January
12, 2006 Jim and Jill Kelly Announce
9th Annual Hunter’s Day of Hope for Children Celebration On Tuesday, February 14, 2006 in Orchard Park, New York
Free food and entertainment for the whole family 5pm – 8pm at
Ralph Wilson Field House
Orchard Park, NY – The Hunter’s Hope Foundation will present
its ninth annual Hunter’s Day of Hope for Children from 5 to
8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 14, 2006 at the Ralph Wilson Field House,
One Bills Drive, Orchard Park, NY. All area families are invited to
attend the event. There is no charge for admission, entertainment
or refreshments.
“This event is a celebration of the blessing of children in
our lives,” NFL Hall of Famer and former Buffalo Bills quarterback
Jim Kelly said. “Parents and kids have a lot of fun at all the
activities, but the whole idea is to stress the importance of loving
and valuing children.” He and his wife, Jill, founded the Hunter’s
Hope Foundation in 1997 after their infant son, Hunter, was diagnosed
with Krabbe Leukodystrophy, a fatal, degenerative nervous system disease.
Hunter died on August 5, 2005 at age eight. This year, as always,
Hunter’s Day of Hope takes place on the birthday that Hunter
shared with his father.
Among the family entertainment on February 14 are Nickel City Reptiles
& Exotics, clowns, Rince Na Tiarna Irish Dancers, Children’s
Chorus, a sing a long with Glenn Colton and much more. “Messages
of Love that Endures,” written by the public, will be on exhibit
at the Field House. For information about writing and submitting the
personal messages for display, call 716-667-1200 or visit www.huntershope.org
The Foundation is the Kellys’ lifelong commitment to raise awareness,
fund research to identify new treatments, therapies and a cure for
Krabbe and other leukodystrophies; and to advocate for universal newborn
screening. To date, Hunter’s Hope has awarded more than $3.8
million to dedicated medical researchers around the world.
Robinson
Named All-American By
Don Lockwood
Sports Information Director 12/06/05
Erie Community College defensive back Lowell Robinson was named NJCAA
second-team All-American on Monday December 5, 2005. Robinson, a sophomore
from Mount Vernon, became the second Erie player to make post-season
All-American.
Robinson completed a stellar second-year with the Kats in the Northeast
Conference championship game on November 12. In the game he returned
a kickoff 93-yards for a touchdown and had three tackles. The touchdown
was his fourth of the season, the first three coming on interceptions.
“Lowell is the most complete and talented player that I have
had in my five seasons here. He was a player I could always count
on to make the big play,” said his Head Coach Dennis Greene.
Robinson made his second-straight all-conference team and was runner-up
for the defensive player of the year. His seven interceptions were
tied for fifth in the country and his three interception returns for
touchdowns were first in the country. He has already verbally committed
to Pittsburgh University of the Big East for next season. He will
play under former NFL Head Coach Dave Wandstedt.
For the season, Robinson finished fourth on the team 46 total tackles,
including seven for losses. He also added three sacks and thirteen
passes broken up. He finished his ECC career first in all-time punt
return average with 19.9 yards per return, first in all-time interception
return yards with 325, first in interception returns for touchdowns,
and first in interceptions with 11.
Lowell Robinson
Career Statistics
ECC
Names November Athletes of the Month By
Don Lockwood Sports
Information Director 12/06/05
The athletic department at Erie Community College is pleased to announce
their November athletes of the month.
On the women’s side, Deneen Flores, a sophomore from Seneca
High School and Buffalo, NY takes the honors. Flores wins the honor
for the third time in her ECC career after previously being named
in November and December 2004.
Flores led the Lady Kats to a surprising 3-1 start, leading the team
in scoring and rebounding in three of their six November games. Flores
averaged 18.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in November.
In the November 6 game versus Cuyahoga Community College, she led
all scorers with 26 points and 12 rebounds in a 72-64 overtime win.
She also grabbed a season and team-high 16 rebounds in a win over
Canton on 11/12/05.
“Deneen is the type of player that any coach would love to have
on their team, she can score, rebound and dish the ball and is a true
team player”, commented head coach Dean Edwards.
The men’s award was won by Jack Dafgard, a cross-country runner
from Kenmore East High School and Tonawanda. Dafgard, a freshman,
competed in the NJCAA national cross country meet and finished in
15th place to earn All-American honors. It was the second-straight
season that ECC had a cross-country All-American. In 2004, Andy Forma
accomplished the feat.
His head coach Sean Kibrick said, “Jack began the year as our
fourth man. His hard work and dedication was second to none as he
moved up the ranks to be our top finisher for the last three weeks
of the season.”
RANSOMVILLE
SPEEDWAY HONORED CHAMPIONS AT 2005 ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER Saturday, November 5th, 2005
Ransomville, NY......Approximately two hundred guests gathered
for the annual awards and dinner banquet held last Saturday night
at the Niagara Active Hose Fire hall in Niagara Falls, NY. Amongst
the honorees included forty-three drivers who received feature win
honors plus 2005 track champions and many specialty award winners.
