Category: Sports

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Beyond the Bison Sports

Beyond the Bison: Sports News Across the Nation

 

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Julian Dorey
Writer

Major League Baseball’s National League-leading Washington Nationals have made it official: Stephen Strasburg, their ace pitcher, will be shut down following his Sept. 12 start.

What?

Has anyone ever heard of a contending team, let alone a team with the best record in the league, pulling the plug on their best player’s season right when the playoffs are set to begin?

This is madness.

Strasburg is a strikeout machine who has helped the young Nationals make a monumental climb in the standings after years of living in the cellar. Strasburg, the number one overall pick in the 2009 MLB draft, exploded onto the Major League scene during his rookie year in 2010, but tore elbow ligaments before finishing his initial campaign. As a result, he had to get the infamous Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for a year.

Before this season began, the Nationals were adamant about holding him to a count of around 160 innings pitched because of his medical issue. They maintained that his season would end once he reached that point.

Strasburg has reported no discomfort in his elbow this season. He has pitched very well, his innings pitched per start have been held below six and his team is in the thick of a heated pennant race.

Considering all of that, you would think that maybe the Nationals would stop playing the over-cautious, doctor-parent role and reevaluate the situation. Nope.

Manager Davey Johnson and General Manager Mike Rizzo have repeatedly insulted the intelligence of baseball’s fans by claiming that Strasburg needs to be shut down due to the best interests of the team’s future. Moreover, they believe if they don’t end his season when he reaches the limit, his elbow could give out.

Yeah, okay.

First of all, what does innings pitched have to do with anything? Last I checked, pitchers who throw five innings with 110 pitches labor more than those who throw the nine inning, 90-pitch gems.

Secondly, what does that say to the rest of the team? There is a club house of 40-some odd guys who have worked their tails off all year to put the Nationals in a position to possibly win a World Series. Apparently, Johnson and Rizzo have no problems whatsoever telling these guys that all of their work doesn’t matter because the team can’t afford to risk the future.

Stop it.

You know who waits around for the future? People who don’t have anything. When a businessman has a chance to get promoted, he doesn’t turn it down because he thinks the opportunity will come again when he’s more prepared. Instead, he pounces on it and makes everything he can of the chance.

This travesty isn’t just an insult to Strasburg’s teammates. It’s an insult to the team’s fans who finance the entire operation by showing up to games. It’s an insult to other teams in the league due to the Nationals’ sheer disregard for the unwritten rules of competition and it’s an insult to the game itself for all of the previous reasons combined.

Hey Mike and Davey: man up. Stop making yourselves believe the lies you’re spewing out every day. Everyone and their mother knows neither of you are doctors.

Protect the integrity of the game that has been shattered far too many times in the last decade. Let him play.

Categories
Men Soccer Sports

Men’s soccer falls in double overtime

Chris McCree
Sports Editor

Coming off a strong opening weekend against a pair of Atlantic-10 opponents, the men’s soccer team suffered a 2-1 double OT loss to Florida Gulf Coast this past weekend in Fort Myers, Fla. Hampered by an early red card to star defender Mayowa Alli ’14, the outmanned Orange and Blue squad kept patient most of the game and were rewarded when Joe Meyer ’14 scored his first career goal in the 84th minute to send the game to overtime. Then, with less than five minutes left in the second overtime period, Florida Gulf Coast handed the Bison their first loss of the season with a goal from William Morse.

“Going into the match against FGCU, we knew that it was going to be a very tough game, and being forced to play with 10 men against their 11 did not make things any easier for us,” Meyer said. “However, I thought we responded very well to the situation by working hard, communicating and staying compact.”

Due to the controversial red card call, the Bison were forced to quickly alter their game plan and become much more defensive-minded. Even without Alli as an anchor, the Orange and Blue defense stepped up and withstood a barrage of offensive surges from the Eagles squad. Goalie Mike Lansing ’16 finished the contest with six saves as the Eagles recorded a 28-2 shot advantage.

Early in the second half, the Eagles finally broke the scoreless tie with a goal and looked to cruise to victory. Yet, with just minutes remaining on the clock, Meyer received a ball across the box from left back Jermaine Jarrett ’13 and put it away in the back of the net. Meyer’s goal came off of the Bison’s first shot of the contest.

“I took a quick touch and slotted the ball inside the near post from about 12 yards out to tie the game at 1-1,” Meyer said. “I rushed over to our bench and the whole team went crazy.”

