2019 Wilmington University Fall Sports News

[dawrestling]

SUBJECT: Volleyball Stunned by Post, 3-2

DATE: November 9, 2019
MKR

WATERBURY, Conn. – Despite putting down more kills than Post, the Wilmington University women’s volleyball team also recorded 38 errors in a 3-2 loss at the Drubner Center on Saturday afternoon.

Set points for each set were, 25-20, 24-26, 19-25, 25-22, and 13-15.

The Wildcats (19-12, 11-6 CACC) got out to a quick start, winning the first set, thanks to an early 10-2 lead, but the Eagles (5-24, 5-13 CACC) would rally in the second set, holding off the Wildcats’ 24-23 lead, securing the final three points to tie the match up at 1-1.

A 2-0 lead for Post in the third set would give them the lead for the remainder of the set. A kill from Emma Kongevold would put the Wildcats down by one, but the Eagles would hold off WilmU, 25-19 to take a 2-1 lead.

Down 11-7, the Wildcats were able to secure five straight points including kills from Angel Oliver and Rebecca Rawlinson to take a 12-11 lead. The set would tie 10 times, before Bailey Andrews started a 3-0 run to force a fifth and final set.

Wilmington would jump out to a 6-2 lead, but the Eagles would stick around to decrease the Wildcats’ lead to one, making it, 9-8. Rebecca Rawlinson would put WilmU up 12-10, but four straight points would give the Eagles match point, forcing WilmU into a timeout. Angel Oliver kept the Wildcats alive with a kill to make it 14-12, but Post would have the final answer on a kill to steal the match.

Mandy Behiels would lead the Wildcats with 18 kills and six digs. Rebecca Rawlinson and Bailey Andrews both recorded 16 kills in the loss. Sarah Couch dished out 53 assists and 11 digs for the double-double, while Elly Collins also recorded a double-double with 23 digs and 10 assists. Angel Oliver added seven kills and four blocks.

The Wildcats will have their final regular season home game on Wednesday night when Holy Family comes to the Complex. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.

 

[dawrestling]

UBJECT: Cross Country Concludes 2019 Season with Run at 2019 NCAA East Regional Championship

DATE: November 9, 2019
djl

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - The Wilmington University men’s cross country team was the top Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference at the 2019 NCAA East Regional Championship, finishing eighth overall with 266 points on Saturday afternoon on top of Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park.

Individually the Wildcats were led by junior Michael Dowd in 38th place while the women’s team’s lone runner Annabel Cortez placed 78th overall.

The front of the Wildcats’ team was led by a pack of three runners in the 10K event, as Dowd finished 38th overall with a time of 33:25.9. Dowd was the second CACC individual to finish, only trialing Chestnut Hill and CACC Champion Ziggy Fisher who placed 28th.

Only a few seconds behind Dowd was Brandon Cruz and Will Rehrig, who placed back-to-back in 40th and 41st, respectively. Cruz finished in 33:31.1 while Rehrig was right behind him with a time of 33:34.6.

Sophomore Garrett Checchi was the fourth to cross the finish line for the Wildcats, placing 60th overall with a time of 34:12.0, earning the team 59 points. James Kennedy was the fifth and final place finisher for the Wildcats, coming in 89th overall with a time of 35:28.7 for 88 points.

Shannon Dooley crossed the line in 109th overall with a time of 36:37.2 while senior Jayven conclude his career with a 164th place, finishing in 49:38.5.

Roberts Wesleyan won the Regional Championship with 55 points while American International came in second with 65 points. Stonehill will also advance to the National Championship by placing third overall with 82 points.

American International’s Ezra Mutai was the top individual runner, winning the championship by nearly 43 seconds with a 10K time of 30:58.4.

On the women’s side, Annabel Cortez ran the 6K course in 25:16.5 to finish 78th overall for the Wildcats. Stonehill won the team championship with 26 points while Roberts Wesleyan came in second with 41 points. Southern New Hampshire closed out the top three with 130 team points.

Stonehill’s Samantha Curtin won the race with a time of 22:19.1, beating the field of 162 by four seconds.

