Categories
Sports Volleyball Women

Volleyball drops two

 

Conor Pierson | The Bucknellian
Claire Healy ’16 serves the ball. The Bison dropped their last two games.

Katherine Harris

Writer

The women’s volleyball team played strong but fell short of victory in its last matches of the season against Navy and American.

“I think as a whole we came out flat both nights, and sadly there was no energy or will to win. It was a disappointing end to the season, but it just was not our year,” Morgan Mientus ’14 said. “My individual performance was a letdown, and it was clear that both Navy and American planned to shut me down. I wish we could have won both games since it was our last weekend, but both teams were certainly more hungry for the wins and definitely deserved them.”

The Bison traveled to Annapolis, Md. on Nov. 9 to take on a Navy team fighting for a place in the postseason. The Orange and Blue lost the first set, but quickly battled back to go up 2-1 on the day. The comeback effort was not enough against Navy’s powerful offense, which fought back to eventually win 3-2.

Kat Tauscher ’13 finished with an impressive 28 assists and was backed up by Meghan Wentzel ’16 who recorded 20. Mientus and Kristen Titley ’14 both posted double-doubles, as Mientus had 14 kills and 11 digs, while Titley had 10 kills and 10 digs on the day. Leylin Marroquin ’14 also chipped in with 25 digs on defense, and Karen Campbell ’16 added two blocks.

“I was really happy with how we played Friday, we came out kind of slow but we really picked it up and gave Navy a tough match,” Titley said.

The Orange and Blue then traveled to American the next day for their last game of the season. It turned out to be a tough match, ending in a 3-0 loss for the Bison. Tauscher and Kebah Edoho ’13 both performed strongly in their last match for the Orange and Blue. Tauscher recorded a double-double with her 12 assists and 10 digs, while Edoho contributed five kills and three blocks. Campbell and Hannah Young ’14 also backed up Edoho with three blocks each, and Marroquin continued her strong weekend with 10 digs for the Bison.

“Saturday we started out slow again, but in the third set we really rallied and I was proud of the team for getting it together to give the seniors a good ending to their four years,” Titley said. “For me personally, I just really wanted to go out and give it my all and leave everything I had on the court since it was our last weekend of the season.”

Categories
Basketball Men Sports

Men win two opening games

Wilson Hunt | The Bucknellian
Bryson Johnson ’13 drives to the hoop. His 16 points helped the Bison knock off George Mason on Tuesday night.

Andrew Arnao
Senior Writer

With high expectations for another run at the Patriot League Championship, the men’s basketball team got off to a good start with two gritty wins, a 70-65 stunner at Purdue on Nov. 9 and a 61-56 victory in their Nov. 13 home opener against George Mason. The two wins gave the Bison their first 2-0 start since the 2007-08 season.

“The Purdue game was a very good win for the team in front of a very hostile crowd,” Cameron Ayers ’14 said. “It was great walking off the floor knowing the hard work so far has paid off. The game was beneficial for us because we closed the game out and made the right plays at the right time.”

The Bison starting five against Purdue consisted of forwards Mike Muscala ’13 and Joe Willman ’13, along with guards Bryson Johnson ’13, Ryan Hill ’14 and Ayers. The Bison quickly went ahead 4-1 on a couple of jumpers by Hill and Muscala, but Purdue fought back and assumed the lead after three minutes of play. Purdue held the lead for the rest of the half, but could not gain more than a seven point advantage over the Bison, who went into halftime trailing 33-27.

After trading points early in the second half, the Bison went on a 10-2 tear to assume a 41-37 lead, thanks to jumpers from Willman and Ayers, a couple of free throws by Ayers after being fouled on his shots and an emphatic dunk by Muscala. From there, the game became a wild back and forth affair, with the lead changing six times over the next 10 minutes.

The turning point came on a great block by Willman with the Bison down 57-56 with 4:41 remaining, and a subsequent Purdue foul allowed Willman to sink two free throws to give the Bison the lead for good. Johnson scored seven more points to help keep the Bison ahead, and Willman put the game out of reach with two free throws to give the Bison a 70-65 lead with one second remaining.

Ayers ended the game with a game-high 18 points, and Muscala also recorded his 25th career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The win also marked the first Bison victory against an active Big Ten opponent, and ended Purdue’s streak of 26 home-game victories against non-conference opponents.

“We came out a little slow to start the game but picked up our defense, especially in the second half, and had great offensive contributions around the board,” Muscala said. “I thought our guards did a really good job of being aggressive.”

The atmosphere was electric at the Sojka Pavilion for the home opener against George Mason, and the Bison did not fail to deliver. The Orange and the Blue jumped out to a 7-0 lead thanks to scores from Muscala and Johnson, and did not relinquish the lead for the entire game. The Bison were up by multiple possessions for most of the first half and went into the locker room with a 31-27 advantage.

