As our men's basketball team gathered following their 87-68 win over NJIT, it was impossible to ignore the positive energy that filled the locker room. Our guys were coming off of a 16-point win over Albany and followed it up with a dominant victory in the regular season finale.
 
It was a fitting way to end our conference basketball tenure, which is now in the rearview mirror as we transition into the CAA.
 
As difficult as it has been for our student-athletes in the aftermath of the conference presidents upholding their decision to ban our teams from competing in league championships, we are turning the page and focusing on what we can control. This group of student-athletes will always be a part of history, and I will always be grateful for them.
 
We talk a lot in athletics about resilience, but our student-athletes are the total embodiment of it. Each of our teams are locked in and committed to competing at the highest level. We have seen outstanding team wins in addition to individual record-breaking performances and personal bests. The next few weeks are among the most critical in our history as they will set the tone for our entry into the CAA.
 
Momentum is also building from a fundraising standpoint. We appreciate all of the incredible support and look forward to being in a position to make some exciting announcements in the spring.
 
On to the next!
 
Women's Basketball Focused on Postseason
 
Our women's basketball team finished the regular season with a record of 23-5 and has continued to practice in anticipation of a postseason opportunity.
 
The team finished the regular season with two tough last-second losses. I'm so proud of our women for coming together and bringing a positive mindset to practice despite not knowing when their next game will take place. Our two fifth-year seniors, McKenzie Bushee and India Pagan, have been central to the transformational rise of our women's basketball program. Over the past five seasons, our team has a record of 107-34, including the historic 28-3 season of 2019-20.   
 
Ashley Langford has done an outstanding job in her first year as head coach, and I appreciate our team for buying in from the very beginning. Although the goal was a conference title and trip to the NCAA Tournament, we will have an opportunity to continue our season next week. Stay tuned!
 
Women's Lacrosse Takes Down Florida, Northwestern Next
 
Our women's lacrosse team always plays a schedule filled with teams inside the top 20, and Saturday's game at No. 11 Florida kicked off a stretch of three-straight against ranked opponents.
 
I made the trip to Gainesville to watch our women earn a hard-fought 14-13 win over the Gators. This was such an important win for our program as some of our younger players like Kailyn Hart, Jaden Hampel, Clare Levy, and Ellie Masera are carrying the torch as the next wave of Stony Brook standouts.
 
The competition doesn't get any easier. Tonight, the women are in Evanston, Illinois, where they will face No. 4 Northwestern before returning to LaValle Stadium for a Sunday game against No. 16 Johns Hopkins at noon. Get your tickets now and I'll see you there!
  
I'd also like a give a shoutout to graduate student Siobhan Rafferty for scoring her 100^th career goal. Siobhan is one of the most reliable and steady members of our team who doesn't get nearly the credit that she deserves!
 
Men's Lacrosse Making Moves
 
After winning the inaugural Long Island Cup and jumping out to a 4-0 record, our men's lacrosse team was ready for the challenge of taking on No. 4 Rutgers last Saturday.
 
Although we lost a heartbreaker, 17-16, the guys showed that they can compete with anyone in the nation. This culture that Anthony Gilardi has brought to our program is paying huge dividends, and I am excited to see how far our team can go this season.  The guys are back in action on Saturday at No. 16 Brown and then come home for two games next week against UMass Lowell on Wednesday, March 16, and Syracuse on Saturday, March 19. Tickets are moving fast so be sure to get yours today.  
 
Swimming and Diving Finishes Strong
 
Our swimming and diving team finished the season with an outstanding showing at the ECAC Championships in Annapolis.
 
A total of four program records were broken over the three-day meet, including two individual marks from Jessica Salmon (100 breast, 200 breast). Madison Enda set a record in the 200 fly that was broken later in the day by Mary Kate Conway.  
 
Needless to say, the swimming and diving team showed tremendous growth this year under interim head coach Mark Anderson. I look forward to making an announcement soon about our plans moving forward, but there is a lot to be excited about with our success in the pool.
 
Becker Continues to Shine on the Track
 
Senior Robert Becker is in the midst of a record-setting season having already broken his own program record by running a sub-4-minute mile.
 
His latest exploits include earning a first-place finish in the mile at last weekend's IC4A Championships in Boston. Rob's time of 4:01.67 gave him his second career IC4A win after taking home the title in 2020.
 
Action Continues for Baseball, Softball, and Tennis
 
In addition to our lacrosse teams, all of our spring sports with the exception of outdoor track and field (which begins soon) are in full gear. Baseball, softball, and tennis are all battling in non-conference competition and looking ahead to warmer weather!
 
Next week is spring break at Stony Brook and, while most of our campus will be quiet, there will be plenty of Seawolves in action so stay tuned!
 
We will soon be able to share the 2022 football schedule, which was sent to the ADs this week for review. I'll have more to share about the progress of our football team over the last few weeks but I can tell you that there is a lot to look forward to!
 
Thank you for your support! This is going to be a fun few weeks as we look to finish our time in this conference with a bang.
 
Keep believing!

 

Shawn