Category: Sports

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Sports

Carey ’14 shines in debut despite loss

By Andrew Arnao

Contributing Writer

Despite an outstanding effort by Ali Carey ’14, the Bison women’s lacrosse team fell to St. Bonaventure 14-10 in their season opener on Sunday.

In her collegiate debut, Carey scored five goals, highlighting the large youth presence on a team that saw seven first-years playing in the opener.

Other top performers included Katelyn Miller ’14 with two goals, Julia Braun’11 with one goal and an assist, Madison Hurwitz ’13 with one goal, Kerri Althouse ’14 with one goal and Molly Ford ’14 with two assists.

The Bison fell behind 8-2 in the first half after struggling to clear the ball. The Orange and the Blue fought back though with a strong end to the half. In the last six minutes the team scored five goals compared to St. Bonaventure’s one to make the halftime score 9-7.

“Since our team is so young, we played pretty frantically at first and threw the ball away a lot on the clears, which gave St. Bonaventure a big lead,” Miller said. “In the middle of the first half I think we kind of pulled things together, and we had a good comeback to keep the score close.”

After failing to make any saves, St. Bonaventure’s goalie Sara Schalagenhauf was replaced with backup goalie Karly Kocis for the second half. Kocis proved much more effective, making nine saves over the second half while allowing only three goals. Meanwhile, the Bonnies started off the half with four consecutive goals, ending the Bison’s momentum and putting the game out of reach.

Bison goalie Alyssa DeLorenz ’11, who had allowed nine goals against two saves in the first half, recovered nicely to allow only five goals against seven saves in the second half.

The Bison were plagued by 23 turnovers, 15 occurring in the first half. The Bison were also 11 for 22 on clears, compared to 17 for 18 for the Bonnies. Still, the team is optimistic about the future.

“The thing that was great about this game was that we never gave up on each other or got frustrated with each other even though we were down,” Althouse said. “I have faith that we’re going to improve with every day that goes by, and we’re going to keep growing together as a team.”

Carey, the star of the game, also applauded the performance of the younger Bison.

“Having 14 freshmen on the team, I thought nerves were definitely going to be a factor, but everyone stayed really positive,” she said. “Our seniors and coaches have done a really great job preparing us for the game.”

“We have a great attitude and great team chemistry which will definitely be our most important qualities moving forward in our season,” team captain Braun said. “Now that we have the first game under our belts we can work on the little things like protecting our sticks and hopefully improve for our next game against Howard.”

The Bison hope to use their inspiration from this game against Howard tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

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Sports

Men’s track dazzles in Winter Classic

By Cooper Sutton

Sports Editor

The men’s track and field team finished its regular season on high note this Saturday at the Bucknell Winter Classic with 10 different Bison claiming victories.

Most notable among the victorious Bison was Robert Arent ’12, who won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.19 seconds and came in second in the 200-meter dash, which was won by Isaih Bell ’11. The hurdles time was the second-fastest in Bison history, 0.03 seconds behind Arent’s own career best. Arent’s name now appears on 10 different University top-10 lists.

In the 800-meter run, Chris Sacks ’14 took first place with a 1:52.89. His time was the fastest for a Bison athlete in seven years.

Two separate throwers put themselves on the top-five list for shot-put this weekend. Zachary Shapiro ’11 took first in the event and fourth all-time, posting a throw of 51-5.75. Coming in second place was Tom Barr ’12, who threw a 51-4.25 for fifth all-time.

The Bison had a strong showing in the triple jump as well, taking the top four spots. Ray Holmes ’14 won the event with a distance of 46-6.75. The other top-four finishers were Kevin McGuire ’11, Dan Kubinski ’11 and Alex Prieto ’14, in that order from second to fourth.

Three separate pole vaulters, Ian Ferguson ‘13, Drew Fitzgerald ’11 and Daniel Markwalter ‘13, tied for first place, clearing the 14-9 jump.

Capping off the successful day for field events, Leonard Joseph ’13 took first place in the weight throw, throwing a career-best 57-5.75.

The Winter Classic seems to have been a boost for the team going into the Patriot League Championships.

“I think the Winter Classic demonstrated our team’s capability going into the championships,” Nigel Robinson ’14 said. “We’ve been hit with a lot of injuries this year, but we’re still a very competitive team. I think it’s evident how hard we’ve been working that we’re hitting plateaus so late into the season.”

The team hopes to reach new heights this upcoming weekend in the Patriot League Championships hosted by Navy.

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Sports

Five Lady Bison take gold in Winter Classic

By Joyce Novacek

Writer

Five Bison took gold for the women’s track team at the Bucknell Winter Classic last Saturday. Beth Braunegg ’14 won the 1,000 meters, and the Bison swept the 500 meters with Erin Horleman ’14 leading the way.  In the field, the Orange and Blue posted impressive results in the shot put and pole vault.

