The Union men's soccer team will host the 2005 Liberty League Championship, while the field hockey, women's soccer and volleyball teams will compete in the tourneys on the road this weekend. The Dutchmen, ranked #20 in this week's NSCAA/adidas poll, stand 15-2-1 and have won eight straight entering the tournament, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, November 4-5. Here is the schedule for the games at College Park Field:
Fri., November 4 #2 St. Lawrence vs. #3 Hamilton, 1:30 p.m.
#1 Union vs. #4 Skidmore, 4:00 p.m.
Sat., November 5 Championship Game, 2:00 p.m.
The Dutchmen are led by this week's Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week, sophomore forward Chris Poey (Amherst, MA/Amherst Regional). Poey has 16 goals and seven assists for 39 points, and broke the single season points record set in 1975 and tied in 2001. He is just two goals shy of tying the Union mark for goals in a season. Ryan McAleese (Walpole, MA/Walpole) leads a backfield that has allowed just 14 goals all season. McAleese earned this week's Liberty League Defensive Performer of the Week award after Union road victories at Utica and Nazareth.
“Our team is very excited about returning to the Liberty League Tournament,” said head coach Jeff Guinn. “This group has played extremely well this season with our common goals in our minds. The regular season was filled with so many accomplishments, 7-0-0 in the league, a school record 15 wins, and the most goals scored in Union history (59, breaking a 21-year record).
“The post season is our reward and hosting on our own field is something we have talked about since the first weekend of league play,” continued Guinn. “We play very well at home (10-0) and I think our fan support really drives the team. The training has been very good so far this week, we seem focused, healthy and ready to play well this weekend.”
The #2 seed, St. Lawrence, comes in with a mark of 7-7-2, and 4-1-2 in the league, while #3 seed Hamilton stands 9-4-1 and finished 4-2-1 in the league. Union defeated #4 seed Skidmore, 2-1 at home on October 15 in their previous matchup.
The Liberty League women's soccer championship is at William Smith this weekend, where the top seed and #5 nationally-ranked Herons host #2 seed (and #21 nationally-ranked) Union, #3 Skidmore and #4 Hamilton. William Smith (14-0-1, 6-0-1) has only allowed one goal in the one tie, vs. Union on October 8. Skidmore is 13-4-1 overall and Hamilton stands 7-5-1. The Dutchwomen are 15-1-2 and finished 6-0-1 but lost the tie-breaker to the Herons. William Smith meets Hamilton at 11 a.m. and Union faces Skidmore at 1:30 p.m. Friday, with the winners meeting for the title Saturday at 1 p.m.
Union comes in winners of seven straight and are undefeated in the last nine games. One of the key players during the stretch run has been senior forward Cassandra Mariani (Boonton, NJ/Morris Catholic). Last week, she recorded four goals with an assist in a pair of wins. In a 4-2 win against Nazareth, Mariani registered the first goal of the game in the ninth minute and then struck again for the team's final tally. In game two she paced Union to a 6-0 win at St. John Fisher with two goals and one assist. She has team highs of 16 goals and 37 points and is this week's Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week as she heads into the post-season tournament.
“We feel good about our chances. Our seniors want the season to go on as long as possible so I am sure that the demands that they place on themselves and their teammates will be high,” said head coach Brian Speck.
“I have given the team the last two days off due to injuries and illnesses. Hopefully, we will feel great and excited to get back on the field.”
Union played only six home games this year, with 12 away, so it is a team that is very comfortable and familiar with playing away from home.
The women's soccer team will have company this weekend in Geneva. The Union field hockey squad also marches into the Liberty League Tournament, and will take a #4 seed and 10-8 mark into Friday's 11 a.m. game against #1 William Smith (14-3). The Herons won at home over the Dutchwomen, 5-2 on October 8. The #2 seed Skidmore (13-4) faces #3 Rochester (10-8) at 2 p.m. Friday, and the championship is Saturday at 2 p.m.
“It is very exciting for us to be in the Liberty League Championship Tournament,” head coach Lacey French said. “Competing in the post-season is a new challenge for our players, but they are up to the task and look forward to this wonderful opportunity.”
