Northeast Conference
Athletic Achievement
• Sacred Heart captured its third straight Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup. The Pioneers also claimed a
fourth straight Joan Martin Women’s Commissioner’s Cup. The Men’s Cup was won by Monmouth for the
eighth time in the last nine years.
• Fairleigh Dickinson won the NCAA Women’s Bowling championship with a thrilling 4-3 win over Nebraska
in the title match. The championship was historical in nature as it marked the first such title for a Northeast
Conference institution in a league-sponsored sport. The Knights had previously won the NCAA crown in
2006 and reached the NCAA semifinals a year ago. Two members of the FDU team - Sara Litteral and Erica Perez - were
named All-Americans by the National Tenpin Coaches Association. For Perez, it marked her fourth consecutive honor, while
Litteral was recognized for the second straight year.
• In just its second year sponsoring the sport, the Northeast
Conference featured six teams ranked in the top-15 of the National Tenpin Coaches
Association (NTCA) poll during the 2009-10 campaign. In addition to NCAA champion
Fairleigh Dickinson (reached third), Adelphi (seventh), New Jersey City (eighth), Sacred Heart (ninth), Kutztown (ninth) and St. Francis (NY) (10th) and were also ranked.
• The Northeast Conference continued to excel on a national stage in men’s soccer. After winning
its fifth consecutive regular season crown, Monmouth went on to capture the NEC Tournament title
and earned the opportunity to host #12 UConn on the Great Lawn in the first round of the NCAA
Tournament. Before a sellout crowd, the Hawks advanced past the Huskies in penalty kicks. The
Hawks finished the season ranked 13th nationally in the final NSCAA/adidas poll.
• Monmouth senior attacker Ryan Kinne was named a first team NSCAA/adidas All-American in
men’s soccer, while his teammate, senior defender Daniel Bostock, was tabbed to the second team.
• Long Island softball completed an unprecedented season on the diamond by becoming the first team in NEC history to reach an NCAA
Regional final in the sport. The Blackbirds defeated #21 UMass and Boston University before falling to #13
Arizona State. LIU, which has won seven NEC championships this decade, featured the powerful one-two
combo of NEC Player of the Year Bianja Mejia and three-time NEC Pitcher of the Year Blaire Porter.
• Central Connecticut State won its first NEC football crown since 2005 and represented the Conference in the
fourth Gridiron Classic. The Blue Devils had a chance to win on the final possession but came up short in a
28-23 setback to Butler. CCSU’s James Mallory, who had 109 yards in the contest, was named a finalist for the
Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the outstanding player at the FCS level. Mallory was also tabbed
to the Associated Press and AFCA All-American teams.
• Long Island’s Selma Babic became the first player in the NEC women’s
tennis history to qualify for the NCAA Singles Tournament. With a 19-1 record, Babic qualified after she
finished the season ranked #121 by the ITA. She also helped lead the Blackbirds to a second straight
NEC championship and date with Duke in the NCAA Tournament.
• Sacred Heart senior lacrosse player Chelsea Wagner closed out a stellar career by leading the nation
in save percentage (.577). She also ranked in the top-10 in GAA and saves per game. Wagner was
named the inaugural NEC Goalkeeper of the Year after leading the Pioneers to their third straight NEC title.
• In its first season of competition, NEC newcomer Bryant ran away with the baseball regular season title. The Bulldogs, who finished five
games ahead of the pack with a 25-7 mark, won three major awards including Brent Almeida being recognized as NEC Pitcher of the Year.
NEC Player of the Year Sean Allaire of CCSU was named a third team ABCA & Louisville Slugger All-American.
Northeast Conference
Athletic Achievement
• Robert Morris became the first Northeast Conference men’s basketball program to repeat as champion since the
mid-90s with a 52-50 win over Quinnipiac before a captivated nationwide audience and the largest crowd in NEC
playoff history at the TD Bank Sports Center. It marked the seventh conference championship for the Colonials, a
league record. RMU’s 73 wins the last three seasons is the most over a three-year stretch in league history.
• The Robert Morris men’s basketball team also became a household name this past March with a near upset
of #2 seed Villanova in Providence, RI. Behind the scintillating shooting of NEC Rookie of the Year Karon
Abraham, the Colonials led for much of the contest before ultimately succumbing in overtime, 73-70.
• It was a strong start for Northeast Conference men’s lacrosse with a number of
highlights from the inaugural season. Mount St. Mary’s advanced to the NCAA
Tournament after capturing the MAAC Championship. Bryant claimed the biggest
win of the season with a 9-7 conquest of #9 Yale in April and Robert Morris reached
as high as #19 in the USILA national poll.
• Monmouth opened its new state-of-the-art Multipurpose Activity Center (MAC)
last November with a 99-70 win over FIU with nearly 3,500 fans in attendance.
• The Long Island women’s volleyball program continued its dominance with a sixth straight Northeast
Conference championship last fall. It marks the longest active title streak in the conference in any sport.
• Fairleigh Dickinson junior golfer Robert Cerabone qualified for the NCAA Championships after capturing the NEC individual title. He
was automatically placed into the NCAA regional field following a one-stroke victory at the league meet in May.
• A trio of former Northeast Conference stars reached the pinnacle of their respective
professional sports this past year. Former Monmouth standout and current Dallas
Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin was named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad. Andrew
Bailey, who pitched at Wagner, was selected as the American League Rookie of the
Year and earned a spot on the A.L. All-Star team. Christie Rampone, a Monmouth
alum, took over as player coach of the Sky Blue of the Women’s Professional Soccer
(WPS) league and led a struggling team to the championship. She was subsequently
named WPS Sportswoman of the Year.
