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(10/09/12 9:04pm)
Lots of wins, a low ERA, a high batting average and a ton of home runs make a player good, right? We all have at some point, or still do, believe that these are the best indicators of a player’s true talent. Well, let me introduce you to the world of sabermetrics. As per Wikipedia, sabermetrics is defined as the specialized analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The key word in Wikipedia’s definition is objective. Many are under the impression that sabermetrics believe that it’s just a bunch of complicated numbers for stat nerds who need to understand that baseball is played on the field.
When placed in context, sabermetrics is an extremely useful tool that is a great predictor and excellent indicator of how good the player actually is. Most of these statistics take into account luck, ballpark factors, defense and much more, eliminating things the player cannot control. Yes, it involves a lot of complicated formulas, numbers and statistics like xFIP, wOBA and UZR primer. However, when understood, the meaning of each there, really is a valid rationale behind most of the statistics. Again, there are some statistical measures that need to be placed in context.
I was once the casual fan, looking at only surface stats like wins, ERA and batting average. My interpretations of these stats changed when I was watching a Yankees game a few years back. While watching this game, I learned a valuable lesson: Wins are meaningless. I saw Mike Mussina let up five earned runs in a mere five innings, yet still credited with a win, which doesn’t happen often. This sparked my interest in a deeper understanding of baseball statistics, which ultimately has made my understanding of baseball all the more enjoyable and rational. For me, I’d like to see sabermetrics used more for the rational evaluations in media. I’m tired of hearing that Matt Harrison was awesome this season.
This shift in understanding baseball can all change with the 2012 AL MVP potential winner, which is between Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera. Looking solely on the three “important” statistics, batting average, homeruns and RBIs, it’s not even a close race. Miguel Cabrera should win the award by a landslide, by winning the Triple Crown. RBI is a meaningless stat to me, and batting average and homeruns needed to be adjusted slightly at face value. The Triple Crown is fun for fans, but really has no implications on how valuable the player was to his team. The award completely ignores other very important facets of the game, such as walks, doubles, triples, defensive value, positional value and park effects.
When comparing Trout and Cabrera from a more sabermetric approach, Trout is the clear winner. WAR is a statistic that measures a player’s total contribution to his team, taking into account both offense and defense. With that said, Trout has a 10.4 WAR compared to Cabrera’s 7.2 WAR. Trout’s WAR would place him 20th all time in single season WAR, higher than Barry Bonds’ 2004 season and Alex Rodriguez’s 2000 season. Talk about historic.
One might wonder where this huge discrepancy in WAR comes from. First off, many believe that Cabrera’s offensive output is so much better than Trout’s. This myth is debunked with the notion that, Trout’s wOBA is 0.06 higher than Cabrera’s, a more precise measure of OPS. The key difference, however, lies within Trout’s positional value and the fact that he plays it well, which can be assessed using UZR. UZR measures the runs saved on defense where a player is able to get to the ball and field it. Using this statistic, Trout saves 13 runs and Cabrera costs his team nine runs in a less demanding position at third base. Furthermore, value to a team is added through base running, which favors Trout. Trout has 46 stolen bases, compared to Cabrera’s mere four stolen bases.
Looking at these two players from a subjective point of view, Trout still wins. Even though WAR does not take into account the quality of competition, Trout wins by playing in a tougher division. The argument for Cabrera for subjective reasons is that he carried his team down the stretch in August and September. This is an arbitrary endpoint when considering the whole architect of a player’s true value. Cabrera did have a better September, but that completely ignores Trout’s contributions to his team in July. Games are of equal importance in September and July — a win is a win in the standings, regardless of the month.
With that, Trout deserves this MVP award. Trout winning the award would shift the way many view the game of baseball. Back in the day, ERA was a relatively new stat that determined how good a pitcher was. It wasn’t always accepted initially, but it did its part. Now, it’s time to accept a new generation and progress of advanced metrics that explain even more. It’s time for change.
(10/02/12 9:58pm)
With the last event scheduled for the fall season, the men’s tennis team traveled north to take part in the ITA Northeast Regional Championship hosted by Ithaca College. The Regional Championship was a three-day event, beginning on Friday and concluding on Sunday, having both a 64-player singles championship and a 32-team doubles championship. The Lions had success across the board in both singles and doubles competitions, showing their depth and showcasing their top players.
The Lions had six players represent the College in the singles championship, having an impressive four players advance past the first round. Senior TJ Riley was the lone player to make it past the second round, advancing deep into the bracket. Riley’s journey to the quarterfinals involved wins against Union College, Skidmore College and Vassar College. Riley’s toughest win came against third- round opponent Vassar where he went on to win by scores of 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals. In the Quarterfinals, Riley fell to another Skidmore opponent, Oliver Loutsenko, who eventually went on to win the entire singles championship.
“I advanced into the final eight because I am a fighter, even when I am down I am certainly not out and I’ve always had that mindset,” Riley said. “I was definitely satisfied with how I played because that is the farthest I ever made it in this tournament and with the quality of tennis players here at regionals the final eight is big-time tennis so I’m proud of that.”
The Lions doubles pairings were equally impressive having three duos represent the College. Senior Jordan Cruz and freshman Billy Buchbinder played spectacularly, upsetting top-seeded Loutsenko and Danny Knight from Skidmore in an epic first round match, winning 9-8 (7-5). The magic didn’t stop there as Cruz and Buchbinder defeated Rensselaer, another top seed in the second round.
“My partner and I were in disbelief, we couldn’t believe that we had done it,” Cruz said. “Right when that last point was over, we both dropped our racquets and did the best chest-bump of our lives. It was a spectacular moment. It was one of the best matches I have ever played.”
On the other side of the bracket, Riley and senior Marc Nichols had one of the best runs in the College’s history in the tournament. The run began with decisive 8-1 victories against Elmira College and Hamilton College. Quarterfinal play had the duo in a thriller against Skidmore College, prevailing 8-6 to push them into the semifinals. In the semifinal match, Riley and Nichols lost in a heartbreaker to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 8-6.
With fantastic performances by Riley, the Lions were also able to have great success as a team. Gutsy performances and talented play highlighted the College’s tennis team throughout the weekend.
