The Bucknellian

By Katherine Harris

Contributing Writer

The women’s swimming and diving team started off with a decisive win as against George Washington in the first scored meet of the season. The Bison hosted the Colonials at Kinney Natatorium on Saturday afternoon in a joint meet with the men’s team. The team’s impressive depth led to a win, 169-124. Both the Bison and the Colonials placed first in eight out of the 16 events, so the win came from strong second and third place finishes by Orange and Blue swimmers.

“We saw some good improvement in a number of areas compared to our first exhibition meet of the year against UMBC,” head coach Dan Schinnerer said.

First-years placed first in five out of eight events in their first official competition for the Bison. 

Leading the way were Katie Hetherington ’15 and Stephanie Koziol ’15. Hetherington won both diving events, after setting the school record for one-meter diving last weekend in the exhibition versus UMBC. Koziol also won two events, the 200 back and 200 IM.

“I was really happy with how I swam this weekend. My times were extremely close to my all-time best times, so I was a little surprised to see that I was going so fast so early in the season,” Koziol said. “At the beginning of the meet GW proved to be tough competition and I think that forced all of us to push ourselves even harder to make sure we swam as fast as we could.”

More young members of the team were forced to step up for the Orange and Blue as key players were missing. Emily Wright ’14 won the 50 free and 100 free, and Lauren Perry ’15 finished second in both of those, and also took the 200 free.

“The women especially were a bit short-handed due to some injuries and illnesses so it was nice for them to be able to come through and score a strong win.  Our first-years … have made strong impacts right away,” Schinnerer said.

The team’s next competition will come in two weeks as they face some tough Patriot League opponents in Army, Lafayette and American in Annapolis, Md.

By Andrew Lichtenauer

Writer

The men’s swimming and diving team started the season off strong in Kinney Natatorium over the weekend, defeating George Washington 168-89. The Bison had at least two of the top three finishers in 11 of the events contested and swept the top three spots in the 500 free and 100 fly.

Mike Nicholson ’14 led the Orange and Blue with wins in the 200 butterfly, 100 butterfly and 1,000 freestyle. With his win in the 1,000 freestyle (9:40.35), Nicholson moved up to fifth in University program history for the event. In his three victories, Nicholson beat his opponents by a combined time of 14.83 seconds.

“My success this past weekend came from the great training we’ve been doing since the beginning of the year. Every guy on our team gives their all at every practice, lift and dry land. The attitude we have in our locker room is contagious; we have big goals for this year and everyone is 100 percent focused on doing his part,” Nicholson said. “We want to make a name for ourselves as a program and we have the guys to do it.”

Thomas Brown ’12,  Matthew Segar ’12, Eric Sokolosky ’12 and Christian Treat ’13 also contributed to the team’s success against George Washington, winning two individual events apiece.

Eric Sokolosky won the 50 freestyle (20.95), 100 freestyle (46.23) and 200-medley relay (1:34.39).

“The team as a whole is working harder than I’ve ever seen them work before,” Sokolosky said. “We’ve been employing some new techniques and equipment both in the pool and weight room that have really proven effective. With such strong performances from everyone so early in the season, one can’t argue with the results.”

Ben Seketa ’15 had the fastest time in the 200 IM (1:54.99). 

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, the team is confident about its prospects.

“This year’s men’s team is likely one of the fastest and deepest team in Bucknell’s history. We must realize just how strong we are and that there’s so much we can accomplish this season,” Nicholson said. 

The Bison will return to the pool in two weeks when they face Patriot League rivals American, Lafayette and Navy in Annapolis, Md.

By Alex Wagner

Contributing Writer

The men’s golf team placed seventh out of eight teams this week at the two-day Lehigh Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa.

Individually, Dan Bernard ’13 led the Bison by shooting only seven strokes over par for both days, earning him a tie with four others for ninth place individually. He shot 75 on Saturday and 76 on Sunday for a 151 overall.

