By. Pat Tintle
Sports Editor
As the end of the spring semester approaches, another year of St. Bonaventure athletics has nearly come to a close. Bonnies have competed on the court, field and ice over the past eight months, and it’s about that time the Bonaventure community takes a step back and reflects on a year full of competitive NCAA play.
Perhaps the most memorable moment from the 2014-2015 school year will be that final drive on the Bob Lanier Court in the Reilly Center as Marcus Posley went to the hoop to upset the then 18th nationally ranked Virginia Commonwealth University in early February. And, despite a quarterfinals exit from the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Brooklyn, the fun of Bonnies’ basketball did not end against the Rams.
The men’s basketball team finished with an 18-10 (10-8) record on the season—beating most expectations, while propelling the school into a temporary national spotlight. There was no Andrew Nicholson to carry the Bonnies single handedly, but rather a combination of solid coaching and an emphasis on blue-collar basketball that made the Bonnies a competitive team, both in the A-10 and out.
But as one basketball team over-performed, one fell short of expectations.
Just three years removed from that incredible Sweet Sixteen run in 2012, the women’s basketball team fell to a 15-15 (5-11) record in the 2014-2015 season, also dropping the final three games of the season to A-10 opponents. Is this a simple misstep by Coach Jim Crowley and his crew or a sign that the program is on a downward spiral? It’s hard to tell right now, but look for the Bonnies to come out hungry next season, as the team won’t lose any of its starting five players. Senior versions of forwards Katie Healy and Hannah Little should bring the Bonnies to at least a winning record, and the emergence of freshman guard Mariah Ruff will only make the Bonnies more of a threat later in the year.
While it’s difficult to say the team has over-performed, the baseball team has at least made drastic improvements thus far in 2015. Coming off a dreadful 12-30 (6-17) campaign in 2014, Coach Larry Sudbrook has brought his team into a rebuilding phase. The Bonnies have posted a 14-18 (2-13) record through 32 games this season, already beating last year’s win total. That A-10 record is frightening, but if the sluggers can finish out their A-10 schedule strong, the future of the baseball team remains bright in the coming years, as junior third baseman Thad Johnson has proved to be a high-caliber hitter, and freshman shortstop Cole Peterson will only continue to develop his hot bat.
And the award for best overall team on the St. Bonaventure campus? Without a doubt, the men’s swimming and diving team. They dominated competition throughout the regular-season schedule and finished second at the A-10 Tournament in late February. There was no three-peat to behold, but the Bonnies came up just 20.5 points short of continuing their near dynasty. There’s no limit as to how good the men’s swimming team will be next year. As long as Coach Sean McNamee can keep up his indisputably stellar coaching, St. Bonaventure will be a swimming powerhouse for years to come.
Finally (and you knew this was coming), the most painful team to watch dressed in brown and white? The men’s soccer team. It was indeed a rough season in every aspect, considering a 1-15 (0-8) record. But on the bright side, the defense was commendable, but a lack of anything related to scoring was disastrous (the Bonnies scored one goal through their final eight games). However, with a new coach in Kwame Oduro, the team could see their 2015 effort improve as Oduro is coming to Bonaventure from a Canisius team who has excelled under Oduro’s co-leadership as assistant coach. 2014 was sour for the men’s soccer team, but 2015 could be a sweet surprise with a new era of coaching beginning its run.
In retrospect, it was a fun year for Bonnies fans, and an overall successful one. But the 2015-2016 school year could hold even more memorable moments, so do not miss out on the action, even if you are one of the lame-duck seniors still roaming around campus.
