The Keene State College men’s Basketball team has gotten back on track after being hit by the injury bug in their last three conference games.

The Owls have won three games in a row in conference play as of January 27. KSC got back to their winning ways in the Little East Conference with a win against Rhode Island College at home.

The team then followed it up with a 78-71 win in overtime on January 20 against the Plymouth State University Panthers.

The Owls, playing without starters Lucas Hammel, Dizel Wright and Nate Howard, were able to grind out the win, getting contributions from a number of players.

Junior forward Matt Ozzella scored 13 points and had 15 rebounds for the Owls. It was a back and forth contest that featured 12 ties and 17 lead changes.

Luke Stergiou / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Ozzella said, “We’ve got everyone stepping up.” One player that Ozzella praised was Junior guard Jaquel Edwards, “Jaquel came out and had a huge game.” Edwards finished with 18 points, tying his career high.

Keene State Interim Head Coach Ryan Cain also praised Edwards. “He plugs away, he plays as hard as anyone does day in and day out,” Cain said.

Cain said he was pleased with his team’s effort and hopes they can apply what they did in their next contest.

“The effort in overtime was incredible and it was something to be proud of. Hopefully it is something we can build on without Nate Howard playing it’s a gritty win for our team,” Cain said.

Senior guard Nate Stitchell led all KSC scorers with 22 points. The Panthers were led by senior center Uche Nwokeji, who scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

On Saturday, January 23, the Owls defeated the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on the road 89-86 to sweep the season series.

The Owls held the LEC’s leading scorer Jordan Rezendes to 21 points.

In addition, the Owls had a solid offensive output with all five starters in double figures. Ozzella led the way with 23 points to lead all scorers in the contest and had 11 rebounds.

Also, Stitchell finished with 16 points and junior Jeff Lunn had 16 points as well.

The Owls will return home to Spaulding Gymnasium on Saturday, January 30, to take on the University of Massachusetts Boston at 3 p.m.

Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com

The Keene State College’s Men’s Basketball team is smoking hot to open up the season for a second year in a row, establishing a record of 5-0 so far.

After winning the Keene State College Tip-Off Tournament, the men have picked up right where they left off. Keene State was able to hold off Lasell College 93-91 on November 19 at Spaulding Gym. That night the Owls were down 44-43 at halftime and were able to squeeze by in the second half. Sophomore guard Dizel Wright led the Owls, who tied his career high with 20 points and had ten rebounds to record a double-double.

KSC shot 45 percent from the field in that win and had five players in double figures in the victory. Interim Head Coach Ryan Cain said he likes his team having the balanced scoring. “I think we’ve consistently had four or five guys in double figures and that is exactly where we want to be,” Cain said.

Luke Stergiou / Equinox Staff

The Owls hit the road for the first time on the season defeating the University of New England 89-66 on November 21. In that contest senior guard Nate Stitchell led Keene State scorers with 17 points and junior guard Lucas Hamel contributed 14 points. In that win, the Owls shot over 50 percent from the field.

On November 24, the Owls traveled to Springfield College. Keene State took care of the Pride with an 87-78 win. The Owls had a 49-26 lead at halftime in that game and were outscored 49-41 in second half action. Once again it was a balanced scoring attack for the squad with four players in double figures. Wright led all Keene State scorers with 17 points and ten rebounds.

One trend that has happened during the last three games is the Owls have allowed less points. After allowing 101 and 88 points in their first two contests the Owls held their final two opponents 66 and 78 points respectively.

Cain said he is glad that the defense has played better. “The effort and intensity has been pretty good and now I think we are starting to add some execution on the defensive end of the floor,” Cain said.

Keene State returns to action on Saturday, December 5, at 3 p.m., in the Spaulding Gym when they will take on the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com

The Keene State College women’s basketball team started off their season 2-0 with two wins at home this past weekend in the Tip-Off Tournament.

Championship Game:

The Owls were able to win the Keene State College Tip-Off Tournament in their second game of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating Sage College 81-65.

Stephanie D’Annolfo, the tournament MVP, led the charge for the Owls as she scored 11 points. In addition, she contributed with eight rebounds, six steals and five assists.

D’Annolfo commented on receiving the MVP award. She said, “It’s nice to have it and nice to know I can be a leader for this team.”

