Author: cdm016

Categories
Golf Sports Women

Women’s golf takes sixth

By Andrew Lichtenauer

Senior Writer

The women’s golf team finished sixth and ninth of 11 teams at the UNC-Wilmington Seahawk Classic on March 24 and 25, respectively in Wallace, N.C. The Bison posted team scores of 306, 311 and 312 in the 54-hole event, putting them 63 strokes behind tournament champion East Carolina. Old Dominion came in second (872) followed by first-round leader Longwood (873).

Leading the Orange and Blue was Bridget Wilcox ’14, who started off the tournament with an exceptional first round of one-under-par (71). The sophomore followed her impressive first round with solid rounds of 76 and 78 to finish off the 54-hole event in a tie for 19th place individually (225).

“My driving and irons have really improved and I was feeling confident going into the round,” Willcox said. “I have been working really hard and it definitely paid off.”

Lauren Bernard ’14 had the low round of the day on Sunday for Bison, posting a third-round 75. Minjoo Lee ’12 finished with a pair of 79s after shooting 77 on March 24.

James Madison’s Nicole Sakamoto was the individual medalist with a four-under 212. Sakamoto beat out second-place finisher Samantha Morrell of Old Dominion by just one shot.

The Bison will hit the links again when they compete in the Big South Championship April 9-11 at The Patriot Club in Ninety-Six, S.C.

Categories
Golf Men Sports

Men’s golf tees off in Williamsburg

By Scott Padula

Staff Writer

The men’s golf team kicked off its spring season at the Kingsmill Resort where they competed in the C&F Bank Invitational this past weekend. Represented by Will Bachman ’12, Dan Bernard ’13, Schuyler Stitzer ’14, Thomas Walter ’14 and Pete Scialabba ’15, the Orange and Blue placed 24th in a field of 29.

In wet conditions, Stitzer and Scialabba started the weekend strong for the Bison, both posting 75 in the first round. On the day, the Orange and Blue recorded a team score of 306 with contributions from Walter and Bernard who recorded a 77 and 79, respectively.

In the second day of action, the Orange and Blue shot a team score of 323. Fast winds and increasingly difficult conditions accounted for the 17-stroke difference between the first and second days. Again, Stitzer led the way for the Orange and Blue with a score of 80. Bachman, Bernard and Scialabba rounded out the official scorers for the Bison, each scoring an 81. By the end of the second round, the Orange and Blue fell to 26th place overall.

“A reoccurring theme for us this weekend was that several members of the team, myself included, had a difficult time finishing our rounds strong. As a result, the scores did not really reflect how well we played. I think going forward this season our goal is to work on course management decisions and eliminate mistakes that cost us unnecessary strokes,” Stitzer said.

To conclude the C&F Bank Invitational, the Bison registered a final-round 302; a score that pushed them back to 24th in the standings. Walter led all Bison with a season-best 74, while Stitzer finished with a 75 and the best score on the weekend with a 230. Bernard also posted a 75 on the day and Scialabba shot a 78.

“As a team, I thought we had a successful off-season and were more prepared for this event than we have been in years past. Nevertheless, I hope to see improvement in our final results. Hopefully we will continue to improve each tournament leading up to Patriot Leagues. Our competitive tournament schedule should help us prepare mentally and physically. By the time Patriot Leagues come around in April, we will be ready to win a championship,” Bachman said.

The Orange and Blue will head to Malvern, Pa. where they will compete in the Wildcat Invitational this weekend.

Categories
Sports Water Polo Women

Water polo snaps losing streak

By Katherine Harris

Writer

The women’s water polo team had an impressive weekend, posting a pair of victories against league opponent Mercyhurst and non-league competitor Grove City at Grove City on March 24. With the much-needed wins, the team improved to 2-3 in conference and 12-18 overall for the season.

“Overall, I think the team was relieved to get these two wins. After a tough spring break record, these last two games really brought back some of the team’s spirit and confidence. Before both games, we discussed specific strategies and tactics to help shut these teams down, and we went out and executed them very well, which contributed greatly to our success,” Hallie Kennan ’12 said.