The Future
New CCSU Baseball Field
• The Northeast Conference will celebrate its 30th Anniversary in 2010-11. The centerpiece of the celebration will be the establishment of an NEC Athletic Hall of Fame
• Beginning in 2010, the Northeast Conference will gain automatic access to the Division
I Football Championship for the first time.
• The Northeast Conference will contest its first men’s lacrosse championship next season.
• The renovation of CCSU’s outdoor venues continues. With the baseball and softball field
renovations nearing completion, work will begin on the soccer and football/lacrosse
fields this summer. Seating will be added to both sides of football/lacrosse and a track will be added around the new turf soccer field.
The soccer venue will also include lights.
• Both Monmouth and Saint Francis (PA) will be added to the list of NEC institutions sponsoring women’s bowling.
• The Northeast Conference will upgrade its women’s swimming and diving championship venue with its move to MIT in 2011.
Northeast Conference
Academic Success
• Northeast Conference sports that finished in the top half of all Division I Conferences in
Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores were baseball (7th/30 leagues), men’s tennis (8th/30), softball
(8th/29), women’s bowling (1st/3), women’s soccer (10th/30), men’s outdoor track (11th/30), men’s indoor
track (10th/27), women’s tennis (12th/31), men’s cross country (14th/31) and women’s volleyball (14th/31).
• A total of 19 Northeast Conference teams from among more than 800 across the nation were
honored by the NCAA with public recognition awards for their latest Academic Progress Rate
(APR) scores. These teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads
in their respective sports. The 19 teams represent seven NEC schools: Fairleigh Dickinson University (women’s bowling, women’s
golf), Long Island University (women’s tennis, women’s indoor track, women’s outdoor track), Monmouth University (men’s tennis,
women’s basketball, women’s golf and women’s tennis), Mount St. Mary's University (baseball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis),
Quinnipiac University (baseball and women’s basketball), Sacred Heart University (men’s volleyball, women’s rowing) and St. Francis
College (NY) (men’s cross country, women’s golf and women’s water polo).
• Northeast Conference institutions again ranked among the nation’s elite in Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figures recently released by the NCAA. According to the NCAA data, NEC student-athletes graduated at an 84.7 percent rate, easily
surpassing the national average of 79 percent. The GSR for NEC women’s student-athletes was 91.5 percent, well ahead of the national
average which reached 88 percent. The men’s GSR for the conference was 76.5 percent, outpacing the 71 percent nationwide rate for
male student-athletes. Likewise, 60 NEC teams achieved a perfect 100 percent GSR in their respective sports during the 1999-02 time
frame and half the teams earned a GSR of over 90 percent.
• Over 2,200 student-athletes were named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll, a 13 percent increase from the previous year,
while nearly 500 were named to the Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll with GPAs of 3.75 or higher.
• Student-athletes at Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Francis (PA) posted combined GPAs of 3.24 to share the NEC Institutional
Academic Award. St. Francis (NY) water polo player Filip Kisdobranski and Mount St. Mary’s swimmer Maggie O’Connell
Dubois both posted 4.0 GPAs and were named the NEC Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
• Monmouth men’s soccer player Daniel Bostock was chosen to the ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-America third team and 33 NEC student-athletes were named to ESPN The
Magazine Academic All-District teams:
At-Large
Baseball
M. Basketball
W. Basketball
Football
M. Soccer
W. Soccer
Softball
Track & Field
Volleyball
Melissa Gagliardi SHU
Damian Csakai
WC
Kurt Hoffman
SFPA
Alisa Apo
SHU
Mike Lovely
RMU
Steve Tedesco
SHU
Chase Barbieri
MU
Sean O’Reilly
SFPA
Christy Baldesberger RMU
Rachael Seibert
SFPA
Annie Dubovec
RMU
Jaci Timko
RMU
Katherine Bossardet CCSU
Jamie Baumert
CCSU
David Rees
WC
Andrew Musick
Bobby Woods
Daniel Bostock
Dan Wright
Samantha Kee
Furtuna Velaj
Kate Eshelman
MU
UA
MU
LIU
SHU
QU
WC
Anna Hoffman
Amanda Graham
SFPA
RMU
Tony Sparano
UA
Jon Stolarz
MU
Robert Cavener
CCSU
Dwayne Mars
QU
Ali Kliment
MU
Andrea Lopez
MU
Taylor Froelich
SHU
Raquel Rugani
SFPA
Mary Wilks
MU
• The NEC selected Scholar-Athletes of the Year in 23 sports:
M. Cross Country
W. Cross Country
Field Hockey
Football
M. Soccer
W. Soccer
W. Volleyball
M. Basketball
W. Basketball
Timothy Werner
Kimberly DeLoreto
Amy Hordendorf
Chris Simpson
Daniel Bostock
Ali Kliment
Amanda Graham
Kurt Hoffman
Alisa Apo
SFPA
SHU
LHU
UA
MU
MU
RMU
SFPA
SHU
W. Bowling
W. Swimming
M. Indoor Track
W. Indoor Track
Baseball
M. Golf
W. Golf
M. Lacrosse
W. Lacrosse
Melissa Gagliardi
Jessica Hart
Dean Brown
Anna Hoffman
Jared Balback
Leo Garcia
Michele Holzwarth
Timmy Katz
Jackie Kearney
SHU
WC
SFNY
SFPA
SHU
SHU
FDU
SHU
MSM
Softball
M. Tennis
W. Tennis
Annie Dubovec
Cristian Balestrieri
Selma Babic
Chelsea Downing
M. Outdoor Track Chris Behre
W. Outdoor Track Brecken Drager
RMU
BU
LIU
BU
SFPA
WC
Northeast Conference
Branding/Marketing
Sportsmanship
With Sportsmanship an intrinsic component of the Strategic Plan, the
NEC participated in the NCAA's Respect Campaign, an effort to promote an environment of respect and integrity at our events. The marketing campaign included co-branded NEC/NCAA banners, logos and
print ads, along with public address announcements and personalized
spots that ran during institutional radio and webcasts.
