UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

2010-11 STATE OF ATHLETICS

Dear Friends of UNH,

The 2010-11 academic year was simultaneously uplifting and challenging for the athletic department. Our intercollegiate programs once again maintained a highly competitive standard and the student-athletes excelled in their classrooms. We won a number of league championships, competed in NCAA postseason play and brought much recognition to the University and state.

The year has been a challenge due to the nature of the national economy and the unprecedented budgetary cutbacks from our state. Similar to the rest of the University, the athletics department is working diligently to become even more efficient, extend already lean resources and carry on the high standard of excellence that has been established over the years. Our staff, coaches and student-athletes will utilize every single measure available to them and will not compromise what we have worked so hard to achieve.

UNH remains one of the very best public, land-grant institutions in the nation, recognized for its under-graduate teaching, research and breadth of student experience. Intercollegiate athletics embodies all the same attributes, and our aggregate success is in synch with the institution at large. The faculty, administra-tion, deans and advisors all deserve recognition for their commitment and hard work in helping the stu-dent-athletes realize their accomplishments in the classroom.

Equally important, all of our programs have perpetuated broad-based success, many attaining national prominence. UNH athletics is once again among the very best in the country, as evidenced by our place-ment in the Division I Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings. Our department ranked highest in the America East Conference and among all Football Championship Subdivision public schools, second high-est among all CAA schools, third best in New England (Connecticut-No. 44, Boston College No. 64) and 76th among the 370 D-I programs in the nation. No other D-I institution achieves these results with simi-lar lean resources.

This annual report is meant to capture the essence of the just-completed year and to illustrate the chal-lenges that lie ahead. You will find comprehensive breakdowns on the athletic and academic exploits of our student-athletes and teams, our department’s philosophy and culture, the financial picture, a look at our ongoing, aggressive fundraising efforts and, in conclusion, specific team-by-team appendices.

We are proud to represent this fine University, and you can rest assured that when we venture from our borders, we do so with a commitment to excellence. Second place is never satisfactory, and our entire staff will re-dedicate themselves to improving on last year’s success.

On behalf of our staff, coaches and all of the fine student-athletes, we thank you for your interest and, most of all, your support.

Sincerely,

Marty Scarano Athletics Director

ACADEMICSUNH student-athletes are provided with an all-encompassing academic support system that prepares them for the rigors of their college career as incoming freshmen and supplies them with the resources necessary for achieving and sustaining success during their years on campus.

The academic support staff achieves its mission in four ways: providing general academic information, monitoring aca-demic progress, arranging tutorial services and referring student-athletes to support offices on campus.

General academic information – Located conveniently on the main floor of the Field House, the academic support offices contain information pertaining to NCAA eligibility information, additional academic resources on campus and class registration information.

Monitoring academic progress – The academic support staff communicates with professors, academic advisors and coaches on an ongoing basis. Progress reports for all first-year student-athletes are gathered during the midpoint of the fall and spring semesters, with the professors evaluating the student-athletes on performance, attendance and class participation. Student-athletes have group and individual meetings with the academic support staff throughout the year in order to monitor progress and offer additional academic strategies.

Tutorial program – All student-athletes are eligible for free tutorial assistance through the athletic department. The tutors are University undergraduate and graduate students who have been recommended by their professors to men-tor in specific subject areas. Student-athletes are able to arrange tutoring sessions that accommodate their own hectic schedules. Individual and small study groups are available.

Academic center – The student-athlete academic center, located in the Field House, is equipped with new computers, study carrels and study tables. It is a quiet place for student-athletes to complete academic work before and after prac-tice.

The benefits of the academic support system were readily evident in 2010-11. UNH ranked second nationally among all public institutions with a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 95 percent for its student-athletes, which led both the America East Conference and the Colonial Athletic Association. The field hockey, women’s gymnastics, men’s soccer, women’s ice hockey, women’s skiing, women’s track and women’s volleyball teams all posted perfect 100 percent GSRs while the football team notched a 95 percent mark, tied for fifth-best in the nation in its respective sport.

Senior men’s soccer player Colin O’Donnell and women’s track and field graduate student Rita Ciambra were each re-cipients of the America East Scholar-Athlete award in their respective sports.

Four Wildcat teams were honored by the NCAA for multiyear Academic Progress Rates (APRs) in the top 10 percent of all teams in their respective sports: football, men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field and women’s gymnastics. The UNH football team represented the only Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program from a public school in the country to receive an APR Public Recognition Award, as well as one of only 12 FCS schools nation-ally and one of just four non-Ivy League schools feted.

UNH had the highest number of honorees on the 2010 America East Fall Academic Honor Roll with 95 representa-tives en route to a second-place finish in the 2010-11 America East Academic Cup for the third time in four years. Both the women’s indoor track team and women’s outdoor track team registered the highest grade-point averages in their respective sports.

Additionally, the women’s hockey team boasted an all-time best 13 student-athletes on the Women’s Hockey East As-sociation All-Academic Team.

ATHLETICSThe National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics announced that the University of New Hampshire ranked 76th out of more than 370 Division I schools in the Learfield Sports NACDA Directors’ Cup final standings. With 252.50 total points, UNH ranked highest in the America East Conference and among all Football Championship Subdi-vision public schools, second highest among all CAA schools and third highest in New England (Connecticut-No. 44, Boston College No. 64).

