The Alternative Press

Two area hoopsters are heading for the Big Dance. David Ulak (Livingston, Sr.) of Northwestern State and Amanda Berntsen (Chatham, Fr.) of Princeton are ready to enter the game off the bench in the men’s and women’s NCAA Division 1 playoffs, respectively.

Ulak is a 6-5 grad of DePaul in Wayne. He’s played in eight games this season for the Demons, who earned their spot by winning the Southland Conference Tournament. Northwestern State (23-8) is the 14 seed in the South bracket and faces Florida in Austin, Tex. on Friday.

Berntsen is a 5-8 guard out of Chatham High. She has played in 22 games for Princeton (22-6), which won the Ivy League title for the right to play Florida State on Sunday in Waco, Tex.

Stanford’s Wade Morgan (South Orange, Soph.) is on call for the Cardinals in the National Invitation Tournament. The 6-1 guard out of Delbarton played in just three games for Stanford (18-14) and converted one free throw.

Jacob Susskind (West Orange, Soph.) suits up for Maryland, as the Terps contest the NIT. The 6-5 guard out of Golda Och Academy didn’t see action in the recent Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and has played sparingly this season, having been inserted into just seven games without scoring. Maryland won their first-round NIT game over Niagara, 86-70, in College Park, Md. on Tuesday evening.

Joey Kizel (Short Hills, Jr.) calmly sank a pair of free throws with two seconds left on the game clock to send Middlebury on to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division 3 playoffs with a 73-72 win over a stubborn Ithaca. The Bombers had taken the lead on a layup with nine seconds left to play, but Kizel got the ball and was fouled. The 6-foot guard out of Millburn High finished the game with 13 points, as he made four of seven field goat attempts (one of three from long range) and all four free throws. He also was co-high for the Panthers with five assists. Jordan Healey (Summit, Sr.) had two points for Ithaca (21-8). Middlebury (24-3) faces North Central on Friday in Salem, Va. 

Amherst had a surprisingly easy time advancing to the NCAA Division 3 quarterfinals by defeating Randolph-Macon, 93-76, at home on Saturday. Guard Tom Killian (Summit, Jr.) launched a trio of three-point tries, two of which went in for six total points. He also had two steals for the Lord Jeffs (27-2). Next up for Amherst is a Friday date with Cabrini in Salem, Va.

Bloomfield College’s season ended on Saturday with a 90-78 loss to Franklin Pierce in the NCAA Division 2 playoffs in Manchester, N.H. Steve Henderson (West Orange, Jr.) came off the bench to drain four of seven three-point tries for 12 total points in just 10 minutes. Teammate Kevin Udo (West Orange, Jr.) scored six points, hitting three of seven field goal attempts, and brought down 10 rebounds. The Deacons finished the season with a 17-13 record. 

Army (22-8) faces Fordham (24-8) in a first-round Women’s NIT game in the Bronx on Thursday. Bridget Ryan (Scotch Plains, Fr.) is on call for Army, while Ranait Griff (Summit, Sr.) will be available for Fordham.

TENNIS

Notre Dame won two of its three matches at last weekend’s Blue-Gray Classic in Montgomery, Ala. Quentin Monaghan (Chatham, Fr.), playing second singles for the Fighting Irish won one, lost one and didn’t finish a third match. Monaghan began with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Mansingh Athare of Troy, which Notre Dame defeated, 4-0. As Monaghan went, so went Notre Dame in a 4-3 loss to Boise State on Saturday. Monaghan fell to Nathan Sereke, 6-3, 6-3. Notre Dame recovered with a 4-1 win over Cornell on Sunday. Monaghan had lost the first set of his match with Sam Fleck, 4-6, and was up, 4-2, when the match was abandoned, as Notre Dame clinched the team triumph on another court.

BASEBALL

Frank Schwindel (Livingston, Jr.) went 6-for-9 as St. John’s swept a doubleheader at home from Holy Cross by scores of 12-8 and 8-3 on Sunday. His lone extra-base hit was a double. He scored a run in each game and drove in three runs on the day. Before that, the Red Storm disposed of visiting Fairleigh Dickinson, 12-2, on Wednesday, as Schwindel hit safely in four at-bats. He doubled twice, scored three runs and drove in a pair. St. John’s is 4-11.

Designated hitter John Puttress (New Providence, Sr.) had an RBI single up the middle as Northeastern ran roughshod, 10-1, over Boston College last Wednesday in Brookline, Mass. First baseman Rob Fonseca (Madison, Soph.) singled twice for the Huskies and scored a run. Both Fonseca and Puttress went 2-for-4 on Friday in a 12-5 win over George Mason in Fairfax, Va. Fonseca swatted two doubles, took a base on balls, drove in one run and scored three. Puttress had two singles and an RBI. The Huskies then lost by identical 3-2 scores to Mason on Saturday and Sunday. Fonseca managed a pair of singles from four at-bats in the Saturday contest, while Puttress had a 2-for-3 outing on Sunday, in which he scored one run and drove in the other. Northeastern is 10-7.

A triple, single and a sacrifice fly by Gettysburg first baseman Ben Roessle (Summit, Jr.) each resulted in a run driven in as the Bullets defeated Wisconsin Lutheran, 14-1, in Fort Myers, Fla. on Friday. The next day in Fort Myers, Gettysburg edged Lawrence, 1-0, as Roessle singled twice in as many at-bats. The Bullets are 8-3.

