PHILADELPHIA – Sixth-year Temple lacrosse coach Bonnie Rosen has signed 13 student-athletes to join the Owls starting in 2012-13. The class includes two sets of sisters, another set of teammates, nine players from Pennsylvania and two each from New Jersey and Maryland.

The rundown of the signing class is: Kirstie Connor (Westminster, Md./North Carroll), Bridget Hufnagel (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter Strasburt), Summer Jaros (Avondale, Pa./Bishop Shanahan), Avery Longstaff (Denver, Pa./Cocalico), Kari Longstaff (Denver, Pa./Cocalico), Brenda McDermott (Harleysville, Pa./North Penn), Maddie McTigue (West Chester, Pa./Villa Maria Academy), Megan Pinkerton (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township), Rachel Schwaab (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville), Kathryn Skahan (West Chester, Pa./Bishop Shanahan), Kara Stroup (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley), Megan Tiernan (Turnersville, N.J./Washington Township) and Nicole Tiernan (Turnersville, N.J./Washington Township).

“It is an amazing feeling when all of the work that goes into something yields great results,” said Rosen. “This recruiting class embodies that sentiment. We set out as a coaching staff to bring in a large and talented class who could not only fill the shoes of our graduating seniors but who could help to elevate our program. This strong recruiting class is made up of 13 very unique student-athletes who share a common goal: to make their mark on Temple Lacrosse.”

Kirstie Connor, out of North Carroll High School in Westminster, Md., chose Temple for “the strong academic program, the cost, the opportunities for internships because of its location in the city, and the opportunity to play Division I Lacrosse.”

As a four-year varsity letterwinner at Lampeter Strasburt High School in Lancaster, Pa., Bridget Hufnagel was a two-time league all-star and two-time Team MVP that helped lead her team to a Central Pennsylvania Championship. Hufnagel is excited about “being one of 13 incoming freshman, and getting the opportunity to improve my skills and hoping to make an impact on the field. Also, I am really looking forward to being coached by a great coaching staff. I am really excited about creating new friendships with my teammates.”

A Brine All-American for Pennsylvania out of Bishop Shanahan High School, Summer Jaros was also named to ESPN’s High School on the Rise lacrosse watch list as a junior and senior. Jaros, planning to major in business at Temple, will be playing alongside current teammate Kathryn Skahan as well as another best friend, Maddie McTigue.

“I am really excited to learn from Coach Rosen, who is such an accomplished lacrosse player,” said Jaros. “I am also excited to be part of the family atmosphere of the team and to be part of a large recruiting class.”

Avery and Kari Longstaff, one of two sets of twin sisters joining the Owls, hail from Denver, Pa., where they play at Cocalico High School. Says Avery about her decision to attend Temple: “it was basically just a really good fit. I knew that Temple had a really good lacrosse program and that the school itself is highly regarded, so when I found out that they were interested in me as a player and then had the chance to meet the coaches, it was an easy decision.”

Sister Kari, who plans to enter Temple’s nursing program, is excited for “the competitive nature of the program,” and said “Temple lacrosse has a great family vibe that makes me very appreciative of my opportunity to become a part of the team.”

Brenda McDermott, who plays at North Penn High School in Harleysville, Pa., chose Temple for a number of reasons. “First is the location of the school,” said McDermott. “I like the city atmosphere while still being close to home and only 10 minutes away from my sister at LaSalle.  I also think the lacrosse facilities at Temple are better than most other schools. Furthermore, I fell in love with the program, and more importantly my future teammates. During my visit they made me feel at home and treated me as if I was one of them.  I also believe Temple is the best fit for me because of the coaching philosophy instilled in the program.”

A three-sport athlete out of Villa Maria Academy and West Chester, Pa., Maddie McTigue has also earned multiple letters in soccer and basketball.

“There were a lot of factors for me in choosing Temple,” said McTigue. “I was looking for the school that fit me from the campus and city life, to the team and coaches that seemed right. When I visited Temple and took a tour I immediately knew it was the right school for me. I loved the campus life, the coaches and the team.”

An honorable mention All-American as well as an Academic All-American out of Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, Megan Pinkerton has also been a first team all-league and all-section honoree. Off the field, Pinkerton is the co-organizer and director of Lax for Life Clinic to benefit the Special Olympics.

“I chose Temple because of the wide range of academic opportunities, the city location, and the lacrosse program,” said Pinkerton. “I really liked the city campus. I thought that it would be great to experience city life since it is so different than where I live. Also, Coach Rosen and Coach Wong made me feel like Temple would be a good lacrosse fit for me.”

