Category: Sports

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Baseball Featured Men Sports

Cillo ’12 earns national preseason recognition

By Andrew Lichtenauer

Senior Writer

After an impressive junior season in relief for the Orange and Blue, Alex Cillo ’12 was nominated as one of 45 potential collegiate pitchers for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association(NCBWA)Stopper of the Year Award. The award, to be announced during the 2012 College World Series, is given each year to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.

The Bucknellian spoke with Cillo this past week about the upcoming season for the Bison.

The Bucknellian: What do you think has contributed the most to your success on the mound throughout your career as a Bison?

Cillo: Learning how to locate my fastball, slider, and change-up has been very effective for me.  I’ve worked with Coach [Scott] Heather (our pitching coach) a lot to get to where I am today in terms of control. Also, [starting catcher] Scott Reed [’12] and I work very well together.  We’re always on the same page when it comes to what pitches to throw and when.

The Bucknellian: What, if anything, do you think you can improve on from last season?

Cillo: I could improve even more on my control.  The more control, the better.  Also, I could improve on throwing better pitches in certain counts. It’s important to be able to set up the batters in certain counts so that the next pitch is even more effective than it previously would have been.

The Bucknellian: What would you consider to be your greatest accomplishment so far in your career?

Cillo: Personally, my greatest accomplishment was last season as a whole. I thought that I threw pretty well the bulk of the year and I only gave up two runs in Patriot League play. As a team, I think our greatest accomplishment was winning the Patriot League title in 2010. We needed to win one game against Army to make it to playoffs and we managed to win one game. Then we went back to Army for the first round of the Patriot League Playoffs and won that series. We then came back to win two games on Saturday at Holy Cross after we lost a tough game the night before by one run. We fought hard against two tough teams and managed to win the Patriot League.

The Bucknellian: What goals do you have for yourself personally for the upcoming season?

Cillo: This season I would like to win the Patriot League title. We have a very solid team, from the senior class to the freshman class. There are many players on our team, both upper and underclassmen who are going to contribute big this year and help us accomplish our season goal.

Cillo and the rest of the Bison will hit the field in for opening day with games against La Salle and Niagara at Davidson, N.C. on Saturday.

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Lacrosse Men Sports

Men’s lacrosse falls to Delaware in overtime thriller

By Reed Dempsey
Contributing Writer

At home on Saturday, the No. 12 Bison men’s lacrosse team (No. 14 in the media poll) staged a five-goal rally in the final 21 minutes of regulation to force overtime in its season-opening game against No. 19 Delaware (Not rated in the media poll), only to see the Blue Hens score with five seconds remaining in the first period of extra time to win 11-10.

Delaware opened the scoring with a tally 10 minutes into the first quarter. Less than a minute later, Peter Burke ’14 scored an unassisted goal to tie the game at one. The Orange and Blue then suffered a three-goal run by the Blue Hens, bringing the score to 4-1. After the fourth goal, head coach Frank Fedorjaka pulled goalie Kyle Feeney ’13 from the game.

“I felt like he could have been playing better, and in years past when he has come out briefly and gone back in he has played terrific,” Fedorjaka said. Feeney has started in all but two games over the last two seasons. During Feeney’s absence, Billy Eisenreich ’12 connected with Tom Black ’14 to bring the score to 4-2. After another goal by the Blue Hens, Feeney returned to the cage, where he would remain for the rest of the game.

As the Bison struggled to maintain possession on attack, Delaware took advantage of several miscues to keep piling on the goals. Eisenreich finished the first half scoring an unassisted tally with just over three and a half minutes remaining. The Blue Hens continued their strong play after the break, scoring their seventh and eighth goals within the first five minutes of the third quarter.

Over the next two minutes, Todd Heritage ’14 scored back-to-back goals to bring the game within three. The Blue Hens followed with two goals to extend their lead to 10-5. For the next 21 minutes, the Bison played shutdown defense, fantastic goalie play and an offense that works like a well-oiled machine.

