Lions Land

LIONS’ LAND

A M o l l o y C o l l e g e P u b l i C A t i o n

Volume 1 • Summer 2010

D e p a r t m e n t o f a t h l e t i c S m a g a z i n e

lions roar to College World Series!

Also:

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molloy athletics

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See pages 12-13

4 lions roar to

college World Series

7 two no-hitters

8 Women’s Basketball

2009-2010 Season review

9 Dreyer: on top of her game

10 fall athletics review

12 Molloy College

athletic fund club

14 Winter/Spring

athletics review

17 Sports medicine Staff

18 lions’ Student-athletes

raise over $3,000

for make-a-Wish foundation

19 faces in the crowd

C o n t e n t s Volume 1 • Summer 2010

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162 lionS lanD • Summer 2010

To Our ReadersDear Friends of Molloy College Athletics,

Welcome to the first edition of Lions Land. I am excited about the opportunity to introduce you to the Molloy Col-lege Department of Athletics staff and its student-athletes. As an alum and former student-athlete, it has been a great privilege for me to serve as the Director of Athletics for the past four years. We have undergone many changes which

have enabled us to improve the competitiveness of our athletic programs and en-hance the overall student-athlete experience.

Our gymnasium in Quealy Hall received a face lift with the addition of a new playing surface for our men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams. The Fitness Center was renovated with the addition of equipment tailored to improve and enhance our athlete’s flexibility, strength and conditioning. The ad-dition of a Strength and Conditioning Specialist has helped decrease injuries by our student-athletes and has placed an added importance on good nutrition and the ef-fects it has on athletic performance. A physical therapist is now available two days a week to assist with rehabilitation for our student-athletes.

There are over two hundred and fifty student-athletes competing on sixteen intercollegiate teams and three club teams. We are currently reviewing our sports sponsorship with the plan of offering additional sports in the near future. Our stu-dent-athletes are achieving great things both in the classroom and on the playing fields. In three years we have won three East Coast Conference championships and secured four Regional appearances, including our first ever regional win in wom-en’s basketball. The softball team was one of only eight teams in the country that participated in the College World Series. The valedictorian of the 2010 graduat-ing class is E.J. Dreyer, a women’s basketball player who finished with a perfect 4.0 GPA in Nursing. Quite impressive. This positive energy is a boost for our Depart-ment and Molloy College.

I have witnessed much growth at Molloy College over the last twenty years. While there has been expansion in terms of enrollment, physical structure and aca-demic offerings, Molloy College has remained constant in its mission to educate the whole student both spiritually and academically. Our student-athletes are con-stantly out in our communities interacting with our youth as mentors and teachers. They embody the attributes of a Division II student-athlete.

It is my hope that Lions Land will give you the opportunity to see why we are so proud of our student-athletes and our athletic programs. I encourage you to come support our student-athletes at one of our home contests and see for yourself why Molloy College is so special.

Sincerely,

Susan Cassidy-LykeDirector of Athletics

PublisherEdward ThompsonVice President for Advancement

Executive EditorsKen YoungDirector of Public Relations

Jacquelyn RathAssistant Director of Public Relations

DesignerFrancis BonnetGraphic Artist

Athletic Administration

Susan Cassidy-LykeDirector of Athletics/ Senior Woman Administrator

Jason TrufantAssociate Director of Athletics for Operation

Michael GrassoAssistant Director of Athletics for Compliance

Ian SchraierSports Information Director

Colleen AgostinacchioExecutive Assistant to the Director of Athletics

Daniel McGannNCAA Faculty AthleticRepresentative

Jim ZegersAssistant Director of Athletics- Sports Medicine

Daniel LongoRecruiting Coordinator

Joe FucarinoAthletic Fund Coordinator

Editorial Staff

Contributing Writers:Susan Cassidy-LykeJames ZegersMike GrassoJason TrufantIan Schraier Joe Fucarino Cody Snapp

m o l l o y c o l l e g e D e p a r t m e n t o f a t h l e t i c S S p o n S o r S :

Only eight softball teams in the country – including Molloy’s Lady Lions – earned the right

to participate in the 2010 College World Series. Here’s how this extraordinary season unfolded…..

Coming off of a campaign in which it sported an overall mark of 21-27, the Molloy College softball team made noise in 2009 as it battled its way into the semifinals of the East Coast Confer-ence Championship. But, in 2010, Head Coach Susan Cassidy-Lyke and the Li-ons wanted more. Returning its top four hitters from a season ago, along with a slew of rookie talent and two new arms, a projected fourth-place finish in the league was not going to be enough to meet expectations. Instead, Molloy had its eyes set on a first-time berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament, as well as capturing an ECC crown.

This task was going to be anything but simple because the team didn’t have a field to call home. They had to play their entire home schedule on the road due to

the fact that the college is building a new student center and theatre (“The Public Square”) where the baseball and softball teams once played. “Sometimes we had to travel an hour or more by bus or van just to play a game during the week,” stated Cassidy-Lyke. “This didn’t take away from the focus of the team, though.

It actually brought us closer than we an-ticipated over the course of the season.”

Molloy, which began the year on its annual Spring Break trip to Clermont, Fla., wasted no time getting to work as it recorded a 5-1 ledger in its first six con-tests. Four wins came by way of a pair of sweeps over Southern Connecticut State

lions roar to

World SeriesCollege


University and Franklin Pierce Univer-sity. In the season opener with the Owls, the Lions earned a 2-0 victory behind the first collegiate no-hitter from freshman pitcher Megan Butterworth (North Bell-more, N.Y.). In the start, she threw the full seven innings while fanning six.

As Molloy flew back to Long Island, the team was about to begin an 11-game winning streak. That improved them to 21-7 on the year, which brought the team votes in the NFCA Top-25 poll. On the field, sophomore first baseman Carla Campagna (Floral Park, N.Y.) had a .500 average with six home runs and 23 RBI.

