Late Second Half Run Lifts Lions Past Mavericks

By Patrick McCormack 





Amanda Bartlett and Jessica DeNicola each scored 20 points, and DeNicola added 10 rebounds to lead Molloy to a 70-55 win over Mercy Mavericks in the East Coast Conference opener at Quealy Gymnasium on the campus of Molloy College. Junior guard Ashley Addison added 12 points for the Lions.


Head coach Tim O’Hagan knows how important it is to win the first game of conference play. “It’s very important to get a win to open up league play, especially against a much improved team in Mercy,” O’Hagan said. “On any given night, any team in our league can beat you. So the games that are in your building you have to take care of.”


Molloy trailed 26-22 with 2:31 left in the opening half, but the Lions finished the half on a 7-0 run to end the half up three as 29-26. Bartlett and  junior Laura Rivera were in foul trouble in the opening half, but freshman guard Meghan Orlando came off the bench to run the offense.


Coach O’Hagan thought Orlando’s play was huge. “I thought we got tremendous minutes from our freshman point guard Megan Orlando,” O’Hagan said. “We really didn't miss a beat with her on the floor. She continues to grow every day. Again, we have to credit Mercy for being a scrappy defensive team. We had called a timeout and we said that we were not going to take any more jump shots for the rest of the half. We put an emphasis on getting to the basket and getting on the foul line. I think really the difference was we knocked down some shots finally and we were able to open the game up.”


Orlando, who scored her first college basket, knew she had a job to do.  “When Laura got her third foul and coach put me in at the end of the first half, I knew I had to keep the game going and not have any let down,” Orlando said. “It feels great to get our first league win, and even better that I was a part of it. I hope we keep this pace going.”


The Mavericks went on an 8-3 run early on in the second half to tie the game at 38. But, with the game tied at 42, Molloy went on a 10-2 run of its own, which was sparked by threes from Bartlett and Addison, to go up 52-44. The Lions closed the game out on an 18-7 run.  


Bartlett sees the progress that the Lions are making as the season goes on. “Everyone is getting more confident and we are learning to play with each other which is helping offensively,” Bartlett said. “Most of our subs were in when we went on a run at the end of the half which shows how important each and every person is on our team. We need to keep up our defensive intensity and continue to work on our offensive flow and we will be unstoppable.”


With the win the Lions improve to 5-4, 1-0 in ECC play. Molloy will go on the road to take on Queens College on Sunday, December 11. The Mavericks fell to 0-7.

Lions Soar Past Eagles

Amanda Bartlett scored 25 points and Jessica DeNicola added 18 as Molloy snapped a three-game losing streak with a 82-71 win over Post at The Drubner Center on the campus of Post University in Waterbury. Connecticut.

Bartlett, a graduate student, knows breaking the streak was essential. "It was a win we definitely needed to get our confidence back," Bartlett said. "We still have things to work on, but a win is a win. We went into the game with a different mindset, trying to work the ball for better shots. We need to pick up our intensity on defense to continue winning, especially with conference games coming up."

The Eagles got off to a fast start, and held their biggest lead of the game at 25-16 when junior guard Casey Brooks knocked down a triple. But, back came Molloy (4-4). Trailing 33-26, with just over five minutes left in the half, the Lions went on a 15-3 run, led by eight points from Bartlett, who had 18 points in the first half, to give Molloy a 41-36 lead at the half.

The Lions opened up their first double-digit lead at 47-36 on a lay up but DeNicola. The sophomore forward had a solid performance in the paint.

"In order to continue to be successful in the post we have to keep working hard to establish position and really just finish our shots," DiNicola said. "When we work the ball inside it opens up the outside. Coach always says to play inside out, since it will open up the outside especially when they double down in the post."

The lead was increased to 57-42 , when Laura Rivera laid the ball in. Later in the half, junior Julia Finley knocked down a three to give the Lions their biggest lead of the game at 72-55. Junior Molly Dreyer added 10 points and 12 rebounds, for the Lions.

