Bentley Athletics News

Busy Schedule for Bentley Women Continues with 2 Games This Weekend

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

WALTHAM, Mass. -- A busy schedule for the Bentley University women's basketball team will continue this weekend with a pair of games in the Valley Cup Classic at UMass-Lowell's Costello Gym.The Falcons, in the midst of playing four games away from home in a seven-day span, will take on Bloomfield College Saturday at 1 pm and Caldwell College 24 hours later. Bloomfield is 0-1 after a 64-42 loss to Saint Rose, and Caldwell is 1-0 after stunning ninth-ranked Stonehill, 57-50.Bentley has won its first two games this winter, both by very similar scores, and held the lead in both from the opening basket. The Falcons opened with a 72-61 win over preseason 17th-ranked Holy Family, and began their Northeast-10 schedule on a positive note, topping Merrimack College, 71-62.Leading the way offensively for the Falcons have been junior forward Elise Caira (Wakefield/ Arlington Catholic HS), sophomore guard Katherine Goodwin (Goffstown, N.H./Governors Academy) and All-Conference junior guard Kim Brennan (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley HS). Combined, the trio has combined for close to 50 points a game.Caira is averaging 18.5 points and nine rebounds, Goodwin has buried six three-pointers en route to 16.0 ppg, and Brennan has averaged 14 points and seven assists in the season's first two games.In the two wins, Bentley limited the opponents to a .324 field goal percentage and was plus-18 on points off turnovers.Bentley will wrap the busy stretch on Tuesday night when it returns to Northeast-10 action with a 5:30 encounter at Saint Anselm.

Bentley Takes 2-0 Record to Philadelphia for Saturday Matinee against Holy Family

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Following an impressive performance in the team's Northeast-10 Conference opener, the 2-0 Bentley University men's basketball team will be in Philadelphia this Saturday for a 1 pm encounter with Holy Family University.The Falcons notched win number two on Wednesday night, besting Merrimack College on the road, 72-58, in a match-up of the top two teams in the preseason NE-10 coaches' poll. The Warriors topped those rankings this year while Bentley, riding an unprecedented string of five straight conference regular season championships, was a close second.Senior All-America guard Jason Westrol (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan HS) scored a game-high 16 points for Bentley, a total that pushed him over 1,400 for his career. Six-foot-four senior John Brandt (Pawtucket, R.I./Wheeler School) led a strong bench effort for the Falcons (29 points on 12-17 shooting) with a career-best 14 points, nine coming during a clinching 13-4 second-half run.Westrol, who should become on Saturday the 10th player in Bentley history to make 100 career starts, leads the Falcons with a 21.0 scoring average. He's one of five Falcons averaging in doubles thus far with the group including Brandt and juniors Brian Tracey (Bow Mar, Colo.), Mike Quinn (Oakdale, Conn./Montville HS) and Tom Dowling (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side HS).There were some distinct contrasts between the season-opener against Post and the Merrimack game. Bentley struggled from three against Post, making only 3 of 31, but was 12 of 22 from downtown against the Warriors. In terms of free throws, the Falcons went from attempting 39 against Post to playing the entire 40 minutes without getting to the line Wednesday.Holy Family opened its season with a 95-78 loss to Saint Anselm last Saturday, despite a 36-point, 12-rebound performance from six-nine sophomore Justin Swidowski.Saint Anselm, 1-1, will be Bentley's next opponent when the Falcons resume Northeast-10 action Tuesday night (7:30, away).

Third Time is a Charm for Falcons; Bentley Bests Adelphi in 5 to Advance in NCAA Regional