Pete Bicknell may have had only 1 win in the 2005 season but his consistency
paid off. Bicknell finished out of the top six only twice during the
course of the season and took the points lead away from Todd Burley
in the late going. Bicknell went on to capture his tenth Modified
crown at the big R. Todd Burley finished second in points with six
wins while Robbie Krull enjoyed one of his best points finishes in
third.
The Original Pizza Logs Sportsman title came down to the last night.
Involved in a torrid battle through-out the season was defending champion
Scott Kerwin, Kevin Wills, and Jeff McGinnis. Wills swept the final
two point races of the 2005 season securing his first ever points
championship. Kerwin finished in second followed by McGinnis in third.
Pete Stefanski simply dominated the Bobcat of Buffalo ProStock division
claiming thirteen wins en route to his third championship in the class.
Mike Williams finished in second with a total of two wins while Dan
Shoop claimed the third place.
Digger Lester has been a top contender in the Johnston's Restaurant
Streetstock class for the last couple of years and in 2005-took his
career to the next level by capturing his first ever points championship.
Lester took the crown over Roger Israel and rookie Nate Reynolds.
The highly coveted Driver of the Year Award was given to a driver
who had one of the best years statistically has one has ever had at
the big R. With a total of thirteen wins, there was no question as
to who would take home the Driver of the Year laurels-Pete Stefanski.
Earning the Performance award for 2005 was Todd Burley for his six
feature wins in the head-lining Mighty Taco Modified Division. The
Sportsmanship Award went to Don McGinnis who has never failed to lend
a helping hand to a fellow competitor. This past season, Scott Kerwin
suffered a blown motor and was in serious jeopardy of losing a night
of racing but Don McGinnis stepped up to the plate and lent the Kerwin
team his back-up power plant-a move that without question cost McGinnis's
team at least a second place points finish. For his sporting and selfless
assistance-the award was given to McGinnis-a decision found to be
very popular with the banquet crowd.
Mark Cerrone and Roy Dean received the Owners of the Year award-these
gentlemen are great supporters of the racing scene at Ransomville
Speedway-supporting race teams and the race track. They have also
put together one of the toughest and strongest racing teams at the
track with Scott Kerwin as their driver. Kerwin enjoyed several feature
wins and came very close to winning back to back championships.
The Trevor Wilkins Memorial Hard Charger Award is traditionally given
to a Sportsman competitor who consistently rises to the front of the
pack. After a couple of years of trying to find his niche in open-wheeled
racing, this years recipient really brought it all together in 2005
picking up his first sportsman feature main along with seven top five
finishes. The 2005 laurels were given to Jason Boyle.
The Jimmy Binks Memorial Mechanic of the Year Award was received by
Dave Just. Owning three cars of this own and being one of the chief
mechanics on the fourth-Just is one of the most dedicated supporters
of the local racing scene. The Hard Luck Award is one a driver certainly
never wants to receive-getting it two years in a row is not good news.
But this years recipient seemed to carry his bad luck from 2004 right
into 2005-suffering mechanical failures through-out the season-a few
times while leading. For the second straight season-Steve Miller received
the award.
The Best Appearing Awards are probably to toughest ones to choose.
With so many deserving entries-Ransomville Speedway decided to give
some honorary mentions as well. Todd Burley received the Best Appearing
honors in the Mighty Taco Modified class while Mark Golding received
an honorable mention. For the third straight year, Scott Kerwin took
home the Best Appearing Original Pizza Logs Sportsman honors while
Mark Potter received an honorable mention. In the Bobcat of Buffalo
ProStock division-voting resulted in a tie allowing for Steve Miller
and Mike Williams to both receive Best Appearing Awards. Webb Nashwinter
took home the Best Appearing Johnston's Restaurant Streetstock honors
while Digger Lester and Mike Seefeldt received honorable mentions.
The Original Pizza Logs Most Popular Driver Awards are decided by
the fans through-out the season. Official ballots are found in the
weekly program and may be cast for any driver competing in one of
the four regular divisions. This years recipients were Chad Brachmann
in the Mods, Jeff McGinnis in the Sportsman, Steve Miller in the ProStocks,
and Nate Reynolds in the Streetstocks.
After having a very competitive season and picking up his first Modified
feature win-Sam Crogan received the Most Improved Modified Driver
Honors. James Strassburg claimed the Sportsman Most Improved Award
while Scott Gribben took home the ProStock honors after having also
claimed his first feature win in the division. Mike Seefeldt came
to within a car length to win the Streetstock King of the Hill and
also finished fifth in points earning him the Most Improved Award.
Receiving Rookie of the Year honors were Scott George in the Mighty
Taco Modifieds-George enjoyed two wins in 2005. Greg Martin was the
Rookie of the Year in the Original Pizza Logs Sportsman and Derek
Boyle took home the honor in the Bobcat of Buffalo ProStocks.
