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(02/07/11 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (2/4/11) - Sophomore Steve Valhalla had 11 kills and two total blocks, however the Kean University men's volleyball team fell to Wentworth Institute of Technology in straight games on Friday evening.Senior Derek Portugal tallied 11 kills and three total blocks for the Leopards (6-4), as they posted the 25-17, 26-24, 27-25 win in three sets.
For the Cougars (3-5), junior Sam Haimann added eight kills, four assists and six digs, while Naveed Khawaja dished out 27 assists. Rookie Christian Portera posted eight kills, four digs and two assisted blocks.
In the victory, sophomore setter Tyler Moriarty posted 21 assists and a match-high nine digs, while senior Dan Mulvey posted eight kills and only one error in 15 total attacks.
The Cougars travel to New Jersey Institute of Technology on Tuesday, February 8th.
(01/24/11 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (1/25/11) - In the first home men's volleyball match at Kean University, the Cougars defeated City College of New York, 3-1, in a non-conference match on Tuesday evening in Harwood Arena. The Cougars (2-3) captured the first two games, before closing out the first home win in program history in four games (25-15, 25-9, 25-27, 25-12).
Sophomore outside hitter Steve Vahalla tallied a match-high 19 kills and 12 digs, while rookie Christian Portera added 13 kills and five assisted blocks. Freshman Naveed Khawaja dished out 34 assists and junior Sam Haimann (pictured left) added eight kills and 10 digs in the victory.
For the Beavers, sophomore Matthew Ng had a team-high six kills, while sophomore setter Xihe Xie added 17 assists and five digs.
(01/24/11 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (1/29/11) - The Kean University men's volleyball team fell to visiting Eastern Mennonite University in straight sets in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association - Metro Division match on Saturday morning.For the Cougars, freshman Christian Portera finished with a team-high six kills and two assisted blocks.
Sophomore outside hitter Chris Moise led the Royals (4-4, 3-0 NECVA-Metro) with a match-high nine kills, as EMU defeated the Cougars (2-4, 1-2 NECVA-Metro) for the second time in a week, winning the match in three games, 25-20, 25-15, 25-18.
Junior Nolan Prock added a match-high nine kills, six assisted blocks and four service aces, while senior middle blocker Frankie Coto added five assisted blocks. Sophomore setter John Barry dished out 24 assists for the Royals.
Kean sophomore Steve Vahalla added four kills and three digs, while rookie Naveed Khawaja dished out 16 assists.
The Cougars return to NECVA action on Tuesday, February 1, when Kean hosts Philadelphia Biblical University at 7:30 p.m.
(01/24/11 11:00pm)
Wayne, N.J. (1/29/11) - Senior Jonathan Jones recorded a career-high 38 points but it wasn't enough as William Paterson got past the Cougars, 72-61, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday.The loss drops the Cougars to 14-6 overall and 6-2 in the NJAC while the win improves WPU to 12-7 and 4-4 in conference play.
The first half was marred by foul trouble for each team's leading scorer, as Jones was whistled for his second offensive foul at the 11:37 mark and William Paterson's Gabriel Paul picked up his third personal with 6:24 remaining. Paul was forced to the bench with 2:02 to play in the opening period when he was called with his fourth foul. Despite the 13 fouls called against WPU they went into the intermission with a 34-26 advantage. William Paterson shot 48.4 (15-31) percent from the floor during the first 20 minutes, but Kean collected 15 points from the charity stripe to keep within striking distance.
Kean made it a four-point game at 38-34 with a Jones basket 4:09 into the second stanza, but senior Nick Allan immediately answered with a jumper, the start of a 9-1 Pioneer run that handed William Paterson a 47-35 lead with 11:29 to play. Nine points from Jones (pictured right) helped the Cougars again make it a two-possession game (49-44, 9:15), but an Allan trey pushed the Pioneer lead to nine.
On three separate occasions the Cougars got within four points of the Pioneers, the last coming at 60-56 with 3:20 on the clock. Junior Paul Siljee's three-pointer was followed 30 seconds later by an Allan basket pushing William Paterson ahead by a 65-56 count with 1:30 remaining. The Cougars were then forced to foul and the Pioneers were 7-for-8 (.875) from the line down the stretch to secure the win.
Jones added 12 rebounds for his 19th double-double of the season as he still leads all of Division III. Sophomore Diego Gutierrez added 10 points.
Allan scored 15 of his team-best 22 points during the second half for William Paterson. Siljee tallied 20 points, adding 12 rebounds and three assists.