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

OAKDALE, N.Y. -- The third time was the charm for the Bentley University Falcons.The Falcons, who had dropped a pair of five-setters to Adelphi University earlier in the season, turned the tables on the Panthers, prevailing in five in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II East Regional Thursday night at the Dowling Gymnasium.The back-and-forth 3-2 win (25-22, 9-25, 25-20, 19-25, 15-9) propels fifth-seeded Bentley into Friday night's semifinals (7:30 pm) where they'll be paired against the winner of the final quarterfinal match, top-seeded Dowling College, a 3-0 winner over number eight Georgian Court. Adelphi, the fourth-seed, finishes its season at 27-10.Bentley's three seniors were all instrumental in the win. Alex Kearney (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla HS), the program's all-time kill leader, added 13 to her total, and Cassie Kraft (New Braunfels, Texas/ St. Mary's Hall) had 32 digs, a number that put her over 500 for the fourth consecutive year. Kristine Mickelson (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS) had three of her nine kills in the fifth set.The fifth set was the only one in which Bentley established control from the start. A Mickelson kill and two by junior Andrea Farah (Miami, Fla,/Palmer Trinity HS) staked the Falcons to a 3-0 lead. After the Panthers closed to within one, a kill by freshman Amy Waitkus (Phoenix, Ariz./Arcadia HS), an ace from junior Maitlyn Kraft (New Braunfels, Texas/St. Mary's Hall) and a Kearney kill re-established Bentley's control, making it 7-3.Four straight points, a flurry that included two kills by Berry and one by Kearney, made it 11-4. Bentley stretched the advantage to 14-6, but after being denied three times in its bid for match-point, locked up the victory with a Farah kill, her 10th of the match."We hit serving targets, passed serve much better to run our offense and just played really scrappy at the end," said coach Sandy Hoffman, who saw her team advance in the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in five years.Bentley started slow in the first set, falling behind 9-3. Down by three at 21-18, the Falcons closed out the set with a flurry, scoring seven of the next eight points. Two of those were on Kearney kills.After a dismal second set in which Bentley gave up the final 10 points, the Falcons bounced back in the third, using an 8-2 spurt to take the lead for good midway through the set. Sophomore Virginia Wong (Quincy/North Quincy HS) and Farah each had three kills in the set, and Mickelson served two aces to cap the run.Set four saw Adelphi jump out to a 9-4 start and then use a 10-3 spurt to take command, 21-13.In addition to the efforts from the seniors and Farah, Bentley received 41 assists from junior setter Kelly Mee (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North HS), along with nine digs, four blocks and four kills.Junior Hilary Pavels (North Woodmere, N.Y.) led Adelphi with 16 kills, and junior setter Heather Mau (Honolulu, Hawaii) had 44 assists, 11 digs, five blocks and six kills.Adelphi hit better overall (.224 to .149), but the Falcons had the big advantage in the decisive fifth set, swinging at a .462 clip.Bentley and Dowling met once during the season, with the Golden Lions prevailing in four back in early September.

Berry Earns All-Tournament Honors at Northeast-10 Championships

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Bentley University junior Alaura Berry (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo HS) was named to the All-Tournament Team following the 2009 Northeast-10 Conference Women's Volleyball Championships.Berry, in two matches, hit .333 and averaged 2.2 kills and 0.78 blocks. She had seven kills, five blocks and a .300 hitting percentage in a quarterfinal win over Le Moyne, and had a team-best 13 kills against Adelphi in a five-set semifinal loss.Berry, whose .353 career attack percentage is the best in the program's history, is averaging 1.9 kills and 0.7 blocks this season while swinging at a .333 success rate.Bentley enters the NCAA Division II East Regional with a 17-12 record.

