In the last few years the Hilbert College Men’s Soccer team has struggled to get things going

But, that has started to change this season as the team that has not won  since that 2016 season, has started to win. With a record of 3-5-2, the Soccer team is having its best season in 6 years. .

Newly hired head coach Jonny Black has started his first season with the team and has started to initiate a turnaround in the program. [SJ2] Black was hired in late June of this year and immediately got to work trying to fix a broken program.

 “The atmosphere has definitely changed from what I saw in the last few seasons, and this team now looks different than in the past,.” Black said.

Black also said that paraphrase something he said here…

“The new freshmen have brought a new sense of urgency into the program and combined with the returners has led to better results,” he said.

With the next game happening on Saturday the 8^th of October against Penn State Altoona, the team is hoping to get their fourth win of the season and first in conference play.

The future for the team looks bright and Coach Black is hoping that future leads to enormous success.

For Hilbert college men’s basketball coach Rob deGrandpre the annual Hilbert College basketball game is one of his favorite days on the calendar.

”This is the twelfth edition of the game and this alumni game dates back  to the fall of 2010,” he said.

Before coming to Hilbert, coach said “that the game would happen every fall at his previous school he coached at.”

“A big key is to get your alumni back” and to “have current players know who they are,” he added.

He said it is very important for alumni to come back because they are a big part of the college, and they are part of the history.

DeGrandpre said when he took over the program in 2002 the program was “gutted” and how it was an “uphill battle.”

He also talks about those alumni basketball players who were with them in two-thousand-two and  coach says he has a lot of “admiration for them” and, “they wanted to build their own legacy.” The coach also says that is very important to him to have alumni come and speak to the current team. Coach adds that he gives those alumni who speak to the team “a big drumroll introduction and says that he lists those players accomplishments.”  He talks also

“Former players talking to current players and  always help in the growth and maturation. Freshman players hear from former alumni who were here, five, ten, fifteen years ago and to show  18-year old players  how successful an alumni is in life  now and how  basketball plays a big role in that.

DeGrandpre says that he has former alumni being all-conference players going into the Hilbert College athletics hall of fame. He talks about how college athletics, not just basketball but in general for student-athlete is hard work and how it is an occupation.

“In those four years of playing and learning life lessons that you can carry into your thirties, forties and fifties until you retire,” deGrandpre said. He said he has had lots of former players “hang up their sneakers and grab a whistle” and now they are part of the coaching staff.

Currently he has two former players on his staff including Cody Troutman who played for deGrandpre and graduated in 2012.

He also has Jack Gaylord who played at Hilbert in 1979.

“Alumni would trudge through the snow and go to Immaculata Academy and practice all hours through the night and then walk back to Saint Joes dorm and do it all again the next day. This was before the Hafner recreation center was built and Coach says that he “enjoys the relationship that he has built with the alumni in the twenty-years he been coaching.”

CHILI, N.Y. – The Hilbert Men’s Cross Country team also competed against their largest field of competitors this morning when they raced at the 33rd Annual Harry F. Anderson Invite hosted by and on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan University.

The Hawks finished with 425 points, in a two-way tie with Keuka for 13th place but fell to 14th based on head-to-head finishes between the two teams.  Today was just the second time in program history where the men’s team, racing in a 10+ team competition at the Anderson race, broke 500 points.

The Geneseo men’s team easily claimed the team title after placing their top scorers in the first eight slots.  But it was Ryan Cory from Cortland who out distanced the Knights for a first place finish.  His 24:50.9 time was 21-seconds quicker than Geneseo’s Alex Hilyard.

Geneseo had a big cushion in points (24) over Cortland who took second with 13 better than the hosts, Roberts Wesleyan who combined for 110 points.

