The Anchor - Spring Sports Preview 3/22/2011

Rhode Island College 2010-2011 Spring Sports Preview

2010-2011 Spring Sports Preview

Rhode Island College Softball

By George Bissell Sports Editor

The Rhode Island College Anchorwomen softball team has evolved into one of the top programs in the country and will be looking to record their 15th consecutive season with a winning record on the diamond this spring.

Head Coach Maria Morin’s squad finished last season with a 24-13 overall record and an 8-6 (fourth place) finish in the Little East Conference. The Anchorwomen eclipsed the 20-win plateau for the 12th consecutive season, but failed to win the LEC Tournament and advance to the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2006. Morin will be at the helm for the 16th consecutive season this spring.

The Anchorwomen have perennially dominated the Little East over the last four seasons thanks to their superstar senior pitcher: Amanda Berard.

Berard was named First Team All-Little East as a junior last year for the second consecutive season. She appeared in 24 games, starting 13 of them. Berard was 9-7 with a 1.96 ERA, 79 strikeouts and five saves in 110.2 innings. She also totaled eight complete games and four shutouts.

Another key returner for the Anchorwomen this season is senior Chelsi Panarelli. Panarelli was named First Team All-Little East at first base for the second consecutive season as a junior. Panarelli played in 37 games, starting all of them.

She batted .390 with 25 runs

scored, 46 hits, 14 doubles, s e v e n home runs, 36 RBI and one stolen base.

Panarelli is also RIC’s all-time leader with 17 career home runs.

Last season’s MVP, shortstop Donielle Mattoon will be back for her senior season as well. Mattoon was named Second Team All-Little East as a shortstop for the second consecutive season as a junior. She played in 37 games, starting all of them. Mattoon batted .431 with 32 runs scored, 47 hits, 13 doubles, four home runs, 26 RBI and four stolen bases.

Sophom o r e standout second base-

Courtesy of GoAnchormen.org

man Marisa Jandreau, who was named Second Team All-Little East as a freshman last season, will be a key contributor this season also. Jandreau played in 36 games, starting 28 of them.

She batted .351 with 17 runs scored, 27 hits, one double, two triples, seven RBI and five stolen bases.

The Anchorwomen will begin the New England portion of their schedule, after going 6-3 on their Florida road trip, on Wednesday, March 23 at Brandeis. RIC opens up LEC play at home on Saturday, April 2 versus Plymouth State University.

Projected Starting Lineup Position

Catcher 1st Base 2nd Base Shortstop 3rd Base Left Field Center Field Right Field Pitcher

Courtesy of GoAnchormen.org

Player

Kayla Jandreau Chelsi Panarelli Marisa Jandreau Donielle Mattoon Christina Bailey Kristina Gingell Amanda Perry Jaci Lata Amanda Berard

2010-2011 Spring Sports Preview

Rhode Island College Baseball

By Shane Bourque Anchor Sports Writer

Spring is finally here and that means one thing, the return of Anchorman baseball.

Rhode Island College finished last season in a third place tie with a 21-18 record and were 8-6 in Little East Conference play. The Anchormen made the playoffs, but lost both Little East Tournament games to end their season prematurely.

Head Coach Scott Virgulak returns for his second season at the helm after helping the Anchormen eclipse the 20-win plateau for the fifth consecutive season last year. Prior to being named the head coach last season, Virgulak was an assistant coach under previous Head Coach Jay Grenier from ‘04-’09. While serving as assistant coach, he worked primarily with position players, but also served as the team’s third base coach during games.

Off the field, he was key in the team’s recruiting efforts and also served as an assistant coach with the NECBL’s most

successful organization, the Newport Gulls.

The cornerstone to the RIC baseball team by virtually any measure is returning senior pitcher/designated hitter Gary Levesque. Levesque was named team MVP and First-Team All-Little East Conference as a pitcher last season. He was also named the LEC Pitcher of the Week three times.

On the mound last season, Levesque was 3-3 in eight games, leading the team in ERA (3.46), strikeouts (51) and complete games (2). In the one game he did not start, Levesque recorded a save. Not only

Courtesy of GoAnchormen.org

is Levesque a dominating presence on the mound, but he can hit as well. At the plate, Levesque hit for a .377 average, led the team in RBI (38), total bases (90) and slugging percentage (.652) last season.

Levesque, a native of East Providence, has been a gamechanger with his bat in the heart of the order and on the mound with his ability to go deep into

games and rack up b i g strikeout totals.

Other key returners this season include junior third baseman/catcher J.P. Stone and classmate shortstop Kyle Allaire. Stone received Second-Team A l l Little East honors as a t h i r d baseman last season, while Allaire served as the Anchormen’s offensive catalyst. Allaire started every game last season hitting for a .331 average. He led the team with 53 hits in 160 at-bats and collected 64 total boses.