Branding/Freshman Outreach
The NEC welcomed the class of 2013 to campus last summer, the first step in a
new outreach program developed as a by-product of the Strategic Plan. Over
10,000 freshmen students across the Conference were provided with NEC/Akadema co-branded drawstring bags at orientation sessions in August. Among the
contents in the bag were promotional products and coupons donated by a
number of the league's corporate partners and contributing sponsors.
To introduce incoming students to the Conference,
the drawstring bags also included an expanded 20page Northeast Conference Fan Guide. Designed to provide up-to-date information about the
NEC and its 12 member institutions, 200-plus coaches and approximately 4,300 student-athletes, the Fan Guide also includes local attractions, places to dine, shopping destinations and
area lodging options.
The Conference aired NEC Notebook radio spots on popular sports talk stations WFAN Sports
Radio 66 (New York) and 1250 ESPN Radio (Pittsburgh) throughout the basketball season. The
NEC also sponsored SportsCenter updates on each station last winter to help promote its basketball television package and
tournament games played in those markets.
Campus Outreach
For a second consecutive year, the NEC successfully partnered with Mount St. Mary’s sports marketing program to develop
class projects based around branding the Conference. Topics this year focussed on areas including NEC Championships, New
Media Initiatives, Promoting NEC Basketball and Community Relations.
Community Outreach
As part of its enhanced partnership with the Cancer Recovery Foundation, the NEC SAAC coordinated a leaguewide “Penny Wars”
fundraiser that resulted in a $2,800 donation to the organization.
NEC field hockey programs participated in a Be the Match Challenge, which
helped facilitate matches for potential bone marrow donors. The drive resulted
in more than 650 people signing up for the national Be The Match Registry. The
Conference office is planning to provide additional support for this event next year.
NEC women's volleyball teams supported "Dig Pink" for the first time on a leaguewide basis this season, while women's
basketball teams also participated in a number of national events this year, including the WBCA's "Pink Zone" promotion and
the NCAA's “Pack the House Challenge."
Northeast Conference
Branding/Marketing
Sponsorship
The NEC finalized a four-year sponsorship renewal with Choice Hotels over the summer, retaining Choice as the league's
Official Hotel Partner. As part of the renewal, Choice sponsored a new NEC football schedule poster promotion this season.
Posters were distributed at home games throughout the league and included information on how fans could access the
discount program Choice offers NEC followers.
The NEC inked a one-year deal with Sporting News Today, the country's only daily
digital sports newspaper. Highlighting this agreement, the NEC received advertising and editorial considerations over the course of the basketball season. Sporting News Daily currently has over 200,000 active subscribers who click through
the paper on a daily basis.
Additional new sponsors the NEC partnered with this past season included Bed Bath & Beyond (which marked the chain’s
first-ever foray into sports marketing), Academy Bus, W.B. Mason and Snyder’s of Hanover. The NEC also recently reached a
verbal agreement with Snyder’s to serve as the presenting sponsor of all league championship webcasts beginning with the 201011 season. Returning NEC Corporate Partners included Akadema, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts and Road Runner Sports.
Basketball Promotion
For the first time, the NEC sponsored an in-game “t-shirt” toss promotion during all conference men’s and women’s basketball games this season. Over 2,000 t-shirts overall were distributed to NEC fans; the NEC also received public address
announcements at these games promoting the league’s website and new media initiatives.
NEC Rivalry Week
The inaugural NEC Rivalry Week featured six pairs of men’s and women’s basketball rivals squaring off in
home-and-home contests. The innovative concept of playing back-to-back games against a local rival in
a 48-hour span is the only one of its kind among the nation's 31 NCAA Division I conferences. To promote
Rivalry Week, there were four games televised and two games webcast, along with special NEC Notebooks,
an NEC on the Run podcast and a Sporting News Today insert dedicated to the event.
Championship Gifts
As part of its continued effort to enhance the overall experience for NEC student-athletes, the Conference provided logo fleece
jackets to all participants at league championships this past year. In planning ahead for next season, the NEC is once again
looking at various apparel items to provide as potential participant gifts.
Legends Classic
For a third straight year, the NEC sponsored the Legends Classic, one of the country’s premier early
season men’s basketball tournaments. The NEC received exposure through all print and web advertising for the event, as well as court decals and public address announcements at all tournament
sites. The NEC also received prominent exposure during this year’s championship round, which
was held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, with all games televised live on HDNet.
Merchandising
The NEC will be unveiling a new webstore in conjunction with the upcoming relaunch of the league's website. New products
to be featured will include logo t-shirts, performance apparel and other items geared more towards young adults. In
addition, the NEC continued to make available sport-specific t-shirts and apparel for purchase at league championships
throughout the year.
Northeast Conference
Television
Overview
• The NEC televised 21 basketball games (17 men, four women) and four
football games in 2009-10
• Current television partners include MSG, FSN-Pittsburgh, Mid-Atlantic Sports
Network (MASN), Cox Cable (CT/RI), NESN, Connecticut Sports Network (CTSN)
and WWCP Fox8 (Johnstown/Altoona).
