OwlNews Fall 2013

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• FALL UPDATE 2013

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Dow Earns Salute from Southern, National Football Foundation Southern and the National Football Foundation’s College Hall of Fame jointly honored coach Jess Dow with an “on-campus salute” on Oct. 25 during the game between the Owls and the University of New Haven Chargers.

NFF representative Bill O’Brien presented SCSU President Dr. Mary Papazian with a framed memento to commemorate Dow’s induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Also on hand as part of the ceremony were Dow’s daughter, Jane Dow-Burt; son-in-law, Tom Burt; and Director of Athletics Patricia Nicol.

The NFF’s on-campus salute program is a tradition that began in 1951. Each inductee returns to their

From the Director of Athletics Dear Owl Club Members: I offer my greetings as we are in full swing for the 2013-14 academic year. Our fall teams have collectively enjoyed a strong season, and winter sports such as basketball, swimming and diving, gymnastics and track and field are all under way with either preseason or regular season action.

There have been several notable team and individual performances already. Our men’s soccer and men’s and women’s cross country teams

National Football Foundation representative Bill O’Brien presents President Mary Papazian with a framed memento to commemorate Jess Dow’s induction into

the College Football Hall of Fame on Oct. 26. Also pictured are Director of Athletics Patricia Nicol; Dow’s daughter, Jane DowBurt; and son-in-law, Tom Burt.

alma mater to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will remain on permanent display at the institution. The events

take place on the field during a home game, and many inductees say the experience is the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and hear the crowd roar their name.

The founder of the Southern athletics, Dow established the football program and served as its head coach from 1948-65. A total of 48 years after his last season, he remains SCSU’s most successful coach with a .721 winning percentage.

He enjoyed 16 winning seasons, including a perfect 9-0-0 in 1956 – the only unbeaten and untied team in SCSU history. He led the Owls to seven seasons in which only one game was lost. He also guided his 1959 team to an appearance in the NAIA playoff semifinals. Dow was named Connecticut Coach of the Year in 1950 and 1953 and Eastern Football Coach of the Year in his final season at the helm. •••

received regional or national ranking consideration this fall.

Excitement is prevalent around our men’s basketball program after its successful exhibition contests with the University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island. I want to thank our students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans who made the trips to those games to root on the Owls. Our presence was certainly made known at both Gampel Pavilion and the Ryan Center.

We had the opportunity to recognize several legendary contributors to Southern and its Athletic Department earlier this fall. During our Homecoming festivities, the 1973 national champion men’s gymnastics team was lauded for its achievements on the 40th Director continued on Page 7.

Former Soccer Stars Appointed to MLS Coaching Jobs

Mike Petke

It has been a busy year in Major League Soccer for two former members of the Southern men’s soccer program.

In January, Mike Petke, a former All-American and standout on Southern’s 1995 national championship squad, was named the head coach of the New York Red Bulls. Then, in early September, Brian Bliss was named interim head coach of the Columbus Crew for the remainder of the 2013 season, after previously serving as the team’s technical director.

A three-time captain and four-year starter, Bliss led the Owls to a 60-14-8 record and appeared in three NCAA Division II tournaments. A member of the U.S. team that competed in the 1990 World Cup competition in Italy, Bliss was also a member of the U.S. team in 1995 in the Copa America tournament and the U.S. Cup tournament.

He represented Southern and the United States in the 1986 and 1987 World University Games and at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.

Bliss made further history for Southern when he was the first player selected in the 1987 Major Indoor Soccer League draft, taken by the Cleveland Force. The Most Valuable Player in the 1987 MISL annual All-America Classic,

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he played professionally in Germany’s second division with the Carl Zeiss Jena Club; and with the Columbus Crew, New York/New Jersey Metro Stars and Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer.

Petke had just finished his second season as an assistant coach on New York’s staff after an illustrious playing career.