The Orange and Blue then received a chance to steal the game a few minutes later when Brendan Burgdorf ’13 tracked down a punt from Lansing and forced the Eagles’ goalie to make a diving save. FGCU ratcheted up the offensive pressure in overtime and eventually put the game away late in the second OT period.

“Even though a loss is never a good thing, I think our team learned we can make big adjustments in games and even play a man down and still compete with very good teams,” Burgdorf said.

With three games now under their belt, the team will travel to Philadelphia to take on La Salle on tonight at 7 p.m. and then head to Loretto, Pa. on Sunday to take on St. Francis.

“Coach Nash told us that every team is faced with adversity, but it’s the way that the team responds that makes the difference between a great team and just a good team,” Meyer said. “That being said, I know that we will respond strongly next weekend against La Salle and St. Francis by earning six points.”

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Men Sports Water Polo

Men’s water polo goes 2-0 at Navy Labor Day Open to begin season

 

The Bucknellian Archives
The Bison look to find an opening in their opponents defense.

Scott Padula
Staff Writer

The men’s water polo team kicked off their 2012 campaign by going 2-0 this past weekend when they traveled to Annapolis, Md. to compete in the Navy Labor Day Open. The Orange and Blue started the tournament on the right foot, defeating Notre Dame (Ohio) 24-9. The Bison kept their momentum alive in their second game of the weekend by beating Iona 14-12. Under second-year coach John McBride, the Orange and Blue are now 9-2 in the month of September.

The Bison had a strong showing to begin the season. The Orange and Blue scored early and often against Notre Dame (Ohio), finding the back of the net 14 times in the first two quarters. More impressively, 23 of the 24 Bison goals in the game were assisted. Jack Else ’14 led the Bison scoring barrage with five goals, setting a new career-high. Joining him with multi-goal performances were teammates Brian Barron ’13, Stefan Aleksic ’16, Julian Colina ’14, Mike Kimble ’14 and Alex Nowlin ’14. In total, 14 different Bison recorded a point in the decisive victory, while the team as a whole, registered 17 steals.

In the team’s second game of the tournament, the Orange and Blue won against Iona. The Bison and Gaels traded goals throughout the first half, resulting in a 5-5 draw going into the intermission. In the second half, the Orange and Blue came out strong, scoring seven times in the third quarter, and never looked back. Barron and Nowlin led the Bison in points, registering five a piece, while Aleksic, Colina and Uros Markovic ’14 also contributed with multi-goal games. Additionally, senior co-captain Matt Napleton ’13 was strong in goal, making seven saves in 32 minutes of action.

The Bison will continue their busy schedule as they head to Princeton this weekend for the Princeton Invitational. The Orange and Blue will face St. Francis (N.Y.), the University of California, Brown and Fordham over the course of three days.

Categories
Soccer Sports Women

Women’s soccer continues win streak

Edward Louie | The Bucknellian
Dwornik ’14 scored a goal in the 40th minute to help the Bison topple St. Bonadventure.

Ajan Caneda
Copy Editor

Despite a 20-8 shot advantage for St. Bonaventure, the Bison women’s soccer team made their eight opportunities count and pulled off a 3-0 victory against the Bonnies on Sept. 2. This game marks the Orange and Blue’s third straight victory, bouncing back from an 0-2 start to the season.

In the 40th minute of the game, Liz Dwornik ’14 capitalized on her first shot opportunity, nailing a goal with an assist from both Cassie Denger ’15 and Kayla Yee ’13. Stiff defense allowed the Bison to keep their lead going into the half, despite a 10 shot showing from St. Bonaventure.

“The difference in the game was that we scored first. After we scored the first goal, we really just calmed down and took control of the game,” Dwornik said. “It was great to get our first win on the road and continue our winning streak.”

Courtney Nelson ’15 scored her third goal in four games after a cross from Chelsey Garkowski ’14 found its target in front of the net. The Bonnies would not go away though, as they reeled off 10 more shots in the second half, but nothing would get past the Orange and Blue. Goalie Sandita McDermott ’13, who moved up to fourth on the Bison’s all-time shutout list, had six saves that stopped any offensive rhythm for St. Bonaventure. Dwornik ended all hopes of a comeback, scoring her second goal of the game in the 75th minute.