TEAM RESULTS:
1. Geneseo, 24 points
2. Cortland, 97 points
3. Roberts Wesleyan, 110 points
4. St. Bonaventure, 111 points
5. Fredonia, 125 points
6. Gannon, 149 points
7. SUNY-ESF 175 points
8. Mercyhurst, 189 points
9. Le Moyne, 277 points
10. Alfred State, 290 points
11. Corning CC, 352 points,
12. Finger Lakes CC, 358 points
13. Keuka, 425 points
14. Hilbert, 425 points
15. Bryant & Stratton (Bflo), 453 points


Hilbert College 8K results:
31:25.8 #74, Kenneth Trometer
32:02.4 #77, Matthew Domagala
36:10.1 #86, Josh Kidder
38:00.6 #90, Jonathan Heck
45:54.2 #98, J Bowman
47:38.6 #99, N Letizia
47:43.5 #100, J Ortman

The Hawks have two weeks to train and prepare for their next meet.  Hilbert College will host the 14th Annual Meghan Memorial Race October 8th on the 5K course on campus.  Follow this (LINK) for more information on the annual race honoring a former teammate and friend to the program.

– Kara Rehbaum

Editor’s Note: This story was written by the Hilbert Athletics staff and shared with The Scribe

BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The Hilbert Hawks football team traveled to SUNY-Brockport for a mid-season exhibition against the Golden Eagles JV team on Monday. The Hawks took care of business and headed back to Hamburg 14-7 victors!

How it Happened:

1^st Half – Much like the matchup last week against Curry College, the Hawks and Golden Eagles played a first quarter game of field position with neither team scoring any points. Six seconds into the second quarter Brockport quarterback Evan Gordon connected with Mitchell Mackissock for a 22-yard touchdown pass. That would be the last time Brockport would score on their home turf for the day. It was also the only points of the first half.

2^nd Half – With Nicholas Rinker at the helm, the new look Hawks offense started clicking right away after returning from the halftime break. Andre Augustiniak hauled in a 54-yard touchdown reception from Rinker early in the 3^rd quarter and followed it up with a 1-yard rushing touchdown two minutes later. The Hawks defense, led by Ben Kirkland and Taivaughn Roach, had 69 tackles on the day including 6 tackles for a loss. The Hawks defense also had 4 interceptions including one late in the game that sealed the victory.

Final Score – Hilbert 14 – Brockport 7

What’s Next – Hilbert College hosts NCAA DII independent Lincoln University from Oakland, California, for their final home game of the season on October 14^th at 7PM at Saint Francis High School in Hamburg, New York.

– Cole Klubek

Editor’s Note: This story was written by the Hilbert Athletics staff and shared with The Scribe

ELMA, N.Y.  – The Hilbert Women’s Soccer team hosted  Elmira College this afternoon at the Sahlen’s Sports Park due to playing conditions back on campus.

The Hawks stayed with the Soaring Eagles the first 45-minutes but lost their momentum in the second half and fell in a 4-nill non-conference contest.

THE BASICS

• Final Score:  Elmira 4  |  Hilbert 0
• Location:  Flash Field  | Sahlen’s Sports Park
• Records:   Hilbert 3-3-2  I  Elmira 4-5

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• Due to the rain earlier in the week, Hilbert moved the game to a neutral site in order to get the non-conference contest in the books. 
• The light rain stopped by the time the women’s game started at 3:30 pm so the turf was wet but still fast.
• Elmira took a one-goal lead in the 9th minute after carrying the ball down the left sideline and finished with a centering pass to the box that landed in the back of the net.
• Macy Kisner had a terrific opportunity in the first half, sprinting with and then past an Elmira defender which left her alone in a 1 v  1 with the keeper who was credited with a save in the 24th minute.
• The Soaring Eagles scored back-to-back goals from up top off hard shots that sailed over the Hilbert keeper, and they repeated that same feat six minutes later from the same spot on the turf for the win.

