LOCAL COLLEGE NOTES

UConn basketball news

• The UConn men’s basketball team is holding an open practice for fans on Saturday from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion. The event is free and doors open at 12:30. Parking is available at the South Garage for a $5 fee. In other news, First Night festivities for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs will be held on Friday, Oct. 18, starting at 7 p.m. UConn will play its only men’s exhibition game on Wednesday, Oct. 30, against Division II Saint Michael’s College at the XL Center in Hartford. The Huskies open the 2019-20 season versus Sacred Heart on Friday, Nov. 8 in Storrs.

Tracking the Bears

• The Coast Guard Academy men’s basketball team will tip off the season by competing in the ninth annual Armed Forces Class on Friday, Nov. 8, against host Alaska Anchorage, a Division II program, in partnership with the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson military facility. The game will be televised on ESPNU. Baylor faces Washington in the first game of the doubleheader at 9:30 p.m., with Alaska Anchorage and Coast Guard starting at midnight.

The Bears participated in the 2014 Armed Forces Classic at U.S. Coast Guard’s Air Station Borinquen in Puerto Rico against Hampden-Sydney. To prepare for the opener, they’ll play an exhibition game at Central Connecticut State University on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.

“This is a great opportunity for our program to travel and be associated with The Armed Forces Classic and represent the service on the joint base and very near a Coast Guard station,” said head coach Kevin Jaskiewicz in a release. “It will be a good for our cadets to have a chance to go out and see another part of the Coast Guard and get to play in front of a national audience.”

Coast Guard returns four starters and 14 letter winners from a 16-8 team, the program’s most wins and first winning season since 2007-08.

• Junior linebacker Eugene Bizer was named New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week in football after piling up a career-high 16 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, in a 20-14 double overtime win over Catholic University on Saturday. Bizer leads the conference in tackles (54) to go with a sack, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

• The women’s soccer team started out 3-0 in the NEWMAC for the first time in program history. Sophomore Brielle Pearce is helping propel the attack, scoring the game-winner in overtime against Wellesley (4-3) Saturday. It was her fifth goal of the season, giving Pearce one more than last season. Entering Tuesday night’s game at Mount Holyoke, the Bears had won four of their last five, including three straight. • Prior to this week’s NEWMAC men’s soccer action, junior back Daniel Taglianetti was tied for the league lead in assists with six and sophomore forward Robbie Fugett ranked third in goals scored with six.

Mariners riding a wave

• Mitchell College freshman Evan Carney received his second New England Collegiate Conference men’s cross country rookie of the week honor this season. Carney, a Norwich Free Academy graduate, ran his fastest 8k race time this season, finishing the CCRI Tri-State Invitational on Saturday in 29 minutes, 53.7 seconds. He placed 32nd overall.

Around the region

• Becker College senior Kyra Teixeira, who’s from Old Lyme, already has set career bests for goals, assists and points in a season. In 12 games, Teixeira has a team-leading 12 goals, five assists and a team-best 29 points for the Hawks. She was named the NECC Player of the Week in women’s soccer for the second time this season after contributing five goals and four assists in three victories. • Five former Eastern Connecticut Conference athletes are teammates on the UMass Dartmouth football team. Freshman defensive back Tyler Nelli (Fitch), freshman defensive back Andrew Haase (East Lyme), sophomore linebacker Malik Gibson (NFA), freshman linebacker Nate Miller (Stonington) and freshman offensive lineman Liam Whaley (East Lyme) are on the roster this fall. Gibson has appeared in five games, registering six tackles and a sack. • East Lyme’s Alec Kosinski, a freshman midfielder, started his first game of the season for the Saint Joseph (Maine) men’s soccer team on Thursday at Regis College. He’s appeared in seven games for the Monks, who are unbeaten through Monday’s action at 9-0-2 overall. They’ve shut out six straight opponents. • Junior AJ Genova, a Ledyard High School graduate, scored the first goal of his career for Lesley University in a 6-3 loss at UMass Dartmouth on Saturday. He has started all 10 games this season. • Please send submissions for college notes to g.keefe@theday.com