(Cazenovia, NY – Feb. 2012) The Cazenovia Winter Festival will be held from Feb. 9 to 12. The following is a line-up of activities planned.

Thursday, February 9:

5:30-7:30 — Open House at the Cazenovia Community Preschool

Corner of Lincklaen and Nickerson Sts. Open house for families to tour the school, meet the staff, or get a fall application.

6:30 – 8:30pm — Opening reception for Winter Festival Art Exhibition

St. Peter’s Parish Hall – The community is invited to meet the participating artists at the gala opening reception. Over 100 pieces of artwork in a variety of mediums and styles will be on display. Sponsored by Cazenovia Arts. Call 415 558 8310 or email bcw13035@gmail.com for info. Admission is free. Refreshments served.

Friday, February 10:

10:00am-3:30pm — Winter Festival Art Show

St. Peter’s Parish Hall – Sponsored by Cazenovia Arts – Admission is free.

7:00-9:00pm — Winter Festival Talent Show and Opening Ceremony

Cazenovia High School Auditorium – Organized by Project Cafe.

Tickets $5.00 at the door.  Proceeds to fund student scholarships.

Crowning of King & Queen. Refreshments available at intermission.

Saturday, February 11:

Morning — Scholastic Snow Sculpture Construction

Memorial Park area, Albany Street – Judging at noon.

Theme: Walt Disney – IF SNOW CONDITIONS ALLOW.

Morning-1:00pm — Community Snow Sculpture Competition

Throughout the village – Families, community groups or businesses. List of sculptures posted at Common Grounds.  Pre-register at 877-1742.

7:00am-12:00pm — Pancake Breakfast

Masonic Hall, Albany St- Sponsored by the Cazenovia Masonic Lodge

9:00am-12:00pm — “Hearts and Flowers Sale”

Sponsored by the Cazenovia United Methodist. Valentine-themed food items as well as other yummy treats and a variety of craft items will be available at the church. Call 655-9679 for more information.

10:00am-4:00pm — NO Downhill Skiing for 2012

Due to the lack of snow, downhill skiing at the Cazenovia Ski Club

(www.skicaz.com) will not be feasible this year – see you in 2013!

10:00am-4:00pm — Family Ice Skating

Burton Street Skating Rink – Weather Permitting

10:00am-3:30pm — Winter Festival Art Show

St. Peter’s Parish Hall – Sponsored by Cazenovia Arts – Admission is free

12:00 noon-4:00pm — Medallion Treasure Hunt and Pine Cone Craft at Stone Quarry Hill Art Park

Combine creativity with nature and the arts in a Pine Cone handicraft or pick up clues at the Art Barn and get started on the Medallion Treasure Hunt.  Hot chocolate served all afternoon in the Art Barn. Sledding and snowshoeing are offered if we have a winter wonderland.  For more information, contact SQHAP at 655.3196, office@stonequarryhillartpark.org or www.stonequarryhillartpark.org.

1:00pm-4:00pm — Hearts for Hope “Stuff in Fluff Workshop”

Common Grounds – Build a cuddly bear (Cost $15-$20) – All proceeds to benefit the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, Inc.

Call Patrice Muller 525-1986 to preorder or for more information

1:00 pm — High School Winter Olympics

HS Football Field – Snow volleyball, relays, sled race, and more!

1:00 pm — Snowflake Run

Emory Avenue – 800 meter race around the Village Green sponsored by the Cazenovia Children’s House. Register by Middle School @12:30

1:00-4:00pm — “Snow Snake” competition and Klondike Sled Races sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 18

Near Scout lodge on Riverside Dr (behind library) weather permitting.

Based on “Gawasa,” a traditional Native American winter game. Three categories for sled races – youth, family, teen/young adult.

8:00-11:00pm — Winterfest Dance

High School Gym – Students of Cazenovia High School

and guests only. Admission is $3.00

7:00pm —  SNOWBALL  to benefit Cazenovia Community Preschool

Hosted by the Brae Loch.  Live music featuring the Party Nuts.

Hors d’oevres, raffles, silent auction, cash bar and more.

Tickets $20 at Brae Loch or call the CCP at 655-7234

8:00pm  — An Evening with Guitarists LOREN BARRIGAR

& MARK MAZENGARB

Catherine Cummings Theatre at Cazenovia College.

General Admission.  $15 Tickets available at the door.

Special $3 admission for all HS students/college students with ID.

Sunday, February 12:

All day — Snow Sculptures

Throughout the village – weather permitting.

10:00am — Snowshoe/Road Race/Walk at Highland Forest

5k and 10k race and walk on wooded trails, starts at lodge.