“I think my performance is not only contingent upon my presence on the field but it is equally accredited to the girls in front of me,” McDermott said. “Our back line of Bridget Gilmartin ’14, Lauren Dandie ’16, Hannah Bonotto ’15 and Corinne Collins ’13 has really become a unit that works extremely well together which only makes my job easier.”

Two nights earlier, the Bison defeated Buffalo 1-0 at home. Neither team gained an advantage early, but the Bison were determined to score first. The Orange and Blue had a 16-5 shot advantage on the Bulls, which included 11 in the second half. After a scoreless first half, Denger launched a corner kick that found Nelson, who nailed the decisive goal.

“We are all playing with excitement and love of the game right now and it is certainly helping us on the field,” Denger said. “The feeling of winning is addicting for our team and we want more and more of it!”

The Bison look to continue the momentum at their home game against UMBC tonight at 7 p.m.

“This season is such a contrast from last season. We’ve been finishing in the games, and as we continue to win, our confidence keeps growing,” Nelson said. “Also, by continuing to train hard and competitively during practice, we can only make each other better, and we will come out prepared for any team we have to face.”

Categories
Sports Volleyball Women

Volleyball has strong showing at invitational

Katherine Harris
Writer

The women’s volleyball team improved their record this weekend with a strong 2-1 showing at the Duquesne/Robert Morris Invitational with Jessica Serrato ’14 and Karen Campbell ’16 both having performances that placed them on the All-Tournament Team.

The Orange and Blue started off their tournament play on Aug. 31 as they matched up with Robert Morris, coming out with a 3-1 win. Serrato recorded 17 kills, while Kebah Edoho ’13 and Claire Healy ’16 each ended with eight. Morgan Mientus ’14 kept up her solid play this season with 21 digs, while Campbell and Edoho had 10 and six blocks, respectively.

“The first night we played, we were on fire. Everything was clicking. Our energy and focus was in the right direction. We were playing like the confident volleyball team that I know we can be. We were able to feed off the opposing crowd’s momentum and use it to our advantage,” Healy said.

Though struggling early, the Bison continued to have success on Sept. 1 as they played Loyola (Md.), coming back from a loss in the first set to win the match 3-1. Kellye Zobrist ’14 dominated the third set with a career-high five aces and bolstered the team’s offense on several other occasions with her well-placed serves. Meghan Wentzel ’16 racked up 33 assists, Campbell recorded nine kills and Healy received her first college double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs. Upperclassmen play rounded out the win for the Bison as Serrato had 12 kills and Edoho recorded nine.

To wrap up the weekend, the Orange and Blue suffered a tough loss to Duquesne. Key players still performed strongly in the loss, with Serrato registering a double-double with 17 digs and 13 kills. Healy and Campbell both followed her lead, racking up seven kills each. Mientus also shone defensively, recording 15 digs in the match to round out her tournament.

“Every week our team is improving, and that was evident in our play this weekend. While we would have preferred to leave 3-0, we were pleased with our performance and our match against Duquesne certainly revealed areas in which we can improve,” Serrato said. “I was honored to be named to the All-Tournament Team, but I know I have a lot more room for improvement as we move forward. As a team, we need to remember to start strong in every match and maintain positive energy on the court, no matter who the opponent.”

The Bison will continue their tournament circuit for two more weeks before beginning Patriot League play, traveling to the Rose Hill Classic at Fordham University this weekend. 

Categories
Cross Country Men Sports

Cross country men finish 1-2-3 at Bison Open

 

Edward Louie | The Bucknellian
Williams ’15 excelled at the Bison Open last Friday, beating the nearest runner by 15 seconds.

Alex Wagner
Sports Editor

The men’s cross country team got their season off to a very strong start, as they finished one-two-three at the Bison Open and fifth overall at the Harry Lang invitational.

On Aug. 31, Glen Williams ’15 ran to his first career win in the Bison Open, finishing the three-mile course in 15:09, 15 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. That nearest competitor was his teammate, Robert Yamnicky ’13, who finished in 15:24. Brian Charland ’13 was not far behind, finishing in 15:28 and completing the sweep of the top three positions for the Orange and Blue.

“Although it was very hot out, most of the team put up great times. We held 13 of our runners out of the race and we still easily dominated the competition, which really shows the depth we have this year,” Williams said.

