Author: Cooper Sutton

Women’s Basketball’s Fedorjaka steps down after 14 seasons

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date January 15, 2012
1 Comment on Women’s Basketball’s Fedorjaka steps down after 14 seasons

Chris McCree

Sports Editor

After fourteen seasons with the University, Kathy Fedorjaka officially announced her resignation as head coach of the women’s basketball team this past Friday night. Since taking the job in 1997, Fedorjaka accumulated 209 wins and led the Bison to three 20-win seasons, as well as NCAA tournament appearances in 2002 and 2008, but has failed to achieve much success during the past three seasons.

“Over my last 15 years as head coach of the Bison women’s basketball team, I have come to love this university community and to care deeply about the student-athletes past and present that it has been my privilege to coach,” said Fedorjaka in an official statement. “There comes a moment in every coach’s career when the difficult decision becomes whether it is time to step aside, and the time has come for me to move in a different direction.”

Fedorjaka’s decision, to take effect immediately, comes amidst a disappointing 2-15 start to the 2011-2012 season in which the Orange and Blue are 0-3 in league play. Replacing Fedorjaka as head coach is second-year assistant Bill Broderick who has ten years of collegiate coaching experience to date.

The Orange and Blue have 10 games remaining in the season, all against Patriot League opponents. Although winless, the team is by no means out of title contention and Broderick will be faced with challenge to make the struggling team a contender once again.

“Kathy was extremely passionate about coaching, and she was able to elevate the program to competitive heights never before seen in the Bison women’s basketball program” said John Hardt, director of athletics and recreation. “Despite the team’s record this season, I am confident that the program can quickly rise back to that championship level.”

Opinion

Global exposure is valuable

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date October 28, 2011

By Stefan Ivanovski

Contributing Writer

Deciding to study abroad is an exciting and a thrilling experience, but it is neither easy nor straightforward. Last year, in my junior year, I studied abroad in Argentina and Spain. As an international student from the Republic of Macedonia already studying abroad at the University, it did not make sense to some of my friends to go “abroad again.” Some would ask me: “Why do you want to study abroad? Aren’t you are already abroad?” and these people reasoned it was because I did not like the University.

Hardly the reason at all, it was difficult for me to decide to go “abroad again” since I felt that the University was my “home away from home”: I enjoyed myself, I was comfortable, surrounded by wonderful friends, yet I decided to study abroad, why? My reasoning behind this was the fact that I saw the University experience extend well beyond the campus boundaries and theses opportunities “beyond the bubble,” such as learning a new language, immersing oneself in a new culture and broadening of perspectives, were too tempting to resist. Thanks to the support of the University community and alumni, I was able to study abroad and met my goal of becoming fluent in Spanish. In addition, my academic and living experiences abroad have inspired me to write an honors thesis and knowing that I have friends and “new families” to go back to in Argentina and Spain is all the more rewarding and an inspiring part of the whole experience.

Cultural immersion is never an easy endeavor, yet it may prove very rewarding. An American traveler that I met in Argentina told me, “living abroad one year is like living five years at home.” When I asked him why, he responded that “at home, everything remains the same. When you are abroad, you are constantly challenged.” So, cultural immersion is a constant struggle and it is an open-ended, never-ending process. There always remains an unexplored area, always more room for growth, improvement and knowledge, which may incite a never-quenching thirst and addiction-like desire to keep going, to keep exploring and learning more about other cultures, and thus about yourself, all with the aim of making greater sense of the world we live in today. The more you travel, experience and learn, the more you will see that across the globe we, human beings, have a lot more in common than we think. In light of the current global challenges ahead of us (e.g. economic and financial crisis, climate change), I hope that this open mindedness to crosscultural knowledge, experience and wisdom can help us devise creating solutions to the global challenges ahead of us, remaking the world to bring about the rise of truly universal sense of humanity, tolerance and understanding.

