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(12/01/14 10:08pm)
By Candace Kellner
Staff Writer
West Virginia University officials have suspended all Greek activities on campus after the death of a freshman who was found unconscious at a fraternity house. Nolan Burch, 18, of Williamsville, New York, was found unconscious at a Kappa Sigma fraternity house in Morgantown, West Virginia. According to officials, he died two days later in the hospital.
The university and Morgantown police are investigating what had happened the night paramedics rushed to the fraternity “where a catastrophic medical emergency was in progress,” according to a WVU statement. The university has not provided details about the circumstances of Burch’s death, and Morgantown Police
Department declined to comment on the issue, according to CNN.
A joint statement made by West Virginia University, the Inter-Fraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council stated that all Greek activities at the university, including “all chapter social and pledging activities,” have been suspended “until further notice.”
Corey Farris, dean of students at the college, told CNN that Burch’s death came a week after a “disturbance” involving a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. The police are also investigating this incident, he said.
The Sigma Chi chapter was suspended by its national chapter and the university prior to Burch’s death after 19 fraternity pledges were abandoned in a residential neighborhood and ordered to find their way home, according to CNN.
The suspension on Greek activities will remain in effect until at least the end of this semester. Farris told CNN that the university is taking the time to reexamine its Greek organizations.
“Is this just a couple of bad apples?” Farris said. “We don’t know. We are taking a pause to examine if there’s some sort of pattern on campus.”
The national chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity reported that it was also investigating Burch’s death.
“This proves difficult, as the operations of this chapter have been suspended since mid-October, due to previous, unrelated violations of Kappa Sigma’s Code of Conduct,” the fraternity said in a statement.
Subsequently, the chapter and school were notified on Monday, Nov. 10, prior to the event in question, that the group’s charter had been withdrawn and its operations had been closed. Kappa Sigma declined to further comment on the ongoing investigation.
Farris told CNN that Kappa Sigma’s national office had informed the university that it pulled the fraternity’s charter.
“No reason was given, but we were told they’d follow up with an official letter,” he said.
Although WVU has not received the official letter, it has decided to suspend the fraternity until 2019.
(11/04/14 2:32am)
By Roman Orsini
Staff Writer
Last week, the average price for a gallon of gas dipped to $3.08, the lowest national average since late 2010, according to TIME. Prices have been steadily declining since July and have begun to drop more significantly this month.
The price of a gallon of gas has several components. According to the Energy Information Administration, 68 percent of the price is based on the cost of crude oil, 13 percent for the price of refining the oil, 12 percent for taxes and 7 percent for distribution costs of the gas station itself.
Lower prices for crude oil are driving the price reduction, as all other price components have largely remained static. The price for a barrel of crude oil has dropped 29 percent since July, from over $110 per barrel to roughly $85, according to Bloomberg.
The United States has experienced a boom in energy production in recent years. In 2010, the U.S. was producing 3.5 million barrels of oil per day — today, production has risen to 8.5 million barrels per day, according to The Economist.
Technologies like horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, are responsible for increasing oil production. Fracking involves the pumping of pressurized water, sand and chemicals into shale rock. By undergoing the fracking process, the producers are able to expose previously unreachable sources of oil.
However, fracking has been mired in controversy because of its potential for environmental degradation. Concern has been raised that the chemicals used in fracking may contaminate underground aquifers, poisoning the groundwater. The intense internal pressures created by fracking also have the potential to trigger small earthquakes, according to USA Today. In spite of potential risks, energy producers are continuing fracking, partly allowing the lower gas prices America is experiencing.
Saudi Arabia, despite increasing its own production, is close to being replaced by the U.S. as the world’s top oil producer, according to the CIA. The country seems willing to accept the reduced price of its oil, possibly for the sake of expanding its market share in a period of lower demand.
The International Energy Agency projects global oil demand to be 22 percent lower this year, causing crude prices to fall as well. A slowdown of economic growth in Europe and China are largely responsible for the decline.
U.S. oil consumption is also beginning to plateau. Goldman Sachs lowered its oil price forecast for next year because rising oil output would exceed America’s demand, according to Business Today.
(11/04/14 2:23am)
By Candace Kellner
Staff Writer
In Iguala, Mexico, investigators have found human remains at hidden graves sites and have arrested dozens of suspects they believe are involved in the disappearance of 43 Mexican college students.
Forensic experts came across 11 concealed graves that contained 38 bodies when they were searching for the missing students, according to CNN. While there has been no confirmation that these bodies belong to the missing students, they could very likely be tied to the case.
Protests are surging across the country as parents and loved ones grow increasingly frustrated with the case. The governor has taken a leave of absence, and Iguala’s former mayor and police chief, José Luis Abarca, has vanished, leading investigators to suspect Abarca, his wife and Iguala’s former police chief, Felipe Flores Velásquez.
Despite their findings, investigators are still unsure of the whereabouts of the students, who were studying to become schoolteachers at a rural college. Federal forces have arrested four more people suspected of involvement — two of whom are gang members who recall dealing with a “large group of people” around the time that the students went missing.
Mexican Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam told CNN that he is confident in the authorities findings.
“This brings us much closer to obtaining information,” Karam said. “With this, today we have the first declarations made by those who have confessed and participated on the night of Sept. 26 and in the early morning of the 27th in the disappearance and destination of this large group of people.”
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto met with the disgruntled parents of the missing students, who expressed concerns about the investigation. The parents stayed inside of the presidential residence for more than six hours and threatened to stay until Pena Nieto signed a document to satisfy everyone. In response, Pena Nieto announced in a televised conference that authorities are going to alter their search procedure.
