Charles Jenkins nearly led Hofstra to the program's best win in nearly a decade before the Pride fell to 12th-ranked Connecticut, 76-67, Tuesday evening in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Gampel Pavilion.
Jenkins scored a game-high 25 points, with all but four points coming in the second-half. But the Huskies' Jerome Dyson scored 15 of his total 23 points in the final 7:11 to lift UConn (3-0) past the Pride in Storrs, Conn.
Hofstra took the lead in the second half and had the ball down one possession in the final minute. Jenkins was whistled for an offensive foul with UConn nursing a 69-66 lead with 49 seconds remaining, marking the Pride's best chance to erase a defecit against the nationally ranked opponent.
A victory would have been one of the program's most significant since its last NCAA Tournament apperance in 2001.
The full game story can be found here. Hofstra will now likely host NIT consolation games Monday and Tuesday at the Mack Sports Complex. Details will be made available soon. ----Brian Bohl
Click here to read the full box score and play-by-play.
Find the latest Hofstra men's basketball statistics here.
Photo courtsey of Fred Beckham/Associated Press. Picture accompanied the story at the Conneticut Post Website.
Hempstead, NY-- The Hofstra women's basketball team started the season with a strong second-half rally in beating Buffalo, 77-60, Monday night at the Mack Sports Complex.
Click here to read my full game story, including all the highlights as freshman Shante Evans scored a double-double in her impressive collegiate debut.
For those of you too busy, tired or good-looking to read, simply click below to hear the almost minute-long podcast version. ----Brian Bohl
Hempstead, NY-- The Hofstra wrestling team was about 15 seconds away from a season-opening victory against Buffalo before Andrew Schutt's victory in the final match allowed the Bulls to escape with a 16-16 tie Sunday afternoon at the Mack Sports Complex.
Click here for full results and check out the video below for the postmatch interview with Hofstra head wrestling coach Tom Shifflet (with daughter Elouise).
Brookline, MA -- Hofstra football ensured a losing season for the third time in four seasons, falling, 14-13, to the Northeastern Huskies Saturday afternoon at Parsons Field.
Brookline, MA--Hofstra is about an hour away from kicking off against Northeastern here at rain-soaked Parsons Field. The CAA contest will be played on a field that is accumulating puddles near the sidelines (as seen in the accompanying pregame warmup picture).
The CAA contest features a 4-5 Hofstra squad (2-4 in conference play) trying to get on track against a struggling Huskies team (1-8, 1-5). The Pride won last season's meeting, posting a 42-14 victory at Shuart Stadium. Hofstra's last win in this venue was in 2005.
Hempstead, NY-- The Hofstra Field Hockey team posted a winning record for the eighth time in the past nine seasons, closing out the 2009 campaign 12-8.
The Pride qualified for the Colonial Athletic Association Championship for the sixth consecutive season with three Hofstra players earning postseason conference honors. Sophomore Genna Kovar earned a spot on the first-team all-CAA squad while junior Amy-Lee Levey made the second team. Freshman Micaela Gallagher was also named to the All-Rookie team after scoring two game-winning goals in a two-game stretch. Hofstra saw 12 players score goals as the Pride officially finished 5-3 against the CAA. Hofstra has now finished .500 or better in conference play for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
Photos, video and story----Brian Bohl
Click here to see the video with Hofstra head field hockey coach Kathy De Angelis.
Inside Hofstra Athletics is your home for stories, podcasts, photos, videos and other multimedia to bring you information about your favorite Pride athletes and coaches.
The seventh-seeded Hofstra Women's Basketball team (16-13, 8-10 CAA) will open play in the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship on Thursday at 5 p.m. when it faces 10th-seeded William & Mary (13-16, 6-12 CAA) in the first round. This year's tournament will take place at the JMUConvocationCenter on the campus of JamesMadisonUniversity and will run until Sunday when the two finalists will meet at 3:30 p.m. to determine the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Sunday's title game will air on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic and Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast.
The winner of Thursday's quarterfinal matchup between the Pride and the Tribe will advance to face second-seeded VirginiaCommonwealth (21-8, 15-3 CAA) on Friday at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals. The semifinals are scheduled for noon and 2:30 p.m. (Hofstra's half of the bracket).
Hofstra and William & Mary will be meeting for the second time this season, with the Pride earning a 55-45 victory back on January 18. The Tribe led 24-22 at the half, but Hofstra stormed back to outscore William & Mary 33-21 in the second half to earn the 10-point victory. Hofstra placed four players in double figures in that contest, with senior guard Natty Fripp leading the way with 15 points and adding seven rebounds. Junior center Jess Fuller had a double-double in the game as she tallied 11 points and 12 rebounds, while also blocking four shots. Junior guard Sam Brigham added 12 points and six rebounds in 40 minutes of action, while senior guard Niki Williams chipped in with 10 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Hofstra's oldest current rival, the Pride and the Tribe first met in the opening game of the 1938-39 campaign with the two squads battling to a 14-all tie. That marked Hofstra's third season of women's basketball, and the Pride hold a 12-7-1 advantage in the all-time meetings with William & Mary. Since Hofstra joined the CAA starting with the 2001-02 season, the Pride owns an 11-4 advantage in the series meetings. These two squads are quite familiar with each other, especially in the postseason, as in the eight seasons they have been conference rivals this will be the fifth time they have met in the CAA Tournament.
Fuller has been a force offensively and defensively for Hofstra this season, as the Queens, NY native leads Hofstra in scoring (11.9 points per game), rebounding (8.1 rebounds per game), field goal percentage (58.1%) and blocked shots (95). Fuller, who has 12 double-doubles this season, leads the CAA in field goal percentage and blocked shots, and ranks third nationally in blocked shots per game. A pair of freshmen have also assisted greatly in Hofstra's 11-game improvement from a season ago (third-best turnaround in nation as of 3/9/09), as freshmen guard Nicole Capurso is second on the team with 10.8 points per game, while freshmen forward Joelle Connelly is third in scoring with 9.2 points per game. Capurso has nailed a team-best 43 three-pointers this season, despite missing Hofstra's last seven games with an injury. Connelly ranks second on the Pride in rebounding (6.2 per game) and blocked shots (59). Both players have been named the CAA Rookie of the Week three times this season.