Just a day later, much of the team travelled to Colgate for the Harry Lang Invitational, where the men’s team earned a respectable fifth place finish. John Dugan ’15 was the top finisher for the Bison, finishing the 6,400-meters in 20:41 and in 15th place. He was followed by D.J. Krystek ’13, who finished in 18th place with a time of 20:46.

“We had a pretty intense week of training leading up to the races, and to come out with a solid performance is exciting … Colgate is a challenging course and I think we gained an advantage by experiencing the course in a race setting and seeing some of the teams we will race at leagues,” Krystek .

The rest of the scoring five for the Bison consisted of Andrew Kuchta ’16 in 32nd place (21:18), Charles Seigneur ’13 in 34th (21:20) and Tyler Erhard ’14 in 40th (21:27).

“Being the first meet of the year and coming off a very hard training week, I wasn’t as concerned about the final results as I will be later in the year. I was more concerned about  getting to know the Patriot League Championship course and giving a solid effort, even with tired legs … If we can get our number three-four-five runners to close the gap on Dugan and Krystek, then we will be a very good team,” head coach Kevin Donner said.

The Bison will run again this Saturday in the Running Fit-Detroit Titan Invitational in Northville, Mich.

Categories
Cross Country Sports Women

Cross country women second at Lang Invitational

 

Edward Louie | The Bucknellian
The Bison women’s cross country team races from the starting line at the Bison Open.

Cooper Mead
Writer

The women’s cross country team started off their season strong on home turf on Aug. 31 at the Bison Open as Maddie Dulac ’15 led the team with an 18:26 finish in the three-mile run. Dulac finished fourth overall, trailing 40 seconds behind the overall winner, Bloomsburg’s Victoria Davis.

Justine Schnell ’15 finished on the heels of her teammate with a time of 18:27, Paige Lommerin ’16 finished with a time of 18:46, Zoe Gaston ’15 finished with a time of 18:51 and Nora Adams ’16 finished in 18:56 which allowed the Bison to tally five top 10 runners.

“The Bison Open was an opportunity for some people to prove themselves. We held out our top 13 to save them for Colgate, but we did have a few runners really rise and they are putting themselves in position for some travel spots later in the year,” head coach Kevin Donner said.

On Saturday, the Bison continued their successful weekend of competition as they traveled to Colgate for the Harry Lang Invitational, finishing second overall. The Bison women were led by Caroline Tolli ’13, who finished eighth overall in the women’s 4,200-meter course with a time of 16:21.

The rest of the Bison runners weren’t far behind, with Katie Jessee ’15 placing ninth with a time of 16:28, Alison Billas ’16 placing 12th, Montana DiPietrantonio ’15 placing 14th, Deanna Godby ’16 and Beth Braunegg ’14 tying for 16th and Leah Goeke ’13 finishing in 20th.

The Bison placed second with 60 points by narrowly shifting Navy, who gathered 67 points, but lost to a Syracuse squad who tallied 24 points. Despite Navy having two runners placed above Tolli, seven of the Bison women finished in the top 20 which secured second place for the Orange and Blue.

“The women ran a very conservative race early and really came on strong at the end. The ladies at the Harry Lang Invitational ran very patient and handled the tough cross country course very well,” Donner said. “I was not concerned with the final result. I just wanted to see us execute our own race plan and to get to know the Patriot League Championship course better. Finishing second out of 10 was nice, but not our overall objective. It was a nice start and the ladies are excited about the next two months.”

The Bison will travel to Northville, Mich. to compete in the Running Fit-Detroit Titan Invitational on Saturday.

Categories
Sports

Athlete of the Week: Jesse Klug ’16

 

Courtesy of bucknellbison.com

Alex Wagner
Sports editor

Player profile

Jesse Klug

First-year

Sammamish, Wash.

Undeclared

 

Season stats:

Two starts in two games, 152 minutes of playing time

1 goal from 3 shot attempts

 

Although the men’s soccer team has not necessarily gotten off to the hot start it was hoping for, there is plenty of reason to look forward to the rest of the team’s campaign. One of those reasons is Jesse Klug ’15, who has made an immediate impact for the Bison. Just 18 minutes into his first collegiate game, the season opener against VCU, Klug scored off of a free kick delivered by Collin Costello ’13, giving the Orange and Blue a lead they held for much of the game.

Klug’s off-season preparations clearly prepared him to be effective at a new level of competition. This summer, he played for a U16 Academy team in Seattle, and participated in a camp geared towards improving college soccer players.

