Blog | Sports: The Hot Corner

Stony Brook and Hofstra might not face off on the lacrosse field anymore, but the Seawolves are supporting the Pride in unparalleled fashion.

The Stony Brook men’s lacrosse team will grow mustaches in the month of November in support of the HEADstrong Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for all blood cancers.

Individuals from high schools, organizations and lacrosse organizations will be sporting mustaches to support a foundation started by former Hofstra lacrosse player Nick Colleluori, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma before passing away in 2006.  HEADstrong’s mission is to fund cancer research and provide support to families and survivors of blood cancer.

To support Stony Brook’s cause in this, visit stashmadness.org and click on team roster.  There, one will find Stony Brook Lacrosse. All donations are tax deductible.

Both Hofstra and Stony Brook have released their television schedules for the upcoming men’s basketball season. Each school has had interesting off-seasons, Hofstra especially with two coaching changes.

The Pride will be showcased on television 18 times during the regular season, highlighted by a nationally televised (ESPN2) contest against North Carolina on Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. in the Honda Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

All three Hofstra games at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off will air on the ESPN family of networks, and in addition, the Pride’s Jan. 27 game at Virginia Commonwealth will air on ESPNU at 7 p.m.  The men’s basketball team will also make appearances on MSG TV on Jan. 8 at Northeastern, Jan. 15 versus Old Dominion and Feb. 26 versus Delaware.  The Pride’s Jan. 24 game versus James Madison will air on MASN TV.  Hofstra’s remaining 10 home games will all air on Verizon FiOS1 TV on a tape delay basis.

Stony Brook has announced a nine-game regular season television package for the men’s basketball team, including three national broadcasts on the ESPN family of networks, the largest television package in school history.

“This is a tremendous recognition of how quickly Stony Brook Basketball has grown under Coach Pikiell’s leadership,” Stony Brook athletic director Jim Fiore said in a statement. “We value, respect and appreciate the opportunity to showcase our university and athletic program to a national audience.  I am very confident our team will be prepared, and our student-athletes will compete at a high level while representing our Seawolves family with class.”

The Seawolves will open the season on SNY when they face Connecticut on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. The following week, the team will participate in the third annual ESPN College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon, taking on Monmouth at 6 a.m. Nov. 16 on ESPN, the school’s first-ever appearance on the flagship station that reaches 99.5 million households across the country.

Stony Brook will also have two appearances on ESPNU, which reaches 72.5 million households across the country. The Seawolves will play at Notre Dame Dec. 19 at 4:30 p.m. and host Maine on Feb. 12 at 11 a.m. in a game that will be played in Stony Brook Arena.

Stony Brook will also have five games broadcasted regionally in the Tri-State area through MSG-Plus. These include home games on Nov. 21 against Wagner, Dec. 11 against Sacred Heart and Jan. 17 against Albany and road contests at Binghamton Jan. 10 and Albany Jan. 14.

Hofstra will play host to the wrestling dual meet between the United States and Russia.

The meet, sponsored by the New York Athletic Club and the Friends of Long Island Wrestling, will take place Nov. 19 at Hofstra’s Mack Sports Complex.

Six of the seven U.S. team members have represented the United States at the Senior World Championships and all seven are serious hopefuls for the 2012 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team.

The team features 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert and 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev. Other 2010 U.S. World Team members in the dual meet are Brent Metcalf and J.D. Bergman. Other 2009 U.S. World team members on the U.S. team are Shawn Bunch and Trent Paulson.

Also competing on the team is 2010 University World Team member Angel Escobedo.

All of the team members were outstanding college wrestlers. Two-time NCAA Div. I champions on the team are Metcalf (Iowa) and Herbert (Northwestern). Both won the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s best college wrestler.

Escobedo won a Division I NCAA title at Indiana. Dlagnev was a two-time Division II NCAA champion at Nebraska-Kearney.

NCAA Division I runners-up on the team include Bunch (Edinboro) and Bergman (Ohio State). Paulson was a three-time All-American at Iowa State.

The Russian lineup is not set at this time, and will be announced soon.

Tickets are priced at $20 and will be available in advance or at the door. Those who wish to pre-purchase tickets can do so at the following link: http://nyacwrestling.ticketleap.com/usa-vs-russia-freestyle-dual-meet/#

Doors open for those who pre-purchase tickets at 6:00 p.m. Doors open for general admission tickets sold at the door at 6:30 p.m. There will be a pre-match kickoff at 7:30 p.m. followed by the USA vs. Russia match at 8:00 p.m.

USA vs. RUSSIA DUAL MEET
At Hempstead, NY, Nov. 19

U.S. freestyle team lineup
55 kg/121 lbs.: Angel Escobedo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
60 kg/132 lbs.: Shawn Bunch, Columbus, Ohio (Gator WC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs.: Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC)
74 kg/163 lbs.: Trent Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs.: Jake Herbert, Evanston, Ill. (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs.: J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs.: Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)

Sunday marked the homecoming for Uniondale native Andrew Quarless. The Green Bay Packers tight end suited up at the new Meadowlands as the Packers played the New York Jets.

Quarless, who played at Holy Trinity in Hicksville until his sophomore year, graduated from Uniondale High School and played college football at Penn State.

He might be known best as the player that was pushed into Joe Paterno’s left in a game against Wisconsin, keeping the legend sidelined for some time with the break. He also caught the game-winning ball in the 2010 East-West Shrine Game and was later drafted by the Packers in the fifth round.

Quarless currently holds the Penn State records for career receptions by a tight end (87) and single season (41 in 2009). He is second in career receiving yards (1,146) and is the first Nittany Lion tight end to be drafted by the Packers.

During Sunday’s game against the Jets, he did not catch any passes.

According to ESPN Fantasy Sports, “He’s now the Packers’ de facto pass catching tight end, but his talent pales in comparison to that of the man he replaced, Jermichael Finley. There might be a game or two he matters, but don’t bet your team’s future on it.”

We normally just report on news about Long Island sports associated with the high school and college ranks, but since the New York Islanders are very much a part of Long Island’s sports culture, we’ll share interesting bits of info from time-to-time.

Today, the team sent last year’s fifth overall pick, Nino Niederreiter, down to Portland of the Western Hockey League. This is a much different tale than the treatment John Tavares, the 2009 first overall pick, received last year. Perhaps it’s because Tavares was light years ahead of El Nino.

The Chur, Switzerland, native scored one goal and one assist in his first nine career NHL games. Last year Niederreiter, 18, played his rookie season in the Western Hockey League, leading the Portland Winterhawks in goals with 36 and registering 24 assists for 60 points in 65 games. 

On the international stage, Niederreiter represented Switzerland at the 2010 World Junior Championships, where he lead the team with 10 points in seven games (6 goals, 4 assists) and was named to the tournament all-star team. He also played in four games with Team Switzerland at the World Championships.