The Pioneer Trail: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015

2/14/2015 9:45:00 AM

Men's Lacrosse vs. Queens (N.C.) - 12 p.m.
It has been nearly nine months since the LIU Post men's lacrosse team took to the turf in the NCAA Championship game in Baltimore last May. That day, the Pioneers came out as second-best, falling to Limestone by a 12-6 scoreline. Today, the green and gold look to start their 2015 season on a high note, as the team returns to Maryland to face Queens (N.C.) in the season-opener.

Last year's team had a 6-5 record going into the season finale against Dowling, before running off five straight victories, including wins in the ECC Championship game, the NCAA Quarterfinals, and an NCAA semifinal upset of then-No.1 Adelphi. The Pioneers return five of their top six goal-scorers from last season, including senior attacker Chris Caiazza (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), who scored a team-high 35 for the green and gold in the 2014 campaign. Senior middie and 2014 ECC Tournament Most Outstanding Player Connor Drost (Wading River, N.Y.) also returns for the Pioneers, a year after scoring 16 goals, including eight in the last five contests. Junior midfielder Anthony Berardis (Mahopac, N.Y.) and attackers Matty Beccaris (North Babylon, N.Y.) and Ryan Slane (North Babylon, N.Y.) will once again suit up for LIU Post, as well. The three combined to score 78 goals and accumulate 125 points between the three of them.

The offense is not the only powerful force returning for the Pioneers, which ranks No. 3 in the nation going into the 2015 season. All-American defenseman Robbie Chiocco (Massapequa, N.Y.) leads a stout back line that held opponents to an average of seven goals per game last year. Fellow seniors Justin Woodley (Bloomington, Minn.) and Steve Gruse (New Fairfield, Conn.) will look to make things difficult for opposing offenses this season. Junior goalie Adam Winne (Ridgefield, Conn.) won the starting job in the pre-season, and will look to prove himself as the best netminder for the green and gold.

There are plenty more reasons for Pioneers fans to be excited, as several new faces will look to make an impact in Brookville. Junior attacker Matt Bellando (Miami, Fla.) transferred in from Stony Brook, where he helped lead the Seawolves to the 2012 America East Championship. Senior defender Nick Ancona (Great River, N.Y.) comes to the Pioneers after three years playing for Towson of the Colonial Athletic Association. Finally, junior defenseman Shane Sweeney (Hicksville, N.Y.) joins the green and gold after being a member of Hofstra's 2014 CAA Tournament team.

Queens (N.C.), the tenth-ranked team in the country going into the season, opened their 2015 campaign by facing No. 4 Tampa last Saturday (Feb. 7). The Royals fell by a 20-4 scoreline as Tampa scored 17 goals in three periods. Senior midfielder Evan Farkas (Havre de Grace, Md.) led Queens (N.C.) with two goals in the contest.

The Royals went 12-5 last year and won the 2014 South Atlantic Conference Championship, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. It was there that Queens (N.C.) faced the eventual national champion, Limestone, where the Royals were bested by the Saints by a score of 17-6. Queens (N.C.) returns its top three scorers from last season, including Farkas, senior attacker Casey Hock (Danville, Calif.) and junior Garrett Chan (Port Coquitlam, B.C., Canada), whose 47 goals were the most on the team.

Women's Basketball at Saint Thomas Aquinas - 1 p.m.
While the LIU Post women's basketball team has capitalized on a three-game winning streak, the Pioneers have watched teams around them in the East Region fall this week. Today they will face an upset-minded Saint Thomas Aquinas squad that is coming off of a major upset in their last contest.

LIU Post (14-8, 10-4 ECC) opened their last contest on a 20-4 run en route to a 72-57 victory over Mercy on Wednesday (Feb. 11). Senior guard Chelsea Williams (Copiague, N.Y.) continued her unflappable play with a 23-point, eight-assist and six-block performance in the win. Williams notched season-highs in assists and blocks, while junior point guard Jalyn Brown (Riverhead, N.Y.) scored a career-high nine points in the victory. Junior forward Nyasia Davis (Rahway, N.J.) pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds as the Pioneers owned a 49-39 rebounding edge over the Mavericks.

The green and gold are currently tied for third in the conference standings with Roberts Wesleyan and NYIT. All three teams are four games clear of Molloy and one half-game back of Queens (N.Y.) for second-place in the ECC. Roberts Wesleyan picked up a 73-61 victory over Bridgeport on Friday (Feb. 13) to keep the third-place tiebreaker over NYIT and LIU Post.

Saint Thomas Aquinas (10-14, 6-9 ECC) held on to upset NYIT in a nailbiter on Wednesday (Feb. 11), by a score of 85-82. The Spartans raced out to a nine-point halftime lead thanks to a hot-shooting performance against the Bears, as Saint Thomas Aquinas shot 56% (20-36) from the floor in the first half. NYIT made it a closer contest, but in the end, the lead was too much to overcome. Sophomore guard Samantha Burden (Westbury, N.Y.) had a breakout game, scoring 25 points by shooting 69% (11-16) from the field. For emphasis, Burden is only averaging 7.6 points per game for the Spartans. Freshman guard Jenna Erickson (Melrose, N.Y.) scored 24 points and hit four three-pointers against an NYIT defense that is second-best in the conference at three-point defense (27.9%).

When these two teams met on Jan. 10 in Brookville, LIU Post came away with a 71-57 victory. Williams and Davis combined for 43 points and 24 rebounds as the Pioneers led from opening tip-off to final buzzer. The green and gold also outrebounded Saint Thomas Aquinas by a 43-32 margin, and converted 18 second chance points.

Men's Basketball at Saint Thomas Aquinas - 3 p.m.
Much like their hardwood colleagues on the women's team, the LIU Post men's basketball team is in a tie for third in the East Coast Conference standings. But unlike the women, the men will look to spring a major upset against a Saint Thomas Aquinas club that is tied for first in the ECC going into the weekend.

The Pioneers (12-10, 7-7 ECC) dominated Mercy and romped to an 82-57 victory on Wednesday (Feb. 11). Four players hit double-figures in points for the green and gold, led by an 18-point night from sophomore forward Greg Dotson (Abington, Pa.). Senior guard P.J. Torres (New Rochelle, N.Y.) scored 16 points, going 7-for-8 from the field in the second half. LIU Post shot 49% (29-59) from the field in the contest, and the Pioneers went 15-29 (52%) from the perimeter in the second half.

At 7-7, LIU Post is tied with Molloy and NYIT in the conference standings. All three teams have a game in hand on Bridgeport and Saint Thomas Aquinas, as both teams have played 15 games and sport a 12-3 ECC record.

The Spartans (15-9, 12-3 ECC) were tied with NYIT at 76 in the final moments of the second half Wednesday night (Feb. 11). However, Bears senior guard Darian Hooker (Washington, D.C.) was able to draw a foul on a three-point attempt with three-tenths of a second left. Hooker hit two of three from the line, and Saint Thomas Aquinas dropped a 78-76 heartbreaker in Old Westbury. Red-shirt freshman guard Justin Reyes (Haverhill, Mass.) led the Spartans with 17 points, but it was his foul that sent Hooker to the line at the end of the game. Hooker scored a game-high 37 points for the Bears in the victory.

In the previous meetings between the two squads on Jan. 10, two 20-minute periods were not enough to decide the outcome. LIU Post prevailed over Saint Thomas Aquinas in overtime, 68-62, thanks to an 84% (26-31) performance from the free-throw line. Senior forward Tyuan Williams (Newark, N.J.) hit all 10 of his free throws, scoring 20 total points and pulling down 11 rebounds in the victory.