Meanwhile, in the circle, Butter-worth had a 7-0 record with three com-plete games (one shutout), 48 strikeouts, and a dazzling 1.80 earned-run average. As a result, she was named the East Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week. Fellow freshman Kelley Jansen (Long Beach, N.Y.) also held her ground as she was 6-1 with a 3.17 ERA and 50 strikeouts.

Following two losses to Philadelphia University, the Lions won eight consecu-tive games, which placed them right in the middle of the playoff picture. Dur-ing that streak, the Lions out-scored their opposition by a count of 82-7. Indi-vidually, freshman third baseman Haley Calderwood (Lake Elsinore, Calif.) hit .577 with four homers and 20 RBI. She also produced an impressive 1.154 slug-ging percentage and .586 on-base per-centage, earning ECC Rookie of the Week accolades.

Molloy wrapped up its regular-sea-son schedule by going 4-5 to head into the East Coast Conference Tournament with a record of 36-16 overall. The Lions kicked off post-season play with back-to-back comeback wins. In the first game against Dowling, they trailed 2-0 heading to the top of the seventh. Senior catcher Tiffany D’Alessandro (Wantagh, N.Y.) slapped a two-RBI single to right field, which sent the contest into extras. Junior second baseman Alexandra Sydor (Glen Cove, N.Y.) then gave her team the lead for good with a two-RBI base knock of her own.

The other rally came the next day against New York Institute of Technol-ogy. Down 5-3 in the seventh, Molloy strung together a trio of hits to start the frame. It was Sydor that played hero yet again though as she pushed across the ty-ing and game-winning runs with a single to center field. The Lions were just one

Josette Cavallaro

5 Summer 2010 • lionS lanD

win away now from securing a confer-ence title. But, they were unable to find their stroke against Dowling pitchers in either contest in 1-0 and 3-0 losses.

The ECC announced their All-Conference selections during the tour-nament as well. Leading the way were Calderwood and Cassidy-Lyke, who were named the Rookie and Coach of the Year, respectively. For Cassidy-Lyke, this is the second time in as many years that she has been the recipient of the award. In addition to Calderwood, Campagna, Butterworth and freshman outfielder Jeana Frey (Island Park, N.Y.) were all picked to the first-team. Jansen

got second-team kudos. As Selection Monday approached,

Molloy sat back and waited to see if its name was selected for the Big Dance (the national tournament). After hearing several teams announced, the Lions re-ceived the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Di-vision II Sub Regional, which was slated for a return trip to Golden Lions’ Field in Brookhaven, N.Y. Once again, Molloy got off to a quick start as an early scor-ing attack topped No. 3 seed and 24th-ranked C.W. Post, 15-1. The next day saw a re-match with Dowling. The Li-ons jumped out to an early 1-0 edge af-ter two innings of play, but the Golden

Lions answered with one of their own in the sixth. They got it back though in the latter half of the inning on a Calderwood foul out, which plated Frey.

Molloy was now placed in the same situation with the same opponent for the second-consecutive week. Needing just one win again, the Lions answered the call early as they rallied for a 4-3 victory to secure themselves a trip to the NCAA Division II East Super Regional at the University of New Haven. “As the season started, this was the year that I thought we were going to prove that we belonged in the NCAA Tournament,” stated Cassidy-Lyke.

Molloy had its work cut out for it-self in the Super Regional as it had 10th-ranked University of New Haven sitting in the on-deck circle. After suf-fering a 6-5 loss in the opener, the Lions came back from the brink of elimination to knock off the Chargers, 2-0 and 1-0. Butterworth led the way for her team as she threw a pair of complete-game shut-outs. The second gem was in an eight-inning affair, which brought home an NCAA Division II East Region Champi-onship to Rockville Centre.

The team was now headed for the NCAA Division II College World Series in St. Joseph, Mo. Despite suffering losses to North Georgia College and State Uni-versity, and Bloomsburg University, Mol-loy defied the odds, and made it where no one expected them to be. Can they re-peat? Find out in the spring of 2011!

left to right: Megan butterworth, Carla Campagna, and susan Cassidy-lyke

Rayna bowen


BaseballOn March 31, sophomore pitcher

Chuck Fontana did something that no Molloy baseball player had ever done. He threw a no-hitter, striking out 19 in a 4-0 win over Queens College.

Fontana was dominant from the very beginning, striking out five of the first six batters he faced. The closest Queens came to a base hit was a drib-bler that Molloy third baseman An-thony Luisi made a play on in the third inning.

“You could tell it was going to be a special game,” said Molloy catcher Brian Benes, a senior. “Chuck’s fastball had a lot of movement on it, and he was just blowing it by people.”

Benes, a senior, had never caught a no-hitter. He and Fontana came close last year, also against Queens College, when Fontana carried a no-hitter into

the ninth inning before giving up a hit.“I was definitely nervous in the

ninth inning,” said Fontana. “I had thrown a no-hitter in high school, but that doesn’t compare at all to the thrill of throwing one in college.”

The pitching gem was sealed with a called third strike on the last batter. Benes and the entire team raced to the mound to hug their pitcher.

“I’m so proud of what Chuck did,” said Coach Joe Fucarino. “For Chuck, Brian, their teammates, the coaches, everyone – it was something none of us will ever forget.”

SoftballFreshman Megan Butterworth

pitched a no-hitter in her very first game at Molloy to lead the Lions to a 2-0 win over Southern Connecticut on March 13. “I was a little nervous, par-

ticularly since it was my first game in college,” said Butterworth.

Senior catcher Tiffany D’Alessandro said that Butterworth was “calm and busi-ness-like” throughout the game. “She’s very composed,” said D’Alessandro, “and when she got the first three batters out, I could tell that she was on her game.”

Butterworth faced a major scare in the last inning. With one out and a run-ner on first, the Southern Connecticut batter hit a hard shot to deep rightfield. Molloy outfielder Erin Rut made a leap-ing catch and then had the presence of mind to throw the ball back to first, doubling up the runner and sealing But-terworth’s no-hit gem.