Bentley Places 4 on NEFW Division II-III All-New England Team

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Four seniors on the Bentley University football team, which finished 8-2 and shared the Northeast-10 Conference championship, were named to the 2009 New England Football Writers Division II-III All-New England team.They are defensive lineman Darryl Laforest (Roslindale/Belmont HS), linebacker Matt Zahoruiko (North Andover/North Andover HS), defensive back Chris Carroll (Lynn/Lynn English HS) and placekicker Tyler McNamara (Medway/Medway HS). All four were previously named to the All-Northeast-10 first team.All four will be recognized on Thursday, Dec. 10 when the NEFW holds its annual awards banquet at the Casa di Fior in Wilmington. Reservations for the dinner can be made through Dick Lipe (rlipe@bentley.edu).Bentley's four honorees was the most of any institution and matched the 2003 team for the most the Falcons have ever had selected in a single season.Zahoruiko, the co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Northeast-10, was in on 123 tackles this season, a Bentley varsity record and more than twice as many as any teammate. He's tied for second in Division II nationally in tackles with a 12.3 average, and also recorded three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and two sacks.Carroll led the Northeast-10 in interceptions for the second straight year, picking off eight passes, and his average of 0.80 is fourth best in Division II. The 5-11, 195-pounder had 47 tackles this season and finished his career with 14 interceptions.The 6-3, 280-pound Laforest was a force on the d-line for the Falcons, finishing with 48 tackles, 9.5 tackles for losses and 5.5 sacks. He also helped disrupt opposing offenses with a team-high eight pass break-ups.As a result of that trio's efforts, Bentley ranks fourth in Division II in pass efficiency defense, 11th in scoring defense and 44th in stopping the rush.McNamara finished his career with 217 points, most ever by a Northeast-10 kicker and fifth on Bentley's all-time scoring list. He made 13 of 19 field goals in 2009, including a school-record four against Merrimack, and led the team with 64 points. With six of the team's games decided by four points or less, his kicking accuracy was crucial to the team's success.

Video Highlights of Wednesday's Bentley Basketball Victories at Merrimack

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Courtesy of the Pack Network and the Northeast-10 Conference, highlights from last night's men's and women's basketball games at Merrimack, both Bentley wins, are available at online:Men's Highlights Women's HighlightsBoth Bentley teams are next in action on Saturday at 1:00, the men at Holy Family and the women at UMass Lowell against Bloomfield. .

Charlotte Observer: 'From small school to big challenge"

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Charlotte Observer sportswriter Charles Chandler proliles former Bentley All-America Mackenzy Bernadeau in advance of Bernadeau making his first career start tonight for the Carolina Panthers. The game, against the Miami Dolphins, will be nationally televised by the NFL Network. This article appeared in the Nov. 19 edition of the Charlotte Observer (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/).By Charles Chandlercchandler@charlotteobserver.com Posted: Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009 'JEFF SINER - jsiner@charlotteobs', false_format=>'JEFF SINER' --> There was no path from Bentley College to the NFL - or any other major pro sports league - so Mackenzy Bernadeau blazed it.He became the first from his school drafted into the NFL when the Carolina Panthers selected him 250th overall last year, two spots before the final pick.He made the roster and spent his rookie season in what amounted to a redshirt role, but his time as a prospect-in-waiting ended abruptly last Sunday when veteran tackle Jordan Gross suffered a season-ending injury against Atlanta.Bernadeau (pronounced burr-NAR-doe) was thrust into the lineup at left guard so Travelle Wharton could move from there to take Gross' spot at left tackle.Tonight at Bank of America Stadium, Bernadeau (6-4, 320 pounds) makes the first start of his career against the Miami Dolphins."I feel I'm ready," he said. "I've been here a year and a half now. I've played behind these guys for a while. I've learned from all of them."Back at Bentley, a school of about 4,000 students located in Waltham, Mass., just outside of Boston, Bernadeau has been a hot topic this week."People here, especially, on campus, follow his career," said Bentley coach Thom Boerman. "Everyone up here is a (New England) Patriots fan, no doubt about it. But you've got a lot of closet Panthers fans now that Mac is on the team."Carolina offensive line coach Dave Magazu has spent the past few days working overtime to help get Bernadeau ready to face Miami's 3-4 defense, which poses a much different challenge than Atlanta's more basic 4-3 scheme."You try to prep these guys and get them ready to play, but there are going to be things that are going to pop up that he hasn't experienced before," said Magazu, adding that playing between two seasoned veterans in Wharton and center Ryan Kalil will help.Magazu got his first glimpse of Bernadeau in March 2008, when representatives from more than 20 NFL teams swarmed to Boston College for a pre-draft workout for Eagles players and prospects from surrounding schools.The star attractions that day were Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, who went on to be the No. 3 overall selection by Atlanta, and Eagles tackle Gosder Cherilus, who was picked later in the first round by Detroit.Bernadeau displayed unusually quick feet and hands for a player his size. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.19 seconds and had 27 repetitions bench-pressing 225 pounds."I think he's a very talented kid," Magazu said. "He has the toughness, he's intelligent, he's athletic, and he's a pretty powerful guy. "The only downside is his lack of experience. Not a knock on Bentley, but it's a far stretch between Bentley College and playing in the NFL. It's not like he's coming in here from Oklahoma or some place like that."Bentley is an NCAA Division II school that gives no athletic scholarships and has an annual tuition around $50,000. Bernadeau attended with the help of several grants and other forms of financial aid.He became an instant starter as a freshman and started 37 consecutive games before suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee late in his senior year.The knee injury forced him to turn down two invitations to play in all-star games that would have given him some exposure in front of pro scouts.He was not invited to the NFL scouting combine.Once his knee healed, he began preparing for the Boston College pro day at DeFrancos gym in Wyckoff, N.J. He said he regained the 25 pounds he lost during the injury, putting it back on with more muscle and less fat.Unlike some draft prospects who focus solely on football at the expense of schoolwork, Bernadeau remained committed to academics.Twice a week, he made the four-hour commute from DeFrancos to Bentley so he could attend classes. That allowed him to graduate on time with a degree in business management, which he hopes to parlay into entrepreneurial interests such as owning a fitness facility and restaurants.Bernadeau has continued to work out at DeFrancos during the offseason and twice has won a strongman contest sponsored the gym, which required him to perform such feats as pulling a truck by a rope.He's also developed quite a reputation for strength in the Panthers' weight room. He said he has bench-pressed more than 400 pounds."He's very stout, very strong," said Panthers defensive lineman Damione Lewis. "If he gets his hands on you, you've got trouble."Lewis said he expects Bernadeau to fare well as a starter for the Panthers.Boerman, the Bentley coach, agrees - even though he knows it wasn't Carolina's plan to be playing Bernadeau so soon."Would he benefit from a little more grooming? I'm sure he would," Boerman said."But he's worked so hard, and he's very smart. This is a young man who learns very quickly. I think he's ready for this opportunity."Charles Chandler: 704-358-5123 and @CharlesChandler on Twitter.

