The Bucknellian

By Eric Brod

Senior Writer

In their season finale at Emmitt Field, the Bison fell to Lafayette 2-0 to finish the season 7-9-2. Seniors Andrew Powell ’12, Marc Hartmann ’12, Tommy Caso ’12, Ryan Sappington ’12, Luke Joyner ’12 and Nader Sawtarie ’12 were given a pre-game ceremony and will finish their careers as the third-most winning class in program history.

Lafayette’s Kyle Scharfenberg scored both goals for the Leopards, the first in the 17th minute off a corner kick and the second in the 66th minute. Although the Bison were unable to generate consistent pressure,  they still out-shot the Leopards 14-10. Powell provided the best scoring chance for the Orange and Blue in the 15th minute off a direct kick, but Lafayette goalie Graham Heydt was there for the save.

All three goalies received playing time in the finale, as Caso and Hartmann played their final games in net as Bison. Orman Kimbrough ’14 made his season debut with just two minutes remaining in the game.

Despite missing the postseason for the first time since 2008, the team has much promise for the 2012 season. Joyner, one of the senior co-captains on the team, knows his class has left a lasting legacy on the program.

“Nothing can take away from the two Patriot League championships our senior class was a part of. As part of this program for four years, I’ve made some memories that will last a lifetime,” Joyner said.

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

The women’s swimming team traveled to Annapolis, Md. last Saturday to compete in a Patriot League quad meet. The Bison defeated American and Lafayette 226-71 and 242-57 respectively, but lost to Navy 160-129. Diver Katie Hetherington ’15 won the one-meter diving event and Stephanie Koziel ’15 won the 200 IM.

“What was different about this meet was that it was long course as opposed to our usual racing distance of yards. The team is definitely on track for a great season,” Koziel said. “All the upperclassmen have been saying that there’s a great new energy to the team this year and I think that’s really been helping us do as well as we have been. This meet really showed us where we stand currently in the league and what other work we have to do in order to meet our goals.”

Koziel also finished third in the 200 meter butterfly and fourth in the 200 meter backstroke. Kelly Pontecorvo ’14 and Melissa Besman ’14 also placed highly, coming in second (9:27.83) and fourth (9:31.46) in the 800 meter freestyle. In the 100 meter breaststroke, Emily Norton ’15 came in second. The 100 meter butterfly was a close race as Kristen Purdy ’14 and Kaitlyn Sweeney ’12 tied for first at 1:07.52. Alex Panzarino ’14 finished in third place, just 1.09 seconds behind them. The Orange and Blue also had a first-place victory in the 400 meter freestyle.

“I think both the swimmers and divers have been doing very well. We have been training very hard this year and it is definitely showing during the meets,” Hetherington said. “In addition, we are very supportive of each other both in and out of the pool, which helps a lot when we compete. Also, the atmosphere at meets is always really fun which produces some really good swims and dives.”

“Overall, the women’s swimming team has had a strong start to the season,” head coach Dan Schinnerer said. “I was very pleased with how good of shape we started the year off and September was a great month of practice for us. Over the last few weeks, we have battled some illness and injury, but we are starting to regain our health and this past weekend was a good step forward. We have had a nice mix of good performances from returning swimmers and some great debuts from a talented frosh class.”

The Bison will be at home next weekend as they compete in the Bucknell Invitational Nov. 18 through Nov. 20.

By Andrew Lichtenauer

Writer

Matthew Segar ’12 led the Bison men’s swimming team in a quad meet at Navy in Annapolis, Md. last weekend. Segar won both the 200 and 400 freestyle, leading the men’s team to a pair of Patriot League victories. The Bison defeated American (227-67) and Lafayette (226-72), but lost to host and rival Navy (152.5-128.5). Segar was also part of the gold medal-winning 400 free relay, as the Bison had six first-place showings altogether. Segar’s victories were impressive–-he won the 200 free by 1.16 seconds, and claimed the 400 free by just 0.02 seconds.

The Bison and Navy dominated the competition and combined to win all 14 of the events contested over the weekend. American and Lafayette combined had only four finishes in the top five until Navy started swimming exhibition races in the last three events.

The only other Bison individual to win a race at Navy was Eric Sokolosky ’12, who tied for first place in the 50 free with Navy’s Robbie Parker. Sokolosky was also part of the winning 400 free relay team with Segar, Thomas Brown ‘12 and Taylor Harris ’12.

“Facing Navy is definitely a challenge, but always a welcome one. They are a powerhouse team with a lot of talent and depth, so competing against them is often a test of our own training and perseverance,” Sokolosky said. “I’m proud of the way our team performed this weekend and look forward to facing Navy and the other schools in the league for PL championships in March.”

Long-course training over the summer contributed to the Bison’s success in the quad meet at Navy.

“We’ve all done long-course training when possible this year, which was beneficial in preparing us for the quad meet,” Sokolosky said. 