• Fox College Sports, a national carrier available in 55 million homes, broadcasts
nearly every game that appears on the MSG package and has served as an exclusive
carrier for a number of contests.
• ESPN Full Court and ESPN3 continue to broadcast a number of regular season
games.
• ESPN2 carried the NEC men’s championship game for the 23rd straight year.
• Due to multiple carriers taking games, the NEC actually received a record 69
exposures for its 21-game basketball package in 2009-10.
• The NEC Countdown To Tipoff preview show aired on six different regional
networks this past season.
• Five NEC announcers have been with the league for at least eight years.
Northeast Conference
New Media
Website
• The Conference plans a summer relaunch of its official website,
www.northeastconference.org. The website will feature a brand new interface and
include a number of new media components, including a video player, photo galleries, and Athlete of the Week section, along with easier access to the league's
social media sites.
Webstreaming
• A satellite website, www.northeastconference.tv, was launched last fall. The
site serves as the league's webcast hub and offers an event archive dating back
two years. A women's basketball regular season package along with eight
conference championships (men's and women’s soccer, field hockey, volleyball, women's basketball, women's lacrosse, softball and baseball) made up
the 2009-10 webcast package. The package will expand to include women’s
bowling and men’s lacrosse in 2010-11.
Promo Spots
• The Conference unveiled its new promotional spot in October during league football telecasts. The 60-second spot, featuring moving panoramas, highlights each member institution. A new basketball spot debuted in December.
Podcasts
• The NEC offered NEC on the Run football and basketball podcasts for the third straight
year. Podcasts ran from 8-12 minutes in length and were hosted by longtime announcer
Paul Dottino. The podcasts are also available to download for free on iTunes.
NEC Notebooks
• The NEC partnered with Sports Radio 66 WFAN in New York City and ESPN Radio 1250 in Pittsburgh to
broadcast 60-second NEC Notebook spots throughout the 2009-10 basketball season. Weekly NEC Notebooks
for football and basketball were also provided to the membership for use on radio broadcasts.
Northeast Conference
New Media
Social Media
• The NEC’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube following have been growing steadily since the
start of the fall season. Over 900 fans have signed up as fans of the NEC’s Facebook page since
its launch last year, more than that of the Patriot League, America East, Atlantic 10, Southern,
Big South and West Coast Conference. NEC videos on YouTube have been watched over 55,000
times since its launch as views have risen nearly 250 percent from last year. The NEC’s Twitter
page is closing in on 500 followers.
• The Conference has added photo galleries to its Facebook page and has added additional
video content to Facebook via interviews with student-athletes at championships.
• Content on the NEC YouTube site includes game highlights, banquet videos, interviews with studentathletes and flashbacks.
• The NEC entered the realm of video blogging with “Capper’s Recap” following televised hoops games.
• The Conference began setting up Twitter pages for all its championships
beginning this spring.
• The Conference worked with one of the most popular basketball microbloggers in the country, Peter
Robert Casey, during the basketball season. Casey, who currently has over 56,000 followers on Twitter,
covered the NEC and appeared in an interactive role during a TV game in January. The NEC is the first
Division I conference to credential a microblogger.
NEC Countdown To Tipoff
• The NEC Countdown To Tipoff preview show was available for viewing on the NEC website for the fifth
straight year. Behind the scenes footage during the day-long shoot was also posted on the conference
YouTube page.
Sporting News Today
• The NEC received advertising and editorial considerations through an agreement with the
Sporting News Today, the country's only daily digital sports newspaper. Among the highlights
were interviews with SHU’s Corey Hassan and RMU’s Mike Rice, an NEC Dish column and full
page ads promoting the league’s TV package, NEC Rivalry Week and postseason tournament.
Northeast Conference
SAAC/Sportsmanship
Northeast Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee: Embracing The Community
• At its February meeting, the Northeast Conference Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee (SAAC) made its annual visit to the Cancer Recovery Foundation in
Hershey, PA in February.
• The SAAC organized “Penny Wars” to support the children’s Cancer Recovery
Foundation. Each institution organized on-campus competitions (faculty vs. students, team vs. team, etc.) in which money was counted as points; pennies were
+1 and all other denominations were negative (nickels -5, quarters -25, dollars
-100). Saint Francis (PA) raised over $1,300 to earn the inaugural Penny SAAC
award. In total, over $2,800 was raised by Northeast Conference institutions.
• The Sacred Heart SAAC received the 2010 NCAA SAAC Award of Excellence.
The honor is bestowed to a SAAC program that displays special and unique community service work completed by student-athletes at
Division I schools. The SAAC was recognized for its work through the MOTIVATE project at the Dunbar School in Bridgeport.
• Fairleigh Dickinson golfer Lauren Chapman began a two-year term representing the Northeast Conference on the NCAA SAAC.
• Stephanie Seeley of Robert Morris was voted as Chair of the Northeast Conference SAAC. Long Island’s Nik Conklin and Mount St.
Mary’s Lily Otu were tabbed co-Vice Chairs.
Commitment To Sportsmanship
• The Northeast Conference Team Sportsmanship Award program recognizes those
teams and student-athletes who adhere to the principles of sportsmanship and pursue
victory with honor. Awards are voted on by team captains and coaches following the
conclusion of each athletic season.
•The NEC participated in the NCAA's Respect Campaign, which included co-branded
NEC/NCAA banners, logos and print ads, along with public address announcements and
personalized spots that ran during institutional radio and webcasts.
• Bryant, Monmouth and Saint Francis (PA) each
finished the 2009-10 academic year with a leaguehigh four sportsmanship awards. There were ten different NEC institutions or associate members
with at least one team honored for their commitment to sportsmanship.