FALL HIGHLIGHTS• The women’s cross country team ran to a second-place finish at the America East Championships, led by a sixth overall finish from senior Sydney Fitzpatrick.• Whitney Frates of the field hockey team was selected to the 2010 Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-America Second Team, while head coach Robin Balducci and her staff was recognized as the America East Coaching Staff of the Year after claiming the regular season championship.• The football team qualified for NCAA FCS Postseason for the seventh consecutive year, the longest streak in the na-tion, and stretched consecutive weeks ranked in Top 25 to 97 in a row, tops in the CAA.• Men’s soccer shut out three teams consecutively in the conference tournament, becoming the first team to achieve this feat, and earned a trip to the title game. Senior Colin O’Donnell was named the America East Goalkeeper of the Year.• Senior Sara Heldman of the volleyball team became the first America East student-athlete to earn both Setter of the Year and Defensive Specialist of the Year honors. • The field hockey and men’s soccer teams both reached the conference title game but came just shy of earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Field hockey fell to Albany in overtime while men’s soccer lost to UMBC in penalty kicks after 110 minutes of shutout soccer.

WINTER HIGHLIGHTS• Men’s basketball head coach Bill Herrion earned his 300th career coaching victory, claiming a 65-60 victory over Col-gate (Dec. 4), becoming just the 72nd active head coach and 284th all-time to reach the milestone.• Gymnastics head coach Gail Goodspeed registered her 500th career coaching victory at UNH during the EAGL Championship at George Washington University.• Men’s ice hockey made its 21st appearance in the NCAA tournament. The ‘Cats have been to the postseason in 10-straight seasons and 14 of the last 15 years.• Matt Di Girolamo became just the sixth player in program history to register 1,000 saves in a single season. He ended the season with 1,145 saves, the most by a UNH goalie in program history, and ranked first in the nation in that category with 60 more stops than his next closest competition.• Paul Thompson added first team All America to an already lengthy list of 2010-11 accomplishments, including 2010-11 Hobey Baker top 10 finalist and 2010 Hockey East Player of the Year.• Women’s ice hockey senior goaltender Kayley Herman made a school-record 52 saves, including 21 in the third period, in a 4-2 road win over Boston university.• Sophomore Matthew Guarente led men’s indoor track & field with a conference title in the high jump.• Graduate student Rita Ciambra won her third-consecutive indoor conference title in the pole vault, while senior Me-gan Donahue claimed the 500m.• Junior men’s alpine skier Zach Clayton earned All-America First Team honors with a third-place finish in slalom and Second Team with a 10th-place finish in giant slalom at the NCAA Championships.• UNH won the ECAC Swimming and Diving Championships for the first time since 2005, as the Wildcats totaled 11 ECAC winners, led by senior Amy Perrault who contributed to six first-place finishes and helped the ‘Cats break five records at the ECAC Championships, earning the Women’s Swimmer of the Meet award.• Women’s swimming and diving took home Coaching Staff of the Year honors at both the America East Championships and ECAC Championships.

SPRING HIGHLIGHTS• Men’s outdoor track & field senior Mike Simon ended his impressive throwing career in the javelin by with a fourth straight conference title and a first-place finish in the College Division at the prestigious Penn Relays. • Women’s outdoor track & field won the New England Championships for the first time in program history.• Graduate student Rita Ciambra won her third conference title in the pole vault with a cleared height of 4.15m, which broke both a school record as well as a conference championship record.

FINANCE & DEVELOPMENTThis was another challenging financial year for Athletics. We continue to work hard on generating additional external revenues but have struggled to consistently meet increasing targets in the current economy. The Athletic Department continues to operate as efficiently as possible, but our three largest expense items Athletic Scholarships, Salaries and Benefits, and Facility Maintenance comprise almost 70% of our total expense budget. Athletic scholarship costs in-crease as tuition increases, salaries and benefits are primarily market driven and facility costs are institutionally admin-istered– items the department has little control over. The outlook for FY12 is worse as the State of NH cut funding to the University System by 45% and UNH responded to the decreased State funding through a series of budget reductions at all levels including Athletics. Some of the strategies the Athletics Department will be taking to address the FY12 budget cuts include:• Freezing vacant positions• Freezing salaries• Freezing current scholarship awards• Restricting team travel to the Northeast Corridor• Restricting number of contests• Restructured ticket pricing• Additional game guarantee contests• Increased dependence on annual funds to contribute towards operating expensesOur $25 million budget is funded 30% by generated revenues (ticket sales, NCAA/Conference Distributions, Sports Camps, Royalties/Sponsorships, Annual Gifts, Endowment Income, miscellaneous revenues) and 70% from allocated revenues (Institutional support and Student Fees). Our generated revenues as a percentage of total athletic expenses is slightly higher than the average for FCS schools and our athletic expenses are lower than most FSC institutions. UNH’s athletics budget comprises approximately 4% of the average institutional budget while the great majority of FCS depart-ments comprise 5% of the total institutional budget. In summation, UNH athletics is a very efficient and lean organiza-tion.

