The Erie Community College men’s golf team is headed to the NJCAA Division III National Tournament for the just the second time in school history after a second place finish at the Region III Tournament May 17-18.
The team, which has been in existence since 1948, shot 659 to finish second to defending NJCAA national champion Monroe Community College who shot 642 over the 36-hole tournament held at the Robert Trent Jones Course at Cornell University.
The Kats shot 317 on day one to trail Monroe by just two shots, led by freshman Kyle Harman (Orchard Park/Orchard Park) who fired a day-one low of 74. Sophomore Ryan Winkowski (Lancaster/Lancaster) was tied for second with a 78.
As first reported by FoxSports.com, former Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman has signed a one-year contract worth $630,000 to join the Seattle Seahawks.
The road for Losman to get playing time figures to be long. The Seahawks still have incumbent starter Matt Hasselbeck on the roster, and traded with San Diego during the offseason to acquire Charlie Whitehurst, who will challenge Hasselbeck for the starting job.
Losman spent five years with the Bills, including his best year in 2006 when he threw for 19 touchdowns against 4 interceptions. He eventually lost his starting job once Trent Edwards came into the mix, and he was not resigned when he became a free agent following the 2008 season.
He spent last season with Las Vegas of the UFL before having a cup of coffee back in the NFL with Oakland. Losman threw one pass for the Raiders last season.
After striking out three times in his previous four at bats, designated hitter Valentino Pascucci was not having a memorable day at the plate. That all changed with one swing of the bat when he took the first pitch of the ninth inning to the opposite field to tie the game at six and send the game into extra innings.
After Pascucci’s heroics in the ninth, the Herd could not provide any more offense in the extra frames, losing 8-6 against the Charlotte Knights at Coca-Cola field on Tuesday night. The Knights struck in the eleventh when Robert Hudson scored off of a Jordan Danks single. The Knights then extended their lead when Dayan Viciedo doubled to center to drive home Danks and give the Knights a two run lead they would not relinquish.
The Buffalo Sabres today announced they will increase season ticket prices by approximately 5% for the 2010-11 season. Price increases will range from $1-$4 in all price levels.
The Sabres currently have 16,500 season ticket holders, and a priority waiting list of several thousand names through the team’s Blue & Gold Club. This past season, the Sabres sold out 30 of 41 home games, and played to 99% capacity.
Season ticket holders will once again receive a 2.5% rebate on their Sabrebucks card. New this year, the Sabres will absorb the .20 cent transaction fee, giving season ticket holders access to the full amount of their rebate money. Season ticket holders will also be able to purchase reduced rate parking, giving them guaranteed parking at the lowest available prices.
This is the first in a series that will countdown a list of the best—and worst that sports have to offer. Today we’re counting down the five best National Anthem performances in American sports.
Since this no exact science many will disagree. For our part, we’re offering apologies to Jennifer Hudson, Faith Hill, Beyonce and Josh Grobin among countless others. All received consideration and could’ve easily have made the list.
There’s also a limit of how far back videos are generally available on the internet. Our countdown ranges from as recent as 2007 to as far back as 1983.
Mike Hessman added to his baseball-leading RBI total, but it was Jason Pridie that had all the clutch hits on Monday night.
Pridie collected two-RBI singles and a solo home run as the Herd defeated the Tides, 11-4, at Coca-Cola Field. The outfielder helped Buffalo build a 5-2 lead until the team unloaded for six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The win was the Bisons’ third in the four-game series against Norfolk and improved their home record in 2010 to 13-5.
Niagara women’s basketball coach Kendra Faustin has announced the 2010-11 recruiting class. Five new members will wear the Purple and White for next season’s team.
“I am proud to bring this group of young women to Niagara University to be a part of our program,” Faustin said. “Not only will they help our program to be successful on the court, but they are all quality young women who will exceptionally represent our program and university in the classroom and the community.”
Jazmyne Frost (6-1, Forward, South Euclid, Ohio /Charles F. Brush High School) Frost proved to be a go-to player for Brush High School as she paced her team to a 2009-10 Northeast Ohio Conference Championship and District Championship; averaging 8.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg. The forward from South Euclid earned All-Conference recognition as a junior and led the conference in rebounding. She was named All-Conference Honorable Mention as a sophomore. Continue reading ‘NU Women’s Basketball Unveils 2010-11 Recruiting Class’
Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced today the Sabres have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with forward Mike Grier, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Grier (1/5/1975, 6’1”, 225 lbs.) had 22 points (10+12) in 73 regular season games for Buffalo this season. He also contributed two goals in six playoff games, and was credited with a team-leading 33 hits.