“Billy and Jordan had a great tournament in doubles,” Riley said. “They started the tournament by upsetting the number-one seed and they kept it going for another two rounds. I also think Howard Telson had a good singles tournament because even though he lost in the second round, he played a great match against a good player and had many opportunities to win and he deserves credit.”
Last weekend, the College’s top doubles pairing of seniors Paige Aiello and Karisse Bendijo blistered through competition at the ITA Northeast Regionals hosted by William Smith College before losing to sophomores Ava Sadhegi and Samantha Schipiro of Vassar College in the semifinals.
“I’m really proud of the way our team represented ourselves at Regionals this weekend,” Aiello said. “It’s always a great tournament for us and we compete really hard against other top-ranked teams that are there.”
As the third seed, the pairing of Aiello and Bendijo made for one of the most talented doubles partners in the tournament. The pairing from N. J. began tournament play against Bard College and Rochester Institute of Technology, winning decisively by scores of 8-1 and 8-2. In quarterfinal play, Aiello and Bendijo defeated a tough sixth seed in the University of Rochester team, to advance to semifinals. In the semifinals, the duo took on second-seed Vassar College where they fell in a heartbreaking 8-3 defeat. Vassar went on to defeat host William Smith to win the championship.
“I enjoyed playing doubles with Karisse and was sad to see us not make it to the final, but the Vassar team deserved the title,” Aiello said. “In the three years I’ve played at this tournament, I’d say it was the most competitive it’s ever been because there were so many more strong players than in years past.”
While it may seem that Aiello and Bendijo faced little adversity through the tournament, adapting was difficult for the pair. Having to adjust to various conditions, surfaces and opponents is something you cannot teach in practice. In fact, nothing can simulate actual game play, making game time adjustments a tough thing to do.
“It is a little tough to adjust,” said Bendijo. “Everyone has a different style, some are just really difficult to play. Also, it’s tough to adjust to the windiness and cold up in Geneva.”
Advancing to the semifinals against the top teams in the Northeast was one of the most impressive finishes in the College’s illustrious tennis history. Finishing their last ITA tournament as collegians, Aiello and Bendijo couldn’t have asked for a better end to their fall season. Hours of hard work and having success to show are a true testament of their ability and character, which reflects the College’s tennis program.
“I left everything on the court and I have nothing to regret of my last year there,” Bendijo said.
(09/25/12 9:05pm)
Wrapping up their 2012 fall campaign, the College’s tennis team ended their season at the ITA Northeast Regional hosted by William Smith College. The tournament was a three-day event beginning on Saturday and concluding on Monday with more than 70 student-athletes, representing 24 institutions. Ending the fall season against some of the toughest competition in the Northeast will serve as a great measuring stick for how the Lions will need to prepare come springtime.
In a monster 64-player singles championship, the Lions saw success, once again showcasing the depth of their team. Five of the six players in the singles tournament, advanced past the first round for the Lions. Senior Paige Aiello and freshman Jasmine Muniz-Cadorette went the deepest into the tournament, advancing to the third round of the tournament. In an epic three matches, Aiello lost by set scores 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.
The Lions added to their success, by advancing deep into a 32 pairing doubles championship. The Lions had two pairings of Muniz-Cadorette and sophomore Deborah Wu, and Aiello and senior Karisse Bendijo partake in the championship. With both pairings advancing far into the tournament, the chance of an all Lions final seemed possible. Facing the host pairing from William Smith in the quarterfinal, Muniz-Cadorette and Wu were defeated by a score of 8-4. While the loss may be seem disappointing, the young sophomore-freshman pairing has plenty of time to grow and be a dominant duo for many years to come.
Representing one of the best duos in the tournament, Aiello and Bendijo advanced to the semifinals. Cruising through the tournament, the pairing defeated the likes of Bard College, Nazareth College and the University of Rochester by decisive margins. With what could be their last chance at a doubles championship, Aiello and Bendijo hope to cement their place in the College’s illustrious history.
The highlights of the tournament came from both ends of the spectra, showing the unlimited potential of the youth and the dominance of the veterans. Both shall continue to flourish and carry further success in the spring. With the fall season coming to a conclusion, the Lions went 6-0 while continuing their 148 game win streak against the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Singles and doubles championships in the Swarthmore College Invitational and a successful ITA Northeast regional was icing on the cake for the Lions.
(09/18/12 9:22pm)
Coming into the weekend, the College’s tennis team had been rolling through the competition. The Lions finished their week victorious, defeating four NJAC opponents. They faced Richard Stockton College on Wednesday, sweeping all nine matches. The Lions then took on William Patterson University, Ramapo College and Rutgers-Camden University on Saturday, once again sweeping all nine matches. With the victories, the Lions clinched the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship, while pushing their conference win streak to an impressive 148 games.
“I thought we all played pretty well,” senior Karisse Bendijo said. “During doubles, I saw everyone talking to their partner which is essential because communication is important in doubles. Our doubles were really good at being aggressive from the beginning. During singles, I thought everyone played well and used their strengths well.”
The Lions went a combined 36-0 in their matches last week. With the success the Lions have had, one would expect some type of secret formula, but this is not the case. Whether it was singles or doubles matches, the Lions believe their key to success lies in team unity. Like anything, strength lies in numbers.
“We have a pretty outgoing team and we all get along pretty well,” Bendijo said. “We like to hang out together outside of tennis. We all genuinely like each other which makes us that much closer as a team.”
On the season, freshman Jasmine Muniz-Cadorette, senior Lauren Balsamo and Bendijo lead the Lions in singles victories with nine. Balsamo has not loss a game and has a nine game winning streak. Doubles teams of senior Paige Aiello and Bendijo and sophomore Alex Bologno and Balsamo have been dominant throughout the season. The pairings have eight victories a piece with zero losses. With so many talented players, the Lions’ depth has carried them a long way.
“We have become a very deep team,” Bendijo said. “I think our team has gotten better with being aggressive with volleys and poaching. Because everyone has a new partner, it takes time to get used to speed of the ball and how it bounces. It takes time to know when to poach across.”