Kean continues conference play and will visit The College of New Jersey on Wednesday, February 2nd at 8 p.m.
(01/24/11 11:00pm)
Wayne, N.J. (1/29/11) - Sophomore Naimah Clemons had a team-high 25 points to led the #3/2 Cougars over #21/19 William Paterson University, 79-64, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action.With the win the Cougars remain undefeated in conference play and improve to 17-2 overall and 8-0 in conference action. For the Pioneers junior BriAnna Lucas scored a career-high 31 points as her team fell to 17-3 overall and 6-2 in the NJAC.
Lucas scored 21 of her points in the second half to help spark a William Paterson surge that cut a 19-point halftime deficit to single-digits (53-44) with 10:04 remaining. Down 49-30 with 16:29 on the clock, WPU went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, followed by a Lucas three-pointer. The two teams traded free throws before Clemons converted a layup, giving the Cougars a 53-38 lead with 13:43 to play.
Freshman Jewell Palmer was fouled after a Pioneer miss and sank a pair from the charity stripe. Lucas later tallied two from the charity stripe herself as William Paterson kept it close by the score of 53-42. Each team missed a field goal and was charged with a turnover before Palmer drained a jumper, cutting Kean's lead to single digits again at 53-44 with 10:04 remaining.
Cougar Brittanie Payne would start a 12-0 Kean run with a pair of free throws that put Kean back in control at 65-44 with 7:03 to play. The Pioneers answered with a 12-2 spurt of their own (67-56, 4:14), but Kean scored the next six points during a minute span for a 73-56 lead with 3:13 left in the second half.
Payne scored 17 and dished out seven assists, and freshman Emily Cristaldi contributed 12 points and six rebounds. Senior Tiffany Patrick finished with nine points and nine rebounds in the win.
Lucas added seven rebounds and four steals for the Pioneers. April Smith added 11 points and seven boards.
The Cougars got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 14-2 lead less than five minutes into the contest thanks to 6-of-10 (.600) shooting. Kean entered the locker room with a 40-21 advantage behind 41.5 (17-41) percent first-half shooting while limiting the Pioneers to a 7-for-30 (.233) effort.
Kean returns to NJAC action on Wednesday, February 2nd when they travel to The College of New Jersey for a 6 p.m. matchup.
(01/24/11 11:00pm)
Senior Jay Gwaltney and junior Jamahl Williams were named Eastern College Athletic Conference South Football All-Stars, as voted on by the head coaches and announced by the ECAC on Friday afternoon.Gwaltney set a pair of single-season rushing records this season, as he finished with 1,412 yards on 254 rushing attempts. Through the course of the season, he posted seven straight games of 100 or more yards rushing, including four straight contests with at least 200 yards rushing.
A New Jersey Athletic Conference first-team all-star and a D3football.com East Region third-team honoree, Gwaltney led the conference and finished the season ranked eighth in the nation in rushing average (141.2 yards per game).
Williams repeats as an ECAC all-star at safety, as he ranked first in the NJAC and tied for seventh in the country in interceptions per game (0.80). A three-time NJAC all-star, his eight picks were the second most in single season history, giving him 15 in his career to move him into second place in career history. Williams also earned D3football.com East Region second-team honors for the second straight season.
The Cougars posted their fifth straight non-losing season for the first time in program history, after finishing 5-5 overall, 5-4 in the NJAC. Three of the team's losses came at the hands of teams that advanced at least to the second round of the NCAA tournament, including Wesley College who is playing in the NCAA semifinals this weekend.
(01/24/11 11:00pm)
Union, N.J. (1/19/11) - The Kean University women's basketball used a 50 point second half to propel them to a 85-46 win over Rutgers-Camden in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action Wednesday evening at Harwood Arena.With the win the #3/4 Cougars improve to 15-2 overall and 6-0 in league play. The loss drops Rutgers-Camden to 7-10 and 1-6 in the NJAC.
After keeping the game close in the first four minutes of play, the Cougars quickly built up their lead using an 18-0 run over a seven minute span to put the score at 29-7. Senior Tiffany Patrick contributed with 10 points in the run. The Scarlet Raptors then responded and over the final six plus minutes of the half used a 13-4 spurt to pull within 10 at intermission, 35-25.
Patrick led all players at the break with 12 points and six rebounds while sophomore Simone Smith added seven points and eight rebounds. Junior Brittany Turner led Camden with six points.
