CIAMBRA, BUTLER: SERVICE CREDIT UNION STUDENT-ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT & ROUNDUP

UNH WEEKLY ROUNDUP
March 22, 2010

DURHAM, N.H. – Rita Ciambra (Hanover, N.H.) of the women’s outdoor track & field team and Bobby Butler (Marlboro, Mass.) of the men’s hockey team are featured in this week's Service Credit Union Student-Athlete Spotlight. This information and more can be found in this week's Wildcat Roundup.

STUDENT-ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Rita Ciambra, women's outdoor track & field
      Rita, a senior from Hanover, New Hampshire, broke her own school record in the pole vault with a mark of 13 feet at the Husky Spring Open on March 20. Her previous UNH benchmark of 12-11 3/4 was established in the 2008 season. Rita won the 2008 America East pole vault title and was the runner-up in '07 (both in outdoor track; she was the indoor pole vault champion in '09 and '08).
      The UNH women's track & field team was selected third in the 2010 America East preseason coaches' poll that was released March 17. The Wildcats' Reggie F. Atkins Track and Field Facility will be the site of the league championships May 1-2.

Bobby Butler, men's hockey
      Bobby, a senior forward and captain on the men's hockey team, received two high honors last week as he was named a Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist and Hockey East co-Player of the Year last Thursday. His other accolades included First Team All-Star and Three Stars Award.
      Bobby currently leads the nation in goals (27) and is second in goals per game and fifth in points per game. He is the team leader in seven statistics -- points (50), goals (27), power-play goals (seven), shorthanded goals (two), game-winning goals (four), plus/minus (+15) and shots (154). Bobby is also second in shooting percentage (.175) and third in assists (23).
      The 12th-ranked UNH men's hockey team received an at-large invitation to the NCAA tournament and will play sixth-ranked Cornell University on Friday, March 26 at the Times Union Center (Albany, N.Y.).

ACCOLADES
Bobby Butler, men's hockey- Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist,
Hockey East co-Player of the Year and First Team All-Star
Brian Foster, men's hockey- Hockey East First Team All-Star
Blake Kessel, men's hockey- Hockey East First Team All-Star
Dick Umile, men's hockey- Hockey East co-Coach of the Year

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS
Friday, March 19
Gymastics: at Texas Woman's 195.250, UNH 195.200
Saturday, March 20
Women's lacrosse: at Florida 15, UNH 3

UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, March 26
Men's hockey vs. #6 Cornell, 6:30 pm (NCAA East Regional) (ESPNU)
Saturday, March 27
Gymnastics- EAGL Championships, 2 pm (UNH's Lundholm Gymnasium)
Men's outdoor track & field at Maine, 12 pm
Women's outdoor track & field, 12 pm
Men's hockey vs. Denver/RIT, 6:30 pm (NCAA East Regional) (ESPNU) (if win Friday)
Sunday, March 28
UNH vs. Fairfield, 12 pm

GYMNASTICS (12-3)
• UNH recorded its highest team score of the season -- 195.200 -- but lost at Texas Woman's, who finished at 195.250.
• Chelsea Steinberg (Ridgewood, N.J.) placed second in the all-around with a mark of 39.100; she took second place in the floor exercise and vault as well as third on balance beam.
• Helena Diodati (Scarborough, Maine) won the vault with a score of 9.875.
• Katie Lawrence (Lyme, Conn.) had a first-place finish on the beam as UNH recorded five of the top six finishers in the event.
• UNH returns to action March 27 in the EAGL Championship (2 p.m. at UNH's Lundholm Gym). The Wildcats went 5-0 vs. EAGL foes this season.

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY (17-13-7, 15-6-6 Hockey East)
• Twelfth-ranked UNH earned an at-large invitation to the 2010 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship. The Wildcats, who are making their ninth consecutive NCAA tourney appearance, will play sixth-ranked Cornell University in the opening round of an Eastern Regional on March 26 (6:30 p.m.) at the Times Union Center (Albany, N.Y.).
• Senior forward and captain Bobby Butler (Marlboro, Mass.) was named a Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist last week.
• At last week's Hockey East banquet, Butler was honored as co-Player of the Year and First Team All-Star.
• UNH head coach Dick Umile was honored as Hockey East co-Coach of the Year. He has received that honor a league record six times.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE (4-3, 0-0 America East)
• UNH traveled to the University of Florida during spring break and was defeated 15-3 by the Gators.
• Kathleen O'Keefe (Chatham, N.J.) made her second career start at Florida and made 13 saves (with 13 goals allowed) in 55 minutes, 47 seconds of action. She also led the 'Cats in both caused turnovers (three) and ground balls (three).
• JoJo Curro (Amherst, N.H.) and Hayley Rausch (Severna Park, Md.) have recorded a point in all seven games.

MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
• In a non-scoring meet at the Husky Spring Open on March 20, Chris Morgan (Goffstown, N.H.) and Paul DeTurk (Durham, N.H.) won events for the Wildcats.
• Morgan led a 1-2-3 sweep in the javelin with a first-place mark of 196 feet, 8 inches. Michael Simon (Durham, Conn.) and Matthew Pelchat (Lancaster, N.H.) followed in second and third place, respectively.

WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
• In a non-scoring meet at the Husky Spring Open on March 20, Rita Ciambra (Hanover, N.H.) broke her own school record in the pole vault with a mark of 13 feet to win the event by a foot; her previous mark was 12-11 3/4.
• Kelly Thomas (Chichester, N.H.) placed fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 13 minutes, 8.08 seconds.