Western New England College Women's Lacrosse News

Tuesday, March 15, 2005
(St. Petersburg, Fla.)
WNEC vs. Sweet Briar (Va.), 11:00 a.m.

GOLDEN BEARS CHALLENGE FOR SECOND STRAIGHT NEWLA TITLE

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Western New England College goes after its second straight New England Women's Lacrosse Association (NEWLA) Tournament title this spring with eight starters among 14 returning letter winners leading the way.

Last spring the Golden Bears posted a 14-4 record for its fifth consecutive winning season, which included a 6-0 mark in the NEWLA.

Coach Aimee Klepacki's team captured its second NEWLA title in three years with a win over Bridgewater State College before losing an opening round game in the NCAA Division III Championship to the University of Scranton.

Western New England College enters the new season without its top three scorers from a year ago, including NEWLA Offensive Player-of-the-Year Shannon Pizzingrilli who graduated after compiling a school record 275 points (164 goals, 111 assists).

All-NEWLA players Jamie Carney (116 career points) who scored 61 points last season and Whitney Boucher (77 career points) who had 40 points a year ago, also graduated.

The top returning attack player is junior Alyson Nowell (Feeding Hills, MA) (87 career points) who totaled 39 points (21 goals, 18 assists). Also back are senior Kristin Pimental (Tiverton, RI) who scored 37 points, and sophomores Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY), 32 points, and Audrey Kelton (Wilder, VT), 30 points. Vogel was named the NEWLA Rookie-of-the-Year.

Senior Sarah Cunningham (LaGrangeville, NY), the NEWLA Defensive Player-of-the-Year, junior Alia Andrews (Westfield, MA), junior goalie Tara Cushman (Scituate, MA), 7.58 goals-against-average, and sophomore Lindsey Burns (Fairport, NY) lead the defensive unit.

Andrews, Burns, Cunningham, Cushman, Kelton, and Vogel made the All-NEWLA Team last year.

Among the top freshmen are Julianna Mulroy (Wellesley, MA) at attack, Kayte Devine (New Fairfield, CT) at midfield, and Melissa Roy (West Haven, CT) at goalie.

"We're definitely going to miss Shannon, but we have some pretty good returning players," says Klepacki who has a 60-26 record in five seasons. "Without our top three scorers back, we have a big void to fill, however we have players ready to step up and meet the challenge."

Western New England College opens its seventh varsity season at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 16, against Sweet Briar (Va.) in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Golden Bears open their home season at 4:00 p.m. Thursday, March 24, against Bridgewater State.

FORMER GOLDEN BEARS STANDOUT BRENNA PLUTINO NAMED ASSISTANT WOMEN'S LACROSSE COACH

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Former Golden Bears standout Brenna Plutino has been named assistant women's lacrosse coach at Western New England College.

Plutino, a native of Pitman, New Jersey, graduated from Western New England College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 2003.

A three-year starter on the women's lacrosse team, she is fourth on the school's all-time scoring list with 118 points (80 goals, 38 assists) in 50 games.

Plutino was selected the team's Most Improved Player her sophomore year and named to the All-New England Women's Lacrosse Association (NEWLA) First Team her senior season.

During the 2003-04 school year Plutino served as an assistant field hockey and lacrosse coach at Elms College.

She was the acting head women's lacrosse at Western New England College last fall when Aimee Klepacki was out on maternity leave.

2004 NEWLA CHAMPIONS

2004 NCAA DIVISION III TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANTS

SHANNON PIZZINGRILLI NAMED TO WOMENSLACROSSE.COM ALL-AMERICA THIRD TEAM

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Even though Western New England College completed its women's lacrosse season last month, awards keep rolling in for co-captain Shannon Pizzingrilli.

On Tuesday (June 1), she became the first person in school history named to the womenslacrosse.com Division III All-America Team earning a spot on the national web site's third squad.