The Bison rattled off five straight goals to tie the game at 10 with just under seven minutes left in regulation.  Over the final minutes of regulation, both teams had several opportunities to go ahead, but Delaware advances were stopped as Feeney rebounded from a tough first three quarters to save six shots down the stretch.

The Orange and Blue had two possessions in the snow-filled extra period but were unable to capitalize. With time winding down in overtime, the Blue Hens advanced the ball into the Bison defensive zone and found an open player right in front of the cage for the game-winner.

“I like to think this is a bit of a wakeup call. I know what I have to do to get better, and so does the rest of the team,” Feeney said. “I think moving forward we just need to stick to our fundamentals. When we played to our potential and rules, we were borderline unstoppable. Obviously the loss hurts, and I think that’s a good thing.”

The Bison will get a chance to bounce back from the opening loss during Saturday’s matchup in Amherst, Mass. against No. 11 UMass (1-0).With a long season ahead of them, the Bison still have a championship run in their sights. “I think that by losing it will make our team pay closer attention to detail throughout the week, which could lead to an overall better season,” Fedorjaka said.

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Featured Lacrosse Men Sports

Two Bison selected in 2012 MLL draft

By Eric Brod

Senior Writer

Billy Eisenreich ’12 and Charlie Streep ’12, two key players who have contributed tremendous success to the men’s lacrosse team in recent years, were selected in last month’s Major League Lacrosse draft held in Philadelphia, Pa. Eisenreich was selected twenty first overall (third round) by the Ohio Machine, and Streep was selected 52nd overall (seventh round) by the Long Island Lizards.

Both Eisenreich and Streep played vital roles in the team’s 14-win season and Patriot League championship last year. Eisenreich emerged as a dominant midfield force while setting career highs with 19 goals, 15 assists, and 34 points despite missing four games due to injury. His outstanding junior season was rewarded when he was selected to the First Team All-Patriot League team. 

“Getting drafted was never one of my end goals for lacrosse.  I feel like if my goals of being [part of] a successful Patriot League team and national contender were fulfilled then that may lead to [my being drafted],” Eisenreich said.  “With that said, I am grateful to make it into the [MLL] as there are a lot of great players on our team as well as throughout the country who have worked very hard as well.”

Eisenreich cemented himself among the top players in the league when he rallied the Bison with four goals and four assists in the team’s 12-11 come-from-behind victory against league rival Lehigh. 

“The coaching staff has prepared me well for the game of lacrosse, whether that be college or professional,” Eisenriech said. “They have taught me how to be a better player, and they have put a lot of faith into me, for which I am very grateful.  If it wasn’t for their credibility I would have never made it into the draft.  I have them to thank for that.”

Streep’s selection in the draft, despite his ACL injury last fall is evidence of how stellar a collegiate career he has had. His list of accolades include being named Patriot League Rookie of the Year (and The Bucknellian’s Male Rookie of the Year) in 2009, Second Team All-Patriot League in 2010 and First Team All-Patriot League last year. Last season he registered 28 goals and nine assists. Arguably his greatest accomplishment was being named Patriot League Tournament MVP last year after recording hat tricks against both Colgate and Lehigh. He then recorded three more goals in the team’s near-upset of eventual national champion Virginia. For his career, Streep has an outstanding 104 points.

“[I’ve become successful] through a lot of hard work and dedication, things that I owe to my teammates and friends throughout the past four years as they were the ones that continuously motivated me and kept me on a track to where I could be successful as a player and teammate,” Streep said.  “All the preparation week in and week out for the season takes a lot out of you but also gives back a lot of reward, and the reward of being selected to play professionally is something I share with my teammates past and present for helping me get there.”

Without a doubt, both players will be celebrated as two of the top athletes to wear the Orange and Blue. As the team embarks one of the most anticipated seasons in program history, Eisenreich knows the taste of last year’s defeat to UVA will motivate the team in its quest to earn a national championship.