Unfortunately for the Anchormen, three quality players finished their college careers last season centerfielder Jared Rossi, first basemen Tim Schabowski and starting pitcher Paul Vatter.

Despite losing the trio of talented seniors to graduation, the Anchormen will once again feature a juggernaut offense, led by the big bats of Levesque and Stone and will look to improve upon their 6.45 team era.

The Anchorm e n s h o u l d continue their success at home and will look to improve upon their 4-8 road record in 2010. With a dominating offense, i t will be up to the pitching staff to lead the Anchormen back to the 20-win range once again this season. The Anchormen have the potential to make it back to the NCAA Regionals and capture their first LEC title since 2005 this season.

The Anchormen will begin the New England portion of the 2011 season, after going 5-4 on their Florida road trip, on the road at Roger Williams University on Wednesday, March 23 at 3:30 p.m. The Anchormen’s first home game of the season will be on Thursday, March 24 against Salem State University at 3:30 p.m.

Projected Starting Lineup Position

Courtesy of GoAnchormen.org

Catcher 1st Base 2nd Base Shortstop 3rd Base Left Field Center Field Right Field Pitcher

Player

Justin Corse Dan Hopkins Joan Mustafa Kyle Allaire Brent Hopkins Ronnie Bracci Kevin Carey Zach Guillette Garry Levasque

2010-2011 Spring Sports Preview

Rhode Island College Golf

By Philip Brodeur Anchor Sports Writer

The Rhode Island College men’s golf team will soon be back in action in the upcoming spring season, looking to rebound after a less than stellar fall season on the links.

The Anchormen will be hosting their first tournament of the season, the RIC Tournament, on their home turf at Triggs Memorial Golf Course.

With the core group of players from the fall returning this spring, the Anchormen will be looking to pick up a couple victories in a jam-packed one month season, which features six tournaments in April.

“This spring season is all about getting better,” said sophomore Kyle Garcia. “My number one priority is getting my swing back into mid-season form after a long winter.”

The Anchormen will be coming back with a vengeance after finishing third out of seven in the Great North Atlantic Conference (GNAC) Championship this fall. They finished just behind two of their biggest rivals, UMass Dartmouth and

Johnson & Wales University, both of which will be hosting their own invitational matches toward the beginning of the season. They lost to both of these teams in their respective matches during last year’s regular season, a record they will certainly be looking to change this time around.

One of the highlights from the fall season was the Anchormen’s second place finish in the RIC Invitational out of a field of 10 teams. They also played well in the NEIGA Championships, finishing 26 of 37 teams which spans Division I through Division III programs.

Another positive note for the Anchormen was the emergence of sophomore standout Kyle Harper, who became the team’s best player in only his second season.

Harper, who was awarded the GNAC Rookie of the Year award and named to the All-Rookie Team during his freshman year, also garnered All-Alliance Honors during the fall season. Harper consistently posted low-scoring and highranking rounds with his best finish coming at the GNAC

Courtesy of What’s News/Eugene St. Pierre

Championships where he finished third overall. Harper also finished in the top three in two other tournaments during the fall season.

Returning for their season in the maroon and gold this spring will be senior captain Bryan Picinisco and classmate Derek Jensen, who have compiled

Courtesy of What’s News/Eugene St. Pierre

two of the greatest careers in program history over the past four years.

Head coach Greg Gammell will once again be at the helm for his fifth season, assisted by Gene St. Pierre. The dynamic coaching duo will be looking to improve on an outstanding 25-8 record which includes three second place finishes in the GNAC Championships. While the spring is not the Anchormen’s championship season, it is a critical time to prepare for the fall and pick up tournament victories.

Notable events to watch for in April begin with the RIC Tournament followed by the UMass Dartmouth and JWU Invitationals, followed quickly by two more one-day matches, all of which lead up to the RIC Invitational to end the season.

Be sure to keep tabs on the Anchormen golfers this spring as they face off with their GNAC rivals throughout the month of April.

2010-2011 Spring Sports Preview

Rhode Island College Outdoor Track and Field

By AJ Clark Anchor Sports Writer

Last year, the Rhode Island College men’s and women’s outdoor Track and field teams finished off their impressive seasons with three student athletes seeing action at the 2010 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Div. III Championships.

For the Anchorwomen, senior Brooke Iby earned All-ECAC honors in the triple jump, placing eighth with a school-record effort (11.27m), and junior Kayla DiBlasi placed 17th in the 100m hurdles (16.04). For the Anchormen, freshman George N’Tow placed 12th in the 400m (49.87).

