LEONARD BRINGS FOOTBALL CAMP TO NORTH COUNTRY

N.F.L. Running Back Brian Leonard of Gouverneur

Cincinnati Bengals Running Back Brian Leonard, a native of Gouverneur, NY and star player at Gouverneur High School and Rutgers University, has opened registration for the second Brian Leonard Football Camp. This year he will host a youth football camp near his hometown, in Canton, New York. Leonard will be at the camp, providing full-time instruction along with a team of coaches. Leonard was a two-time All State Selection at Gouverneur High School where he finished his scholastic career as New York State’s all-time record holder in points scored (696 points), touchdowns (107), and rushing (5,854 yards). He chose Rutgers University for his college career, where he became a three-time All American and one of the most outstanding players in the history of the Scarlet Knights football program. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft, and he played two seasons with the team. In May 2009, Brian was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. “Brian understands what it means to play at the elite levels, and he has the ability to translate his playing experiences in Pop Warner, college, and the NFL to benefit the campers,” according to Shawn Kennish, President of Elite Camp Services. “He received excellent reviews from the participants in last year’s New Jersey camp, and we look forward to helping more young players improve their skills and increase their recruitment potential.” The participants will be taught by top-level college and high school football coaches who will bring their expertise to camp to provide outstanding instruction and an opportunity for the players to demonstrate their ability. The camp will offer non-contact instruction with emphasis on improving each camper’s fundamental skills and an atmosphere that will encourage teamwork and self-motivation. The New York camp, for participants entering grades 1 through 12 in the fall of 2009, will open on July 6th at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, and will close on July 9th. The day camp will begin at 8:45 am and end at 3:00 pm, and will include instruction, skills drills, and game competition (non-contact). The roster of college coaches includes Troy Lassial, Running Backs Coach, St. Lawrence University; Chuck Leierer, Offensive Line Coach, St. Lawrence University; James Simboli, Wide Receivers Coach, St. Lawrence University; Matt Wright, Secondary Coach, Hamilton College; and Jake Dercola, Running Backs Coach, Utica College. The roster of high school coaches includes Sean Devlin, Head Coach, Gouverneur High School; Anthony Diagostino, Head Coach, Massena High School; James Kirka, Head Coach, Potsdam High School; Cory Marsell, Head Coach, Indian River High School; Matt Tessmer, Head Coach, Ogdensburg Free Academy; Austin Weakfall, Head Coach, Canton Central High School; and Justin Rich, Defensive Coordinator, Watertown High School. Participants are advised to register early for the camp. The registration fee is $225.00 per participant. Registration is now open and more information is available at www.leonardcamps.com. Telephone registration and information are available by calling Elite Camp Services at (732) 597-3126. If space is available, walk-up registration will be at 8:00 am on Monday, July 6th. All participants are required to bring a copy of immunization records and a Physical Form signed by their doctor showing they have undergone a physical exam after July 1, 2008. The required paperwork is found on www.leonardcamps.com. Physicals taken before July 1, 2008 will not be accepted. The $225.00 registration fee must be paid in cash or by money order only; checks will not be accepted for walk-up registration. Participants must also bring a completed registration form to the camp found on the website. Special transportation arrangements will be available for participants in the New York camp. Laidlaw Buses will support the Leonard Camp by providing complimentary transportation for campers from Gouverneur High School to the camp site and back each day. Participants can request more information and sign-up for this service at the time of their camp registration. The Brian Leonard Football Camp is owned and operated by Elite Camp Services of Toms River, New Jersey. Elite Camp Services will also run the Shore’s Best Football Camp in June, 2009, and their website is located at www.njfootballcamp.com. Shawn Kennish, President of Elite Camp Services is the Former Director of Football Operations at Rutgers University.

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MALONE FALLS IN STATE CLASS "B" SOFTBALL SEMIFINAL 1-0

Malone's Ashley Marshall (7) pitches against Floral Park's Rachel Battle (3) in the N. Y. State Class A Girls Softball Semifinals in Waterloo, NY.  Marshall pitched five no-hit innings, retiring every batter in every inning but the fourth, but was out-dueled by Floral ace Sam Giovannello who threw a one-hitter for a 1-0 Knights' win.  With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Giovannello tripled and scored on Melissa Correa's RBI single for the lone run.  Malone's lone hit came with one out in the seventh when Abby Premo double, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery   NCSN Game Broadcast
 

