February 6, 2008.  Quincy, Mass.-  The Golden Bears of Western New England took the game to the Crusaders from start to finish ending up with a 81-23 win. 

The Crusaders could not prevent an opening 19-0 run which allowed the visitor's to go into have leading 41-10. 

Eastern Nazarene’s SO/G Jessica Schoppee (Scarborough, ME) led the Crusaders with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. 

Eastern Nazarene (5-15, 1-7) hosts Curry College on Saturday, February 9 at 1:00 PM.

Crusaders End Thirteen Game Drought led by Schoppee's 19.

Paxton, Mass. February 2nd, 2008.  The Crusaders of Eastern Nazarene earned their first The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) victory of the year with a solid 52-35 over Anna Maria College today. Sophomore Jessica Schoppee (Scarborough, Maine) led the Crusaders with 19 points and was a constant presence in the paint as the visitors held the hosts to only 11 field goals for the game.

Schoppe shot 50% from floor in the first half as the Crusaders took advantage of the Amcats’ 20% shooting building a seven point half time lead, 25-18. The second half started with a 12-5 Crusader run and the game was well in hand. Sophomore Laura Cline (Ashby, Mass.) and freshman Amber Burns (Fall River, Mass.) were dominant on the boards as they each grabbed 12 boards in leading Eastern Nazarene to a 56-44 edge off the glass.  Burns scored 11 points to complete a double-double for the visitors, her second one this week.

            Eastern Nazarene improves to 5-14 (1-6 TCCC).  Eastern Nazarene hosts WNEC on Wednesday, February 6th at 6:00 pm..

January 21, 2008.  Quincy, Mass.-   Applying constant pressure, the Engineer guards broke down what Crusader front court offense they had forcing the home side into 29 turnovers, 15 of them steals.

The Engineer’s hands and feet proved to be to quick as the turnovers mounted into 21 of their 56 points.  Cracking the Engineer’s pressure at times was FR/F Amber Burns (Fall River, MA), who drove the lane to be fouled and crashed the boards on every opportunity, inserting her physical presence on the game.  In so doing, Burns put up her first double-double of the season scoring 10 points, 5 of 9 from the field, while pulling down 12 rebounds.

Eastern Nazarene hosts UNE this Wednesday, January 23^rd at 6:00 PM in a TCCC match up. 

-ENC Athletics (Contributing Writer's Tom Newell and Justen Smith)

January 19, 2008.  Quincy, Mass. – After climbing back from a 12 point deficit, the Crusaders were stymied by the Scot defense only to turn the ball, and game, back over to Gordon.  Trailing 30-18 with 10:33 remaining, the Crusaders went on a long eight and a half minute 25-11 run to out score the visiting Scot’s and regain the lead, 43-41.  It was JR/G Amanda Remmel’s (Allentown, PA) shot from behind the arc that recaptured what the Scot’s had taken at 13:30 gone by in the first half.   But the Scot’s late 5-0 run, hitting 5 of 8 shots from the free throw line sealed the victory. 

In a low scoring game, marked with a combined 64 turnovers between the two sides, the Crusaders held a 6-1 lead with 5 minutes gone by.  The Fighting Scots responded however as the visitors went into half time leading 18-14.  The visitor’s came out strong by going on a 12-4 run and taking a 30-18 lead.  The Crusaders shot began to fall though and the home team slowly grabbed grabbed the momentum back as they went on the second half run that took them to the games final seconds. 

Foul trouble early in the second half hurt the Crusaders forcing key players to have limited minutes as well as putting the Scot’s on the free throw line in the double bonus with 8 minutes still remaining in the game.  The Fighting Scots made 14 free throws in the second half to seal the victory. 

Eastern Nazarene’s SO/F Jessica Schoppee (Scarborough, ME) led all scorer’s in the game as she dominated the key going 9-17 from the field for 19 total points, brought down 9 rebounds and swatted 7 Scot shots.  She was followed by Remmel’s 11 points and 7 rebounds. 

Eastern Nazarene hosts MIT on Monday, January 21^st at 7:00 pm.

ENC Athletics (contributing writers Tom Newell and Justen Smith)

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Eastern Nazarene drops 3rd game in a row, 69-49.

BOSTON, Mass. – The Wentworth women’s basketball team (8-5, 1-1 The Commonwealth Coast Conference) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 69-49 win over Eastern Nazarene (4-8, 0-2) in a TCCC game played at Tansey Gymnasium.

The Leopards outscored the visitors 15-4 over the first 5:49.  The Crusaders would use an 11-2 run over the next four and a half minutes to trim the lead to two (17-15) on a three-pointer by senior guard Cristina Winchester (West Haven, Conn.).  However, Wentworth rolled off the next eight points to build its lead to 25-15.