Rachel Schwaab hails from Baltimore, Md., where she plays for Catonsville High School, and plans to study environmental engineering while at Temple.

“I was impressed by Temple since my first visit,” said Schwaab. “I was looking for a school where I could pursue my academic interests, contribute to a strong Division I lacrosse program, and live and study in a stimulating, urban environment.” About her decision to study environmental engineering, Schwaab says, “I have always had a strong interest in combining my interest in math and science with work that will address the real challenges that people and communities face in today's world.”

Kathryn Skahan is a US Lacrosse Academic All-American and third team All-ChesMont League selection who is the teammate of fellow recruit Summer Jaros at Bishop Shanahan High School. Skahan plans to major in business and possibly specialize in advertising at Temple.

“I wanted to go to, and play for, a city school,” said Skahan. “I love Philadelphia. Temple's campus was the best of the city schools. I know I'll get a really good education at Temple, and I really connected with the coaching staff.”

Coming in with huge enthusiasm for the program and Temple Athletics as a whole, is Kara Stroup out of Garnet Valley High School in Garnet Valley, Pa. “I love the atmosphere that all of the sports teams carry and the pride they have being Owls,” said Stroup. “I love going to other sports events, and being able to watch my peers play on the other sports teams will be so amazing. My grandfather and my cousin went to Temple, and it's so nice to have that connection with my family members.”

Stroup has not definitively decided on a major, but an interest of hers is kinesiology. “I have always been interested in this field of study since I was young,” said Stroup, “which I think has contributed to my passion for athletics. My love for athletics and the human body would ensure that the field of kinesiology would be a great fit for me.”

The second set of twin sisters joining Temple lacrosse are Megan and Nicole Tiernan out of Washington Township High School in Turnersville, N.J. Both all-conference selections and Academic All-Americans, the Tiernans have helped lead their team to conference and county titles during their time at Washington Township. Megan is a Wendy's High School Heisman School Winner and State Finalist, while Nicole, who plans to enter the nursing program, was also a nominee for the award.

“I know that I am going to have a great time studying and playing at Temple,” said Megan. “I am very excited to be going to college there and having my sister and close friends with me will be very special.”

“There were many factors that helped me decide on Temple,” said Nicole. “The coaches are amazing and very friendly, and the players are very inviting. Megan and I can go to school together, they have a great nursing program, the school is very close to home, and it is an overall great fit for me.”

“We chose each of these (recruits) for their current individual strengths but we also selected them with the vision that together they truly complement each other,” says Rosen. “Their athletic accolades speak for themselves, yet I am certain that each of their college lacrosse careers will far surpass their high school accomplishments. This group of players exudes potential, has something to prove, believes in the power of team, has demonstrated outstanding work ethic, is committed to academics, are good people first, and are excited to become Temple OWLS.

“While it will not be for another nine months until we get to officially welcome this class to Temple, they already feel like family,” Rosen said. “This NLI signing is an exciting time for these outstanding student-athletes and for Temple Lacrosse!”

PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph’s women’s basketball team snapped a two-game losing streak as the Hawks topped Sacred Heart, 63-54, Saturday afternoon at Hagan Arena. Down by five at halftime, Saint Joseph’s rallied to outscore the Pioneers 37-23 in the second half to earn its second home win of the year.

Trailing 31-26 at the half, the Hawks (3-3) scored the first nine points out of the break to take a 35-31 lead on a layup by senior Kelly Cavallo (Hampton Bays, N.Y./Westhampton Beach) at 17:18.

QUEENS, N.Y. - An early 19-0 run by St. John's was the difference in La Salle's 66-45 loss to the Red Storm at Carnesecca Arena on Wednesday night. Alexis Scott led the Explorers with 17 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the second half.

Jess Koci, Brittany Wilson and Jada Payne chipped in seven apiece, with Payne also pulling down a team-high five rebounds. St. John's Nadirah McKenith drained a game-high 26 points and Sheinneka Smith added 10. McKenith also pulled down seven rebounds to lead all players.

The loss drops the Explorers to 1-2, while the Red Storm improve to 1-1.

An early two-point bucket by Amber Thompson was negated by a Wilson trey and free throw, but the Red Storm responded with their 19-point run to push the score to 22-4 in favor of the home squad. McKenith scored 11 of her 26 points in that run which spanned 11:04. Scott broke the Explorers' drought with a layup at 5:19.

The Explorers closed out the half with a 10-4 run helped by turnovers on six consecutive Red Storm possessions to bring the score to 26-14 at the half.