The Lions return to Quealy Gymnasium next Wednesday when they open East Coast Conference play against Mercy. 

LIons Run Past Clippers

Senior Amanda Bartlett’s 28 points, which led all scorers, led the Molloy Lions to a 79-54 victory over the Concordia Clippers at Quealy Gymnasium on the campus of Molloy College.

 Bartlett, who transferred to Molloy after playing her first three seasons at Queens College, has had a huge impact on the team, leading the Lions in scoring in three of their first four games. “I knew my role coming to Molloy and I just try to play my role to the best of my ability every game. I just want to do whatever I can to help the team win,” Bartlett said, “If we want to keep winning we need to work on numerous things especially with two games this weekend against NE10 schools. There are a lot of new players this year and the more comfortable we get playing with each other the better we will be.”

The Lions started the game on a 13-3 run led by a pair of threes from Bartlett and one from  junior guard Ashley Addison. Later in the half with the Lions up eight, 24-16, the Lions  went on a 14-0 run, to go up 38-16. And at the half the Lions led 40-22.

In the first half the Lions outscored Concordia 19-1 on points off turnovers.

In the second half, the Clippers were able to trim the Molloy lead to nine, 46-37, when they went on a 15-4 run. But that was as close as they would get as Molloy pulled away to secure the victory.

Red-shirt junior Laura Rivera added 11 point and seven assists for the Lions.With the win the Lions improve to 3-1.

Lions Rout Griffins In Home Opener

By Patrick McCormack

Freshman forward Nicole Arnone's first career double-double, 15 points and 12 rebounds, led Molloy to a 65-43 rout of Chestnut Hill in the Lions season opener at Quealy Gymnasium. Sophomore Jessica Denicola added 18 points for the Lions in the victory. The Griffins got a team-high 10 points from Lindsay Alexander.

Coach Tim O’Hagan was happy with the way his forwards performed in the win. “I thought it showed how deep we are as a team,” O’Hagan said. “When we brought Nicole in we knew what we were getting. She has a tremendous motor and as you saw tonight can knock down the three. It was just a matter of time for Jess to break out. The last two games she got in a lot of foul trouble so it was nice to get her going.”

Molloy pulled away early in the first half thanks to a 13-2 run sparked by a pair of three-pointers from Arnone, and one from junior guard Laura Rivera that gave Molloy a 21-10 lead. After Chestnut Hill cut into the lead on a lay up from Alexander, the Lions ended the half on a 12-4 run to take a commanding 33-16 lead at the break.

Arnone and Denicola both chipped in six points early on in the second half as Molloy broke the game wide open, taking a 52-22 lead. The Griffins never challenged.  

Denicola was glad she could contribute to her team's victory. "It feels really great. This was a big win for us as a team. Everyone came out ready to play tonight and we played together. Our defense was solid and everyone really stepped up on offense. the energy and intensity was there the entire game," Denicola said.

With the win the Lions improve to 2-1. Molloy will take on Concordia on November 16.

Lions Take Down Warriors in Season Opener

BY Patrick McCormack

Graduate student Amanda Bartlett  scored 21 points to lead Molloy to a 63-51 victory in the season opener at Hammel Court on the campus of Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts . Junior Molly Dreyer, who missed all of last season with an injury, added 10 points for the Lions.

Dyeyer was happy to be able to contribute. "It felt amazing to be back playing again, and I couldn't have been happier about the win," Dreyer said. "It’s a great way to start off the season, especially against a good NE10 team.”

The Warriors held a narrow 12-11 lead early in the first half, but then they went on an 11-3 run to take a nine-point lead with just under nine minutes left in the half. However, Molloy would answer with a 21-3 run of their own to go to the break with a 35-26 lead. Bartlett scored 11 points during the scoring spree.