As a team, the Anchormen placed ninth out of 11 teams and fifth out of six teams in the Little East Conference, while the Anchorwomen placed ninth overall out of 11 teams and fifth out of five teams in the Little East Conference at the 2010 Little East Conference/MASCAC Alliance Championships, hosted by UMass Dartmouth last season. Despite a strong showing by the Anchormen and Anchorwomen, Southern Maine University won the LEC Championship last season for both men and women’s outdoor track and has won each of the past three championships.

Placing for the Anchormen in the LEC Championship were N’Tow, the Little East Rookie of the Year and team MVP, and the 4x400m relay team. Last season as a freshman, N’Tow won the 400m dash and came in fourth in the 200m dash. The 4x400m relay team consisting of all freshmen (N’Tow, Steven Roberts, Shawn Stadnick and Matt Macedo) came in second place. Another notable accomplishment for the team was the

naming of then junior Chris Allegretta to the 2010 Spring All-Academic team.

Now entering his tenth season as the head coach of RIC’s outdoor track team, Kevin Jackson looks to add to his already impressive resume. Jackson, a RIC alumnus, also serves as the men’s and women’s cross-country and indoor track and field head coach. In 20082009, Jackson was named the LEC women’s indoor and outdoor track Coach of the Year. Before taking over at RIC, Jackson was a head coach at Pilgrim High School in Warwick and was the head coach at Hope High School from 1978-1994 prior to taking the Pilgrim coaching spot. While at Hope High School, Jackson coached his squad to six consecutive cross country titles and was named Rhode Island Track and Field Coach of the Year in 1989, 1992 and 1999.

The outlook is bright for the Anchormen this season with the return of N’Tow, who is coming off a fantastic freshman season and looks to do even better in his sophomore season. N’Tow won the LEC Championship and the Coast Guard Invitational in the 400m. He also came in second at the New England Alliance Championship in the same event.

N’Tow is also a part of the

men’s indoor track team and was part of a record-setting 4x400m relay team squad this past season. They had a time of 3:18.84 which set a program record.

The infusion of talented freshmen will also net immediate results for the Anchormen. Freshman star Craig Amado is poised to have a breakout freshman season, coming off an incredible performance during the indoor track and field season in which he finished 11th in the 400m (50.13) at the NCAA Div. III Men’s Indoor

Courtesy of GoAnchormen.

org

Track & Field Champions h i p s hosted by Capital University in Ohio.

Amado set numerous records

during the indoor t r a c k and field season, but is now only focusing on the upcoming outdoor track and field season.

“My expectation for the outdoor season is for everyone to come to practice and work hard,” said Amado. “We had a great indoor season, so now I want everyone to excel more or match their indoor times at least. We have a young team but I expect that we will show other schools we are here to run and do our best no matter who the competition is.”

Senior standout Kayla DiBlasi will lead the charge for the Anchorwomen this season and she will have help from classmates Brooke Iby, Nicole Porier and Katie Desrosiers.

The Anchormen and Anchorwomen open up their respective seasons on Saturday, March 26 at the Westfield State Invitational.

2010-2011 Spring Sports Preview

Rhode Island College Men’s Tennis

By Jack Adamo Anchor Sports Writer

As spring returns, the Rhode Island College men’s tennis team will be taking it’s talents to the Little East Conference this season in search of their first winning season since 2006-07.

Last season, the team was able to fight their way to a 9-6 overall record and a 3-3 record in conference play. Their efforts were good enough to secure a fourth place finish and a home LEC playoff match in the first round. However, the Anchormen’s hopes of an LEC title fell quickly on a gloomy afternoon that included several rain and lightning delays in which the Anchormen ultimately fell to Southern Maine, ending their season abruptly. The team looks to bounce back from that this season, as well as overcoming a loss to Eastern Nazarene College in their first ever fall match this past year.

The Anchormen return a force of seasoned veterans anchored by senior captains Nate Rebello and Mike Aiello. Rebello will accept the challenge of playing in the number one slot for the team. The Tolman High School product is known for his outstanding constancy and stamina as well as his pin point lobs; he will be a force for the team both on and off the court. Rebello posted a 12-3 overall singles mark including 5-1 in the LEC and also was chosen for the All-Little East Conference team.

“I’m really excited about this year,” said Rebello. “This being our senior season, we want to do something big and go out winning. I believe we have the talent, as long as we stay focused and committed, to take home an LEC title this

year.”

Aiello, a Scituate High School creation, is another leader for the team. He went 5-10 last year and looks to improve on that during his senior season. As it looks now, Aiello will take his power serves and heavy hitting forehand to the third singles spot as long as he can remain healthy. Freshman Alex Werchadlo will round out the rest of the top half of the Anchormen lineup. Werchadlo is coming of a stellar high school career at Cumberland High that included multiple state titles.

