clock and making two free throws with five ticks left. Martin hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for UAlbany to set the final three-point margin.

“This is a tough place to play,” said UAlbany head coach Will Brown, whose team defeated Bucknell, 55-49, in the last year's opener at SEFCU Arena. “They are so well coached, they have a methodical style and they wait for you to break down. Their shooting percentage wasn’t much better than ours, but they made the big plays when it mattered.”

Bucknell jumped out to an early 8-2 lead on back-to-back baskets by Stephen Tyree and Patrick Behan, which followed two made free throws by John Griffin. Griffin went to the stripe prior to tip-off, as UAlbany was issued a technical foul during warm-ups. Senior Brian Lillis scored the first points for the Great Danes at 17:59.

Bucknell (1-0) added to its lead, taking a 24-16 advantage into a media timeout at 3:11 of the first half, as Behan made back-to-back baskets. Tyree missed a jumpshot just outside the lane, but gathered his own rebound and handed off to Behan under the basket at 4:53 to put the Bison up, 20-16. Behan added two more at 3:43 on a spinning move to the hoop.

Iati scored six of his eight first-half points in the closing minutes of the first stanza, as he hit back-to-back three pointers to pull the Great Danes within 28-22 at the halftime break.

“We all agreed that we came out more not to lose instead of playing to win,” offered Lillis, who scored a career-high 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting and added four assists. “We lost this together. We need to do whatever we have to do to win. I’d rather score zero [points] and get a win than score 20.”

UAlbany pulled within two, 28-26, scoring the first points of the second half, and held Bucknell scoreless for the first three and half minutes of the stanza. The Bison broke their scoring drought at 16:33, as junior center Josh Linthicum hit two free throws.

Iati finished with 11 points for the Great Danes. Senior Brent Wilson grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Castleberry scored 11 points while Tyree grabbed a game-high 13 boards for Bucknell.

Estremera Places 41st, Cummings 42nd at NCAA New England Regionals

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Boston, Mass. – UAlbany’s Ricardo Estremera placed 41st and Laura Cummings finished 42nd to lead the Great Danes men’s and women’s teams at the 2007 NCAA Division I Cross Country New England Regional hosted by Harvard at Franklin Park on Saturday, Nov. 10.

In the men’s race, Estremera completed the 10K course in a time of 31:02.00 to place 41st. Junior Brian Yurkewecz placed 102nd in 32:06.90 as the only other Great Dane to complete the course.

On the women’s side, Cummings covered the 6K course in 21:49.30 to finish 42nd. Freshman Kristine Mun crossed the finish line in 23:08.00 to place 123rd and senior Jessica Chichester finished 152nd in 23:34.95 to round out the Great Dane finishers.

The UAlbany men return to action on Saturday, Nov. 10 at Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, N.Y. for the IC4A Championships at 10:30 a.m., while the women compete in the ECAC Championships at 11:15 a.m.
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Men’s Championship (10,000 meters)
Team Scores:

1. Iona (37), 2. Providence (46), 3. Syracuse (132), 4. Brown (188), 5. Cornell (193), 6. Dartmouth (197), 7. Harvard (201), T8. Stony Brook (268), T8. Yale (268), 10. Columbia (275).

Individual:
1. Max Smith (Providence), 29:58.75, 2. Hayden McLaren (Providence), 30:00.95, 3. Abraham Ng’Etich (Iona), 30:01.10, 4. Harbert Okuti (Iona), 30:04.50, 5. Andrew Ledwith (Iona), 30:04.70, 6. Patrick Mellea (Boston College) 30:04.80, 7. John Mickowski (Army), 30:07.35, 8. Sage Canaday (Cornell), 30:13.25, 9. Jeff Scull (Syracuse), 30:14.35, 10. Ahmed Haji (Providence), 30:14.95.

UAlbany Finishers:
41. Ricardo Estremera (31:02.0), 102. Brian Yurkewecz (32:06.90).

Women’s Championship (6,000 meters)
Team Scores:
1. Providence (73), 2. Stony Brook (118), 3. Boston College (132), 4. Syracuse (139), 5. Brown (142), 6. Columbia (165), 7. Cornell (200), 8. Harvard (218), 9. Boston U. (225), 10. Yale (251).

Individual:
1. Danette Doetzel (Providence), 20:28.00, 2. McKayla Plank (Iona), 20:30.40, 3. Lindsay Donaldson (Yale), 20:31.30, 4. Katie DiCamillo (Providence), 20:35.35, 5. Carmen Ballard (Columbia), 20:42.50, 6. Krystal Douglas (Providence), 20:53.95, 7. Smita Gupta (Brown), 20:54.25, 8. Catherine Parker (New Hampshire), 20:57.30, 9. Nichole Lister (Boston College), 20:57.90, 10. Andrea Walkonen (Boston U.), 21:01.35.

