Complete 2005 Fall Season in Review (PDF)
SUCCESSES OF THE 2005 FALL SEASON
After five of its 10 team sport champions won at least one game in the NCAA Championship in 2004-05, America East saw its men’s soccer and women’s soccer champions post victories this fall. It marked the fifth-straight year the America East Men’s Soccer Champion won at least one game in the NCAA Championship. Only six other conferences – ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Pacific 10, C-USA and West Coast Conference have as long a streak of wins in the NCAA Championship.
America East announced its first All-Academic teams. America East Cross Country Individual Champions Leonora Joy of Stony Brook and Kirby Davis of Maine were named to the squad. Three-time America East Men’s Soccer Defender of the Year Graham Munro of Binghamton, Maine’s Linda Consolante, the America East Women’s Soccer Defender of the Year and Marie-Andree Canuel, the America East Women’s Soccer Midfielder of the Year, and America East Field Hockey Defender of the Year Meagan Connolly of Maine, also led the honorees.
2005 MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY RECAP
UMBC, led by Izudin Mehmedovic, captured its first America East Men’s Cross Country Championship. It marked the third different men’s champion in as many years.
Kirby Davis of Maine was the America East Individual Champion in a time of 25:38.0. Davis was also the top America East finisher at the NCAA Northeast Regional, closing in 29th place out of 232 runners in a time of 31:08.0. New Hampshire’s 12th place finish among the 37 teams was the best for America East.
2005 Yearly Award Winners
Coaching Staff of the Year: UMBC
Individual Champion: Kirby Davis, Maine
2005 WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY RECAP
Marissa Ryan’s second-place finish led Boston University to its 14th America East Women’s Cross Country Championship in the 17-year history of the event.
Stony Brook’s Leonora Joy, the runner-up in both 2004 and 2005, was the America East Individual Champion with a time of 18:04.7 on the Binghamton course. Joy followed that by finishing 12th out of 254 runners at the NCAA Northeast Regional in Boston. Boston University’s fourth-place finish of the 38 teams was the best among the America East squads.
2005 Yearly Award Winners
Coaching Staff of the Year: Stony Brook
Individual Champion: Leonora Joy, Stony Brook
2005 MEN'S SOCCER RECAP
Stony Brook won the America East Men’s Soccer Championship in penalty kicks over Binghamton. The Seawolves were the eighth different America East Champion in as many years.
Stony Brook won its NCAA Championship first round game at Yale. It marked the fifth-straight year the America East Champion won at least one game in the NCAA Championship. Only six other conferences – ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Pacific 10, C-USA and West Coast Conference have as long a streak of wins in the NCAA Championship.
Binghamton, UMBC, New Hampshire, Stony Brook and Vermont all finished the season ranked among the top 10 in the NSCAA Regional Rankings.
Stephan Hall of Albany, Corey Bronner of Vermont and Matt Shump were named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans. That trio was joined by Michael Ferriter of Boston University and Jason Jacobe of Maine on the Academic All-District team.
2005 Yearly Award Winners
Striker of the Year: Lee Stephane Kouadio, Vermont
Midfielder of the Year: Matt Watson, UMBC
Defender of the Year: Graham Munro, Binghamton
Goalkeeper of the Year: Brian Levey, New Hampshire
Rookie of the Year: Lee Stephane Kouadio, Vermont
Coach of the Year: Pete Caringi, UMBC
2005 WOMEN'S SOCCER RECAP
Boston University won its third America East Women’s Soccer Championship in five years and advanced to the NCAA Championship where the Terriers upset No. 12 Connecticut in the first round.
Boston University and America East runner-up Maine both appeared in the final top 10 in the NSCAA Northeast Regional Rankings.
Amy Cochran of Vermont earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American honors for the third time in her career. She was joined on the Academic All-District team by America East Defender of the Year Linda Consolante, America East Midfielder of the Year Marie-Andree Canuel and Laura Harper, all of Maine, Jessica Young and Mary Hearin of UMBC and Debbie Newman of New Hampshire.
2005 Yearly Award Winners
Striker of the Year: Meghann Cook, Boston U.
Midfielder of the Year: Marie-Andree Canuel, Maine
Defender of the Year: Linda Consolante, Maine
Goalkeeper of the Year: Jasmine Phillips, Maine
Rookie of the Year: Sara Hourihan, New Hampshire
Coach of the Year: Nancy Feldman, Boston U.