The University at Buffalo football program has extended its intrastate series with the Army Black Knights and has also signed a one-game deal with Morgan State that will give the Bulls an unprecedented seven home games in 2012.
The Bulls and Black Knights, who played in Buffalo in 2008, will finalize that initial two-game contract with a meeting on Sept. 9, 2017 at Army, but have also agreed to meet four more times in the next decade. The two programs will meet twice at West Point and twice more at UB Stadium between 2014 and 2020. The first date will be a game on September 6, 2014 at historic Michie Stadium on the campus of West Point, with two games in Buffalo (9/17/16 and 9/29/18) before wrapping the series on Oct. 24, 2020 back at Army.
The two programs have met three times in their football histories, with Army capturing the first meeting in 1960 at West Point (37-0), and the Bulls taking the last two games – 26-19 at Army in 2001 and a dramatic 27-24 overtime win at UB Stadium in 2008.
When it comes to ex-Buffalo Bills wide receivers still looking for work, Terrell Owens gets all the attention. The future Hall of Famer had an official visit with the Cincinnati Bengals in early March, but the team elected to go with Antonio Bryant. In the time that’s followed he’s been reportedly linked to Oakland, Washington and recently Cleveland, but to this point it’s nothing but unfounded speculation.
He’s not the only former Bills wide-out currently unemployed.
Josh Reed is still looking for a team to play for in 2010. He spent time visiting with the New England Patriots early in the free agent process but eventually left without a contract. Since that time Reed has yet to visit with another team. Carolina was supposedly interested before the draft but may have cooled off after selecting a pair of receivers, Brandon LaFell and Armanti Edwards in the third round of the NFL draft.
Southwestern High School star quarterback Zack Sopak will continue his football career next year by attending Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, PA.
Sopak quarterbacked the Trojans to a pair of New York State Class-C titles and was the MVP in both title games. Southwestern became just the fourth school in WNY history to win back-to-back state championships.
Sopak won the Connolly Cup, presented to Western New York’s most outstanding football player. He completed 101 of 161 passes for a school record 1,847 yards and 21 touchdown passes. He also rushed for 805 yards and 10 scores.
He lost all of one game in three years as their starting quarterback.
Washington & Jefferson is a perennial Division III powerhouse with 26 consecutive winning seasons. Coincidently (or definitely not) their coach is Mike Sirianni, a 1990 Southwestern graduate and older brother Sopack’s high school coach Jay.
As all Buffalo Bills fans know by now, George Wilson appeared in Mary J. Blige’s new music video “We Got Hood Love.” Not everyone has had the chance to see it. Here you go.
Congratulations to Wilson; an all-around good guy and emerging Bills defensive playmaker, whose profile is deservedly being raised beyond football.
Buffalo, NY native and WWE Diva Superstar Beth Phoenix has badly injured her knee. The multi-time women’s champion tore her ACL and sprained her MCL. The injury is expected to sideline her from being in a ring for several months and possible up to a full year.
Phoenix, whose real name is Elizabeth Kocanski Carolan is actually from Elmira, New York even though she is billed on television as from Buffalo. The 29-year old has been wrestling professionally since 2001.
Phoenix injured the knee in a taped “Superstars’ match against Rosa Mendes two weeks ago. She tried to work around the injury before learning how serious she was injured. Ironically, her last match for the foreseeable future was in her hometown of Buffalo during a “Smackdown” TV taping at the HSBC Arena on May 11.
So, how many of you are sitting on pins and needles waiting to see if the Bills jump on Baltimore Ravens leftover left tackle, Jared Gaither? It’s already been rumored and in one case (falsely) reported that Gaither is coming to Orchard Park.
I’m sure not counting on it.
It’s not terribly difficult to understand why many would like to have Gaither on the roster. By many accounts, he’s one of the top 10 left tackles in the National Football League. The Bills are desperate for some stability on the line and particularly at the position, and Gaither has proven ability. No brainer, right?
