Categories
Sports Track & Field Women

Women’s track dominates

By Katherine Harris

Writer

The women’s track and field team put up some impressive performances in the Bucknell Winter Classic on Saturday. With only a week until the Patriot League Championships, this meet was an important last stepping stone for many of the Bison.

“Some people used this past weekend to rest for Leagues, others used it as a tuneup, others were competing for a spot on the Leagues roster and others were competing in their last indoor meet and hoping for good performances,” head coach Kevin Donner said.

With seven gold medals and many other top finishes, the Orange and Blue looked as strong as ever while competing on their home turf. Abby Monaghan ’13, Sarah Bella ’12 and Kathryn Wahls ’13 swept the top three spots in the weight throw. Monaghan’s first place throw of 53’ 2.5’’ also moved her into sixth all-time in the school record books, and Bella also placed first in the shot put.

“It seems that the pieces are coming together in all of the different events and that all of our hard work and hours of training are paying off,” said Monaghan. “The women’s team is coming together like a family and that to me is wonderful to witness.”

The Bison continued to best the field as Alexandra Romanelli ’13 took first place in the triple jump. In the pole vault, Emily Ando ’14 took first, while Rebekka Vuojolainen ’15 and Autumn Schnellenberger ’14 were part of a three-way tie for second. With their vaults, both Ando and Vuojolainen made the record books, with Ando tying for fifth all-time and Vuojolainen making an appearance at eighth.

Along with the impressive field performances, the Orange and Blue also had many top finishers in the track events. Kylie Pearse ’15 won the 1,000 meters, followed closely by teammate Kady Weisner ’14 in second. Hana Casalnova ’14 took the gold in the 500 meters and the Bison swept the top three spots in the 200 meters with Jennifer Zymet ’14, Kim Nagotko ’15 and Sasha Hornock ’13 leading the way.

“This past weekend we had a lot of different missions and many of our goals were accomplished,” Donner said. “I was very pleased with the results and now we look forward to a great Patriot League Championship.”

The Bison host the Patriot League Championships in Gerhard Fieldhouse starting today at 12 p.m. through Sunday.

Categories
Sports Water Polo Women

Water polo splits games at Princeton

By Scott Padula

Staff Writer

The women’s water polo team started its 2012 season with two wins and two losses last weekend at the Princeton Invitational. The Bison opened the tournament by dropping games to Harvard 14-5 and Colorado State 9-7. The Orange and Blue were able to turn things around on Sunday by defeating George Washington 16-8 before wrapping up the weekend with a 9-3 win over Mercyhurst.

In the first game of the invitational, the Orange and Blue matched Harvard in the first quarter but could only post one goal in the second as Harvard took a 7-3 lead into the half. The Bison could not overcome the deficit in the second half.

Hallie Kennan ’12 led the Orange and Blue in points with two goals and two assists. Krystle Morgan ’13 was another highlight for the Bison with six ejections drawn. Stephanie Ovalle ’14, Taylor Barnett ’15 and Shannon Carroll ’13 also registered points for the Bison. Rena Heim ’14 was also impressive for the Orange and Blue, recording 10 saves.

In the nightcap, the Orange and Blue fell behind early, allowing Colorado State to score six goals in the first quarter. Behind the tutelage of first year head coach John McBride, the Orange and Blue tightened their defense and mounted a furious comeback. Although they only allowed three goals over the next three quarters, the Bison were unable to steal a come-from-behind victory. Kennan, Amanda Skonezney ’12 and Morgan all scored two goals while Skonezney also recorded two assists. Heim had another good game in goal, making eight saves.

In their first action Sunday, the Bison started the game strong against George Washington, taking a 9-6 advantage into the intermission and never looking back. Skonezney, Heather Smith ’14, Julianne Valdes ’14, Morgan and Barnett were among the Orange and Blue to find the back of the net at least twice. In total, 12 different Bison registered a point.