The Cougars slowly started to widen their lead and held a 20 point lead after three straight layups from senior Angelica Bermudez with just under 10 minutes to go. Junior Brittany Powell extended that lead to 34 thanks to five treys over a four minute span.
Patrick finished with a double-double 17 points and 14 rebounds while Powell tallied 16 points. Bermudez had 12 points and six rebounds while teammate Smith added 10 points and nine rebounds in the win. Junior Stephanie Deisley had a team-high 13 points for Rutgers-Camden.
Kean returns to action on Saturday when they host Ramapo College at 1 p.m.
(01/24/11 11:00pm)
Union, N.J. (1/19/11) - Senior Jonathan Jones and freshman J.J. Hladik scored a combined 34 points to lead the Kean University men's basketball team over visiting Rutgers-Camden, 71-63, Wednesday night in NJAC action.The Cougars improve to 13-5 overall and 5-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Their 13 wins are the most in a season since 2006-07. The loss drops Rutgers-Camden to 3-13 overall and 1-6 in conference play.
It was a tightly played first half where Kean led by no more than six points at any given time. After being tied at 16-all, the Cougars used back-to-back treys by rookies Kenny Pace and Hladik to take a 24-18 lead. Kean went into the break with a slim 30-27 edge. Sophomore Diego Gutierrez and Hladik led KU with six points apiece. Jones added five points and five rebounds. Camden's Jared Meredith had seven points in the first 20 minutes of action.
It was Rutgers-Camden's turn early in the second half as they used a 13-0 run over a six minute span to take a 40-32 lead. Freshman Jason Richardson provided five points in the run. The Cougars then took over and used a 9-0 run to take the lead at 41-40 with 10:43 remaining. Jones and Gutierrez contributed all the points in the span. Hladik then used three consecutive baskets from behind the arc to push Kean's lead out to 10. The Cougars would hold on to the lead from there, never trailing by more than six in the final seconds.
Jones finished with a double-double 19 points and 15 rebounds while Hladik added 15. Gutierrez provided 14 points and five assists. Sophomore Ali Noorzad had a team-high 14 points for the Scarlet Raptors.
Kean returns to NJAC action on Saturday when they host Ramapo College at 3 p.m.
(01/24/11 11:00pm)
Union, N.J. (1/20/11) - Senior forward Jonathan Jones is included in the current issue of Sports Illustrated after leading the country in several statistical categories throughout the 2010-11 season.Jones appears in the issue almost a year to the day after recent four year women's basketball starter Melissa Beyruti appeared in the magazine last season.
(11/29/10 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (11/16/10) - For the fourth straight year, the Kean University softball team earned academic recognition from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association for the team's efforts in the classroom.Under Head Coach Margie Acker, the Cougars posted the 49th highest cumulative grade point average of the more than 400 NCAA Division III schools that sponsored softball during the 2009-10 academic year.
The Cougars posted a 3.286 grade point average last year, as they also captured the New Jersey Athletic Conference for the first time in program history.
Individually, senior Sarah Hamm, junior Alicia Banz and sophomores Kelsey Hannan and Katie Schuh were each named NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes after posting a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Former players Melissa Dietrich, Ashley Nieves and Allison Thibault were also named NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes after concluding their careers this past spring.
It was the fourth straight honor for Dietrich, while Hamm earned the recognition for the third straight year.
(11/29/10 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (11/22/10) - Junior Olivia Triano became just the third player in school history to earn All-American honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) after being named to the Longstreth/NFHCA Third-Team All-American Squad, as announced by the NFHCA on Monday afternoon.Just four days after becoming just the eighth player in school history to be named a Longstreth/NFHCA Division III South Atlantic Region First-Team all-star, Triano joins Deanna Thomas and Dee Kelleher as the program's only All-Americans. Kelleher was tabbed an honorable mention all-american from the College Field Hockey Coaches Association in 1990, while Thomas was a NFHCA third-team selection in 2003.
Triano is also one of just three New Jersey Athletic Conference players to earn All-American honors this season, joining The College of New Jersey's Leigh Mitchell (First-Team) and Mary Waller (Third-Team).
Last week, Triano became the first player in school history to be named NJAC Midfielder of the Year and was a NJAC first-team all-star for the second straight season after leading the Cougars in goals (10), assists (8) and points (28) to finish fourth in the NJAC in assists and assists per game, fifth in points per game and tied for sixth in points.