Pizzingrilli also will become the first individual in the program's short six-year history to play in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III North-South All-Star Game on Saturday (June 5) at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Pizzingrilli earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance on May 22 with compiling a cumulative 3.92 grade-point-average in finance and was the recipient of the School of Business Wall Street Journal Achievement Award.

She was honored as the Western New England College Coca-Cola Female Athlete-of-the-Year, the school's Female Senior Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year, and named the team MVP for the third straight season. The East Rochester, New York native was selected to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) District 1 Women's At-Large Academic Team on May 27 (the national team will be announced on June 17).

Pizzingrilli, a center, also was voted the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Offensive Player-of-the-Year and named the NEWLA Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year for the third consecutive season. She was named to the All-NEWLA First Team for the third time.

One of the nation's top scorers, Pizzingrilli led the Golden Bears in scoring with 96 points (53 goals, 43 assists) this spring. She is the school's all-time leading scorer with 275 points (164 goals, 111 assists) in three seasons.

In other news, Western New England College junior Sarah Cunningham (LaGrangeville, NY) was named the NEWLA Defensive Player-of-the-Year while freshman Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) was selected the NEWLA Rookie-of-the-Year.

Both Cunningham and Vogel made the All-NEWLA First Team with seniors Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, Mass.), Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA), and freshmen Alia Andrews (Westfield, MA) and Audrey Kelton (Wilder, VT).

Junior Kristin Pimental (Tiverton, RI), and sophomores Lindsey Burns (Fairport, NY) and Tara Cushman (Scituate, MA) made the All-NEWLA Second Team.

Boucher also was the recipient of the WNEC Unsung Hero Award while Andrews received the WNEC Coaches Award.

Western New England College posted a 14-4 record that was the second highest win total in school history. The Golden Bears captured the NEWLA Tournament title and participated in the NCAA Division III Championship for the second time in three years.

JUNIOR SARAH CUNNINGHAM NAMED WNEC FEMALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-WEEK

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Junior Sarah Cunningham (LaGrangeville, NY) was honored Tuesday (May 11) as the Western New England College Female Athlete-of-the-Week.

Cunningham, a junior, was second on the team this season in ground balls (85) and caused turnovers (21), and third in draw controls (12). She also scored ten points (4 goals, 6 assists).

A math major, Cunningham was named the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Defensive Player-of-the-Year and selected to the All-NEWLA Second Team.

WNEC compiled a 14-4 record for the second highest win total in the program's short six-year history. The Golden Bears also captured the NEWLA Tournament title and competed in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second time in three years.

2004 NEWLA Awards

Offensive Player-of-the-Year — Shannon Pizzingrilli, Western New England College, Senior, East Rochester, NY.

Defensive Player-of-the-Year — Sarah Cunningham, Western New England College, Junior, LaGrangeville, NY.

Rookie-of-the-Year — Jessica Vogel, Western New England College, Freshman, Tonawanda, NY.

Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year — Shannon Pizzingrilli, Western New England College, Senior, East Rochester, NY.

Coach-of-the-Year — Miche Chamberlain, Castleton State.

All-NEWLA First Team

Attack — Corinne Baker, Bridgewater State, Sophomore, Mansfield, MA; Jessica Vogel, Western New England College, Freshman, Tonawanda, NY; Audrey Kelton, Western New England College, Freshman, Wilder, VT; Ann Clark, Worcester State, Freshman, Worcester, MA.

Midfield — Erika Smith, Bridgewater State, Senior, Raynham, MA; Kathryn Sweeney, Bridgewater State, Freshman, Norwood, MA; Mandi Rapisardi, Lasell, Sophomore, Scarborough, ME; Whitney Boucher, Western New England College, Senior, Tyngsboro, MA; Jamie Carney, Western New England College, Senior, Orleans, MA; Shannon Pizzingrilli, Western New England College, Senior, East Rochester, NY.

