Union's eight fall teams produced a record of 59-54-3 (a winning percentage of .522) with volleyball and women's soccer both earning NCAA invitations. Men's soccer put its first back-to-back winning seasons together for the first time since 1992 and 1993, and the women's tennis team finished in a tie for third at the New York State Tournament to top its previous best showing of ninth.
The teams' success brought accolades to 11 individuals who were voted to the Upstate College Athletic Association All-Conference team for their particular sport.
Head coach Brian Speck and his women's soccer, which participated in its fourth consecutive NCAA tournament, tied a Union College record for consecutive appearances in the national event. Football (under coach Al Bagnoli) and men's soccer (under coach Bob Magee) both participated in their respective NCAA tournaments in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986. The football team reached the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the national championship game, in 1983, losing to Augustana, 21-17, in the final three minutes.
Head coach Susan Bassett, who headed the men's and women's swim programs from 1987-88 through 1994-95, guided her women to six top 20 finishes from the 1989-90 season through the 1994-95 campaign (the Dutchwomen finished 14th, 17th, 10th, eighth, ninth, and 19th, respectively) while the Dutchmen placed sixth in the country in 1993-94 and fourth in her final season of 1994-95.
Union's other consecutive NCAA appearance came from the Division III men's hockey team when head coach Charlie Morrison guided three teams to the national event (1983-84, 1984-85, and 1985-86). The '83-84 team finished second to Babson while the '84-85 Skating Dutchmen hosted the National Frozen Four, finishing third.
Here is a look at the Dutchwomen and men who were voted to the UCAA All-Conference teams this year
(football has not yet been selected).
Women's Soccer Puts Five on UCAA All-Conference Team
The women's soccer team topped the list with five players being selected to the first or second team. Junior defensewoman
Vicki Kuzman (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland), junior midfielder
Stephanie Mole (Newton MA/Newton North) and freshman forward Erika Eisenhut (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) were all selected to the first team. Second team members included sophomore forward
Brittany Cressman (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) and sophomore midfielder
Molly Flanagan (Simsbury, CT/Loomis Chaffee).
Kuzman, who will be wearing a basketball uniform this winter, is a first-time All-Conference selection while Mole' made the first team for the second consecutive year. As a sophomore forward, Mole' scored 13 goals and 31 points and was the Dutchwomen's leading scorer. Besides being named First Team All-Conference, she was an All-State selection as well as a National Soccer Coaches Association Second Team All-East player. Eisenhut's rookie year produced seven goals and 18 points for the Dutchwomen. Erika, who also be playing basketball this winter, joined her sister Meredith (a graduate player for St. Lawrence) on the first team.
Cressman, whose eight goals led the Dutchwomen while her 18 points tied Eisenhut for first on the team's scoring list, is a first-time selection while Flanagan earned second team honors last year.
Men's Soccer Puts Five on UCAA All-Conference Team
The Dutchmen, who just missed fourth place and the UCAA Championship Tournament when they lost to Skidmore, 1-0, in the regular-season finale, was represented on the first team by junior forward
Peter Devine (Millbury, MA/St. John's) and senior midfielder Graham Lombardo (Bristol, RI/LaSalle
Academy). Senior defender Kevin Cox (Reston, VA/Flint) was a second team selection.
Devine, who was a second-team selection last year, finished second to Lombardo on the Dutchmen's scoring list with seven goals and 14 points. A three-year starter, Devine heads into his senior season with 23 goals and 53 points. Lombardo, who was also a first-team selection in 2001, led this year's scoring chart with eight goals and 20 points. His career total of 83 points puts him third on the Dutchmen's all-time scoring list. He finishes with 36 goals and 11 assists. Cox, who helped Union record seven shutouts while allowing 18 goals over the 18-game season,
picked up his first All-Conference selection.
Jordan & Pontius Represent Union Volleyball
Senior Corinn Jordan (New Hyde Park, NY/Herricks) and junior Sarah Pontius (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) were both named to the UCAA All-Conference First Team in the sport of volleyball.
This is the third consecutive year that Jordan has been an All-Conference selection and the second-straight season that Pontius has been selected. The pair helped the Dutchwomen finish second in the UCAA Tournament (to Vassar) and earn Union's first-ever NCAA berth. Jordan was also named the Most Valuable Player of the conference tournament.
The Dutchwomen, who were 25-13 in 2001, finished 23-11 this season for the program's first-ever back-to-back 20-win seasons. Jordan led the Garnet in Kills (with 612 or an average of 4.67), was
second (by two) with her 493 Digs (3.76 per game), and was third on the team with 36 total blocks. Pontius, meanwhile, led the Garnet with 1,331 assists (10.4 a game) and was third in service aces with 63.
Junior Lauren Stellato Already Owns Union's All-Time Victory Mark
Union has a new all-time victory leader in junior Lauren Stellato (Upper Brookville, NY/ Friends
Academy). Stellato, who brought back the New York State No. 1 Singles crown earlier this fall, surpassed Julie Miller, Class of '84, with her 57 career wins. Miller, Class of '84, who came to Union from Miami, FL/Miami Palmetto Sr. High) was the first to bring Union a state crown when she captured the No. 1 title in 1983. A four-year standout for both the tennis and basketball teams, Miller graduated on the top of the tennis team's all-time list with 51 victories. Third on the list is Cassie Lawton, Class of 99,who finished with 37 victories out of the No. 1 position.
Stellato, became just the fourth Dutchwoman to win a New York State singles championship. Besides Miller, Amy Kessingern (Class of '95), won the title out of the No. 4 position in 1994, and Susan Yoo (Class of '01), who captured the No. 3 singles title in 1999.
Stellato defeated Vassar's Becky Weldon, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 helping the Dutchwomen finish their season with a College-best third-place finish out of the 16 participating teams.
Miller was a two-time Most Valuable Player for the tennis team and captured the
basketball team's MVP award following her sophomore season. At the time of Miller's graduation, she was the hoop team's all-time leading rebounder with 556 (an 8.5 career average). She also contributed 630 points (9.7 ppg) during her 65-game college career.