The University of Maine field hockey team didn’t really need a confidence booster. Time after time, the Black Bears have credited their confidence as a key element in this season’s success.

Still, the Black Bears were hungry for a win over conference rival Northeastern University, and that’s exactly what they got with a win over the No. 8 Huskies, 2-1, with an overtime goal by senior Tara Bedard on Sunday.

“This win really boosted our confidence,” senior co-captain Kim Leo said. “It’s definitely going to help us finish the season strong.”

Coming into the game, the Black Bears knew a victory was going to require their best performance to date. With the season rapidly closing and a recent conference loss to Boston University, the Black Bears needed to play strong against their remaining America East opponents.

“Our loss to Boston University was extremely disappointing.We felt Boston University played exceptionally well and we struggled at critical moments of the game. The loss motivated us to practice harder and be more prepared for Northeastern,” Kix said.

Preparation for this game was something UMaine had been doing since the Huskies beat the Black Bears by an identical 2-1 score in the America East Semifinals last season. But one thing the Black Bears couldn’t anticipate was the actual game day statistics that included an overwhelming amount of penalty corners on both sides of the field.

Northeastern had a definite advantage in penalty corners with 17 to UMaine’s 10, but both teams had equal scoring opportunities. It was Northeastern that scored first on a penalty corner with sophomore forward Mari Creatini’s goal at 7:42.

Creatini received a pass from the top of the circle, drawing UMaine goalkeeper Jaye Lance from the cage. Creatini delayed her shot, which Lance had anticipated by diving to her right, and Creatini scored on a one-time shot that went past the legs of Lance.

The early goal was all Northeastern could put on the board, and with 3:08 remaining in the first half, UMaine took advantage of a two-on-one situation of their own.

Tara Bedard began the play by carrying the ball up the right side. After beating several defenders, Bedard went to the middle of the field where junior Jana Ouellette was cutting in toward Northeastern goalie, Emily Roy. Roy came out of the cage in anticipation of a shot by Bedard, and dove to her right. Bedard then passed the ball to Ouellette, who took advantage of an outstretched Roy by sending a drive into the goal.

The second half showcased both defenses, as the score remained 1-1 with both teams earning a second half shutout. Both goalkeepers played exceptionally well by making difficult saves. Most of those saves were on corners, and Northeastern’s Roy frustrated the Black Bears by clearing out all of UMaine’s penalty corners.

Kim Leo was the primary shooter on most of those corners, and Roy made several acrobatic saves on her shots. Leo and the Black Bears used the situation for motivation.

“It was frustrating, but we were so excited every time we got an offensive corner. It was another opportunity to score, and each time the ball came to me I was looking to get the ball on net,” Leo said.

UMaine wasn’t as excited on defensive corners, and Northeastern had several plays that would confuse any defense. Leo, a defender, felt the Black Bears did well against Northeastern’s corners after the first goal.

“All of us back there were seniors, and there was one junior. We just kept telling each other that we had to clear it out and stay strong,” Leo said.

When the first half came to an end, it appeared to be deja v� for the UMaine team. Their last home contest with Providence College came to a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation, with the Black Bears eventually winning the contest in penalty strokes. But in this overtime, the Black Bears wasted no time as Bedard scored the game winning goal with 4:33 remaining.

The University of Maine women’s soccer team looks to pull a Halloween trick when they host rival University of New Hampshire Thursday afternoon.

The game against the Wildcats, the final game at Orono for three Maine seniors, is pivotal if the Black Bears are to keep their fading playoff hopes alive. UMaine will need to pull out its own version of the famed Anaheim Angels’ rally monkey if it is to secure an America East playoff berth. First, the Black Bears must secure three points against the Wildcats – then they need a lot of help.

Binghamton University would need to lose to New Hampshire and Boston University would need to lose both of its final games, against University of Hartford and University of Albany, for UMaine to secure a spot. In addition, if Northeastern earns more than one point in their final two games, UMaine will be eliminated.

One thing that is certain is that each scenario is meaningless unless UMaine can secure three points against New Hampshire.

“I think our players understand the magnitude of Thursday’s game versus New Hampshire, and that in itself serves as adequate impetus to have a strong performance on Thursday,” UMaine head coach Scott Atherley said.

