ADELPHI UNIVERSITY FIELD HOCKEY 2014 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FIRST RoUNd vS. LIU PoST Tuesday, NOVEMBER 25, 2014 1 P.M. 2014 Adelphi University 2014 IN REVIEW on the first team, Briana Rubenstein Field Hockey 2014 marks the first time since 1981 was named to the second team and Quick Facts in school history that the Adelphi freshmen Jamie Ahrens and Samantha Adelphi University University field hockey program will Nizich earned All-Rookie status. Location: Garden City, N.Y. advance to the NCAA Tournament. Rubenstein was also selected to play Founded: 1896 After completeing the regular season in the 2014 Victory Sports Tours/ Enrollment: 8,700 President: Dr. Robert A. Scott at 14-6 overall and 8-3 in NE-10 play, NFHCA Division II Senior Game held Athletic Director: Danny McCabe the Panthers earned the #3 seed in the in Kentucky on December 5. Conference: Northeast-10 (NE-10) conference tournament. After defeating Home Field: Motamed Field Affiliation: NCAA Division II #6 Bentley University in the first ADELPHI VS . THE REST OF THE FIELD Nickname: Panthers round, the team traveled to #2 Stonehill The #1 seed in the East Region was School Colors: Brown and Gold College for semifinal action. awarded to Stonehill College, who Athletic Dept. Phone: (516) 877-4240 defeated LIU Post in the Northeast-10 Field Hockey Staff Information A 3-1 setback on November 20, at the Conference championship game to earn Head Coach: Gloria O’Connor hands of the Skyhawks allowed them a bye past the first round directly to the Record at School: to advance to the finals to face LIU Field Hockey Phone: 516-877-4246 Final Four field. The Skyhawks lead Assistant Coaches: Claire Iglesias, Regina Post. The championship game ended the series 7-2, after defeating Adephi Agrusa, Danielle Demola & Jamie Acker- in favor of Stonehill, pushing them twice this season, including during the man straight to the Final Four hosted by NE-10 semifinal contest. Athletic Media Relations Bellarmine University in Louisville, Assoc.AD/Media Relations: Adam Kentucky. The Panthers have only faced one other Siepiola member of the remaining six teams in Office Phone: (516) 877-4293 Email: [email protected] As a result, the Panthers will travel the field, handing a win to Westchester Graduate Assistant: Emily Dorko across town to face the Pioneers in early in 2013. Office Phone: (516) 877-3774 their third matchup of the season in Email: [email protected] Office Fax: (516) 877-4237 the first round of NCAA Tournament Website: www.AUPANTHERS.com action. Field Hockey Contact: Emily Dorko Field Hockey History ADELPHI /LIU POST HISTORY First Year as a Varsity Sport: 1929 This season, the Pioneers hold a 2-0 First Year Receiving Scholarships: 1975 advantage over the #3 seeded Adelphi All-Time NE-10 Record/Years: 27-23/5 NCAA Tournament Appearances/Last: Panthers. In the all-time series, Post 1/1981 leads 7-1, including two overtime victories. 2013 Team Information Overall Record: 11-9 NE-10 Regular Season Record: 5-5 PANTHER POINTS OF PRIDE Postseason: NE-10 Semifinals vs. LIU Post For their efforts throughout the season, Starters Returning/Lost: 9/3 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 19/3 five members of the Brown and Gold squad earned All NE-10 recognition. Molly Cuevas and Mary Plotas landed HEAD COACH GLORIA O’CONNOR This year was the start of Head Coach Gloria fourth-seeded Southern Connecticut State University O’Connors seventh season at the forefront of the Adel- in the quarterfinals to advance to the next round. The phi University field hockey program. She has com- Panthers came up short against the eventual National piled a 53-57 and has led the team to four consecutive Champions UMass Lowell, 4-2. Adelphi was the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament appearances. only team to score two goals on Lowell all season. O’Connor had three players receive All-Conference In 2013, the Panthers finished with an 11-9 overall honors and two receive NFHCA All-American honors record and earned the program’s second first-round as well. home playoff game for the Northeast-10 Tournament title. They defeated Bentley in the first-round, on an In her second year at the helm of the Panthers, Coach overtime goal by Molly Cuevas to advance to the NE- O’Connor guided the Panthers to a 12-8 overall 10 semifinals. After suffering a 5-0 loss to the eventual record and a 7-3 mark in their first year in the strong 2013 NCAA National Champions of LIU Post, Coach Northeast-10 Conference. The Panthers also reached O’Connor had several players earn post-season acco- the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament where they lades. Additionally, the