“There will be a renewed search plan,” Pena Nieto said in the announcement.
Protesters are dissatisfied with the president’s response to their concerns, according to CNN. Rafael Lopez, father of one of the missing students, suggested that Mexico needs to get the U.S. involved.
“If they can’t do it, they should ask for help from the United States,” Lopez said.
Authorities have issued warrants for the arrests of Iguala’s mayor, his wife and Iguala’s former police chief, as well. Murillo said that they are the suspected organizers of the kidnapping and possible deaths of the students. At least 57 people have been arrested since the beginning of the case, but Abarca and his accomplices are still at large.
(10/22/14 10:16pm)
Roscoe West Hall – otherwise known as the Old Library – has been a staple of the College since it was added initially to Ewing back in the early 1930s. With the traditional Georgian colonial style exterior, Roscoe West was the first building to begin construction on campus, and the third one completed after Kendall Hall and Green Hall in 1932. While the Old Library has a rich history, its age has finally caught up to it.
“The building needs fairly extensive renovations, but that is not taking place right now,” said David Muha, vice president for Communications, Marketing and Brand Management. “We are trying to preserve the building the best that we can so that it doesn’t deteriorate until we get to the point where we can go ahead and renovate the building.”
At a hefty $2.4 million price tag, the College is referring to the construction as the “Mothballing Project.” Some of the bigger renovations taking place consist of replacing the old roof with new, synthetic slate, eliminating asbestos, fixing the bricks and windows and repairing the plumbing system.
“When you walk past the building and just look up at the building, you will notice that the paint is peeling, there’s damage to the gutters, so that is causing water to get into the building and that is causing deterioration,” Muha said. “We are taking the steps that are needed today because we do want to preserve and restore the building.”
According to Taras Pavlovsky, the dean of the Library, this renovation is long overdue.
“I am very happy they are spending the money because (Roscoe West) had slate roofs which have a lifespan of about 75 years, so from 1930 to 2014, we are well beyond that,” he said.
In fact, Pavlovsky has even witnessed first-hand why the renovation is so badly needed.
“I saw what happened when a piece of slate fell off the roof one time during some strong wind ... and it could have taken someone’s head off,” he said. “Now just from a general responsibility point of view, thank God the College fixed it, because somebody could have gotten seriously hurt.”
While Roscoe West has only been used for storage purposes since building the current library in 2005, there are still plans to have a complete renovation done within the next few years.
“You have a historic building right at the heart of the campus, and for a college that is as tight on space as we are, it will be valuable in terms of helping the College grow,” Muha said. “We are talking in the tens of millions of dollars to do any renovations, and right now, the focus of the college from a building standpoint is really the STEM project and the renovation of the Brower Student Center.”
In the meantime however, all that can be done is sit back and speculate what Roscoe West will become.
“It has some wonderful spaces, but personally I think it is a wonderful place for the president’s office,” Pavlovsky said. “It has high ceilings, obviously it would have to get reconfigured and have air conditioning put in, but it has some wonderful spaces there, and (when it’s finished, it is) going to have a visual impression on people.”
(10/21/14 1:19am)
By Candace Kellner
Correspondent
AP Photo
Construction workers check the damage after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in San Francisco.
On Oct. 17, 1989, Loma Prieta, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake, took the lives of 63 people in San Francisco. To this day, Oregon, as well as other West Coast states, are worrying whether they are prepared to face another megaquake.
Chief scientist and geologist at the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries Ian Madin told CNN that Oregon is highly susceptible to experiencing earthquakes because of its location on a huge fault line that separates two of the Earth’s tectonic plates. The fault line could one day produce a massive earthquake, causing immense destruction to the Northwest region of the U.S.
This large-scale earthquake, also known as a megaquake, would consist of a violent shake that lasts for several minutes. If the quake is powerful enough, it can lead to landslides, tsunamis and floods. According to Madin, Oregon’s mountainous terrain and position near the coast makes it highly susceptible to these additional disasters.
The Oregon Resilience Plan determined that a worse-case scenario would result in approximately 10,000 deaths and power outages that could last for several months to several years. The economic losses would amount to approximately $30 billion.
Based on its findings in the Oregon Resilience Plan, the Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission recommends that Oregon takes a statewide inventory of its critical buildings, launches a program of capital investment to renovate Oregon’s public structures, offers an incentive to encourage Oregon private sectors to advance seismic resilience and updates its public policies to increase preparedness.
Using scientific research on prehistoric earthquakes, scientists like Chris Goldfinger, a marine geologist and professor at Oregon State University, can predict the probability of another monstrous earthquake. According to Goldfinger, the south end of the fault line that Oregon sits on rattles on a 240-year quake cycle.
The collected data shows that these quakes have a magnitude between high sevens and low eights. Goldfinger told CNN that Oregon is currently “300 years into a 240-year cycle.” However, on the north end of the fault line, where the majority of Oregon’s population resides, there is an estimated 500-year cycle.
Although there is still plenty of time before the next earthquake, there is a considerable amount of work in store for Oregon. The institutions have been very cooperative in preparing their facilities. The Oregon Legislature is already preparing a task force to formulate specific recommendations for action in the 2015 state legislation.
(10/21/14 1:15am)
By Roman Orsini
Staff
AP Photo
Smoke rises following a strike in Kobani, Syria during fighting between Syrian Kurds and ISIS.
Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have undertaken an assault on the Syrian town of Kobani earlier this month, which lies along the Turkish border. The introduction of U.S. bombings have obstructed the militants’ progress and caused the Jihadist group heavy casualties, according to Pentagon officials.
