Maine college roundup: Bates' Meghan Graff named women's basketball All-American

Mar. 20—Bates College junior guard Meghan Graff was named to the D3hoops.com All-American second team Saturday, the latest honor for the Bobcats captain.

Graff is the eighth All-American in program history and the first since Val Beckwith in 2009.

Graff was previously named D3hoops.com's Region 1 Player of the Year, to go along with NESCAC Player of the Year and MWBCA First-Team All-State honors.

Bates first-year women's swimmer Sophie Cassily placed sixth in the finals of the 100-yard backstroke at the NCAA Division III championships on Friday in Indianapolis.

Cassily clocked in at 55.72 seconds in the final, with her sixth-place finish the best in Bates women's program history in the event.

The Bobcats' 800 freestyle relay finished ninth to match the best showing in that event in women's program history. Maya Reynoso Williams, Caroline Sweeney, Sophia Carrai and Grace Wenger combined to finish in 7:30.81. For Wenger, it was her sixth All-American honor in the four-day championships, which began Wednesday and finished up Saturday.

Bates' two men's swimmers at the meet both set program marks in their respective events Friday. Nathan Berry lowered his own record mark in the 100 backstroke, finishing his finals race in 47.89 to place 10th and earn All-American honors. Andrew Hall completed his 200 butterfly prelim in a program-record time of 1:50.46.

The Bobcats (0-6) were shut out in the first quarter and ran out of time and goals in the fourth against the Spartans in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Jackson Sell scored a hat trick for Bates and Wil Masterson added two goals and an assist. Spencer Wood made 13 saves in goal.

Dylan Wolf scored a team-high five goals for York College of Pennsylvania.

The Polar Bears (5-0, 3-0 NESCAC) scored six goals in the fourth quarter to put away the Ephs (1-2, 1-1) in Brunswick.

Donal Mullane led Bowdoin with five goals.

Nick Hassan's goal with 48 seconds left capped Colby's fourth-quarter comeback as the Mules (2-1, 1-1 NESCAC) defeated the Cardinals (4-1, 1-1) in Waterville.

Jack Goller and Jack Rickards scored earlier in the fourth to erase a two-goal deficit.

Goller and Ryan Darby each finished with two goals, and Matt Stein had a goal and three assists for the Mules.

Diego Alvarez-Segee notched six goals, leading the Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 GNAC) over the Monks (0-5, 0-1) in Standish.

Nathan Varle had three goals and two assists for St. Joseph's.

Connor Heisman's five goals and three assists led the Pride (2-5) to a win over the University of New England (4-5) in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Kyle Kennedy paced UNE with five goals.

Daniel Wilson scored a short-handed goal midway through the second period and Billy Girard made 38 saves as the University of New England advanced to the NCAA Division III men's hockey semifinals with a 2-0 victory Saturday afternoon against second-ranked Utica in Utica, New York.

Tyler Seltenreich clinched the victory with an empty-netter for the Nor'easters (23-3-1), who will travel to Lake Placid, New York, for a semifinal on Friday against Babson or SUNY Geneseo. The championship game is Saturday night.

UNE extended its school-record winning streak to 13 games. Utica (25-3-1) entered with a 19-game unbeaten streak dating back to November and was the second-highest scoring team in the country, averaging almost six goals per game.

Joe Bramanti and Ryan Turenne each drove in four runs to power the Black Bears (5-11, 2-0 America East) over the Bearcats (3-12, 0-2) in Vestal, New York.

Bramanti, Turenne, Quinn McDaniel and Jake Marquez each hit a home run for Maine. McDaniel went 4 for 6 with four runs and two RBI, and Jake Rainess was 5 for 5 with two RBI.

USM (3-7) got home runs from Jonathan Wilson and Brogan Searle-Belanger and two RBI from Jason Komulainen, but its comeback bid fell short against the Eagles (2-3) in Winter Haven, Florida.

Searle-Belanger and Cam Seymour each finished with three hits. Jason Sinclair took the loss, pitching into the seventh while allowing all of the Eagles' runs. Lisbon grad Lucas Francis finished out the frame, allowing one hit while inducing two groundballs to close out the inning.

Jordyn McCormack's three RBI helped the Eagles (11-5) top the Huskies (3-7) in Leesburg, Florida.

Lauren Miller hit a two-run single and scored the third run for USM. Oxford Hills grad Lauren Merrill took the loss, allowing four runs — two earned — in two innings inside the circle.

Sadie Erickson's go-ahead two-run single in the fifth inning lifted the Blugolds (6-2) over the Huskies (3-8) in Clermont, Fla.

USM scored on an RBI single by Meghan Dufresne in the second inning and a sacrifice fly by Hannah Shields in the third.

Keely Clark and Kya Enos homered for the Black Bears (2-18) in a loss to the Bengals (14-14) in Logan, Utah.

Izzy Nieblas hit a two-run single for Maine (2-19) in its loss to Utah State (12-13) in Logan, Utah.

Mazie MacFarlane and Claire Raley each drove in two runs for Utah State.

Sophia Sudano led the Polar Bears (3-2, 1-2 NESCAC) with six goals and two assists in a win over the Ephs (0-3, 0-3) at Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Colleen McAlloon added four goals.

Gianna Bruno, Annie Eddy, Elizabeth Hennessey, Julia Jardina and Grace Toner all scored three goals as the Mules (4-1, 2-0 NESCAC) beat the Cardinals (3-1, 1-1) in Middletown, Connecticut.

Kate Colvin scored five goals and Rachel Shanks had three for USM (3-3) in a loss to the Bears (3-4) at Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

Lewiston grad Cece Racine made 10 saves in goal for the Huskies.

Lydia Dexter tallied five goals and eight assists, leading the Monks (6-0, 2-0 GNAC) to a win over the Blue Jays (2-5, 0-3) in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Cailyn Wesley also scored five goals.