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Wilmington University Fall Sports News for 2018

SUBJECT: Women’s Soccer Cruises to an 8-1 Homecoming Victory Over Concordia

DATE: September 29, 2018
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NEWARK, Del. – Less than a minute into the game, freshman Emily Navarette scored the first goal and set the tone for Homecoming in the Wilmington University women’s soccer team’s 8-1 win over Concordia Saturday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex.

Navarette scored her third goal of the season in just 53 seconds off a pass from Alex Keck in Saturday’s Homecoming game. Wilmington would have seven more shots, before Jasmine Brake broke away from her defender and found the back of the net to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead in the 31st minute for her first collegiate career goal. Four minutes later, Cassidy McErlain got a shot off from 25 yards out to just sneak under the crossbar and into the goal for WilmU’s third goal of the half.

Concordia would score in the 40th minute to make it a 3-1 game before halftime, but Jasmine Brake was there a minute later to give the Wildcats back the three goal lead.

The Wildcats would go on and score four unanswered goals in the second half, including Navarette’s second goal of the game and Allison Hartwyk’s first goal of her career.

Wilmington had 31 shots with 19 on goal to Concordia’s three shots on goal.

Up next, the Wildcats will travel to Jefferson on Tuesday to take on the Rams for a 4 p.m. matchup, before traveling to Post University on Saturday, October 6th for a 12 p.m. start.
 
SUBJECT: Rucinski and Wilmington Golf in Fifth Place After CACC Championship First Round

DATE: September 30, 2018
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NEWARK, Del. - - In order to claim their ninth straight Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship, the Wilmington University golf team needs to make a second round comeback after shooting a 309 (+29) on Monday and sit in fifth place at the Deerfield Golf Club.

The Wildcats trail four teams, with the first round leaders from Dominican sitting at 298 (+18), four strokes ahead of Felician’s 302 (+22). Post is third with a 304 (+24) while Concordia is just ahead of Wilmington with a 307 (+27).

Senior Ryan Rucinski led the Wildcats on Monday with a 74 (+4), sitting in a tie for fifth overall. Rucinski birdied the par four seventh to get to one-over par, but made the turn with a 37 (+2). A double-bogey, bogey on 15 and 16 put the senior up to five-over, but Rucinski birdied the par four 18th to finish his day with a 74.

Junior Braden McKay birdied the par four third and par four 18th, but six bogeys and two double bogeys set him back to a 78 (+8) for the round. Newcomer Arvy Shongwe birdied the par three 11th to get to six-over par, but a double bogey on 16 pushed his first round score out to a 78 (+8) as well. McKay and Shongwe are tied for 18th overall after the first round.

Junior Matthew Kettleson rounded out the Wildcats’ score with a 79 (+9) on Monday, sinking birdie putts on the par four sixth and the par three 11th. But seven bogeys and two double bogeys on the front nine put Kettles into a tie for 23rd overall after the first day.

Junior Jack Dixon rounded out the Wildcats on the course on Monday, shooting an 80 (+10). He had two birdies on the back nine, sinking putts on the par five 10th and par four 13th to get to five-over par, but a bogey, triple-bogey, bogey stretch on the next three holes pushed the juniors score out to an 80. He is in a tie for 26th overall after the first round.

Dixon is tied for the tournament lead on par five scoring, going one-under on the two par fives. McKay and Rucinski rank tied for second in the same category by going even on the two holes. Rucinski is tied for fourth overall with 11 pars on the afternoon.

Dominican’s Danny Parker leads the field with a 70 (E) on Monday, sitting atop the leaderboard by one stroke. Chestnut Hill’s Jakob Lemieux and Felician’s Jake Storako are tied for second overall with a 71 (+1).

Sitting in fifth place, the Wildcats will begin Tuesday’s second round from the first hole at 9:20 a.m.
 
SUBJECT: Ryan Rucinski Earns All-Tournament Team as Golf Finishes Third Overall in the CACC Championship

DATE: October 1, 2018
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NEWARK, Del. – After sitting in fifth after the first round, the Wilmington University men’s golf team moved up two spots to finish third in the 2018 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Golf Championship after shooting a 299 (+48) for a tournament total of 608 Monday afternoon at the Deerfield Golf Club.

Wilmington finished third behind first place Dominican at 596 (+36) and second place finisher Post University at 603 (+43). The third place finish snapped a string of eight straight CACC Championships for the Wildcats.

Ryan Rucinski led the Wildcats with a 71 (+1) in the second round, while getting off to a fast start with a birdie on the par five first hole. He also started the back nine with a birdie to get to even on the day, but needed a birdie on 17 to finish his day with a 71 (+1). He shot a 74-71 for a total of 145 (+5), finishing three strokes behind the leader and in third overall. He earned CACC All-Tournament for finishing in the top five.

Junior Jack Dixon started fast with a birdie on the first hole, but did not get another birdie until the 13th hole, shooting seven pars on the back nine to finish the round with a 72 (+2). For the tournament Dixon shot an 80-72 for a two round score of 152 (+12). He finished tied for 12th (+12) overall with Dominican’s Josh Farmer, and Goldey-Beacom’s Ryan Quigg.

Braden McKay also started fast with a birdie on the second hole, shooting a 36 (+1) on the front nine, but could not connect on another birdie on the back nine, as he finished with a 77 (+7). He finished tied for 17th (+15) overall in the tournament, shooting a 78-77 for a 155 (+15).

Matthew Kettleson shot three pars on the front nine, while getting a birdie on the 13th hole and five pars on the back nine, but finished with a 79 (+9) in the second round in closing out the Wildcats scoring. He finished tied for 25th (+18) overall with a 78-77 for a 155 (+15).

Arvy Shongwe had five pars on the front nine, but had three bogeys and a double-bogey to get him out to a slow start. He birdied on the 15th hole, but ended his round with three straight unfavorable holes, closing his round with an 82 (+12). He finished the tournament 28th (+20) overall with rounds of 78-82 for a 160 (+20)

Post University’s Matthieu Sicard finished first overall with a 142 (+2) to earn medalist honors while Dominican’s Danny Parker finished right behind him with a 143 (+3) to finish second overall.

Up next, the Wildcats travel to Palm Beach, Florida, as they will play in the Shark Invitational, October 8th and 9th hosted by Nova Southeastern University.
 
SUBJECT: Women’s Tennis Takes Down East’s Top Team with 5-2 Win at Concordia

DATE: October 2, 2018
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BRONXVILLE, N.Y. - - The Wilmington University women’s tennis team cleared a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference regular season hurdle on Tuesday, defeating Concordia, 5-2, on the road at the Meyers Tennis Center.

With the win, the Wildcats improved to 3-2 overall but 3-1 in the CACC and now can control their own fate to receive one of the two byes in the first round of the CACC Tournament. Concordia was ranked first in the East Region in the final ITA Regional Polls last season.

Senior Tess Paya and Junior Andrea Ribalta each won twice for the Wildcats, getting off to a great start with two wins in the doubles matches for the doubles’ point.

Laura Gil and Ribalta were down 3-1 at No. 1 doubles, but fought back to take the match, 6-4. After Concordia had the match at No. 2 doubles, Tess Paya and Marie Rondot secured the point for Wilmington with a 6-3 victory at No. 3.

Ribalta made it a 2-0 day with a win at No. 6 singles, winning 6-3 and 6-0. Tess Paya also went 2-0 on the day, but needed to play more tennis to get it done. She won, 7-5 and 7-6, taking the point with a 7-3 second set tiebreak.

Anushka Sathe won at No. 2 singles, quickly taking the match, 6-3 and 6-2. Begona Gomar finished off the scoring for the Wildcats with a comeback after dropping the first set, 6-4, at No. 1 singles. She fought back to win the second set, 7-5, and the third set tiebreaker, 10-8, to win the match.

The Wildcats have a tough nonconference opponent up next, as they head to the East Region’s No. 2 team Queens on Friday afternoon. First serve is set for 2:00 p.m.
 
SUBJECT: Jefferson’s First Half Goals Hold Up for 2-0 Victory over Women’s Soccer

DATE: October 2, 2018
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PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - A pair of first half goals by Jefferson sinks the Wilmington University women’s soccer team, 2-0, snapping a five-game Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference winning streak on Tuesday afternoon at Ravenhill Field.

The Wildcats (6-6, 5-2 CACC) had a three-match win streak snapped and had won five straight CACC contests before Tuesday. The Rams (4-5, 4-4 CACC) outshot the Wildcats, 15-12, for the match, including a 9-4 mark in the first half, which led to a pair of goals.

The Rams got on the board first in the 30th minute, getting on the end of a loose ball in the box for the 1-0 lead. Rebecca Dolhansky had an opportunity to tie the game in the 33rd minute, but he shot was saved by Ram goalkeeper Danielle Samson, resulting in a corner kick.

Jefferson capitalized again before the half, using a through ball into the box in the 41st minute to make it a 2-0 game.

The Wildcats put four shots on frame in the second half, but Samson made all for stops to record the shutout. Krysta Memis had a shot on goal in the 85th minute that was saves and Dolhansky’s last chance effort with 11 seconds to play went over the crossbar. The Wildcats outshot the Rams, 8-6, in the second half.

Dolhansky led the Wildcats with four shots and three shots on goal while Memis put two shots on goal in the game. La’Dae Boykin had the final shot on goal for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats will look to bounce back with their next contest, as they head to Post on Saturday. The opening whistle is set for 12:00 p.m. at LaMoy Field.
 
SUBJECT: Wildcats Battle in Singles Play, But Queens Downs Women’s Tennis, 7-0

DATE: October 5, 2018
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FLUSHING, N.Y. - - Facing another top team in the East Region, the Wilmington University women’s tennis team fell on the road to Queens (N.Y.), 7-0, at the Queens College Tennis Center on Friday afternoon.

Of the Wildcats’ six matches this season, four of them have been against teams that were ranked in the top five in the final ITA Tennis Regional Polls at the end of last season. A New ITA Tennis poll for the 2018-19 season does not come out until November.

Begona Gomar and Andrea Rilbalta put up good fights in their singles matches, but the Knights took all nine matches en route to the 7-0 shutout.

Playing against the fifth ranked player in the East, Gomar took the first set against Rehan Rashad, 7-6 (7-5), at No. 1 singles, but the Knight came back to force a third set tiebreaker with a second set victory, 6-2. The two battled in the tiebreaker, but it eventually was Rashad that came out on top, 14-12.

Ribalta also went into a third set tiebreaker at No. 5 singles, splitting the first two sets 6-4 and 7-6 (7-2). The third set tiebreaker went the way of the Knights once again, as Ruth Artaza Martin won the match with a 10-2 tiebreaker score.

The Wildcats have a chance to get back to their winning ways on Saturday, as they return to Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action at home. They will square off against USciences at the Delcastle Tennis Center, with an expected first service of 1:00 p.m.
 