Kobani is the latest city ISIS fighters have set in their sights. The militants control roughly a third of Iraq, including its second largest city, Mosul, according to Business Insider. The latest offensive into Syria reflects the expansionist aims of the Islamic State, which has risen to power amidst the chaos created by the Syrian civil war and the breakdown of Iraq between its Sunni, Shia and Kurdish populations.
“The enemy has made a decision to make Kobani his main effort,” said General Lloyd Austin of U.S. Central Command, responsible for Middle East operations.
Large numbers of ISIS fighters have descended upon the town and have “created a rather target-rich environment … for American and coalition air strikes,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.
ISIS continues to besiege the town in spite of ongoing airstrikes. Its advance seems to be stalled, but not reversed. Austin has said that despite airstrikes, “it’s highly possible that Kobani may fall.”
ISIS rose to international infamy this year for its brutal mass murders and conquests in Iraq and Syria. Roughly 5,500 Iraqis have been killed since ISIS started its military campaign, according to The New York Times. The group also filmed the beheadings of several American and European journalists, using the films in its social media campaign to recruit more fighters.
On Friday, Aug. 8, the U.S. began bombing ISIS targets in Iraq and expanded to Syria this month. According to the BBC, roughly 480 strikes have been conducted against ISIS, targeting armored vehicles, weapons stocks and military installations.
U.S. bombings helped local Iraqi and Kurdish forces recapture the strategic Mosul Dam from ISIS, which is the fourth largest dam in the Middle East, and a significant generator of electricity for Iraq’s North. In the western Anbar Province, Apache helicopters were used to attack ISIS formations at low altitudes, as bombers would have posed a greater risk to allied fighters on the ground.
(09/09/14 1:11am)
The United States launched a series of airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters on Sunday, Sept. 7.
According to the U.S. Central Command, the strikes destroyed five Humvees, one armed vehicle, a checkpoint and damaged a bunker.
In a statement by the Pentagon press secretary, John Kirby, the United States carried out the attacks at Iraq’s request. The airstrikes occurred near Haditha Dam, a hydroelectric facility on the Euphrates River.
Since ISIS’s rise to power, this terrorist organization has tried on numerous occasions to take over the Haditha Dam, the second largest dam in Iraq. Currently, the dam is being protected by Iraqi security forces and Sunni Arab tribes. According to CNN, if ISIS were to take control, they would have the ability to stop the flow of water to millions of citizens in western and southern Iraq.
“We conducted these strikes to prevent terrorists from further threatening the security of the dam, which remains under control of Iraqi security forces — with support from Sunni tribes,” Kirby said.
Anbar Province Deputy Governor Faleh al-Issawi told CNN that the area attacked was being used by ISIS to launch mortar and bomb Haditha. Iraq contacted the United States with the fear that if one of the attacks hit the dam, the entire region could be impacted by severe flooding.
“Potential loss of control of the dam or a catastrophic failure of the dam — and the flooding that might result — would have threatened U.S. personnel and facilities in and around Baghdad,” Kirby said.
Caitlin Hayden, the National Security Council spokeswoman, also stressed the importance of protecting the Haditha Dam. In a recent statement, she said that “destruction of the dam or release of water would create a level of flooding that would potentially pose a catastrophic threat to thousands of Iraqis.”
In the meantime, the United States will continue to provide aid to Iraqi security forces in order to stop ISIS. According to the Associated Press, since the air campaign began, the U.S. military has conducted 138 airstrikes altogether.
(04/29/14 11:42pm)
After outscoring its opponents 73-22 in the final four games, the 15-1 women’s lacrosse team finished the regular season ranked as the nation’s fourth best squad. And yet, despite that impressive feat, none of it truly matters if the women do not continue their intensity come playoff time.
Luckily for the Lions, however, there is a lot of familiarity with its first round opponent.
After soundly defeating a gritty Kean University team 18-8 Saturday, April 26, the women have just four days to prepare for a rematch in the first round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) tournament. Despite their previous success, the women cannot take their opponents lightly. In the playoffs, anything is possible.
“We want to improve even more and play at a higher level and hold ourselves to higher standards when we do play them again,” junior attacker Ava Fitzgerald said. “(It is also good for us) to be able to come back out and get a second chance against them to play even better and eliminate any mistakes that we might have had in the first match between us.”
In the first game against Kean, the women jumped to an early 4-0 lead. The Cougars were resilient, however, and stormed back by scoring five consecutive goals.
“I think we were reacting to a different type of attack that was being played against us, and we were adjusting our defense in order to combat that attack,” Fitzgerald said. “We are a team that responds really well, and we have a lot of character and composure. I think that we are able to rally together as a team and pick each other up, which is really important as well, and that definitely showed in the Kean game.”
After regrouping quickly, the women once again took command and headed into the second period on top with an 8-5 lead.
“When we met at halftime, we were really able to focus in on the little things that would make us better and that we would grow from, playing that team,” the team’s leading scorer said. “We were able to really narrow in on key elements that were causing us to lose possession or play a lot of defense, and we were able to strengthen those in particular. Everything else around that kind of fell into place once we were able to do that.”
There was no letting up in the second half as the women took advantage of turnovers and outscored their opponents 10-3. While every game is different, the Lions will look to replicate their second-half performance.
“It was a big learning experience for us, and I think it is fuel for us to (decrease) their amount of goals as well as increase our amount of goals and decrease our mistakes,” Fitzgerald said. “It is a key thing we look to do after every game, no matter what the score is and no matter how far we pull away from them. I think decreasing our unforced turnovers and our errors is a really big thing for us (because) we focus more on how to grow our game, rather than on our opponents.”
