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For Immediate Release October 22, 2010

Defending NCAA Bowling Champion Fairleigh Dickinson Tabbed NEC Preseason No. 1 Knights Expected to Capture Second NEC Crown in Three Years

Somerset, NJ -- Fairleigh Dickinson won its second NCAA national championship last April 2010-11 and the Northeast Conference (NEC) preseason poll suggests FDU will be one of the nation's Northeast Conference Bowling best once again. Having received seven first-place votes, the defending national champion Preseason Coaches Poll Knights are the favorite to win the 2010-11 NEC bowling crown. 1. Fairleigh Dickinson (7) "It is an honor to be selected by our conference rivals as preseason favorites," said FDU head 2. Kutztown (2) coach Michael LoPresti after hearing the news. "However, the NEC is a highly-competitive 3. Sacred Heart (1) conference. As proven by last season's results, any team can beat anyone on any given day." 4. City 5. St. Francis (NY) LoPresti witnessed it first-hand last season when the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds made it through to 6. Adelphi the NEC title match. 7. Saint Peter’s 8. Monmouth 9. Long Island Kutztown, which was seeded second at last year's championship meet, claimed two first-place 10. Saint Francis (PA) votes to take second in the annual preseason survey of NEC head coaches. Defending NEC champion Sacred Heart garnered the lone remaining first-place nod to finish third in the poll. First place votes in parentheses (). New Jersey City, which won the 2010 NEC regular season title, took fourth place. St. Francis (NY) finished fifth in front of Adelphi. Saint Peter's came in seventh followed by Monmouth in eighth. Long Island and Saint Francis (PA) round out the poll results in ninth and tenth, respectively.

Monmouth and Saint Francis (PA) are the new kids on the block, embarking on their inaugural seasons of collegiate bowling. The addition of the two first-year programs for the 2010-11 season increases the NEC's membership from eight to 10.

"The NEC has the stiffest level of competition of any NCAA bowling conference. Every match is a battle," commented LoPresti.

Six Northeast Conference members found themselves ranked amongst the country's top-15 teams in last season's final edition of the National Tenpin Coaches Association Top 20 Poll.

"If you don't bring your A-game in the NEC, then it's going to be a long weekend," said LoPresti who wouldn't want it any other way.

"That's exactly how we prefer it to be: one challenge after another; the tougher the opponent the better. NEC bowling brings out the best in all of us."

(2010-11 NEC Bowling Preview; 1-of-3)

Bryant University (2012-13) • Central Connecticut State University • Fairleigh Dickinson University Long Island University • Monmouth University • Mount St. Mary’s University Quinnipiac University • Robert Morris Unviersity • Sacred Heart University St. Francis (NY) College • Saint Francis (PA) University • It certainly brought out the best in both Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart last March. The two teams posted 7-7 records during regular season NEC play, but bowled their way from the bottom half of the NEC championship bracket into the title match. The fifth-seeded Knights and sixth-seeded Pioneers made for a memorable title tilt with the latter prevailing in a modified baker roll-off tiebreaker.

The third annual Northeast Conference Bowling Championship is set for March 26 & 27 at Parkway Lanes in Elmwood Park, NJ. The eight- team tournament field will be determined by the results of the conference's three regular season meets.

Despite narrowly missing out on a second consecutive NEC Tournament crown, Fairleigh Dickinson (87-38) went on to win their second national title since the NCAA began sponsoring a bowling championship in 2004. The Knights enjoyed an undefeated run through the NCAA championship bracket that ended with a thrilling 4 to 3 best-of-seven baker victory over Nebraska in the title tilt. Bowlers like four-time NTCA All-American Erica Perez don't come around often, but FDU's depth should lessen the impact of her graduation. Although LoPresti loses the 2010 NEC Bowler of the Year, the Most Valuable Performer at the 2010 NCAA Championship is only a sophomore. Looking like a seasoned veteran, Danielle McEwan (Stony Poiny/North Rockland) occupied the anchor spot during FDU's national title run.