In the first match of the afternoon, the Bison battled the Mercyhurst Lakers in a CWPA conference contest, prevailing with 14-7. Kennan and Julianne Valdes ’14 tallied three goals each. Kennan also had four assists in the match, becoming the first Bison to score seven points in a game this season and matching a career high in the process.

Krystle Morgan ’13, Taylor Barnett ’15 and Ariel Frankeny ’12 netted two goals apiece and goalkeeper Rena Heim ’14 recorded 10 saves. The combined effort led to the end of a 10-game losing streak.

The Bison played the Grove City Wolverines in their second match of the day. Barnett and Morgan led the way with four and three goals respectively, leading to an eventual 15-8 win.

Kennan and Valdes again stepped up and tallied two goals each for the victory. Barbara Peterson ’15 also contributed two goals and goalkeepers Heim and Brittany Connell ’12 posted three and one saves respectively for the Orange and Blue.

“What was great about these games was that all our players were able to get some playing time,” Kennan said. “Everyone had the chance to get involved and contribute to the outcome, which I think helps the team develop even more confidence and a better sense of responsibility.”

The Bison will now have two weeks of practice before they play again. Their next matches will be on April 7 when they travel to College Park, Md. to play Michigan and George Washington.

Categories
Sports Tennis Women

Women’s tennis falls to rival Navy

By Lindsey Regruto

Senior Writer

The women’s tennis team put up a strong start against Navy in its Patriot League opener, but couldn’t pull out the win, falling 5-2.

The Orange and Blue secured the doubles point, winning two of three matches. Daria Tuzhikova ’13 and Elena Vidrascu ’14 pulled out a 9-7 win at No. 1 doubles, while Courtney Casey ’12 and Lydia Colvin ’15 secured the doubles point for the Bison with another tight win (8-6) in the No. 2 position. Dumitrita Iepuras ’12 and Jen Bush ’15 played a great match to almost sweep the doubles position but fell 9-8 to their Navy opponent at third doubles.

“It was a tough match for us against Navy,” Vidrascu said. “I don’t think that it was necessarily because they were better. We have the players, we have the talent, we just need the confidence.”

In singles, Iepuras earned the lone victory for the Orange and Blue, defeating her opponent decisively 6-3 in two sets. Iepuras’s win brings her tied for eighth in program history for total wins with a record of 106-84. Vidrascu took her match to three sets, winning the first 6-4 but dropping the last two. The Bison couldn’t pull another win in singles, dropping matches in spots two through six.

“We have all been working really hard,” Vidrascu said. “We’re better than the outcome we’ve been showing this spring […] and I look forward to having our dual match [against Navy] during Patriot League Championships.”

About halfway through their season, the Bison have earned just two victories in 13 games and are about to enter in the most important stretch. Over the next three weeks, the team will take on four Patriot League opponents starting with Colgate on April 6.

Before then, the Bison will face Georgetown today and Mount Saint Mary’s tomorrow.

Categories
Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis falls to Navy

By Cooper Mead

Contributing Writer

The men’s tennis team took on Navy at home this past Saturday in a highly contested match but fell to the Midshipmen 4-3. The close loss marked the third time in a row that the Bison have lost to Navy by just one point.

“It was a tough loss because as a team we know we are capable of beating any team, including Navy,” Josh Katten ’13 said. “However, the upside is that we know what we need to do differently in order to beat them in the conference tournament.”

The team had a strong showing in doubles as partners Katten and Evan Zimmer ’13, who were playing together for the first time, defeated Chris Kenney and Marcus Rebersak. Partners Kelly Morque ’13 and Scott Bernstein ’14 then won the doubles point for the Bison, defeating Nicholas Gutsche and Blake Daniel 8-4. With the doubles victory, the Bison were able to clinch the doubles point for just the second time since 1953.

