Pride Athletics

Football Crowned Champions in Inaugural NEWMAC Season

Football rattled off a 10-0 undefeated regular season and was crowned the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Champion in its inaugural season with the conference. The Pride earned an NCAA Division III Championship at-large bid, appearing in the national tournament for the first time since 2006. In his second year as head coach, Mike Cerasuolo ’93 was named NEWMAC Coach of the Year and Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Division II/III New England Coach of the Year.

Men’s Soccer Captures Title

Men’s soccer captured the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference regular season title and earned an NCAA Division III Championship at-large bid. It marked the fourth time since 1999 that the Pride qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, and first time that Springfield College earned a victory. At year’s end, Springfield College was the top team in New England and the fifth-best team in the nation in wins over the last two seasons (34).

Women’s Soccer ECAC Champs in PKs

For the second-consecutive season, women’s soccer and NYU met in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Championship and the contest went into a decisive penalty-kick shootout. The Pride defeated the Violets, 3-0, to claim its second ECAC title in as many years at Brock-Affleck Field. Springfield College concluded its 2017 season with a record of 16-6-2, the Pride’s most wins since 2008. In net for Springfield College, senior netminder Ciara Boucher (Manchester, Conn.) was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. She saved a penalty kick in regulation, two in the shootout, and set program records for shutouts in a career (31) and in a season (11).

Men’s Volleyball Captures National Championship

The men’s volleyball team captured the 2017 NCAA Division III National Championship in April in four sets over New Paltz. Playing in a Division III national championship for the eighth-consecutive season, the men’s volleyball program has captured 10 Division III national championships, including four NCAA Division III Championships after claiming the crown in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Men’s Lacrosse Takes NEWMAC Title

The men’s lacrosse team poured in nine goals in the second quarter and never looked back as it defeated Clark University, 18-10, in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship on Stagg Field in May. Springfield claimed its 10th-consecutive conference title and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Ty Daugstrup ’17 (Rocky River, Ohio) was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Championship.

D3hoops Recognizes Ross

Jake Ross ’20 (Northampton, Mass.) was selected as the
D3hoops.com National Rookie of the Year, capping off his remark-
able first season (2016-2017) for the Pride’s men’s basketball team. Ross is the first Springfield College men’s basketball student-athlete to ever earn the national rookie of the year honor from D3hoops.com. There are 416 men’s basketball programs who compete at the NCAA Division III level, making his recognition a milestone achievement for Ross, head coach Charlie Brock ’76, G’80, and Springfield College.

All-America Honors

Three track and field student-athletes exceled on the national stage and earned All-America honors last spring. Alex Niemiec ’17 (Chicopee, Mass.) finished in a tie for second in the high jump, and Courtney Luscier ’17 (Pittsfield, Mass.) raced to a fourth-place finish in the 60 meter dash at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in March to earn All-America honors. In late May, Carly Markos ’17 (Wallkill, N.Y.) concluded her collegiate career when she earned All-America honors in the hammer throw at the 2017 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Swimmer Finishes Fourth at NCAAs

For the second-consecutive year, Emily Medeiros ’17 (Wakefield, Mass.) finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke to earn All-America honors at the 2017 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships at the Conroe ISD Natatorium. Competing on the national stage for the fourth time in her career, the physical therapy major produced a time of 1:02.69 to finish fourth and garner All-America honors.

Posner Retires

After 35 years at the helm of the men’s gymnastics program, Steve Posner, PhD, retired as a teacher-coach of one of the most storied collegiate men’s gymnastics programs in the nation. In his final season, Springfield sent five student-athletes to the NCAA Championships at West Point, and had six All-America honorees at the USAG Championships in Seattle, Wash. He and other Springfield gymnastics coaches were honored during “Celebrating the Tradition of Excellence,” the 108th annual Gymnastics Exhibition Show.

Historic Season for Softball

It was an historic season for the softball program led by the New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Softball Coach of the Year Kate Bowen, G’16, NEWMAC Athlete of the Year Kirsten Drobiak ’18 (Griswold, Conn.), and NEWMAC Pitcher of the Year Talia Loda ’18 (East Haven, Conn.). The Pride earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Softball National Championship and hosted an opening-round regional on Potter Field. Springfield finished the year with the 32 wins, the third-most in single-season program history, and earned one of 18 at-large bids into the national tournament.

Team IMPACT Players Drafted

During the Annual Athletics Recognition Night, Springfield drafted its two newest Team IMPACT members, Jillian to the women’s lacrosse team and Piper to the women’s gymnastics team. In 2012, Springfield College started its partnership with Team IMPACT, an organization that pairs children with life-threatening illness with intercollegiate sports team. To date, Springfield College has the most matches of any Division III program in the country, with nine of its programs involved with the organization.

Women’s Gymnastics at the NGCA Nationals

The women’s gymnastics team finished third overall at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) East Regional Championships, hosted at The College at Brockport, and qualified for the NCGA National Championships, held at the University of Wisconsin–Stout. This was the first time since the 2010 season that the Pride was represented as a team at the NCGA National Championships. In her second season at the helm of the women’s gymnastics program, Jenn Najuch was named the NCGA East Coach of the Year.