The Wildcats are led by senior goalkeeper Kristen Ouelette. Ouelette is the reigning America East Player of the Week. She earned the honor for registering 11 saves in her team’s 1-0 victory over the second placed Hartford Hawks. Despite being the top team in the conference, New Hampshire has only two players in the top 20 in scoring.

The Black Bears returned home from their trip to upstate New York after posting a 1-1 record in the Empire State, opening the trip with a 1-0 overtime victory against Albany. Freshman forward Maureen McHugh scored her first collegiate goal in the Black Bears’ win.

The victory gave UMaine a two-game win streak, but it was snapped in the next game against Stony Brook. The Seawolves scored a pair of second half goals en route to a 4-1 win. Freshman forward Heather Hathorn registered UMaine’s lone goal.

The Black Bears supplied two players in the top 10 in America East scoring. On the heels of her goal against Stony Brook, Hathorn currently sits in fourth place with seven goals and two assists. Not far behind is junior forward Annie Hamel, who is in sixth place with four goals and six assists.

The game against New Hampshire will be the final home game for UMaine seniors Naomi Welsh, Maija Kaldro and Kelly Singer. According to Coach Atherley, Welsh will be leave a huge loss on the field.

“She’s an all-conference performer and has been the starting goalkeeper for the past three seasons. She holds virtually every statistical record at the University of Maine for her position,” Atherley said.

Atherley called Kaldro one of the best surprises to come to the program.

“As much as she contributed to us on the field, her gregarious personality and individual spirit will be missed the most.”

The remaining senior, Kelly Singer, has been out this year due to medical reasons.

“Her loss to our program was realized this fall. She was a two-year starter and played a large part in the recent success our program has enjoyed,” Atherley said.

With a seven-hour bus trip scheduled tonight, the University of Maine women’s volleyball team is packing only the bare essentials, among those knitting needles and balls of yarn.

“The necessities on the bus are homework, yarn and needles,” sophomore setter Carmen Gabriel said. “I’m not even going to take deodorant.”

While most teams fix their eyes on a television screen to survive grueling bus trips, the Black Bear volleyball players focus on their newest works of art.

“[Knitting] is something special and unique to our team,” senior defensive specialist Amber Sammons said. “One of the girls taught her roommate, and then we all learned to knit one by one.”

Although knitting usually is considered a solitary activity, the Black Bears do it as a team. They walk up and down bus aisles to compliment each other’s work, according to sophomore middle blocker Brittany Howe.

“It’s so fun to see everyone’s progress,” Howe said. “It’s just something that passes time on the bus.”

Many of the players agree that knitting is much more than a pastime to the team.

“The knitting is a big part of the support system we have,” junior outside hitter Randi Olin said. “We can do so many things together outside of volleyball. It’s like having 13 sisters.”

As if they aren’t around each other enough, the girls are roommates as well as teammates.

“Coach pairs us up really well,” Gabriel said. “She matches the right personalities up when we are freshman and then we get to know each other on and off the court.”

The players describe their group as more of a family than a team. The team has only three Maine natives on it’s 14-player roster and Gabriel said with that many players away from home, a support system is vital.

“There’s no way we could go on without each other,” Gabriel said. “We’re all we’ve got right now. You can hardly call your mom, it costs money.”

Even with long bus trips and difficult practices, the players say they rarely tire of each other’s company.

“After we spend 13 hours together on a dirty, smelly bus, we can come back and spend three more hours together at the Union until it closes,” Olin said.

Freshman outside hitter Kaili Jordan recognizes the unique relationship her team shares.

“Our team is one of the tightest groups I have ever been a part of,” Jordan said. “I think that’s part of the reason that we still have faith that this season is going to come together.”

The University of Maine hosted the 2003 America East Conference Swimming and Diving Championships this weekend, coupling a festive attitude with intense competition. After three days of boiling the Stanley Wallace Pool, both the men’s and women’s squads ended the weekend in fifth place.

Northeastern University took home the gold on the women’s side with 885.5 points, followed by runner-up New Hampshire with 774.5. Maine registered 384.