With the success Bendijo has had all season, she had the joy of facing her sister Krystle Bendijo, a junior for the Stockton Ospreys, one last time. The two faced off in the first singles match with Karrisse taking home the sibling rivalry, 6-1, 6-1.
“I was pretty satisfied with my play because I played my sister for the last time of our college careers,” Bendijo said. “Anytime we play against each other, it is not really a match. We laughed most of the time and just had a blast.”
The Lions have a week off and are back in action on Sept. 22, as they will take part in the ITA Northeast Regional hosted by William Smith College.
(09/18/12 8:58pm)
Playing host to the Lions’ Kick-off Invitational, the men’s tennis team impressed throughout the weekend. The Lions faced two formidable non-conference opponents, New York University and Stevens Institute of Technology. In the two-day tournament, the Lions played doubles matches on Friday and singles matches on Saturday. For the weekend, the Lions went 13-3 in singles play and 7-1 in doubles play, showing their ability to play well in both.
“Both the singles and doubles matches went really well this weekend,” said senior Jordan Cruz. “I thought everyone played really good, aggressive tennis, which is what we need to do to have success this year. All three of our top doubles teams got more comfortable with one another, which really manifests itself in our self-confidence and level of play overall.”
The top three pairings kicked off the tournament by going a combined 6-0. In Flight A, the pairings of seniors Marc Nichols and T.J. Riley, and junior Howard Telson and freshman Pierce Cooper, each won both matches. In Flight B, Cruz and freshman Billy Buchbinder also won both matches. For the season, the Lions are 16-2 in doubles with the Telson/Cooper and Cruz/Buchbinder duos leading the way with five victories each.
“I was not satisfied at all with my own play,” Riley said. “I’m still trying to get my game back after a long summer without playing and I was in control of my first singles match. I let it slip which is uncharacteristic of my game. So I was disappointed with that, but it will turn around.”
The hot rackets continued into the singles matches the following day. The Lions have had no shortage of depth in their matches. On day two of the tournament, the Lions had five different players come away with wins. Junior Gabe Allen, Buchbinder and Cooper lead the Lions with four victories on the season, and the team as a whole is an impressive 26-5.
Keeping a loose and relaxed locker room has reflected the Lions’ play on the court. This team has a variety of different personalities contributing on the team’s overall unity. The cohesiveness of this squad has shined to many aspects of the doubles pairings where teamwork is needed.
“We have a lot of fun together and work hard for each other,” Riley said. “Gabe and I are the ones that keep the mood light. We’re the jokers. The freshmen are the quiet ones that people goof around with, while Jordan and Howie like to chime in with intelligent conversations.”
The Lions will continue their outstanding play as they get the opportunity to match up against some of the top teams in the region, taking part in the ITA Northeast Regional hosted by Ithaca College on Sept. 28.
“The team’s chemistry is definitely different from years past,” Cruz said. “We have a more cohesive group this year with everyone making their own contribution. We now have a few weeks off which will be very helpful in getting everyone back to 100 percent.”
(09/11/12 9:23pm)
Coming off a dominant opening week, the women’s tennis team was again very succesful facing some of the toughest competition in the nation at the Swarthmore Invitational.
They found themselves very successful, having a pair of individual and doubles champions. By playing stiff competition, the Lions were able to use this tournament as a measuring stick for where they are at this point in the season.
“There was a lot of competition amongst all the teams,” said senior Paige Aiello. “This was basically the first time we’ve had tough competition this season, especially in doubles and as partners. We were all able to work on things and see how we’re competing as individual teams. I think that the tournament showed how deep our team really is all the way down the lineup because the end of our team truly dominated in their flights.”
Competition at the singles matches was fierce. The Lions saw two of their own, sophomore Alex Bologno and freshman Emma Allen, battle it out in the D bracket finals. Bologno edged Allen by a score of 6-3, 6-3 to take home the championship. Senior Lauren Balsamo of the College also took home a championship of her own, defeating senior Stephanie Chia of Stevens Institute of Technology. Balsamo won by scores of 7-5, 6-2.
Similarly to the singles competitions, the doubles competitions also had an all-Lion final. In the B bracket, Balsamo and Bologno faced Allen and junior Tara Criscuolo. While teammates outside of the match, Balsamo and Bologno came out victorious by a score of 8-2. In bracket A, Aiello and senior Karisse Bendijo completed the Lions’ doubles sweep. The duo defeated a pairing from Stevens Institute of Technology, 8-4.
“We all get along very well and I think our team bond and competitiveness will help us this season,” Bendijo said. “We have high expectations this year because we have many returning players and three new freshmen. With the mix of new comers and experienced players, I think this year will be great.”
The Lions are back in action when they face Richard Stockton College on Sept. 12 and hope to keep the ball rolling.
(09/11/12 9:22pm)
The men’s tennis team picked right up where their 2011-2012 season ended, by taking on three in-state NCAA Division I teams in the New Jersey Invitational and picking up three victories. The team was highly successful, winning 22 of a possible 25 matches against the likes of Rider University, Monmouth University and St. Peter’s College. The Lions’ play last season has set the team up for even greater goals this season.
“The team’s expectations for the fall are to really get into a comfortable position with each other,” senior T. J. Riley said. “We want to be playing at a high level so that when the spring comes along, we are prepared to make a deep run into the NCAA tournament.”
The Lions dominated the court, winning all 13 matches against Rider, and winning nine matches out of a possible 12 against Monmouth and St. Peter’s combined. As a team, the singles circuit went 13-2, further showing why Lions’ tennis is one of the best in the region. Junior Gabe Allen, freshman Billy Buchbinder, freshman Pierce Cooper and freshman Dan Presuto all picked up four victories in the invitational.
“It seemed as though everyone played very well in both singles and doubles,” senior Jordan Cruz said. “We were all playing aggressive when necessary and making some great plays.”
The doubles competitors played just as well as the singles competitors by hammering clutch serves and difficult backhands. The doubles pairings won a total of nine matches and dropped only one. The two pairings of junior Howard Telson and Cooper, and Buchbinder and Cruz led the Lions by going a perfect 3-0 during the tournament.
