2015-16 NEC Fan Guide by Robert Morris University Athletics

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE Dear Fans, It is with great #NECPride that we present the 2015-16 Northeast Conference (NEC) Fan Guide! Now entering its 35th year, the NEC strives to be the most fan-friendly athletic conference in the country. With that in mind, this brochure is designed to be your window to the league’s 10 member institutions, nearly 200 coaches and over 4,000 NCAA Division I student-athletes. So what is it that makes the NEC so special? First and foremost, our core mission remains unchanged: to provide opportunities for student-athletes to achieve their fullest potential in the classroom, in athletic competition and in the community. One of our proudest achievements took place during the 2014-15 academic year, when NEC student-athletes established a new conference record with a combined 3.19 grade point average and 76 percent of NEC teams finished with a 3.0 GPA or better. On a national scale, the NCAA honored 34 NEC teams with public recognition awards for exceptional academic performance. The impressive on-field accomplishments of NEC student-athletes during the 2014-15 season included 19 All-American selections, five Capital One Academic All-Americans and eight teams which earned national rankings in their respective sports. The NEC sent representatives to NCAA Championship events in 14 different team sports in 2014-15, highlighted by Fairleigh Dickinson qualifying for the eight-team NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship for the 11th time in 12 years. March Madness was an exciting time as a combined five men’s and women’s basketball teams competed in the postseason, and Robert Morris men’s hoops won a postseason game for the fourth straight year by defeating North Florida in the NCAA Tournament. The NEC, its member institutions and student-athletes have made community involvement an important piece of its mission. NEC institutions logged nearly 25,000 hours of community service over the course of the 2014-15 academic year and the NEC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) raised over $11,500 to support the Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation. The best way to connect with the Conference is through NEC Front Row (NECFrontRow.com), which continues to grow by leaps and bounds. After launching to rave reviews in 2012, the NEC’s free state-of-the-art digital network has webcast over 2,100 live events to nearly one million viewers since its inception, and offers a rich set of on-demand content, all in stunning HD. The NEC continues to embrace social media to attract and convey its message. We encourage fans to follow us (@NECsports) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Likewise, please visit our official website (NortheastConference.org), which will be relaunched this fall, as well as the popular NEC Overtime! blog (NECOvertime.com) for in-depth coverage of the Conference. We hope the information at your fingertips in this Fan Guide will give you a better understanding of the NEC. Whether you’re an administrator, coach, student-athlete, prospective student-athlete, parent or spectator, we thank you for your support! Sincerely, Noreen Morris Commissioner

NEC PROFILE • The 10 institutions of higher learning that comprise the NEC give the league a six-state geographic footprint, including access to such markets as New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#22), Baltimore (#26), Hartford/New Haven (#30), Providence (#53) and Altoona/Johnstown (#104). • Over 54,000 students attend NEC institutions, while approximately 4,000 participate in intercollegiate athletics. • NEC associate members include Duquesne in football, Caldwell in women’s bowling and Hobart and Saint Joseph’s in men’s lacrosse. • NEC schools have a combined alumni base of over 500,000 graduates.

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

ABOUT THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE

SPORTSMANSHIP AND RESPECT FOLLOW THE NEC ONLINE OFFICIAL WEBSITE www.northeastconference.org FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/necsports TWITTER www.twitter.com/necsports YOUTUBE www.youtube.com/necsports GOOGLE+ plus.google.com/necsports NEC OVERTIME! www.necovertime.com INSTAGRAM www.instagram.com/necsports

Northeast Conference member institutions value the principles of sportsmanship and the ideal of pursuing victory with honor. As such, the NEC Team Sportsmanship Award program recognizes those teams and student-athletes who best exemplify these traits in the spirit of competition. In 2014-15, Wagner and Central Connecticut took home four awards apiece to lead the conference. Since the NEC Team Sportsmanship program was instituted in 200809, Saint Francis U has won a conference-best 31 awards. The Red Flash led the NEC in team sportsmanship honors each year from 2008-13. The NEC continues to participate in the NCAA’s Respect Campaign to address sportsmanship and fan behavior issues through education, communication and enforcement when problems arise.

IN THE CLASSROOM The 2014-15 academic year was a landmark one for the NEC’s 4,000+ student-athletes, who combined to average a record 3.19 GPA while 76 percent of NEC teams finished with a 3.0 GPA or better. Student-athletes at Sacred Heart and Wagner posted identical 3.28 GPAs to share the 201415 NEC Institutional Academic Award. Likewise, over 1,900 student-athletes were named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll in 2014-15, and nearly 500 were tabbed to the Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll with GPAs of 3.75 or higher. The NCAA also honored 34 NEC teams with public recognition awards for exceptional academic performance with respect to their latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores.