• The Conference continued to run Public Service Announcements on the importance of sportsmanship during league telecasts and webcasts.
• Sportsmanship posters and banners created by the Conference remained visible in Athletic
Departments and athletic venues at each institution.
• The Northeast Conference Sportsmanship Policy was a focal point of the agenda during meetings with administrators and coaching groups throughout the year.
Northeast Conference
League Highlights
• The following NEC student-athletes were named All-Americans in their respective sports in 2009-10:
Sean Allaire
Sara Litteral
Erica Perez
James Mallory
Daniel Bostock
Ryan Kinne
CCSU
Fairleigh Dickinson
Fairleigh Dickinson
CCSU
Monmouth
Monmouth
Baseball
Bowling
Bowling
Football
Men’s Soccer
Men’s Soccer
• The following teams were ranked in national polls in 2009-10:
Sport
Bowling
Bowling
Bowling
Bowling
Bowling
Bowling
Men’s Soccer
Men’s Lacrosse
School
Fairleigh Dickinson
Adelphi
New Jersey City
Sacred Heart
Kutztown
St. Francis (NY)
Monmouth
Robert Morris
Highest Position
3rd
7th
8th
9th
9th
10th
5th
19th
• The following schools have won at least three consecutive
NEC championships in specific sports:
Sport
Volleyball
Women’s Cross Country
Field Hockey
Women’s Golf
Women’s Lacrosse
School
Long Island
Quinnipiac
Lock Haven
Fairleigh Dickinson
Sacred Heart
• Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup Standings*
1. Sacred Heart^
2. Monmouth*
3. Long Island
4. Robert Morris
5. Saint Francis (PA)
6. Central Connecticut State
7. Mount St. Mary's
8. Quinnipiac
9. Fairleigh Dickinson
10. Bryant
11. Wagner
12. St. Francis (NY)
^ Won overall and women’s cup.
* Won men’s cup.
221.96
200.57
179.15
166.61
165.95
163.21
156.55
156.32
128.09
113.70
102.64
86.68
Consecutive Titles
6
5
4
3
3
Northeast Conference
Year-In-Review
Baseball
• Central Connecticut State won its fourth Northeast Conference championship
with a 9-3 win over Sacred Heart at T.D. Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ. In the
title game, Tournament MVP Pat Epps hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to
snap a 3-3 deadlock.
• The Blue Devils went on to compete at the NCAA Baseball Regional in nearby
Norwich, CT along with Florida State, UConn and Oregon.
• NEC newcomer Bryant ran away with the regular season championship, posting
a 25-7 record to finish five games ahead of the pack. The Bulldogs were led by NEC
Pitcher of the Year Brent Almeida, a senior righthander, and NEC Rookie of the Year Kevin Brown, a freshman outfielder.
• CCSU senior Sean Allaire was tabbed NEC Player of the Year and was named a third team ABCA & Louisville Slugger All-American. In
one of the great campaigns in league history, he led the NEC in batting average, runs and hits, and was second in five other categories.
Men’s Basketball
• Second-seeded Robert Morris claimed its seventh Northeast Conference title
with a 52-50 win over Quinnipiac before a captivated nationwide audience on
ESPN2 and school record crowd at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden, CT.
Robert Morris became the first NEC team to repeat as champion since Rider in
1993 and 1994.
• In first round NCAA Tournament play, the Colonials nearly pulled off one of
the biggest upsets in tournament history. Seeded 15th, Robert Morris led #2
Villanova for most of the game before falling in overtime, 73-70, in Providence, RI.
• NEC regular season champion Quinnipiac joined Robert Morris in the postseason, taking on Virginia Tech in the Postseason NIT.
• Robert Morris guard Karon Abraham was named NEC Rookie of the Year & Tournament MVP, and a CollegeInsider Freshman All-American.
• Quinnipiac’s Justin Rutty was tabbed NEC and Connecticut 6 Player of the Year, and was named first team NABC All-District.
Women’s Basketball
• Saint Francis (PA) won its 10th Northeast Conference women’s basketball
crown with a 77-68 triumph over Long Island at the WRAC in Brooklyn, NY.
Seeded fifth, the Red Flash beat the #1, #2 and #4 seeds to become the lowest
seed in league history to win the championship.
• Robert Morris went 17-1 to win the NEC regular season championship behind the play of senior Angela Pace. Pace became the first player to be voted
both NEC Player of the Year and NEC Defensive Player of the Year. She was also
named an ECAC all-star.
• Saint Francis (PA) fell to Ohio State, 93-59, in the first round of the NCAA
Tournament in Pittsburgh, PA.
• Following a 23-win season, Robert Morris also qualified for the postseason and competed in the WNIT against St. Bonaventure.
Northeast Conference
Year-In-Review
Women’s Bowling
• Fairleigh Dickinson won its second NCAA national championship when it defeated
Nebraska, 4-3, in the title match in North Brunswick, NJ. The championship was historical
in nature as it marked the first such title for a Northeast Conference institution in a leaguesponsored sport.
• FDU was joined in the NCAA Tournament by associate member New Jersey City University.
NJCU reached the national semifinals and served as host of the event.
• Sacred Heart, seeded sixth, surprised the field to win its first Northeast Conference women’s
bowling crown by defeating FDU in a modified baker roll-off tiebreaker.
• Fairleigh Dickinson (reached third), Adelphi (seventh), New Jersey City (eighth), Sacred
Heart (ninth), Kutztown (ninth) and St. Francis (NY) (10th) were all ranked in the final
National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) coaches poll of the 2009-10 season.