“Dan Bernard did an exceptional job of hanging in after a tough start,” coach Jim Cotner said. “He was four over par after three holes and played the last 15 holes in even par. He was the only one able to post a score that we expect from our players.”

Schuyler Stitzer ’14 and Jon Hartman ’13 were the next two finishers for the Orange and the Blue, both tying in a group of seven for 24th place.  Hartman had a strong finish on Saturday, finishing with an even par of 72, but his 83 strokes on Sunday evened him out with the crowd.  Stitzer was more consistent over the weekend, shooting a 79 and a 76.

“The golf course played very long (6900 yards) and was very wet. The first day I thought we did a pretty good job of handling the course and weather conditions,” Cotner said.  “Day two was a different story. We just did not get the consistency needed to compete. ”

Will Bachman ’12 put in another consistent outing for the Bison, shooting an 80 and a 78 to earn 34th place.  He was followed by J.J. Szmadzinski ’13, who shot 77 and 84, putting him in 38th place.

The conclusion of the Lehigh Invitational marks the end of the men’s golf team’s fall season.

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

Following an overtime win against Towson, the women’s field hockey team defeated American at home 3-1 last Saturday to raise its league record to 2-2. Three days later, the women lost to No. 8 Penn State; their overall record dropped to 6-10 on the year heading into the last two games of the regular season.

The Bison were on the defensive early as American had 13 shot attempts in the first period, but Orange and Blue midfielder Kelly Stefanowicz ’13 scored the first goal of the game off a penalty corner by fellow midfielder Kelsey Mucelli ’15 and an assist by forward Rachel Misko ’14. Four minutes later, the Eagles evened the score with a penalty corner goal. The squads were tied going into halftime. The Bison quickly regained the lead as forward Katie Durkin ’13 scored an unassisted goal off a rebound. Although the Eagles outshot the Bison 11-6 in the period, goalie Erica Perrine ’14 countered with 11 saves for the game. Durkin ended any hope of an Eagle comeback, scoring in the 64th minute with an assist from Misko.

“At the end of the day, they came to play and we came to win. Our team worked together flawlessly. Everyone on our team had each other’s backs and there was a great deal of trust and desire to win the game,” Perrine said. “All it takes is a couple of opportunities and we were able to capitalize when they could not.”

On Tuesday, the Nittany Lions scored the first goal 13 minutes into the game. They outshot the Bison 13-4 in the first period but were held to one goal as Perrine had seven saves in the first half. Penn State reeled off 11 more in the second period and scored two more unassisted goals. Misko scored in the 64th minute, but it was not enough to secure the win.

“I think the last two games have been confidence boosters for us,” head coach Jeremy Cook said. “Penn State is ranked eighth for a reason and we missed some opportunities. The team was disappointed in the outcome, but I think that comes from our own increased expectations that we can be competitive with great teams so it is a big positive for us. I think we all feel as if we are hitting our stride right now, and are very excited for our must-win game this Saturday up at Colgate.”

The Orange and Blue close out the regular season this weekend at Colgate on Saturday and play No. 5 Syracuse on Sunday.

By Scott Padula

Writer

The men’s water polo team traveled west this past weekend to face four ranked opponents in the Santa Clara Rodeo. The Orange and Blue kicked off the tournament on Saturday, Oct. 22 with losses to No. 3 Stanford and No. 12 UC Davis and then wrapped up the tournament with losses to No. 15 Santa Clara and No. 6 Pepperdine. The Orange and Blue now stand at 10-8 heading into the postseason.

In the first game of the tournament, the Bison fell to Stanford 15-1. The previously ranked No. 1 Cardinals played strong on the defensive end, allowing co-captain Spencer Richley ’12 to tally the lone Bison goal. A bright spot for the Orange and Blue was in goal, where Matt Napleton ’13 and Keegan Williams ’15 together recorded 11 saves.

Shortly after the loss to Stanford, the Bison squared off with UC Davis. The Orange and Blue jumped on the Aggies early, taking a three-goal advantage into the final quarter. The Bison could not contain UC Davis in the fourth, and the Aggies won 12-11.