UAlbany Finishers:
42. Laura Cummings (21:49.30), 123. Kristine Mun (23:08.0), 152. Jessica Chichester (23:34.95).

Indiana Rallies in Second Half to Defeat UAlbany, 67-59, in Women's Basketball Season Opener

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Bloomington, Ind. – Amber Jackson scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Indiana rallied in the second half for a 67-59 victory over UAlbany in the season opener for both teams on Friday, Nov. 9 at Assembly Hall.

Indiana (1-0) trailed 45-37 early in the final period, but then regrouped with 11 unanswered points. Jori Davis made a conventional three-point play when she was fouled on a layup to slice the deficit to one. The freshman guard then put her team ahead for good with an offensive rebound of Jamie Braun’s missed shot. Jackson, a 6-foot-2 junior who made 10-of-14 from the floor, completed the outburst with a jumper.

The Hoosiers, who posted a 19-14 record and advanced to the WNIT’s third round last season, still led 53-49 after UAlbany’s Gia Sanders hit a layup following Joy Sterling’s offensive rebound. Indiana’s Jackson, a transfer from San Jose State where she was a first-team all-conference selection, made another jumper and Braun connected on a fastbreak layup to push their team’s advantage to six points with 5:52 remaining.

“This is the strongest opening game that we have played since I have been here,” UAlbany coach Trina Patterson said. “It was encouraging to see the defensive intensity and high tempo. We want to be the most athletic team in the (America East) conference. And if our kids are out there flying around who knows what could happen.”

The Great Danes, who opened on the road for the ninth time in the last 10 years, trailed early on, but then ran off 14 consecutive points to build a 19-10 margin. Sophomore Britney McGee canned a pair of three-point field goals in that stretch. Indiana guard Nikki Smith later tied the contest at 24 apiece with a layup. However, UAlbany responded with 10 of the game’s next 11 points to take a 34-25 halftime lead. TaNika Thrower, who returned the floor for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign after a medical redshirt season, made two free throws and put back a missed shot in that span. Sanders, a 6-foot-1 senior, converted a fastbreak after her steal with 22 seconds left in the period.

UAlbany (0-1) moved out to a 41-27 cushion in the opening two minutes of the second half. Higy, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds, scored off the offensive glass, before Tiffanie Johnson drilled a jumper. Freshman guard Janea Aiken then canned a three-pointer to give the Great Danes their biggest lead.

“We outrebounded team, had more offensive rebounds, and had had the same number of turnovers,” explained Patterson, whose squad dropped a 75-46 decision to Wisconsin last December in the program’s first-ever meeting with a Big Ten Conference team. “The big difference in the game is who went to the free throw line. They had 23 points from the line and that’s the difference right there.”

Braun, a sophomore guard who was the Big Ten’s top bench player last year, finished with 14 points. Whitney Thomas, a 6-foot junior, had nine of her 11 points after the intermission. The Hoosiers shot just 37 percent, including 0-for-14 from the three-point arc, but offset that shooting by making 23-of-34 from the foul line. UAlbany’s Sanders posted her second career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. A member of the 2007 America East all-defensive team, Sanders added four blocked shots and three steals.

“We are playing with more intensity,” offered Sanders, whose team finished 9-22 overall last year and was picked to finish eighth in the conference’s preseason poll. “Our defense was much more aggressive and our offense was efficient. We had great team chemistry, especially off the bench. We have a spark that last year’s team did not have.”

Eckhardt Leads UAlbany to 3-0 Sweep Maine

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Orono, ME – UAlbany’s Kate Eckhardt recorded a game-high 17 kills to lead the Great Danes to a 3-0 sweep of Maine in America East Conference volleyball action on Friday, Nov. 9 at Memorial Gymnasium. UAlbany completed the sweep of the season series by winning 30-24, 30-27, and 30-20.

Eckhardt landed 17 kills for a hitting percentage of .593 and recorded eight digs in the match. Brooke Stanley posted a match-high 26 assists to go along with eight digs. Valerie Sourbeer (10) and Kamisha Kellam (10) also landed double-digit kill totals in the contest. Samantha Jacobson posted 15 assists for the Great Danes, while Tawny Dahmes registered a team-high 16 digs.

Laura Goettsch posted a double-double for the Black Bears with a team-high 11 kills and 12 digs. Lindsay Allman (18) and Ashlee Wright (13) joined Goettsch in having double-digit digs. Paige Tortorello registered 20 assists and Jessica Wolfenden had 14 assists for Maine (3-22, AE 2-10).

