Sports Briefs

Men’s basketball picked to finish second in CAA

The VCU men’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the CAA after votingwas tallied by league coaches, sports information directors and media was at the conference’s media day in Philadelphia.

Four starters are returning for the Rams, including Nick George (Manchester, England), who was chosen as a preseason first-team All-CAA selection. This is the second straight year George has been chosen as a preseason all-conference player.

Old Dominion, who edged VCU in last year’s conference title game, was the unanimous pick to repeat as champions.

But VCU’s 81 wins over the past four seasons made the highest total for any Division I men’s team in the state.

The women’s team, which returns only two starters from last year’s eighth-place squad, was picked to finish 10th. (See graphic below.)

Rams claim regular-season title, home-field advantage

VCU women’s soccer team could not put the ball in the net against host Hofstra Saturday, but goalkeeper Emily Niman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) kept the Pride from scoring and the match ended in a scoreless tie.

Niman stopped six shots to preserve the Rams’ seventh shutout of the season.

With their 3-0 victory over Northeastern Thursday and the tie against the Pride, the Rams earned the regular-season crown and the right to host the CAA tournament.

The Rams (9-0-2 CAA, 11-3-5) play their semifinal game 7 p.m. on Friday against the winner of fourth-seeded James Madison and fifth-seeded Old Dominion.

The results over the weekend extend the Rams’ unbeaten streak to 12 games.

Having home-field advantage in the conference in the tournament gives the team an edge because they are unbeaten at Sports Backers Stadium in their past 24 matches, tied with Notre Dame for the longest active streak in Division I women’s soccer.

Championships schedule

Quarterfinals (Tues.,Nov. 1): #6 William & Mary at #3 Delaware, 7 p.m.; #5 Old Dominion at #4 James Madison, 7 p.m.

Semifinals (Fri., Nov. 4):ODU-JMU winner at #1 VCU, 5:50 p.m.; W&M-Del. winner vs. #2 Hofstra, 8 p.m.

Championship (Sun., Nov. 6): Semifinal winners play at 2 p.m.

Hitchcock named GM of FC Dallas

FC Dallas of Major League Soccer announced that former VCU defender Michael Hitchcock would be the new full-time general manager of the club.

Hitchcock held executive positions with D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy before earning his new post.

Hitchcock, who majored in mass communications, was a student-athlete at VCU from 1991-94.

Walters earns All-CAA honors in cross country

Sophomore Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Green Run High School) ran to an 11th-place finish out of 86 runners Saturday at the CAA Championships in Wilmington, N.C.

Walters registered a time of 29:19.91 in the 8K run to lead the Rams to fifth place out of nine teams.

Junior Cary Chafee was the second Ram to finish, coming in 21st place overall.

William & Mary won the event followed by James Madison.

William & Mary also took first place in the women’s portion of the championships.

Danielle Williams (Virginia Beach/Salem High School) finished in 30th place to pace the Rams. Emily Thompson (Crozet/Western Albemarle High School) was 36th.

VCU golf team finishes third in Landfall Tradition golf tournament

The Rams notched a final round 6-over par 294 (297+298+294=889) to finish tied for third place with three other teams.

Junior Jens Fahbring (Sollentuna, Sweden) finished third in the individual standings, leading the Rams with a three-under par 69 Sunday to finish with 216 after three rounds (74+73+69).

Fellow junior Dustin Hussey’s (Ridgeway/Magna Vista High School) scored a two-over par (74+72+74) to finish ninth in individual standings.

Texas A&M won the tournament with a final round score of 281 and 870 overall.