Opinion

GOP candidates should concentrate on what matters

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date October 7, 2011

By Jen Lassen

Contributing Writer

The recent Republican debate about mandating the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for young girls created a rift between politicians Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry. The issue has inevitably turned into something that the candidates can use against one another to gain followers. Bachmann’s personal attacks on Perry for his support of the vaccine are very public, and Perry has not kept his mouth shut about his desire for the mandate. The idea of arguing about something like this seems a bit out of place when there are many more important issues to examine.

Our world is dominated by debt, lack of jobs, a slumping economy and international pressures. Many solutions have been proposed to solve these seemingly never-ending problems, but they have not been executed. Since these problems are controlling our world, why not devote more discussion time to them?

I understand that the issue of cervical cancer and HPV among women is a very serious issue. Every woman should be safe, whether by choice or by mandate, in terms of the vaccine before she engages in sexual activity. What I do not understand is why Bachmann and Perry are using their differences over this one issue to determine who the better candidate is.

During the Tea Party GOP debate on Sept. 12, many issues were publicly discussed: the state of the economy and jobs, the national debt and social issues such as healthcare. It was intriguing to see the varying opinions of the candidates over these important topics. Bachmann and Perry had differing opinions about all of these issues, so I find it almost silly that they are using the HPV vaccine debate to differentiate themselves. There are so many more apparent and urgent concerns to address.

I find it odd that although the HPV vaccine issue targets such a small part of the population, Bachmann and Perry have blown it into such a large issue that it’s currently overshadowing our country’s dire issues. I’m finding it hard to understand why these candidates are using this issue to prove who the better Republican is when they should be speaking up about other problems in our country right now.

Even though it’s vital for young girls to know the dangers of HPV and the importance of being protected, I’m certain that they can make their own decisions with their families about receiving the vaccine. This way, the politicians can focus on speaking about the issues that are affecting millions of people nationally rather than using a smaller issue to one-up their opponents.

Opinion

Caf needs more allergy-friendly options

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date October 7, 2011

By Elizabeth Bacharach

Contributing Writer

Luckily, I am not hindered by many allergies, just a few simple intolerance. Nonetheless, as my first months progress at the University, I am disturbed by the lack of concern for those who have allergies at Bostwick Marketplace.

I am lactose intolerant, meaning I have to be cautious of my dairy intake and I must frequently take Lactaid pills. The reality is, I do not always have a Lactaid on me, but I still would like to be able to eat pleasantly and at my leisure. I am not always so lucky. I have found most of the food at Bostwick Marketplace is made with myriad dairy products: butter, cheese, cream, etc. Yes, a majority of students enjoy these dairy-enhanced edibles, but there is an extreme lack of care for those who cannot eat such ingredients. The Bostwick Marketplace disregards students who are lactose intolerant and blatantly assumes they can eat the dairy-laden food. Thus, with my stomach growling, I have no choice but to disregard my food barriers and eat what they have to offer. In instances like these, I try to choose the food that incorporates the least amount of dairy.

Another intolerance that is skimmed over by the Bostwick Marketplace is celiac disease, the inability to consume products made with wheat. Glancing over the options, I am stunned by the lack of choices available to these students. Does Bostwick Marketplace really expect these students to eat fruit, salad and eggs three times a day, seven days a week? The inability to eat wheat is hard enough and with such a small selection of choices, eating at the Bostwick Marketplace is that much harder.

My little sister, the allergist’s dream, is allergic to all nuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, legumes, codfish, pears, nectarines, plums, apples and avocados. I was frightened to take her into the Bostwick Marketplace over Family Weekend in fear that she might collapse in anaphylactic shock. I understand my sister is just one person and not even a student at the University, but you would not believe how common all of her allergies are. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, more than three million people in the United States report being allergic to peanuts, tree nuts or both.

Now, it is quite obvious that my sister, who is fatally allergic to all nuts, is like many students on campus. Students with allergies, especially to nuts, face dangers at the Bostwick Marketplace, especially at the bread and condiments bar. Any ignorant student, faculty member or employee can easily use the peanut butter knife to spread their bagel and then use the jelly knife to spread right on top of the peanut butter. Those with peanut allergies, therefore, cannot dare make a jelly sandwich or a bagel with cream cheese.

