Connecticut College Sports Roundup

The Connecticut College men's basketball team kept the crowd fired up on Friday as a late game three-pointer lifted the Camels over Bowdoin College. Bowdoin had more luck against the Conn College women's basketball team, posting a decisive 88-31 victory. It was a good day in general for Conn College athletes, as both hockey teams also won their games. The following information was provided by William Tomasian, sports information director at Connecticut College.

Men's Basketball: Conn College 62, Bowdoin  60

Sophomore Rob Harrigan (Milford, Conn.) buried a three with six second lefts to cap a game-ending 10-to-0 run and lift the Connecticut College men's basketball team to a 62-60 victory against Bowdoin College in front of an energized crowd of 400 fans at Luce Field House Friday.

The Camels improve to 12-11 with a 3-5 record in the NESCAC. Bowdoin falls to 13-9 with a 2-6 mark in league play.

Connecticut College has clinched a playoff berth in the 2010 NESCAC Championship Tournament and could finish as high as fifth place. Bowdoin is still in the hunt for the eighth and final spot in the Championship field.

Matt Vadas (Spring Lake Heights, N.J.) and Mason Lopez (Edgewater, N.J.) scored 13 points each to lead the Camels offensively. Harrigan contributed nine points in the win.

Taylor Hanson (St. Paul, Minn.) had six points, four rebounds and four helpers but it was his stellar defensive effort against the NESCACs leading scorer Will Hanley that was critical. Hanley, the league's leading scorer (20.7 ppg.), was held scoreless in the opening half and finished with just eight points in the contest.

"We got a little lucky tonight and were able to hang in there and pull it out," Connecticut College Head Coach Tom Satran said. "Our team defense in the first half was really good and we made just enough threes to stay close when our offense wasn't really clicking. Rob made a great shot and Brian (Mahoney) did a good job getting him the ball."

Ryan O'Connell (Ipswich, Mass.) poured in a game-high 15 points in a 6-for-10 shooting performance to lead the visitors. Justin Nowell (Cos Cob, Conn.) chipped in with 14 points and five boards. Tom Carter (Toms River, N.J.) reached double-digits with 10.

The Polar Bears took their largest lead of the night when O'Connell knocked down a triple with 2:14 left and the visitors appeared to be on their way to a win.

But the Camels battled back. Brian Mahoney (Quincy, Mass.) banked in a runner to make it a 60-54 lead with 1:10 left. On the ensuing possession, the Camels put O'Connell on the line but he misfired on the front end of a one-and-one.

Lopez canned a three for the Camels with 53 seconds to go and suddenly it was a 60-57 game. Then, with 44 seconds left, the Polar Bears missed another free throw in a one-and-one situation.

Vadas cashed in on two free throws with 33 second remaining to make it a 60-59 game. The Polar Bears had the possession and the lead but missed out on another one-and-one situation with 27 seconds left.

Coming out of a timeout with 14 seconds left, the Camels held the ball for one final possession. Mahoney drove to the lane and was able to find Harrigan on the perimeter and the sophomore netted the 25 footer from the right side to seal the victory.

Bowdoin took a 14-9 lead on field goal by Carter with 11:22 remaining in the opening half. But the Camels scored the next point games to even things up at 14 after Lopez converted a hoop on a nice feed from Matt Vadas.

Later on in the half, the Camels opened things up on the perimeter with a 9-0 run. Lopez buried a triple to spark the rally and Harrigan followed with back-to-back treys to put the hosts on top 27-19 with 5:23 remaining.

However, the visiting Polar Bears would respond with a 6-to-0 run to close out the half and the Camels held a 29-27 lead at the break.

Women's Basketball: Bowdoin 81, Conn College 33

Bowdoin College raced out to a 42-to-10 lead and went on to defeat Connecticut College 81-33 in a NESCAC women's basketball game played at Luce Field House Friday night.

The Polar Bears improve to 19-4 with a 5-3 record in the NESCAC, while the Camels fall to 9-14 with a 1-7 record in the league.

Katie Bergeron (Bradley, Maine) poured in a game-high 17 points to lead the visitors. Alexa Barry (Rindge, N.H.) and Allie Piscina (Pelham, N.Y.) scored 11 points each for Bowdoin.

Connecticut College junior Kim Horne (Newport, N.H.) netted a team-high 14 points in the setback for the hosts. Caitlin Cimino (Falmouth, Maine) contributed six points, eight rebounds and five blocks for the Camels.

The Camels will close out their season tomorrow afternoon with a 4:00 p.m. game against Colby College.