William & Mary is led by Tiffany Benson, who averages a double-double with 11.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. She also has 82 blocked shots in 2008-09, while Taysha Pye is second on the team in scoring with 9.4 points per outing.
HOFSTRA HEAD COACH KRISTA KILBURN-STEVESKEY PREVIEWS THE CAA TOURNAMENT
Sean Bergenheim enjoys the Hat Trick against the Devils
UNIONDALE, NY- There is no telling if the Islanders matinee performance against the Devils Saturday was a harbinger of a promising future or merely a welcome respite to a frustrating season.
But for one afternoon at least, the core of the Isles youth movement was able to combine effort and skill to outwork a veteran team. Sean Bergenheim’s empty-net goal with .7 seconds left gave him his first career hat trick and 13 different Islanders logged at least one point in a 7-3 win over New Jersey.
“I don’t know what I’m doing differently right now. I just play,” said Bergenheim, who added goals 12, 13 and 14 of the season.
Despite shooting at an empty net, the former first-round pick still produced a highlight-reel play when he shrugged off fierce pressure from Brendan Shanahan and fired a far-angle shot near the goal line along the bench-side boards. Bergenheim’s near 90-degree shot found the twine, prompting some fans to pelt the ice with hats as the Finnish forward became the first Islander to score a hat trick since Bill Guerin in October 2007.
“I kind of made it a little bit tight there, but I’m happy it was one second before and not one second late,” Bergenheim said. “The [chip-in] went pretty far, and I couldn’t backhand it or anything. I needed to pull it to get a better angle and there wasn’t much time, so I knew I had to shoot it.
“Sometimes when you do something on the ice, you’re in the zone. You don’t think too much. You just do it. I didn’t have time to think.”
Coach Scott Gordon saw his club score seven goals for the first time since a 2006 victory over the Rangers. Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau and Frans Nielsen-fellow members of the under-25 club- all contributed to goals in front of a crowd of 15,524 at Nassau Coliseum.
Yet before they could even celebrate, team officials announced Trent Hunter suffered a season-ending ankle injury trying to check Bobby Holik in the first period.
Hunter played 4:46 in the first period before fracturing his left ankle. It was another blow to the Islanders depth considering the team already is without injured veterans Mike Sillinger, Doug Weight, Richard Park, Andy Sutton and Brendan Witt is still serving his five-game suspension.
“I went to hit Holik and kind of got twisted up,” Hunter said. “I was just coming off a bruise on it. There was some swelling in there, but it’s a different injury. There’s not much you can do.”
Joey MacDonald outdid his counterpart, making 35 saves as the Isles won for the third time in four games. Future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur struggled, allowing three first-period goals and six goals on 20 shots in 40 minutes.
“Our guys came out and set the tone of the game,” Gordon said.
Brian Gionta scored 23 seconds into the second period to make it 3-1 and add some intrigue. Bergenheim responded 61 seconds later, adding his first goal to re-establish the three-goal edge.
“The effort that’s being put out by our team is something that’s been a constant for us [lately] and we’re getting some wins because of it,” Okposo said. “Everybody who’s come up has really fit in nicely.”
The Islanders employed a roster featuring eight players who have spent time in AHL Bridgeport. The mini Sound Tigers jumped on the Atlantic Division-leading Devils. Bergenheim scored twice, Tambellini assisted on Radek Martinek’s opening goal just 1:42 into the contest and Bailey added two assists. Minor league call-up Mike Iggulden also added two assists in his Isles debut.
“That was something pretty special,” Iggulden said. “I didn’t expect anything. I just wanted to work as hard as I could. To get a couple of assists was something really special for me.”
It was hard to discern which team was playing for the top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and which is in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick. The Isles surged to a 3-0 lead just 14:05 into the contest, punctuated by Jeff Tambellini’s breakaway goal.
Tambellini, who entered Monday’s game with just six points in 44 games, tallied his second multi-point game in the past three contests.
He started the season the NHL roster before being demoted to Bridgeport in order to find his game after the winger tallied two assists in his first 23 games. After picking up a goal and an assist in a win over Colorado Monday, Tambellini was credited as the second assist.
He also allowed the home team to enter the first intermission up three when he subtly skated behind defensemen Paul White and Bryce Salvador at the blue line. Mark Streit then lifted a perfect outlet pass from inside the Islanders defense zone that went right to Tambellini’s stick, initiating the breakaway. Tambellini finished the one-on-one by sliding a backhand under Brodeur’s pads as the crowd erupted for his fourth goal of the season.
“If anybody expects me to come out and every game and shut down everybody; thanks for the confidence but it’s not something that’s going to happen,” Brodeur said. “I felt pretty good; I felt I was where I needed to be. The puck didn’t hit me. You have to give them credit. They got pucks on net and shots really close and made some good plays.”
Iggulden, who appeared in one NHL game as a San Jose Shark against the Islanders last season, made a big contribution in 12:37 of ice time. He assisted on two of Bergenheim’s goals, including an even strength tally that made it 6-2 with 2:40 left in the second. That goal effectively chased Brodeur when Kevin Weekes came out to start the third period.
“This year, the first half of the season, it was tough because I didn’t play close to the level where I knew could play,” Bergenheim said. “By saying that, I have to keep on playing this way and keep getting better.”