Defense — Katie Crisman, Bridgewater State, Senior, Amherst, NH; Emily Page, Elms, Junior, Chicopee, MA; Alia Andrews, Western New England College, Sophomore, Westfield, MA; Sarah Cunningham, Western New England College, Junior, LaGrangeville, NY.

Goalie — Lauren Mazzola, Bridgewater State, Junior, Westwood, MA.

All-NEWLA Second Team

Robyn Bodajla, Bridgewater State, Sophomore, Norwood, MA; Carrie Allard, Elms, Freshman, Springfield, MA; Beth Cahall, Elms, Freshman, Weare, NH; Laura Guilmain, Elms, Freshman, Westfield, MA; Tara Cushman, Western New England College, Sophomore, Scituate, MA; Lindsay Burns, Western New England College, Sophomore, Fairport, NY; Kristin Pimental, Western New England College, Junior, Tiverton, RI.

Wednesday, May 5, 2004
NCAA Division III Tournament (First Round)
Scranton (Pa.) 17, WNEC 5

NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse

SCRANTON, Pa. - Jackie Messantonio scored seven goals and Kate Pierangeli added four as the University of Scranton defeated Western New England College, 17-5, in a first round game of the 2004 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship.

Scranton (14-4) had a 6-1 lead with 10:15 remaining in the first half when a powerful thunderstorm hit the area forcing a two-hour, seven-minute delay. When play resumed, each team scored a goal as the Royals took a 7-2 half-time lead. Scranton then outscored WNEC 10-3 in the second half.

Seniors Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) and Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) each scored two goals for the Golden Bears while sophomore Alyson Nowell (Feeding Hills, MA) had the other goal. Senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) added a pair of assists. Sophomore goalie Tara Cushman (Scituate, MA) recorded 19 saves. WNEC ends its season with a 14-4 record.

Scoring Summary:
Western New England College (14-4) 2 3 — 5
University of Scranton (14-4) 7 10 — 17

Western New England College Golden Bears
Goals - Whitney Boucher 2, Shannon Pizzingrilli 2, Alyson Nowell 1. Assists - Jamie Carney 2. Saves - Tara Cushman 19.

University of Scranton Royals
Goals - Jackie Messantonio 7, Kate Pierangeli 4, Catherine Russin 2, Samantha Augeri 1, Marykate Connolly 1, Alison DeVarso 1, Kelly Herlihy 1. Assists - Amy Denes 3, Alison DeVarso 2, Kelly Herlihy 2, Jackie Messantonio 1, Kate Pierangeli 1. Saves - Courtney Enman 9

WNEC MEETS SCRANTON IN NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN'S LACROSSE TOURNAMENT

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Western New England College's women's lacrosse program is only six years old, but the Golden Bears are beginning to make their presence felt nationally.

WNEC (14-3) will make its second appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship with a first round game against host University of Scranton (Pennsylvania) starting at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday (May 5). The Golden Bears dropped a 15-7 decision to Springfield College in their inaugural NCAA debut in 2002.

Western New England College was among 19 schools invited to the nationals after defeating Bridgewater State College 11-5 in the championship game of the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Tournament last Saturday (May 1).

Senior co-captain/midfielder Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) is the team's leading scorer with 94 points (51 goals, 43 assists). She is the top scorer in school history with 273 points (161-111). Pizzingrilli, who has a 3.95 GPA in finance, already has been named the WNEC Senior Scholar Athlete and Coca-Cola Female Athlete-of-the-Year.

Scranton (14-3) also has a young program, winning its second straight Middle Atlantic Conference title in only its fifth season of competition. Sophomore Kelly Herihy (84 points) and senior Kate Pierangeli (60 points in 12 games) are the Royals' top scorers.

WNEC and Scranton both defeated one common opponent this spring - Manhattanville, with the Golden Bears winning by a 12-7 margin and the Royals 19-5.