Tim Smith / Photo Editor

The Owls felt a little bit of a scare as Sage College pulled to within two points very late in the third quarter to make the score 54-52. However, the Owls first-year players came up with big shots, as Emily McPadden and Valerie Martin were able to drain clutch threes to stop the run. McPadden finished with 20 points to lead the team and Martin had 18 points.

Owls Head Coach Keith Boucher said he was pleased with the effort of his first-year players. “They gave us big minutes and they played big,” Boucher said.

In addition, Boucher said, “I don’t think they were afraid of the bright lights. I think that sometimes happens with freshmen.”

The other award winners for Keene State in the tournament were senior guard Kelsey Cognetta and Martin, who both earned spots on the All-Tournament Team. With the win the Owls are now 2-0 on the season and Sage College fell to 1-1.

The Owls return home Saturday afternoon to face Smith College at 2 p.m.

Opening Game:

The women’s team also won their first game of the Keene State College Tip-Off Tournament.

On Friday afternoon the Owls demolished SUNY Cobleskill 91-45. KSC jumped out to the lead early in the first quarter and had a 26-10 lead after the first quarter. Keene State led at halftime 47-22.

Keene State shot the ball well in their opening game of the season. The Owls shot 48.6 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from downtown. Sophomore Sandi Purcell led the charge, scoring 17 points in the win and contributing five steals and five rebounds. Valerie Martin had 14 points off the bench in her KSC basketball debut.

There was also some solid play down low for Keene State as D’Annolfo had ten rebounds and contributed five points.

Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com

After a hot start to the their campaign in the 2014-2015 season, which saw the Keene State College men’s basketball team start off 9-1, the team is off to a 2-0 start to open up the season this year.

The Owls took care of business on Saturday night against Green Mountain College and against Endicott College on Sunday afternoon to win the Keene State College Tip-Off Tournament.

Championship Game:

The Owls were able to survive a vicious run by Endicott in the championship game Sunday afternoon as they defeated the Gulls 100-88. The Owls let a 55-38 lead at halftime slip away in the second half.

Luke Stergiou / Equinox Staff

The Gulls used a 25 to five run early in the second half to take a 72-70 lead over the Owls. Keene State was able to settle down however and take a 76-74 lead and after that they did not look back.

Owls Interim Head Coach Ryan Cain said his team “did a great job responding.” Cain continued, “We allowed them back in but we plugged away and plugged through and the guys really made plays when it mattered the most.”

Junior guard/forward Jaquel Edwards, who contributed 12 points off the bench, said defense was the key to stopping the run. “We just had to play defense and get stops. That’s all we talk about is getting stops and play hard so that’s what we had to do,” Edwards said.

The Owls were led offensively once again by Nate Stitchell, who finished with 22 points. Stitchell’s contributions led to him receiving the tournament MVP award. Kamahl Walker of Endicott finished with 47 points to lead all scorers for both sides and led the Gulls offensive attack. Walker and junior Max Motroni were given the honors of being on the All-Tournament Team. For the Owls, Wright received the honor as well.

On that day the Owls shot 58 percent from the field and the Gulls shot 39 percent from the field.

Keene State returns to the court Thursday night November 19, at 7 p.m., when they take on Lasell College at Spaulding Gymnasium.

Opening Night:

The Owls opened up their season with a 108-104 victory against the Eagles of Green Mountain College on Saturday night at Spaulding Gym. Senior guard Nate Stitchell went off for 32 points leading Keene State’s scorers and setting a new career high. The Owls shot the ball well as a team that night, shooting 46 percent from the field. In addition, they converted 39 out of 55 foul shots for a 71 percent clip.

Another contributor for the Owls was senior center Nate Howard who finished with 12 boards. First-year Ty Nichols made a great first impression scoring 18 points and sophomore Dizel Wright scored 19 points in the victory.

The two leading scorers for the Eagles were Jared Carithers and Cameron Anderson, who both finished with over 20 points and each had double digit rebound totals.

It was a close game for most of the contest as Keene State’s largest lead at one point was just 13 points. The Owls led 47-41 at halftime and the Eagles outscored the Owls in the second half by two points.

Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com

It didn’t take long for Keene State College’s field hockey team to strike in their NCAA opening-round victory against Husson University. However, the Owls season came to a close on Saturday, November 14, with a loss to Bowdoin College in the second round of the tournament.