UAlbany (19-8, AE 8-3) closes out its America East regular-season slate on Sunday, Nov. 4 at New Hampshire at 1p.m. The Great Danes, who have already clinched an America East postseason tournament berth for the sixth consecutive year, have won six of their last seven matches.


UAlbany (19-8, AE 8-3) def. Maine (3-22, AE 2-10), 3-0 (30-24, 30-27, 30-20).

Albany 3, Maine 0 (Nov 09, 2007)

Former UAlbany Basketball Star Jason Siggers Signs to Play Professionally in Denmark

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. – Former University at Albany basketball player Jason Siggers, who played on two America East Conference championship teams, recently signed to play professionally in Denmark. Siggers, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound swingman from Dallas, Texas, is a member of the Bakken Bears, a first division team. Bakken formed in 1962 and plays in Aarhus, the second largest city in Denmark with a population of 280,000. The Bears have been crowned Danish League champions in three of the last four years.

Siggers, a first-team All-America East Conference selection, averaged 13.9 points and 3.9 rebounds as a senior, plus made 46 three-point field goals. He had 14 points, including 11 in the second half, in the Great Danes’ 60-59 victory over Vermont in the 2007 conference championship final. He was named to the America East all-championship squad. He tallied a career-high 34 points, the third-highest single-game total in the program’s Division I history, against Vermont in the regular season. He also had a memorable outing in a 59-58 upset at Utah, when he struck for 22 points by canning six three-pointers.

Siggers came off the bench in his first season with the UAlbany program in 2005-06 after transferring from New Mexico Junior College. He averaged 5.0 points in 32 games as the Great Danes won the conference title en route to the men’s basketball team’s first-ever NCAA Division I appearance.

Defensive End Jon Volpe Chosen to ESPN The Magazine District I Academic All-America Football Team

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Washington, D.C. – University at Albany’s Jon Volpe has been selected to the ESPN The Magazine District I Academic All-America squad as chosen by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) on Thursday, Nov. 8. Volpe, a senior defensive end, was voted to the academic team for the second straight year.

Volpe, who has a 3.41 cumulative grade point average, earned his undergraduate degree last May in business administration/finance with a minor in education. He is enrolled in the school’s information assurance graduate program. Volpe has 23 tackles with 5.5 hits for a loss and 3.0 sacks for minus-18 yards in nine starting assignments this season. He has been named to the Northeast Conference Academic Honor Roll three years in a row. UAlbany (6-3, NEC 4-0) is ranked 13th in rushing yards allowed (112.9 ypg), 21st in scoring defense (19.3 ppg) and 32nd in total defense (334.6 ypg) among the NCAA Division I FCS national leaders.

Ian Peach On America East All-Rookie Team, Steward Ceus On All-Academic Squad

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Cambridge, Mass. – UAlbany freshman Ian Peach has been named to the America East Conference All-Rookie Team and junior goalkeeper Steward Ceus was named to the America East All-Academic Team, as announced by the conference office on Thursday, Nov. 8.

Peach, a forward from South Hempstead, N.Y., finished tied for sixth on the team in scoring with two points. He tallied one goal in his first season with the Great Danes and led the team in shots (30) in 16 games played, including 14 starts. Peach, the Great Danes’ fourth America East All-Rookie selection in the last three seasons and seventh in the program’s history, scored his first career goal in the fifth minute of a 1-1 draw against Syracuse on Sept. 12.

Ceus, a biology major from West Haverstraw, N.Y., started all 17 games and played every minute in net for the Great Danes this season. He led the America East for the second consecutive season in saves with 83 and posted a 1.59 goals against average, along with registering three shutouts. Ceus also earned his first career point with an assist in the Great Danes’ 2-1 season-opening win over Adelphi on Aug. 31.

UAlbany wrapped up its season with a 3-10-4 overall record and a 2-3-3 record in the America East, finishing just two points shy of making the conference’s postseason tournament for the fourth consecutive season.

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2007 America East Conference All-Rookie Team

Ian Peach, Fr., F, UAlbany, Kyle Manscuck, Fr., B, Binghamton, Aaron O’Neal, Fr., F, Boston U., Matthew Shea, Fr., M, Boston U., Jamie Thomas, Fr., M, Hartford, Adam Baxter, Fr., M, Maine, Levi Houapeau, Fr., F, UMBC, B.J. Quigley, Fr., F, UMBC, Chris Williams, Fr., B, UMBC, Maurice Brown, Fr., F, Stony Brook, Mark Secko, Fr., M, Stony Brook


2007 America East Conference All-Academic Team

Steward Ceus, Jr., UAlbany, Dan Schultz, Jr., Boston U., Matt Narode, Sr., Binghamton, Barry Neville, Jr., Binghamton, Adam Chavez, Sr., Binghamton, Matt Glaeser, Sr., Hartford, Petar Rakovic, So., Stony Brook, Jordan Crasilneck, Jr., Vermont, Panos Georgiadis, Sr., Vermont, Loren Hill, Sr., Vermont, Connor Tobin, Jr., Vermont.