He joined the coaching ranks in 2011 following a 13-year career that included two playing stints with the club from 1998-2002 and 2008-10. The Bohemia, N.Y. native holds the current club record for games played, with 169 (196

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Brian Bliss

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in all competitions), games started (158 regular season) and minutes played (14,060 regular season).

Drafted by New York in 1998 with the eighth overall pick in the MLS Draft, Petke made his debut on April 17, 1998 against the Chicago Fire. He helped the team to its first Eastern Division title in 2000 and was a three-time MLS All-Star.

Petke was traded to D.C. United before the 2003 season and won his only MLS Cup in 2004 with United. He was then traded to Colorado during their 2005 campaign, helping the Rapids to reach the Western Conference Finals.

The Red Bulls signed Petke again at the end of 2008 and he played 35 more matches for the team until retiring in 2010. He was named the club’s 2009 Defender of the Year and helped New York to its second Eastern Conference regular season title in his final season.

Petke finished his career with 307 appearances in league play (351 in all competitions), in which he scored 13 goals and added four assists. He is one of 16 MLS players who has appeared in 300 or more career regular season matches. Petke also appeared in nine playoff matches and 13 U.S. Open Cup matches as a member of the New York franchise and earned two caps for the United States.

Before his professional career, Petke spent four years at Southern, leading the team to the NCAA Division II National title in 1995. •••

The SCSU athletic department continues to provide extensive information through its social media platforms, in addition to its official athletics website, SouthernCTowls.com. Owls’ fans can follow their teams as games progress with Twitter updates. Most recently, the Owls created an Instagram account for their fans prior to the start of the 2013-14 academic year. The department’s YouTube page provides an array of student-athlete features, as well as game highlights and postgame interviews. In addition, regular updates are available through the Southern Connecticut State University athletics Facebook page.

Fans can check out more on these efforts at SouthernCTowls.com

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Athletes Earn Division II Academic Honors

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A total of 42 Southern student-athletes were named as 2012-13 recipients of the Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards.

For a school’s athletes to be eligible, the athletic director must be a current dues paying member of the Division II Athletic Directors Association. A student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college-level work and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during their last academic year.

A total of 6,801 student-athletes were recognized last year.

The list of SCSU honorees follows:

• Jack Mallis, Football • Luke Houston, Men’s Basketball • Tylon Smith, Men’s Basketball • Paul Ryskowski, Men’s Cross Country/Track • Greg Cumpstone, Men’s Soccer • Luke Perry, Men’s Soccer • Daniel Elliot, Men’s Swimming/ Diving • Ethan Chapman, Men’s Track and Field • Logan Sharpe, Men’s Track and Field • Chloe Ashcroft, Women’s Cross Country/Track • Courtney Dinnan, Women’s Cross Country • Nicole Strauss, Women’s Cross Country/Track • Jaclyn Sullivan, Women’s Cross Country/Track • Sarah Vaughan, Women’s Cross Country/Track • Laurie Cockerline, Field Hockey • Paige Donlin, Field Hockey • Cathlyn Pistolas, Field Hockey • Kirby Pallis, Gymnastics • Emily Shelton, Gymnastics • Amalia Calafiore, Women’s Lacrosse • Rebecca Jennings, Women’s Lacrosse • Erica Martino, Women’s Lacrosse • Christine Katrenya, Women’s Swimming/Diving • Nicole Caron, Women’s Swimming/Diving • Anna Pleban, Women’s Swimming/Diving • Laura Richard, Women’s Swimming/Diving • Caitlyn Salter, Women’s Swimming/ Diving • Courtney Silva, Women’s Swimming/Diving • Emma Crowcroft, Women’s Track and Field/Volleyball • Sarah Hill, Women’s Track and Field • Sarah Brochu, Women’s Soccer • Raven Palmerie, Women’s Soccer • Kylie Rogers, Women’s Soccer • Stephanie Santos, Women’s Soccer • Brittany Bucko, Softball • Kate Hoffman, Softball • Kaley Marden, Softball • Stacy Pouliot, Softball • Kristie Vitulli, Softball • Kristin Whitley, Softball • Syriah Celestine, Volleyball • Kimberly Lachowicz, Volleyball •

Bashir Participates in NCAA Leadership Program Elizabeth Bashir, a junior captain on the Southern women’s track team, was selected to participate in the 2013 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum.