While the expectations are high for one of the nation’s top teams, Fitzgerald understands that they cannot get too carried away.
“We are a team that can go really far in the playoffs, which is something really exciting,” she said. “We need to come out (strong) right from the start. We need to really make sure that everybody is on the same page and that everyone brings their A-game.”
(04/22/14 4:00pm)
It is not how a team starts that defines it, it is how they finish. After a sluggish first half against undefeated NJAC rivals Montclair State University, the lacrosse team put it into high gear to close out the game on a 12-3 run to win 19-9.
“It was definitely a rough start,” senior midfielder Lauren Pigott said. “They were a very aggressive team, and we had to compose ourselves because there was a lot of fouling so it was a hard-fought game. We knew it would be a challenging game for us where we would have to work for it because it wouldn’t be given to us.”
After falling behind early 5-4, the Lions quickly tightened up to take a one-point lead to end the first half. Come halftime, however, head coach Sharon Pfluger pulled her team aside and had a heartfelt motivational talk.
“She basically said that we weren’t playing our game in the first half,” Pigott said. “I think the biggest thing at halftime was calming us down and helping us to refocus and playing our game and not so much worrying about what they were doing.”
And when the second half started, the Lions did not hold back, scoring five straight goals to begin the period.
“We just started scoring goal after goal after goal, and I think we just really set off the momentum and we did a lot better job just (placing) our shots,” Pigott said. “Once we had that lead, we didn’t rush our shots and took our time and didn’t panic. I think it just started out with gaining momentum and getting the goals.”
Junior attacker Ava Fitzgerald led the team with six goals and two assists. Five more players contributed by scoring multiple goals, making the Montclair win an overall team victory.
“I can honestly say that everyone did a great job on (attack),” Pigott said. “I think that the best thing about our attack is that everyone has the complete capability of scoring, whether it is six goals or three goals.”
After beating their longtime rivals, the Lions now stand firmly on top of the NJAC conference.
“You want to be a respected team in the NJAC and I think our team and Montclair are the two top teams, so (the win) is good going into the postseason,” Pigott said. “We were able to come out on top, so it is a definite boost of confidence for us, and we get respect from the other teams in our conference, so it also prepares us for what is ahead in the playoffs.”
With the postseason quickly approaching, all eyes are on how the Lions will finish their season.
“We have three more regular- season games, so of course we want to win the rest of them,” Pigott said. “The most important thing is just keeping our intensity up in practice and in the games and making sure our confidence is high enough so we go into the playoffs feeling ready to take on any team that we might come up against.”
(04/15/14 4:00pm)
All good runs eventually come to an end.
After winning the first 11 games of the season, the women’s lacrosse team ran into Salisbury University, the nation’s top-ranked Division III school. And while the Lions kept the game close and remained strong, it wasn’t enough to overtake the Sea Gulls, as they fell 9-6.
“I knew it was going to be a competitive game, regardless of where each of the teams are ranked, so I wasn’t surprised that it was close most of the game,” Lions head coach Sharon Pfluger said. “I think the girls worked really hard to prepare, so I don’t think that we did anything different, because we are always looking to be as organized and ready for the next game.”
The Lions started the game off strong when senior attacker Jen Garavente scored the opening goal, giving the women their lone lead of the game. After a tough battle and an exchanging of goals, the College headed into half time down 4-3.
“I just told them to tighten up on some of the things that they were doing, create some flow with the ball movement on attack and minimize (their length) of possession,” Pfluger said.
Unfortunately for the Lions, they did not get off to a great start at the beginning of the second half. In a 10-minute span, Salisbury took control of the momentum to score four consecutive goals, increasing their lead to five.
“I think they capitalized on some opportunities and we didn’t (capitalize) as much as we should have,” Pfluger said. “Then we got ourselves down by (five) and we were scratching our way back up.”
Despite trailing 8-3 with under 15 minutes remaining, Pfluger and the women never felt the game was out of reach.
“I felt like we were always in it — we just needed to maintain the momentum,” Pfluger said. “We fought hard, we got the ball back and converted a lot of opportunities for ourselves, (but) we just ran out of time.”
While the loss was not the women’s ideal result, Pfluger remains optimistic.
“Anytime you walk off the field losing it is an eye opener, but then we can say, ‘Let’s pick it apart, let’s figure it out, let’s solve it and let’s get better,’” she said. “I am confident that we will because we have a great group of girls and they work very hard.”
With the Salisbury game now behind them, it is time to look ahead for the remainder of the season.
“When I think about the things that could be corrected, they’re all fixable,” Pfluger said. “It doesn’t matter who we are playing because we need to fix those things. We just need to play really well in the remaining games and just keep getting better.”
(04/08/14 5:00am)
The 10-0 Lions may be down, but they are never out. No matter the opponent, when the game is on the line, the lacrosse team always seems to come through, with the most recent proof coming in a 14-13 overtime victory against No. 7 Franklin & Marshall College.Prior to the big showdown against the Diplomats, the women traveled to Ramapo College for a matchup between two NJAC teams. The Lions were never tested, however, and cruised to a 19-0 victory. Leading the women with six goals was junior attacker Ava Fitzgerald.
“I think that we were able to read our opponents really well and we were able to work on a lot of things that we needed to improve on,” Fitzgerald said. “We had to keep our composure no matter what and play our game at our level, (which) showed a lot of character and strength as a team on our part.”