Running race will be conducted in lieu of snowshoeing if there is no snow. Entry form and information at  www.bikeloft.com.

10:00am-4:00pm — NO Downhill Skiing for 2012

Due to the lack of snow, downhill skiing at the Cazenovia Ski Club

(www.skicaz.com) will not be feasible this year – see you in 2013!

10:00am-4:00pm — Family Ice Skating

Burton Street Ice Skating Rink – Weather Permitting

12:00-3:30pm — Winter Festival Art Show

St. Peter’s Parish Hall – Sponsored by Cazenovia Arts – Admission is free

2:00pm — Haiti Fundraiser Event

“An Afternoon of Irish Music and Step Dancing”

A fundraiser sponsored by the Haiti Committee of St. James Church featuring Joe Davoli, fiddle; Bill Delaney, guitar; and the

McDonald-Ashford Academy of Irish Step Dancing.

Catherine Cummings Theatre at Cazenovia College,

16 Lincklaen Street, Cazenovia

General seating: $15; $10 for children 10 years and under

Tickets available at Cazenovia Jewelry, Matthew’s Salon in Cazenovia, and at the door

2:00-3:00pm — Storytelling and Chocolate Party

Cazenovia Public Library Albany Street. Two storytellers followed by hot chocolate and a variety of chocolate treats. Recommended for ages 4-8.  Sponsored by the Friends of the Cazenovia Library.

For information call 655-9322 or visit www.cazenoviapubliclibrary.org

Wednesday, February 15:

3:00-4:30 — Learn to Row — Cazenovia Rowing Club

Learn basics of the rowing stroke, terminology and rowing etiquette. FREE!! All are welcome. Cazenovia High School, Auxiliary Gym.

Visit www.projectcafe.org for updates.

Please note that all outdoor events are subject to weather conditions.

By Gloria Nantulya, Athletic Communications Assistant 

(Hamilton, NY – Feb. 6, 2012) Colgate men’s lacrosse head coach Mike Murphy has announced the addition of Matt Abbot to the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach.

Matt currently plays Major League Lacrosse with the Chesapeake Bayhawks.

“I am very excited that Matt has joined our staff,” stated Murphy. “We spent four years trying to defend him at my last job so it’s nice to have him on our side now. Matt is still a great player in his own right and he has a great demeanor with our players, so I know he will really help our players get better. My hope is that he will help our midfielders reach their full potential.”

Former Syracuse men’s lacrosse standout and brother of assistant coach Mike Abbott, Matt was a four-year member of the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team during which he won back-to-back national championships in 2008 and 2009. As a co-captain his senior year, Matt was named to the USILA All-America First Team, the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team, was a USILA Scholar All-American, and a finalist for both the Tewaaraton Trophy and Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.

After a successful senior season at Syracuse, Matt was selected ninth overall by the Chesapeake Bayhawks in the 2009 MLL Collegiate Draft. In three seasons with the Bayhawks, Matt has played in 23 games, recording 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points while also collecting a total of 65 groundballs. He was also named to the 2009 U.S. Men’s Lacrosse Training Team and was selected to play in the 2010 and 2011 MLL All-Star Games.

“It’s nice to have another set of eyes evaluating and educating our student-athletes,” Murphy said. “I could not be more excited to have completed our staff with such a fine young man.”

Matt holds a master’s degree in finance and a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting both from Syracuse University. He completed his first degree in 2009 and his second in May, 2010. He is also currently an investment advisor at Armory Capital Management in Syracuse.

(Town of Sullivan, NY – Feb. 2012) The town of Sullivan Parks & Recreation Department, combined with the Knights of Columbus will be holding their Annual Foul Shooting Contest on Saturday Feb. 11 at the Chittenango Middle School from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

This program is open to all boys and girls ages 7 to 18 as of Jan. 1.

Registration is onsite beginning at 10:30 a.m.  Try your luck and test your skill.

Trophies will be awarded to the top scoring boys and girls in their age groups.  Parents, come cheer on the children.

For additional information, contact the Parks & Recreation office at 687-3471.

By Courtney Cook, Sports Information Student Assistant

(Morrisville, NY – Feb. 5, 2012) In a thriller of a contest, the Morrisville State College men’s basketball team converted six straight free throws in the closing seconds to hand the visiting Penn State Harrisburg Nittany Lions a 77-68 North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) loss Sunday afternoon in Morrisville.

Morrisville State bumped their record to 14-7 overall and remain undefeated in conference play at 11-0, while the Nittany Lions fell to 17-5 overall, dropping their first contest of the season in NEAC play (10-1).