The event took place in Providence, R.I. from Nov. 7-10. The forum was designed for student-athletes to discuss key issues collectively and provide them with an opportunity to enhance personal awareness and leadership skills.

Bashir has excelled both athletically and academically during her first two years at Southern. She has been a member of the women’s track team for two seasons and has been an AllRegion selection in both the shot put and weight throw.

An exercise science major and a covice president of the Student-Athlete

Advisory Committee, Bashir has also been recognized for her efforts in the classroom. She was a selection to the Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll as a freshman and sophomore. •••

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Women’s Lacrosse Team Earns All-Academic Squad Honors The Southern women’s lacrosse team was selected as one of just 22 Division II programs for 2013 Academic Squad honors from the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association.

Teams must post a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher to earn this accolade.

The Owls matched a program single-season record for victories in 2013. Marquee wins included a league road triumph at American International College and a victory over in-state foe Post University. •••

Field Hockey Hosts Fall Clinics for Girls The Southern field hockey team hosted two clinics at Jess Dow Field this fall as part of the USA Field Hockey’s “You Go Girl” program.

The program is an initiative designed to introduce girls to field hockey in urban areas, as well as other places in which the sport is not traditionally very popular.

Following a skills session, the youngsters were treated to a tour of

SCSU facilities, including the Buley Library, and a complimentary lunch leading up to the Owls’ games.

The program is a part of USA Field Hockey’s larger campaign, “Grow the Game.” Each of the colleges was selected on the basis of its commitment to community service, a clear understanding of the program and/or a distinctive opportunity to work with urban or at-risk girls.

Last spring, the Owls’ field hockey team conducted several clinics at area schools and youth facilities in New Haven, Hamden and Wallingford as part of this program. The team will continue to venture out into the local community for additional clinics at the conclusion of the fall season. All clinics are free to local youngsters, and equipment is provided for those who need it. •••

The field hockey team poses with youngsters after one of its two clinics this fall as part of the ‘You Go Girl’ program by USA Field Hockey.

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Owls Envision Successful Season on the Hardcourt Coming off a 2012-13 season in which it won 17 games – the highest singleseason win total in more than a decade – and just missing an at-large bid into the NCAA Division II Tournament, the men’s basketball team is ready for the challenges that await this season.

In an effort to ready itself for tough regular-season competition, Owls’ coach Michael Donnelly scheduled exhibition games against two Division I programs – the University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island.

The Owls played UConn on Oct. 30 and Rhode Island on Nov. 1.

And while they were defeated by both schools, it helped prepare the Owls for the regular season. At press time, Southern sports a 3-0 regular season record.

“We’ve talked about last year’s success,” Donnelly says. “We have seven guys returning and a 6-foot-10 kid (Lucas Van Nes) who redshirted last season. He worked with us every day in practice...We certainly think certainly we can move forward.

“I think it’s also important to make sure that the guys understand that we were successful last year for certain reasons…There’s hardly any egos on the team so we definitely want to talk about what we’ve done in the past while moving forward at the same time.”

The return of four starters from last year’s team will play a key role for this year’s squad. Senior tricaptain Greg Langston has earned All-Northeast-10 honors in each of the last two seasons. As a junior, he ranked among the league leaders in scoring after averaging 16.3 points per contest. Langston also ranked second on the team in rebounds per game (5.9) and also handed out 2.1 assists per contest.

“I’m very excited for the season,” says Langston, who has more than 1,200 career points heading into his final season as an Owl. “We’ve got a lot of key returners coming back and we got a couple of freshmen who are going to help us.”

A talented junior class is headlined by returning starters and fellow tricaptains Tylon Smith and Luke Houston.