The winner of the WNEC-Scranton game will play host Amherst College at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

THREE PLAYERS GAIN WEEKLY AWARDS

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) was honored Tuesday (May 4) as the Western New England College Female Athlete-of-the-Week.

Boucher, a midfielder on the women's lacrosse team, tied her career high with four goals to lead Western New England College to an 11-5 win over Bridgewater State College in the championship game of the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Tournament. She also was named the NEWLA Offensive Player-of-the-Week. A finance major, Boucher is tied for third on the team in scoring with 38 points (33 goals, 5 assists).

Western New England College sophomore goalie Tara Cushman (Scituate, MA) was named the NEWLA Defensive Player-of-the-Week. She recorded 15 saves in an 11-5 win over Bridgewater State in the championship game of the NEWLA Tournament. Cushman, a sport management major, has a 6.76 goals-against-average and 60.2 save percentage.

Western New England College freshman Audrey Kelton (Wilder, VT) was named the NEWLA Rookie-of-the-Week. Kelton contributed two goals in an 11-5 win over Bridgewater State in the championship game of the NEWLA Tournament, and had two goals and an assist vs. Elms in a semifinal contest of the NEWLA Tournament. She has scored 30 points (21 goals, 9 assists) this season.

WNEC (14-3) plays at the University of Scranton Wednesday (May 5) in a first round game of the NCAA Division III Championship.

Western New England College Spring Sports Banquet
Sunday, May 2, 2004
List of Award Recipients

Women's Lacrosse
Most Valuable Player — Senior Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY)
Unsung Hero Award — Senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA)
Coaches Award — Sophomore Alia Andrews (Westfield, MA)

WNEC WINS NEWLA TITLE; EARNS INVITATION TO NCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, May 1, 2004
NEWLA Tournament (Championship game)
WNEC 11, Bridgewater State 5

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) tied her career high with four goals and freshmen Audrey Kelton (Wilder, VT) and Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) each scored twice as Western New England College posted an 11-5 victory over visiting Bridgewater State College in the championship game of the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Tournament.

The Golden Bears will now advance to the NCAA Division III Championship for the second time in three years.

WNEC (14-3) scored the first three goals of the game and led 7-2 at half-time.

Senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) had a strong game for the Golden Bears with a goal and three assists while junior Kristin Pimental (Tiverton, RI) contributed a goal and two assists. Sophomore goalie Tara Cushman (Scituate, MA) played a key role with 13 saves.

Senior co-captain Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) had four grounds balls to raise her total to 100 for the season.

Bridgewater State received three goals from junior Kristin Lake (Leominster, MA) and single scores from sophomore Rebecca Jenkins (Groveland, MA) and freshman Kathryn Sweeney (Norwood, MA). Junior goalie Lauren Mazzola (Westwood, MA) finished with 11 saves.

Bridgewater State (8-5) defeated WNEC in last year's championship game, 18-7.

Scoring Summary
Bridgewater State College (8-5) — 2 3 - 5
Western New England College (14-3) — 7 4 - 11

Bridgewater State College Bears
Goals Ð Kristin Lake 3, Rebecca Jenkins 1, Kathryn Sweeney 1. Assists Ð (None). Saves Ð Lauren Mazzola 11.

Western New England College Golden Bears
Goals Ð Whitney Boucher 4, Audrey Kelton 2, Jessica Vogel 2, Jamie Carney 1, Kristin Pimental 1, Shannon Pizzingrilli 1. Assists Ð Jamie Carney 3, Alyson Nowell 2, Kristin Pimental 2. Saves Ð Tara Cushman 15.

Thursday, April 29, 2004
NEWLA Tournament (semifinals)
WNEC 21, Elms 0

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) had three goals and five assists to lead top-seeded Western New England College to a 21-0 victory over fourth-seeded Elms College in a semifinal game of the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Tournament.

Senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) added three goals and an assist while sophomore Alyson Nowell (Feeding Hills, MA) contributed three goals. Senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) chipped-in with two goals and six assists.

Elms sophomore goalie Colleen Kroczewski (Easthampton, MA) recorded 14 saves.

WNEC (13-3) will host defending champion and second-seeded Bridgewater State College (a 23-6 winner over third-seeded Worcester State ) at 1:00 p.m. Saturday (May 1) at Golden Bear Stadium in a rematch of last year's championship game won by BSC 18-7.

Scoring Summary
Elms College (4-8) — 0 0 - 0
Western New England College (13-3) — 12 9 - 21

Elms Blazers
Goals Ð (None). Assists Ð (None). Saves Ð Colleen Kroczewski 14.

Western New England College Golden Bears
Goals Ð Whitney Boucher 3, Alyson Nowell 3, Shannon Pizzingrilli 3, Jamie Carney 2, Audrey Kelton 2, Tina Amarante 1, Lindsey Burns 1, Laura Elder 1, Cara Gandy 1, Shannon Montgomery 1, Kate Morin 1, Kristin Pimental 1, Jessica Vogel 1. Assists Ð Jamie Carney 6, Shannon Pizzingrilli 5, Kristin Pimental 2, Tina Amarante 1, Whitney Boucher 1, Sarah Cunningham 1, Laura Elder 1, Audrey Kelton 1, Shannon Montgomery 1, Jessica Vogel 1. Saves Ð Tara Cushman 3 (30 minutes), Danielle Smith 4 (30 minutes).

SHANNON PIZZINGRILLI GAINS TWO LACROSSE AWARDS

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior captain Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) was honored Tuesday (April 27) as the Western New England College Female Athlete-of-the-Week.

Pizzingrilli, a senior center, scored 16 points (10 goals, 6 assists) in a 2-1 week with 20 ground balls; six caused turnovers, and two draw controls. She had five goals and three assists vs. Endicott, and four goals, three assists, and 11 ground balls against Manhattanville.

A finance major, Pizzingrilli also was named the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Co-Player-of-the-Week on Monday (April 26). She leads the Golden Bears in scoring with 85 points (47 goals, 38 assists).

SENIOR SHANNON PIZZINGRILLI SELECTED THE WNEC FEMALE SCHOLAR ATHLETE-OF-THE-YEAR

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. —Lacrosse captain Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) received the Western New England College Female Senior Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year Award at the school's Cocurricular Awards ceremony Sunday (April 25).

Pizzingrilli, a senior finance major, was the 2002 and 2003 New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year.

One of the region's top players, she has a school record 264 points (158 goals, 106 assists) in three seasons entering the NEWLA playoffs Thursday against Elms.

Pizzingrilli also was a 2003 Verizon Academic All-America Second Team selection.

Saturday, April 24, 2004
WNEC 12, Manhattanville 7

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Western New England College completed its regular season in fine style with a 12-7 non-league victory over Manhattanville College.

Senior Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) led the Golden Bears with four goals, three assists, and 11 ground balls while classmate Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) added four goals and an assist.

Senior Laura Elder (Framingham, MA) chipped-in with two goals while senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) had two assists.

WNEC (12-3) will host a semifinal round game of the NEWLA Tournament on Thursday.

Thursday, April 22, 2004
WNEC 19, Endicott 12

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) scored five goals with three assists, and freshman Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) tallied four goals to lead Western New England College to a 19-12 win over Endicott College in a non-league contest.

Senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) and sophomore Alyson Nowell (Feeding Hills, MA) each added three goals and two assists, while junior Kristin Pimental ((Tiverton, RI) scored twice. Sophomore goalie Tara Cushman (Scituate, MA) compiled 17 saves.

Carney also became the fifth player in school history to reach 100 career points (59 goals, 41 assists).

Western New England College is now 11-3 (which matches last year's win total) with one game left in the regular season.

Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Springfield 9, WNEC 7

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Sophomore Holly Carmody (Wayland, MA) had three goals and one assist to lead visiting Springfield College to a 9-7 non-conference victory over Western New England College.

Junior Erin Looney (West Springfield, MA) contributed two goals and one assist for the Pride (9-4). Junior Erin Smith (Longmeadow, MA) added one goal and one assist.

Western New England College took an early 3-0 lead before the Pride scored three unanswered goals of its own. The teams went into half-time tied at 4-4.

Springfield scored two goals in the first 4:25 of the second half and that proved to be the difference.

Freshman Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) had two goals for the Golden Bears (10-3) who had their nine-game winning streak snapped. Senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) had a goal and assist. Sophomore goalie Tara Cushman (Scituate, MA) had 15 saves.

JUNIOR SARAH CUNNINGHAM SELECTED THE NEWLA DEFENSIVE PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Western New England College junior Sarah Cunningham (LaGrangeville, NY) was named the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Defensive Player-of-the-Week on Monday (April 19).

Cunningham, a math major, totaled nine ground balls, eight caused turnovers, and three draw controls in a 2-0 week for the Golden Bears. She had five ground balls and a draw control in a 14-7 win over Mount Holyoke, and seven ground balls, five caused turnovers, and three draw controls in a victory vs. Emerson.

WNEC (10-2) captured the regular season NEWLA title with a perfect 6-0 mark.

Saturday, April 17, 2004
WNEC 30, Emerson 1

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Western New England College captured its second New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) regular season title in three years with a 30-1 victory over Emerson College.

Twenty players scored points for the Golden Bears who improved their record to 10-2 with their ninth straight victory.

WNEC posted a 6-0 record in the conference.

Senior Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) led the way with four goals and four assists, the last one the 100th of her career.

Junior Tina Amarante (Cheshire, CT) added three goals and three assists while senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) had three goals and an assist. Carney also played 22 minutes in goal making three saves.

Freshman Arrin Brewer (Dalton, MA) scored the first two goals of her collegiate career while classmate Lauren Archambault (Westfield, MA) also tallied her first collegiate goal.

Thursday, April 15, 2004
WNEC 14, Mount Holyoke 7

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) scored five goals with an assist and junior Kristin Pimental (Tiverton, RI) added two goals and an assist to lead Western New England College to a 14-3 win over Mount Holyoke College.

The victory avenged a 12-9 loss to the Lyons last year.

Senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA), sophomore Alyson Nowell (Feeding Hills, MA), and freshman Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) each scored twice as the Golden Bears (9-2) ran their winning streak to eight games.

Saturday, April 10, 2004
WNEC 21, Castleton State 3

CASTLETON, Vt. - Senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) had a career day with three goals and six assists to lead Western New England College to an easy 21-3 victory over Castleton State College.

Senior captain Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) added three goals and four assists while freshman Audrey Kelton (Wilder, VT) contributed three goals.

Senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA), junior Kristin Pimental (Tiverton, RI), and freshman Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) each chipped-in with two goals while sophomore Alyson Nowell (Feeding Hills, MA) also had a big day with a goal and three assists.

The win was the seventh straight for the Golden Bears who are 8-2 overall and 5-0 in the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA).

Thursday, April 8, 2004
WNEC 18, Western Connecticut 5

DANBURY, Conn. - Senior captain Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) tallied nine points with five goals and four assists to lead Western New England College to an 18-5 non-conference win over host Western Connecticut State University.

Senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) added four goals and an assist as the Golden Bears (7-2) ran their winning streak to six games.

Senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA), junior Kristin Pimental (Tiverton, RI), and freshmen Audrey Kelton (Wilder, VT) and Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) each scored two goals. Kelton also had an assist.

Monday, April 5, 2004
Nichols at WNEC, 7:00 p.m. (Cancelled)

WHITNEY BOUCHER NAMED NEWLA PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Western New England College senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) was named the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Player-of-the-Week on Monday (April 5).

