REDHAWKS ROUNDUP
Written By: Edward Stankowski, Jr.
Photography: Greg Blackman

"The biggest disappointment was finishing second in the AMCC Champion-ship for the third consecutive year," said Jim Tinkey, men's golf coach and La Roche College athletic director. Tinkey says last season's most memorable moment was the team's best-ever finish at the Pitt-Greensburg Invitational, where the team tied for first with Westminster. La Roche finished one stroke ahead of Allegheny College, a nationally ranked squad that played in the NCAA Division III Golf Championship last year.

The Redhawks also capitalized on an opportunity to play spoiler when they traveled to Frostburg State to complete a suspended game. Frostburg needed a win to finish first and host the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) tournament. "We were the home team since the game was supposed to be played at La Roche," said Vince Mezza, men's baseball coach. "But we had no field on which to play."

"In the home half of the second, Dave Naberezny hit a home run and we won. As a result of our win, Frostburg finished in second place," said Mezza.

"We beat ourselves with poor free-throw shooting and all the injuries that piled up and decimated our roster," said Scott Lang, men's basketball coach. "Though we were facing an incredible amount of adversity, we continued to play and practice hard. The guys were really committed."

The ladies ended their season in the middle of the pack. This past season's finish (12-12) followed a 2000-01 season in which the Redhawks went 10-14.

The Lady Redhawks were often inconsistent this year. But the team did take the Meadville College Tournament for the second year in a row. Key among individual performers was Sherry Hogue, who won Newcomer of the Year Award.

"I'm pleased with the overall growth and development of such a young team," said Weston Hawley, men's soccer coach. Hawley said two players stood out on this year's squad: Fred Biney, a freshman from Silver Spring, MD, and Dan Arm-bruster, a freshman who was not a starter. The duo combined unselfish play and outstanding skills with a positive attitude and strong work ethic.

Coming off a stellar 14-6 mark in 2000, the team ended the 2001 campaign with an 11-8 record, finishing third in the conference. Coach Miguel Lozano said the team's highlights included beating PAC champion Grove City and making the conference playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. Leading the Redhawks was Nichole Constantini, who was named AMCC Freshman of the Year. Joining Constantini on the All-Conference First Team were senior captain Kate Bianco and sophomore Lindsay Talbot. Lindsay Wagerer was named to the All-Conference Second Team. Goalkeeper Abby Phillips, a senior, recorded her 17th career shutout. That is a La Roche College record.

Last fall, the Redhawks competed in the AMCC Champion- ship Meet to determine team and individual conference champs. The men finished fourth, the women fifth.

Jessica Pannella, last season's Newcomer of the Year, highlights a squad that saw five players named to the All-Conference team in 2001. Four players earned honorable mention.

Last season was not without its bright spots, the brightest of which may have been the women's home win over Frostburg University in five games. "This was the first time since the AMCC was established that the women's volleyball team beat Frost- burg, the volleyball powerhouse," said Kassie Ott, women's volleyball coach.

"There were players who either never played the game or only played a couple of times," Gordon said. "And they ended up learning how to play and improving their skills."