UNIONDALE, NY- A sold-out Nassau Coliseum provided the ambiance reminiscent of a playoff atmosphere. Considering the last-place Islanders will be likely preparing for acquiring to the top overall draft pick instead of preparing for a postseason run this season, a matchup with the hated Rangers is the closest many of the Isles young players will get to experiencing a pressure-packed contest in an energy-filled arena.
In less than a calendar year, Jack Hillen played his first game, logged his first assist and scored his first NHL goal all against the Rangers. For a 23-year-old defenseman who was playing college hockey a year ago, that trifecta must resonate. Right?
“Boy, I didn’t even think about about that,” Hillen said with a laugh. “You know what, it is what it is, I never really thought about it.”
But Hillen is indeed a cerebral player and one aware of his surroundings. And almost half the Islanders roster entering Saturday’s home matinee against the Devils spent part of the season in AHL Bridgeport.
With Andy Sutton injured and Brendan Witt finishing a five-game suspension, Hillen is being entrusted to provide depth. That’s the same predicament teammates like Andrew MacDonald, Jesse Joensuu, Joe Callahan and Joel Rechlicz are in, getting the call-up from the minor leagues after injuries and two trades jettisoned veterans Bill Guerin, Mike Comrie and 24-year-old defenseman Chris Campoli. An influx of prospects actually puts Hillen, who has played 24 career games, in the middle of the pack on the roster when it comes to NHL experience.
“I knew the feeling before my first game,” Hillen said. “I was pretty nervous. And this year I looked around and I’m like, ‘I’ve played with him, him and him in Bridgeport.’ There’s nothing to be nervous about. We’re all in the same boat.
“It’s just an opportunity for guys. Everybody’s played well. Hopefully whoever comes up and plays well can keep it going and try and earn a spot for themselves.”
Hillen scored his first career NHL goal against the Rangers, cutting a two-goal lead into a 3-2 deficit before Markus Naslund secured the Blueshirts 4-2 victory Thursday night. Coach Scott Gordon has emphasized defensemen responsibly joining the offensive rush, looking for opportunities to jump into the play in the offensive zone without giving up off-man rushes. That strategy worked on Hillen’s marker when Dean McAmmond’s initiated the play with his pass off the sideboards.
Gordon said Hillen’s goal was indicative of his philosophy and stressed he doesn’t want his defensemen to just indiscriminately leave their post and take an offensive-zone chance.
“We want our defensemen to join the attack whenever the opportunity presents itself,” Gordon said. “In saying that, there has to be responsibility to back it up. That’s the thing that’s most pleasing about it. The first part of the year, we weren’t being responsible. We didn’t have the back-pressure or the back-check. Now, we’re a lot more responsible in those areas.”
Added Hillen on his goal: “Dean made a great pass to me off the wall and I went wide and waited for some support,” Hillen said about his goal. “When the opportunity presents itself, I’m definitely going to try and jump up in the play because that’s a part of my game and that’s part of what [Gordon] wants me to do.”
Hillen barely played more than 13 minutes a game when he first came up from Bridgeport. The former Colorado College standout, who completed his economics degree right after playing two games (both against the Rangers) at the end of last season, is taking an increased role and said he is using a teammate as a model both on and office the ice. Mark Streit, the Isles only All-Star, is also a defenseman yet leads the club with 45 points.
On a club that is 20-37-7 and has allowed 54 more goals than its scored, Streit’s plus-3 rating underscores his incredibly productive season. Streit is also a good role model for Hillen since both have similar body types in addition to a penchant for joining the offense: Hillen is just one inch shorter than Streit’s listed height of six feet and both are listed as close to 200 pounds.
“I’m just trying to learn how to be a professional athlete,” said Hillen, who registered five points and a plus-1 rating through his first 24 games. “I’m trying to learn from Mark Streit; the way he carries himself and how everybody acts in a professional manner.”
UNIONDALE, NY- It might not mean much come the season-opener in October. But for a one-week stretch, the Islanders look closer to a promising young team than a directionless unit in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick.
The Islanders once again found offense from unlikely sources and good goaltending made it stand up. One day after Sean Bergenheim picked up his first career hat trick, Jeff Tambellini scored his third goal in four games, Josh Bailey scored for the first time in 15 games and Kyle Okposo took another step towards a 20-goal season in his rookie year.
Yann Danis capitalized on the offensive support, making 40 saves and teaming with a penalty kill unit that nullified a pair of two-man power plays and kept the Wayne Gretzky-coached Phoenix Coyotes scoreless on seven power play chances in a 3-2 matinee victory at Nassau Coliseum Sunday.
“Sometimes we make some youthful mistakes but we make up for it with effort,” coach Scott Gordon said. “It’s slowly coming together.”
Danis tied his career high in saves, including 16 in a frantic third period for his second 40-save game in his past six appearances. He has allowed just nine goals in those last six games. Nine different Islanders recorded at least one point, sending the club on a six-game road trip winners of four of its past five games.
The Isles will look to carry its hot play away from Long Island. Gordon’s team is 6-23-2 away from home, though Okposo said the Islanders are improving in all facets. The club has captured points in six of the past eight games after losing seven of its previous eight contests before Feb. 21.
“We’re working so hard to back-pressure, and I think that’s been the big difference in our team over the last month,” Okposo said. “We come back so hard that we don’t give teams a lot off the rush. We’re getting above the puck and not giving up too many odd-man rushes. We’ve just been playing better as a team.”
All three Islanders goals came in a whirlwind second period. Tambellini sent home a rebound in front of the net for his fifth of the season to tie the score at 1 following Scottie Upshall’s opening tally 15:50 into the first that gave Phoenix it’s only lead. Three of Tambellini’s five goals have come in the past three games.
Bailey put the Isles ahead at the 9:18 mark, pushing a wrist shot past Ilja Bryzglaov. Okposo followed with a net-finding wrist shot with 36.8 seconds left before second intermission for his 14th goal. At the time, that tally provided an insurance marker that proved to be the game-winner. The Isles are 9-3-3 in the past 13 games at the Coliseum.