“It was the perfect way to end a no-hit game,” said Coach Susan Cassi-dy-Lyke. “Everyone did their job and the result was a very special game for all of us.”

Two no-hitters

From left to right: tiffany D’Alessandro, Megan butterworth, Chuck Fontana, and brian benes


Molloy, which received votes in the first USA Today Top-25 poll of the campaign, and was chosen to finish second in the ECC preseason poll, started the new sea-son strong by winning two of its first three contests, which were against Wilmington University (75-70) in the home opener, and ECC rival C.W. Post (69-56). The lone de-feat came against No. 2 and 2009 national runner-up Franklin Pierce University. Over that stretch, senior forward Kymira Wood-berry (Hyde Park, Mass.) amassed 47 points

and 41 rebounds, while shooting 57.6 percent (19-for-33) from the field.

That spurt was preceded by a short road block, which included two-point losses against University of Bridgeport and New York Institute of Technology. But, Molloy came right back with four straight wins to go to an overall record of 6-3. The streak was kicked off with a 69-64 decision over Queens College. In that contest, Woodberry

made history as she became the all-time leading rebounder at the school, surpassing Jen Curtis. Following a 68-48 handling of St. Thomas Aqui-nas College on Dec. 9, the Lions rallied to defeat American International College on the road a week later.

Tied at 57-all with less than two minutes left, Woodberry and graduate guard Jenna McLaughlin (Carle Place, N.Y.) drained consecutive jumpers to win it. They wrapped up the run with a buzz-er-beating 57-56 win over Southern Connecti-cut State University at Quealy Gymnasium. With two-tenths of a second left, McLaughlin heaved a pass toward the basket for a streaking Wood-berry, who tipped the ball into the netting before time expired. For her efforts in the last four games, Woodberry garnered East Coast Conference Play-er of the Week accolades.

Molloy eventually headed into the holiday break at an overall mark of 6-4 as it lost to Stone-hill College in the final game before the New Year

2009-10 Season review

Women’s BasketballOne season after establishing a new program

record for victories with a 21-7 mark, Head Coach Tim O’Hagan and the Molloy

College women’s basketball team had its eyes set on capturing an East Coast Conference title and making a trip

back to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in three years. With the core in place, and the addition of

several talented newcomers, the goal for the Lions in 2009-10 was well within their grasp.


For the first time in school history, the Valedic-torian is a student-athlete. Elizabeth Dreyer, a native of Floral Park, N.Y, is graduating from

one of the top Nursing programs in the country with a 4.0 GPA. In addition to her academic success, E.J. (as she is known on the basketball court) was a four-year starter who contributed to a pair of East Coast Conference Championships and NCAA Regional Ap-pearances. E.J. has received numerous athletic and academic accolades in her four years at Molloy. She has been on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every semester of her collegiate career (which has a require-ment of a 3.2 GPA, something she has well eclipsed with her overall 4.0 GPA). She is also a two-time Co-SIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection. While E.J. is a standout both athletically and academically, this is nothing new for Molloy Col-lege student-athletes as a whole. For the Fall 2009 semester, the Department of Athletics’ overall GPA was 3.06. 103 student-athletes qualified for the Ath-letic Director’s Honor Roll, with 10 student-athletes achieving a 4.0 GPA. All of these numbers are trend-ing upward as Molloy student-athletes are graduating at a higher rate than ever.

Dreyer: on top of her game

rolled in, 54-47. The Lions started 2010 by winning three of their first four games, all of which were against ECC opposition. Two of the contests though proved to be quite close as they defeated Queens College 58-55 on CBS Col-lege Sports Television, and St. Thomas Aquinas College in overtime by a final of 60-56. The key turning point of the season, though, came in the ensuing 75-48 loss at Bridgeport on Jan. 23.

During the second half of the game, Woodberry went down with a right ankle sprain, which would cause her to miss the next eight games. Molloy managed to go an im-pressive 7-1 without their strongest offensive threat. Step-ping up to fill the void were senior forward E.J. Dreyer (Floral Park, N.Y.) and junior center/transfer Caitlin Wheeler (Belle Harbor, N.Y.). In that time, Dreyer av-eraged 10.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game to go with 22 steals, while Wheeler posted a 9.3 scoring and 6.8 re-bound ratio in addition to swatting away 31 of her school-best 104 blocks on the year.

As Woodberry made her return, which was against Mercy College on Feb. 24, she assisted the Lions in se-curing a first-round bye in the upcoming ECC Tourna-ment with a 78-44 rout of the Mavericks. Three days later, Molloy wrapped up the regular season with a crucial 65-61 clipping of arch-rival Dowling College. Senior forward Tatiana Lopez (West Hempstead, N.Y.) contributed a team-best 18 points off the bench on 6-of-8 shooting.

Prior to the start of tournament play, the East Coast Conference announced its year-end award recipients, and O’Hagan was honored with Coach of the Year recogni-tion. Meanwhile, Woodberry and Dreyer were named to the All-ECC first-and second-team, respectively. The Lions opened up their post-season run in the semifinal round against third-seeded C.W. Post. Down 26-24 at the break, Molloy shot 50.0 percent from the floor, while holding the opposition to just 25.0 percent shooting in the second half to claim a 65-52 victory. In the final with No. 1 seed University of Bridgeport, the Lions led the game for 27-plus minutes en route to a 49-42 win.

As the NCAA Tournament bracket was released, Molloy earned the fifth seed, and was set to face off with No. 4 seed Pace University in the first round. With the Lions holding the Setters to just 22.2 percent shooting, and a 21-point, 10-rebound performance from Woodber-ry, Molloy won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game, 52-36. However, the great run came to an end one day lat-er as top-seeded Franklin Pierce came away with a 76-58 victory over the Lions.

For the season, Woodberry averaged a double-double with 14.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. She also shot 50.4 percent (129-of-256) from field-goal range. Dreyer notched a 7.6 scoring and 6.4 rebound ratio, while Wheeler averaged 6.5 points and 5.8 boards per game. Se-nior guards Lisa Claxton (Hempstead, N.Y.) and Lisa Abi-tante (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added a 6.0 and 5.9 scoring aver-age, respectively.