The Blue & Gold closed the gap to nine points out of the gate in the second half, thanks to two straight Koci layups and a free throw. That was the closest the Explorers would get down the stretch as the home squad pushed its lead to as many as 24 late in the half.

St. John's was helped by 20 second-chance points as the Red Storm capitalized on 15 offensive rebounds, and also netted 23 of their points off of Explorer miscues.

The Explorers were limited to 25.4 percent shooting (15-for-59) while the Red Storm shot 45.3 percent (29-for-64).

La Salle returns home for the second of back-to-back BIG EAST opponents when the Explorers host Rutgers on Saturday at 7 p.m. as part of a Homecoming doubleheader.

PHILADELPHIA - La Salle freshman Jada Payne was named the Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week following a terrific collegiate debut weekend, announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon. She shares the honor with Saint Joseph's Ashley Robinson.

The Hickory, N.C., native scored a team-high 15 points in her first collegiate game on Friday, helping the Explorers roll past Lehigh 63-43. She added 16 points in a tough 81-76 loss at Albany on Sunday.

Payne shot 50 percent from the floor, going 10-for-20. She added an 88 percent shooting clip at the free throw line, hitting seven of eight, and added 11 rebounds, one assist and two steals.

ALBANY, N.Y. - La Salle erased an early 6-0 deficit and led by as many as nine late in the first half, but Albany pulled out an 81-76 decision at SEFCU Arena on Sunday afternoon. Brittany Wilson paced the Explorers with 17 points and three others added double figures.

In addition to Wilson's 17, Jada Payne added 16 with 14 of those coming after the break. Jordan Mosley also added 16 and Nadia Duncan chipped in 11. Mosley also added a team-high nine rebounds.

Albany's Julie Forster led all scorers with 26 points and also pulled down 20 rebounds, nine of those on the offensive glass. Seventeen of her points came in the first half.

Forster got her first four points in the first 54 seconds and Ebone Henry added a layup as the home squad went up 6-0 early. The Explorers responded with a 10-0 run behind two-point jumpers from Payne and Duncan along with treys from Mosley and Wilson. The Great Danes then responded with a run of their own and regained the lead at 21-20 with 6:37 remaining before halftime.

The Explorers (1-1) once again had an answer as a Duncan layup sparked a 12-2 run to put the visitors up 32-23 at the 3:51 mark, with Duncan scoring five of her 11 points in that stretch. The Great Danes (2-0) responded in kind with a 12-2 run of their own to close out the half and edge the Explorers 35-34 going into the break.

The Great Danes never relinquished the lead in the second half, pushing it to as many as 12 when they took a 73-61 lead with 6:50 remaining. After shooting just 1-of-10 from three-point land in the first half, the home squad chucked in six treys in the second half. La Salle got within two possessions with 1:35 remaining as the Explorers shot 18-of-21 at the free throw line in the second stanza.

Two free throws from Ebonee Jones with 12 seconds remaining brought the Explorers within five points but Albany's Adrienne Jones iced the game with a layup. Ebonee Jones scored with two seconds remaining for the final 81-76 score.

The Explorers shot 43.6 percent (24-55) for the game as well as 81.5 percent (22-27) at the charity stripe, while the Great Danes shot 36.6 percent (26-71) and 75.9 percent (22-29) at the free throw line. The Explorers also outrebounded the Great Danes 46-39, but the home squad converted on second-chance points as they pulled down 18 offensive boards.

The Explorers return to action on Wednesday when they head to St. John's for a 7 p.m. contest.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Averaging a double-double in her first two collegiate games, Saint Joseph’s redshirt sophomore Ashley Robinson (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood) was named Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week, conference officials announced on Monday. Robinson, who missed the previous two seasons due to leg injuries, averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds per game as the Hawks went 1-1 in opening weekend play.

Making her Saint Joseph’s debut at Princeton on Friday, Robinson was a force off the bench for the Hawks, scoring a team-high 18 points and adding 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. Playing 28 minutes, she hit on 4-of-7 shots from the field and went 10-of-10 from the foul line, while adding three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Still in the infancy of its life as a varsity program, the Drexel squash program got a big victory over the weekend when the men's team edged 27th-ranked Georgetown at the Navy Round Robin, 5-4. The men also boasted a 7-2 triumph over the University of Washington to wrap up their weekend, meanwhile dropping matches to George Washington and Hobart. The women's squad fell in both their matches this weekend, 9-0 to Georgetown and George Washington.

On the men's side, the day on Saturday did not open the way they might have hoped, as George Washington handed the Dragons their first 9-0 shutout defeat of the season. Drexel showed serious resolve after that, however, taking on a top-30 team in Georgetown and knocking them off, 5-4.