“The singles matches went well because everyone did their jobs and got done what they needed to get done, which was also the case in the doubles that followed,” Riley said. “We all worked very hard to push each other and make each other better so that we can compete at the highest level possible.”
After starting the season well, the Lions will further measure their talents against Stevens Institute of Technology and New York University on Sept. 14 when they play host to the Lions’ Kickoff Tournament.
(09/05/12 6:43am)
The College’s women’s tennis team kicked off their 2012 campaign in impressive fashion, picking up two victories against Rutgers-Newark University and Kean University. The two victories continue the Lions dominant conference play, winning their 144th straight New Jersey Athletic Conference match.
The Lions’ plethora of talented players make for lofty expectations in the upcoming season.
“I think that the expectations for the team this year is to have another great year and continue to compete well against other top ranked teams,” said senior Paige Aiello. “The biggest strength of our team is our depth. The talent level doesn’t drop off after a certain spot, meaning we have really strong players all the way down our lineup.”
In both matches against Scarlet Raiders and Cougars, the Lions dominated the court, winning both events by a score of 9-0. In singles competitions, sophomore Sarah Lippincott stood out by not losing a single game. On the season she is 12-0 in games. Other Lions who picked up wins in both events are senior Karisse Bendijo and freshman Jasmine Muniz-Cadorette.
The doubles competitions were equally impressive, matching the singles competitions punch for punch. Just as the singles, the doubles did not drop a match. Sophomore Deborah Wu and freshman Jasmine Muniz-Cadorette led the Lions in both events. The pairing picked up two victories, and is the only pair for the Lions that is 2-0 in matches for the young season.
The Lions have jumped off to a hot start, dominating the field of competition. The next event for the Lions is the Swarthmore College Invitational on Sept. 8-9. This event will be a good barometer for the Lions, as they will face some of the toughest competition in the nation.
“Starting off the season 2-0 is a great feeling for us as a team, it’s also really nice to show our three new freshmen that we are a dominating team in the NJAC and that they’re a part of it,” Aiello said. “This week we are going to be doing a lot of practicing to prepare for the tournament, there are going to be 3 strong teams there and this will be our first true test of our strength as a team this fall.”
(12/05/11 1:31pm)
The women’s basketball team finished last week by splitting a pair of games. To begin the week, the Lions defeated Rowan University, but fell to fourth-ranked William Paterson to close the week. Last week’s slate of games left the Lions with a 4-3 record for the season.
“I thought that we played pretty well against Rowan,” head coach Dawn Henderson said. “We also played pretty well against Paterson for about 30 minutes. The difference in the two games can almost be pointed directly to our turnovers.”
The Lions used a late 15-1 run late in the second half to give themselves a 69-55 victory. They had extremely balanced scoring, having five different players score in double digits. Senior forward Hannah Tait led all scorers with 15 points.
“I think that we have a lot of different weapons on this team,” said Henderson. “If everyone is doing their job on offense, we should have balanced scoring. Tait, Imhof and DeTulio are three of those explosive weapons that we have and they have been a big part of our success thus far.”
The Lions excelled in all aspects of the game, having one of their best games statistically. The team dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Profs by a margin of 13. Senior guard Jessica Imhof led the Lions with 10 rebounds. The Lions also made seven fewer turnovers and committed four more steals, playing efficient basketball.
Ending the week, the College took on fourth-ranked William Paterson. The Lions played a sound 30 minutes of basketball leading the Pioneers 45-37, but could not hold on late in the game — ultimately losing by a score of 71-53.
Turnovers were a key blemish in the Lions’ execution. The Lions committed 26 turnovers, resulting in a low offensive output. On the defensive end, the Lions could not keep the Pioneers off the boards, getting outrebounded 41-34.
The Lions, however, received great bench production, in which the bench contributed 20 points compared eight points from the Pioneers’. Imhof led the Lions with 12 points, and nailing two 3-pointers, continuing her impressive season.
The Lions are back home this week to begin a four game home-stand, giving them a great opportunity to improve their record.
“Our goal for this week will be to go 3-0,” said Henderson. “We would like to defend our home court, and the three teams we are playing are tough opponents, but hopefully playing at home will push us to that goal.”
(11/29/11 5:41pm)
The women’s basketball team spent the holiday break at the Cross Creek InnKeeper Turkey Shootout, hosted by Methodist University. After coming into the tournament with a 2-1 record, the Lions left with a 3-2 record, winning one game and losing the other. The Lions’ 3-2 record is a step up from their 2-4 start last season.
“This is a really fun, young group,” said Head Coach Dawn Henderson. “We have really good leadership and that makes a big difference with a young team. They work really hard and enjoy each other. All of that adds up to positive outcomes.”
In its first game of the tournament, the College beat Methodist University with a late-game surge. With seven minutes left and the score tied at 47-47, the Lions scored seven straight points, giving them a comfortable lead. The team never looked back from there, sealing the game at the 2:20 by making all six of its free throws en route to its third win of the season.
“Road games are always tough,” Henderson said. “I was happy that we were able to play the home team and come away with a win. We want to be as fundamentally sound as possible and above all else, play as a team. That’s how we were able to come back late for the win.”
Senior guard Jessica Imhof led all scorers with 17 points, while drilling three three-pointers. Senior guard Hannah Tait chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds. Overall, it was the Lions’ clutch three-point shooting that gave them the win, as they made 50 percent of their shots from the three-point line.
In the final game of the tournament, the women’s squad played Ferrum College in a tough game. The Lions saw themselves down by an early 12-point deficit in the first half, but closed the gap to a 46-40 deficit at the break.
Throughout the remainder of the game, the Panthers never relinquished their lead. Senior forward Kelsey Kutch hit a pair of back-to-back field goals in the second half to narrow the lead to four points. This was the closest the Lions ever came, however, as the Panthers responded with a 15-8 run to end the game.
“The Ferrum game was probably our most disappointing game to this point,” Henderson said. “We just didn’t play well, and Ferrum has a terrific team. Less than our best wasn’t good enough to beat this team. I thought we worked hard, but our decision-making wasn’t what it needs to be. We also shot poorly from the floor and free throw line and gave up too many points in the first half.”
