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Football Men Sports

Football clinches season-opener for third year in a row

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

The football team won its season-opening game for the third year in a row with a 27-14 victory over Marist on Sept. 7 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

The team was led by the impressive play of quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14, who completed 12 of 16 passes for a combined 176 yards and two touchdowns. The Bison running game was led by Matt DelMauro ’16, who rushed 20 times tallying 83 yards. In addition, CJ Williams ’17 ran the ball for 42 yards and a touchdown. Wesley contributed another 51 yards on 11 carries, which helped give the Bison a balanced offensive front marked by 177 rushing yards and 176 passing yards.

The Bison began the game with a quick punt but then began an offensive assault on the Marist defense marked by scores on five consecutive drives. Derek Maurer ’15 began scoring with a 38-yard field goal, the first of his career. The next three touchdowns were scored on drives of more than 70 yards, beginning with a drive marked by a 45-yard pass from Wesley to tight end Josh Lebo ’15. With the ball at the Marist 26-yard line, the Bison completed two crucial 3rd-and-1 tries and a short pass, placing the Bison in position for a three-yard pass to Travis Friend ’14 for the touchdown.

The Marist offense retaliated with a 74-yard drive. It totaled 14 plays and ended with a three-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score to 10-7.

The next Bison possession ended in a touchdown and was marked by hard-nosed running by Williams. The drive was 14 plays and 75 yards with Williams accounting for 26 yards on seven carries. This helped the Bison gain valuable yardage and run 6:58 off of the game clock.

The last Bison score of the half began with 2:16 to play on the Bison 22-yard line. On the third play of the drive, Wesley connected with Josh Brake ’15 for a 66-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline, ending a promising offensive half for the Bison.

“I thought we came out with a lot of confidence in our preparation, and it showed in the first half,” Jeff Goyette ’14 said. “There are still some things that we need to work on, but it’s always great to open our season with a win.”

The Bison stagnated offensively in the second half with five consecutive punts on short drives of no longer than five plays.

Led by Evan Byers ’15, who finished the contest with 12 tackles, one sack, and a recovered fumble that helped solidify the win for the Bison, the defense showed great resilience. In addition, Tajh Turner ’14 caught an important interception deep in Marist territory that led to a Bison field goal.

The Bison win moved Wesley past Scott Auchenbach ’90 as the Bison all-time leader in total offense and puts him 154 yards behind Auchenbach’s mark of most career passing yards (5,256). Team-wise, the Bison’s record moved to an all-time 8-1 record against Marist.

The Bison have a one week break before facing a tough Cornell squad at Ithaca, N.Y. on Sept. 21.

“We came out and had a pretty good first half but there are still a lot of things we as a team need to work on,” Friend said. “It definitely was a good feeling to get the first win out of the way, and we’ll use this bye week coming up to prepare for Cornell and just take it one game at a time.”

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Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis wins titles in singles and doubles at Bucknell Quad

Chris McCree

Senior Writer 

The men’s tennis team opened its fall season by winning titles in Flight A singles and doubles as well as in Flight C singles on its home courts at the Bucknell Quad. Nick Bybel ’16 claimed a singles title for the second straight year and followed it up by claiming the doubles title with Aidan Lynch ’14. The only other Bison to play in a championship match was Scott Bernstein ’14, who came away with the win in Flight C singles.

“The first weekend is generally a time to work out the early year kinks and to get back into the swing of competitive play,” captain Kyle Rosen ’14 said. “I am proud to say that I saw a lot of tough matches, constant high energy, and solid performance all around. I have no doubt that our level will continue to elevate as the fall season continues.”

During the first day of competition, the Orange and Blue advanced seven players to the singles quarterfinals. Bybel took down his first round opponent with relative ease, winning 6-0, 6-1. Rosen also earned a victory, coming back after dropping the first set 1-6.

In Flight A, the Bison had four of eight players in the quarterfinals. Bybel faced off against fellow Patriot League rival Luke Gensburg of Colgate, overcoming a late push to take the three-set victory (6-3, 2-6, 10-8) and repeat as champion.

In doubles, the Bison had three teams reach the semifinal round. Bybel and Lynch proved to be the strongest of the three, taking down the team from Colgate (8-3).