Junior Kate Abbott added to a growing collection of school records this weekend, bringing her total to four after two unprecedented swims in distance freestyle. Abbott, already part of the fastest 200 and 400 freestyle relays in UMaine women’s history, stopped the clock in Friday afternoon’s trial session at 5:08.65 in the 500-yard freestyle. The time eclipsed the old mark of 5:09.06, set by Julie Woodcock in 1979. Abbott would later swim to sixth place in the event with a time of 5:12.12.

Abbott again made history in the final session of the weekend in the 1,650 freestyle. Finishing fourth in the 66-length race at 17:42.21, Abbott broke the old record of 17:47.26 set by Noreen Solakoff in 1990.

Abbott would also place eighth in the 200 fly with a time of 2:13.97.

Backstroker Stephanie Smietana brought home hardware for UMaine in both the 100- and 200-yard disciplines. Saturday, Smietana was one of only five women to drop under the one-minute barrier in the 100 back, taking fourth with a time of 59.54. Smietana performed even better in the 200 back, taking third with a time of 2:07.51.

Katrine Alcaide also spent time on the podium over the weekend, placing third in Friday’s 50-yard freestyle at 23.99 and fourth in the 100 free in 52.65. The Binghamton men were team champions, scoring 771 points to top bridesmaid Boston University. The Black Bear men racked up 397.5 in the fifth-place effort.

The men were led by junior Jacob Jentzer, a second-place finisher in the 100 butterfly. Jentzer clocked in at 51.32, edged only by champion Matt Hanson of Stony Brook. Jentzer also placed seventh in the 100 freestyle (48.13) and eighth in the 50 free (22.33).

Senior captain Nick Baser contributed with his breaststroking talents, placing fifth in the 100 and 200 distances. Baser hit the wall at 1:00.74 in the 100 breast and 2:12.13 in the 200. Baser also took eighth place in Friday evening’s 200 individual medley, touching the pad at 2:02.13.

Virtually all swimmers recorded season best times in their event, providing all Black Bear competitors with something to smile about.

“We’re really happy about the way things went,” senior Dan Donahue said. “The atmosphere on deck is great and so many people have gotten their best times.”

The times were only part of the weekend’s significance for the Black Bears, as the meet that culminates the season provides other things to remember.

Beginning Friday afternoon, athletes focused in quiet determination, channeling their emotions into kicks and strokes. By the end of Sunday’s sessions, clouds of relaxation seemed to linger in the air. Posing for photographs dominated the on-deck activities by the end of the meet and the easing of tension around the pool was nearly audible. Seniors from each team were recognized before the start of Sunday’s final session.

Thirteen from UMaine were honored: captains Marcy Barrows and Heather Krebs, Esther Hatch, Ashley Simpson, Nicole Warren and Tina Welch for the women; captains Baser and Gene Connolly, Elbert Blanchard, John Delehanty, Donahue, Scott Machinist and Dave Gerrie.

The University of Maine women’s hockey team swept the University of Connecticut Huskies this weekend 2-0 and 4-1 to clinch the third seed in the upcoming Hockey East playoffs. The team earned its way into the playoffs by winning six of their last 10 games.

“I don’t know what it is,” UMaine head coach Rick Filighera said. “This is the third year in a row we’re playing our best hockey at the end of the season. The nice part is we’re playing our best hockey as we enter the playoffs. We have a date with UNH that our kids are very much looking forward to. Who else would you want to play in the playoffs if you’re going to make it.”

In Sunday’s game, the Black Bears put up a three spot on the Huskies and never looked back. Three minutes into the game senior defenseman Raffi Wolf found junior forward Meagan Aarts on the left side of the net as Aarts put one home for the 1-0 lead.

Eight minutes later at 11:23 of the period, senior captain Jarin Sjogren found the right side of the net for the 2-0 lead as senior forward Cindy Biron and freshman defenseman Katie Hartley assisted on the play.

Two minutes later at 13:20 of the period, sophomore forward Tristan Desmet found the right side of the net with assists coming from sophomore forwards Andrea Steranko and Rebecca Culver.