 

[dawrestling]

SUBJECT: Lorne Bickley Sets Men’s Soccer’s Single Season Points Record As Wildcats Defeat Concordia, 7-4, in CACC First Round

DATE: November 11, 2019
djl

NEWARK, Del. - - For the seventh time in the past eight years, the Wilmington University men’s soccer team has advanced to the CACC Tournament Semifinals, as the top seeded and nationally eighth ranked Wildcats defeated eighth seeded Concordia, 7-4, on Monday afternoon in the First Round at the WU Athletics Complex.

The top seeded Wildcats (17-1-1) have now reached the CACC Tournament Semifinals in all but one year since starting the streak in 2012. They advance to face No. 5 Georgian Court on Friday morning at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Connecticut. Georgian Court tied No. 4 Goldey-Beacom, 4-4, but advances on penalty kicks, 6-5.

The contest got off to a fast start, with three goals coming in the opening eight minutes of play. It looked as though the Wildcats, who haven’t played since November 2, were off and running, getting a goal in the fifth minute from Shawn Genus. Lorne Bickley and Fredrik Bentdal connected for a cross, and Shawn Genus went up high to head it home just 4:20 into the contest.

But Concordia (7-11) answered right back with a free-kick goal from just outside the 18-yard box as Dennis Limani blasted home a shot to the near post to tie the match, 1-1, 5:57 in.

NCAA Division II leading scorer and recently named 2019 CACC Player of the Year Lorne Bickley gave the Wildcats the lead right back, finishing home a cross from Shawn Genus just 7:13 into the contest. The Wildcats then put the pressure on Concordia for the rest of the half, but Clipper netminder Mikael Varin came up with seven saves to keep his team in it, only trailing 2-1 at the halftime break.

It looked as though the Wildcats were going to put the Clippers away early in the second half, as Abdul Mansaray received a long ball from Gabriel Prgomet, split two defenders and raced in for his 15th goal of the year in the 56th minute.

Lorne Bickley then followed with his second goal of the game, and fifth point of the day, in the 61st minute, volleying home a cross from Mansaray for the 4-1 lead. The goal was Bickley’s 26th of the year, giving him 55 points to break assistant coach Anthony Allison’s (Sargbah Tarpeh) single season record which he set during his senior season in 2009.

The Clippers’ never say die attitude kept them in the game however, as they answered with a pair of goals in just over two minutes to cut the deficit to 4-3 with 20 minutes to play.

Mansaray was able to keep the Clippers at an arms’ reach though, slotting home a through ball from Shawn Genus, beating the keeper to the ball and finishing on the open net for his 16th goal of the year, 5-3, in the 73rd minute. Joe Bell then gave the Wildcats a two-goal lead once again with his eighth of the year, redirecting a cross from Ben Jordan in the 78th minute.

Concordia tried to keep it close with their fourth goal of the game in the 82nd minute, but Nick Langat finally put the visitors to rest with his first goal of the year, getting a through ball from Ben Jordan in the 86th minute, 7-4.

The Wildcats outshot the Clipper, 29-9, but the Clippers netminder made 12 saves in the game, as well as a team save being recorded on the goal line. The Wildcats also earned more corners, 8-2. Gabriel Prgomet made two saves in the win for the Wildcats.

Friday’s CACC Tournament Semifinals matchup with Georgian Court is set for 11:00 a.m. at Municipal Stadium.











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[dawrestling]

SUBJECT: Shorthanded Wildcats Fall to Georgian Court, 4-2, in CACC Tournament Semifinals

DATE: November 15, 2019
djl

WATERBURY, Conn. - - A fast start by the opposition and an early red card doomed the top seeded Wilmington University men’s soccer team in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Semifinals against fifth seeded Georgian Court, 4-2, on Friday afternoon at Municipal Stadium.

The upstart Lions (9-10-1) had two chances in the early going against the eighth ranked Wildcats (17-2-1), scoring on the second opportunity to get ahead in the sixth minute. Then an open field tackle resulted in a red card for the Wildcats’ Callum McHale, setting the favorites down a man for the remaining 77:48 of game time.

The loss knocks the Wildcats out of the CACC Tournament, a drought that continues for the Wildcats since last winning the CACC Tournament in 2007.

