OWLnews FALL UPDATE 2014

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1 OWLnews FALL UPDATE 2014 for the Team behind the Team Women s Soccer Captures 2014 ECAC Championship The Southern women s soccer team collected its firstever Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship on Nov. 15 with a thrilling penalty kick victory over Adelphi. The match was scoreless through 110 minutes of regulation and overtime, setting the stage for penalty kicks to determine the winner. After goalkeeper Erica Ridella recorded three straight saves for the Owls, freshman Betti Worth netted the game-winner to send the team into a celebration. The Owls finished the year with a final record of OWL CLUB From the Director of Athletics Dear Owl Club Members: I offer my greetings as we are in full swing for the academic year. Our fall teams have collectively enjoyed a strong season, and winter sports such as basketball, swimming and diving, gymnastics and track and field are all underway with either preseason or regular season action. There have been several notable team and individual performances on the playing fields thus far. Our men s soccer team ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation this fall. We reached the finals of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament and qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 33rd time in program history. Our women s soccer program captured the 2014 ECAC Division II title after a thrilling penalty kick triumph over Adelphi. I congratulate coaches Tom Lang and Adam Cohen and their teams on outstanding seasons. Our men s basketball team has high hopes for a national championship and was ranked No. 2 nationally by multiple outlets in the preseason polls. We led the reigning NCAA Division I national champions, the University of Connecticut, at halftime in a seasonopening exhibition before ultimately coming up just short. I had the opportunity to meet many alums and friends of our Athletic Department during the annual Homecoming weekend in mid-october. The atmosphere was energetic and the entire university community, including the Athletic Department, worked very well together to put on a host of successful events. Phase III of facility improvements at Moore Fieldhouse are in full swing and are nearing completion. This series will include additional individual team locker rooms, as well as a conference room and ancillary space. With regard to community service, our student-athletes continue to align their individual efforts with the university mission of exemplary community outreach and engagement. Thus far this fall, they have volunteered more than 1,000 hours to ventures both on and off-campus. Thank you for your continued support of Owls athletics. I hope that you and your family have an enjoyable holiday season and I look forward to seeing you on campus for a home contest this winter. Go Owls! Jay Moran Director of Athletics

2 High Expectations For Men s Basketball Team Four separate outlets The Sporting News, the Basketball Times, the Division II Bulletin and the National Association of Basketball Coaches selected the Southern men s basketball squad as the second-best team among all Division II programs in their respective preseason national rankings. The Owls reached the Elite Eight last year and finished with a school record 30 victories. In addition, 12 student-athletes return from that squad, with the only loss being All-American Greg Langston. If the exhibition opener is any indication, then the Owls will be a bonafide Division II title contender this winter. Southern opened with the reigning NCAA Division I national champs, the University of Connecticut. The Owls held a lead over the Huskies at halftime before ultimately dropping a decision. Southern has 13 regular season home games slated at Moore Fieldhouse this year. The team posted a 16-1 record at home a season ago. In addition, the Owls will face six teams that reached the NCAA Division II Tournament a year ago (Bridgeport, East Stroudsburg, Franklin Pierce, LeMoyne, New Haven and Saint Anselm). SCSU also was selected as the preseason favorite in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll, as voted on by the league s coaches. Preseason All-American Senior captain Tylon Smith (left) of Southern s men s basketball team has earned preseason recognition from three major outlets in advance of the season. The only player in Division II to average 19 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5 assists per game in , Smith was named a preseason All-American by the Sporting News and the Basketball Times. He also was a Super 16 pick by the Division II Bulletin. Even though the first official preseason workouts took place on Oct. 15 for Southern s women s and men s basketball teams, an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 1,500 came out to Moore Fieldhouse on the night before for a 2 Midnight Madness Infiltrates SCSU Midnight Madness event. The action was non-stop during the course of the 90-minute festivities. The night began with student-athlete introductions and skits from both teams. From there, several contests featuring student-athletes from both programs followed, along with additional contests for spectators. Both teams also held a brief intra-squad scrimmage before a slam dunk contest and speeches from the captains wrapped up the evening.

3 Homecoming Southern hosted its annual Homecoming festivities on Oct. 18. Parents, fans, alumni were among the visitors to campus for the host of events that took place, including the football contest against Bentley. 3