On the bright side, sophomore forward Liz West finished the game with a career-high 19 points and recorded nine rebounds. Her performance earned her a spot on the all-tournament team.
“It was definitely a fun and successful weekend, even though we had hoped to be 2-0,” Henderson said. “We have a big week this week with the conference play beginning. We are looking forward to our first home game Wednesday.”
(11/15/11 3:49am)
The College competed against a crop of Division I programs at the Princeton University Invitational, showing why the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are elite national programs. Although the match was not a scored event, the men and women held their own, having several swimmers place.
“I think swimming good competition brings out the best in our team, and going against teams like Princeton, Georgetown and Lehigh exposes us to the type of competition that we will see at the national championships,” said men’s coach Brian Bishop.
The most impressive finish of the day for the men was by senior Ryan Clark, who placed third out of 59 swimmers in the 50-yard freestyle event with a time of 21:01. Sophomore Stephen Tarnowski also saw himself among the top finishers, placing ninth out of 43 swimmers in the 200 individual medley and eighth in the 400-IM.
“We have been in a really demanding training phase, and the fact that we swam well shows great promise for the future,” Bishop said. “Our focus is on our conference championships and the national championships in the spring. The success we have during the season will better prepare us for the end of the year.”
The women were equally impressive, also showcasing their talents in the pool. The swimmers took a ton of positives out of the exhibition, using each as a personal barometer.
“I told the girls that this was our reality-check weekend, and I think some were nervous going in to the meet. I wasn’t concerned about times,” said women’s coach Jennifer Harnett. “Our main focus was just to have some good races and hold our technique, which we did.”
Senior Laura Pierce once again demonstrated why she is one of the best swimmers in the country. Competing against Division I teams, Pierce placed first in all of her events, winning the 50-yard freestyle, 100-butterfly and the 100-freestyle.
Junior Kayleigh Shangle also had an exceptional weekend, taking second place in the 100-breast and third in the 50-free. Junior Danica Roskos also continued her impressive diving season, winning the 3-meter event with a score of 299.25.
“I thought there were a lot of positives coming out of the Princeton Invitational,” said Harnett. “We just came off a really tough weekend last week with three meets in a row and had a hard week of training, so to be as competitive as we were shows the drive that this team has.”
Without a doubt, this was another successful meet for both the men’s and women’s programs. This meet should only propel the two programs toward even more success in the future, serving as a confidence booster. The Lions are back in the pool this weekend against New York University on Nov. 19.
(11/07/11 5:19pm)
The College’s swimming and diving teams had an incredible week, winning three matches. The wins push the teams’ season records to 4-0 for both the men and women.
“This weekend has been great. We swam with a lot of energy today against Southern, and we’ve been able to jump to early leads and win a lot of races,” junior Xavier Moran said. “We’ve been training hard this season and have been able to dominate meets from the first events.”
Facing Montclair State University, Southern Connecticut State University and Franklin and Marshall College over consecutive days required a true team effort. That is exactly what the Lions brought, defeating the three opponents by at least 50 points each.
Sophomore Stephen Tarnowski continued his torrid 2011-2012 campaign, dominating last week. Tarnowski won multiple events in all three matches and was the only Lion to do so against Franklin and Marshall College. Tarnowski had his stake in the pool, placing first in butterfly, freestyle and backstroke events throughout the week.
Overall, the team showed its balance. Against Franklin and Marshall, it boasted 11 first-place finishes from 10 different swimmers.
One swimmer that showed the depth of the Lions was freshman Aleksander Burzynski. Against Montclair State University, Burzynski won the 50-back and raced in the 200-medley relay.
“We graduated a lot of fast swimmers last year, but we have seen improvements across the board with our returning guys,” said Moran. “This weekend has been great. We swam with a lot of energy.”
The women exhibited dominance of their own by also picking up three wins. The minimum score they defeated their three opponents by was 65.
Senior Laura Pierce showed why she is one of the best swimmers in the country, winning a slew of events. Pierce won multiple free and butterfly events throughout the meet, and her time in the 100-butterfly against Southern Connecticut State University was an NCAA provisional qualifier.
Junior Danica Roskos, the winner of the three-meter diving event of last year’s Division III diving Championship, opened up her diving season with a splash. Against Montclair State University and Southern Connecticut State University, she won both one- and three-meter diving events.
The team received strong contributions from several other swimmers as well. Senior Melissa Hessler took home two first-place finishes against Southern Connecticut State, winning the 100-yard and 500-free events. Junior Kayleigh Shangle placed first in individual events in all three meetings, including a medley relay.
Both the men and women’s swimming and diving teams look strong heading into the season, showing their true depth and experience. They look to continue their winning ways at the Princeton University Invitational on Nov. 11.
“Our strongest competition is yet to come, which we have to stay focused on,” Moran said. “We just need to stay focused on our long-term goals, keep training hard, and not be complacent with what we’ve accomplished so far.”
(11/01/11 7:03pm)
The College’s swimming and diving teams started their seasons off with a bang, defeating Ramapo College in convincing fashion.
Sophomore Stephen Tarnowski, who placed first in the 200-yard butterfly, 200-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley, led the men’s squad. Senior Ryan Clark, junior Evan Paulan and junior Matt Peveler also finished strong as they all won multiple events.
“I think everyone was happy with the way they swam, but not satisfied,” said Clark. “It is too early in the season to be satisfied with anything, and we have a lot of work to still do.”
Last season, the College’s swimming and diving teams had outstanding success. The women finished with a 9-0 record, while placing fifth at the NCAA championships. The men had similar success, posting an 8-2 record.
“Every year, we want to improve upon past years’ mistakes,” Clark said. “This year, we have altered our training to better benefit the sprinters and distance swimmers and to decrease to number of injuries. This year, we hope our training will lead to an undefeated season with plenty of NCAA qualifiers.”
Much of the teams’ success this season depends on their off-season preparation. A lot of the teams’ practices simulate competitive meets.
“Part of what we learn to do on this team is to swim tired,” said Clark. “We had a tough week of practice and everyone was still able to step up to the blocks and leave everything they had in the pool. That shows us two things. Our training is working, and we are able to overcome weakness in times of competition.”