The Lions were able to use that momentum and ride the nine-game winning streak into their home matchup against Franklin & Marshall.
“We knew we were ready to play the game because we were all really hyped up and excited for another good (one),” Fitzgerald said. “Going in we were super, super excited and we didn’t doubt ourselves for one second, which was the key to the game.”
Although the women may not have appeared worried, they certainly kept things interesting after falling behind with under a minute to go. There was no hesitation, however, and within a mere 24 seconds, the Lions scored two quick goals to give the women the lead and eventually the game. The final one was capped off by junior attacker Kendal Borup, who scored her 36th goal on the season. Borup currently ranks third in the NJAC in points per game.
“She has just been able to show up almost every game, which is something very important, and I think her stepping up as a player has been really key for our season,” Fitzgerald said. “She is such a humble person, and to have someone like that on the team that just shows up all the time and never expects any accolades or anything, I think it is really awesome.”
Despite Borup’s go-ahead goal, the Lions still had to remain focused for the final 19 seconds in the game.
“We were just so ecstatic at that point and we knew we had to finish out the game, but in our head that was really (big),” Fitzgerald said. “We still had to keep our composure at that point because we still had some time left and we knew we had to play out the rest of the time, but we were just so excited to anticipate the celebration at the end because it was well deserved at that point.”
Next week, the women face off against Rowan University on Tuesday, April 8, and the nation’s top team in Salisbury University on Saturday, April 12, in Lions Stadium.
“We need to keep our eyes on the prize, which means we really have to focus at practice and key in on any mistakes that we made against Franklin & Marshall,” Fitzgerald said. “Obviously, we are still excited about our win, but we still have to be ready for our next game (because) we still have some big games ahead of us.”
(03/25/14 5:00am)
The lacrosse team had their first real test of the season when they faced off against No. 6 Gettysburg College on Thursday, March 20. Despite trailing 10-7 with about six minutes to go, the Lions remained confident and pulled out their biggest win of the season in a hard-fought match.“I think we had a really strong foundation as a team and I think we really had a great group of practices coming into it, so everyone was prepared,” junior attacker Ava Fitzgerald said. “We were also really prepared skill-wise, and I think we had a really positive mentality and knew what we needed to get done and accomplished.”
Junior attacker Kendal Borup continued her great start to the year after scoring four goals against the Bullets, bringing her season total to 26. Behind her — and also having an impressive game — was Fitzgerald, who scored three goals, including the final one in overtime to put the Lions ahead 11-10.
“It was honestly exciting, but we all felt that we had to stay composed because we still had time left and we had to keep our composure on the field,” Fitzgerald said about scoring the final goal. “It was an awesome win for us, and I think it really helped propel us into the season. We now know how we need to compete against big rivals and how we have to carry our level of game when the time comes.”
In the following game against Neumann University, the Lions had their best offensive showing of the season, scoring 18 goals in the first half, taking the victory 22-6.
“Once they scored goals, we kind of had the mentality that we had to get it back, so we knew that once again we were finding opportunities and looking for people on the inside,” Fitzgerald said. “We were answering back to make up for the goal that they had scored (in order to) maintain our game’s lead and position.”
Next week, the team looks to extend their winning streak against Ursinus College on Tuesday, March 25, and Ramapo College on Saturday, March 29.
“Looking ahead, our main goal is to maintain that undefeated record and to just always improve with each game,” Fitzgerald said. “(Those are the best games when) we can really learn and grow as a team.”
(03/18/14 5:00am)
It is just about a quarter of the way through the season, and the women’s lacrosse team is standing firm. In their previous two games, the No. 7 Lions have outscored their opponents 37-3, bringing their record to an impressive 4-0.
“I think coming into this season, we thought we would start off pretty (well) because a lot of our harder teams were later in the season,” senior midfielder Lauren Pigott said. “You are going to have some weaker teams and you are going to have some harder teams, but no matter what team you come across, you don’t take them lightly and you still play your game, so I think we did a pretty good job of that.”
While the Lions have definitely dominated their opponents thus far, their first true test of the season came against Messiah College, who at one point trailed by five points. The women were not fazed, however, and came back to clinch the game 16-14 in the final minutes.
“We really came together in the second half and just pushed it to the final whistle,” Pigott said. “We have to remember to be a full 60-minute team and not just step it up when we are losing. I think that true colors of an athlete really come out when you play a good team, and we didn’t give up and we ended up winning in the end of the game.”
Leading the Lions against Messiah was junior attacker Kendal Borup. Not only did she score seven goals, but she also tied the game late in the second half. Just a few moments later, Borup was at it again and scored once more to give the Lions their first lead of the game.
“Kendal was definitely a standout and performed well in that game,” Pigott said. “I think everyone has been doing well, (but in our biggest game) against Messiah, Kendal stepped it up and scored a majority of the goals, so I am really proud of her for that.”
In the two games following Messiah, the Lions were never threatened, beating Rutgers-Camden and Manhattanville College 19-2 and 18-1, respectively.
“Those are some of the weaker teams that we play, but it is still important that we don’t take them lightly because we still have to come out strong and we still have to play our game,” Pigott said. “We know that sometimes it’s hard for a team to continue their level of play against a weaker team and I think we did a good job of playing to our standards.”
This Thursday, March 20, the Lions will be back in action at home against No. 6 Gettysburg College.
“It is going to be good going in against them with a 4-0 record because we have confidence and we are doing (well) so far,” Pigott said. “I am pretty confident that if everyone is on their A-game, and if we (communicate) well with each other and prepare well this week, then I think we are going to come out on top. This will be a huge win for our team and help us move on with the rest of our season.”