JESSLYN JOSEPH, SACRED HEART 2014-15 NEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE WOMEN’S LACROSSE

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

NEC TELEVISION NETWORK The NEC television network consists of a number of top-rated regional sports networks that bring NEC basketball in high definition to over 20 million homes across the Eastern Seaboard. The NEC also has an extensive partnership with ESPN, where league basketball and football games are broadcast nationally on ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. The NEC airs additional events nationally on CBS Sports Network and Fox College Sports.

IN THE COMMUNITY The NEC, its member institutions and student-athletes have made community involvement an important piece of its mission. In 2014-15, the NEC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) spent time at the Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation in Harrisburg, PA during its annual meeting. The SAAC hand-delivered a $7,532.94 check to the Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation and also volunteered time preparing care packages that went to children around the nation. The SAAC raised an additional $11,587 for the Foundation over the course of the year through its “Money Wars” initiative. For the first time, St. Francis Brooklyn was the recipient of the NEC Building Communities award. The award recognizes the institution which demonstrates the highest dedication to making an impact in the community through the efforts of its student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Over the course of the 2014-15 academic year, Conference members logged nearly 25,000 hours of community service.

THE NEC WOULD LIKE TO THANK ITS CORPORATE PARTNERS AND OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT

CORPORATE PARTNERS

OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS Anaconda Sports: Basketball Molten: Volleyball Rawlings: Baseball Worth: Softball Levy Marketing: Awards

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

ABOUT THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE

NEC NEW MEDIA One of the landmark moments in Northeast Conference history came back in August, 2012 with the launch of NEC Front Row. The NEC’s state-of-the-art digital network debuted to rave reviews and in the three years since has attracted a loyal following for its rich set of content, which includes live regular season and NEC Championship events, on-demand video, highlight packages, coaches shows, features, original programming and access to league’s extensive digital library, all free of charge to users. The network gives fans inside access to the NEC and its student-athletes on the field, in the classroom, across campus, and in the community.

ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS To have #NECPride is to live it, and NEC student-athletes did just that on the field of play that during the 2014-15 season, a year that yielded 19 All-American selections, five Capital One Academic All-Americans, and eight teams which earned national rankings in their respective sports. Bryant’s rapid rise as an NEC power resulted in a second consecutive Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup win for the Bulldogs. Bryant also repeated as the Men’s Cup winner. Sacred Heart claimed the Joan Martin Women’s Cup for the eighth time, the most in NEC history. The NEC sent representatives to NCAA Championship events in 14 different team sports in 2014-15, highlighted by Fairleigh Dickinson qualifying for the NCAA Bowling Championship for the 11th time in 12 years. The Knights, who were seeded second, fell just short of the Final Four, advancing to the third round. FDU, a two-time national champion and eight-time national semifinalist in the sport, ranked second in the country in every edition of the National Tenpins Coaches’ Association Top-20 poll that was released from December forward. Incredibly, six of the NEC’s eight women’s bowling members earned NTCA Top20 rankings during the 2014-15 campaign. In men’s and women’s basketball, a combined five teams competed in the postseason. The golden era of Robert Morris men’s basketball showed no signs of letting up. Playing on the road before a raucous, SRO crowd at the Pope Center in Brooklyn, the Colonials won their record eighth NEC men’s basketball championship with a 66-63 victory over top-seeded St. Francis Brooklyn. RMU also won a postseason game for the fourth straight season after rallying to defeat North Florida in an NCAA First Four game. Individually, St. Francis Brooklyn’s Jalen Cannon became the NEC’s all-time rebound leader and was named NEC Player of the Year. In front of a coast-to-coast audience on ESPNU, St. Francis Brooklyn capped its Cinderella postseason run by defeating Robert Morris, 77-62, to capture the first NEC women’s basketball title in program history. Seeded fifth, the Terriers became the first team in conference annals to win three road games en-route to the title.

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

By the conclusion of the 2014-15 academic year, over 2,100 live events had been broadcast on NEC Front Row with nearly one million viewers tuning in to the network. The third year of NEC Front Row saw viewership increase by nearly 10 percent, with an increase in ratings in nearly every NEC sponsored sport. The Conference also provides fans with an NEC on the Run iOS mobile app that provides free, one-click access to live events and on-demand content from NEC Front Row. Fans can also join the conversation through the app’s social media integration. The NEC on the Run app can be downloaded on the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. After upgrading to true HD streaming of NEC Front Row webcasts in 2014-15, the Conference has provided the membership with new HD cameras and a brand new graphics package for the 2015-16 season.

