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SPORTS HIGHLIGHTSWomen's lacrossE captures second straight NCAA crown
The fourth-ranked Lions had a tough road to the title, beating each of the three teams ahead of them in the polls. The win over Gettysburg (21-1) also avenged one of the two blemishes on TCNJ’s record, as the Bullets won the regular season meeting in Ewing by the score of 9-8. In the tournament, the Lions also defeated second-ranked Middlebury College in the semi-finals after knocking off third-ranked Salisbury University on its home field in the regional finals. The title is the 13th in the program’s history and the Lions improved to 60-9 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. “There is no better way to end it than this.” Having eclipsed the 300-win plateau earlier this season, head coach Sharon Pfluger garnered her 11th national crown at the helm of TCNJ’s program. She has an impressive career mark of 306-23-1, which includes a 15-2 record this spring and a season-ending 13-game winning streak. "I am so happy for these girls and so proud of them. They worked as a complete unit and stuck to the game plan. I feel deep in my heart that I am happy for them, and that is all I wanted for my team. They’re happy, so I’m happy," Pfluger said. Senior midfielder Lauren Dougher etched her name into the NCAA record books in the win as she finished with four goals to cap her standout career as the all-time leading goal scorer in tournament play with 50. She moved past former Lion Jen Hart. Dougher also finished tied for the all-time tournament lead in points with 66 with Kristen Hanley from Middlebury College. Dougher was tabbed as the Tournament MVP for the second straight year and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. "It hasn’t hit me yet," the school's all-time leading scorer admitted. "I’m happy we won and going out like this. There is no better way to end it than this." While Dougher and her teammates took care of the offense, the Lions defense was dominant limiting the Bullets to their lowest goal total since 1998. Senior goalie Megan Marquardt capped off her great tournament run with five saves as she helped TCNJ limit Gettysburg to only one goal in the first 45 minutes of the game. Once again defender Meredith Spangler was the anchor of the defense that went the entire season without allowing an opponent to score in double figures. "We really clicked this weekend," Spangler stated. "We were in synch with the moves we had to make, when to slide, when to drop. We also came up with crucial ground balls and rebounds all weekend. We won today because we came together as one unit and stopped an excellent Gettysburg attack." "We were much more organized today and we played much better defense," The Lions jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first three goals of the game and showcasing great balance in taking a 5-1 advantage into the intermission. Five different players tallied goals for the Lions in the opening 30 minutes as Dougher, Karen Doane, Rachel Gordon, Bridget Bigley and Kate Neese fueled TCNJ's offense. In the second half, Gettysburg had a chance to get back into the game with a free position shot, but was denied on a nice save by Marquardt. The Lions quickly turned the ball back the other way in transition with Dougher scoring her second goal of the game. 2006 NCAA Division III All-Tournament Team
TCNJ TRACK TEAMS QUALIFY ATHLETES FOR 2006 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS The College of New Jersey men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams have qualified several competitors for the 2006 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Women’s Competitors •Now a 16-time All-American as a member of the Lions’ indoor and outdoor track and field teams, senior Brittny Boyd is also an All-American soccer player for the Lions. The most decorated female student-athlete in TCNJ’s athletic history, Boyd is looking for her possible 21st All-America citation in track and field as she is scheduled to compete in five events at the 2006 NCAAs. •Senior Tiffany Clark looks to also close her stellar athletic career in style. The defending NCAA Division III outdoor champion in the 400 meters, Clark’s 2006 season has been hampered by an injury. She has qualified for the Lions in the 4 x 400 relay. Clark is a 13-time All-American for the Lions' indoor and outdoor track and field teams. • Senior Erika Huggler earned a spot for the Lions in the relay and hopes to earn her first All-America citation as a member of the Lions’ 4 x 100 relay team, which posted a qualifying time of 47.73 and is seeded seventh entering the event. • Sophomore Jessica Bonelli will compete for TCNJ in the 200 and 400 meter runs, as well as in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays. As a rookie in 2005, she helped TCNJ capture the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays while helping the Lions take second in the 4 x 400 at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships. She is seeded 12th with a time of 24.82 in the 200 meters and sixth in the 400 meters with her qualifying time of 56.02. Earlier this month, Bonelli was named the 2006 NJAC Track Athlete of the Year at the championships after leading the Lions to the team crown. • Junior Angela Tecco has qualified for the NCAAs in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:12.92 and is seeded 15th entering the championships. A four-time All-American for the Lions and a member of three NCAA champion relay teams, Tecco earned a seventh place finish in the 800 meters a year ago at the outdoor championships and finished in sixth at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 800 meters. • Freshman Stephanie Herrick will join Tecco in the 800 meters after she qualified on her time of 2:12.46 and is seeded 11th entering the race. • Sophomore Carolyn Gray will also compete for the Lions in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays. She is already a three-time NCAA champion as a member of the Lions’ foursome in those events and is coming off a runner-up finish in the 4 x 400 relay at the 2006 NCAA indoor championships. The 2005 Lions posted a first place finish in both relays at the outdoor championships last year. Men’s Competitors • Senior Brian Donovan, who holds TCNJ’s school record in both the 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter runs will compete for the second-straight year in both events. Donovan posted NCAA automatic qualifying times in both events this spring as he set school records during his final season with the Lions. A 2006 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America candidate, Donovan posted a time of 14:10.69 in the 5,000 meter run this spring, which is the fastest time in 2006 in the event in Division III entering the championships. He also has a time of 30:00.99, which he ran at the 2006 Penn Relays and is seeded fourth entering the event. • Senior Jeff Zodda looks to close his career with another NCAA title as the Lion won the 2006 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in the 800 meter run. As a rookie, Zodda picked up a sixth place finish in the 800 meter run at the 2003 NCAA indoor championships and a pair of honors as a sophomore in 2004, taking home sixth at the outdoor championships in the 800 meters and an eighth place finish as a member of TCNJ’s indoor distance medley relay team. • Sophomore Brian Kopnicki will be making an appearance in the 2006 championships in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. He is seeded 14th with a qualifying time of 9:17.22. At the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships, he helped TCNJ to a ninth place finish in the distance medley relay after they posted a time of 10:14.15.