(03/18/14 5:00am)
Four wrestlers at the College flew three hours into the depths of Iowa to face off in a tournament against the country’s elite. While many wrestlers had dedicated their lives to reaching this stage, these four only had a two-day window to make an imprint and hoist a national title.
Sophomore Dylan Thorsen and freshman Kevin Corrigan both made their tournament debuts at 149 pounds and 125 pounds, respectively, and while the results did not go their way, the underclassmen learned what is necessary if they want to return next year.
“Dylan’s (opening match) was against the No. 1 kid in the country, who (eventually) took second, and he lost by a point or two, so he gave the kid all he could,” senior 174-pounder Zach Zotollo said. “Kevin lost his first match in overtime to the kid who ended up taking third, so both were right there with the top three guys in the country so they wrestled really (well) … they will both be back next year and will be making noise.”
As for Zotollo and the returning 184-pound nationalist finalist senior Brian Broderick, both seniors had experienced the tournament last year and knew exactly what to expect coming in.
“We have been there, and when you walk in there, it is a pretty cool arena, so there is a shock value at first,” Zotollo said. “I think just being there before and knowing the environment, it helps you out with the nerves to help you prepare.”
For the 174-pounder, his tournament was filled with close matches, with the main one coming in the quarterfinals against the top seed — and eventual champion — from Wartburg College.
“It was a close match and there was a questionable take down where it was called a take down and then they reviewed it and actually reversed it so that match is going to hurt for a while because I really thought I had that one,” Zotollo said of his 1-0 loss. “I had a lot of close matches and a lot of tough ones, and I came out on the losing end.”
Although it may not have been the ideal ending, Zotollo can still be proud of reaching All-American status for the second straight year after finishing sixth in the country.
“It is not the best way I wanted to finish by any means, but anything could happen out here.Anyone can be beaten and anyone can win matches,” Zotollo said. “Just being out on the podium and being a two-time All-American (is cool) because not many people can get to experience that, so I can’t really get down on myself too much.”
As for Broderick, he was determined to make it back to the national finals. After winning four straight matches, the No. 2 seed was in the same position this year. Unfortunately, the senior lost a close 3-1 overtime decision to the top seed from Wabash College.
“I think that loss is as hard as it gets when you are right there and it is that close,” Zotollo said. “Brian deserved to win and that kid deserved to win because he was a great wrestler, but sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”
Despite the upsetting finish, there is still a lot that Broderick, who finished with a career record of 108-8, can be proud of.
“Brian is an unbelievable wrestler and one of the best wrestlers that I have watched,” Zotollo said. “He has been a great teammate and a great guy to have around, and he wrestled awesome all weekend.”
(03/04/14 6:00am)
As players on the women’s lacrosse team come and go, there is one constant that has remained seemingly unchanged: Throughout the 27 years as being head coach, Sharon Pfluger has earned herself a reputation for winning, and she expects this new 2014 season to be no different.
After a dominant 19-3 victory over FDU-Florham last Saturday, March 1, the No. 7 Lions could not have asked for a better way to start their season.
“I thought the girls played really well together and communicated well,” Pfluger said. “I also thought the defense was nice and steady, and I thought the attack was creative, yet organized.”
Leading the charge was junior attacker Ava Fitzgerald, who scored six goals. Also finishing with six points — four goals and two assists — was senior and 2012 NJAC Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Pigott.
With only four seniors returning from last season, Pfluger believes the freshmen are ready for the big moments to come.
“They have to step up like anyone else — if they are given an opportunity on the field, then they are expected to play as well as anybody else so I think with confidence, they will do well,” Pfluger said. “They just have to really take what they are learning at practice and execute it in a game situation.”
While the 16-point victory was convincing, Pfluger wants the women to continue to progress and improve upon the minor issues.
“I just think we need to tweak a few things, like finishing the play or concentrating on shots or shot selections,” Pfluger said. “As the season develops, you learn more and more strategy and how to handle those situations.”
On Saturday, March 8, the lacrosse team will have their home opener at Lions Stadium against No. 18 Messiah College at 1 p.m.
“We want to focus on getting better every day and then we will be closer to (reaching our) goals,” Pfluger said. “The girls want to play as well as they can to get into the postseason and reward themselves with the opportunity to play for a national championship.”
(02/25/14 6:00am)
If you’re going to do anything, then do it at 100 percent or don’t do it at all.
That’s what Brian Broderick’s father has told him ever since he began wrestling at the age of four.
Now a senior at the College, this 184-pounder is one of the favorites to come home with a national title, an achievement only a few could ever fathom.
As last year’s national finalist, Broderick has the tools and the talent to go the distance. With this season being his final year of eligibility, the senior knows that in order to make it to the promised land, there is no holding back.
While Broderick is a member of the 100-win club and both an Academic and Athletic All-American, it wasn’t always easy. At one point during the summer before his junior year, Broderick had enough and decided to quit the sport that had given him so much.
“I lost my match (at nationals) in overtime so it was a heartbreaker for me, because I felt like I wasted a whole year of work just to come up short,” Broderick said. “It takes a lot out of you, training eight months out of the year, and then it comes down to the last two days of the final tournament, and it cuts you down a bit.”
While the decision to take a break from the mats may have seemed sudden, the year off gave Broderick time to refocus and get his priorities in order.
“That was my first year I really ever had off from wrestling in my entire life,” he said. “So it was nice to have a break there, because I was wrestling for 17 years straight. I just needed to reassess everything that I was doing and make sure that if I was going to wrestle, I was going to go 100 percent, and that is what I did.”
