Category: Sports

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

The women’s basketball team dropped three straight contests this week, on the road to Niagara and St. Francis and at home to Canisius, dropping its record to 1-7 on the season.

At Niagara, the Orange and Blue shot 47.9 percent for the game but fell 61-55. Guard Shelby Romine ’14 scored nine first-half points to keep the Orange and Blue within striking distance and finished with 20 points for the game. Trailing 32-28 at halftime, the Orange and Blue claimed their first lead of the game when Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 scored a lay-up off an assist from Christina Chukwuedo ’12. The Bison won the rebounding (36-24) and shooting battles, but the Purple Eagles came away with the victory.

“We have to cut down on our turnovers and get balanced scoring from all the players on the floor,” head coach Kathy Fedorjaka said. “I believe in the potential of this group and that we are staying cohesive during our early season challenges.”

After the loss at Niagara, the Bison traveled to Loretto, Pa. to face St. Francis. The Bison fell 70-53. Turnovers hampered the Orange and Blue as they had 23 to St. Francis’s 12, allowing the Red Flash to get off to a 16-9 run in the first 14 minutes of the game. Both teams struggled shooting in the first half as the Bison shot four for 21 from the field while St. Francis went nine for 34. In the second half, the Orange and Blue as shot 48.1 percent but St. Francis responded by shooting 50 percent from the field. In the loss, Horbatuck had her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

On Wednesday, the Orange and Blue concluded their three-game stretch with a 55-47 loss to Canisius at home. A ten-point deficit in the first half kept the Bison from gaining an edge. The Orange and Blue forced 24 turnovers, but only scored ten points off those turnovers. Alyssa Dunn ’13 finished with 13 points and three steals while Micki Impellizeri ’15 had a defensive showcase with five steals.

“Despite our record, I remain very optimistic about where are team can go this season, especially by the time we hit Patriot League play,” Fedorjaka said. “We have a lot of the pieces, but now just need to gel those pieces together. We’ve emphasized perseverance and staying the course, the results will come if we keep working hard and doing the right things.”

The Bison travel to Newark, N.J. to take on NJIT on Dec. 3.

By Eric Brod

Staff Writer

In just his second season as head coach, Joe Susan and the football team improved from a 1-10 team in 2010 to a rising 6-5 team at the end of the 2011 campaign. Despite a 21-6 loss at Colgate in the team’s season finale, the outlook for 2012 is very promising.

The Orange and Blue were plagued by turnovers and could not move the ball consistently against a stout Colgate defense. Trey Lauletta ’15, who played the majority of the game, finished 22 out of 35 passes for 166 yards with two interceptions. On defense, the biggest moment came when Bryce Robertson ’12 continued his record-setting season by intercepting his 13th pass of the season, finishing one behind Rashean Mathis’ single season FCS record of 14.

The Orange and Blue found themselves trailing only 7-6 at halftime thanks to a pair of Drew Orth ’12 field goals of 19 and 33 yards, respectively. Colgate scored on a 50 yard run by Gavin McCarney to give the Raiders a 14-6 lead. The score held until the fourth, but Lauletta threw his second interception of the game to give Colgate a 21-6 lead.

Jeremiah Young ’13 finished with 91 yards on the day, shouldering the bulk of the running game after Tyler Smith ’13 left with an injury. Receiver Frank DeNick ’12 finished with six catches for 51 yards, giving him an impressive 977 for his career. Orth finished with a season total of 12 field goals made, third best in program history.

With many of the core players coming back, such as Lauletta and Smith, the team looks to be a serious contender in the Patriot League and could capture its first league title since 1996.

By Eric Brod

Senior Writer

Behind five turnovers and 204 rushing yards from Tyler Smith ’13, the football team clinched a winning season with a 21-0 win at Fordham this past Saturday. With this victory, the team improved to an overall season record of 6-4, its highest win total since 2006.

Two of the team’s five turnovers were interceptions by Bryce Robertson ’12, giving him 12 for the season. Roberston leads the nation in interceptions this season and now has passed Gene Luccarelli for the most interceptions in program history. 

