Date: Monday, Oct. 29, 2001
Written by Michael Douglas

STITCHBERRY NAMED NESCAC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK

MEDFORD- Tufts University senior tri-captain Brad Stitchberry (Bryn Mawr, PA/Radnor) was named New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Co-Player of the Week for the week ending October 29. He shares the award with Bowdoin's David Bulow.

Having scored a total of three goals in the team's 14 regular-season games, Stitchberry had an offensive outburst in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs against Wesleyan on Sunday (Oct. 28) at Middlebury College. He scored two goals in regulation, including the game's first goal at 9:20 and the equalizer that tied the contest 2-2 at 34:28. After Tufts took a 3-2 lead, Wesleyan scored in the final minute to send the match into overtime. Four 15-minute overtime periods later, the game was to be decided on penalty kicks.

Following a save by freshman teammate Scott Conroy (Madison, CT/Choate Rosemary Hall), Stitchberry scored on his kick to give the Jumbos a 4-3 edge. The Cardinals tied up the score and after five rounds it stood 4-4, forcing sudden death penalty kicks. In the seventh round of penalty kicks Conroy made another save to preserve a 5-5 tie. Tufts senior Pat Brophy's (North Reading, MA/North Reading) next shot ricocheted hard off the right post and barely cleared the left post to give the Jumbos the 6-5 edge and a ticket to the semifinals.

The 2000 ECAC Champion Jumbos (11-3-1, 6-3-1 NESCAC), who finished third in the conference behind nationally-ranked Williams and #2 Middlebury, had won seven of eight before Sunday's tie. Stitchberry and the rest of Head Coach Ralph Ferrigno's squad will look to continue their winning ways as they head to Williams College next Saturday (Nov. 3) to take on the Middlebury Panthers (8-5-2, 6-1-2 NESCAC) in the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament.

Stitchberry has been a solid four-year contributor to the Jumbos. In 18 starts last year he had four goals and three assists. As a sophomore he started 14 games and accumulated four goals and an assist. In 14 games as a freshman he had three goals and three assists. Entering this weekend, he has 16 goals and seven assists for 39 points in 59 career games.

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