Smith saw action in every game last

year at the point guard position. He averaged 10.2 points, a team-high 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, also a team-best. In addition, he posted a team-high of 5 double-doubles for the year and ranked second on the club in steals.

Houston, who also played every game last year and started in all but Go Owls continued on Page 7.

Michael Mallory goes up for a layup in the exhibition game against UConn earlier this year.

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Sport Shorts Owls Take City Series

Pitcher Pat Egan shone in the championship game of the City Series.

Community Ties Community outreach has remained at the forefront of the efforts of Southern studentathletes and coaches during the fall semester. The Owls have volunteered nearly 1,000 hours since the start of the academic year.

The department has continued its partnerships with several area organizations, including the New Haven Public Schools, the American Cancer Society and the Boys’ and Girls’ Club.

In addition, SCSU studentathletes have been active with drives such as those benefitting the Connecticut Food Bank and members of the U.S. Armed Forces. ••• The women’s soccer team has collected nearly 250 soccer balls for ‘Kick for Nick’, an organization that provides soccer balls to underprivileged youth in Iraq.

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The Southern baseball team staked its claim as the top club in the Greater New Haven area by winning the 2013 City Series in mid-October. This annual event pits four area programs – SCSU, Yale University, Quinnipiac University and the University of New Haven – against each other in a two-day format.

Southern opened the weekend by defeating Yale 2-1. Winning pitcher Rocco Cundari tossed seven innings and allowed only five hits against the Bulldogs. Offensively, the Owls were led by Joe Breen, who had two hits and keyed the winning rally in the seventh inning.

The Owls claimed the title the following day with a 5-4 victory over New Haven. Pitcher Pat Egan threw six no-hit innings for Southern to notch the win. Catcher T.J. Shea paced the offense, highlighted by a two-run single in a three-run third inning. Senior Will Meade earned the save by holding off the Chargers’ ninth inning rally. •••

Go Owls continued from Page 5.

one outing, will once again be expected to contribute at both ends of the floor. He ranked among the NE-10 leaders in steals last year with 45 and averaged 7.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

Sophomore Deshawn Murphy is also a returning starter who averaged 9.0 points per game last year.

Classmate Jack McCarthy, a forward, will also contribute down on the blocks, along with junior Jose Cruz, an athletic presence who saw action as a starter.

Donnelly has brought in five new student-athletes for this year’s team – guards Michael Bozzuto, Michael Mallory, Dominic Migliaro and Jonathan Paul, along with forward Austin Carter. •••

Tylon Smith looks upcourt as teammate Luke Houston flanks him during a game against Rhode Island.

Men’s Gymnastics Team Feted on 40th Anniversary of Division II Championship

President Mary Papazian poses with members of the 1973 NCAA champion men’s gymnastics team during halftime of the annual Homecoming contest.

Southern recognized the members of its 1973 men’s gymnastics team during Homecoming as part of a celebration of the 40th anniversary of their record-setting season. That squad claimed the first NCAA Division II team championship in university history, along with the first NCAA

team title of any member within the Connecticut State University system.

Many squad members, along with longtime coach Abie Grossfeld, returned to campus for recognition both during the morning breakfast and at halftime of the football game against Stonehill College. •••

Director continued from Page 1.

achievements on the 40th anniversary of becoming the first program of any in the CSU system to claim a NCAA team title.

Later in October, Jess Dow, the founder of our athletic department and football program, was posthumously honored for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame with an on-campus salute courtesy of the National Football Foundation.

Phase III of facility improvements at Moore Field House are progressing forward in the architectural realm. This series will include additional individual team locker rooms, as along with a conference room and ancillary space.

With regards to community service, our student-athletes continue to align their own individual efforts with the university mission of exemplary community outreach and engagement.

Thus far this fall, they have volunteered nearly 1,000 hours of their time to ventures both on and off-campus.

Thank you for your continued support of Owls’ athletics. I hope that you and your family have an enjoyable holiday season and I look forward to seeing you on campus for a home contest this winter. Go Owls!

Patricia D. Nicol Director of Athletics

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