This weekend, the Bison will play in the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational. Despite a strong showing at home, the Bison will look to continue improving in preparation for its Patriot League season in the spring.

“My expectation for this season is a Patriot League Championship,” Rosen said. “That requires effort taken at all times on and off the court. That goal must be taken seriously by every player. Then, and only then, will it be possible. I have the utmost confidence in our ability to be the best team out there.”

Categories
Sports Tennis Women

Women’s tennis reaches finals during season-opening tournament

Kristen Bishof

Contributing Writer 

The women’s tennis team began the season by reaching the finals in each bracket of its home tournament, the Bucknell Quad, this past weekend. Michele Urbinati ’17 was the only Bison to capture a title, winning the Flight B singles bracket against Loyola (Md.) 6-4, 6-7, (10-2).

Maria Cioffi ’16 also performed strongly in the tournament, making it to the final round of the Flight A singles bracket as well as the final round of the Flight A doubles bracket with her partner and captain Elena Vidrascu ’14. As the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year, Cioffi proved her skill again by winning the first round easily with a 6-4, 6-0 win. In doubles, Cioffi and Vidrascu won a pair of quick matches over Colgate and Loyola (Md.), but were unable to translate their success in the finals against St. Francis (Pa.), losing 8-2.

“I was proud of our performance this weekend with a Bison girl in each of the final rounds. It showed how hard we have been working in practice, especially given the short amount of time we have been back at school. It was a great way to start off the year, and I look forward to the upcoming tournament this weekend,” Lydia Colvin ’15 said. 

Colvin placed second in the Flight C singles bracket and made it to the finals in the Flight B doubles bracket.

Despite the absence of an assistant coach, the team began its tournament season on a high note. Head coach Rebecca Helt added four talented first-years to the roster. The experienced, returning upperclassmen have already demonstrated their leadership skills by showing what it means to be a teammate as well as an athlete.

“I am really proud of how the team came together this weekend after only having a week of practice. Having someone in each final for every flight was a great accomplishment for the team, and I am excited for what is yet to come,” captain Elana Vidrascu ’14 said.

The Bison travel to Maryland this weekend to compete in the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational, hoping to maintain the intensity they brought to the court this past weekend.

Categories
Sports Volleyball Women

Women’s volleyball comes out strong in Cornell Invitational

Emily Evancho

Assistant Sports Editor

The women’s volleyball team continued its strong start to the season this past weekend, defeating both Iona and Cornell in the Cornell Invitational while falling once to Buffalo.

“I’m so proud of my team for having a winning record at this point, but the loss to Buffalo shows we have some things to work on before entering Patriot League play,” Morgan Mientus ’14 said.

In their match against Iona, the Bison dominated with a 3-0 win. In the first set, the Bison rattled off seven consecutive points, giving the team a 1-0 lead in the match. The Orange and Blue began to trail in the second set, but they recovered with five consecutive points that led to a 26-24 win. The third set went much like the second, but the team pulled through to a 25-21 win. Mientus led the team with eight kills during the match, accompanied by her teammate Erika Eastley ’17, who also impressed with a match-best percentage of five kills out of the nine opportunities she had during the match.

“I’m really excited that we are starting the season off on such a good note. Our success in these past two weekends is a good indicator of the hard work we put in during preseason and I’m really excited to see what’s to happen later on in the season,” Eastley said.

The Bison did not have the same luck in their next match on Sept. 7 against Buffalo. Jessica Serrato ’14 and Eastley secured five kills each, but their efforts were not enough to stifle the Buffalo Bulls as they dropped all three sets.

“I think we are all proud of the way we handled ourselves coming back from the loss against Buffalo on Saturday. We didn’t dwell on our mistakes or let it set the tone for our last match,” Serrato said.

The 3-0 loss to Buffalo did not deter the team from pulling out a win in its match against Cornell later that day. Kristen Titley ’14 managed a season-high record of 17 kills in the match, along with Mientus who gained 11 kills. Eastley also helped the team’s efforts with nine registered blocks, aiding the Bison to a 3-2 win over Cornell.

“We played an awesome match on Friday and then Saturday morning we weren’t at our best, but we didn’t let it affect us and we bounced right back and played one of our best games of the season so far against Cornell,” Titley said.

