2008 Woodie Awards
Pioneers happy, still hungry
Mike Barrett
Issue date: 3/23/06 Section: Sports
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The NEC champion Pioneers finished the season with a record of 26-5, and had their 10 game win streak snapped in the loss to Maryland. The number 15 seeded Pioneers played against a number two Terrapin team that outmatched them in size and talent and was able to control the tempo of the game.
Going into the game, Sacred Heart coach Ed Swanson, in the midst of celebrating the birth of his first son, Connor, knew his team would be the underdog.
"This is the second time all year that we have been the underdog," Swanson said. "But I really felt like this team wouldn't be scared."
The Pioneers tried to run with the Terps, even pulling to within three points early in the first half, but the dominating inside game by Maryland kept Sacred Heart out of reach. The Pioneers were out rebounded in the game 57-26 and outscored in the paint 56-14.
There were, however, a few bright spots in the game for the Pioneers.
NEC Player of the Year Amanda Pape, a junior from Stamford, led the Pioneers with 16 points, including a three point shot at the buzzer of the first half to pull the score to 47-33. The shot gave the Pioneers some spirit as they went into the locker room with the feeling that they were still in the game.
"It was a great feeling because I have never done anything like that before, and it was a great way for us to end the half," Pape said.
The shot also drew much noise from the Pioneer students who made the trip to watch their team play. Even when the team was down, the fans were still supporting the Pioneers, chanting "S-H-U" and "Go Heart".
"The crowd was great; it made us feel like we were playing at home and it really supported us," Captain Nicolle Rubino, a senior guard from Port Jefferson Station, N.Y, said. "Their support made the loss a little better for us to handle."