The Bison managed to widen their lead to double digits for most of the second half. The George Mason defense prevented several opportunities for field goals, but also gave the Bison many free throw chances on fouls, including 10 straight points on free throws in the second half. However, a 56-44 lead with four minutes to go almost evaporated with eight straight points by George Mason, and the Bison were suddenly looking at a slim 59-56 lead with 1:17 to go. After failing to score on their possession, the Bison defense held on to prevent George Mason from any further scores, and two Muscala free throws clinched the game for the Orange and the Blue with eight seconds to go.

Muscala recorded another double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Johnson also scored 16 points for the Bison. Johnson and Ayers combined to make seven three-pointers.

The Bison look to build upon their winning streak this weekend when they head to Niagara Falls, N.Y. to face Niagara, New Mexico State and West Alabama.

Categories
Cross Country Men Sports

Men’s XC finished thirteenth

Billy Tyler
Contributing Writer

The men’s cross country team capped off its season with a solid performance at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships hosted by Penn State on Nov. 9. Working through the loss of several key team members due to injury, the Bison finished the event in 13th place out of the 25 team field.

The Bison were once again led by John Dugan ’15, who has consistently been one of the team’s top performers throughout the season. Dugan finished the 10-kilometer race in a time of 30:57, placing him first on the team and 20th overall. This solid performance earned Dugan All-Region honors. Andrew Garcia-Garrison ’15 was the second Bison to cross the finish line, with a time of 31:31 and a 47th place finish.

“[Dugan] ran great all season and really led the team in every workout, and that really showed and paid off with his all-region selection,” Garcia-Garrison said. “It was my first 10k, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was happy with my time and place.”

In addition to Dugan and Garcia-Garrison, several other members of the Bison ran strong races at regionals. Finishing closely behind Garcia-Garrison, in third place for the team, was Charles Seigneur ’13, who posted his best performance ever in his final race in his collegiate career with a time of 32:09 and a position of 63rd place.

“Having my last and also best ever race at the NCAA Regionals was a great way to top off what has been a successful breakout senior season,” Seigneur said.

Also scoring for the Bison were David Strauss ’14, who finished in 98th place with a time of 32:47, and Eric Balaban ’14, who finished in 101st place with a time of 32:54.

Georgetown won the event with an overall score of 56, besting second-place Villanova by just one point. The top individual finisher was Travis Mahoney of Temple, who finished with a time of 30:23.85.

Overall, the runners and head coach Kevin Donner were pleased by the team’s performance at the NCAA Regionals and in the season in general. The young team also has high hopes for the future and is optimistic about the team’s chances in upcoming seasons.

Categories
Cross Country Sports Women

Women’s XC finishes twelfth

Lauren Boone

Contributing Writer

On Nov. 9, the women’s cross country team traveled to Penn State to compete in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships to close out its season, where they finished 12th out of 31 teams. The Bison were led by a respectable performance from Caroline Tolli ’13.

Leading the Orange and Blue in the six-kilometer course, Tolli crossed the finish line with a time of 22:06, claiming a 54th place finish. Following close behind her was Katie Jessee ’15, who placed in 58th with a time of 22:10. Deanna Godby ’16 was next for the Bison, finishing in 73rd with a time of 22:20.

Despite a knee injury early in the season, Hana Casalnova ’14 recovered strong and became a scoring member of the team, finishing 86th (20:43). The fifth place finisher for the Bison was Meghan Carroll ’16 (22:55) in 99th place, followed by teammates Alison Billas ’16 (122nd; 23:15) and Betsy Edinger ’15 (129th; 23:19).

“It’s impressive we did so well with such a young team,” Edinger said.  “[The freshman] really stepped up when they needed to. [Tolli], our one senior, has been our top finisher all season … she had an amazing season and was an inspiration to us all. I think that because we’re young we’re only going to get better … right now we’re just starting. I’m really proud of my team.”

In the overall team standings, the Bison ended up in about the middle of the pack with 368 points. Penn State claimed first in the region with a score of 61. Nicky Akande of Villanova was the top individual finisher with a time of 20:14.

The Orange and Blue have now completed their schedule for the fall season.

Categories
Men Soccer Sports

Men’s soccer concludes season

Chris McCree

Sports Editor

The men’s soccer team concluded its 2012 season with a 1-0 loss to American in the Patriot League semifinal game on Nov. 9. Despite playing the top-seeded Eagles even for most of the game, the Orange and Blue could not come back from a 13th minute goal that found the back of the net after deflecting off the crossbar.

“One of the biggest things to take away from this season would definitely be confidence,” Chris Thorsheim ’16 said. “Our record does not truly represent how we dominated most teams this season.”

