Stony Brook Seawolves

Stony Brook Seawolves
University Stony Brook University
Conference America East
NCAA Division I FCS
Athletic director Shawn Heilbron
Location Stony Brook, New York
Varsity teams 18
Football stadium Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium
Basketball arena Island Federal Credit Union Arena
Baseball stadium Joe Nathan Field
Other arenas Pritchard Gymnasium
Mascot Wolfie the Seawolf
Nickname Seawolves
Fight song We're the Red Hot Seawolves...
Colors Red, Blue, and Gray[1]
              
Website stonybrookathletics.com
America East Conference logo in Stony Brook's colors

The Stony Brook Seawolves are the athletic teams of Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, United States. The school is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and participates in sthe America East Conference for all sports except football, in which they participate as an associate member of the Colonial Athletic Association, and women's tennis, which competes as an associate member of the Missouri Valley Conference. The official colors of the Seawolves are red, grey, and blue.

The Seawolves currently field 18 varsity sports, including football and baseball for men only; softball, swimming and diving, tennis, and volleyball for women only; and basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, and track and field for both sexes. The most recent change to Stony Brook's roster of varsity sports was the discontinuation of men's tennis at the end of the 2016–17 school year.[2]

History

Name and mascot

The university began in 1957 at Oyster Bay, with the teams known as the Soundmen or Baymen.[3] The campus moved to its present location in 1962, and from 1960 to 1966, the programs competed as the Warriors. Beginning in 1966, the Stony Brook athletic teams were known as the Stony Brook Patriots.[3] In 1994, as Stony Brook anticipated a rise to Division I in the NCAA, the nickname of the team was changed to the Seawolves. The Seawolf was said to be a mythical creature from the Tlingit tribe which brought good luck to those able to see it.[3]

The Stony Brook Seawolves mascot is known as "Wolfie" and has accompanied Stony Brook events since the nicknamed was introduced.[3]

Varsity teams

Men's sports Women's sports
BaseballBasketball
BasketballCross country
Cross countryLacrosse
FootballSoccer
LacrosseSoftball
SoccerSwimming & diving
Track and field†Tennis
Track and field†
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.

Stony Brook University sponsors teams in eight men's and 10 women's NCAA sanctioned sports and is a primary member of the America East Conference, with the football program competing in the Colonial Athletic Association and women's tennis in the Missouri Valley Conference.[4]

Football

From 1999 to 2006, Stony Brook was part of the D-I FCS Northeast Conference, and won a share of the conference championship title for the first time in 2005. While spending the 2007 season as D-I independent, Stony Brook joined the Division I FCS Big South Conference for the 2008 season as a football-only associate member. In its first season as a Big South member, the Seawolves finished with a record of 5–6, 3–2, with a 40–26 win over the Virginia Military Institute in the season finale and winning four of their last five outings. A strong 2009 season led the Seawolves to their first conference championship in the Big South with a last-minute final game win against Liberty, 36–33. The Seawolves shared the conference championship with Liberty, finishing with a record of 6–5, 5–1 in the Big South. During the off-season, coach Chuck Priore received a contract extension through 2013. The 2010 season started with a non-conference loss at South Florida, 59–14, but Stony Brook quickly recovered to beat American International 31–14. The Seawolves, later on, posted wins at every single conference game against the Big South to become 6–4, 5–0 in the Big South as of November 18. In one of the biggest upsets of Seawolves football history, their automatic bid fades away as they fall to the Liberty Flames on November 20 in a 54–28 games creating a three-way tie for the FCS playoff and sending Coastal Carolina to the FCS Playoffs (Seawolves allowed 122 points against BSC, Liberty 110, and CC allowed 109 in tie-breaker) thus making the Seawolves Co-Champions of the Big South but eliminated from playoffs contention in the last day of the season. The Seawolves are 13–4 overall in Big South games since 2008.

After starting the 2011 season with losses against FBS UTEP Miners (24–31 OT), SUNY rivals Buffalo (7–35), and Brown (20–21) the team went on to win all their eight following games, finishing with a 41–31 victory against Big South Conference rivals, the Liberty Flames, to clinch their third consecutive Big South Championship and the first one outright, and ranked #22/#24 in the Sports Network/Coaches Poll, respectively. They played in a Division I Football Championship Tournament for the first time, and with a sold-out crowd at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, defeated SUNY rivals Albany 31–28 to advance to the second round. The team traveled to the Texas to face-off against top-seeded and undefeated Sam Houston State and lost 27–34 to close their season 9–4.