Bartlett, who was making her Molloy debut on Saturday, was happy with the way her team fought back. "Getting this first win was big for our team. It was against a Northeast conference team and set our season out on the right foot,” Bartlett said. “We never lost our composure after going down nine midway through the first half. We picked up our defensive intensity, which led to more offensive opportunities. We started attacking the rim more aggressively rather than settling for the outside shot.”

Merrimack, which got 10 points and 16 rebounds from a Kelly Schatzlein , was  able to cut the Molloy lead to seven in the second half, but the Warriors got no closer.

Head Coach Tim O'Hagan liked the way his team played against the NE10 opponent. "It's a good start of the season against a very formidable opponent in Merrimack," O'Hagan said. "We did not get off to a great start, what changed was we started to get into a flow on offense. We ran better sets and were able to get to the basket, and eventually the foul line."

The Lions will host Concordia on Wednesday, November 16 at 7:00pm. 

Additions of Finlay and Bartlett Add Veteran Leadership to the Lions Back Court

During the offseason, the Molloy Lions gained two value transfer players who will bring veteran leadership to the team. The Lions added senior guard Amanda Bartlett from Queens College and junior guard Julia Finlay from UNC-Wilmington.

At Queen College last year, Bartlett averaged 20.1 points per game, about 10 points higher  than Molloy's leading scorer last season Ashley Addison; in addition, Bartlett was named All-ECC each of her three season with Knights. 

Bartlett cites several reasons for coming to Molloy “Academically, it is an awesome school, coach O'Hagan is a great coach, I knew some of the girls on the team already and knew we would be a contender to go far this year," Bartlett said.

She is confident that the Lions, who finished 8-21 despite winning the ECC Title the season before, will return to the top of the conference. “This year our goal is not only to win conference but also go far into the NCAA tournament. Honestly, I think we our team is very talented and deep and know we will go far this year."Bartlett said.

Finlay played her first two seasons for the UNC-Wilmington; with the Seahawks she averaged 2.2 points in her first two seasons with the team.

Finlay, like Bartlett, sees playing the Lions as a great opportunity."I picked Molloy because I loved the people. From the coaches to the girls on the team everyone was so genuinely nice and welcoming." Finlay said, “After watching their practice during my first visit, I knew I wanted to come here. The practice was very competitive but at the same time as much as the girls were competitors they were also teammates supporting each other all the time through."

Finlay is also optimistic about the Lions upcoming season. "We are looking for nothing less than a championship and post-season play. We have the talent, experience and hunger to do it," Finlay said.

Coach Tim O'Hagan is excited about the incoming talent.”The two of them bring experience in our back court and a ton of leadership," O'Hagan said. “And with Bartlett we have a closer again meaning at the end of games we have a kid who we know is going to get the ball and give us a great chance to close out games."

Bartlett and Finlay make their Lions debut on November 12th when the Lions  travel to Merrimack.

Former Titans Help Lions Become a Top Team in Division II Softball

By Patrick McCormack

One common denominator on the softball field at Molloy College is Holy Trinity High School. The Titans won three consecutive New York State softball titles from 2005-07.

Four players who won at least one title at Trinity are now playing at Molloy, which recently advanced to the NCAA Division II tournament for the second straight year, the first two times in program history.

The Lions were led by Carla Campagna, a 2007 Holy Trinity graduate. The junior first baseman batted .386 with 10 home runs and 59 RBI, this spring, and was named the ECC Player of the Year.  

Campagna was excited about the honor. “Becoming the 2011 Player of the Year is incredible,” Campagna said. “To be recognized by the league coaches and held in such high regard has truly touched me. It proves that all the long hours of my hard work and dedication, starting from the summer of 2010 to the beginning of our season, really paid off. I would do it all over again."

Campagna, Megan Butterworth, Allie Sydor, and Jeana Frey all played at Holy Trinity prior to their arrival at Molloy. Campagna believes the Trinity connection has been a huge factor in the team’s success at Molloy.