Braunegg’s time of 2:54.75 seconds in the 1,000 meters was a personal best.

“I feel that last weekend’s performance set me up really well both mentally and physically,” Braunegg said. “I’m learning to set more ambitious goals and also to have more confidence in my capabilities.”

Thanks to her performance, Braunegg was deemed the Patriot League Rookie of the Week. This is the fifth consecutive week that a Bison has received this honor.

Horleman ran a time of 1:19.42 to win the gold in the 500 meters. Her teammate Valerie Sans ’13 took silver in the 500 meters, while teammate Hannah Jones ’14 placed third.

The Orange and Blue also continued their success on the field. Rebecca Frey ’11 and Emily Ando ’14 took first and second place in the pole vault, respectively, both clearing career-best heights.

In the throws, Sarah Bella ’12 was the victor of the shot put, throwing 41 feet, eight inches. Teammate Rebecca Misko ’12 finished second, and Laura Rycek ’11 placed fourth.

“The Winter Classic provided the team with a good experience and got everyone pumped up for the Patriot League Championships next weekend,” Bella said. “We have a very strong team this year, and I am very confident that we will do big things next weekend and make it a meet to remember.”

The Winter Classic wrapped up the regular season for the Bison, who will travel to Annapolis this weekend for the Patriot League Championships, hosted by Navy. Last year the Bison won the Patriot League title, defeating second-place Navy.

“Our primary focus going into Patriot Leagues this weekend is to support, encourage and motivate each other in order to ultimately win the championship,” Braunegg said.

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Sports

Water polo starts with four straight wins

By Scott Padula

Contributing Writer

Interim Coach Paul Rave started his career strongly as the women’s water polo team started its season by going 4-0 at the Bison Invitational this weekend. This is the third time in four years that the team has won its season opener.

The Bison began the invitational Friday evening by defeating Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The two teams battled for the lead in the first two quarters, with the score tied at 4 going into the half. The Orange and Blue responded in the second half, outscoring the Athenas 7-3. Hallie Kennan ’12 and Julianne Valdes ’14 dominated on the offensive end netting five and four goals respectively, while Mackenzie Ferry ’14, Amanda Skonezney ’12 and Tara Murao ’13 combined for seven of the team’s 16 steals.

“Everyone was on the same page and we were all able to execute some of the things we had been working on. Paul is an incredibly fundamental, defensive-minded coach and I think that showed in our play,” Haley Prickett ’11 said.

Prickett also contributed to the 11-7 Bison victory with three assists.

With three goals from Valdes and a pair each from Skonezney and Heather Smith ’14, the Bison cruised to an 11-1 victory over the Gannon Golden Knights in their second match of the tournament. Strong showings in goal from both Brittany Connell ’12 and Rena Heim ’14 also allowed the Bison to coast to victory.

The Bison defeated Wagner 11-4 in their final match Saturday. The teams remained close in the first two quarters but the Orange and Blue offense exploded in the third, netting five straight goals and seizing a victory. Valdes, Smith, Murao and Ariel Frankeny ’12 scored a pair of goals each as a total of nine different Bison registered a point in the well-distributed affair. Heim had another strong performance with eight saves in 32 minutes of action. The victory gave the Bison a 3-0 record for the third time in program history.

The Orange and Blue wrapped up a perfect Bison Invitational by defeating the Siena Saints 11-8 Sunday. The Bison started the game by scoring four of the game’s first five goals, taking an 8-3 lead into halftime. Both offenses looked sluggish to open the third, missing several costly opportunities. Siena managed to net a mere goal, while the Orange and Blue could not connect. The Saints ferociously tried to mount a comeback in the fourth, cutting the deficit to two on several occasions. Each time the Bison managed to fend them off thanks in large part to the efforts of Connell and Heim. Similarly to the Wagner game, the Bison played selflessly as 10 different players registered a point.

“This weekend showed us that we have the basis for a great team, we just need to continually improve our awareness and communication as we learn to play with each other,” Prickett said. “We’re a really young team and I think it’s great we started the season off 4-0, but this coming weekend will be another test. As far as I’m concerned we still have a lot to prove.”

The Bison will head to College Park next weekend to compete in the Maryland Invitational. There, they will face Wagner, George Washington and the host Terrapins as they hope to protect their flawless record.

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Sports

Wrestling wins on Senior Night

By Joe Ruby

Writer

The wrestling team earned its first EIWA win Thursday, defeating Army (7-7, 2-5) by a score of 25-12 in Davis Gym. The Senior Night victory improved the Bison’s record to 6-10 overall, 1-4 in the conference and 4-3 at home.