NEC football produced eight All-Americans, four of whom came from NEC co-champions Sacred Heart and Wagner. The Pioneers, who represented the conference in the FCS playoffs for the second straight season, became the second NEC program to finish the year ranked in both the FCS Coaches (23rd) and Sports Network (24th) polls. Bryant ranked as high as #21 nationally during the regular season as well. LIU Brooklyn sprinter Brendon Rodney earned NCAA Indoor Track & Field All-America honors in the 200 meter dash for the third straight year. He went on to claim the fifth All-America honor of his remarkable career at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Led by Rodney and fellow outdoor All-American Mica-Jonathan Petit-Homme (400h), LIU Brooklyn men’s outdoor track and field won the prestigious IC4A Championship.

Khairi Dickson

Preseason All-American, Saint Francis U

LIU women’s volleyball scored wins over Alabama, Fresno State, Boston College, Western Kentucky and #25 Michigan State during the 2014 regular season. The three-time defending NEC champion Blackbirds have posted a 44-0 league record over the last three years. LIU Brooklyn’s Annika Foit became the first women’s volleyball student-athlete in NEC history to win three consecutive NEC Player of the Year awards. She was also tabbed to the Capital One Academic All-America first team.

The CCSU men’s cross country dynasty extended to six as the Blue Devils delivered a dominant performance on their home course, finishing one through five at the NEC Championship. CCSU is one of six programs in NEC history to win at least six straight conference titles in any sport. A year after stunning Syracuse in a run to the NCAA quarterfinals, Bryant won its fourth straight NEC men’s lacrosse championship. Kevin Massa was named a USILA All-American for the third straight year, while Bulldog teammate Gunnar Waldt earned his second straight All-America honor. Massa graduated as the NCAA’s all-time leader in faceoffs won and ground balls. Robert Morris junior Jessica Karwacki established a new NCAA women’s lacrosse career mark for draw controls with 537 in just three years. She led the nation in the category for a third straight season. Likewise, Wagner’s Shea Gegan ranked first nationally in both caused turnovers and ground balls. Sacred Heart completed the rare NEC “Triple Crown,” winning the women’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field championships. The Pioneers became the first NEC school since 1997, and just fourth team overall, to win all three titles in the same academic year. Cementing his status as a future NEC Hall of Fame candidate, Fairleigh Dickinson’s Arvis Berzins was recognized as the first four-time NEC Men’s Tennis Player of the Year in conference history. Wagner’s Anu Nihipali became the first NEC student-athlete to compete at NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships since the 2006-07 season & LIU Brooklyn’s George Williams finished 11th out of 75 competitors at the NCAA men’s golf regional with a two-under par 208, the best individual performance in NEC history. The NEC Hall of Fame announced its fifth Hall of Fame class in January, 2014. The three-member group included a pair of former Central Connecticut student-athletes: Corsley Edwards, a men’s basketball player, and Kelly Shimmin, a women’s soccer player. Former Wagner Sports Information Director and NEC Communications Director Bob Balut was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame.

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

NEC CHAMPIONSHIPS

The NEC has traditionally taken its championship events to a number of first class venues with the goal of enhancing the experience for its student-athletes and fans alike. For more information on the events listed below, visit northeastconference.org.

2015-16 NEC CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE Championship Dates

Site

Cross Country

Oct. 31

Women’s Soccer

Nov. 6 & 8

High Seed

Men’s Soccer

Nov. 13 & 15

High Seed

Women’s Volleyball

Nov. 21-22

High Seed

Indoor Track & Field

Feb. 21-22

Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex

Women’s Swimming

Feb. 24-27

Men’s Basketball

Mar. 2, 5 & 8

Women’s Basketball

Mar. 6, 9 & 13

Women’s Bowling

Mar. 26-27

Howell Lanes

Tennis

Apr. 22-24

Mercer County Tennis Center

Women’s Golf

Apr. 22-24

LPGA International - Hills

Men’s Golf

Apr. 29-May 1

LPGA International-Jones

Men’s Lacrosse

May 5 & 7

Women’s Lacrosse

May 6 & 8

Outdoor Track & Field

May 7-8

Softball

May 12-14

High Seed

Baseball

May 25-29

Dodd Stadium

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

Bryant

MIT High Seeds High Seeds

High Seed High Seed Central Connecticut

BRYANT UNIVERSITY

LOCATION Smithfield, RI

FOUNDED 1863

ENROLLMENT 3,674

NICKNAME Bulldogs

MEN'S SPORTS - 11 baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field

WOMEN'S SPORTS - 11 basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball

STUDENT-ATHLETES 570

TICKET OFFICE (401) 319-TIXX (8499)

