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Monday, November 8, 2004
LITTLE EAST HONORS 19 EASTERN FALL ATHLETES
Ferrari (w-soccer), Barney (m- soccer) Player and Rookie-of-the-Year
Barney (below), Ferrari (below, right)
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- A total of 19 Eastern Connecticut State University individuals -- ten more than a year ago -- have been recognized by the Little East Conference with season-ending awards in the sports of men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey and volleyball.
Six Eastern individuals have been named to the all-conference FIRST TEAM and 13 to the second team in balloting by the conference head coaches. Additionally, senior women’s soccer midfielder Jen Ferrari (COVENTRY, RI) was named Offensive Player-of-the-Year and freshman men’s soccer keeper Jay Barney (MANSFIELD) was recognized as Rookie-of-the-Year.
Senior midfielder Mo Deegan (WESTPORT) became only the second four-year all-conference pick and fourth three-time first-teamer in conference field hockey history and Ferrari joined former Eastern player Haley Stears (1996-98) and Keene State College senior goalkeeper Michelle Mason as the only four-time all-conference picks in the history of LEC women’s soccer.
Deegan, the all-time leading scorer in Eastern history, is the only Eastern player to earn all-conference honors more than once. She followed second-team honors as a freshman in 2001 with first-team accolades each of the past three years. Ferrari was named conference Rookie-of-the-Year and to the all-conference first team as a freshman in 2001 and was a second-team pick in 2002 before earning first-team honors each of the past two years. Heading into ECAC tournament play, Ferrari is ranked second all-time at Eastern in goals and points and is third in assists. She has also tied assists records in a season and match this year.
Ferrari leads the conference in goals (15) and points (41) and is second in assists (11) and becomes the program’s fourth Player-of-the-Year selection in nine years. She follows Yvette Broderick (1996-97) and Pam Neff (2000).
Barney becomes only the second Eastern men’s soccer player – first true freshman -- to be named Rookie-of-the-Year and is only the program’s sixth freshman all-conference pick. The only previous Eastern men’s soccer Rookie-of-the-Year was Sean Lester – like Barney an E.O. Smith graduate – in 1990.
The women’s soccer team led all conference women’s soccer teams in total selections (7). The total picks, as well as its three first-team picks, are the most in program history.
By earning first-team all-conference field hockey honors, first-year back Erika Profenno (SOUTH PORTLAND, ME) gives Eastern as many as two first-team picks for the first time in the sport’s seven-year history.
In volleyball, Eastern led all teams with six all-conference selections – its highest total in seven years of all-conference balloting. Players from Eastern, Rhode IslandCollege, Western Connecticut and playoff champion PlymouthState combined filled 17 of the 18 all-conference spots. Eastern senior co-captains Amanda Jassen (WINSTED) and Jessica Leifert (WINSTED) – former high school teammates at state champion GilbertSchool -- were named to the all-conference team for the second time in their careers. Jassen was a first-teamer at right-side hitter last year and Leifert a second-team pick at outside hitter in 2002. Middle blocker Emma Sousa (COVENTRY) – a second-team choice -- joined Barney to give Eastern two freshman all-conference picks. They were among only five true freshmen named to either of the four fall all-conference teams.
In addition to Deegan, Ferrari, Jassen and Leifert, women’s soccer midfielders Megan Taylor (MANCHESTER) and Meghann Booth (WINDSOR LOCKS) were also all-conference repeaters. A second-team pick this year, Taylor was named to the second team as a sophomore and to the first team last fall. Booth repeats on the second team.
First-year transfers earning all-conference honors with their respective programs include Profenno, women’s soccer forward Caitlin Buzzell (MANCHESTER), women’s volleyball libero Marianna Capomolla (STAMFORD) and middle blocker Nicole Tassone (EAST PATCHOGUE, NY). Profenno transferred from the University of Southern Maine, Buzzell from Trinity College (CT), Capomolla from Concordia College (NY) and Tassone from Farmingdale State.
Eastern’s men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and field hockey combined to win 19 of 29 regular-season conference matches with one tie (65.0 per cent) this past fall, with women’s soccer and volleyball combining on an 11-3 regular-season conference record. None of Eastern’s fall teams won less than half of their regular-season conference matches and all four qualified for conference post-season play, with women’s soccer and volleyball reaching their respective championship matches. The women’s volleyball team shared their conference regular-season title, women’s soccer finished second, men’s soccer tied for fourth and field hockey was seventh. Eight teams compete in men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball, with 11 comprising the field hockey competition.
Player Sport Team Cl. Position
Jay Barney** MS 2nd Fr. Keeper Mansfield, CT
Meghann Booth (2) WS 2nd Jr. Midfield
Windsor Locks, CT
Caitlin Buzzell WS 2nd Jr. Forward
Manchester, CT
Marianna Capomolla VB 2nd So. Libero Stamford, CT
Mo Deegan (4) FH 1st Sr. Midfield Westport, CT
Jen Ferrari* (4) WS 1st Sr. Midfield Coventry, RI
Matt Fitzgerald MS 2nd So. Back Marlborough, CT
Zac Griffin MS 2nd Sr. Midfield
Manchester, CT
Amanda Jassen (2) VB 2nd Sr. Outside Hitter
Winsted, CT
Melissa Lambert WS 1st So. Back Montville, CT
Jessica Leifert (2) VB 2nd Sr. Outide Hitter Winsted, CT
Derek Miles MS 2nd So. Back Newtown, CT
Jenn Orme WS 1st Jr. Midfield Centereach, NY
Erika Profenno FH 1st Jr. Back
South Portland, ME
Chrissie Siranko VB 1st Jr. R-Side Hitter Danbury, CT
Emma Sousa VB 2nd Fr. Middle Hitter Coventry, CT
Nicole Tassone VB 2nd Jr. Middle Hitter
East Patchogue, NY
Megan Taylor (3) WS 2nd Sr. Midfield Manchester, CT
Megan Williamson WS 2nd Sr. Back Patchogue, NY
*-Offensive Player-of-the-Year **-Rookie-of-the-Year
Number in parenthesis indicates number of times on all-conference team.
Sport First Team Second Team
W-Soccer
Jen Ferrari ( Offensive Player-of-the-Year)
Melissa Lambert
Jenn Orme
Meghann Booth
Caitlin Buzzell
Megan Taylor
Megan Williamson
M-Soccer
Jay Barney (Rookie-of-the-Year)
Matt Fitzgerald
Zac Griffin
Derek Miles
W-Volleyball Chrissie Siranko
Marianna Capomolla
Amanda Jassen
Jessica Leifert
Emma Sousa
Nicole Tassone
Field Hockey
Mo Deegan
Erika Profenno