TWO NEW COLLEGES ENTER LIBERTY LEAGUE IN 2011-2012

Bard College and Rochester Institute of Technology will join the Liberty League as full members, beginning in the 2011-12 academic year. Clarkson and St. Lawrence universities are also members of the Liberty League.  The announcement was made by Jim McLaughlin, Liberty League President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. “We’re delighted to welcome Bard and RIT into the Liberty League,” said McLaughlin. “Both of these outstanding institutions share the ideals of the Liberty League in terms of student-first philosophy and approaching intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the overall educational experience. We look forward to the contributions that Bard and RIT will make to the league, both academically and athletically.” Bard College, located in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., is a highly selective liberal arts and science institution of 1,800 undergraduates, including representatives from all 50 states as well as an international student population of twelve percent. Bard sponsors 15 intercollegiate athletic programs and is a current member of the Skyline Conference, as well as the College Squash Association and the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association. “Bard College enthusiastically accepts the invitation to join the Liberty League. We believe that the Liberty League schools mix academic and athletics excellence in the right proportions,” said Dr. James Brudvig, Vice President for Administration. “We look forward to our full participation in 2011.” “Bard is very pleased to accept membership into the Liberty League, a long and well respected conference with a clear focus on the balance of the student-athlete experience,” added Kristen Hall, Director of Athletics. “Our academic profile blends nicely with that of the league’s membership and we look forward to the future experiences that our student-athletes will have with our peer institutions.” Rochester Institute of Technology, located in Rochester, N.Y., is a privately endowed, coeducational university with eight colleges emphasizing career education and experiential learning. The RIT student body consists of approximately 12,000 full-time and 1,600 part-time undergraduate students, and 2,650 graduate students. Enrolled students represent all 50 states and more than 95 foreign countries. RIT offers 24 intercollegiate sports and is a current member of the Empire 8 Athletic Conference, as well as the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference and the Division I Atlantic Hockey Association. “The acceptance into the Liberty League for all of our Division III sports is wonderful news on the campus, particularly for our scholar athletes,” said RIT President Dr. Bill Destler. “RIT fits in very well with the intercollegiate athletic philosophy of the other Liberty League institutions.” “We are very pleased and honored to have gained acceptance in to the Liberty League,” added Director of Athletics Lou Spiotti. “The Liberty League is a premier NCAA Division III conference composed of colleges and universities with values and aspirations similar to those of RIT. This is a historic move for RIT and for our intercollegiate athletics programs and we look forward with great anticipation to our new association.” A member conference of the NCAA’s Division III, The Liberty League has nine full members and sponsors championships in 24 sports. The member institutions of the league place the highest priority on the overall quality of the educational experience and on the successful completion of its student-athletes’ academic programs. The member institutions seek to establish and maintain an environment in which a student-athlete’s athletic activities are conducted as an integral part of the educational experience. Originally founded as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association in 1995, the conference was renamed the Liberty League during the summer of 2004. The league includes founding members Clarkson University, Hamilton College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, the University of Rochester, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, St. Lawrence University, Skidmore College, and Union College. Vassar College became a full member of the league during the 2000-01 academic year. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is an associate member in the sports of football and men’s golf, while Susquehanna University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute are associate members in football only. Hamilton College will depart the league in 2011-12 in order to fully integrate its athletic programs within the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
 

CANTON'S LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT IN N.Y. QUARTERFINAL

Mechanicville second basemen Kelsey Hines (21) backflips the ball to first baseman Joella DeDomenico (27) on a bang-bang play at first base, but Canton’s Mataya Locke (17) beats out the throw for a hit.  Canton's late rally came up short as Mechanicville won 5-2 in the New York  State Class B Softball Quarterfinals. Game Gallery  NCSN Game Broadcast

Mechanicville pitcher Anna Arceneaux (00) delivers a pitch to Canton’s Heather Lottie (7) who she stroked back up the middle.  Mechanicville jumped on Canton for two runs in the first inning and three more in the third en route to a 5-2 win in the New York State Class B semifinals.  Game Gallery
 

CLIFTON-FINE SEASON ENDS IN STATE QUARTERFINALS 18-2

By Bob LaRue, North Country SportsNet
Clifton-Fine’s charmed season came to an end with an 18-2 loss to Section II Champion Schenectady Christian in the New York State Class D quarterfinals. Section X’s Class D champs fell behind early when the Falcons plated five runs off in the first two innings off Eagles’ ace Casey Forkey. Schenectady Christian broke the game open with five more runs in the third, adding two runs off a mishandled ball at second base. Ian Compton belted a double over the head of centerfielder Robert White to blow the game open 9-0. The Falcons added five more runs in the fourth in cruising to the win. The Eagles, who finished finished their season at 14-4, were unable to get a hit until the sixth inning. Forkey knocked in a run on a fielder's choice, followed by Drew Gearsbeck’s RBI single.
 

