NYIT Bears
Encyclopedia
The NYIT Bears refer to the mascot and sports teams of the New York Institute of Technology
(NYIT), located in Old Westbury NY, United States
. All of NYIT's teams compete in NCAA Division II except baseball, which competes in Division I. The NYIT Bears are part of the East Coast Conference
(ECC), and the baseball team is part of the Great West conference. The NYIT Bears are best known for their men's lacrosse
team, which has won four NCAA Division II national championships.
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Recreation Hall: A 500-seat arena, Recreation Hall is home to men's and women's basketball, and volleyball.
Old Westbury Field: A 250-seat field, Old Westbury Field is home to the softball team.
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New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology is a private, non-sectarian, co-educational research university in New York City. NYIT has five schools and two colleges, all with a strong emphasis on technology and applied scientific research...
(NYIT), located in Old Westbury NY, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. All of NYIT's teams compete in NCAA Division II except baseball, which competes in Division I. The NYIT Bears are part of the East Coast Conference
East Coast Conference
The East Coast Conference is a collegiate athletics conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division II. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the States of Connecticut and New York.-History:...
(ECC), and the baseball team is part of the Great West conference. The NYIT Bears are best known for their men's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team, which has won four NCAA Division II national championships.
Current Sports Programs
- Men's Programs
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
- Soccer
- Baseball
- Women's Programs
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- Soccer
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- Basketball
Facilities
President's Field: A 1,000-seat stadium that is the home of the lacrosse, baseball, and men's and women's soccer teams. In 2006, the NYIT replaced the natural grass of the field with FieldTurfFieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
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Recreation Hall: A 500-seat arena, Recreation Hall is home to men's and women's basketball, and volleyball.
Old Westbury Field: A 250-seat field, Old Westbury Field is home to the softball team.
Baseball
Led by Bob Hirschfield the NYIT baseball team is the only sport that competes at the NCAA Division 1 level, as part of the Great West Conference. With over 650 wins under his belt Coach Hirschfield has helped several players reach the next level and sign professional contracts. The most resent signings are Joe Esposito, Mike Laluna, Kraig Binick, Mike Roth, Lou Bernardi, Jon Burke, Andrew Gurassi, and Steve Faulkner. Some of the more notable Professional signings in recent years are Mike MacMillan, Mike Gaffney, Chris Rojas, Brian Goelz, and Jimmy Goelz.Lacrosse
During lacrosse coach Jack Kaley's tenure (1993 - 2009), NYIT's lacrosse team rose to become a national powerhouse. Under Kaley, the Bears had a record of 152-28. They won the East Coast Conference championship four consecutive years(2002-5). They have reached the NCAA Division II national championship game six times, and have won the national championship four times, including an undefeated season in 2003.- NCAA National FinalistsNCAA Men's Lacrosse ChampionshipThe annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
: 1994, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008 - NCAA National Championships: 1997, 2003, 2005, 2008
Men's Basketball
In 1980, the men's basketball team made their first and only appearance in the NCAA Division II national championship game, losing 80-74 to Virginia Union.- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1978, 1980, 2004
- ECC Championship: 2006/2007
Women's Basketball
In 2005, the women's basketball team advanced to the East Coast Conference Championship game, and in 2006, the team started the season 5-11 before rallying to finish 8-3 and advance to the second round of the ECC tournament.Men's Soccer
Since coach Carlos Del Cid took over in 2001, NYIT's soccer team has become one of the best in the nation. In 2003, the Bears advanced to the NCAA playoffs after an absence of 18 years (1985). They have established a school record of 13 wins in a row and have been ranked as high as no. 7 in the nation. In 2005, the men's soccer team advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. They lost on penalty kicks to Franklin Pierce CollegeFranklin Pierce College
Franklin Pierce University is a small, private, regionally-accredited university in rural Rindge, New Hampshire, founded in 1962, combining a liberal arts foundation with coursework for professional preparation...
.
Notable alumni
- Don Cooper: BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
(Pitching Coach, Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Member of 2005 World Series2005 World SeriesThe 2005 World Series, the 101st Major League Baseball championship series, saw the American League champion Chicago White Sox sweep the National League champion Houston Astros four games to none in the best-of-seven-games series, winning their third championship and first since 1917.Home-field...
Championship team) - Ray Giannelli: BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- Allen Watson: BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
(Member of 2000 World Series2000 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
Champion New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
)