In the final game of the weekend, the Orange and Blue dominated the first half, outscoring Mercyhurst 8-0. The impressive defensive effort was marked by denying the Lakers 10 out of 11 times in six-on-five situations. Skonezney and Barbara Peterson ’15 carried the load on offense, accounting for seven of the nine goals. Other Bison who registered a point included Kennan, Carroll, Smith and Brittany Connell ’12. Aside from recording an assist, Connell was also solid in net with four saves.

“The first day was still a learning experience for us. We’ve been practicing only against each other for the past month so figuring out how to defend or score against other teams took some time. By the second day of games we started playing our type of water polo. We made significant improvements by our fourth game and we hope to pick up where we left off for our home tournament this upcoming weekend,” Kennan said.

The Orange and Blue have four more games this weekend when they host the Bison Invitational. The Bison will face Siena and Brown on Saturday before they see Wagner and No. 15 Hartwick on Sunday. 

Categories
Men Sports Wrestling

Wrestling earns split

By Andrew Arnao

Staff Writer

The wrestling team managed a 28-13 victory at Lock Haven last Friday before falling to Penn 23-13 at home on Sunday, concluding the regular season with a 4-16 record.

The match against Lock Haven started well for the Bison with a 6-4 overtime decision by Austin Miller ’15, who leads the Bison in total wins for the year. After losing their next bout, the Orange and Blue rattled off five straight victories, including pins by Alex Pellicciotti ’14 and Stephen McPeek ’14.

“We all had good matches on Friday against the Lock Haven squad,” Miller said. “Alex Pellicciotti in particular had a great match where he pinned a very tough opponent after going up by a considerable margin.”

Miller recorded a major decision in the opening bout against Penn, giving the Bison another early lead. Penn tied the score 4-4 and went ahead 7-4, only for the score to be evened at 7-7 with a decision by Pellicciotti. John Regan ’12 and McPeek each gave the Bison leads with exciting last-second decisions, but Penn tied the score each time. Tied at 13 apiece with two bouts remaining, the Bison suffered a major decision at the hands of No. 10 Micah Burak, and a forfeit in the heavyweight category to end the match.

“This past Sunday we had mixed results,” Corey Lear ’13 said. “[Against Penn,] there were two great wins in the last seconds of the matches at 157 and 174. Wrestling without a heavyweight does not help with the outcome, [and the] effort was put forth to overcome that deficit but we fell short.”

Regan, the team’s only senior, was honored before the match against Penn. Regan ends his tenure as a Bison with a 53-33 record, including a 17-10 record this year.

“We now have a two-and-a-half-week idle period to train hard for the EIWA Championships,” Regan said. “We are sticking to our coaches motto to not work for a final result, rather work to prepare for the next match. Rather than working to win the EIWA, most of us have set our goals to win each match, one match at a time.”

The EIWA Championships will take place March 3-4 at Princeton University.

“We must have a strong showing there and finish the season on a good note,” Miller said. “We have to go in believing we will win … as individuals and as a team.”

Categories
Lacrosse Sports Women

Goldsborough returns as coach

Andrew Lichtenauer

Senior Writer

After a short stint with the Bison in 2003 and 2004, Randall Goldsborough has returned as head coach of the women’s lacrosse team. Goldsborough, a former standout lacrosse player at the University of Maryland and the U.S. women’s National Team, led the Orange and Blue to .500 or better records and consecutive Patriot League Tournament appearances during her two seasons. The Bucknellian talked to Goldsborough this past week about the upcoming season.

The Bucknellian: I understand that your team is currently one of the youngest in the country. Does this influence your coaching strategies in any way?

Goldsborough: It definitely does not influence how we do things. It’s better actually that they are so young because they are impressionable and we can make a bigger impact quicker because of it. I rarely change my coaching style for age–-I just throw it all at them and see what they absorb the quickest, really. We are in a good place with our age because each year they will grow tremendously from their experiences with us both on and off the field.

The Bucknellian: What is it about the University and its athletics department that has left a lasting impression on you?

Goldsborough: The support and pride you feel working here is huge. The administration really cares about each program; the coaches support each other by not only attending games, but working with them as well. The student-athletes support each other and attend each other’s games. It’s just a feel-good place to work.

The Bucknellian: What expectations do you have for the team this season?