Sunday morning, the Orange and Blue faced host Santa Clara. The Bison trailed 7-3 at the intermission and never recovered. The Orange and Blue eventually fell 13-6. Co-captain Beau Caillouette ’12 led the charge with a pair of goals and ejections drawn in the loss. Daniel Schwartz ’12, Jack Else ’14, Alex Nowlin ’14 and Mike Kimble ’14 all scored one goal apiece.

In the Bison’s final game of the season, the Orange and Blue played Pepperdine, losing 16-7. The Bison held the game even at 2-2 after the first quarter, thanks to a pair of goals from Kimble. The Orange and Blue could not keep up with the Pepperdine offense in the second; they were outscored 7-1.  Kimble was the only Bison to record multiple goals.

The Bison will have a week off before they head to Princeton to compete in the Southern Championships Nov. 4-6.

By Andrew Arnao

Writer

The women’s soccer team won two crucial home games against Patriot League rivals Lehigh and Lafayette last weekend. Midfielder Evelyn Nicinski ’15 scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Lehigh, while forward Megan DeGennaro ’12 scored the golden goal in overtime to beat Lafayette 2-1. 

On Friday, Nicinski scored her goal 14 minutes into the game against defending Patriot League champion Lehigh, shooting on goal from the box after a nice pass from DeGennaro. That turned out to be all the Bison would get, though they kept up the pressure and outshot Lehigh 19-13. Keeper Sandita McDermott ’13 made several brilliant saves, compiling eight total for the game.

“We are really starting to come together as a powerful team,” Cassie Denger ’15 said. “Our combinations in the attacking third are on for us right now and our defense is a brick wall. We are finding the open player and getting them the ball while our whole team gets into the attack.”

Against Lafayette on Sunday, the offense shifted back and forth between the Bison and the Leopards. Lafayette eventually got on the board first with a goal 24 minutes in, but that was all they would get as McDermott recorded nine saves. The Bison equalized the score 20 seconds into the second half on a shot by Kayla Yee ’13, with the assist going to Courtney Nelson ’15.

From that point on, the Bison offense had control, outshooting Lafayette 10-2 during the second half. The Bison were unable to go ahead, and the game went into sudden-death overtime. Lafayette had a chance for a goal several minutes in but missed on a header. The Orange and the Blue immediately retaliated, with Tara Cort ’12 passing the ball to DeGennaro for the breakaway. DeGennaro managed to slip the ball past the Lafayette goalie for the game-winner.

“We had a really slow start in league,” DeGennaro said, “but we are all so proud of each other for pulling through this weekend against Lehigh and Lafayette when it was absolutely necessary.”

With the two victories, the Bison, now 3-3-0 in the Patriot League have revived their chances of making the Patriot League tournament. The Orange and the Blue play Navy tomorrow at noon in a vital home game, which also happens to be Senior Day, and will need a win to assure their chances of qualifying.

“We are playing the best soccer I have seen us play this year and we all believe that we can make it to the tournament,” Yee said. “Navy [this] weekend is another must win but having it in our hands to make the tournament is a great opportunity.”

By Eric Brod

Senior Writer

The Orange and Blue head into the final stretch of the regular season at 7-7-2 after playing a tough Penn State squad to a 0-0 draw at home Wednesday night and losing to Patriot League rival Army 2-1 last Saturday in West Point, NY.

On Wednesday night at Emmitt Field, the Bison had numerous scoring opportunities but were unable to find the back of the net as they played the Nittany Lions to a scoreless draw. Marc Hartmann ’12, making his third start of the season in net, made all four of his saves in the second half and overtime to preserve the scoreless tie. Josh Plump ’13 had numerous scoring chances throughout the game, while CK Kumah ’13 had a stellar chance at the end of the second half when he sent a strike in but was stopped on the near post.

