2009-2010 Season Preview

The Elmira College Men’s Basketball team enters the 2009-10 season under second-year  Head Coach Randie Torgalski. The Soaring Eagles will look to benefit from the valuable experience gained in the 2008-09 season as 10 players played over 10 minutes per game, nine of which return to the squad this season.

The Members of the 2010 class will be relied upon to provide not only quality minutes, but leadership as well. 

Forward Jon Adamson ’10 (Little Falls, NY -- Herkimer) will be a force down low for the Soaring Eagles in ’09-10. Adamson started 23 games in the ’08-09 season totaling eight double-digit rebounding performances. The 6’4” forward used his frame to help pull in a team-high 7.5 rebounds a game which was the fifth best average in the Empire 8. Adamson also scored 15 points per game and was fifth in the league with a 53.5 field goal percentage while his 78.6 percent shooting from the foul line was also the Empire 8’s fifth best percentage all leading to an Empire 8 Honorable Mention selection.
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Local product Bryan Mathews ’10 (Horseheads, NY -- Horseheads) will act as the main distributor of the ball this year for the Soaring Eagles. Mathews led the team with 3.36 assists per game in 25 games played while averaging the third most minutes played a game at 27.8. The 5’10” guard also showed he was not afraid to fight in the paint by pulling in 3.3 rebounds a game, the second best average on the team.

Fellow guard Noah Zazulia ’10 (Palm City, FL -- Jensen Beach) will be relied upon for consistent offensive production in the ’09-10 season. Zazulia played 22.8 minutes a game in 22 games making 10 starts, and improved in virtually every statistical category in the ’08-09 season. Zazulia finished the year averaging 6.6 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game and 1.4 assists a night.

Palen Andreozzi ’10 (Albany, NY -- Christian Brothers Academy) will also be an offensive threat for the Purple and Gold this season. Andreozzi appeared in 20 games last season including nine starts. Andreozzi was fourth on the team in scoring; finishing with an average of 6.3 points a night. Averaging 20.2 minutes, he also tied for the team lead with 13 blocks.

Chris Henderson ’10 (West Bridgewater, MA -- Coyle Cassidy) and Nick Woitach ’10 (Vestal, NY -- Vestal Senior) came off the bench to provide the Soaring Eagles with quality minutes of play during the ’08-09 season. Both will add valuable experience and competitiveness to the Soaring Eagles roster this season. Henderson, Elmira College’s representative on the E8’s Sportsman of the Year selections last season, made 12 starts in 22 games. Woitach scored 29 points in 17 games and was second on the team with 1.8 assists per game in ’08-09.

David Nelson ’10 (Bainbridge, NY -- Bainbridge-Guilford) will look to rebound from an injury plagued season in ’08-09. Nelson, however, did manage to play in 15 games scoring 6.1 points a contest to go with 1.8 rebounds a game last season. Nelson has the ability to light up the gym as he demonstrated last season by leading EC in three-point percentage by shooting 34.5 percent (19-for-55) from distance and poured in a season-high 18 points against Keuka College in the second game of the year.

A key addition to the Soaring Eagles line-up will be Chris McGowan ’10 (Maypearl, TX -- Maypearl). The 6’1’’ transfer guard comes to Elmira College from Corning Community College where he was a standout player. McGowan will provide the Purple and Gold with an offensive spark and a tenacious defensive effort as he plays with great energy and quickness. 

Bobby DiPiazza ’11 (Wyckoff, NJ -- Bergen Catholic) served as the driving force behind Elmira College’s offense during the ’08-09 season, and will look to continue his offensive attack this season. DiPiazza, who set career-highs in minutes played, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, points per game and steals, led the Soaring Eagles and was fifth in the Empire 8 with 17.2 points per game last season. The Bergen Catholic alum was the top scorer for the Purple and Gold 14 times this season even dropping 20 more points nine times with his best game coming at Nazareth College on Feb. 24. DiPiazza scored 32 points in the losing effort. Expect strong play and big numbers from DiPiazza throughout the ’09-10 season.

Elmira College’s biggest body is 6’7” 235 pound forward Zach Simpson ’11 (Savona, NY -- Campbell-Savona). Simpson will patrol the paint this season and will look to be a force on the defensive end. Simpson appeared in 25 contests including 11 starts shooting 49.3 percent from the field averaging 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season.

TJ Woitach ’11 (Vestal, NY -- Vestal Senior) and Ryan Patterson ’11 (Brattleboro, VT -- Brattleboro Union) will both look to improve their contributions in the ’09-10 season as they gained valuable experience appearing in 20 and 18 games respectively in ’08-09

In his second year with the Soaring Eagles Caleb Pruch ’12 (Bolivar, NY -- Bolivar-Richburg) will look to make a name for himself as a main contributor to the EC offense in ’09-10. Last season, Pruch saw action in 19 and 15 games.

The Soaring Eagles welcome three first year players to the roster this season, Matt Willard ’13 (Coventry, RI -- Coventry), Brandon DiPaola ’13 (Coventry, RI -- Coventry), and Bobby Thomas ’13 (Wantagh, NY – MacArthur). The three newcomers are extremely talented players that will see valuable minutes throughout the year for the Purple and Gold.

With Coach Torgalski returning virtually every member of last season’s squad the expectations for the Elmira College’s Men’s Basketball team are very high in ’09-10.