Click Here For Event Photo Gallery |
College inducts three former student-athletes, former football head coach and 2000 baseball team
EASTON, Mass. (October 1, 2013) – Stonehill College held its 25th annual Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony, in conjunction with Family Weekend at the College in the Joseph W. Martin Institute Auditorium on Friday night.
Stonehill welcomed former student-athletes Erin Acone, ’06, from the women’s lacrosse team, Kristen McDonnell, ’03, from the women’s basketball program and Rich Scafati, ’88, from the men’s soccer program as well as former football head coach Vern Laws and the 2000 Baseball Team in its Athletics Hall of Fame. With its five new Hall of Fame members, Stonehill’s total inductees since the first ceremony in 1989 have increased to 125.
Erin Acone, '06 |
Erin Acone, native of Bow, N.H., and graduate of Bow High School, is one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of the College. She helped lead the program to a pair of NCAA Division II Championships during her freshman and junior seasons with the team posting a combined 68-8 overall record during her career, including a 39-0 mark in Northeast-10 play and winning four regular season and tournament championships.
Acone played 76 games over her career and was the eighth student-athlete in NCAA Division II history to reach 300 career points, finishing with 311 points on 227 goals and 84 assists. The four-time first team IWLCA All-American still ranks third in program history for career goals and points, while also ranking sixth in assists. Acone posted 70 goals and 19 assists for 89 points as a junior to lead Stonehill to a 21-0 record and its second National Championship in program history. She followed that up with 61 goals and 29 assists for 90 points as a senior.
Acone is the only two-time Capital One Academic All-America selection in Stonehill history, receiving the honors her junior and senior seasons. The four-time All-Northeast-10 pick was named the Conference Player of the Year her sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
Kristen McDonnell, '03 |
Kristen McDonnell, a native of West Roxbury, Mass., and graduate of Boston Latin High School, was a true leader for the women’s basketball program over her four year career as evidenced by her serving as team captain her junior and senior seasons.
McDonnell made an immediate impact for Stonehill as a freshman and was named the Northeast-10 Conference’s Rookie of the Year in 1999-2000. She culminated her career with first team All-Northeast-10 honors as a senior when she led Stonehill to its first NCAA Tournament bid in four years, advancing to the Northeast Regional final with 22 wins and a third place finish in the NE-10.
McDonnell finished her career with 1,215 career points a total that still ranks 16th all-time in Stonehill history. She ranks fifth all-time with 159 career three-pointers, converting 40.8-percent of her attempts from beyond the arc, an average that still ranks third all-time at Stonehill and sixth in NE-10 history. Her 349 career assists are stlil good for 13th all-time. McDonnell drained 43.8-percent (70-for-160) of her three-pointers her senior season - the second-highest single season percentage in Stonehill history, while the 70 threes are good for fourth on the program’s single-season list.
Rich Scafati, '88 |
Rich Scafati, a native of Dedham, Mass., and graduate of Dedham High School, was a key member of one of the most successful periods for the men’s soccer program in the Northeast-10 Conference era. He was a member of the 1985 team that produced the program’s first Conference championship with the regular season Northeast-8 title with a 14-6-1 record overall, including a perfect 7-0-0 Conference mark.
Scafati earned Northeast-10 Player of the Year honors in 1985 and was also a first team All-Conference performer in 1984, ‘85 and ‘86. He led the Northeast-10 in scoring with 33 points and 15 goals, producing five multi-goal matches, with his goal total ranking third on the program’s single-season list and his point total ranking fourth all-time. Scafati also led the Conference with 14 goals in 1984, ranking second with 29 points, a total that ranks fifth in Stonehill history. He still ranks second in program history with 36 career goals and 81 career points.
Scafati helped lead Stonehill to the NE-10 tournament in 1985 and 1986, falling in the semifinal round each year.
Vern Laws |
It would not be a stretch to say that the Stonehill football program wouldn’t exist today without the efforts of Vern Laws, who served as head coach of the team from 1973-1980.
The club program was still in its infancy when Laws became the head coach after a search that included the upperclassmen of the Stonehill team at the time. Laws worked toward establishing the program and he quickly instilled a winning mentality within the team. A great motivator, he made his teams believe they could beat anyone they played even though they may be going against teams double their size. Laws became a key part of the leadership in the New England Collegiate Football Conference, helping to solidify it as one of the top leagues in the Northeast.
