Together We Transform Thursday – November 4, 2021
This is an incredible time to be a part of college athletics as our fall sports hit the home stretch and our winter sports kick into gear. As soon as the calendar flips to November, it means that basketball is here and the doors of Island Federal Arena will open to our loyal fans and supporters.
Speaking of basketball season, our men's and women's teams were both picked as the preseason favorite in the America East in a poll of the league's coaches. It's obviously a nice honor but our goal is to be No. 1 and cut down the nets when it truly matters in March.
As our fall and winter sport seasons converge, I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our staff. Working in college athletics is truly a labor of love, but it means long hours, nights and weekends. This is exactly what we sign up for when we enter this profession, which is why it isn't for everyone. Success in competition is simply not possible without a dedicated team behind the scenes, and I'm truly grateful for my team.
Now let's keep winning together!
Basketball is Back!
The day that so many of us have been waiting for is almost here as the 2021-22 basketball season officially begins on Tuesday.
After watching our men's and women's teams in practice over the past several weeks, I can tell you that we're absolutely loaded. I'm honestly so excited for all of you to see for yourself. Island Federal Arena wasn't the same without you last year, but I can assure you that the wait will be worth it.
Your first chance to cheer on the Seawolves comes on Tuesday when the women host Delaware State at 6:31 p.m. Not only will it mark the debut of Ashley Langford as head coach, but our America East championship and NCAA Tournament banners will be unveiled. The women have won back-to-back America East titles, but this might be our most dominant team. After electing to use their "Covid year," fifth-year seniors India Pagan and McKenzie Bushee return to an already stacked lineup featuring the Most Outstanding Player from last season's America East Tournament senior Annie Warren.
While we're cheering on the women at home, the men open their season on Tuesday 300 miles to the south at Atlantic 10 foe George Mason. This team is the fastest that we've ever had since I've been at Stony Brook. Elijah Olaniyi returned home to play his fifth college season after a one-year hiatus in Miami. He's joined by talented transfers Jahlil Jenkins (Fairleigh Dickinson) and Anthony Roberts (St. Bonaventure), who are even better than advertised. Juan Felix Rodriguez (13.3 points per game), Frankie Policelli (10.7), Tykei Greene (9.7) and Jaden Sayles (9.5) all return to give us scoring options up and down the roster.
Your first chance to watch the men at home comes on Nov. 22 against Sacred Heart following the team's trip to Kansas to take on the No. 3 Jayhawks.
Please get your tickets and join us for all of the action this season. It's going to be a very memorable season, and we can't wait to share it with you.
Football Back After the Bye Week
Our football team is rested and ready to get back on the field at Maine on Saturday following the bye week.
The bye week always offers an opportunity to step back and evaluate where we are as a program. Coach Priore and I met at length last week and had a very open and productive conversation. Rather than have a senior administrator oversee the sport of football (sport supervisors are common practice for all programs) as is the case at many Division I institutions, I believe that it is critical as Director of Athletics to own that responsibility.
There are many positives to point to as we prepare for our trip tom Maine. First of all, we are the only team aside from JMU and Villanova ranked in the top five in the CAA in both overall offense and defense. Our offensive balance is starting to show with 1,459 yards through the air and 1,375 on the ground through eight games, and our 354.3 yards per contest ranks fourth in the conference. In our last two games before the bye, we outscored Delaware and Richmond by a combined score of 61-31 while being plus-six in turnover margin. That recipe for success is one that we hope to maintain throughout our final three contests.
Men's Soccer Hosts Quarterfinal on Saturday
The men's soccer team defeated Albany 1-0 on Monday to clinch the No. 4 seed in the upcoming America East Tournament.
It is always great to get a win over our rivals to the north, but securing a home quarterfinal game was significant. Our guys have battled all season and are looking forward to hosting UMBC in LaValle Stadium on Saturday at 4 p.m. The winner of Saturday's match will travel to the sixth-ranked team in the nation and top overall seed in the conference tournament New Hampshire on Wednesday.
Volleyball Looks to Finish Strong
Three regular-season matches remain for Kristin Belzung and our volleyball squad, including tomorrow night's home contest against Albany at 6 p.m. in Pritchard Gym.
The team has won five of their last six matches and is playing with a great deal of confidence. Junior outside hitter Amiyah De'Long was named America East Player of the Week on Tuesday after contributing a match-high 12 kills in a sweep of Hartford on Sunday to secure a spot in the postseason.
Our team will look to finish strong before traveling to the America East Tournament at UMBC on Nov. 19 and 20.
Thank you for your continued support. It's appreciated more than you know.
Keep believing!
Shawn