“Entering the NCAA tournament last year was a great experience.  Even though we all knew we could have made a run and we were cut short of it, it was still a great accomplishment for us collectively as well as for the program,” Eisenreich said. “If anything, it has made us hungrier to make a repeat appearance.”

 

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Basketball Men Sports

Basketball dominates league play

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

In a season marked by dominance in the Patriot League, the Orange and Blue men’s basketball team took one more step towards clinching their second consecutive regular-season conference title with a commanding 90-78 victory over the Lafayette Leopards last Saturday night.

“Our offense was clicking against Lafayette, especially in the second half,” Mike Muscala ’13 said, who led the Bison in scoring with 24 points. “We can be proud of that but we could have played much better defensively.”

In the opening minutes, it was the Leopards who looked poised to seize control of the game. Lafayette scored on three of its first four possessions to take a 7-4 lead.

But the three-point advantage would be Lafayette’s largest of the game. The Bison scored the next 10 points and did not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest.

For a Bison squad known for its lockdown defense, a balanced offensive effort stole the spotlight against Lafayette. For the first time in over a decade, the Orange and Blue scored 90 points in a regulation game.

“It felt good to score 90 points against a good team like Lafayette,” Cameron Ayers ’14 said, who registered a hard-earned 11 points versus the Leopards. “I think everyone understands their roles now and we know what we want to accomplish as a team. Everyone is on the same page offensively and defensively and we have improved on both ends of the floor.”

The offensive outburst allowed a plethora of Bison to get involved. In addition to Muscala and Ayers, Bryan Cohen ’12, Bryson Johnson ’13 and Joe Willman ’13 each recorded double-digit points. Ryan Hill ’14 added five points, five rebounds and four assists of his own from the point guard position.

The win over Lafayette, combined with a loss by American that same day, leaves the Bison on the verge of securing the top seed and home-court advantage throughout the conference tournament coming up in two weeks.

The Bison lead by three games in the Patriot League standings and another victory in their match-up with Lehigh yesterday, after this paper went to press, would give the Orange and Blue the title. But taking down the Mountain Hawks is no easy task.

“I am looking forward to another challenge and to see how we have improved defensively,” Ayers said. “[Lehigh guard] C.J McCollum is a tough player and it’s going to take a team effort defensively, but I think we will get the job done. We have to win at home; that is very important to us.”

The Orange and Blue’s schedule after the Lehigh game does not play into their hands. Tomorrow, the Bison head to Worcester, Mass. to face a difficult opponent in Holy Cross, especially at home, just two days after playing Lehigh. The following Wednesday, the Bison travel to Washington, D.C. to play American, another one of the Patriot League’s top teams.

“It’s always fun to play at Holy Cross,” Muscala said. “Last year, it was a very close game, and I’m hoping this year we can pull out another win.”

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Basketball Sports Women

Women’s basketball posts consecutive league wins

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

The women’s basketball team avenged a previous loss against Lehigh with a 62-56 win at Bethlehem, Pa. on Wednesday, picking up its third consecutive victory.

Shelby Romine ’14 scored a game-high 23 points, including a jumper that pushed the lead to double digits 11 minutes into the first half, capping a 10-0 run for the Orange and Blue. The Bison also scored 15 points off 13 turnovers in the first half. Christina Chukwuedo ’12 laid in a basket that gave the Bison a 37-25 lead at halftime.

The Orange and Blue carried their momentum early into the second half as they built their lead to 19 with 10:31 remaining. The Mountain Hawks fought back, cutting the deficit to single digits with 4:09 left in the game. Lehigh hit two free throws that made it a one-possession game in the final minute. It would not be enough for the Mountain Hawks as Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 clinched the victory with two free throws of her own. She had a second straight double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Rachel Voss ’13 had 11 points.