To leave off, the only question one can ask now is: “Will we see the women’s basketball team bring home an-other crown in 2010-11?” Only time will tell.


MEN’S SOCCER ~ JOSE BATISTA HONORED AS EAST COAST CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jose Batista, a senior midfielder from Rego Park, N.Y. was named the

East Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year for his outstanding fall sea-son for the Molloy College men’s soccer

team. He accumulated a team-high 28 points, which came on 12 goals and four assists. He also led the league in points per game at an average of 2.0. Nation-ally, Batista ranks 17th in points and goals per game (0.86). In the ECC, he is slotted second in several categories. Moreover, he helped his team to some crucial victories by firing three game-winning markers.

Molloy’s two other seniors, senior forward John-Paul Hughes and senior midfielder Graeme Roderick, were hon-ored as All-ECC second-team mem-bers. Hughes, a Manchester, England native, tallied 15 points this season (five goals, five assists), while Roderick, who hails from Liverpool, England, raked in nine points on four goals and one as-sist. Hughes recorded the game-winning marker in a 6-0 triumph over Felician College on Sept. 2. Moreover, he fin-ished 66th in the nation in assists per game (0.38). In the ECC, the forward is ranked fifth in shots per game (3.23) and seventh in points per game (1.15). Batis-ta, Hughes and Roderick helped the Li-ons post an overall record of 7-8-1 and a league mark of 3-4.

WOMEN’S SOCCER ~ NICOLE VALENTINE GARNERS EAST COAST CONFERENCE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR PRAISE

Nicole Valentine, a forward out of Massapequa, N.Y., was tabbed as the East Coast Conference Rookie of the Year after pacing the Lions with 13 points (six goals, one assist). The rookie

also ranked sixth in the league in shots per game (3.67) and ninth in goals per game (0.50). Plus, Valentine took home ECC Rookie of the Week accolades on Sept. 14 for her three-goal week against Caldwell College and Concordia Col-lege.

Three other women’s soccer players were given conference honors as Dianna Geneva, Christina Aquilon, Laura Mc-Namara and Valentine were all named to the All-ECC Second-team. Geneva accumulated five points this year (two goals, one assist), which ranked fifth-best on the team. One of those goals came as a game-winner. Molloy also ex-celled on the defensive side of the ball as McNamara helped the Lions hold their opponents to 36 goals this season.

Aquilon led the squad with 77 saves, which was third-best in the ECC, and five wins. She was also slotted third in the league in saves per game (5.50), seventh in save percentage (.694) and eighth in shutouts (1). The women’s soccer team closed out the 2009 sea-son with an overall record of 6-10 (3-4 ECC).

VOLLEYBALL ~ ANGELICA NICALEK NAMED TO ALL-ECC SECOND-TEAM

Sophomore Angelica Nicalek, a right-side hitter from Valley Stream, N.Y., had a team-best 349 kills in 2009. She was also ranked second in attack percentage (.232), and third in assists (29) and digs (239). In addition, the Valley Stream native slotted second in

Fall athleticsReview

Jose batista


the East Coast Conference in kills per game (3.61). Nicalek posted ten double-doubles during the 2009 campaign. In a 3-1 win over Queens College on Sept. 29, the sophomore recorded a season- and team-high 21 kills, to go along with 13 digs. During a match against Mercy College on Oct. 15, Nicalek helped lead the Lions to a 3-1 victory with 18 kills and 18 digs.

The women’s volleyball team fin-ished with an overall mark of 9-22 and an ECC ledger of 3-9. Junior Arielle Wichard also had a solid season as she ranked second in attack percentage (2.15) and fourth in digs (168). Fresh-man Stefani Koelbel led Molloy with 335 digs, while senior Monika Rodzie-wicz posted 264 digs for second. Rookie Jennifer Koelbel was first on the Lions in assists (599), while junior Kristen Sklarsky picked up 289 digs, which was good for second.

MOLLOY TENNIS POSTS HUGE TURNAROUND

Coming off a 2008 campaign that saw the Molloy College women’s ten-nis team post only one victory, the 2009 season vastly improved. Under first-year Head Coach Terry Hirten and Assistant Coach Helen Quon, the team showed

one of the best turnarounds in program history, finishing the 2009 season with a 4-7 overall record. The team was led by several returning players and some new cast members, including freshman Jeana Frey (Island Park, N.Y.) and senior An-nie Ayala (South Hempstead, N.Y.).

Frey’s first year in Rockville Centre saw her post a 7-4 overall mark, includ-ing a 4-2 record from the first singles position. Her stellar performance helped her earn All-East Coast Conference first-team honors. Ayala, a senior, served as the team’s captain. She was third on the team in wins with five and won five doubles matches. Freshman Madeline Jurlano (Middle Village, N.Y.) also had a strong first season. She was second on the squad in wins, en route to a 6-6 overall mark. She and senior Shannon Skeggs (Southold, N.Y.) partnered for a strong 5-1 showing in doubles competi-tion. The 2010 season will see the Lions return eight letter-winners.

RECORD SETTING SEASON FOR 2009 CROSS COUNTRY

2009 was a record-setting year for the runners in Rockville Centre. In Head Coach Al Kilfoyle’s second year at the helm, the men’s squad ran to six top-five finishes in eight total races, which helped them to a 15th position at the NCAA East Regional Champi-onships. The team posted two victories this season, the first in the program’s history. The first win came on Oct. 3 at the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational. The men notched their second win fifteen days later at the St. John’s Invitational. The men were led by two individu-als. Graduate student Matthew Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y.) and senior Matthew Badamo (Floral Park, N.Y.) were both named to the All-East Coast Conference second-yeam for their impressive sea-sons. Walsh also ran to a second-place finish at the ECC Championships.