When Broderick finally returned to the mats, his confidence and love for the sport followed suit. In his third year of eligibility, he had a remarkable season, finishing with a 28-3 record and making the national finals. And in addition to his individual success, Broderick was beginning to show signs of true leadership.
“The other guys start performing at levels they don’t normally compete at because Brian sets the bar so high (and) they feel the need to try to reach that same level,” head coach Joe Galante said. “He is a dedicated student athlete and a total leader by example . . . He can walk the walk and talk the talk, and he does it with a great personality.”
Along with wrestling, Broderick has had his fair share of success in the classroom and was recently awarded the honor of being an Academic All-American.
“I was pretty proud because I’ve been really focusing on my school work and have been putting the time in,” Broderick said. “And (although) it’s tiring, when you achieve a status like that, then it’s well worth it in the end. We have had over 120 Athletic All-Americans (in our program) and we’ve only had 31 Academic All-Americans, which is quite a bit fewer, so it is cool to join that club as well.”
With Broderick’s collegiate career winding down, he knows that the only thing missing from his impressive résumé is the national title.
“I fell a little short last year when I lost in the finals,” he said. “I’ve been battling some injuries this year, but I feel like I’ve made some progress over the past couple of weeks and I’m ready to go.”
When Broderick does go onto the mats in mid-March to compete, one thing is for sure: He will follow his father’s advice, and give it 100 percent.
(02/11/14 6:00am)
It was Alumni Night for the wrestling squad, and to prepare for the highly anticipated match against No. 9 Wilkes University, the College pledged to crowd Packer Hall with hundreds of people. They did not disappoint, as over 700 fans came wearing their blue and gold colors.
“There was a lot of hype going in because we were trying to pack the gym with alumni and (other fans),” senior 184-pounder Brian Broderick said. “We knew Wilkes was a tough team, and in order to beat them, we were going to have to have a full 10-guy effort.”
While the Lions competed hard, the men fell short 19-13 after a tough battle against the Colonels.
“Going into it, we were prepared — our team was in good shape, but (Wilkes) just did a good job controlling the tempo and slowing us down, so credit to them,” Broderick said. “Wilkes is a good team, so it’s not like we lost to an un-ranked team or a team that no one has heard of before.”
The Colonels started the night off strong and built up a 13-4 lead with five more matches to go. Fortunately, the Lions were not deterred, as sophomore Antonio Mancella gave the men some momentum after an impressive 9-4 victory at 165 pounds.
The two senior All-Americans, Broderick and 174-pounder Zach Zotollo, followed afterward. Both were clutch, as they leveled the score at 13-13 with two matches to go.
“I would have liked to score more points than I did — I ended up with a three-point decision, but that’s all I was able to get at the time,” Broderick said. “I just go out there with the same mind set every match and (I hope) my individual score will contribute to the overall team score.”
Broderick did just that, but it was not enough, unfortunately, as the Lions fell in the final two matches.
“It’s tough being the heavyweight when the matches are close and the final match comes down to the final performance,” Broderick said. “It’s tough to be in that situation.”
While the Lions didn’t get the outcome they had wanted, there is now time to regroup and focus on the final two matches of the season.
“I know both are tough opponents and I am pretty sure they are both ranked, but it doesn’t really matter much, though, because we need to have another 10-guy effort at home,” Broderick said. “We just need to take one match at a time and even though they’re back-to-back, we just have to focus on Delaware Valley for now.”
Broderick is looking to set a milestone against Delaware Valley this week by joining the 100-win club.
“I am just going to go out there like it is any other match, and I am sure I will forget all about that 100-win hype once I step on the mat,” Broderick said.
When asked about achieving this milestone, the senior answered, “It is really not where you start, but where you finish. I would rather have a better finish at nationals than have 100 wins, but if they both happen then that would be even better.”
(02/04/14 6:00am)
The College’s 30th-ranked wrestling squad packed its bags, boarded the bus and drove four and a half hours to Massachusetts this past weekend — all with one goal in mind: to go 4-0. While the men had a valiant effort, they fell just one point short of completing their mission.
In their opening match against No. 15 Roger Williams University, the College was narrowly defeated 19-18. Although disappointed, the Lions were not deterred and stormed back to take the final three matches to complete their trip in the Bay State.
“I think the only difference from the beginning of the day to the end was that in the beginning, we lost a couple of the close matches that could have went either way,” senior 174-pounder Zach Zotollo said. “I think everyone wrestled well throughout, but we lost a couple close matches early on, and that was the differenc maker.”
In the morning match against Roger Williams, the Lions started out strong and led 18-10 heading into the final three duals. Unfortunately, their lead was simply not enough.
“We very easily could have won that match because we pushed the pace on them and we were really aggressive,” Zotollo said. “We just came out shorthanded, and I think that everybody was happy overall because we did wrestle well (against them).”
The final two matches on the first day were different, though, as the Lions were never pressured, beating Bridgewater State University 39-9 and Williams College 37-9. Zotollo was especially proud of the way the team competed against the Purple Cows of Williams College.
“We wrestled really well and I think that was our best overall dual meet this season,” Zotollo said. “They are a tough team and we expected a close match, but we ended up winning (pretty easily).”
The final match of the weekend against No. 19 Springfield College was an important one for the Lions, because they wanted to finish the weekend off strong. Once again, the Lions built up an impressive lead to start the match and was able to hold Springfield off by the final score of 24-18. After composing a 3-1 record in Massachusetts, the Lions are now 8-5 on the season and in prime position to make a run to the NCAA Tournament.