2014-15 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS • Bryant won both the Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup and the NEC Men’s Commissioner’s Cup for the second-consecutive year in 2014-15. The Bulldogs took home seven regular-season and tournament titles throughout 2014-15, sending men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis and women’s tennis on to their respective NCAA tournaments. • The Bryant football team defeated two members of the CAA to earn its first-ever national ranking at the Division I level. The Bulldogs went on to appear in the FCS Coaches’ Poll for five weeks, reaching as high as No. 21 in back-to-back rankings. • The Bulldogs saw 16 major NEC award winners and three All-America selections in 2014-15, while three players were drafted into their respective professional leagues. NEC Pitcher of the Year Kyle Wilcox was drafted in the sixth round by the Seattle Mariners, while hurler Trevor Lacosse was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 23rd round of the MLB Amateur Draft. Men’s lacrosse All-American and three-time NEC Player of the Year Kevin Massa was drafted by the Charlotte Hounds in the fourth round of the MLL Collegiate Draft.

INSTITUTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS • Bryant University regularly receives top rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, College Factual, Barron’s, and others. The University’s innovative academic programs are nationally recognized by organizations including the Davis Educational Foundation and Hanover Research. • By 2016, Bryant Builds, one of the largest and most transformative facilities initiatives in Bryant history, will add more than 250,000 square feet at the Smithfield campus and our campus in Zhuhai, China. • Bryant boasts a 152-year tradition of preparing students for success, fulfilling our mission to educate and inspire students to discover their passion and become innovative leaders with character around the world.

WHERE TO STAY CHOICE HOTELS The Official Hotel Partner of the NEC. To receive a discount at any Choice property nationwide, simply call 1-877-240-AWAY (2929) or visit choicehotels.com, and reference the NEC’s discount code/special rate ID (00167920).

www.bryantbulldogs.com

Recommended Area Choice Hotels: Comfort Suites 10 Keyes Way West Warwick, RI

FACEBOOK

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

ATHLETIC WEBSITE

www.facebook.com/ BryantAthletics

PAWTUCKET RED SOX www.pawsox.com Ben Mondor Way, Pawtucket, RI (401) 724-7300

TENNIS HALL OF FAME www.tennisfame.com 194 Bellevue Ave., Newport, RI (800) 457-1144

TWITTER @BryantAthletics

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY

2014-15 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

LOCATION

• Men’s cross country won its sixth consecutive Northeast Conference Championship with Patrick Hubbell becoming the fifth straight Blue Devil to win the NEC individual title. Hubbell and the Blue Devils dominated the field by matching an NEC record by scoring the fewest possible points (15) and having the top five individual finishers. CCSU went on to capture its second straight NEC Championship in men’s outdoor track & field in 2015.

New Britain, CT

• Softball claimed its second NEC Championship in the past three seasons and won 31 games – the second-most in program history. Laura Messina led the NCAA with 15 shutouts and finished her career with CCSU records for wins (101), strikeouts (997), innings pitched (969.2) and shutouts (48).

ENROLLMENT

• Women’s basketball won the program’s first NEC regular-season title with a program-record 14 conference wins. The Blue Devils played Fordham in the WNIT for the second postseason appearance in team history.

INSTITUTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS • The Student Center celebrated 50th anniversary and was also recognized as one of the “30 Most Amazing College Unions & Campus Centers” in the nation. • The new Mid-Campus Residence Hall is set to open in August. The new $82.3 million, eight-story 220,000 sq feet residence hall will house some 600 students. New projects scheduled to begin this year: new, mid-campus dining hall; Huang Fitness Center; major renovation/ expansion of Willard and Diloreto. • CCSU celebrated the legacy of Ebenezer D. Bassett, our first African American graduate (New Britain Normal Class of 1853) and the nation’s first African American diplomat.

