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The Hearst CT Local College Sports Blog
with William S. Paxton

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Bike retiring after 35 years at SHU

Monday, May 20, 2013 by:William S. Paxton
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As first reported by the Connecticut Post, Sacred Heart men’s basketball coach Dave Bike will retire after 35 seasons and be replaced by assistant coach Anthony Latina.

Bike had been considering retirement since the season ended with the Pioneers missing the NEC Tournament for the third time in four years. A SHU official confirmed Bike’s retirement to the Post on Monday.

Neither Bike or Latina returned messages seeking comment on the moves. An official press conference is scheduled for next week, but a SHU official did not know what day it would be held.

 

Fairfield men’s hoops Hall of Fame ticket package info

Monday, May 13, 2013 by:William S. Paxton
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Fairfield University fans have the opportunity to purchase a 2013 Basketball Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament ticket package, starting today.

The Stags will play four games in the tournament, starting with home games against Holy Cross and the University of Hartford earlier in November. Fairfield also will play national champion Lousiville on Nov. 23 and either North Carolina or Richmond on Nov. 24, with both games being played at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.

Ticket packages, which will be available until Aug. 26, during this presale can only be made through the Fairfield University ticket office. For more information, contact Helen Smaldone at (203) 254-4136 or at email hsmaldone@fairfield.edu

Swanson finds William & Mary the “right fit”

Tuesday, May 7, 2013 by:William S. Paxton
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By William S. Paxton

When it came to finding sound advice about making a major change in his coaching career, Ed Swanson only needed to look inside his own house for help.
The Sacred Heart women’s basketball coach’s wife not only happens to be mother of their two children, but also known as Dr. Marion Swanson, PsyD.
So before the Swansons turned in for the night last Thursday they discussed the job offer on the table from William & Mary to run its women’s basketball program and Marion suggested they sleep on a decision.
When they awoke Friday morning, Dr. Swanson had one simple question for her patient.
“Are you going to regret (not taking) this in two or three years,” she asked.
“I think so,” Swanson replied.
Without hesitation, Marion Swanson responded “lets go!”
After 23 years leading the Pioneers to the top of the Northeast Conference – including three conference championship and three NCAA Tournament trips – Swanson was named the head coach of the Tribe during a press conference Tuesday morning in Williamsburg, Va.
“It’s the right situation at the right time in my life,” Swanson said by phone. “The players remind me of the players at Sacred Heart University and athletics director Terry Driscoll is similar to (SHU AD) Don Cook.”
During his two-decade-plus tenure at SHU, Swanson took a cellar-dwelling Division II program that didn’t even have a full-time coaching staff and made it a perennial mid-major power at the Division I level in the NEC. The Pioneers never finished lower than third since joining the NEC in 1999 and never missed the postseason once it became eligible.
The Tribe are already an established D-I program in the Colonial Athletic Association, but come off an 8-22 campaign and were in need of a program revival.
Swanson is the man they are banking on to lead it.
“I hope to do what I have done at Sacred Heart,” said Swanson, who reportedly receive a five-year deal for an undisclosed sum. “I don’t have to change my style of play or my philosophy on coaching. It’s just the right fit.”

Doris: “Nothing imminent” on Fairfield changing conferences

Thursday, April 25, 2013 by:William S. Paxton
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Fairfield Athletics Director Gene Doris said Thursday morning while the school is keeping an open mind when it comes to the constant shuffling occurring in college athletics, for the Stags “there’s nothing going on with anybody” at this time. The Stags are currently one of 11 schools in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

The award-winning FU student newspaper, The Mirror, reported this week the school could be looking to conferences jump and the Colonial Athletic Association seems to be its target.

In The Mirror story, Joe Klauder, Fairfield’s associate director of athletics/compliance and recruiting, was quoted as saying: “If we did switch into the CAA, [it would] put a big Fairfield name in Boston, and deep in the heart of Virginia.” AND “It could academically diversify us in regards to the applicant pool,”

Doris said Klauder, who previous worked at a CAA school in Hofstra, did not realize he was being interviewed for a story about conference jumping at the time and believed it was a conversation for a school assignment.

Since started jumping conference to conference – primarily chasing football – Doris has maintained the same mantra when it comes to Fairfield.

“We are always willing to listen and look to better ourselves,” he reiterated Thursday. “But nothing’s imminent.”

Doris said the only school he knew that was on the move right is Davidson, which is reportedly headed to the Atlantic-10.

“Do I know all conferences are looking at people? Yeah, including the MAAC,” said Doris, who latter in the conversation went on to further discuss MAAC expansion. “Things might not change at all. Who knows who the No. 12 school will be or if the MAAC will go to 14 teams.”

The uncertainty figures to linger since the major conference likes the ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big 12 and PAC-12 might not be done reshuffling. And once one of them makes a move, it will have a trickledown effect on the next tier of conferences like the new Big East, the A-10 and CAA.

“It’s like watching the NFL draft, everyone wants to get the best fit,” Doris added.

The CAA has already taken several large hits with the departures of Virginia Commonwealth, George Mason and Old Dominion. While the conference might have a more appealing financial picture than the MAAC for a school, who knows what schools will even be in the league in a few months.

William & Mary looking at SHU’s Swanson

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 by:William S. Paxton
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Ed Swanson, who built the Sacred Heart women’s basketball program into a power in the Northeast Conference and has led the Pioneers to three NCAA Tournaments since 2006, is one of five coaches in the running for the William & Mary job.
Swanson’s name was mentioned in a tweet Tuesday afternoon from Bret McCormick, who runs the website All-Star Girls Report about women’s basketball (www.asgrevents.com)
Swanson could not be reached for comment on the report Tuesday night. Ironically, much of the off-season speculation at SHU has centered around men’s basketball coach Dave Bike leaving. Bike is expected to retire sometime this off-season and turn the program over to assistant Anthony Latina, but nothing official has been announced.

