Mar 10, 2008

Weekly Ram Report

Head Coach Herb Magee and his Philadelphia University men's basketball team continued their amazing season this past weekend, taking home the 2008 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament Championship. In order to earn a berth in the title game, the Rams needed to take care of business in the semifinals on March 5^th when they hosted Bloomfield College. Senior forward Jason Hickenbottom turned in one of the team's top performances of the year, registering 23 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals in the 88-74 victory over the Deacons. Sophomore center Mike Yocum added a career-high 20 points and seven rebounds, setting a CACC Tournament record by going a perfect 9 of 9 from the field. In the championship game, Magee's team squared off against city rival Holy Family University and for the third time this season, the Rams came away with the win - this time a thrilling 73-67 in double-overtime. Sophomore forward Malcolm Ingram led the way with 19 points, ten rebounds and a career-high six blocked shots for Philadelphia University while Hickenbottom added 14 points before fouling out. Sophomore point guard Russell Frederick was named tournament MVP, giving the Rams an automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Tournament - the second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for Magee and his squad. Frederick and his teammates earned the #6 seed and will open the Northeast Regional with third-seeded College of Saint Rose on Saturday, March 15^th, at noon, at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass.

Here is a look at how the rest of the varsity athletic teams fared this past week:

BASEBALL (0-2 overall, 0-0 CACC) - Head Coach Mark Heineman and his Philadelphia University baseball team opened the 2008 season with a pair of losses to second-ranked Franklin Pierce (N.H.) University on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field. The visiting Ravens took the opener by a 5-2 margin in extra innings before posting a 9-1 victory in the second contest of the day. In the first game, the Rams took a 2-1 lead into the seventh and final inning before surrendering an unearned run that tied the contest. The Ravens eventually scored three times in the top of the ninth for the come-from-behind victory. Sophomore infielder Tyler Mentzer went 2 for 3 at the plate with an RBI for the Rams while senior catcher Jason Hartley added an RBI double. On the mound, junior righthander Kyle Noonan allowed just one run in five innings of work in his first start of the year. In the second game of the non-conference doubleheader, Franklin Pierce jumped out early, scoring seven runs in the first three innings and never looked back. The lone run of the contest for the Rams came in the bottom of the seventh when senior outfielder JungMin Lee, who registered a pair of hits, drove home Noonan with an RBI single with two outs. Up next for Heineman and his team will be non-league foe Bryant (R.I.) University on Monday, March 10th, at Alumni Field.

GOLF - The Rams will open the spring season on Friday, March 28^th, when they host Chestnut Hill College, Holy Family University and the University of the Sciences in a quad match at Edgmont Country Club.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE (1-0 overall, 0-0 ECC) - Senior midfielder Allison Kessler and sophomore midfielder Kathleen Maurer registered four goals apiece for Philadelphia University, leading the Lady Rams to an 18-7 win over St. Anselm (N.H.) College in women' lacrosse action on Sunday afternoon. The win, which comes in the Lady Rams' season opener, gave first-year Head Coach Jenn Devinney her first career victory with the program. After the visiting Hawks took a 1-0 lead on a goal by junior attacker Michaela Rocha less than a minute in the contest, Devinney's squad would score four of the next five goals to take a 4-2 lead midway through the opening frame. Freshman midfielder/attacker Emily Traicoff narrowed the Philadelphia University gap to 4-3, but the Lady Rams responded with seven straight goals including three by Maurer during the stretch. In the second half, the Hawks opened the scoring once again on Rocha's second goal of the game, but six straight tallies by the Lady Rams all, but sealed the victory. In goal, sophomore Kelly Staerk finished with 11 saves for Philadelphia University while freshman Katherine O'Hara registered eight saves for St. Anselm.

SOFTBALL (0-0 overall, 0-0 CACC) - The Philadelphia University softball team is slated to kick off the 2008 campaign on Wednesday, March 12^th, with a doubleheader at Wilmington University.

MEN'S TENNIS (3-2 overall) - Head Coach Marty Gilbert's men's tennis team moved to 3-2 on the young 2007-08 season, defeating Arcadia University 8-1 on March 5th at the Weiss Tennis Courts on the Knights' campus in Glenside, Pa. Philadelphia University swept all three doubles encounters and went 5-1 in the singles portion of the duel match. Senior Alex Richter won at number three singles 6-3, 6-1 as well as teaming with freshman Tom McAvoy to take the number two doubles pro-set match by a score of 8-3.