4 Mallis Earns Academic Honors Senior running back Jack Mallis was recognized with two prestigious academic honors this fall. Mallis was named a First-Team Academic All-District selection by Capital One and the College Sports Information Directors of America. As a result, he advanced to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration. In addition, Mallis was also tabbed as a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, presented by the National Football Foundation. Mallis previously was recognized for his academic success as a selection to the Northeast-10 Conference Football All-Academic Team and as a multiple selection to the Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner s Honor Roll. He has also been named a Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award recipient. In addition, Mallis was the department s Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in He is a communications major with a 3.74 cumulative grade point average. Gymnast Volunteers in Cuba, Kenya Sophomore Christine Volz of the Southern gymnastics team logged plenty of frequent flyer miles this summer in an effort to help others around the globe. The Cincinnati native had a busy summer volunteering at home in Ohio and around the globe. Volz took part in several community service activities this summer, with the two most notable being mission trips to Kenya and Cuba. She was in Kenya from July 9-23 and worked in orphanages, helped with health assessments and assisted some elderly in the region. Volz then traveled to Cuba, where visited residents and completed painting projects from Aug. 4 to 11. In between her travels abroad, Volz spent a week volunteering at a local Bible school in Ohio. Volz s efforts were highlighted by several Connecticut media outlets upon her return to campus in late August. 4 Christine Volz in Kenya (left) and in Cuba (above).

5 From Norway, With Love Jonas Folstad Mads Larsen Markus Jacobsen The men s soccer team is used to having players from all over the globe. England, Scotland, France, Israel, Serbia, and Trinidad and Tobago are among the countries that have been represented over the years. But this year, the Owls are relying on a troika of Norweigans to ensure success. Jonas Folstad and Mads Larsen, natives of Trondheim, made the journey from across the Atlantic for the 2012 season. The pair had previously played together and attended the same school in Norway. A year later, Oslo s Markus Jacobsen arrived to turn the duo into a trio. All three have been starters for the Owls since their arrival on campus. This year, each is playing an integral role in what is shaping up to be a stellar season. The Owls won their first nine games of the year to elevate as high as No. 5 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division II poll. The 9-0 start was the team s best since 2002, when it won 11 games in a row to open the year. The No. 5 national ranking was also the highest for the Owls since Larsen and Folstad, now juniors, have clearly established themselves as team leaders. In fact, Folstad is serving as a captain for the second year in a row this fall. But it wasn t so long ago when each was faced with the decision to leave home for an opportunity in Connecticut more than 3,000 miles away. It started with one of my teammates from back home who went over here to play, Larsen says. It sounded interesting so I decided to do the same. I got in touch with this agency that helps students get over here to play. It was a big process, a lot of paperwork to do, a lot of mailing back and forth. Then we got in touch with coaches over here and sent some videos of us playing. We got to talk to coach Lang and obviously Jonas and I wanted to go together. He wanted us both, so that s why I decided to come here. By the time Jacobsen joined Folstad and Larsen the following fall, the newest Owl had a built-in advantage. Especially the first year, it was a big benefit, Jacobsen says. I lived with them for the first week I was here before I could move into the dorms. They showed me everything -- how to get a phone; they showed me around campus; they showed me how to sign up for classes. It was definitely a big advantage the first year and it still is. We can talk about stuff that s difficult. Each has enjoyed individual success during their time as Owls. Folstad earned All-Conference and All-Region honors a year ago, while Larsen collected All-Conference laurels in Jacobsen ranks among the team leaders in points as a sophomore. One thing that has eluded the Owls in recent years, though, is an NCAA Tournament berth. For a program that has won a record six Division II national championships and made 32 NCAA Tournament appearances, Southern has not reached that level since the 2010 season. Thanks to the outstanding start, that trend figures to change this year. But it s the one loss through the first six weeks of the season that is serving as fuel for the postseason. That 5-0 loss to (No. 1 nationally ranked and reigning national champion) Southern New Hampshire, it showed us how far we still have to go to be where we want to be, Folstad says. Hopefully, we re going to get our chance (to avenge the loss) later in the season. 5

6 Owls Coaches Participate in GNHCC Courtside Chat Southern basketball coaches Michael Donnelly and Bert DeSalvo speak at Carmen Anthony s restaurant in New Haven recently for the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Sports Council s sixth annual Courtside Chat event. All men s and women s basketball coaches from the five Greater New Haven colleges took part in the event. Pair of Owls Make NFL Rosters Former Owls standouts Ike Igbinosun and Jerome Cunningham were in NFL training camps this summer with the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants, respectively. Igbinosun was signed by the Bills to their practice squad at the conclusion of training camp. This marked his second year in a row with the Bills after also serving as a part of their practice squad last year. Cunningham signed with the Giants practice squad during the first week of September. Former Owls Jerome Cunningham (right) and Ike Igbinosun (bottom), shown here during the college football days, have earned spots on NFL practice squads this year. 6 Follow the Owls via Social Media The SCSU Athletic Department continues to provide extensive information through its social media platforms, in addition to its official athletics website, SouthernCTowls.com. Owls fans can follow their teams as games progress with Twitter updates. Check out the Owls Instagram account for an array of photos and graphics. The department s YouTube page provides student-athlete features, as well as game highlights and post-game interviews. In addition, regular updates are available through the Athletic Department s Facebook page. Fans can check out more on these efforts at OWL SouthernCTowls.com CLUBo45