SUBJECT: Two Late Goals by Post Gives Edge Over Women’s Soccer, 3-2

DATE: October 6, 2018
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Waterbury, Ct. – The Wilmington University women’s soccer team dropped a tough one late in the game against Post, 3-2, in a battle at LeMoy Field Saturday afternoon.

The Eagles (4-6-2, 4-3-1 CACC) got on the board first in just the fifth minute of play when Samantha Brostek made a long pass to lead Katherine Garcia for a shot from 20 yards out to put the ball over goalkeeper Kate Tubo’s reach.

The Wildcats (6-8, 5-4 CACC) tied things up in the 16th minute however, using a long pass from Krysta Memis in the right corner for teammate Lina Boussif to get a touch on and put it in the back of the net. Wilmington would have eight more shots after Boussif’s goal to finish out the first half.

Charging the field in the second half, Rebecca Dolhansky was able to get a shot off from 20 yards out to give the Wildcats the 2-1 lead over the Eagles in the 51st minute. WilmU had a few more chances in the second half, including three corners, but could not connect.

The Wildcats kept the Eagles on their end of the field for most of the half, until the 86th minute when Gorgi Van Lienen used a free kick near the right corner to give Post their first goal of the second half. One minute after Post scored, Katherine Garcia made a leading pass to Sabrina Adamo who broke away from the Wildcat defense for a shot from 15 yards out to give the Eagles the 3-2 advantage over WilmU, with 3:16 left to play in regulation.

WilmU out-shot the Eagles, 16-8, but could not find the net on their five corner opportunities.

The Wildcats look to get back on the winning track Monday, when they take on Bridgeport in a non-conference matchup at the Complex. First whistle is set for 3:30 p.m.
 
SUBJECT: Begona Gomar Gets Big Win as Tennis Sweeps USciences, 5-0

DATE: October 6, 2018
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NEWARK, Del. – The Wilmington University women’s tennis team came out on top today with a 5-0 sweep over the University of the Sciences at the Delcastle Tennis Center in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup Saturday afternoon.

Begona Gomar had a big win for the Wildcats in number one singles, as she beat Karla Miletic, who is ranked seventh in the region according to ITA Tennis’ final poll of 2017-18. Gomar fell in the first set, 6-2, but came back in the second and third set, 6-3 and 6-3 to beat Miletic. She is currently ranked 10th in the region for the Wildcats.

Anushka Sathe went into a third set tiebreaker, as she won the first set, 6-2, then dropped the second set, 6-4. Sathe came back to win the third set, 6-1, in number two singles.

Laura Gil and Marie Rondot won their singles matches in two sets at No. 3 and No.4, respectively, before rains forced No. 5 and No. 6 singles to go unfinished. Tess Paya and Andrea Ribalta each won the first set and were leading the second set when the rains came.

The Wildcats set the wheels in motion by winning all three doubles events for the single point to start the match.

The Wildcats will travel to the District of Columbia on Tuesday for a 12:00 p.m. start time with the Firebirds in a nonconference matchup.
 
SUBJECT: Wildcats Capture Third Team Title; Corrigan Races to Victory as Cross Country Teams Run at UD Blue & Gold

DATE: October 5, 2018
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NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University men’s cross country team won its third meet of the season, as the Wildcats competed at the UD Blue & Gold at the White Clay Creek State Park on Saturday morning.

The men won the event with 30 points, beating out a field of six teams, including the Atlantic Region’s No. 6 East Stroudsburg. The women finished fifth overall in the 6K event with 155 points, in a field of nine teams.

The Wildcats, ranked eighth in the latest East Region Poll created by the USTFCCCA, beat out the Warriors by three points who finished second with 33 points. Not only did the team win, but senior Mark Corrigan earned medalist honors by winning the event by 35 seconds.

Corrigan crossed the line in 27:02, 35 seconds ahead of Casey Ellis from East Stroudsburg. Today’s time was also 18 seconds faster than his time last year at the same event.

Freshman Garrett Checchi finished fourth overall for the Wildcats, running his second fastest time of the season with a 27:44 finish. Junior James Kennedy finished sixth in the 8K event, running in his second fastest time of the season as well with a time of 27:54. Sophomore Johnelle Joe finished eighth overall for the Wildcats, running in 28:30 for the fourth countable score. Freshman Brandon Cruz secured the win for the Wildcats with an 11th place finish, crossing the line in 28:30.

Senior Miguel Suero was hot on the heels of Cruz in 12th place, finishing right behind the freshman in 28:31, 37 seconds faster than his time at the UD Blue & Gold as a junior. SeanScandle finished 24th overall for the Wildcats, crossing the line in 30:01 while Andrew Milham placed 36th with a time of 31:47. Dan Leek came in 41st overall with a time of 32:48 while Jayven Davis rounded out the Wildcats on the course with a 64th place finish with a time of 39:12.

Sophomore Alexa Crowell led the women on 6K course, finishing 17th overall for 16 points with a time of 25:41.01, nearly two minutes faster than her time at the same event last season. Graduate Student Gabrielle Brown placed 21st in the field of 85 for 19 points with a time of 26:02.73 while freshman Rosemary Gillam finished 31st overall for 29 points with a time of 26:40.81. Freshman Hannah Fitzpatrick gave the Wildcats 45 points with a 63rd place finish, crossing the line at 30:25.41 while junior Emily Kockott rounded out the team scoring with a 64th place finish for 46 points, on the heels of Fitzpatrick with a time of 30:26.74.

Tara Langan finished 75th overall with a time of 32:22.85 while Tori Crawford rounded out the runners on the course by finishing in 40:20.96.

The University of Delaware won the women’s even with a perfect score of 15, having the top seven finishers. East Stroudsburg finished second overall with 60 points while by Millersville in third with 110 points.

Delaware’s Jeanette Bendolph won the women’s even with a time of 23:31.99.

The Wildcats have one more tune-up before the postseason begins, as they head to Dream Park in Logan Township, New Jersey to run in the Inter-Regional Border Battle hosted by Rowan University next Saturday. The women run at 12:30 p.m. followed by the men at 1:15 p.m.
 
SUBJECT: Men’s Soccer Plays to CACC Scoreless Draw at Post

DATE: October 5, 2018
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WATERBURY, Conn. - - Neither team could find the back of the net as the Wilmington University men’s soccer team and Post played to a 0-0 draw in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest on Saturday afternoon at LaMoy Field.

Each team rang one off the piping as well on Saturday, as Post (4-6-2, 3-2-2 CACC) led the Wildcats (7-1-4, 5-1-2 CACC) in shots, 20-15.

Post’s Mohammad Awadallah hit the crossbar early in the contest, staying out of the net just 4:14 into the match. The Wildcats’ Tom Garratt beat the Post goalkeeper with a shot in the first overtime, but his attempt hit off the post and stayed out, keeping the game scoreless in the 96th minute.

The Wildcats had three corner kicks in the first half, but the Eagles ended up with more corners in the game, 8-6, including a pair in the second overtime period.

Vinny Tasca made five saves for the clean sheet for the Wildcats while Fredrik Pedersen made three stops in goal for the Eagles. Will Stone led the Wildcats with six shots, but only one of them was on frame. Garratt and Fredrik Bentdal also had shots on goal for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats step outside the CACC for the final time during the 2018 regular season with their next contest, as they welcome LIU Post to the Complex on Wednesday. The opening whistle is set for 3:30 p.m.
 
SUBJECT: Four Second Half Goals Sink Women’s Soccer, 4-0, Against Bridgeport

DATE: October 8, 2018
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NEWARK, Del. - - Maegen Doyle scored three times in the second half to lead Bridgeport past the Wilmington University women’s soccer team, 4-0, in its final nonconference contest of the season on Monday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex.

All four goals came in the second half for the Purple Knights (7-3-1), as they were deadlocked with the Wildcats (6-8), 0-0, at the halftime break.

The visitors outshot the Wildcats, 11-3, in the first half, but the Wildcats’ three shots came from great chances. The first shot came off a corner in the 24th minute with the game still scoreless. Cassidy McErlain headed a ball down on the back post, but the attempt was blocked right in front of the goal and cleared away.

Jasmine Brake had back-to-back blasts from inside the box in the 37th minute, but neither were able to reach the goal as they were blocked away as well. Wilmington had two corners in the first half, compared to the Purple Knights’ zero.

Wilmington came out of the break and put early pressure on the Purple Knights, getting another shot from Cassidy McErlain and two corners from Rebecca Dolhansky.

But it was Bridgeport that struck first.

Maegen Doyle’s first touch turn freed her inside the18-yard box and her shot from the right side went off the far post and in, beating Kate Tubo or the 1-0 lead in the 51st minute.

The Purple Knights didn’t let down, scoring again in the 61st minute on a cross and tap in go, the 65th minute on a penalty kick, and Doyle finished off her hat trick in the 69th minute off a misclear by WilmU defense.

The Wildcats were outshot, 19-5, in the match but earned more corners, 6-3. Tubo made six saves in goal for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats return to Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action with their next contest, as they welcome Bloomfield to the WU Athletics Complex on Saturday afternoon. The women kick off a soccer doubleheader with an expected start time of 12:00 p.m.
 
SUBJECT: Marie Rondot and Tess Paya Win Twice but Women’s Tennis Falls at UDC, 4-3

DATE: October 9, 2018
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - - The doubles point came was once again the deciding factor for the Wilmington University women’s tennis team on Tuesday, as the District of Columbia won a narrow match, 4-3, at the UDC Tennis Facility.

The Firebirds (7-1) won their sixth match in a row, claiming the doubles point while also winning three singles matches. The doubles point came down to a tiebreaker at No. 2 doubles, as the Wildcats (4-4) won at No. 3 to even the score, 1-1. The Firebirds took No. 2 doubles, 7-5, in the tiebreaker to earn the point.

Freshman Marie Rondot tied the match, 1-1, with a win at No. 2 singles, but UDC earned the match victory by taking singles matches at No. 6, No. 1, and No. 3.

The Wildcats’ Tess Paya picked up a win at No. 4 singles, 6-4 and 6-3, while Andrea Ribalta gave the Wildcats their third singles win at No. 5, needing a third set to earn the win, 6-2, 2-6, and 6-1.

Tess Paya and Marie Rondot won at No. 3 doubles to force the deciding match at No. 2 doubles.

Tuesday was the final nonconference match for the Wildcats in the fall, as they return to Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action for their final three regular season contests. They host Post on Thursday at the Delcastle Tennis Center for their final regular season home game. First serve is set for 2:00 p.m.
 
SUBJECT: Volleyball Downs Chestnut Hill with 3-0 Victory

DATE: October 9, 2018
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NEWARK, Del. – Every set was a close one, but the Wilmington University volleyball team came out on top every time as they beat Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division foe Chestnut Hill College, 3-0, at the WU Athletic Complex Tuesday night.