Goldsborough: This season I expect the team to understand our system and not just go with the flow. I expect them to work as hard as they can and then work harder. I expect them to learn to push their teammates and how to handle being pushed and challenged. I for sure expect them to compete every day to prepare us for our games. In terms of outcomes, I can’t say, but if we do all of the above we could really turn this program around and surprise a lot of people, including ourselves.

The Bucknellian: The Bison opened this season with a 25-3 loss to Duke, currently the No. 5 team in the nation. Is there anything the team can take away from that loss?

Goldsborough: I think the biggest thing to take away is that at the highest levels, this game is so fast, so strong and so strategic. Executing the fundamentals flawlessly is so crucial to success because even just one turnover could lead to a loss. It really allowed the team to see how important the little things are and that you have to be incredibly mentally and physically tough to compete in the Top 10.

The Bucknellian: What do you think are the biggest challenges you are going to face this season as a team?

Goldsborough: I think the biggest challenge really has nothing to do with our competition.  We are really focusing on changing the culture within the program, asking for a bigger commitment from the players, really seeking out nationally ranked talent in our future recruiting classes to compliment the competitiveness that already exists on the team.  Everything is new for the players – we are installing all new defenses and offenses, the way we play the midfield and press is all different and new – it’s quite a lot of information we are asking the players to absorb, understand, and execute and we are demanding that they do so.

 

Categories
Baseball Men Sports

Baseball attempts to recreate 2010 NCAA appearance

Andrew Arnao

Staff Writer

The men’s baseball team will kick off its season on Feb. 18 in Davidson, N.C. against La Salle and Niagara. The Orange and Blue hope to build on their 25-28 record from last year.

“We are looking forward to getting started next weekend,” head coach Gene Depew said. “The warm weather has given us more of an opportunity to be on the field than we ever have had in the past. We have a solid group of seniors who would like to take their second trip to the NCAA Regionals.”

The Bison last made the NCAA Tournament in 2010, after winning the Patriot League tournament for the fifth time in school history. The team advanced to the Patriot League semifinals last season but lost a three-game series to Navy 2-1.

“Our loss to Navy in the playoffs last year has been something driving us during the offseason,” starting pitcher Ryan Ebner ’12 said. “We have a lot of guys with experience, especially since we have 10 seniors, all of whom will be seeing time this year. We also have some underclassmen that have been stepping up, so there will be plenty of competition for starting spots.”

Some of the returning seniors include 2011 All-Patriot League selections Ebner, relief pitcher Alex Cillo ’12, outfielder Bob Donato ’12 and pitcher/outfielder Matt Lamore ’12. Ebner also earned the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year award in 2011.

“We will need our senior pitchers to perform to their best and for some underclassmen to step up and have a great year,” Depew said.

“Our keys to success will be our ability to score runs consistently and to put together a complete game as a pitching staff,” Ebner said. “Our weak point [is] our speed, but we will be able to make up for it by playing smart and doing the little things right offensively.”

The Bison’s first home game is not until March 3, and they will not begin to play Patriot League games until the end of March. Schedule highlights include the Russ Matt Invitational in Florida in mid-March, as well as four-game home-stands against Holy Cross (March 31 and April 1), Lehigh (April 14-15) and a revenge matchup against Navy (April 7-8). The Patriot League Tournament starts in May.

“We have depth at every position and everyone on the team is working hard in practice,” outfielder Matt Busch ’13 said. “Our expectations for this year are winning a conference championship, and the Patriot League playoffs. A lot of the guys feel like anything less than this would be a disappointment. This is our year.”

Categories
Lacrosse Men Sports

Men’s lacrosse team gains confidence

Reed Dempsey

Contributing Writer

The men’s lacrosse team fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes 9-8 in a preseason scrimmage. While the Bison lost, the team remains confident about this season’s prospects.

“It is encouraging that [the game] was so close while we were not playing near our best,” Billy Eisenreich ’12 said.

With promising practices this past week, the team is ready to move into the regular season.

“The scrimmage did exactly what we needed it to, that is, expose some of our weaknesses,” goalie Kyle Feeney ’13 said. “We proved last year we are capable of doing big things.”

