By Liliana Rodriguez, SFC Sports Information
The 11th ranked women’s bowling team looks to clinch its first ever Northeast Conference Championship title in the program’s four year history. The two day competition will take place this weekend on March 20th and 21st at Parkway Lanes in Elmwood Park, New Jersey for the second consecutive year. Added to the NEC’s list of 23 sponsored teams in 2008, this year’s tournament will crown the third ever NEC Women’s Bowling Champion. Also participating in this year’s event are Adelphi, Fairleigh Dickinson, Kutztown, LIU, New Jersey City University, Sacred Heart and St. Peter’s. The tournament’s set up will follow the NCAA eight team double elimination format.
The Lady Terriers head into championships with a strong roster of eight, including five newcomers, as well as three returners from last year’s team. As of early this month, the team boasts three NEC Rookie of the Week honorees; freshmen Alyson Piergiovanni, Marissa Gargiulo and two–time award winner Kristina Terpo. Senior captain Alexandra Stein, who bowled at least a 200in 18 of her 57 games, was just another Terrier honored by the NEC, as she was named NEC Bowler of the Week early this month. During the second week of February, freshman Jennifer Vreeland engraved her name in the St. Francis record books with her heroics at the second in-season NEC Tournament, in which she bowled 10 consecutive strikes to finish with a school record of 288. Fellow freshman Kaitlin Caspar opened her collegiate career revealing what’s to come in the next four years by rolling an impressive 200 against NJCU, and continuing the season with an average of 173.53. Rounding out the roster are senior Julia Petosa, who had an impressive showing at the Kutztown Invitational bowling a 222 against Stephen F. Austin, and sophomore Marissa Padovano who bowled a 211 in a “Blind Match” at the Bowie State tournament.
Coming off a strong showing at the Music City Classic in Tennessee hosted by Vanderbilt University, the team finished 13
th in the final standings and are sure to find success at the upcoming NEC Tournament. The Terrier’s are currently ranked 11
th nationally in the latest NCAA polls.
NEC Tournament Homepage:
http://www.northeastconference.org/sidebar.asp?id=987&path=wbowl