The Owls wasted no time against Husson as junior Kayla Renaud scored her ninth goal of the season exactly one minute into the contest. That was all the offense the Owls would need as they battled their way to a 1-0 victory on November 11 at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Owls Head Coach Amy Watson said she was happy the Owls struck as early as they did, “I’m glad we scored that goal early. We went back and forth a lot. I thought both teams had some good opportunities,” Watson said.

The first round game was back and forth at times with Keene State outshooting Husson in the first half nine to five.  In the second half the Owls outshot the Eagles ten to five. The Owls also had the edge in penalty corners ten to six.

Tim Smith / Photo Editor

The Owls made two defensive saves in the victory and Watson was pleased with the playing of her four key defenders. Watson praised the defense in the opening round victory. “They all stepped up at different points of the game,” Watson said.

Watson also spoke of the goaltenders’ efforts for both teams, as both goaltenders made some key saves. Owls senior goalkeeper finished with four saves and Husson’s goalkeeper Anne Marie Provencal finished with 12 saves on the night.

“Both of them made some key saves. Both teams had great opportunities and their goalies kept them from scoring. It was a well played game,” Watson said.

Second Round Contest:

The Owls season came to end however, on Saturday, November 14 the Owls fell to number one ranked. The Polar Bears defeated the Owls 5-1. The lone Keene State goal of the game came off the stick of Sami Smith. The goal was her twenty-fifth of the season.

According to Keeneowls.com, Keene State was outshot 30 to two and Bowdoin held the edge in penalty corners 12 to one. Dwyer finished the day with 15 saves in her final collegiate game and allowed four goals. Owls first year goalkeeper Gwendolyn Thayer made one save on two shots on goal and allowed one goal.

Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com

The Keene State College Men’s Basketball team will certainly have teams coming for them heading into the upcoming season that opens November 14, as the defending Little East Conference tournament champions.

Last season, the Owls had a strong turnaround year, going 20-9 a season after finishing just 8-17. The Owls won the LEC Tournament by defeating Western Connecticut State University, then Eastern Connecticut State University and finally Rhode Island College in the championship game to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Owls were defeated by Johns Hopkins University in the opening round.

Sophomore guard Dizel Wright said the team this season is definitely going to be on everyone’s radar.

Photo by Kendall Pope / Managing Executive Editor

“I know there is a big target on our back and every team in the LEC is going to be coming for us,” Wright said.

However, one thing the team already has during practices and their scrimmages is good chemistry.

“We get along good on and off the court. The chemistry is good so far,” Wright said.

Interim Head Coach Ryan Cain calls the season a process and is going to take it step by step and not look ahead to championships. “Obviously you have long-term goals and of course that’s a goal [winning the LEC Championship]. Right now you kind of have to forget about those events. Championships and those kind of things are secondary at this point,” Cain said.

Cain, who is in his first season with the Owls as the Interim Head Coach, said he likes the players on the roster that he has inherited. “We have a lot of good players,” Cain said. In addition, the team has 13 players returning from last season.

The Owls will need players to take on an increased role as the Owls lost Tom Doyle to graduation this past spring.

Doyle was the LEC Tournament MVP and was the Owls leading scorer, averaging 19.5 points per game last season.

Cain said he believes in his players after the loss of Doyle. “I think we have a lot of guys who are ready to step up and take advantage of the opportunity provided by Tom leaving,” Cain said.

One thing Cain sees happening is contributions from many different players. “I think we have a lot of guys who can be key players I definitely think it is going to be that team mindset.

I think you’ll see a guy for twenty-five [points] one day and have another guy the next day go for twenty-five [points],” Cain said.

The team also has newcomers this season, a mix of first-years and transfers.

Cain said the younger players are trying to get up to speed with the  older players. “The thing they are doing best is they are trying to play at a high level similar to the older guys. I think the older guys know what it takes in terms of the energy and effort,” Cain said.

Wright said the younger players are already fitting in. “The chemistry is good [between] the incoming freshmen, the transfers and the returning guys,” Wright said.

However, the biggest change this season for the Owls is the coaching staff. The players have so far adjusted to the changes. Wright said, “I think the team likes the coaching staff a lot. Obviously they are younger they get a better feel of like how it because we are still in college and they’re like kind of fresh out.”

Senior Guard Nate Stitchell said new the system under the coaching is a little different. “One thing that I could say is there is a little bit more freedom we are all comfortable as players we all trust each other.