In the second period, the Huskies mustered their only goal of the game on a 5-3 power play that saw sophomore defenseman Tiffany Owens lift it to the top right of the net for the power play goal. Junior forward Sara Mahoney and junior defenseman Stephanie Snow assisted on the goal.

The Black Bears got that goal back when senior forward Nicole Munro got a pass from the right corner of the rink in the offensive zone and scored to get the three goal lead back for UMaine. Hartley and junior forward Karen Droog assisted on the play.

UMaine wrapped the game up with an empty net goal, as Biron became the third senior in the game to score a goal. Wolf and Siogren assisted on the goal.

Senior goaltender Lara Smart earned the first star of the game as she made 20 saves in the game. Shannon Murphy and Kaitlyn Shain combined to make 15 saves for the Huskies.

In Saturday’s game the Black Bears needed only two goals to get by Connecticut as UMaine won 2-0 to clinch a playoff berth.

“It feels great to know we have clinched a playoff spot,” Smethurst said. “We have worked hard all year and now we have something to show for it.”

The action in the game was back and forth in the first period with minimal scoring chances, but Droog capitalized on a chance as she deflected Naomi Smethurst’s slap shot for the goal to put the Black Bears up 1-0 in the game. Munro also assisted on the goal for UMaine.

The second and final goal of the game came in the second period as Aarts made a splendid blue line-to-blue line pass to a streaking Raffi Wolf who faked out Shain before switching to her backhand and lifting the puck into the back of the net for her second goal of the season.

In the game the Huskies outshot UMaine 21-20, but junior goaltender Lara Smart stopped every single puck that came her way for her third shutout of the season and her fourth win of the year. Shain made 18 saves for the Huskies.

“I felt that everyone came today to play and to win, and we were the better team,” Aarts said. “I believe the scoreboard showed it also.”

The Black Bears, the third seed in the playoffs travel to Matthews Arena in Boston for the Hockey East Playoff Tournament on March 15-16. UMaine will play the UNH Wildcats.

“We need to sit back and enjoy this for what it is, because it’s been a long year and I am real proud of these kids,” Filighera said. “They should be proud of themselves and now it’s time to look forward, and come Monday we’re moving forward and preparing for the next game.”

About three weeks ago, fifth-year senior and University of Maine men’s soccer captain Patrick Kelly said when he stepped off the field in his final game he hoped to be a part of the field and hoped people would mention his name when all was said and done.

In the traces of leftover snow Tuesday, Kelly’s footsteps etched his mark on Alumni Field. Kelly’s goal, coming off a rebound of a shot by fellow senior Rob Dow, was the game-winner as the Black Bears won their final game of the year, a 1-0 overtime triumph over Dartmouth College.

The game not only marked the Black Bears’ second home win in a row but it also surpasses last year’s win total of three.

With a little more than five minutes remaining in overtime, a ball was passed to Dow, who tapped it and spun off a Dartmouth defender for a clear shot on goal. The shot knocked Dartmouth keeper Michael Conger off balance and Kelly came in from the right side to clean up the rebound.

Afterwards, Kelly led the team to the spectator side of Alumni Field where he and fellow seniors Dow and Luke Garner led the team in the singing of the “Stein Song.”

“It’s a great feeling to score the game-winning goal and today was a team effort,” Kelly said. “The goal was a testament to [Dow] because he was the one who made it happen. It was good to end this season on a high note because it gives the guys for next season something to look forward to.”

The game against Dartmouth marked the second in which the Black Bears used a 4-3-3 formation. Garner, who formed the trio of seniors up front with Kelly and Dow, couldn’t contain his praise for his classmates.

“To see Patrick score, epitomizes the four years I have been here,” said Garner, a Pennsylvania native. “This was [Kelly's] team and it could not have ended any better than what it did.”

Until the overtime goal, the game was a stalemate only due to a couple of calls.

With about 14 minutes left in the second half, first-year forward Kyle Vosmus took a pass and knocked it in for what looked like the game-winner. However, referees called it back because Vosmus was off-sides by a few inches.

This season saw Dow lead the Black Bears in scoring for the second consecutive season.

“I was just so lucky to set up the game-winning goal and this couldn’t be better,” Dow said. “It was great that the three of us [Kelly and Garner] were able to come out and play up front together in our last game. It really meant a lot to me.”