In a closing speech, co-promoter Joel Friesen thanked the drivers,
fans, crews, and staff for their efforts and dedication. Ransomville
said good-bye to 2005 Miss Ransomville Jenni Gabryelski who did an
outstanding job representing the big R. At the same time, Miss Ransomville
2006-Pam Martin-was introduced to the banquet attendees. Phil and
Eileen Rinker announced their retirement after several years of dedicated
service-the Rinkers are retiring to the NASCAR hub-North Carolina.
The Rinkers received the first ever Ransomville Speedway Appreciation
Clock.
Next on the Speedway agenda-is the annual Hangover 150 to be held
on January 1st, 2006.
November
5, 2005 ECC Drops Finale to Georgia Military
By
Don Lockwood Sports Information Director Alfred State Defeat of Morrisville State
Sends Erie to Second Straight Championship Game
The ECC football team made history in more ways than one on Saturday
at Jim Ball Stadium when they were defeated 51-10 by Georgia Military.
The Kats lost a fourth-straight game for the first time in their five-year
history and finish the regular season 5-5. The Kats will go to their
second straight Northeast Championship Game next Saturday at Nassau
Community College via Alfred State’s 20-9 defeat of Morrisville
State. The Kats won the fourth tie-breaker with Morrisville as both
schools ended the regular season 5-5 overall and 3-4 in conference
play.
Saturday, ECC took the lead when Adam Hahn hit a career-long 42 yard
field goal at the 7:56 mark of the first quarter. The Kats lead was
short-lived as Georgia Military blocked Hahn’s punt and recovered
the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
The Kats then received the kickoff and turned over the ball on their
second play. The Bulldogs scored just 26 seconds after their previous
score when tailback Antron McDaniel scored from 17 yards out. It was
his first of three touchdowns on the day.
On the next ECC drive, a backward pass by Neil Hallimen was picked
up by Jarius Wynn and returned 18 yards for another defensive score
to make the score 21-3. McDaniel then scored on runs of one and two
yards on the next two Bulldog drives to make the score 35-3 at the
break.
The Bulldogs scored on two more runs from backup quarterback Kevin
Todd in the third quarter to make the score 48-3 to end the third
quarter. The Kats finally broke their touchdown drought at the 13:54
mark of the final quarter when Ray Braxton Jr. (Lackawanna) threw
a 31-yard touchdown scoring pass to Damar Dowell, his fifth scoring
grab of the season.
Georgia Military then finished the scoring of the game when Bobby
Jaworski hit a 46-yard field goal to make the final score 51-10.
ECC set several school records in the game. Zach Kedron caught nine
passes for 42 yards, breaking the old record of seven set by Gordie
Walker in 2004. Three Kats’ quarterbacks also set a new school
record when they combined to attempt 41 passes, breaking the record
of 32 set by Mike Currie in 2003.
Kedron led ECC with 100 total yards in the game, 58 yards rushing
and 42 yards receiving. Dowell finished with three catches for 63
yards with a touchdown. Defensively, Rick Evans led the team with
seven total tackles. Lowell Robinson finished with six tackles along
with Carmon Wolfe.
The Kats will travel next week to Nassau Community College to play
in the Northeast Championship Game. The Lions enter the game 8-2 overall,
winning the eastern division. They defeated the Kats 30-19 in week
three in Uniondale.
Wednesday,
November 2, 2005
Takeo Spikes and the Buffalo Bills Women's Association (BBWA) to Host
First & Ten: A Fashion Extravaganza.
A Fashion Show Fundraiser Benefiting 51 Ways for Charity and Women
& Children's Hospital ORCHARD PARK, NY --
Takeo Spikes, through his foundation - 51 Ways for Charity, and the
Buffalo Bills Women's Association will host the first annual First
& Ten: A Fashion Extravaganza on November 14, 2005 from 6:00 to
9:00 p.m. at the Adams Mark Hotel. Guests will enjoy a cocktail reception,
silent and live auctions, dinner and a fashion show. This unique event
will feature more than 30 Buffalo Bills players and their spouses
showcasing the latest fashions, furs and jewelry provided by L'Avant
Garbe and Mentality of Rochester, Elevee Fine Clothing of Los Angeles,
Furs by Russell and Diamond Cutters of Western NY.51 Ways for Charity,
Inc. was founded by Pro Bowl linebacker Takeo Spikes and linebacker
Carlos Emmons of the New York Giants. The foundation is dedicated
to supporting families of children diagnosed with cancer and/or blood
disorders by providing financial, spiritual and physical resources.
