Swimming and Diving
The University of Rhode Island swimming and diving team wrapped up their season with a seventh-place finish at the Atlantic 10 Championships in Geneva, Ohio. The four-day event concluded on Saturday and saw the Rams tally 204 total points, more than 400 behind the University of Richmond’s winning score of 653.5.
They got off to a good start, entering day two tied in fourth place which was due in large part to the third-place showing by sophomore Hannah Homans, freshman Nicole Petta and juniors Bridget Whalen and Porshe’ Ferrell in the 200-yard relay medley.
The Rams fell to eighth in the standings after the second day, despite receiving production from Maria Smirnov, who placed sixth in 1 meter dive. There was no movement for URI following day three, but Petta earned bronze in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.88), with her junior teammate Lauren Folkert right behind her in fourth place (1:02.94).
The conclusion of the championships did not see URI make up much ground, but Smirnov snagged eighth place in 3-meter dive, which earned the team 11 points. It was the second straight seventh-place finish at the tournament for the Rams.
Men’s Hockey
The men’s hockey team bested Rutgers, 3-2, in the quarterfinals of the ESCHL Playoffs on Friday, before falling short in the semifinals, 6-4, against the top seeded Stony Brook Seawolves.
Robbie Buehrer posted a strong night that consisted of two goals and one assist that launched Rhode Island to victory. They did encounter minor trouble in the third period when the Scarlet knights cut the deficit in half, but they would ultimately fall short despite holding a 1-0 lead in the second period. Rutgers did not mount much of an offensive attack, but URI goalie Caleb Neal was impenetrable saving 10 shots on goal.
The Rams then faced the arduous task of playing a rested Stony Brook squad, which could have made the difference in a closely contested matchup that ended in a 6-4 loss, ousting URI.
Goals by senior Brian Gara and sophomore Mark Matson gave URI an early 2-0 lead, but the Seawolves quickly regrouped before going on a tear of four unanswered goals, completely shifting the momentum, and forcing the Rams to play the underdog role that was scripted for them.
They scrapped their way back and pulled within one after sophomore Mike Pesola scored with little under seven minutes left to play and SBU leading 4-3.
Desperation set in, but Stony Brook sealed the Rams fate, and advanced to the finals where they defeated Lebanon Valley College to win their fourth straight title. Â
Women’s Tennis
URI’s tennis team was handled by rival Brown University on the road, losing 4-1. The lone victory came in doubles, with juniors Anna Peacock and Taylor Holden prevailing 8-6.
The rest of the card featured straight-set defeats for the Rams, who had their hands full against the 57th-ranked team in the country. URI has been a bit of a rut since their 7-0 sweeping of St. Peter’s earlier in the month, and are just 2-5 to start the season. They will look for a revival when they travel to LIU Brooklyn Saturday, 11:30 a.m.