The Bison will return to Davis Gym to host the Bucknell Invitational tonight and tomorrow. The Bison will play Rider at 7:30 p.m. Tomorrow, they will face Canisius at noon and Fairleigh Dickinson at 5 p.m.

Categories
Men Soccer Sports

Men’s soccer team looking up

Ajan Caneda

Copy Editor

The men’s soccer team ended its four-game home stand on a high note, going 2-1 this past week. After dropping its second game of the season to St. Francis (Pa.) 1-0 on Sept. 4, a third-minute goal by Chris Thorsheim ’16 lifted the Bison to a 1-0 victory against Buffalo on Sept. 6. The Orange and Blue won their second straight game on Sept. 8, scoring two second-half goals to guide them to a 2-1 win over La Salle.

The Bison had 21 shot attempts against St. Francis (Pa.), but none got past the Red Flash goalie. Patriot League Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week Mayowa Alli ’14 led the Bison defense that held the Red Flash to zero shot attempts in the first half. St. Francis converted on its second of three shot attempts in the 57th minute, scoring on a low volley that came off a Bison clearance. The Bison kept the pressure on with 13 second-half shot attempts, including a last-minute header from Austin Lenart ’17 that forced the opposing goalie to make a spectacular save, effectively sealing the win for the Red Flash.

Thorsheim continued his offensive showcase, nailing the lone goal in the third minute against Buffalo to earn the team’s first win of the season. Josh Butzke ’14 set up the corner kick that found John Miller ’15, who launched the ball back into the box where Thorsheim scored off an initial deflection by a Buffalo defender. The Orange and Blue held a 16-8 shot advantage, and Alli protected the shutout by rejecting a follow-up attempt in the 10th minute of the game.

“We had three games in the matter of five days last week, which was very physically demanding, and we were able to fight through the soreness and win two of the three. The two wins came from pure passion and toughness, compared to the two losses earlier in the week that were disappointing and were truly unlucky,” goalie Mike Lansing ’16 said.

The Bison evened their season record at 2-2 following their victory over La Salle. After the Explorers scored in the 30th minute, Thorsheim registered a penalty kick goal in the second half to tie the match. In the 73rd minute, Patrick Figgie ’16 split two defenders and delivered a nice cross pass to Jesse Klug ’16 who earned his first goal of the season and gave the Orange and Blue their second win in a row.

In the Bison’s first four games, they have outshot opponents 78-32, while Thorsheim has scored four of the Orange and Blue’s five goals.

“It’s great to come back from two unfortunate losses. I am playing much higher up the field this year to support our one forward. This allows me to be in between their midfield and backs which gives me a lot of space to turn and create chances going forward,” Thorsheim said.

The team hits the road to face Albany tonight at 8, followed by a match at Siena on Sept. 15.

Categories
Men Sports Water Polo

Men’s water polo rank 14th in preseason poll

Alex Wagner

Senior Editor

The men’s water polo team ended last season on the cusp of a truly breakthrough performance. The Bison fell just short of competing in their first NCAA Championship tournament at the end of last season after a crushing 10-9 loss to St. Francis (N.Y.) in the Eastern Championship title game. A win in that game would have sealed their first trip to the NCAA’s in 27 years.

Despite the loss, the Bison have a lot to be proud of. Their second place finish at Easterns marked their best performance since 1993. They also performed well out of the pool, placing six athletes on the Collegiate Water Polo Association Scholar-Athlete team.

The Orange and Blue’s strong postseason run earned them the 14th spot on the NCAA national rankings, which is also where they will begin the 2013 season. They are ranked behind traditional West Coast powers such as the University of Southern California (USC) and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), but as far as East Coast teams, the Bison are ranked behind only one rival: St. Francis Brooklyn.

There should be little to no drop off in performance in the 2013 season for the Bison as they return with five starters. One of the most important figures will be Stefan Aleksic ’16, who led the Bison last year on the offensive front with 101 points as a first-year. He will be reinforced by a strong senior class of Julian Colina ’14, Jack Else ’14, Mike Kimble ’14, Stephen Norton ’14, Alex Nowlin ’14, and Andrew Somers ’14. Those six players bring a great deal of experience and fire power, combining for 388 career goals between them.