• FDU’s Sara Litteral and Erica Perez were named All-Americans by the NTCA. For Perez, it
marked her fourth consecutive honor, while Litteral was recognized for the second straight
year. Perez, the NEC Player of the Year, was recognized for her accomplishments in the
April 26th edition of the Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" section.
Men’s Cross Country
• With three finishers in the top-seven, Central Connecticut State captured its first
Northeast Conference championship at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT.
• Long Island freshman Rogers Kipruto won the event by nearly 20 seconds
and became just the third cross country performer in league history to be
named both Outstanding Performer and Freshman of the Year. He was also the
first NEC individual champion in school annals.
• Monmouth, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart and Wagner all earned recognition on
the United States Track & Field Cross Country Association All-Academic Team list.
Women’s Cross Country
• Quinnipiac dominated the field to earn in its fifth consecutive Northeast
Conference cross country title on its home course in Hamden, CT. The Bobcats placed five finishers among the top-11 at the event.
• Sacred Heart junior Kimberly DeLoreto was the first to cross the tape, outdistancing the field by nearly 18 seconds. DeLoreto was named the meet’s
Outstanding Performer. She went on to finish 26th in a field of 243 runners at
the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships.
• The United States Track & Field Cross Country Association named NEC
champion Quinnipiac, Central Connecticut State, Monmouth and Sacred Heart
to its All-Academic Team list.
• Mount St. Mary’s freshman Megan Kinsella finished second at the league meet and was tabbed NEC Freshman of the Year.
Northeast Conference
Year-In-Review
Field Hockey
• Lock Haven scored twice in the final 20 minutes of play to beat
Monmouth, 2-0, and earn its fourth straight Northeast Conference title. The Lady Eagles fell at American by a 2-1 score in the
NCAA Play-In game.
• Rider, which won its first NEC regular season crown since 2005,
earned three major postseason awards. Virginia Egusquiza was
chosen NEC Player of the Year, Marlaine Schneider picked up
NEC Rookie of the Year honors and Lori Hussong was named
NEC Coach of the Year for the third time in her career.
• Named to Longstreth/NFHCA All-Region teams were Lock Haven’s Alanna Lewis and Suzann Hobart, Monmouth’s Enza Mazza and
Quinnipiac’s Jenna Grossman and Brandy Longacre.
• Lock Haven, Monmouth, Quinnipiac, Rider, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis (PA) and Siena were all honored with NFHCA
National Academic Team Awards. Robert Morris posted the third-highest team GPA in the nation, while Monmouth was fifth.
Football
• Central Connecticut State won its third Northeast Conference championship and first outright crown by posting a 7-1 record this past season.
• The Blue Devils competed in the fourth Gridiron Classic, dropping a
28-23 decision to host Butler.
• CCSU running back James Mallory was named the NEC Offensive Player
of the Year and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the outstanding college football player at the FCS level. Mallory was
named to the Associated Press and AFCA All-American teams, and was also
picked as an ECAC All-Star.
• Former Monmouth standout and current Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
Miles Austin was named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad.
• Monmouth’s David Sinisi (130.6 ypg) and CCSU’s James Mallory (112.7 ypg) ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the nation
in rushing in 2009.
• Albany’s David McCarty (Tampa Bay), CCSU’s James Mallory (Tampa Bay) and Saint Francis (PA)’s Josh Bentley (Baltimore) all
attended NFL Rookie Camps this spring.
• Beginning in 2010, the Northeast Conference will gain automatic access to the Division I Football Championship as the playoff
bracket expands for the first time in 21 years.
Northeast Conference
Year-In-Review
Men’s Golf
• Saint Francis (PA) beat two-time defending champion Sacred Heart by a single
stroke to win the Northeast Conference Men’s Golf championship at ChampionsGate
Golf Club in ChampionsGate, FL. The Red Flash went on to compete at the NCAA
Regional at the University of Notre Dame.
• Fairleigh Dickinson junior Robert Cerabone qualified for NCAA regionals after
capturing the NEC individual championship. Cerabone shot a two-over-par 218
(71-75-72) en-route to a one- stroke victory.
• Bryant senior Jason Thresher was chosen NEC Player of the Year. He recorded eight
top-10 finishes this past season and won three tournaments. Sacred Heart freshman
Josh Salah collected NEC Rookie of the Year honors.
Women’s Golf
• Fairleigh Dickinson made it three straight Northeast Conference women’s golf
titles with a three-stroke victory at the 2010 championship event at ChampionsGate
Golf Club in ChampionsGate, FL. The Knights were then sent to the NCAA East
Regional in Greenville, NC.
• Long Island’s Natalie Desjardins earned NEC individual honors, firing a 10-over
par 226 for a two-stroke victory.
• Fairleigh Dickinson’s Michele Holzwarth was chosen NEC Golfer of the Year after
she won two individual titles, took second on three occasions over the course of
the season and finished two shots off the lead in a runner-up finish at the NEC
Championships. Robert Morris freshman Jenna Rinker walked away with NEC
Rookie of the Year accolades.
Men’s Indoor Track & Field
• Long Island won its first-ever Northeast Conference indoor track and field championship at the P.G.
County Sports Complex in Landover, MD. Monmouth
finished second at the meet for a third straight year.
• Central Connecticut State’s Aaron Redden was
named Most Valuable Performer, Outstanding Track
Performer and Outstanding Rookie Performer after
winning both the 60 and 200 meter dashes. Monmouth junior Vincent Elardo claimed the NEC Most
Outstanding Field Performer award following victories in weight throw and shot put. Long Island’s
Simon Hodnett was voted NEC Coach of the Year.