Kucjok Ater (Syracuse, N.Y.) led all scorers on the day, hitting 6-of-9 from the floor and 9-of-11 from the free throw line for a best 21 points, while adding 11 boards. Three additional teammates posted double figures in the victory, including Brandon Hanks (Syracuse, N.Y.) with 16, adding 13 rebounds, three steals and five assists in the double-double performance. Mickey Davis (Jamesville, N.Y.) posted 15 points, adding six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while teammate Hodges Sneed (Syracuse, N.Y.) tallied 11 points and grabbed five boards.

Four tallied double digits for the Nittany Lions, led by William Doyle with 17, who hit five from behind the arc. Steve Jones added 13 points and led Harrisburg on the glass with eight boards, also stealing three. Kenton Alston and Jordan Gatchell each contributed 10 in the loss.

Morrisville State got off to a slow start, managing just four points in the first four minutes of the contest, until Ater hit a lay-up to spark a 12-0 run over the next two minutes to claim the 16-8 advantage over the Nittany Lions.

The Mustangs maintained the narrow lead, until Doyle nailed his fourth three of the half to tie the contest at 32 with 1:45 showing on the clock. In a chaotic final 10 seconds of the first, Harrisburg posted a five point halftime lead, converting two free throws on a bench technical, and Doyle a three and the buzzer to send the contest into the break with a 37-32 score.

Harrisburg and Morrisville State played to a back and forth second half until 3:40 to go when Andrew Lucio (Solvay, N.Y.) nailed one from downtown to give the Mustangs the 67-66 lead.

With 54 seconds to go, Doyle converted two free throws to cut the Morrisville State lead to three, but the Mustangs pulled away in the final 36 seconds, as Davis hit both free throws and Ater 4-of-4 from the charity stripe, securing the conference win.

Morrisville State hit 27-of-57 from the floor and 18-of-23 from the free throw line in the contest, holding Harrisburg to just 34.7 percent from the floor in the contest, while controlling the glass 49-36 in the contest.

The Mustangs return to the floor Tuesday at Wells, with a tip scheduled for 5 p.m.

Women fall short in 65-62 final to Harrisburg

(Morrisville, NY – Feb. 5, 2012) The Morrisville State College women’s basketball team made a second half comeback attempt, but fell short Sunday afternoon as visiting Penn State Harrisburg edged the Mustangs for the 65-62 North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) victory.

Morrisville State drops to 7-13 overall, 6-7 in NEAC play, while Harrisburg improves to 14-6, 12-1 in conference play.

Sophomore forward Nijah Townsend (Bronx, N.Y.) tallied 26 points and gathered 10 rebounds to lead all scorers on the day, while two additional Mustangs posted double figures, including Jennel Paul (Brooklyn, N.Y.) with 17 and Nijee Scott (Bronx, N.Y.) with 10. Scott added seven assists and seven rebounds to the Morrisville State efforts.

Stephanie Yetter paced Harrisburg with 14 points, adding eight rebounds, as teammate Dorthea Dixon added 12 points, four assists and three steals. Monet Cunningham netted 11 points for the Nittany Lions, dishing out four assists while Brittany Guerre rounded out top team scorers with 10 points, five assists.

Morrisville State battled back from a seven point deficit in the first half to claim the 31-30 lead at the break, and got off to a slow start in the second as Harrisburg raced out to a 13 point advantage with less than nine minutes to go in the contest.

Scott cut the Harrisburg lead to three on a lay-up with 5:01 to go, but the Nittany Lions responded with a three to reclaim the six point advantage.

Tierra Hollins-Hill (Bronx, N.Y.) nailed a three to again bring the Mustangs to within three, and Scott added two quick scores to make it a one point game with 3:20 remaining on the clock.

With 10 seconds remaining on the clock, Harrisburg forced a costly Morrisville State turnover, in which Dixon converted both free throws for the three point lead with eight to go.

A three-point attempt by Scott at the buzzer hit off the back of the rim as Harrisburg held on for the conference win.

Morrisville State returns to the floor Tuesday, traveling to Wells College for a 7 p.m. tip.

Smith Lifts #20 Raiders with Four Tallies

By Matt Faulkner, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

(Troy, NY – Feb. 4, 2012) Austin Smith became only the fourth player in
Colgate history to reach 30 goals in a single season after scoring
four times in the 20th-ranked Raiders’ 8-3 win over Rensselaer on
Saturday night at Houston Field House.

