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Here’s just some of the action from Denver and the 2012 NCAA Women’s Final Four.
There are a couple of photos with Geno Auriemma, playing the role of U.S. Olympic coach Friday as USA Basketball announced 11 of the 12 players that will head to London to compete in the Summer Olympics.
The rest are from Saturday’s open practice at the Pepsi Center, where Tennessee coach Pat Summitt watched a little bit of the Huskies practice and shared a hug with Geno Auriemma (I missed it).
Here’s my story again on Union goalie Troy Grosenick. There were a couple of mistakes that have been corrected. Sorry about that. (mis-spelled Kincade instead of Kinkaid)
The regular goalie was away on vacation, so when the head coach of Troy Grosenick’s Brookfield, Wis., Mites hockey team asked for a volunteer to play and no one put their hand in the air right away, Grosenick decided, `Why not?’ So, he strapped on the pads, put on the mask, went between the pipes and posted a shutout.
Not bad for a first-timer.
Grosenick, by the way, was just 8 years old.
The next year, moving up to Squirts, again, his team was looking for a goaltender, so again, Grosenick volunteered. This time, though, he didn’t play in just one game. He played in just about all of them.
“I just kind of became the goalie,” Grosenick said the other day in a phone interview. “I ended up going to a bunch of goalie camps and things like that. I had been a left winger. I was decent but I don’t think I would have made it very far.”
Grosenick’s dad, Scott, would often take his work lunch break at the rink where Troy was practicing, so he could get a better handle on what a goalie goes through. He also worked long hours with Troy, peppering him with shots to improve his technique.
Grosenick spent a couple of seasons with the Cedar Rapids (Wis.) Rough Riders, leading the team to a pair of second-place finishes in the United States Hockey League’s East Division. In 2009-10, he played in 44 games, posting a .902 save percentage.
Fast forward to today. Grosenick is the starting goaltender for the No. 3-ranked Union College hockey team, which will be facing off against Michigan State in the NCAA East Region Division I hockey tournament on Friday at 3 p.m. at the Webster Bank Arena.
Grosenick boasts a record of 20-5-3 and has a goals-against average of 1.65. His five shutouts have tied the single-season Union record. He jus-t won the Ken Dryden Award as the ECAC Goaltender of the Year and is also one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker award, given annually to the nation’s best collegiate hockey player. He is the first player in Union history to be named as a finalist.
Grosenick helped lead Union (24-7-7) to the ECAC championship, and that No. 3 ranking is the highest ever in the program’s 21-year history at the Division I level.
Interestingly, Grosenick barely played as a freshman. He saw action in just three games, getting one start against UConn. He saw just 84:55 of action, sitting and watching as senior Keith Kinkaid led the Flying Dutchmen to the NCAA East regional last season, losing to Minnesota-Duluth 2-0.
But when Kinkaid graduated, Union’s goalie position was up for grabs. Grosenick took it and never let it go.
“There’s something about an opportunity and he was given one and he ran with it,” Union coach Rick Bennett said. “He didn’t just walk in and know the job was his, he had to earn it. And he did. His number one strength is his work ethic.”
“I knew that over the summer with Keith leaving there was a void to be filled,” Grosenick said. “I knew there was going to be a competition to fill that spot, so over the summer, I made sure I worked hard, did everything I could and came in prepared.”
Grosenick spent his summer working with Union teammate Ryan Forgaard.
In the morning, the two would work out at Forgaard’s former prep school, Shattuck St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. Three or four times a week, Grosenick would get on the ice and defend shot after shot after shot.
“I jut buckled down, focused and stuck to the plan,” he said. “I worked on a different thing every day, all the things I needed to improve on.”
He also learned a lot simply by watching Kinkaid and No. 2 goalie Corey Milan go through their routines last season.
“I think I learned that you have to be prepared every night, be consistent,” Grosenick said. “Corey also really helped with the transition, making sure you have your head on straight.”
Maybe too straight. As any diehard hockey fan knows, goaltenders are an unusual bunch, marching to the beat of their own drummer. Most have crazy superstitions. But not Grosenick.
“I like to claim that I’m the most normal goalie you’ll ever meet, but who knows? The guys on the team might say something different,” he said. “I don’t have too many pre-game rituals, kissing my posts or anything like that. I don’t know. I guess I haven’t taken enough pucks to the head.”
celsberry@ctpost.com; http://twitter.com/elsctpost
With the second round of the 2012 Women’s NCAA Vasketball Tournament complete, here are the attendance figures:
Bridgeport — despite its $62 all-session and $41 single game ticket prices — was sixth highest overall with 8,935 fans.