“I thought in the second period, we came out and had a lot of jump,” Okposo said. “We were moving our feet and getting above the puck. We carried that over into the third. We didn’t give them too much. They had 41 shots, but we didn’t give up too many quality chances.”
Tim Jackman and Bergenheim gave Phoenix its best chance to get back in the game, taking penalties for hooking and tripping respectively 1:54 into the final period to give the Coyotes its second five-on-three opportunity. Yet Phoenix only recorded two shots during the two-man advantages and the Coyotes only cut it to 3-2 when Shane Doan scored a point-blank goal with 18.6 seconds left after the visitors pulled their goalie.
“We didn’t capitalize on either five-on-three,” Gretzky said. “I believe you should score on every five-on-three situation.”
Danis faced a slew of shots in the final period yet the defense was able to clear out rebounds and prevented many quality chances. Phoenix nearly made it 3-2 with 5:23 to play when Matthew Lombardi’s shot skipped past Danis. Following a video review, the officials ruled the net was knocked off its moorings just before the puck crossed the goal line, disallowing the goal.
“Most of their shots were from the outside and whenever there was a rebound, guys took care of it,” said Danis, who increased his save percentage to .924 in improving to 7-10-2. “They didn’t have any odd-man rushes. We’re playing some smart hockey defensively.”
UNIONDALE, NY- No captain’s crest was placed on any Islander uniform last night while only one actually stepped on the Nassau Coliseum ice against the Rangers Thursday night.
But one day after shipping Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, the Isles played through the leadership void, putting forth a spirited effort before falling short in a 4-2 loss to the Blueshirts in front of a sell-out crowd.
Coach Scott Gordon did not name the 12th captain in team history following Guerin’s departure to the playoff-contending Penguins. Instead, Richard Park, Brendan Witt and Trent Hunter were also designated as assistant captains, though Park spent Thursday night watching from the Nassau Coliseum press box as he recovers from broken ribs and Witt continues to serve his five-game NHL suspension for elbowing Toronto forward Niklas Hagman in the head.
Injuries and the trades that shipped out Guerin and Mike Comrie forced the roster’s young players to take increased roles. Blake Comeau relished the opportunity, logging his second two-point game of the season with a goal and an assist. The 23-year-old now has three points in the past two games, giving Islanders fan at least something to cheer about as the Isles fell to 20-37-7 and claim a NHL-low 47 points.
“It’s an opportunity for the young guys to step up and prove that they can play here,” Comeau said. “It’s not the easiest thing to get opportunity in this league but when you do, you want to be ready and you want to make the most of it.”
Comeau scored his fourth goal of the season, driving to the net and sending the puck underneath goalie Henrik Lundqvist’s pads 5:37 into the second period, answering Nikolai Zherdev’s game-opening tally to knot the score at 1. Chris Drury put the Rangers ahead again almost three minutes later, deflecting new acquisition Nik Antropov’s pass past goalie Yann Danis to put the Blueshirts ahead 2-1.
Then the Rangers registered the put-away goal that served as a microcosm of the Isles play: tireless and hard working but not enough to finish strong. Dean McAmmond raced into the Rangers zone before colliding with a teammate near the blue line. The aggressive mistake facilitated a two-on-chance the other way, culminating in Zherdev’s one-time pass to Scott Gomez’s stick blade. Gomez easily pushed the shot past a sprawling Danis for a 3-1 edge.
Gordon said he was pleased with the effort of a team that could easily be mistaken for AHL Bridgeport. Call-ups like Jesse Joensuu, Andre MacDonald, Joe Callahan and Joel Rechlicz have turned the Islanders dressing room into a Sound Tiger reunion because of injuries and front office transactions.
“The guys played with tremendous energy and all the guys that came up from Bridgeport played well,” Gordon said. It was a great environment to be a part of.
“There wasn’t anybody who had an off-night tonight. From top to bottom, we were pretty solid. They [the Rangers] had some bounces but in saying that, I think we gave ourselves a pretty good chance to come back in the game but it wasn’t meant to be tonight.”
At 35, Dean McAmmond joins the injured Doug Weight as the Islanders elder statesmen. Acquired in last month’s trade with Ottawa, McAmmond said he empathizes with the call-ups trying to prove themselves, relating their experiences to his situation as 19-year-old with the Oilers in the 1993-94 season.
“When I was a young guy in Edmonton starting out, I thought I was a pretty good player and was looking to prove myself,” McAmmond said. “It’s a great opportunity for these [young] guys to come in, work hard and play against a team like that. This is an important game for then. They came out hard and I think we adjusted pretty good. A couple of breaks and it could have been different.”
Jack Hillen, another Isles’ youth movement member, made things interesting by scoring his first NHL goal at an opportune time. The 23-year-old blue liner brought the Isles within a goal of tying it with a hard shot that skipped past Lundqvist 3:44 into the final period. The Rangers added a power play goal with 6:36 remaining, securing the win to end the Isles modest two-game winning streak and three-game point streak.
“Dean made a great pass to me off the wall and I went wide and waited for some support,” Hillen said about his goal. “When the opportunity presents itself, I’m definitely going to try and jump up in the play because that’s a part of my game and that’s part of what [Gordon] wants me to do.”
UNIONDALE, NY- Instead of a slew of comings and goings, the Islanders made just one anticipated deal before the NHL’s trade deadline Wednesday.
General manager Garth Snow’s only move was an expected transaction, as the Islanders traded Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a conditional draft pick. The Isles will receive no worse than a fifth round pick that could be bumped up to a fourth-round choice if the Penguins qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Should the Pens win a postseason round and Guerin appears in half of Pittsburgh’s games, the Islanders will receive a third rounder. The fifth-round selection originally belonged to Tampa Bay.
