Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

There’s a lot of rumors flying around that Bridgeport’s Webster Bank Arena will be named as the host site for the 2013 NCAA Women’s Basketball East Region championship, replacing the Soverign Bank Arena in Trenton N.J., which was stripped of the event by the NCAA due to its regulations on legalized sports gambling in New Jersey.

Fairfield athletic director Gene Doris told me in a text message that the NCAA Administration Committee hasn’t decided yet but was meeting this afternoon. The NCAA told Doris that a decision would be made by 5 p.m. today.

The Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence and Philadelphia were the other sites in the running of the Regional.

The Arena at Harbor Yard/Webster Bank Arena has hosted four previous NCAA women’s tournament events. In 2004, 2008 and 2012, it hosted first-and second-round games. In 2006, it hosted the East Region championship.

While at the Arena today to see the new $3.5-million center hung scoreboard being worked on, WBA vice president of operation Charlie Dowd told me that the building was awating final word on the NCAA’s decision from Fairfield.

Comments(1)

|

E-mail

|

Print

Craig Breslow will be hosting his fifth annual “First Pitch Celebrity Gala” as part of his Strike 3 Foundation, benefiting pediatric cancer research, next Saturday, Novemver 17 at the Hilton Hotel in Stamford.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and features live entertainment, and both live and silent auctions. The event dress is cocktail Attire
I caught up with Breslow recently at the Fairfield County Sports Commission Hall of Fame dinner in Greenwich and he said that he’s expecting upwards of 600 people at the gala.
“Everything’s going well. We’ve grown incredibly fast,” he said. “Every time we’ve put on an event, we’ve created greater interest, we raise more money, we get a bigger crowd. A lot more people across the country are familiar with our organization and that’s partly because I’ve spent time on two different coasts in the last 12 months, but everything’s great, we’re just gearing up for the event at the Hilton.”
According to the Strike 3 Foundation website, celebrity guests scheduled to appear include Bobby Valentine (former MLB player and MLB manager), Karl Ravech (host of ESPN’s Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter) and many more.
“I’ve got current teammates, past teammates,” Breslow said. “Some of the guys from the (Oakland) A’s, Andrew Carignan, Jerry Blevins and Sean Doolittle …Josh Collmenter from Arizona … Mike Zagurski, Andrew Bailey and Rich Hill from the Red Sox … we’ve also got Harold Reynolds, Peter Gammons, John Flaherty, a whole slew of on-air personalitiles, Suzyn Waldman’s with us every year, we’ve got an incredible auction and some surprise musical guests.”
A limited number of tickets ($275) are available.

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

University of Bridgeport women’s basketball coach Stephanie Del Preore will receive the “Donate Life Champion Award” on November 11 after the Purple Knights game against St. Michael’s College at 4 p.m.
Congrats to Coach Del Preore.

Here’s the official release from the UB Sports Information Department.

Bridgeport, Conn.-University of Bridgeport head women’s basketball coach Stephanie Del Preore has been selected to receive a Donate Life Champion Award by Donate Life America and Donate Life Connecticut for her outstanding support for organ, eye and tissue donation in organizing UB’s annual “Donate Life” games to honor her late father who passed away in 2002 after a courageous battle with liver and kidney disease. Del Preore, who is one of approximately 60 people from all over the country to be selected as Donate Life Champions, will receive her award on Sunday, November 11, 2012 following her team’s game versus St. Michael’s (Vt.) College that begins at 4:00 p.m. and prior to the tip-off of the Bridgeport men’s basketball game versus Southern Connecticut State University that is slated for a 6:00 p.m. start.

In a letter to Coach Del Preore informing her of this award, Donate Life Connecticut Director Kari Mull said, “You have been selected to receive this award because of your desire to honor your father’s memory and the donor who extended his life through organ donation. Donate Life Connecticut has felt thankful for our partnership in presenting a Donate Life Day at University of Bridgeport for the past two seasons. We are especially grateful to you and your leadership, inspiring your team members and colleagues to extend donation awareness to more and more people every year.”

Stated coach Del Preore. “I’m so honored to receive this award, but it’s not just about me, it’s about the entire University of Bridgeport community that has been so supportive of our “Donate Life” games. I really share this award with the many people on campus that have helped out. I always said that when I became a head coach I was going to do something to honor my father, my hero and my inspiration and with a lot of help from many people that dream of mine became a reality.”

More than 115,000 American are currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, including more than 1,280 in the state of Connecticut. For more information on the Donate Life program and how to register to be an organ and tissue donor, please visit the Donate Life Connecticut website at www.ctorganandtissuedonation.org.

Comments(1)