Colgate (15-10-3, 9-6-1 ECAC) saw Smith tally a career-high four
goals, while Robbie Bourdon tallied two goals and two assists for a
career-high four point night. Jeremy Price, Chris Wagner and Joe
Wilson each had a pair of helpers in the win. Thomas Larkin and Nick
Prockow also scored goals for the Raiders. Alex Evin earned his fifth
win of the year and 18th of his career with 28 saves.

The Engineers (7-19-2, 4-10-2 ECAC) got goals from Guy Leboeuf,
Patrick Cullen and Zach Schroeder in the loss. Bryce Merriam got the
start and gave up a total of five goals, including four in the first
36 minutes of action. Scott Diebold came in to replace Merriam and
gave up three goals on 10 shots. Merriam then came back in the game
for the final 13 minutes. He made 18 stops and took the loss.

Smith jumped from 11th on the all-time single-season scoring list to
the sixth position after tonight. He has 73 goals in his career, which
is just outside the top-10. He still has work to do to reach the
top-10 in total points as he has 148 and 10th all-time has 168.  He
has a nine-goal lead as the nation’s top scorer and at the end of the
game was leading the country in points with 45.

The Raiders opened the scoring with a power play goal from Smith with
10:27 left in the first frame. Bourdon and Price added the assists.
The Raiders scored on their first power play and Smith got started
with his first of four on the night and his fifth goal on the man
advantage.

Bourdon pushed the lead up to 2-0 with less than three minutes left in
the first.  Bourdon rushed down the ice with Mayer and flipped the
puck, looking for the senior and the puck deflected off of a
Rensselaer stick and into the net. Colgate came out in the first and
outshot the Engineers, 10-6.

Rensselaer got on the board just over three minutes into the second
period to cut the Raider lead to 2-1. Leboeuf scored from the point as
the puck went through traffic and beat Evin. Smith answered right away
to get back the two-goal lead as the Engineers coughed the puck up
right in front of Diebold and he buried it. Wagner did an excellent
job putting pressure on the defense to force the turnover.  The goal
came 1:34 after the Engineers cut the lead to one.

The Raiders increased the lead to 4-1 with Prockow scoring from the
right faceoff dot. He pulled up, put a wrister on Merriam right before
he was checked and it went five-hole for his third of the season.
Price and Kurtis Bartliff were given assists on the play. Smith
notched his third career hat trick after a lucky bounce off the end
boards. He went in on the forecheck and as Diebold, who just entered
the game, went to play the puck behind the net, it kicked out to Smith
in the slot and he put it home.

After failing to score on a 5-on-3, the Raiders saw Larkin tally his
fourth goal of the season and first on the power play. The goal came
right after the Engineers cleared off the 5-on-3. Corbin McPherson
gloved down a clearing attempt and connected with Larkin along the
blueline. He then ripped a bomb from the point that got by Deibold.
Smith then netted his fourth of the game on an easy shot from the slot
to make it 7-1. Bourdon then got in on the scoring with his 10th of
the year with assists from Matt Firman and Mayer. The goal came with
5:43 left in the game. Schroeder and Cullen closed out the scoring in
the final minutes to make the final score 8-3.

Colgate outshot Rensselaer, 33-31, and scored two power play goals on
seven chances. The Engineers got one goal on the man advantage on
seven opportunities.

The Raiders will be back at Starr Rink this coming weekend to host
Yale and Brown with the matchup against the Bulldogs on Time Warner
Cable Sports. Both games are set for a 7 p.m. faceoff.

NOTES: The game was the 35th annual Big Red Freakout at Houston Field
House … Mayer scored his eight goal of the season … Colgate scored
first for the sixth time in the last seven games …  Smith tallied his
ninth multi-goal game of the season and is back to averaging a goal a
game … Smith became the first player since Jon Smyth in 2003 to tally
four goals in a game. … he has hit two goals 16 times in his career …
Price set a career-high with his four multi-assist goal of the season
… Smith tallied his third career hat trick and second of the season
and the first one against an opponent that wasn’t Quinnipiac …
Colgate is now outscoring opponents in the first period, 29-19 (+10) …
the Raiders scored five goals in the first two periods for the first
time since Oct. 28 against Niagara …  first time since beating
Canisius 9-0 in 2006 that Colgate reached eight goals … first time in
conference since a 9-4 win against Vermont in 2004 …  the Raiders are
now tied with Harvard for third in ECAC Hockey with 19 points.

Men’s Basketball Drops Heartbreaker to American

By Jeremiah Hergott, Director of Athletic Communications 

(Hamilton, NY – Feb. 4, 2012) Charles Hinkle scored a game high 23 points including a three pointer with 33 seconds remaining to help lift American past the Colgate men’s basketball team 59-58 Saturday afternoon at Cotterell Court.