In this past fiscal year, the Athletics Development office raised over $502,000 in current use support through our athlet-ics annual giving program: The Wildcat Fund. Through mail, phone and personal solicitations, a total of 3,217 donors directed their individual gifts to any of our 15 Friends groups (providing sport-specific operational support), athletic scholarships (helping to offset the $8M annual cost to support 330 student –athletes who receive some form of athletic-scholarships) and the athletic director’s priorities (supporting Department-wide initiatives). The average gift size was $156.00 and over 50% of our athletic donors are UNH alumni. The remaining donors are parents, friends, faculty and staff, current students, corporations and foundations. In the area of athletic major gifts, the Athletics Development office worked with our loyal donors to establish nine (9) new named endowed funds in this fiscal year with a combined total commitment of $423,000. Endowments can be es-tablished to fund athletic scholarships or can provide operational funding to a particular team or program. An endowed athletic fund provides a permanent source of income for the Athletic Department and gifts to an endowed fund are invested, with a percentage (currently 4 percent of the 12-month moving average) of the income growth supporting a specific program or area, as directed by the donor(s). The remaining income is invested into the endowment, ensuring that the value of the investment grows forever. The minimum gift amount necessary to establish a new endowment at UNH is $50,000 and this amount can be paid all at once or in payments (three to five years). Donors are encouraged to name endowed funds in a way that is meaningful to them. Currently, there are 87 individual named athletic endowed funds.

In addition to annual giving and major gifts, the Athletics Development team supports our athletic teams and our coaching staff with special events such as alumni reunions, Friends group functions/gatherings, golf tournaments and more. In addition, the Cat Tracker publication has increased its “reach” in this fiscal year and three issues were mailed to close to 12,000 households during the fall (October 2010, winter (January 2011) and spring (June 2011). The Cat Tracker serves as a key communication tool for our athletic community, highlighting “gifts at work” and alumni and friends events. The publication is sent to all former UNH student-athletes and any individual who has ever made a gift to any area within the Athletic Department.

Overall, an increase in fundraised dollars is an essential component in establishing a sustainable financial model and it is the loyal support of alumni, parents, family and friends that enable our student athletes to honor our rich traditions represent our institution with pride and pursue excellence – both athletically and academically. To make a secure gift to any of our athletic programs, please go to: www.foundation.unh.edu/make-gift-1

PHILOSOPHY & CULTUREThe philosophy and culture of the Athletic Department is embodied in student-athlete development. Excellence in aca-demics and athletics is a portion of that development. It also entails perfecting skills to be successful in the University and state of New Hampshire communities as well as life-long endeavors. To accomplish this goal, the Athletic Depart-ment utilizes the expertise and services of many campus departments and organizations, including Health (substance use/abuse, sexually responsible behavior, sport-specific nutrition), Hazing, Diversity & Inclusion (gender, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation), Career Planning & Preparation, Financial Responsibility, Leadership and Community Service.

Student-athlete development includes activities such as: Wildcat Mentors (UNH student-athletes serve as Big Broth-ers/Sisters with the Newmarket Jr. High School); Read Across America (visit elementary and middle schools to read and facilitate discussion on the importance of education and staying in school); Holiday Food and Toy Drives; Hoops for Hunger; Soles 4 Souls Shoe Collection (over 1,200 pairs shipped to people in the U.S. and abroad); and Alternative Spring Break (travel to New Orleans and West Virginia to assist in community rebuilding).

The collective team involvement in service projects and activities, which also included special projects by individual teams beyond the aforementioned list, exceeded 4,500 community service hours in the 2010-11 academic year.

The melding of UNH athletics and the Granite State extends beyond community service. The Athletic Department facilities are utilized by more than just the 20 varsity teams it sponsors. The University’s recreation department has ac-cess to some of the intercollegiate facilities for intramural sports that are open to all University students, and the UNH faculty/staff also has access for recreational use.

In addition, the Athletic Department has a partnership with Northeast Passage in which we provide support regard-ing admissions, athletic training and conditioning, and academic support. Taylor Chace honed his skills as part of the Northeast Passage program utilizing UNH’s facilities and went on to earn both a bronze (2006) and gold (2010) medal at the Paralympic Winter Games as a member of Team USA.

Furthermore, the Seacoast community and entire state of New Hampshire benefit from UNH’s athletic facilities. The Oyster River High School hockey team has called the Whittemore Center home for a number of years and the facility also brings in numerous cheerleading competitions. Cowell Stadium – and the Reggie F. Atkins Track & Field Facility – has been home for the New Hampshire Special Olympics Summer Games and, more recently, local youth and high school football teams have played games at that venue. And at the Field House, Lundholm Gym is a site for NHIAA basketball championships, the Paul Sweet Oval holds several high school indoor track meets annually and Swasey Pool has both youth and high school events. The athletic facilities are also the home of various fundraisers, such as the Relay For Life at the Paul Sweet Oval.

UNH Athletic Department Mission StatementThe mission of the intercollegiate athletics program at UNH is to provide student-athletes a collegiate experience that is enriched by their participation in programs that are competitive at the NCAA Division I level both regionally and nationally.

The intercollegiate athletics program also plays an important role by enhancing the quality of life for the University and statewide community by being a source of pride and identification with the University while always maintaining high standards of academic scholarship and integrity.

To fulfill its mission, the intercollegiate program must: (1) Provide student-athletes every opportunity to meet academic and athletic demands with the goal of graduating every student-athlete; (2) Provide resources necessary to field com-petitive teams with league affiliations, and to gain regional and national recognition; (3) Provide equitable opportunities for all intercollegiate athletics by the active recruitment of minority athletes, and provide equitable opportunities for all women student-athletes commensurate with that of their male counterparts; (4) Provide excellent facilities for all athletes to train, practice and play; (5) Conduct all operations within state and federal law, University policies, rules of the NCAA and athletics conferences in which the University competes.