Perhaps the biggest question going into the new season for the Orange and Blue will be the ability of Keegan Williams ’15 to step into the starting goalkeeper role. He has spent his first two years on the team behind previous starter Matt Napleton ’13, who recently graduated and signed to play with Rari Nantes Savona, a team that plays in the highest division of the Italian League. Williams should be able to take what he has learned from Napleton and have a strong first season in goal.

The Orange and Blue will begin their 2013 season on Sept. 7 at the Navy Invite in Annapolis, Md. where they will play four games in two days.

Categories
Golf Golf Men Sports Uncategorized Women

Men’s & women’s golf successful on and off the course

Emily Evancho

Assistant Sports Editor

Both the men’s and women’s golf teams ended their 2012 seasons on somewhat disappointing notes, with both teams showing potential for the upcoming 2013-2014 season.

In April, the men’s team landed fourth place in the Patriot League Championships behind Lehigh, Navy, and Army. Schuyler Stitzer ’14 was named to First Team All-Patriot League Honors after his effort in the championship, placing T-4th. Stitzer’s performance helped to bring his team to its fourth place finish, ending with a final combined score of 929.

The women’s team also swung high in its Patriot League Championship but narrowly missed first place by three strokes, dropping the championship to Lehigh. Bridget Wilcox ’14 finished the championship with a 22-over 232, earning herself a spot on the All-Patriot League Team along with her teammates Lauren Bernard ’14 and Kasha Scott ’14. Bernard also placed T-3rd in the Patriot League Championship, followed by Scott who ended her round in fifth place.

“We’re definitely excited to bounce back from a tough end to last season and take that Patriot League title back from Lehigh,” Jen Lee ’16 said.

“The season will be predicated upon how our upperclassmen lead our freshmen. We have some very talented freshmen who need some leadership and experience. If we get that coupled with sophomore and junior performance, then we may be extremely successful this fall,” Nick Geissler ’16 said.

Despite their endings, the men’s and women’s golf teams scored high in academics. In June, it was announced that six members of the women’s team, Wilcox, Scott, Bernard, Lee, Lexi Klein ’15, and Katie Mancino ’13, qualified for the Patriot League Women’s Golf Academic Honor Roll, requiring a minimum 3.2 GPA to be accepted. Scott and Wilcox were accepted to the five-member Academic All-Patriot League Team in May as well. For the men’s golf team, Stitzer was also accepted into the Patriot League Men’s Golf All-Academic Team in May.

Eager to begin both their academic and golf seasons, the men’s and women’s golf teams will swing into their seasons today. The men’s team will compete in the Colgate Invitational in Hamilton, N.Y. today and tomorrow. The women’s team begins its season today when they compete in the Bucknell Invitational.

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Bison Athlete of the Week Sports

Bison Athlete of the Week: Mayowa Alli ’14

Lauren Boone

Sports Editor

Although the season has just begun, defender Mayowa Alli ’14 is starting off his senior year with a bang. Following his selection as one of three team captains, Alli was chosen to be on the Men’s Soccer 2013 Preseason All-Patriot League Team.

Alli had a stunning 2011 season. As a sophomore, he started every game as left back. Furthermore, he scored seven goals and 16 points, leading his squad and ranking second in the Patriot League for both categories that season. These statistics earned him a reputation as a tough, athletic defender who was key to finishing set plays. He was honored with a selection to First Team All-Patriot League and Second Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region.

Alli’s momentum continued into the 2012 season. He was named to the Men’s Soccer Preseason All-Patriot League Team in 2012, as well. In 15 games, Alli posted two goals and one assist as a defender before a shoulder injury ended his season early. As a result, Alli missed the last five games of the regular season.

“My selection to the Men’s Soccer Pre-Season All-Patriot League Team was a pleasant surprise considering the fact that I had been injured for a large portion of the season last fall. However, putting it into perspective, it doesn’t mean much if I don’t perform and help my team become successful,” Alli said.

Clearly, Alli has his team’s success as his first priority. The squad ranks sixth in the now 10-team league. Despite the challenging schedule, Alli and his team have high hopes and goals for the upcoming season.

“Looking into the season I truly believe we have a strong team and have the ability to surprise a lot of teams who are overlooking us on their schedule. We haven’t won the Patriot League title since my freshman year, and it’s evident that the team has high expectations for the year. Personally, my goal coming into the season is to stay healthy and lead my team through a strong season,” Alli said.