The women were off to a fast start themselves, winning 12 individual events by 10 different swimmers — this balance represents the Lions’ depth in the pool.
Senior Laura Pierce placed first in the 1,000-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly. Freshman Brennah Ross took home first place in the 100-yard free and the 200-yard medley to begin her collegiate career.
The two of them were the only swimmers who won multiple events.
Sophomore Ashley Conroy, who won the 100-yard backstroke, and senior Melissa Hessker, who won the 200-yard fly, also put in strong performances.
The women’s team has huge expectations to meet after finishing a program-best fifth place at the NCAA championships last season. Due to the experience and depth that this team has garnered, it is certainly a possibility that it will exceed that mark this year.
Both teams are back in action on Saturday at Montclair State University, hoping to continue their dominance in the pool.
(10/11/11 5:39pm)
In need of wins, the Lions saw themselves in the midst of one of their toughest stretches of the season, taking on Muhlenberg College and 18th-ranked Salisbury University. The College finished the week with a modest two ties, pushing their overall record to 4-5-4.
All in all, the results were not bad. Because the games were non-conference, it gave the Lions an opportunity to mix and match lineups in preparation for their conference games this week.
“With these two out-of-conference games against two respectable opponents, in reality, we had nothing to lose,” said senior forward Chris Pisano. “We experimented with the lineup a little to give us an idea of how we can have a different approach for our upcoming conference games, and overall, two ties is nothing disappointing. What’s most important now is to get wins against our upcoming conference opponents so we can make it into the playoffs.”
The College began the week against a strong Muhlenberg squad. The two clubs battled each other right from the very beginning. The Lions fired off seven shots, while the Mules responded with six shots of their own. With neither team able to enter the score column, the teams remained deadlocked entering the second half.
In the second half, neither team could push the envelope. The teams once again matched each other shot-for-shot, as the Lions fired 15 shots and the Mules ripped 14. The Lions nearly scored the game-wining goal when senior midfielder Anthony Dipalmo fired a shot that ricocheted off the crossbar.
When neither team could score in the two overtime periods, the game finished in a draw. It was only fitting that the teams came to a tie, since their stats were nearly identical to one another. The Lions had three more shots than the Mules, and the Mules had one more save than the Lions. Corner kicks were also fairly close, as the Lions edged out the Mules by three in that category.
“We experimented with the lineup and gave some players some different looks from different positions, and overall we out-shot them and came out with a tie, so it wasn’t a disappointing result,” said Pisano. “We definitely had some chances late in the game, hitting the crossbar and leaving a couple just wide of the post, so we definitely gave it a shot, but had to settle for the tie.”
To end the week, the team took on 18th-ranked Salisbury University, which came into the game with a 7-2-1 record. The Lions hung in and even proved that they could beat the Sea Gulls as they jumped to an early 1-0 lead. The Sea Gulls responded 23 minutes later to take a 2-1 lead, which they would hold onto to finish the first half.
With two minutes left in the game, the Lions elevated their play and came up big in the clutch. The Sea Gulls had a red card against them, giving the Lions the player advantage. Senior midfielder Michael Recchia took a feed from junior midfielder Taylor Gregory to strike the back of the net for his second goal of the season, which evened the score.
“It was late in the game where the ball was played through to Taylor Gregory and he only had the keeper to beat, and a come-from-behind tackle gave their defender a red card and a 11-10 player advantage for us,” said Pisano. “It was only a matter of time before we could tire out the defense by moving the ball around, and the game-tying goal came pretty easily.”
In the overtime periods, the teams battled back and forth. Both teams had two shots on goal in the first overtime, while the Sea Gulls outshot the Lions by two in the second. With no team able to hit the game-winner, the Lions were handed their fourth tie of the season.
After having mild success in their non-conference games, the Lions will look to improve upon their 0-3-2 NJAC record. The Lions have five NJAC games remaining, all of which are very important for the Lions’ pursuit of post-season play.
They will get the ball rolling again at home against William Patterson on Wednesday.
(10/05/11 4:21am)
One-goal games seem to be kryptonite for the College’s men’s soccer team, as they ended the week with a loss against Rutgers University-Newark by a score of 3-2. The loss marks the squad’s fifth one-goal loss of the season, and fifth overall. The team was able to pick up a point in the NJAC by tying Rutgers University-Camden earlier in the week.
“With respect to our standings in the NJAC this year, it’s just a shame that our year thus far of soccer has to be summed up by 0-3-2,” said senior forward Chris Pisano. “To be honest we are playing great soccer and it’s quite unbelievable how many games we have seemingly let slip through our fingers, and therefore we have nothing to show in the win column.”
Taking on 16th-ranked Rutgers-Camden, the College jumped to an early lead off of junior midfielder Kevin Shaw’s foot. The goal was Shaw’s fourth, which leads the team.
“(Shaw) is without a doubt a playmaker and we couldn’t be happier to have him out there,” Pisano said. “It’s just disappointing that with his contributions as of late, we haven’t been awarded with a win.”
The Lions had trouble holding onto the lead, heading into the second half when the Scarlet Raptors tied the game at the 57:14 mark. The game remained deadlock at the end of regulation.
In the overtime periods, both teams had opportunities to win the game, but neither could capitalize.
“Even though Camden was ranked and we wound up with a tie, at this point in the season a tie doesn’t suffice,” said Pisano. “It’s a whole lot of great soccer but without the result, and right now, that’s not good enough for us.”
The College ended the week with a hard-fought game against Rutgers-Newark. The Scarlet Raiders attacked the Lions’ backfield early in the game, scoring the first goal of the game. Thanks to the foot of senior midfielder Ed Kozic, the Lions responded to even up the score.
The Lions defensive core could not hold the Scarlet Raiders off in the second half, as they punched in their second and third goals of the game in the 74th and 76th minutes of the game. Freshman midfielder Kevin McCartney netted his second goal of the season, but the late game surge was not enough, as the Lions lost 3-2.
“We’re definitely coming out to these past few games hungry and attacking instead of waiting back and letting the other team come to us,” Pisano said. “The only problem is that we are still having trouble shutting these teams down offensively.”