Set scores for the Wildcats were 25-18, 25-17, and 25-19.

The Griffins (5-15, 3-8 CACC) went on a 6-0 run to lead the Wildcats (15-9, 9-3 CACC) 11-7 in the first set but Wilmington came right back with their own 6-0 run to take the lead, 13-11. A Griffins’ kill by Mykala Milching would tie the game at 13 a piece but the Wildcats would go on another 5-0 run to increase their lead and take the set, 25-18.

The second set was not much different as both teams rallied point for point until three consecutive errors by the Griffins gave the Wildcats a 15-14 lead. WilmU would go on a 4-0 run off of two more errors by the Griffins to increase their lead to 22-15 and finish out the set on a ball handling error by the Griffins to take the set, 25-17.

With the game tied at 18 a piece in the third set, the Wildcats were able to pull away from the Griffins from three errors from Chestnut Hill and back-to-back kills by Bailey Andrews and Jill Braunsberg to take a 22-18 lead. Juliana Testa came into the game and served up an ace on match point to give the Wildcats the third set, 25-19.

Bailey Andrews led all hitters with 12 kills for a .423 hitting percentage, with Mandy Behiels adding seven kills and nine digs. Jill Braunsberg had her 14th double-double of the season as she dished out 15 assists and 12 digs.

Jenna Brown collected 24 digs, with Brittany Ford chipping in with nine.

The Wildcats capitalized off of Chestnut Hill’s 24 hitting errors, including their .000 hitting percentage in the second set, 10 service errors, and seven reception errors in the match.

Up next the Wildcats travel to cross-town rival Goldey-Beacom on Saturday for a 12 p.m. start time inside the Joseph West Jones Center.
 
SUBJECT: Men’s Soccer Comes From Behind to Earn First Ever Victory, 2-1, Over LIU Post

DATE: October 10, 2018
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NEWARK, Del. - - A pair of late second half goals pushed the Wilmington University men’s soccer team to a much needed 2-1 nonconference victory over LIU Post at the WU Athletics Complex on Wednesday afternoon.

Having dropped down to No. 10 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches East Region Poll, the Wildcats (8-1-4) needed a result over No. 7 LIU Post (8-3) to keep momentum heading into the final portion of the regular season. Two goals in the final 12 minutes flipped the script and gave the Wildcats their first ever victory over the Pioneers. They were winless in their previous seven matches against LIU Post.

Despite a scoreless opening 45 minutes, the Wildcats had the best opportunity before heading in the break. Dominican Folarin found Matt Paranczak in the middle of the penalty box, but Paranczak’s low shot from 10 yards was stuffed by Matias Pesallaccia with 2:18 showing on the clock. The Wildcats went into the break with a 5-3 advantage in shots.

But LIU Post was the team that came out fast in the second half, as they produced two corners in the opening 1:31. They would strike first with their first shot moments later.

Tom Stenberg played a centering through ball from midfield, finding Lukas Ostermann who slid one under a charging Vinny Tasca from 12 yards out for the 1-0 lead in the 48th minute.

The Wildcats started to press, but didn’t get any true chances until their tied the game in the 79th minute. Playing down the middle of the field, Manuel Ruiz Luque played the ball forward to Dimitrios Anastasiou who touched a ball to Tom Garratt at the top of the box. He played one more ball to Davion Wedderburn on the left side who slid it under the goalie to tie the match, 1-1, with 11:49 remaining.

Wilmington kept the pressure on and it paid off in the 85th minute. Ben Jordan and Sam Jester raced down the left side with a build up from midfield. Jester got into the box and ripped a left footed shot that was saved, going for the rebound, he was elbowed up high and taken down, drawing a penalty kick. Will Stone buried the opportunity for his fifth of the season to take a 2-1 lead with 5:22 to play in regulation.

The Pioneers had one last ditch effort down the stretch, earning a pair of corner kicks in the final two minutes. Khalid Al Saud had a header on the second, but it sailed high with 1:11 left, which proved to be their final chance.

The Wildcats outshot the Pioneers, 12-7, for the match despite LIU Post earning more corners, 6-1. Vinny Tasca made two saves for the win while Matias Pesallaccia made four stops in the loss.

The Wildcats have four Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matches left in the regular season, starting with Bloomfield on Saturday at home. The Wildcats and Bears will start following the women’s game at approximately 2:30 p.m. at the WU Athletics Complex.
 
SUBJECT: Women’s Tennis Wins Fourth Straight CACC Match with 7-0 Victory Over Post

DATE: October 12, 2018
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WILMINGTON, Del. - - The Wilmington University women’s tennis team inched closer to a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament first round bye on Friday, defeating Post, 7-0, at the Delcastle Tennis Center.

Friday started a weekend full of CACC action for the Wildcats (5-4, 5-1 CACC), as they play at Holy Family on Saturday at finish the regular season at Chestnut Hill on Sunday. They won all nine matches on Friday over the Eagles (9-5, 2-3 CACC), earning the point in doubles with all three matches before sweeping the six singles matches.

Begona Gomar and Anushka Sathe improved to 5-1 together in doubles in CACC play, starting the Wildcats off with a win at No. 2, 6-2. They are 7-4 overall on the season. Tess Paya and Marie Rondot improved to 4-1 in CACC play at No. 3 doubles, winning the match, 6-4, to give the Wildcats the doubles point. The pair is 5-3 overall in doubles matches together. Laura Gil and Andrea Rilbalta made it a clean sweep in the doubles events with a 6-4 victory at No. 1, improving to 4-2 in CACC play on the year.

Tess Paya started the singles matches off with a Wilmington victory at No. 5, 6-0 and 6-0, keeping her clean singles sheet in CACC play at 5-0. She is now 8-2 in singles matches on the season. Andrea Ribalta took care of her opponent, 6-0 and 6-1, at No. 6 singles to also improve to 5-0 in CACC play, sitting at 6-3 overall on the season.

Begona Gomar improved her CACC record at No. 1 singles to 5-1 with a 6-4 and 6-0 victory, and now stands at 5-4 in singles competition on the season. Her victory closed out the team victory, giving the Wildcats their fourth point of the match.

Laura Gil won at No. 4 singles, 6-2 and 6-2, to improve to 5-1 in the CACC. She is now 8-5 overall in singles matches. Freshman Marie Rondot improved to 2-1 at No. 3 singles with a 6-2, 6-2 victory, and is now 3-2 in CACC play. Anuska Sathe finished off a Wildcat sweep with a comeback, falling in the opening set, 6-3, before fighting back to take the match, 6-2 and 10-3 in the superset. Sathe is now 5-1 in CACC and 5-5 on the season.

The Wildcats’ match at Holy Family on Saturday is scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m. in Philadelphia.
 
SUBJECT: Two Second Half Goals Help Wildcats to 2-0 Victory Over Bloomfield on Senior Day

DATE: October 13, 2018
MKR

NEWARK, Del. – With two second half goals, the Wilmington University men’s soccer team went on to beat Bloomfield, 2-0, at the WU Athletics Complex on Saturday for Senior Day.

The Wildcats (9-1-4, 6-1-2 CACC) had nine seniors they honored before their contest with Bloomfield (4-8, 3-6 CACC) began. Vinny Tasca, Dominic Folarin, Manuel Ruiz Luque, Sam Jester, Will Stone, Daniel Loyo, Joel Flores, Jaime Navalpotro, and Matt Paranczak were all recognized for WilmU.

Wilmington started the first half with 10 shots on goal to Bloomfield’s two, including Fredrik Bendtal’s shot in front of the net in the 35th minute that was blocked by Bloomfield’s Alex Idrovo and rebounded by Joe Bell, but was saved again by the Bears’ goalkeeper off of an impressive reaction from off the ground.

Six minutes into the second half, Wilmington’s Fredrick Bendtal made a beautiful long cross pass to Tom Garratt on the back post to give WilmU the 1-0 lead over Bloomfield. Tom Garratt then would save the ball from going out of bounds to the left of the net and make a pass to Will Stone in front for the second goal of the game in the 71st minute of play.

The Wildcats out-shot the Bear’s 17-3 with 10 corners to their two.

Tom Garratt’s goal made it his ninth on the season and the sixth for Will Stone.

In a battle of the CACC’s top two teams in the standings, Wilmington will host Georgian Court Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in their final home game of the regular season.
 
SUBJECT: Dolhansky Scores on Senior Day as Women’s Soccer Defeats Bloomfield, 1-0

DATE: October 13, 2018
MKR

NEWARK, Del. – Senior Rebecca Dolhansky scored the lone goal in the Wilmington University women’s soccer team’s 1-0 win over Bloomfield Saturday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex for Senior Day.

Before today’s matchup between the Wildcats (7-8, 6-3 CACC) and Bears (1-12-1, 0-9-1 CACC), WilmU’s senior’s Kate Tubo, La’Dae Boykin, and Rebecca Dolhansky were honored by their coaches, teammates and families for Senior Day.

It was a slow start for both teams, as neither team could find the back of the net in the first 40 minutes of play. The Wildcats had nine shots to the Bears’ two before Rebecca Dolhansky got a shot off from 28 yards out on a centering pass from Krysta Memis to put it in the upper left corner of the net in the 42nd minute of play. Viviana Caamano had a chance a minute later on a header that went wide left, but the Wildcats would take the 1-0 lead into halftime.

Wilmington started the second half with two corner kicks, but could not connect. The Wildcats were able to hold of the Bears’ three shots and corner kick to keep it a scoreless game.

WilmU out-shot the Bears, 14-5, and also had more corner opportunities with six to Bloomfield’s two.

Jessica Unsihuay had two shots on goal for the Wildcats, while goalkeeper Kate Tubo made three saves in the shutout.

The Wildcats will have their last home game of the regular season this Tuesday when they face off with Georgian Court at 3:30 p.m. at the WU Athletic Complex.
 
SUBJECT: Volleyball Wins Fourth Straight with 3-0 Victory over Goldey-Beacom

DATE: October 13, 2018
MKR

Wilmington, Del. – In a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division rival match against Goldey-Beacom, the Wilmington University volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 victory over the Lightning Saturday afternoon at the Jones Center.

Set scores for the Wildcats were 25-19, 25-16, and 25-23.

Wilmington (16-9, 10-3 CACC) took the lead in the first set, and would not look back against the Lightning (4-18, 2-11 CACC) as they would take a 19-10 lead off a Bailey Andrews kill. Goldey-Beacom would climb within in four points, but WilmU would take the set, 25-19.

It was a back-and-forth second set until the Wildcats were able to pull away by three points to make it an 11-8 game. Goldey-Beacom would hang on to decrease WilmU’s lead to 15-14 before Wilmington was able to go on a 10-point run and secure the second set, 25-16. WilmU out-hit the Lightning in the set with a .333 hitting percentage to the Lightning’s .172.