Senior forward Kristin Murphy (Branford, CT/Branford) leads the Dutchwomen with 17 goals and 37 points, while freshman goaltender Elise Wakeland (Arundel, ME/Kennebunk) has a 2.78 goals against average in her rookie season at Union.
Senior night is always an emotional time, and two of the six seniors starred for the volleyball team, which competes in the Liberty League Championships this weekend at St. Lawrence. Union closed out the home and regular season with a 3-1 games victory over SUNY Oneonta Tuesday night. Senior setter Suzy Barbaritz (Clarence, NY/Clarence) had 35 assists to lead Union to a four-game victory over SUNY Oneonta in volleyball action Tuesday night at the Union Field House. Senior outside hitter Charelle Carter (Schenectady, NY/ND-BG) had 14 kills for Union, which posted the ninth win of the season. The Dutchwomen will take on Skidmore Friday at 6 p.m. and Vassar at 8 p.m. Saturday features matches against Clarkson (1 p.m.) and St. Lawrence (3 p.m.).
The Liberty League also features a matchup of two football teams each of whom are a perfect 5-0 in the league, and 15-0 combined entering this Saturday. Union, now 8-0 and off to the best start since 1993, hosts defending league champion Hobart (7-0) at Bailey Field at 1 p.m. The Dutchmen come off a 40-19 win at St. Lawrence while the Statesmen have been idle since winning in Canton on October 22. Last week, Union quarterback Anthony Marotti (River Edge, NJ/River Edge) tossed for 306 yards and five touchdowns and junior wide receiver Steve Angiletta (Plantsville, CT/Southington) had 190 yards receiving in the game. Marotti tied his own record for touchdowns in a game and was named this week's Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week. Angiletta, with a 13-yard TD catch in third quarter, became the first Union receiver to post 1,000 career receiving yards (he now has 1,004). Defensively, LB Vito Pellerito (Pompano Beach, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas) had a game-high seven solo hits and a game-high 10 tackles, and also led all players with three tackles for losses of 13 yards that included a six-yard sack.
“Anthony continues to be a big time player for us, and although he struggled the last two weeks, he had one of the best games of his career last with five TD passes,” said head coach John Audino. “He did a great job leading our team.
“Vito has improved week to week and on most teams, he would be a starter,” the coach continued. “But with the luxury of having two senior linebackers, he has rotated on a regular basis and we consider him a starter. He has made big plays for us all year on defense and special teams.”
If this contest is anything like last year's, watch out. Hobart tied it in the fourth quarter and won it in overtime, 33-27. The Statesmen are ranked #12 in the AFCA coaches poll, while the Dutchmen are #17 in the Football Gazette poll.
The New York State Collegiate Track and Field Championships for cross country will take place at Hamilton College in Clinton Saturday. Union's men's and women's cross country squads, idle last week, will join the best in the Empire State for this event. The women will begin their race at 11 a.m., and the men will follow at 12 p.m.
Union's men's and women's swimming and diving teams opened up their seasons Saturday by hosting Coast Guard and New Paltz for the Union Relays. The women won their meet with 110 points, while New Paltz had 96 and Coast Guard finished with 74 points. The Dutchwomen had many numerous stars in the season opener. Junior Sydnie Wells (Bolton Landing, NY/Bolton Central) helped lead the 300 breaststroke relay to a win by over 21 seconds (3:34.41), and joined Mary Larkin (Conklin, NY/Susquehanna Valley) and Ashley Braniecki (Cheektowaga, NY/Cheektowaga) to a five second win in the 300 butterfly relay (3:05.02). Braniecki also was in on the first place win in the 300 backstroke and Larkin joined Wells in the 600 medley IM win.
Senior Aaron Phillips (West Hartford, CT/Conard) had the first leg to lead the Dutchmen to the 300 butterfly relay win. He also joined Julio Vidal (Guilderland, NY/LaSalle Academy) for the team's triumph in the 400 medley relay, coming in at 3:45.19 just ahead of Coast Guard's 3:45.42.
Next up in the pool will be a meet with the University of Rochester on Saturday, November 12.
But it is this week, November 4-5, that will make Dick Vitale excited, with three trips to the NCAA's on the line (field hockey, men's soccer and women's soccer), and three chances to “go dancin'.”