The Pioneer Trail: Sunday, Mar. 1, 2015

3/1/2015 9:36:00 AM

Men's Lacrosse vs. Lynn - 12 p.m.
The LIU Post men's lacrosse team has started off their season on a three-game winning streak. With the knowledge that a date with No.4/3 Adelphi looms for next Saturday (March 7), the Pioneers will look to prove that they are ready for a date with the team that they vanquished in last year's NCAA semifinal. To do that, the green and gold will close out the North Florida College Lacrosse Face-Off by facing Lynn in Palm Coast, Fla.

LIU Post (3-0, 1-0 ECC) scored 10 of the first 12 goals in a 15-6 dismantling of Saint Leo on Thursday (Feb. 26) in a game played at Saint Augustine High School. The Pioneers were led by junior attacker Matt Bellando (Miami, Fla.), who scored six goals in his return to the Sunshine State. Junior attackman Matty Beccaris (North Babylon, N.Y.) and senior middie Connor Drost (Wading River, N.Y.) each tallied a hat trick in the matchup, while junior attacker Ryan Slane (North Babylon, N.Y.) added a pair of goals. The green and gold also celebrated a milestone marker, as freshman attackman Eddie Bisson (North Babylon, N.Y.) netted his first career goal in the win over the Lions. Senior FOGO Dan Jeannotte (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) was a dominant 13-of-19 on face-offs and junior netminder Adam Winne (Ridgefield, Conn.) made seven saves in earning his third win of the season.

Through three games, the Pioneers have scored 41 goals, averaging 13.67 goals per game. Bellando has a team-leading 14 goals and 18 points, while Slane and Beccaris have each scored six goals to start the season. Drost has a squad-best six assists to go along with five goals on the season, and Jeannotte has won 70% (37-53) of the face-offs he has taken this season.

Lynn (1-0) overwhelmed Palm Beach Atlantic, winning by a 17-5 score last Saturday (Feb. 21) in Palm Beach, Fla. The Fighting Knights peppered Sailfish goalie Drake Kessell with 33 shots in the win, while freshman netminder Nick Nehring (Corning, N.Y.) made 10 saves on 15 shots in the victory. Junior attackman Anthony Rainone (Lynbrook, N.Y.) scored six goals and added two assists for Lynn, while red-shirt freshman attacker Austin Jerhoff (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) collected six points (3G, 3A) to lead Lynn to their first-ever 1-0 start in program history. Sophomore FOGO Vincent Genovesi (Coventry, Conn.) won 18 of the 26 face-offs he took for the Fighting Knights.

Women's Basketball vs. Roberts Wesleyan - 12 p.m.
In a battle between two teams that have already clinched postseason berths, an untrained eye would think there is not much to play for in this contest at the Pratt Recreation Center. However, when you add the main components---an LIU Post team defending its home court, a Roberts Wesleyan squad looking to secure a first-round bye, and a national audience watching on CBS Sports Network---the game becomes that much more meaningful and that much more important to both programs.

LIU Post (16-11, 12-7 ECC) kept pace with fourth-seed NYIT by defeating Daemen on Friday (Feb. 27), 70-65, at the Pratt Recreation Center. In her senior game, guard Chelsea Williams (Copiague, N.Y.) scored a game-high 29 points, adding 11 rebounds and five assists to her line for the night. Junior center Nyasia Davis (Rahway, N.J.) added 17 points and 20 rebounds, pulling down 10 offensive boards in the win. Williams and Davis combined for 31 rebounds, which was more than the entire Wildcats roster had for the game (30). Senior guard Ashley Castle (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored nine points with five rebounds and three assists, and sophomore guard Essence Casey (Huntington Station, N.Y.) added six points in a season-high 39 minutes of playing time.

Roberts Wesleyan (20-5, 14-4 ECC) has provided the best story this season, as the program is in the playoffs in its first year of conference eligibility. The Redhawks knocked off NYIT by a 65-48 scoreline on Friday (Feb. 27) in Old Westbury. Freshman guard Lucy Covley (Fairport, N.Y.) had a career-high 22 points in the win, shooting 8-for-22 from the floor while grabbing 12 rebounds for her second career double-double. Senior forward Marissa Sell (Brockport, N.Y.) also had a double-double---her 18th of the season---by scoring 17 points and pulling down 18 rebounds. As a team, the Redhawks obliterated NYIT on the glass, enjoying an astounding plus-20 rebounding margin (63-43). 

Roberts Wesleyan won the previous matchup in this series, defeating LIU Post 79-67 on Jan. 24 at the Voller Athletic Center in Rochester. In that game, Williams scored 31 points for the Pioneers, but Sell notched a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. 


Men's Basketball vs. Roberts Wesleyan - 3:30 p.m.
After Friday's systematic dismantling of Daemen, the LIU Post men's basketball team spent Saturday gearing up for their final regular-season home game. After Sunday, win or lose, the Pioneers will be playing in the play-in round of the ECC Tournament on Wednesday. The only question that remains is whether or not LIU Post will host the matchup on March 4.

LIU Post (15-12, 10-9 ECC) limited Daemen senior forward Gerald Beverly to just 11 points and nine rebounds, while taking a 79-56 game over the Wildcats on Friday (Feb. 27) at the Pratt Recreation Center. While Beverly was held in check, the Pioneers' quartet of seniors shined on the night that they were honored for their contributions to the program. Guard Isiah Stokley (Queens, N.Y.) scored a season-high 19 points to lead the green and gold, while forward Tyuan Williams (Newark, N.J.) added 18. Fellow senior forward Charles McCann (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) scored five points and pulled down eight rebounds, including six offensive boards for the Pioneers. McCann also had two blocks and three steals. Last but not least, senior guard P.J. Torres (New Rochelle, N.Y.) scored 14 points and contributed seven rebounds and seven assists, as well.

Roberts Wesleyan (10-15, 6-13 ECC) has struggled in their debut season as a full-fledged member of the East Coast Conference. The Redhawks dropped a 79-62 decision at the hands of NYIT on Friday (Feb. 27) in Old Westbury, their third loss in a row. Junior guard Tyrel Dixon (Tobyhanna, Pa.) had a team-high 18 points and nine rebounds, while fellow third-year guard Marcus Gooding (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had 16 points off the bench. The Redhawks, though, were powerless on defense, as NYIT senior guard Darian Hooker (Washington, D.C.) scored a game-high 27 for the Bears in the win.

LIU Post won the previous matchup over Roberts Wesleyan on Jan. 24 in Rochester. The Pioneers' 82-69 victory was possible thanks to junior guard Dillon Burns (Staten Island, N.Y.), who scored a season-high 16 points in the win. Williams added a double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds) and junior guard Akosa Maduegbunam (Hyde Park, Mass.) went 4-for-8 from three-point range on his way to a 14-point night.