Something needs to be done about the lack of care for those with allergies at the Bostwick Marketplace. It does not have to be groundbreaking or revolutionary. Something as simple as a peanut-only area or a gluten-free table can change the culinary world of those with allergies and intolerances at the University. It is truly unfair for people, like your neighbor, your friend and me, to fight to find something they can eat at every meal. So the question is: for such a forward school, why is our cafeteria so behind?

Sports

Female Rookie of the Year: Shelby Romine ’14

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Cooper Sutton

Sports Editor

Playing in orange and blue was not even on first-year basketball star Shelby Romine’s radar in high school. Before she was recruited, she had never even heard of the University. What she has found since then is a place where she can immediately take control of a program, providing the most explosive force on her team, even as a first-year.

In her first year for the Orange and Blue, Romine, point guard of the women’s basketball team, started all 28 games, leading her team in scoring with 13.5 points per game, a full six points above the next-highest scorer on the team.

“Shelby had a tremendous freshmen year, making an immediate impact not only on our program, but on Patriot League women’s basketball,” women’s basketball head coach Kathy Fedorjaka said.

From her very first collegiate game, Romine made her presence clear. Against Rider in the opener, she was the highest scorer for her team with 17, leading the Bison to a 53-48 win.

This was not a rare occurrence. In the 28 games played this season, Romine led the team in scoring an astonishing 16 times, going for more than 20 five times. On Jan. 22, she led her team to a huge league win on the road at Colgate in overtime, dropping a dazzling 28 points. No other member of her team would eclipse that single-game mark in the 2010-2011 season.

“I was impressed immediately with her work ethic, skill level and level of conditioning, and she showed tremendous poise and confidence as a freshman,” Fedorjaka said. “She was a tremendous addition to our team in terms of giving us another strong ball-handler and lead guard, as well as a great scorer and creator on the offensive end of the floor.”

Offensively, one of Romine’s strongest aspects this year was her shooting. From beyond the arc, she was by far the most potent Bison shooter, hitting more than 40 percent of her shots. With 47 threes on the season, Romine finished more than 31 ahead of the next player on her team.

From the free throw line, she also posted team bests in percentage and shooting. Her percentage of .734 edged out that of her teammate Rachel Voss ’13 at .733. She outscored the second-place member of her team in free-throw points Joyce Novacek ’11 80-47.

Romine is more than just a scorer. As a point guard, she also led the team in assists with 101 and steals with 37.

Despite her incendiary individual statistics, Romine remains focused on the team as a whole.

“The most exciting moment of freshman year was being picked last as a team in the preseason polls but getting the fourth seed in the tournament,” she said. “It was so great to win the first round game and move on to the second round of the tournament. This experience will definitely help the team to get better next year.”

It was this kind of attitude that garnered Romine respect beyond the court, winning over both her teammates and her coaches.

“Outside of her production, Shelby is extremely coachable and was very well-liked by her teammates,” Fedorjaka said. “They had a great deal of respect for her and confidence in her on the floor.”

Romine navigated her first year of college basketball so well both on the court and in the locker room that it should come as no surprise that her most challenging obstacle this year came from outside the realm of athletics. At heart, this budding basketball superstar found the most difficulty in being away from home.

Holding family values close to heart, she found it difficult to be away from her family, especially during basketball season. According to Romine, her family has been a key component in all the success she has found.

“I think a huge factor that played into being successful during the season was the preparation I did in the summer months with my dad,” she said. “He was always willing to help me. Countless times I remember him leaving work early to go to the gym and shoot with me, and he’d even time my sprints. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today.”

Clearly, Shelby’s hard work with her father has paid off. With only one year of college under her belt, she has already cemented herself not only as one of the most dangerous players on the Bison, but also one of the most explosive in the entire league. And with a strong work ethic and a generally positive attitude, she seems poised to achieve much more.