Despite their promising doubles victory, the Bison struggled in singles, losing four of six. Katten won his singles match against Blake Daniel (6-2, 7-5), giving him his fourth consecutive singles victory. Katten has also won seven of his last eight contests and, at 17-7, has won more singles matches than any other member of the team this year. Gregory Maxson ’12 also won his singles match at the No. 6 spot against Chris Kenney (6-2, 6-1).

The Bison did hold a slim 3-2 team lead, but Gregg Cohenca ’12 was defeated by Rebersak at the No. 1 spot (6-3, 6-4), and Kyle Rosen ’14 was defeated by Gutsche (6-4, 6-3) in tough matches, allowing the Midshipmen to pull ahead to and win the match 4-3.

“We got off to a great start winning the doubles point but Navy was just tough,” Aidan Lynch ’14 said. “We’re looking forward to seeing them again down the line. We’ll be ready.”

The Bison will take on Georgetown on Friday and will complete their previously postponed match against Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.

Categories
Rowing Sports Women

Rowing opens season in N.J.

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

The women’s rowing team opened up its spring season with a sixth and third place finish in two varsity races at the Murphy Cup this past Saturday. After placing first in its qualifying heat, the varsity “A” boat was 5:02.61 slower during the finals, finishing behind Navy, GW, Buffalo, Saint Joseph’s and Massachusetts.

“Our first race of the season was definitely a tough one. A lot of good teams compete at Murphy Cup each year, and this year was no exception,” Gabby Ors ’13 said. “Based on our training plan, I think our team did exceptionally well, putting not one, but two of our top eights in the grand and petite finals of the First Varsity Eight event.”

Along with the two varsity eight boats, the Orange and Blue had two novice boats medal at the event. The novice four boat edged out Colgate for first in its race, while the novice eight earned the silver behind Drexel.

“It was very exciting and we got to bring and race the whole team, which is always an experience seeing as we have over 60 girls rowing this year,” Sarah Riessen ’14 said. “I believe we performed very well and got some great racing experience under our belts for the coming season. Every boat was focused on their own race and was able to be very competitive in their heats and finals.”

Taking part in their first event since the end of October, the team will use this event as a launching point for the rest of the season as they look to earn their seventh consecutive Patriot League title.

“I’d say there are a lot of improvements to be made within individual boats, and we are still utilizing the first few weeks of the season to develop the lineups for the top two eights. However, I think the team as a whole is definitely ready and focused on making this season one of our best yet,” Ors said.

 

 

 

 

Categories
Softball Sports Women

Softball extends winless streak to six

By Thomas Walter

Writer

The women’s softball team extended its losing streak to six game this week, dropping four games to Cornell, Delaware State, and Drexel and lowering its record to 5-14 on the season. After losing a pair of contests at the Delaware State Tournament this weekend, the Orange and Blue lost both games of its doubleheader against Drexel 7-2 on Wednesday.  

In Delaware, the Bison’s two opponents combined for 17 runs over the four games, including nine extra-base hits and three home runs. Against Cornell, the Bison held the lead for most of the game, but two late home runs gave the Big Red a slim 9-8 victory. Leading by four in the bottom of the seventh, the Orange and Blue quickly surrendered a two-run home run to Erin Belles, cutting the lead in half. Then, minutes later, Erica Gaeta smashed a three-run homer with two outs, clinching the win for Cornell.

“We have played Cornell a lot in the past and they have always been a very competitive and well coached team and the fact that we did very well against then definitely helped our confidence going into this weekend,” Courtney Conover ’14 said.

Despite the loss, the Orange and Blue did see Bridget Gates ’13 go two-for-three with three RBIs, while Kristen Zahn ’15 and Meredith Dickson ’12 also recorded multi-hit games.

Later in the day, the Bison suffered their second loss to Delaware State 8-3. Unlike the Cornell game, the Orange and Blue trailed the entire game and could never seem to string together enough hits to put runs on the board. Overall, the Bison stranded 10 runners on base.