The Wildcats saw themselves down, 5-1, to start the third set. An attack error by the Lightning and a service ace by Brittany Ford would help WilmU go on a 7-0 run and take a 10-6 lead. Wilmington would increase their lead to 22-16, but the Lightning would not back down, as they scored four straight points to hold off the Wildcats match point to make it a 24-23 game. Rebecca Rawlinson was able to slam it down to give the Wildcats the 25-23 victory for the Wildcats.

Bailey Andrews had 11 kills and four digs, while Rebecca Rawlinson recorded 10 kills, one service ace, and one block solo for a team high 12 points. Mandy Behiels was one kill away from a double-double, with nine kills and 11 digs.

Jill Braunsberg dished out 23 helpers, as Jenna Brown recorded 16 digs. Brittany Ford had four services aces on the day.

The Wildcats out-hit the Lightning 42-35 with a hitting percentage of .211 to Goldey-Beacom’s .167.

Up next, Wilmington will host Georgian Court Wednesday night or a 7:00 p.m. start time at the Complex.
 
SUBJECT: Bowling Opens 2018-19 Season with Five Baker Matches at Bud Whitman Memorial

DATE: October 13, 2018
djl

SINKING SPRING, Pa. - - The Wilmington University women’s bowling team began its 2018-19 season on Saturday at the Bud Whitman Memorial Tournament hosted by Kutztown, going 1-4 in Baker Matches while sitting in 14th overall with a total pin fall of 3,985.

The Wildcats faced off against three nationally ranked teams in the National Tenpin Coaches Association Preseason Poll (NTCA) in #13 St. Francis (Pa.), #15 Adelphi, and #19 LIU Brooklyn in their first action of the season.

The team picked up a win over Howard in its third Baker match of the day, taking down the NCAA DI opponent, 792-763. The Wildcats put down the most pins on the day in their final match against Chestnut Hill, but the Griffins came out with the narrow victory, 860-857.

The day opened with an 861-766 loss to #19 LIU Brooklyn before an 866-778 loss to #15 Adelphi. #13 St. Francis defeated the Wildcats, 920-792, before the final match against Chestnut Hill to wrap up the day.

Mount St. Mary’s leads the Bud Whitman Memorial after the Baker Matches, going 5-0 while knocking down 4,579 pins. Eighth ranked Delaware State is second overall with a total pin fall of 4,481 while LIU Brooklyn is third with 4,410.

Sunday will feature five traditional matches for the Wildcats at Berks Lane.
 
SUBJECT: Women’s Tennis Dominates Holy Family, 7-0, Controls Own Destiny in CACC Standings

DATE: October 13, 2018
djl

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - The Wilmington University women’s tennis team was nearly perfect in its 7-0 sweep of Holy Family on Saturday, giving up only two games to the Tigers at the Union League Tennis Courts.

With the win, the Wildcats (6-4, 6-1 CACC) control their own destiny with one Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference match remaining in the regular season. The Wildcats, Concordia, and Goldey-Beacom all have one loss in CACC play, but the Wildcats could win the three-way tiebreaker and earn the CACC Tournament’s No. 1 seed with a positive outcome on Sunday at Chestnut Hill.

The Wildcats went through the doubles’ matches with out succeeding a game, winning all three matches, 6-0, to earn the single point.

The dominance continued into the singles matches, as Anushka Sathe won at No. 2, 6-0 and 6-0. Laura Gil won at No. 3 singles by the same score, 6-0 and 6-0, as did Tess Paya at No. 4 singles, 6-0 and 6-0.

Andrea Ribalta won a single superset at No. 5 single, 8-0, while Sabrina Blasi-Smith also won a single superset at No. 6 singles, 8-0.

Begona Gomar won at No. 1 singles, 6-2 and 6-0, to close out the sweep and the victory, 7-0.

The all important match at Chestnut Hill on Sunday is set to get under way starting at 12:00 p.m. The three-way tiebreaker at the top of the CACC standings would come down to sets won in conference play. The match with the Griffins will be streamed and can be found at caccnetwork.com/chestnuthill.
 
SUBJECT: Record Breaking Day for Women’s Bowling; Malia Stout Named Co-MVP

DATE: October 14, 2018
djl

SINKING SPRING, Pa. - - It was a record breaking day for Malia Stout and the Wilmington University women’s bowling team, as the Wildcats went a perfect 5-0 and finished sixth overall in traditional matches on day two of the Bud Whitman Memorial Tournament hosted by Kutztown on Sunday at Berks Lane.

Malia Stout set a new program record and became the first Wildcat to finish atop the leaderboard, finishing tied for first out of 129 bowlers on Sunday, becoming the first Wildcat to knock down over 1,000 pins and hold a five-match average of over 200. She finished tied atop the leaderboard with 1,017 total pin fall, collecting a 203.40 average. Stout tied Molloy’s Carly Licht with the same total and average score.

Stout, a sophomore, bowled a day’s best 254 against Youngstown State in the day’s second match, adding another 213 in the final match of the day against nationally No. 24 ranked Kutztown. Her five-match totals were 165-254-186-199-213 for a 1,017. The 254 was the third highest single match total in program history.

The Wildcats went undefeated on Sunday, beating Medaille, 853-822, Youngstown State, 947-842, nationally No. 8 Delaware State, 849-787, Roberts Wesleyan, 880-806, and nationally No. 24 Kutztown, 952-781. The team score of 952 against Kutztown is the second highest in program history.

Sophomore Clare Chaffer finished 19th individually on Sunday, bowling a 900 for a 180.00 average. Her five-match scores for the day were 183-163-200-187-167 for her 900. It is her best five-match performance in her short college career so far.

Freshman Jocelyn Hood placed 29th overall with a five-match score of 887 for a 177.40 average in her first collegiate appearance. She bowled a day’s high 204 in the final match against Kutztown, going for scores of 170-177-160-176-204 for her 887.

Sophomore Rachel Hirst was the final Wildcat to bowl all five matches on Sunday, finishing 34th overall with a five-game total of 871 for a 174.20 average. Hirst collected scores of 181-180-146-178-186 for her 871.

Saint Francis (N.Y.) won Sunday’s traditional match format by going 4-1 overall with a total pin fall of 4,645 for a 185.8 average. Molloy placed second overall by also going 4-1 with a total pin fall of 4,557 for a 182.3 average. Wilmington finished sixth overall with a total pin fall of 4.481, good enough for a 179.2 average per game.

The Wildcats will look to carry Sunday’s momentum into next weekend, as they head to the Mount Shootout hosted by Mount St. Mary’s at Sunshine Lanes in Waynesboro, Pa. The tow-day tournament starts Saturday, October 20.
 
SUBJECT: Gomar and Sathe Earn All-CACC; Brad Rose Coach of the Year as CACC Announced All-Conference Awards

DATE: October 16, 2018
djl

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - After capturing its first share of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Regular Season Championship, the Wilmington University women’s tennis team was rewarded with two student-athletes being named All-CACC while head coach Brad Rose was named the CACC Coach of the Year, as announced by the conference office.

It is the second time in the program’s third season that Brad Rose was named the CACC Coach of the Year, also winning the award in the program’s first season in 2016. Junior Begona Gomar was voted to the 2018 All-CACC First Team while senior Anushka Sathe was voted to the 2018 All-CACC Second Team on Tuesday.

It is the third year that Gomar has been named First Team All-CACC, but has produced the best season of her career so far. Playing at No. 1 singles all season, the junior is 6-2 in CACC play, falling to only the CACC Player of the Year Lotte Lesscher Y Post from Goldey-Beacom and Second Team All-CACC performer Mia Covic from Chestnut Hill. Overall, she is 6-4 at No. 1 singles this fall I dual matches.

It is the first time in her career that Sathe has earned All-Conference. She went 7-1 in the CACC at No. 2 singles. He lone loss came to First Team All-CACC performer Catarina Zheng of Goldey-Beacom. She finished 7-3 overall at No. 2 singles, going 7-4 in dual matches and 7-5 in all singles matches played this fall.

Gomar and Sathe teamed up and played at No. 2 doubles all season, going 8-3 overall, but an amazing 7-1 in CACC play. Their lone doubles loss came to the pair of First Team All-CACC performers from Concordia.

Brad Rose was named the 2016 Coach of the Year after leading the team to a No. 2 seed in the CACC Tournament as a first year program, and has now led them to their first CACC Regular Season crown and No. 1 seed in only the third year. The Wildcats are 7-4 overall this season, going 7-1 in the CACC.

AGATE

2018 CACC Women’s Tennis All-Conference

First Team:Begona Gomar (Wilmington University)
Angelica Karlsson Hantzis (Concordia College)
Lotte Lesscher Y Post (Goldey-Beacom College)
Josefina Martin (Concordia College)
Karla Miletic (University of the Sciences)
Catarina Zheng (Goldey-Beacom College)

Second Team:
Lauren Candia (Jefferson)
Mia Covic (Chestnut Hill College)
Areej Fareh (Post University)
Dea Lako (Post University)
Tadi Mrewa (Concordia College)
Anushka Sathe (Wilmington University)

2018 WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Lotte Lesscher Y Post (Goldey-Beacom College)

2018 WOMEN’S TENNIS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
Dea Lako (Post University)

2018 WOMEN’S TENNIS COACH OF THE YEAR:
Brad Rose (Wilmington University)

2018 WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD:
Caldwell University

2018 WOMEN’S TENNIS REGULAR SEASON CHAMPION:
Concordia College
Goldey-Beacom College
Wilmington University
 
SUBJECT: CACC Upset Thwarted as Women’s Soccer Has Lead But Can’t Finish Off Georgian Court, 2-2

DATE: October 16, 2018
djl

NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University women’s soccer team had a lead in each half against the top team from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, but Georgian Court responded each time and the two played to a 2-2 tie at the WU Athletics Complex on Tuesday afternoon.

Georgian Court (10-3-1, 9-0-1 CACC) out shot the Wildcats (7-8-1, 6-3-1 CACC), 27-9, in the match but it was the Wildcats who struck first in each half against to take a lead.

It didn’t take long for the Wildcats to strike, as Rebecca Dolhansky converted the first chance either team had in the fifth minute. Cassidy McErlain dropped a pass back to Dolhansky and her blast from 20 yards out beat the Lion goalkeeper up high and stayed under the crossbar for the 1-0 lead just 4:31 into the match.

But the Lions were able to knot the game moments later, scoring in the 11th minute with their third shot of the game. Heather Arbachesky caught Kate Tubo off her line in the penalty box and was able to go over the top from just outside the 18-yard box to tie the game, 1-1, 10:41 into the game.

The Lions nearly took the lead in the 17th minute, but Kaitlin Lister’s shot on the back post was stopped by Daryan Fennal and cleared from danger to keep the game deadlocked at 1-1. Georgian Court went on to outshoot the Wildcats, 11-2, in the first half, but the game remained tied heading into the break.