University of new hampshire

2010-11 state of athletics

appendices

FALL HIGHLIGHTSMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

• The men’s cross country team finished ninth at the America East Championships, paced by sophomore Kent Harlow who placed 35th overall.• Placed 29th in the 39-team field at the NCAA Northeast Regional.• Finished 12th at the ECAC Championship – Senior Andrew Dionne and junior Alex Beaulieu finished 34th and 35th, respectively, in the 172-runner field.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY • The women’s cross country team ran to a second-place finish at the America East Championships, led by a sixth overall finish from senior Sydney Fitzpatrick.• Placed ninth at the 39-team NCAA Northeast Regional – Fitzpatrick finished 15th overall in a time of 20:34 and was named to the NCAA All-Northeast Regional Team for her efforts.• Placed 14th at the ECAC Championships, paced by senior Allison Letourneau who finished fourth overall.• Climbed as high as No. 9 in the USTFCCCA Northeast Region Poll.• Named to the 2010 Division I Cross County All-Academic Team, recognized by the USTFCCCA, with a team grade point average of 3.38.

FIELD HOCKEY• Whitney Frates was selected to the 2010 Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-America Second Team. It marked the second consecutive year that a Wildcat garnered All-America recognition.• UNH entered the NFHCA Poll for the first time since 2000 and climbed as high as #19.• UNH tied for the highest number of representatives on both the America East All-Conference First Team and All-Rookie Team with three Wildcats on both squads. There were an additional two ‘Cats on the Second Team.• Head coach Robin Balducci and her staff was recognized as the America East Coaching Staff of the Year. The 20th-year head coach also received that honor in 1998 and 2000.• UNH defeated two nationally-ranked teams to complete its first unbeaten league season (5-0). The Wildcats won their first outright league title since 2000; the ‘Cats shared the ’02 crown.• UNH compiled a 14-7 record to mark the most victories in a single season since the 2000 squad went 14-8.• Hayley Rausch finished with a team-high 13 assists and ranked #16 nationally in assists per game. It is the highest single-season total by a Wildcat since 1998, when Becky Craigue tallied 15. Rausch’s 13 assists ranks fifth on UNH’s list of single-season superlatives.• UNH opened the 2010 season by winning its Wildcat Invitational. The Wildcats defeated Lock Haven and Delaware. Kyle Lyons was named the MVP.

FOOTBALL• Qualified for NCAA FCS Postseason for seventh consecutive year, the longest streak in the nation• Stretched consecutive weeks ranked in Top 25 to 97 in a row, tops in the CAA• Established a school record with 12 consecutive home wins, capped by 17-0 shutout of Richmond on Home-coming• UNH defeated UMass, 39-13, in inaugural Colonial Clash at Gillette Stadium. Game featured the largest crowd in CAA history (32,848 fans) and was the highest-rated telecast in league history (0.88 rating on Com-cast SportsNet New England).• Four-year starters Dino Vasso (CB) and Hugo Souza (FS) capped their illustrious careers by earning places on the All-CAA First Team. Souza set a school record by starting in all 51 games of his career, one more than Vasso.

MEN’S SOCCER• Competed in the America East tournament for the sixth time in the last eight years. • The Wildcats shut out three teams consecutively in the conference tournament, becoming the first team to achieve this feat. • Senior Colin O’Donnell was named the men’s soccer recipient of the America East scholar-athlete award, while earning the America East Goalkeeper of the Year and All-Conference First Team honors for the second consecutive year.• Senior Colin O’Donnell was one of just 16 first-team honorees in the country to be named a National Soc-cer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Men’s College Scholar All-American. Additionally, he earned CoSIDA Academic All-District First-Team recognition, while also taking home America East All-Academic Team honors for the first time in his collegiate career.• Senior Joe Corsello and junior Brad Hilton were both named to National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Region First-Team. • For the fourth consecutive year the Wildcats received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award. • Junior Brad Hilton earned a spot on the All-Conference Second Team and the All-Academic Team for the second consecutive year, while Steven Palumbo and Jeffrey Turner were both named to the conference All-Rookie Team. Seniors Joe Corsello and Robin Gerum were also selected to the All-Academic team for the second year in a row.• Senior Colin O’Donnell became the first goalkeeper to record three shutouts in the conference tournament, concluding his collegiate career tying the UNH single-season shut out record (10) and breaking the UNH single-season goals-against-average record with a mark of 0.43. O’Donnell finished the year ranking first in the country with a .902 save percentage, while also ranking second in goals-against-average.

WOMEN’S SOCCER• Qualified for the America East Conference Tournament for the 10th straight year – the longest all-time streak in league history.• Finished the regular season ranked second in points (72), goals (24) and assists (24) in the America East.• Freshman goalkeeper Erica Correa topped the conference in saves (113) and finished third in save percent-age (.807). She was also named to the America East All-Rookie Team.• Junior Kelly Mooney, who started all 20 contests as the anchor of the backfield and recorded her first career point with an assist at Albany, was named to the America East All-Conference First-Team.• Sophomores Chelsea Kuss and Monique Lamotte were both named to the America East All-Conference Second Team. Kuss led the squad with 12 points on three goals and six assists and Lamotte, who was also named to the All-Championship Team, finished tied for second on the team with eight points. • Senior Ashley Avitabile along with juniors Brooke Duchaney and Alyssa Michel were tabbed for the All-Academic Team.

