2009-2010 Men's Basketball Season in Review

The Elmira College Men’s Basketball team finished
the 2009-10 season with a 4–21 record under second year
Head Coach
Randie Torgalski. Despite having a balance of
youth and experience the Soaring Eagles could not get over the hump
this season in the tough Empire 8 Conference.
The Soaring Eagles found success early in the season against out-of
conference opponents, upsetting Fredonia 83-77 at home in the first
game of the season, while also defeating Clarkson University at
home 84-66. In Empire contests, Elmira defeated Alfred University
75-71, and won at Utica College 72-58.
Elmira College was led by a core group of 4th year players who
provided veteran leadership and a determined attitude during the
2009-10 season.
Bryan Mathews ’10 (Horseheads, NY --
Horseheads),
Jon Adamson ’10 (Little Falls, NY --
Herkimer),
David Nelson ’10 (Bainbridge, NY --
Bainbridge-Guilford),
Chris Henderson ’10 (West Bridgewater, MA --
Coyle Cassidy), and
Palen Andreozzi ’10 (Albany, NY -- Christian
Brothers Academy) appeared in all 25 games this season,
while
Nick Woitach ’10 (Vestal, NY -- Vestal
Senior) appeared in 21 games for the Soaring Eagles.
Mathews started in 17 games averaging 22.2
minutes, while shooting 40.7% from the field. He acted as the main
distributor for the second straight year tallying 79 assists, and
ends his career 10th all time in Elmira College Men’s
Basketball history with 260 assists. In his final campaign the
vocal leader averaged 4.9 points per game, was second on the team
with 21 steals, and also grabbed 73 rebounds from the point guard
position.
Adamson led the Soaring Eagles in rebounding this
past season, snatching 6.0 rebounds a game, finishing his career
7th all time in Elmira College history with just over 500 rebounds.
In his 4th year
Adamson started 17 games, playing 25.4 minutes per
game, while dropping in 8.6 points per game with a 42.9% shooting
percentage.
Adamson also totaled 24 assists and 15 steals.
During his four year career
Nelson was a sharpshooter from the charity stripe
and from beyond the arc.
Nelson finished his time with the purple and gold
1st all time in Elmira College Men’s Basketball history
in free throw percentage hitting 85.5% of his free throws and
finished 5th all time in three point field goals made with 128. In
2009-10, he started 17 games, averaged 7.3 points per game,
bringing down 48 boards, and recorded 7 blocks.
Starting in 16 games,
Henderson did the little things for Elmira,
playing 14.6 minutes per game, tearing down 58 boards, while
ripping away 14 steals from opponents. He averaged 1.9 points a
game and contributed 15 assists. Joining him in the front court was
Elmira’s representative for Empire 8 Sportsman of the
year
Palen Andreozzi, who averaged 9.1 minutes per
game, 2.6 points per game, and notched 40 rebounds, and 8 blocks.
Fellow 4th year player
Nick Woitach provided great leadership and came on
strong late in the season with quality minutes off the bench.
Woitach led the team in scoring in the final
contest of the year off the bench netting 11 points at Stevens
Institute of Technology and was the third highest scorer dropping 9
points at RIT. He finished the season averaging 7.6 minutes a game,
1.8 points per game, while grabbing 17 boards and dishing 13
assists.
Losing six players to graduation, the third year players for Elmira
College will be relied upon heavily to fill their shoes both on the
court and off the court.
Bobby DiPiazza ’11 (Wyckoff, NJ -- Bergen
Catholic) had another solid season, starting in 18 of the
25 games he appeared.
DiPiazza averaged a team high in minutes per game
with 29.7 and points per game with 13.8, while averaging 4.2
rebounds, 1.88 assists, and 1.16 steals per game. He will be looked
to continue to become a complete player for the Soaring Eagles in
2010-11.
Zach Simpson ’11 (Savona, NY --
Campbell-Savona) made great strides in becoming a physical
presence and force down low for Elmira, starting 18 games playing
19.8 minutes per game.
Simpson averaged 5.8 points per game, tallied 4.5
rebounds per game, 20 blocks, and shot 40.1% from the field.
Providing sparks off the bench were
Noah Zazulia ’11 (Palm City, FL –
Jensen Beach),
Chris McGowan ’11 (Maypearl, TX –
Maypearl),
Bobby Thomas ’13 (Wantagh, NY -
MacArthur), and
Brandon DiPaola ’13 (Coventry, RI –
Coventry).
Zazulia played all 25 games for Elmira while
fighting injuries. He played 19.5 minutes a game, netted 4.0 points
per game, grabbed 75 rebounds, and had 19 assists and 12 takeaways.
McGowan appeared in 19 games, averaging 4.1 points
in 13.3 minutes per game, totaling 26 rebounds and 11 assists.
Thomas averaged 16.7 minutes a game in his 21
games played. He averaged 3.9 points per game, accumulating 30
assists, scooping up 23 rebounds, and 10 steals.
DiPaola started 9 of 20 games played, averaging
9.5 minutes and 1.9 points per game. He added 11 assists and 9
boards.
With the departure of the 4th year players,
Ryan Patterson ’11 (Brattleboro, VT --
Brattleboro Union),
TJ Woitach ’11 (Vestal, NY -- Vestal
Senior), and
Matt Willard ’13 (Coventry, RI –
Coventry) will be looked to step up and play extended
roles in the Soaring Eagles 2010-11 campaign.
Patterson appeared in 16 games, playing 3.2
minutes per game, dropping in 9 points, while grabbing 12 boards.
Woitach played in 14 games, average 3.1 minutes per game and
averaged 1.2 points per game.
Willard averaged 2.4 minutes in his 13 appearances
and scored 8 points on the year.
The 2010-11 Elmira College Men’s Basketball team will
have a new look losing six players to graduation. In his 3rd year,
Coach
Torgalski will look to find the right combination
of experience and youth in order to achieve success next season.