Laws, who left following the 1980 season to concentrate on his full-time teaching job, went out on top. His career as football coach at Stonehill culminated with his best season, posting a 7-2 record and competing in the New England Collegiate Football Conference playoffs. Several of his players received All-Conference recognition over the course of his career as well.
It was also announced at the ceremony on Friday night that the Stonehill football coaches’ suite in the soon to be built expansion to the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex will be named in Law’s honor as a result of donations from his former players and coaches, many of whom were in attendance on Friday night.
2000 Stonehill Baseball Team |
The Stonehill baseball team enjoyed its most successful season in program history during the 2000 season, winning the Northeast-10 regular season and tournament championships and earning the first NCAA Tournament bid in program history. Stonehill won a program-record 34 games (34-20) and advanced to the championship round of the Northeast Regional in Lowell, falling just a game shy of a trip to the Division II College World Series.
Stonehill hosted the NE-10 Tournament at Lou Gorman Field and the team steamrolled to its second tournament championship in program history, the first since the inaugural NE-10 tournament in 1985, scoring over ten runs in all three games, including an NE-10 Tournament record 30 runs in the championship against Assumption.
Stonehill placed six players on the All-Northeast-10 first and second teams, with head coach Patrick Boen, ‘89, earning Coach of the Year honors for the Conference and the Region in his third season at the helm. Senior captain Dan Wolfert and sophomore Junior Medina both collected first team All-Region honors, while senior Mark Langone was named to the second team. Stonehill hit .323 as a team, belted a school-record 58 home runs, scored a record 441 runs and matched the school record with 83 stolen bases set just the year before in 1999.
2000 Stonehill Baseball Team
Billy Harrison, 2B/SS, (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington
Darren Bisso, P, (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield)
Erik Todd, 2B, (Woodstock, Vt./Woodstock Academy)
Ron Heald, OF, (Tewksbury, Mass./Tewksbury)
Dan Wolfert, SS, (East Greenwich, Conn./East Greenwich) – Captain
Mike Lindstrom, 1B, (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham)
Rich Fellman, P, (North Attleboro, Mass./North Attleboro)
Mark Langone, P/2B, (Andover, Mass./Andover)
Mike Close, OF, (Canton, Mass./New Hampton Prep) – Captain
Jon Ezekial, 2B, (Canton, Mass./Xaverian)
Dave Elliott, C, (Wrentham, Mass./King Philip)
Chris Sabia P (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) - Captain
Mike McCarthy P (East Boston, Mass./Dom Savio) - Captain
Jeff Rowe P (Yarmouthport, Mass./Tabor Academy)
Craig Lemire OF/P (Dracut, Mass./Dracut)
Brett Curran 2B (Brockton, Mass./Brockton)
Brian Jolly 3B/SS (Middleboro, Mass./Middleboro)
Brian Ferrari P (Coventry, Mass./Coventry)
Junior Medina OF (Plymouth, N.H./New Hampton Prep)
Mark Henry P (South Orange, N.J./Columbia)
Aaron Monteiro OF (Brockton, Mass./Brockton)
Brian Misci C (Revere, Mass./Revere)
Anthony Bernazzani P (Roslindale, Mass./Boston Latin)
Brian DiRuzza P (Malden, Mass./Malden Catholic)
Mickey Walsh P/1B (Stamford, Conn./Trinity Catholic)
Greg Stack C (West Roxbury, Mass./Boston Latin)
Assistant Coaches: Jerry Krisiukensas, Andy McCormick and Tim Riley
With 20 intercollegiate sports, Stonehill boasts one of the top athletic and academic programs in the country. The Skyhawks have finished in the top three in the final NE-10 Presidents' Cup standings nine straight years, winning the Cup four times, including a streak of three-straight from 2009-10 through 2011-12. This prestigious award is given to the top performing athletic school in the Northeast-10, across all sports and seasons. Stonehill has received the NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Achievement each of the first two years if the program's existence of honoring programs with an Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 90-percent or better. The Skyhawks have earned a 97% Academic Success Ranking (ASR) by the NCAA, which considers the academic success rate of the institution based on the graduation rate of student-athletes, good for fifth among all NCAA Division II institutions, with nine Skyhawk teams receiving a perfect rating of 100%. In addition, the Skyhawks are ranked sixth in the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) Power Rankings used to assess the academic and athletic standards of all NCAA and NAIA athletic programs.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.