Mike Nicholson ’14 posted two wins late in the meet, winning both the 100 fly and 200 IM. Nicholson, Christian Treat ’13, Sokolosky and Brown also teamed up to take the silver medal in the 400 medley relay. Brown was also the Bison’s top finisher in the 100 back at fourth place and 200 back at second place.

Jon Jones ’15 was the only Bison to compete in the diving events, and finished fourth in the three-meter and second in the one-meter. His score of 232.65 in the three-meter ranks him sixth in program history.

For Segar, the quad meet at Navy gives the team some perspective.

“As a team, the quad meet let us know that we can compete against the best, but we still have a long way to go before we see Navy again at the end of the season,” Segar said. 

The Bison return to the pool in two weeks when they host the three-day Bison Invitational in Kinney Natatorium on Nov. 18-20.

By Andrew Arnao

Writer

The women’s volleyball team was officially eliminated from the Patriot League Tournament last weekend, losing 3-0 to both Lehigh and Lafayette. The Bison now have a 3-9 record in the Patriot League.

On Friday, Nov. 4 against Lehigh, the Bison fell in the first set 25-17. The Bison had a brief 6-5 lead in the second set, only to see it dashed by a 10-2 run by Lehigh and an eventual 25-11 loss. They had their best performance of the night in the third set, when late efforts from Anne Ellenberger ’12 and Kat Tauscher ’13 kept the game tied at 22-22, but Lehigh scored three straight points to clinch the sweep.

The Bison had a 0.069 and 0.000 attack percentage in the first two sets respectively, but managed a 0.286 attack percentage during the third set. Kyleigh McAhren ’12 led the offense with five kills, while Tauscher managed 16 assists. Ellenberger also had three blocks to increase her Patriot League-leading total.

The Orange and the Blue played much better against Lafayette on Saturday, but still did not pull out a win. Despite maintaining leads for most the first set, the Bison eventually fell behind and lost 26-24. The second set was close until a 10-1 run by the Leopards gave the Bison a 25-14 loss. In the third set, neither team had more than a three-point lead for the entire duration. The Bison played for set point at 25-24, but they couldn’t capitalize. The two teams trades more blows back and forth until the Leopards eventually won 30-28.

“We struggled this weekend in sticking to our game and playing our game,” Katie Baumgarten ’12 said. “We didn’t play to our greatest potential, but we are working hard this week to finish our season with two wins.”

McAhren had 11 kills for the Orange and the Blue, while Tauscher led the team with 19 assists and Emily Sawanobori ’12 led with nine digs. Overall, the Bison had a 0.086 attack percentage, though they had a 35-32 edge in digs.

The Bison play their last two games on the road against Patriot League rivals Holy Cross and Army. The Orange and the Blue play Holy Cross Friday at 7 p.m. and Army on Saturday at 4 p.m.

“We had a tough weekend at Lehigh and Lafayette, but we are really looking forward to our final week of practice,” Rose Lewis ’14 said. “I think we have the right mindset to go to Holy Cross and Army and end our season on a high note.”

By Scott Padula

Writer

The Bison finished third at the Southern Championships this weekend in Princeton, N.J.  The Orange and Blue beat Mercyhurst 18-9 before defeating Penn State Behrend 14-1. In the semifinals, the Bison lost to their rival Navy, 11-5. To wrap up the tournament, the Orange and Blue beat Johns Hopkins 10-7.

In the first game of the weekend, the Bison squared off with Mercyhurst. The Orange and Blue jumped out to an early lead, taking a 9-6 lead into intermission. In the third quarter, the Bison sealed the 18-9 victory by shutting out their opponent while scoring seven goals of their own. Brian Barron ’13 led the Bison in scoring with four goals in his first action since mid-October. Julian Colina ’14 recorded a team-high seven points with three goals and four assists. Spencer Richley ’12 and Nick Barnett ’12 also had significant contributions with three assists and three goals respectively. In goal, Matt Napleton ’13 registered six saves in 24 minutes of play.

In their game Saturday afternoon, the Orange and the Blue faced Penn State Behrend. The Bison started the game strong, taking an 8-0 advantage into the half and never looked back. They went on to win the game 14-1. The win was in large part thanks to Keegan Williams ’15 who recorded eight saves in 32 minutes of play. Greg Norton ’15 led all Bison with four points, while Barnett recorded three assists and Beau Caillouette ’12 registered two goals.

In their final game Saturday, the Orange and Blue lost to the Naval Academy 11-5. The Bison could not get anything started on offense, falling behind 5-1 after the intermission. The Orange and Blue were unable to mount a comeback, as they fell to No. 16 Navy for the second time this season. Napleton stopped 14 shots while allowing 11 goals in 32 minutes. Jack Else ’14 and Caillouette led the Bison with two goals and two assists, respectively.

“Our game against Navy was beneficial in the sense that we know what we need to work on against them. Their 6-on-5 defense, called the “nickel,” is one that is characteristic of their team and has been for as long as I can remember. It allows them to quickly counter-attack and score, and we got beat on it too many times. I think that overall, we needed to come out with more intensity in that game. We played too hesitantly, and Navy came out gunning for us,” Richley said.