From the beginning of the game, American came out looking like the stronger team and managed to control the tempo of the game for much of the first half. The Eagles reeled off eight shots in the half to the Bison’s three, forcing goalie Mike Lansing ’16 to make three saves. The Orange and Blue’s best attempt in the half came off of Jesse Klug ’16, but his volley sailed just wide of the goal.

In the second half, the Bison came out charging, outshooting their opponent 7-2. Not having a single shot on target in the first half, the Orange and Blue made the Eagles’ goalie make two saves in the second. Still, the Eagles’ defense stood strong and the Bison couldn’t manage to find the equalizer they desperately needed.

“Our biggest problem against American was our ability to bring numbers forward,” Thorsheim said. “Once the forwards had the ball, the outside midfielders and center midfielders needed to join in the attack. We were simply not dangerous enough because of this.”

With less than 20 seconds remaining in the contest, the Bison had one last chance to force overtime when Josh Plump ’13 drew a free kick just outside the box. With the season in the ballots, CK Kumah ’13 sent a good-looking strike over the American wall, but the ball skimmed just over the bar.

With the loss, the Bison wrapped up their season with a 7-8-5 record overall. Despite the losses, the Orange and Blue played every team close this year and did not fall to any opponent by more than a single goal.

“If winning against the teams that beat us this year is not motivation to succeed, I don’t know what is,” Thorsheim said. “The feeling of tying or losing after dominating a team is terrible. That’s the feeling we need to remember next season and fuel us with the desire to win.”

Looking ahead to next season, the Bison will be without their six seniors: Brendan Burgdorf ’13, Vinny Cinotti ’13, Collin Costello ’13, Jermaine Jarrett ’13, Kumah and Plump. The team has a solid group of underclassmen that received considerable playing time throughout the season. With an offseason to train, the Orange and Blue will return to action next fall, trying to improve on their results from this season.

 

Categories
Men Sports Water Polo

Men’s water polo captures first-ever Southern Championships Title

Scott Padula
Staff Writer

Two weeks removed from the Santa Clara Rodeo, the men’s water polo team hosted the Southern Championships last weekend. The Orange and Blue defended their home pool in historic fashion, defeating George Washington, Washington & Jefferson, Navy and Mercyhurst to capture its first-ever Southern Championships Title. The title marked the first conference title for the Bison since 1985. Additionally, the four wins from Nov. 2-4 calculated a 9-1 record at the Kinney Natatorium.

The Bison started the tournament by defeating George Washington 13-12 in a second sudden death overtime period. The Orange and Blue got out to a fast start, taking a 4-2 lead after the first quarter. George Washington responded by scoring two goals in the second while holding the Bison scoreless. In the third, the Orange and Blue regained the lead by scoring four goals to the Colonials’ three. Trailing throughout the fourth, the Colonials responded by tying the game with 21 seconds left in regulation. George Washington struck first in overtime with what would be their final goal of the game. The Bison pushed the game to sudden death overtime by scoring on their first possession of the second overtime period. After a scoreless first sudden death overtime period, co-captain Brian Barron ’13 found the back of the net in the second sudden death overtime period. Co-captains Barron and Matt Napleton ’13 demonstrated their leadership in the victory. Barron scored on three occasions, tallied five assists and won all eight sprints while Napleton registered 20 saves. Other strong performances came from Jack Else ’14, Mike Kimble ’14 and Stefan Aleksic ’16 who all had multi-goal games with four goals, two goals and two goals, respectively. Else and Kimble also combined for an impressive 11 ejections drawn in the first Bison win of the weekend.

To start their games on Nov. 3, the Bison defeated Washington & Jefferson 18-8. The Orange and Blue scored early and often, finding the back of the net seven times in the first quarter while preventing the opposition from scoring. The second quarter was more of the same for the Bison, as they outscored their opponent 5-1. With a comfortable 11 goal margin, the Orange and Blue coasted to a 18-8 victory in the second half. Impressively, 15 different Bison tallied a point in the decisive victory, while the team as a whole registered 16 assists on 29 shots. Andrew Somers ’14 and Andrew Roberts ’16 led the way for the Orange and Blue with four points each.

In the team’s third game of the weekend, the Orange and Blue won a nail-biter against No. 14 Navy 13-11. The Bison jumped out to an early lead, thanks in part to a first quarter in which the Orange and Blue outscored the Midshipmen 5-3. In response, Navy held the Bison scoreless in the second while tallying three goals of their own. At the half, the score was 6-5 in favor of the Midshipmen. The Orange and Blue answered in the third, retaking the lead 10-9 by outscoring Navy 5-3. Despite Navy’s best efforts, the Bison proved to be too much to handle in the fourth, scoring three goals to the Midshipmen’s two. Yet again, the most notable Bison performance came from Barron. In the highly contested affair, Barron found the back of the net six times, tallied three assists and won two sprints. Napleton was also strong for the Orange and Blue in the net. In 32 minutes of play, Napleton recorded 14 saves. Else also earned six ejections drawn.

