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For St. Joe’s Bears, Expectations Are High
BY BERNIE BEGLANE
If at first you don’t succeed, try…try…
You know how that goes, and that is exactly what Joe Cocozello, men’s basketball coach at St. Joseph’s College, is going to do.
Try to successfully lead the Bears to a second straight Hudson Valley Athletic Conference championship.
Wait, there is more.
And to a second consecutive appearance in the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.
Both understandable once you realize that St. Joe’s had won four straight regular-season titles prior to 2007 but failed in the conference’s post-season tournament each time.
“Now we want to win the regular-season and post-season championships,” stated the coach.
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Ervin Maddox |
Allison Kavanagh |
“And get the seniors back to the nationals.”
Cocozello certainly feels that he has enough talent to achieve both goals.
This squad returns nine players and boasts five newcomers after losing only one starter, Chris Olaskiewicz (10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds). The coach recognizes the challenge is to mesh the returning players and newcomers as one cohesive unit, especially given the tougher schedule they face.
Cocozello looks to seniors Ervin Maddox and Przemyslaw Kudla to provide the leadership. Despite his smaller frame, Maddox has the ability to score both inside and out and create scoring opportunities for his teammates and is just 12 points shy of 1,000.
Kudla is a solid defender and will be relied upon to help run the offense and Cocozello hopes that the underclassmen will feed off his work ethic and hustle.
There are high expectations for sophomores John Matzelle (13.6 pts. and 8.9 rebound averages) and Justin Gist (14.3 pts.). Matzelle had an outstanding rookie campaign capped off by receiving MVP honors in the conference tourney. After being the team’s leading rebounder and one of the team’s top scorers, Matzelle will be expected to carry the load down low.
Key returnees are junior Wilkerson Exantus and senior Lukasz Klimaszewski.
The freshman class provides solid depth. Antoine Forehand will be called upon to assist with the ball handling duties and running the offense. Roy Wickstrom has demonstrated much promise in the pre-season and Wendell Manifold, Kelvin Valdez and Emil Golaszewski will add versatility to the bench.
The Bears competed in the Mount Aloysius Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament last weekend in Altoona, Pa. They lost to Catholic University, 88-46, in the opener, but edged Mount Aloysius, 88-86, for third place.
On the Women’s Side
Frank Carbone, like all coaches, does not enjoy losing. His women’s basketball team at St. Joseph’s College did just that for the last two seasons.
And if the 65-48 victory over Fisher College in the opener is any indication, there will be many reasons to smile during the next five months.
Now in his 12th season, Carbone is going to rely primarily on new faces.
Melissa Velez, a senior, and junior Julia Serewko, both from The Mary Louis Academy, Jamaica, are the upper class holdovers.
Sophomore Allison Kavanagh, who averaged 10 points and six rebounds as a freshman, is a key returnee.
She was a Hudson Valley Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week three times last season.
“Allison needs to be more consistent,” related Carbone. “She is a talented forward who can take over a game and cause match-up problems for opponents.”
Ashley McQuillan of St. Francis Prep, Joanna Marciniec of Baruch, Kristin Binckes of St. Saviour and Caitlyn Kakavas of St. Agnes lead the newcomers.
They must take over for the loss of starters Annamarie Ciorciari, who averaged 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Also, for Tara Deahn (11.8 pts., 4.5 rebounds) and Svetlana Medvedeva (8 rebounds and 6.9 pts.).
The Lady Bears were in six U.S. Collegiate Athletic Conference tournaments several years ago.
“That will be difficult to achieve right away,” said Carbone, “but I believe we have the talent to turn the program in that direction.”
St. Joe’s schedule calls for a first-ever trip to Texas to compete in the University of Dallas Holiday Tournament Dec. 29-30.
Right off the bat, the Lady Bears get a big test as Howard Payne University of Tennessee is the first-round rival.
Payne is the defending NCAA Division III champion.
Also on the schedule is the Gallaudet Holiday Tournament which opened yesterday (Friday) and concludes today.
The Lady Bears have changed their home court and will play at Brooklyn Tech H.S. Tough games there are against The Apprentice School, Vassar of Massachusetts and Albertus Magnus.
Holy Cross Gridironers Visit Hospital
Patients at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, Bayside, received a visit from Flushing’s Holy Cross H.S. football players. Shown are: back row, seniors James Haran, Tariq Tongue, Reggie Francklin, Kenneth Smith, Omohe Uwa, Travis Quarless; middle row, Mark Koldras, Constantine Bazas, Prince Mingle, Matthew Hartung, William Rennie; front row: Nick Hristis, Monty Bigot, and Terrence Coon.
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