Follow Bentley Volleyball and Hockey Online Tonight

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

If you can't be at the events, you can follow Bentley volleyball and ice hockey online tonight. Volleyball at Dowling (NCAA Regional), 7:30 pmVideo Webcast (free) Live StatsHockey vs. Army, 7:05 pnLive Video ($7.00) Live Stats

#9 Bentley Knocks Off Northeast-10 Preseason Favorite, 72-58

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. -- Senior All-America Jason Westrol (Brielle, N.J./Manasaquan HS) scored a game-high 16 points and senior John Brandt (Pawtucket, R.I./Wheeler School) led a strong bench effort with 14 points as Bentley University shot down Merrimack College, 72-58, Wednesday night at the Volpe Gym in a battle for early season supremacy in the Northeast-10 Conference.Bentley, which has won an unprecedented five straight NE-10 men's basketball regular season championships and has now prevailed in the last 11 meetings in the series, had been ranked second in the preseason conference coaches poll, just behind Merrimack. The victory in the conference opener boosted Bentley to 2-0 on the season. While the Falcons, ranked ninth nationally in Division II preseason, already had a win under their belt, 15th-ranked Merrimack was playing its first official game since falling to Bentley in double OT in the 2009 NCAA East Regional semis last March.This was a five-point contest with 12 minutes to play before Bentley asserted itself with a 13-4 run over a span of six minutes, a burst that put the visitors up 14, 63-49. Westrol began the charge with an inside basket, and Brandt followed, making it 54-45.After a Warrior basket, drives by Brandt and Westrol produced the Falcons' first double-figure lead of the night, 58-47. A Merrimack put-back was answered by five straight points by Brandt, a three-ball and an eight-foot leaner.Bentley's lead eventually peaked at 18, 72-54, following a Westrol lay-up with just over a minute left.Both teams were sizzling from three in the first half, which ended with Bentley on top by two, 39-37. Six different Falcons connected from downtown, with coach Jay Lawson's team making 9 of its first 13 triples. Merrimack was nearly as hot, burying 7 of 11 three-balls in the first half.Junior guard Tom Dowling (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side HS) and Westrol paced the Falcons in the opening half, with 10 and eight points, respectively.Westrol, in addition to 16, finished with seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. Dowling (12 points, 5 assists) and junior guard Mike Quinn (Oakdale, Conn./Montville HS) were the other starters who scored in doubles for Bentley, with Quinn finishing with 10 points, four helpers and four boards.The Bentley bench combined to shoot 12 of 17 from the field and five of six from three, outscoring the Warrior reserves 29-16. Brandt made six of eight with a pair of triples, sophomore forward Kevin Kettl (Hershey, Pa./Hershey HS) established career bests with nine points and six rebounds, and freshman guard Mike Topercer (Scottsdale, Ariz./New Hampton Prep) drilled two threes.Merrimack's Darren Duncan (Briarwood, N.Y.) and Darin Mency (Hagerstown, Md.), two of the top seven scorers in the NE-10 a year ago, were held to a combined 21 points on 9 of 29 shooting. Senior Craig Woehnker (Colts Neck, N.J.) led the Warriors with 14 points, most coming via four three-pointers.Bentley, which didn't attempt a free throw in the game and committed only six fouls itself, limited Merrimack to 39 percent shooting for the game, including just 31 percent in the second half. The Falcons, after hitting only 3 of 31 threes in the season-opening win over Post, heated up and finished 12 of 22 from outside the arc.Next up for the Falcons is a non-conference game against Holy Family in Philadelphia Saturday afternoon (1 pm).