The Lions played well throughout the entire game but could not come up with the big stops when they needed them the most. In fact, the Lions outshot the Scarlet Raiders by a wide 24-14 margin and held a decisive 6-1 corner kick advantage.
Up to this point in the season, the squad has played much better than its overall 4-5-2 record suggests. The Lions have outscored their opponents 19-18, outshot their opponents 79-50, and have held a 57-43 advantage in corner kicks. The team will need more than just box score stats on their side, however, if they want to advance to the NJAC’s.
In a non-conference matchup, the Lions travel to Muhlenberg on Wednesday in hopes of getting back on the winning track. Each game of the rest of the season is extremely important in keeping the Lions’ postseason aspirations alive.
(09/27/11 6:20am)
The men’s soccer team had a busy week, picking up three points in the standings over three games. The games were an opportunity for the Lions to pick up ground in the win column as they came into the week with a 3-3 record. The team finished the week with a modest 1-1-1 record.
The College took on Richard Stockton College in its New Jersey Athletic Conference opener to begin the week. The Lions struck first as senior forward Luigi Moriello tickled the net in the first half, converting a nice pass from junior midfielder Kevin Shaw. The Lions appeared to have a firm grasp of the game but could not hold on in the final minutes.
The Ospreys had a late-game surge, firing five shots on net in a span of 6:30. Richard Stockton connected with 1:03 remaining in regulation to force the game into overtime.
The overtime period held few scoring opportunities for both teams, as the defenses played extremely sharp. The Lions held a 3-2 advantage in shots but could not capitalize on it, and the game ended in a 1-1 tie.
“It’s always good to get points away from home, but we definitely were satisfied with a tie against Stockton,” said senior forward Dan Constants. “We had a good game, but lost some focus in the last moments. Giving up that tying goal with 1:03 left on the clock was very frustrating.”
In the second game of the week, the Lions took on FDU-Florham. The College was down by a score of 1-0 for the majority of the game, and it was not until the last 10 minutes that the Lions began to play some of their best soccer of the season.
With only 10 minutes left, the urgency began to kick in, but senior leadership did not let the team cripple. Senior midfielders Ed Kozic and Anthony DiPalmo took matters into their own hands, as DiPalmo fed the ball to Kozic to even the score at one apiece. The tying goal from Kozic set the stage for freshman midfielder Kevin McCartney, who delivered the unassisted game-winning goal, the first goal of his collegiate career.
“Coming from a goal down was a big lift for the team,” said Constants. “The way we won, with Kevin McCartney’s goal, was exciting. It was a great goal from him and a big moment for him. Everyone was reliving the goal and congratulating him after the game.”
To finish the week, the College took on Montclair State University, which is second in the NJAC. The Red Hawks struck early, just over 10 minutes into the game. The Red Hawks continued the pressure, scoring once again at the 30-minute mark to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
The Lions finally entered the scoring column with a spectacular goal off the foot of Shaw to diminish the deficit to one. The goal was Shaw’s third of the season, tying Moriello for the team’s lead. The Red Hawks’ defense was stingy the remainder of the game, holding off several good shot attempts. The Lions were never able to overcome the early deficit, falling to 4-4-1 on the season.
This week, the Lions take on Rutgers University-Camden and Rutgers University-Newark. The pair of conference games gives them an opportunity to pick up some ground in the NJAC, as they are currently tied for seventh.
(09/22/11 1:58am)
In the home opener against Stevens, the squad came out sluggish to start. In the first half, the Lions were only able to get off two shots, seeing themselves down by an early 2-0 deficit heading into the second half.
“Our problem with Stevens from the get-go was that we sat back and let them come to us,” said senior forward Chris Pisano. “We decided to have our forwards mark the outside backs and just sit back and let them dictate the pace of the game.”
With only six minutes left in the game, play started to pick up for the Lions. Junior midfielder Kevin Shaw cut through the defense and netted his second goal of the season to cut the score to 2-1. The Ducks responded quickly less than a minute later to push the margin back to two.
The Lions continued to put pressure on the Ducks as senior midfielder Ed Kozic took a feed from Shaw at the 86:27 mark to push the deficit back to one. Desperate to even up the score, the Lions scored a third goal in the 89th minute only to see it waved off due to a foul in the box.
“We knew we had to change things up and start pressing a little bit more,” said Pisano. “In the second half we changed from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3, so we had some more attacking power and we pressed their backs, and I think that’s why we started knocking on their door late in the game, just a little bit too late.”
In the conference opener against Ramapo, the Lions once again found themselves down in the second half. Down 1-0, the Lions clawed their way back to even the score at 1-1 by a goal from sophomore Sean Casey with only 11:57 left.
The momentum kept rolling for the Lions as they kept attacking the net, resulting in their first lead of the game by a goal from senior midfielder Anthony DiPalmo. Unfortunately, the Lions couldn’t keep the opposition away from the net as the Roadrunners evened the score at two, sending the game into overtime.
“With Ramapo, it almost seemed like the same situation against Stevens,” Pisano said. “The first half was not full of many opportunities at all but as soon as we got into the second half we seemed to be on the attacking half for seemingly the entire half.”
Just six minutes into the first overtime, the Roadrunners hit the back of the net with the deciding goal, handing the College its third loss of the season. It was a tough loss for the Lions to swallow, as they outshot the Roadrunners 23-11 while holding a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.
Despite the two heartbreaking losses this past week, the Lions have played well — much better than their 3-3 record suggests, based on their 12 goals for vs. their 10 goals against on the season.
The Lions will look to rebound next week as they have three big games, hoping to further cement their place in the upper echelons of the NJAC and national ranks.
“I believe these games will serve as a huge lesson for us all, and it’s better that it happened earlier in the season rather than later,” said Pisano. “I think everyone will take something away from these games and use it to propel themselves for the upcoming conference games in our way.”
(09/13/11 11:35pm)
The College’s soccer team took part in the Stockton Seashore Soccer Classic hosted by Richard Stockton College over the weekend, playing with great success. They won both of their games, improving to 3-1 on the season.