Men's basketball

After lacking success in its initial seven years of the program and being in the bottom positions of the standings from 2002 to 2007, Stony Brook men's basketball improved under coach Steve Pikiell. The 2008–09 season was the first season Stony Brook held a winning record in Division I, ending 16–14 overall, 8–8 in the America East.

The 2009–2010 season was the most successful in Stony Brook men's basketball to date and the first time the men's basketball team finished first in the America East Conference, finishing 13–3, 21–8 and participating in the AEC Tournament. In the first round they beat Albany 68–59 to advance to the semifinals, where they lost to Boston University, 70–63, falling short of reaching the NCAA tournament. The Seawolves were invited to participate in the NIT but fell in the first round to Illinois in a sellout crowd at the Stony Brook Sports Complex.

Stony Brook finished the 2010–11 season with an 8–8, 13–16 overall record and entered the America East tournament seeded as number 5 with a quarterfinal matchup against number 4 Albany. Despite two losses to Albany in the regular season, the Seawolves beat them in the tournament, 67–61, with senior Chris Martin and sophomore Leonard Hayes leading the way. The next day they beat top seed Vermont, 69–47, also despite two regular season losses, In their first appearance in the America East Championship game, at Agganis Arena against the second-seeded Boston Terriers on March 12, they lost in the closing seconds, 56–54.

The 2011–12 season saw the return of junior Tommy Brenton to the team after red-shirting for a year due to a knee injury. The Seawolves embarked on a European tour in the summer, playing five games in Dublin, London, and Paris from August 13 to 20 in preparation for the season.[5] The team opened the season against Indiana, finished 22–10, and won their second America East regular-season championship and second appearance in the NIT in three years.

The 2015–16 season saw the Seawolves make their first NCAA Tournament.

Baseball

Since joining Division I in 2002, Stony Brook has won four conference tournaments: 2004, 2008, 2010, and most recently in 2012. In the past two years, it has won back-to-back regular season championships. The Seawolves have participated NCAA tournament four times, winning their first game ever in the NCAA tournament in 2010 against North Carolina State. The 2012 season was a breakthrough for Stony Brook baseball. The team won 10 consecutive games en route to their second consecutive regular season championship (21–3 in AE, 43–11 overall).

Stony Brook won the America East tournament to earn the program's fourth title, beating Maine 13–6 in the finals to advance to the 2012 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament with a 46–11 record, the best record in Division I. For the first time in the history of the program, Stony Brook was ranked, at #25 in the Baseball America poll and #29 in the NCBWA poll.

Stony Brook played in the Coral Gables Regional as the fourth seed. The Seawolves topped Central Florida to win the regional and advance to face the LSU Tigers in the Super Regionals. In the Super Regional, Stony Brook defeated LSU and advanced to the College World Series. Stony Brook was ranked #7 in NCBWA poll, their highest ranking ever, but suffered consecutive losses against UCLA and Florida State to end their run to the College World Series, finishing the season 52–15, the most wins by any Division I team in 2012.

Seven players from the Stony Brook baseball team were selected in the 2012 MLB Draft including first round draftee Travis Jankowski. Matt Senk was announced to be the 2012 National Coach of Year.

Men's lacrosse

Stony Brook first fielded a lacrosse program in 1983 and since then holds an overall record 214 wins and 178 losses. Lacrosse entered Division I in the mid-1990s and joined the America East Conference in 2002 season. Stony Brook finished that season 10–7, 3–2 America East record and were the Conference tournament winners with an 8–6 win over the Albany Great Danes, going to the NCAA Tournament in their initial year. After a successful 2002 season, the Seawolves went on to defend their conference title but a loss to Albany 11–5 in the 2003 semifinals. For the next five years, they were neither regular season or tournament champions. However, in 2007, under head coach Rick Sowell, they had winning seasons in 2007, 2008, and were conference tournament runners-up in 2009, being one win shy from their second NCAA tournament appearance.

In 2010, the Seawolves finished the season with a 13–4, 5–0 America East record and for the first time undefeated versus America East teams. Stony Brook continued its success in the America East tournament, advancing to the NCAA tournament for their second time, this time, as the #8 seed. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Stony Brook came out with a 9–7 victory against Denver, advancing for the first time to the quarterfinals against #1 seeded Virginia, in which they lost 10–9.