The Buffalo Bills Women's Association is an organization comprised
of the wives, fiancées and significant others of Buffalo Bills
players, coaches and select football support staff members. Their
mission is to make a positive and lasting contribution to the Buffalo
community through volunteer participation.Buffalo Bills MARK CAMPBELL,
LEE EVANS, LONDON FLETCHER, CHRIS KELSAY, LAWYER MILLOY, BRIAN MOORMAN,
RYAN NEUFELD, JEFF POSEY, TAKEO SPIKES, TREY TEAGUE, TROY VINCENT
and MIKE WILLIAMS as well as NY Giants linebacker CARLOS EMMONS plus
others are scheduled to participate in the show.Proceeds from the
event will go to 51 Ways for Charity, Inc. and Women & Children's
Hospital of Buffalo. The donation made to Women & Children's Hospital
will be given to the Pediatric Oncology Department in loving memory
of Ana Warthling, a vivacious seven-year-old girl who recently lost
her battle with an inoperable form of brain cancer. Ana was the daughter
of Bill and Gina Warthling, owners of Diamond Cutters, one of our
event sponsors. The hospital hopes to use the donation to help recruit
and retain a dedicated pediatric oncologist on staff.The following
businesses have also partnered with 51 Ways for Charity and the BBWA:
L'Avant Garbe and Mentality of Rochester, Furs by Russell, Diamond
Cutters of Western NY, M&T Bank, 104.1 FM, the Adams Mark Hotel,
Bully Hill Wines, Erin Harris Designs, Digicon, and Elevee Fine Clothing
of Los Angeles, CA.For tickets and/or sponsorship information, please
contact Dawn Ridz at (678) 371-1651 or by e-mail at firstandtenfashionshow@yahoo.com.
Tickets are $100 each or $1,000 for a table of 10. Tables are being
sold on a first come, first served basis, so don't miss out on your
chance to get the best seats in the house.
Oct.
11, 20005 Kats Move Up in Rankings By
Don Lockwood
Sports Information Director 10/11/05-The ECC football team
moved up to the eleventh spot in the NJCAA national rankings release
Tuesday morning, up five spots from last week. The Kats defeated Berean
Institute from Philadelphia, PA, 35-0. It was there second shutout
in the last three weeks.
The ranking is the highest ranking the team has achieved since the
weeks of September 21 and 28, 2004 when they were ranked eighth. They
travel to Franklin, MA this weekend to face the much-improved Dean
Bulldogs, kickoff is scheduled for 1 pm.
NJCAA National Rankings
1. Butler CC 7-0
2. Blinn CC 5-0
3. Pearl River CC 3-0
4. Nassau CC 6-0
4. Snow College 6-0
6. Glendale CC 5-0
7. Grand Rapids CC 6-1
8. Dixie State 5-1
9. Minnesota West 6-0
10. Coffeyville CC 6-1
11. Erie CC 5-1
12. Rochester CTC 6-1
13. Trinity Valley 4-2
14. NE Mississippi 3-0
15. Garden City CC 5-2
16. Hudson Valley CC 4-2
17. Mississippi Gulf Coast 2-1
18. William Rainey Harper 5-2
19. Scottsdale CC 3-2
20. Northeastern Oklahoma 4-2
Teams in RED are Northeast Conference members.
Robinson
Leads ECC by Example By
Don Lockwood
• Oct. 3 2005
Early in the 2004 season, it was quite clear that ECC Head Coach had
found one of those “special” players. Lowell Robinson, 5’10
sophomore from Mt. Vernon, NY was that player.
With some early defensive struggles in the 2004 season, some defensive
changes were made that would drastically alter the ECC defense. Robinson
was one of those changes, being installed as a starter at free safety
after the second game.
Robinson dominated teams to the point that they would not throw his
way. The results were increased interceptions for his teammates. Defensive
backs Troy Wallace and Julius Brown were the beneficiaries as they tied
for the team lead in picks with five each. Robinson did manage to grab
four of his own which placed him second on the team. He made the most
of his chances as he returned those four interceptions for 117 yards
and one touchdown. The coaching staff began to occasionally use Lowell
on returns because of his speed and big play potential. “Lowell
came to us as a wide receiver so we were very aware of his big-play
ability,” stated his Head Coach Dennis Greene.
Defensively, he finished seventh on the team in tackles with 38 even
though he only played the last nine games. He was named Northeast Conference
second-team All-conference after the season.
Coming to ECC was a matter of luck as he was struggling to finish high
school and heard about the college from a couple of his teammates that
came to Erie. “I was being recruited out of high school and could
have gone a lot of places, but my grades were not were not good enough.
I decided that I was going to dedicate myself then to achieve my goals.
My goal now is to finish school, win the conference title and go to
a bowl game, “said Robinson.
Flash ahead to 2005. Robinson was named pre-season honorable mention
All-American at defensive back and immediately lived up to the honor.
In the season-opening game at Lackawanna College, he burned the Falcons
with his returning ability. On defense he put the game out of reach
in the third quarter when he returned an interception 77-yards for a
touchdown. The score sealed a 41-12 victory over the 21st ranked team.
He finished with three punt returns for 78 yards, two kickoffs for 55
yards and was named conference defensive player of the week.
In the conference-opening game the following week, he again made his
presence known. Besides making eight tackles, he teamed with Kyle Bowen
to set a school-record for kickoff return yards in a game with 224.
