A look back at the many headlines from the past year in Suffolk Sports

Article By: Dan Ryan

Baseball takes home GNAC crown

The 2009 season was a memorable one for the boys of Suffolk’s baseball team, as the squad brought the GNAC Championship back to Beacon Hill and earned a spot in the NCAA D-III playoffs for the fourth time in a decade. The Rams finished the season, playoffs included, with an impressive 30-11 record, including a stellar 12-3 mark in GNAC play.

According to GoSuffolkRams.com, in the baseball program’s 62-year history, the 2009 season marked only the third time a Suffolk baseball club reached the 30-win mark.

The Rams entered the GNAC tournament as the second-seed, but road a powerful offense and strong pitching all the way to the title. The tournament opened with a dramatic 4-2 win over Albertus Magnus, as Mark Addesa lined a single up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to give the Rams a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

With the win, the Rams advanced to the title series against host St. Joseph’s (Maine). The first game of the series was truly a wild one, as the teams combined for 43 runs in what would eventually be a 22-21 Ram victory. The Rams scored 11 runs in the second inning, and got seven RBIs on the game from Rory Gentile and five from Bobby Barrett. Poised to take the title in the series’ second game, the Rams jumped out to a 4-0 lead only to see St. Joseph’s come from behind to win, 6-5, despite a complete game, eight-hit effort from pitcher Reid Jackson.

However, the Rams made sure St. Joseph’s wouldn’t be able to come from behind again, as they took the third and final game, and the GNAC title, in a convincing fashion with a 15-5 win.

Despite the success in the GNAC tournament, the Rams were unable to carry their momentum with them to the NCAA tournament, as the team dropped two straight games (7-6 vs. WPI and 13-2 vs. Eastern Connecticut) and saw a highly successful season come to a close.

As was to be expected at the end of such a great campaign, members of the team cleaned up at the end of season awards ceremonies as well. Barrett was named an All-American Honorable Mention and was a third team All New England selection as well. Gentile was named to ESPN the Magazine’s Academic  All-District team for his outstanding performance in the classroom. Addesa was named to the GNAC All-Conference first team and was also named GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. Anthony Iacopucci was named to the GNAC Sportsmanship team, and the Rams had a number of players named to the GNAC All-Conference second and third teams as well.

While the team likely would have preferred a deeper run into the NCAA tournament to end the season, the 2009 season was a successful one. Not only did the Rams rack up an impressive amount of individual and team accolades, they brought home the one trophy that really counts: the GNAC title.

Ram tennis brings another title to Suffolk

Last spring, the Suffolk men’s tennis team saw their sporting counterparts on the baseball team pushing towards a GNAC title, and decided, “hey, why not us?” Not to be outdone, the tennis team brought home their own GNAC championship, giving Suffolk multiple spring-season champions and creating a miniature “Titletown” on Beacon Hill.

The Rams, lead by coach Isaac Stahl, defeated Emerson College in the GNAC title game by a score of 5-3, giving Suffolk temporary sports bragging rights over all of the land between Boylston and Cambridge Streets. The team finished the season with a record of 9-3 overall, with a 3-1 record in GNAC play. In beating Emerson in the championship match, the Rams avenged their only in-conference loss of the season, as the Lions defeated the Rams at Emerson on March 28.

The season started off slowly for the Rams, as the team went 1-2 in its first three games. However, after the Emerson loss, which came in the third match of the year, the team went on a tear, finishing the season by going 8-1 in the last nine games.

The Rams carried their hot play into the GNAC tournament, as they crushed Norwich in their first playoff match by a score of 6-1 before trouncing Emerson for the title.

The season was also successful for a number of individual student-athletes as well. Stahl was named the GNAC Coach of the Year, while Diego Alvarado was named to both the All-Conference first team and the GNAC sportsmanship team.

Christopher Staley, a native of London, England, had a huge season for the Rams in his first year of college tennis. Staley was named the GNAC Rookie of the Year, an All-Conference first team selection and the GNAC Tournament MVP. Garrett Freeman and Alvarado were named to the All-Conference second team for doubles play, while Jared Orkin was named to the All-Conference second team for singles play.

Women’s tennis comes up short

Looking to complete a GNAC tennis sweep, the Lady Rams of Suffolk’s women’s tennis team advanced to the GNAC finals before falling to Simmons by a score of 6-0.

Despite the disappointing end, the season was a successful one for the team as a whole. Overall, the team is very young, with just one senior and one junior. The lack of experience didn’t hurt the Lady Rams early on though, as the team started the 2009 campaign with four wins in five matches. However, as the season wore on, the team began to play a bit more inconsistently, alternating wins and losses in six games from Sept. 25 to Oct. 11.

The team appeared to round back into form in time for the playoffs, winning two matches in a row to finish the regular season with a record of 8-4 (6-2 GNAC) and set up a semi-final playoff match with rival Emerson College.

The Lady Rams squeaked by the Lions, 5-4, to advance to the GNAC finals against perennial powerhouse Simmons, where they saw their season come to an end just one win away from being GNAC champions.

With the run deep into the playoffs, however, the team has set itself up nicely for next year. The squad’s younger players now have invaluable experience playing in high-pressure late-season games.

While the loss may have been a disappointing one, it may end up benefitting the younger members of this Lady Rams team in the end.

Looking ahead to 2010….

Women’s basketball:

The Lady Rams are a young group, and their inexperience showed during a 2-4 start to the season. However, Ed Leyden’s bunch has been showing promise as of late, winning two in a row. It will be important for the team to get rolling by the time their GNAC slate begins in mid-January.

Men’s hockey:

Currently sitting at 3-6-2 overall (1-2-1 ECAC NE), the Rams are feeling the effects of their incredibly difficult schedule. However, the experience, along with solid goaltending and a potent offense, should bode well for the team in the second half of the season.

Men’s basketball:

The Rams started off strong, winning their first four games, but have now dropped three in a row. Consistency will be key for this talented young team, and the upperclassmen will have to guide the younger players through the tough times that are a part of every team’s season.