WOMEN'S TENNIS - The Lady Rams' tennis team will begin the spring portion of its schedule on Saturday, March 29^th, with a road match at East Stroudsburg University.


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Senior forward Jason Hickenbottom turned in one of the team's top performances of the year, registering 23 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals in the 88-74 victory over the Deacons. Sophomore center Mike Yocum added a career-high 20 points and seven rebounds, setting a CACC Tournament record by going a perfect 9 of 9 from the field. In the championship game, Magee's team squared off against city rival Holy Family University and for the third time this season, the Rams came away with the win - this time a thrilling 73-67 in double-overtime. Sophomore forward Malcolm Ingram led the way with 19 points, ten rebounds and a career-high six blocked shots for Philadelphia University while Hickenbottom added 14 points before fouling out. Sophomore point guard Russell Frederick was named tournament MVP, giving the Rams an automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Tournament - the second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for Magee and his squad. Frederick and his teammates earned the #6 seed and will open the Northeast Regional with third-seeded College of Saint Rose on Saturday, March 15^th, at noon, at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. Here is a look at how the rest of the varsity athletic teams fared this past week: BASEBALL (0-2 overall, 0-0 CACC) - Head Coach Mark Heineman and his Philadelphia University baseball team opened the 2008 season with a pair of losses to second-ranked Franklin Pierce (N.H.) University on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field. The visiting Ravens took the opener by a 5-2 margin in extra innings before posting a 9-1 victory in the second contest of the day. In the first game, the Rams took a 2-1 lead into the seventh and final inning before surrendering an unearned run that tied the contest. The Ravens eventually scored three times in the top of the ninth for the come-from-behind victory. Sophomore infielder Tyler Mentzer went 2 for 3 at the plate with an RBI for the Rams while senior catcher Jason Hartley added an RBI double. On the mound, junior righthander Kyle Noonan allowed just one run in five innings of work in his first start of the year. In the second game of the non-conference doubleheader, Franklin Pierce jumped out early, scoring seven runs in the first three innings and never looked back. The lone run of the contest for the Rams came in the bottom of the seventh when senior outfielder JungMin Lee, who registered a pair of hits, drove home Noonan with an RBI single with two outs. Up next for Heineman and his team will be non-league foe Bryant (R.I.) University on Monday, March 10th, at Alumni Field. GOLF - The Rams will open the spring season on Friday, March 28^th, when they host Chestnut Hill College, Holy Family University and the University of the Sciences in a quad match at Edgmont Country Club. WOMEN'S LACROSSE (1-0 overall, 0-0 ECC) - Senior midfielder Allison Kessler and sophomore midfielder Kathleen Maurer registered four goals apiece for Philadelphia University, leading the Lady Rams to an 18-7 win over St. Anselm (N.H.) College in women' lacrosse action on Sunday afternoon. The win, which comes in the Lady Rams' season opener, gave first-year Head Coach Jenn Devinney her first career victory with the program. After the visiting Hawks took a 1-0 lead on a goal by junior attacker Michaela Rocha less than a minute in the contest, Devinney's squad would score four of the next five goals to take a 4-2 lead midway through the opening frame. Freshman midfielder/attacker Emily Traicoff narrowed the Philadelphia University gap to 4-3, but the Lady Rams responded with seven straight goals including three by Maurer during the stretch. In the second half, the Hawks opened the scoring once again on Rocha's second goal of the game, but six straight tallies by the Lady Rams all, but sealed the victory. In goal, sophomore Kelly Staerk finished with 11 saves for Philadelphia University while freshman Katherine O'Hara registered eight saves for St. Anselm. SOFTBALL (0-0 overall, 0-0 CACC) - The Philadelphia University softball team is slated to kick off the 2008 campaign on Wednesday, March 12^th, with a doubleheader at Wilmington University. MEN'S TENNIS (3-2 overall) - Head Coach Marty Gilbert's men's tennis team moved to 3-2 on the young 2007-08 season, defeating Arcadia University 8-1 on March 5th at the Weiss Tennis Courts on the Knights' campus in Glenside, Pa. Philadelphia University swept all three doubles encounters and went 5-1 in the singles portion of the duel match. Senior Alex Richter won at number three singles 6-3, 6-1 as well as teaming with freshman Tom McAvoy to take the number two doubles pro-set match by a score of 8-3. WOMEN'S TENNIS - The Lady Rams' tennis team will begin the spring portion of its schedule on Saturday, March 29^th, with a road match at East Stroudsburg University.