Donate to the Great Danes Fund at the Varsity Club level

Stay Connected to UAlbany Athletics - Donate at the Varsity Club Level.

Your commitment to the Varsity Club will help further UAlbany athletics by building our fan base and showing support for our UAlbany teams at home and on the road.

Become a donor to the Great Danes Fund at the Varsity Club level and stay connected through special pregame athletic events, UAlbany trips to away games and much more.

The Great Danes Fund adds monies to the base of athletic scholarships, continues to allow for facility upgrades and enhances recruiting budgets.

Your donation of $100 or more gives you access to pregame activities, a media guide of your choice and a Varsity Club T-shirt!

To make your donation to the Varsity Club, please contact the Alumni Association at: 1-800-836-ALUM (2586), visit Alumni Association or email to: alumniassociation@uamail.albany.edu and make your $100 donation to the Great Danes Athletics

University at Albany Alumni Association

For more than 150 years, the University at Albany Alumni Association has been keeping alumni connected – to each other and to their alma mater. The UAlbany community extends well beyond the campus, with alumni in every state and more than 115 countries, many of whom continue to be engaged in the life of the University and contribute to its successes.

All graduates of the University are automatically considered members of the UAlbany Alumni Association. We invite you to explore the many services and programs offered to you. But, remember, membership is much more than a list of benefits. It’s a life-long connection to a world-wide community. It’s an opportunity to meet new friends, uphold old traditions and give back to the institution that helped shape your life.

Stay Connected. Make UAlbany Stronger

Membership in the Alumni Association doesn’t just keep you connected – it also helps build a stronger University. Alumni Association-sponsored programs, such as student scholarships, Alumni Excellence Awards and the Alumni Ambassador Program, help to advance UAlbany’s priorities and reputation. Please take a few moments to learn how you can be a part of building an even stronger UAlbany!

FIND OUT MORE

AAAS Honors UAlbany Researchers for Studies in Bacterial Genes, Urban Health

Marlene Belfort

University at Albany researchers Lawrence M. Schell and Marlene Belfort have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an honor given to AAAS members by their peers.

Marlene Belfort, who in addition to her faculty position is the director of the Division of Genetics Disorders at the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health, was named an AAAS Fellow for innovative experiments defining intervening sequences in bacterial genes and characterizing these sequences as elements that can hop from place to place in DNA. She received her doctorate in molecular biology from the University of California at Irvine and has been a professor in the UAlbany Department of Biomedical Sciences for more than 20 years.


Lawrence Schell

Lawrence M. Schell was named an AAAS Fellow for pioneering research on the influence of physical and behavioral factors on human growth and health in urban America. He received his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in biological anthropology, and is currently the director at the Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities. His main research focus is the effects of pollutants on the physical and mental growth of children, particularly those from disadvantaged groups.

AAAS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson and professional association. Fellows have been awarded the honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent

CHRIS HEDGES

November 8, Thursday
8:00pm Reading/Talk, Ballroom, Campus Center

Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent and bestselling author, will be a keynote speaker at The Ecologies of War: Life Technologies and Planetary Conflict, a conference that explores 21st century shifts in the political agendas, social orders, and cultural preoccupations of a new horizon of violence and change.

Hedges is the author of War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002), a national bestseller that explores the seductive powers of wartime mythologies. The book was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Hedges shared the 2002 Pulitzer Prize as part of the New York Times reportorial team on global terrorism. His latest book is American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America (2007).

Publishers Weekly said, “this urgent book forcefully illuminates what many across the political spectrum will recognize as a serious and growing threat to the very concept and practice of an open society.” Other books by Hedges include Losing Moses on the Freeway (2005) and What Every Person Should Know About War (2003).

Cosponsored by the Department of English. For additional information on the conference go to: http://albany.edu/english/iccc/ecologies_of_war.html

Hoopville.net previews UAlbany Men's Basketball

Albany Great Danes (23-10, 15-3 in America East, 2nd place 2007. NCAA birth)

Projected Starting Lineup:
G - Josh Martin: 6'2" 200 Frosh.
G - Brian Lillis: 6'5" 225 Senior, 6.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg (2007 Defensive Player of the Year)
F - Jerel Hastings: 6'5" 215, Junior transfer.
F - Brent Wilson: 6'8" 240 Senior, 11ppg, 6rpg.
C - Jimmy Covington: 6'6" 253 Junior 1.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg.