Next Friday, Feb. 7, the Lions are at home against No. 9 Wilkes University for Alumni Night. The match begins at 7 p.m., but the fans are advised to arrive early, because the first 300 spectators at the match will receive a free T-shirt.
“We are trying to fill the stands and get as many fans there as we can,” Zotollo said. “There’s going to be a lot of alumni and (1981 national champion at 177 pounds) Mike Jacoutot will be giving a speech midway through the match … We are trying to create a more fun atmosphere, which will get people going and get them into the match.”
(01/22/14 8:45pm)
It may have been winter break at the College, but the wrestling squad was given no time kick up their heels and relax. The Lions faced a tough task when they traveled to Lycoming College for the Budd Whitehill Duals, a tournament that consisted of 20 of the nation’s top wrestling schools. The men
went 2-3 in the competition, which was good enough for an eighth place finish.
“I think overall it was a pretty satisfying week and we showed improvement as a whole and just kept wrestling hard and smart,” senior 174-pounder Zach Zotollo said. “During the weekend, we lost a couple of close matches to some good teams that we would have liked to beat, but I think a lot of positive came out of the weekend.”
The Lions (3-4) won the opener against No. 26 Thiel College, winning six of the first seven bouts in a 19-18 decision. In the following match, the Lions lost a close one to No. 7 Olivet College by a score of 22-12. Zotollo, junior 133-pounder Joey DiCarlo and sophomore Antonio Mancella at 165 pounds went undefeated to end the first day of the tournament.
The following day against No. 25 University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, the Lions once against started out strong, winning 17-16.
“If we had lost that match then our weekend would have been over, so we were at an elimination point in the tournament,” Zotollo said. “It was good to beat Wisconsin because it kept our weekend alive.”
After falling short in the next round to No. 14 Johnson and Wales University, the Lions were set for a rematch against Thiel College. Injuries played a big role for the Lions, who, toward the end of the tournament, had to move guys up and forfeit some of the weight classes. The injuries proved to be too tough to overcome as the Lions lost 27-9 to settle for eighth place.
“(The second time against Thiel), we didn’t have the same lineup and were a little banged up, so it was a tough one,” Zotollo said. “Coming into the weekend our goal was top five, but just the way the weekend went with injuries we were pretty happy with how we ended.”
One of the more notable absences was senior Brian Broderick, the nation’s top wrestler in the 184-pound weight class. While he may have missed the competition, Zotollo and the rest of the team expect him to return to the lineup shortly.
While injuries may have been a factor, there were definitely moments the Lions can be proud of, as both Zotollo and Mancella ended the tournament undefeated at 5-0.
“He had a really good weekend,” Zotollo said of Mancella. “He wrestled real well and wrestled some good opponents.”
As for the senior captain, Zotollo also had a great weekend, beating some of the nation’s top wrestlers.
“I felt that I controlled all of them,” Zotollo said. “There were a couple of close scores but the kid I wrestled from Thiel was a tough opponent. He was one of the better kids I think in the country and I had two close matches with him.”
Despite being 3-4 on the season, the men are still optimistic for the remaining of the season.
“Even against the teams we lost this weekend, I think that we were the better conditioned team,” Zotollo said. “I think that the kids are wrestling tough, understanding that they have to grind out seven minutes, and win or lose, they have to play out until the end.”
(11/19/13 6:00am)
While it may not have been an ideal start for the wrestling squad, the men — who have been struggling with injuries — are confident the team will rebound from a 24-9 loss to New Jersey rival Stevens Institute of Technology on Monday, Nov. 17.
The sixth-ranked Lions headed into their season-opening dual meet against Stevens with high expectations, but lost seven of the first eight bouts before closing out the match with a pair of wins.
“We had a couple of guys out with some injuries, so we weren’t at our best. But it was our first match, and the guys we put in wrestled well,” said senior Zach Zotollo, who is ranked No. 1 at 174 pounds. “Stevens is a better team than they are ranked, and we battle with them every year. It is our (Division III) rivalry, because they’re in New Jersey and we are in New Jersey, so it goes back and forth because they are a tough team.”
Zotollo, who is currently ranked No. 1 in Division III, won by decision against No. 10 Ryan Dormann by a final score of 6-1. The other two victors were junior Nate Leer (197 pounds) and sophomore Antonio Mancella (165), who won by decision 3-1 and 11-5, respectively.
“(Dormann) actually took a year off and then came back, so he was feeling strong and wanted to come back for another year,” Zotollo said about his opponent. “It was nice to get a win over a top guy who was nationally ranked, and it was a good feeling to beat him.”
Four days later, the Lions were back for an individual tournament at the East Stroudsburg Open, an event hosted by teams from all three divisions in a long day of competition.
While several wrestlers won matches, it was senior Brian Broderick (184) who did the best and placed fourth out of 33 wrestlers in his weight class.
“This was a really tough tournament, and I think it was good that some of the guys stepped up and won some big matches and wrestled well,” Zotollo said. “Definitely some of the younger guys who haven’t seen out-of-division opponents — Division I or Division II guys — got a good look today and they wrestled guys who are probably tougher than they are ever going to see throughout the year.
This Wednesday, Nov. 20, the Lions will travel to King’s College for another dual meet. Although the Lions are favorites, having won every game with the Monarchs since 2006, Zotollo stressed that they cannot take any team for granted.
“On paper and matchup wise, they are a lesser opponent, but they are tough and have a bunch of good guys,” Zotollo said. “We should beat them, but we still have to go out there and everyone has to go take care of their business.”