Despite getting the lead back to six (25-19) with just under four minutes left, Eastern Nazarene surrendered the final 12 points of the half and the Leopards would lead 37-19 at the break. 

An 8-2 run to open the second stanza pushed the lead to 24 as the Leopards went on to take the 20-point win.

Crusader's junior guard Amanda Remmel (Allentown, Pa.) scored a team-high 16 points, while Winchester added 10 of her own.  Freshman forward Amber Burns (Fall River, MA) led the Crusaders with 11 rebounds.

Eastern Nazarene heads back into TCCC play this Saturday, January 19th as they host Gordon College at 1:00 pm.

Eastern Nazarene Still Looking For Shot, Fall 77-31
 

While in the second half the Crusaders found their offense to be a little more consistent, the Powergulls continued to sail to victory, 77-31.

Freshman G Victoria Sontag (Mont Vernon, NH) led all scorer's with 10 points as Junior Captain F Amanda Remmel (Allentown, PA) led all rebounders with 8.

Eastern Nazarene (4-7) visits Wentworth Institute of Technology next Tuesday, January 15th in another CCC contest.

Second Half Sinks Eastern Nazarene, 58-45.
 

It was a close first half as the Crusaders finished a 6-0 run to take a 20-17 lead going into intermission.  However, the second stanza immediately began in the Hawks favor as they closed the lead down to 24-21 and they went on a 14-0 run at the 17:55 minute mark.  Assisted by 76.5% shooting from the free throw line in the second half, the Hawks took a commanding 35-24 lead midway through the second half, a lead they would not relinquish.  The Crusaders pulled to within six, 43-37, with 5:53 remaining, but a flurry of scoring by the Hawks over the next minute pushed the lead back to thirteen, 50-37 before the game ended at its’ final score, 58-45.

Crusader FR/F Victoria Sontag (Mont Vernon, NH) shared as the games leading scorer with 15 points, while also playing the entire game.  Sophomore/Forward Jessica Schoppee (Scarborough, ME) and JR/G Amanda Remmel (Allentown, PA) both chipped in 10 points.  Crusader FR/F Amber Burns and Hawk JR/F each had 10 rebounds. 

Eastern Nazarene hosts Endicott College this Saturday, January 12th, at 1:00 pm in their first Commonwealth Coast Conference game this year. 

Eastern Nazarene Stumbles on Arcadia, 64-42
 

Glenside, PA - December 08, 2007.  The Knights built up a 9 point lead. 15-6, after 7 minutes gone by. The Crusaders fought back, scoring 8 unanswered points to tie the game at 15-all on a three point bucket from Cristina Winchester (Sacred Heart/West Haven, CT).  But the home team itself would pull out to a 15 point lead by half time, 39-24, and not look back.  

The Knights capitalized on ten second half points from Crusader turnovers to further solidify the 64-42 win.  

Eastern Nazarene's senior captain Cristina Winchester finished with 14 points and first year Victoria Sontag (Souhegan/Mont Vernon, NH) chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds for her first collegiate career double-double.

The Crusaders finished out their last game of 2007 today and pick up play in January of 2008 when they take on Becker College on January 8th in the Lahue PE Center.

Eastern Nazarene Can Not Stop the Guns of Rivier, 72-49
 

December 4, 2007.  Quincy, Mass.- The Crusaders had their two game win streak snapped today by the Raiders of Rivier College.  The quick on the trigger visitors out shot the Crusaders by 19 and then hustled to 9 more rebounds then the home team.  While the Crusaders shot nearly 44% from the field, they could not withstand the full court pressure placed on them and turned the ball over 29 times providing even greater opportunity.  

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Eastern Nazarene Wins Home Opener vs. Albertus, 52-48. 

Quincy, Mass. November 29, 2007.   Holding the Falcons to 13 first half points, the Crusaders went on to win their home opener, 52-48, and handed the visitors their first loss of the season in ENC’s Lahue PE Center. 

Being down 13-11, the Crusaders went on a 12-2 run, led by freshman Victoria Sontag’s (Mont Vernon, NH) six points, to take a commanding lead, 23- 13, going into the half.  Though the Falcons came back with their own 18-3 run, taking the lead at 31-26, the Crusaders answered with another 10-1 run to sit with a four point lead, 36-32, at the 6:44 minute mark.

And the Crusaders would not trail again as the two teams traded shots down the stretch.  Senior captain Cristina Winchester (West Haven, CT) and sophomore Jessica Schoppee (Scarborough, ME) each converted important baskets to seal the third win of the season for the Crusaders.