GERMANTOWN TURNS BACK HEUVELTON IN STATES 8-5

Heuvelton’s Megan Johnson (20) fights off a high pitch and lines the ball to right field.  Johnson rapped two of Heuvelton's hits, but the Bulldogs could not recover from a pair of four-run rallies for Germantown, winners of an 8-5 decision in the New York State Class D Softball quarterfinals.  (Niko Brown photo)
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Germantown pitcher Carissa Phillips (13) delivers a strike in a winning effort against Heuvelton.  Phillips held Heuvelton to just five hits and the Clippers lumped all of their scoring into just two innings in beating the Bulldogs 8-5 in the New York State Class D quarterfinals.   (Niko Brown photo)

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LARRIES UNABLE TO REPEAT UPSET MAGIC, FALL IN STATES

Jamesville-Dewitt’s Eric De John (8) fires a blistering shot past St. Lawrence Central’s Charlie Dullea (9). De John scored five of the Rams nine goals.  The Larries hung tough again, this time with a powerful Jamesville-Dewitt team, down 3-2 after the first quarter and 4-2 at halftime.  However, key penalties and a nearly impenetrable Rams' defense in the second half allowed Jamesville-Dewitt to pull away with a 9-3 victory in the N.Y. State Boys Lacrosse Class B quarterfinals at Cicero-North Syracuse.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence Central’s Kevin Logan (8) protects the ball from Jamesville-Dewitt’s Dmitriy Bakrukov (18).  Brady Helmer, Dylan Patterson and goalie Connor McCuin scored goals for the Larries who came up short in the New York State Class B quarterfinals 9-3.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery
 

SALMON RIVER LOSES FIRST GAME IN STATE QUARTERFINAL

Salmon River’s Ross Cree (71) puts a huge hit on Lafayette’s Jeremy Beresovoy (5) to knock him to the turf near the corner of the Shamrock cage.  The Lancers jumped all over previously-unbeaten Salmon River 11-0 in the first quarter and cruised to a 21-9 win in the N.Y. State Class C Boys Lacrosse quarterfinals.  Former Shamrock Lyle Thompson scored seven goals for Lafayette.  (Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery

Lafayette’s Lyle Thompson (4) scoops up the ball to win the faceoff against Salmon River’s Seth Oakes. Lyle Thompson dominated faceoffs and scored seven goals with 5 assists.
 

MALONE'S MARSHALL 4-HITS LANSINGBURG IN STATES 3-0

Malone’s Ashley Marshall (7) delivers a pitch with a Lansing-burgh runner threatening on third base. Marshall pitched around runners in scoring position in every inning, but fired a complete game shutout while stranding nine runners on base in a 3-0 win over the Knights in the opening round of the New York State Class A Softball Playoffs.  Malone capitalized on four straight errors on the first three batters in the first inning to open a 2-0 lead.  (Kyle Coryea photo)   Game Gallery   Listen to NCSN Broadcast of this Game
 

THAYER ONE-HITS SENTINELS IN LARRIES' STATE OPENER 7-0

St. Lawrence Central's Shelby McGraw (11) sneaks under the tag safely at second base.  The Larries got another shutout performance from Sarah Thayer who avenged last year's state playoff loss to Ticonderoga, turning back the Sentinels this year 7-0 to advance to the New York State Class C quarterfinals Wednesday. Thayer struck out seven Sentinels allowed just one hit to Ticonderoga’s Quirsten Ross in the fifth inning. (Kyle Coryea photo)  Game Gallery
 

SHAMROCKS SURGE IN 4TH QTR. WIN STATE OPENER 18-10

Seton Catholic’s Jesse Wood (22) dives and fires a shot past three Salmon River defenders, but the attempt was blocked by the goalie Jake Lazore.  The Shamrocks pulled away from a 13-10 lead with five straight goals to close the game in capturing the opening round the N.Y. State Class B Lacrosse Playoffs.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery  NCSN Broadcast
 

WATERTOWN OUSTS MASSENA IN STATE PLAYOFF OPENER

Massena's Megan Poupore (26) bounces a shot past Watertown goaltender Maggie McAuliffe (28) midway through the first half.  However, the Watertown Cyclones struck for seven early goals and cruised past the Red Raiders 20-2 to win the opening round of the New York State Class B Girls Lacrosse playoffs.  (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery
 

WENTWORTH SCATTERS SIX HITS; CANTON WINS "B" TITLE

Canton’s Mataya Locke (17) rockets a ball down over Salmon River’s Brittany Avery (10) and down the third-base line.  The Golden Bears pulled away from a 1-0 score with five runs over the last three innings to beat Salmon River 6-0 in the Section X Class B Championship.   (Niko Brown photo) 
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Canton pitcher Casey Wentworth deals a strike to the plate en route to shutting out Salmon River 6-0 in the Section X Class B Championship.  Canton draws a first-round bye in the New York State Class B playoffs, then will host the winner of the Section II-VII game at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday at SUNY Potsdam.