Now that the season has come to a close, there are many positives in store for next year. Outside the loss of his three seniors, coach Travers Evans will have his whole team back in 2003. One question that could pose a problem, though, is the health of junior midfielder Greg Bajek, who had his season cut short by injuries.

Still, with newcomers such as goalkeeper and Essex Junction, Vt., native Chad Mongeon, forward Adam Chenault and Ben Wilcox, only time will tell on how far the Black Bears will go next season.

Homeruns were the story at Mahaney Diamond Saturday, but the University of Maine baseball team was unable to post the doubleheader sweep of Binghamton University despite going yard five times.

UMaine hit three solo shots in the first game, but Binghamton picked up its first conference win in the opener, a 6-3 victory. The Black Bears came back in the second game, however, plating 12 runs on 14 hits for a 12-4 victory behind third-year Mike Collar’s 10 strikeouts and sixth win of the season.

The Black Bears took an early lead in the first game with a leadoff home run by senior Joe Drapeau to start the second inning. Drapeau connected twice in the game and Alain Picard hit his fourth home run of the season in the sixth, but all three homeruns came without baserunners.

Binghamton, on the other hand, tapped UMaine pitcher Mike MacDonald for four earned runs in five innings. MacDonald fell to 4-4, giving up seven hits and striking out six. .

The Black Bears were not pleased with their execution in the first game and Drapeau said the team took time to regroup between games.

“We just came into the first game flat,” Drapeau said. “We came into the locker room and talked in between games and said we just needed to focus and bear down.”

The locker room talk paid off, but not before the Black Bears caught a scare when Binghamton’s leadoff hitter, Tony Berube, hit Collar’s first pitch of the game out of the park. Collar regrouped, retiring the next three batters, and the Black Bear offense wasted no time putting runs on the board.

After two quick outs in the home half of the first inning, Picard drew a two-out walk and Drapeau was hit by a pitch. A Binghamton error at second base would score Picard, and sophomore Greg Creek followed with an RBI single to score Drapeau, giving UMaine a 2-1 lead.

With one out, Binghamton pitcher Jacob Thiel drilled second baseman Brett Ouellette with a pitch after retiring the leadoff batter. Picard followed up with a single to shallow left to put two runners on base for the cleanup hitter, Drapeau, who sent the ball over the fence on the first pitch for his third homer of the day.

Creek then extended the inning and the Black Bear lead to 11-1 when he belted a two-run homer which scored Izaryk, who reached base with a single after Drapeau had cleared the bases.

The Black Bears would add one more run in the fifth on a groundout RBI by freshman Steve Gambale.

The Bearcats were able to make a rally in the top of the seventh inning, collecting back-to-back hits and scoring two runs after head coach Paul Kostacopoulos pulled Collar. But sophomore reliever Ryan Foley induced a double-play to end the game.

It was a day for seniors at Alfond Arena on Sunday, as coach John Giannini started all four of his veterans hoping to end a two-game losing streak.

The University of Maine men’s basketball team built a 13-point halftime lead and rolled to the 74-56 win over the Stony Brook University Seawolves. The win moved the Black Bears to 8-7 in the America East, 13-14 overall, with only one conference game remaining.

The senior duo of Clayton Brown and Rickey White each poured in 16 points, and the guard combination of Derrick Jackson and Eric Dobson held Stony Brook’s leading scorer, D.J. Munir, to just 11 points. Munir poured in 25 points when the two teams met earlier in the season.

“Quickness. We were much quicker than they were,” Brown said as the Black Bears outscored their opponents 22-10 in the post in the first half. “We make quick post moves and get to the rim. They beat us three times in a row and we just didn’t want to go down that path [to the postseason] without beating them.”

The Black Bears used the fast break to seal the win late in the game. Stony Brook applied full-court pressure to try to get back in the game, but Maine’s guards beat it on three straight possessions. Jackson fed White on the three-on-two break to take a 70-52 lead. On the next possession, Dobson hit Kevin Reed in stride for two more. Seawolf forward Cori Spencer, who had a team-high 14 points, answered with a bucket, but Jackson this time found senior Clayton Brown in the post for an easy two.

