UVM SPORTS
Photo by Jonathan Cohen, Binghamton University
Fast finish
Nearly seven weeks had passed since the Catamounts last loss when the men’s soccer team’s resurgent 2007 season finally came to a close on November 28. Third-seeded Connecticut put an end to the year with a 2-0 victory over Vermont in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship in front of 2,632 fans at Morrone Stadium in Storrs.
“I am extremely proud of this team especially the way they fought back this year,” Vermont coach Jesse Cormier ’95 said after the game. “We were down near the bottom of the barrel and came all the way back to this point. The journey they took persevering and battling adversity the way they did is something these guys will take with them the rest of their lives.”
That uphill journey began on October 17, when Cormier’s Cats began to turn around a season that had stared 4-9-0, appearing to bottom out with four consecutive shutout losses. Then they rallied, rolling up an eight-game unbeaten streak that included seven straight shutouts. The late-season heroics earned an America East Championship and UVM’s first trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament since 2000.
UVM entered the America East Championship tournament as the second seed with a bye into the semi-finals. Behind a goal and an assist by Lee Stephane Kouadio, UVM pushed past sixth-seeded New Hampshire, 2-0, at Centennial Field. Then the Cats hit the road for the conference championship game on top-seeded Binghamton’s home field. With a first-half goal by Jordan Crasilneck and another strong defensive effort led by goalkeeper Roger Scully, Vermont blanked Binghamton, 1-0, for the conference title.
The Catamounts didn’t stop there. Traveling to Dartmouth for their NCAA first-round game in Hanover, UVM was determined to avenge a 1-0 loss to the Big Green in September. Trailing 1-0 with twenty-six seconds left in regulation, it looked like the result might be the same. Then Connor Tobin struck with a stunning goal to force extra time. After two scoreless overtime periods, UVM finally finished off the Big Green, 4-3, in a shootout bolstered by a pair of sensational saves by goalkeeper Scully. Tobin converted the final penalty kick to give Vermont its second NCAA Tournament first-round win in the program’s history, the first dating back to the “Elite Eight” squad of 1989.
This year’s soccer team proved strong in the classroom as well. Connor Tobin, Panos Georgiadis, Loren Hill, and Jordan Crasilneck were named to the America East All-Academic Team. Vermont had the most student-athletes in the conference named to the men’s soccer all-academic team for the second season in a row.Working overtime
Cat captain earns rank through diligence
Though Sarah Madey calls her experience as a UVM student-athlete a “dream come true,” it’s a dream she never actually dreamt. The tri-captain of the Catamount women’s basketball team grew up in Derby Line, Vermont, where the family home was just a forty-five second walk south of the Canadian border. For college, she had her sights on something very different—New York University and the city.
Though she was accepted at NYU, a meager financial aid package forced her to reconsider; late in the admissions cycle, Madey looked closer to home. “It was the scariest month of my life,” she says. “Fortunately, UVM gave me a chance.”
Once in, Madey’s next challenge was trying to earn a spot on the basketball team. She’d missed her senior season at North Country High School with a torn ACL, and admits that she thought her chances were “a little bit of a reach.” Nonetheless, she contacted coach Sharon Dawley about a tryout. When the coach told her to mail a highlight tape, she got her first glimpse of the athlete’s commitment. Madey jumped in the car and drove to Burlington the next day to deliver it in person.
On tape and on court with varsity players over the summer, Dawley liked what she saw and invited her to join the team as a walk-on in 2005. Madey uses the word “surreal” to describe her reaction to the unexpected news. “I sincerely thought she was joking,” says Madey, who was awarded a full scholarship this season. “I went up to her later and said, ‘I just need to double-check something: Am I really on the team?’ I honestly didn’t think the words that came out of her mouth were even an option at that point. I called my parents and they were like, ‘What? Really?’”