The Niagara baseball team (12-9 MAAC) stayed alive in the MAAC playoff picture with a wild weekend sweep of Saint Peter’s (6-18 MAAC) on Sunday, winning the finale, 9-8. Trailing 4-0 in the seventh inning, the Purple Eagles used a seven-run seventh to take the lead but still needed a walk-off single in the ninth inning for the win.
Freshman first baseman Ryan McCauley slapped a single to right field to score senior outfielder Matt Wietlispach in the bottom of the ninth. Wietlispach led off the inning with a line drive to right and advanced to second on a perfect sacrifice bunt by junior Cam Stykemain.
The victory moves Niagara into a three-way tie for fourth place in the MAAC. NU, Rider and Siena all sit at 12-9 with one series to go. Niagara owns the tie-breaker over both schools, thanks to a pair of 2-1 road series victories to start conference play.
The University at Buffalo baseball team completed its first series sweep of a conference opponent since the 2005 season, defeating Miami (OH), 5-1, on Sunday afternoon at Amherst Audubon Field in the conference series finale. In the Senior Day victory, Buffalo captured an early lead in the bottom of the second off a three-RBI double by senior first baseman Rob Lawler and relied on strong pitching from junior starter Josh Edwards, who captured his first career victory.
The day celebrated the careers of 11 seniors including second baseman Brad Agustin, designated hitter Brad Cochrane, pitcher Jeffrey Hains, right fielder Charlie Karstedt, Lawler, pitcher Pierre Miville-Deschenes, pitcher Chaz Mye, left fielder Bobby Pizzuto, pitcher Brian Pullyblank, shortstop Jacob Rosenbeck and center fielder Adam Skonieczki.
The Bisons four-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday afternoon, following a 5-4 loss to the Norfolk Tides at Coca-Cola Field.
The Tides took an early 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning and although the Bisons threatened to take the lead several times, Norfolk never relinquished it.
The Herd got an RBI double from Andy Green, scoring Russ Adams, in the second inning to make it a one-run game.
In just his third game removed from being sent down to the minors by the Baltimore Orioles, Nolan Reimold extended the Tides lead to three with a two-run homer in the sixth.
When the Buffalo Bills were able to select Southern Mississippi tight end Shawn Nelson in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft (No. 121 overall), most NFL Draft experts proclaimed the pick a steal, claiming that Nelson had the talent to restore the tight end to prominence in Buffalo’s offense. As a rookie last season, Nelson showed flashes of that potential, though a pop-gun offense and Nelson’s inability to avoid nagging injuries only allowed him to accumulate 17 receptions in his first NFL season.
Now, new head coach Chan Gailey takes over the reigns of Buffalo’s fledgling offense, which could be some cause for concern for a player in Nelson’s position. Throughout his career, Gailey has rarely utilized the tight end position in his passing attack, instead using the position more from a blocking perspective. Given Nelson’s strengths, that could seriously hinder his development.
Eastern Michigan’s men and Kent State women won the team titles on Saturday as the 2010 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships concluded at UB Stadium while UB’s men’s and women’s teams finished with their highest showings since joining the league.
Buffalo’s Tiffany Maskulinski won her first MAC pole vault title with her winning height of 13-4.50 (4.08m) to beat out last year’s champion and NCAA All-American Carrie Kayes of Akron. After clinching the title, Maskulinski attempted to break the UB school and stadium record with three attempts at 13-7.50 (4.15m) but was unable to successfully clear the bar. Maskulinski is the second UB women’s pole vault MAC champion. Laura Olson, who holds the UB and stadium records won the league title in 2003. Maskulinski earned first-team All-MAC honors.
The Iona College softball team scored three times in the top of the third and added a run in the sixth, while sophomore pitcher Sarah Jackson gave up just one run on four hits as the second-seeded Gaels defeated Canisius College 4-1 in the MAAC Softball Championship game Saturday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex. The win gives Iona its third MAAC Softball Championship, and its first since 1985, and improves the team to 28-24 on the year, while the Golden Griffins see their season end at 34-19.
By winning the MAAC’s softball crown, Iona has secured one of the 64 spots in next weekend’s NCAA Division I Softball Tournament. The Gaels’ opponents and regional placement will be announced live on ESPNU Sunday night at 10 p.m.