This year’s Bison return seven starters and 26 lettermen from the 2011 squad that recorded the most wins in school history (14), the highest national ranking in school history (No. 7), a defense that ranked fifth in the nation and a perfect record in Patriot League play, going 6-0 in the regular season followed by wins against Lehigh and Colgate to take the Patriot League crown. Heading into the 2012 campaign, the Bison are ranked No. 12 in the “Inside Lacrosse” preseason coaches’ poll and are a preseason favorite in the Patriot League.

Last year, the Bison were anchored by a strong defense and this year should be no different. While the Orange and Blue lost several defensemen to graduation, the current squad is ready to step up and continue to play at a high level.

“The defense may be a little different from the past two years, but I believe we can continue to dominate,” Feeney said.

On attack, the Bison return six of their top eight leading scorers from a year ago, including Eisenreich, who was recently selected 21st overall in the Major League Lacrosse Draft.

“We have a lot of potential,” Eisenreich said. “We want to take it all the way to the national championship, hosting and winning the Patriot League Championships along the way.”

Captain Charlie Streep ’12 is still sidelined from an injury he sustained last fall but is optimistic the team will be able to get the job done.

“Eisenreich is going to have an All-American season … he’s one of the most dangerous players to face because he’s impossible to prepare for,” Steep said. “On top of that, attackmen Chase Bailey and Todd Heritage have a natural chemistry that I’ve never seen.”

This Saturday, the Bison welcome the University of Delaware Blue Hens (1-0) to Lewisburg, for a 1 p.m. start at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

Categories
Lacrosse Men Sports

Men’s lacrosse looks for more than PL title

By Eric Brod
Senior Writer

In sports, heartbreak can either demoralize a team or motivate it to greatness. The latter looks to be the case for the 2012 Bison men’s lacrosse squad, which looks to defend its Patriot League title and avenge its excruciating but inspiring 13-12 overtime loss to eventual national champion Virginia. The Orange and Blue, who finished 14-3 last year, gave the Cavaliers their toughest game of the tournament, something that should not be overlooked going into this season.

The Bison come into the season with high expectations, both within the Patriot League and across the country. The coaches in the Patriot League selected the defending league champions as the preseason favorite with the highest possible vote total, and the Bison are ranked No. 10 in Inside Lacrosse’s 2012 preseason coaches’ poll. With seven starters returning from last year’s team and several other key players looking to step up, the Bison hope to defend their title and make a serious run in the NCAA tournament.

Despite the loss of Alex Lyons ’11 on defense, the team returns a strong defensive core led by Mike Huffner ’13, an honorable mention on the Face-Off Yearbooks All-American listings, Jason Neithamer ’12 and goalie Kyle Feeney ’13. The team also features breakout star Todd Heritage ’14 and co-captain Charlie Streep ’12. Streep is a third-team Inside Lacrosse preseason All-American, but will miss the spring season due to a torn ACL.

Coach Frank Fedorjaka’s squad also has a strong incoming first-year class to complement the veterans on the team. The incoming class looks to provide balance and instant impact for the squad with talented midfielders in Gavin Sullivan ’15 and Joe Kearney ’15. Cam Bulgione ’15 and Ben Kellar ’15 look to add depth to the defense and could provide immediate impact as starters this season.

“I’ve been really impressed with a lot of our younger guys stepping up on both offense and defense and filling in some roles from last year,” Streep said. “Everyone has really worked hard to keep their sticks and bodies sharp so we definitely have a lot to look forward to.”

With one of the most talented and deep teams in program history, the Orange and Blue are poised to capture back-to-back Patriot League Championships and make a name for themselves on the national stage.

The importance of the team sticking together will be key in determining how far the team goes.

“If last season taught us anything it was that this solidarity among the older guys is a necessity if you want everyone to be on the same page and realistically compete for a national championship,” Streep said. “Making sacrifices and holding ourselves and each other accountable for everything, big and small, on and off the field is what really made us successful and hopefully will again this season.”

The Orange and Blue officially kick off their season at home this Saturday against Delaware.