Derek Reber ’12 began the scoring for the Bison with a 5-2 overtime victory at 125 lbs. Army’s Jordan Thome caught Alex Pellicciotti ’14 with a quick move to earn a second-period fall and put Army on top 6-3. Pellicciotti was winning the match 2-0 at the time.

At 141 lbs, Zac Hancock ’13 suffered an injury two minutes into the scoreless bout, falling backwards onto the mat after suffering a blow to the head. Army was awarded the medical forfeit, increasing its lead to 12-3.

The Orange and Blue won the next seven bouts, with seniors Kevin LeValley, Brantley Hooks, David Thompson, Rob Waltko and Jay Hahn each posting victories. Corey Lear ’13 and Joe McMullan ’13 also won their bouts, giving the Bison consecutive victories for the first time this year. LeValley, who improved to 24-1 on the year, earned his 13th bonus-point victory with a major decision. Thompson’s victory came in overtime, and Hooks, Lear, Waltko and McMullan each won their bouts by a single point.

The Bison finish their season this weekend, traveling to EIWA foes Brown tomorrow and American on Sunday. The Bison will host the EIWA Championships on March 5 and 6.

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Sports

Bison Athlete of the Week: Ali Carey ’14

By Cooper Sutton

Sports Editor

___

Ali Carey ’14

Lacrosse

Bio:

Position: Attack

Class: First-year

Major: Undeclared

Hometown: Clarksville, Md.

Stats:

Goals: 5

Shots on Goal: 7/7

Ground Balls: 2

Turnovers: 2

In her first ever college lacrosse game, attack Ali Carey ’14 gave Bison fans a lot to be excited about, posting impressive stats against St. Bonaventure. She scored five goals, producing half of her team’s scoring and showing great efficiency in shooting. All seven of her shots were on goal.

More impressive is that Carey was playing in her very first college game.

“Playing my first college lacrosse game was one of the most exciting experiences I have had,” she said.

Of course, some nerves came with the game, but Carey did a great job handling them.

“I just focused on catching the first ball, and everything else just happened,” she said. “Our upperclassmen were so great at keeping us composed and reassuring us that even though we are a young team we are a good one.”

Even as a young star, she remains modest.

“Overall, I think the reason I played well was the confidence my team gave me to go to goal and that I got lucky and had a good shooting day,” she said.

If Carey continues to play at this level throughout the rest of her career as a Bison, she will significantly enhance the team’s chance of becoming a force in the Patriot League.

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News Sports

Football scholarships postponed by council

By Erin Kircher

Contributing Writer

This past December, the Patriot League Council of Presidents deferred their decision regarding football financial aid to two years from now. While the schools included in the Patriot League are allowed to offer athletic merit aid to the League’s 22 other sports, football remains need-limited.

The Council of Presidents expressed their concern for the best interest of the Patriot League in a joint statement: “We had discussions about various financial aid models and recognized and evaluated the benefits as well as the potential costs associated with athletic merit aid for football. League presidents expressed their commitment to the stability and long-term positioning of the League.”

University Director of Athletics and Recreation John Hardt said that the University has taken many steps to discuss the impact of the Patriot League switching to merit scholarships in the future, despite the two-year setback.

“During this past semester alone, the University hosted a number of open fora for the campus community and engaged members of the faculty, students and staff as well as alumni in an open and transparent discussion of the issues surrounding the potential of awarding football scholarships,” Hardt said. “As a result of these robust discussions, I felt that John Bravman was well prepared to contribute in the a decision that would best support the future of a strong Patriot League and, more importantly, support Bucknell’s best interests.”

Full Patriot League members who sponsor football include our own University, Colgate University, College of the Holy Cross, Lafayette College and Lehigh University. Fordham University and Georgetown University are only associate members, but they still compete in Patriot League football.

Fordham was recently moved to an associate member position because the university decided to award scholarships to its entering football class in the fall of 2010. This resulted in ineligibility for the Patriot League title. The Patriot League Council of Presidents’ postponement of a decision for two years means that Fordham will not get the chance to compete for the Patriot League title for at least another two years, if ever.

Paul Brazinski ’11, a University football player, supports expanding merit scholarships to the football program. “This move to scholarships would interest a lot of teams to join the prestigious automatic-bid Patriot League,” Brazinski said.

Branzinksi also pointed out that the University’s basketball program has strengthened since providing its players with athletic scholarships, and football scholarships could lead to a similar outcome. “Football is a flagship sport. People want to see big-time football, and I say let Bucknell have theirs,” he said.

