Boino, UMass Home Thursday in NCAA Tourney
 |
Kevin Boino and the University of Massachusetts men’s soccer team completed a rare Atlantic 10 double last weekend and will look to extend their season on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Division I Championship.
The Minutemen defeated Virginia Commonwealth to win the A10 tournament, becoming the first team to win the regular season outright and the conference tournament in the league since 1991.
Thursday at 1 p.m., UMass will host Colgate in a rematch from the teams’ Sept. 16 meeting in Amherst. Boino had a shot on goal in that 2-1 UMass win.
On the season, Boino has a goal and an assist in 19 starts for the Minutemen (15-3-3).
He is not the only area alum competing in NCAA tournament play this fall.
Down I-91 from Amherst, the Springfield College football team is getting ready for its NCAA DIII tournament opener against Husson at home on Saturday afternoon.
The Pride (10-0) recently completed the third undefeated season in school history with a 43-7 win over MIT. In that win, Pittsfield’s Dominic Traversa had three tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss.
On the season, Traversa is second on the team with 54 tackles and has two interceptions. PHS grad Chad Shade, a sophomore for the Pride, is fourth on the team in rushing with 364 yards in seven games and has completed four of five passing attempts for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Springfield’s roster also includes junior offensive lineman Zach Wright and freshman O-lineman Jameson Coughlan, both of Hoosac Valley.
Closer to home, Pittsfield High alumna Ilana Albert and the Williams College women’s soccer team will continue their NCAA DIII tournament run at Cole Field on Saturday when the Ephs (18-1-1) host Cal Lutheran in the Round of 16. The winner of that game moves on to Sunday’s sectional final in Williamstown with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Albert this fall has a goal and an assist in 13 starts and has appeared in 19 of Williams’ 20 games.
Westfield State’s women’s soccer team, which won the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference tournament, fell in the first round of the NCAA DIII tournament to Messiah College. The Owls featured three Wahconah alumnae this fall: sophomore Gianna Moncecchi and freshmen Ashley Zink and Amelia Dougherty. Dougherty scored a goal, Moncecchi started all 20 games and Zink appeared in 19 games (17 starts) for the Owls.
Amanda Wright (Pittsfield) and the Springfield women’s soccer team lost in the championship game of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference tournament, but the Pride is still alive in the ECAC Division III tourney, where it will host Albright on Saturday in the semi-finals. Wright is fourth on her team in scoring with seven goals and an assist this fall.
In the Commonwealth Coast Conference, a pair of Hoosac Valley alumna helped their soccer teams to the conference quarter-finals. Freshman Madison Vigna appeared in six games for Curry College (8-9-3); freshman Carah Cote had two goals and two assists in 19 games for Salve Regina (5-11-3).
Another former Hurricane, Lily Kronick, had one assist in 10 appearances at Elmira (1-14-1) this fall.
And Hoosac Valley graduate Megan Richardson finished her junior season at MCLA by being named first-team All-MASCAC for the second straight year. Richardson led the league in saves with 139 this fall and had the MASCAC’s fifth-highest save percentage, .790.
The Providence women’s soccer team saw its post-season run in end earlier this month in the Big East semi-finals. The Friars (10-8-2) got a goal and an assist from Lenox’s Alessandra Arace this season.
As the fall season winds down, the winter season cranks up, and that means a pair of area alums are getting their first taste of NCAA Division I play.
At Brown, Mount Greylock graduate Jenna Benzinger played a minute in the Bruins’ season opener but made the most of it, hitting one of two field goal attempts and grabbing a rebound in a an 85-62 win over Bryant College.
At the University of Vermont, Lenox’s Bailey Patella (Vermont Academy) did not see the floor in the Catamounts’ near upset at the University of Kentucky. But in an exhibition game against Concordia College, he was 2-for-2 from the field with five rebounds. He saw 15 minutes of action in an exhibition against crosstown rival St. Michael’s, scoring six points on 3-of-5 shooting.
If you know a student-athlete who should be included in an upcoming edition of College Collage, email sports@iBerkshires.com.
