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Featured Football Men Sports

Super Bowl XLVI: the ultimate grudge match

By Alex Wagner

Assistant Sports Editor

When the New York Giants and the New England Patriots meet on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI, the nation will look on as the familiar foes seek to settle an old score.

For the NFC champion Giants, a trip back to the big game brings back fond memories from only four years ago when they stunned the unbeaten Patriots by beating them 17-14 in Glendale, Arizona.

Despite their ultimate success, the G-Men didn’t have an easy road to the championship in 2007–and, as any Giants fan knows, the road was not any easier this year.  It all began well, with a 6-2 record after the first nine weeks of play, including a close win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.  But from there things went downhill and eventually hit rock bottom.  Only a month ago, the Giants seemed destined for an early end to their season after they lost five of six games, culminating in a loss of 23-10 at home to the subpar Washington Redskins.

But they turned things around for good the next week by beating the confident New York Jets and Rex Ryan to reclaim their status as kings of the Big Apple.  A win in their season finale against the Dallas Cowboys allowed them to clinch the NFC East and gave them their first spot in the playoffs since 2008.

The opening playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons did not prove to be much of a challenge, as the Giants rolled to an easy 22-point victory.  The next game against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers was not nearly as easy, but New York managed to come out on top 37-20.  Finally, the Giants won 20-17 in overtime against a San Francisco 49ers team that had a lot of momentum going into the NFC title game.

The Patriots’ return to the Super Bowl is their first time back since their defeat four years ago, which feels like a long time for a team that lifted the Lombardi trophy three times between 2001 and 2004.

On their road to the big game, the Patriots once again proved that they are one of the elite teams to beat in the NFL.  They began the season 5-1, winning three of those games by double digits.  The regular season ended on a similarly high note with an eight-game win streak.  The most significant game during that stretch was arguably the win against the Denver Broncos, which game them a good preview for later in the year.

After a bye in the wildcard round, the Pats were very convincing when they ended Tebow-mania by defeating the Broncos 45-10 in the divisional playoffs.  A botched field goal late in the next game by the Ravens’ Billy Cundiff gave them a 23-20 win and a ticket to the Super Bowl.

Perhaps the most notable feature of this matchup is that it has the same quarterbacks and coaches as four years ago.  Patriots coach Bill Belichick will undoubtedly be looking to rely on the consistent play of quarterback Tom Brady, while Giants coach Tom Coughlin will hope that Eli Manning can seal his status as an elite quarterback with a second championship ring in his young career.

Besides the two quarterbacks, Rob Gronkowksi and Victor Cruz will be the players to watch come Sunday.  At tight end, Gronkowski has become one of New England’s biggest offensive threats.  He had 10 catches for 145 yards and three impressive touchdowns against the Broncos.   Cruz has similarly helped the Giants in the postseason.  He had 10 catches for 142 yards against the 49ers.  Whichever player sees the most touches this Sunday will bring his team closer to victory.

Super Bowl XLVI is sure to be a great game, no matter who you are rooting for.

 

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Basketball Men Sports

The Bison’s deep threat

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

If you ever find yourself at Sojka Pavilion before a men’s basketball game, there is one thing you are guaranteed to see—guard Bryson Johnson ’13 crack one of his ear-to-ear grins.

“I have always had fun playing basketball and it has been something that I have enjoyed my whole life,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to be anything but happy when playing, to be honest. I am very fortunate to be able to play at a school like this and if I didn’t enjoy it, I think I would be taking my situation for granted. I don’t want that to be the case.”

By tip-off, though, his demeanor changes, and his game face, one that exudes focus, comes out. Behind that pre-game smile and mid-game concentration on details is one of the Patriot League’s deadliest shooters from outside.

During the Orange and Blue’s run to the NCAA tournament last season, Johnson was an integral member of the Bison starting five, on the floor to drain important three-pointers down the stretch of games. His teammates and coaches had a lot of trust in him, and the statistics back it up.

Johnson had the highest shooting percentage from outside the arc in the Patriot League during the 2010-2011 season by over five percent while also attempting the most shots. Starting all 34 of the Orange and Blue’s contests last year, Johnson finished second on the team in points per game with 11.7.

“I don’t know if there is anything that makes me good at this role other than just trying to do it as best I can and help our team win games,” Johnson said when asked about his role as the outside shooter for the Bison.

