Category: Sports

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

 

 

 

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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.

 

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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.”

 

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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.”

 

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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.”
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Featured Lacrosse Men Sports

Bison extend win streak to seven, defeat Albany and Penn State

By Reed Dempsey

Writer

The men’s lacrosse team collected a pair of wins against Albany and No. 18 Penn State this past week to extend its winning streak to seven straight games.

Coming off five straight victories, the Orange and Blue entered the week looking like a different team and continued to play at a high level.

“The team has great morale right now. Following the three straight losses to start the season, we’ve played incredible,” goalie Kyle Feeney ’13 said.

In their game against Albany, the defense held the Great Danes to just seven goals in a convincing 15-7 win. 

Nick Gantsoudes ’12 led the Bison offense with six points (five goals, one assist), while Todd Heritage ’14 and Chase Bailey ’13 upped their season goal tallies with three apiece. David Dickson ’15 registered five assists, and Feeney increased his save percentage with a solid 12-save performance.

On March 27, the Bison faced a tougher test with a game against Penn State on the road. Over the first 14 minutes of play, the Orange and Blue held the Nittany Lions scoreless as goals by Billy Eisenreich ’12 and Heritage gave the Bison a two-goal advantage.

Less than a minute after Penn State cut the Bison lead in half, Peter Burke ’14 found the back of the net with four seconds remaining in the first quarter. The Nittany Lions battled back in the second quarter with three goals compared to just one from Bison.

Coming out of halftime tied at four, the Orange and Blue dominated the third quarter with two goals from Bailey and a single from Heritage, his second of the day. Bailey attributes the offensive success to efficiency and teamwork.

“The offensive play as of late has been awesome,” Bailey said. “The middies and the attack are working well together; we’re averaging more than 10 goals per game and we’re ranked by Inside Lacrosse as the most efficient offense in the country.”

To complement the scoring attack, the Bison defense stifled Penn State throughout the third, holding them scoreless on just two shots.

The speed of the defense coupled with better decision-making has been the difference as the Bison have turned their season around.

“[The defense] is flying around and making smart decisions, and it’s paying off,” Feeney said.

The Bison opened the fourth quarter with Burke’s second goal of the game and held the Nittany Lions of the board until the 10-minute mark. 

Over the final 10 minutes, the Orange and Blue were held to just one shot, but Eisenreich made the most of it, scoring his 23rd of the year.

An increase in turnovers and failed clears plagued the Bison in the fourth quarter, but solid defensive play during man-down and six-on-six situations held Penn State in check. Feeney tied his season high with 13 saves in the 9-6 win.

The Bison look to extend their 10-game in-league winning streak tomorrow at Holy Cross.

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Basketball Men Sports

Basketball season filled with memories

Eric Brod

Senior Writer

When people think back on the 2011-2012 Bison men’s basketball season, many memories and performances will come to mind of a gritty, talented team that finished 25-10 overall and 12-2 in regular season league play. The team’s rivalry with Lehigh will certainly be one, with the heartbreaking 82-77 loss in the Patriot League Championship game perhaps most prominent. Many will remember the inspiring effort of Mike Muscala ’13, who produced 30 points and 14 rebounds only to be matched by a 29-point effort by Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum. Others will remember the heroics of Bryson Johnson ’13, who drained two clutch three-pointers to pull the Bison from seven points down to one down in a matter of seconds. Most will remember a second year of league domination that led to another regular season championship.

On top of all this, the most memorable moment of the season will definitely be the Orange and Blue’s awe-inspiring win against the Arizona Wildcats in the first round of the NIT.

“The win against Arizona was the best win throughout my college career,” Byran Cohen ’12 said. “We have had a couple opportunities to knock off a high-major school over the past four years but were unable to close the game out. Arizona was one that we were able to hold onto our lead till the end of the game and it was even sweeter beating them on their home court in front of a hostile crowd.”

Part of the last tournament of Cohen’s collegiate career, the win was a sweet sendoff for a player who will be remembered as one of the Bison’s all-time greats. For the rest of the team, the Arizona win represented a huge accomplishment in the context of the entire season.

“This season was a little up and down for us and I think the high point of the season for the team and I individually was our win against Arizona,” Johnson said. “Winning against a great team is always a high point and it always good to celebrate a win like that with your teammates.”

Faithful fans witnessed a team that came together and saw tremendous improvement among many players. Muscala continued his ascent as one of the top big men in the nation, saving his best performances for the league championship and NIT. Joe Willman ’13 established himself as a reliable and consistent forward to complement Muscala in the frontcourt, while noticeable improvements from Steven Kaspar ’15 and Ryan Hill ’14 over the course of the season helped ease the loss of guard Darryl Shazier ’11.

Cameron Ayers ’14 continued his development as one of the top shooting guards in the league, and Johnson continued to be one of the best sharp shooters in the league. Cohen completed a stellar collegiate career that saw him win three straight Defensive Player of the Year awards, while registering over 1000 career points. Cohen will certainly go down as one of the greatest defenders and all-around players in Patriot League history.