In the first round of matches, Kevin Sacherman got the scoring started for Drexel, winning 11-4, 11-3, 11-2 at No. 9, the first off the court. After Vinayak Kalani fell in a tightly-contested battled at No. 6, Nick DiDonato gave the Dragons the early 2-1 edge with his 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6 thriller at No. 3.

Despite playing with a nagging injury, Sebastian Dangond Gala got things off to a good start in the second wave of matches, putting the Dragons up 3-1 with his 11-9, 13-11, 11-8 triumph at No. 2. Nakul Jain also got the Dragons a point in this set of matches, winning a grueling four-set match at No. 8, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 16-14.

Needing just one more point to clinch the match, the Dragons relied on their top player, Justin Singh, who spared everyone the suspense by racing through his match at the top spot on the ladder, 11-2, 11-3, 11-5. 

The Dragons' other victory came against Washington, which was ranked two spots ahead of the Dragons coming into the weekend. Playing a five-court system, the Dragons took three of the first five matches, with Paul Jamrgowicz at No, 9, Kevin Sacherman at No. 8 and Matt Schreffler at No. 6 giving Drexel the early 3-2 edge.

Leading 3-2 heading into the final four matches of the day, Kalani and Jain were the first two off the court, with Jain winning 10-12, 11-3, 11-7, 11-5 to clinch the victory for the Dragons. Singh and Ben Bevan both played aggressively with the match in hand, winning at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, to provide the final margin.

On the women's side, Drexel played twice on Saturday, falling 9-0 in both outings. Davila Thompson provided a bright spot, improving against highly-ranked opponents as both of her sets progresssed. Zeba Ahmed lost a hard-fought battle at No. 9 against George Washington, 6-11, 9-11, 8-11.

Making their first appearances for the Dragons were Courtney Sabo and Sofia Sanguinetti, who performed capably against George Washington. Sabo fell at No. 5, 8-11, 6-11, 2-11, while Sanguinetti, who also stars on the field hockey field for Drexel, fell 5-11, 3-11, 6-11.

Philadelphia – Drexel wrestling fell to Pittsburgh at the DAC 25-13 as the Panthers won seven of ten bouts over the Dragons. Drexel (1-1) split matches this weekend picking up a 25-10 victory over Franklin & Marshall Saturday night before dropping to Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon. Frank Cimato, Joe Booth and Kyle Frey all pick up their second wins of the season in the loss.

Booth started things off for the Dragons at 165 pounds when he edged Pittsburgh's Tyler Wilps in a 3-2 decision giving Drexel the early lead. Senior Alex Rinaldi narrowly missed out on boosting Drexel's lead in a 5-6 loss to the Panther's Patrick Tasser at 174 pounds. Drexel then dropped its next two match-ups before picking up its next win. Frey, Drexel's senior heavy weight dominated Pittsburgh's Joel Yahner in a 10-2 decision to cut the Panther's lead to within three.

Pittsburgh picked up the next two matches at 125 and 133 pounds but Cimato, Drexel's junior 141 pounder, answered back when he pinned Pittsburgh's Travis Shaffer just 2:18 into the first period to get Drexel back within six points of the Panthers. However, Pittsburgh took the next two bouts and earned the final win sending the Dragons even on the season.

Drexel will be back in action Saturday, Nov. 19th as the Dragons travel to Ithica, N.Y. for the Cornell Body Bar Invitational. They return back to the DAC for a 1:00 p.m. home dual against Virginia on Saturday, Dec. 18th.



165: Joe Booth (DU) decision Tyler Wilps (Pitt) 3-2
174: Patrick Tasser (Pitt) decision Alex Rinaldi (DU) 6-5
187: Andy Vaughan (Pitt) major decision Ethan Keiser (DU) 10-0
197: Matt Wilps (Pitt) decision Brandon Palik (DU) 8-5
HWT: Kyle Frey (DU) decision Joel Yahner (Pitt) 10-2
125: Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) tech fall Michael Gomez 27-9
133: Shelton Mack (Pitt) major decision Franco Ferriana (DU) 18-5
141: Frank Cimato (DU) win-by-fall Travis Shaffer (Pitt) 2:18
149: Tyler Nauman (Pitt) decision Shane Fenningham (DU) 6-0
157: Donnie Tasser (Pitt) decision Austin Sommer (DU) 8-4

Camden, N.J. – The Drexel men's and women's crew team had strong performances in its final competition of the fall season at the 2011 Frostbite Regatta. The Dragons captured six gold and six silver medals on the day.
 