Leadoff lefty bowler Tracy Ganjoin (Brick, NJ/Brick Twp.) and starter Sara Litteral (Chesterfield, MI/L'anse Creuse North) return for their senior seasons. Both women have achieved All-America status at one point in their collegiate careers. Junior Joely Carrillo (Clifton, NJ/Paramus Catholic), who was a NEC all-rookie selection as a freshman, took her play to the next level during the stretch run last season. She enjoyed a banner weekend in helping FDU to a runner-up showing at the Morgan State Invitational in late February and was at her best with the NCAA title hanging in the balance. A late insertion into the starting lineup in the title match against Nebraska, her eighth- frame strike in the deciding Game 7 put the knights on the cusp of victory. LoPresti made a pair of key offseason additions in Hudson Valley Community College transfer Devan Hodlik (Watervliet, NY/HVCC) and freshman Michelle Hunzaker (Cary, NC/Green Hope). The former was a NJCAA First Team All-American last year, while the latter averaged 203 as a high school senior.

Kutztown (61-58) has made it to the final day of the NEC Bowling Championship in each of the last two seasons under head coach Joe Ambrose. Claiming runner-up honors in 2009 followed by a third-place showing in 2010, the Golden Bears are hoping for a golden finish in 2011. Ambrose has an abundance of incoming talent from his latest recruiting class. Seven freshmen, all of whom averaged in excess of 200 in high school, are set to join the Golden Bears this season, but that's not all. Ambrose added one of the nation's best in transfer Samantha Santoro (Rheinholds, PA/Cocalico). Leaving Arkansas State for her native Pennsylvania, Santoro brings two years of NCAA Champion- ship experience to Kutztown. The two-time NTCA All-American posted the highest traditional average of any individual bowler at the last year's national title meet. Her addition only strengthens what was already a formidable lineup. Senior Kayla Stamm (Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) and junior Kayla Jones (Johnstown, PA/Westmont Hilltop) both averaged over 180 last season. The former was the 2009 NEC Rookie of the Year.

Sacred Heart (59-36) was arguably the hottest team in America during the second half of last season. The Pioneers were 24-20 heading into the winter break, but went 35-16 the rest of the way to make a strong case for an NCAA berth. Sacred Heart rolled through the NEC Tournament bracket and overcame a 3 to 1 deficit in the title tilt to dethrone defending champion FDU. Despite the second-half surge, coach Becky Kregling and the Pioneers did not hear their name called during the NCAA Selection Show. After four NCAA appearances in five years, Sacred Heart finds itself in a two-year drought. SHU will undoubtedly miss 2010 NEC Tournament MVP Marissa Gagliardi, but the rest of its roster remains intact. Senior Sarah Pelletier (Lewiston, ME/Lewiston) and junior Savannah Zientara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston Porter) have been two of the region's top bowlers since their freshmen seasons. The former won the 2007 ECAC MVP award and was the runner-up at the ECAC Singles Championship. Meanwhile, Zientara burst onto the scene one year later and earned all-NEC first team honors as a rookie. Along with Pelletier and Zientara, junior Nicole Caggiano (Woodbridge, NJ/Woodbridge) boasted a traditional average over 180 last season. Freshman Nicole Trudell (Coventry, RI/Coventry) already has a 300 game under her belt.

Sixty-seven percent of the St. Francis (NY) (68-45) roster consists of underclassmen, but it is safe to say that Dawn Gugliaro and the Terriers are not in a rebuilding stage. Gugliario has done a fine job of mining local talent and convincing them to sign on at St. Francis (NY). Brooklyn natives Kristina Terpo (Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay) and Marissa Gargiulo (Brooklyn, NY/Lincoln) each won the NEC Rookie of the Week award twice last season, while Staten Islander Alyson Piergiovanni (Staten Island, NY/New Dorp) claimed the honor once. Coming off a watershed season, St. Francis (NY) returns four of its top five bowlers. The lone vacant spot exists due to the

(2010-11 NEC Bowling Preview; 2-of-3) graduation of two-time all-NEC selection Alex Stein who owned the program's record high game (279) until sophomore Jenn Vreeland (Holbrook, NY/Sachem North) came along. In a victory over rival Saint Peter's at the 2010 NEC Spring Meet, Vreeland rolled a 288 traditional game. Terpo also exceeded the 250-pin mark last year, turning in a personal-best 256 in a win over Sacred Heart at the 2009 NEC Fall Meet.