Georgian Court came out of the half and put up the first eight shots of the second half, but it was the Wildcats’ first shot that was able to put the home team in front in the 71st minute.

Freshman Kiana Jedlicka had the ball on the left side, and her left-footed attempt sailed high and over the goalkeeper, hit the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net for her first collegiate goal and the 2-1 lead 70:29 into the match.

The Wildcats followed with three shots and a corner in the next five minutes, but it was the Lions’ that were able to find the back of the net again. Anissia Fuccia slotted a ball past a hard charging Tubo in the 79th minute, tying the game, 2-2, with 11:41 remaining in the game.

Wilmington had a pair of chances in the second overtime period, nearly converting on their lone corner kick opportunity. But the Wildcats couldn’t find the final tough with the ball sitting in the box in the 105th minute. Jasmine Brake also took a chance with a long blast in the 107th minute, but her shot sailed just above the crossbar to keep the game locked at 2-2.

Tubo tied her season high with 12 saves in goal for the Wildcats while Anetha Jenkins came in for the final 34:18 for the Lions and made one save to record the tie.

The Wildcats are currently in fifth place in the CACC with two games remaining in the regular season. They head to Dominican on Saturday with a 12:00 p.m. start time.
 
SUBJECT: Wildcats Hold Off Georgian Court, 3-1, to Move into Third Place in the CACC

DATE: October 17, 2018
MKR

NEWARK, Del. – The Wilmington University volleyball team defeated Georgian Court, 3-1, in an intense Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup Wednesday night at the WU Athletics Complex.

Set scores for the Wildcats were 25-16, 18-25, 25-22, and 25-23.

The Wildcats (17-9, 11-3 CACC) block was a big help in their win against the Lions (15-8, 11-3 CACC) as they out-blocked Georgian Court, 9.5-6.

Wilmington was able to cruise to a 25-16 first set win, as they were able to score five unanswered points at the end of the match.

The Lions came out in the second set looking for revenge as they took a 10-5 lead over the Wildcats. WilmU was able to come within a point of the Lions, but Georgian Court scored three points to extend their lead to 15-11. A kill from Miranda Shaw would put the score at 22-18, but the Lions were able to secure the last three points to take the second set, 25-18.

The Wildcats saw themselves down 10-8 to begin the third set, but on back-to-back kills from Mandy Behiels and Bailey Andrews the Wildcats were able to tie the set at 10 apiece. WilmU was able to keep a small lead before breaking away from the Lions, scoring six unanswered points to increase their lead to 19-12. Georgian Court held on to come within one of the Wildcats’ 21-20 lead, but three consecutive kills from the Wildcats gave them the 24-20 lead, and 25-22 victory.

In another close fourth set, Wilmington was able to extend their lead to 18-11 by scoring five straight points. Georgian Court would not quit as they answered right back with six straight points to close the Wildcats’ lead to 18-17. Bailey Andrews put down a kill to give the Wildcats a three-point lead, but the Lions would score three unanswered points on a service ace and kill by Grace Fenn to tie the game, 21-21. Back-to-back kills from Rebecca Rawlinson and Mandy Behiels gave the Wildcats light for a 24-22 lead. The Lions were able to hold off one match point, but Jill Braunsberg and Rebecca Rawlinson were at the net for the block on match point for the Wildcats.

Mandy Behiels lead all hitters with 17 kills, while Bailey Andrews put down 14. Jill Braunsberg dished out 23 helpers, 11 digs, and five block assists, as Jenna Brown recorded 26 digs in the back row.

Angel Oliver was big at the net for the Wildcats as she had six block assists, while Rebecca Rawlinson added three block assists.

The Wildcats had a .487 hitting percentage in the third set, as they had 20 kills and had a better hitting percentage of .265 percent to the Lions’ .157 for the match.

The Wildcats will host Caldwell in their next CACC matchup this Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. start time at the WU Athletics Complex.
 
SUBJECT: Back-to-Back Second Half Goals Lift Men’s Soccer Past Georgian Court, 2-0, in Battle of Top CACC Teams

DATE: October 17, 2018
djl

NEWARK, Del. - - Two goals separated by fewer than two minutes was all the Wilmington University men’s soccer team needed to defeat the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference leading Georgian Court, 2-0, on Wednesday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex.

In what was expected to be a tightly contested contest between two teams atop the CACC standings and in the latest United Soccer Coaches East Region Poll released Tuesday, the play on the field did not disappoint. Georgian Court (12-3, 8-2 CACC) is ranked fourth in the East Region while the Wildcats (10-1-4, 7-1-2 CACC) moved up to seventh this week.

The Wildcats had the only chances in the first half, as they out shot the Lions, 5-1. Fredrik Bentdal had a pair of good looks that trickled by the right post and Tom Garratt nearly put the Wildcat ahead but his shot hit the right post and stayed in play in the 28th minute. Will Stone also had a shot in the waning seconds of the half barely go over the cross bar.

Wilmington’s Vinny Tasca made two saves 15 minutes into the second half, but was rarely tested before the Wildcats finally broke through.

A deflected ball found its way into the box for the Wildcats, and Sam Jester was first to get a foot on it. The ball hopped up and struck a Lion defender’s hand, prompting a penalty kick in the 69th minute. Tom Garratt buried the opportunity for his 10th goal of the year and the 1-0 lead.

The Wildcats kept the pressure on, putting back-to-back shots on frame in the next minute, but Will Stone’s was saved and Edward Slueue’s rebound attempt was headed away by a defender before reaching the goal line. But it didn’t take long for the Wildcats to find the back of the net again, as they converted on the ensuing corner kick.

Bentdal’s low corner went all the way to the back post where Joe Bell one-timed a volley back across the box. That found a charging Will Stone as he one-timed the shot into the back of the net and the Wildcats lead increased to 2-0 in a matter of 1:07 elapsed game time.

Tasca kept the shutout in line by sliding back across the face of the goalmouth to make a stop off a corner in the 84th minute. The Lions thought they had a penalty kick of their own moments later, but was determined to be a simulation by the attacker and called the other way.

It was the fifth shutout of the season for the Wildcats, as Tasca made four stops to extend his program record out to 16 career shutouts.

The Wildcats closed the gap between the Lions atop the CACC, but Georgian Court still holds a one-point advantage with two games to play. The Wildcats head to Dominican on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. start
 
SUBJECT: Women’s Tennis Advances to Second Straight CACC Tournament Championship With 4-0 Win over USciences

DATE: October 20, 2018
djl

MIDDLEBURY, Conn. - - For the second year in a row, the Wilmington University women’s tennis team advances to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship match, defeating USciences, 4-0, on Saturday in the Semifinals at the Edgewood Bath & Tennis Club.

Playing as the number one seed, the Wildcats (8-4) quickly jumped on top of the Devils (7-6), by taking the first two doubles matches for the 1-0 lead. But the Devils put the pressure on the Wildcats in the singles matches, not making it easy for the Wildcats to advance.

The combo of Tess Paya and Marie Rondot gave the Wildcats the momentum with a 6-1 win at No. 3 doubles before Begona Gomar and Anushka Sathe gave the Wildcats the doubles point with a 61 win at No. 2. Laura Gil and Andrea Ribalta were winning, 4-3, when the doubles matches were called.

The singles matches didn’t go as easily for the Wildcats, as the Devils came out and won the first set in three of the six matches.

That wasn’t the case for Laura Gil, however, as she gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead with a 6-0 and 6-1 win at No. 3 singles. Andrea Ribalta was one of the Wildcats that dropped the first at No. 6 singles, but answered with back-to-back 6-2 set victories, to take the match, 1-6, 6-2, and 6-2, for the 3-0 team lead.

In a battle of First Team All-CACC performers, Begona Gomar dropped the first set to Karla Miletic at No. 1 singles, but Gomar fought back with a 6-3 victory in the second set to force a deciding third. Gomar left little doubt, coming all the way back with the 6-1 third set victory, clinching the match for the Wildcats, 4-0.

Anushka Sathe won the first set, 6-4, and was at 6-6 in the second set at No. 2 singles when the match was called. Marie Rondot won the first set, 6-3, at No. 4 singles, but dropped the second set, 1-6, and was down, 2-3, in the third when the match was decided. Tess Paya was also down at No. 5 singles, losing the first set, 4-6, and being down 4-5 when the match was won.

Third seeded Concordia defeated second seeded and two-time CACC Tournament champions Goldey-Beacom, 4-3, in the second semifinals on Saturday. The Wildcats will face Concordia for the CACC Tournament Championship on Sunday with an expected start time of 12:00 p.m. at the Edgewood Bath & Tennis Center.
 
SUBJECT: Sam Jester’s Double OT Goal Finishes 2-1 Win at Dominican; Men’s Soccer Moves into First Place in CACC

DATE: October 20, 2018
djl

ORANGEBURG, N.Y. - - In its seventh overtime of the season, the Wilmington University men’s soccer team got a goal from Sam Jester in the 103rd minute to defeat Dominican, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon at the DC Soccer Field.

The Wildcats’ (11-1-4, 8-1-2 CACC) unbeaten streak has stretched to five straight with the win, playing in their NCAA era record seventh overtime game of the season. It didn’t look as though the game was going to go to overtime, as they Wildcats held onto a 1-0 lead into the final minute. But a Charger (5-11, 3-8 CACC) penalty kick with 31 seconds left forced the extra periods.

Dominican outshot the Wildcats, 7-5, in the first half, but neither team could find the back of the net. The Chargers had a golden opportunity in the 18th minute, but Ewan Gray’s shot hit the post and remained in play.

The Wildcats came out of the halftime break quickly, getting a shot on goal from Ellis McSharry and a corner in the opening two minutes. But it wasn’t until the 57th minute that the Wildcats were able to get on the board.

Fredrik Bentdal put a cross into the box and Will Stone got on the other end of it, heading it home for his eighth goal of the season and the 1-0 lead 56:22 into the game.

Tom Garratt nearly put the game away in the 86th minute, but his shot hit the post and stayed out of the goal, keeping the game at 1-0.

With less than a minute to play in regulation, the Chargers were fouled in the box and were able to convert the ensuing penalty kick to tie the game with 31 seconds left.

The Wildcats outshot the Chargers, 3-2, in the first overtime period, but none of the attempts were on frame.

Will Stone came down with a 50-50 ball just outside the Dominican box, and slotted Jester on the right side in the early going of the second overtime period. Jester’s shot went off a defender and back towards the near post, getting past the Charger’s goalkeeper for the 2-1 victory 102:01 into the contest.

The Wildcats outshot the Chargers, 15-13, for the match, despite Dominican earning more corners, 7-5. Vinny Tasca made four saves for the victory.