Against Drexel, the Bison continued to struggle offensively, producing just four runs off of six hits. Highlighting the day for the Bison was Nikki Silva ’15 who recorded her first career home run, breaking up a no-hit bid in the fifth inning. Mallory Lyons ’14 and Colie Escobar ’15 were the only other Bison players to record RBIs on the day.

“The most important thing in offense that we took away from this last weekend was to be patient and hit our pitches. The most important thing in defense is communication and to make every play count,” Mary Horton ’13 said.

Despite the slow start to their season, the Orange and Blue have a chance to turn things around as they head into Patriot League play this weekend. The Bison will host Colgate for a four-game series starting on Saturday at 1 p.m.

“The most important thing the team took away from this weekend to next weekend is to not let our guard down, especially in the late innings, and to take command of the games we know we can win and just have a lot of presence, control, and swag on the field,” Gates said.

 

Categories
Baseball Men Sports

Baseball earns three wins with split

Andrew Arnao

Staff Writer

The men’s baseball team went 3-3 over the past week, splitting a four-game series at Saint Joseph’s over the weekend and also splitting a doubleheader at home against Binghamton on Tuesday. The Orange and the Blue are now 12-11 for the season.

“The Saint Joseph’s series was very competitive, with three games decided by one run,” head coach Gene Depew said. “I think the biggest positive for us was that we got quality pitching throughout the weekend.”

Friday’s game against Saint Joseph’s was incredibly close, with the Bison taking the lead twice, but the Hawks managed to tie the score in the bottom of the inning both times. The Bison went ahead for good on a two-out RBI single by Robb Scott ’13 in the eighth inning, and finished the game with a 4-3 victory. Pitcher Dan Weigel ’14 pitched 7.2 innings to improve his record to 5-1, and Alex Cillo ’12 recorded his fourth save.

“We played very well defensively, and since most of our pitchers are not big strikeout guys, we rely heavily on the defense to make plays, which they have done very well all year,” Weigel said. “Shortstop Robb Scott also had a huge weekend, hitting over .500 including a game winning RBI single in game one while playing great defense all weekend.”

Games two and three on Saturday were both low-scoring, with the Bison winning game two by a final score of 4-3 and the Hawks winning game three 2-1. In game two, pitcher Ryan Ebner ’12 received four runs of support in the second inning and made it last, giving up only two runs over six innings. In game three, Bryson Hough ’15 threw a complete game while allowing only two runs, but the Bison offense was unable to back him up, scoring only one run on an error. The offense struggled again in game four, resulting in a 7-1 defeat.

“The pitching was overall very solid against St. Joseph’s this past weekend,” Hough said. “Even though the hitting was a little off this past weekend, we’re not particularly worried about it. I’ve seen our hitters do some amazing stuff in our past games, so I know it’s definitely there.”

The Bison won the first game of the Binghamton doubleheader 2-1 behind tremendous pitching from Russell Seidell ’12, who threw a complete game and gave up only one run. Infielder Will Mooney ’14 drove in the eventual winning run in the fifth inning. Binghamton managed to split the doubleheader by ending the second game in a 10-4 Bison loss.

The Bison have their first Patriot League matchup this weekend with a four-game homestead against Holy Cross, starting at 12 p.m. tomorrow.

“It’s an exciting part of the season for us as we head into Patriot League play this weekend,” Scott said. “It’s time to see what we’re made of.”

 

Categories
Featured Lacrosse Sports Women

Women’s lacrosse falls to American

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

Following an overtime victory against Liberty, the women’s lacrosse team was unable to pull off another comeback, falling to American 22-9 at home on March 24. The Eagles prevented the Orange and Blue from winning consecutive games for the first time this season.

The Bison’s leading scorer, Arriana Sajjad ’15, had another offensive showcase with five goals, while Molly Ford ’14 finished the game with four assists. Emily Kookogey ’15 and Katelyn Miller ’14 scored two goals each.