“[The award] is a great individual honor; however I would not have been able to receive this award if it weren’t for my teammates,” Cohen said. “Defense is a team effort and collectively as a team we were a very sound defensively game in and game out throughout my career.”

While the team ultimately fell short of its goal of winning the Patriot League Tournament and returning to the NCAA tournament, the Orange and Blue finished the season with one of the most exciting and impressive victories in program history.

“They way we stuck together when things got tough during certain parts of the season was something I’ll never forget.  I was lucky to be on a team with such great people,” Muscala said.

The team looks primed for another run at the league championship in 2013, bringing back all but three players and all but one starter next season. 

“Next season should be fun too but we have to get better individually this off season and hopefully that will translate into more success next season. But I’m excited to spend another year with my teammates and have some fun,” Johnson said.

Categories
Basketball Men Sports

Basketball season recap

Chris McCree
Sports Editor

 

After falling just short of a second consecutive NCAA tournament bid and Patriot League title in a devastating loss to Lehigh on March 7, the men’s basketball team emphatically responded by recording one of the biggest upsets in school history, knocking off top-seeded Arizona 65-54 during the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on March 14.

The Bison followed up their first-round victory with a 75-67 loss to fifth-seeded Nevada in the second round.

“Our guys did a tremendous job bouncing back after a heartbreaking loss in the Patriot League Championship game,” head coach Dave Paulsen said. “It was hard the first few days, but it’s a testament to the great character and leadership within our team. It was great to get a win on the road against a team from the Pac-12 and I think it validated for our guys how good we were and opened some eyes on a national level.”

Over the course of the two games, All-Patriot League center Mike Muscala ’13 created massive matchup problems for both Arizona and Nevada and proved time and time again why he is one of the most talented big men in the country. After leading all scorers with 20 points and nine rebounds against Arizona, the 6’11” big-man put together a 25-point, 15-rebound performance against Nevada.

Appearing in front a of packed crowd at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., the Orange and Blue got off to a fast start against Arizona, leading by as much as 13 points in the first half. Led by three-time defensive player of the year Bryan Cohen ’12, the Bison defense stifled the Wildcats’ offense, limiting them to just 16 points in the first 15 minutes of play. Playing in the final tournament of his career, Cohen anchored the Bison defense, limiting Arizona’s most talented offensive player Kyle Fogg to just five points in the contest, well below his season average of 13.7.

“We played exceptionally well against Arizona. Our team defense was excellent and we got solid contributions throughout the team,” Paulsen said. “We will miss our seniors. Bryan Cohen had an amazing career and will be remembered as one of the outstanding players in Bucknell history.”

During the final minutes of the half, the Bison offense stalled considerably, allowing the Wildcats to cut into the lead and go into the half down just six. Arizona carried their momentum into the second half and quickly claimed their first lead of the game behind the hot hands of Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry, who led the Wildcats with 17 and 14 points respectively.

But the Orange and Blue quickly regained the lead with a three by Cameron Ayers ’14 which kickstarted a 16-6 Bison run over the next eight minutes of play. Ayers finished the contest with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite their strong offensive play, the Bison got into foul trouble early in the half, allowing the Wildcats to get to the line often and climb back to within three with 4:27 left to play. Then, after a controversial blocking call, Muscala fouled out of the game with 2:59 left on the clock, leaving the Bison to finish out the game without their leading scorer and biggest shot-blocking presence.

The Bison pressed on and completely shut down the Wildcats offense for the remainder of the contest. Bryson Johnson ’13 hit a clutch fade-away three-pointer with 52 seconds left on the clock, giving the Bison a seven-point lead and erasing any real chance of a Wildcats comeback run.

“It was fun to hit a shot like that against a great team like Arizona,” Johnson said. “But at the same time it was just a shot and everyone on the team made great contributions throughout the game that were just as important.”

Against Nevada, the Orange and Blue fell behind to a hot Wolf Pack offense that shot 60 percent from the field in the first half. Despite Muscala’s 16th double-double of the season and a 21-point performance by Ayers, the Bison found themselves battling from behind for the entire contest.

After trailing at the half 42-29, the Orange and Blue managed to tighten the game considerably and trailed by just three points with under a minute left. Yet, unlike their first round game, the Bison struggled to convert from behind the arc and could not complete the late comeback.

“Nevada was a very talented team and, while we kept it close for most of the game, we were never able to play with a lead and were fighting from behind the whole game,” Muscala said.

The loss to Nevada marks the end to a season in which the Bison finished with 25 wins for just the third time in program history. The Bison will lose three seniors in Enoch Andoh ’12, Probese Leo ’12 and Cohen, but will return four of five starters next year.

“We had a great season and playing in the NIT and winning a game is a great feeling,” Joe Willman ’13 said. “Beating Arizona showed us that we can compete with anyone, so this tournament really gave us a lot of confidence and we are going to keep working hard to get to our ultimate goal next year of the NCAA tournament.”