Tags athlete of the year, Bucknellian sports awards, women's basketball

Sports

Male Rookie of the Year: Mike Nicholson ’14

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Chris McCree

Writer

Just one year into his collegiate career, Mike Nicholson ’14 has already achieved more for the Bison swim program than few individuals, let alone a first-year, can ever hope to.

“Mike had a tremendous impact on the team this year right from the start,” Head Coach Dan Schinnerer said. “He was a great meet performer throughout the season, but also showed the ability to raise his level in the big meets.”

This season, Nicholson amassed 24 first-place finishes and, with his consistently stellar performance, distinguished himself as a top-tier competitor among his teammates and the rest of the league.

“He scored the most points for us over the course of the season and also scored the most points for us at Patriot League Championships. It’s not common that you see a freshman join the team and right away have a huge impact like that,” team captain Mike Volpe ’11 said.

Most notably, Nicholson always seemed to perform best when the stakes were the highest. Starting with the first meet of the season against UMBC, Nicholson gave his teammates a glimpse of what was to come during the season. In the meet, he followed a second-place finish in the 100 IM with two first place finishes in the 200 IM and 400 IM.

“In that meet, we saw for the first time what he was capable of. He won his events and set the bar for everyone else on the team,” Volpe said.

Later, in arguably the most important meet of the regular season against Patriot League rival Army, Nicholson carried the team with first-place finishes in all three of his events. Then, at the Patriot League Championships, he claimed a third-place finish in the 200 IM and later went on to take the title in the 400 IM by breaking his career-best time by an unprecedented 7.17 seconds. Despite the impressive performances put forth by Nicholson, the Bison were not able to defeat the Black Knights during their two attempts this year. However, Nicholson has turned his full attention to making sure it doesn’t happen again next season.

“My goal for next year is to beat Army,” he said. “Any individual goal I have is trumped by my desire to beat them. They disrespected us twice this year in our home pool, and I know for a fact we are going to bite back. Every guy on our team cannot wait for our date with them at West Point next year. It was our motivation this spring, and will be our motivation all fall as well.”

Ultimately, it was through this competitive attitude that Nicholson had his greatest impact.

“As an athlete and a person, Mike is pretty ‘low-key.’ You wouldn’t guess him to be a tenacious competitor. That being said, he really raised the team’s intensity this year,” Schinnerer said.

His ability to bring the same intensity to practice that he does to meets is uncanny for such a young athlete, and his teammates undoubtedly noticed.

“Mike is one of the hardest working kids I’ve seen in our pool,” Volpe said. “His attitude during practice is that nothing can stop him. He does the most difficult sets and does them to the best of his ability every time he swims.”

Certainly, all his hard work has paid off. As a first-year, Nicholson already holds two school records in the 200 and 400 IM, and will be the reigning 400 IM Patriot League champion going into next season.

“He definitely had an outstanding first year, but we believe he is capable of even more in the years to come,” Schinnerer said.

Although he is proud of his accomplishments this season, Nicholson has set even loftier goals for the upcoming years.

“For the rest of my career here, my ultimate goal is to make the NCAA championship,” he said. “I was able to make some progress this year by making a ‘B’ cut for the meet in my 400 IM, but I have to drop some serious time in order to be invited to the meet.”

Tags Bucknellian sports awards

Sports

Female Athlete of the Year: Lauren Lucido ’11

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Lindsay Regruto

Staff Writer

Leaving the pool in favor of the court, The Bucknellian’s Female Athlete of the Year, women’s tennis co-captain Lauren Lucido ’11 played in her first competitive tennis tournament at 10 years old. Lucido’s decision to play on land rather than in water paid off: she leaves the University with more wins than any female Bison tennis player before her.

When Lucido first stepped on the court for the Orange and Blue, it was the power behind her hits and her strong background as a USTA junior player that made the biggest initial impact on the team. Starting off strong, Lucido was also a Second Team All-Patriot League selection her first and second years. After going a perfect 11-0 her sophomore year, Lucido was selected as the Patriot League Player of the Month for September 2008.

Lucido’s dedication to the game and her team stems from a true love of the sport and the feeling of just being on the court.