The Lions’ women team also post-ed three top-five finishes including a team win at the C.W. Post Invitational on Sept. 12. Molloy also ran to a sec-ond-place spot at the St. John’s Invita-tional on Oct. 18. The Lions were led by graduate student Elizabeth Weiss (Oceanside, N.Y.), whose strong sea-son garnered her All-East Coast Con-ference second-team accolades. In the ECC Championships, the team ran to

a fourth-place finish. 2009 turned out to be a successful season for both cross country teams.

Angelica nicalek

Matthew badano


Hello,

I would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read this introduction to our Athletic Fund Club campaign. Molloy College and the Department of Athletics have entered into a very exciting time for our growth and success. The College has officially broken ground on the first phase of its capital campaign expansion project, which will include a public square, student center, and our first residence hall. Our Department of Athletics has expanded to 16 NCAA intercollegiate sports for our men and women student-athletes (along with three club sports), and we are very excited about our bright future.

This is why we want you to join our team and become a member of our Athletic Fund Club. The Club will be the primary organization that will provide direct support for over 250 men and women student-athletes that are currently competing within our athletic department. Through your generous contributions we will be able to enhance our training and competition sites, expand our student-athletes’ travel, and provide all the necessary equipment and apparel needed to compete within our region and across the country.

The Athletic Fund Club will be an essential part of our growth and development and we hope you will become an immediate member. We look to our alumni who have been so supportive and generous over the years along with our friends and family members to continue to be a part of our student-athletes’ lives and sports. No dona-tion is too small, no donation is too large. I would like to extend our sincere thanks in advance on behalf of our Department of Athletics for your help and support.

Our goals are set, our mission is ahead, and our success is waiting. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you at one of our contests or events. Join us now and in the future!

Sincerely,

Joseph FucarinoAthletic Fund Coordinator

Molloy College

athletic fund club


q Membership ($50)Receive Department of Athletics game releases.Department of Athletics magazine.

q Bronze Lion ($100)Receive Department of Athletics game releases.Department of Athletics magazine.Free admission to all home contests.

q Silver Lion ($250)Receive Department of Athletics game releases.Department of Athletics magazine.Free admission to all home contests. Department of Athletics sweat shirt.

q Gold Lion ($500)Receive Department of Athletics game releases. Department of Athletics magazine.Free admission to all home contests.Department of Athletics sweatshirt.2 Tickets to the Hall of Fame Dinner.

q Platinum Lion ($1,000 or more)Receive Department of Athletics game releases.Department of Athletics magazine.Free admission to all home contests.Department of Athletics sweatshirt.2 tickets to Hall of Fame Dinner.2 tickets to Department of Athletics Golf Outing Dinner.

*ALL MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE INVITATIONS TO ALL DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS and MOLLOY COLLEGE EVENTS*

Membership September 1, 2010 – August 31, 2011

I would like my contribution to go to the following team:

* Donations qualify for a partial tax deduction**Many companies match their employees’ gifts to their Alma Maters; please check with your human resources office.

Level of Participation

Contact InformationName _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________________________________ State___________________ Zip _____________

Home Phone _________________________________________ Cell Phone ___________________________________________

Email (please include with your donation) _______________________________________________________________________

Please send your gift to the following address

Molloy College Athletic Department/Fund Club1000 Hempstead Avenue, PO Box 5002Rockville Centre, NY 11571

q Area of greatest need within the Department of Athletics q Women’s Soccerq Men’s Soccer

q Volleyballq Cross Country/Indoor & Outdoor Trackq Tennis q Women’s Basketball

q Men’s Basketballq Baseballq Softballq Women’s Lacrosse

q Men’s Lacrosse

q Cheerleading

q Dance Team

q Equestrian

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Joe Fucarino at 516.678.5000 ext. 6497 or email [email protected]

Winter/Spring athleticsReview

INDOOR TRACk & FIELDIt proved to be quite a year for the

Molloy College men’s and women’s in-door track and field teams. On the men’s side, the Lions posted seven school re-cords, and shattered four, while the women set eight marks, and broke four as well. Senior Matthew Badamo (Floral Park, NY) recorded the marks for the mile and 800-meter run with clockings of 4:31.12 and 2:02.70, respectively. He was also a member of a 4x200-meter relay squad that established the school record at the USA Track and Field Develop-mental Meet on January 10.

Graduate Matthew Walsh (Want-agh, NY) also made his presence known

in the distance races as he posted record-setting times in the 3,000- (9:21.44) and 5,000-meter (15:52.00) events. As for the sprinters, freshman Eric Wong (Mass-apequa Park, NY) shattered the record for the 400-meter dash (56.02), while se-nior Anthony Dalli (Valley Stream, NY) set the mark in the 200-meter at the USA Track and Field Championship Meet on February 7.

On the women’s side, the Lions re-ceived strong performances in the dis-tance events from graduate Elizabeth Weiss (Oceanside, NY). With that said, she established school records in the 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs after post-ing times of 5:44.80 and 11:58.70 in the respective events. In the field, freshman Atinuke Adebowale (Elmont, NY) re-corded a new school mark in the long jump (4.81 meters), while freshman Cas-sandra Beggen (Massapequa Park, NY) broke her own record in the triple jump (10.50 meters) at the Lafayette-Rider Winter Games on February 12.

MEN’S LACROSSE In his first season at the helm of the

Molloy College men’s lacrosse program, which started up the 2010 campaign as the No. 9 team in the USILA Division II poll, Head Coach Eric Petrullo led the Lions to an overall record of 5-9 and an East Coast Conference ledger of 4-6. Pri-or to taking over in Rockville Centre, Pe-trullo served as an assistant coach at Mol-loy for the past three years.

Senior midfielder Albert Maione (West Islip, NY), who was selected as an Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America

first-team honoree and has been drafted by the Long Island Lizards, lived up to expectations as he amassed a team-best 50 points on 30 goals and 20 assists. Seven of those goals also came with the extra-man opportunity. Moreover, the West Islip na-tive picked up 34 ground balls and caused seven turnovers. As a result, he received All-East Coast Conference first-team ac-colades.

