Atwell Sets School Marks in Hockey Finale
Tovah Atwell had three goals and one assist, and set the school�s single-season scoring record when Albany defeated Massachusetts-Lowell, 4-1, to close out the season on Oct. 31. Albany (8-8) finished with four consecutive victories to reach the .500 mark.
Atwell, a junior, shattered her own standard with 17 goals and 16 assists for 50 points. She scored twice within a 13-minute stretch of the first half to give Albany a 2-1 lead, and then added her third goal on a penalty stroke with no time remaining in the period.
Atwell gained a record and lost another mark in this same contest. Amy DiMicco broke the freshman single-season scoring record, established by Atwell in 1996, on a goal with 26:49 left in the game. DiMicco, who will also play lacrosse for Albany in the spring, ended her first year with 31 points on 13 goals and five assists.
Men Win Basketball Exhibition
Todd Cetnar had 13 points and freshman guard Mike Everett came off the bench to score 12 in leading Albany to a 71-47 exhibition victory over Brock (Ontario) University on Nov. 4 at the Recreation and Convocation Center.
The Danes open their regular season schedule on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Albany will be meeting its first Division I opponent since 1981-82.
Karim Ouattara, a freshman from France, was a key figure against Brock, scoring seven straight points in the second half. Ouattara finished with eight points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
"It was a good team effort," said Albany coach Scott Hicks, who led the Danes to a 19-8 record in his first season. "We were fundamentally sound on defense and offense, and moved the ball around to the open man."
Women Hoopsters Tip-Off at Merrimack
Albany begins its final NCAA Division II season on Sat., Nov. 14 at Merrimack. Tip-off is 1:00 p.m. The Great Danes posted a 14-13 record, and tied for fourth in the New England Collegiate Conference�s regular-season standings one year ago.
Head coach Mari Warner, who has 265 career victories in 16 years at the helm, welcomes back a veteran cast. Kelly Paolino, a senior point guard, was named to the preseason NECC second-team. She led the team in scoring (12.1 ppg) and assists (4.0 pg).
Dawn DiMicco (9.7 ppg), Liz Tucker (8.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Melissa Schoonover (8.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg) are the other regulars among eight returning lettewinners.
Volleyball Heads to NECCs
Tashi Campbell-Tulloch averaged 3.25 kills and 3.75 digs, as Albany prepared for this weekend�s New England Collegiate Conference tournament with three home victories.
Campbell-Tulloch, a senior outside hitter, had 15 kills and 18 digs in leading the Danes to a 15-5, 15-8, 9-15, 15-3 victory over Bridgeport at home on Nov. 6. Albany (17-12) defeated both Franklin Pierce and St. Michael�s in three games the following day.
Campbell-Tulloch has been a top UA performer throughout 1998. Sophomore Julie Arbitman is among the nation�s leaders in dig average (5.35 pg), while Jackie Sanchez is ranked with the NECC�s elite in hitting percentage (.300) and blocks (0.84 pg). The conference tournament on Nov. 13-14 is at University of New Haven.
Football Gears for Southern Conn. Showdown
Quarterback Michael Oliva ran for one touchdown and passed for another score, and the Albany defense posted a school-record third consecutive shutout in last Saturday�s 17-0 Eastern Football Conference victory over Pace in the regular-season home finale at University Field.
Albany (8-1, EFC 6-1) moved into a tie for first place in the EFC�s Atlantic Division standings with Southern Connecticut State. The two teams meet for the second straight year on the season�s last day to determine the divisional crown. The winner hosts the Bay State Division titlist for the conference championship on Nov. 21.
Oliva, a 5-foot-10 junior, was inserted at quarterback in the second quarter after starter Eric Williams was ineffective in the early going. He fired a 55-yard pass to tight end Steve Checksfield, when he rolled to his left off play-action on his second play from scrimmage. The play set up Deron Regev�s 20-yard field goal.
Albany�s Troy Rhett returned a Pace punt 20 yards to the Setters 35. Seven plays later and faced with a third-and-goal situation, Oliva rolled to his left out of the shotgun, before scrambling to his right and into the end zone on a 4-yard TD run. Regev�s extra-point gave the Great Danes a 10-0 lead with 3:55 left in the period.
"I was just trying to do what Doug Flutie does a little bit . . . make something our of nothing," said Oliva, who completed 10-of-18 passes for a career-high 177 yards. To begin the second half, he directed the Danes on a 13-play scoring march, finishing off that drive on a fourth-and-two play by finding Checksfield on the right sideline with a 23-yard touchdown pass.
"I am pleased we are in a situation where we can control our own destiny and play for a championship," Albany coach Bob Ford said.
Linebackers Shcree Lewis (14 tackles) and Mike Grever (10) helped bottle up Pace�s triple-option offense, which mustered 148 total yards, including 41 in the second half. Albany�s defense, which has held the opposition�s offense off the scoreboard for 14 straight quarters, allowed nine first downs while recording four sacks.
Dane Notes: An Albany victory against Southern Connecticut would place the EFC championship at University Field on Sat., Nov. 21, at 12 noon . . . Shcree Lewis was selected as the ECAC-North Division II Defensive Player of the Week for his performance versus Pace ... captains Matt Caliandro, Nelson Bauza, Shawn West and Lewis were among 15 seniors who made their last regular-season home appearance last Saturday.