Boucher, a finance major,led the Golden Bears to a 3-0 week by scoring seven goals with 12 ground balls, four caused turnovers, and two draw controls.

She had three goals and a career high eight grounds balls in a 9-8 win over Eastern Connecticut State University. Boucher also scored twice against both Elms College and Lasell College.

Saturday, April 3, 2004
WNEC 20, Lasell 3

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Senior captain Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) had another big game with six goals and four assists as Western New England College defeated Lasell College, 20-3, in a New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance contest.

The win was the fifth in a row for the Golden Bears who are 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the NEWLA.

Senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) and junior Sarah Cunningham (LaGrangeville, NY) each added two goals while sophomore Alyson Nowell (Feeding Hills, MA) contributed four assists.

Sophomore Tara Cushman (Scituate, MA), who played goalie in the first half, scored her first collegiate goal in the second half.

Thursday, April 1, 2004
WNEC 9, Eastern Connecticut 8

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Senior captain Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) had two goals, three assists, and a key steal in the final minute to lead Western New England College to a thrilling 9-8 victory in the rain over a strong Eastern Connecticut State University squad.

Senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) added three goals while senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) contributed two goals and an assist. Freshman Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) chipped-in with two goals, including the game-winner with 17:20 remaining in the game.

Sophomore goalie Tara Cushman (Scituate, MA) made nine saves with two important stops coming in the last two minutes.

The win was the fourth in a row for the Golden Bears who improved their record to 5-2.

Tuesday, March 30, 2004
WNEC 19, Elms 0

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Thirteen players hit the scoring column as Western New England College blanked Elms College, 19-0, in a New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) game.

Sophomore Alyson Nowell (Feeding Hills, MA) had three goals and an assist while freshman Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) also scored three times.

Nowell scored 51 seconds into the contest as the Golden Bears took a 12-0 half-time lead.

WNEC is now 4-2 and 3-0 in the NEWLA.

SHANNON PIZZINGRILLI, JESSICA VOGEL, AND AUDREY KELTON GAIN LACROSSE HONORS

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Western New England College senior captain Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) was a repeat selection as the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) Player-of-the-Week.

Pizzingrilli, a finance major, scored 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists) in three games. She had three goals and three assists in a 21-3 win over Worcester State College in becoming the first player in school history to reach the 200-point plateau.

Pizzingrilli also scored a goal and had two assists in a 13-5 victory at defending NEWLA champion Bridgewater State College.

Two freshmen also share the spotlight this week.

Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) was honored Monday (Mar. 29) as the NEWLA Rookie-of-the-Week. She had four goals and four ground balls in a 13-5 victory at defending conference champion Bridgewater State College.

Vogel netted her first collegiate goal in a 21-3 win over Worcester State College. Shel is an international studies major.

Audrey Kelton (Wilder, VT) was honored Tuesday (Mar. 30) as the Western New England College Female Athlete-of-the-Week.

She also scored four goals with four ground balls in a 13-5 victory at defending NEWLA champion Bridgewater State College.

Kelton, an exploratory major, also had a goal and assist in a 21-3 win over Worcester State College, and a goal in a 13-5 loss against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Saturday, March 27, 2004
WNEC 13, Bridgewater State 5

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Freshmen Audrey Kelton (Wilder, VT) and Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) each scored four goals as Western New England College posted a 13-5 victory over defending New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) champion Bridgewater State College.

Junior Kim Pimental (Tiverton, RI) added two goals and an assist while sophomore Alyson Nowell (Feeding Hills, MA) had three assists. Senior Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) chipped-in with a goal and two assists while senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) scored twice.

WNEC is now 3-2 and 2-0 in the NEWLA.

Thursday, March 25, 2004
WNEC 21, Worcester State 3

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA) had four goals and three assists - her first points of the season - to lead Western New England College to a 21-3 victory over visiting Worcester State College in the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) opener for both squads.

