Bears Continue Hunt For Elusive Hudson Valley Title In ’07-‘08

In September of 1976, legendary rock band, Led Zeppelin released the album, The Song Remains the Same.  For the 2007-2008 men's basketball team, the song does indeed remain the same!  After falling short in the final of the Hudson Valley Conference Championship game for the third straight year, the Bears once again have their sights set on a conference title, one that has eluded them throughout their history as a HVC member dating back to the 1994-1995 season. 

With the admission of Sarah Lawrence, the Bears will play 8 regular season contests, with the post-season tournament scheduled for February 16 and 17 at Pratt Institute.  The biggest obstacle facing the Bears will be two-time champion, Berkeley College who return the core of last year's squad.  Another major obstacle the Bears will have to overcome is the loss of graduates Lukasz Cygan and Mike Donnelly.  Both were significant contributors to the Bears' success last season.

The Bears will turn to lone senior, Chris Olaskiewicz and junior guard Ervin Maddox to lead the way.  Olaskiewicz, a three-year starter looks to match, if not pass, his totals of 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last year, while  Maddox, who emerged to be a major contributor for the Bears last season, looks to build on his 12.2 points, 4.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game from last year.  Newcomers Will Exantus, Justin Gist, and JT Matzelle have been impressive throughout the preseason and will be looked upon to contribute immediately.  Juniors Lukasz Klimaszewski and Przemyslaw Kudla look to fill similar roles to last season when they served as key reserves off the bench.  However, if the Bears are to get over the top, they will need others to emerge.  Returning starter, Mike Dziewit, will be asked to contribute more on both ends of the floor. Juniors Dane Bruce and Larry Fawcett have both shown promise at times, but will need to perform at a more consistent level when called upon.  Rounding out the roster are junior transfer Lew Monaco who has shown steady progress thus far and junior sparkplug, Paul Kielmanowicz. 

With what appears to be a deeper bench than in years past, the Bears hope to be able to compete at a higher level.  For the Bears, the main priority is not about wins and losses, but rather to represent St. Joseph's College with pride and dignity both on and off the court.  With that being a given, the Bears intend to work hard each and every day in the gym with the hope of qualifying for the Association of Division 3 Independents Tournament in February, as well a fourth consecutive berth to the USCAA National Tournament in March.  However, there's no doubt that the number one goal of the 2007-2008 Bears is to climb the Stairway to Heaven and reach the pinnacle of the Hudson Valley Conference for the first time in school history.