Despite going down to 10-men early in the first half, the Wildcats outshot the Lions, 8-7, in the first half, including three shots on goal moments after the red card that were all saved. Abdul Mansaray and Shawn Genus also put shots on goal in the first half, but Lion netminder Jamie Hickey recorded five first half saves to send his team into the break leading 1-0.

The first shot of the second half found the back of the net, coming from Georgian Court’s Joel Quist to give the Lions a 2-0 lead in the 53rd minute.

The Wildcats looked to get back into the game in the 63rd minute, cutting the deficit in half with a goal from Fredrik Bentdal. Shawn Genus was able to win the ball in the midfield and played a pass to the left side to Bentdal. Bentdal’s low strike to the far post cut the deficit in half, 2-1, with less than 28 minutes to play.

But just over four minutes later, the Lions truck again to regain a two-goal lead, going up 3-1 in the 67th minute. The Lions countered on a corner kick, racing the other way to score on a 2-on-2.

Then another Lion’s goal came in the 69th minute, converting a through ball and a 1-v-1 with the keeper, seeming to put the game out of reach, 4-1, with just over 20 minutes to play.

The Wildcats continued to push however, getting a shot on goal from Taiki Kinugawa and another that went wide by Shawn Genus. Abdul Mansaray was able to breathe a little life into the Wildcats in the 86th minute, converting a corner and recycled play into a his 17th goal of the year. The Wildcats were able to keep the ball in the box after a corner, and Keith Sanderson found Mansaray on the back post for the redirected goal.

But that would be the final tally for the Wildcats, as a shot by Mansaray was saved, and shots by Mansaray and Kinugawa were blocked in the final moments.

The Wildcats outshot the Lions, 19-16, in the match, and earned more corners, 6-4. Jamie Hickey made seven saves in goal on nine shots on goal while Gabriel Prgomet made seven saves on 11 shots on goal for the Wildcats. Mansaray led the Wildcats with four shots on goal.

The NCAA Division II Selection Show is scheduled to go live at 6:30 p.m. on Monday night on NCAA.com. The Wildcats are in a solid position to earn one of the five at-large bids into the NCAA Tournament, but now put their fate into the hands of the Regional Advisory Committee.

 

[dawrestling]

UBJECT: Two All-Tournament Team Members, 1,000-Pin Matches, and a First Place Seeding Highlight Wilmington Bowling at the Wildcat Invite

DATE: November 16, 2019
djl

NEW CASTLE, Del. - - Another record-breaking afternoon on the lanes is propelling the Wilmington University bowling team at its own Wildcat DII/DIII Invitational, leading the field of 11 by 468 pins while going 4-1 in Traditional Matches on Saturday at Bowlerama.

Back-to-back 1,000-pin matches started an excellent day for the Wildcats, as they now lead Chestnut Hill, 9,818 to 9,350, and head in the Baker Bracket format on Sunday in first place.

The Wildcats didn’t need to wait long to break a record on Saturday, setting a new Traditional Match team total in the day’s first match against New Jersey City. All five bowlers finished with a 200-game, totaling a record 1,102 pins in the win. The previous record was 1,021 pinfall against Coppin State earlier this year at the Virginia Union Invitational.

Well now that previous record is the third most, as the Wildcats came back out and bowled a 1,069-match against Caldwell, moving to 2-0 on the day. The momentum carried over into a 980-847 victory against Mercyhurst, before the Wildcats suffered their only setback of the day, 885-881, to Molloy. The Wildcats finished the day strong, defeating Medaille, 991-906, in the last match. The 991-team total was the fifth most in a match in program history, meaning the Wildcats collected the top two, and the fifth best match totals in one day.

Individually, the Wildcats were led by a pair of All-Tournament Team members in CC Riojas and Rachel Hirst, as they also set records with their performances.

CC Riojas placed second overall in the tournament, setting a new Wilmington bowling record with a 1,119 five-match total, good enough for a 223.80 average. She was only five pins from earning Tournament MVP honors. She started the day with a 235 against New Jersey City, but had her best round of the day against Caldwell with a 254, tied for the fourth best match in program history. She had four 200+ matches on the day, bowling a 231 against Medaille and a 203 against Molloy as well. Her lowest match was a 196 against Mercyhurst.