Coach kind of allows us to kind of play how we play and take care of it on the defensive end,” Stitchell said.

Cain said he is looking forward to coaching his first game as a collegiate head coach. “Even just coaching in my first scrimmage I was extremely excited to get going I think we have a great group of people. I look forward seeing these guys perform at their best when the lights are on,” Cain said.

The Owls open up the season this weekend on Saturday night against Green Mountain at 5 p.m. at Spaulding Gymnasium. LEC play will begin on December 5, when the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth comes to Keene.

Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com

When the Keene State College Women’s Basketball team opens what they hope will be a successful season this Friday afternoon, they will be playing under some new rules.

According to an NCAA.com article from June 10, 2015, there will now be a four-quarter format of ten minutes each instead of two 20-minute halves. In addition, there will be new rules in terms of the bonus foul shots.

Previously teams had a one and one opportunity when the seventh foul was committed each half. Once ten fouls occurred in a half teams reached the double bonus.

Under the new format teams will reach the bonus after five fouls each quarter.

Photo by Kendall Pope / Managing Executive Editor

However, at the end of each quarter the fouls will reset to zero. If the game goes into overtime after the fourth quarter the fouls will carry over.

If a team calls a timeout another rule change is that with under a minute left in the fourth quarter or overtime, teams will get to inbound the ball on their offensive side of the court. Finally, for post defense the NCAA.com article states, “The panel approved a new rule that allows defenders to place a forearm or an open hand with a bend in the elbow on an offensive post player with the ball whose back is to the basket.”

Women’s Basketball Head Coach Keith Boucher said he does not like the new rules.

“I think there is much more flow to two halves then there is to a four quarter game,” Boucher said. “We are going to be playing international rules. I have been fortunate to go to Europe three times and play these rules,” Boucher said.

Junior Captain Stephanie D’Annolfo said the team had a meeting with officials in regards to the new rules.

“We had a little meeting with ref officials and they explained everything in depth,” D’Annolfo said.

The team’s expectations for the upcoming season is to win the Little East Conference Championship. However, Boucher said he is looking for some other

things as well. “My expectation is the same everyday, that we work to get better,” Boucher said.

On the court Boucher likes what players he has for the upcoming season. “I think we have a good mix of upperclassmen and underclassman,” Boucher said.

The roster this season will be comprised of half the players being first-year players. D’Annolfo said that, even though you can tell they are first-years, they are holding their own. “Their IQs are great, they’re supportive, they have a lot of energy and a lot of skill. They have the potential to do very well in the LEC,” D’Annolfo said.

So far the workouts have gone well for the team on the off-season and the team has gelled. Senior Guard Kelsey Cognetta said, “I think this year we are doing good competing and making each other better. We have good chemistry with each other.”

Boucher said he hopes for a fast start but he wants it to be sustained throughout the season. “I don’t want us to start fast and then we sink. I want us to gradually get better because of the process and the standards that they [the players] are holding themselves too,” Boucher said.

Some players that Boucher sees as key pieces to this years team are Cognetta, D’Annolfo and his forwards Amanda Petrow and Sarah Kober.

Boucher said this of Cognetta, “She is a senior and a captain, one of the toughest kids I’ve ever coached,” Boucher said. Boucher calls D’Annolfo the team’s “Swiss Army Knife,” as she can play multiple positions.

In addition, he said she is very good defensively and can play anywhere on the court.

Boucher also said that sophomore Sandi Purcell and first-year Emily McPadden will help the team shooting. Boucher discussed

McPaddon’s abilities, “She is a great three point threat. She has incredibly range.”

The Owls are coming off of a 18-11 record last season and a 8-6 mark in LEC. The Owls fell to Westfield State University in the Semifinals of the ECAC Tournament to conclude their season last March.

They will open the season this Friday afternoon against SUNY Cobleskill at 3 p.m. at Spaulding Gymnasium.

Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com

The Keene State College Field Hockey team has now won more titles in a row than Lebron James did during his stay in South Beach.

The Owls defeated Eastern Connecticut State University 2-1 at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday afternoon to claim their third straight Little East Conference Championship.

Keene State appearing in its fifth straight LEC Championship game battled with Eastern Connecticut back and forth for the first half. At halftime the score was 0-0 and Keene State had the edge in shots slightly four to three.