Junior defenseman Joe Vissichelli (Hicksville, NY) was picked to the All-ECC second-team following his excep-tional play on Petrullo’s back line. In 14 appearances (13 starts) on the field, he

Albert Maione

Cassandra beggen


compiled 91 ground balls, which ranked fifth in the country, and a league-leading 45 caused turnovers. Senior attackman Matthew Dolan (North Massapequa, NY) earned honorable mention laurels. He was second on the team with 39 points (22 G, 17 A). The North Massapequa native also converted on seven man-up chances.

Junior midfielder Peter Boucher (Oceanside, NY), who was a two-year transfer from Nassau Community Col-lege, came on strong in his first season as a Lion with 37 points (23 G, 14 A). He also registered a team-best .854 shot-on-goal percentage. 2009 ECC Rookie of the Year, and sophomore attackman Ryan Kudlek (Oceanside, NY) added 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points. Between the pipes, freshman cageminder Tommy Bru-no (Wantagh, NY) turned aside 145 shots in 11 starts.

WOMEN’S LACROSSEDuring the 2010 campaign, Head

Coach Tom Campolettano, who is in his fifth season at the helm of the Molloy College women’s lacrosse team, led the Lions to a program-best overall record of 15-2, and an East Coast Conference mark of 6-1. Three of those victories came against Dowling College, University of New Haven and Pfeiffer University – all of which were then slotted in the IWLCA Top-10 poll. As a result of those efforts, Molloy capped off the year ranked No. 10 in the country.

The Lions established new records as well. They shattered 17 single-season marks and seven single-game records as a squad. Individually, three Lions combined to take down 14 single-season marks. Those three players, who are senior mid-fielder, Kristie Sosnowski (Massapequa Park, NY) as well as senior attackers Re-becca LaFlare (Lindenhurst, NY) and Lori Sollitto (Wantagh, NY), were all se-lected to the All-East Coast Conference first-team and IWLCA All-North Region second-team.

Sosnowski, who is a Women’s La-crosse.com All-America Second-Team player, finished with a team-leading 70 points on the campaign off of 52 goals and 18 assists. She also had 147 draw controls, 48 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers. Her draw total also converted to an 8.65 average, which led all of NCAA Division II. In addition to that, she was ranked in the Top-60 across the country in every offensive statistical category. Meanwhile, amongst the ECC, Sosnowski was slotted fourth in shot average and caused turn-over average, while continuing to lead the way in draw average.

Sollitto contributed her best season as a Lion as she registered a career-best 64 points, which ranked second on the Lions, off 39 goals and a team-best 25 assists. She was also the go-to shooter in the free position with six tallies from inside eight meters. Moreover, Sollitto headed up the league with six game-winning goals. LaFlare posted her fourth-straight 50-plus goal campaign in 2010. She also took a team-high 122 shots – 88 of which were on the cage, which placed third-best on the conference leaderboard.

On the back line, senior defender Sa-mantha Modik (Levittown, NY) earned the other IWLCA All-North Region second-team accolade for Molloy. In 17 appearances on the field, she raked 29 ground balls, while assisting the defense in holding the opposition to just 162 goals. Between the pipes, junior goalie Jackie Bove (North Massapequa, NY), who re-ceived 2010 All-ECC second-team acco-lades, was 15-2 overall. She also recorded 121 saves and a 9.45 goals-against average, which was eighth-best in the country.

BASEBALLThe Molloy College baseball team,

which was under the guidance of fifth-year Head Coach Joe Fucarino in 2010, sported an overall record of 30-24 and an East Coast Conference ledger of 20-10.

The Lions also came up just shy of their first ECC title and a NCAA Division II tournament bid as they lost to C.W. Post, 6-5, in an 11-inning affair. The season was filled with memorable moments though – one of which was the first no-hitter in pro-gram history by sophomore pitcher Chuck Fontana (Staten Island, NY).

Fontana, who was named to the All-East Coast Conference First-Team and ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region Sec-ond-Team, achieved this brilliant feat on March 31 against Queens College. He went nine strong, and struck out a career-high 19 hitters in the process. The Staten Island native also surrendered just four walks. That outing proved to be one of several impressive ones for him this sea-son as he registered an 8-1 mark with a 1.87 earned run average and 80 strike-outs. Fontana also held the opposition to a .173 average.

Another highlight came from se-nior infielder T.J. Greig (Staten Island, NY). In a contest with defending national champion Lynn University, Greig hit a pitch over the right-field wall in his first at-bat. That home run gave him the all-time hit mark at the school – surpassing former standout catcher Chris Irwin. On the year, Greig batted .376 with six hom-ers and 37 RBI. He also stole 25 bases in

Kristie sosnowski

Robert larusso


28 attempts, while posting a .540 slug-ging and .446 on-base percentage. As a result, Greig reaped in the benefits as he was picked to the All-ECC, NCBWA, Daktronics and ABCA/Rawlings All-Re-gion teams.

In addition to Fontana and Greig, Molloy had four others receive All-ECC accolades. Junior first baseman Robert LaRusso (Bayside, NY), who was also a Daktronics All-East Region second-team honoree, raked in first-team ku-dos. He hit .321 on the season with five home runs and a team-best 49 RBI. Se-nior catcher Brian Benes (Omaha, Neb.) and senior third baseman Anthony Luisi (Bethpage, NY) were also selected to the first-team at their respective positions. Benes had a .246 average with five dou-bles, four long balls and 22 RBI, while Luisi was a .266 hitter with 19 ribbies and 17 runs scored.

On the mound, freshman righty Pat-rick Brown (Howard Beach, NY) went 2-0 with an earned run average of 2.60. He also fanned 22 hitters, while yielding just five walks in 45.0 innings pitched. Freshman Matthew Metz (West Hemp-stead, NY) made his way into Fucarino’s rotation in 2010. He had a 5-3 record with a 2.03 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Metz also led all pitchers with six complete games. Sophomore hurler Justin Jor-gensen (Bethpage, NY) picked up six vic-tories (6-4) to go with a 2.34 ERA and 48 strikeouts.

