Little East Announces Spring Honors
Three Owls were recognized by the Little East Conference on Monday
KEENE, N.H. 5/6/08 - Keene State placed five players on the All-Little East Conference softball team announced on Wednesday.
Senior pitcher Ashlee Nicholson (Swanzey, N.H.), junior third baseman Katie Allenson (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and junior utility player Jenna Patnode (Surry, N.H.) were named to the first team. Senior catcher Melissa Scata (Medway, N.H.) and junior outfielder Allie D'Amato (Bristol, Conn.) were second-team selections.
Both Nicholson and Patnode return to the LEC first-team for the second consecutive year. Nicholson anchors the Owls pitching staff with a 15-6 record with a 2.44 ERA and 139 strikeouts. Earlier in the season, she set the KSC record for career victories (52) and is two shy of the all-time strike-out mark (513) held by Lindsey Blood. Splitting her time between centerfield and third base, Patnode is batting .389 with five home runs and 28 RBIs from the lead-off spot in the line-up. This season she set the KSC record for career triples (21).
Making her first appearance on the All-LEC team, Allenson leads the Owls in hitting (.479), home runs (6) and RBIs (34).
Scata is hitting .353 with five home runs and 32 RBIs. She became KSC's all-time home run leader (26) this season.
A two-time recipient of second-team All-LEC honors, DAmato, who plays both left and centerfield, is hitting .330 with 20 RBIs and five doubles.
Keene State (25-12) begins play in the ECAC New England tournament with a first-round game against St. Joseph's College of Maine on Wednesday.
OWLS PLACE THREE FRESHMEN ON ALL-LEC WOMEN'S LACROSSE TEAM
KEENE, N.H. 5/6/08 - Three freshman were among the four Keene State players named to the All-Little East Conference women's lacrosse team announced on Wednesday.
Freshman attack Jill Kirk (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) was the lone Owl named to the first team. Freshmen Jenny Lillis (West Islip, N.Y.) and Annie Brown (Westwood, Mass.), and senior Michelle Mazzotta (Cromwell, Conn.) were selected to the second team.
Kirk has had a fine first season with the Owls, leading the team in scoring with 51 goals, 14 assists, and 65 points. Playing along side Kirk on the attack line, Lillis has 45 goals, 13 assists, and 58 points while Mazzotta has chipped in with 33 goals, 19 assists, and 52 points. The trio has helped KSC set season records for goals (248), assists (135), and points (383) already this season.
Moving right into the defensive starting line-up, Brown was among the team leaders with 35 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers.
Keene State (12-7), one victory shy of the school record for wins, begins play in the ECAC New England tournament with a first-round game against Norwich University on Wednesday.
SANTA FE AND JOHNSON RECEIVE MAJOR LEC LACROSSE HONORS
SEVEN OWLS NAMED TO ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
KEENE MASS. 5/6/08 - Keene State's Tony Santa Fe (Derry, N.H.) and Matt Johnson (Derry, N.H.) were named Little East Conference men's offensive and defensive players of the year respectively on Wednesday. They were joined by five other Owls on the All-Conference team.
The Owls' high-powered offense ran through Santa Fe, a junior attack, all season. Santa Fe, who led KSC in scoring with 32 goals, 24 assists, and 56 points, becomes the fourth Owl to win or share the honor. Joe Branciforte and Eric Momnie earned the award in 2004 and 2005 respectively and Sean Panora shared the honored the past two seasons.
It's the third consecutive year Johnson has received LEC defensive player of the year honors. The senior goals posted a 7.58 GAA and .629 save percentage.
Senior midfielder Ryan Hazelton (Chester, N.H.) and junior long-stick midfielder Easton Kezer (Derry, N.H.) joined Johnson and Santa Fe on the first team. Hazelton finished the season with 25 goals, 12 assists, and 37 points while the hard-hitting Kezer kept opponents off-balance with his tough, physical play and clearing skills.
Senior midfielder Mike Fontaine (Wolfeboro, N.H.) and defenseman Kevin McCarthy (Derry, N.H.) and Mike Wood (Exeter, N.H.) were second-team selections.
Fontaine tallied 13 goals, eight assists, and 21 points, while McCarthy, a junior, and Wood, a senior, helped anchor a stingy KSC defense that allowed the fewest goals overall and in league play.
Upset by WCSU in the semifinals of the LEC tournament, the Owls concluded their season with a 9-3 record.