Schedule Highlights:

Coach Will Brown has once again put together a tough non-conference schedule which should test the Danes early, but could also help tremendously in preparing his young team for the conference schedule. Albany begins their season with two road games against Central Connecticut State and Bucknell, whom are both coming off of 22-win seasons. Albany's schedule also features the school's first ever match-up against perennial power Duke. Another first for the Danes is their Dec. 30 game at Iowa State, as the return home for seniors Brian Lillis and Brent Wilson marks the first time Albany will have ever played a team from the Big 12 conference. Albany has also been chosen to participate in ESPN's BracketBusters event for a second straight season. Albany opens at home against Columbia Nov. 17, and also host Lehigh (Nov. 20), Sacred Heart (Nov. 25) and St. Francis, N.Y. (Dec. 15), as well as last years BracketBusters opponent Boise State.

Season Preview:

The job that Coach Will Brown has done at the University of Albany is one of the greatest coaching accomplishments in recent college basketball history: Brown inherited a team still not ready for Division I basketball, and during his first few seasons, Albany struggled to suit up eight players for games and hovered right around the basement of the conference. Brown could have looked for a quick fix: he could have filled his roster with JuCo's, and players of questionable character that no other school would take, however, Brown chose to go another route and build a program for the long haul, which meant building from the ground up.

The culmination of Brown's efforts came in his fifth season, when Albany paced the conference from start to finish, culminating in the school's first ever NCAA tournament birth. The Great Danes lived up to their name when they were minutes away from becoming the first No. 16 seed to ever upset a No. 1 seed in their first round match-up with UConn. Albany returned to the dance last season, and was rewarded with a No. 14 seed, and while they didn't pull off the upset that many analysts had predicted, they once again proved that they belong on the same court as anyone else in the country.

The off-season was not without its drama for the Great Danes, as serious rumors began to swirl that Brown was going to leave the university for a lucrative contract to take the head coaching position at St. Bonaventure's, which would have been devastating to Albany. In the end, however, Albany signed Brown to a long-term contract extension, and his plans for the near future revolve entirely around continuing to ensure that Albany's spot at the top of the conference remains the norm and not a two-year aberration. Brown's plan is to build a basketball program as a community, and team-building trips like Albany's tour of Barbados should become the norm. Brown wants a team that gels together on and off of the court, and is a staple of the Albany University community, saying "To keep this thing going, were going to do it the right way. We're going to bring in quality kids who are good players. We're not going to sacrifice our integrity for a couple of wins."

Albany graduated seniors Jamar Wilson and Jason Siggers, while junior Carl Ross' scholarship was not renewed, and Mike Yocum and Michael Knight transferred out of the program. What Wilson, a fifth-year senior, meant to the program can never be overstated: Wilson was a two-time conference Player of the Year, the kind of guard that opponents need to design their entire defensive schemes around, and by his senior year he was the kind of player that could come in to anyone's court in the country and dominate. But beyond his mere on court abilities, Wilson was a staple not only in the locker room, but in the entire University of Albany community. Wilson came into the program as a freshman when they were struggling simply to find enough bodies to suit up, and when NCAA tournament appearances seemed like pipe dreams. Wilson played a bigger role than anyone other than Coach Brown in transforming Albany into the program that it is today.

Siggers formed an impressive one-two punch with Wilson, as they combined for almost 33 points a game, and were the Great Danes' two leaders in the locker room. With his explosive leaping ability, quick release, and long range, Siggers did a terrific job of opening up and breaking down opposing defenses, while providing stifling defense of his own. Ross was an explosive junior college transfer who provided a spark off the bench, but never seemed to fully fit into the system. Yocum and McKnight played sparingly off of the bench.

While losing Ross, Yocum, and McKnight made the Danes better by freeing up scholarships, the loss of Siggers and Wilson (both on the court and off) can not be over emphasized. With that being said, this Albany team has the talent to be good. Scary good. Brown feels that it is the most talented team that he has ever coached, adding, "You can never say that you are going to be a better team when you lose guys like Jamar and Jason, but this is the deepest and most talented team that I have ever coached. We have guys on this team that can do things that I've never seen before." This would seem like an incredibly bold statement for Brown to make, as Albany is coming off the best two seasons in school history, is fielding a predominantly untested team, and graduated the greatest player to ever suit up for the Danes.

