Dane Pound

As far as I remember one of the Pittsburgh papers had a story that the ECAC bowl was cancelled sometime over the winter. Nothing on the NEC site about it so I guess it is gone. As far as a post-season game I'm sure there are other people on the board more knowledgeable about that. I'm pretty sure the 1-AA playoffs have at-large selections of the highest ranked teams. I don't think Albany realistically would have a shot at one of those spots. Although the year we played Duqeunse in the ECAC bowl they were ranked #24 in 1-AA. I'm not sure that would have got them a playoff spot though.

Thanks for not spoiling it DF2K3 but NBC did. American Alan Webb ran in a different heat and that was the only one they televised. Just the results from the other heats and those were only the qualifiers. According to his weblog Caracciolo is supposed to run again in the 3000M steeplechase sometime today. If I remember right they declared him ineligible for that race when the olympics began. I guess they have reevaluated. Unfortunate for him that he had to run yesterday and couldn't save himself for what should be a better event for him.

Welcome Mike! Thanks for the link to your site. I'll be adding a link to WCDB shortly to make it easier for people to get there from here. Just curious, do you ever have members of the coaching staff on your show?

I couldn't find it online but there is a good story in today's TU about Caracciolo. One of the UA coachs went with him to Athens. Not much of a chance of him getting past prelimbs but from his weblog it sounds like a great experience and is good exposure for the program at UA.

Glad to hear it and wish him well there. Plymouth State might be a good exhibition opponent.

Albany announced their full recruiting class. Heavy on defense with speed. UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY ANNOUNCES MEN'S LACROSSE COMMITMENTS FOR 2004-05 Albany, N.Y. -- University at Albany men's lacrosse coach Scott Marr announced on Thursday, Aug. 19 that 11 student-athletes have made commitments to play for the Great Danes in 2004-05. The UAlbany program captured the America East Conference championship and earned an NCAA Division I Tournament berth for the second consecutive season last year. "This is an outstanding group with four high school All-Americans in the class," said Marr, whose program has posted consecutive 10-6 campaigns. "It's an athletic group with good speed and running ability. We've added depth in the midfield and size and athleticism on defense." Craig McDonald and Garrett Pedley should make the Great Danes' defensive unit even stronger. McDonald (6-0, 200) and Pedley (6-2, 200) each earned high school All-America honors by U.S. Lacrosse. McDonald played in the National High School Senior Showcase, while Pedley, a three-time all-state selection, led his team to New Hampshire's Division II state championship. Derek Dale, an honorable mention scholastic All-America attackman, was twice named to the All-Suffolk County team on Long Island. Dale accounted for 33 goals and 48 assists as a senior. Steve Ammann, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete, was picked to the U.S. Lacrosse All-America squad as a midfielder. He totaled 68 goals and 26 assists last spring. His brother, Mike Ammann, was the more prolific scorer with 70 goals and 31 assists as a Section I all-star. Both were members of The Journal's All-Westchester/Putnam first team, and led Putnam Valley, the No. 7 team in the Class C state rankings, to a 17-4 record. Defenseman Mark Phelan and midfielders Jordan Levine and Tyler Endres join the All-Americans in the class. Phelan was named to the Baltimore Sun All-Metro second team, and earned first-team All-Anne Arundel County recognition. Levine, a two-time All-Nassau County selection, led Bethpage to a 16-2 record as one of the state's top Class B squads. Endres made the Section V Senior All-Star Game. Ernie Fusco, one of two recruits from the state of New Jersey, was voted All-Middlesex County as an attackman three times during his high school career. **************** 2004 University at Albany Men's Lacrosse Newcomers Name, Pos., Ht., Wt., Hometown (High School) Steve Ammann, Mid., 6-2, 200, Putnam Valley, N.Y. (Putnam Valley) Mike Ammann, Mid., 6-2, 200, Putnam Valley, N.Y. (Putnam Valley) A.J. Babnik, Glk., 5-10, 185, Putnam Valley, N.Y. (Putnam Valley) Derek Dale, Att., 5-11, 160, Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y. (Sachem) Tyler Endres, Mid., 6-1, 175, Brockport, N.Y. (Hilton Central) Ernie Fusco, Att., 5-11, 210, East Brunswick, N.J. (East Brunswick) Jordan Levine, Mid., 5-7, 165, Plainview, N.Y. (Bethpage) Craig McDonald, Def., 6-0, 200, Geneva, N.Y. (Geneva) Garrett Pedley, Def., 6-2, 200, Bow, N.H. (Bow) Mark Phelan, Def., 5-11, 175, Arnold, Md. (Broadneck) Greg Shondel, Def., 6-2, 230, Kinnelon, N.J. (Kinnelon)

I agree. It's certainly possible this year. Not just because UA is better this year but I think Siena has alot more question marks than they have in the past. They'll probably start a freshman point guard and they are not as imposing up front as they've been in the past. Really just Haddix who is terrific, Snezyck and Green who is unproven.