Both players set up crucial scores with long returns in a 45-34 win
over Alfred State. The Pioneers had taken an early fourth quarter lead
when Robinson returned the ensuing kickoff 61-yards to the Alfred State
19-yard line. The proceeding score proved to be the game winner.
After a week-three loss to the fifth-ranked Nassau CC Lions, the team
took on division rival Morrisville State in their home opener. A defensive
battle ended with a 6-0 ECC victory. Before the game, the coaching staff
decided to move Robinson up to linebacker to improve team speed at the
position and he switched between the two spots during the game. The
results were seven tackles, two for losses and a sack. The team allowed
a season-low 117 yards total offense, 21 yards on the ground.
The defining moment of the season thus far may have come on an unlikely
play. Hudson Valley came to Orchard Park on October 1 riding a three-game
winning streak dating to 2003. The 16th ranked team in the country won
the opening toss and deferred to ECC, putting the ball in the hands
of Mr. Robinson. Robinson took the opening kickoff and returned it 67
yards to the Hudson Valley 17-yard line. The drive resulted in an Adam
Hahn 32-yard field goal, giving the Kats a lead they would never relinquish.
On the next Vikings drive, Robinson intercepted Jon Shanks and returned
it 32-yards for a touchdown to give the Kats a 10-0 lead just 3:46 into
the game. He finished the game with four solo tackles and forced a fumble.
“Lowell Robinson is the best defensive back that ECC has ever
had. He's smart, knows when to check in and out of the proper coverage,
and finds ways to make big plays and be in the right position to get
a pick (Interception),” said defensive backs coach Joe Abbarno.
Abbarno has been Robinson’s coach since he joined the team.
For the season, Robinson has already almost surpassed his 2004 totals.
Besides being the team leader in all-purpose yardage at 111 yards per
game, he leads the conference in punt return yardage (27.2); kickoff
returns (35.9) and is second in interceptions with three. He also has
scored two touchdowns.
Obviously his big play ability was a major attraction to Division I
colleges as he had great interest from many colleges. He is being looked
at by big schools such as Pittsburgh, Boise State, and North Carolina
State.
Bulls'
Rally Falls Short Against Western Michigan Oct. 2, 2005
Kalamazoo, MI - Buffalo opened the Mid-American Conference
schedule at Waldo Stadium on Saturday night and couldn't overcome a
fast Western Michigan start in a 31-21 loss to the Broncos before 14,198
fans. Western Michigan jumped to a 24-0 halftime lead before the Bulls
rallied behind the arm of true freshman Drew Willy (Randolph, NJ/Randolph).
"This was simply a game of too little, too late," said head
coach Jim Hofher. "Our guys got challenged at halftime for the
tempo that we needed to play in the game and in many respects I think
they responded. They played very hard, very tough and hit better targets,
had more production but in the end it was too little too late.
"I think we faced a very formidable foe," said Hofher, "who,
in my opinion, brought the tempo of the game to us and not the other
way around. Western played with a lot of pressure on defense, against
our offense, and at times they were very productive with it." The
game opened on a difficult note for the Bulls as the Broncos took the
opening drive 75 yards on nine plays in 3:07 to open the scoring. Greg
Jennings caught a seven-yard pass from Robbie Haas to complete the drive.
Jennings had three catches for 41 yards on the drive. After the Bulls
were stopped on a third-and-short on their opening drive, Western put
together a 63-yard drive that led to a 31-yard field goal by Nate Meyer.
The Bulls stopped the drive on a nice third down tackle on a screen
play by sophomore linebacker Ollice Ervin (Vero Beach, FL/Vero Beach).
On Western Michigan's third possession, senior cornerback Gemara Williams
(Oak Park, MI/Brother Rice) broke up a pair of passes as the Bulls forced
a punt. Williams now stands alone in second place in UB history with
30 passes defended. Jennings hurt the Bulls again when he returned a
punt 32 yards to set the Broncos up at the Buffalo 32-yard line late
in the first quarter. The Broncos would capitalize on the great field
position as Jennings showed his versatility again, this time by throwing
a 22-yard touchdown pass to Joe Chapple on a reverse to put WMU up 17-0
with 14:52 left in the half. The Broncos took advantage of Buffalo's
first turnover in two games when they recovered a fumble by junior tight
end Chad Upshaw (Southport, CT/St.