New Jersey City (78-46) is only one of four programs in America to have qualified for the NCAA Championship in each of the seven years the tournament has existed (Nebraska, UMES, Central Missouri). Serving a the tournament host, NJCU was one of the final four teams left standing at the NCAA Championship before being eliminated by Garden State rival FDU. The Gothic Knights lost a pair of starters to graduation, but return both of their all-NEC first team selections in senior Nicole Drejerwski (Levittown, PA/Conwell-Egan Catholic) and junior Jennifer Daunno (Carteret, NJ/Carteret). In its first season as an NEC member, Frank Parisi guided NJCU to a 12-2 league record that resulted in the NEC regular season crown. The reigning NEC Coach of the Year added a six-member all-New Jersey freshmen class to a quartet of returnees.

Adelphi (85-53) was a permanent fixture in the NTCA Top 20 last season, and Bob Cincotta hopes the 2010-11 campaign is no different. The Panthers' 85 wins were the second highest amongst NEC teams last season. They'll try to top that total this year with a veteran-laden lineup. Seniors Cristina Reale (Merrick, NY/Calhoun) and Danielle LoCurto (Mt. Sinai, NY/Mt. Sinai) are proven talents at this level as is junior Danielle Merino (College Point, NY/St. Francis Prep).

Saint Peter's has high hopes heading into its second full season under head coach David Freeman. The Peahens return a number of key contributors to a team that received votes in every edition of the NTCA Top 20 Poll last year. Among them are sophomores Kelly Odom (Lanoka Harbor, NJ/Lacey) and Michele DeVries (Port Murray, NJ/Warren Hills) who had much to do with SPC's 60-win season of a year ago. The latter was named to the five-member NEC All-Rookie Team.

Monmouth didn't have to look far to find its inaugural head coach. Following a decorated career at Vanderbilt that includes a 2008 NCAA national title, Karen Grygiel comes home to the Jersey Shore to lead the Hawks in what will be their first season of NEC competition. Grygiel has wasted little time in tapping into the Garden State's bowling-rich talent pool. Seven of Monmouth's eight bowlers hail from New Jersey high schools.

Like Grygiel, Long Island's Jocelyn Davis is a former NCAA champion bowler turned head coach. Davis, who was a key piece to FDU's 2006 national championship puzzle, signed on at LIU when the program was founded in 2008. The Blackbirds won nine matches during their inaugural campaign, but more than doubled that total last year. LIU (21-54) logged the biggest win in program history at the 2010 Morgan State Collegiate Classic, stunning then-No. 3 Delaware State in a baker match. The result should only get better for the Blackbirds who welcome in their strongest recruiting class yet. Freshman Jessica Calabrese (Lyndhurst, NY/St. Mary) was one of Bergen County's best in high school and fellow rookie Brianna Nowels (Red Oak, IA/Red Oak) contributed to four Iowa state championships. Both were three-sport athletes in high school.

Saint Francis (PA) is located in the bowling hot bed that is Central Pennsylvania and has appointed Keystone State native Tom Falbo as the first-year program's head coach. Two of the six women currently listed on the Red Flash's inaugural roster are upperclassmen with bowling backgrounds who happened to be at Saint Francis when the program was founded. Both from nearby Altoona, Emily Knott (Altoona, PA/ Altoona) and Christina Medley (Altoona, PA/Altoona) will help Falbo lay the foundation. Freshman Marissa Matassa (Verona, PA/Plum Senior) is a former Pennsylvania state champion (2008) and rookie Jessica Henri (Howell, NJ/Howell) won the Monmouth County individual title last year.

(2010-11 NEC Bowling Preview; 3-of-3)