UALBANY PICKED TO WIN 2004 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TITLE Gudmundsen, Shaw & Chrobak on Preseason All-NEC Squad Somerset, N.J. – After winning a share of its second consecutive Northeast Conference football championship, the University at Albany is the preseason choice to capture this year’s NEC title, in voting by the conference’s head coaches. The Great Danes, who went 7-4 overall and tied for first in the league standings with Monmouth, are ranked No. 7 in both The Sports Network and Football Gazette I-AA preseason polls. UAlbany opens its schedule on Thursday, Sept. 2 at Hofstra. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m. ET. The contest will be televised on Fox Sports New York. "I am pleasantly surprised," commented Albany coach Bob Ford, who has 201 career victories at the collegiate level. "I believe the voting is based on our defensive returnees, and a great defense will win a championship. We still have plenty of work to do with questions to be answered at quarterback, running back, part of the offensive line, and the kicking game." Three UAlbany players were named to the Preseason All-Northeast Conference Team. Senior left tackle Geir Gudmundsen, at 6-foot-6 and 315-pounds, has made 33 consecutive starts on Albany’s offensive line. A two-time All-NEC first-team selection, Gudmundsen was named to three postseason Division I-AA All-America teams in 2003. Brandon Shaw, a 6-foot, 295-pound center, anchored an offensive line that established the NEC and school single-season rushing record with 3,215 yards last year. Shaw, who has twice been chosen to the postseason all-conference team, helped the Great Danes rank fourth nationally in rushing at 292.3 yards per game. Sophomore cornerback Ryan Chrobak made 47 tackles, including 35 unassisted hits, in his first season as a starter. He added eight pass break-ups and one interception for a defensive unit that was among the top 10 nationally in rushing yards allowed and total defense. The Great Danes also ranked 11th in scoring defense with a 16.8 average. ****************** Northeast Conference 2004 Preseason Football Poll 1. Albany (5), T2. Stony Brook (2), T2. Monmouth (1), 4. Robert Morris, 5. Central Connecticut State, 6. Wagner, 7. Sacred Heart, 8. St. Francis, Pa. ( ) – first-place votes

Albany got one first place vote and was picked to finish 3rd. VOLLEYBALL RANKED THIRD IN AMERICA EAST PRESEASON COACHES POLL Boston, Mass. – The University at Albany volleyball team was selected third in the America East Conference preseason poll as voted on by the conference head coaches on August 18. New Hampshire was picked as the favorite, garnering six first-place votes, while Northeastern was ranked second with one first-place vote. The Great Danes are coming off their most successful season in program history, winning a school record 24 games at the Division I level. Juniors Eileen Nicole Rodriguez and Ashlee Reed were honored as all-conference first-team selections in 2003 and lead a team with nine veterans. An outside hitter, Rodriguez led the squad with 404 kills as a sophomore, in addition to registering a conference-best 143 service aces. Reed is coming off a sophomore campaign in which she registered a team-best .315 hitting percentage along with 354 kills and a team-high 90 blocks at middle blocker. Other returning starters include sophomore Ashley DeNeal at outside hitter who was tabbed America East Rookie of the Year, and classmate Blair Buchanan at setter who earned a spot on the conference all-rookie team. Two newcomers join head coach Kelly Sheffield’s squad in freshman middle Ashley Crenshaw and junior transfer Ashley Hunter at outside hitter. UAlbany opens its 2004 schedule at IUPU-Fort Wayne on Sept 1 when the Great Danes start their run at a third straight appearance in the America East Tournament.

An entertaining story by the BBC on former Albany runner Rob Caracciolo at the olympics. Don't call me Eric-BBC

Take it for what it's worth but Insiders has Albany looking at Ben Hailey from Brown Deer, WI. They list him as a 6'6 small forward and was in the top 25 in the state as a junior. He averaged 12.6 points a game last year. Bing, Idaho and Northern Iowa are the other schools listed.