After Hinkle’s three pointer gave the Eagles a 59-57 lead, senior Sterling Melville was fouled and split a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left. Melville then made up for his missed free throw by stealing the inbounds pass to give the Raiders one more chance with eight seconds left. After a Colgate timeout junior Mitch Rolls missed a three point attempt with three ticks left, got his own rebound but couldn’t get a second attempt off before the buzzer sounded to give American the one point win.

Senior guard Mike Venezia scored in double-figures for the third-straight game to lead Colgate with 13 points, including a three-pointer with a minute remaining to put the Raiders up 57-56. Classmate Nick Pascale and sophomore Pat Moore both scored nine points while Melville pitched in eight in the loss.

Both teams exchanged baskets for a majority of the first half as the score was tied four times with eight lead changes. American made the first run of the game 11-5 to break open a 14-14 tie to give the Eagles a 25-19 lead with four minutes remaining. But Colgate ended the half with a 5-0 run to make the score 25-24 as both teams entered the locker room.

Colgate (7-16, 1-7) scored the first five points of the second half, off a jumper by Venezia and three-pointer form Brandon James, to give the Raiders a 29-25 lead with 18 minutes remaining. But the Eagles answered back with five straight points to retake the lead 30-29 with 16:13 left. The teams would then exchange baskets for the next seven minutes, before the Eagles opened their largest lead of the game 47-40 with 8:20 remaining. Colgate then put together a 12-2 run over the next five minutes, including a pair of layups from Rolls, to give the Raiders a 52-49 lead with 3:34 remaining. After a 4-0 run gave American the lead 53-52 with 1:47 left, the two teams then exchanged the lead three times in the final minute before American was able to hold on for the one point win.

Hinkle shot 9-of-19 on the day including 5-of-8 from downtown to lead American, while Troy Brewer scored nine points and Blake Jolivette pitched in seven.

American (15-8, 6-2) shot 43.9 percent from the floor, including 7-of-13 from beyond the arc, while Colgate shot 41.3 percent overall and 4-of-14 from downtown. Colgate won the battle on the boards 30-29, and only turned the ball over five times.

Colgate will continue Patriot League play when it hosts Bucknell on Wednesday, Feb. 8. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. at Cotterell Court.

Women’s Hockey Secures 3-2 Win Over Rensselaer

By Gloria Nantulya, Athletic Communications Assistant 

(Hamilton, NY – Feb. 4, 2012) The Colgate women’s hockey team was able to secure a 3-2 win over Rensselaer on Saturday afternoon after a scoreless first two periods.

Freshman Melissa Kueber led the way with two goals, including the game-winner, while sophomore Rachel Walsh tallied the first goal and sophomores Jocelyn Simpson and Taylor Volpe added two assists apiece.

The first period started off a little slow, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm on the ice. A penalty on Colgate (10-18-1, 5-12-1 ECAC Hockey) nine minutes into the game allowed the Engineers to gain the first power play opportunity of the game. The Raiders were able to hold Rensselaer scoreless in the two-minute advantage and then again in its second extra skater advantage six minutes later to keep the score at 0-0 at the end of the first frame. Both teams had four shots on goal.

The second 20 minutes of play were similar to the first, this time however it was more physical as both teams searched for the first goal of the game. The aggressive play led to four penalties on Colgate and three on the Engineers, but neither team was able to capitalize on its power play opportunities. Rensselaer held a 10-5 shooting advantage in the second period.

The final frame was by far the most exciting, with a total of five goals being scored between the two teams. The Raiders struck first with their first goal just over two minutes into the stanza to take a 1-0 lead. Walsh picked up a pass from Volpe and blasted it into the back of the net to score the opening goal. Freshman Taylor Craig was also credited with an assist. Colgate held the 1-0 lead for only 48 seconds, with the Engineers striking back with a goal from Taylor Horton to tie the game at 1-1. The quick response did not topple the Raiders, who then reclaimed their lead 40 seconds later with a goal at the 3:38 mark. Kueber scored the second goal with assists from junior Jenna Klynstra and Simpson.

Colgate then earned two power play opportunities midway through the period, scoring on its second advantage at the 14:53 mark courtesy of Kueber once again, to increase the scoring margin to two goals. The rookie had help from Simpson and Volpe. The Engineers were not discouraged, trading in their goalie for an extra skater in the closing minutes of the game. The aggressive strategy eventually helped them find a second goal with just 41 seconds left in the game. However, despite its best efforts Rensselaer could not find an equalizer, giving the Raiders their second win of the weekend.