1849 12,000

NICKNAME Blue Devils

MEN'S SPORTS - 8 baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, indoor and outdoor track & field

WOMEN'S SPORTS - 10 basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball

STUDENT-ATHLETES 385

TICKET OFFICE (860) 832-BLUE (2583)

ATHLETIC WEBSITE www.ccsubluedevils.com

FACEBOOK

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS NEW BRITAIN MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART www.nbmaa.org 56 Lexington St., New Britain, CT (860) 229-0257

FOUNDED

BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME www.hoophall.com 1000 W Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA (413) 781-6500

www.facebook.com/ CCSUBlueDevils

TWITTER @CCSUBlueDevils

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY

LOCATION Teaneck, NJ

FOUNDED 1942

ENROLLMENT 8,824

NICKNAME Knights

MEN'S SPORTS - 8 baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field

WOMEN'S SPORTS - 11 basketball, bowling, cross country, fencing, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball

STUDENT-ATHLETES 256

TICKET OFFICE (201) 692-9552

2014-15 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

• Two programs won NEC Championships and earned a place in their respective NCAA Tournaments. The women’s golf program captured the NEC title - with freshman Gabriela Santini winning the individual crown - and competed in the NCAA Regional. After claiming the NEC Championship, women’s bowling earned its eighth straight appearance in the NCAA Bowling Championship. • Senior Arvis Berzins capped his stellar tennis career by winning an unprecedented fourth NEC Player of the Year award. Berzins also earned CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-America Third Team honors for the second consecutive year.

• The FDU women’s soccer team won its first NEC regular season title, finishing the year with a 6-1-1 mark in NEC play and an overall record of 14-5-1. In addition to the regular season crown, the 14 wins set a new program record for victories in a season.

INSTITUTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

• A year after establishing the School of Pharmacy, New Jersey’s first pharmacy school affiliated with an independent university, FDU dedicated The Daniel and Martina Lewis Center for Healthcare Innovation and Technology at the School of Pharmacy. The center will allow experts and students to work together in a collaborative environment that promotes the advancement of healthcare delivery and improves patient and population health outcomes. • FDU launched the New Jersey Speakers Series in the Fall of 2014, which brings esteemed world leaders, acclaimed authors and prominent individuals to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). The inaugural season debuted with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and also featured actor Alan Alda, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, former U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, CNN political commentator David Gergen, Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough, and news anchor Dan Rather. • The National Security Agency (NSA) recently re-designated Fairleigh Dickinson University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education through 2020. This recognition is due to the special academic programs offered through FDU’s Center of Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. The honor was bestowed at the 19th Annual Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education in June.

WHERE TO STAY CHOICE HOTELS The Official Hotel Partner of the NEC. To receive a discount at any Choice property nationwide, simply call 1-877240-AWAY (2929) or visit choicehotels.com, and reference the NEC’s discount code/special rate ID (00167920).

www.fduknights.com

Recommended Area Choice Hotels: Comfort Inn & Suites 211 Route 17 South Paramus, NJ

FACEBOOK

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

ATHLETIC WEBSITE

www.facebook.com/ FDUKnights

GARDEN STATE PLAZA MALL www.westfield.com/gardenstateplaza Rte. 17 South & Rte. 4 East, Paramus, NJ

NEW YORK CITY www.nycgo.com

TWITTER @FDUKnights 2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

LIU BROOKLYN

2014-15 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

LOCATION

• A record number of LIU Brooklyn outdoor track & field student-athletes qualified for NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon in June 2015. A total of seven Blackbirds competed against the top athletes in the country, with senior Brendon Rodney and junior Mica-Jonathan Petit-Homme earning Second Team All-America accolades.

Brooklyn, NY

• Senior volleyball standout Annika Foit and men’s soccer forward Brice Merwine were named to the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American teams in their respective sports. Foit, a three-time NEC Player of the Year, was named a First Team Academic All-American while Merwine, a First Team All-NEC performer, picked up Second Team honors.

ENROLLMENT

• The LIU Brooklyn volleyball team earned its third straight Northeast Conference championship and the seventh for the program in the last decade. The Blackbirds, who defeated nationally-ranked Michigan State, along with Alabama, Boston College, Western Kentucky and Fresno State in 2014, have won a NCAA Division I-best 46 straight regular season matches against conference opponents.

Blackbirds

INSTITUTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS • Located in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Tech Triangle, LIU Brooklyn offers nearly 200 associate, undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs in one of New York City’s most diverse and thriving communities. • Scheduling flexibility, help with tuition and an array of on-campus support services for veterans helped land LIU on G.I. Jobs magazine’s list of “Military Friendly Schools.” • LIU Brooklyn has one of the top Pharmacy schools in the country. In fact one-quarter of the pharmacists from New York graduated from LIU.