TCNJ’S BASEBALL TEAM REAPS MASS ACCLAIM ON RECORD BREAKING CAMPAIGN Ranked No. 1 in Division III in the final regular-season poll by the ABCA, TCNJ’s baseball team earned the top seed in the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament before falling in the championship game to NJAC rival Montclair State University. The 2006 Lions set numerous records over the course of the season and earned the program’s 16th NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2006, TCNJ broke records for most wins (38), runs (468), hits (611), doubles (124), triples (34), total bases (959) and RBI (431), batting average (.354) and team ERA (2.92). TCNJ’s players are continuing to collect honors as the post-season awards pour in. Juniors Gerard Haran and Blake Bullis shared the honors as the the Atlantic Regional Co-Players of the Year, while also earning spots on the regional first team. Haran earned Player of the Year honors from the NJAC, the NJCBA and the ABCA Atlantic Region and finished the 2006 season with 14 homeruns, elevating his career total to 35, also a TCNJ record. He finished with a .415 average with 64 runs, 71 hits, 21 doubles, and 64 RBI. He has also been hit by a pitch 17 times, another Lion record and sports an .807 slugging percentage. Bullis led the Lions with 72 RBI while blasting 14 homeruns. He added 16 doubles, 3 triples and a team-leading 75 hits. He posted a .395 average and 190 at-bats with a .732 slugging percentage and a .434 on-base percentage. Additional regional first team honorees from TCNJ include senior SS Mike Bruschini, senior Rich Kropp at 3B, senior OF Chris Wilson, and sophomore P Bob Buskett. Senior OF Charlie Iacono was named to the second team, while junior P Bill Opel was named to the third team for the Lions. Kropp also earned a spot on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team All-District. He batted a career-best .392 this year with 36 RBI, 21 extra-base hits on 65 hits with 24 walks. Junior second baseman Andrew Cosgrove earned a spot on the Regional All-Tournament Team and batted .417 for the NCAAs and netted a .328 average on the year with 26 RBI and 44 hits in 42 games. Club Baseball TCNJ's senior baseball club president, Brendan McCaig, will be competing at the NCBA Demarini Longball Challenge. This is a national home run derby that takes place during the World Series for the NCBA. McCaig said of the honor, "I feel very honored to be able to represent TCNJ on a national level like this. I think this a great thing for club baseball at the College." The NCBA is the National Club Baseball Association and that is the league that TCNJ's club baseball team plays their regular season games in. It incoporates many teams from around the country, Division I, Division II, and Division III. For more information you can go to www.clubbaseball.org and look on the tab that says World Series. Then click on the Demarini Longball Challenge. He will be bringing another member of the team to pitch to him, Pete Hayward, who is going to be junior in the fall.