Furthermore, Albany does not have another Jamar Wilson on their roster, not right now at least. They don't have a single player that is going to be able to dominate the conference and carry the team for a season. However, when you actually analyze the overall roster of the 2007-08 version of the Danes, you start to see what Brown is hinting at. The talent that Brown has this year, if it pans out, is unreal, and he has depth at every position, allowing him lineup flexibility that he has never had before, as according to Brown "we're going to go with Brent (Wilson) and Brian (Connelly) in the post without a true center a fair amount this year. We can go four guards, or we can go big with a 6'5", a 6'5", a 6'8", a 6'8", and a 6'11", which in this conference is huge. We're going to go match-up depending on who we play, and were going to switch our lineups up a lot during games as well."

Albany is going to need several players to step up and replace not only the scoring that Wilson and Siggers brought to the court, but also their leadership and locker-room presence, and two players who could fill some of that void are Iowa natives Brian Lillis and Brent Wilson, whom Brown calls his "glue guys." Lillis and Wilson are both senior captains, and both started during Albany's NCAA Tournament games. More importantly, both displayed strong leadership during Albany's trip to Barbados in which they played against the Islands top teams.

Lillis, a physical, lock-down perimeter defender, was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year last season. During his first three seasons in the program, Lillis has done all of the little things that make the Danes go, so to speak, distributing the ball, pulling down tough rebounds, running the offense, and leading the team in floor burns. In his role as a point-forward, Lillis has done everything to make his teammates better, however he has never been asked to score much, which will change drastically this season.

The Danes will need to make up for the scoring that they lost, and Lillis is one of the players that Brown expects to step up. "Were going to need Brian to be a double-figure scorer, I'm not going to say ten points a game or fifteen, but he's going to need to step up as a scorer, said Brown. "Brian has all the talent, we just need him to be a little more selfish on offense."

Lillis has the tools to become a scorer, as he is a solid shooter and an explosive athlete, and at 6'5" and 230 pounds, he presents a tremendous match-up problem in the America East. Lillis can beat his man off of the dribble and nail the long range jumper or take it to the rack and slam it home, he just needs to look for his shot more. But Lillis has shown flashes when needed, perhaps no where more evident then in Albany's dramatic win in last year's Championship game, when in two crucial moments Lillis provided the Danes offense: the first on a back door cut in traffic when Lillis threw down a two-handed slam in traffic, and the second a 25-footer with less than two minutes to play. Lillis will likely start off the season at the point guard position, but by conference time he will be playing the small forward position.

Scoring shouldn't be a problem for Albany's other senior captain, as Brent Wilson has been able to stroke if from downtown since his freshman year. Last season Wilson nailed an amazing 44 percent of his threes, and at 6'8", 240 pounds he has no problem getting his shot off when defended. Wilson's coach has the utmost confidence in him, saying, "this is going to sound like a crazy statement, but I think that Brent Wilson is as good a shooting big man as there is in college basketball, and he can really fill it up from out there." With the weapons that Albany has had during Wilson's first three seasons, he's been allowed to float around on the perimeter, but this year Wilson will see a lot more time in the post, as according to Brown "he's got a great jump hook with both hands, he can face up in the short post and do damage down there. You'll see him more playing within the ten feet to the block range this year."

Wilson has put on a solid ten pounds since last season, but perhaps his biggest change has been his overall toughness, which was on full display during the America East tournament, when after a freak collision with a teammate's knee, Wilson played the entire semifinal game with one eye swollen nearly shut.

Another player who could provide Albany with some scoring punch is Wilson's backup, forward Brian Connelly, a multi-talented bundle of energy on the court whom would arguably start for any other team in the conference. Connelly's high-energy game is amazing when considering that he has a terrible case of diabetes which he has just now learned to control. According to Brown, "there were practices when we thought he was going to pass out, games last year when he was literally too drained, he just couldn't go. But he's really on top of his diet, he's learned how to better control all of the effects of it."

At 6'8" and 230 pounds Connelly has the ball handling skills of a guard, can shoot from outside, take it too the rack. With his diabetes under control Connelly has also turned into quite the explosive athlete, and Brown plans to do everything he can to get him onto the court, including playing him and Brent Wilson side by side in the post, as well as playing Connelly at small forward. With his size in a conference where most teams run three guards on the court, Connelly will provide an incredible mismatch at the 3.

When Albany does go with a center, they are going to have a problem finding playing time for everyone, but Brown describes it as, "a good problem to have, it's a three-headed monster as I call it," with the "three-heads" being Jimmy Covington, Brent Gifford, and Al Turley. Jimmy Covington is a true "blue-collar guy" as Brown puts it, as his bread and butter is providing physicality in the post, setting screens, and pulling down rebounds. Covington spent the off-season further fine-tuning his physique, as according to Brown he is about 6'6" and now up to 253 pounds, and has cut his body fat down to 4-percent.