In the 2011 season, Stony Brook was ranked #5(USILA Coaches Poll)/#8(Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll) in the preseason polls while Lacrosse Magazine ranked the team fourth in the nation for the 2011 season.[6] The Seawolves ended the regular season with a six-game winning streak and ending undefeated in America East play to earn the top seed in the tournament for the second straight year.[7] Jordan McBride and Rick Sowell were awarded the America East conference Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively.[8] Stony Brook headed to the third straight America East Championship against Hartford but lost 11–10. Stony Brook ended the season ranked #17 and did not qualify for an NCAA tournament at-large bid.

The 2012 season introduced Jim Nagle as head coach of the program. Stony Brook lost NLL Top-Draftee Kevin Crowley and teammate Jordan McBride to graduation but added more than ten recruits. While struggling in their non-conference slate, Stony Brook won four of their five conference games to capture their fourth consecutive regular season championship. The team defeated Albany in the finals to advance to the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Johns Hopkins, 19–9.

Women's lacrosse

Following the hiring of head coach Joe Spallina, Stony Brook women's lacrosse improved in 2012. The team advanced to the America East Conference Championships, where they fell to Albany. Petersen was named the America East Player of the Year, as well as Stony Brook's first ever All-American.[9]

In the 2013 season, Stony Brook entered play rated in the preseason polls for the first time ever in school history. The Seawolves continued their success during the season. Following a win over University of Albany, Stony Brook was ranked 13th in both top national polls.[10] Undefeated in conference play and the America East playoffs, the Seawolves advanced to the NCAA tournament, defeating Towson University in the first round, but losing in the second round to Maryland. Stony Brook finished the season with a 17–3 record and ranked #12 in the nation.

Men's soccer

After years of little success, Stony Brook turned around the program and won their first regular season championship in 2005 ending the regular season with an 11–4–3, 6–1–1 America East record en route to their first America East tournament championship. The team went on to the NCAA College Cup for the first time ever and defeated Yale by a 2–1 score at New Haven to advance to the second round, where they lost 2–0 to the Connecticut Huskies. After four years of absence, the Seawolves returned the NCAA in 2009 but were ousted early in the first round. In 2010, they advanced to the America East semifinals but were defeated by eventual champions UMBC Retrievers by a score of 3–2. Chris Magaloudis, Petar Rakovic, and Michael Palacio are the first three players to sign professional contracts in Europe after graduation.

Ryan Anatol, who previously coached at South Florida, was announced as head coach of the soccer program. On November 13, 2011, the #2 Seawolves clinched their third America East Championship and their second in three seasons at LaValle Stadium against the Hartford Hawks with a 4–2 victory. They faced Monmouth in the first round, eventually falling in penalty kicks to close their season.

Facilities

The Seawolves facilities are all located on the west campus at Stony Brook. The university is currently improving many of their facilities through funding by grants and donations of alumni to be completed in the upcoming years. The main facilities are:

  • Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium: built in 2002, expanded in 2017, the stadium serves as the home of the football, men's and women's soccer and lacrosse teams with a capacity of 12,300 people (10,300 seating and 2,000 standing).[11].
  • University Track: the track serves as the home of the Seawolves outdoor men's and women's track & field teams, and includes a field in the center used as a practice facility.[12]
  • Stony Brook Sports Complex: the main complex that houses offices and Pritchard Gymnasium.
  • Island Federal Credit Union Arena: the 4,000 seat arena serves as the home of the men's and women's basketball teams, which started in the fall of 2014. It also functions as an entertainment center.[13]
  • Pritchard Gymnasium: built in the early 1960s, the 1,630-seat gymnasium is currently the home of the men's and women's basketball teams and the volleyball team.[14]
  • Dubin Family Athletic Performance Center: the 8,000-square foot performance center began construction in mid-2011 and was completed with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 6, 2012. The facility was named after the Dubin Family who donated $4.3 million for the construction of the project, the largest private athletic donation in the SUNY system.[15]
  • Stony Brook Swimming Pool: home to the Seawolves men's and women's swimming and diving teams. It contains bleacher seating for 250 spectators, and a 25-yard length pool.
  • Joe Nathan Field: home to the Seawolves baseball team. It recently underwent major renovation after a $500,000 donation from major league pitcher and Stony Brook alumnus Joe Nathan. It is a 1,000-seat facility with a FieldTurf surface.