“The entire Islanders organization has the utmost respect for Bill Guerin and we sincerely thank him for his time on Long Island and as the team’s captain,” Snow said.
Before the 3 p.m. deadline, NHL clubs completed 22 trades totaling 45 players and 21 draft picks. But the Islanders did not make any more trades after shipping out the team’s captain. Snow held on to impending free agents Doug Weight and Andy Hilbert and also kept defensemen Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek, who were rumored to be on the trading block.
“As a seller, you can’t make a trade for the sake of making a trade,” Snow said in Room 6 at Nassau Coliseum, the same site where two years ago the Isles shocked the league by acquiring All-Star Ryan Smyth for a stretch-run deadline deal.
Guerin became the 11th captain in franchise history when he signed a two-year deal before the 2007-08 season. He was one of just two Isles to crack the 20-goal mark in last season, notching 23 goals and 21 assists in 81 games. He tallied 39 goals in 142 games for the Islanders, including career goal No. 400 earlier in the current campaign. The 38-year-old will be joining his seventh team after agreeing to waive his no-move clause to go to a Penguins team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals last spring.
“Billy brings that veteran presence,” Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero said. “He’s a right winger with a right shot, and he can still skate. I talked to him this afternoon after the trade and I told him what I was expecting of him. He’s a goal scorer. Billy Guerin can play with good players and score goals - he’s certainly done that in the past. I think we have the players for him to play with and support him.
“He has size. We wanted to get bigger and we wanted to get a little bit stronger up front and I believe that’s a good fit. Hopefully it’s a good move for both of us.”
The move settled a situation that dominated talk around the Islanders after Snow pulled Guerin from the ice before Saturday night’s against Buffalo. Guerin skated in the pregame warmup but was not on the bench for the opening faceoff. He also was held out of Monday’s victory over Colorado, fueling trade speculation that had reports suggesting Guerin could be headed to Montreal or Washington.
“I had a conversation leading up to the warm-up and after contacting Bill’s agent and talking it over a little bit, it was in everyone’s best interest that he probably shouldn’t play and when I say we, I mean the three of us…really didn’t want to risk bill getting injured,” Snow said.
Snow left open the possibility for re-signing Hilbert and Weight and said he never intended to conduct whole-sale changes despite the Isles league-low 47 points and 20-36-7 record.
“We’ll do whatever we have to do to be better,” Snow said. “We weren’t going just go in and have a fire sale. If we identify a free agent to be as someone as we can re-sign, we’ll take that road.”
Last year at the trade deadline, the Penguins also made a move at the deadline before playing the Islanders. The same press room at Nassau Coliseum was where the Pens announced Marian Hossa’s acquisition, which propelled Pittsburgh into the finals. Entering Wednesday night, the Pens were clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot with 72 points and 17 games remaining.
“They’re playing great; I’m really looking forward to it,” Guerin told TSN. “I’ll just go in and be myself. They get you for a specific reason. The best thing you can do is just go and be yourself and support the leadership that they have there. It’s a great opportunity for me.”
On a side note, Guerin’s acquisition comes on the same day the Pens assigned former Islander Miroslav Satan to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Satan was subjected to trade rumors last deadline but the Isles kept him for the remainder of the regular season and let him leave as a free agent over the summer.
UNIONDALE, NY- Garth Snow pulled off a blockbuster two years ago when he packaged prospects and a first-round draft pick for All-Star 40-goal scorer Ryan Smyth. But two years later, the only trade deadline move the Islanders made was shipping Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a conditional fifth-round pick that might turn into a third-round choice.
While the Guerin deal didn’t exactly dominate headlines around the league, it still ended days of speculation about the 38-year-old winger’s future. Snow also completed some minor deals yesterday, assigning Jon Sim to AHL Bridgeport and activated defenseman Thomas Pock and center Nate Thompson from injured reserve.
Impending free agents Andy Hilbert and Doug Weight were retained and Snow said both players could be offered contract extensions. The third-year general manager said the opportunity to shop veterans at the deadline was a unique experience.
“No, not disappointed or frustrated,” Snow said about the lack of deals. “For me it was the first time as GM that I’ve been in this situation where we were sellers…first year we were buyers, last year we were two back from a playoff position…putting a price tag on certain deals…if it happened we would have seriously considered it obviously this year with the situation we were in we were looking obviously to be a seller.”
Islanders management touted this season as a youth movement where developing prospects would be valued more than wins and losses. Yet some player conflicts with first-year head coach Scott Gordon led to trading 24-year-old defenseman Chris Campoli and Mike Comrie in a trade to Ottawa that netted a late first-round pick.
When a club enters the deadline sporting an NHL-low 47 points and a 20-36-7 record and will not likely tout a 30-goal scorer for a second consecutive season, Snow suggested there is no list of untouchables on the roster.
“Obviously there is no one who is untradeable the same way Wayne Gretzky got traded, anything can happen…you can’t in a situation we’re in being in 30th place, have a lot of players who are untradeable.
“We have a good foundation of players who are returning and we can get healthy now, and over the summer and be flying when training camp arrives. But now obviously the team is playing well, we have a lot of younger players and the veterans who have done an admiral job in tough situations. We are here to win hockey games too.”
While Campoli was traded off Long Island, 34-year-old Brendan Witt will continue to call Nassau Coliseum his home. While that move might cause some people to question the consistency in touting a youth movement, Snow said Witt still has value to the team despite his public criticism of Gordon’s system earlier this season.
“To me Brendan Witt is what the Islanders are looking to be. He’s tough he plays with a lot of heart, selfless; he’s a good leader in the locker room. He’s a player we’ve had here for a few years now and were happy he’s back for two more.”
Snow did not immediately name a success for Guerin, who was the 11th captain in franchise history. He did praise the former 40-goal scorer for embracing the captaincy when he signed a two-year contract before the 2007-08 campaign.