“We will continue to keep working hard every day, and use this confidence from the past two games to finish out our season strong,” Romine said. “I truly believe we can make a run to win the Patriot League championship.”

The Bison erased an early 14-point deficit to come away with a 65-54 win at Lafayette last Saturday. Romine nailed a three-pointer to start the game, but the Orange and Blue fell behind as the Leopards went on a 23-6 run that gave them their largest lead. A 20-10 Bison run trimmed the Lafayette lead to four at halftime. Both teams shot 46.4 percent in the first half on 13 for 28 shooting.

“We started the Lafayette game slow, and they got off to a decent lead pretty quickly,” Horbatuck said. “We knew that we needed to stop their post players because that was where almost all of their points were coming from.”

The Orange and Blue stayed strong defensively as they held Lafayette to 33.3 percent shooting in the second half. A Romine three-pointer jump-started a 15-0 run that gave the Bison a 14-point lead. The Leopards were unable to force a comeback as Romine and Horbatuck hit some late free throws that iced the game for the Bison.

Romine scored 26 points, had five assists, and was 11 for 13 from the free throw line. Horbatuck had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Alyssa Dunn ’13 also scored in double figures with 11 points.

“We focused on boxing out, especially on their post players to try and limit their offensive rebounds,” interim head coach Bill Broderick said. “We also worked on our help-side defense so that our post players felt more comfortable trying to get around while defending on the block.”

The Bison will look to finish strong at home as they battle Holy Cross on Saturday and American on Senior Night next Wednesday.

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Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis falls to PSU

By Cooper Mead

Contributing Writer

The men’s tennis team suffered a tough 7-0 loss at Penn State last Saturday, pushing its record to 1-1 on the season. 

While the Bison did drop eight of nine matches against the Nittany Lions, the team did come away victorious in No. 1 doubles. Gregg Cohenca ’12 and Evan Zimmer ’13 defeated Jason Lee and Russell Bader 9-8, propelling Cohenca into the program’s top-10 list for career victories.

In singles, the Orange and Blue did not fare well, falling in all six of their matches and failing to win a single set. Octavio Canibe ’15  put up a valiant effort against Tomas Hanzlik, losing 6-2 in the first set and 6-0 in the second. Kelly Morque ’13 lost a hard fought match at No. 6 against C.J. Griffin, 6-1, 6-3.

Despite the crushing defeat, the Bison still feel that they gained a lot from the experience.

“It’s always fun to go out and play against a Big 10 opponent,” Josh Katten ’13 said. “Although we lost, it was promising to see some tight doubles matches and this match can only help us as it exposed some areas that we can improve upon.”

The team hopes to rebound from this defeat this Saturday against Hofstra in Quakertown, Pa.

 

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Men Sports Track & Field

Men’s track impresses at home

By Colin Fields

Writer

The men’s track and field squad picked up a handful of victories and top program marks last weekend at the Bucknell Winter Classic in the Gerhard Fieldhouse. The Orange and Blue had big performances by Leonard Joseph ’13 and Tom Barr ’12 in throws, and Nathaniel Witter ’14 and Scott Weismiller ’14 in the pole vault. They were not alone; in total the men’s team took seven golds this weekend in what was the final meet of the regular season.

Joseph and Barr took first and second in the weight throw, respectively, and Barr picked up his fifth shot put win of the season just a week after breaking Timothy Medlock ’10’s school record. Barr’s winning toss of 53’ 7.75’’ gives him a ton of momentum heading into next week’s Patriot League Championships.

“I feel confident moving forward in 2012 after my victory this weekend because every time we compete, it is a test of our technique and conditioning. So far this season has shown good signs for our program and I am excited to see what happens at the league championships,” Barr said.

The Bison continued their dominance in field events when Weismiller and Witter shared gold in the pole vault. The tandem of sophomores both cleared the 15’ 3’’ mark giving them the top spot on Saturday.