OuTDOOR TRACk & FIELDThe Molloy College outdoor track

and field season reached some unexpected heights in just the first-ever year for the men’s and women’s programs. On the women’s side, freshman Atinuke Ade-bowale (Elmont, NY) leapt an NCAA Division II Championship provisional qualifying distance in the triple jump at the New York City Qualifying Challenge (11.71 meters) on May 7. Meanwhile, se-nior Matthew Badamo (Floral Park, NY) came ever so close to pulling off the same feat for the 1,500-meter run.

The two squads also combined to establish 20 school records, and broke eight. For the men, senior Anthony Dalli (Valley Stream, NY) set the mark for the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.60 at the Richard Stockton Invitational. Fresh-man Eric Wong (Massapequa Park, NY) owns the records for the 400-meter dash and intermediate hurdles as well as the javelin throw. Badamo and graduate Mat-thew Walsh (Wantagh, NY) each shat-tered their own times in the 1,500- and 5,000-meter run, respectively.

As for the women, Adebowale, who already made team history with her NCAA provisional distance in the triple jump, was a member of the record-setting 4x100- and 4x400-meter relay teams along with freshman Cassandra Beggen (Mass-apequa Park, NY), who broke her own record in the long jump event at the All-American Invitational. Fellow freshman Christina Imbert (Valley Stream, NY) also excelled in the field as she set records in the shot put and discus with respective dis-tances of 10.10 and 28.78 meters.

MEN’S BASkETBALL The Molloy College men’s basket-

ball team completed the 2009-10 cam-paign with an overall record of 12-18 and an East Coast Conference ledger of 10-11, which was good for a fourth-place standing. Junior forward Brian Hutchin-son (Elmont, NY) received All-East Coast Conference and All-Met Basket-ball Writers’ Association first-team hon-ors. That marked the first-ever time in his career that he took home post-season recognition.

For the year, Hutchinson aver-aged a team-best 15.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He also shot 50.3 percent (152-for-302) from the floor. Furthermore, the Elmont native amassed eight double-doubles, and picked up his 1,000th career point in the regular-season

finale against Dowling College on Feb-ruary 28. Nationally, Hutchinson ranked 37th in rebound average. Meanwhile, in the ECC, he was slotted in the Top-10 in five different statistical categories.

Senior guard Carl Palmer (Brook-lyn, NY) proved to be the deep threat as he knocked down 59 attempts from three-point range. Against University of New Haven (Nov. 15) and Saint Mi-chael’s College (Dec. 29), he drained a season-high five three-pointers each. In the process, Palmer earned a 14.1 scoring average, which ranked second-best on the Lions. The Brooklyn native also pulled down 109 rebounds in 30 games played.

Senior forward Girard Fitts (Union-dale, NY) and sophomore guard Edward Freeman (Washington, D.C.) posted scoring averages of 11.9 and 11.2, re-spectively. Fitts also dished 69 assists and swiped 30 steals. Moreover, he scored his 1,000th point in the final game of his ca-reer, which was an overtime loss to New York Institute of Technology in the first round of the ECC Tournament. As for Freeman, he sported the second-best free-throw percentage in the nation (91.0).

Running the point was senior guard Harley Fuller (Gloversville, NY), who came over as a transfer from Division I program Florida International Univer-sity. In just his one year in a Lions’ uni-form, he established a new single-season record for assists at the school with 181 in addition to leading the team in steals (59). Fuller was also second in rebound average (6.6) and sixth in field-goal per-centage (.414).

brian Hutchinson

Matthew Walsh


The Sports Medicine Staff at Molloy College operates with the same team concept that

we hope all of our student-athletes and coaches strive for. Each of us has a spe-cific role with a variety of responsibili-ties but an essential aspect of working together is to support and learn from each other while seeking a common goal. That goal is no different than the rest of our department…to promote our institution and help win games with honesty and integrity, all while keeping the best medical interests of our players at the forefront.

Jim Zegers an alumnus of Mol-loy College and former baseball player, is an Athletic Trainer and the Assistant AD for Sports Medicine. He, with the help of Assistant Athletic Trainers Eric Resseger and Kim Passero, provides

the highest quality Athletic Training services to Molloy College student-athletes in the Athletic Training Room and at all of our fields and venues. All three work under the direction of our team physician, Dr. Michael Yorio, who is ultimately responsible for all medical decisions on Molloy student-athletes. Dr Yorio also acts in that capacity for the New York Islanders and Hofstra University, while serving as Medical Director for the US Open tennis tour-nament. Team physical therapist Bill Schwarz has brought a tremendous amount of experience and profession-alism to our department. Bill provides physical therapy services on campus and also at two offices on Long Island. Recently Bill received his doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine and also was awarded

the honor of completing a sports medi-cine fellowship with world renowned or-thopdedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama. Finally, Dr. Scott Mollica, our Strength and Condi-tioning Coach, uses the latest techniques and equipment to keep our student-ath-letes at the highest level of fitness and strength through both team and indi-vidual training programs. Dr. Mollica, a former standout lacrosse player at Johns Hopkins University, is also a Chiroprac-tor and Certified Strength and Condi-tioning Specialist.

It is the responsibility of the Sports Medicine Staff at Molloy College to provide the highest level of medi-cal care to our student-athletes but so often it is much more than that. We help. We listen. We support. We ed-ucate. But most importantly, we care. With that focus in mind, you will never go wrong.

Sports medicine Staff

S a V e t h e D a t e !

homecoming reunion Weekendoctober 16, 2010

Special recognition of our anniversary classes of 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005. come celebrate your molloy experience – no matter what year you graduated!

check the mail for your invitation, or go to the molloy college homepage for further details.

any questions, please feel free to contact Joe fucarino at 516.678.5000 ext. 6497, or email [email protected]


The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Molloy College held many events to raise funds for charities in 2010. On October 11th, Molloy host-ed the 4th Annual Men’s Fall Lacrosse Tournament which raised $1,870.

