2012-13 Gallaudet Univeristy winter athletic schedules released
WASHINGTON, D.C. - While the air is getting colder and the fall sports teams are making their playoff pushes, the winter sports teams are just getting warmed up. GU’s winter sports schedules were recently released and there is a lot of excitement about the upcoming seasons. Each of the four teams features a new head coach, who will look to continue the proud tradition of Bison athletics.
Here are the schedule highlights for each sport:
Women’s Basketball
2011-2012 Record: 8-16, 6-12 NEAC
Can’t Miss Home Game: Feb. 6 vs. Penn
St.-Harrisburg, defending NEAC South Division champions
Overview: Last season, the new look Bison, led by
first-year head coach Brendan Stern featured seven freshmen,
including three starters. The team struggled out of the gate but by
the end of the season looked like a team that was ready to contend
for the postseason. Stern has since been named as the men’s
head basketball coach and will be replaced this year by Stephanie
Stevens who served as a graduate assistant for the 2010-11 team.
The team looks to build on their strong finish last year that saw
them win three of their last four games, all against conference
opponents. Now with a year of experience under their belts, the
Bison appear poised to return to their winning ways after suffering
their first losing season since 2008-09. The season opens on Nov.
20 with a home game against Christendom College in a non-conference
matchup. The Bison then host their annual holiday tournament over
Thanksgiving weekend as they welcome Valley Forge College, Wesley
College and York College (N.Y.) to campus. The team then hits the
road for its first North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) game at
Penn St.-Berks (Dec. 7) followed by a road game at Lancaster Bible
(Dec. 8). GU will play at Goucher (Dec. 15) before the holiday
break. The Bison will then travel across the country to California
at the end of December to participate in three non-conference games
against Whittier, Williams and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps from Dec.
29-Jan. 2. The Bison kick-off January with three homes games
against Cazenovia (Jan. 5), SUNYIT (Jan. 6) and Lancaster Bible
(Jan. 9) before hitting the road for four NEAC games. The month
closes out with home games against Penn St.-Abington (Jan. 26) and
St. Elizabeth (Jan. 27) and a road game at Wilson (Jan. 29). The
month of February features four home games and two road conference
games. GU will host Morrisville St. (Feb. 2) and Penn
St.-Harrisburg (Feb. 6), the defending NEAC South Division
champions, before two away contests. Gallaudet will close out the
regular-season at home against Wilson (Feb. 13) and Penn St.-Berks
(Feb. 16). The first round of the NEAC tournament takes place on
Feb. 19 with the winners advancing to the weekend tournament (Feb.
23-24).
Men’s Basketball
2011 Record: 11-13, 8-6 NEAC
Postseason: Lost in NEAC Quarterfinals to Penn
St-Berks, 83-67
Can’t Miss Home Game: Jan 23. vs. St. Mary’s
(Md.), a national power ranked the past several years
Overview: The men’s basketball team
will have a familiar face on the bench as former player Brendan
Stern takes over as the new head coach. Stern, who was a three-time
captain for the Bison in the early 2000’s, coached the GU
women’s basketball team last season and compiled an 8-16
record, 6-12 in NEAC play. He takes over a squad that reached the
NEAC tournament quarterfinal round last year but must replace four
seniors in the lineup, including leading scorer Brandon McMillan.
The season kicks off with a home game against Maryland Bible
College on Nov. 15 followed by the Hoopsville National Invitational
at Stevenson University on Nov. 17-18. The team then hosts
Christendom College on Nov. 20 before hosting its annual holiday
tournament over Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 23-24). This year, the
teams participating in the GU Holiday Tournament are St.