TCNJ’S SOFTBALL PROGRAM CITED AS NCAA RELEASES 25th ANNIVERSARY SOFTBALL TEAM FOR DIVISION III Indianapolis, IN…The NCAA has named 10 former student-athletes and one coach to its NCAA Division III 25th Anniversary Team for outstanding achievements while participating in NCAA championships. The NCAA is celebrating the 25th anniversary of women's championships in several sports during the 2005-06 season. TCNJ placed four student-athletes on the team, while former coach, the late Dr. June Walker was named the coach of the team. In 1981, the NCAA began sponsoring women's championships, which opened the door to increased athletic and academic opportunities for female athletes. Today, the NCAA sponsors 44 women's championships in 20 sports, providing more than 150,000 women with an opportunity to compete for national titles each year. TCNJ’s honorees on the NCAA Division III Softball 25th Anniversary Team: * Michelle Carlson, The College of New Jersey, Third Base NCAA All-Tournament Team (1991, 92, 94, 95); NCAA National Champion (1992, 94); NCAA Runner Up (1995); NFCA First-Team All-American (1992, 94, 95) * Diane Klueg, The College of New Jersey, Third Base NCAA All-Tournament Team (1986, 87); NCAA National Champion (1987, 89); NFCA First-Team All-American (1986, 87, 88, 89) * Gina LaMandre, The College of New Jersey, Pitcher NCAA All Tournament Team (1983, 84, 85); NCAA National Champion (1983); NCAA Runner Up (1982, 84, 85); First-Team All-American (1984, 85) * Karen Youngman, The College of New Jersey, First Base NCAA All-Tournament Team (1982, 83); NCAA National Champion (1983); NCAA Runner Up (1982, 84); First-Team All-American (1982, 83, 84) * Dr. June Walker, The College of New Jersey, Coach NCAA National Champion (1983, 87, 89, 92, 94); NCAA Runner Up (1982, 84, 85, 90, 93, 95); NCAA Appearances (1982, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95); NFCA Coach of the Year (1987, 91, 92, 95) An NCAA expert panel selected the 25th Anniversary Team in Division III softball. The panel used historical data and results from online public voting at www.ncaasports.com to make its decision. The 2006 Division III Softball Championships begin May 8. The NCAA Division III Softball Championship Finals will be May 19-23 at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex in Raleigh, N.C. Peace College is the host institution for the finals. The following NCAA women's sports are celebrating their 25th anniversary during the 2005-06 season: Division I and III women's field hockey; Division I, II and III women's cross country; Division I, II and III women's volleyball; Division I, II and III women's swimming; Division I, II and III women's basketball; National Collegiate women's gymnastics; Division I, II and III women's tennis; Division I women's golf; Division I women's lacrosse; Division I women's rowing; Division I and II softball; and Division I, II and III women's outdoor track.
TCNJ TO HOST 15TH ANNUAL LIONS CLUB GOLF OUTING The College of New Jersey Athletic Department will hold its 15th Annual Athletic Department Golf Outing on Friday, June 9 at the Mercer Oaks East Golf Course (West Windsor, NJ). The event will commence at 8 a.m. on June 9 with registration/continental breakfast and a shotgun start at 9 a.m. in a scramble format with a lunch awards buffet at 2 p.m. The event, which is the cornerstone activity of the athletic department’s fund-raising efforts, will feature numerous prizes and opportunities for involvement with the Lions’ athletic department. There will be a Hole-In-One Contest with the prize provided by Perrine, while additional prizes will be awarded for the overall men’s and women’s low gross/net, the co-ed low gross/net, the men’s and women’s accurate drive closest to the pin, and a hold the green raffle. Additionally, the event will feature a golf raffle, a prize raffle, and an auction raffle. For more information on the 15th Annual TCNJ Athletic Golf Outing, please contact John Castaldo at 609-771-2446 or via email at castaldo@tcnj.edu. Entry deadline for the event is June 2 and is limited to the first 144 paid golfers. Prize donations are generously accepted and there is a lunch option only available for $40. The cost for an individual golfer is $140, which includes golf, cart, driving range, gift bag, Adidas golf shirt, continental breakfast, lunch (on course), dinner buffet and beverages. Sponsorship packages are available at the following rates: “Title Sponsorship” for $2,500 includes individual golfer amenities for two foursomes, two exclusive hole signs. Name attachment on golf shirts, event program and event signage. Additional packages include a “Platinum Sponsorship” for $1,250 and features individual golfers amenities for a foursome and exclusive hole sign, as well as sponsorship of lunch or dinner, while the “Gold Sponsorship” sponsor for $600, which provides for golf amenities for a foursome and a hole sign. The “Silver Sponsorship” for $200 allows for sponsorship of a TCNJ coach to play in the event and a hole sign. A “Bronze Sponsorship” for $75 includes a hole sign. In order to make a tax-deductable contribution or reserve a sponsorship opportunity, please make your checks payable to The College of New Jersey Foundation and mail to: TCNJ Athletics’ Golf Outing TCNJ to Induct Five into Athletic Alumni Hall of Fame, while 1979 baseball team and 1981 field hockey teams to be feted On Sunday, June 18, TCNJ will welcome the newest members of the Athletic Alumni Hall of Fame. This year’s class includes former women’s tennis and women’s swimming and diving coach, Brenda Campbell, former field hockey and women’s lacrosse All-American, Cathy Swezey, former football quarterback, Robert “Flip” Faherty, former All-America wrestler, Scott Puzia and two-sport standout and little All-American, Tibbot Csik. In addition, the 1979 baseball team and the 1981 field hockey team will be recognized as “Teams of Distinction.” For more information on the Hall of Fame or to attend the event which will take place in the Music Building Concert Hall at 10:30 a.m., please contact TCNJ’s Alumni and Development Office at 609-771-2598 or via email at alumni@tcnj.edu. The cost is $30 per person and a brunch will follow the induction ceremony in Harold W. Eickhoff Hall Dining Area.
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TCNJ’s women’s lacrosse team captured the NCAA Division III Championship for the second straight year as they defeated No. 1 ranked Gettysburg College in the finals, 10-4, on May 21. It marked the first time in 10 years the Lions have won back-to-back titles since winning six straight from 1991-1996. 
Pfluger added, comparing her team’s play in the title game to its first meeting with the Bullets. 