Men’s Basketball
5-20 (1-13 LEC, last place)
It was a rocky season for the guys to say the least. The team was very young, and had very little experience at the college level. The team had their biggest struggles defensively, with their opponents averaging nearly 79 points per game. The team was led in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage by Issac Jenkins, Jenkins scored 15.6 PPG, pulled down 6 RPG, and shot a very impressive 47% from the field. The freshmen talent on this year’s team was plentiful. Vinny Delucia won the LEC rookie of the year award. He scored 11.6 PPG and had the Beacon lead for 3 pt. field goal percentage with 47.5%. Brockton native Carl Joseph was also named to the LEC all rookie team. Joseph was solid this year, with seven PPG and 30 blocks this year for the Beacons. With all of the positives at the end of the year, the guys will be a tough team to play in ’12-’13.
Women’s Basketball
8-18 (4-10 LEC, lost in 1st round of tournament)
The ladies enjoyed an up and down year.The story of the year for the Beacons was freshman Kirsten Morrison, who added an LEC rookie of the year title in basketball to the one that she already held in volleyball. Morrison finished the year averaging a double double with 16.5 PPG and 10.1 RPG, which were both good for the UMass lead. The ladies pulled out a clutch win on the last day of the regular season over Eastern Connecticut to qualify for the LEC tournament. The ladies had to play on the road at Keene State, and they were overpowered 54-31, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some great qualities the team had to build on. Next year, with Morrison in place as a proven leader, the Beacons should be excited about the seasons to come.
Men’s Hockey
13-10-3 (9-8-1 ECAC East)
The guys had a successful year. The conversation about 2011-12 will always begin with stellar play in goal from sensational senior goaltender Kevin Bendel. Bendel saved an astounding 93% of the shots he faced this season on his way to a 7-5 record for the Beacons. Offensively Anthony Fitty led the way with 10 goals and 17 assists, which were both team bests. Cory Chakeen and Andrew Burke were also fantastic, with eight goals apiece. Travis Daniel finished 2nd on the team in points with 23, including 15 assists. The guys had some great wins this season, including a stunning upset of #1 Norwich. The season ended abruptly, when they lost to Skidmore in the quarterfinals of the ECAC tournament last week. The loss was tough, but coach Peter Belisle’s group is one of the strongest, most consistent teams at UMass and they’ll be back with a vengeance by the time next season roles around.
Women’s Hockey
7-15-3 (5-11-2 ECAC East)
The ladies didn’t have the best season, but it was a solid improvement from their 2010-11. They suffered a tough OT loss to Bowdoin in the finals of the UMass hosted Codfish Bowl back in January, and their season ended with a 2-0 loss to Manhattanville in the ECAC East tournament. The ladies struggled offensively all year, only averaging 1.52 goals per game. Leah Hallett and Jamie Cudmore combined to save 93% of the shots they faced, and Emily Larosa and Dylan Caron tied for the team lead with six goals a piece. The 2011-12 season was a true team effort for the ladies, and just because it wasn’t stellar doesn’t mean that they should hang their heads. There are some good pieces to build upon for next year, even though Hallett is graduating. There are two freshmen goaltenders that saw no ice time this year, and tons of good recruits from around the nation that have had a year of experience and will go into next season as a cohesive unit.
Indoor Track and Field
By far the best Beacon sport this winter was the indoor track team, which surpassed everyone’s expectations and secured a very bright future for the program. The only people who aren’t satisyed with the spectacular performace are the athletes themselves. Sophomore Hamza Abdul said “we are having one of the most successful track seasons ever with 12 out of 16 school records being broken. However, we are not satisfied and feel like we haven’t accomplished anything. We are third in the conference, not first, so we still have a long way to go until until we can walk around with our heads held up high.” Abdul did touch on the massive amounts of records that were broken. The records include the 1000 meter (Jake Kerin, 2:37.52), and the triple jump (Kebba Nasso, 44′ 10.25 inches) among many others. The team has been all around exceptional this year, and they have no time to rest, because the spring outdoor season is right around the corner, and the team still has a trip to nationals in a few weeks that they need to prepare for.