The Bohl View: Mar 11, 2009

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Hofstra Opens CAA Tournament Play On Thursday Against William and Mary

Hempstead, NY --

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 JMU Convocation Center on the campus of James Madison University 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 Virginia Commonwealth (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

-30-

(Photo by Brian Ballweg for Hofstra Athletics)

Isles Blow Past Devils But Lose Hunter To Injury

Mar 8th, 2009 | By Brian Bohl | Category: New York Islanders, Top Story

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.”

Hillen Developing Nicely

Mar 8th, 2009 | By Brian Bohl | Category: New York Islanders, Top Story

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.”