The Orange and Blue broke a scoreless tie midway through the first quarter when Smith punched the ball in from two yards out. The score capped a five-play, 71-yard drive in which Smith accounted for all 71 yards, 64 on the ground with one seven-yard catch. After their next drive stalled off a Fordham fumble on the kickoff, Derrick Palmer ’14 forced a fumble that set up the Bison’s second score of the game. On the ensuing drive, quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14 hit Victor Walker ’14 for a 35-yard gain, and Jeremiah Young ’13 finished off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run for his second score of the season late in the first quarter.

The Bison held their 14-0 lead into the fourth quarter with Fordham facing a fourth and goal on the Bison five-yard line. The defense was able to force an incomplete pass by Fordham quarterback Ryan Higgins. On the very next play, Smith broke off a career-long run of 52 yards. The run set up Smith’s second score of the game, giving the Orange and Blue a 21-0 lead with less than six minutes left.

“Tyler is a very strong runner and has become a lot more confident in our offensive system,” head coach Joe Susan said. “He is much more patient in the run game and knows how to set up his runs as a game goes on. Tyler’s success is tied into the continued development of our offensive line, fullback and tight ends. We have had the same starting offensive line for nine straight games.”

Robertson’s second interception of the game at the Bison 15 yard line helped preserve the shutout as the Bison clinched their sixth victory of the season.

The Bison ground game dominated the contest, accounting for 250 of the team’s 346 yards. Wesley completed six of 11 passes for 80 yards.  The Bison now have a plus-28 turnover margin.

“We work to stop the run. If we are successful at doing this our opponent will have to rely on the passing game,” Susan said. “We pressure the passer and force him into making decisions in a shorter time period.”

Looking for their first seven-win season since 2004, the Bison will travel to Colgate Saturday to wrap up its 2011 campaign.

“Our challenge defensively is to stop one of the better run teams in the patriot league, if not in FCS football,” Susan said. “Offensively, we have to continue to improve our run game and apply it to their defensive schemes.”

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

Player Profile:

Class: Senior

Position: Defensive Back

Hometown: Reserve, La.

Major: Management

Statistics:

Tackles: 3

Interceptions: 2

Interception return yards: 16

Breakups: 1

This past weekend, defensive back Bryce Robertson ’12 intercepted two passes during the football team’s 21-0 victory over Patriot League rival Fordham. Robertson broke Gene Luccarelli’s 41-year old record for most interceptions in a single season and has recorded at least one per game in eight of the team’s 10 games this season. Robertson has now intercepted multiple passes in three consecutive games and his 12 interceptions are tops in the nation.

All season long, Robertson has anchored a defensive unit that seems to improve with every game. Against the Rams, the Orange and Blue produced their best performance of the year, limiting the Fordham attack to just 267 total yards and forcing five turnovers. Tallying four of its five turnovers in the first half, the Bison defense took much of the pressure off the offense which quickly capitalized by scoring 14 points in the first quarter and seven more in the fourth. With the victory, the team improved to 6-4 on the season and can post its first seven-win season since 2004 with a win against Colgate on Saturday. The Bison will look for Robertson and the defense to give them the edge they need to take down the Raiders.

Women’s Cross Country

Katherine Harris ’15

The women’s cross country team wrapped up its season this past weekend by finishing 12th in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships. The team traveled to the regional championships at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore on Saturday.

With five seniors and not much to lose in their last cross country meet of their career, the squad decided on a gutsy strategy going into the race.

“Our women went into this meet with very high expectations, especially coming off a great Patriot League Championship race two weeks earlier,” head coach Kevin Donner said. “We decided to take the pace out hard for the first mile.”

The Orange and Blue followed this plan–so well, perhaps, that their strong start actually ended up hurting them a bit in the long run. With many of their top runners at the head of the pack, the Bison followed the lead cart as it made a wrong turn and led many of the fastest runners on the wrong path, which added an extra 600 meters to the race and exhausted many Bison runners after their aggressive start.