Championships

Sport Regular Season Conference Championships Conference Tournament Championships
Baseball 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 1995, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015
Men's Basketball 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2015–16 2015–16
Women's Basketball
Football 2005°, 2009°, 2010°, 2011, 2012 N/A – No conference tournaments for Football
Men's Lacrosse 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2002, 2010, 2012
Women's Lacrosse 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Men's Soccer 2005 2005, 2009, 2011
Women's Soccer 2012, 2017
Softball 2014 2008, 2013
Men's Cross Country' 2012, 2016, 2017
Women's Cross Country 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Men's Tennis 2006
Women's Tennis 2012, 2013, 2014
Women's Volleyball 2017

° – Signifies Co-Champions

In March 2012, Lucy Van Dalen became Stony Brook's first NCAA individual National Champion after winning the mile at the NCAA Indoor Track championship.

Rivalries

Albany Great Danes

Albany is Stony Brook's SUNY rival and has led to intense competition in sports like men's basketball and lacrosse. In men's Lacrosse, Stony Brook has met Albany in the America East Tournament nine out eleven years. Four of these meets have been in the America East Championship game (2002, 2005, 2010, 2012) which Stony Brook has won three of four times. Overall, Albany has a 5–4 record in the AE lacrosse Tournament against Stony Brook.

In men's basketball, it has been a similar situation with Albany having more success overall but has lost to Stony Brook in three straight America East Tournament games (2010, 2011, 2012) and then won two straight games (2013 and 2014).

Baseball has also seen some good moments as Albany eliminated Stony Brook in the 2011 America East tournament even though Stony Brook swept them in four straight games of the regular season. In 2010, Stony Brook faced off Albany in the America East Championship coming out victorious. In 2012, Stony Brook defeated Albany in three out of four regular season matchups in their memorable run to the College World Series.

In other sports the trend continued in 2011–12 as Stony Brook met Albany in America East Championship in Volleyball losing in three consecutive sets, Women's Lacrosse losing to Albany one game away from the NCAA, Men's soccer defeating the Great Danes to advance to the championship game and in Football as Stony Brook defeated Albany in the NCAA First round.

Albany and Stony Brook both moved to Colonial Athletic Association for football only and started End-of-season rivalry game, known to fans as Empire Clash since 2013. They play heated games in front of passionate fans alternating hosting the game each year. It is the last game of the CAA conference schedule for both teams.

Hofstra Pride

The Seawolves and the Hofstra Pride have a geographical rivalry, a battle for Long Island supremacy. Despite Hofstra largely dominating the Seawolves in most sports, the rivalry has always been intense. Due to a Hofstra decision, the rivalry was put on hold and since 2008–2009 Hofstra quit playing any games against the Seawolves.

Hofstra has cut FCS football since 2009, ending the cross-island match ups in football. Stony Brook never beat the Hofstra football team, but the last few years proved to be more competitive games.

Hofstra and Stony Brook resumed men's basketball and other sports rivalry in 2014, after six years of break.[16]

Vermont Catamounts

A heated rivalry between Vermont and Stony Brook was inevitable. Since 2009, Pikiell has won three America East regular-season titles and the Catamounts were the primary team Stony Brook had to knock off.

Liberty Flames

With Liberty, Stony Brook had a football-only rivalry from 2008 to 2012, when Stony Brook played football in Big South Conference. The two teams had been co-champions in three years (2009, 2010 and 2012). Since 2009 the Liberty-Stony Brook game had been scheduled as the last game of the season. That same year, the Big South Championship came down to the last game of the season with Stony Brook snapping Liberty's four-game winning streak in the Big South with a 36–33 victory and sharing the Big South title with the Seawolves. In 2010, the Seawolves played Liberty and lost in the season-finale snapping Stony Brook perfect Big South record and eliminating the Seawolves from an FCS bid in a three-way tie for first place that was decided in points-against and thus given to Coastal Carolina. In 2011, both teams entered the last game of the season undefeated in conference play. Stony Brook defeated Liberty 41–31 to advance to the playoff and snap liberty's winning streak and a perfect record. Stony Brook finished the 2011 season 8–3, 6–0 while Liberty fell to 7–4, 5–1. In 2012, Liberty, Stony Brook, and Coastal Carolina, all ended the conference with a 5–1 record and were co-champions.