Senior Kimberly Sass had 19 saves in the game while Kelly O’Brien had 15 stops for the Engineers. Colgate held Rensselaer scoreless on five extra skater advantages and scored on one of its four opportunities.

The Raiders will resume ECAC Hockey play on the road next weekend when they travel to Yale and Brown on Feb. 10 and 11.

Women’s Basketball Falls at American

By Jeremiah Hergott, Director of Athletic Communications 

(Washington, DC – Feb. 4, 2012) The Colgate women’s basketball fell behind early and could not regroup in time as it dropped a Patriot League contest to American 70-47 Saturday afternoon at Bender Arena.

Junior Jhazmine Lynch led the Raiders with 12 points and four rebounds, while senior Tricia Oakes added nine points and seven boards.

After leading 5-2 with 18:23 remaining American used a 25-2 run to put the game out of reach early leading by as much as 22 points at the eight minute mark. The Raiders used a run of their own to put the game within reach, going on a 16-5 run before halftime to make the score 34-23.

Momentum carried over into the second half as Colgate continued to pressure American and found open baskets to trim the lead to 34-27 with 17:28 remaining, the closest the Raiders had been since 16:44 in the first half. American made sure Colgate got no closer. The Eagles used a 23-9 run to extend their lead to 21 points, 57-36, and put the game out of reach. The Raiders continued to fight with time winding down, but American was able to continue hitting shots as the Raiders fell 70-47.

The previous two games, Colgate had turned the ball over a combined 16 times. The pressure from American forced the Raiders into 21 turnovers. American also out rebounded Colgate 40-32.

Colgate will stay on the road, as it will travel to Bucknell on Wednesday, Feb 8. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.

Women’s basketball holds off Gallaudet University 64, 48

By Courtney Cook, Sports Information Student Assistant

(Morrisville, NY – Feb. 4, 2012) Sophomore forward Nijah Townsend (Bronx, NY) led to the Morrisville State College to victory Saturday afternoon over visiting Gallaudet University Bison in Northeastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) action, netting a collegiate best 29 points in the 64-48 final.

The Mustangs are now 7-12, 6-6 NEAC while the Bison dropped to 5-14, 3-10 NEAC.

Townsend had a double-double adding 15 rebounds on the day while also having three assists in 34 minutes of play. Nijee Scott (Bronx, NY) knocked down seven points to go with six assists, two steals and 11 rebounds. Both Tierra Hollins-Hill (Bronx, NY) and Jennel Paul (Brooklyn, NY) chipped in eight points.

Britny Latham led Gallaudet with 19 points shooting 50 percent from behind the arc on 5-of-10 trey’s. Stephanie Weiss also chipped in eight points to go with five assists. Claire Tucker added five points in the Bison efforts.

Morrisville State led by one point going into half time 23-22 and came into the second half having a 40 percent field goal percentage and scoring 41 points, including a 9-0 run to pull away and seal the victory.

Hosmer scores lone goal in 8, 1 loss to Oswego State

By Courtney Cook, Sports Information Student Assistant

(Morrisville, NY – Feb. 4, 2012) Todd Hosmer (Scarborough, ONT) scored the lone goal for Morrisville State Saturday night in State University of New York Athletic Conference action against #2 Oswego State.

The Oswego State Lakers scored four unanswered goals in the first period with Paul Rodrigues scoring three. Chris Azzano (Oshawa, ONT) had seven saves in the period for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs put on a defensive effort in the second period only allowing one goal by Oswego as Colin Breen (Waterloo, ONT) recorded 26 saves between the pipes in the second period.

The only goal for Morrisville came in the third period from Hosmer, with the assist coming from Alex Tillaart (Ashburn, ONT) and Tom Longland (Dunnville, ONT) while the Lakers had an additional three goals to seal the deal.

Breen recorded the loss in net for the Mustangs recording 35 total saves.

All proceeds from the game event went towards the battle of Multiple Sclerosis.

The Mustangs next play next Saturday Feb., 11 against Manhattanville College at the Clinton Arena in Clinton.

Ater records collegiate best en route to 76-67 victory over Gallaudet

 By Courtney Cook, Sports Information Student Assistant

(Morrisville, NY – Feb. 4, 2012) Sophomore forward Kucjok Ater (Syracuse, N.Y.) recorded a collegiate best 25 points as the Morrisville State College men’s basketball team collected a 76-67 victory over visiting Gallaudet University in North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) action Saturday afternoon in Morrisville.

Morrisville State improved to 13-7 overall, and remain untouched in conference play with a 10-0 record. Gallaudet drops to 10-10 overall, 7-4 in NEAC action.