Triano has scored at least 10 goals for the third straight season, as the junior has 35 career goals and 21 career assists to rank tied for third in both categories at Kean, while her 91 career points are just six points shy of moving into second place in school history.
(11/29/10 11:00pm)
PITMAN, N.J. (11/19/10) - The Kean University football team placed 12 players on the New Jersey Athletic Conference all-star teams, with five players earning first-team honors, as voted on by the league's 10 head coaches and announced on Friday morning.Seniors Jay Gwaltney, Matt Puorro and Andrew Ockenfuss each earned first-team honors on offense, while juniors Ray Wegrzynek and Jamahl Williams were selected defensive first-team all-stars.
Kean also had six selections on second-team, with junior Thomas D'Ambrisi and senior Sean Atkins on offense, seniors Victor D'Arrigo and Andre Dozier on defense and junior Billy Daniels and Williams taking special team honors.
Juniors Dave Vermeuel and Richard Esdaile rounded out the honorees with honorable mention accolades.
Gwaltney (pictured right) set a pair of single season rushing records this season, as he finished with 1,412 yards on 254 rushing attempts. Through the course of the season, he posted seven straight games of 100 or more yards rushing, including four straight contests with at least 200 yards rushing. He led the conference and ranks seventh in the nation in rushing average (141.2 yards per game).
At tight end, Puorro ranked second on the team in both receptions (26) and receiving yards (317), as he also had one touchdown catch. A two-year starter on offense, Puorro also excels in the classroom and was recently named a CoSIDA/ESPN Academic District II Second-Team honoree.
A three-year starter along the offensive line, Ockenfuss helped the Cougars lead the conference and rank among the national leaders for the third straight season in fewest sacks allowed (6).
Williams earns first-team honors at safety for the second straight season, as he ranked tied for first in the conference and is tied for seventh in the country in interceptions per game (0.80). A three-time NJAC all-star, his eight picks are the second most in single season history, giving him 15 in his career and moving him into second place in career history. The junior also handled kick-return duties, as he earned second-team accolades after returning 22 kickoffs for 437 yards (19.9 yards per return) to rank sixth in the NJAC.
An honorable mention all-star last season, Wegrzynek finished third on the team in tackles for a loss (8.0/23 yards) and had two sacks for a 10-yard loss. A two-year starter, Wegrzynek had 33 total tackles, two pass-break-ups and one interception this season.
D'Ambrisi earns NJAC honors for the second-straight season after completing 103-of-199 passing attempts for 1,181 yards. The 2008 NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Year, D'Ambrisi finished with nine touchdown passes and added four rushing touchdowns, despite missing one game with an injury.
A three-time NJAC all-star at fullback, Atkins garners second-team honors for the second time in his career. A first-team all-star last season, Atkins had five carries for 43 yards and seven receptions for 69 yards and one touchdown in nine games this season.
D'Arrigo finished tied for fifth on the team in total tackles (51), with 1.5 tackles for a loss of seven yards and one sack for a six-yard loss, while adding two forced fumbles and one pass break-up from his linebacker position. A three-year starter, D'Arrigo was an honorable mention all-star in 2008.
A three-year starter at cornerback, Dozier finished second on the team with a career-best four interceptions. Dozier, who also added four pass break-ups, had a pair of interceptions against The College of New Jersey and closed out his career with 28 total tackles and one fumble recovery in his senior year.
Daniels earns second-team honors at kicker for the second straight season after converting 19-of-24 extra points attempts and 7-of-13 field goal attempts. Also the team's punter, Daniels (pictured right) converted all three of his field goals between 20 and 29 yards and had a season-long 42-yard field goal in the team's win at Buffalo State.
A two-year starter along the offensive line, Vermeuel helped anchor a line that blocked for an offense that ranked fourth in the conference in rushing yards and allowed just six sacks all season to lead the NJAC and rank among the nation's leaders.
Esdaile is a two-year starter at linebacker and finished the season with 40 total tackles, including 6.5 tackles for a loss of 25 yards. He also added two pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
The Cougars posted their fifth straight non-losing season under fifth-year Head Coach Dan Garrett, as they finished 5-5 overall, 5-4 in the conference. Three of the team's losses came at the hands of teams in the NCAA tournament, including third-ranked Wesley College.
(11/15/10 11:00pm)
PITMAN, N.J. (11/10/10) - Junior Olivia Triano has been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Field Hockey Midfielder of the Year, as voted on by the league's seven head coaches and announced on Wednesday morning.In addition, Triano and senior back Joelle Vitale were both named NJAC first-team all-stars for the second straight season after helping the Cougars to a 3-3 conference record.
