On behalf of our entire department, I want to wish you a very Happy New Year. The holidays always provide an opportunity for self-reflection, and this year was certainly no exception. With the holiday season now behind us, we can all look forward to 2023 and all of the promise that it brings.
 
If the final days of 2022 were a harbinger of what 2023 might look like, we are in for a special year. We received a significant donation that will serve as the lead gift toward a major facility project that will dramatically move the needle for our department. I'm looking forward to sharing more details soon, but needless to say it was a wonderful way to launch into the holidays.
 
There was also positive news on the football front as the offseason reinvigoration of our program began with the addition of a strong group of 13 student-athletes on early National Signing Day in December. Since then, we received a commitment from Penn State transfer cornerback Jeffrey Davis with the possibility of other potential additions. More exciting announcements are forthcoming that will address some of our needs in football so stay tuned!
 
The momentum for our department continued into the three-day stretch from December 30 to January 1, which brought the first CAA games for men's and women's basketball.
 
The penultimate day of the year saw our women's basketball team make history with our department's first-ever CAA hoops win, a convincing 89-61 victory over William & Mary. Less than 48 hours later, Ashley Langford's squad earned the program's fifth consecutive win in the series against Long Island rival Hofstra, 67-55.
 
Our men opened CAA play with a national television appearance on CBS Sports Network on New Year's Eve and delivered a 65-61 win at Northeastern. It was an exciting way to ring in 2023, and I am looking forward to continuing our rise in the year ahead!
 
Men's Basketball Hosts Towson Saturday
 
Our men's basketball team might be shorthanded due to injuries, but that hasn't kept us from competing at an extremely high level.
 
I'm so proud of how connected our team is, and you can see it when you watch our guys communicate with one another. Each member of the team is bought into his role and understands what needs to happen for us to be successful.
 
It starts on the defensive end, where we lead the CAA in field goal percentage defense (41.7 percent) and defensive rebounds per game (26.9) heading into tonight's game at Monmouth. Frankie Policelli has been a beast on the boards, ranking second nationally with 8.36 defensive rebounds per game.
 
Offensively, we have had to adapt our system to the personnel that is available. That has meant slowing the pace and running more sets to give our guys open looks at the basket. Tyler Stephenson-Moore continues to lead our team in scoring at 14.9 points per game, and his clutch three-pointer helped to seal our win at Northeastern.
 
Our guys are working extremely hard and look forward to being back home on Saturday against a very talented Towson team that was the preseason favorite to win the CAA. Be sure to get your tickets and come support Geno Ford and his squad at Island Federal Arena Saturday night and next Thursday for our nationally televised game against Drexel!  
 
Women's Basketball Welcomes UNC Wilmington on Friday
 
Our women's basketball team is looking to extend its winning streak to five as UNC Wilmington comes to Island Federal Arena on Friday for a 6:31 p.m. tip-off.
 
Sophomore Sherese Pittman has been a huge bright spot, leading the team with three double-doubles on the season. Her 18-point, 11-rebound performance against Hofstra helped to power the women to victory while her 3.92 offensive rebounds per contest leads the CAA.
 
Annie Warren's team-leading 16.1 points per game ranks fourth in the CAA while her 41 percent three-point percentage is good for second in the league.
 
Our women's team is fun to watch, so get your tickets now and come cheer them on tomorrow night!
 
Women's Lacrosse Earns Preseason No. 4 Ranking
 
Now that the calendar has turned, the countdown to our spring sports is officially on! While there is tremendous excitement for all of our teams, our women's lacrosse program continues to generate tremendous national buzz.
 
Joe Spallina's team earned the No. 4 ranking in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason Top 20 behind North Carolina, Maryland, and Boston College. It is always incredible to see Stony Brook in the company of Power Five programs, but we no longer consider ourselves outsiders.
 
After battling No. 1 North Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinals in each of the last two seasons, this year's team is built for another run at a national title. Junior midfielder Ellie Masera is back after earning First Team All-American honors while cementing her place as one of the nation's premier two-way players. Ellie will be joined by senior attack Kailyn Hart to lead the offense as graduate Haley Dillon and junior Clare Levy return to anchor the defense.
 
Your first chance to see the team at LaValle Stadium is just over a month away as the Seawolves host No. 18 Michigan on February 17.
 
Track & Field Ready to Roll

Indoor track and field season officially kicked off in December as our team competed at the Rutgers Holiday Classic, but the new year brings a full calendar of competition.
 
Graduate Colin Ross earned the team's only first-place finish at Rutgers with a win in the 5,000-meter run. The team will be in Staten Island tomorrow for the Wagner Invitational so good luck to all of our student-athletes who are competing!
 
Let's work together to keep the positive energy flowing! It's going to be a momentous year for Stony Brook Athletics.
 
Keep believing!
 


Shawn