Ater came off the bench to lead all scorers, adding 12 rebounds for the double-double, hitting an astounding 11-of-14 from the floor. Ater also recorded an assist and game high three steals. Mickey Davis (Jamesville, N.Y.) had 17 points and 15 rebounds in the win, while Hodges Sneed (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Kyle Gordon (Riverhead, N.Y.) each added eight. Andrew Lucio (Solvay, N.Y.) and Brandon Hanks (Syracuse, N.Y.) combined for 11 assists.

Four were in double figures for the Bison, led by Brandon McMillan with 17 points. Jocus Houston added 12, while Tony Tatum and Layton Seeber contributed 11 and 10, respectively.

Both teams got off to a slow until the Mustangs posted back to back scores to jump out to a seven point lead with just under 10 minutes remaining in the first en route to a 37-28 advantage at the half.

In the second, Morrisville State increased their lead to as many as 19 with 9:35 to go, but Gallaudet chipped away and cut the lead to just six with 3:04 to go as McMillan drained one from downtown to cut it to 70-64.

After Hanks hit two free throws to regain a nine point advantage for the Mustangs, Houston converted a three point play for Gallaudet with just over 30 seconds to go in the contest, but Morrisville State was able to secure the win, as Lucio hit 3-of-4 from the free throw line.

By Courtney Cook, Sports Information Student Assistant

(Morrisville, NY – Feb. 3, 2012) Morrisville State’s Tom Longland (Dunnville, ONT) followed his own shot and tallied the game winning goal in the overtime period give the Mustangs a 6-5 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) victory Friday night over visiting SUNY Cortland in Morrisville.

The Mustangs are now 4-16-1, 3-9-1 in SUNYAC play while the Red Dragons dropped to 5-15-1, 3-8-1 SUNYAC.

Morrisville State had the lead 3-1 after the first period with Geoff Matzel (Chittenango, NY), Curtis Renaud (Carlisle, ONT) and Jamie Nelson (Stratford, ONT) each posting scores; Renaud and Nelson’s on power plays.

In both the second and third periods Cortland State out scored the Mustangs 2-1 with Chris Kaleta posting the game tying goal with 9:17 remaining in the third for Red Dragons.

The Mustangs began the overtime period on a power play and with 3:01 remaining, Longland scooped the puck into the back of the net for the win, with Todd Hosmer (Scarborough, ONT) and Jonathan Cristini (Mississauga, ONT) earning the assists.

Chris Azzano (Oshawa, ONT) recorded the win between the pipes for the Mustangs with 32 saves.  Jeff Molner had 47 saves in net for the Red Dragons.

By Matt Faulkner, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

(Schenectady, NY – Feb. 3, 2012)  The 20th-ranked Colgate men’s hockey team was able to score first, but Union came away with the 3-1 win on Friday night at Messa Rink.

Colgate (14-10-3, 8-6-1 ECAC) got its lone goal from Mark Nasca, which was his first of the season. Assists went to Billy Rivellini and Mike McCann. Eric Mihalik got the start in net and made 19 saves between the pipes.

Union (16-6-6, 10-3-3 ECAC) saw Wayne Simpson score two goals, while Jeremy Welsh added the other. Welsh also added an assist for two points, while Greg Coburn was awarded two helpers in the win. In net was Colin Stevens, earning his first career start and he made 27 stops to earn the win.

Nasca tallied his first of the season to the Raiders an early lead just 3:11 into in the game to make it 1-0 in favor of the Raiders. Rivellini hustled to get the puck deep in the offensive zone flipped the puck on net and Nasca redirected it in past Stevens. It was Nasca’s fourth score of his career and Rivellini’s first point of the season.  McCann was also given an assist for his third helper of the year.

Union evened it up with just over eight minutes remaining in the first as Welsh scored from the left faceoff circle with assists to Daniel Carr and Coburn to make it 1-1. The Raiders came out in the first and outshot the Dutchmen, 13-9, and stayed out of the penalty box. Colgate got one chance on the man advantage and put two shots on Stevens, but didn’t score.

After scoreless and defensive second period, Union earned its first lead of the game early in the third with a power play goal. Simpson scored the goal three minutes into the final frame. Shayne Gostisbehere took a shot from the high slot that got knocked down in front and it came right to Simpson to the right of Mihalik. He didn’t waste anytime getting it on net and gave the Dutchmen the lead.

Colgate had its best opportunity in the third while shorthanded. Austin Smith got a drop pass in the slot and made a move to get open. He tried to get it past the glove of Stevens, but the netminder made a great save to keep the Dutchmen ahead for good at 2-1. Union added an empty net goal with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game. Simpson added his second of the night to wrap up the scoring at 3-1.