Even with this course miscue, the team ended up 12th in a field of 29. The Bison placed six runners in the top 100, with Stephanie Fulmer ’12 and Emily Liggett ’12 leading the way as they came in 50th and 60th, respectively. Other top performers for the Orange and Blue included Alysha Hooper ’12 and Betsy Edinger ’15.

All in all, many of the runners ended up frustrated with the lead cart error and a little disappointed with the team’s overall performance in their last meet. Nonetheless, team members were positive about the hand they were dealt.

“Although we came up a little short, it just shows that each individual put every ounce of energy into the Patriot League Championships,” Fulmer said. “I am extremely proud of the team and could not have asked for a better group of girls to run with. I am also very proud of the fact that with an in-race mess up of the course and running an extra half-mile our girls were able to still focus in and stick to the race plan.”

Donner agreed with this assessment of his team’s performance. Though perhaps not the most ideal outcome for the Orange and Blue, the squad’s strong effort when faced with adversity did not go unnoticed.

“Twelfth place was not where we wanted to be; however, I am proud that our team really went for something big. We had five seniors run their last cross country race and they were a part of some very good teams over the past four years. I am very proud of this group,” Donner said.

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

Facing a Cornhuskers squad that placed 12th at NCAA Championships last year, the Bison men’s wrestling team opened its season with a 28-9 loss last Thursday night at Sojka Pavilion.

The Orange and Blue started off the meet by winning three out of the first five bouts, leaving the two teams at a 9-9 tie. Austin Miller ’15 claimed the team’s first win of the year with a 4-3 victory over Nebraska’s Shawn Nagel in his first-ever collegiate match. Nagel posted a late escape, but neither wrestler scored in the final minute as Miller put the Bison up 3-0 early.

“My coaches have really helped me out a lot this fall, especially with technique in some areas that I was struggling in,” Miller said. “They pushed our entire team to work hard, and my conditioning paid off a lot in that match … I am going in to work with the coaches about three or four times extra per week on things I need to improve upon. Just being consistent with that I think helped me to improve and prepare for Nebraska.”

Derrik Russell ’13 and John Regan ’12 also posted early wins for the Bison, yet the team’s inability to win bouts in the heavier weight classes hindered its overall performance. Although five of the 10 matches were decided by three points or less, the Cornhuskers swept final five bouts of the meet, allowing them to cruise to a 19-point victory.

“This match was a great measuring stick for the team as a whole as well as individually. We see areas that need improvement, and emphasis will be placed on these areas accordingly,” Russell said. “One important thing the team needs to work on is to be more aggressive at the start of every single whistle, trying to be the first one to make contact.”

The Bison will hit the mats again at the Navy Classic on Nov. 19 in Annapolis, Md.

Looking ahead, the team remains confident about its ability to compete with the top schools in the nation.

“We are a very young team and I think it showed on Thursday that we are lacking experience … However, the talent is there, and the work ethic is there. I believe we will do big things in the near future,” Miller said.

By Andrew Arnao

Writer

Five runners from the men’s cross country team finished in the top 100 racers for the 10k at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships last Saturday. The Orange and the Blue finished 10th out of 25 teams, the team’s first top-10 finish in the Regional Championships since 2003.

D.J. Krystek ’13 was the top-placing Bison, finishing 54th overall in 31:59.0. Placing 68th and 69th were Dave Brown ’12 and John Dugan ’15, respectively. Michael McGowan ’15 finished 81st, while Eric Balaban ’14 placed 99th.

“The team was ecstatic when we found out that we finished 10th because our goal was to finish at our ranking of 12th in the region, considering we had two of our top seven [runners] out,” McGowan said. “Our top four were ahead of our number one runner last year at this meet.”

Overall, the Bison finished with 347 points. Georgetown placed first with a total of 47 points.

“Looking into the future, I am very excited about what this team can do,” McGowan said. “We have a lot of young guys who got big race experience and were scorers for us this year.”