Brent Gifford came in to the program as a 6'11" 288 pound freshman, and by the season's opening tip-off he had cut his weight down to 240, which speaks to his work ethic. Under ideal circumstances Gifford would have red-shirted and spent the year putting back on good weight, as he ran into a wall halfway into the season. However, Albany was thin in the post and Gifford was forced to play, and at times was spectacular, as he did a fantastic job against Utah's Luke Neville. Gifford isn't particularly quick or athletic in the post, but his basketball IQ is through the roof and he gets some of the best positioning around. Gifford also has a soft touch around the basket, and should be in much better basketball shape having cut another five-percent off of his body-fat, while putting on almost 10 pounds of muscle this off-season.

While Gifford and Covington are experienced, and should see the bulk of the playing time early on, freshman Al Turley's potential and upside far surpass those of either of his upperclassmen counterparts. At 6'7" and 285 pounds, Turley isn't going to get pushed around by anyone in the league, but it's Turley's athleticism that truly separates him, as according to Brown, "he can be a beast physically and athletically in this league, he can stand in his socks underneath the basket, jump up and do a 180 and slam it with two hands, and can run like a deer."

Turley's main challenge will simply be adjusting to the college game, as Brown said he "has to get acclimated to structure, and learn what this league is all about. But he can do things that the other two guys can't, he can drop step it and just dunk it on two guys. He has a chance to just be a freak, you look at him and go this kid should be playing defensive tackle or offensive line for a D-I football team."

Albany's backcourt is a big question, and with Lillis switching to the wing and with the graduation of last years seniors, the Danes' backcourt is untested and unknown, but it might be the deepest position on the team. While Lillis may see some time at the point position in the early going, if everything goes as planned the Danes will see a new face handling the point guard duties. That new face may be freshman Josh Martin, a highly-touted recruit with good size who, coming out of Simon Gratz in Philadelphia, has played against some of the best high school competition in the country. Martin was heavily recruited by several Atlantic-10 schools and had verbally committed to Toledo in December before backing out to be closer to home and attend Albany. Brown hasn't started a freshman at point guard in five years, but look for that to change this year.

The last freshman who started at the point, Jon Iati, may have been considered for the starting point guard duties, but he's coming off back surgery and will be eased back onto the court. When healthy, no one in the conference has as much range from behind the arc as Iati, who never met a three he didn't like. Iati is a big-time shooter with a confidence in his shot far bigger than his 5'9" frame. Iati's lack of fear has been on display throughout his career, like when he nailed eight threes versus UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, or when he nailed a 26-footer with Albany trailing by 1 and less than a minute left at Utah. While Iati's confidence is through the roof, there's no ego on him, as he transitioned from the conference Rookie of the Year as a freshman, to a supporting player by his junior season without making a peep. When he returns Iati should provide instant offense off of the bench.

Jerel Hastings is a 6'5" junior college transfer whom Brown describes as an even more athletic Brian Lillis. Like Lillis, Hastings crashes the boards from the wing or 2-guard, and like Lillis is a phenomenal perimeter defender who Will Brown thinks could win the defensive player of the year award one year. Hastings is also a tremendous athlete who should bring the crowd to their feet with some of his acrobatics around the rim.

Speaking of dunking, Tim Ambrose is already the most athletic player and best dunker in Albany history, despite having yet to play in a game for the purple and gold. Ambrose is a freakish athlete whom many feel is the most explosive player in the conference. Ambrose possesses a combination of strength and athleticism never seen in the America East before. At 5'11" and 225 pounds, Ambrose can bench press over 300 pounds and has a vertical leap well over 40 inches. Brown sums up Ambrose's abilities best: "He goes arm-pits above he rim and can dunk from anywhere within 10 feet of the basket. He has a knack for finding new ways to dunk on people, he's really at a different level."

Ambrose can do more than dunk however, as he sat out his freshman year as a non-qualifier and spent the time working on his game while getting his academics in order. Ambrose can post up and score because of his strength, and has also developed an outside shot, but he should really blossom attacking the basket. For Ambrose, the talent is all there, but he needs to really integrate himself into the college game, as he could have many "oh no, oh no, oh yes" moments during the season, and it wouldn't be surprising for him to lead the Danes in scoring while coming off of the bench.

Reid Anderson has put on 34 pounds since coming in as a freshman last season, and should see significant time this year after spending most of last season on the bench dealing with the effects of mononucleosis. Anderson forms a trio of 6'5" wings with Hastings and Lillis, and like the other two is a very good athlete. Anderson might be the best shooter out of the group, as he has a smooth stroke from downtown and should see significant time at the off-guard and wing positions. Rob Moores, a sophomore JUCO transfer guard, and Billy Allen, a 6'6" freshman forward, round out Albany's squad.