Senior Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) added three goals and three assists, and became the first player in the program's six-year history to reach the 200-point mark. She now has 201 career points (124 goals, 77 assists).

Sophomore Cara Gandy (Ira, VT) contributed four goals for the Golden Bears (2-2).

Freshman Ann Clark (Worcester, MA) scored all three goals for the Lancers (0-4).

Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Rensselaer 13 , WNEC 5

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior Mary Roy had four goals and an assist as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute spoiled Western New England College's home debut by taking a 13-5 non-conference victory.

Senior Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) led the Golden Bears (1-2) with four goals.

WNEC (1-2) took an early 2-0 lead before the Engineers rallied to take a 7-2 advantage at half-time.

Thursday, March 18, 2004
Babson 19, WNEC 5

SANFORD, Fla. — Babson College raced to an 11-3 lead after the opening half and never looked back in posting an easy 19-5 win over Western New England College at Sylvan Lake Park.

Senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) and junior Kristen Pimental (Tiverton, RI) each scored twice for the Golden Bears (1-1). Senior Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) added a goal and two assists.

Tuesday, March 16, 2004
WNEC 15, SUNY Potsdam 3

SANFORD, Fla. — Senior Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY) had five goals and four assists as Western New England College defeated SUNY Potsdam, 15-3, in its season opener.

Junior Kristen Pimental (Tiverton, RI) added three goals while senior Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) and sophomore Alyson Nowell (Agawam, MA) each scored twice.

Freshman Audrey Kelton (White River Junction, VT) scored a goal in her collegiate debut.

WESTERN NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE LOOKS TO CHALLENGE FOR THE NEWLA CHAMPIONSHIP

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Western New England College hopes to challenge for the 2004 New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) title with five all-conference performers among its 16 returning players.

WNEC opens its sixth varsity season against SUNY Potsdam at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 16 in Sanford, Florida. The Golden Bears posted an 11-7 record last year and placed second in the NEWLA Tournament.

Heading the list of returnees is senior center and two-time All-NEWLA selection Shannon Pizzingrilli (East Rochester, NY). Pizzingrilli led the Golden Bears in scoring last year with a school record 97 points (55 goals, 42 assists). She is the program's all-time leading scorer with 179 points (111 goals, 68 assists).

Pizzingrilli also led the conference in ground balls (4.89 avg.). She was the NEWLA Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year the last two seasons.

WNEC coach Aimee Klepacki has all-conference players in senior midfielder Jamie Carney (Orleans, MA), junior defender Sarah Cunningham (LaGrangeville, NY), sophomore midfielder Alyson Nowell (Feeding Hills, MA), and sophomore goalie Tara Cushman (Scituate, MA).

Carney was sixth nationally among Division III players in caused turnovers (3.33 per game average). Cunningham anchored the Golden Bears' defense that led the conference in goals allowed (7.11 avg.). Nowell was among the NEWLA scoring leaders with 47 points (25 goals, 22 assists). Cushman led the league in save percentage (54.5) and goals-against-average (7.59).

Among the other top returning players are senior midfielder Whitney Boucher (Tyngsboro, MA) (30 points), junior attack Kristin Pimental (Tiverton, RI) (27 points), senior attack Tina Amarante (Cheshire, CT) (21 points), and sophomore defender Alia Andrews (Westfield, MA).

Two freshmen to watch are Lauren Archambault (Westfield, MA) at defense and Jessica Vogel (Tonawanda, NY) at attack.

"We lost a talented group to graduation, but voids will be filled by returning players," said Klepacki who has a 46-22 record (67.6%) in four seasons. Her husband John Klepacki is the men's lacrosse coach at Western New England College.

News from the 2004 season
News from the 2000-2003 seasons

Coaching Staff | Roster | Schedule
Statistics | News | Home | Athletics Home