Eastern Nazarene’s Jessica Schoppee led all scorers with 18 points and 6 rebounds while Cristina Winchester followed with 11 points.

Eastern Nazarene (3-2) hosts Pine Manor College at 7:00 pm on Saturday December 1.

Eastern Nazarene Gives Up First Half Lead and Final Result, 56-41.

WENHAM, Mass., November 16, 2007 –Eastern Nazarene College earned a victory over Gordon College this afternoon and will meet Philadelphia Biblical University at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday for the Gordon College Tip-Off Tournament Championship. 

Eastern Nazarene (1-0) defeated the host Fighting Scots (0-1) 48-32 in the evening game of the tournament.  The Crusaders would hold the Fighting Scots to 14 second-half points as the visitors took a 48-32 win down the stretch. 

The Fighting Scots held an 11-8 advantage mid-way through the first half but a 7-0 run by the Crusaders, capped by a lay-up from freshman forward Victoria Sontag (Mont Vernon, N.H.) put the visitors up 15-11 with 7:27 to play in the half.  ENC took a 19-15 lead with 4:27 to play in the period and would go in at the break leading 21-18.

After a back-and-forth second half, the Scots closed within two, 34-32 as Thames hit a jumper with 4:28 to play.  The Fighting Scots, however, would not score the remainder of the contest as the Crusaders defense shut them out and pulled away for the 48-32 victory. 

Crusaders junior guard Amanda Remmell (Allentown, Pa.) registered a game-high 13 points and was just one rebound short of a double-double.  ENC sophomore center Jessica Schoppe (Scarborough, Maine) did, however, collect a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds.  Senior and captain forward Cristina Winchester (West Haven, CT) also grabbed 10 rebounds and sank 9 points.

June 2nd, 2007.   Crusader makes the grade for CCC All Academic Team.

Eastern Nazarene's Rebecca Welch earns CCC All-Conference 2nd Team 

February 19, 2007.  Quincy, MA.  Crusader senior forward and Co-captain Rebecca Welch was voted to the 2006-2007 All-CCC Second Team by the Commonwealth Coast Conference coaches today making this her fourth year in a row having earned CCC All-Conference honors.

Eastern Nazarene’s Rebecca Welch shoots her way into ENC record book.

February 3, 2007.  Quincy, MA.  An enthusiastic crowd at the Lahue PE Center cheered on as senior co-captain Rebecca Welch (Norton, MA) eclipsed the 1,520 point mark and became ENC’s All Time Leading Scorer.

Needing nine points to surpass the previous title holder, Jody Gardner '01 (Braintree, MA), the crowd grew in anticipation as Welch climbed towards the mark.  And midway through the first half, she drove down the left side of the key and banked a left-handed shot off the glass to sink the deuce that was needed. 

The fans and school body erupted with applause and stood cheering in recognition of the senior’s career accomplishment. 

When asked later on how it felt to hit the shot that did it?, Welch responded, "It was a fun." but admitted she was a little anxious due to her shots not falling as easily in the stretch of games leading up to this point. 

The easy going and agile 5'10 guard from Norton, MA attributes her shooting to her true enjoyment of the game of basketball as one of the reasons for her success, "I just really like playing the game."  As well, she acknowledges her coaches starting from New Testament Christian School, where she also holds the scoring record with 1,825 points, through Eastern Nazarene College as playing pivotal roles in her development.   "I have learned something from each of them that has helped me become a better shooter and player."

Former record holder Gardner was present to pass on her own congratulations, and family met Welch at mid-court as hugs and flowers were exchanged before the game resumed. 

The game hung in the balance for most of the first half until two minutes remained and the Chargers went on what would be a decisive run to take the three point game to ten as the teams went into halftime at 38-28 in favor of the visiting Chargers.

In the second half the Chargers came out in a storm shooting 55.9% from the field to push the lead past twenty with ten minutes remaining.  The Chargers continued to capitalize until the game ended at 81-48.

Welch led all scorers with 20 points and also corralled 6 rebounds while teammate, and junior co-captain, Cristina Winchester followed with 11 points and 6 rebounds of her own.

Despite the loss, there was no overshadowing the joy felt by Welch and those present. Now each additional point Welch scores will further elevate the record.  Upon her last point of this final season, a new mold will be cast to be broken one day.  No one can tell how long will it be before this happens?  We can tell however, it will have to come from a player as exciting, adept and dangerous a gunner as Welch is.  And I hope to be a part of that day too.  Congratulations #24!

Eastern Nazarene travels to Endicott College on Tuesday February 6, 2007 with a tip off time of 6:00 pm for their next game.

Go Crusaders!!!

Crusaders senior co-captain Rebecca Welch earns CCC Player of the Week.