This season, though, has gone a little differently. Opponents have started to key in on him defensively, and the shooting lanes that were open last season have been completely clogged up this year. His scoring average has dipped below 10 points per game and he is not hitting three-pointers at quite the same efficiency as last season.

“This season, teams have been a little more prepared for me and have been doing a good job running me off the three-point line and trying to make me do other things,” Johnson said. “I just have to do a better job adjusting and the shots will go down.”

But Johnson has managed to shoot nearly 40 percent, good enough for 13th in the conference.

In last week’s victory over Holy Cross, Johnson knocked in a three-pointer as time ran out in the first half to give the Orange and Blue a double-digit lead. It was all the momentum the Bison needed, and they ended up running away from the Crusaders by a 34-point margin. Ten times this season, Johnson has scored in double-figures, including back-to-back 20 point games in the Legends Classic back in November.

Johnson, now in his third season, found the transition to college life to be smooth since his hometown, Pictou, Nova Scotia, had the same small-town feel as his home as Lewisburg. It was his teammates and the coaching staff, though, that really made him feel welcome and at home at the University.

“I came to Bucknell because I had a great relationship with the coaches while they were recruiting me,” Johnson said. “On my visit I really liked the players and the whole atmosphere of the school. I really like the small school feel of this place and really getting to know people on campus.  The small town feel also reminds me a lot of home which is good because I always miss being home when I’m away. And I love playing basketball here because of my teammates. We are a pretty close team and it’s always fun to play basketball with those you consider as family.”

Even though Johnson did not take the traditional route to the University, coming from a small town in Canada, this sharpshooter has hit his stride and found a role that suits him. With the team headed towards another Patriot League Championship and berth in the NCAA tournament, there’s plenty of reason for Johnson and the rest of the Bison to smile.

 

Categories
Basketball Featured Men Sports

Cohen joins 1,000 point club

By Eric Brod

Senior Writer

Bryan Cohen ’12 is the man who the Bison men’s basketball team relies on on a nightly basis to shut down the opposing team’s top player. Whether it’s Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum or the UConn Huskies’ all-purpose guard Kemba Walker, Cohen has always responded with tenacity that has earned him back-to-back Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year awards. During last week’s 67-61 victory over American, it was Cohen’s offensive game that was celebrated when he nailed a three-pointer in the opening minutes for his 1,000th career point. Cohen became the 35th player in program history to reach the milestone, sending the boisterous student section into a frenzy as fans held up signs to celebrate the moment.

“It is a great accomplishment for me because it put me in the company of some of the greatest players to come through this basketball program,” Cohen said. “It is also a great accomplishment for me because this is an achievement on the offensive end of the floor which can be difficult for me at times, having to chase around opponents all over the court throughout the game.”

While Cohen has maintained his defensive prowess this season, most notably holding McCollum, the nation’s fifth leading scorer as of Wednesday night, to 14 points on 5-15 shooting, his offensive game has been solid. So far this season, Cohen is shooting 32 percent from three point range while averaging 6.6 points per game, good for fifth-highest on the team. Most importantly, Cohen has had a knack this season for scoring buckets when the team needs it, whether it’s a big three or timely layup to end the opposing team’s run, as was the case against Lehigh. 

“Honestly, it is extremely tough to have the assignment of guarding the best offensive player, as well as being aggressive on the offensive end of the floor,” Cohen said. “Coming into college my freshmen year I was more of a scorer; however, throughout the rest of my career my coach had given the role of focusing more on the defensive end by becoming the defensive stopper to help the overall success of the team. It is a role that most players do not tend enjoy the most but it was the role I was given and took it in stride.”

As the veteran leader of the team, Cohen knows the importance of his role as his team looks to defend its Patriot League title and advance to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.

“The main focus of the team is that we must understand that we have a bull’s eye on our back, being the defending champions, which means that we are getting every team’s best shot every game,” Cohen said. “We must attack every practice and make sure that we are focused for every single game because every team plays their best game against the champs.”

Without a doubt, the will of Cohen and his defense will play a huge factor in the Orange and Blue’s effort to defend their league title.

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Beyond the Bison Sports

Beyond the Bison: A Life Well Lived

By Julian Dorey

Columnist

Some of us are college football fans. Others casually watch. Others don’t watch at all. But just about all of us have heard of Joe Paterno.

On Jan. 22, the world lost a great one. Never again shall we see an old-school, long-reigning, dynamic—yet so humble–football coach like Joe Paterno. Paterno was more than a football coach. He was an idol.