1926 8,597

NICKNAME MEN'S SPORTS - 6 baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, indoor and outdoor track & field

WOMEN'S SPORTS - 13 basketball, bowling, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball

STUDENT-ATHLETES 251

TICKET OFFICE (718) 488-1018

ATHLETIC WEBSITE www.liuathletics.com

FACEBOOK

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS BROOKLYN MUSEUM www.brooklynmuseum.org 200 Eastern Pkwy., Brooklyn, NY

FOUNDED

BARCLAYS CENTER www.barclayscenter.com 620 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, NY

www.facebook.com/ LIUAthletics

TWITTER @LIUAthletics

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

MOUNT ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY

LOCATION Emmitsburg, MD

FOUNDED 1808

ENROLLMENT 2,100

NICKNAME The Mount, Mountaineers

MEN'S SPORTS - 7 baseball, basketball, cross country, lacrosse, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field

WOMEN'S SPORTS - 9 basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field

STUDENT-ATHLETES 320

2014-15 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS • Andrew Clow was named a semifinalist for the 2015 Johnny Bench Award, given to the top catcher in college baseball. Clow hit .346 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBI while starting all 43 games for the Mount his senior season. He threw out 42.9 percent (21 of 49) base runners on the year. • Kelly Yanucil and Heather Juhring each advanced to the NCAA East Preliminary in the javelin last year. The duo finished 1-2 at the Northeast Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships with Yanucil breaking both the conference and school record with her winning throw. • Melissa Cox was named the Northeast Conference Women’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the fourth Mountaineer to earn the honor, and the first since Aly Jost in 2011.

INSTITUTIONAL HIGLIGHTS • Mount St. Mary’s is the nation’s second oldest Catholic university. • Mount St. Mary’s was recently named one of the 25 best universities in the region by U.S. News and World Report. • The Mount’s Institute for Leadership is responsible for providing opportunities so students can learn how to develop and apply their specific talents, skills, and strengths to make our world a better place.

(301) 447-5700

Recommended Area Choice Hotels: Sleep Inn & Suites 501 Silo Hill Pkwy. Emmitsburg, MD

ATHLETIC WEBSITE

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

www.mountathletics.com

NATIONAL SHRINE GROTTO OF LOURDES www.msmary.edu/grotto (301) 447-5218

TICKET OFFICE

FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ MountAthletics

LIBERTY MOUNTAIN RESORT www.skiliberty.com 78 Country Club Trail, Carroll Valley, PA (717) 642-9000

TWITTER @MountAthletics 2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY

2014-15 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

LOCATION

• Robert Morris claimed its eighth Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament title and subsequent bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 66-63 win at St. Francis Brooklyn in the 2015 championship game. The Colonials went on to earn their first victory in the NCAA Tournament since 1983 and second overall with an 81-77 win over North Florida as part of the NCAA First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

FOUNDED

• RMU earned its third NEC Tournament championship and first bid to the NCAA Tournament in school history by winning by 14 strokes at the 2015 NEC Men’s Golf Championship at LPGA International Hills Course in Dayton, Fla. Senior Ryan Prokay, who led the NEC in stroke average, was named the 2015 NEC Player of the Year. • Junior midfielder Jessica Karwacki claimed her third consecutive NCAA Division I draw control title in 2015, finishing with 169 in 16 games, an average of 10.56 per game. Through three seasons, Karwacki already owns the NCAA Division I career record for draw controls with 701.

INSTITUTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS • RMU is the only local university that offers the Student Engagement Transcript, which documents students’ activities outside the classroom, including community service, study abroad, internships and campus leadership. • RMU’s actuarial science program is one of only 16 in the United States to be designated a Center of Actuarial Excellence by the Society of Actuaries. This program prepares students for the occupation that the Wall Street Journal and Jobs Rated Almanac call the best job in the nation.

Moon Township, PA 1921

ENROLLMENT 5,359

NICKNAME Colonials

MEN'S SPORTS - 6 basketball, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer

WOMEN'S SPORTS - 10 basketball, cross country, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball

• RMU now offers 21 wholly online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, including its popular M.B.A.

STUDENT-ATHLETES

WHERE TO STAY

TICKET OFFICE

CHOICE HOTELS The Official Hotel Partner of the NEC. To receive a discount at any Choice property nationwide, simply call 1-877-240-AWAY (2929) or visit choicehotels.com, and reference the NEC’s discount code/special rate ID (00167920). Recommended Area Choice Hotels: Comfort Suites 750 Aten Rd. Coraopolis, PA

(412) 397-4949

ATHLETIC WEBSITE www.rmucolonials.com

FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ RMUAthletics

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH www.visitpittsburgh.com

450

TWITTER THE MALL AT ROBINSON www.shoprobinsonmall.com

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

@RMUAthletics

SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY

LOCATION Fairfield, CT

FOUNDED 1963

ENROLLMENT 3,771

NICKNAME Pioneers

MEN'S SPORTS - 14 baseball, basketball, cross country, fencing, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball, wrestlilng