GAME NOTES

• Hilbert closed the game with 11 shots and four corners while Elmira led with 21 and 7, respectively.
• Hailey Kuder was credited with seven saves in 69:32 minutes before Tahlia Kosek traded in her field jersey to finish the game in net with one save.
• Grace Zabawa led the charge with three shots and Kisner, Hannah Brock and Gabrielle Avallone added two each.

UP NEXT

Hilbert opens the AMCC portion of their schedule this weekend when they travel to Pitt-Greensburg Saturday, October 1st.

– Kara Rehbaum

Editor’s Note: This story was written by the Hilbert Athletics staff and shared with The Scribe

ELMA, N.Y.  – The Hilbert Men’s Soccer team took on Elmira College today and lost by a score of 4-0. It was a hard fought game from start to finish playing on the turf at Sahlen’s Sports Park.

THE BASICS

• Final Score:  Elmira 4  |  Hilbert 0
• Location:  Flash Field  | Sahlen’s Sports Park
• Records:   Hilbert 3-4-2  I  Elmira 6-2-1

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• Due to the rain earlier in the week, Hilbert moved the game to a neutral site in order to get the non-conference contest in the books. 
• The turf was wet but fast and so was the speed of the game.  Both team passed the ball well, but Elmira built a 2-goal lead by intermission.
• The Soaring Eagles connected in the 8th and 12th minute as the Hawks’ defense elevated their efforts to the break.
• Hilbert played even with Elmira, but a trip in the box led to a PK goal in the 71st minute and distracted the Hawks for a minute.  Elmira padded their lead 100-seconds later and took the shutout victory.

GAME NOTES

• Hilbert stayed with Elmira in the first half, credited with four shots to the Soaring Eagles eight.
• The Hawks were outshot throughout the contest which led to them having a deficit in corner kicks and scoring opportunities.
• Logan Peck made six saves but faced multiple 1 v 1 looks in the second half.
• Carter Burke and Beckham Blair each took two shots today.

UP NEXT

Hilbert opens the AMCC portion of their schedule this weekend when they travel to Pitt-Greensburg Saturday, October 1st.

– Justin Evoy

Editor’s Note: This story was written by the Hilbert Athletics staff and shared with The Scribe

HAMBURG, N.Y.  – The Hilbert Women’s Volleyball team was finally able to host their Home Opener tonight, and even the start of the match was a little delayed due to facility issues on the main court.

The Hawks, fueled by the large fan support, opened the series strong but suffered a 3-0 setback against Houghton University in the Hafner Recreation Center.

THE BASICS

• Final Score:  Houghton  25, 25, 25   I   Hilbert  16, 11, 22
• Location:  Hafner Recreation Center | Hilbert
• Records:   Hilbert 3-10  I  Houghton 4-9

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Hilbert collected 21 kills, three service aces, five blocks, 19 digs as they earned 29 points in the three sets.
• The Hawks earned nine kills in the third set as they attacked at the net looking to extend the match.
• McKenna Rice led with six kills while sister Michaela Rice and Jenna Revak added five each.
• Jaden Helbig was credited with 18 assists on Hilbert’s 21 team kills.
• Katie Kociszewski worked hard on defense collecting three block assists and Michaela Rice and Maria Spinelli each added two assists.
• Houghton took an early lead, but Hilbert consistently battled back, pulling within one point on several occasions.  The Highlanders, leading 16-11, made it a 21 12 game and were gifted the first set off multiple attack errors down the stretch by the Hawks.
• Hilbert earned their first four points of the second set, two kills by Spinelli, one service ace by Revak and another kill by Emily Garnett.  The Hawks trailed 6-7 and let the set slip away a few points at a time.  Houghton with a four point lead, went on a 10-point run (six service aces) to build a 24-10 advantage and took the game 25-11.
• The Hawks challenged Houghton in the third set sticking with them point-for-point. Knotted 11-all, Houghton used two consecutive kills creating separation they hadn’t had yet.  The Hawks, trailing 13-19, rallied back to make it a two-point game (18-20) and that was the closest they got before dropping the 25-22 match.