Both teams traded goals in the opening minutes of the first period, as the game stayed close. A 7-0 run by the Eagles allowed them to surge to an 11-4 lead at the half. American forced 13 turnovers in the first half, 18 for the game and stayed aggressive on the offensive end as they outshot the Orange and Blue 20-12 in the first period.

“Draw controls were a huge aspect of the game. In the second half, they pulled a six-goal streak on us, and it was all from winning the draw,” Sajjad said. “They knew exactly where the ball was going, where to place themselves on the circle and how to execute their break properly. This eventually caused our defense to break down, giving them the lead.”

After an American goal in the opening minutes of the second period, Sajjad posted two goals within two minutes that trimmed the lead to six with 23:20 remaining in the game. The Eagles responded with two goals of their own, but Miller answered with her second goal of the game. The offense of American was too much for the Orange and Blue to overcome, as the Eagles finished the game on an 8-2 run that capped the victory.

American outscored the Bison 18-15 in draw controls and had a 12 shot advantage against the Orange and Blue. Goalie Caroline O’Neill ’15 finished the game with seven saves.

“American worked around the crease really well, and were able to score goals off of tough angles,” O’Neill said. “I think our team has definitely improved greatly and even though the score didn’t show it, the game was really competitive. I think the main difference was the fact that American capitalized on our mistakes, while we did not.”

The Orange and Blue will be seeking their first conference win this Saturday, March 31 against Lafayette in Easton, Pa.

“In situations where we are down like in this game, you just have to keep reiterating positivity and heart, which is what we tried to do,” Sajjad said. “It was a tough loss, but we are preparing to come out strong for Lafayette on Saturday.”

 

Categories
Lacrosse Men Sports

Profile: Todd Heritage ’14

Eric Brod

Senior Writer

In the midst of just his second season as a member of the men’s lacrosse team, attackman Todd Heritage ’14 is already well on his way to establishing himself as one of the most complete players in program history. Just 10 games into the season, Heritage has a team-leading 28 goals while registering seven assists, giving him 35 points on the season.

With the Orange and Blue getting off to a slow 0-3 start in a season full of high expectations, Heritage’s recent strong play has been a major factor in the team’s seven straight victories to improve their record to 7-3 and 2-0 in league play.

“His greatest improvements can be seen in his strength and his off hand,” head coach Frank Fedorjaka said. “Todd is a natural lefty, and he has improved his stick skills with his RH and his shooting. He is one of the more accurate shooters in the country and he is now doing it with his RH as well. On top of that, he has improved his catching. He is always had unbelievable hand/eye coordination but I can’t believe some of the bad passes that he catches and turns into goals. He is amazing.”

Some of his most notable performances this year include his eight-goal outburst in the Bison’s 14-10 victory over Hobart for the team’s second win of the season and his three-goal, three-assist performance against league rival Lafayette that resulted in a 17-6 victory. While Orange and Blue fans know what Heritage brings to the team on the field, it is his leadership both on and off the field that may be most impressive as the season has progressed.

Heritage describes how his role has evolved on the team.

“This being my second year has helped me to learn the ropes much better,” Heritage said. “ I try as hard as possible to make sure I am setting good examples for my teammates and helping them out whenever I can and however I can, whether it be on or off of the field.”

As the team has continued moving up the national rankings, Heritage knows how important his role is to keep the team moving toward its goal of winning another Patriot League Championship.

“We have to keep playing both mentally and physically tough. We have done that the last six games that we have won and it is something we pride ourselves on he says. Every pre-game scouting report revolves around playing a perfect 60-minute game, and we know that it starts first when preparing in practice,” Heritage said. 

After knocking off No. 18 Penn State on March 27, Heritage and the rest of the Bison squad now look to extend their winning streak against Holy Cross tomorrow.

“We all have to remain mentally and physically tough,” Fedorjaka said. “Without question, that is our main focus. If we do that, we will continue to get better each game and that is our ultimate goal. Improvement from the last game to the next game. We are interested in peaking in May.”