VOLLEYBALL• The Wildcats ended their season on November 12 with a 3-2 win at UMBC. UNH closed out 2010 with a 10-17 overall mark and a 5-7 record in America East play.• Nearly 85 percent of the volleyball team (11-of-13) were named to the America East Academic Honor Roll with six of those honorees on the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.• Amy Keding - America East All-Conference second team, America East All-Academic team. Keding emerged as one the league’s top offensive players during her junior campaign. She paced a well-balanced offensive at-tack for the Wildcats and was among the league leaders in several categories. Overall, she ranked ninth in points and fourth in kills. She ranked second on the team in kills (297) and points (339) and was third in blocks (62). Keding was the America East Player of the Week on Sept. 27.• Sara Heldman - America East Setter of the Year, America East All-Academic team. Heldman becomes the first America East student-athlete to earn both Setter of the Year and Defensive Specialist of the Year honors as she was also selected as the co-Defensive Specialist of the Year last season. In 2010, Heldman recorded

9.11 assists per set in addition to 2.76 digs per set. The senior served up 16 aces and recorded 26 blocks on the year. Heldman finished her final year at New Hampshire with a team-leading 13 double-doubles. She was named the Setter of the Week three times this season. Heldman ended her tenure in Durham with 104 sets and finished with 287 digs. She became the first player in program history to win Setter of the Year and is a two-time All-America East honoree. Heldman is just the second player in UNH history to record 1,000 kills and 1, 000 assists.• Destiny Tolliver - America East All-Rookie team, Tolliver made an immediate impact for the Wildcats as a freshman, ranking seventh in the America East in blocks (65). Tolliver finished her first year among the team leaders in several catagories with 125 kills, 91 digs and 182 points. Tolliver was named America East Rookie of the Week on back-to-back weeks on Sept. 27 & Oct. 4.

WINTER HIGHLIGHTSMEN’S BASKETBALL

• Head coach Bill Herrion earned his 300th career coaching victory, claiming a 65-60 victory over Colgate (Dec. 4), becoming just the 72nd active head coach and 284th all-time to reach the milestone.• The Wildcats opened the season with a 5-2 record, marking the program’s first 5-2 start since 1994-95 and just its third since the 1940-41 campaign. The team’s 2-2 start on the road was also its best since 1994-95. • Senior guard Tyrone Conley became the 28th member of UNH’s 1,000-point club, finishing his stellar career sixth all-time with 1,304 points. • Senior Tyrone Conley (All-Conference Second Team) Junior Brian Benson (All-Academic Team), sopho-more Chandler Rhoads (All-Defensive Team), and freshman Jordon Bronner (All-Rookie Team) all earned America East All-Conference honors. • The Wildcats capped off the season ranked 18th in scoring defense (60.9 ppg), 49th in turnovers (12.0) and 56th in defensive field goal percentage (.410) in the nation.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL• Reached the quarterfinals of the America East Tournament.• Led by first-year head coach Maureen Magarity, who previously served as an assistant coach at Army for four seasons, the Wildcats doubled their conference wins from the year before.• Surpassed preseason poll expectations – finished sixth after being picked ninth in the league.• Knocked off Atlantic-10 opponent Rhode Island, 88-74, in triple overtime – Jill McDonald scored a career-high 22 points to go along with 12 rebounds for the double-double in the program’s first-ever triple-overtime game.• Junior Denise Beliveau was named to the America East All-Conference Second Team after leading the team in scoring and rebounding as well as posting a conference-best 11 double-doubles.• Redshirt-freshman Kelsey Hogan was named to the America East All-Rookie Team after garnering Rookie of the Week honors four times during the course of the season.• Senor Jill McDonald capped off an impressive career with a successful senior campaign as she led the team with 39 blocks and leaves Durham ranked second on the program’s all-time list with 153 career rejections.

GYMNASTICS• UNH finished runner-up at the EAGL Championship, its best finish since 2003 • Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships in Norman, Okla., earning the No. 4 seed in the Norman Regional• Head coach Gail Goodspeed registered her 500th career coaching victory at UNH during the EAGL Cham-pionship at George Washington University• Wildcats placed 15 members on EAGL All-Academic Team, second-most among league schools, led by four-time honorees Katie Caliendo and Chelsea Steinberg• Steinberg was named Team MVP for second straight season and also earned EAGL All-Tournament First Team honors on balance beam, floor exercise and all-around while securing All-EAGL Second Team on vault, balance beam, floor and all-around.