With the win, coupled with a Georgian Court loss to Post, the Wildcats are currently in first place in the CACC with 26 points with one game remaining. They head to crosstown rival Goldey-Beacom on Tuesday afternoon to round out the regular season. The opening whistle is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
 
SUBJECT: Volleyball Can’t Slam Door Shut in Fifth Set, Fall to Caldwell at Home

DATE: October 20, 2018
djl

NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University volleyball team fought off three match points in the fourth set, but then couldn’t close out Caldwell with three match points in the fifth, falling, 3-2, in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference cross divisional contest on Saturday at the WU Athletics Complex.

Set scores for the match for the Wildcats were 22-25, 25-19, 19-25, 27-25, and 14-16.

The Wildcats (17-10, 11-4 CACC) couldn’t overcome a slow start in the first set, falling behind by scores of 9-4 and 11-6. The Cougar lead (10-15, 9-6 CACC) great to as large as 17-10, but the Wildcats nearly came all the way back, getting to within 22-21 with a kill from Rebecca Rawlinson and a Cougar ball handling error. Bailey Andrews brought the Wildcats to within 23-22, but the Cougars scored the final two points for the set, 25-22.

Trailing 10-4 in the second set, the Wildcats rattled off runs of 4-0, 8-2, and ultimately 13-3 to gain a 17-13 lead. Kills from Mandy Behiels and Bailey Andrews put the Wildcats up 21-17, before back-to-back kills from Rawlinson and Jill Braunsberg evened the match, 25-19.

The third set went back-and-forth, as the teams were tied 16-16 at the midway point. But Caldwell scored six straight to take a 22-17 lead before an ace gave them set point, 24-18. Chloe Kissner gave the Cougars a 2-1 sets lead with a kill, 25-19.

The Wildcats found themselves down19-13 late in the fourth set, but the Wildcats turned it on late, scoring five straight to bring the set to 19-18. They couldn’t keep the momentum, however, as the Cougars regained a 23-18 lead with four-straight points. Three straight errors brought the Wildcats to within 23-21, but the Cougars gained match point with a kill, 24-21. Mandy Behiels started a run of four straight with a kill, holding off three match points before taking set point of their own, 25-24, with a Bailey Andrews kill. The game was tied, 25-25, but a cougar service error and another ball handling error tied the match, 2-2, for the Wildcats, 27-25.

Another close start to the fifth set had the teams knotted at 9-9 after they switched sides. Caldwell took a 10-9 lead with a kill, but the Wildcats looked to gain control with four straight points, using a kill from Bailey Andrews to get to 13-10. Another Andrews kill gave the Wildcats three match points, 14-11. But Caldwell picked up back-to-back blocks before a kill tied the set, 14-14. A Wildcat error gave the Cougars match point before Demetria Gary ended the match with a kill, 16-14.

Jill Braunsberg finished with a triple-double, her first of the season but seventh of her career, collecting 10 kills with 27 assists and 14 digs. Andrews led the offense with 19 kills while Behiels chipped in with 14 terminations. Six Wildcats had double-digit digs, led by Jenna Brown’s 30.

The Wildcats will take to the road for their next contest, as they head to Holy Family for a CACC South Division contest on Tuesday night. The first serve against the CACC South Division leading Tigers is set for 6:00 p.m.
 
SUBJECT: Krysta Memis with a Goal and an Assist in Women’s Soccer’s 2-0 CACC Victory at Dominican

DATE: October 20, 2018
djl

ORANGEBURG, N.Y. - - A pair of second half goals carried the Wilmington University women’s soccer team to a 2-0 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference road victory at Dominican on Saturday.

After a scoreless first half, the Wildcats (8-8-1, 7-3-1 CACC) received goals from Krysta Memis and Cassidy McErlain while Kate Tubo made five saves in goal for the sixth shutout of the season.

Before the scoring started, it was the Chargers (3-12-1, 3-7-1 CACC) that came out of the halftime break with an edge. They had the first three shots of the half, including a pair of corners before the Wildcats settled in.

A corner got the Wildcats into the attacking zone in the 55th minute, and it was a Rebecca Dolhansky shot in the 59th minute that set up the eventual game-winner from Krysta Memis. Dolhansky’s initial shot was saved by Charger goalkeeper Autumn Vazquez, but the rebound couldn’t be corralled and Krysta Memis was there to stuff home the rebound 58:14 into the match.

Looking for an insurance goal, the Wildcats turned up the heat in the 82nd minute, putting back-to-back shots from Memis and Lina Boussif on frame while a third by Cassidy McErlain was wide. McErlain found her accuracy in the 87th minute however, scoring from the top of the box off a pass from Memis for the 2-0 lead with only 3:21 left in the game.

It was Memis’ third goal and sixth assist of the year, giving her 12 points overall. McErlain is now tied atop the leaderboard for the Wildcats with four goals on the year.

The Wildcats outshot the Chargers, 15-11, despite giving up more corners, 4-2.

The Wildcats wrap up the regular season, and are fighting for a home playoff game, when they head to Goldey-Beacom on Wednesday afternoon. The Wildcats are currently tied for fourth with 22 points in the CACC Standings with two other teams. The game at Goldey-Beacom is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start.
 
SUBJECT: Bowling Fights Back Against Felician, Secures Seventh Place at Mount Shootout

DATE: October 21, 2018
djl

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - - Coming back from a 3-2 deficit, the Wilmington University women’s bowling team defeated Felician, 4-3, to finish seventh in the Mount Shootout on Sunday afternoon at the Sunshine Lanes, hosted by Mount St. Mary’s.

The Wildcats entered bracket play in sixth place following a pair of five-game Baker matches on Sunday, splitting the pair. They then dropped a tight 4-3 decision to Roberts Wesleyan in the first bracket matchup before battling back to defeat Felician in the finale to finish seventh overall.

The day started with an 856-751 loss to Morgan State, but the Wildcats bounced back and took down Mount Aloysius with one of their best Baker format scores in team history. They defeated Mount Aloysius, 927-837, their sixth most points in the Baker match in program history.

The team headed into the bracket games with a total of 6,124 total pin fall, going with a 175.0 average score and sitting in sixth place overall.

The Wildcats then jumped on top of Roberts Wesleyan, 2-0, and 2.5-0.5 in the first three games of the first round bracket games. But the Redhawks won the fourth game before winning the final two games, 182-154 and 192-154, to come form behind and knock off the Wildcats, 4-3.

Wilmington then squared off against Felician in the second round, fighting for seventh place. Felician was able to get ahead of the Wildcats, 2-0, before the Wildcats won the third game, 201-177, and the fourth, 192-164. Felician got to within a win of the match, but the Wildcats stormed back to win the sixth game, 233-197, and won the match in the seventh, 226-161, for the comeback, 4-3.

St. Francis won the tournament by defeating Mount Aloysius in the first round and Mount St. Mary’s in the second round. Kutztown rounded out the to third with a third place finish.

Wilmington has next weekend off before returning to action with the first weekend in November, traveling to the Virginia Union Invitational. Their first three-day tournament starts on Friday, November 2 at the Bowl American Short Pump in Glen Allen, Virginia.
 
SUBJECT: CACC CHAMPS! Women’s Tennis Claims First Conference Championship in Third Year with 4-0 Win over Concordia

DATE: October 21, 2018
djl

MIDDLEBURY, Conn. - - A dominating performance in the singles portion of the 2018 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship secured the Wilmington University women’s tennis team’s first CACC Tournament Championship, 4-0, over Concordia, in only the program’s third year of existence.

In its first season as a program in 2016, the Wildcats finished second in the CACC and fell in the CACC Tournament Semifinals. The Wildcats have only gotten better. Last year, the Wildcats advanced to the CACC Tournament Championship match and this year took the next step in winning the whole thing.

On Sunday, the doubles point came down to the final match as the Wildcats got off to a great start with a 6-2 victory at No. 2 double with Begona Gomar and Anushka Sathe. Concordia tied the match by winning at No. 1 doubles, before Tess Paya and Marie Rondot secured the point with a 6-4 victory at No. 3 doubles.

The singles matches weren’t as pressure packed, as the Wildcats won the first set in five of the six singles matches.

CACC Tournament MVP Begona Gomar gave the Wildcats their first singles point, winning at No. 1 singles, 6-3 and 6-2, over fellow First Team All-CACC competitor, Angelica Hantzis.

The No. 5 singles match was next to finish and it was again the Wildcats coming out on top, 6-2 and 6-2. Tess Paya gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead, as they only needed one more match to go their way to win the Championship.

It didn’t take long before the Wildcats had their answer, as Andrea Ribalta slammed the Championship home with a 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 6 singles.

The Clippers came back to win the second set at No. 2 singles, and held leads in the second sets at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, which would have made thing interesting if the Wildcats didn’t close the door when they did.

Gomar won both doubles and both singles matches she played in the CACC Tournament to win the CACC Tournament MVP. She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Anushka Sathe, Tess Paya, and Laura Gil.

With the win, the Wildcats earn the CACC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament in the spring, marking the first time in program history the Wildcats will compete in the East Regional Tournament.

The Wildcats’ fall season comes to a close and they will return to action in the spring before heading to the postseason in May.

AGATE

2018 CACC Women’s Tennis All-Tournament Team:

Wilmington:

Begona Gomar
Anushka Sathe
Tess Paya
Laura Gil

Concordia:

Angelica Karlsson Hantzis
Josefina Torres Martin

Tournament MVP:
Begona Gomar
 
SUBJECT: Will Stone Ties Program Mark with Eight Points as Men’s Soccer Claims CACC Regular Season Title at Goldey-Beacom

DATE: October 23, 2018
djl

WILMINGTON, Del. - - A fifth straight win to close out the regular season would give the Wilmington University men’s soccer team the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Regular Season Championship, and senior Will Stone made sure that happened by defeating Goldey-Beacom, 5-0, on Tuesday at Nancy Churchman Sawin Field.

The win gives the Wildcats (12-1-4, 9-1-2 CACC) 29 points in the conference and clinches the No. 1 seed in the upcoming CACC Tournament next week. They will host the No. 8 seed on Tuesday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex at 2:00 p.m. It is the first CACC Regular Season Championship since the 2015 season and third overall.

But Tuesday was all about Will Stone, as he recorded his first hat trick as a Wildcats while adding two assists to tie the program record with eight points in a single game. He ties teammate Lorne Bickley’s mark of eight points, setting the mark with four goals against Felician on September 10, 2017.

Sam Jester started the scoring for the Wildcats in the 11th minute, finishing off a through ball into the box from Stone for his sixth goal of the year.

Stone then took things into his own hands with the ball, launching a left-footed shot form outside the 18 into the top right corner in the 13th minute for his ninth goal of the year.

The senior was at it again in the 24th minute, getting a great feed from Tom Garratt in the box, using a low shot form 15 yards to put the Wildcats up 3-0 23:54 into the match.