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N-N'S STONE FIVE-HITS B-M PANTHERS FOR CLASS C TITLE

Norwood-Norfolk's Adam Stone fired a five-hit gem in delivering the Flyers to a 9-0 win over Brushton-Moira in the Section X Class C Baseball Championship.  Seth Clark stroked three hits and two RBIs, while Mike Carbone added two hits and two RBIs. (Foote photo) Game Gallery  Game Broadcast

Brushton-Moira’s Zach Lyon slides safely into third base while Norwood-Norfolk third baseman Nick Belile saves the ball from sailing into leftfield.  The Flyers scratched for single runs in the first and second inning, then drove in three runs on three hits in the third.  They blew the game open with four runs in the fourth, capitalizing on four Panther errors to seal the win.  Pat Durant also cracked two hits for the Flyers.  The Flyers travel to Plattsburgh to face the Section X champions in the first round of the state playoffs on Monday.  (Eric Foote photo)

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EAGLES SOAR: CLIFTON-FINE BEATS H-D FOR CLASS D TITLE

Clifton-Fine rallied for four runs in the first inning and tacked on a run in the fifth, while pitcher Robert White threw a no-hitter for the first five innings as the Eagles defeated Hermon-DeKalb 5-3 in the Section X Class D Baseball Championship.  The Eagles poured onto the field to celebrate after the final out.  Casey Forkey lashed a two-run single to put the Eagles ahead 2-0.  The Demons were snake-bit with five errors in the first inning.  (Webb photo)  Game Gallery  NCSN Game Broadcast
 

STONERS DO IT AGAIN: UPSET TOP-SEED O.F.A. FOR TITLE 7-3

After both teams scored a run in the first inning, Potsdam pitcher Chris Reese held the top-seeded Ogdensburg Blue Devils scoreless over the next three frames.  The big inning was sixth, when the Sandstoners broke a 2-2 tie when John Coleman hit a two-RBI double amidst a four-run rally that proved to be the difference.  For the second straight year, #2-seeded Potsdam upset the Blue Devils 7-3 for the Section X Class B title.  (Niko Brown photo)  Game Gallery
 

MALONE REPEATS "A" TITLE AS MARSHALL ONE-HITS MASSENA

After smacking a pitch up the middle that was misplayed by the Massena centerfielder, Malone’s Brittany Marshall legs it around the bases and safely into home for the score.  Ashley Marshall threw a one-hitter and struck out 16 Red Raiders, en route to a 12-0 victory over Massena in the Section X Class A Softball Championship.  The Huskies pounded out 11 hits, but capitalized on five Massena errors to score seven unearned runs.  (Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery

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POTSDAM FENDS OFF MASSENA IN DEFENSIVE SEMIFINAL 6-4

Potsdam’s Jill Tardelli (11) cuts to the front of the net and fires a shot that beats Canton goalie Sarah Baker.  After Canton opened a 4-0 lead in the opening 12 minutes, Potsdam bounced back for a 6-4 lead at half.  The Sandstoners won 10-7 to claim the school's first girls lacrosse title.  Kaila Maguire led Potsdam with two goals and two assists. (E. Foote photo) Game Gallery
 

SALMON RIVER REELS OFF 13 STRAIGHT GOALS TO WIN TITLE

Salmon River’s Shane Francis (27) is momentarily left alone at the top of the crease and beats St. Lawrence Central goalie Connor McCuin with a shot just under the crossbar.  Francis scored three goals.  The Larries led 3-2 after the first quarter, before the Shamrocks reeled off 13 straight markers in sinking St. Lawrence Central 16-4 to claim the overall Section X Boys Lacrosse title for the second straight year.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery    Listen to NCSN's Game Broadcast

St. Lawrence’s Jack Keenan (10) gets around Salmon River’s Corey Thompson (6) to work his way to the cage. Kevin Logan and Cody Kilcoyne scored two goals each for the Larries.