Mike Hessman already has one International League MVP award to his credit. The veteran might just be 36 games into a repeat performance with the Herd.
The slugger was the star at the plate and in the field as the Bisons collected a 4-0 victory over the Norfolk Tides on Sunday afternoon from Coca-Cola Field. With help from Pat Misch’s complete-game shutout, the Herd won their fourth consecutive game.
Misch was masterful, but the story of the Bisons continues to be the success of Hessman. The 32-year old is the top run producer in all of baseball and added to his impressive totals again on Sunday.
Junior second baseman Teresa Healy’s outstanding season was rewarded with being recognized as the 2010 MAAC Softball Player of the Year. Healy has set a school single-season record with 44 RBIs and led the conference with 60 hits.
Healy was selected as the 2010 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year in February and her on field performance merited the award. Healy led the MAAC with a .455 batting average and a .765 slugging percentage. Healy leads Niagara in eight offensive categories and was named MAAC Player of the Week twice during the season. Healy becomes the second Purple Eagle to be named Player of the Year; centerfielder Felicia Coffey was named Co-POY in 2008.
Four Purple Eagles were named to the All-MAAC Second Team: infielder Maggie McDonald, outfielder Jenna Baker and Kristin Kill, and pitcher Julie DiMatteo.
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle staff writer Kevin Oklobzija reports a lawsuit that includes Buffalo Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta as the defendant.
According to Oklobzija, a lawsuit has been filed against Kaleta in New York Supreme Court over a 2008 car crash in Chili, NY.
The suit alleges that the April 10, 2008, collision occurred due to the “negligent, careless and/or reckless manner” in which Kaleta was driving.
The lawsuit claims the victim suffered “injuries in and to the body which are permanent in nature and has or may be caused to suffer loss in excess of basic economic loss.” Kaleta’s brother, Thomas, has been named as a co-defendant. Thomas was the registered owner of the 2006 Hummer that Patrick was driving, according to the report.
Dillon Gee was the 663rd pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball amateur entry draft. Not much is expected from a 21st round pick, especially in their third full season of professional baseball, but it is starting to look more and more likely that at some point, Gee will get the opportunity to become the seventh University of Texas-Arlington Maverick to appear in the Majors.
Gee was drafted and signed by the Mets in 2007 after his junior year at UTA, and he instantly impressed scouts in short season Single-A ball. Gee went 3-1 with a 2.47 ERA in 14 games with the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League, and also posted an 8.1 K9, which was better than any season that he put together in college.
Sophomore Amanda Cannizzo dropped a two-run single into centerfield with one out in the bottom of the seventh to help lift the Golden Griffins to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over Manhattan in the first round of the 2010 MAAC Softball Championships Thursday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex. The win allows the Golden Griffins (33-17) advance to the winner’s bracket where the team will face Iona at 11 a.m., Friday, while the Lady Jaspers (25-22-1) will take on Niagara at 1 p.m., in the tournament’s first elimination game.
Canisius went into the bottom half of the seventh trailing Manhattan 4-2, but senior Michelle Fridey made the game 4-3 with an RBI-double to left center that allowed teammate Katie Medina to score from first. After Manhattan got an out, sophomore Katie Lancellotti reached base after being hit by a pitch, and junior Emily Helbig followed her with a base hit to left that loaded the bases. That set the stage for Cannizzo, who dropped a 1-0 pitch from Manhattan’s Melissa Donnelly into shallow center, allowing Fridey and Lancellotti to cross the plate to secure the win.
The Erie Community College men’s golf team is headed to the NJCAA Division III National Tournament for the just the second time in school history after a second place finish at the Region III Tournament May 17-18.
As first reported by FoxSports.com, former Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman has signed a one-year contract worth $630,000 to join the Seattle Seahawks.
After striking out three times in his previous four at bats, designated hitter Valentino Pascucci was not having a memorable day at the plate. That all changed with one swing of the bat when he took the first pitch of the ninth inning to the opposite field to tie the game at six and send the game into extra innings.
The Buffalo Sabres today announced they will increase season ticket prices by approximately 5% for the 2010-11 season. Price increases will range from $1-$4 in all price levels.
Mike Hessman added to his baseball-leading RBI total, but it was Jason Pridie that had all the clutch hits on Monday night.