McCormick reports the other candidates for the job are four assistant coaches: Ginny Doyle (Richmond), Mark Kost (Coastal Carolina), Andi Gross (Appalachian State) and Chris Day (Indiana).

William & Mary plays in the Colonial Athletic Association and finished 8-21 last season, losing in the tournament quarterfinals.

Swanson, 46, has been with the Pioneers since 1990 and has compiled a 406-264 record in 23 seasons. He also transitioned the program from the NCAA Division II to I level in 1999, turning the Pioneers into one of the NEC’s elite teams for much of the past decade.

 

MAAC adds field hockey; QU, Fairfield to join

Friday, April 19, 2013 by:William S. Paxton
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The MAAC issued a press release Friday morning that will be adding  field hockey as an associate sport sponsored by the conference, with league play beginning in the 2013-14 academic year.

Four schools – newcomers Monmouth and  Quinnipiac along with  Rider and Siena College – will begin play this fall. Meanwhile, Fairfield will join the league starting in the 2015-16 academic year.

The MAAC will also look to invite schools that sponsor field hockey within the region to join as associate members for the 2013 season.

“The MAAC is excited about sponsoring field hockey as an associate league sport as membership expansion provides added branding opportunities for the conference,” notes Richard J. Ensor, Commissioner of the MAAC, in the press release.  “As the MAAC athletic administrators reviewed the needs of the member institutions, it became apparent that having a core of five schools sponsoring the sport made the addition of field hockey to the MAAC Strategic Plan an obvious next step for the conference to meet the expectations of the student-athletes for a consistent championship experience.”

The membership plan is to provide eight teams for the 2013 and 2014 seasons, and nine teams when Fairfield commences league play in the 2015-16 academic year.

The MAAC has added various sports throughout the years in an effort to develop opportunities for student-athletes.  In June of 1995, the conference announced the formation of the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse leagues, with the men beginning competition in the spring of 1996 while the women commenced in the spring of 1997. The MAAC added women’s water polo in 2002, with competition currently between three MAAC schools – Iona College, Marist College and Siena – as well as four associate members: Saint Francis (N.Y.) College, Villanova University, the Virginia Military Institute and Wagner College.  The MAAC also has associate members in women’s rowing (Drake University, Jacksonville University, Robert Morris University and Sacred Heart University), women’s golf (University at Albany, Boston University, Butler University and the University of Hartford) and men’s swimming & diving (Bryant University).

Fairfield, SCSU women to play soccer game Friday in Newtown

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 by:William S. Paxton
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The Fairfield University women’s soccer team will play a spring exhibition game against Southern Connecticut State University at 7 p.m. Friday at Nighthawk Stadium in Newtown. Admission is free.

“There is no one that I know that wasn’t affected in some manner by the events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December,” Fairfield  coach Jim O’Brien. “Playing this game in Newtown and doing the clinic is just our small way of letting the community know that they will always have a place in our hearts.”

Fairfield will wear special green jerseys for the game, with the Town of Newtown Seal and a commemorative ribbon on the sleeve.  Over the numbers on the back of the jersey, in place of player names will be ‘Sandy Hook’.  The Stags will wear the tops as their warm-up shirts during the 2013 seasonl.

The Stags and Owls will host a clinic for Newtown Soccer Club members prior to the game.

“We feel both privileged and humbled to be part of such a wonderful event in Newtown,” said Southern Connecticut coach Adam Cohen. “Thank you to Marc Kenney for allowing us to honor the strong and resilient people in this community.”

Kenney is the girls’ soccer coach at Newtown High School and was O’Brien’s assistant coach at Southern Connecticut.

“Newtown High School is excited to host two of Connecticut’s premiere collegiate programs in a game to honor those affected by the events of December 14,” said Kenney.  “My close relationship with Coach O’Brien and the fact that both Casey Frobey and Kasey Schulz are former Newtown student-athletes, make this a special opportunity.”

Casey Frobey, a 2010 Fairfield graduate, and current Stag senior Kasey Schulz are both from Newtown. Both players are expected to attend Friday’s game and will be presented with green Fairfield/Sandy Hook jerseys.

Fairfield’s Sposito makes U.S. National Indoor Field Hockey team

Tuesday, April 9, 2013 by:William S. Paxton
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(Per Fairfield press release)

Maddy Sposito (Ridgefield) has earned a spot on the U.S. National Indoor Team. The goalkeeper will play her second consecutive season for the national team which will represent the United States in the 2014 Pan American Indoor Cup.

“I have always wanted to play for the United States Field Hockey team,” Sposito said. “I am very excited to return for another year with the indoor team. With a year of experience under my belt, I know the system, the coaches, and the players so that will hopefully help me make a travel squad and earn a cap.”

The senior squad consists of 25 players including twelve returning athletes. The newly selected team will begin an extensive training schedule in preparation for the 2014 Pan American Cup. The Pan American Cup is a qualifier for the FIH Indoor World Cup which will be held in Germany in 2015.

“Maddy’s hard work and determination has earned her a spot on the US team,” Fairfield Head Field Hockey Coach Jackie Kane said. “I am very proud of her as this was a dream of hers for a long time.”

Sposito started all 18 games as a senior in 2012, making 95 saves and posting a 2.94 goals against average. For her career, she made 271 saves and posted five shutouts which includes a personal-best three shutouts in 2012. She collected 3,300 minutes in the Fairfield net during her four-year career, registering a career-best 1,200 minutes during the 2012 campaign.

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