WOMEN'S SPORTS - 19 basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, rugby, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball

STUDENT-ATHLETES 903

TICKET OFFICE (203) 396-TIXX (8499)

ATHLETIC WEBSITE www.sacredheartpioneers.com

FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ SacredHeartUniversityPioneers

TWITTER

2014-15 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS • Sacred Heart won the Joan Martin Women’s Commissioner Cup, for excellence in women’s athletics for the 2014-15 season. It marks a league-record eighth Cup for the Pioneers, who finished second in the overall cup standings as well. SHU student-athletes, numbering 769, combined for a GPA of 3.29 in the spring 2015 semester, marking 22 consecutive semesters with a GPA of over 3.0. Sean Bell earned CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America honors and Phil Gaetano was named the NEC Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year for an unprecedented third time. • SHU student-athletes earned 467 spots on the Dean’s List in 2014-15, with 51 earning a semester GPA of 4.0, over the course of the two semesters. • SHU combined for six conference championships, including the Triple Crown of women’s cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field, becoming the first NEC team in nearly two decades to accomplish the feat. Men’s fencing won the Northeast title for the sixth consecutive time, while football defended its NEC crown and baseball earned a ring for the third time in five seasons.

INSTITUTIONAL HIGLIGHTS • Sacred Heart has been selected for membership in the Colleges of Distinction, among approximately 200 colleges and universities in the country recognized for outstanding student engagement, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful student outcomes. • Upon introducing the new undergraduate Core Curriculum launched in Fall 2007, the University was invited to become a member of the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) Core Commitments Leadership Consortium, comprising just 23 institutions nationally. AAC&U has recognized SHU’s Core Curriculum as a national model of values education. • SHU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, launched in September 2004, is the first doctorate in the University’s history and the first such curriculum in the state of Connecticut. A Doctor of Nursing program was launched in September 2010. SHU’s physical therapy program is rated as the best in Connecticut and among the top five in New England by U.S. News and World Report.

WHERE TO STAY CHOICE HOTELS The Official Hotel Partner of the NEC. To receive a discount at any Choice property nationwide, simply call 1-877-240-AWAY (2929) or visit ChoiceSportsTravel.com, and reference the NEC’s discount code/ special rate ID (00167920). Recommended Area Choice Hotels: Quality Suites 1500 South Ave. Stratford, CT

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS NORWALK AQUARIUM http://www.maritimeaquarium.org

CONNECTICUT’S BEARDSLEY ZOO www.beardsleyzoo.org

@SHUBigRed 2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN

2014-15 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

LOCATION

• The men’s basketball team won its first regular season NEC Championship since 2003-04. The Terriers, who tied the school record with 23 victories, competed in the prestigious National Invitation Tournament for the first time since 1963. Senior forward Jalen Cannon was named the NEC Player of the Year and Head Coach Glenn Braica won the Jim Phelan NEC Coach of the Year Award.

FOUNDED

• The women’s basketball squad won its first-ever NEC Championship and made the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in the sport of basketball. Senior forward Sarah Benedetti was named the Most Valuable Player of the NEC Tournament. The squad also won the NEC Institutional Academic Award as well as the NEC Sportsmanship Award. The Terriers finished second in all of NCAA Division I with a 3.66 grade point average. • The men’s soccer team won its second consecutive NEC Championship by defeating Saint Francis U in overtime. Defender Andy Cormack delivered the golden goal for the second straight season off a direct kick.

INSTITUTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS • U.S.News & World Report again ranked St. Francis College as a Top Regional School in the North while Forbes.com placed St. Francis for a sixth time on its America’s Best Colleges list. • St. Francis admitted its first class of students for the new four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. • The new Master’s Degree in Psychology compliments the two successful Accounting Master’s Degree programs.

1859

ENROLLMENT 2,666

NICKNAME Terriers

MEN'S SPORTS - 9 basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, water polo

WOMEN'S SPORTS - 10 basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball, water polo

STUDENT-ATHLETES

175

TICKET OFFICE (718) 489-5411

ATHLETIC WEBSITE

Recommended Area Choice Hotels: The Union Hotel 611 Degraw St. Brooklyn, NY

www.sfcathletics.com

FACEBOOK

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS BROOKLYN PROMENADE www.nyharborparks.org