2005 FIELD HOCKEY RECAP
Boston University won the America East Field Hockey Championship for the fifth time with a 3-1 win over Maine. The Terriers advanced to the NCAA Championship where they dropped a 4-3 decision in overtime to Michigan in the first round. Boston University was ranked No. 17 in the final national poll.
Colleen McClay and Pam Spuehler of Boston University were named to the NFHCA All-American second and third teams, respectively. That duo was joined on the All-Region team be teammates Sarah Shute, Erin Prediger and Holly Wiles, Meagan Connolly, Kim MacDonald and Kasey Spencer of Maine, MacKenzie Stuart and Katie White of New Hampshire and Danielle Collins of Vermont.
Boston University’s Sally Starr was named the Division I Northeast Region Coach of the Year.
2005 Yearly Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Year: Sarah Shute, Boston U.
Defensive Player of the Year: Meagan Connolly, Maine
Rookie of the Year: Holly Wiles, Boston U.
Coach of the Year: Terry Kix, Maine
2005 VOLLEYBALL RECAP
Binghamton won its first America East Volleyball Championship and advanced to the NCAA Championship with a 3-1 win over Stony Brook. The Bearcats fell to No. 2 Penn State, 3-0, in the first round of the 64-team NCAA tournament.
Albany posted a school-record 28 wins as the America East regular-season champion. The Great Danes’ Eileen Nicole Rodriguez concluded her career with an NCAA record 547 service aces.
Stony Brook’s up-and-down season peaked in the first round of the 2005 America East Volleyball Championship as the No. 4 seeded Seawolves shocked top-seeded Albany, 3-2.
Albany hosted Syracuse on November 1, marking the first-ever televised regular-season match in conference history. The Great Danes came back from a 2-0 deficit in that match to post a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Orange.
Brianne Paulson of Hartford was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team.
2005 Yearly Award Winners
Player of the Year: Blair Buchanan, Albany
Defensive Specialist of the Year: Ashley DeNeal, Albany
Setter of the Year: Blair Buchanan, Albany
Rookie of the Year: Sarah Ball, UMBC
Coach of the Year: Glenn Kiriyama, Binghamton
ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS
Vermont presented 2004-05 Academic Cup
America East Assistant Commissioner Amy Huchthausen presented the 2004-05 Academic Cup to the University of Vermont on Saturday, December 10 at Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington. UVM President Dr. Daniel Fogel (left) is pictured above accepting the trophy at halftime of Vermont’s men’s basketball game versus New Hampshire.
Inaugural All-Academic Squads Announced
For the first time in league history, America East named All-Academic teams for each of its fall sports. Cross country, field hockey, soccer and volleyball student-athletes were honored for their achievements athletically and academically.
The University of Maine led all member institutions with 13 student-athletes on the fall all-academic teams combined. Boston University (nine), UMBC (seven), Binghamton (six) and Vermont (five) followed closely behind, while Albany (four), Stony Brook (four), Hartford (three) and New Hampshire (two) all boasted all-academic members as well.
Five America East Institutions Among Top 100
Five America East institutions are ranked among the top 100 national universities in America according to the 2005 U.S. News & World Report survey. Of the nation's I-AA and I-AAA conferences, only the Ivy League had more institutions in the top 100.
Boston University, ranked No. 60, received the highest rating for any of the nine America East institutions. Binghamton (74), Vermont (93), New Hampshire (97, tie) and Stony Brook (97, tie) were others highly rated among the national universities. U.S. News & World Report defines national universities as those that "offer a wide range of undergraduate majors as well as master's and doctoral degrees. In many cases, they place strong emphasis on research and receive federal money to support their research endeavors."
Boston U. Leads Commissioner Cup Standings
Boston University is currently leading America East's 2005-06 Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cup standings after completion of the fall athletic season. The Commissioner’s Cup annually recognizes the strongest athletic program in America East as determined by a scoring system which rewards a school for success both during the regular season and at championship competition in the conference’s 22 sports.
Currently, Boston University boasts 127 points to lead second-place Binghamton, which has 121 points. Maine is third with 117 points, followed by Albany (99), UMBC (94), Vermont (87), New Hampshire (85), Stony Brook (78) and Hartford (30).
Albany Presented 2004-05 Commissioner’s Cup
America East Commissioner Patrick Nero presented the 2004-05 Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cup to the University at Albany on Saturday, October 8 at University Field in Albany. Albany President Kermit L. Hall (right) and Vice President for Athletic Administration and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy are pictured with the trophy at the halftime ceremony of the Great Danes’ homecoming game versus rival Stony Brook.