Joseph's) at the UB 22-yard line. Jennings again was the key factor,
making two catches on the drive, including a 16-yarder for a touchdown
that put WMU up 24-0 with 9:00 remaining in the second quarter. The
Bulls drove down to the Western Michigan 21-yard line late in the first
half, sparked by a 14-yard run by junior Steven King (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale)
on fourth-and-one. However, the drive was hurt by an unsportsmanlike
penalty and senior kicker Mike Baker (Jamestown, NY/Jamestown) was just
short on a 50-yard field goal attempt. The Bulls got on the board early
in the fourth quarter after an 18-yard punt return by sophomore Jesse
Imes (Cincinnati, OH/Kings Mills). Buffalo went 41 yards on five plays,
capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass from Willy to Upshaw. It was Willy's
first career touchdown pass and a harbinger of things to come.Buffalo
then cut the lead to 10 points with its finest drive of the season,
going 70 tough yards on 11 plays and finally hitting paydirt on a one-yard
touchdown run by junior Jared Patterson (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere). The
drive was sustained by two key catches by senior Derrick Dyer (Rochester,
NY/Marshall). Dyer had a 25-yard catch on a third-down conversion, and
after a WMU sack, had a clutch 19-yard grab that gave the Bulls a chance
to eventually score. The Bulls would score once more when Willy hit
Dyer from six yards out with :11 left in the game to close the scoring.
The Bulls' second half performance on offense was their best of the
season, and was punctuated by the play of Willy. For the game, the true
freshman connected on 30-of-38 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
His 30 completions were second best in school history (to Marty Barrett's
32 in 1982) and in the second half, he completed 20-of-21, including
his last 15. The 30 completions are also the most by a UB player in
its Division I history (1993-present). Willy's favorite target was sophomore
Trevor Scott (Potsdam, NY/Potsdam) who had a career-best six catches
for 42 yards. Fellow tight end Chad Upshaw finished with five catches
for 46 yards and another true frosh - Brett Hamlin (Jupiter, FL/William
T. Dwyer) - had four catches for 68 yards. Buffalo's defense was led
by redshirt frosh Kareem Byrom (New Brunswick, NJ/New Brunswick) with
seven stops. BULL-etins: Tight end Trevor Scott (Potsdam, NY/Potsdam)
had a career-long 21-yard reception in the first quarterS¼senior defenive
tackle Rob Schroeder (East Rochester, NY/East Rochester) had his eighth
career sack in the second quarterS¼junior flanker Evan Wallace (Santa
Clara, CA/Wilcox) had a career-best 33-yard catch from Drew Willy. Willy's
288 yards passing were the most since September 28, 2002 when Randall
Secky threw for 350 yards against Ohio.
TICKETS
FOR SABRES REGULAR SEASON GAME IN ROCHESTER ON SALE THIS FRIDAY AT 10:00
A.M.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (September 28, 2005) ---
Individual tickets for the Buffalo Sabres regular season home game against
the Washington Capitals on Wednesday October 26 at the Blue Cross Arena
in Rochester, NY, go on sale this Friday starting at 10:00 a.m.
Tickets may be purchased at the Blue Cross Arena Box Office, online
at Ticketmaster.com or Ticketmaster charge by phone at (716) 852-5000
or (585) 232-1900.
Tickets for the game are priced at $77, $58 and $35.
Blue Cross Arena will also play host to the Sabres preseason finale
this Friday night at 7:30 p.m. against the Minnesota Wild.
Bulls
Stampede Past Red Flash
UB women's tennis team scores 7-0 victory in home opener
Oct. 1, 2005 BUFFALO, NY - The University at
Buffalo women's tennis team made quick work of visiting St. Francis
(PA) on Saturday with a 7-0 victory in the Bulls' home opener at the
University Tennis Center. In the nine matches, the Bulls (1-0) allowed
just three games to the Red Flash (0-5).
UB juggled its lineup against a weaker St. Francis squad to prepare
the Bulls for a stronger Mid-American Conferenceschedule in the spring.
The Bulls opened with three doubles victories to claim the opening
point. UB's top tandem of Katrin Fischer (Ternitz, Austria/Borg) and
Miglena Nenova (Rousse, Bulgaria/Eurointellect) defeated Ruxandra
Ionescu and Eva Keresztes, 8-0. The number two team of Kristen Ortman
(Amherst, NY/Amherst) and Natalie Dean (Fielding, New Zealand/Palmerston
North) knocked off Mallary Palmer and Danielle Gauthier, 8-1. UB's
third duo, Andreea Novaceanu (Bucharest, Romania/Emil Racovita) and
Tina Jacob (Singapore/Raffles JC) also scored a shutout win with an
8-0 victory over Rebecca Seybold and Johnna Jackson.
UB also picked up all six singles wins in straight sets. In four contests,
the Bulls earned "double-bagel" 6-0, 6-0 wins in the number
two through five matches. At number two, Novaceanu defeated Keresztes
while Fischer downed Gauthier in the number three match. Nenova, who
moved down to the fourth slot, knocked off Palmer and Dean dumped
Seybold in the number five position.
Ortman downed Ionescu, 6-1, 6-0, at number one and Jacob bested Lauren
Gamero, 6-0, 6-1, at number six in the only matches that the Bulls
did not record "double-bagel" decisions. Head coach Kathy
Twist was pleased with her team's performance but felt there was some
room for improvement. "We're still working on our mental toughness
and footwork," Twist said. "We want to be successful, playing
the right shots at the right time and hustling for the points."