team took home the NFHCA came up short against eighth-ranked Merrimack Col- Division II National Academic Team Award as well lege, 2-1. Adelphi had three girls receive All-North- as the NE-10 Team Academic Excellence award with east-10 honors, three receive ECAC honors (Offen- a 3.384 GPA. She also had one NFHCA second-team sive and Defensive Players of the Year), 11 receiving All-American in 2013. National Academic Honors, and one NFHCA second- team All-American. In 2012, the Panthers earned the fourth seed for the NE-10 tournament and hosted their first-ever playoff The 2008 season marked the return of field hockey as game. They continued on to the semi-final where they a varsity sport after a 25-year hiatus. O’Connor guided suffered a 6-0 loss to Merrimack College. Head Coach her squad to a 3-7 season as an independent in its inau- O’Connor led the team to an 8-12 record and a 6-4 gural campaign. The team netted 21 goals and posted a mark in conference play. Adelphi had a Rookie of the 2.10 goal/game average. O’Connor’s Year for the conference as well as 13 girls named to team earned NFHCA Academic the NFHCA National Academic Squad. The team also recognition as well as having held the title of NCAA Statistical Champion for defen- 13 players garnering indi- sive saves in 2012. vidual honors. In her first four years at the helm of the Adelphi Uni- Former Adel- phi versity field hockey program, Gloria o’Connor led University Ath- letic the Brown and Gold to two Northeast-10 Conference Director Robert E. Hartwell Tournament appearances, had three players named All- announced American and eight named to NE-10 All-Conference O’Connor’s teams, all while compiling a 34-36 record. In 2011, hiring as the Panthers narrowly missed the playoffs for the first head field time since joining the NE-10 with an overall record of hockey 6-12 and 3-7 mark in league play. coach on July 21, After leading the Panthers to the NE-10 Tournament 2008. She in 2009, O’Connor had the Panthers right back in came to postseason play in 2010. Adelphi finished 6-4 in the Adelphi conference and 13-9 overall and entered the tourna- with a ment as the fifth seed. o’Connor’s Panthers defeated com- bined 14 years of coaching experience at the high school and collegiate level. From 1989 through 1992, she was the head coach of the C.W. Post field hockey program and gained another 10 years of experience at Carle Place High School. At the high school level, O’Connor HONORS & AW A RDS AD E L ph I AMONG achieved unparalleled success, posting a NCAA RA NKINGS record of 146-18-21 that included nine NORTHEAST -10 FIRST -TEAM league championships. She is also a ALL -CONFERENCE member of the Long Island Field Hock- Molly Cuevas- Midfield TEAM RANKS ey Coaches Hall of Fame (1990) and Mary Plotas- Forward Defensive Saves- 19- T 1st Carle Place High School Hall of Fame Goals Per Game - 3.25 - 4th as both a player and a coach. NORTHEAST -10 SECOND -TEAM Scoring Average - 3.12 - 4th ALL -CONFERENCE Points Per Game - 8.40 - 5th A long time teacher and administrator, Briana Rubenstein - Defense o’Connor is no stranger to Long Island INDIVIDUAL RANKS schools, having spent time as a special NORTHEAST -10 ALL -ROOKIE TEAM Assists Per Game Jamie Ahrens - Forward/Midfield education teacher at John Adams High Molly Cuevas - 1st - 1.05 Samantha Nizich - Midfield School, an Athletic Director at Sewan- haka High School, an Assistant Principal Defensive Saves NE-10 PL A Y E R OF T he Wee K Briana Rubenstein - T 1st - 14 and Principal at Floral Park Memorial Molly Cuevas- Nov. 10 Jr. Sr. High School and most recently Briana Rubenstein - Sept. 29/Oct. 27 as superintendent for Personnel and Points Per Game Administration for the Sewanhaka High Mary Plotas - 3rd - 2.70 School District. Goals Per Game Mary Plotas - 3rd - 1.20 NCAA DIVISION II FIELd HoCkEy REGIoNAL ToURNAMENT BRACkET 2014 2014 Adelphi University Field Hockey Roster Front Row (left to right): Head Coach Gloria O’Connor, Assistant Coach Claire Iglesias, Samantha Nizich, Elizabeth Mercuri, Mary Plotas, Briana Rubenstein, Carly Aceves, Kerrigan Roth, Natalina Sagliocca, Assistant Coach Jamie Ackerman & Assistant Coach Danielle Demola. Middle Row: Tina Brindisi, Kristen Bagley, Amanda Borbee, Kelly Serrao, Amanda Gargiulo, Molly Cuevas & Jessica Smalling. Top Row: Jamie Ahrens, Maria Guerrisi, Nicolette Lodato, Rachel Colvin, Brooke Bittel, Arielle Theofield, olivia Nowokunski & Lena Pollich. 2013-2014 Adelphi Panthers Numerical Roster # Name Class Pos. Height Hometown/High School/Previous School 2 Kerrigan Roth Fr. M/d 5-3 Warrensburg, Ny / Warrensburg Central 3 Kristen Bagley Jr. F 5-4 Holbrook, NY / Sachem East 4 Nicolette Lodato Jr.