• Sacred Heart’s John Kenworthy was also a two-event winner at the NEC meet, claiming victories in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters.
• St. Francis (NY) has the top turnaround at the event. The Terriers went from 11th in 2009 to a fifth place showing in 2010.
Northeast Conference
Year-In-Review
Women’s Indoor Track & Field
• Long Island won its fifth Northeast Conference Indoor Track & Field
Championship this decade at the P.G. County Sports Complex in
Landover, MD. The Blackbirds dethroned two-time defending champion Monmouth, which finished second.
• For the second straight year, Most Valuable Performer and Outstanding Track Performer honors went to Long Island’s Jessie Gaines.
Gaines, who scored 48 points in total at the event, was also named
Outstanding Field Performer. She matched a meet record in the 60
meter hurdles (8.57), won the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes, took
first in the triple jump and finished second in the long jump.
• Bryant freshman Deirdre Doyle won both the mile and 3,000 meters to nab the Rookie of the Meet award.
• Long Island’s Simon Hodnett was named NEC Coach of the Year by his peers.
Women’s Lacrosse
• Sacred Heart walked away with its third consecutive Northeast Conference women’s lacrosse title with a 12-7 win over in-state rival Quinnipiac in
Fairfield, CT.
• The Pioneers fell at Navy in an NCAA Play-In game two weeks later.
• Sacred Heart senior attacker Carissa Hauser was chosen NEC Player of the
Year. The Pioneers’ Laura Cook was awarded NEC Coach of the Year honors
for the second straight season.
• Sacred Heart senior Chelsea Wagner won the inaugural NEC Goalkeeper
of the Year award. She led the nation in save percentage (.577) and also
ranked in the top-10 in goals against average and saves per game.
• Saint Francis (PA) junior keeper Danielle Pokusa ranked first nationally in ground balls per game and Quinnipiac senior attacker
Katie Latonick finished second nationally in assists per game.
Men’s Lacrosse
•The Northeast Conference wrapped up a successful first season of men’s lacrosse sponsorship in 2010. The
six-team alignment consists of Bryant, Mount St. Mary’s, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart and Wagner.
• Mount St. Mary’s qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning the MAAC Championship with a thrilling
last second goal against Siena. The Mount went on to play top-seeded Virginia in first round NCAA action.
• Bryant scored the most impressive victory of the season with a 9-7 win over #9 Yale and Robert Morris
reached as high as #19 in the USILA national poll.
• Bryant senior defender Matt Murnane, Mount St. Mary’s junior keeper T.J. DiBartolo and Robert Morris
junior attacker Trevor Moore were all selected as Honorable Mention All-Americans by the USILA.
• The NEC will host its first-ever men’s lacrosse championship next May.
Northeast Conference
Year-In-Review
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field
• Monmouth won its sixth Northeast Conference outdoor
track crown in the last seven years with another dominating performance. The meet, which was hosted by Mount
St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, MD, saw the Hawks score 214.5
points, to beat out Long Island by 77 points. Monmouth’s
Joe Compagni was voted NEC Coach of the Year for a
record ninth time.
• Monmouth junior Vincent Elardo was named Most Valuable Performer and Outstanding Field Performer following wins in the shot put, hammer throw and discus . He
scored 30 total points in the meet.
• Running in front of his home crowd, Mount St. Mary’s junior Chadwich Brown won the 200 meters and finished second in the 100
meters to claim the Outstanding Track Performer award. Long Island’s Brian Richards collected Rookie of the Meet accolades . He
won the long jump and finished second in the 200 meters.
• Mount St. Mary’s Tom FitzSimons won the decathlon at the Penn Relays.
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
• Monmouth made it back-to-back Northeast Conference
women’s outdoor track and field championships with a
decisive victory over Long Island. The Hawks have now
collected seven titles this decade, all under Joe Compagni,
who was selected as NEC Coach of the Year for the seventh
time in his career.
• Long Island Jessie Gaines wrapped up a stellar sophomore campaign when she was recognized as Most Valuable Performer and Outstanding Track Performer of the
meet. She won the 100 meters, 100-meter hurdles and
long jump, and took third in the triple jump.
• Monmouth’s junior Mary Wilks pulled off a unique double for the Hawks, winning the javelin and high jump en-route to landing the
Outstanding Field Performer award. Her teammate, freshman Rachel Watkins, finished second in the 400-meter hurdles and a bronze
in the high jump to take home Outstanding Rookie Performer honors.
• Saint Francis (PA) junior Christin Bridge won the shot put at the Penn Relays, as well as the shot put and discus at the NEC
Championship.
Northeast Conference
Year-In-Review
Men’s Soccer
• After winning its fifth consecutive Northeast Conference regular season
crown, Monmouth added a third tournament title with its 2-1 triumph over
Quinnipiac in West Long Branch, NJ.
• The Hawks advanced in the NCAA Tournament by ousting UConn in
penalty kicks in a game played on the Great Lawn. Monmouth fell to Harvard in the second round, 3-0. The Hawks ranked as high as fifth and
finished the season ranked 13th nationally in the final NSCAA/adidas poll.
• Monmouth seniors Ryan Kinne and Daniel Bostock were both named
NSCAA/adidas All-Americans at year’s end. Kinne was named to the first
team and Bostock was a second team pick. Kinne also earned NEC Player
of the Year plaudits, while Bostock was the NEC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Monmouth junior keeper Bryan Meredith ranked third in Division I with a 0.438 goals against average. Quinnipiac senior
netminder Frederick Hall was also third in the nation with an .883 save percentage.