Madey’s first two seasons as a Catamount were distinguished by her exceptional work ethic, not surprising for a college junior who has coach Rick Pitino’s Success is a Choice at the top of her iPod playlist. As a testament to her hard work and leadership, Madey’s teammates named her a captain in November, despite limited playing time and a humble stat sheet. Points per game is one thing, commitment per practice is another, and Madey’s teammates place a high value on the example she sets. Her coach puts it simply: “She’s never been outworked during her time here.”
Madey’s yeoman-like efforts have proven infectious. “We came into the pre-season in better shape than we ever have before,” Madey says. “Even our eating habits have changed. We value everything that we do, and I think you’re seeing the results of that on and off the court.”
Madey is hoping her own work might pay off with more playing time this season. She’s proven in games that she can contribute, including a team high ten-point effort as a freshman in a loss to Hartford. If the minutes don’t come, it’s not in her nature to complain. “It’s a different position to sit on the bench, especially as an upper classman and a captain,” she says. “I’d like to provide leadership on the court as well. You just have to keep working hard and help others and things will work out for the best.”
A little later than originally planned, but Madey looks ahead to making that move to New York City after she graduates in 2009. She’ll look to build on her UVM education in business administration, with concentrations in marketing and human resource development, and a minor in women and gender studies. “Whatever I do, I want it to have a humanitarian aspect to it that helps people,” she says. To that end, she’s currently working as a business operations intern for the Red Cross, where she’s made presentations to committees, conducted a financial analysis, and helped develop a multi-regional business plan.
“I feel like it’s more than a typical internship,” she says. “They’ve really involved me in some meaningful projects and really seem to value my input. It’s one of the most beneficial things I’ve ever done.”
—Jon Reidel G’06Sports Shorts
UVM swimming and diving was ranked twenty-third in the CollegeSwimming. com Mid-Major Poll, the first time the Cats have cracked the top twenty-five. Many athletes contributed to the team’s strong first-semester effort. Among the standouts, freshman Kate Weaver was honored as America East Swimming Performer of the Week in mid-November. At that point in the season, Weaver had already broken three UVM varsity, three freshman, and three pool records.
Field hockey player Danielle Collins is the first Catamount All-American in the UVM program’s history. The senior was named to the 2007 Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I All-American Third Team.
Head women’s soccer coach Kerry Dziczkaniec announced her resignation after four years at the helm of the program. Under her leadership, the team compiled a record of 25-42-6 and the Catamounts advanced to the America East Women’s Soccer Championship twice. A national hiring search for Dziczkaniec’s successor is under way.
Senior Carmen Lagala opened her final collegiate indoor track season with a victory and a school record in the 1,000-meter run at the Husky Winter Track & Field Carnival, hosted by Northeastern University. Lagala now owns seven UVM records in middle-distance events.
As VQ went to press in early December, the men’s basketball team stood at 2-5. The Cats’ stiff non-conference road schedule included trips to George Mason, Virginia, and two-time defending national champion Florida. Mike Trimboli earned an America East Player of the Week Award in November for his performances leading UVM to two wins. Sophomore Marqus Blakely also started the season strong.
Women’s basketball put together a 5-2 record through the season’s first month. Among the wins, the Catamounts notched their second-straight TD Banknorth Classic title with a victory over St. John’s.
Women’s hockey opened with four consecutive wins, two each over Sacred Heart and Union. The Cats didn’t fare as well over the next month, compiling a 4-9-1 mark by early December. Freshman Saleah Morrison earned Women’s Hockey East Rookie of the Week for her play in the season-opening victories.
In early December, the men’s hockey team stood at 3-6-2 (3-3-2 in Hockey East). The Cats proved resilient in the early season when they were drubbed 9-1 by Boston University on a dark Friday in Gutterson, but rallied to defeat the Terriers 5-4 the next evening. “Words can’t really describe how as a coaching staff we feel about our kids right now,” Vermont head coach Kevin Sneddon said after the game. “When you see the effort they put forth and how they came together in a twenty-four-hour period, it’s a remarkable turnaround.”
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