Brad Ciszewski '05

Men's lacrosse: Liberty League honors six
A one-goal loss to Rensselaer in the opening round of the Liberty League Tournament ended the bid of the men's lacrosse team for a return showing in the NCAA playoffs. The Green and Gold closed out the season with a 7-7 overall record, including a 4-2 mark (for second) in the conference.

Six members gained honors on the 2005 Liberty League All-Star team. Named to the second-team were defensemen, senior Brad Ciszewski (Syracuse, NY) and sophomore Nick Lavdas (Lafayette, NY), and midfielders, sophomore Mike McKenna (Camden, DE) and freshman Jon Cathcart (Homer, NY). Seniors, goaltender Joe Zebrowski (Liverpool, NY) and midfielder Rich Burritt (Oswego, NY), gained Honorable Mention recognition.

Ciszewski, a team captain, led Clarkson's defense, which allowed an average of only 13.07 shots on goal in league play. Zebrowski was also chosen to play in the annual STX-Geico North-South Classic all-state game.

Lacrosse Coach Bill Bergan: A winning record and pride in student athletes
By Tommy Szarka

Most employees have difficulty coping with a younger boss in the work place. Imagine how a college senior would feel answering to a coach that was his junior.

When Clarkson University Men's Lacrosse coach Bill Bergan first took over the position back in the 1988-89 school year, there were a couple of players with birth dates prior to his own. Any awkwardness was certainly battered away when the team went on to a 13-2 record and an ECAC Championship title. More than 100 victories later, Bergan is still the boss and he isn't going anywhere any time soon.

"My first thought about coming to Clarkson was that it would be great to be a head coach at such a young age," explains Bergan. "The first couple of years I had one or two players who were older than me, but I knew coming in that (former coach) Matt Hogan had done a great job recruiting some quality players, so I believed that with another good class or two that we could compete for an NCAA berth."

Bergan, now 40 years of age and entering his 17th season at the helm of the Golden Knights, has enjoyed a number of successes since that first season. Under coach Bergan, 13 players have earned All-America honors and the Clarkson men's lacrosse team has earned four NCAA Tournament appearances, including two of the past three seasons. Along with the numerous accomplishments, Bergan has always prided himself on making sure that his student athletes leave Clarkson as well-rounded men.

"I would like (the student athletes) to leave having had a good experience on the lacrosse field, to have fun, and keep in touch with their teammates. I also hope they leave with a refined set of values and morals, helping them to become better men," he says.

As all of his former and current players know, however, Bergan loves to win as much as he takes pleasure in having his players enjoy their lacrosse experience. Bergan was a four-time national champion at Hobart College in the mid-1980s and was named to the Statesmen's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998 thanks to his accomplishments as a two-time All-America midfielder and the Division III Midfielder of the Year in 1986. As the coach at Clarkson, he owns more than half of the coaching victories in the program's history.

Still, with all the playing and coaching honors he has received, it all comes back to his student athletes. "I find having my players come back in a year, five years, or 10 years and saying thanks is the greatest reward in coaching," Bergan says. "Lacrosse as a whole is like a big fraternity. It seems that everyone knows each other. I like to keep in contact with my players and vice versa. It is always great to see these guys year after year with wives and children, and most of all becoming successful."

Bergan lives in Potsdam with his wife, Rosanne, and their two children, Billy and Caroline.

Jessica Snyder '05

Nordic skiing
Both the Men's and Women's Nordic Ski teams placed third at the United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) National Championships. The men, led by junior Sam Morse (Camden, NY), who placed third combined, while the women were paced by senior Jessica Snyder (Constable, NY) and junior Mary Rhoads (Fryeburg, ME).

Baseball: sixth consecutive 20-win season
The Knights finished with a record of 22-15 for their sixth consecutive 20-win season under Head Coach James Kane. Reaching the semifinal round of the Liberty League Conference Tournament, the team lost 6-5 to St. Lawrence after beginning the tourney with a 7-4 victory over Rensselaer.