Triano earns the program's first major conference honor since Cheryl Perone was named NJAC Rookie of the Year in 1998 and is the first NJAC Midfielder of the Year in school history. A three-year starter, Triano scored three goals and had three assists in the six conference games. Her nine points (1.50 ppg) and three assists (0.5 apg) were tied for fourth in the NJAC.
The junior has 35 career goals and 21 career assists to rank tied for third in both categories at Kean, while her 91 career points leave her just six points shy of moving into second place in school history.
A four-year starter and three-time NJAC all-star, Vitale has anchored a Kean defense that posted two shutouts in NJAC play this season. Vitale made two of the team's three defensive saves in conference action, ranking her tied for third in the NJAC.
Vitale has started all 68 games she has played in throughout her career, making eight defensive saves.
The Cougars finished the regular season 10-6 and earned a berth in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Mid-Atlantic Championships. The fifth-seeded Cougars face-off against fourth-seeded SUNY Oneonta on Wednesday afternoon.
(11/15/10 11:00pm)
Ewing, N.J. (11/6/10) - Quarterback James Donoghue tossed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Brian Mills with 52 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter for the game's only score as The College of New Jersey shutout visiting Kean University 7-0 on Saturday at Lions' Stadium.The win was TCNJ's fourth straight as they improved to 5-4 on the season and 5-3 in New Jersey Athletic Conference play, while the Cougars saw their three-game winning streak come to an end as they dropped to 5-4. The shutout is the first for the Cougars since 2005 when they lost to Montclair State, 3-0, in overtime.
The Lions got the winning score after the Cougars punted the ball away on a short fourth-and-two, giving the hosts possession at their own 22. Donoghue kept the drive alive on third down with a scramble to the near sideline, but the Cougars were flagged for a late hit out of bounds putting TCNJ into Kean territory.
With the Lions facing a third-and-11 at the Kean 26 Donoghue lofted a strike to the far corner of the end zone where Mills made an over-the-shoulder catch for his second touchdown of the season. Tyler Olsson then kicked the point after for a 7-0 lead.
The final minute saw a couple change of possessions as TCNJ's Michael Lambert intercepted a Thomas D'Ambrisi pass. The Cougars, however, got the ball back for one final play after the Lions turned the ball over on downs, but TCNJ's defense held on keeping their win streak alive.
The Lions had two good chances to get on the board in the opening half driving the ball inside the Kean 20-yard line. The first drive stalled when senior Andre Dozier intercepted a pass at the Kean 3 yard-line in the opening quarter, while the Cougars then halted the Lions with a goal-line stand in the second quarter with four straight plays inside the five yard line, including a fourth-and-one.
TCNJ had another chance to break the scoreless tie as Kean's James-Edwards Boyd got a piece of a 45-yard field goal attempt by Olsson in the closing moments of the opening half preventing the score.
The Cougars tried a pair of long field-attempts in the second half, but Billy Daniels saw his attempts from 51 and 47 yards come up wide and short.
Donoghue was 10-for-17 through the air for 122 yards and churned out 57 yards on the ground carrying the ball 12 times.
Running back Jay Gwaltney inched his way closer to Kean's single-season rushing record finishing with 93 yards on 19 carries. Those yards raised his season total to 1,385, leaving him 21 yards shy of the program record.
For the Cougars on defense Jerelle Peay had a big game as the freshman had a game-high 11 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss. Dozier finished with two interceptions on the afternoon, bringing Kean's total to 18 this season.
TCNJ's defense was led by the tandem of Shawn Brown and Greg Burns as each player finished with eight tackles.
The Cougars head to Wesley College for their lone non-conference game of the season to close out the regular season next Saturday.
(11/15/10 11:00pm)
PITMAN, N.J. (11/11/10) - The New Jersey Athletic Conference and the Middle Atlantic Conference have announced that 16 member institutions from the two leagues will participate in a football scheduling alliance, the MAC-NJAC Challenge, in 2012 and 2013, with Kean University facing off against Albright College as part of the partnership. The partnership between the two conferences will feature a series of 16 head-to-head match-ups over the course of two seasons, with eight games taking place in 2012, and the other eight contests occurring in 2013.
