Saturday, June 30, 2007

Dukes Ice Hockey Rumors


  Rumors have been swirling that Duquesne University may allocate additional funding and grant varsity status to its club ice hockey program sometime in the near future with a move into the NCAA.
  Western Pennsylvania is already home to two NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey programs -- the Mercyhurst College Lakers and the Robert Morris University Colonials -- so a move into NCAA Ice Hockey would keep Duquesne competitive with these local rivals, especially with Robert Morris -- a natural rival as an overall NCAA Division I university located in the Pittsburgh area.
  Duquesne's close proximity to the soon-to-be-constructed multipurpose arena in Uptown Pittsburgh may be a factor in helping the university to decide what direction to move with its ice hockey team. Duquesne Ice Hockey may very well make itself a tenant in this new building, along with the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.
  The "Ice Dukes" -- a men's club, or non-varsity, team that competes in the College Hockey Mid-America conference of the American Collegiate Hockey Association's Division I level -- was its conference champion for the 2006-07 season.

(Image: 2006-07 Duquesne University Ice Hockey Team, Copyright College Hockey Mid-America)

Friday, June 29, 2007

Possible BIG Women's Basketball Recruit


  Duquesne University's Women's Basketball head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio was spotted giving a tour of the A.J. Palumbo Center today with a believed women's basketball recruit.
  The alleged recruit is heighted in the 6-foot-6 range and is believed to have played secondary school basketball in the Pittsburgh area -- possibly at Westinghouse High School.

(Image: Suzie McConnell-Serio, Copyright Duquesne University)

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Duquesne Football Fills Hole in Schedule


  Duquesne University Athletics announced today that Dukes Football will play NCAA Division III Frostburg State University on Saturday of its Homecoming Weekend -- Sept. 29, 2007, at 1 p.m.
  The Sept. 29 game was originally scheduled against Division I Football Championship Subdivision and fellow Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference member Saint Peter's College, but St. Peter's Athletics announced the dropping of its football program earlier this month, leaving Duquesne to search for a team to fill the void in its schedule.
  Duquesne has played the Frostburg State Bobcats -- a member of the Atlantic Central Football Conference -- three times in the past, losing all three meetings while both programs were competing at the Division III level.
  Frostburg State posted a 2-7 record in 2006.

(Image: 2006 Duquesne University Football Team, Copyright Duquesne University)

About the Blog Host

  Robert Edward Healy, III, is a Duquesne University alumnus (B.A. 2005, M.S. 2006). As an undergraduate, he was a major in Communication Studies and a minor in both Multimedia and Sociology. As a graduate, he earned a Master of Science in Multimedia Technology degree with a concentration in Professional Media Practices.
  Robert played on Duquesne University's football team from 2001-2004 and the university's indoor and outdoor track & field teams from 2001-2006.
  Football-wise, Robert was the starter at right guard for Duquesne's 2003 NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major National Championship team and a member of four straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championship teams, going undefeated in conference play during his collegiate career. Duquesne played in three ECAC Bowls during Robert's tenure as well, winning one in 2003. Aside from being the Street & Smith's 2002 College Football Preview Magazine MAAC Newcomer-of-the-Year, Robert was also a two-time All-MAAC offensive lineman and Academic All-MAAC player.
  Track & field-wise, Robert is Duquesne's indoor and outdoor school record holder in the shot put, qualifying for the 2006 Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A) Division I Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the event. In addition to being the Atlantic Ten Conference (A10) runner-up in the shot put and bronze medalist in the hammer throw in 2006, Robert was also the 2006 A10 champion in the discus throw, qualifying for the IC4A Division I and NCAA Division I East Region Outdoor Championships in the event. Robert's 2006 track & field accomplishments garnered him two All-A10 honors (discus throw and shot put) as well as an Academic All-A10 honor and the titles of A10 Track & Field Student Athlete of the Year and ESPN The Magazine Cross Country/Track & Field Academic All-American.
  Also as a student, Robert was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa (National Leadership Honor Society), Lambda Pi Eta (National Communication Association Honor Society) and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee; was a contributing writer for Spirit: The Life and Letters of Duquesne and Off the Bluff; sports writer for The Duquesne Duke; and show host, sportscaster and sports director for WdSR (Duquesne Student Radio) -- heard on WdSR 97.7 FMca and www.wdsr.org.
  Robert is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and is currently the Director of Athletics Communications at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. Before taking that position, he served as the Assistant Sports Information Director and as an Assistant Track & Field Coach at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. During the 2005 and 2006 Duquesne Football seasons, he held the roles (at different times) of sideline reporter, color commentator and play-by-play commentator for Dukes Football radio and Internet broadcasts, being heard on the Pittsburgh-area's WKFB 770 AM and on www.redzonemedia.com.
  For the Fall 2006 semester in Duquesne's Journalism and Multimedia Arts Department, Robert was a Graduate Teaching Assistant, being the sole Instructor for two sections of a Language for Journalists course and the Assistant Instructor for two sections of a Media & Sports course. In the past, Robert has also been a Ring Announcer for the Silver Belts Boxing Championships and has worked in the Pittsburgh Steelers' Public Relations office.
  Moreover, Robert is a member of the Dukes Court Athletic Association and has held the position of Marketing Specialist for the Court Time Sports Center in Elizabeth, PA.
  His freelance writing debut for the Pittsburgh Sports Report ran in August 2007 with his piece about Duquesne Football. A story about the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pirates titled "Pittsburgh's New No. 2" also ran in the Report (on the front page) in September 2007.

Dukes Chat


  Dukes Chat has begun! This site will act as the home of all informal discussion about Duquesne University Athletics.
  Anyone and everyone is permitted to post on this Web log.

(Image: Duquesne University Athletics Logo, Copyright Duquesne University)