Outlook:

Albany has as much talent as any team in the league, however it is largely untested. Albany could stumble early and often as many of its players get adjusted to Division I college basketball. However, they should be clicking by conference time and should be in a dogfight for first place. It wouldn't be a surprise or an upset for Albany to make a third straight NCAA appearance, and if they do look for them to achieve another first in winning a first round game in the NCAA's.

Albany will be the most explosive team in the conference, and with Ambrose, Turley, Hastings, Lillis, and Anderson among others, the Danes will be a dunk highlight reel waiting to happen. Much of Albany's success depends upon whether Brian Lillis can step into a scorer's role, and how quickly their newcomers adapt to the college game. It is always hard to predict how talent will pan out and develop, however Albany has the talent to be the best team in the league this year.

Field Hockey: Final STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll

Field Hockey: Final STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll

(As of 11/06/2007)

Rank School W-L Points Prev

1 North Carolina (38) 20-0 760 1
2 Wake Forest 14-5 697 3
3 Maryland 17-2 689 2
4 UConn 20-2 628 4
5 Iowa 17-3 615 6
6 Michigan 15-6 561 5
7 James Madison 18-3 517 8
8 Michigan State 16-5 461 7
9 Penn State 13-7 436 9
10 Old Dominion 12-9 374 10
11 BU 17-5 357 13
12 Duke 11-8 299 12
13 Louisville 14-6 240 11
14 American 16-4 215 17
15 Ohio 17-4 197 16
16 BC 12-8 185 14
17 Princeton 13-4 156 18
18 Virginia 11-9 151 19
19 Albany 15-5 142 15
20 Providence 14-8 133 20


OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Stanford University (43), Syracuse University (28), University of Massachusetts (22), Villanova University (17), Temple University (12), Missouri State University (10), Ohio State University (9), Drexel University (8), University of Vermont (6), Lock Haven University (5), University of California, Berkeley (4), Indiana University (3).

Men's Basketball Picked Second in America East Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Cambridge, Mass. – After winning a pair of America East Conference men’s basketball championships and making consecutive NCAA appearances, the University at Albany has been picked to finish second in the 2007-08 conference preseason poll, according to a vote of the league’s head coaches as announced on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The Great Danes begin their schedule on Saturday, Nov. 10 against Bucknell.

Boston University has been installed as the preseason favorite to win this year’s championship. The Terriers, whose selection is based largely on a talented sophomore class, received five first-place votes and 61 total points. UAlbany earned the remaining four first-place votes and had 55 points. Vermont and Binghamton were third and fourth, respectively, in the poll

“It’s a credit to the young men on the past two teams that made the NCAA Tournament that we were picked second and received four first-place votes,” said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team lost two first-team all-conference performers, including Associated Press All-America Jamar Wilson, from last year’s club. “We appreciate how the coaches view us, but we realize that in order to have an opportunity to win a third straight championship there’s a lot of hard work ahead of us. We welcome that challenge as we start the season.”

UAlbany put together another list of impressive accomplishments in 2006-07. The Great Danes, who posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time in 17 years, set the program’s Division I record for most regular-season victories (20) and single-season victories (23). UAlbany (23-10) became the second No. 2 seed to defeat a top seed on its home floor in the conference championship game en route to winning back-to-back titles.

Brent Wilson, a 6-foot-8 senior, was one of five players selected to the 2007-08 America East Preseason All-Conference squad. Wilson, a two-time third-team all-league selection, averaged 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, plus led the team with 71 three-point field goals.

Brian Lillis, a 6’5” swingman, was chosen the conference’s top defensive player one year ago. A contributor in many ways, Lillis averaged 6.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals. Jon Iati, one of the top three-point shooters in the program’s history, provides an offensive spark off the bench. Jimmie Covington (6’7”) and Brian Connelly (6’8”) played in all 33 games last season.

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2007 America East Conference Preseason Men’s Basketball Poll

1. Boston U. (5), 61; 2. Albany (4), 55; 3. Vermont, 50; 4. Binghamton, 45; 5. UMBC, 33; 6. Hartford, 31; 7. Stony Brook, 19; T8. Maine, 15; T8. New Hampshire, 15. ( ) – first-place votes



2007 America East Preseason All-Conference Team

Mike Gordon (Binghamton), Senior, Guard

Brian Hodges (UMBC), Senior, Guard

Tyler Morris (Boston U.), Sophomore, Guard

Mike Trimboli (Vermont), Junior, Guard

Brent Wilson (Albany), Senior, Forward