Bison Profile

Hometown: Lanham, Md.

High School: Bishop McNamara

Height/Weight: 6-0/190

Position: Defender

 

Stats

2011 Season

Games: 18

Goals: 7

 

2012 Season

Games: 15

Goals: 2

Categories
Beyond the Bison Sports

Beyond the Bison: A New Day?

Julian Dory

Senior Writer

 

For Cam Newton, this could already be make-or-break. The NFL’s 2011 number one overall pick burst onto the scene two seasons ago for the Carolina Panthers, yet failed to show much of the initial flash and fire last season, as both he and the Panthers took a giant step backward.

Perhaps more alarming than the regression in play was the obvious immaturity Newton seemed to show off the field. After the Panthers suffered a loss to the Falcons to fall to 1-3, Newton was both despondent and impolite toward the media after the game. His reaction and comments brought into question his true qualities as a leader. A 7-9 season that included four straight seemingly meaningless wins to close it out certainly hurt Newton’s cause.

Now, after obviously losing the “new kid on the block” limelight to last year’s incredible rookies Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, and Robert Griffin III, Newton enters his third campaign with less spotlight but even higher standards and expectations than ever before.

The positives are simple: Newton is a physical specimen. At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, anyone that can run a 4.58 40-yard dash has a chance to be special. And Newton’s arm strength? It’s second to none. While he has struggled with his accuracy, he does seem to have all the physical tools to become one of the great quarterbacks in the NFL—but his mental fortitude is absolutely a question mark.

Can Newton bring out the leadership that helped him take college football by storm when he led the undefeated Auburn Tigers to a National Championship in his only season as a starter? Can he positively translate the confidence that led him to proclaim his wish to not just be a star but a “brand” to NFL scouts at a pre-draft visit (a controversial comment that raised question marks to some at the time)?

Time will have to tell, but Newton’s play will be the overriding factor of it all. He must play well in the 2013 season. He has to prove that he is a mature franchise cornerstone by showing mental toughness and the highest standards of leadership in the low times that inevitably arise in almost every NFL season.

In Newton’s defense, the Panthers’ roster has not done him many favors. He sits behind a middle-of-the-pack offensive line, at best, with an over-the-hill running back DeAngelo Williams. Then, except for the old (but still very good) Steve Smith on the flanks, Newton has no one else. His “weapons” certainly are not up to the standards of last year’s star rookies.

The public knows this: he has some leeway. They may not be a playoff team. But the kid simply has to play consistently over a 16-game season, limit turnovers, and make solid play-by-play decisions.

If he does that, there’s no telling how far he can go once he gets a couple solid players around him. But if it is more of the same 2012 Cam Newton in 2013, get ready for the downpour of criticism that will most certainly follow.

It is early, but with Cam’s history of getting flustered by the media, 2013 could be the most important season of his life.

Categories
Cross Country Men Sports

McGowan paces men’s XC in first meet of the new season

Thomas Walter

Senior Writer

The Bison Open started and ended before any real competition could emerge for the Orange and Blue as Michael McGowan ’15 and John Dugan ’15 led the team to an easy win in the first meet of the year on home turf. The Bison finished the three-mile race with runners in the top nine positions.

McGowan finished in 14:42 and Dugan followed, finishing in 14:49.

“Last year I was injured so I didn’t live up to any of my expectations,” McGowan said.  “My individual expectations are First Team All-Patriot League and then to compete for a spot at NCAA regional. The win this past weekend was an important way to start the season.”

McGowan knows that he will have to run against teammate Dugan before the season ends.  Dugan, who finished second last weekend, competed for a spot at Nationals last season. He will be a good teammate for McGowan to compete with and measure himself against throughout the season.

As happy as McGowan was with his individual performance, he and the team realize it was an easy start to the season. The race was a mere 5k compared to the typical 8k or 10k runs that determine the success of season.

“When it comes to 8k and 10k you have to be used to running tired, but I think we need to learn how to run in packs better,” McGowan said. “Some of the guys who run shorter distances need to become more comfortable running the longer races in order for us to succeed.”

The Bison will travel to Penn State to run in the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational on Sept. 13.