“A few key runners couldn’t race, but we came together as a team and went out there with something to prove,” Balaban said. “This is just the beginning and I can’t wait to see what we’re capable of.”

The Orange and the Blue race next at the IC4A and ECAC Championships at Van Cortlandt Park, N.Y. this weekend.

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

The women’s volleyball team ended their season with back-to-back straight set losses at Army and Holy Cross last weekend.

The Bison failed to end the season with a win at Army on Saturday. The team struggled in the first set as the Golden Knights got off to a 19-7 run. The Bison improved in the next set but were defeated 25-14. The third set was the most competitive as the Orange and Blue had 12 kills. After Army took a 23-17 lead, the Bison went on a 5-0 run to pull within one thanks to two straight service aces from Rose Lewis ’14 and an assist from her to Kristen Titley ’14.

It would not be enough as Army pulled away to win the set 25-22. Setter Kat Tauscher ’13 contributed 20 assists while Katie Baumgarten ’12 and Kebah Edoho ’13 led the Orange and Blue with six kills each. The Bison finished with an attack percentage of .129, .121 and .086 in each set, respectively. Emily Sawanobori ’12 had another defensive showcase as with 13 digs.

Last Friday, the Orange and Blue battled Holy Cross in a hard fought contest and were on the attack from the start. The Bison got off to an early 3-0 lead in the first set as Sawanobori started with two service aces. She finished with four for the game. Both teams battled hard in all three sets, but the Crusaders came out on top each time (25-20, 25-21, 25-21).

McAhren’12 and Edoho ’13 lead the Bison with nine kills and seven kills respectively and Sawanobori also contributed a team-high 13 digs. The Orange and Blue finished with .189 and .196 attack percentages in the first two sets, but struggled as they had a -.029 percentage in the third set. Tauscher ’13 added 19 assists for the Bison.

The Bison tied for sixth in the Patriot League and ended the 2011 season with a 6-17 record, going 3-11 in conference play.

By Chris McCree and Thomas Walter

Sports Editor and Writer

The women’s basketball team opened its season this week with a 46-35 home win over St. Peter’s and a pair of losses at Rider and at home against Youngstown State. Forward Felicia Mgbada ’13 led the team in scoring with 11 points during the team’s home opener against St. Peter’s and Christina Chukwuedo ’12 headed the Bison attack against Rider with 16 points.

Against St. Peter’s, the two sides remained extremely close throughout the course of the game as the Bison did not earn a double digit lead until the final seconds. The team closed the game on a 7-0 run with five of the seven points coming from free throws. Over the course of the game, just 10 of the team’s 46 points came from outside the three-point arch or the foul line.

Playing in her first collegiate game, Amy Zehner ’15 netted 10 points and added 10 rebounds to her game totals. Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 also contributed double-digit rebounds.

In the team’s second matchup, a 63-43 loss against Rider, Chukwuedo scored 14 points in the first half alone and added two more in the second half to finish the contest with a career-best 16.  Mgbada added 10 of her own in the first half, allowing the team to head into the half with a 36-32 lead. In the second half, the Bison offense stalled as the team only made one field goal on 21 attempts. Rider quickly took advantage of the Orange and Blue’s lack of offensive production and jumped out to a commanding lead mid-way through the second half, cruising to victory.

After an impressive 10-point performance in her first game as a Bison, Zehner exploded for 25 points during Wednesday night’s 57-56 loss to Youngstown State. Zehner’s great offensive production allowed the team to take 17-point lead early in the second half, but the Bison could not hold on for the victory. With just under six minutes remaining in the contest,  the Youngstown State squad caught fire, mounting a 14-2 run which put them right back in the game. With a minute left to play, the Orange and Blue held a slim 2-point lead until a flurry of missed shots and rebounds put Penguins guard Kenya Middlebrook at the foul line down by one with the opportunity to win the game. After sinking her first shot, Middlebrook sank the second  to give the Penguins the victory.

After starting the year at 1-2, the Bison will travel up to Buffalo, N.Y. to face the University of Buffalo tomorrow. The game is set to take place at 5:30 pm.