Sports Notebook: Seawolves Welcome New Coach; Patriot Tennis Starts Off Strong

Three months after the resignation of head women's basketball coach , the Stony Brook University Athletic Department introduced Beth O’Boyle as the new head of the program on April 11.

O’Boyle, formerly of Canisius College, has 12 years of coaching experience. She spent the last four years at Canisius, the final two of which she was associate head coach, according to a press release issued by the university. She helped lead Canisius to 24 wins, its best showing as a Division I program, and a WNIT appearance in 2009.

O'Boyle becomes the eighth head coach in the history of the Stony Brook women's team. She takes over a Stony Brook team that finished eighth in the America East conference with a 3-13 record and fell to UMBC in the conference tournament quarterfinals.

Stony Brook School Softball off to Slow Start

The Stony Brook School softball team is off to a slow start in 2011, opening up the season with five straight losses, all in conference play.

Stony Brook opened the season with a 7-4 defeat at the hands of Southold/Greenport and also fell 4-1 at Mercy on April 8. The team's three other losses have all come by double digits.

“We have been very competitive with teams like Mercy and Southold, but we have struggled to bring our best game to more difficult teams,” head coach Tim Beirnes said.

Starting pitcher Linda Devine is one of the team's bright spots, averaging 7.8 strikeouts per game. She has 38 so far this season.

“She has a great work ethic and approaches each game with determination and intensity,” Beirnes said. “She is a tenacious competitor … and she keeps us in every game.”

He pointed to a lack of hitting as the team's glaring weakness, but said that Nicole Antieri is the team’s leading hitter with a .300 batting average.

Ward Melville Boys' Tennis Starts Strong

The Ward Melville boys' tennis team is off to a strong start this season, posting a 5-2 record overall and 3-1 in league play.

The Patriots have wins over Miller Place, Eastport-South Manor, Stony Brook, Bayport-Blue Point, and Port Jefferson so far this season.

“We have a deeper team this year,” head coach Eric Sussin said. “We’re more balanced but we’ve lost some of the upper level talent.”

Ward Melville, perennial contenders, went to the state championships in each of the first three seasons that Sussin was at the helm. But he sees a tougher road this year with a more competitive league staring back at the team.

First-year varsity and freshman player Cole Laffitte has been playing first singles for the Patriots. He recorded a 6-7, 7-4, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory over Matt Richards in the Patriots' defeat of Bayport-Blue Point.

In doubles, Sussin said that the pairing of 10th grader Matt Baruch and 11th grader Anton Averin has been key, bringing county championship experience to the table.

Ward Melville has a break in competition and continues its season April 26 at Patchogue-Medford.