In the second half the Owls were able to break through as Junior Sami Smith scored her LEC leading twenty-fourth goal of the season at the 37:17 mark. Kayla Renaud and Marita Brothers both juniors picked up the assists on the goal. The Owls were not done scoring as Renaud found the back of the cage on a penalty corner at the 50:35 mark and Junior Brittney Cardente picked up the assist. The Owls were able to score both goals on the afternoon off penalty corners.

Tim Smith / Photo Editor

The Owls were truly tested toward the end of the second half as Keene State was issued three yellow cards in a matter of less than two minutes.  Kendal Brown was issued a yellow card for five minutes, Brothers was issued a card for ten minutes and Smith was issued a card for five minutes. The Owls were down three players for about seven minutes.The Owls, down three players, were able to hold off furious Eastern Connecticut’s attack.

Head Coach Amy Watson said she was extremely pleased with the team’s effort in that situation. “I’m really proud of the way my team handled that exactly. There is a lot of emotion going on in a game like this and you start getting players carded, the game is physical. It’s really easy to let your emotions get out of control. I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the girls who were on the field when we were playing three men down because they were amazing. They held it together and worked together as a team,” Watson said.

The Warriors received a penalty corner as time expired and Paige Schneider was able to score after time expired to break up the shutout. Keene State was outshot 11 to ten and eight to six in second half. Senior Goalkeeper Meaghan Dwyer started in goal for Keene State and made five saves. Dwyer also won Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament. The Owls defense also had three team saves with Senior Emily Medeiros making two of them.

With the win, Keene State adds another piece of hardware to its trophy collection. The Owls continue to pad their record of the most championships in the LEC Field Hockey with 11. Keene State has an all-time record of 11-4 in LEC Championship Games. Keene State will receive an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. The Owls are 3-10 all-time in the big dance.

Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com

The Keene State College Volleyball team is looking at the possibility of having home court in the Little East Conference tournament and hopes to use it to their advantage. 

The Owls have performed very well at home this season with a 10-1 record at Spaulding Gym. The Owls have an overall record of 19-8 and a 5-1 record in the Little East Conference. They currently are tied with Western Connecticut State University for the top spot. Head Coach Bob Weiner said the team is more comfortable at home.

“They like sleeping in their own beds and they like cooking their own food. They like being able to go into the locker room. Being home is really great,” Weiner said.

A number of players agreed with Weiner that the team plays better at home. Senior Alexis Michal said being at home during the postseason would benefit the team.

File Photo / Tim Smith

“I think it will be really helpful to have our fan base here and not having to drive on a bus is always nice,” Michal said.

Senior Angela Silveri said, “It would be awesome,” when asked about the prospect of having home court advantage.

“I think traveling has a big impact on how we feel having to drive wherever the game would be. If we were home you are just more comfortable. The other team would have to travel here [and] that would be a disadvantage for them,” Silveri said. The Owls currently are in a potential position to host because of their big win against Western Connecticut on Saturday, October 17. The Owls won the match in five sets. The win gave the Owls confidence heading into the final week of the regular season.

Senior Cat Kazazian said the win against Western Connecticut was “awesome.”

“It helped give us the lift to know that we can do it even though it took us a while to get there. Getting the win showed that we are someone to be reckoned with in the Little East Conference,” Kazazian said. Silveri said the win was a big one against the defending LEC Champions.

“I think that helped, as long as we do our job and play the way we could. We can be a very good team. Overall it just boosts our confidence because I think that is what we needed going forward,” Silveri said.

One of the main reasons why the Owls won the Western Connecticut match and the Oswego State matches during their tri-match was because they grinded it out.  Both of these October 17 matches were decided by five sets.

“Earlier this year we would not have survived either of those matches. We’ve gotten a lot tougher, we played terribly in spots in both matches and went okay and recovered,” Weiner said.

For the Owls to come in first place in the conference they need a little bit of help. The Owls need to do their part and win their final two conference matches. The Owls won their match against Eastern Connecticut State University this past Saturday, October 24. The Owls defeated the Warriors three sets to none. As a result Keene State clinched no worse than the second seed securing a first round a bye.

They also need Western Connecticut to win against the University of Massachusetts Boston on the final day of the season October 31. The Owls own the tiebreaker against Western Connecticut who they are currently tied with. However, they do not own the tiebreaker against UMASS Boston as they lost to them earlier in the season on September 23. The Owls, if they get the number one or two seed, are hoping to survive the bye. Last season it hurt the team as they lost in the Semi-Finals to Eastern Connecticut.