(11/08/10 11:00pm)
WAYNE, N.J. (11/2/10) - The Kean University men's soccer team advances to the NJAC Championship Game, as they move past #2 William Paterson University by way of a shootout in the NJAC semifinals at Pioneers Soccer Park on Tuesday evening.The sixth-seeded Cougars (9-10-3) had the 4-1 advantage in penalty kicks to advance to the NJAC Championship Game on Friday, November 5, at 7 p.m., at top-seeded The College of New Jersey, a 3-1 shootout winner over Montclair State University in the other semifinal on Tuesday evening.
Sophomore Guilherme Argollo opened the shootout for Kean, and despite his attempt being partially blocked by Pioneer keeper Zach Collins, the ball rolled into the net for the Cougars. After Pioneer Matthew Heitmann scored to the right side to even the shootout at 1-1, Kean sophomore Tiago Goetzke easily found the open net on the left side for the 2-1 Kean advantage.
Kean senior goalkeeper Alfredo Oquendo, who was inserted into the game in the final 20 seconds of the second overtime to be eligible to mind the net in the shootout, came up big on the Pioneers' second attempt, diving to the right to stop Mike Lowe's attempt.
The Cougars extended the advantage to 3-1 when sophomore Abner Denis' shot was untouched, before the Pioneers' third attempt sailed over the crossbar, allowing Kean's Dennis Correia to advance the Cougars to the championship game with his strike to the right side.
After a scoreless first half, the Cougars took a 1-0 lead just minutes into the second half when Correia took a corner kick for Kean that Collins tried to clear for the Pioneers, but the ball bounced into the net for the Cougar goal at 47:49.
Less than 10 minutes later, the Pioneers (13-3-3) tied the game following the quick pass from Ryan Miller to NJAC Defensive Player of the Year Chris Belan, who finished to the right side.
The two teams had a scoreless battle for the remainder of the second half and both overtime sessions. Kean held a slight 14-13 edge in shots, including a 6-4 advantage in the overtime sessions.
Kean freshman Tyler Callahan made four saves, as he played nearly the entire regulation, before yielding to the more experienced Oquendo for the shootout. Collins made five saves for the Pioneers.
The Cougars seek the program's ninth NJAC championship and the first since the Cougars won the second of back-to-back championships in 1998.
(11/08/10 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (10/30/10) - Senior Jay Gwaltney rushed for 257 yards and one touchdown and the Kean defense made three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, to lead the Cougars to a 34-14 win over The College at Brockport in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon. Junior Bekim Bujari and senior Chris Lauda each had long interception returns for touchdowns, as the Cougars (5-3, 5-3 NJAC) won their third straight game. The Cougar defense forced five turnovers, while offensively they gained 313 yards on the ground.
Brockport quarterback Joseph Scibilia completed 17-of-27 passes for 221 yards for the Golden Eagles (2-6, 2-5 NJAC).
After the Cougars were forced to punt the opening possession of the game, Brockport opened its first drive on their own 12-yard line and methodically moved the ball inside the red zone to the Kean 16-yard line, before Bujari (pictured right) picked off Scibilia at the eight and returned the ball 92-yards for the touchdown.
The return was the second-longest interception return in school history and the extra point attempt by junior Billy Daniels gave the Cougars the 7-0 lead with 4:41 left in the first quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, a 24-yard return by Golden Eagle senior Derek Austin gave Brockport the ball near midfield, and with the Cougars defense back on the field after the initial drive that lasted six and a half minutes, the Golden Eagles again moved the ball back inside the red zone.
Scibilia completed both of his pass attempts for 12 yards and his three straight rushes for a combined 23 yards gave the Golden Eagles a first-and-goal at the Kean six-yard line, where junior running back Alex Hendrickson closed out the eight-play drive with the six-yard touchdown run and the Golden Eagles tied the game at 7-7 following the extra point attempt by EJ Genzano.
In the second quarter, Brockport was again driving into Cougar territory when Kean sophomore defensive back Justin McLendon intercepted the Scabilia pass at the Kean 11-yard line.
The Cougars opened the ensuing drive with an 11-yard completion from quarterback Thomas D'Ambrisi to senior tight end Matt Puorro, before Gwaltney ripped off a 26-yard run that gave the Cougars the ball near midfield.
D'Ambrisi followed with three carries for 19 yards to move the ball inside the red zone and after a Cougar penalty moved the ball back to the 20-yard line, D'Ambrisi completed the 20-yard scoring strike to junior wide receiver Chris Suozzo, as the Cougars took the lead for good at 14-7 following the Daniels extra point.
