Sports sponsorship: Skidmore College has announced it will discontinue its men's varsity ice hockey program, effective with the 2004-05 season. The decision came after a two-year study of the school's sports and recreation offerings involving faculty, coaches, administrators and students, which also led to actions to upgrade coaching positions in women's sports and expand fitness and recreation programs. School officials also noted the relative expense of the hockey program and unavailability of facilities for the sport on campus. A men's club team will remain active at Skidmore, along with a women's club team.

Milestones: Joe Bean of Wheaton College (Illinois) enjoys -- for now, at least -- recognition as the most-victorious coach in NCAA soccer history after surpassing the University of San Francisco's Stephen Negoesco with his 545th victory September 14 against Washington University (Missouri). Bean, who has coached the Thunder to two Division III championships (in 1984 and 1997), began his 35th season just three victories behind Negoesco, who retired in 2000. Bean's record includes victories through a combined seven seasons at Quinnipiac and Bridgeport, where he coached before moving to Wheaton in 1969. Bean, who also is closing in on the rare accomplishment of earning 500 victories at a single school, also coaches men's golf at Wheaton. Although he leads all men's soccer coaches in NCAA victories, he just barely leads Seattle Pacific University coach Cliff McCrath for that honor. McCrath also surpassed Negoesco's mark with a September 27 victory over Sonoma State University ... Just six months after winning her 400th game as a softball coach, William Paterson University's Hallie Cohen has reached another milestone this fall by achieving her 200th victory in field hockey. She achieved the mark September 13 with a 4-0 victory over Elmira College. The first 117 of those victories came at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham, before Cohen's move to William Paterson nine years ago ... Joe Bochicchio, head women's soccer coach at the University of Scranton, earned his 250th coaching victory with a 2-1 win over Haverford College September 6. After 20 years of coaching, Bochicchio ranks third in career victories among Division III women's coaches ... Brady Lindsley achieved his 100th victory as women's tennis coach when his Carthage College squad defeated Millikin University September 6. With the victory, Lindsley matches another milestone he achieved last spring when he gained the century mark with the Carthage men's team ... John Miech won his 100th career football game September 6 when his University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, squad defeated Augustana College (Illinois) ... Venera Flores recently claimed her 100th victory as women's volleyball coach at the University of Dallas when her squad defeated Ursuline College in the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish Tournament ... Drew University's Lenny Armuth became that institution's most-victorious men's soccer coach September 6 with his 146th victory, in overtime, against Manhattanville College. Armuth is in his 10th season at Drew.

Miscellaneous: Aurora University's Jerry Angle has won more than 600 volleyball matches in 30 years as a coach in NCAA Divisions I and III and the NAIA, he is sought after as a clinician in the sport, and he has assisted with the USA Men's Volleyball Team. And now, he has influenced multiple generations of a family. Angle, who arrived this year at Aurora after coaching stints at several other schools, is coaching senior setter Coley Johnsen, who happens to be the daughter of a middle blocker/outside hitter who played for Angle 25 years ago. Coley's mother, Phyllis Johnsen, played for Angle at George Williams College in 1977 and 1978.

-- Compiled by Jack Copeland