Joe Meola (Maplewood, Jr.) had a 3-for-3 game at the plate for Bloomfield in a 4-1 loss to New Haven in West Haven, Conn. on Thursday. The centerfielder, batting leadoff, stroked a double, two singles and drove in the Deacons’ only run of the game. He also reached base on a walk. Bloomfield is 1-7.

Jonny Rio (Maplewood, Sr.) accounted for a double and a single from six at-bats as Rensselaer Poly defeated Brockport State, 11-3, in Babson Park, Fla. on Saturday. The shortstop scored twice and drove in one run. Before that, RPI defeated Washington (Md.), 8-2, on Friday at the same location. Rio sprayed two singles from four at-bats, scored twice, drove in one run and stole one base. RPI is 6-2.

Shortstop Jordan Farber (Livingston, Fr.) slapped two singles in three at-bats in Wesleyan’s 11-4 loss to Grand View University in Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday. He drove in one run for the Cardinals (4-6). On Friday in Tucson, Farber drove in one run on a single from two at-bats in a 9-6 loss to Marian. He also drew a base on balls.  

Doug Pastore (New Providence, Fr.) pitched an inning of scoreless relief for Richard Stockton in a 12-1 win over Hilbert in Fort Pierce, Fla. on Friday. Pastore pitched the seventh inning, getting the side on a strike out, a ground out and a fly out. The Ospreys are 9-5.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Kate Sheridan (Westfield, Sr.) scored two unassisted second-half goals to help Colgate to a 10-9 overtime win against Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa. on Saturday. She also assisted on a pair of tallies, including the Raiders' ninth goal, which put them into extra minutes. Colgate evened its season mark at 4-4, while going to 2-0 against Patriot League rivals.

Susquehanna continues to steamroll its opponents, flattening Lebanon Valley, 15-9, and Alvernia, 14-3, last week as they worked their record to 7-0. Emma Ehler (Chatham, Jr.) was good for four goals on Wednesday against Lebanon Valley, along with two assists, three draw controls and two ground balls. Complementing her effort was teammate Meredith Crane (Maplewood, Soph.), who added a pair of goals, an assist, a draw control and a ground ball. Saturday's rout of Alvernia was built on five goals by Ehler, to which Crane added one. Ehler controlled six draws and brought up two ground balls. Crane also lifted a pair and caused one turnover.

Kathryn Maiorano (Chatham, Jr.) scored two goals to help Hamilton defeat William Smith, 19-10, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. on Thursday. Abbie West (Summit, Soph.) scored one goal for William Smith (1-3). Hamilton is 3-0.

Trinity's Megan Leonhard (Summit, Sr.) filled up the stat sheet in the Bantams' 14-7 win at home over Williams on Saturday and Monday's 14-2 road victory over Mary Washington. All three of her shots on goal in the Williams game were good, and she caused three turnovers, picked up three ground balls and controlled two draws. Against Mary Washington, three of her four shots on goal counted, and she caused two turnovers, raised two ground balls and controlled one draw. Trinity is 3-0.

Washington & Lee stuck Virginia Wesleyan with a 14-4 loss in Lexington, Va. on Saturday. The Generals (3-5, 3-1 Old Dominion Athletic Conference) benefited from a stout defense that included contributions from Caroline Kingsbery (Short Hills, Sr.) and Amelia Murcott (Madison, Fr.), both of whom retrieved three ground balls. Kingsbery also had one draw control, while Murcott caused one turnover.

St. Joseph's rallied late against Old Dominion in Philadelphia on Sunday, but couldn't quite close the gap in a 9-7 loss. The Hawks were down, 9-2, only to run off the final five goals of the game, the fourth of which came from Hallie Pickard (Short Hills, Soph.). St. Joe's is 5-2.

Kathleen O'Keefe (Chatham, Sr.) came up with 10 saves in goal to help New Hampshire down Longwood, 15-10, in Farmville, Va. on Saturday. That was the first win of the season for the Wildcats (1-5).

Shannon Galvin (Maplewood, Fr.) scored a goal for Villanova and Kate Murphy (Chatham, Fr.) had one for Columbia in the Wildcats' 16-7 victory over the Lions in New York City on Wednesday. Kelly Buechel (South Orange, Sr.) of Columbia (1-5) controlled one draw and grabbed two ground balls. Galvin then came back with another tally in Villanova's 11-7 home triumph over Davidson on Saturday. Villanova is 4-3.

Connie Bowen (Summit, Fr.) got in for 20 minutes of Swarthmore's 17-5 rout of Widener in Chester, Pa. on Saturday. The goalkeeper stopped three shots, while allowing just one goal as the Garnet improved to 4-0.

Hillary Densen (Summit, Sr.) assisted on two Amherst goals in Saturday's 11-4 loss to Bowdoin in Brunswick, Maine. Amherst is 1-2.

Emily Gretsky (Westfield, Fr.) caused a pair of turnovers and recovered as many ground balls in Wesleyan's 8-7 loss to Bates in Middletown, Conn. on Saturday. The Cardinals fell to 1-3.

Melissa Carelli (Maplewood, Jr.) caused two turnovers and elevated one ground ball as Massachusetts knocked off Vermont, 16-5, in Amherst, Mass. on Wednesday. Three days later, UMass visited Sacred Heart and tore the Pioneers apart, 21-8. Carelli controlled one draw and caused one turnover as the Minutewomen improved to 7-2.

Kimberly Abruzzo (Summit, Soph.) got credit for two ground balls in Franklin & Marshall's 12-7 win over Ithaca in Clermont, Fla. on Thursday. The Diplomats are 3-1.