“Fan Favorite” T-shirts were sold to family and friends of the department, with the proceeds totaling $1,130. Both of these activities were held to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Another charitable endeavor saw the volleyball team promote “Dig Pink Night,” raising over $2,447 for breast cancer research. New Balance provided home and away t-shirts for every conference school during the week-long event.

Midnight Madness, themed, “Ballin’ in the Jungle,” was held on Oct. 15 to launch the 2009-10 basketball season. Two local youth basketball teams kicked off this year’s event by participating in a game for the over 300 fans in attendance. Contests during the night included Tug-O-War, Knockout, a “Best Dressed” com-petition and a hot-wing eating battle. The Molloy Dance and Cheerleading teams also performed for the crowd as they welcomed the 2009-10 men’s and women’s basketball coaches and student-athletes.

During the spring semester of 2010, the Molloy College Student-Athlete Ad-visory Committee held several charitable events to continue their service and com-mitment to the community. “Blue Jean Wednesdays” occured three separate times during the semester where, for a contribution to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Molloy faculty and staff exchanged their business dress for comfortable jeans.

The Molloy College and Dowling College baseball teams squared off in an East Coast Conference doubleheader at the Mitchell Field Athletic Complex in Uniondale. The two squads in conjunction with the ECC raised money for a Prostate Cancer Awareness initiative known as “Zero: The Project to End Prostate Cancer.”

Additionally, the Molloy College and Dowling College women’s lacrosse teams clashed in an East Coast Conference match-up at the Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex in Rockville Centre. The two squads participated in a “Crosse For A Cure” event, with all proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation. Molloy and Dowling combined to raise a total of $1,150 at the event.

lions’ Student-athletes

raise over $3,000 for make-a-Wish foundation


kristie Sosnowski – Women’s La-crosse – Massapequa Park, N.Y.

Two-Time East Coast Conference Player of the Week (April 6 & April 19)…Ranked first on the team in scoring, caused turnovers, draw controls and ground balls…Led the country and ECC in draw

control average…Fourth in the league in caused turnovers per game and shots per game…Fifth in ground balls per game…Women’s Lacrosse.com All-America Second-Team...Majoring in Nursing.

Carla Campagna – Softball – Floral Park, N.Y.

First-team East Coast Conference selection... Tabbed as the ECC Player of the Week on April 20… Placed first on the team in home runs, slugging percent-age, RBI, runs scored

and doubles…Third-toughest hitter to strike out in the nation…Slotted second in the ECC in hits, and RBI…Third in doubles, home runs and slugging per-centage…National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association East Region Second-Team...Majoring in Education.

kymira Woodberry – Women’s Basketball – Hyde Park, Mass.

Named the All-Met Player of the Year…Earned All-East Coast Conference First-Team and Tournament Most Valuable Player Ac-colades…Chosen to the Daktronics All-East Re-

gion Second-Team…All-Time Career Leader at Molloy in Made Field Goals, Field-Goal Percentage and Rebounds…Majoring in Accounting.

Chuck Fontana – Baseball – Staten Island, N.Y.

First-team East Coast Conference selection... ABCA/Rawlings All-East Second-Team...Received ECC Co-Pitcher of the Week accolades on April 6…Tossed a no-hitter with a career-high 19

strikeouts against Queens College on March 31…Hurled a one-hitter at C.W. Post on April 28…Led the Lions in wins, earned run average, strikeouts and batting average against…Majoring in Business.

Atinuke Adebowale – Cross Country/Track & Field – Elmont, N.Y.

Established a new school record of 15 feet and 9.5 inches in the long jump at the Lafayette-Rider Winter Games on Febru-ary 12…Came just eight inches shy of qualifying for the NCAA Division

II Outdoor Championships in the triple jump (11.35 meters) at the Millersville Invitational on April 24…Majoring in Business.

Brian Hutchinson – Men’s Basketball – Elmont, N.Y.

Earned All-East Coast Conference and All-Met First-Team Kudos…Three-Time ECC Player of the Week (Novem-ber 30, December 15, February 1)...Garnered Pace Holiday Classic All-

Tournament Team honors…Led the team with an average of 15.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game…Majoring in Communications.

Catherine Russini – Volleyball – Westbury, N.Y.

Headed up the Lions in 2009 with a .262 hitting percentage, 78 blocks and 44 aces…Positioned third in kills…Fourth in kill average…Ranked sixth in the East Coast Conference in hitting

percentage…Seventh in block average…Ninth in service aces...Majoring in Biol-ogy Education.

Albert Maione – Men’s Lacrosse – West Islip, N.Y.

First-team All ECC...Selected as an Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America First-Team honoree…Led the team in scoring…Slotted fifth in the ECC in shots per game…Sixth in assists

per game…Eighth in points per game…Ranked 14th amongst the nation in assist average…17th in point average…Drafted by the Long Island Lizards...Majoring in Business.

faces in the

crowd


NON PROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDHicksville, NYPermit No. 6181000 Hempstead Avenue • PO Box 5002

Rockville Centre, NY 11571-5002

HOMECOMING ATHLETIC CALENDAROCTOBER 16, 2010

9:30 a.m. ....Inaugural Lions 5K Run and 3K Walk Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex10 a.m. ........Softball Alumni Game – Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex10 a.m. ........Volleyball Alumni Game – Quealey Gymnasium10 a.m. ........Women’s Lacrosse Alumni Game – Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex11:30 a.m. ..Women’s Basketball Alumni Game – Quealey Gymnasium12 Noon .....Baseball Alumni Softball Game – Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex12 Noon .....Men’s Lacrosse Alumni Game – Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex1 p.m...........Men’s Basketball Alumni Game – Quealey Gymnasium7 p.m. ........ Athletic Department Alumni Cocktail Party Kasey’s Kitchen and Cocktails 23 North Park Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570

For more inFormation call Joe Fucarino at 516.678.5000 ext. 6497

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