|

E-mail

|

Print

The U.S. Women’s National Team was in East Hartford Tuesday night, playing Germany to a 2-2 tie at Rentschler Field in a “friendly” to promote its post-Olympic Gold medal “Fan Tribute Tour.”
I got a chance to speak with forward Alex Morgan, who scored the winning goal against Canada in injury time/extra time – the 123rd minute – in a 4-3 win that put the United States into the London Olympic gold medal match against Japan, the same team that defeated the U.S. in the 2011 World Cup final in Germany.
Morgan assisted on the winning goal in Team USA’s 2-1 gold medal victory over Japan.
I asked her about wearing No. 13, Kristine Lilly’s old number.
“Growing up, watching her play, all those games on TV, she was such a big impact for the team,” said Morgan. “She did so well. She was a huge reason I choose 13 was because of Kristine Lilly.”
Even better, Morgan got to play with Lilly for a time in 2010 as the National Team prepared for the World Cup.
“I did get a chance to play with her (Lilly),” Morgan said. “I got to play with her for about six months during the World cup qualifiers and then after that, she retired.
“She did everything. She was super fit, always running up and down the sidelines. She was quiet but stepped up when she needed to. She was always in it for the team she always put the team first and that was great to see and to be able to play with her for a couple of months.”
I asked Abby Wambach if there were any similarities between Lilly and Morgan.
“I think that, physically … Lil, back in her heyday, was pretty quick, but Alex is just a big, strong, fast, goal scorer,” Wambach said. “I think that Lil possessed a knowledge of the game that Alex will grow into and I think that Kristine Lilly is a legend and a legend in my book and I think that’s something that Alex will grow into.
“They’re very different players. I’d liken Alex to be more like a Mia (Hamm), fast, tricky, great with the ball at her feet and the good news about Alex is that Alex is making her own name for herself. She doesn’t need to be compared to anyone else.
Does she have flashbacks of Lilly when she sees Morgan flying around the field?
“I don’t necessarily see flashbacks to Lil, I think the effect that she has on being able to change a game, absolutely are similar to Kristine Lilly. The thing about it was, Lil, was a quiet assassin. She didn’t talk much, wasn’t loud, she just worked hard. That was her MO. That was how she lived, breathed and played her whole career. Alex is very much the same. She’s very diligent about her training. Wants to get better, so yeah, there are some similarities but like I said, Alex is making a name for herself.”

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

The Cardinal Shehan Center is hosting “An Evening with Geno Auriemma” on October 30 at the Fairfield University Quick Center. The VIP session begins at 5:30 p.m. and general admission starts at 6:30 p.m. with Auriemma taking the stage to speak at 7 p.m.
VIP tickets are $125 and can be purchased through the Cardinal Shehan Center at (203) 336-4468. VIP tickets include a private reception and a picture with Auriemma.
Regular tickets are $75 and can be purchased through the Quick Center at (203) 254-4010 or over the internet at http://www.fairfield.edu/arts/qc_index.html.
An Evening with Geno Auriemma will support the Shehan Center’s After School Program and Saturday Programs.

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

Here’s the weekly Big East Honor Roll

BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Montel Harris • Sr. • RB • Temple • Jacksonville, Fla.
Harris rushed for 133 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns and had three receptions for 15 yards to help Temple to a 38-27 win against USF in the Owls’ BIG EAST opener. A transfer from Boston College, Harris turned in his first 100-yard game in a Temple uniform and the 23rd 100-yard game of his career — the most of any active Football Bowl Subdivision player.

BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brandon Sharpe • Sr. • DE • Syracuse • Virginia Beach, Va.
Sharpe had seven tackles, including four sacks and six tackles for loss, totalling 45 yards, to key Syracuse’s 14-13 win against Pittsburgh in the Orange’s BIG EAST opener. He led a defensive line that limited the Panthers to just 27 rushing yards and came up with a sack and two tackles for loss on Pittsburgh’s final possession. The four sacks and six tackles for loss are both good for second on Syracuse’s single-game chart.

BIG EAST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tony Miliano • So. • K • Cincinnati • North Bend, Ohio
Miliano scored 10 points as part of the Bearcats’ BIG EAST-leading seventh straight win, a 52-14 decision against Miami (Ohio). He scored six points in the first half, with a field goal and three PATs, to help the Bearcats take a 24-6 lead into halftime.

HONOR ROLL
Camerron Cheatham • Sr. • CB • Cincinnati • Kalmazoo, Mich.
Scored a touchdown on a 68-yard interception return in a 52-14 win against Miami (Ohio).

George Winn • Sr. • RB • Cincinnati • Southfield, Mich.
Rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries in a 52-14 win against Miami (Ohio).

Jory Johnson • Sr. • LB • Connecticut • Mobile, Ala.
Had a game-high 10 tackles in a 19-3 loss to Rutgers.

Jawan Jamison • So. • RB • Rutgers • Stark, Fla.
Rushed for 110 yards on 28 carries in a 19-3 win against Connecticut, turning in his sixth straight 100-yard game.

Tyler Matakevich • Fr. • LB • Temple • Stratford, Conn.
The former St. Joseph (CT) High School standout made his first career start and had a game- and career-high 15 tackles, including 12 solo stops, in a 37-28 win against USF.

Comments(3)

|

E-mail

|

Print

Hey,
I recently spoke with the new women’s track coach at San Jose State University, former Harding High track standout Ron Davis. In May of 1959 Davis set the state record in the mile run with a time of 4:23 and later that month at the New England meet at Brown University, he timed out a 4:20.1 — the sixth fastest clocking in the country at that time.
Is there anyone out there that knew Ron well or went to Harding with him? If so, I’d love to talk with you about him. Drop me an e-mail at celsberry@ctpost.com or respond to this blog post. Thanks!

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

Congratulations to former Bridgeport Bluefish outfielder Adam Greenberg, who will be signed to a one-day contract by the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, October 2 and get one at-bat against the New York Mets.

If you remember, in 2005 Greenberg, who had just been called up by the Chicago Cubs, was hit in the helmet on the first pitch and was removed from the game, never officially getting a major-league at-bat.

On Tuesday he’ll get another chance … unless he walks or hits a sacrifice fly, that is.

Here’s a You Tube video with Greenberg’s appearance on the Today Show.

Adam Greenberg\'s second chance