“He’s a great leader,” Snow said. “It’s tough for me because Bill is a good friend of mine, it’s a tough part of the job for me when you have to do a move like this, with a player whose a close friend.”
The Pride moved the tying run to the plate as late as the seventh inning against Florida State but still fell to the sixth-ranked Seminoles, 10-4, in the final game of a season-opening four-game set at Dick Howser Stadium Sunday afternoon.
Senior second baseman Tom Legregni (Paramus, NJ, pictured) accounted for three Pride runs in a two-RBI effort in the matinee, though Hofstra still dropped to 0-4. Jason Stidham added a pair of RBI doubles and Stuart Tapley went 2-3 with a game-high three RBIs as the Seminoles improved to 4-0 after completing the series sweep.
Three first-inning Florida State doubles pushed two early runs across for the Seminoles against senior starter Nick Panzarella (Three Bridges, NJ). Stidham and Tapley lined consecutive RBI two-baggers and catcher Rafael Lopez added a two-run single in the second to give the Seminoles a 4-0 edge.
Legregni jump-started Hofstra's offense in the third, following Mark Stuckless' (Kanata, Ontario) leadoff single by lining a hard double that bounced off the right-centerfield wall for a RBI.
The infielder then generated another run on the base paths, stealing third base and cruising home on Lopez's throw that sailed into leftfield to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Sophomore Scott A'Hara (Downingtown, PA) did his best to support Panzarella in the fourth, making a full-extension backhanded diving catch in the left-center gap following a leadoff double. Despite the defensive support, Mike McGee and Stidham followed with back-to-back RBI doubles to chase Panzarella after 3 1/3 innings.
Panzarella, the Pride's regular centerfielder, was charged with six runs in falling to 0-1. McGee, who is the Seminoles usual slugging leftfielder, posted the quality start. The righty did not allow a runner past first base after the third, surrendering two runs (none earned) on five hits in six innings, improving to 1-0.
Florida State, a 2008 College World Series qualifier, tacked on one run in the sixth, though reliever Jeff Guthridge (Bel Air, MD) minimized the damage by inducing Ohmed Danesh to hit a bases-loaded fly out to left, keeping the score at 7-2 heading into the seventh. Guthridge, a junior, allowed just one run and two hits in 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.
Hofstra's patience at the plate paid off in the seventh when Florida State's Bo O'Dell walked the first two batters and gave up a single to load the bases. John Kenny (Franklin Square, NY) then worked a walk to force in a run, prompting Seminoles Head Coach Mike Martin to summon Brian Busch.
Busch forced a fly out to left before Legregni's fielder's choice plated A'Hara for Hofstra's second run of the inning. With runners on the corners, junior Matt Prokopowicz, the Pride's 2008 home run leader, stepped to the plate as the tying run in the seventh before Busch recorded the strikeout to keep it at 7-4.
That rally was the Pride's last salvo. Florida State broke the game open in a three-run seventh to secure the win for the four-time ACC champions.
Hofstra will next play Friday when its heads back south to take on North Carolina State for a three-game set. The Pride's home opener is set for March 7 with a doubleheader against Dartmouth.
" >Click here to see video of Hofstra Head Baseball Coach Patrick Anderson
Junior Rob Kumbatovic (Hillsborough, NJ) limited Florida State to just three runs on nine hits in a complete game effort and the Pride came tantalizingly close to pulling an upset, though the Seminoles escaped with a 3-2 victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader Saturday at Dick Howser Stadium. The Pride (0-3) dropped the opener, 21-7.
Kumbatovic gave his team a chance to beat the seventh-ranked Seminoles, throwing exactly 100 pitches and logging four strikeouts, including a punch out of Stuart Tapley to end his evening, marking his fifth complete game since 2008.
The Pride putting the tying run on second with one out in the ninth. Mark Stuckless (Kanata, Ontario, Canada) tried to advance to third on a pitch that skipped away from catcher Rafael Lopez, though the backstop retrieved the ball in time and threw out Stuckless at third for the second out. Closer Jimmy Marshall picked up the save with a strikeout two pitches later.
Hofstra led 1-0 in the fifth and, after falling behind, put the potential go-ahead runs on base in the sixth and seventh innings, putting a scare in the 2008 College World Series qualifiers. The Pride nearly pulled off its first win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 15 Old Dominion at home on March 7, 2006.
While Kumbatovic found a rhythm, Florida State freshman Sean Gilmartin also was crisp in his first collegiate start, limiting Hofstra to seven hits in six innings. The freshman southpaw exited in the seventh as the pitcher of record after logging four strikeouts as the four-time ACC champion Seminoles improved to 3-0.
The Pride supported Kumbatovic (0-1) by breaking a scoreless tie in the fifth. Senior Tom Legregni (Paramus, NJ) executed a hit-and-run double by going the other way, putting two runners in scoring position with one out. Junior Matt Prokopowicz (Massapequa, NY) got the job done the next at-bat, recording an RBI groundout to short that plated Stuckless for a 1-0 Hofstra lead.
But Mike Meschke quickly brought the Seminoles even, lining an opposite-field single to tie it up in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Holt followed that up by ripping a RBI double down the third base line before Kumbatovic settled down and got the strikeout to end the fifth, keeping the deficit at 2-1.
Hofstra had a chance to do some damage in the sixth, putting runners on the corners before a double-play ended the threat. Florida State took advantage of the clutch pitching. Mike McGee, who had a three-RBI game in the season opener, extended Florida State's lead to 3-1 by lifting a solo home run to left in the home half of the sixth.
Hofstra answered right back, loading the bases with two outs in the seventh to chase hard-throwing reliever Tyler Everett. Righty Brian Busch came in and the Pride quickly pushed across a run on a passed ball to make it 3-2. That would be as close as the visitors would get, leaving two runners in scoring position heading into the seventh inning stretch.
