Sports: Men’s lacrosse wins conference title

Sophomore goalie Kevin McKeown led the men’s lacrosse team to the America East regular-season championship. He was named Conference Player of the Year and became the school’s first male Division I All-American.

Team sweeps headlines during spring season

The BU men’s tennis and golf teams continued their annual ascents to their respective NCAA tournaments, but the top story of the spring was the emergence of the men’s lacrosse team as a conference power.

Under the expert tutelage of America East Coach of the Year Ed Stephenson, the Bearcats produced a remarkable season in just the program’s third year of existence. Despite being picked to finish sixth, the team went undefeated in league play to capture the regular-season title and then hosted two exciting playoff games at the East Gym complex, advancing to the championship game with an improbable comeback win against Stony Brook. In that game, BU trailed 6-3 with six minutes left before storming back to win in sudden-death overtime, 7-6, on a goal from all-star sophomore attack Phil Cavallo.

The Bearcats then hosted defending champion Albany in front of nearly 1,000 fans, and despite coming up short in a 10-4 defeat, served notice to the league that they will be a force for years to come. Stephenson fielded a team made up almost exclusively of underclassmen and had six all-stars, including America East Player of the Year and honorable mention All-American Kevin McKeown. McKeown spearheaded a BU defense that was ranked number one in the nation in goals against average for much of the season. With his national honor, McKeown now becomes the school’s first male athlete to earn Division I All-America honors.

Women’s lacrosse

The women’s lacrosse team enjoyed a big jump in the win column as well, showing the steady rise of that three-year-old program. Under head coach Susan Frost, the 2004 Bearcats scored more goals than the previous two seasons combined and won four matches, including a 12-11 conference win at Vermont. Showing the team’s future promise, freshman attack and conference all-star Becky Green netted 30 goals and 32 assists and ranked among the nation’s top 20 in both assists and points.

Men’s tennis

The men’s tennis team had yet another award-winning season for 17-year head coach Michael Starke. Having to replace half his starting lineup from a conference champion and NCAA tournament team of a year ago, Starke skipped the rebuilding year and won his second straight America East championship with a riveting 4-3 victory over Stony Brook. Starke, who was named Conference Coach of the Year, then steered his Bearcats into the NCAA tournament, where they squared off against a University of Mississippi team that was ranked No. 5 in the nation. Top singles player Dan Hanegby, while just a freshman, won 31 matches and was selected as the America East Most Outstanding Performer.

Women’s tennis

The women’s tennis team overcame great obstacles and peaked at the America East Championship under first-year coach Mike Stevens. Despite having a roster that was severely depleted in numbers, BU produced five consecutive conference wins, highlighted by a 4-2 upset of New Hampshire at the America East tournament. The Bearcats then battled top-seeded and 13-time defending champion Boston University to the wire before falling 4-2. The team placed third at the championship, and had four all-conference selections. Freshman Melis Altinay went 11-3 at No. 1 singles and received strong consideration for Conference Player of the Year honors after going undefeated at the post-season tournament.

Golf

The golf team also made it back to the NCAA tournament for first-year coach Nick Lasky. Binghamton’s selection was the program’s 10th NCAA bid in the last 13 years, with seven coming at the Division III level and one at Division II. The Bearcats won four in-season tournaments — the second-highest number in the entire country — and were the second-ranked team in the entire Northeast Region. At the NCAA East Regional, BU competed against five of the top eight teams in the country, including Florida, Clemson and Wake Forest. Senior Keith Hendrickson put together one of the finest years in program history, maintaining a 74.1 scoring average and winning the ECAC Championship, along with tournaments at Dartmouth and Lafayette.

Left: Senior softball catcher Jessica Chellis was named to the America East all-star team for the third consecutive season. Right: Men’s tennis standout Dan Hanegby won 31 matches and was named America East Most Outstanding Performer.

Baseball

The baseball team more than doubled its win total from 2003 and came within a whisker of earning a post-season berth. Despite playing 32 of its 43 games away from home, coach Tim Sinicki’s team went 22-21 and was one win away from advancing to the America East Championship. The Bearcats also swept a doubleheader from Cornell and won two of three against longtime in-state rival Le Moyne. In a record-breaking offensive season, BU amassed 51 home runs and averaged nearly seven runs per contest. Senior third baseman Jay Balback was named to the all-conference first team and junior first baseman Jamie Boyer, senior outfielder T. J. Kowalchuk and freshman outfielder Brendon Hitchcock earned spots on the second team. Balback ranked among the nation’s leaders in slugging percentage and graduated with records for home runs in a season (14) and career home runs (27).

Softball

The softball team opened its season with a bang, winning six of its first eight contests and placing third at both the James Madison Invitational and the UMBC Classic. The team also battled elite programs Virginia, NC State and Penn State before opening conference play in April. Despite fielding an underclassmen-dominated lineup for coach Holly Brown, BU ranked second in the America East in hitting and third in pitching. Eight one-run defeats cost the Bearcats a playoff spot, however, as they wound up in fifth place. Senior catcher Jessica Chellis was a first-team all-conference selection for the third consecutive season. Sophomore second baseman Nicole Vitello, who ripped a school-record seven home runs, earned second-team honors along with second-year shortstop Rose Barre and junior center fielder Jessica Dima.

Track and field

The track and field teams produced several outstanding individual performances during the spring season, and head coach Mike Thompson sent three athletes to the NCAA East Regional, hosted by the University of Florida. Freshman pole vaulter Rory Quiller set a new standard by clearing 16 feet 4 3/4 inches and was selected as Most Outstanding Field Events Performer at the America East Track and Field Championship. He was joined at the regional meet by teammate and fellow All-East honoree Mike Stewart, the conference champion in the 400 hurdles. Junior steeplechase athlete Lindsey Bohrer-Yardley represented the women’s team at the premier meet in Florida.