These top three will be a solid core for the Anchormen to lean on throughout the year.

The bottom half of the singles lineup is where the Anchormen will look to plug some holes. The loss of the long relied upon Garrett Smith to graduation, as well as some other losses of personnel, leave some spots open. One returner that will undoubtedly make a heavy contribution in the lineup will be sophomore Nate Lee. The product of Bar Harbor High School in Maine was another RIC addition to the AllLittle East Conference team last year. Lee went 8-4 on the year last year and looks to better that mark.

Beyond that, the Anchormen will do some searching within themselves. Options to round up the lineup will include returning juniors Jack Adamo and Jason Morin, sophomore Brian Gill and freshmen Kyle Kelaghan, Peace Kim, Brad Lamoureux and Ted James. No matter who fills the spots for the Anchormen, they are confident as a team that they can be a contender for the Little East title.

Atop a heavy list of returners, the team will also have head coach Lorne Teeter back for his second season at the

helm. Teeter brought the Anchormen back to winning ways last season, improving from a 2-12 mark posted the previous year. Teeter has a history with the RIC program as a player for four seasons where he finished his career 16th in program history in singles wins and 12th in overall points. The team will rally behind him in search of their first ever LEC title.

Matches to Watch Saturday, April 9 1 p.m.

Home vs. Southern Maine

Wednesday, April 13 3

p.m.

Home vs. Bridgewater State

Saturday, April 23 1 p.m.

Home vs. Salem State

Courtesy of GoAnchormen.org

2010-2011 Spring Sports Preview

Rhode Island College Women’s Lacrosse

By Dan Charest Anchor Sports Writer

Fresh off a 15-4 triumph over Emmanuel College in their season opener, the Rhode Island College women’s lacrosse team will look to carry over the momentum from that victory further into this year’s campaign. The squad returns many valuable members that should propel the team into the upper echelon of the Little East Conference, a place where the program has yet to climb.

Returning for his third year at the helm is Head Coach Mike Koperda. In 2009, Koperda inherited struggling programs in need of a new direction on the soccer field and the lacrosse field. So far, Koperda has been able to turn around the women’s soccer program drastically, but the same has yet to be done on the lacrosse field. Soccer assistant coach Crystal Labossiere returns as Koperda’s assistant on the sidelines for the lacrosse season as well.

In 2009 the team went 1-14 and in 2010 they did slightly better, earning a record of 3-10. One area where the team struggles is when it comes time for Little East play. Usually stacked at the bottom of the yearly schedule, the Little East has typically overmatched the performances put together by the Anchorwomen. The program hasn’t won a league game since besting Plymouth State University in 2008. The program only has two LEC wins in the last eight years.

This year’s team is looking to put the past clearly in the rearview mirror with a breakout 2011 campaign. The Anchorwomen will have seven of their eight top scorers from last season back for this year. That group includes the deadly at-

tacking junior tandem of Nicky Drolet (43 goals, seven assists) and Molly Voyer (30 goals, four assists). Drolet scored twice in Saturday’s win and Voyer also chipped in with one of her own.

All-League defender Jenna Childs – who performs double duty as a defender on the soccer team – and Kayla Laprade will solidify the defensive front once again this spring.

With their veteran leaders returning and 11 freshmen added to the roster this spring, the Anchorwomen are poised to become a force to be reckoned with in the Little East. Jessalyn O’Neill is an attacker/ midfielder and in her first game wearing the maroon and gold put the rubber ball in the back

of the net three times on only three shots. Other freshmen that had solid performances over the weekend and are expected to contribute this spring are Sophie Canno and Ashley Signoriello.

Signoriello, a Cranston West graduate (one of four former Falcons on the roster) had two goals and an assist in the win over Emmanuel College.

Another bright spot appears to be freshman goalkeeper Taryn Carbone. In her debut this past weekend, Carbone made three saves and allowed only four goals. The Anchorwomen struggled to find an answer in net last season. The squad allowed 78 more goals (210-132) than they scored and were out-shot 405-321. After

Carbone’s solid performance in the season opener, look for her to receive more playing time in net the rest of the way.

Complete with a good mix of experienced, polished players and fresh faces, this year looks like the time for the RIC women’s lacrosse team to rise to the top of the LEC and challenge for their first playoff berth in program history.

The Anchorwomen return to action Tuesday, March 22 for a matchup with Worcester State College (0-1) on the road before they kick off a four-game home stand beginning Thursday, March 24 when they host Lasell College (1-3).

Anchor Photo/Devin Noll