A pitcher's duel in the nightcap was the dichotomy of the slugfest in the twin bill's opener. The Seminoles jumped out to an early lead en route to a 21-7 Game 1 victory. While Hofstra's pitchers struggled, junior Matt Wynn (Oceanside, NY) provided a gutsy effort to spare the rest of the bullpen. The natural outfielder tossed 1 2/3 innings in relief to preserve the pitching staff for the nightcap.
Florida State didn't accumulate many hits through two innings, but timely hitting allowed the Seminoles to surge to a 10-run lead. Hofstra walked eight batters and hit two more through the first two frames. Jason Stidham's bases-loaded two-run single through the right side opened the scoring. Two bases-loaded walks and Tyler Holt's bunt single up the third base line contributed to the six-run first that chased senior starter Bobby Neelon (0-1) after 2/3 of an inning.
Neelon (Needville, TX) nearly got out of the inning with just two runs before a throwing error extended the inning. Just two of his six runs were earned.
Scott A'Hara (Downingtown, PA) entered in relief and also struggled finding the strike zone. The lefty escaped a bases load jam in the first and nearly duplicated the feat before Rafael Lopez launched a grand slam over the right-centerfield wall that followed two walks and a hit batsman. All nine Seminoles starters scored at least one run by that point.
Tapley added a three-run shot that fell just in front of the leftfield scoreboard in the third and Ohmed Danesh took A'Hara deep over the right-centerfield wall for a pinch-hit three-run shot, extending the advantage to 16-0.
Senior centerfielder Nick Panzarella (Three Bridges, NJ) put the Pride on the scoreboard in the fourth, driving in Dion Pouncil (Chicago, IL) via a single against Florida State starter John Gast. Panzarella logged a two-hit game and also reached on an error in the fifth that knocked Gast out of the game, though he still received credit for his second RBI by moving the runner in from third with a ground ball to the right side.
Freshman catcher Gianni Masci (Franklin Square, NY) made his first collegiate hit count one inning later, pulling the ball down the leftfield line for a two-run single in a five-run Hofstra fifth in the seven-inning contest.
Hofstra will conclude its four-game set against the Seminoles Sunday afternoon. First pitch from Mike Martin Field is set for 1 p.m.
" >-30-Click here to see post-game comments from Hofstra Head Coach Patrick Anderson
After hanging tough with the nationally ranked Seminoles in a season-opening loss Friday, the Pride will get two more cracks today at Fla. State.
Some pregame notes: Hofstra's lineup is the same as the first game except for the DH spot, where switch hitting Dion Pouncil will bat sixth against Seminoles left-handed starter John Gast. Lefty-hitting Jim Best was the DH for Opening Day and could see action as a pinch hitter or in the second game.
Bobby Neelon, the 6-5, 200-pound righty, will look to lead the Pride to a win over Florida State, which qualified for the 2008 College World Series. Neelon struck out 54 batters in 61 innings last season and wil get the start in Game 1.
Hofstra will wear the same blue hat with gold H for both games. The club is wearing it's blue uniforms with gold letter in the first game and will switch to its full gold uniforms for the nightcap.
The Seminoles drew 5,601 fans at Dick Howser Stadium for Opening Day, which would rival a midseason crowd at a Long Island Ducks game and would beat many other attendance numbers for the professional Atlantic League. That number exceeded the high crowd of the Hofstra football team this season and would be more than Hofstra's Mack Sports Complex could hold for a basketball game.
Don't feel too bad if you're in New York. While it may not be snowing in northern Florida, it is still 61 degress. So no, it's not pool weather just yet. Click here to access live stats of the game. Go to where it says "baseball vs. Hoftra 1 p.m., click on the "GT" button under coverage to bring up Game Tracker for real-time updates.
I'm in sunny Tallahassee with the Hofstra baseball team for the season opening trip against Florida State.
As a graduate assistant in Hofstra's athletic communications, I'm the sports information director for the team. As an assignment for Chris Botta's class, I am doing some live blogging for today's doubleheader.
The cage around home plate is being disassembled as we speak. Game time for the opener of the twin bill is set for 1 p.m. The first game will be a full nine-inning affair and the nightcap, set to start at 5 p.m., will be seven innings per NCAA rules.
Please feel free to check out the previous entry for my game story off the Hofstra website and the video interview with Pride Head Coach Patrick Anderson.
Hofstra built an early two-run lead over nationally ranked Florida State, but the Pride couldn't stave off a surging Seminoles offense in a 9-3 Opening Day loss in front of 5,601 fans at Dick Howser Stadium.
Senior rightfielder Mark Stuckless (Kanata, Ontario) provided a spark atop Hofstra's lineup, going 3-5 with a run scored and a RBI. Junior third baseman Matt Prokopowicz (Massapequa, NY) also added a RBI single against a Seminoles team that qualified for the 2008 College World Series and entered the game ranked sixth by the Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
The Pride still fell to 0-1 while Florida State's Mike McGee registered three RBIs in a 3-4 showing from the third spot, improving the Seminoles to 1-0.
The Seminoles erased a two-run deficit by showing patience at the plate in a four-run fourth inning that gave the visitors a 6-3 lead it would not relinquish. The eighth and ninth hitters got on with a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively, before a bunt single loaded the bases with no outs.
Starting pitcher Brody Fontaine (Amenia, NY) induced a pop out before Mike McGee flicked a two-run single to the left side. The southpaw responded by recording a big strikeout and nearly escaped further trouble when Tommy Oravetz grounded to short. But Chris Mentrasti couldn't field a tough hop for a single, though Tyler Holt raced around second and slid home safely on a throwing error for Florida State's third run.
That play chased Fontaine after 3 2/3 innings. Kevin Rigopoulos entered in relief and walked the first two batters, including issuing D'Vontrey Richardson a bases-loaded free pass that capped the four-run rally before getting out of the jam without further damage. Fontaine (0-1) struck out two batters and surrendered seven hits.