Goodwin, Caira Propel Bentley to 71-62 Win over Merrimack

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Sophomore guard Katherine Goodwin (Goffstown, N.H./Governor's Academy) scored a career-best 20 points, including 16 in the first 18 minutes, and junior forward Elise Caira (Wakefield/Arlington Catholic HS) added 16 points and eight rebounds, as Bentley University opened its Northeast-10 Conference schedule with a 71-62 win over Merrimack College in women's basketball action Wednesday night at the Volpe Gym.Bentley, which led from the opening basket for the second straight game, improved to 2-0 on the season. Merrimack, hampered by poor shooting from three (6-28) and the free throw stripe (6-14), fell to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.With Goodwin having the hot hand, points came fast and easy for the Falcons early. Bentley scored the game's first five, had a 12-3 lead before the contest was five minutes old, and was on top by 16, 24-8, after eight minutes of play. At that point, the Falcons were shooting the ball at a 69 percent clip, had buried three treys and had scored 10 points off turnovers.With a little more than two minutes left until intermission, Goodwin knocked down her fourth three-ball at the half, and Bentley had doubled the Warriors, 40-20. Merrimack closed the half by scoring the final seven points, and the advantage was down to 13 at the break, 40-27.Attacking the offensive boards and taking advantage of Bentley's cold second-half shooting, Merrimack gradually cut into the Falcon lead. A three by senior Casey Miller (Fairbanks, Alaska) made it a three-point game, 55-52, with 6:57 left, and it was a four-point differential as the game entered the final three minutes.One of two free throws by Bentley senior forward Colette Josey (Boston/Framingham HS) made it 64-59 with 2:46 left, and it stayed that way until Goodwin hit a jumper with 1:03 remaining. Bentley locked up the win by making five of six free throws in the final 43 seconds, three of four by Caira and a pair from senior post Kelly Barrett (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King HS). Goodwin, a transfer from Columbia, finished 8 of 14 overall with four three-pointers and two assists. Caira's night also included four assists and two steals, and junior guard Kim Brennan (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley HS) was Bentley's other double figure scorer. She finished with 11, and also filled the stat sheet with seven assists, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks.Miller and junior Sarah Benischek (Shrub Oak, N.Y.) each scored 15 to lead Merrimack.Bentley, after connecting at a 54 percent clip in the first half, tailed off significantly, finishing at 43 percent. However, while Merrimack struggled from three and the line, the Falcons prospered in those categories. They made 8 of 17 triples and were 11 of 14 on free throws, including a 6-for-7 effort from Caira.Merrimack outrebounded Bentley by only one, but turned 18 offensive caroms into 20 second-chance points, outscoring the Falcons by 13 in that category.Bentley, in the midst of playing four road games in seven days, will take on Bloomfield College Saturday at 1 pm in the UMass-Lowell Valley Cup.