In the first game of the Stockton Classic, the College defeated 11th-ranked Johns Hopkins University 1-0. In the opening period, the two teams matched each other shot for shot, each taking four shots on goal. The score remained tied 0-0 until three minutes after intermission, when junior midfielder Taylor Gregory connected on his second goal of the season, giving the Lions a 1-0 victory.
“Beating JHU was a big win for us,” said senior forward Dan Constants. “The whole team put in a lot of hard work to get the result. I think what stood out was our resilience.”
The defense was especially sharp in this game. Junior goalkeeper Aaron Utman recorded his first shutout of the season. He faced nine shots, making three saves. To help with goal prevention, senior midfielder Ryan O’Donnell and juniors Vince McEnroe and Sean Cunnen each played the entire 90 minutes.
In the second game of the tournament, the squad took on John Jay College. The Lions fought throughout the entire game, coming back from two one-goal deficits to eventually gut out a 3-2 victory.
“This team has great character and there’s fight in every single player,” said Constants. “We know we’re never out of any game and we’ll always fight to get the job done.”
Just 3:56 into the game, the Bloodhounds netted the first goal. The Lions countered with a goal off the foot of sophomore midfielder Dan Lyons from a great pass from Gregory. The Bloodhounds regained the lead at the 24:40 mark, pushing the lead to 2-1. The Lions once again responded with a goal from junior Kevin Shaw less than a minute later.
The Lions headed into the second period tied at 2-2. That changed midway through the second half as senior forward Luigi Moriello netted the game-winning goal, finishing a rebound off sophomore Sean Casey’s shot. The Lions’ defense was able to hold off the Bloodhounds the rest of the way to take home a 3-2 victory.
“We felt like we were the better team for a lot of the game, but we couldn’t find a way through,” said Constants. “For some teams, that can be very frustrating and their play might suffer. But we kept playing our game knowing we could do what we had to to get the win.”
The Lions begin conference play during their home opener on Wednesday against Stevens Institute of Technology.
(09/07/11 8:34pm)
This past weekend, the men’s soccer team participated in the Keene State College Tournament, splitting two games. On Saturday, the Lions took a heart-breaking loss to host Keene State College in double overtime by a score of 1-0. However, the Lions rebounded the following day to defeat Fitchburg State College in a decisive 4-1 victory.
In the first game of the season, the Lions dominated much of the game against the Owls, outshooting them 15-10. The Lions played aggressively in the second half, firing 11 shots, while the Owls managed only one attempt on net. The game remained scoreless until double overtime, where the Owls netted the first goal of the game at the 1:02:53 mark.
“It was great to get out there and have a game after what was a great preseason for us,” said senior forward Chris Pisano. “Obviously it was a heart-breaker to lose the game in double overtime, but all in all we are walking away from this game content with our performance.”
Senior forward Ray Nelan led the Lions’ attack with five shots fired on net, followed by junior midfielder Kevin Shaw with three shots. On the defensive side, junior goalkeeper Matthew Frederick was perfect through regulation and finished with three saves, while surrendering the only goal of the game.
“We played well as a team, connecting passes across the field and playing great team defense,” said sophomore midfielder Tyler Higgins.
The Lions were able to bounce back on Sunday to defeat the Falcons in impressive fashion. The squad came out of the gate strong, firing 10 shots in the first 15 minutes of the period. Senior forward Luigi Moriello tallied the Lions’ first goal of the season at the 17:41 mark. Following Moriello’s goal, senior midfielder Mike Recchia connected on a goal of his own to make the score 2-0 in the first half.
The Lions started right where they had left off in the second half. Pisano converted on his first goal of the season, along with junior midfielder Taylor Gregory. Senior forward Dan Constants had a pair of assists, setting up Recchia and Pisano’s goals. Goal prevention was also superb as junior goalkeeper Aaron Utman picked up the victory, stopping the only shot he faced in the opening half.
Overall, it was a dominant performance by the College as they outshot Fitchburg State 33-9. After the game, Moriello was named to the All-Tournament team for his outstanding play.
“For the next few games, we will just want to keep playing well, keep our heads up and play together as a unit,” said Higgins. “We look forward to improving our record and having a successful year together.”
The squad will try to keep the ball rolling as it resumes action on Sept. 9 at the Stockton Seashore Soccer Classic against Johns Hopkins University. The Lions will wrap up the week by playing against John Jay College the following day.
“The soccer is looking good, we have a deep bench that keeps the level of play high, and we seem to be clicking as a team,” said Pisano.
(08/30/11 10:57pm)
Goals need to be made both on and off the field in soccer. For the men’s soccer team, their 2010 season ended in a 1-0 game against Kean University in the New Jersey Athletic Conference title game. But with an overall record of 9-6-4 and a conference record of 7-1-1, the Lions are ready to achieve even more in the 2011 season.
“The goal is to make the NCAA tournament,” said head coach George Nazario. “The key to success is simple. We need to start off well and play well against the non-conference teams. We need to be better than 2-5 last year.”
The team was selected to finish second in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) behind Montclair State University, according to the 2011 NJAC coaches’ poll. George Nazario was named the 2010 NJAC Coach of the Year and knows what to do this fall with an experienced team.
This year’s team is led by senior forward Ray Nelan. Nelan was a First Team All-NJAC selection last year and led the Lions with seven goals and 14 points. Joining Nelan to lead the offensive barrage are seniors Chris Pisano, Luigi Moriello and Anthony DiPalmo.
“I think Chris Pisano is one player who will take the biggest step,” Nazario said. “He gets up and down the field quickly, and most of all his versatility is huge for the team’s success.”
Defensively, juniors Vince McEnroe and Ryan O’Donnell return to control the Lion’s backfield, both of which were NJAC honorable mentions last season. Junior goalkeepers Adam Friedman and Aaron Utman will compete for minutes. Not necessarily a bad problem to have considering the talents of both: Friedman won six games in 10 starts, while allowing 1.34 goals per game; Utman played just as well with a team-high 27 saves in eight starts, two of which were shutouts.
The Lions kick off their 2011 season on Sept. 3 against Keene State College as part of the Keene State College Tournament. The men’s team makes its home debut against Stevens Institute of Technology on Sept. 14.