The Wildcats outshot the Lightning (4-11-2, 3-6-2 CACC), 7-4, in the first half.

The second half started just as quickly for the Wildcats as Garratt and Stone set up Fredrik Bentdal in the box for a close range shot in the 55th minute for the 4-0 lead.

Stone then finished off the Lightning with his third goal and seventh and eighth points of the game in the 60th minute. Tom Garratt’s set piece from near midfield was redirected by Sam Jester into the box, and Will Stone’s second touch was a shot into the right side netting for the 5-0 lead.

Vinny Tasca needed to only make one save for his sixth shutout of the season. The Wildcats outshot the Lightning, 12-8, for the match.
 
SUBJECT: First Place Holy Family Too Much As Volleyball Falls, 3-0

DATE: October 23, 2018
MKR

Philadelphia, Pa. – The Wilmington University women’s volleyball team could not hang on as Holy Family swept the Wildcats, 3-0, in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup Tuesday night at the Campus Center Gym.

Set scores for the match were 25-22, 25-7, and 25-15.

First place in the South Division, Holy Family (23-5, 15-1 CACC) out-hit Wilmington (17-11, 11-5 CACC) 48-15.

The Wildcats had the early lead in the first set, but Holy Family was too much, as they came back to tie the game at 16 apiece. The next eight points would be a back-and-forth action between both teams as it was locked again at 20-20. Holy Family would score two more points from Chase Wessel to put the Tigers up 22-20 before WilmU called a timeout. Wilmington held off three set points before the Tigers took the first set, 25-22.

Holy Family took an early second set lead going on an eight-point run to lead 18-4, but the Wildcats could not find their way back to drop the set, 25-7. Holy Family had a hitting percentage of .455 in the set.

The Wildcats were able to hang on early in the third set as Mandy Behiels tied the game, 8-8, on a kill, but Holy Family’s next four points gave them the 12-8 lead to slowly close the door for the 25-15 win.

Mandy Behiels had seven kills for the Wildcats as Angel Oliver and Jill Braunsberg recorded three block assists at the net.

The Wildcats were out-dug by Holy Family, 60-34, despite out-blocking the Tigers, 9-3.

The Wildcats look to get back on track this Saturday against Concordia in their final home game of the regular season for senior day. Opening whistle is set for 1:00 p.m. at the WU Athletics Complex.
 
SUBJECT: Wildcats Cruise to 3-0 Win over Concordia on Senior Day

DATE: October 27, 2018
MKR

NEWARK, Del. – The Wilmington University volleyball team downed Concordia 3-0 Saturday afternoon in a cross-division Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup at the WU Athletics Complex for Senior Day.

Set scores for the Wildcats were 25-19, 25-20, and 25-16.

Before the game, seniors Brittany Ford, Miranda Shaw, and Jenna Brown were honored by the Wildcats in their last home game of the regular season for Senior Day.

The Wildcats (18-11, 12-5 CACC) out-hit the Clippers (1-20, 1-16 CACC) 44-25 in the match to help them cruise to the 3-0 victory.

The Clippers got out-front in the first set, 6-2, before the Wildcats tied it up at 6-6 on a Mandy Behiels kill. WilmU would slowly chip away forcing Concordia to take two timeouts after a Rebecca Rawlinson service ace gave Wilmington a 21-13 lead. Concordia held on for a moment, but the Wildcats would take the set, 25-19.

It was a 7-7 game in the second set until Mandy Behiels’ kill off the Clippers block started a 7-0 run for the Wildcats. As Wilmington tried to increase their lead, Concordia slowly came back, saving four set points before Rebecca Rawlinson got the kill to end the set, 25-20. The Wildcats had a .394 hitting percentage with 15 kills in the second set.

WilmU started the third set leading, 5-1, before the Clippers came within one to make it a 5-4 game. A Jill Braunsberg cross-court kill would start a 4-0 run for the Wildcats to slowly break-away from the Clippers. The Wildcats jumped out to a 20-10 lead for their biggest lead of the match, thanks to a Genevieve Hughes’ ace. Wilmington would go on to take the third and final set, 25-16.

Mandy Behiels led the Wildcats with 10 kills, as Rebecca Rawlinson added eight kills and three block assists. Jill Braunsberg recorded eight kills and dished out 14 assists.

Miranda Shaw recorded a double-double in the match with 20 assists and 12 digs, while fellow seniors, Jenna Brown and Brittany Ford added 17 and nine digs, respectively.

The Wildcats out-hit the Clippers with a .238 hitting percentage to Concordia’s .093. WilmU also out-blocked their opponent, 7-3.

Up next, the Wildcats travel to Adelphi for their final nonconference matchup of the year on Monday night. First whistle is set for 7:00 p.m.
 
SUBJECT: Wildcat Cross Country Teams Combine for Best CACC Performance; Men Claim Fifth Title, Women Take Second

DATE: October 28, 2018
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PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - For the fifth time in the last seven years, the Wilmington University men’s cross country team has claimed the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship on Sunday on Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park, as the women tied their best ever finish by placing second overall.

The men finished with 47 points, beating the field of 14 teams by 25 points. Bloomfield finished second overall with 72 points. On the women’s side, the Wildcats tied their best overall finish by earning 95 points to finish second overall for the second consecutive year.

The Wildcat men were led by the back-to-back CACC Runner of the Year Mark Corrigan, as he claimed the CACC Championship by over 10 seconds. His time of 26:52.6 is the fourth fastest time at the CACC Championship at Belmont Plateau by a Wildcat.

Miguel Suero was the second Wildcat finisher, placing fifth overall with a time of 27:57.3. Freshman Garrett Checchi became the first CACC Rookie of the Year for the Wildcats since Ken Fontal’s 2013 performance. Checchi was the top freshman finisher in the field, placing seventh overall with a time of 28:07.9.

Fellow freshman Brandon Cruz was the fourth scorer for the Wildcats, finishing 12th overall with a time of 28:28.2. Corrigan, Suero, Checchi, and Cruz were all named All-CACC for finishing in the Top 15 at the meet.

Senior JOhnathan Avila anchored the Wildcats scoring with a 22nd place finish, crossing the line in 29:02.8 to complete the team’s 47 points.

James Kennedy was 24th for the Wildcats with a time of 29:06.2 while sophomore Johnelle Joe rounded out the Wildcats on the course on Sunday with a 51st place finish in 31:16.3.

On the women’s side, the race was again won by Post’s Kendall Fitzgerald, claiming her third straight CACC Championship. She bested Wilmington’s Althea Davidson CACC Championship record at Belmont Plateau by 1.2 seconds with a time of 18:58.8.

The Wildcats claimed a pair in the Top 10, led by senior Gabby Brown’s sixth place finish in 20:42.2. That was a better time than her race at the 2016 CACC Championship on Belmont Plateau, improving upon her 22:16.2 time as a sophomore. Sophomore Alexa Crowell was on the heels of Brown, finishing seventh overall with a time of 20:47.6.

Both Brown and Crowell were named All-CACC for finishing in the Top 15 at the Championship.

Freshman Grace Slate was the Wildcats’ third scorer, placing 18th overall with a time of 21:27.1. Classmate Rosemary Gillam placed 24th overall with a time of 21:43.0 while sophomore Julia Merritt was the final Wildcat scorer in 40th overall with a time of 22:58.1.

Junior Emily Kockott finished 42nd overall with a time of 23:17.6 while freshman Allyson Kelly closed out the Wildcats on the course with a 58th place finish, crossing the line in 24:30.1.

Jefferson claimed the women’s championship for the fifth year in a row, earning 56 points, 39 fewer than Wilmington. The Wildcats out-dueled Chestnut Hill by four points as the Griffins finished third overall with 99 points.

Both the men and women will head to the NCAA Division II East Regional Championship on Saturday, November 17. The Wildcats will head to Beth Page State Park Polo Field in Beth Page, New York, to take on the best amongst the East Region.
 
SUBJECT: Wildcats Hold Multiple Set Points but Adelphi Prevails, 3-0

DATE: October 29, 2018
MKR

Garden City, N.Y. – Despite losing 3-0, the Wilmington University volleyball team gave Adelphi University a tough three sets Monday night in their last nonconference matchup of the season at the Center for Recreation and Sport.

Set scores for the match were 25-19, 27-25, and 28-26.

The Wildcats (18-12) put up a fight against the 23-5 Panthers as each set was a race to set point. Wilmington jumped out to a 9-6 lead off of two errors in the first set before the Panthers went on a 5-0 run to make it an 11-9 game. The Wildcats would tie the set two more times until the Panthers took a 17-14 lead to slowly take the set, 25-19.

WilmU was in control for most of the second set leading the Panthers, 22-16 thanks to three back-to-back kills and an attacking error by Adelphi. But the Panthers would not quit, chipping away to make it a 23-20 game. The Wildcats had set point, but Adelphi was able to hold off four set points and eventually take a 25-24 lead over the Wildcats. WilmU was able to tie it back up at 25 apiece, but the Panthers went on to win, 27-25.

Wilmington was in charge again in the third set with a 19-14 lead off a Mandy Behiels kill, before the Panthers made a comeback to tie it at 19-19. Neither team would quit, as the set would be tied six more times, including Rebecca Rawlinson and Jill Braunsberg’s back-to-back kills to tie it up at 24-24. A kill from Bailey Andrews and an attacking error would give WilmU the 26-25 lead, but Adelphi was able to secure the next three points to take the third and final set, 28-26.

Mandy Behiels recorded 10 kills, as Bailey Andrews added six. Jenna Brown had 21 digs, while Miranda Shaw dished out 14 assists for the Wildcats.

Adelphi out-hit the Wildcats 49-26 in the match, despite the Wildcats out-blocking the Panthers, 7-2.

The Wildcats are right back at it as they will travel to Jefferson for their next Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup on Wednesday for a 6:00 p.m. start time, before finishing out the regular season on Saturday at USciences.
 
SUBJECT: Tasca and Johnson Named CACC Players of the Year; Papanicolas Named Coach of the Year Headlining Five Wildcats on All-CACC Teams

DATE: October 29, 2018
MKR

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After clinching the regular season championship and the number one seed going into the postseason, two Wilmington University men’s soccer student-athletes were named Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Players of the Year, along with three being named First-Team All-CACC, while head coach Nick Papanicolas was named CACC Coach of the Year, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.

In his 15th season, and for the fourth time in his career, Nick Papanicolas was named CACC Coach of the Year. Senior Vinny Tasca was named Goalkeeper of the Year for the first time in his career, earning All-CACC for the second time overall. Junior defender Elliot Johnson was named CACC Defensive Player of the Year, while earning All-CACC for the second year in a row. Senior forward Will Stone was named First-Team All-CACC, for the first time as a Wildcat, along with junior forward Tom Garratt, who earned it for the first time in his career. Senior defender Daniel Loyo was named Second-Team All-CACC for his work on defense.