The women's freshmen four took first in the Dragons first event of the day. The Dawn Byers boat with coxswain Catherine Hamilton, stroke Joy Yingling, Jayme Batcher, Elise Levito, and bow Chelsea Naylor stopped the clock at 8:51.80 ahead of runner up Haverford and Rutgers Camden. Maryland and Oswego State finished fourth and fifth respectively.
 
The women's freshmen eight, in the John A. Daskalakis, earned first place with a time of 7:22.83. Coxswain Barbara McKenna, stroke Olivia Babiec, Emily Gartland, Meredith Bracken, Sierra Baca, Natalie Moreira, Emma Howard,Amanda Kleuser and bow Bridget Pfeifer finished ahead of West Virginia, Lehigh, Lafayette, Geroge Mason and Scranton.
 
The women's four, in the Sandra Lee Sheller boat, placed second behind West Virginia. Coxswain Caitlin Meehan, stroke Mollie Cusack, Alyssa Leahy, Caitlin Buser, and bow Elise Panacek crossed the finish line at 8:13.93. CAA's George Mason took third followed by Loyola, Haverford and La Salle.  
 
The women's second and third varsity eight took first and second place. Kerry Walsh coxed the in the Marlene Buckley boat across the finish line at 7:10.33 with teammates Amanda Dargay, Samantha Cowan, Juliana DeMarici,Megan Bush, Julia Jackson, Emily Coyle, Jackie Bender, and bow Asiya Mahmud. The third varsity eight followed in the John A. Daskalakis boat with coxswain Dana Piccoli, stroke, Mollie Cusack, Kathy Cheng, Shannon O'Donnell,Emily Barth, Caitlin Buser, Alyssa Leahy, Jillian Skovran, and bow Elise Panacek.
 
The top varsity eight boat, in the Marlene Buckley II boat, captured first place in the women's final race of the day. Coxswain Alex Paulin, stroke Sarah Mackenzie, Elizabeth Daugherty, Elizabeth Bratton, Colleen Delaney,Amanda O'Malley, Mallory Sykes, Elizabeth Campanella, and Alexa Antonioli posted a winning time of 6:55.30. West Virginia took second followed by George Mason, La Salle, Lehigh and Philadelphia University respectively.
 
The men's junior varsity eight scored a top time in the opening event for the men's team. Coxswain Marc Smith, stroke John Pieper, Pete Eyrich, Aleksandar Radovic, Michael Golden, Martin Khait, Brent Basso, Kevin Rorabaugh, and bow Nick Buyse guided the Vince Vidas boat through the finish line in 6:19.02. The junior varsity eight defeated Temple, La Salle, Ithaca, Delaware and Marietta.
 
The second junior varsity eight boat placed second behind Delaware with a runner-up time of 6:58.40. Jacquelyn Durkin also coxed the Vince Vidas boat along with Adam Cordi, Milos Rujevic, John Luciani, Scott Nordsiek, Peter Rampulla, Brian Kissam, Filip Topalovic, and bow Patrick McGann.
 
The men's freshmen eight placed, in the 1972 boat, also finished behind the Blue Hens. Coxswain Diana Fox, stroke Butch Eribal, Ryan Mallgrave, James Byrne, Jake Murphy, Oleg Gratwick, Andrew Weinstein, Mahmoud Shurbaji, and bow Matt Gehret posted a second-place time of 7:01.71. Lehigh earned third place followed by Ithaca and Stony Brook.
 
The men's top freshmen eight boat won first place with a time of 6:15.50 ahead of Marietta. The Peggy Greenawalt boat with Victoria Kenion, stroke Dean Hill, Brian McCabe, Marko Durica, Cameron Staines, Philip Byers, Casimir Czworkowski, Grigorios Papadourakis, and Christian Ladd also crossed the finish line before Delaware, Binghamton, Ithaca, and West Virginia.
 
The men's second four, in the Tobey & Kim Oxholm boat, crossed the finish line behind Washington College with a time of 7:53.12. The boat featured coxswain Ashley Jordan, stroke John Luciani, Brian Kissam, Peter Rampulla, and bow Scott Nordsiek. The top men's four boat posted third in the following event.
 
The men's varsity eight dropped a slim advantage to Temple for second place with a time of 6:05.13. Randall Lee coxed the Lois Krall boat with teammates Timothy Drake, Paul Wisniowski, Sebastian Ryan, Vanja Busic, Michael Faust, Lorenzo Albala, Kurt Linton, and bow Will Masters. Ithaca posted third place followed by Delaware and Marietta.