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY• UNH made its 21st appearance in the NCAA tournament. The ‘Cats have been to the postseason in 10- straight seasons and 14 of the last 15 years. • UNH is the only team in the nation to win NCAA games in each of the past three seasons. Miami and UNH had been the only two with wins in two-straight postseasons.• UNH ended Miami’s 13-game unbeaten streak (10-0-3) with a 3-1 win on Saturday night.• Matt Di Girolamo became just the sixth player in program history to register 1,000 saves in a single season. His 1,145 saves are the most by a UNH goalie in program history.• Matt Di Girolamo ended the season ranking first in the nation in saves, collecting 1,145 saves, 60 more than his next closest competition.• With 10 straight NCAA tournament appearances, UNH is second on the list of active programs with NCAA appearances. • Paul Thompson became the eighth player in school history to be named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Thompson becomes the second Wildcat in as many years and third in the last four seasons to be named to the top 10. Last year, Bobby Butler became UNH’s second Hobey Baker Hat Trick (final three) finalist, while in 2007-08 Kevin Regan was a top-10 finalist.• UNH captured a 20-win season for the 14th time in the last 15 seasons. Overall, Dick Umile has 18 20-win season in just 21 years of coaching at UNH.• The Wildcats were an impressive 17-0-2 when leading after two periods. UNH’s two ties were 11/13 at Mas-sachusetts and 2/19 at Vermont.• Mike Sislo and Phil DeSimone moved past 30 assists for the season. The last Wildcat to dish out 30+ assists in a season was Sean Collins in 2004-05 with 37 helpers. Sislo finished with 33, while DeSimone had 31.• UNH finished the season ranked 9th in the country in both college polls. The ‘Cats spent the entire 2010-11 season in the national poll including four weeks as the second-ranked team nationally.• Paul Thompson adds first team All America to an already lengthy list of 2010-11 accomplishments: 2010-11 Hobey Baker top 10 finalist, 2010 Hockey East Player of the Year, Hockey East All-Star First Team, Hockey East Scoring Champion, Hockey East Three Stars Award winner, a New England All Star, Leonard Fowle Award winner (NE MVP) and Herb Gallagher Award winner (NE’s best forward). Thompson was a two-time Hockey East’s Athletic Republic Player of the Month (Nov. and Jan.) and a three-time Hockey East’s Athletic Republic Player of the Week. He ranks second in the nation in both power-play goals (12) and game-winning goals (seven) as well as ninth in points per game (1.37) and sixth in goals per game (0.74). Thompson lead Hockey East in points (52), goals (28), power-play goals and game-winning goals, and ranked third in power-play points (22) and ninth in assists (24).• Blake Kessel, a 2010-11 Hockey East First-Team All-Star, continued to backbone the UNH defense in his junior season. The blueliner ranks 18th in the nation for defensemen scoring with 0.69 points per game and was named a 2011 Walter Brown Award semifinalist for his efforts. He was even more impressive in Hockey East play, ranking second in defensemen scoring (27 points), 13th in assists (22) and 18th in power play points (14). The junior chipped in at least 20 assists for the second-straight season and led all UNH blueliners with 27 points.

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY• UNH had a seven-game winning streak spanning October and November and began the 2010-11 season with an 8-2-0 overall record that included 2-0-0 in Hockey East.• Senior captain Courtney Birchard was named a Hockey East First Team All-Star for the second consecutive year.• UNH ended Boston University’s 13-game winning streak with a 4-2 road win in which senior goaltender Kayley Herman made a school-record 52 saves, including 21 in the third period.• That win at BU was the 700th in the history of the UNH women’s ice hockey program. New Hampshire is the only U.S. collegiate team to attain that milestone.• The Wildcats also recorded road victories against nationally-ranked Providence College (2-1) and North-eastern University (4-3 in overtime) in back-to-back weeks.

• UNH ranked #3 nationally in penalty kill at 91.7%.• UNH recorded its 200th win at the Whittemore Center with a 4-2 victory against Maine on Jan. 30. Follow-ing that game, the ‘Cats had a 200-43-24 home record (.794 winning percentage) since opening the Whitt in December 1995.

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD• Placed eighth at the New England Championships, one week after a fifth-place finish at the America East Championships. • Sophomore Matthew Guarente won a conference title in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 8.25 inches. • Graduate student Paul DeTurk placed second in the weight throw with a toss of 50 feet, 0.50 inches, while junior Dan DeCrescenzo also turned in a second-place finish in the 5,000m at 14:28.75.

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD• Finished seventh at the New England Championships, one week after a fourth-place finish at the America East Championships.• Graduate student Rita Ciambra won her third-consecutive conference title in the pole vault with a cleared height of 12-3.50.• Senior Megan Donahue won a conference title in the 500m in a time of 1:15.48.• Senior Camille Quarles won the triple jump at the New England Championships with a leap of 40-feet, 0.75 inches.• Senior Kaitlyn Dugan captured first place in the pentathlon at the New England Championships with 3,340 points. • Senior Erica Jesseman won the 5,000m at the ECAC Championships as she crossed the finish line in a time of 16:24.09 to break her own school record she set two weeks earlier at the America East Championships.

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SKIING• Wildcats’ eighth-place finish at NCAA Ski Championships was the top team result in 11 seasons.• Junior men’s alpine skier Zach Clayton earned All-America First Team honors with a third-place finish in slalom and Second Team with a 10th-place finish in giant slalom at NCAA Championships.• Clare Egan, a graduate student women’s Nordic skier, earned EISA All-East Second Team honors, qualified for the NCAA Championships and was named to USCSCA All-Academic Team.• Junior men’s alpine skier Paul Atkinson recorded his first career victory in slalom at St. Lawrence Carnival, was named to EISA All-East First Team, qualified for the NCAA Championships for second straight season and was a member of the USCSCA All-Academic Team.• Sophomore women’s alpine skier Marie-Elaine Lepine qualified for the NCAA Championships for the sec-ond consecutive year and was tabbed to the EISA All-East Second Team.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING• New Hampshire won the ECAC Swimming and Diving Championships for the first time since 2005, as the Wildcats totaled 11 ECAC winners, breaking five school and five ECAC records, while also qualifying for NCAA provisional time standards in five swims.• Senior Amy Perrault contributed to six first-place finishes and helped the ‘Cats break five records at the ECAC Championships, earning the Women’s Swimmer of the Meet award. She also took home hardware at the conference championships, earning the Coaches Award, recognizing a senior that gets the most points in their career at the championships.• UNH took home Coaching Staff of the Year honors at both the America East Championships and ECAC Championships. • The Wildcats claimed third place at the America East Swimming and Diving Championships, breaking 11 school and nine conference records, while also qualifying for NCAA provisional time standards in eight swims.• Freshman Lauren McCandless contributed to three first place finishes and helped the ‘Cats break four re-cords at the America East Championships, earning the Women’s Rookie of the Year award. She also captured one individual title, while breaking a combined three records on her own.