 

Categories
Men Sports Wrestling

Wrestling drops two matches

Scott Padula & Alex Wagner
Writer & Assistant Sports Editor

The Bison wrestling team faced difficult tasks on Sunday and Tuesday as it came away with a tough 23-13 home loss to No. 11 American and a 27-12 loss at Army. Alex Pellicciotti ’14, John Regan ’12, Corey Lear ’13 and Stephen McPeek ’14 posted wins against American, while Lear, McPeek, Austin Miller ’15 and Derrik Russell ’13 won against Army.

The Orange and Blue got off to a rough start on Sunday, trailing 17-0 after a forfeit in the heavyweight class and losses in three other bouts. In the next four matches, the Orange and Blue mounted a comeback to trail 17-13 with two bouts left and an opportunity to win. The Bison were unable to complete the upset, though, as they fell in their final two matches.

“This weekend’s match was a great experience for our team. American is the type of team we need to wrestle not only to see where we are, but wrestling better teams will only make us better at the end of the season. Our team still has work to do in order to get where we want to by the time nationals comes around,” Lear said.

The most impressive win of the day occurred in the 165 lb. weight class where Lear defeated Ganbayar Sanjaa, the third-ranked wrestler in the nation in the 157 lb. weight class. Lear overcame a 4-3 deficit with 30 seconds left in the third period to capture an 8-5 decision.

Beforehand, Regan easily took the 157 lb. weight class for his seventh win in eight matches. Pellicciotti started the comeback with a 6-5 win over Kevin Tao in the 149 lb. weight class, while McPeek captured the final Bison win in the 174 lb. weight class with a 13-9 victory.

“I know wins like that show the team that anything can happen on any given day. We train just as hard as every other Division I program in the country, if not harder. This is the time of the year to take advantage of other teams getting worn out from the long season and to step up. It was a shame we didn’t upset them as a team but it was a good performance and we look to get some team wins this week,” Regan said.

The short turnaround before Tuesday’s matchup proved to be too much for the Bison. Although they won four of the nine bouts, they fell short to Army after a forfeit at the heavyweight spot and two pins against them.

Miller continued to be a consistent wrestler for the Orange and Blue by earning the team a 3-0 lead after winning the opening bout 13-7. Shawn Armato ’15, however, was pinned in his 133 lb. bout, giving Army a 6-3 advantage.

A 4-1 victory by Russell evened everything up, but a pin in the 149 lb. bout and a Bison loss in the 157 lb. bout put the Black Knights ahead once again 15-6. Lear and McPeek, continuing their great form, won back-to-back bouts to bring the Bison back within three points, but Army answered with two wins of their own.  A forfeit at the heavyweight ended things for good.

The Orange and Blue will head to Lock Haven on Friday before they wrap up their regular season with a home match on Sunday against the University of Pennsylvania.

Categories
Basketball Sports Women

Women’s basketball claims conference victory

Ajan Caneda ’15

Staff Writer

The women’s basketball team snapped a 13-game losing streak with a 67-45 rout of Colgate at home on Wednesday night.

The Bison held the Raiders to 27 percent shooting while the Orange and Blue went 42 percent from the field. The Bison led by as much as 22 in the first half before taking a 41-24 lead into halftime. They never slowed the momentum as they picked up their first win since Dec. 6 and their first Patriot League win of the season.

“I was really proud of the effort that our team put out for the entire 40 minutes,” interim head coach Bill Broderick said. “I definitely thought we took another big step in the right direction in reaching our goal of playing our best basketball of the season come Patriot League Tournament time.”

The Bison outscored Colgate 40-16 in points in the paint, 20-1 in points off turnovers, and 22-6 in bench points. The Orange and Blue also had a 58-33 edge in rebounds.

Rachel Voss ’13 was the leading scorer with 16 points while Alyssa Dunn ’13 and Shelby Romine ’14 also scored in double figures. Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 had a near double-double with nine points and 16 rebounds.