Brown has averaged 15 points, mainly off the bench, in his last five games. Brown was the biggest difference from the Jan. 26 meeting, which the Seawolves won 81-79, Stony Brook coach Nick Macarchuk said.

“I think the difference in their team is Clayton Brown,” Macarchuk said. “And not to take anything away from White, White is a sensational player. But, now when Rowe comes out of the game and Clayton Brown comes in the game, they don’t get hurt at all and maybe even play a little better.”

The Seawolves clawed back with a deep three-pointer from Munir over Eric Dobson, cutting the lead to 51-39 with five minutes gone by the second half. But they would get no closer. Dobson, with 12 points and a team-high seven assists, answered right back with a drive off the glass and then fed Brown down low to increase the lead to 16 points.

“I get pushed from my teammates and pushed from Rickey,” Brown said. “It goes back to when we were getting very little playing time. We used to take it to the starters in practice.”

Maine pounded the ball inside in the first half, making 10 lay-ups and shooting nearly 57 percent. Maine leads the America East conference in field goal shooting percentage, successful on 48 percent of their shot attempts.

Off a Bobby Santiago miss, Reed quickly pushed the ball up court and found a streaking Rickey White open between three Seawolf defenders for the lay-in, giving Maine a 31-18 lead with five minutes left in the first half. Reed, who leads the conference in three-point shooting, drilled four on his way to a game-high 17 points.

“We really did a good job getting control of the game,” coach Giannini said. “And as opposed to some of the other games, we did a good job maintaining the lead in the last minute or so.”

Stony Brook continued to press and the Black Bears continued to pound the ball inside. Dobson scored consecutive baskets driving to the middle late in the half, for four of his eight first half points. The Black Bears then increased the lead to 41-26, their largest lead of the half, when Dobson found Brown in the post for the baby hook off the glass.

Stony Brook had won three straight games against the Black Bears. Up next for the Black Bears is a rare non-conference matchup Tuesday night at home against the University of Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne, an independent team. The season finale is Saturday on the road at Hartford, a team that is in the fight with Maine for spots three through seven in the America East.

Homecoming seems to bring out the best in the University of Maine Black Bear football team. For the second straight season on Homecoming weekend, the Black Bears overcame a seemingly impossible early deficit, this time topping the Hofstra University Pride 24-17 for their 11th consecutive home win in front of a rain-soaked crowd of 6,753 fans Saturday at Alfond Stadium.

The Pride did all of its scoring in the second quarter, turning UMaine mistakes and good field position into a 17-0 lead.

After a Chris Anorato field goal made the score 3-0, Black Bear senior quarterback Jake Eaton was picked off by Pride defensive end Shaun Kinsley, who rumbled 35 yards for a momentum-grabbing touchdown that made the score 10-0.

The rain continued to fall and so did the Black Bears.

UMaine’s offense failed to convert a fourth down and gave the ball back to Hofstra on the Black Bear 43-yard line. Seven plays later, Hofstra quarterback Andrew English, playing in place of the benched Ryan Cosentino connected with wideout Devale Ellis on a six-yard touchdown pass that put the Black Bears down 17-0 going into the locker room.

Just as most of those in attendance were leaving for home, the Black Bears began to show up.

“When I came out in the second half, I asked ‘Where did everyone go,’” Black Bear head coach Jack Cosgrove said. “I would have probably gone, too, the way we were playing.”

The Black Bear defense, playing without two of its best defensive players, senior linebacker Stephen Cooper and senior defensive end Brendan Curry, had a multitude of players make tide-turning plays in the second half.

“We felt very confident about what we were doing,” Cosgrove said. “I thought [defensive coordinator Rich] Nagy had a tremendous plan for the defense that gave [Hofstra] something we hadn’t shown anybody else. Don’t forget, Hofstra put up 102 points on us over the last two years. We needed to do something to defend the run-and-shoot offense. The reason we won the game was because our defense got us turnovers in the fourth quarter.”

Junior defensive back Jarrod Gomes’ interception return set UMaine up with great field position at the Pride 20. Fullback John Gelsomino punched it in five plays later cutting the Hofstra lead to 17-10.

