Boston University Leads Commissioner's Cup Standings Through Fall Season - AmericaEast.com
Cambridge, Mass. ? Boston University, holders of the last three America East Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cups, lead the 2008-09 standings after the 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 21 sports.
Following the six fall championships, Boston University has 143 points and holds an 14-point edge over University at Albany, the 2004-05 Cup holders, which has 129 points. University of New Hampshire is third with 116 points, followed by Binghamton University (113), Stony Brook University (92), University of Maine (91), University of Vermont (67), University of Hartford (58) and UMBC (47).
Boston University became the first America East school to sweep the men’s and women’s soccer regular-season and tournament title since Hartford accomplished the feat in 1999. The Terrier women also placed second at the cross country championship, while the field hockey team finished fourth in the regular season and qualifed for the championship.
Albany also swept a pair of regular-season and tournament championships, winning its third straight volleyball title and its first-ever field hockey crown. The Great Danes also finished second in the men’s soccer regular-season standings, earning them a bye to the semifinal round, before they fell to Binghamton in double-overtime.
New Hampshire claimed its third straight men’s cross country title and were runners-up in field hockey. The Wildcats also qualified for postseason play in men’s and women’s soccer, while the women’s cross country squad was fourth.
Binghamton earned a significant amount of points by finishing runners-up in the men’s soccer tournament. The women’s soccer and volleyball squads also contributed points with postseason appearances.
Stony Brook took its second straight cross country title on the women’s side, while the men placed second. The women’s soccer team reached the women’s soccer championship game for the first time since 2002.
Maine qualified for three of four team sport tournaments, reaching the semifinals of the field hockey, women’s soccer and volleyball championships.
Vermont reached the semifinals of the men’s soccer championship and its women’s cross country squad placed fourth.
Hartford’s men’s and women’s soccer programs garnered nearly all of its points with postseason appearances. The women earned the No. 4 seed for their championship, while the men were seeded fifth.
UMBC’s volleyball team contributed 21 of its 48 points by qualifying for the postseason, while the men’s cross country team placed fifth at its championship.
The Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cup is named in honor of the first commissioner of America East. Haskell served as commissioner of the conference from 1987 until his retirement in 1997.
The scoring system for the Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cup is as follows: In sports where regular-season round robin competition is conducted, the first-place institution in the final standings receives four points times the total number of teams involved in conference play. The second-place institution receives four less points; third place receives eight less points, and so on. Additionally, the America East (tournament) champion receives two points times the total number of teams participating in the championship. The second-place institution receives two less points; third place receives four less points and so on down to the last-place institution which receives two points.
In sports where regular-season round robin competition is not conducted (cross country, golf, tennis, track and field, swimming and diving), the first-place institution at the America East championship receives two points times the total number of teams participating in the championship. The second-place institution receives two less points; third place gets four less points and so on down to the last place team which receives two points.
For more information on the Commissioner’s Cup, including past winners, log on to www.AmericaEast.com.