Happy New Year! One of your resolutions, if it is not already, should be to follow Lafayette sports more closely. Here I am to help you do so.
Before I dive into brief sport-by-sport updates, I highly recommend you read The Last Amateurs by John Feinstein. Published in 2000, Feinstein documents the 1999-2000 Patriot League basketball season and examines student-athletes in one of the smallest Division I conferences who play for their love of the game and that childhood dream chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.
A friend gave me this book before break and it has been a fantastic read. Read it if you are able to find a few free hours in this near 40 day winter break.
Men’s Basketball: Lafayette men’s basketball (4-7) opens the Patriot League portion of its schedule tomorrow against the Army Black Nights (4-7) at the Kirby Sports Center. Tipoff was just moved to 3 p.m. from 7 p.m. due to the oncoming snowstorm. Army won both contests last year in dominant fashion by the scores of 77-54 and 85-68.
Since the end of finals week, Lafayette has played two games against St. Francis NY on December 19 and Seton Hall University on the 27th. Sophomore guard Bryce Scott scored a career high 35 points against St. Francis but the Leopards lost 65-62. The Seton Hall matchup was nowhere near close as the Pirates raced out to a 47-15 halftime lead. Freshman forward Michael Hoffman scored nine points in significant minutes.
Leading scorer Seth Hinrichs (20.2 ppg) and forward Alan Flannigan both sat out with injuries.
Women’s Basketball: Lafayette women’s basketball (6-5) also lost both of its winter break contests thus far. The Leopards traveled to St. Francis NY and lost 74-52 on December 20 before flying cross-country on the 29th to play the University of California. The margin just three at halftime, the Bears went on a 13-2 run early in the second half to open up their lead. Linnel Macklin and Danielle Fiacco both scored 13 points for the Leopards.
Up next for head coach Dianne Nolan and company is a trip to West Point, NY for their Patriot League opener against Army. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Swimming: Lafayette swimming, both men and women, will take its annual winter training trip to Florida beginning on January 7. It then travels to Hamilton, NY on January 18 to square off against Colgate and Army.
Track and Field: Lafayette track and field athletes will resume official practice on Monday the 6th. The team will compete in the NYU Saturday Night Shootout at the New York City Armory on the 18th before its dual meet against Lehigh on the 25 in Bethlehem.
Football: Two players, quarterback Andrew Dzurik and wide receiver/defensive back Hunter Price, have left Lafayette.
Dzurik ‘16 played in six games and threw for 741 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted nine times. The turnovers abundant, head coach Frank Tavani replaced him with now star Drew Reed at halftime against Harvard. Dzurik will transfer to Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.
Price ‘17 will transfer to Colorado State University and will not be playing football. The Arvada, Colo. native played in three games in the secondary. He was on full scholarship.