On the track the Bison found similar success, cleaning up the podium in the 1,000 meters and picking up several other victories. Tyler Erhard ’14 took gold and teammates Brian Charland ’13 and Andrew Kirna ’15 finished in second and third. Robert Yamnicky ’13 took home the gold in the 3,000 and Alex Jagelsky ’15 won the 500 meters and picked up his second win in as many weeks after winning the 1,000 last weekend. Another first-year who enjoyed success was Christian Lupica ’15, who finished second place in the 60 meters with a personal best time of 6.99 seconds, the program’s all-time fourth-best mark.

“Running a PR is always a great feeling and it definitely was for me this weekend. Using the record books is always a great way to set personal goals for myself and hopefully I can keep continuing to drop my 60 time and help the team by scoring points in the process,” Lupica said.

The Bison will compete in the Patriot League Indoor Championships this weekend at Gerhard Fieldhouse.

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Sports Track & Field Women

Women’s track dominates

By Katherine Harris

Writer

The women’s track and field team put up some impressive performances in the Bucknell Winter Classic on Saturday. With only a week until the Patriot League Championships, this meet was an important last stepping stone for many of the Bison.

“Some people used this past weekend to rest for Leagues, others used it as a tuneup, others were competing for a spot on the Leagues roster and others were competing in their last indoor meet and hoping for good performances,” head coach Kevin Donner said.

With seven gold medals and many other top finishes, the Orange and Blue looked as strong as ever while competing on their home turf. Abby Monaghan ’13, Sarah Bella ’12 and Kathryn Wahls ’13 swept the top three spots in the weight throw. Monaghan’s first place throw of 53’ 2.5’’ also moved her into sixth all-time in the school record books, and Bella also placed first in the shot put.

“It seems that the pieces are coming together in all of the different events and that all of our hard work and hours of training are paying off,” said Monaghan. “The women’s team is coming together like a family and that to me is wonderful to witness.”

The Bison continued to best the field as Alexandra Romanelli ’13 took first place in the triple jump. In the pole vault, Emily Ando ’14 took first, while Rebekka Vuojolainen ’15 and Autumn Schnellenberger ’14 were part of a three-way tie for second. With their vaults, both Ando and Vuojolainen made the record books, with Ando tying for fifth all-time and Vuojolainen making an appearance at eighth.

Along with the impressive field performances, the Orange and Blue also had many top finishers in the track events. Kylie Pearse ’15 won the 1,000 meters, followed closely by teammate Kady Weisner ’14 in second. Hana Casalnova ’14 took the gold in the 500 meters and the Bison swept the top three spots in the 200 meters with Jennifer Zymet ’14, Kim Nagotko ’15 and Sasha Hornock ’13 leading the way.

“This past weekend we had a lot of different missions and many of our goals were accomplished,” Donner said. “I was very pleased with the results and now we look forward to a great Patriot League Championship.”

The Bison host the Patriot League Championships in Gerhard Fieldhouse starting today at 12 p.m. through Sunday.

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Sports Water Polo Women

Water polo splits games at Princeton

By Scott Padula

Staff Writer

The women’s water polo team started its 2012 season with two wins and two losses last weekend at the Princeton Invitational. The Bison opened the tournament by dropping games to Harvard 14-5 and Colorado State 9-7. The Orange and Blue were able to turn things around on Sunday by defeating George Washington 16-8 before wrapping up the weekend with a 9-3 win over Mercyhurst.

In the first game of the invitational, the Orange and Blue matched Harvard in the first quarter but could only post one goal in the second as Harvard took a 7-3 lead into the half. The Bison could not overcome the deficit in the second half.

Hallie Kennan ’12 led the Orange and Blue in points with two goals and two assists. Krystle Morgan ’13 was another highlight for the Bison with six ejections drawn. Stephanie Ovalle ’14, Taylor Barnett ’15 and Shannon Carroll ’13 also registered points for the Bison. Rena Heim ’14 was also impressive for the Orange and Blue, recording 10 saves.

