Saturday marks the final game of the 2022 football season, and I want to wish our team success against Monmouth and express my gratitude to our student-athletes for their dedication all year long. Although this season has been filled with tremendous challenges, our guys have stayed the course and set us on a path for success in 2023. I'd like to especially acknowledge the exceptional leadership of our senior class, including captains Reidgee Dimanche, Delante Hellams Jr., Kyle Nunez, and Randy Pringle.  
 
Going back to the end of last season, as I evaluated our program, I felt that Chuck Priore deserved the opportunity to continue leading us forward – and I still believe that. Simply put, Coach Priore will return to the Seawolves sideline for his 18^th season next fall. The bottom line is that we have to get better and we now have an opportunity to address some key issues both on and off the field that will strengthen our program.
 
To say that this has been an extremely difficult year would be a vast understatement. The injuries that our team has endured throughout the season certainly have contributed to our record to date and, while I acknowledge that injuries are a part of the game, our situation is unlike any that I have ever experienced.
 
We entered this season with high hopes and, while those have obviously not materialized in the way that we envisioned, it is not cause for panic. No one wants to hear excuses and I don't want to make them. I've never been nor will ever be a "coulda, woulda, shoulda" guy. The bottom line is that our record this season has fallen far short of our standards and we will make the necessary changes in order to position ourselves for success next year and beyond.
 
The finger-pointing that can come with a season that falls short of expectations has not and will not happen here. Everyone involved in the program needs to be better and I know that will be the case.
 
Having said that, the positives that we will take away from this season are in plentiful supply. I'm so appreciative of the support of our donors and season ticket holders who cheer our guys on each week. Your loyalty isn't lost on any of us and will never be taken for granted. We look forward to seeing you back in LaValle in 2023. 
 
Women's Basketball Rallies Past Iona, Set for Saturday Showdown at St. John's
 
Our women's basketball team has won a lot of games over the past few years, but Monday's comeback win over Iona was one for the ages.
 
Ashley Langford's squad clawed back from a 26-point deficit and found a way to pull off the win, 73-71. Sherese Pittman, a transfer from JMU, grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with six seconds remaining before standing tall on the defensive end to dash Iona's hopes at a game-tying basket at the buzzer.
 
Annie Warren poured in 28 points for the second straight game and became the 19^th player in Stony Brook women's basketball history to eclipse 1,000 career points. The dynamic duo of Annie and Gigi Gonzalez (24 points) led the way as the team improved to 2-1 on the season.
 
The women will continue their season-opening run against in-state opponents on Saturday when they make the quick drive to St. John's for a 2 p.m. tip. Following Saturday's contest, the team will head to Puerto Rico for games against High Point and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi over Thanksgiving.
 
Be sure to join us at Island Federal Arena when the women return home to take on Columbia Wednesday, December 7.
 
Men's Basketball Battling Through Injuries, Ready for Brown Tonight
 
Similar to the football team, the injury bug has been creeping around men's basketball. With two players already lost to season-ending injuries (starting point guard Dean Noll and wing Sabry Philip), graduate transfer Aaron Clarke and freshmen Jared Frey and Leon Nahar are working to get back before the start of CAA play in late December.
 
Our guys battled hard in a tough 74-64 loss at Rhode Island on Tuesday night and will continue their two-game trip to the Ocean State tonight against Brown at 7 p.m.  Next, Geno Ford will take his team to Miami over Thanksgiving to compete against Eastern Washington (Wednesday) and FIU (Friday).  
 
The team will be back in action at Island Federal Arena for a two-game homestand on November 29 (St. Joseph's College of Long Island) and December 3 (Yale).
 
Volleyball Reaches CAA Tournament, Moore Named Rookie of the Year
 
Kristin Belzung made history in 2017 and 2018 when she led our volleyball team to back-to-back conference titles, the first in our Division I history.
 
Earlier today she made history again by coaching our team in their first-ever CAA Tournament. We clinched a spot in the tournament by defeating Elon on Sunday, the final day of the regular season.
 
Like most sports in the CAA, volleyball is a major step up in competition. Our women continued to improve all season while facing the gauntlet presented by the conference schedule. We battled fiercely today but ultimately dropped a 3-1 decision to top-seeded Towson.   
 
There are so many reasons for optimism moving forward, and freshman Kali Moore is one of them. Kali earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors to become the first Seawolf to win a major award in our new league.
 
Cross Country Runs with Higher Purpose
 
Our men's cross country team claimed the school's first-ever CAA title and followed it up with an impressive sixth-place finish at the NCAA East Regional.
 
The team was led by Evan Brennan (12^th place) and Robert Becker (20^th) who earned NCAA All-Region honors. It has been an incredible journey for our runners, who have carried the memory of Noah Farrelly with them throughout their Stony Brook careers. Noah tragically passed away on December 6, 2018, following an accident during a training run. 
 
His memory will always be with us.

On behalf of our entire department I would like to wish you and your family a happy and healthy Thanksgiving! 
 
Keep believing!
 


Shawn