Freshman Jay Josef (Liverpool, NY) was named Liberty League Co-Rookie of the Year, after appearing in five games as a pitcher and allowing just one earned run. He also played third, hitting .361. Seniors Brandon Barcomb (Cadyville, NY), Andy Noonan (Central Square, NY), and J.J. Lorence (Liverpool, NY) were named to the First All-Star Team.

Barcomb set single-season Clarkson records for hits and RBI and became the all-time leader in hits at Clarkson. He led the league in average (.553), hits (26), triples (3), total bases (41), walks (9), slugging (.872), on-base percentage (.614) and was second in RBI (19) and doubles (6). Noonan ranks as Clarkson's all-time leader in strikeouts. As a pitcher Lorence's 1.29 ERA led the conference and he was also chosen as a second-team outfielder, hitting .343.

Named to the second team were junior catcher Rob Cowin (Albany, NY), who set a single-season record for runs scored, and sophomore third baseman Brian Theilemann (Troy, NY), who batted .354 this year.

J.J. Lorence '05

Academic All-Americans
Baseball senior pitcher/outfielder J.J. Lorence (BTM), and juniors Suzanne Clarvoe (BTM) of the volleyball team and Mickala Henson (AE) of women's basketball were named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America District I Team.

Athletes of the year
Seniors Matt Szrama (Orchard Park, NY), Joe Zebrowski (Liverpool, NY) and Linda Fernandez (Kennebunkport, ME) highlighted the third annual Clarkson University Athletic Banquet as each was named athlete of the year.

Joe Zebrowski '05

Szrama and Zebrowski shared the Male Athlete of the Year award. Szrama participated in the NCAA Championships, and was a two-time Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association Champion in the 200 individual medley. He holds six school records.

Zebrowski is a two-time lacrosse All-American with 31 career victories, just three shy of Clarkson's all-time mark. He is all-time leader for fewest goals allowed per game and he has been selected as a conference all-star in each of his four seasons.

Linda Fernandez '05

Fernandez, Female Athlete of the Year, was named to both the soccer and basketball Liberty League All-Conference teams this past season. She ranks fourth all-time in goals scored and is fifth in career points. In basketball, Fernandez ranked 8th in the country in steals this season and became Clarkson's all-time leader in steals.

Female Rookie of the Year, freshman Alicia Chace (Cortland, NY), is one of the few athletes to ever compete in three sports in one academic year at Clarkson, playing for the soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams. Male Rookie of the Year Dean Maxon (Canton, NY) was consistently one of the top golfers this year for the Golden Knights, pacing Clarkson at both the ECAC Qualifier and the St. Lawrence Invitational.

The Female Scholar Athlete of the Year went to cross country's Jessica Snyder (Constable, NY) and the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year was awarded to hockey player Lyon Porter (Shaker Heights, Ohio).

Matt Szrama '05

Swimming
Senior Matt Szrama '05 was named winner of the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association (UNYSCSA) Ted Webster Memorial Award, given to one swimmer each year who has demonstrated "stick-to-itiveness," desire and determination. In his senior year of high school Szrama underwent several surgeries to correct a malfunctioning sinus node in his heart, which would race during exercise and sometimes continue for hours. After two years of checkups at the collegiate level, Szrama was given a clean bill of health. Subsequently he became a two-time UNYSCSA Champion in the 200 individual medley (2004 and 2005) and national qualifier in the 200 individual medley and 200 freestyle this past February. He holds six school records and participated in the 2005 Division III National Championships this past March (placing 18th in the 200 freestyle, 27th in the 200 individual medley, and 37th in the 100 freestyle).

At the New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) Swimming Championships Senior Jen Faucett (Charlton, NY) raced to a 12th-place showing in the 100 freestyle in 55.54, breaking her own school mark set last season. She also broke her own 200 individual medley mark and participated on the school record-breaking 400 medley relay with Molly Nichols (Baldwinsville, NY) and Emily MacWilliams (Watkins Glen, NY), who finished in 4:14.08. Junior Sarah Morris (Amherst, NY) surpassed her own school mark in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:39.39.