“I’ve never played with a group that works this hard for one another, so I hope to help the team be successful, and that [goal] just gave me confidence that I will be able to make an impact for the team going forward,” Klug said.

In addition to Klug, the Bison have already seen significant contributions made by other newcomers, including goalie Mike Lansing ’16 and midfielder Chris Thorsheim ’16. The team will look to build off of these early successes as they continue the season.

Categories
Field Hockey Sports Women

Field hockey trains hard for early season tests

 

The Bucknellian Archives
Cassie Goggin ’15 played in the match against Princeton last fall.

Sami Shein
Writer

The women of the Bison field hockey team trained hard all summer in preparation for two tough tests to begin their 2012 campaign, including one against UConn, who are recent NCAA Tournament semifinalists.

“This [was] a big game for us, but we have definitely put the time in,” said captain Tayler Siegrist ’13. 

Although they did not come out on top against UConn, falling to the Huskies 3-0, their hard work over the summer paid off just a day later as they rallied to defeat Fairfield 2-1.

“The team follows a summer workout packet and does their best to train no matter if they are on campus, at home or abroad,” assistant coach Jamie Montgomery said.

Kelsey Mucelli ’15 stayed on campus all summer and trained with strength and conditioning coordinator Jerry Shreck and later teamed up with Rachel Misko ’14, Erica Perrine ’14 , and Vickie Resh ’14 to play in the USA Field Hockey program on the New Jersey High Performance Squad.

Rigorous team training started on Aug. 9 with three practices a day at Graham Field. The morning practice consisted of many drills to sharpen their skills such as dribbling, passing and shooting. The nighttime practice was dedicated to game-like situations such as scrimmages and working on plays. The mid-day practice was a combination of the two. Additionally, running was interspersed throughout all the practices to keep the girls in top shape and to make sure they beat opponents to every ground ball.

Not only did the girls run and condition to be in top shape, but they fueled their bodies in other ways to feel strong and energized.

“We always tried to feed our bodies with the right food,” Siegrist said.

There was no unified diet, but each player looked out for themselves to provide their body with proper nutrients. The team recognizes that there is definitely an increase in competition this year, but it has only motivated them to train harder, stay focused and take care of their bodies. The Bison dedicated themselves to an environment of zealous training, teamwork and camaraderie, which is sure to pay off this upcoming season.

Categories
Rowing Sports Women

Bison rowing dominates spring & summer

 

Edward Louie | The Bucknellian
Men’s rowing teams propelling themselves along a 2000-meter race against Drexel at Shamokin Dam last April.

Thomas Walter
Staff writer

Both the men’s and women’s rowing programs finished the spring season and entered the summer with a very successful couple of months.

For the seventh consecutive year, the Orange and Blue’s women rowers won the Patriot League Championship. Head coach Stephen Kish noted that a key to winning was the team’s training regimen.

“The championship is always exciting. It’s always a challenge and a question to see where we stand. We’ve established a history of success now, but our training is about more than pushing ourselves to be better than our fellow competitors. We train to be better than ourselves, day in and day out,” Kish said.

In many ways, winning the team championship at the Dad Vail Regatta was even more impressive than their Patriot League success.

“Dad Vail is one of the biggest regattas in the country and we won total girls team points. It was very exciting for us as a team to win total points,” Allyson Rivard ’14 said.

The men’s rowing team also had strong finishes at both the Eastern College Athletics Conference (ECAC) Championship and the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) Club National Championship Regatta. At the ECAC Championship, the Varsity Eight finished sixth overall while the second Varsity Eight placed second for the silver in their event. Next, the men’s crew team headed to ACRA Club National Championship Regatta on May 26. They won silver in the Varsity Eight final, while setting a new 8+ record time for the Bison. Head coach Al Monte was pleased that the team’s hard work showed when it mattered most.

“We set out to have our fastest race possible and leave it all out on the race course–to realize our potential when it mattered the most, and I believe we accomplished that goal,” Monte said.

Connor Corwen ’14 also notes that this year has the potential to be another great season.

“I am very excited to see how this year pans out. It looks very promising as we have had many freshman walk on to the team that might be able to contribute right away. After last season, I know there will be no boundaries to our rate of success,” Corwen said.

The men’s and women’s squads look to build off their recent accomplishments and continue their success this coming season.