The Kean defense helped the Cougars set-up the final touchdown of the first half when junior defensive end Ray Wegrzynek sacked Scibilia for a seven-yard loss on third down deep in their own territory and the ensuing Brockport punt of 20 yards gave the Cougars the ball at the Brockport 34-yard line with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.
D'Ambrisi completed a 10-yard pass to Suozzo to the 24-yard line and Gwaltney had back-to-back carries of a combined 17 yards, before scoring on the four-yard touchdown run to give the Cougars a 21-7 lead at halftime following the extra point.
In the second half, the Cougar defense again helped set-up a touchdown, as sophomore Brett Yajcaji forced a fumble that senior Andre Dozier recovered at the Brockport 47-yard line. Gwaltney opened the drive with three straight carries of 21, 6 and 16 yards to give Kean a fresh set of downs inside the five-yard line. A Suozzo three-yard carry moved the ball to the one-yard line, before D'Ambrisi faked the hand-off to score on the one-yard run for the 28-7 lead.
The Golden Eagles cut the lead to 28-14 following a 12-play, 90-yard drive midway through the third quarter. On the scoring drive, Scibilia completed three passes for 50 yards, before carrying the ball the final 14 yards on the touchdown run to trail by a pair of touchdowns with 3:07 left in the third quarter.
Lauda closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter when he intercepted the Scibilia pass and returned it 65 yards down the Kean sideline for the touchdown and the 34-14 advantage. The interception was the 13th for his career, moving him into a tie for fourth place on the career charts, while the fifth touchdown return of his career was also the fourth longest return in school history.
Gwaltney posted his fourth straight 200-yard rushing game, as his 257 yards are the fourth highest total in school history. Gwaltney, who is averaging 161.5 yards a game and 5.8 yards a carry, carried the ball 33 times without losing a yard. He now has 1,292 yards this season, the third most in single season history.
D'Ambrisi finished 5-of-14 for 59 yards and one passing touchdown, while adding seven carries for 34 yards and one rushing touchdown. Suozzo caught three passes for 29 yards and Puorro added a pair of receptions for 30 yards.
Defensively, rookie linebacker Jerelle Peay made a game-high 14 tackles, including one sack for an 11-yard loss, and forcing one fumble. Yajcaji hadded 11 tackles and two forced fumbles, while senior linebacker Victor D'Arrigo made a team-high nine solo stops.
Hendrickson had 22 carries for 100 yards and one touchdown and added four receptions for 36 yards, while Scibilia also added 20 carries for 77 yards. Rookie Jake Spalik had five catches for a team-high 48 yards.
The Brockport defense was led by senior linebacker Nathan Bull, who finished with 10 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Junior linebackers Robert Lindquist and Derek DeCandia eached finished with seven solo stops and one tackle for a loss.
Kean heads to the road for the final two games of the regular season. Next week, they face host The College of New Jersey in the Cougars' final NJAC game of the season. Kick-off is set for Noon on Saturday, November 6, at Lions'
(11/01/10 11:00pm)
WAYNE, N.J. (10/27/10) - The Kean University women's soccer team snapped a five-game winless streak with a key 2-0 win over 16th ranked William Paterson University on Wednesday afternoon.The victory secured a berth in the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs for the Cougars (9-5-4, 3-3-3 NJAC), as they also broke a three-game losing skid.
Kean also handed the Pioneers (11-3-4, 7-1-1 NJAC) their first conference loss of the season to give them the #2 seed in the upcoming NJAC tournament.
After a scoreless first half, the Cougars finally managed their first shot of the game early in the second half and took the 1-0 lead in the 59th minute when a shot by sophomore Julianna Natale was saved by Pioneer goalkeeper Alyssa Falduto, but the slippery ball rebounded to junior Danielle Esposito, who knocked it in at the right post.
Just over 20 minutes later, Kean added the insurance goal as sophomore Carly Seidel cut back on the right side beat a charging Falduto with a shot to the far post for the 2-0 lead in the 81st minute.
The Cougars took all seven of their shots in the second half to hold a 7-6 edge in shots, including a 7-2 edge in the second half, while William Paterson had a 5-4 advantage in corner kicks.
Kean senior goalkeeper Leandra Russo and Falduto each made three saves.
The Cougars earned the sixth seed in the upcoming NJAC playoffs and traveled to #3 Rowan University on Saturday, October 30, for the first round of the NJAC Tournament.