UB returns to action for the ITA Regional Championships starting October
22 at West Point. Buffalo 7, St. Francis (PA) 0 Doubles< 1 Katrin
Fischer/Miglena Nenova (UB) d. Ruxandra Ionescu/Eva Keresztes (SFU),
8-0 2 Kristen Ortman/Natalie Dean (UB) d. Mallary Palmer/Danielle
Gauthier (SFU), 8-1 3 Andreea Novaceanu/Tina Jacob (UB) d. Rebecca
Seybold/Johnna Jackson (SFU), 8-0
Singles
1 Kristen Ortman (UB) d. Ruxandra Ionescu (SFU), 6-1, 6-0
2 Andreea Novaceanu (UB) d. Eva Keresztes (SFU), 6-0, 6-0
3 Katrin Fischer (UB) d. Danielle Gauthier (SFU), 6-0, 6-0
4 Miglena Nenova (UB) d. Mallary Palmer (SFU), 6-0, 6-0
5 Natalie Dean (UB) d. Rebecca Seybold (SFU), 6-0, 6-0
6 Tina Jacob (UB) d. Lauren Gamero (SFU), 6-0, 6-1
UB
Men's Tennis Dumps St. Francis, 7-0
Bulls roll in home opener
Oct. 1, 2005 BUFFALO, NY - The University at
Buffalo men's tennis team debuted its new blue and white court on Saturday
with a 7-0 whitewashing of regional rival St. Francis (PA) at the University
Tennis Club in the home opener for the Bulls.
The court refurbishing, painted in the school colors of blue and white,
gave the Bulls a distinct edge as UB (1-0) did not lose a set to the
Red Flash (0-4).
In the number one doubles match, UB's duo of Yules Hadisubroto (Jakarta,
Indonesia/SMUN 21) and Nikesh Singh Panthlia (George Town, Malaysia/BMK
Penang Free School) needed to rally from a game behind to defeat Andrei
Sandu and Jeffrey Seevers. Trailing 3-2 on a changeover, the UB team
scored six consecutive wins to earn an 8-3 victory.
The remainder of the doubles matches were won in convincing fashion
by the Bulls. At number two, Matt Kennedy (Mississauga, Ontario/Erindale)
and Albert Alant (Pretoria, South Africa/Niskayuna (NY)) defeated Robert
Ford and Kyle Primeau, 6-1. At number three, UB's Octavian Stane (Toronto,
Ontario/Leaside) combined with Alejandro Galindo (Torreon, Mexico/Preparatoria
Tec) to down David Kirby and Mark Pell by an identical 8-1 margin.
UB rolled in the six singles matches as Rockman defeated Sandu, 6-1,
6-1 at number one to lead the squad. Hadisubroto defeated Ford, 6-0,
6-1, at number two. At number three, Singh Panthlia knocked off Ajay
Nune, 6-1, 6-3.
Kennedy, playing number four, recorded a 6-2, 6-3 decision over Seevers.
Seniors Mike Zappone (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) and Joe Popielarczyk
(Buffalo, NY/McKinley) also recorded convincing wins in the fifth and
sixth singles matches. Zappone defeated Brent Keough, 6-3, 6-1, at number
five, while Popielarczyk upended Tyler Jones, 6-0, 6-1. Popielarczyk
finished with an exclamation point by recording an ace to win the second
set and close out the match.
"Up and down the lineup, the guys came to play," said head
coach Russ Crispell. The Bulls return to action at the ITA Regional
Championships in Hanover, NH on October 20.
Buffalo 7, St. Francis (PA) 0 Doubles 1 Yules Hadisubroto/Nikesh Singh
Panthlia (UB) d. Andrei Sandu/Jeffrey Seevers (SFU), 8-3
2 Matt Kennedy/Albert Alant (UB) d. Robert Ford/Kyle Primeau (SFU),
8-1 3 Octavian Stane/Alejandro Galindo (UB) d. David Kirby/Mark Pell
(SFU), 8-1
Singles
1 Mike Rockman (UB) d. Andrei Sandu (SFU), 6-1, 6-1
2 Yules Hadisubroto (UB) d. Robert Ford (SFU), 6-0, 6-1
3 Nikesh Singh Panthlia (UB) d. Ajay Nune (SFU), 6-1, 6-2
4 Matt Kennedy (UB) d. Jeffrey Seevers (SFU), 6-2, 6-3
5 Mike Zappone (UB) d. Brent Keough (SFU), 6-3, 6-1
6 Joe Popielarczyk (UB) d. Tyler Jones (SFU), 6-0, 6-1
Bulls’
Comeback Falls Short at Akron
Nikki Morzenti has career-high 30 digs in 3-2 loss to Zips
Sept. 28,2005 AKRON, OH - A career day by junior
Nikki Morzenti (Safety Harbor,
FL/Clearwater) and a gutsy comeback by the University at Buffalo volleyball
team was spoiled by the Akron Zips who pulled out a 15-12 win in game
five to take a 3-2 decision from the Bulls in Mid-American Conference
action tonight at James A. Rhodes Arena. The Zips (7-8 overall, 2-1
MAC) took games one and two, 31-29 and 30-22, before the Bulls (7-8,
0-3 MAC) forced a fifth game with a 30-22 win in game three and a dramatic
35-33 victory in game four. Morzenti led the Bulls with a career-high
30 digs. She also recorded her 800th career kill and was one of five
Bulls to reach double digits in kills with 13.