“When I’m on the tennis court, it’s as if nothing else matters. For that bit of time, it’s just me and the ball,” Lucido said. “It’s therapeutic and a rush all at the same time.”

During her junior campaign, Lucido was named First Team All-Patriot League, finishing second on the team in overall wins in singles and leading the team in doubles victories. She ended her junior season with 14 straight singles wins for the sixth-longest single-season winning streak in program history.

“It’s very exciting and well-deserved that Lauren has been chosen for Athlete of the Year. After being her teammate for the past four years, it has been great to see her top the charts before completing our senior season,” teammate Dara Dwojewski ’11 said. “Her immense success as an athlete at Bucknell is certainly something to be proud of.”

Over Lucido’s four years, Head Coach Rebecca Helt said Lucido is one of her “most coachable players” and has watched Lucido not only improve but also demonstrate the drive and determination to develop into a totally new player. Her athletic ability has allowed her to internalize feedback over the years and pick up new skills quickly.

“She would be happy about a win, but never satisfied with her performance. She wanted to become a better player every single day,” Helt said. “She not only learned new skills, but as a junior and senior, Lauren took all her skills and became a brilliant competitor.”

Lucido’s competitive nature has driven her to win other awards and recognition along the way. After breaking the tennis all-time record for total wins this year, Lucido was granted her second Bison Athlete of the Week award. In March of this year, Lucido was named Patriot League Women’s Tennis Player of the Month for the fourth time in her career.

Her ability to self-motivate has proven invaluable throughout her career.

“You’re on the court by yourself, so if there’s anyone who’s going to motivate you and get you through the match, it’s you,” Lucido said. “I hate to lose, so when I’m out there on the tennis court, I’m going to try to do whatever it takes to win that match.”

Lucido has worked hard to earn the title of all-time leader in singles and doubles victories with 83 wins at doubles and 87 singles victories. She will finish her career as the winningest player in program history with 170 all time victories.

“One of my biggest goals for all players who come through my program is to help them learn to play ‘fearless’ tennis,” Helt said. “Over the years, Lauren became one of the most fearless competitors I’ve ever coached. It was an amazing experience to watch Lauren mature into an all-court, solid player who never held back.”

Her accomplishments are a testament to her great talent on the court, but her commitment to her teammates is a testament to the type of player Lucido has become.

“The girls on my team aren’t just my teammates, they’re my friends. It’s not just you out there on the court. You have your teammates, and I think that’s a huge part of what made the whole college tennis experience so awesome for me,” Lucido said.

Her drive on the court has only been matched by her desire to push her teammates to be the best they can.

“Lauren has been an amazing co-captain, teammate and friend the past four years,” teammate Lauren Rottkamp ’11 said. “On the court, Lauren has always had great focus. Off the court, Lauren exudes a fun and energetic energy for the team and brings it to everything she does. Lauren is truly a wonderful teammate and friend.”

Tags Bucknellian sports awards

Sports

Male Athlete of the Year: Mike Muscala ’13

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

To his opponents, both non-conference and in the Patriot League, he is a dominant man who won just about every award the conference had to offer in 2011. To the rest of the country, he is a YouTube sensation with a flair for the dramatic. To those closer to home, including the Sojka Psychos and all the fans who pack Sojka Pavilion for every men’s basketball home game, he is “Moose.”

But, to those who know him best, like senior point guard and floor general Darryl Shazier ’11 and the rest of his teammates, Mike Muscala ’13 is a great player both on and off the court. After arguably one of the most impressive individual seasons in program history, it’s hard for anyone around the country to make a case otherwise.

Coming to the team last year from Saint Paul, Minn., Muscala, just a sophomore, started right away in his first season in a Bison uniform, struggling at times and not always playing up to his fullest potential. His rookie year ended with a loss to Holy Cross in the Patriot League Tournament, a game in which he scored just nine points. For Muscala, those shortcomings were just more fuel to get better in the off season.