The preseason coaches picks for soccer were just announced. The coaches picked the women to finish 10th and the men 9th. The women's pick I can understand because of their difficulty last year although they'll certainly be better this year. I thought the men would be picked higher. They've been around the middle of the pack in the AE the last few years. WOMEN'S SOCCER CHOSEN TENTH IN CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL Boston, Mass. – The University at Albany women’s soccer team is preparing for better things as second-year head coach Kalekeni Banda continues to upgrade the program in the 2004 season. The Great Danes were picked to finish tenth in the America East conference preseason poll. Defending champion Boston University was selected to win the conference. UAlbany’s top returnee will be senior midfielder Sara Rickard (Otisville, N.Y.) who scored one goal and led the team in shots on goal. Senior forward Ashley Jurica (Fonda, N.Y.) returns to the lineup after missing the entire 2003 season with a knee injury. In 2002, she had nine points with three goals and three assists. UAlbany has 17 newcomers, highlighted by the addition of junior college transfer Jessica Insana (Warwick, R.I.), who was a member of the Community College of Rhode Island’s 2002 NJCAA National Championship Team. The Great Danes will look to improve on last year’s 0-9-0 record in the America East and 1-18-1 overall. Banda’s Great Danes kickoff their 2004 season on Aug. 27 at Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., with game time at 3 p.m. UAlbany begins its home portion of the schedule on Aug. 29 at 4 p.m. against Quinnipiac and starts America East play on Oct. 3, when the Great Danes host Stony Brook at 1 p.m. America East Conference Women’s Soccer Coaches Poll – First Place Votes in Parenthesis 1. Boston University (9) 81, 2. Maine (1) 67, 3. New Hampshire 65, 4. Hartford 54, 5. Northeastern 51, 6. Stony Brook 37, 7. UMBC 36, 8. Binghamton 30, 9. Vermont 20, 10. Albany 9 MEN'S SOCCER PICKED NINTH IN AMERICA EAST COACHES POLL Boston, Mass. – The University at Albany men’s soccer team is looking to return to the America East Conference Tournament after narrowly missing postseason play the past two years. The Great Danes were chosen ninth in the preseason poll in a vote of the conference head coaches. Defending America East champion Binghamton University was picked to finish first. UAlbany’s top returnee will be senior defender Rodrigo Marion (La Paz, Bolivia), who made the second-team all-conference. He will help anchor a defense that allowed only 19 goals in 18 contests a year ago. Senior goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul (Bronx, N.Y.) had a 1.02 goals against average and 113 saves in 2003. Sophomore Yan Gbolo (Newburgh, N.Y.) tallied four goals and added one assist and senior Lucas Machado (Porto Alegre, Brazil) scored four goals. Each will be counted on to lead the way up front. Senior midfielder Savvas Theofilou (Nicosia, Cyprus), who had three goals and three assists, directs the midfield. The Great Danes, who return all 11 starters from a year ago, went 3-5-1 in the America East last season and 7-9-2 overall. The Great Danes missed the conference tournament by two points last season and lost out on a tiebreaker in 2002. The Great Danes kickoff their 2004 season on Sept. 1 at home against Oneonta State, with game time at 4 p.m. UAlbany begins its America East portion of the schedule on Sept. 25 against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County at 1 p.m. America East Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll – First Place Votes in Parenthesis 1. Binghamton (6) 75, 2. UMBC (3) 72, 3. Boston University (1) 65, 4. Northeastern 57, 5. Hartford 55, 6. Stony Brook 36, 7. New Hampshire 25, 8. Maine 24, 9. Albany 22, 10. Vermont 19

You're right McFan! Albany has beaten the Cuse several times in track events.

Not exactly the most upbeat quotes from Lanier about this game. Luckily the new contract saves me from reviving the chicken cartoon. Saints-Danes play on-TU

Certainly not the best date for this game. I'm sure the $iena/Pepsi people would give you a scheduling conflict reason but you might be right about the reason for this game date. I know the Albany students have been louder the last few years. Press releases on the new contract follows from the UA and Siena sites: Siena and UAlbany Renew Basketball Contracts (Siena) Men and Women Will Continue Series at Pepsi Arena Aug. 17, 2004 Siena College and the University at Albany have agreed to continue their men's and women's basketball series at Pepsi Arena, officials from the institutions announced today. Both series will continue through the 2006-2007 season. The men will play again November 23, 2004 at 7 p.m., while the women's series commences during the 2005-2006 season following a one-year hiatus this season. "This is the Capital Region's greatest sports rivalry," County Executive Michael Breslin said. "Each year, the community embraces these games, and we are thrilled to see the series continue." The contract extension follows a three-year agreement that brought the two programs together on the same court November 27, 2001 for the first time in 25 years. An average of 11,251 fans attended the three doubleheaders contested between the schools at Pepsi Arena, with attendance increasing each season. Siena won all six games and holds a 26-17 edge in the men's series and a 7-2 advantage on the women's side. "This is a game for the community," Siena College Director of Athletics John D'Argenio said. "The fans have turned out in great force the past three seasons, and we hope the support will grow along with the rivalry. Our goal is to sell out the Pepsi Arena." Following this season's men's only game, the two school's will again play men's and women's doubleheaders to complete the following two years of the new agreement. Exact dates have not been set for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 season. "I believe this truly is a rivalry," Head Men's Basketball Coach Rob Lanier said. "From the media coverage, to the fan and community support, to the games themselves, it has become an event both sides look forward to every season, UALBANY AND SIENA AGREE TO CONTINUE BASKETBALL SERIES AT PEPSI ARENA(UA) Albany, N.Y. – University at Albany and Siena College have agreed to continue their men's and women's basketball series at Pepsi Arena, as announced on Tuesday, Aug. 17 at the downtown facility. Both series will continue through the 2006-07 season. The men will play again on Nov. 23, 2004 at 7:00 p.m., while the women's series commences in 2005-06 following a one-year hiatus this season. "This is a great event in the development of both school's men's and women's basketball programs, UAlbany Director of Athletics Lee McElroy said. "The series also represents the values and qualities of both institutions. The athletes, coaches and community look forward to the playing of this series each year." The contract extension follows a three-year agreement that brought the two programs together on the same court for the first time in 25 years. An average of 11,251 fans have attended the three doubleheaders between the schools at Pepsi Arena since Nov. 27, 2001. Siena leads the men's series, 26-17, while winning seven of nine meetings between the women's programs. "This is tremendous for basketball fans, especially those in the Capital District," UAlbany men's head coach Will Brown stated. "With two Division I programs in such close proximity, I am hopeful that one day this event can rival a great crosstown series, like Cincinnati and Xavier." Following this season's men's only game, the schools will again play men's and women's doubleheaders to complete the following two years of the new agreement. Exact dates have not been set for 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Working the apples and oranges comparasion into a post about Syracuse is pretty clever. Intentionally or not The Professor certainly has a way of bringing out the defenders of the women's hoop programs. This game would have been great last year when the local girl (Julie McBride?) was at SU. She graduated last year as the leading scorer in school history and would have attracted more of a crowd at the RACC. A couple of years ago Mississippi State came into the RACC ranked #12 in the country and the attendance wasn't very good. Hopefully Syracuse proves to be more of a draw.