“Holy Trinity has been a huge piece of the puzzle in becoming successful in my college softball career,” Campagna said. “Coach Cassidy has something special about her that not only brought me to Molloy, but also my fellow teammates. She led me to come to Molloy. Her knowledge and guidance toward me personally influenced me. The level of softball at Holy Trinity has always been the finest. Holy Trinity has helped me move onto to the next level of softball because of the coaches I crossed paths with. Without Holy Trinity’s softball program, I would not be where I am today."

Butterworth, a 2008 graduate of Holy Trinity, had a terrific year in the circle for the Lions. The sophomore pitcher was named All-ECC first team for the second straight season,  and was named the ECC Tournament MVP. Butterworth posted a 3-0 record with three complete games and 23 strikeouts. Her fine showing at the ECC Tournament enabled her to be named  NFCA Division II National Pitcher of the Week.

Butterworth has enjoyed her two seasons with the Lions. “I am very lucky to have been a part of such a successful team the past two years,” Butterworth said. “After our visit to the College World Series last year, we set high goals for ourselves, one of them being to win the ECC championship. It is so exciting to win the conference title. I feel we have proved ourselves to be worthy of a second NCAA appearance."

Like Campagna, Butterworth enjoyed her time as a Titan. “Trinity has played a big part in my personal success at Molloy,” Butterworth said. “It was at Trinity that I became part of a team that put 110 percent into every practice and game. Alongside Allie Sydor, Carla Campagna and Jeana Frey, we were named CHSAA champions in 2007. This helped us understand what it takes to win at a very competitive level. We are all lucky to be teammates once again here at Molloy, and we are looking forward to success in the future."

Sydor, who graduated from Trinity in 2006 was a member of all three state title teams. She believes the experience at Holy Trinity was a big key. “Trinity was great to me,” Sydor said. “Winning those three titles prepared me for the pressure of playing in the college playoffs."

Frey, the youngest of the Trinity grads to play at Molloy, had an unreal sophomore season. Frey hit an eye-popping .482 and was second in the nation in hits with 96. She also led the team in runs scored with 58.

Frey was greatful for her Trinity experience, "Trinity was a key time for me to boost my athletic ability and to play for great coaches of the time of all the sports I played. It was a key learning tool for me to understand competition and commitment. Winning the title in my sophomore year state and conference champs was my first time achieving a pretty substantial title for high school. All together I feel blessed and proud of what the three of us haves achieved. A bond of a great friendship, and team effort has brought us close throughout the years of all our hard work. I look forward to the many more successful years ahead of us." Frey said

Molloy Athletic Director/softball coach Susan Cassidy-Lyke is a 1982 Holy Trinity graduate. Her coaching record at Trinity is off the charts. Cassidy-Lyke posted a 287-85 record, winning nine CHSAA titles, and four State Titles. She was also named CHSAA coach of the year four times, in 1995 was named Nassau County coach of the year, and was named Newsday coach of the year in 2003.

Cassidy-Lyke enjoyed her time leading the Titans. “The opportunity to coach at Holy Trinity was the start I needed to achieve what I have to this point,” Cassidy-Lyke said. “It gave me the confidence and support to build the softball program and achieve a tradition of excellence and it is something that I brought with me here to Molloy. I always stressed fundamentals at Trinity and I coach the same way here at Molloy. Trinity was a supportive place that developed me as a student, coach and person." 

In 2011, Cassidy-Lyke was named ECC Coach of the year for the third year in a row. "Winning coach of the year accolades three years in a row has been humbling,” she said. “It is always nice to be recognized by your peers for your coaching style and effort."

Cassidy-Lyke was also pleased with her team's success the past two seasons. “It has really been exciting making the NCAA tournament two years straight,” she said. “Obviously last year was amazing since it was the first time in the history of the softball program and this year it is nice to meet the expectations we placed on ourselves after last year's finish. There was a lot of pressure to do as well as last season.”