News & notes

It was a bittersweet homecoming for Yale's TD Ierlan Friday night.

Ierlan, a junior, made his first appearance---and likely, his only one----as a visiting player, leading Yale past UAlbany, 10-5, in a lacrosse match that didn't get quite the national media attention it deserved, weather aside. The game wasn't scheduled to air on ESPN or any of its sister channels, or any other sports network available on basic cable. Ierlan won 16 of 17 face-offs in the game, and Yale (9-2) pulled away early, even as UAlbany (5-7) made a comeback late.

For the Great Danes, time is running out on the season, with a week to go in the regular season.
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There will be March Madness of a different kind at Times-Union Center next year, as the NCAA hockey tournament has chosen Albany for one of its regional sites, the first time the TUC has hosted the NCAA's since 2016. That will put more pressure on RPI & Union to make a big time run just to get to the tournament. Given RPI's struggles the last few years, they're at best a longshot,  but everything does run in cycles.
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It is a tradition in Section II that, during spring vacation week, which began yesterday, baseball, lacrosse, & softball games will, for the most part, start much earlier than normal. Games scheduled for April 22-26 are mostly ticketed for noon, though there are some exceptions. Check with your schools.
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Congratulations to Siena baseball coach Tony Rossi on winning his 900th game earlier this week. I don't know where that places him among college coaches across the country, but it is quite the accomplishment. It's just too bad Siena can't hang on to a basketball coach long enough to get to the same plateau.

Speaking of Siena, a recent road softball game had a pair of VIP visitors.

With the Lady Saints on the road at Quinnipiac last weekend, sophomore Lyssa Ouellette had a famous uncle in the house in the form of WWE superstar Triple H (Paul Levesque), accompanied by his wife, Stephanie McMahon. A still photo used on WRGB showed Stephanie, a brunette, rocking the Cindy Brady (Brady Bunch) pig-tails.

The WWE's First Couple proved to be a good luck charm, as the Lady Saints won, 4-2.