Brooklyn Heights, NY

NEW YORK CITY www.nycgo.com

www.facebook.com/ SFCAthletics

TWITTER @SFBKTerriers

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

SAINT FRANCIS U

LOCATION Loretto, PA

FOUNDED 1847

ENROLLMENT 2,250

NICKNAME Red Flash

MEN'S SPORTS - 9 basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball

WOMEN'S SPORTS - 13 basketball, bowling, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball

STUDENT-ATHLETES 585

TICKET OFFICE (814) 472-3286

ATHLETIC WEBSITE www.sfuathletics.com

FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ SFUAthletics

2014-15 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS • The men’s basketball team completed its first winning regular season in 10 years when it finished with a 15-14 overall record. The Red Flash went to the NEC Tournament semifinals for the second consecutive year for the first time in program history. SFU also hosted its first postseason tournament game since 1991 when it faced Bowling Green in the first round of the CIT at DeGol Arena. • Senior running back Khairi Dickson was named Third Team All-America last season and won the NCAA statistical championship with 155.3 rushing yards per game. He also set the school single season mark with 1,708 rushing yards. The Red Flash won its first-ever game against a ranked opponent when it defeated No. 22 Sacred Heart, 30-27. It was the first of a three-game winning streak for SFU. • Women’s track and field athlete Emma O’Hara set the NEC Outdoor Hammer Throw Championship record with a 58.91 meter toss to become the NEC champion in that event. She was also the NEC Athlete of the Week in April.

INSTITUTIONAL HIGLIGHTS • Saint Francis University leads the Northeast Conference with 41 all-time Academic All-America selections. SFU student-athletes stretched their string of semesters with a GPA of 3.0-or-higher to 33, a run spanning 16-and-a-half years. • Ninety-nine percent of Saint Francis graduates start graduate school or a career within nine months of graduation. • The University operates a mountaintop residential facility in Ambialet, in southwest France, for students to spend an entire semester studying in France and other nearby areas of Europe.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS ALLEGHENY PORTAGE RAILROAD www.nps.gov/alpo (814) 886-6150

SOUTHERN ALLEGHENIES MUSEUM OF ART www.sama-art.org (814) 472-3920

TWITTER @SFUAthletics

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

WAGNER COLLEGE

2014-15 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

LOCATION

• Football player Phil Faccone was tabbed as the 2014-15 NEC Male Student-Athlete of the Year, which recognizes individual excellence in both the academic and athletic realms as well as leadership and contributions to one’s community.

FOUNDED

• Amanda Lucia and Katie Marcy were tabbed as NEC Scholar Athletes in their respective sports of soccer and swimming. Lucia carries a 3.49 grade point average as a Nursing major while Marcy compiled a 3.93 grade point average as an Education major. • The Wagner football team claimed a share of the 2014 NEC regular season crown, the second regular season conference title in the last three years for the Seahawks.

INSTITUTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS • Wagner College is a private liberal arts college located in Staten Island, New York, with a fulltime equivalent enrollment of approximately 2,000. • Through its signature four-year undergraduate curriculum, the Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts, and its location in New York City, the College offers students a comprehensive educational program that is anchored in the liberal arts, experiential and co- curricular learning, interculturalism, interdisciplinary studies and service to society. • Wagner also offers master’s programs in nursing, education, business administration, and microbiology.

1883

ENROLLMENT 2,000

NICKNAME Seahawks

MEN'S SPORTS - 9 baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field

WOMEN'S SPORTS - 11 basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, swimming & diving, water polo

STUDENT-ATHLETES 420

TICKET OFFICE (718) 420-4039

ATHLETIC WEBSITE

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS SNUG HARBOR CULTURAL CENTER www.snug-harbor.org 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY (718) 448-2500

Staten Island, NY

STATEN ISLAND MALL www.statenisland-mall.com 2655 Richmond Ave., Staten Island, NY (718) 761-6666

www.wagnerathletics.com

FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ WagnerSeahawk

TWITTER @WagnerAthletics

2015-16 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FAN GUIDE

T h aT R e v o lv e a R o u N d y o u .

PRINTING

Ta R G e T e d m a R k e T I N G

PRomoTIoNal ITems

No one knows the f inish line as well as our team. Take your seat as a V IP and ex perience the ver y bes t of excellence in marketing and communic ations. We develop s trong, las ting par tner ships through unparalleled cu s tomer ser vice and winning s trategies to t ake your succes s to the nex t level. Schedule a f ree consult ation now to discover why the bigges t names in the s por t s enter t ainment indus tr y par tner with u s to achieve their goals.

sales @ fr anklin-fl are.com

路

866 -PrinT88

P R O U D PA R T N E R S O F

路

w w w.fr anklin-fl are.com