Men's Ice Hockey: Conn College 6, USM 1

Sean Curran (Wilmette, Ill.) and Steve Servideo (Medford, Mass.) scored two goals each to lead the Connecticut College men's hockey team to a 6-1 victory against the University of Southern Maine in an ECAC East/NESCAC crossover game played at Dayton Arena Friday night.

The Camels improve to 7-11-3 with a 6-9-1 mark in the NESCAC, while the Huskies slip to 5-12-4 and are 3-11-2 in the ECAC East.

Seniors Jordan Gray (Mississauga, Ont.) and Ryan Riffe (South Berwick, Maine) both had three point nights, sandwiching goals around two assists. Adam Rimmer (Newbury, Mass.) chipped in with two assists.

Junior net-minder Andrew Margolin (Mahwah, N.J.) stopped 29 of 30 Husky shots in the triumph.

John Grandinetti (Ottawa, Ont.) supplied a second period score for the University of Southern Maine. Braely Torris (Eckville, Alb.) made 10 saves in the opening period and was relieved by Mason St. Hilaire (Saco, Maine), who stopped 20 shots in the final two periods of action.

Curran opened the scoring at 3:48 of the first, when he buried a wrist shot inside the right circle for his 16th goal of the season. Gray assisted on the tally. Servideo made it a 2-0 game when he got behind Torris for a goal. Rimmer and Mike Sinsigalli (Wilton, Conn.) assisted on the goal.

Curran potted his second goal of the period with a nifty one-on-one move at 12:21 of the first. With 2:05 remaining, Gray closed out the first period scoring barrage with his sixth goal of the season and 50th collegiate point at. Sean Tuohy (Salisbury Mills, N.Y.) assisted.

The Camels would add single goals in the final two periods and continued to pull away for the 6-1 win.

Women's Ice Hockey: Conn College 4, Hamilton 3

Connecticut College erupted for four goals in the first period and held on to edge Hamilton College 4-3 in a New England Small College Athletic Conference women's ice hockey game at Hamilton's Russell Sage Rink on Feb. 11.

Connecticut College (10-9-2 overall, 6-6-1 NESCAC) had been winless in its last three games. The Camels received goals from four different players.

The Continentals (10-11-0, 5-8) have been outscored 18-12 in the first period this season. Hamilton still dominates the all-time series, 16-5-3. The two teams face each other again at Hamilton on Saturday, Feb. 12.

Connecticut College grabbed a 1-0 lead just 1:23 into the first period on the third goal this season for Kourtney Martin '11. Martin poked a loose puck across the goal line after a shot by Sam Schuffenecker '13 was stopped.

Courtney Dumont '14 gave the Camels a 2-0 advantage on her team-leading 17th goal with 7:51 left in the first. Olivia Farrell '14 sent a pass from the right-hand boards to the side of the goal to Dumont in the left circle. Dumont stickhandled out of the circle, deked Continental goalie Becca Hazlett '13 and scored on a wrist shot.

Hamilton cut its deficit in half with 5:59 remaining in the period. Hannah Jaiven '14 blasted a slap shot from the right point that was deflected in the slot by Nikki Haskins '14 for her fifth goal.

Connecticut College answered right back with 4:00 left on the fourth goal this season by Ariel DiPasquale '13. DiPasquale scored on a slap shot from the right circle that was partially deflected off the stick of the Continentals' Meredith Bitterman '12 as she was trying to block the shot.

The Camels' last goal came with 1:12 remaining after a Hamilton turnover in the Continentals' defensive zone. Kelsey Kirker '11 passed from behind the goal to Celia Medeiros '11, who scored her fifth goal on a one-timer from the bottom of the left circle.

Stephanie Lang '14 made the score 4-2 with her sixth goal at 5:30 of the second. Stephanie Miguel '11 attempted a wraparound shot that was stopped by Connecticut College's Amy Leichliter '13, but the puck squirted out to Lang who finished the play.

Hamilton pulled within a goal with 1:09 left in the third period during a 4-on-3 power play that turned into a two-skater advantage after the Continentals pulled Hazlett. After a couple shots and a scramble in front, Becky Cairns '11 knocked the puck into the back of the net for her fifth goal.

Hazlett left the ice again for the final 64 seconds, but Leichliter and the Camels fended off the Hamilton attack. Leichliter finished with 17 saves, while Hazlett turned away 29 shots. Connecticut College held a 33-20 shot advantage. The Continentals were 1-for-7 on the power play, and killed all three of the Camels' chances