The Zips eventually came out on top in an even game one, and they earned
an easy eight-point win in game two to take a commanding lead in the
match. The Bulls, however, turned things around in game three, led by
five kills from Morzenti. Buffalo dominated the game, hitting .319 compared
to Akron’s .086. The Zips threatened to end the match when they
took a 16-12 lead in game four, but the Bulls battled back to take a
21-20 lead. The game then went back and forth until two straight attack
errors by Akron’s Molly Rutledge broke a 33-33 tie and gave UB
the 35-33 win. Buffalo then held a slim 8-7 lead in the deciding fifth
game, but the Zips put together an 8-4 run for a 15-12 win that ended
the match.
Junior Jenna Mape (Calgary, Alberta/Father Lacombe) had a career-high
20 kills and 11 digs, and senior Amy Brown (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon)
also recorded a double-double with 57 assists and 10 digs. Junior Lauren
Burd (York, PA/Central York) (13), senior Katie Weekley (Dayton, OH/Chaminade-Julienne)
(13) and junior Brandie Clark (Medicine Hat, Alberta/Medicine Hat) (12)
also reached double digits in kills, and sophomore Lizaiha Garcia (Dayton,
OH/Beavercreek) finished with 27 digs.
The Zips were led by Rutledge with a match-high 21 kills and Jennifer
Stewart with 20 kills and 27 digs. Emily Kocinski added 16 kills and
14 digs, and Rachael Rush had 57 assists and 10 kills. The Zips hit
.209 in the match compared to the Bulls’ .172, and they had 13
team blocks compared to the Bulls’ eight.
Buffalo remains on the road for a match at Ball State on Saturday at
8 pm ET.
BILLS
COME TOGETHER TO HELP
HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS Friday,
September 16, 20005
Are you looking for an autographed JP
Losman jersey? How about a pair of autographed gloves from Eric Moulds?
Or autographed shoes from Nate Clements, London Fletcher, or Lawyer
Milloy?Looking for a way to bring awareness and raise money to those
victims of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, the Bills players took part
in a 30-minute signing session on Saturday, September 10 prior to their
season opener against the Houston Texans. Players cleared their lockers
and signed shoes, gloves, hats and jerseys. The autographed items will
be auctioned on the NFL Auction Ebay website (www.nfl.com/auctions)
with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to the Bush-Clinton Katrina
Fund www.bushclintonkatrinafund.com. More than 200 items of autographed
Bills merchandise were sent to NFL headquarters for the auction. Bidding
for the items will begin on Thursday, September 22.The Bills players,
coaches and staff also donated close to 50 boxes worth of clothes. Part
of the shipment was sent directly to the LSU athletic department immediately
after the Hurricane. The rest of the boxes will be donated to the United
Way for distribution to Hurricane victims.In addition to donating clothes
and auction items, players and coaches made a substantial financial
donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.The National
Football League has designated week two of its season (September 18-19)
as "Hurricane Relief Weekend," which will culminate with an
unprecedented fund-raising telethon that will be part of ABC's Monday
Night Football, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced today.Under the
theme of "Recover & Rebuild," the NFL, its clubs, network
television partners (ABC, CBS, ESPN and FOX), and sponsors will use
the September 18-19 NFL games in a special way as part of an ongoing
initiative to raise funds and bring attention to the massive needs of
the Gulf Coast region following the destruction caused by Hurricane
Katrina, Commissioner Tagliabue said.The weekend's activities will culminate
with a fund-raising telethon from ABC's Times Square studio in New York
City that will be incorporated into the ABC and ESPN telecasts of the
NFL's Monday Night Football doubleheader on September 19. The telethon
will raise money for the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund www.bushclintonkatrinafund.com.
Former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton lead the fund, which
serves as an umbrella organization for three special funds established
by the governors of
Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi to assist in the long-term recovery
plan for those states.The NFL, its owners, clubs and players have contributed
nearly $8 million so far to Hurricane Katrina relief.
Mark
Bortz Signs to Play Professional Basketball in Belgium BUFFALO, NY - Former University
at Buffalo basketball star Mark Bortz
(Commerce Township, MI/Walled Lake Central) has signed a one-year contract
to play professional basketball in Belgium. The 6-10 center will play
for Scarlet Vilvoorde of the Division I league in Belgium.
"I am very excited to play in Belgium, it's a great opportunity,"
Bortz
said. "I want to represent UB and my family well."
Bortz, who played for the Los Angeles Clippers summer league team in
July, averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and had 41 blocked shots his
senior season at Buffalo.
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