For 62 years—46 as head coach of Penn State’s football team—the Italian kid from Brooklyn aged with success and grace in the farmland of Pennsylvania. Among that farmland, Paterno built a utopia—a place where young and old could assemble every Saturday to escape from whatever stresses their lives brought upon them.

“Happy Valley,” as Penn State has now long been known, became one of the few football meccas in America.  It is one of the rare situations in life when a triumph can be completely attributed to one person.  Paterno single-handedly built a respected and revered program by marching a selfless, diligent and proud football team out of the tunnel every Saturday.

For all 46 years.

After a successful life living among the cornfields, Joe Paterno went out the same way he lived: without a complaint.

During this sad time, some have chosen to refocus on the recent tragedy that occurred at Penn State—and unfortunately, they’ve chosen to rehash empty claims that Joe Paterno was the man at fault.

In the words of Nike CEO, Phil Knight: “If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in [the] investigation—and not in Joe Paterno’s response.”

So in this one last nostalgic piece about the old ball coach, I’ll leave the “scandal” at that.  Never before has a man been so undeserving of what he got—and so graceful in how he handled it.

Joe Paterno accomplished many great things on the football field.  He won two national titles, he sent hundreds of players to the NFL, he created never-before-seen offensive and defensive play packages and he took the Penn State program to the pinnacle of excellence.

But nothing can compare the lasting impact he has left on so many off the field.  Penn Staters and non-Penn Staters alike have been witnesses to that for the last half-century.  Paterno touched more people than most could touch in a billion lifetimes.

Being a good—great—person was what consumed Joe’s life—not winning another football game.

That’s a beautiful thing.

 

Joseph Vincent Paterno

1926-2012

 

Categories
Men Sports Track & Field

Bison Athlete of the Week: Andrew Powell ’12

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

 

Profile:

Andrew Powell

Senior

Jumps/Multi

Hometown: Charlton, Mass.

Major: Accounting

Statistics:

Heptathlon –

Total points- 5,049

60 – 7.40
Long Jump – 22-6.25
Shot Put – 35-1.75
High Jump – 6-6
60 Hurdles – 8.58
Pole Vault – 12-9.5
1000 – 2:48.68

 


During the final day of the Bison Open & Multi this past weekend, Andrew Powell ’12 made his way into the men’s track and field record books, becoming the first Bison to break 5,000 points in the heptathlon. Powell finished with 5,049 points, beating his previous best time by 82 points and former teammate Ryan White’s ’10 previous record of 4,973. Heading into Saturday, Powell held a healthy lead over UMBC’s Malte Bertram, and extended his lead with two first place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles and pole vault. Capping his meet off with a third-place finish in the 1000-meter dash, Powell cruised to a 459 point victory over Bertram and the rest of the field.

Since joining the squad in 2008, Powell has been no stranger to success. The reigning Patriot League champion in the heptathlon, Powell further exerted himself as one of the league’s elite athletes with his record-breaking performance. On top of this, Powell currently holds the school record of 6,552 points in the decathlon and is a member of the record-holdings 4×60 shuttle hurdle relay squad.

With two weeks remaining before the indoor Patriot League Championships, the Orange and Blue will rely on Powell to continue his strong performances and be the big point-earner they need to claim the title. Over the past five seasons, the Bison have finished in the top three every year.

Before concentrating on championships, Powell and the rest of the squad will head to Youngstown, Ohio this weekend to compete in the Youngstown State Invitational.

Categories
Featured Men Sports Wrestling

Austin Miller ’15 emerges as dominant force

By Andrew Lichtenauer

Staff Writer

Austin Miller ’15 has been a force to be reckoned with for the men’s wrestling team this season. The rookie has the most wins of any Bison wrestler (16-10), going 10-6 in duals and 3-0 in the EIWA duals. 

Of his 16 wins so far this season, Miller’s most notable has to be his upset against Princeton’s Garrett Frey. Frey was ranked No. 20 in his weight class at the time, and Miller’s victory marked his first-ever win against a ranked opponent. Miller’s win contributed significantly to the Bison’s victory over Princeton, as it kick-started the rest of the team and eventually led the Orange and Blue to a 27-9 victory. 