Hofstra jumped out to a two-run advantage, tagging Seminoles starter Geoff Parker (1-0) for three runs off four singles in the second spurred by three straight one-out singles.
Stuckless added a RBI single that fell just in front of the centerfielder, marking Hofstra's first RBI of the season. After a strikeout, Prokopowicz ripped a run-scoring single to left that plated John Kenny for a 3-1 lead, bringing Parker's pitch count to 52 after two innings. The right-handed hurler settled down shortly after, going five innings while allowing six hits to pick up the win.
The Pride came just a few feet away from starting the new campaign with a homer. Stuckless drove the first pitch into the top of the high right-centerfield wall for a season-opening double. Hofstra moved Stuckless to third on a groundout and brought him home on a strikeout thanks to Parker's two-out wild pitch that allowed Stuckless to cross the plate and Mentrasti to advance to first for Hofstra's first run of 2009.
Florida State answered right back in the home half of the first, scoring an unearned run off Fontaine via Jason Stidham's sacrifice fly to shallow centerfield. Panzarella's throw home was in time but a tough bounce over the catcher allowed Oravetz to slide in safely for the tying run.
Patrick Anderson made his head coaching debut for the Pride while Florida State's Mike Martin entered his 30th year with the Seminoles.
Hofstra's last Opening Day victory came against Delaware State in 2002 and the school is 22-31 all-time in first games for which statistical data is available. The Pride will get three more chances at the four-time ACC champions, starting with a doubleheader Saturday. Game time for the twinbill's opener is set for 1 p.m.
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" >Click here to see post-game comments from Head Coach Patrick Anderson
UNIONDALE, NY- Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are two of the NHL’s best players. Jeff Tambellini and Frans Nielsen have a combined four goals in 70 games entering yesterday.
But the Islanders duo out-played its Pittsburgh counterparts in the clutch Monday afternoon, with both struggling youngsters beating Marc-Andre Fleury in the shootout while Joey MacDonald stymied All-Stars Malkin and Crosby in the skills competition to help the Isles post a 3-2 win in front of a sold-out Nassau Coliseum crowd.
Tambellini still has just two goals in 39 games and logged just 12:16 of ice time before coach Scott Gordon turned to the winger in the second round of the shootout after Nielsen and Petr Sykora traded goals in the shootout’s first round.
Afterwards, Tambellini said he had one strategy against Fleury.
“The high glove,” he said about his strategy. “I was looking to go there and he plays that butterfly style, so if you can catch him off guard, it’s a good chance.”
MacDonald logged 35 saves in helping the Islanders snap a five-game losing streak. He used a poke-check to stop Malkin’s attempt and secured the victory with a pad save on Crosby’s final attempt.
The netminder stopped all but two shots, including Malkin’s individual move that resulted in his 25th goal and Ryan Whitney’s power play tally to erase two Islander leads.
“Those guys are exceptional and you have to bump your game up a little bit and put more pressure on yourself,” MacDonald said about facing one of the league’s best 1-2 combination. “It’s a lot easier when your team scores, that always helps.”
Sean Bergenheim’s pass hit Chris Campoli in the skates before slipping past Fleury for a lead just 11:34 into the contest. Malkin tied it with 1:53 remaining. The NHL’s point leader increased his total to 82, getting off a shot before blue liner Jack Hillen could step up defensive pressure, Malkin unloaded a wrist shot that beat MacDonald from the left circle to tie it at 1 just before the first intermission.
“You don’t want to get into one of those losing streaks, but at the same time, the last couple of games I think we fell away from playing like we always do; like working hard in the corners and battling in front of the net. I thought got back to that today.”
Nielsen gave the home team the lead again by crashing the net and pushing the puck past the goal line moments before Jordan Stall pushed Richard Park into the crossbar, knocking the net off its moorings. The officials signaled a goal immediately, marking Nielsen’s third goal of the season.
“It’s not fun when you have a losing streak,” Nielsen said. “We really needed this.”
Crosby set up Whitney’s game-tying goal with 2:53 left in the second. Whitney took Crosby’s right circle backhand pass that floated right to his stick blade and buried the one-time wrist shot to knot it at 2.
Pittsburgh still picked up a point in interim head coach Dan Bylsma’s debut. The Penguins fired Michel Therrien Sunday nearly eight months after he guided the Pens to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Pens are four points behind Buffalo for the last playoff spot despite having two of the league’s top three leaders in points. Crosby’s assist gave him 73 points, one behind Alex Ovechkin for the second spot.
“Anytime Sid and Malkin come to town, it’s a good chance,” Tambellini said. “They were coming off an emotional night. Our defense was fantastic and Joey MacDonald stood on his head as usual. We rolled lines all night. It was a solid effort.”
Yet the Penguins had to settle for the one point despite having a mismatch in talent and a 41-21 advantage in faceoffs. Gordon said the Islanders used a total team effort to stay competitive against the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
“We didn’t have too many passengers today,” Gordon said. “I thought we got a pretty good effort from everybody.”
The Islanders will be off Tuesday before heading to the Garden for a key game for the struggling Rangers. With the Blueshirts sinking downwards, the Isles can deliver another difficult loss that might hinder its rival’s postseason chances.
Brian Bohl is a second-year student in Hofstra University's Master of Arts in Journalism program. He currently works as a graduate assistant in Hofstra's Athletic Communications Department where he writes game stories, features and assists in editing media guides for the school's 17 Division sports teams. He also is involved in shooting and editing video for pre-and-postgame interviews with Hofstra players and coaches.
Bohl also works as a freelancer covering professional sports for the Associated Press. His work has also appeared in the New York Daily News, the New York Times, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and New York Sportscene Magazine.
Bohl graduated Hofstra in 2008 with degrees in both print journalism and political science.
Hempstead, NY -- 
Tallahassee, FL -- 
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