Here’s the breakdown:
ARENA LOCATION ATT(1) ATT ( 2) TOTAL
Bryce Joyce Center South Bend, Ind . 6,777 6,519 13,296
Reed Arena College Station, Tex. 6,407 6,185 12,592
McCarthey Center Spokane, Wash 5,680 5,834 11,514
Comcast Center College Park. Md. 5,624 4,857 10,481
Lloyd Noble Center Norman, Okla. 5,090 4,789 9,879
Webster Bank Arena Bridgeport, CT. 4,563 4,372 8,935
Stroh Center Bowling Green, Ohio 4,205 4,097 8,302
Hilton Coliseum Ames, Iowa 4,695 3,254 7,949
All State Arena Chicago, Ill. 4,161 2,866 7,027
Pete Maravich Center Baton Rouge, La. 3,212 3,270 6,482
Ted Constant Center Norfolk, Va. 4,258 2,055 6,313
Jack Stephens Center Little Rock, Ark. 3,466 2,744 6,210
Memorial Gym Nashville, Tenn. 4,054 2,080 6,184
Mackey Arena West Lafeyette, Ind. 2,825 2,646 5,471
Donald Tucker Center Tallahassee, Fla. 1,227 713 1,940
Carmichael Arena Chapel Hill, N.C. 1,139 707 1,846
Congrats to University of Bridgeport sports information director Chuck Sadowski, who is being honored by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Way to go Chuck!
Here’s the CoSIDA story/release:
Chuck Sadowski of the University of Bridgeport has been chosen to receive his 25-year Award plaque from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in conjunction with the 2012 CoSIDA workshop at a June 24 awards luncheon in St. Louis.
Sadowski said of the award, “I really can’t see myself working in any other profession,” adding, “Being an SID has allowed me work all over the country and to meet folks that have become life-long friends. In my wildest dreams, I could have never imagined that that something that started out as basically as a way for me to make some extra money while I was getting a master’s degree in French Studies at New York University would become this wonderful career that I continue to enjoy.”
A veteran of 25 years in the sports information profession, Sadowski was named Director of Sports Information at the University of Bridgeport in late August of 2007. He came to UB after serving as the Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations at the East Coast Conference from September 2006 until the UB appointment. Prior to his time in the conference office, Sadowski was Director of Athletic Media Relations at the University of New Haven from January 2004 to June of 2006.
Jay Moran, Director of Athletics at the University of Bridgeport, said of Chuck, “He is a professional in every sense of the word. Chuck has a great relationship with the media and in our market that includes the Yankees, the Red Sox and the University of Connecticut, that is hard to do. His role as our SID has grown and he is an excellent representative for our institution with the media, his colleagues and within the University.”
“Chuck is one of the best around and he understands how to get coverage for our programs, while applying his skills and still learning to adapt to the changing technology as well,” concluded Moran. “He has played such an important role for UB with the NCAA and despite his 25 years in the business he has continued to improve by utilizing his old-school knowledge as an SID, while fine-tuning his skills as needed. Chuck is like a lineman and most certainly does not get the credit he truly deserves so I am thankful that he has received this award from CoSIDA.”
Sadowski served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information and Events at Austin College in Sherman, Texas from August of 1996 until January of 2004. He also served as the Director of Sports Information and Scheduling Coordinator at the University of Redlands from December of 1992 through August of 1996 and was Director of Sports Information at the University of Chicago from February 1987 to December of 1992. Sadowski began his career in athletic media relations as the graduate assistant SID at New York University in 1985.
“Chuck has been an outstanding colleague and friend and has done an outstanding job of serving his student-athletes throughout his career,” said Eric McDowell, Assistant Athletic Director and Sports Information Director at Union College. “He has been very active on a variety of CoSIDA committees, and one of the highlights of my career was when I got the news that he was selected to serve the board as a College Division Representative. I am so pleased for him, as well as Lisa, Laura and Sam, as he receives the 25-Year Award.”
An active member of CoSIDA, Sadowski completed a three-year term as an at-large College Division member of the organization’s Board of Directors in the summer of 2006. He also is currently a vice chair of the organization’s Committee on Committees. He has also worked on CoSIDA’s Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest and Charity committees. Presently, Sadowski also serves as the East Region Representative to DII-SIDA. He is also a member of ECAC-SIDA.
Chuck has worked in press services at many large events including serving as the Mixed Zone Manager for baseball at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, working at the track cycling and boxing venues at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York City, working at the 2000 USA Olympic Track Cycling Trials in Frisco, Texas. He has also helped staff the 1997 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship plus several NCAA men’s and women’s basketball regionals, including the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Springfield, MA. He has also assisted with many NCAA events hosted by the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard.