UP NEXT

Hilbert travels to Keuka Park this weekend for a tri match between Keuka College (11 am) and SUNY Poly (1 pm) Saturday, October 1.

– Kara Rehbaum

Editor’s Note: This story was written by the Hilbert Athletics staff and shared with The Scribe

MILTON, Mass. – The Hilbert College Hawks football team trekked over to Massachusetts to take on Curry College this weekend.

The Hawks and Colonels played a game of field position throughout the entire first quarter with neither team wanting to give an inch. In the second quarter, Curry scored 42 unanswered points including 4 straight rushing touchdowns from Montie Quinn. Hilbert gave up a third quarter passing touchdown before scoring 9 straight points to close out the game.

With fourth and long looming late in the third quarter the Hawks decided to gamble on going for it. The gamble paid off as a quarterback Jake Dressel launched a pass deep into the end-zone that was snagged by Evan Raniewicz for Hilbert’s first points of the day. Eric Cline added the extra point maintaining his perfect kicking percentage on the year.

Late in the fourth quarter the Colonels were backed up deep in their own zone facing a 3^rd and 11 when Taivaughn Roach exploded through the line and dragged the quarterback down in the end-zone for a safety. No other points were scored on the day. Roach and Clifford Zeigler continue to pace the defense’s tackle stats with 10 and 8 respectfully today. The pair also picked up two sacks during the game. Emmanuel Land IV and Matthew Wiebe had fumble recoveries today while Devotie Pompey, Ben Kirkland, and Al McDuffie all forced a fumble. Scott Essig had 355 punting yards from 11-punts.

Final Score: Curry College 49 – Hilbert College 9

Next Up: Hilbert College heads to Brockport for a Monday night football matchup with the Golden Eagles JV team at 4PM on October 3^rd.

– Cole Klubek

Editor’s Note: This story was written by the Hilbert Athletics staff and shared with The Scribe

On a sunny, steamy Saturday afternoon in Hamburg, New York, the Hawks were ready to fly inside the locker room singing and chanting prior to stepping onto the field to open the first football season in school history against a talented Dennison University team.

Head Coach Jim Kubiak said he was very happy with the enthusiasm his players showed after a long training camp.

“Well, we were very excited, our guys were excited. I think our coaching staff was excited, we had a lot of people out here supporting us,” Kubiak said. “It was great to get out here for the very first time and put the blue jerseys on.”

The heat didn’t stop Hawks fans from coming out in full force to support their team. The environment was electric as fans showed their excitement throughout the duration of the game with loud cheering and pride. Unfortunately, the Hawks couldn’t get it done on their home turf, losing their first game 63-0.

“The largest room in the world is the room for improvement,” said Kubiak. “The speed of the game is very different. Dennison’s a really good football team. They’re well coached, disciplined, physical, older and so as we move forward it’s about trying to get a little bit better with our personnel groupings. We committed some penalties in key situations. It’s a discipline thing, not a physical thing, and that’s what we’re going to be working on.”

Although the score may not have been what the Hawks hoped for, there was a lot to be proud of. The Hawks established many firsts on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Offensively Wide Receiver Andre Augustiniak carried the ball for a 5-yard run for the first play in program history. Quarterback Jeremiah Caviness completed the first pass in Hilbert history to Joseph Stover for 25 yards, which was the longest play of the game for Hilbert. On the defensive side, defensive lineman Jeremiah Sanders made the first tackle for the Hawks.

“We had guys that were trying very hard, “said Kubiak. “There was a lot of great effort and that’s where it starts. If we can get ourselves adjusted, and some of the operational stuff that we need to improve on, we can take another big step. I think we have a team that wants to win, a team that’s hungry, and wants to work, so we’re going to get back to it.”

The Hawks look to turn it around at 12 p.m. on Saturday at home against Willamette University.