For Immediate Release
December 1, 2010
Seven Teams and Five Individuals to Compete for National Championships
South Easton, Mass. – More than 800 NCAA Division II student-athletes will compete for six national championships when the NCAA hosts the 2010 Division II National Championships Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Among those participating in the five day festival are seven teams and five individuals representing the Northeast-10 Conference.
Among the teams from the NE-10 are two squads currently ranked number one in the nation in their respective sports. In field hockey, The University of Massachusetts Lowell brings their perfect 22-0 mark into their national semifinal showdown with conference rival Stonehill College, while in women's soccer; The College of Saint Rose puts their undefeated season on the line in their semifinal matchup with the University of California- San Diego.
It's not often that two teams will play each other four times in one season, but that's exactly the case as the top-ranked River Hawks take on the fifth-ranked Skyhawks in the national semifinals in field hockey. UMass Lowell has won all three matchups so far this season, and is looking to advance to the national championship game for the fourth consecutive year. The River Hawks won the national title in 2005.
Stonehill, meanwhile, will be looking to turn the tables on UMass Lowell. The Skyhawks advanced to their second straight national semifinal with a 1-0 win over American International College in the first round. It's the second straight year the two teams will meet in the semifinals.
Game time for the UMass Lowell/Stonehill matchup is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST, and it can be seen online at ncaa.com as all three championship matches will be broadcast live by the NCAA.
Saint Rose's women's soccer team will begin what they hope is a two game winning streak in Louisville at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday afternoon as they take on UC-San Diego. The Golden Knights are the only remaining undefeated team in the nation (23-0-1) and return to the national semifinals for the third consecutive year. They fell to eventual national champion Grand Valley State in this round a year ago, and there is a potential rematch with the Lakers if both teams are able to advance to the National Championship game.
Senior goaltender Deanna Esposito and the Saint Rose defense have allowed only seven goals all season long, and is one of the main reasons the Golden Knights head to Louisville as the favorite to win it all. To hear what Esposito had to say about her team's chances, click here.
Saint Rose's national semifinal game can also be seen online at ncaa.com.
Also, competing in Louisville will be four cross country teams representing the Northeast-10. On the women's side, Saint Rose and Stonehill will both be looking to bring home a national title as they take to E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park at 12 p.m. EST on Saturday afternoon.
Stonehill has been the top-ranked team in the East Region all season long, and will be competing in their 12th consecutive NCAA Championship in the sport.
On the men's side, UMass Lowell and Stonehill will both be participating in this year's national championship. The River Hawks and Skyhawks finished first and second, respectively, at the East Regional Championships which were held in November. It's UMass Lowell's 11th straight appearance in the NCAA Championships, while Stonehill's will be making their eighth consecutive appearance.
The men's race begins at 11 a.m. EST Saturday and will also be held at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park outside of Louisville.
Five athletes from Northeast-10 institutions will also be competing in the men's and women's cross country championships. In the women's race, American Int'l's Jeptui Cherutich, Southern Connecticut State University's Alasia Griebel, and Southern New Hampshire University's Emma Lundberg will all be competing for a national title. Cherutich won the East Regional title last month, while Griebel finished in second, which was the highest individual finish in So. Connecticut's history.
Lundberg, meanwhile, finished in the top five in eight races this season, and is the first cross country runner in program history to qualify for the NCAA Championships. She was recently the feature of a television story by WMUR. To see the package, click here.
In the men's race, two individuals from the Northeast-10 will be participating. American Intl's Glarius Rop and Adelphi University's Andrew Coelho will both be taking part in the NCAA Championships. Rop won the Northeast-10 Championship earlier this year, while Coelho finished fourth in the East Regional Championships held in November. He is the first male runner from Adelphi in over 30 years to compete for a national title.
We wish all of our student-athletes the best of luck at the 2010 Fall Festival. For up to date information on all the results, head to www.northeast10.org and follow the conference on Twitter @TheNortheast10 for real time score updates from Louisville.
The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that are committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes. Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
Fall Festival
Schedule – Northeast-10
All Times EST
Thursday, December 2nd
1 p.m. – Field Hockey National Semifinals
Trager Stadium
UMass Lowell vs. Stonehill
2 p.m. – Women's Soccer National Semifinals Owsley B. Frazier
Stadium
Saint Rose vs. UC- San Diego
Saturday, December 4th
11 a.m. – Men's Cross Country Championships
E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park
12 p.m. – Women's Cross Country Championships E.P. "Tom"
Sawyer State Park
12 p.m. – Women's Soccer National Championship Owsley B.
Frazier Stadium
1:30 p.m. – Field Hockey National Championship Trager
Stadium
- NE-10 -