In the final game of the tournament, the Orange and Blue saw Johns Hopkins in the third-place game. The Bison scored three goals in both the first two quarters before going onto a 10-7 victory. Alex Nowlin ’14 registered four points with three assists and a goal. Else had a notable performance with four goals, and co-captain Richley led the team with three goals.

“This was a disappointing Southern Championships for us, but it should help us learn some lessons that can help us win Easterns. Against Navy in the Semis, we came out flat and could not get anything going on offense, which gives the opponent momentum on their counter-attack. We need to start our games with more intensity so we’re not putting ourselves in a hole. Tighter defense and execution on the offensive end are what we will focus on in order to bring home an Eastern Championship,” Napleton said.

The Orange and Blue are idle this weekend as they prepare for the Eastern Championships next weekend in Cambridge, Mass.

By Katherine Harris

Contributing Writer

The women’s field hockey team finished the year strong last weekend in the Patriot League Tournament, pulling off an upset of No. 1 American in the semifinals, before falling short in the finals against Lafayette.

The Bison started their postseason play last Friday as the fourth seed in the tournament, setting them up to play top seeded American. Even though the squad knew it would be a tough match, they were still confident, especially against the Patriot League rival they had already ousted earlier in the year.

The Orange and Blue did not disappoint, coming away with a strong 3-2 win in the contest. All three of the team’s goals came from penalty corner kicks and defender Tayler Siegrist ’13 netted two of the team’s three goals for the first multi-goal performance of her career. In net, goalkeeper Erica Perrine ’14 came up with some key saves to help propel her team to victory.

“We were incredibly happy with our team’s performance; beating American twice in the same year was quite an accomplishment,” head coach Jeremy Cook said. “I felt that one of the special things about this team is that they really did improve every minute that we spent on the field this year.”

Feeding off the momentum of their upset, the Bison challenged No. 2 Lafayette for the Patriot League title on Sunday, losing 3-1. Perrine held the Leopards scoreless for almost the entire first half and forward Mallory Smith ’12 led a comeback attempt with a goal early in the second half, but the Orange and Blue were still down when the final whistle blew.

While never happy with a loss, the Bison were proud of their performances in both matches and what they mean for the team in the years to come.

“Losing in the finals is something that is definitely heartbreaking, but the pain is a little lessened by the team’s performance in both the semifinals and final matches this weekend,” Perrine said. “Our team dethroned one of the biggest field hockey empires by knocking American out of the running for the League title, and that is a victory in its own way. In both games, the entire team left everything on the field and played for each other, so I think that there is little to regret as our season ended, other than the fact that the game wasn’t another 10 minutes longer.”

By Thomas Walter

Contributing Writer

After being ranked poorly in the preseason last year, the Bison proved all of their critics wrong, winning seven out of their last 11 games.

“I believe our momentum has carried over onto the court this year. Everyone is really motivated and excited to get games underway,” guard Shelby Romine ’14 said.“Last year we were ranked eighth in the preseason and no one was expecting us to do well. This year, however we are ranked fourth, and with the addition of six talented new freshmen, the bar is raised much higher.”

Entering her fifteenth season as head coach, Coach Kathy Fedorjaka believes Romine has great potential in the upcoming season.

“One of the key players to keep an eye on is obviously, Shelby Romine, sophomore guard who had a terrific year last season even as a freshmen. Shelby came in and made a huge impact a year ago and now is even more seasoned with a year of experience under her belt. She will continue to be a go-to for us on the offensive end of the floor, but she will also be looked to for more leadership and vocal direction on the court now as a sophomore,” she said.

As a first-year last year, Romine averaged 13.5 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game last season. She led the team in scoring by over six points per game.

Forward Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 also echoed Romine’s statements about the promise of this year’s first-years.

“We lost three impact players, but we have six new freshman on the team that are all very good. We are also returning eight players to the team this year,” Horbatuck said.

Fedorjaka was also excited about the new first-year recruits. “We do expect the freshmen class to make an impact. Rookie guard Amy Zehner should bring some excitement to Sojka this winter as she brings a strong offensive skill set to our team. Also, a trio of freshmen post players–Audrey Dotson, Micki Impellizeri, and Jen Heider–should add depth and firepower to our roster as well,” she said.

Katherine Harris ’15 and Tara Wilk ’15 are also expected to help the team achieve their ultimate goal of winning the Patriot Leage Championship.

Horbatuck explained that in addition to winning the Patriot League Championship, the Bison also hope to challenge themselves.

“The ultimate goal for this season is to win the Patriot League. Some other goals that we have this season are you win all of our games at home, which will be a challenge especially because we play a big school like Penn State at home this year. Another goal would be to host a first round game going into the Patriot League tournament like we did last year,” she said.

The Bison will kick off their season on Friday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. against St. Peter’s.