“It wasn’t beneficial last year that’s for sure. I will plan some activities for the week that will be difficult enough that it won’t feel like a bye week. We are going to work them hard that week if we have a bye,” Weiner said.

Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com

The Keene State College Men’s Basketball team will have a new leader for the 2015-2016 season and he looks to bring his winning ways to the court.

Ryan Cain will take over as Interim Head Coach of the program and will bring a “winning tradition to Keene,” Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and Interim Director of Athletics Kemal Atkins, said.

Atkins said while having a conversation with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Head Coach Chris Bartley, he learned of Cain’s basketball success.

“The team they had only one 20 plus win season. Since he has been there as a player and coach it has been twelve consecutive 20 plus win seasons,” Atkins said.

During his four years as a player and eight as an assistant coach at WPI Cain accomplished a number of achievements. According to the WPI Sports Information webpage he is the school’s leading scorer with 1,813 career points. In addition, Cain made three NCAA tournament appearances as a player and won four New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season titles. Also, Cain won two NEWMAC tournaments as a player and won the league’s player of the year twice.

During his tenure as an assistant coach he helped lead WPI to six NCAA tournament appearances

File Photo / Tim Smith

including three consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2015. Cain said he believes his success at WPI will help him here at Keene State. “I think it will help me immensely. I was able to play for a guy that I think is one of the best coaches [Chris Bartley] in the country and then coach aside him the last eight years,” Cain said.

Sports Information Director and Chair of the Search Committee Abe Osheyack said Cain coming from a winning tradition helped Cain during the interview process.

“We have a winning tradition at Keene State particularly this year. We are bringing back a huge core of a championship team. To have somebody in a position who was familiar with a winning culture and excellence was important. I think winning is something that you learn how to do,” Osheyack said.

Cain said he believes it is critical connecting with others.

“It is probably one of the most important things. Obviously number one would be connecting the players and then shortly after that would be connecting with everybody on campus. I think it is important for the players and the community to hopefully transition and support our program moving forward,” Cain said.

Atkins said he has high hopes for the team this season. “I think the expectations are extremely high, we are returning a strong team,” Atkins said. The Owls in their last season won the Little East Tournament and were defeated by Johns Hopkins in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Cain said his goal for the season is for the team to reach its potential. “I don’t believe in setting win loss goals. I think the expectation would be to try to reach our potential,” Cain said.

In addition, Cain is not feeling any extra pressure of last year’s NCAA tournament appearance. “I think you start with a new slate every single year. You lose guys and bring guys on. The success or failure of a previous year doesn’t really impact that following year and it’s tough to project based on last year’s results. I think we are excited that we have a lot of guys returning for sure. We are bringing in some good players, as well I don’t think the NCAA tournament puts any more or less pressure on the team for that following season,” Cain said.

Cain has enjoyed his time on campus so far. “It’s been wonderful. The people have been phenomenal. The more I’m around the school, the more I learn about the school, the more impressed with the school I am,” Cain said.

The season will begin on October 15, with tryouts and then games beginning in November.

Cain calls the time between now and then a process.

“It’s a process I don’t want to look past these six weeks. I think these six weeks are very important for me to connect with the players and the community,” Cain said. Cain also needs to work on filling his coaching staff, as Doug Jenkins will return as an assistant coach in a voluntary role. “I’d love to say as soon as possible but we are not going to rush to make that decision. We want go get good people in here but hopefully in the near future we can put together a full staff,” Cain said.

Atkins said, Cain’s best quality is his personality. “We had a connection almost immediately. What I’ve seen since he’s been here he’s connected very well with people. That was probably the most important value as I believe coming in as a coach in this role he would need to be able to connect with the student athletes in particular quickly,” Atkins said.

According to Atkins, with Cain being the interim head coach he is allowed to apply for the permanent position.

“Being the interim head coach does not disqualify him from being considered for the permanent position. We won’t look towards a search until the spring,” Atkins said.

Cain is taking over the program that former Head Coach Rob Colbert led for 16 years. His contract was terminated on June 19, 2015. A message was left by The Equinox with Kelly Ricaurte, Keene State College Media Relations Manager, but referred The Equinox to Osheyack.

Osheyack said, “The termination of Rob Colbert is a private, personnel matter.”

Brian can be reached at bclemmonson@kscequinox.com