“Every player has weaknesses, but I try to improve my game and get better every day,” Muscala said. “I think my best attribute is my work ethic. I may not always score a ton of points, but I’ve gotten better at contributing to the team and being a presence on the court whenever I’m out there. I’m a very competitive person and hate losing, even in practice. I try to use that and turn it into motivation to get better.”

Before the season started, there were a lot of questions surrounding his role on the team. But it didn’t take long for those who followed the Orange and Blue to notice a difference in Muscala’s game. Inside the paint, Muscala had become a dominating force. In 2009-2010, bigger and stronger defenders would outwork him for points and rebounds, but this season, Muscala began to win those battles and assert himself down low. In the Bison’s 15 contests before the start of 2011, Muscala had five 20-point performances and another double-digit rebounding game.

One night a few days after New Year’s in Richmond, Va., the 2011 season would change for Muscala and the Bison. In the Bison’s final road game before the start of their conference schedule, the Richmond Spiders had pinned them to the brink with two seconds left and trailing by one after a costly Orange and Blue turnover in the final moments of the game. With a chance to ice the game, the Spiders inexplicably missed two free throws, opening the door for a miracle.

With the trust of his team and the coaching staff behind him, the Bison drew up one last play to go to Muscala. Executing the sequence perfectly, Muscala caught a full-court pass and buried a fadeaway jumper to beat Richmond by one.

“Hitting that shot was a surreal experience,” Muscala said. ”We battled hard the whole game and the circumstances towards the end of it that even made it possible were crazy. Joe [Willman ’13] had a great pass to me that shouldn’t be forgotten. Since that was our last non-conference game before we headed into league play, it definitely gave us a huge boost moving forward.”

In that moment, Muscala had taken his game and the rest of his team to the next level.

With the video of the Richmond shot plastered all over YouTube, Muscala had become famous beyond the inner circles of the Bison basketball community, and his performance failed to disappoint. In his second game after the shot, Muscala scored a career-high 33 points to go along with 10 rebounds in a blowout of second-place American.

Muscala’s encore performance to the Richmond shot came in the following game when, on national television, he drained another buzzer beater, this time against rival Holy Cross, which was enough to get him on ESPN later that night.

“It was really cool for us to see that SportsCenter put it on its highlights,” Muscala said. “But what was great about our team is that it didn’t make us complacent. We kept working hard in practice and guys really stepped up in some crucial games.”

With Muscala playing at his peak and the team continuing to work hard, the Bison tore through its Patriot League schedule, losing just once in 14 tries against conference foes. He scored in double digits in all but two games. In just a few weeks, he had become the most dominant player in the Patriot League.

His impressive play and continual focus on improving was not lost on his teammates or coaches.

“Mike puts his teammates over himself, which is very important in gaining the trust of your leader,” Shazier said. “He makes the people around him better because of his lead by example mentality. When Mike is going hard at whatever it is the team is doing, it forces everyone else to match his energy and work ethic.”

It wasn’t just his own team that had taken notice. Over the course of the season, Muscala not only garnered the respect of opposing players and coaches, his play also earned him the Patriot League Player of the Year award and First Team All-Patriot League honors to cap off an impressive 2010-2011 campaign.

“Winning Player of the Year was definitely a big honor that was a goal of mine heading into the season,” Muscala said. “However, it’s really reflective of the team and all the hard work we put in every day.”

Together, Muscala and the rest of the men’s basketball team showed off their hard work with three consecutive victories in the Patriot League Tournament, none of them easy, to claim a spot in the NCAA Tournament. In the semifinal contest against Lehigh, Muscala saved his team’s season with two free throws and a key defensive stop in the final seconds to preserve the victory. Against Lafayette in the title game, Muscala led all scorers with 18 points, helping bring the title home to Lewisburg. With his performance in the three tournament games, Muscala took home another piece of hardware—Patriot League Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

“Winning that game against Lafayette, on ESPN2, in front of a crowded Sojka, nothing can beat that,” Muscala said. “It was the most memorable moment of my life and something I will certainly always cherish.”