Has Albany beaten Syracuse in any sport since the upgrade to D1?

They're running the same poll on the NEC website. According to 133 voters the teams that will win the NEC this year is...... ST. FRANCIS!

I may be way off base here but I don't think they keep everyone but press out of things like the one at the Pepsi. They just don't notify anyone else. I'd imaginie if Statefan got into the first press conference he can get into this one-unless he's wearing his Albany shirt at the Pepsi in which case they probably will throw him out. Agree it'd be nice to have a BPF reporter to have stories to go with UAlum72's photos. I love the idea for the Windbreakers. LadyDP had an idea a while ago for a shirt. It'd was the Dunking Dane on a surfboard and it would say something like "surfing the net with Danes fan at www.bigpurplefans.com.

I haven't seen any practices. I'm looking forward to the coaches preditiction for the fall sports as there are several teams that look like they could have a very strong season. The conference competeition for the soccer team is going to be pretty tough. College Soccer News ranked BingU #22 in the nation and listed UMBC (last year's regular season champ) as a team to watch. My wife has come with an idea for a Fall Sports Challenge to try and see all the Fall Sports team play at least one game. I haven't looked through all the schedules to find which games to go to yet.

I agree Ruler. I doubt there are any employers who go through resumes and cross reference them with the Princeton Review. It's amazing how much attention is paid to these rankings which don't mean anything. The only bad news is last years winner was Colorado. Not very good company.

I can only guess that the road games aren't finalized. That's why they haven't announced the full schedule yet. Neither schedule is as good as last year in the number of home games. For the most part I guess those things are cyclical and next year we'll have more. Home game for the women against Syracuse is awesome. I really hope people come out and support that game. Not to be overly optimistic about the women's team but RPI-wise they were 20 points higher than Syracuse was last year.

A story in the TU mentioned that former Albany runner Rob Caracciolo is running for Equitorial Guinea. He was supposed to run the steeplechase but I think they've switched him to the 1500 meters. His first race isn't until next weekend. He's keeping a weblog and updating it pretty frequently. It sounds like he's having a good time and using this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try and pick up some Russian gymnists and rub shoulders with Yao Ming. Here's his weblog.

You're right he was a little bigger last year. The press release issued earlier mentions his quickness at the end spot. Andre Coleman is actually listed heavier this year and he was pretty freakin big last year. He could really be a monster this year with Jermaine Lee, Kryzack and Sands. I agree with Ruler that the defense should be really solid this year. I'm not nearly as confident about the offense.

From the Fox23 site: Siena, UAlbany Hoops To Meet Again The Siena and UAlbany basketball programs have called a press conference for Tuesday to extend their annual hoop meetings at the Pepsi. The University at Albany's Athletic Director Lee McElroy saying the schools are in discussions to renew a contract that expires this year. Sources told FOX23 Thursday that the plan is to extend for another three years. The initial contract was for three meetings with an option for a fourth season. This year's meeting between the two schools is the option year. In other news at UAlbany, the school will begin construction of a new basketball floor in the RACC starting the first week of September. The project cannot be started until the Giants leave training camp.