Club sports

Stony Brook University also participates in competitive athletics through various leagues, associations, and unions not associated with the NCAA. Although not affiliated with the Athletics Department, these clubs fall under the purview of Campus Recreation. With over 25 men's, women's and co-ed teams, the sports clubs have embraced the new Seawolves mascot and compete across the United States and around the world.

Some of the larger and more well established programs are:

  • Stony Brook Ice Hockey[17]
  • Stony Brook Roller Hockey[18]
  • Stony Brook Crew Team[19]
  • Stony Brook men's rugby[20]
  • Stony Brook soccer club [21]

In addition to the opportunities that Sports Clubs provide, the success of the program depends heavily upon the student leaders of each individual club. These student leaders handle administrative decisions regarding their club.

Rugby

Founded in 1980, Stony Brook plays college rugby in the Empire Conference in Division I-AA. The Stony Brook Men's Rugby team is the first recorded athletic team to represent the Seawolves overseas, playing some of the toughest European competition against various Irish teams. Seawolves rugby won the Empire Conference in 2013 and again in 2014,[22] and were ranked in the top 25 nationally in 2014.[23] Stony Brook rugby has been led by head coach Jerry Mirro since 2013.

Fans and traditions

The Student Section at Stony Brook is known as the Red Zone. Red is the official color of Stony Brook Seawolves, and the fans at the section would be wearing red. The fans in the section known as the most spirited group of students in the University. They promote school spirit across the rest of the school. Students are admitted to games for free. More than a section, the Red Zone is also an undergraduate group devoted towards promoting school spirit and athletic events. They often participate in "dorm storming", increasing awareness of events by knocking on dorms across campus.

When students are asked "What's a Seawolf?", students will chant the response "I'm a Seawolf!"

The following are the Alma Mater, fight song and the athletic chant of "Go...Fight...Win!" played at the athletic events by The Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band.[24]

Stony Brook's Alma Mater, Sandy Shore, was adopted in 1985 after a composition contest. Dr. Peter Winkler, a professor in the Department of Music, in conjunction with lyricist Winston Clark, wrote the winning submission. Carol Marburger, the wife of former University President John Marburger, is credited as the guiding spirit of the song.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Stony Brook University Brand". Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Stony Brook Athletics to Discontinue Men's Tennis" (Press release). Stony Brook Seawolves. March 31, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Stony Brook Traditions". stonybrook.edu.
  4. ↑ "Stony Brook Seawolves". CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Men's hoops to take European tour Aug. 11–22". goseawolves.org. Archived from the original on 2011-10-03.
  6. ↑ "Men's lacrosse ranked in top 10 in national polls". goseawolves.org.
  7. ↑ "McBride, Campbell lead #14 Men's Lacrosse past Vermont, 12–9". goseawolves.org.
  8. ↑ "McBride, Sowell headline America East awards". goseawolves.org.
  9. ↑ "Petersen named Stony Brook's first-ever WLAX All-American". goseawolves.org.
  10. ↑ "Second half surge lifts No. 13/13 WLAX over Albany, 9–2". goseawolves.org.
  11. ↑ "Stony Brook Official Athletic Site – On Campus". goseawolves.org. Archived from the original on 2010-12-03.
  12. ↑ "Stony Brook Official Athletic Site – On Campus". goseawolves.org.
  13. ↑ "Stony Brook Official Athletic Site – On Campus". goseawolves.org. Archived from the original on 2014-01-05.
  14. ↑ "Stony Brook Official Athletic Site – On Campus". goseawolves.org.
  15. ↑ "Stony Brook Official Athletic Site – On Campus". goseawolves.org.
  16. ↑ "Hofstra, Stony Brook to resume men's basketball rivalry on Nov. 21". Newsday.
  17. ↑ "Stony Brook University Hockey". Stony Brook University Hockey.
  18. ↑ "Stony Brook University Roller Hockey". Stony Brook University Roller Hockey.
  19. ↑ "Stony Brook Crew". stonybrookcrew.com.
  20. ↑ "Stony Brook University Rugby". hometeamsonline.com.
  21. ↑ "University Soccer Club".
  22. ↑ "Stony Brook Wins Empire Convincingly", Rugby Today, November 10, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Stony Brook Rugby turns the corner", The Statesman, February 26, 2014.
  24. 1 2 Stony Brook Traditions. "Stony Brook University Marching Band Traditions". Retrieved March 8, 2011.
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