(11/01/10 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (10/27/10) - William Paterson University scored twice in the final seven minutes of the game to defeat host Kean University in New Jersey Athletic Conference men's soccer action on Wednesday evening. Senior forward Julian Valerio assisted on both Pioneer goals, as the win in the regular season finale gives the Pioneers (13-3-2, 6-2-1 NJAC) the second seed in the upcoming NJAC tournament.
The Cougars (8-10-2, 4-5 NJAC) earn the sixth seed in the NJAC playoffs and now face third-seeded Ramapo College on Saturday, October 30 in the first round. Senior goalkeeper Alfredo Oquendo made seven saves for the Cougars.
Despite being outshot 10-4 in the first half, Kean took a 1-0 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the half. Junior Dennis Correia took a corner kick for the Cougars, that William Paterson goalkeeper Zach Collins tipped right to rookie Cortney Short in front of the goal for the 1-0 lead at halftime.
The score would remain that way until the final 10 minutes of the game when Valerio served the direct kick from 50 yards out to senior Matthew Heitmann, who tied the game at 1-1 with 6:59 remaining.
Less than five minutes later, Valerio sent a pass from right to left across the field that senior back Chris Belan lunged at to head past Oquendo for the game-winner with just 2:03 left on the clock.
The Pioneers held a 20-10 advantage in shots and 7-4 edge in corner kicks. Collins made two saves for William Paterson.
(11/01/10 11:00pm)
Kean University rolled up 460 yards of total offense, while the Cougar defense limited William Paterson University to just 45 total yards, as Kean defeated the Pioneers, 29-2, in front of a Homecoming crowd in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon. Senior Jay Gwaltney rushed for more than 200 yards for the third straight game and eclipsed 1,000 yards for the season, as Kean (4-3, 4-3 NJAC) won its second straight game.
The Pioneers (4-3, 3-3 NJAC) managed just 49 yards passing and -5 yards rushing, as the Cougars made 13 tackles for a loss of 54 yards in the win.
The Cougars took a 6-0 lead in the opening quarter following a 12-play, 80-yard drive that junior quarterback Thomas D'Ambrisi capped with the three-yard touchdown run with just 4:15 remaining in the quarter. D'Ambrisi opened the drive with a 16-yard completion to senior tight end Matt Puorro and added three rushes for 20 yards and a pair of completions for nine more yards, while Gwaltney (pictured right) had four carries for 28 yards on the scoring drive.
After the Kean defense forced the Pioneers to punt after a three-and-out on their first possession of the second quarter, D'Ambrisi completed 2-of-3 passes for 16 yards and added three carries for 35 yards, including a 28-yard run on third down, before Gwaltney closed out the drive with a six-yard touchdown run to give the Cougars a 13-0 lead following the extra point with 5:26 left in the half.
The Cougars scored on their first two possessions of the third quarter, first extending the lead to 16-0 on the 32-yard field goal by kicker Billy Daniels, before D'Ambrisi connected with junior wide receiver Chris Suozzo on the 43-yard scoring strike. The Pioneers managed their only points of the game on the ensuing extra point when Kean mishandled the attempt and Pioneer junior Doug Dubek picked up the ball and ran it back for the defensive PAT.
Kean closed out the scoring on its first play of its first drive of the fourth quarter, as junior wide receiver Louis Haynes caught the short pass from D'Ambrisi and cut back across the field for the 52-yard touchdown reception.
The Cougars controlled time of possession, as they ran the ball 54 times for 312 yards and had the ball for more than 37 minutes on offense. Five Kean drives lasted longer than four minutes apiece, including the final drive of the game that was more than eight minutes long to run out the clock.
D'Ambrisi had 247 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, as he finished with a career-high 99 yards rushing and had 148 yards passing (9-of-17). Gwaltney carried the ball 32 times for 201 yards and now has 1,035 yards rushing this season to become the fourth player in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.
In the win, Haynes had five receptions for 79 yards, while Puorro made two catches for 18 yards.
Defensively, junior outside linebacker Richard Esdaile made a team-high six tackles, including three and a half tackles for a loss of 16 yards. Junior inside linebacker Bekim Bujari (pictured left) and junior defensive end James-Edwards Boyd each had five tackles apiece, as Bujari had one sack and three tackles for a loss of 11 yards and Boyd finished with two sacks and two and a half tackles for a loss of 15 yards.
For the Pioneers, Dudek made seven tackles and had an interception in addition to his defensive PAT. Senior defensive back Chris Thomas made a game-high nine stops, including six solo tackles.
Pioneer sophomore quarterback Ryan Gresik completed 10-of-14 passes for 49 yards.