Sadowski assisted the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox in press services at the 2008 and 2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Games plus work for the Yankees during the team’s World Championship run in 2009. He has also worked as a statistician and official scorer for the Texas Rangers Class AA affiliate, the Frisco RoughRiders in 2003 plus was the official scorer for the Class A San Bernardino Spirit in 1993. Currently, Chuck serves as official scorer for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League.
“I’ve worked at the Olympics, the World Series, two MLB All-Star Games plus too many NCAA events to count, and that would have never happened without being a member of CoSIDA,” Sadowski noted. “A 25-year award recognizes longevity and that’s really is a tribute to my family. Without the love and support of my wife Lisa and my children Laura and Sam, who had had to do without me for many things, I never would have reached this milestone.”
A 1984 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor of arts degree with honors in French with a concentration in European Studies, Chuck also received a master’s degree in French Studies in 1987 from New York University. He resides in West Haven, CT with his wife, Lisa, and daughter Laura, and son, Sam.
A lot of the 2012-13 non-conference schedule is already in place for the Fairfield men’s basketball team according to athletic director Gene Doris, who was cornered for a minute Friday at the Webster Bank Arena, where Fairfield is hosting the first- and second-round games of the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament.
Next season, the Stags are scheduled to play in the Preseason NIT, most likely in Charlottesville, Va. In the Virginia pod along with Robert Morris and Delaware.
Fairfield will also host Drexel and the ESPN Bracket Buster game, along with playing Central Connecticut in the Connecticut 6 Tournament at Chase Arena at the University of Hartford.
Road games will take the Stags to Austin Peay, DePaul and Providence.
It also looks like Fairfield will play in the 2013-14 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The eight-team field would mean the Stags would play two games at the Webster Bank Arena before heading to Uncasville for the last two games.
Also penciled (for now) would be a home game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Connecticut 6 game against Sacred Heart.
Fairfield will be facing a familiar foe in the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Coach Sydney Johnson’s team will take on MAAC rival Manhattan on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Alumni Hall.
Here’s the complete second round schedule:
FRIDAY MARCH 16
Idaho (19-13) @ Utah State (18-15) 9:00
SATURDAY MARCH 17
Robert Morris (25-10) @ Toledo (19-16) TBA
Buffalo (20-10) @ Oakland (18-15) 2:00
Georgia State (22-11) @ Mercer (23-11) 4:00
Drake (18-15) @ Rice (18-15) 8:00
SUNDAY MARCH 18
Kent State/USC Upstate @ Old Dominion (21-13) 3:00
Manhattan (21-12) @ Fairfield (20-12) 4:00
Weber State (25-6) @ Loyola Marymount (20-12) 6:00
The Stags and Jaspers split their two regular season MAAC meetings with Manhattan winning 53-51 in Riverdale, N.Y. on Jan. 8 (Fairfield led 48-41 with 7:40 to play but scored just three points the rest of the way) and then Fairfield posted a 60-54 victory on Feb. 9 at the Webster Bank Arena.
Just got a text from Fairfield AD Gene Doris … Fairfield’s opening round game in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament will be on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Webster Bank Arena, against Yale.
Doris said that WBA people “went the extra mile” to allow the game to be played there. The building is gearing up to host the NCAA Women’s Basketball first- and second-rounds on March 17 and 19.
Second round games in the CIT are scheduled for March 16-18, so if the Stags win and elect to host again, that game would be played on campus at Alumni Hall.
I’m hearing this from two very solid sources and I’m in the process of checking with a couple of others but the rumor is that Sydney Johnson’s Fairfield Stags are going to host a CollegeInsider.com Tournament game on Wednesday, March 14 against … drum roll, please, Yale.
Speaking with Stags athletic director Gene Doris after Fairfield lost to Loyola Monday night in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament championship game, he said that an NIT bid was highly unlikely and that he had already entered bids with both the CIT and the CBI (College Basketball Invitational) tournament to host games at Alumni Hall.
Fairfield cannot play any games at the Webster Bank Arena due to the NCAA women’s tournament (March 17-19) and the NCAA Division I East Region hockey tournament (March 23-24).
Fairfield is 19-14 overall. Yale stands at 19-9.
The Stags played in the 2010 CIT at George Mason in the opening round. Down by 27 points (63-36) with 16:08 to play, Fairfield rallied to win the game in overtime 101-96. Mike Evanovich scored a career high 32 points, hitting a school-record nine 3-pointers. It was the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I postseason history.
Fairfield then lost at Creighton 73-55.
The 2012 24-team CIT field will be announced late Sunday evening after the NCAA and NIT fields are filled.
First round games would take place March 13-15.
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