This summer, csidolphins.com will be once again unveiling its Flashback Friday feature to usher in the offseason and get us ready for the fall season come late-August. College of Staten Island Athletics staffers voted on their Top 10 moments from the 2015-16 year. Each Friday over the summer, we will unveil a new top moment, complete with photos, videos, player interviews and more to complete the collection.
Flashback Fridays will debut next Friday, June 24, right here on www.csidolphins.com and be sure to keep tabs on your favorite moments via Instagram and Facebook. Of course, getting a grand list of top moments whittled down to just 10 is tough, so to get us started we’ve included a list of near misses below.
#11 – Men’s Soccer wins CUNYAC Tournament opener in historic fashion
October 28, 2015 – Staten Island, NY
After winning the CUNYAC Regular Season Championship, the men’s soccer team drew the No. 1 seed in the Postseason Tournament, pitting them against No. 8 Medgar Evers College. The Dolphins weren’t just facing the Cougars on the late-October day, but also Mother Nature, as the game featured punishing winds and a deluge of rain that washed out other games scheduled that day. The Dolphins’ field held up well, but the rains slowed down play and left players and coaches scrambling on both sides. The Dolphins remained vigilant and just two and a half minutes in Marcin Klim gave the Dolphins an early lead, and freshman Brayan Evo would add a first half hat trick that would eventually lead to a lop-sided, 11-0, win. It was the largest win in CSI’s history, bettering a 10-0 victory they had over John Jay College in 2005. The Dolphins rode the emotional high to a 5-2 win over John Jay in the CUNYAC Semifinals, leading the team to its first Finals appearance since 2007.
#12 – Softball’s Christina Tufano breaks CSI all-time hits record
April 21, 2016 – Staten Island, NY
Barring injury, Dolphins slugger Christina Tufano was going to break the College’s all-time career record for base hits, the only question was when, and how. Anticipation continued to build especially as the Dolphins had a total of eight doubleheaders washed away due to poor weather between March 15 and April 13. When CSI did resume, Tufano started to hit her stride and after putting up four hits against John Jay, Tufano needed just one to overtake former teammate Brittany Smith on the all-time hit list. Their next game was against Mount Saint Vincent and it didn’t take long to make history, as Tufano dribbled a slow roller between first and second base that allowed her to reach base for the record-breaking hit, drawing plenty of cheers and the retrieval of the game ball. Tufano would later walk in a run in the game added another infield hit later in the game, helping CSI to the 6-1 home win.
#13 – Women’s Basketball clinches tie for CUNYAC Regular Season title with season-finale win over Lehman
February 16, 2016 – Bronx, NY
Earlier in the 2015-16 campaign the Dolphins lost an encounter to the Lightning on their home floor, 76-69. That put Lehman College in the driver’s seat for the Regular Season CUNYAC title and the No. 1 seed in the CUNYAC Postseason Tournament. Couple that with a loss to Brooklyn College as well and CSI was on the outside looking in. But in late-January, the Dolphins exacted revenge on Brooklyn and by the time the season finale rolled around CSI had a date with Lehman to determine the Regular Season crown. Samantha Flecker posted a double-double for the Dolphins, and fellow sophomore Christina Pasaturo dropped in a game-high 22 points and CSI raced passed the Lightning on Lehman’s home floor, 64-57. The tenacious Dolphins defense forced 23 Lehman turnovers and held the Lightning to just 34.4% from the floor while keeping the Lehman bench scoreless.