• Monmouth has posted an incredible 34-4-8 record against conference opposition over the last five years under Rob McCourt, who
was named NSCAA/adidas North Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year in 2009.
Women’s Soccer
• Monmouth won its second NEC women’s soccer championship
in three years and fourth overall with a 1-0 overtime win over topseeded Central Connecticut State in New Britain, CT. Mary Wilks
scored the game-winner for the Hawks and was named Tournament MVP.
• The Hawks faced on #20 Maryland in first round NCAA action,
losing by a 4-0 final score.
• CCSU senior midfielder Leah Blaney nabbed NEC Player of the
Year honors. She led the league and ranked fourth nationally with
13 assists on the year.
• CCSU’s Mick D’Arcy was voted NEC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career.
• Quinnipiac sophomore forward Furtuna Velaj led the NEC in points per game for a second straight season with 1.88 per game. That
mark was good enough to rank her 13th in the nation.
Northeast Conference
Year-In-Review
Softball
• Long Island won its seventh Northeast Conference championship this decade with
a 6-2 win over Monmouth in the 2010 title game. The Blackbirds also captured
their fifth consecutive regular season crown and won a school record 39 games.
• The Blackbirds then became the first team in NEC history to reach an NCAA
Softball regional final by defeating #21 UMass and Boston University before bowing
to #13 Arizona State.
• LIU junior shortstop Bianja Mejia was tabbed NEC Player of the Year after leading
the league in hitting, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Mejia and teammates Blaire Porter (the NEC Pitcher of the Year), Brynn Lewis, Mariesha Marker
and Chelsea Martinson were all tabbed to NFCA All-Northeast region teams.
• Playing a challenging non-league schedule, LIU earned a win over #16 Ohio State, and also picked up victories over East Carolina,
Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas Tech. The Blackbirds finished the regular season 7-5 against teams that made the NCAA Tournament.
• Quinnipiac was the league’s most improved team, adding seven wins to their league total from a year ago. The Bobcats finished the
regular season 15-5 and earned the #3 seed in the NEC Tournament.
Women’s Swimming
• Saint Francis (PA) took home its first Northeast Conference Women’s Swimming
& Diving championship, ending CCSU’s two-year reign.
• Bryant’s Casey Ostrander and CCSU’s Taylor Friedmann shared the Outstanding
Swimmer and Rookie of the Meet awards. Ostrander set an NEC record in the 100
backstroke and also won gold medals in the 50 and 100 freestyle. Friedmann also
established a new meet record in the 500 freestyle and also claimed victory in the
200 and 1650 freestyle events.
• Sacred Heart’s Drew Mulvey was recognized as the Outstanding Diver and her
coach, Joe Somma, was named NEC Diving Coach of the Year. Saint Francis (PA)’s
Pat Gallagher was named NEC Coach of the Year.
• CCSU finished eighth at the ECAC Championships.
Men’s Tennis
• Quinnipiac, seeded third, won its first Northeast Conference men’s tennis championship since 2006 and fourth overall with a 4-3 win over top-seeded Sacred
Heart in the title match in West Windsor, NJ.
• The Bobcats took on #8 Stanford in NCAA Tournament first round action.
• Sacred Heart junior Kirill Kasyanov was the recipient of the NEC Player of the Year
award. He finished a perfect 6-0 against conference opponents and won a leaguebest 25 matches on the year at the #1 flight.
• Saint Francis (PA)’s Elahn Pogue became the first-ever major award winner for
the Red Flash when he earned NEC Rookie of the Year accolades. Quinnipiac’s
Mike Quitko claimed NEC Coach of the Year honors.
Northeast Conference
Year-In-Review
Women’s Tennis
• Long Island celebrated back-to-back Northeast Conference women’s tennis titles
following a 4-2 victory over top-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in West Windsor, NJ. The
Blackbirds, who were seeded second, had defeated longtime rival Quinnipiac in the
semifinals.
• The Blackbirds drew #10 Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Long Island senior Selma Babic became the first player in league history to qualify
for the NCAA Singles Tournament after ending the season ranked #121 by the ITA.
• Babic put together her second straight dominant campaign for the Blackbirds and
became the first player to claim back-to-back NEC Player of the Year awards in league
history. She ended the regular season with a 19-1 record at the #1 flight to lead all
conference players in wins and winning percentage. Her career record now stands
at 57-10 and is unbeaten in 13 matches against NEC rivals.
• Long Island’s Asi Phillips was voted NEC Coach of the Year for the fourth time, as well as ITA Northeast Regional Coach of the Year.
Quinnipiac freshman Rachel Cantor collected NEC Rookie of the Year plaudits.
Women’s Volleyball
• Long Island won its sixth consecutive Northeast Conference championship
with a 3-0 victory over Sacred Heart in the title match on its home court in
Brooklyn. The six straight titles is the longest active streak in the Conference in
any sport.
• The Blackbirds’ year came to an end with a 3-0 setback to Stanford in NCAA
Tournament first round action.
• NEC Player of the Year honors went to Long Island senior outside hitter
Svetlana Simic. Simic was the NEC leader in kills, kills per game and points per
game.
• CCSU walked away with a pair of major awards as junior Kaitlin Petrella was tabbed NEC Libero of the Year and freshman Emily
Cochran was voted NEC Rookie of the Year. Sacred Heart junior Courtney Kidd-Kadlubek was the recipient of the NEC Setter of the
Year award and her head coach, Rob Machan, won NEC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Pioneers to a school record 22
wins.
• Long Island has now posted a 47-1 record versus NEC opponents over the last five years.