The season had been an unforgettable one for Muscala, and the win against Lafayette gave him one more opportunity to lead the Bison—this time to the NCAA Tournament versus the Connecticut Huskies. Even though the Orange and Blue struggled against the eventual-champion Huskies, the experience of the Big Dance was a memorable one.

“Playing in the NCAA Tournament has always been a dream of mine, and it was awesome,” Muscala said.

The experience, though, is not what will linger for Muscala. Like any true champion, what he will never forget is the stinging defeat that ended his season.

“The loss gave me a lot more motivation to continue improving my game in the off season and get us back there next year,” he said.

It should come as no surprise to Bison fans that Muscala is never satisfied, even when leading his team to the NCAA Tournament. He’s the player who never quits, the player whose energy is unmatched, the player who keeps working hard.

That’s the motivation that took him to new heights in 2011. And, surely, that will be the same drive that will bring out a whole new Muscala come 2012.

Tags athlete of the year, Bucknellian sports awards, men's basketball

Sports

Coach of the Year: Dave Paulsen

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

The story of Dave Paulsen’s road to the Bison men’s basketball program is one that few outside of the team’s inner circles have heard.

After former head coach Pat Flannery, whose monumental upset over Kansas in the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and victory over Arkansas the next season put the Bison on the map nationally, retired abruptly in the summer of 2008, Paulsen took over a team needing some direction. Coming to an established Division I program from the Division III level, the stakes and the pressure facing Paulsen were enormously high.

Despite the pressure, his commitment to the program was obvious right from his first moments as head coach of the Bison.

“Paulsen eased the transition of the coaching change by simply saying that he chose us,” Darryl Shazier ’11 said. “This was really important to myself and the others who were recruited by Coach Flannery. We had no choice as to if he was our coach, but he made the decision to choose us.”

Struggling mightily to just seven wins in his first season at the helm of the Orange and Blue, Paulsen rebounded last year in 2010, leading the Bison to a second-place finish in the Patriot League standings. The season, though, would end with a stinging first-round loss at home in the conference tournament to Holy Cross, a tough way to end an promising season for Paulsen’s up-and-coming team.

Picked to finish second in conference this season, expectations were high for the Bison heading into 2011. But Paulsen was there to keep his team grounded and concentrated like he had been throughout his first two seasons.

“We really always tried to focus on getting better every single day, whether in practice or in games,” Paulsen said. “We just wanted to be the best team in the nation in terms of our practice effort, our focus-level and our consistency.”

Through eight games in the 2011 season, that effort, especially in tough losses late to Villanova, Marquette and St. Francis on the road, was not translating in victories, as the Bison stumbled out to a 2-6 record. Yet, Paulsen did not change his philosophy, sticking to what he knew best.

“We really challenged our players to find a way to dig down deep to make the extra-effort plays, the toughness plays, the 50-50 plays that distinguish the good teams from the mediocre teams,” Paulsen said.

His players noticed his commitment to working hard and to keeping their efforts at a high level, and responded positively in turn.

“Coach Paulsen did a great job throughout the season of challenging us and re-evaluating goals throughout the course of the year so we continue to improve and try to get better,” Bryson Johnson ’13 said. “Practices were always intense and that has taught us that no matter the circumstances, we must continue to work hard.”

Despite their slow start, the effort started to pay off. The victories started coming with Paulsen helping each player develop and find their role.

“Coach Paulsen has helped me develop my game in every aspect, especially on the defense end,” Bryan Cohen ’12 said. “People don’t realize how great of a defense Coach Paulsen is. He has high expectations for each player and, in my case, he expects me to never let my man score one field goal in an entire game. Overall, it may seem a little far-fetched, but having that expectation put on you makes you determined as a player to reach your fullest potential, both individually and collectively as a team.”

Paulsen’s focus on consistent play helped spark a run of 23 victories in the final 25 regular season games for the Orange and Blue. During that stretch, Paulsen always had the upper hand, outcoaching his opponent, including two separate occasions versus Richmond and Holy Cross, drawing up plays in the final seconds that would lead to game-winning baskets.