Joseph’s College (Brooklyn), Salisbury University and Valley
Forge Christian College. The first NEAC conference game of the
season is on the road on Dec. 7 against Penn-St. Berks, who will
visit campus on Feb. 16 in the Bison’s regular-season finale,
and at Lancaster Bible the following day (Dec. 8). Gallaudet will
host former Capital Athletic Conference foes University of Mary
Washington and Catholic University of America on Dec. 4 and 15,
respectively, before the holiday break. Gallaudet will participate
on the Louis Fleming Basinger Tournament hosted by Lycoming College
prior to the New Year on Dec. 29-30 before diving into conference
play the rest of the way except one non-conference game. GU starts
the month of January at home with three homes games against
Cazenovia (Jan. 5), SUNYIT (Jan. 6) and Lancaster Bible (Jan. 9)
before hitting the road for four NEAC games. The Bison return home
to host national power St. Mary’s (Md.) College on Jan. 23
before another road conference game. Gallaudet closes out the
regular-season with four NEAC home games against defending champion
Morrisville St. (Feb. 2), Penn St.-Harrisburg (Feb. 6), Penn
St.-Abington (Feb. 10) and Penn St.-Berks (Feb. 16). The first
round of the NEAC tournament takes place on Feb. 19 with the
winners advancing to the weekend tournament (Feb. 23-24).
Men’s Swimming
Postseason: NEAC Champions, second year in a row
Can’t Miss Home Meet: Jan. 19 vs. Cazenovia
College
Overview: Last year, was a historic season
for the GU men’s swimming team as nine different Bison earned
all-conference honors at the NEAC championships en route to their
second consecutive conference title. Led by two-time NEAC Swimmer
of the Year winner, Brian Bennett, the Bison set six new conference
records and six new GU records. Following the record-setting
season, NEAC Coach of the Year Bill Snape resigned from the head
coach position to transition over to Coordinator of Swimming
Operations and the Bison graduated six seniors. This year's team
will rely heavily on their underclassmen in pursuit of a third
consecutive championship. Leading the way this year will be new
head coach Larry Curran, who spent the 2011-12 season as an
assistant coach to Snape. The team features new faces all over the
roster, including several promising freshmen making their college
swimming debuts. The Bison open their title defense at home against
Frostburg State University on Oct. 20. The team heads to Roanoke,
Va., the following weekend for a double dual meet against
Greensboro and Hampden-Sydney. On Nov. 17, the Bison travel to
Towson, Md., for a double dual meet at Goucher College against the
host Gophers and Arcadia. GU jumps into conference play on Dec. 1
when it travels to Cobleskill, N.Y., for a double dual meet against
Wells and the host Fighting Tigers. The following week the Bison
pay a visit to York, Pa., to face Penn St.-Altoona and York (Pa.)
College on Dec. 7. The team’s only home meet of the New Year
will be against conference foe Cazenovia College on Jan. 19. This
year’s conference championships will take place from Feb.
15-17.
Women’s Swimming
Postseason: 3rd place, NEAC Championship
Can’t Miss Home Meet: Jan. 19 vs.
College of St. Elizabeth and Cazenovia College
Overview: The GU women’s swimming team
returns several impressive underclassmen from last season,
including reigning NEAC Swimmer of the Year Alexandra Polivanchuk.
The team looks poised to make improvements on their third-place
finish at last year's NEAC championships, as the team had five
swimmers earn all-conference honors. The Bison open their title
defense at home against Frostburg State University on Oct. 20. The
team heads to Roanoke, Va., the following weekend for a double dual
meet against Greensboro and Hampden-Sydney. On Nov. 17, the Bison
travel to Towson, Md., for a double dual meet at Goucher College
against the host Gophers and Arcadia. GU jumps into conference play
on Dec. 1 when it travels to Cobleskill, N.Y., for a double dual
meet against Wells and the host Fighting Tigers. The following week
the Bison pay a visit to York, Pa., to face Penn St.-Altoona and
York (Pa.) College on Dec. 7. The New Year finds Gallaudet hosting
College of St. Elizabeth and Cazenovia College on Jan. 19 in a home
conference double dual meet. The Bison wrap up their regular-season
schedule at home vs. College of Notre Dame (Md.) on Jan. 23 before
the NEAC championships begin on Feb. 15-17.