In the nightcap, the Orange and Blue fell behind early, allowing Colorado State to score six goals in the first quarter. Behind the tutelage of first year head coach John McBride, the Orange and Blue tightened their defense and mounted a furious comeback. Although they only allowed three goals over the next three quarters, the Bison were unable to steal a come-from-behind victory. Kennan, Amanda Skonezney ’12 and Morgan all scored two goals while Skonezney also recorded two assists. Heim had another good game in goal, making eight saves.

In their first action Sunday, the Bison started the game strong against George Washington, taking a 9-6 advantage into the intermission and never looking back. Skonezney, Heather Smith ’14, Julianne Valdes ’14, Morgan and Barnett were among the Orange and Blue to find the back of the net at least twice. In total, 12 different Bison registered a point.

In the final game of the weekend, the Orange and Blue dominated the first half, outscoring Mercyhurst 8-0. The impressive defensive effort was marked by denying the Lakers 10 out of 11 times in six-on-five situations. Skonezney and Barbara Peterson ’15 carried the load on offense, accounting for seven of the nine goals. Other Bison who registered a point included Kennan, Carroll, Smith and Brittany Connell ’12. Aside from recording an assist, Connell was also solid in net with four saves.

“The first day was still a learning experience for us. We’ve been practicing only against each other for the past month so figuring out how to defend or score against other teams took some time. By the second day of games we started playing our type of water polo. We made significant improvements by our fourth game and we hope to pick up where we left off for our home tournament this upcoming weekend,” Kennan said.

The Orange and Blue have four more games this weekend when they host the Bison Invitational. The Bison will face Siena and Brown on Saturday before they see Wagner and No. 15 Hartwick on Sunday. 

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Men Sports Wrestling

Wrestling earns split

By Andrew Arnao

Staff Writer

The wrestling team managed a 28-13 victory at Lock Haven last Friday before falling to Penn 23-13 at home on Sunday, concluding the regular season with a 4-16 record.

The match against Lock Haven started well for the Bison with a 6-4 overtime decision by Austin Miller ’15, who leads the Bison in total wins for the year. After losing their next bout, the Orange and Blue rattled off five straight victories, including pins by Alex Pellicciotti ’14 and Stephen McPeek ’14.

“We all had good matches on Friday against the Lock Haven squad,” Miller said. “Alex Pellicciotti in particular had a great match where he pinned a very tough opponent after going up by a considerable margin.”

Miller recorded a major decision in the opening bout against Penn, giving the Bison another early lead. Penn tied the score 4-4 and went ahead 7-4, only for the score to be evened at 7-7 with a decision by Pellicciotti. John Regan ’12 and McPeek each gave the Bison leads with exciting last-second decisions, but Penn tied the score each time. Tied at 13 apiece with two bouts remaining, the Bison suffered a major decision at the hands of No. 10 Micah Burak, and a forfeit in the heavyweight category to end the match.

“This past Sunday we had mixed results,” Corey Lear ’13 said. “[Against Penn,] there were two great wins in the last seconds of the matches at 157 and 174. Wrestling without a heavyweight does not help with the outcome, [and the] effort was put forth to overcome that deficit but we fell short.”

Regan, the team’s only senior, was honored before the match against Penn. Regan ends his tenure as a Bison with a 53-33 record, including a 17-10 record this year.

“We now have a two-and-a-half-week idle period to train hard for the EIWA Championships,” Regan said. “We are sticking to our coaches motto to not work for a final result, rather work to prepare for the next match. Rather than working to win the EIWA, most of us have set our goals to win each match, one match at a time.”

The EIWA Championships will take place March 3-4 at Princeton University.

“We must have a strong showing there and finish the season on a good note,” Miller said. “We have to go in believing we will win … as individuals and as a team.”