In Patriot League play, Paulsen lead his Bison to a 13-1 record and the regular season title, defeating American, the only team picked ahead of the Orange and Blue in the preseason polls, along the way. The second victory over American was Paulsen’s 300th career win in his NCAA career, which included his record coaching at Division III Williams College.

Amidst the streak, Paulsen’s demeanor on and off the court was just the same as it had been throughout his first three years in Lewisburg.

“Coach Paulsen is a players’ coach,” Cohen said. “My teammates and I love playing for him and love being around him. Not many basketball players can say that they like their coach both on and off the court. Sure, everyone gets yelled at for making a mistake but everyone one the team understands that he is only trying to bring the best out of you and to make our team achieve excellence.”

“When I’m not playing well, we’ll watch film together and talk about what I need to improve on,” Mike Muscala ’13 said. “And when I am playing well, we’ll do the same thing–which is what makes him such a great coach, always finding ways to improve and being relentless about consistency. It’s had such a profound effect on me and I’m lucky to have him as a coach.”

With such an impressive finish to the regular season, Paulsen also was named the Patriot League’s Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the 2011 Hugh Durham Award, given to the best coach of any mid-major school in nation.

In the Patriot League Tournament, Paulsen once again stepped up to the challenge, leading his Bison through three tough tests against Army, Lehigh and Lafayette to win the conference championship and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

“It was a tremendous thrill,” Paulsen said. “The whole experience was kind of surreal. I was so happy for our seniors. I told them the day I was hired that I knew they didn’t choose me, but I had chosen them. I was so glad to see them rewarded for their faith and hard work through the dark days of that first season. And I was happy to be able to reward everyone for giving me this opportunity and for the faith and support they showed me and my coaching staff.”

Even though the NCAA Tournament contest against Connecticut did not pan out in the ways that the team had hoped after their run through the Patriot League in 2011, Paulsen sees the journey there and the UConn game as a teachable moment.

“The NCAA experience was great all the way until they tipped the ball up against UConn. Then, we ran into a juggernaut clicking on all cylinders. The actual game was not much fun but, to some degree, I think you have to go through that type of experience so that, if we’re fortunate enough to advance to the NCAA Tournament again next year, we won’t be awed or intimidated by the experience. I think everyone in our program is proud of the year we had but the NCAA game left a bitter taste in all of our mouths and we want to get back and perform better in the future,” Paulsen said.

That toughness and desire to coach and get better pushed Paulsen through all of the growing pains of his first two seasons in Lewisburg and brought him and the Bison contingent home another conference championship. When next year comes, Bison fans can be sure that he will still be roaming the sidelines, getting after his players for effort, focus and consistency.

But, for right now, he will be satisfied with all he accomplished in 2011.

“This is a tremendous honor, given what an outstanding group of coaches we have here within the athletic department at Bucknell,” Paulsen said. “It really is special to work within a department that values excellence and I have benefitted greatly from the input and support of many of my colleagues here at Bucknell. Most importantly, I have been so fortunate to have the best group of assistant coaches that I could ask for. Every member of my staff has had a tremendous impact in teaching our players, coaching in practice in games, preparing scouting reports and helping to recruit our student-athletes. They share equally in this honor.”

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Sports

Bison Athlete of the Week: Doug Shribman ’11

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Cooper Sutton

Sports Editor

Biography

Position: First Base

Bats/Throws: R/R

Class: Senior

Hometown: Marblehead, Mass.

Major: History/Political Science

Statistics

At bats: 16

Home runs: 3

RBI: 8

Walks: 2

Last Sunday in the men’s baseball team’s two-game sweep of Lehigh, Doug Shribman ’11 blasted three home runs to propel his team’s offense. Over the entire four-game series, he batted .563.

His obscenely high batting average was complemented by his even more impressive SLG of 1.188. His eight RBIs included five in one game, where he undoubtedly provided the spark his team needed.

As the Bison push to make the postseason after a rocky start, offensive production like Shribman’s will be key. His combination of getting on base and hitting with power was key for the team’s great weekend.