SPRING HIGHLIGHTSWOMEN’S LACROSSE

• UNH extended its league record for consecutive appearances in the America East Championship tourna-ment to 14 years by advancing to the 2011 semifinals.• Junior captain Hayley Rausch scored a career-high five goals, including one with 38 seconds remaining in double overtime, to lift UNH to a 13-12 victory against Boston University. • In a must-win regular-season finale at Binghamton University, the Wildcats overcame a 10-5 deficit with 15 minutes remaining in the second half to record a 12-10 victory. Kate Gunts made a season-high 10 saves, including six in the final 20:46 to hold Binghamton scoreless for that stretch. Ilana Cohen scored three of her career-high five points during the comeback run.• Senior captain Allie Duclos was named to the America East All-Academic Team for the third consecutive year in 2011.• New Hampshire peaked at #2 in the nation in caused turnovers and was ranked in the top five for five con-secutive weeks. The ‘Cats are currently (through May 8) #11 in that statistic.• UNH had two representatives on each of the four America East All-Conference Teams (First Team, Second Team, Rookie Team and All-Academic Team).

MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD• Finished fifth at the America East Championships and then placed ninth at the New England Champion-ships. • Senior Mike Simon capped off his impressive throwing career in the javelin by winning four of six meets, including a fourth straight conference title and a first-place finish in the College Division at the prestigious Penn Relays. • Graduate student Paul DeTurk captured a trio of first-place finishes in the hammer throw, including an in-dividual title at the New England Championships, and was runner-up at both the Larry Ellis Invitational and the conference championships. • Sophomore Matthew Guarente captured four first-place finishes in the high jump, headlined by his first outdoor conference title. • Junior Renrick Pesce took home the title at the Holy Cross Decathlon, topping a field of 25 multi-event ath-letes.

WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD• Won the New England Championships for the first time in program history, one week after a third-place finish at the America East Championships.• Graduate student Rita Ciambra won her third conference title in the pole vault with a cleared height of 4.15m, which broke both a school record as well as a conference championship record. She went on to finish first and break the meet record at the New England Championships. • Seniors Erica Jesseman and Camille Quarles as well as junior Keely Maguire each won individual titles at the New England Championships, while Jesseman and Quarles also set school records at the conference meet. • Graduate student Clare Egan won a conference title in the 3,000m steeplechase in a time of 10:45.41. • Senior Sydney Fitzgerald won a conference title in the 10,000m, setting a new facility record in the event in a time of 35.39.72.• Senior Kate Early won the Holy Cross Heptathlon and went on to set a new school record in a runner-up performance at the conference championships.

JIM URQUHART STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARDColin O’Donnell (Hampden, Mass.) and Rita Ciambra (Hanover, N.H.) were named the 2011 recipients of the Jim Urquhart Student-Athlete of the Year by the University of New Hampshire athletic department. The award is named in memory of longtime UNH coach Jim Urquhart, who coached the New Hampshire men’s lacrosse team for 17 years and the wrestling team for 11 seasons before taking the position of Associate Ath-letic Director of Event Management in 1997. He passed away after suffering a heart attack on Jan. 14, 1998.

Colin O’DonnellColin O’Donnell of the men’s soccer team was a major key to UNH’s success this season, becom-ing the first goalkeeper to record three shutouts in the America East Tournament, as he earned All-Tournament Team honors and concluded his collegiate career with a shutout streak of 309 minutes, eight seconds. With the streak he increased his single-season shutout total to 10, ty-ing the UNH record, while lowering his goals-against-average to 0.43, which is also a program single-season record and ranked No. 2 in the nation. Additionally, O’Donnell finished the year ranking first in the country with a .902 save percentage, allowing more than one goal just once in 17 matches. He was especially stellar at home, posting a 5-0-2 record with a 0.26 GAA, .946 save percentage and five shutouts as he stopped 35 of 37 shots on goal. His accomplishments did not go without merit, earning the America East Goalkeeper of the Year award and All-Confer-ence First Team honors for the second consecutive year. Aside from his impressive GAA and save percentage numbers, he topped the America East in shutouts (10) and saves (74), while ranking

third in saves per game (4.35). O’Donnell is a two-time America East scholar-athlete award winner and an America East All-Academic selection each of the last two years. He also earned first-team Academic All-District recognition from CoSIDA and was selected as a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Men’s College Scholar All-American this year, becoming just the second Wildcat all-time to achieve Academic All-American status.