On Hofstra’s initial play of their next drive, defensive lineman Brian Mann was the recipient of a gift interception by English, who was drilled by senior linebacker Rob Kierstead, and Mann found the end zone from 22 yards out.

Kierstead’s biggest contribution came two plays after Mike Mellow’s missed extra point left UMaine down by one, 17-16, when he dove to intercept an English pass attempt.

“He’s in the background because of [Cooper], but he’s always in the right place at the right time. That interception was Rob Kierstead. He’s where he’s supposed to be.”

Senior quarterback Jake Eaton led the Black Bear offense down the game winning six-play drive that culminated with his 11-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiever Christian Pereira.

“I’ve played in many important games in high school and college,” Eaton said. “I’ve never seen a whole team pull it together like this. We played with as much heart and character as any team I’ve been involved with.”

“They found a way to win,” Hofstra head coach Joe Gardi said of the Black Bears after the game. “That’s what it’s all about.”

If attendants of Friday’s production of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” were hoping for a quiet night at the theater, they were in for quite a shocking surprise.

The plot of the show alone is fairly simple. After a rather plain couple, Brad and Janet, become engaged, they decide to go on a journey to thank the man who brought them together. After they get a flat tire, however, they are forced to knock on the door of a creepy looking mansion in hopes of using the phone.

They soon realize the mansion is inhabited by out-of-this-world characters whose lives revolve around one thing – sex. They soon meet the man who is responsible for this massive orgy. Straight from Transsexual Transylvania, from the moment Frankenfurter shimmies in to Janet and Brad’s lives they are forever changed as they are introduced to their sexual selves.

This “sweet transvestite” goes by the name of Frankenfurter and is played by Joseph Ritsch. One look at this elaborately made-up creature and it is obvious that he is not a typical college student. In fact, Ritsch is not a college student at all, but the show’s choreographer. While this casting decision was questioned by some students, Director Sandra Hardy stood by her decision and is now reaping its benefits.

“I felt leadership [and] confidence in leading the group and controlling the audience might be problematic,” Hardy said. “A major role too soon might destroy an actor’s confidence forever. Were [the younger actors] disappointed? Of course.”

However, once the cast began to work with and get to know Ritsch, all feelings of resentment washed away.

“I would say that the cast, without exception, has bonded with Joe, learned from him and learned to love a very lovable man,” Hardy said.

His garish makeup and Wizard of Oz meets prostitute red platform shoes may have won the hearts of his cast members, but they left some audience members quite disturbed.

“Hypothetically, how much do psychiatrists charge per hour?” third-year student Jason Dionne said after his first glimpse of Frankenfurter.

If the wild costumes and explicit sex acts were not enough to shock the crowd, the audience members who actively participated in the show did the trick.

For those unfamiliar with the play, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” greatly encourages audience participation. The followers of this cult classic arrived decked out in everything from French maid uniforms to a lesbian couple ready for the prom.

Props also were available for audience members to use at the appropriate moments, though only these hard core fans seemed to know exactly when these moments were. They also added to the show’s dialogue, replacing innocent lyrics such as “I love you” with “I wanna screw,” as they did in the familiar song “Dammit Janet.”

Those who were not as well-versed with the show were often left in the dark.

“I want to know when to swear!” Dionne said after another seemingly random obscenity was shouted from the back row.

While such audience members were baffled by these outcries, the cast was well prepared.

“I have directed some shows which include interaction,” Hardy said. “This piece has a cult following and whether the audience becomes intrusive or not, it is the process that counts and this ensemble, cast and crew have come together and grown so much. I know they will handle it and learn by it.”

The second act opened by featuring the production’s live band. Dressed in drag and performing their own goofy choreography, these outstanding musicians went above and beyond the role of a typical pit band.

The plot and performance of this act, however, proved much weaker than the first. The show wrapped up much like a bad show on the sci-fi channel. After Frankenfurter and two of his servants are shot with a laser-like gun by his alien friend, an alien takes these creatures back to their home planet.

So ended was this very odd journey that it left its audience with a multitude of reactions as they wandered out of Hauck Auditorium feeling scared, confused, excited and maybe even strangely aroused.