Athletics
2003 – 2004 Athletic Department Profile

PROGRAM MISSION:
A mid–level Division III school affiliated nationally with the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (U.S.C.A.A.) and locally as a member of the Hudson Valley Athletic Conference (H.V.A.C.), St. Joseph’s holds distinct advantages and presents unique opportunities for the talented student–athlete. The program recognizes that education is the top priority and works closely with the academic faculty to maintain this focus. “Our goal is to develop the student–athlete’s talents and abilities not only on the court, but in the classroom as well,” states Frank P. Carbone, who heads up the Athletic Department. “In this way, we strive to produce a well–rounded young adult who is ready to accept and handle the challenges and responsibilities that exist in whatever path they choose,” adds Carbone, who also is the Head Coach of the Women’s Basketball and Softball teams. By constantly striving to provide the best experiences and opportunities for the St. Joseph’s student–athlete, this multi–faceted approach has led to a tremendous amount of success in all of the sports offerings for both the Lady Bears and Bears.

2002–03 TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS – A LANDMARK SEASON
St. Joseph’s enjoyed one of the most successful years in the program’s history during the 2002 – 2003 campaign. The Women’s Basketball team captured the Hudson Valley’s Conference Championship for the second consecutive year, sweeping through another undefeated conference campaign (paced by a school–record 22 victories and 17 game winning streak) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S.C.A.A. National Tournament in Maine. The Men’s Basketball team capped off a remarkable season as well, advancing to the U.S.C.A.A. National Championship Game while compiling 18 victories of their own. Not to be outdone, the Women’s Softball team, in just their 2nd varsity season racked up 23 wins (amassing an over .750 winning percentage), culminating with a surprise runner–up finish in the Hudson Valley Conference Tournament. Finally, the 2003 Women’s Volleyball squad advanced to the semi–final round of the H.V.A.C. post–season tournament and finished the season with a solid 11 – 9 record. Despite the loss of a few key players due to graduation, the teams’ rosters should be bolstered by the addition of some fine incoming talent, making the outlook for the 2003–2004 season very promising.

TAKING CENTER STAGE – INDIVIDUAL PLAYER AWARDS:
Our student–athletes’ individual achievements are quite impressive as well, as St. Joseph’s players were recognized among their peers and colleagues for their outstanding achievements.

Once again leading the list was Women’s Basketball standout hoops sensation Mary Barry – who received U.S.C.A.A. National All–American honors for the second consecutive year, and was once again named the H.V.W.A.C. Post–Season Tournament M.V.P. – firmly securing her place among the Lady Bear’s all–time greats by scoring an amazing total of 1,895 points. In Men’s Basketball, Junior Luke Caccavo was named to the U.S.C.A.A. All–American squad by virtue of a stellar season in which he averaged 16.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. Turning to the softball diamond, St. Joe’s received two U.S.C.A.A. All–American selections, as the freshmen tandem of Kristin Healy and Lynette Reyes paced a wellbalanced attack of pitching and hitting that set the tempo for the team’s record–setting season.

While the successes on the court and playing field were certainly noteworthy, the following players – Juniors Zoë Robbins (2nd straight year) and Donna Graff of the Lady Bears Basketball team along with Kathleen Kaszuba from the Softball squad deserve special recognition for their performance in the classroom, as they received U.S.C.A.A. National Academic All–American accolades on the merits of their 3.5+ overall grade point averages.

FROM THE SIDELINES – THE COACHES’ PROFILES:
From the sidelines, St. Joseph’s versatile Frank P. Carbone (entering his 7th season) pulled off a significant feat as he was selected by the U.S.C.A.A. as the Women’s Basketball National Coach of the Year for his work with the Lady Bears during the 2002 – 2003 season. In addition, Carbone was recognized as the Hudson Valley Athletic Conference’s Coach of the Year in both Women’s Basketball and Women’s Softball over this past year. For Carbone, this marked the third straight year with a major award, as he captured top coaching honors in basketball from the H.V.W.A.C. in 2001 – 2002 and the Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference during the 2000–2001 campaign.

The Men’s Basketball team’s resurgence last season was led by second year coach Joseph Cocozello (SJC, ’95) and the Women’s Volleyball team is coached by Michael Schober, who enters his third season at the helm of the Lady Bears.

WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2003 – 2004
For the 2003–2004 season, St. Joseph’s will continue to offer Women’s Volleyball, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball and Women’s Softball at the Varsity level. At the club level, St. Joseph’s sponsors a tremendously talented and energetic Women’s Dance Team, which recently performed in August at Madison Square Garden during a New York Liberty game. This year, our plans include the addition of Intramural Tennis and Cross–Country to the competitive roster, with the hopes for gaining future varsity status in these sports.

As always, we cordially welcome any and all current and prospective students to come out and be a part of the St. Joe’s athletic family!

SEASON PREVIEW – VOLLEYBALL:
The St. Joe’s veteran–laden lineup will feature a solid group of returnees with plenty of collegiate game experience under their belts as they look to improve over last year’s 11 – 9 record and fourth place conference finish. The early season schedule features some tough competition, particularly from the CUNY conference school, which should prepare the squad both physically and mentally for the start of the HVWAC conference campaign in late September. Highlighting the schedule will be two weekend tournaments to Russell Sage College (Albany) and F.D.U.–Madison (NJ), which will provide the team with the opportunity to take their show on the road and hopefully produce some positive results. The season will wrap–up with the Hudson Valley Championship Tournament on November 1st, hosted by Sarah Lawrence College. Coach Mike Schober will be assisted once again this season by Mario Tang, and is pleased to announce the addition of Sylwia Turek to this year’s staff.

KEY GAMES ON THE 2003 – 2004 BASKETBALL SCHEDULE:
While the season previews for both Men’s and Women’s Basketball will not be available until late October, we would like to highlight a few exciting games to mark your calendars for the upcoming season.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

November 21 & 22	@Clarkson College Tournament (Potsdam, NY)
December 1	Pratt Institute (Home Opener)
January 3 & 4	@John Jay Tournament
January 24	@Williamson Free Trade   (Re–Match Of ’02–’03 USCAA Semi–Finals)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

November 18	Marymount College (Home Opener)
November 21 & 22	@Nyack College Tournament   (Featuring Division II Teams)
January 3 & 4	@Villa Julie Tournament (Baltimore, Maryland)
January 6	@Apprentice School (VA)   (02–03 USCAA National Finalists)
January 24	@Mt. Aloysius College (PA)   (02–03 USCAA National Champions)
February 8	vs College Of St. Elizabeth   @Continental Airlines Arena

2004 WOMEN’S SOFTBALL:
After a long, cold winter, the softball team will begin the season with extremely high hopes as they travel down to sunny, warm Ft. Myers, Florida for some pre–season Spring Training action during spring break in March. This will mark the first major trip of any kind for the softball team, which will kick off just its 2nd year of conference competition. St. Joe’s is also proud to announce that it was selected to host the HVWAC Championship Tournament at its home site, KeySpan Field in Greenpoint on May 8, 2004.

WOMEN’S SOFTBALL

March 13 – 19	Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic (Ft. Myers, Florida)
May 8	HVWAC Championship Tournament    (Hosted By St. Joe’s)