“The non-decision is a cop out. They are trying to buy more time. It is a hard decision to make with a lot of money on the line,” football player Alex Iwaskiw ’11 said. Despite his support for adding merit scholarship to football, “the Patriot League will not move to scholarships,” he said.

When asked about his opinion on the Patriot League deferment, Tyler Anderson’11, another player for the team, stressed the importance of scholarships for bringing in more competitive players. “Without scholarships it is really difficult to bring in the type of players you need to win a national championship. Going deep into the playoffs and playing big time schools brings attention to the school and helps put our school on the map,” Anderson said.

“It’s clear that this issue is hugely important to the League’s future viability and will remain ‘on the front burner’ for the League until it is resolved,” Hardt said.

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Sports

Bison Athlete of the Week: Joe Willman

By Cooper Sutton

Sports Editor

Joe Willman

Height: 6’7”

Position: Forward

Class: Sophomore

Major: Management

Hometown: Tinton Falls, N.J.

vs. Navy

Points: 18

Rebounds: 10

Assists: 2

Minutes played: 27

vs. American

Points: 5

Rebounds: 8

Assists: 1

Minutes played: 29

Over the past week, Joe Willman ’13 played in two games for the Bison basketball squad. Against American, he played a solid game, and in the first game against Navy, he scored a career-high 18 points. Willman coupled that offensive performance with an impressive 10-rebound night, giving him a double-double.

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Sports

Club hockey wins Greek game

By Andrew Arnao

Contributing Writer

The club hockey team defeated C.W. Post University 6-2 in Saturday’s Greek game, exacting revenge for its elimination at the GNCHC conference playoffs last year.

The Bison started off aggressively and scored two early goals. Although they gave one up late in the first period, they added to their lead to make it 5-2 after two periods. The Bison scored their sixth goal in the third period to silence the Ocelots.

Jeff Sowell ’12 led the team with four goals and one assist. Kip Jennings ’13 finished with a goal and two assists, and Connor Curry ’11 added a goal. Goalie John Chestnut ’14 preformed well, allowing only two goals despite multiple power plays by C.W. Post.

“Overall we were pleased with our effort, and we look to keep the momentum for our two home games next weekend against West Chester and Scranton,” Sowell said.

In addition to Sowell’s performance, teammate Connor Curry ’11 lauded the performance of John Carpenter ’11. “[Carpenter] laid a flurry of big hits throughout the game, which helped spark our team,” he said.

The Greek game is an annual tradition for the University, with three sororities and two fraternities in attendance. Many youth teams attended the game as well, and all of the proceeds from tickets were donated to Susquehanna Valley Youth Hockey League.

The two remaining games of the season are both at home for the Bison, 4:15 p.m. this Saturday against Scranton and 4:15 p.m. Sunday against West Chester.

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Sports

Super Bowl mediocre despite Rogers’ great performance

By Mike Wolf

Writer

This year’s Super Bowl had a lot to live up to after the inspiring win by the New Orleans Saints last year. Though the standards for this year’s game were possibly inflated, overall it was a mediocre Super Bowl. Unlike last year, when the Saints’ victory over the Colts seemed to represent the positive attitude in New Orleans after Katrina, the Packers’ lackluster victory over the under-performing Steelers left much to be desired.

After an extremely fast start for Green Bay, the game stayed relatively close throughout. There never was serious excitement because it seemed like the Steelers were determined to give the game away. Three turnovers in the biggest game of the season is an unacceptable amount of mistakes for a team that considers itself worthy of a championship.

Though Ben Roethlisberger made some good plays in the second half, rallying his team to within a one-score margin, he did not step up to the level of play that won his team a Super Bowl only two years ago. An underwhelming quarterback rating of 97.0 exemplifies his pedestrian play. He was simply outmatched.

While Roethlisberger failed to play to his “elite” status, his counterpart on the Packers, Aaron Rodgers, seems to have solidified himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the game today. Rodgers has been an underrated quarterback the past few years, as most football watchers are more concerned with whether or not Brett Favre really retired.

Rodgers was left with huge shoes to fill for Green Bay fans, and over the past three seasons he has not been letting them down. All the same, critics still had not come to a decision about whether or not he was on par with the best players in the league.

In this game, Rodgers showed us all that he certainly is on that level. Posting an astounding 111.5 quarterback rating against the league’s best defense is quite a feat. Furthermore, with his newly adorned Super Bowl ring, he not only showcases his talent, but he shows that he is a winner as well. In this one season, he seems to have moved out from under the immense shadow cast on him by his predecessor.

In the end, this year’s Super Bowl was defined by both the excellent play of (perhaps) the best young player in the game and the sloppy play more experienced players. It seems the football gods may have some sense of irony.