There is no doubting Miller’s commitment to the sport of wrestling and his will to win. Men’s wrestling head coach Dan Wirnsberger attests to Miller’s dedication. “Austin is very committed to the preparation process which translates into success in the competition arena … He is a tireless worker, gritty competitor and he has excellent endurance,” Wirnsberger said. “He understands the importance of preparation and how it leads to success on and off the mat.”

According to Miller, putting faith and trust in his coaches has helped him improve significantly as a wrestler in a short period of time, while maintaining faith in himself and his abilities has gotten him through some of the tougher opponents he faced this season.

“I believe in my ability to win every single time I step onto the mat, even though I don’t always succeed. That has helped me more than anything. Wanting to win and believing that you will win are two completely different things,” Miller said.

Despite his success, Miller has certainly not reached his full potential as a young wrestler. His relentless attitude is indicative of any great competitor, and his drive to improve is certainly a big reason why Miller has won so many matches.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Miller still sees room for improvement. “I really would like to get a little bigger and stronger for EIWAs over our three-week break between regular and post-season,” he said. “Also, I need to be able to escape on anyone automatically so I need to work on my bottom technique. I will try to improve on some things on my feet, like creating angles and moving my opponents.”

If Miller continues to believe in himself and his abilities, he will likely add more W’s to his win column before the end of the season. Needless to say, Bison fans should keep an eye out for Austin Miller to see if he can improve on his already impressive rookie season.

Miller and the rest of the men’s wrestling team will return to the mats on Sunday when they host EIWA rival American in Davis Gym at 12 p.m.

Categories
Sports Swimming & Diving Women

Women’s swimming wins four races

By Lindsay Regruto

Staff Writer

Gina Gautieri ’15 clinched first place by 0.27 seconds in the 200-yard breaststroke to give the women’s swimming and diving team one of four wins on Saturday at the Navy Invitational in Annapolis, Md. The Orange and Blue faced Navy, American, Lafayette and Shippensburg in an unscored meet in preparation for the upcoming Patriot League Championship.

“…It was the last chance to see where we were individually and as a team with our training,” Gautieri said. “I felt we raced very well as a team and are ready for great performances at our championship meets.”

Gautieri’s first-place finish was her first victory of the season, and her time of 1:08:91 in the 100 breast put her at fifth on team’s 2011-2012 fastest time list. Elizabeth Porcellio ’13 added to the list of wins with a first-place finish in the 400 IM, claiming her victory by 5.83 seconds.

Katie Hetherington ’15 swept both diving events to give the Orange and Blue its other two wins. The first-year scored 231.15 on the one-meter, followed closely behind by teammate Tori Molchany ’15, who placed second with 222.10. Hetherington grabbed her first-place finish on three-meter with a score of 276.85.

“It was a fun meet to go to because it was one of the last meets before Patriots and everyone was pumped up and cheering everyone on,” Hetherington said.

Top Bison performers also included Emily Wright ’14, who came in second in the 50 free and Sydney Schroder ’15, who finished second in the 200 back.  The Orange and Blue did not have swimmers entered in every event, but used the meet to try swimmers in new, unfamiliar events.

The next competition will be the Patriot League Championships hosted at Navy. The three-day event begins Feb. 16.

 

 

Categories
Men Sports Swimming & Diving

Bison prepare for Patriots

By Scott Padula

Writer

The men’s swimming and diving team closed its regular season with two individual first-place finishes at the Navy Invitational last Saturday in Annapolis, Md. The unscored meet featured a host of Patriot League rivals including the host Midshipmen, American and Lafayette, as well as Shippensburg.

In a competition in which the Mids won 14 of 17 total events, Orange and Blue swimmers Eric Sokolosky ’12 and Trevor Reitz ’14 still managed to take the top spot in their events.

Sokolosky claimed first in the 200 freestyle in 1:42.12 for the Orange and Blue and led the Bison swimmers in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:59.64, finishing fourth overall. As a whole, the 200 freestyle event was the best event of the day for the Orange and Blue as Christian Treat ’13, Thomas Brown ’12, Daniel Wallace ’14, Ben Seketa ’15 and Reitz combined to capture six of the first nine places in the event. Reitz claimed the only other victory for the Bison in the 200 butterfly, recording a season-best time of 1:57.42.

