Bouncing Back

Men’s Basketball, Soccer, Lacrosse all enjoy turn-around years in 2007.

By Nigel Chiwaya

To call the year 2006 a disappointment for three of NYIT’s top athletics programs would be putting it lightly.

Last year was a year full of frustration for the Bears. Lacrosse, one year removed from an NCAA national championship, finished the season 8-3 and missed the NCAA tournament. Men’s basketball, hampered by off season departures and early-season injuries, came out the gate slumping and finished the year with a 5-22 record. Men’s soccer, one year after advancing to the NCAA elite eight, went 7-8-1, and their 2-5-1 conference record put them in 7th place in the East Coast Conference.

However, when the calendar turned, so did NYIT’s fortunes. All three teams rebounded and posted solid seasons in 2007.

Perhaps the most spectacular turnaround was authored by the Men’s basketball team. Led by guard Bryant Lassiter and forward Miguel Pierre Fan-Fan, the Bears went from worst to first. The team started the season 1-2, but rode an 8 game win streak en route to a 20-9 overall record, and a 15-5 conference mark. The Bears won their first ever ECC regular season championship, and was the top seed in the conference tournament. Unfortunately, the Bears were defeated by Adelphi in overtime in the second round of the tournament. To add insult to injury, the Bears were not selected for the NCAA tournament. Still, the season was good enough to earn head coach Sal Lagano the coach of the year award from the Metropolitan Basketball Writer’s Association.

Lacrosse, led by 2006 FieldTurf coach of the year Jack Kaley, returned to form in 2007. NYIT finished the season 10-2, with the only two losses coming to NCAA championship finalist Mercyhurst College. The Bears finished second in the ECC, despite carrying 17 new players on the roster.

Men’s soccer finished 14-4-2 in 2007, at one point earning a number 22 national ranking. The Bears then entered the NCAA tournament ranked number 4 in the northeast region, matched up against top seeded East Stroudsburg in the first round. And while many expected ESU to win, the Bears had one more win up their sleeves, shocking ESU 2-0. The Bears eventually fell to the defending national champion Dowling College Lions in the second round, but not before taking fans on a thrilling ride.

And while the year may be coming to an end, do not expect NYIT’s success to follow suit. Lacrosse was recently ranked number 2 in the country by Inside Lacrosse. Meanwhile, men’s basketball was the consensus pick to win the 2007-08 ECC championship. The Bears have even given fans early-season surprises, rallying from 17 down to defeat Adelphi University on December 1.