Riding a wave of momentum, the Bison defeated Mercyhurst 9-4 in the championship game. The Orange and Blue jumped out of the gates in the first quarter, scoring three goals without allowing a single Mercyhurst goal. Although the Lakers cut the lead to two by the intermission, the winner of the contest was never in question. In the second half. the Bison outscored the Lakers 5-2. In doing so, the Orange and Blue captured their first Southern Championships Title. For the third time in four games, Barron led the charge with seven points coming from two goals and five assists. Aleksic and Julian Colina ’14 also had multi-goal performances with two goals apiece. In between the pipes, Napleton recorded 14 saves and one steal.

The Orange and Blue will conclude their season this weekend when they compete in the Eastern Championship in Princeton, N.J. The first opponent the Bison are slated to play is Harvard, a squad the Orange and Blue defeated twice during the season. The action will begin Nov. 16.

 

Categories
Basketball Men Sports

Men’s basketball ready for a challenge

Alex Wagner
Sports Editor

The Bison men’s basketball will return for the 2012-2013 season with a vengeance.  After falling in a heartbreaker to Lehigh in the last year’s Patriot League final, the Orange and Blue will look to reassert their dominance amongst their rivals.  The team was picked second in the Patriot League Preseason Poll.

The Bison will have their home opener against a very strong George Mason squad on November 13.  At least three games throughout the season will be featured on CBS Sports Network, including both games against rival Lehigh.  In addition, three of the Bison’s first four Patriot League matchups will be at home, with Lehigh being the only Patriot League team to defeat the Orange and Blue in tournament play in the last two years.  Other notable fixtures include in-state rival Penn State and SEC newcomer Missouri.

Many familiar faces will be returning this year for the Bison.  Most notable is center Mike Muscala ’13, who was named to the CollegeInsider.com Preseason All-America Team and the Preseason All-League team, which features only five players from the entire Patriot League.  Guard Cameron Ayers ’14, who was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection last year, was also a Preseason All-PL selection.  Other key contributors to watch out for will be guard Bryson Johnson ’13 and forward Joe Willman ’13.

The journey begins on November 13 when the Bison travel to West Lafayette, Indiana to take on Purdue in the 2K Sports Classic.

Categories
Campus Events News

Ghost hunter spooks campus

Christina Oddo
Arts & Life Editor

On Nov. 6, Rich Robbins, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, spoke of the supernatural, the evidence supporting and dismissing the existence of ghosts and the presence of other related phenomena. He also spoke of ghost hunting. His annual talk, “Ghosts and Hauntings: Decide for Yourself” had been rescheduled due to Hurricane Sandy.

Robbins attended the University of Nevada, Reno, and holds a master’s degree in experimental psychology, as well as a doctorate degree in social psychology. Robbins has had more than 80 professional presentations at academic conferences, and has been published on several occasions.

Robbins is also a certified parapsychologist, has participated in many ghost hunts and has been interviewed by the media regarding his work with supernatural phenomena. 

Categories
Arts & Life

Taking A Stroll Through Lewisburg

Molly Ford
Writer

Nov. 2 and 3 marked the 14th annual Stroll Through the Arts Weekend. Thanks to the Lewisburg Arts Council, visual and performing arts were on display in Downtown Lewisburg. Nov. 2’s festivities included displays from artists from all over the central Susquehanna Valley region. A Silent Art Auction, featuring judged pieces from the Spring Arts Festival, was a highlight of the night. While visual art lined the streets on Nov. 2, music was the focus on Nov. 3. From 7 p.m. to midnight, bands played in four local venues. All venues in this Dance to the Music Event were free and open to the public. Events such as this promote local artists and musicians and bring a vibrant big city feel to our town.

Categories
Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Katie Mancino | The Bucknellian

Katie Mancino
Writer

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

54 calories, 1g fat, 8 carbs, 1g protein

I was making a recipe for mint chocolate chip cookies when I realized how easy it would be to make the recipe vegan–I just had to swap out the egg. These were the result and they are some of my favorite cookies of any kind, let alone vegan recipes! I like using mini chocolate chips so that the chocolate gets more spread out throughout the batter, Enjoy Life Brand Mini Chips is a great vegan brand for these. If you’re not vegan but want to try this recipe, just use regular chocolate chips, it won’t change the nutrition.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup Truvia Baking Blend
  • 1/4 cup Silk Light Soymilk
  • 1.25 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. Beat peanut butter, soymilk, vanilla and Truvia together.
  3. Mix in remaining dry ingredients and chocolate chips.
  4. Spray pan with a nonstick spray, divide batter into 24 cookies (use two trays;  each cookie is about two heaping tablespoons of batter)
  5. Bake for 9-10 minutes.