Men’s basketball grabs first conference win on the road against Mariners

A strong start carried the Northern Vermont University-Johnson men’s basketball to a convincing 74-60 victory over Maine Maritime Academy on Saturday, Dec. 7.
The Badgers took the early lead and never looked back in their first North Atlantic Conference contest of the 2019-2020 campaign. Ayodeji Shokeye led the Badgers with 12 points, six rebounds and two assists, Kiyl Mack contributed 11 points, two assists, a rebound, a steal and a block and Robert Dubose chipped in with 10 points, a rebound, an assist and a block.
The Badgers used a 23-2 run midway through the first half to take a 34-13 lead at 7:21 and carried a 43-21 lead into halftime. The Badgers defense contained the Mariners attack holding them to 34.8% from the field in the first half.
Headed into the second half, the Mariners put together a 15-3 run in the second half to close the gap to 65-48, but the Badgers held on for the 74-60 victory. The Mariners shot 38.7 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc, while the Badgers shot 47.1 percent overall and 15.8 percent from beyond the arc. NVU-Johnson held a narrow 41-38 advantage in rebounds.

Strong second half pushes Eagles past men’s basketball

The Northern Vermont University-Johnson men’s basketball team fell in North Atlantic Conference play on Sunday, Dec. 8 against Husson University by a score of 85-74.
Both sides looked for the advantage in the first half of action, as there were eleven lead changes. The Eagles had the largest lead of the half leading by seven points, but it was Ayodeji Shokeye, Floyd Davis and Kiyl Mack that made the final push of the half to tie the game at 42 headed into the break. Four players scored in double figures for the Badgers for the contest.
The Badgers were led by a Davis double-double in the defeat, finishing with 16 points, 14 rebounds and two steals. Robert Dubose chipped in 14 points, three rebounds and three steals, while Mack finished the contest with 13 points and three rebounds.
In the beginning of the second half the Eagles started strong off an 8-0 run. The Badgers struggled to find a rhythm behind Davis leading the comeback, finishing with ten points and eight rebounds in the second. The Badgers eventually fell in regulation by a score of 85-74.
DJ Bussey and Brett Cunningham scored a team-high 17 points apiece, followed by Justice Kendall who finished with 14 points in the victory.
With the loss, the Badgers move to 3-6 overall and 1-1 in conference action. The Eagles improve to 4-3 and 2-0 in NAC play.

Women’s soccer announces first commitment for 2020 season

The Northern Vermont University-Johnson women’s soccer program and Head Coach Andrew Lafrenz earned his most recent commitment on Dec. 6 from Saint Johnsville, New York native Isabella Masi.
Isabella Masi will come to Northern Vermont University-Johnson after the conclusion of her high school graduation at Oppenheim-Ephratah-St.Johnsville. When she arrives at NVU-Johnson, Masi will pursue a degree in psychology with a minor in biology.
“I am looking forward to playing for Coach Lafrenz. I am excited to have the opportunity to learn the new things he has to offer and teach,” said Masi. “Joining the Badger family is exciting because I will be part of a new family and playing soccer will be about supporting my teammates and the rest of my school”.
Coach Lafrenz is excited for the addition of Masi and believes her skillset will help bolster the Badger defense. “Isabella brings a great defensive skill set to our team,” said Lafrenz. “She is very capable in multiple roles and we’re excited to have her join us”.
Masi knows that NVU-Johnson is the right fit for her and believes the class sizes will help her excel academically along with on the athletic playing surface. “I chose NVU-Johnson because I love the way that the school is small and how each student is able to get the help they need”.
Throughout her high school career Isabella Masi received numerous accolades being named Second Team All-Conference in 2016 and only improving in the years ahed. In 2017, Massi was named captain of the Oppenheim-Ephratah-St.Johnsville varsity girls soccer team and received First Team All-Conference honors, Honorable Mention All-State and in 2018 was named All-State and First Team All-Conference for the second time in her career.
The NVU-Johnson women’s soccer program will announce additional commitments for the 2020 season in the near future.

Women’s basketball falls to Mariners

The Northern Vermont University-Johnson women’s basketball team traveled to Maine Maritime Academy to compete in their first North Atlantic Conference contest of the 2019-2020 season on Dec. 7. The Mariners captured the win by a score of 66-42.
Lindsey LaPerle led the way for the Badgers, scoring a team-high ten points connecting on three shots from behind the arc. Freshman Kiana Johnson added nine points and four rebounds for the Badgers and Alexandra Barry added eight points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Maine Maritime jumped out to the first lead of the contest off a field goal from Melinda Ogden. Ogden continued to provide a scoring spark for the Mariners scoring the next five points before LaPerle quieted the Mariner run with a three of her own. The Mariners closed the first quarter leading 14-6.
In the second stint of action it was the Mariners who took the demanding lead taking the period by a score of 25-10. It wasn’t until the fourth and final period that the Badgers took control of momentum. Johnson led the way in the final period scoring six points and Barry added four but it wasn’t enough as the Badgers fell late.