2009 JSC Spring Sports Preview
Men’s Lacrosse
Left to Right: 2008 First Team All-Conference defenseman R.J. Fleming, 2008 Second Team All-Conference attackman Billy Noyes, do-it-all midfielder Steve Noyes, and 2006 and 2007 Honorable Mention All-Conference midfielder Matt Riani
The 2008 Johnson State lacrosse team experienced unprecedented success by finished the season 8-4 overall but fell short of making the North Atlantic Conference playoffs with a 3-4 record in the NAC. Tied with two other schools the Badgers were eliminated by the league's tiebreaker system.
The 2009 edition returns much of last season's core and adds some talented newcomers to give JSC the largest roster in years and much needed depth.
Head Coach Michael Osborne, in his second season, and new Associate Head Coach Matt Heitman will look to junior Branden Sawyer (Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) and freshman Jeff Boesse (Moretown, Vt./Harwood Union) to replace four-year starter Evan Pestone in goal. Sawyer has been improving daily and should be the starter in the team's season-opener on March 21 at Mount Ida College.
The defense will be anchored by 2008 NAC First Teamer R.J. Fleming (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro). Fleming is a nightmare for opposing attackman with good size, stick skills, and athleticism. Veterans Matt Burnham (Lowell, Mass./Lowell), Nate Durick (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington), David Gale (Underhill, Vt./Mount Mansfield Union), Andy Lane (Charlotte, Vt./Champlain Valley Union), Mike Murphy (Woodstock, Vt./Woodstock), and Nate Willard (Jericho, Vt./Mount Mansfield Union) all return to give the Badgers an experienced and deep defense.
The Badger attack will be keyed by 2008 NAC Second Team member Billy Noyes (Boston, Mass./Northeast Regional). Noyes tallied team-high's of 36 goals and 17 assists for 53 points on the season in 2008. Joining Noyes is two-year running mate Erik Tillberg (Randolph, Vt./Randolph Union). Tillberg tallied 16 goals and nine assists in 2008. Expect the combination of Matt Riani (Jericho, Vt./Mount Mansfield Union), 24 points in 2008, and Matt Martin (Cornwall, Vt./Middlebury Union), 18 points last season, to garner most of the minutes in the attack.
JSC boasts much better depth this season than in year's past with 13 players expected to see time in the midfield. Steve Noyes (Barre, Vt./Spaulding) has been a work-horse in his career at JSC and returns after a 21-point 2008 campaign. Murphy and Willard will see time at long stick mid with Murphy and Riani both getting shifts as a traditional midfielder. Returners include Jason Dubie (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington) who took most of the JSC faceoff's in 2008, and Lance McGrath (St. George, Vt./Champlain Valley Union). The freshman class of midfielders is deep and talented led by Casey Riley (Kennebunk, Maine/Kennebunk). Also making the Badger roster as midfielders are Vermonters Justin Connolly (Jeffersonville, Vt./Lamoille Union) and Charlie Vaczy (Middlebury, Vt./Middlebury Union). Out-of-state talent joins JSC in Josh Bossin (Sharon, Mass./Sharon), James McClure (Newfields, N.H./Exeter), Justin Nelson (Lakeville, Mass./Bishop Connolly), and Alex Petti (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich).
Johnson State was picked to finish in fourth place by the league's coaches and will open against five-time defending NAC Champ Mount Ida College in Newton, Massachusetts on Saturday, March 21 at 1 pm. JSC is scheduled to host their first home-game against Lyndon State College on Wednesday, April 1 at 4 pm.
Softball
Left to Right: Veteran infielder Heidi Bellemore, standout pitcher Julie Gervais, and home run hitting Allie Cunningham
Johnson State will look to new Head Coach Robert Gervais to revive a struggling program that went 1-29 in 2008. The Badgers will look to return to the North Atlantic Conference playoffs for the first time since 2004.
The Badger pitching staff will return two members that have logged many of the innings over the last two season's in Allie Cunningham (Manchester, N.H./Central) and Julie Gervais (Enosburg Falls, Vt./Enosburg). Gervais pitched 127 of a possible 152 for the Badgers in 2008. She struck out 77 batters while walking only 69. Gervais was also one of the better hitters for Johnson State scoring a team-high 13 runs and drawing a team-high 17 walks.
Cunningham through 22 innings and struck 29 batters. Cunningham was JSC's strongest hitter throughout the season while playing most the catcher position. Cunningham led the team with a .302 batting average, four home runs, 11 runs batted in, 32 total bases, 16 hits, and a .604 slugging percentage.
Other veterans returning for JSC include outfielder Ashley Allegrini (Cos Cob, Conn./Greenwich), infielder Heidi Bellemore (Lowell, Mass./Lowell), infielder Kayla Golfin (Castleton, Vt./Fair Haven Union), infielder Miranda Robtoy (Barre, Vt./Spaulding), and infielder Emily Sullivan (Hollis, Maine/Bonny Eagle).
Allegrini hit .269 on the season with eight RBI while scoring eight runs. Robtoy drilled three doubles and drove in six runs last season while Sullivan was 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts. Bellemore was a one of the better JSC defenders with 40 assists and Golfin received 81 putouts at first base.
Newcomers to the pitching staff will include CarolAnn Jackson (Enosburg Falls, Vt./Enosburg) and Desiree LaCasse (Hardwick, Vt./Hazen Union). Jackson should see time around the diamond in other positions as well.
Local duo Brittany Lumsden (Hardwick, Vt./Hazen Union) and Morgan Rogerson (Hardwick, Vt./Hazen Union) should see time on field immediately for JSC while another local product Lauren Wallace (Hyde Park, Vt./Lamoille Union) will vie for time at first base. Karissa Ramsdell (North Conway, N.H./Kennett) will be used in a utility role for Johnson.
The Badgers will open their season in Massachusetts at Gordon College on Saturday, March 28 at 2 pm. JSC first home doubleheader is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8 at 3:00 pm versus conference foe Green Mountain College.
Men's Tennis
Left to Right: Two-sport standouts Ryan Joy, John Sabau, and Alen Turan
Head Coach Dean Writer will look to a roster filled with newcomers to help the men's tennis program return to North Atlantic Conference contender status in 2009. After second place NAC tournament finishes in both 2007 and 2008, JSC will have a roster of eight players, none with collegiate tennis experience.
A trio of standouts for other Badger athletic teams will lead the way in Ryan Joy (North Montpelier, Vt./Union 32), John Sabau (Rochester, Vt./Rochester), and Alen Turan (Essex, Vt./Essex). Joy and Sabau were both starters for the JSC men's soccer team while Turan was impressive in his freshman campaign on the Badgers men's basketball squad.
The rest of roster will comprised of true freshmen Ben Algar (Old Lyme, Conn./Lyme-Old Lyme), James Dempsey (Lincoln, Vt./Mount Abraham Union), Peter LeBlanc (Worcester, Mass./Abby Kelley Foster), Jonathan Willson (East Middlebury, Vt./Middlebury Union), and Kyle Young (Randolph, Vt./Randolph Union).
The Badgers will open their season on Saturday, March 21 at Castleton State College at 1 pm. JSC will host their first match on the following Saturday, March 28 at 1:30 vs. Thomas College.