The Raiders were able to outshoot the Dutchmen, 28-22, and Union capitalized on one of the three power plays awarded. Colgate got two chances on the power play, but didn’t score.

Colgate returns to the ice tomorrow night at Rensselaer as the Raiders head to Houston Field House for a 7 p.m. start and the game can be seen locally on TWCS2 (channel 1026).

NOTES: Union and Rensselaer were the only ECAC Hockey teams Colgate had or has yet to play this season … Colgate wore its white jerseys on the road tonight … goalie Troy Grosenick sat out for Union due to a lower body injury … Rivellini became the 21st Colgate skater to earn a point this season … it was only the fourth time this season that the Raiders were held to one goal … Colgate is now 5-5-1 against ranked opponents this season … when scoring first, the Raiders are 8-5-1.

By Gloria Nantulya, Athletic Communications Assistant 

Senior goalie Kimberly Sass recorded her third shutout of the season to lead Colgate to a 3-0 win over Union Friday night at Starr Rink. (Photo by Bob Cornell)

(Hamilton, NY – Feb. 3, 2012) The Colgate women’s hockey team lit up Starr Rink with a 3-0 shutout win over ECAC Hockey opponent Union to celebrate the launch if its 2012 Autism Awareness Project.

Freshman Taylor Craig scored her first collegiate goal, which proved to be the game-winner, while sophomore Rachel Walsh tallied one goal and two assists and senior co-captain Amanda Kirwan scored the team’s third goal. Sophomore Shannon Doyle also added a pair of assists in the Raiders’ win.

Colgate (9-18-1, 4-12-1 ECAC Hockey) came out to an aggressive start, putting pressure on the Dutchwomen’s goalie as it fired numerous shots at net. The Raiders continued to create majority of the scoring opportunities as they moved the puck around the ice in their blue and black autism awareness jerseys. Midway through the period, things picked up for Colgate, resulting in its opening goal at the 12:25 mark. Walsh blasted the puck at the goalie, it rebounded to Craig who then then fired it into the top of the frame to record her first collegiate point.

Freshman Miriam Drubel was also credited with an assist. Less than two minutes later, the Raiders increased their lead to two goals in a similar fashion, this time during a power play with Doyle firing the puck at the frame and Walsh knocking the rebound off the goalie’s pads into the back of the net to give her team a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period. Junior Jenna Klynstra also had an assist. Colgate outshot Union 17-1 in the opening 20 minutes of play.

The second frame was not as fruitful for the Raiders. Both teams had eight shots on net but neither one could find a goal. Colgate was able to hold the Dutchwomen scoreless on two power play opportunities in the stanza, one of which had carried over from the first period.

After a scoreless second frame, both teams picked up the intensity as they fought to break the scoring drought from the previous period. Union held an 8-6 shooting advantage, courtesy of three extra skater opportunities in the period, however it was the Raiders that were able to find a power play goal in its only opportunity early in the stanza. Kirwan picked up a loose puck and then slipped it into the low right corner of the goal to eventually give her team the 3-0 shut-out win. Doyle and Walsh had assists in the goal.

Senior Kimberly Sass had 17 saves for Colgate in her third shut-out of the season while Shenae Lundberg had 28 stops for the Dutchwomen. The Raiders held Union scoreless on five power play opportunities while scoring on two of their four extra skater advantages.
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By Matt Faulkner, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

(Albany, NY – Feb. 2, 2012) Joe Wilson, who earned the league’s rookie of the week honors just two days ago, raked in another award as he was the named the ECAC Hockey/Fischer Hockey Rookie of the Month with seven points on four goals and three assists during the month of January.

Wilson had his best month in a Colgate uniform as he entered January
with six points and tallied seven points in eight games last month.
Wilson is currently riding a four-game point streak, including a
three-point outing against Cornell in a 5-3 key win. He has three
goals in the last three games and tied for a team-high +5 during the
month. Wilson scored the game-winner in the 2-1 win over Cornell last
Friday and was named Rookie of the Week this past week.

He is the second player for the Raiders to earn a monthly award as his
linemate Austin Smith is a two-time ECAC Hockey Player of the Month.
Overall, Wilson has 13 points on seven goals and six assists. He has
made his goals count as three have been gamewinners, which is second
on the team behind Smith’s five. The rookie jumped up to ninth in the
conference among freshmen in scoring and he leads Colgate in that
category. Spiro Goulakos isn’t far behind as he has 12 points on a
goal and 11 assists for 12th among league rookies.