With 24 minutes left in regulation, Andrew Powell ’12 just missed on a shot to the left post. A Penn State goal was waved off due to an off-sides penalty just 90 seconds into the overtime session. After that, neither team was able to generate much offense, but Hartmann made some saves to help preserve the tie.

On Saturday, the Bison fell to Army 2-1 in a tightly contested battle as the Orange and Blue fell to 2-3 in league play. After falling behind 1-0 early in the first half, the team rallied to tie the game in the 54th minute when Plump scored his third goal of the season off a beautiful crossing pass from Brendan Burgdorf ’13.

In the 73rd minute, Army’s Arnold Chun netted what eventually proved to be the game-winner. Despite outshooting Army 19-11, the Bison were unable to extend their league winning streak to three games. Tommy Caso ’12 played another solid game in goal, making two saves. After the game, head coach Brendan Nash stressed the importance of retaining a positive attitude.

“The biggest things are to just keep working hard and believe we can still reach our goals,” Nash said. “We have one of the best teams in the PL and the whole league realizes this is the case.”

The Orange and Blue return to action tomorrow when they travel to upstate New York to take on Colgate in a crucial Patriot League match. The Bison must at least tie to have a chance at making the Patriot League tournament. Nash believes this is possible.

“If our student-athletes keep doing what we have been doing, the unlucky bounces will start going our way,” Nash said. “We are very close to where we need to be, but we have to work a little harder and focus a little more to reach that next level. When we do this, everything else will fall into place.”

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

For the third consecutive week, the Bison football team, falling to the Holy Cross Crusaders 16-13, lost on Saturday. The game was also the team’s Senior Day and final home contest of the 2011 season. Despite forcing multiple turnovers and holding the Crusaders to negative yards rushing, the Orange and Blue dropped back to .500 on the season after starting 4-1 and now sit in fourth place in the Patriot League.

Struggling on the offensive side of the ball, the Bison had to rely on a stout, opportunistic defense to keep them in the game.

Now second in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in forced turnovers, the Orange and Blue intercepted three passes from Holy Cross quarterback Ryan Taggart, the country’s second-best passer. The Crusaders rounded out their sloppy six-turnover game with three lost fumbles.

Leading the way was Bryce Robertson ’12 with two interceptions, bringing his season total to eight. Beau Traber ’13 also made his impact on the stat sheet, recording a career-high 10 tackles along with two crucial sacks. Overall, the Bison would sack Taggert six times in the game.

“Our focus defensively was to work to impact the effectiveness of their QB,” Head Coach Joe Susan said. “We played aggressively throughout. We did drop one interception in the end zone and it would have kept them from scoring a touchdown on that drive, which they ultimately scored. But, overall, when you force a team to turn the ball six times, we feel we have improved defensively.”

The historic defensive performance was not enough to outweigh a difficult day on the opposite side of the ball. After an outstanding start to the year, quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14 continued a tough stretch against Holy Cross, completing just seven passes in 27 attempts for 77 yards. On the ground, Wesley mustered just 21 yards rushing and was sacked six times.

“We know that we cannot pound the ball versus the way other teams defend us by personnel groups and formations,” Susan said. “We felt that we needed to take some shots down the field. We had opportunities in which we got behind their secondary and could not cash in. We also were given field position chances that we had to settle for two field goals instead of scoring touchdowns. We need to score touchdowns. We will continue to work our personnel to find the right mix on the field.”

The Orange and Blue were able to get a good portion of their offense from the rushing game, thanks to running back Tyler Smith ’13. His score early in the third quarter, the lone touchdown in the game for the Bison, tied the game at 13.

Kicker Drew Orth ’12 added two more field goals and one extra point to his already-impressive 2011 campaign. Orth leads the Orange and Blue in points scored with 34 and is a perfect 10 for 10 in extra points. On field goals, Orth has missed just one in nine attempts and has made three from longer than 40 yards out.

The Bison begin a tough three-game road stretch to end their season this weekend at Lafayette. After falling to the Leopards last season 33-22, the Orange and Blue will look to avenge last year’s loss and snap their three-game losing streak in the process.