The Bison narrowly pulled off their first Patriot League win a game earlier but ended up losing 60-56 at Army on Saturday. It was a close contest from the beginning, as both teams tried to gain the upper hand in the first half. Guard Christina Chukwuedo ’12 nailed a jumper that gave the Orange and Blue their first lead of the game with 6:58 remaining in the first half. The Bison outscored Army 16-8 in points in the paint in the first half but Army scored 16 points off turnovers. The Black Knights carried a 30-27 lead at halftime.

“Going into the Army game we were really fired up after losing by one point to Navy the week before,” Horbatuck said. “Every game we are figuring out our identity more and more. We are realizing what it’s going to take to get to the next level.”

Both teams continued their consistent shooting in the second half. At the 9:07 remaining mark, Voss made a pair of free throws that gave the Orange and Blue a 46-45 lead. Neither team could pull ahead, as the leads stayed in single digits the entire game. The game was knotted at 52-52 with 3:44 left before Army went on an 8-0 run that sealed the victory.

Horbatuck finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Dunn and Voss were also in double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

“During the last few minutes of the game, we couldn’t seem to get the definitive defensive stops that we needed,” Dunn said. “That coupled with our less-than-ideal execution on the offensive side of the ball left us on the losing end of a hard-fought battle.”

The Bison will look to ride the momentum from their win in their game at Lafayette on Saturday.

Categories
Basketball Featured Men Sports

Men’s basketball continues dominance

Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

Riding the nation’s longest conference winning streak heading into Wednesday’s matchup against Colgate, the Bison men’s basketball team had no issues extending that run to 19 games, dating back to last season, with a 66-50 victory over the Raiders.

“Colgate is a good team. They have good shooters that can really spread the floor, so that always makes them a dangerous team,” Bryson Johnson ’13 said. “Playing at Colgate is always a difficult challenge too. They always give us a good game when we go up there.”

The story of the contest was the Raiders’ offense, but only for its futility and inability to produce points. A stout Orange and Blue defense forced Colgate to shoot under 20 percent from the field for most of the game. Only until the final minutes, when the game was far from in doubt, did the Raiders break the 20-percent mark.

On the other side of the ball, the Orange and Blue used the same game plan that has helped yield 11 consecutive wins overall—balance. Three Bison scored in double figures, with Bryan Cohen ’12 leading the way with 12 points. Forwards Mike Muscala ’13 and Joe Willman ’13 each added 11 points.

With three out of their next four games against the Patriot League’s toughest competition, head coach Dave Paulsen gave his first-stringers some much needed rest. No starter played more than 24 minutes and all 14 members of the team saw the court for at least three minutes.

In their first contest of their second series of conference play, the Bison held off a stingy Army Black Knights squad, 81-68, at home last Saturday night. The Orange and Blue finished the Black Knights off late to grab the series sweep from the only team in the Patriot League to defeat them last year.

The Bison see the tough win as a blessing, with many stronger opponents left on the schedule.

“I think it prepares us well and showed that we can win games even when we don’t play a pretty game,” Johnson said. “It is important that we do not look ahead of our schedule and just take it game by game.”

Normally the Bison’s defensive stopper, Cohen took charge of the offense, scoring 19 points, his season high. Honored before the game for notching his 1,000th career point last week, Cohen broke a 50-50 tie midway through the second half with a three-point play, giving the Orange and Blue the lead for good.

Unlike their struggles against Colgate, the Bison played one of their best and most efficient games against Army. The Orange and Blue shot a resounding 70 percent from the field in the first half, yet led by just eight at halftime.

Muscala, Johnson and Cameron Ayers ’14 joined Cohen with double-figures in points.

With the heart of their league schedule coming up, the Bison will host Lafayette Saturday night at 7 p.m. on espn3.com and ESPN Full Court in their first of two straight games against Pennsylvania schools on television. Lehigh comes to town Thursday night for their matchup on CBS College Sports.

Despite all of the hype surrounding two tough league contests in front of a national audience, the Bison remain focused on the task at hand—winning a Patriot League regular season title.

“If we do what the coaches have outlined for us and play to our ability, we will be fine,” Johnson said. “But we know if we don’t do those things, then we can lose to anyone in our league.”