In the penultimate game of the season UFA 40 were at home to Lakewood, with temperatures in the 20s and a light covering of snow on the fields it looked like something from a Currier & Ives gallery!

The harsh conditions were a deterrent, Lakewood arrived with just nine players, UFA had the full 11, barely. A player was loaned to even up the sides and the game was under way.

New signee Robert Hogan was quick off the mark. Playing up front as the lone striker he came close in the first five minutes with a quick break away, only to see his shot go just wide of the post. UFA continued to press, and got the go ahead goal after 15 minutes when the charging full back, Didier Mory was on hand to fire in a left footed shot from the 6-yard line. This was Mory's sixth goal of the season, a personal high.

After that UFA went from strength to strength. Hogan would eventually get his debut goal, collecting a nice pass from Amaro Pereira before rounding the keeper and firing his shot into an empty net. Just after halftime Pereira put the game out of reach, getting the third goal of the game with a nicely taken free kick. Sweeper Alan Nicholls, pushing up from the back saw his 30- yard strike just tipped over the bar by the outstretched Lakewood keeper, a fine save.

At the other end, UFA goalie Martin Scarano had another perfect game recording his fifth shutout of the season.

On Dec. 14, UFA 40 closeed out their fall season with a game away to Jackson. Played on a large turf field, UFA never looked comfortable with the fast surface. Within 10 minutes of the kickoff they were a goal down, and by halftime it was 3-0. The visitors mounted a comeback in the second half with goals by Amaro Pereira and leading goal scorer Didier Mory. Unfortunately the revival was short-lived, after repeatedly losing possession in midfield UFA were punished by the fourth Jackson goal minutes from the end of play. The game was marred by a couple of unrelated incidents. Robert Hogan, perhaps not used to the pace of play, twisted his ankle in 70th minute and had to be carried off and finished the game on the bench. Then Amaro Pereira received a double yellow/red card minutes later. He was fouled by a Jackson player, but then uncharacteristically overreacted and was perhaps harshly sent off. Depending on the referee's report he may have to sit the opening game of the spring season.

Overall, player/manager Alan Nicholls was pleased with the season, UFA closed out with a record of 10-5, this despite losing six players just prior to the opening game back in September. Nicholls pledged to rebuild, vowing to go with a younger, faster team for the spring 2009 season, which kicks off in March.

The MC Renegades, a 13U travel baseball team playing in the central Jersey area, is seeking quality players, especially pitchers and catchers.

Players must be born after May 1, 1995. The team will be having indoor winter training workouts starting in January and then will play in a spring travel baseball league, including tournaments. The team is looking for dedicated players. A few slots are still available. If interested, contact Les Kramsky at 732-239-6767 or lesrkramskyesq@ yahoo.com.

Junior midfielder Justin Pennington, who led the Rutgers men's lacrosse team in both points and assists last season, was selected as the 2009 ECAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in a vote by the league's coaches Thursday. Additionally, the Scarlet Knights had three players named to the preseason All-ECAC team, tied for the most of any other school in the league.

Pennington, a first team All-ECAC selection in 2008, led the Scarlet Knights with 32 points on 22 goals and 10 assists last season. Additionally, he ranked 11th in the country, averaging 5.15 groundballs per game. While handling a majority of RU's face-off duties, Pennington won 53.8 percent of his attempts, ranking him 24th in the nation. An honorable mention All-American in 2008, Pennington was recently ranked No. 7 on the InsideLacrosse.com 2009 list of the top 10 midfielders in the country.

Joining Pennington on the All-ECAC Team are sophomore attackman Kory Kelly (Princeton) and senior defenseman Chris O'Dougherty (Kinnelon). Kelly, the 2008 ECAC co-Rookie of the Year, led the Scarlet Knights with 24 goals in his freshman season. O'Dougherty, who joined Pennington on last season's All-ECAC First Team, anchored an RU defense that ranked nationally in the top 30 in both scoring defense and man-down defense.

The league also announced its preseason rankings in which RU finished in a tie for third with Penn State. Georgetown was selected as the favorite to capture the ECAC League title, while last season's champions Loyola, was chosen second.

The University of Massachusetts was picked to finish fifth, while Fairfield was tabbed for sixth place. Hobart and St. John's rounded out the bottom quarter of the poll.