Altogether, the men led the Wildcats to a 12-1-4 overall regular season record, to earn the regular season championship and number one seed going into the playoffs. They will have home field advantage, as they will take on eighth seeded Chestnut Hill Tuesday in the first round of the CACC Tournament.

Tasca earned All-CACC Second Team and United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Second Team his junior year as a goalie, before earning Goalkeeper of the Year for being name the First Team All-CACC netminder his senior season. He has completed six shutouts in goal for the Wildcats, while also leading the CACC with a 0.84 goals against average on the year. He had a season’s best six saves in the net against Jefferson.

Johnson also earned Second-Team All-CACC last season, before earning First Team All-CACC and Defensive Player of the Year this year. He has been big on the back line for the Wildcats, making defensive saves throughout the year. He had one assist this season against Felician, helping them to a 6-1 win over the Golden-Falcons.

Stone has been an offensive threat for the Wildcats this season, leading the team with 11 goals and 13 assists (35 points). He recorded his first hat trick as a Wildcat against Goldey-Beacom, scoring three goals and dishing out two assists, while tying the program record with eight points in a single game. He is fourth in the CACC with 11 goals, second in the CACC with 13 assists, second in the league with 35 points, and tied for fourth in the conference with 54 shots.

Garratt has also been an offensive force for the Wildcats this season. He is second on the team with 10 goals and 11 assists (31 points). He recorded his first career hat trick against Nyack, scoring three goals, going 2-2 in penalty kicks. He is fifth in the CACC with 10 goals, third in the conference with 11 assists, tied for third in total points with 31, and sixth in the CACC with 47 shots.

Loyo earns All-CACC for the first time in his career as a defender. He has helped the back-line for the Wildcats this season to a 0.83 goals against average as a team. He has also been an attacking threat, scoring the first goal of the game against Holy Family to help the Wildcats defeat the Tigers, 2-1, this season.

Nick Papanicolas was named the 2006, 2009, and 2015 Coach of the Year, before earning the fourth of his career this year. The Wildcats are 12-1-4 overall this season, and ranked fourth in the NCAA Division II East Region heading into the postseason.

Post University’s Sergio Diaz was named CACC Player of the Year, while Concordia’s Marlon Buck earned CACC Rookie of the Year.

AGATE:

2018 CACC All-Conference Teams:

First Team: F - Marlon Buck (Concordia College)
F - Tom Garratt (Wilmington University)
F - Alvaro Sanchez (Post University)
M - Sergio Diaz (Post University)
M - Jason Rocha (Jefferson)
M - Will Stone (Wilmington University)
D - Joaquin Escudero (Caldwell University)
D - Jonathan Firmino (Georgian Court University)
D - Elliott Johnson (Wilmington University)
D - Matteo Moro (Post University)
GK - Vinny Tasca (Wilmington University)

Second Team:

F - Kenny Monfort (Felician University)
F - Joel Quist (Georgian Court University)
F - Regsan Watkins (Bloomfield College)
M - Sean McCormick (Holy Family University)
M - Maxi Ojeda (Felician University)
M - Louis Silva (Georgian Court University)
D - Andrea Baleotto (Post University)
D - Niklas Laenger (Georgian Court University)
D - Daniel Loyo (Wilmington University)
GK - Jaime Gonzalez (Concordia College)
GK - Nils Svere (Caldwell University)

2018 CACC Player of the Year: Sergio Diaz (Post University)
2018 CACC Rookie of the Year: Marlon Buck (Concordia College)
2018 CACC Defensive Player of the Year: Elliott Johnson (Wilmington University)
2018 CACC Goalkeeper of the Year: Vinny Tasca (Wilmington University)
2018 CACC Coach of the Year: Nick Papanicolas (Wilmington University)
2018 CACC Team Sportsmanship Award: Nyack College


 
BJECT: Top Seeded Wildcats Shutout Chestnut Hill, 3-0, To Advance to CACC Tournament Semifinals

DATE: October 30, 2018
MKR

NEWARK, Del. – Daniel Loyo’s goal with one minute left in the first half sparked the Wilmington University men’s soccer team’s 3-0 victory over eighth seeded Chestnut Hill in the First Round of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Tuesday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex to advance to the CACC Semifinals.

The Wildcats (13-1-4) started the first half with several opportunities around the net, but could not connect for a goal. Ben Jordan had an opportunity in the 15th minute of the game when he was able to beat several defenders inside the box to get a shot off that went just high. A minute later Jordan had another opportunity with a shot on goal, but would hit the post and stay out. It was not until the 44th minute into the first half that Daniel Loyo connected with a header from Tom Garratt off a corner kick to give the Wildcats the 1-0 lead.

The Wildcats would bring that momentum with them into the second half, as Tom Garratt put a cross over from the right side to Fredrick Bentdal to give WilmU a 2-0 lead over the Griffins. Six minutes later, Ben Jordan got a shot off inside the box, but was blocked by the Griffins keeper, and then make a no-look pass to Tom Garratt behind him to finish off the scoring.

Chestnut Hill would get five more shots off before the end of regulation, but Wilmington would hold on for the shutout.

Vinny Tasca made two saves in goal for his seventh shutout of the season for the Wildcats. WilmU out-shot the Griffins, 19-9, in the contest.

With the win, the Wildcats advance to participate in the CACC Tournament Semifinals for the fourth time in the last five seasons. They will look to advance to the Championship game for the first time since 2014.

Wilmington will play fourth seeded Jefferson in the second round of the CACC Tournament this Friday at Post University in Waterbury, Conn. Opening whistle is set for 11:00 a.m.
 
SUBJECT: Volleyball Falls Late in Sets, Drop Match at Jefferson, 3-1

DATE: October 31, 2018
djl

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - Tied late in sets, the Wilmington University volleyball team couldn’t overcome Jefferson, falling in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division contest, 3-1, on Wednesday night inside the Gallagher Center.

Set scores for the Wildcats were 22-25, 18-25, 25-22, and 23-25.

The Wildcats (18-13, 12-6 CACC) outhit the Rams (22-9, 15-3 CACC) .139 to .125, getting the edge with a number of blocks in the match, 11-2. But the Rams had 10 aces in the match and had 15 more kills in the match, 58-43.

Mandy Behiels put the Wildcats ahead, 13-10, in the first set with a kill, but the Rams answered right back with three straight points to tie the game again. Wilmington led 17-15, but the Rams went on a 5-0 run to grab a 20-17 lead on a block error. The Wildcats closed the gap to within one on three separate occasions, the last being at 23-22, but the Rams scored the final two points to take the game, 25-22.

Four straight points but the Wildcats in the second set tied the game, 7-7, but the Rams used a 7-1 run to take control, 14-8. The lead grew to 17-10 as the Wildcats could only close the gap to 18-14 before the Rams extended the score out to 24-15. The Wildcats saved three set points before a kill finally gave the Rams the set, 25-18.

The Wildcats got off to a fast start in the third set, using a 5-0 run to start the game with an 8-2 lead. A Jenna Brown ace, followed by a kill from Rebecca Rawlinson and a block by Rawlinson and Bailey Andrews gave the Wildcats a 14-7 lead. Another block by Jill Braunsberg and Rawlinson had the Wildcats in front 17-8 before the Rams made a comeback. A 5-0 spurt started a 10-2 run to close the gap to 19-18. The teams traded the next three points before Angel Oliver and Mandy Behiels came up with a block to push the lead to 22-19. But The Rams gained three straight points to tie the set, 22-22. An error gave the ball back to WilmU before back-to-back kills from Behiels kept the Wildcats alive, 25-22.

The Wildcats again got off to a quick start in the fourth set, jumping out to a 6-3 lead on a kill from Jill Braunsberg. The Rams used a 5-0 run to gain control in the game, 10-7, before the Wildcats rattled off a 6-2 run to regain the lead, 13-12. The set went back-and-forth as Rawlinson put down a kill, 19-19. The Rams scored back-to-back points for the 21-20 lead, and extended the lead out to 23-20. Following a WilmU Timeouts, the Wildcats got a kill from Braunsberg followed by back-to-back Ram errors to tie the set at 23. But the Rams scored the final two points of the set, 25-23, to take the match, 3-1.

Braunsberg came up with her second triple-double of the season, collecting 10 kills to go with 19 assists and 14 digs. Behiels led the Wildcats with 11 kills, adding 11 digs for the double-double. Rawlinson added nine kills to go with three solo blocks and three block assists for a team high 13.5 points. Miranda Shaw added 17 assists while Jenna Brown finished with a game high 27 digs.

The Wildcats wrap up the regular season with a final CACC South Division match at USciences on Saturday. The match is set for a 12:00 p.m. first serve in Philadelphia.
 
SUBJECT: Two Second Half Goals Propel Top Seeded Wildcats Past No. 4 Jefferson, 2-1, in CACC Semifinals

DATE: October 31, 2018
djl

WATERBURY, Conn. - - Two second half goals send the Wilmington University men’s soccer team back to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship match with a 2-0 victory over fourth seeded Jefferson on Friday afternoon at LaMoy Field at Post University.

With the win, the top seeded Wildcats (14-1-4) advance to the CACC Championship match for the first time since 2014, looking to capture the postseason title for the first time since 2007. They will pay the winner of second seeded Post and third seeded Georgian Court who are playing in the second semifinal at the time of release.

The Wildcats supplied most of the pressure in the first half, but couldn’t find the back of the net. The Wildcats outshot the Rams (9-8-2), 11-6, while earning more corners, 7-0, in the first half, but Jefferson goalkeeper Kris Donaldson made seven saves to keep the game knotted at 0-0 at the half.

Wilmington again came out of the gate in the second half by supplying the pressure, earning two more corners and having two shots in the opening four minutes of action. But they wouldn’t break through until the 61st minute.

Tom Garratt made a run through the middle and into the box, getting tripped and going down to earn a penalty kick. He stepped up to take his own penalty attempt, burying the shot for the 1-0 lead 60:20 into the match.

The Wildcats were able to strike again moments later, as Will Stone placed a left footed in-swinging ball to the penalty spot. Sam Jester came charging on and headed home his seventh goal of the year and the 2-0 lead in the 68th minute.

Jefferson began to press and eventually was able to get past the Wildcats defensive line and Vinny Tasca in the 83rd minute, using a long shot form the right side to go up and over Tasca to cut the deficit in half.

But that would be the final chance for the Rams in the contest, as the Wildcats held off any other attempt to close out the final seven minutes of play.

The Wildcats outshot the Rams, 19-10, for the match while also earning more corners, 13-1. Donaldson ended with nine saves for Jefferson while Tasca made four stops for the win.

The CACC Tournament Championship match will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday at LaMoy Field. The winner of the match will earn the CACC’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament.
 
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