Rachel Hirst placed fifth overall with what would have been a new Wilmington record if it hadn’t been for Riojas on the same day. Hirst bowled a 1,046 five match total, good enough for a 209.20 average. She had three 200+ matches, including a day’s high 227 against Mercyhurst. She also bowled games of 226 and 202, adding in a 199 and a 192 for good measure.

Freshman KC Miller placed 12th overall with a new personal best 992, the fifth best five-match total in program history. She bowled a 198.40 average, including a new personal best 246 in the final match of the day against Medaille. She also bowled games of 227 and 205, adding in a 183 and a 131 on the day.

Junior Bailey Peters had the best individual match of the day, placing 14th overall with a 986 for a 197.20 average. She tied the program’s second best mark with a personal best 256 in the record breaking win over New Jersey City. She also had a 208 against Mercyhurst and a 199 against Molloy.

Malia Stout rounded out the Wildcats on the leaderboard with a 29th place finish, bowling an 880 for a 176.00 average. She had a day’s high 208 against Caldwell, while also bowling a 204 in the opener against New Jersey City.

Mercyhurst’s Haley Youker edged CC Riojas for the Tournament MVP honors with a 1,124 pinfall, going for a 224.80 average. She had games of 212, 217, 278, 237, and 180. Molloy rounds out the top three on the leaderboard heading into Bracket Play.

The Wildcats will face second seeded Chestnut Hill in the opening round, with the winner going straight to the Championship Match. Sunday will be a best out of seven Baker style match.

 

[dawrestling]

SUBJECT: Felician Knocks Wilmington Out of the CACC Tournament With 3-1 Quarterfinal Victory

DATE: November 19, 2019
djl

RUTHERFORD, N.J. - - The South Division No. 4 seed Wilmington University volleyball team fell in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Quarterfinal to Felician, 3-1, on Tuesday night inside Job Gym.

Set scores for the match were 18-25, 25-17, 14-25, and 12-25.

With the win, the North Division’s top seed Felician moves on to the CACC Tournament Semifinals hosted by Holy Family in Philadelphia this weekend. The loss knocks the Wildcats out of the playoffs and ends their season with a 20-14 overall record.

The Wildcats tied the match with a convincing win in the second set, 25-17, but the Golden Falcons responded on their home court by winning the final two sets, 25-14 and 25-12, to win the match, 3-2. It was Felician’s first ever postseason victory in program history.

The upstart Golden Falcons jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the opening set and had a double-digit lead at 16-6. The Wildcats cut the deficit in half, 21-16, and got as close to 22-18 before Felician scored the final three points of the set to take the lead.

It was the Wildcats that got out to a fast start in the second set, using a 6-0 run to go up 12-5. Another 7-2 run put the Wildcats up 23-14 before Bailey Andrews gave the visitors set point with a kill, 24-16. Angel Oliver finished off the set with a kill of her own, 25-17.

Felician put their stamp on the third set early on, raising out to an 8-2 lead. They grabbed a 10-point lead in the midst of a 4-0 run, moving up 19-8. The teams traded points until 23-14, when the Golden Falcons closed out the third set with back-to-back points, 25-14.

With the fourth set at 7-6, the Golden Falcons scored four straight in route to a 7-2 run to move up 14-8. After back-to-back points by the Wildcats, Felician scored seven consecutive points to lead 21-10. The Wildcats could only get two points back before Felician closed out the victory with three straight points, 25-12.

Senior Rebecca Rawlinson led the Wildcats with 12 kills on 25 swings, all while only committing two errors for a .400 attack percentage. She also added four block assists on the night, finishing her career second in program history with 148 solo blocks, fourth all-time with 297 block assists, and second all-time with 445 total blocks.

Bailey Andrews had nine kills while Angel Oliver added seven kills to go with eight blocks, seven of which came as block assists. Mandy Behiels also had seven kills to go with eight digs. Senior Emma Kongevold put down three kills while adding four block assists as well.

Sarah Couch dished out 31 assists while adding nine digs and freshman Elly Collins led the team with 20 digs.

It is the eighth time the Wildcats have won 20 matches in a season in the NCAA era, but the first time since the 2015 season.