Notable performances also came from Orange and Blue swimmers Taylor Harris ’12 and Evan Palumbo ’12 who earned second places in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, respectively. Harris led a group of three Bison who finished in the top five in the 100 breaststroke with a career-best time of 58.88 seconds, while Palumbo narrowly beat two other Orange and Blue swimmers to take second in the 200 breaststroke. Palumbo’s second-place finish was a satisfying result for the senior who was competing in his final collegiate meet. 

The Orange and Blue will now have two weeks to train before they head back to Annapolis to compete in the Patriot League Championships.

“It’s a good experience to be at the pool we will be competing at in Patriots,” Mike Nicholson ’14 said. “It was our last chance to race before championships and I think we swam pretty well.”

Last season, the Orange and Blue took third place, falling to both Navy and Army, but the Bison come into this year’s meet a much-improved squad. With just one loss to Patriot League opponents during the regular season, the team expects nothing short of second this year. The three-day meet begins Feb. 16.

Categories
Men Sports Wrestling

Wrestling falls to two ranked opponents

By Andrew Arnao

Writer

The wrestling team opened last weekend with a 27-9 win over George Mason but faltered in its matches against nationally-ranked Oklahoma State and Binghamton by scores of 35-6 and 36-6, respectively. The Orange and Blue are now 3-13 on the year.

The Bison were slow out of the gate against George Mason, starting the meet behind by six after dropping their first two bouts to the Patriots. Derrik Russell ’13 gave the Bison their first points of the meet with a 3-1 overtime decision, and Alex Pellicciotti ’14 followed the win with a technical fall to give the Orange and the Blue an 8-6 lead.

From there, the Bison went on to win five of their next six decisions, including a decisive 16-2 decision by Stephen McPeek ’14 and a pin by Tyler Lyster ’15 in 3:22.

After snapping its six-match losing streak at George Mason, the Bison traveled to Stillwater, Okla. to face a pair of ranked opponents in No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Binghamton. Against the Cowboys, John Regan ’12 scored the only points for the Bison with a pin against Alex Munoz.

The Orange and Blue fared no better against Binghamton with Austin Miller ’15 and Corey Lear ’13 recording victories. Miller’s 5-4 decision marked his fifth win in seven bouts and gave the Bison a short-lived lead.

The Bison will return home on Sunday for the first time since December and host American at noon in Davis Gym.

Categories
Sports Track & Field Women

Women’s track impresses

By Katherine Harris

Writer

The women’s track and field team came away with five ECAC qualifiers and a new school record last weekend in the Bison Open & Multi and Penn State National Invitational.

On Friday and Saturday, many of the top Bison athletes traveled to the Penn State National Invitational to race, throw and jump against some very tough competition.  Highlighting the meet was Beth Braunegg ’14, who claimed the top spot in program history for the 1000 meters with a time of 2:53:73. With this time she beat the previous record by .17 and claimed fourth in the race.

Hana Casalnova ’13 in the 800, Braunegg and Caroline Tolli ’13 in the 1000 Emily Liggett ’12 in the 3000 and the distance medley relay team all secured ECAC qualifying times.

“Our women had a very nice weekend. We seemed much more confident than we were for the Gulden Invitational and we had quite a few season best marks,” head coach Kevin Donner said. “I believe the hard work we did in early January is now paying off.”

Many of the members of the Orange and Blue squad also remained at home this weekend, participating in the Bison Open & Multi. Though the meet was not scored to produce an overall team winner, there were many impressive performances all around by the Bison.

Alexandra Romanelli ’14 won the triple jump at 37 ft, 6.75 inches, putting her tenth all-time in school history. Romanelli also tied for first in the long jump along with teammate Alyssa Cardillo ’14. Abby Monaghan ’13 won the weight throw with a throw of 50 ft, 6.75 inches.

Winners of the track events included Katie Jessee ’15 in the mile, Kim Nagotko ’15 in the 400 and Kylie Pearse ’15 in the 1000. 

“I was very happy with my performance. I achieved my goal for the meet of breaking three minutes in the 1000 meters,” Pearse said. “As a team our main goal is to win Patriot Leagues. That being said, there is always room for improvement. Every second and every inch of improvement brings us closer and closer to achieving our goal.”

Next weekend the Bison will continue their season at the Youngstown State Invitational on Friday and Saturday, competing on an oversized indoor track that should lead to fast times. 

“I think we are gaining essential confidence and building momentum for the Patriot League Championships coming up in a few weekends,” Tolli said. “We are excited to be back under one roof for competition next weekend at Youngstown and keep the momentum going.”