Rita Ciambra Rita Ciambra of the women’s track & field team wrapped up an impressive pole vault career this season and left her mark as one of the region’s best in the event while also demonstrating con-tinued excellence in academics. In the outdoor season, Ciambra took home her third conference title with a cleared height of 4.15m, breaking her own school record as well as an America East Championship record. The Hanover, N.H. native went on win one week later at the New England Championships as she set a new meet record in the event and helped lead the Wildcats to their first title in program history. Ciambra is also a three-time indoor conference champion in the pole vault and capped off her indoor career with a title this past season, qualifying for the ECAC Championships. Earlier in the winter, she also captured a win at the Boston Indoor Games by top-ping a field of 13 with a cleared height of nearly eight inches higher than the runner-up. She was just as impressive in the classroom as she posted a 4.00 GPA in her graduate work and was named an America East Scholar-Athlete this past winter as one of six student-athletes recognized by the

conference for their performances both in their respective sports as well as in academic studies. Ciambra, a two-time member of the America East All-Academic Team, is pursuing a master’s degree this year in secondary education after graduating Summa Cum Laude from New Hampshire with an undergraduate degree in biology.

2010-11 COACH OF THE YEAR AWARDS • Robin Balducci and Margaux Shute - America East Coaching Staff of the Year (field hockey)• Josh Willman, Jarrod Zwirko, Tory McKenna and Nicole Benson - America East Coaching Staff of the Year and ECAC Coaching Staff of the Meet (women’s swimming and diving)• Sean McDonnell - New England Football Coach of the Year

TINA TRUE MEMORIAL AWARDThe Tina True Memorial Award, given annually since 2007 to two Wildcat athletes for their commitment to strength and conditioning, was presented to Paul DeTurk (Durham, N.H.) of the men’s track & field team and Sara Heldman (Greenwood, Ind.) of the volleyball team. True was a co-captain and coxswain of the women’s crew team from 2000 to 2002. Her commitment to training and her passion for her sport greatly contributed to the success of the team. In January of her junior year, Tina’s life was tragically cut short in a car accident.

Paul DeTurkDeTurk, a graduate student in his third year as a thrower on the men’s track & field team, placed second in the hammer throw at the 2011 America East Outdoor Championships, won the event at the New England Championships and competed at the NCAA East Regional. DeTurk opened the outdoor season with four top-5 finishes in the event, including a pair of first-place showings at back-to-back home meets, and went on to place seventh in the Championship Division at the prestigious Penn Relays. In the indoor season, DeTurk was always a top contender in the weight throw and finished runner-up in the event at the conference championships.

Sara HeldmanHeldman became the first America East student-athlete to earn both Setter of the Year and Defen-sive Specialist of the Year. In 2010, Heldman recorded 9.11 assists per set in addition to 2.76 digs per set. The senior served up 16 aces and recorded 26 blocks on the year. Heldman finished her final year at New Hampshire with a team-leading 13 double-doubles, earning Setter of the Week three times. Heldman ended her tenure in Durham with 104 digs and finished with 287 digs. She became the first player in program history to win Setter of the Year and is a two-time All-America East honoree. Heldman is just the second player in UNH history to record 1,000 digs and 1,000 assists.

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCEThe Athletic Director’s Award for Academic Excellence, given for just the second time in department history, is awarded to a male and female senior student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point-average. On the men’s side Joe Corsello (York, Maine – Environmental Engineering: Municipal Process) from the men’s soccer team was the honoree, while Kaitlyn Dugan (Hatfield, Pa. – Chemistry/Pre-Med) from the women’s track & field team was the female recipient.

Joe CorselloCorsello ends his career with seven points on three goals and one assist after playing in 58 games at back for the Wildcats. In addition to his offensive productivity, he also provided stellar defense in the backfield throughout his career, as New Hampshire proved to be one of the top defensive teams in the conference each of the last two years. The environmental engineering major capped off his senior campaign collecting CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-America First-Team and Amer-ica East All-Academic Team honors for the second straight season. Additionally, he collected National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) scholar honors after being tabbed a Second-Team All-East selection as a senior and earning honorable mention status the year prior. He was also selected to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll in both 2008 and 2009, while also picking up conference honor roll status in 2007. He also earned the H. Richard Sandler Award for academic achievement at the 2008 team banquet.

Kaitlyn DuganDugan, a senior multi-event specialist for the women’s track & field team, finished third in the heptathlon at the America East Outdoor Championships and second at the Holy Cross heptath-lon earlier in the season. Dugan enjoyed an impressive indoor campaign, highlighted by an indi-vidual title in the pentathlon at the New England Championships, and went on to place 11th in the event at the ECAC Championships. Dugan, a viable threat in several events throughout her track & field career, enjoyed a second-place finish in the high jump at the 2010 outdoor New England Championships and a runner-up performance in the heptathlon at last season’s outdoor confer-ence championships. For her impressive academic efforts, Dugan was named to the 2009-10 Co-SIDA Academic All-District Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team as well as the America East Track & Field All-Academic Team.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AWARDKaitlyn Dugan was also feted with the Community Involvement Award. The award, presented for the first time, recog-nized Dugan’s commitment to serving the University, the athletic department and the larger community over the course of her time at UNH. She volunteered as a coordinator and traveled two years to New Orleans with Habitat for Humanity as part of the spring break relief program. Additionally, she has been a Big Sister in a nearby community for four years and, in her Philadelphia-area hometown, has volunteered with the Variety Club Camp, which serves kids with perma-nent or temporary disabilities. On campus, Dugan has been an Honors Program mentor for three years, was the only Hamel Scholars Program representative of the junior class for her college division, volunteered for move-in opening day crew and is a four-year member of Athlete’s Intervarsity, currently serving as a member of the leadership team.