Niagara women’s basketball coach Kendra Faustin has announced the 2010-11 recruiting class. Five new members will wear the Purple and White for next season’s team.
The University at Buffalo football program has extended its intrastate series with the Army Black Knights and has also signed a one-game deal with Morgan State that will give the Bulls an unprecedented seven home games in 2012.
When it comes to ex-Buffalo Bills wide receivers still looking for work, Terrell Owens gets all the attention. The future Hall of Famer had an official visit with the Cincinnati Bengals in early March, but the team elected to go with Antonio Bryant. In the time that’s followed he’s been reportedly linked to Oakland, Washington and recently Cleveland, but to this point it’s nothing but unfounded speculation.
Southwestern High School star quarterback Zack Sopak will continue his football career next year by attending Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, PA.
Buffalo, NY native and WWE Diva Superstar Beth Phoenix has badly injured her knee. The multi-time women’s champion tore her ACL and sprained her MCL. The injury is expected to sideline her from being in a ring for several months and possible up to a full year.
So, how many of you are sitting on pins and needles waiting to see if the Bills jump on Baltimore Ravens leftover left tackle, Jared Gaither? It’s already been rumored and in one case (falsely) reported that Gaither is coming to Orchard Park.
The Niagara baseball team (12-9 MAAC) stayed alive in the MAAC playoff picture with a wild weekend sweep of Saint Peter’s (6-18 MAAC) on Sunday, winning the finale, 9-8. Trailing 4-0 in the seventh inning, the Purple Eagles used a seven-run seventh to take the lead but still needed a walk-off single in the ninth inning for the win.
The University at Buffalo baseball team completed its first series sweep of a conference opponent since the 2005 season, defeating Miami (OH), 5-1, on Sunday afternoon at Amherst Audubon Field in the conference series finale. In the Senior Day victory, Buffalo captured an early lead in the bottom of the second off a three-RBI double by senior first baseman Rob Lawler and relied on strong pitching from junior starter Josh Edwards, who captured his first career victory.
The Bisons four-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday afternoon, following a 5-4 loss to the Norfolk Tides at Coca-Cola Field.
When the Buffalo Bills were able to select Southern Mississippi tight end Shawn Nelson in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft (No. 121 overall), most NFL Draft experts proclaimed the pick a steal, claiming that Nelson had the talent to restore the tight end to prominence in Buffalo’s offense. As a rookie last season, Nelson showed flashes of that potential, though a pop-gun offense and Nelson’s inability to avoid nagging injuries only allowed him to accumulate 17 receptions in his first NFL season.
Eastern Michigan’s men and Kent State women won the team titles on Saturday as the 2010 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships concluded at UB Stadium while UB’s men’s and women’s teams finished with their highest showings since joining the league.
The Iona College softball team scored three times in the top of the third and added a run in the sixth, while sophomore pitcher Sarah Jackson gave up just one run on four hits as the second-seeded Gaels defeated Canisius College 4-1 in the MAAC Softball Championship game Saturday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex. The win gives Iona its third MAAC Softball Championship, and its first since 1985, and improves the team to 28-24 on the year, while the Golden Griffins see their season end at 34-19.
Mike Hessman already has one International League MVP award to his credit. The veteran might just be 36 games into a repeat performance with the Herd.
Junior second baseman Teresa Healy’s outstanding season was rewarded with being recognized as the 2010 MAAC Softball Player of the Year. Healy has set a school single-season record with 44 RBIs and led the conference with 60 hits.
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle staff writer 
Dillon Gee was the 663rd pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball amateur entry draft. Not much is expected from a 21st round pick, especially in their third full season of professional baseball, but it is starting to look more and more likely that at some point, Gee will get the opportunity to become the seventh University of Texas-Arlington Maverick to appear in the Majors.
Sophomore Amanda Cannizzo dropped a two-run single into centerfield with one out in the bottom of the seventh to help lift the Golden Griffins to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over Manhattan in the first round of the 2010 MAAC Softball Championships Thursday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex. The win allows the Golden Griffins (33-17) advance to the winner’s bracket where the team will face Iona at 11 a.m., Friday, while the Lady Jaspers (25-22-1) will take on Niagara at 1 p.m., in the tournament’s first elimination game.
