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(09/11/12 9:37pm)
The 23-year-old man who was found on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 1, near the Spiritual Center was attacked and struck by a vehicle, suffering a broken femur while attempting to leave an off-campus party, according to Ewing Police.
Detective Jeffrey Jacobs said in an email that the man, who was at the College to watch the football game, attended a house party held on Vannest Avenue in Ewing, a residence rented by members of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity at the College. When he attempted to leave, he was attacked by three or more individuals and “at some point during the assault the victim was struck by a vehicle, which fled the scene,” Jacobs said.
According to an email from Campus Police, the victim “was not able to provide a description of the attacker(s) or the location of the incident, but he appeared to have sustained significant injuries and was transported to the Helene Fuld Medical Center.” Ewing Police have revealed that the victim could not describe the attackers, but he was able to say the vehicle that hit him could possibly be an older model gold Acura.
The victim also stated that he was put in a car and then “dumped out of the car,” according to police.
Police also discovered through interviews that there were approximately 200 people at the party and that they currently know there were several witnesses to the assault and hit-and-run.
While the incident is still under investigation at this time, Ewing Police are asking anyone who may have been a witness to or involved in the attack to call Jacobs at 609-406-5562, the confidential tipline at 609-882-7530 or email an anonymous tip at policetips@ewingnj.org.
Campus Police also asked anyone who has pertinent information to the case to call into Campus Police Services at 609-771-2345.
(09/11/12 9:27pm)
Sophomore defender Victoria Martin reared back and fired a pass into the middle of the field and then watched as senior forward Jillian Nealon banged in the College’s only goal in a 1-0 victory over FDU-Florham on Saturday, Sept. 8.
After bringing the ball down into the offensive end, Martin knocked the ball through the Devils’ defense and found Nealon, who tallied her fifth goal of the season.
“It was a beautiful pass and it was a beautiful goal,” head coach Sharon Pfluger said. “Everybody worked hard for it, but it was a nice finish to the whole play.”
After that score, the Lions (2-0) relied on defense as their offense fell into a lull.
“I think there were opportunities where we could have created more and we were kind of just watching the shot and then letting them clear it out,” Pfluger said.
While the Lions’ offense struggled, their defense stepped up, stopping the Devils’ offense in its tracks. The Lions put a halt to eight penalty corners with the help of senior Meredith Jeffries, who met the ball at the top of the shooting circle on several occasions.
“When we go into the corner, all we say is ‘we have to get the ball out,’” Jeffries said. “So, we just gave everything we could and got it out and I think that was a big part of our transition up field again.”
The Lions’ defense, which is full of veterans, relied heavily on two freshmen against the Devils with goalkeeper Roisin Dougherty and defender Mikayla Cimilluca serving as the last lines of defense at several points in the contest.
Dougherty was strong in the cage in her first start for the Lions — who were without sophomore goalkeeper Amanda Krause — making three saves and combing with the defense in front of her to record the shutout.
“I thought she had a good game,” Jeffries said. “She really stepped up and she didn’t play scared at all.”
Cimilluca had a steady stick throughout the game and made her biggest play of the day with 14:46 left in the first half. With the Devils receiving a penalty corner opportunity, FDU midfielder Kelsey Kistle ripped a shot toward the cage and to the side of Dougherty. But the shot was quickly deflected away by Cimilluca, who recorded the Lions only defensive save of the game.
Pfluger said it was good to see the pair of freshmen pick up some experience and perform well. She also believes that games like these prove that the younger girls can be counted on.
“(Their performance) speaks volumes,” Pfluger said. “I think it’s good for the older girls to see that, to see that (Roisin and Mikayla) are absolutely capable of playing with the most experienced kids that we have. It’s nice to see, it’s a good feeling.”
Overall, Pfluger was happy with the play she got from her defense. Most importantly was the way they performed when senior midfielder Camille Passucci was forced to sit out for two minutes after receiving a green card for what Pfluger says was a called push.
“I think they all held strong under the pressure,” Pfluger said. “We are going to have to play defense, in every game you have to play some defense, so after dealing with that (offensive) pressure, I was happy with how we played.”
Pfluger is still fooling around with her lineup, bringing in four substitutes throughout the game, but she said that the team is “getting used to each other and learning a lot.”
The Lions will be back in action on Thursday, Sept. 13, when they travel to Gwynedd Valley, Pa. to take on Gwynedd-Mercy College at 7p.m.
(09/11/12 9:06pm)
Following a nation-wide search, Debra Kelly was selected to assume the role of director of the Career Center. Kelly will be leading the College’s efforts to provide career development, recruitment services and student employment, as well as assisting students in their pursuit of further study, according to an email from Ceceilia M. O’Callaghan, assistant vice president of student affairs.
“(Kelly) has accumulated an extensive background in providing career services in a higher education setting, including almost 14 years at (the College), first as associate director and for the last year as interim director of the Career Center, where she demonstrated, daily, her commitment to serving both students and employers,” O’Callaghan said.
Prior to arriving at the College, Kelly gained career services expertise through roles at Richard Stockton State College, Rowan University and Bucks County Community College. She has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from East Stroudsburg University and a Masters in Counseling from Kutztown University.
She can be reached at her email, (dkelly@tcnj.edu), or in her office at Roscoe West Room 102.
(09/05/12 7:08am)
Senior forward Jillian Nealon has seen a lot of remarkable things unfold since arriving at the College in the fall of 2009. Yet what developed on Friday, Aug. 31, was a feat that even Nealon hadn’t previously experienced.
Nealon had never scored more than three goals in a season coming into 2012, but in a 5-3 win over Stevens Institute of Technology, the senior forward scored four, count ’em, four goals.
“It was awesome to see Jillian get so many goals,” said senior midfielder Camille Passucci. “She has worked really hard this preseason and it all came together for the first game. She had a great stick the entire game and it definitely paid off on the scoreboard.”
The first goal of Nealon’s career day came in a moment of need for the Lions, with the shot entering the cage a little over a minute after the Lions surrendered a goal to the Ducks. It was a goal that Nealon says ignited the Lions for the rest of the contest.
“That goal got us fired up, we knew we had to answer back and do it quick,” Nealon said. “I think the fact that we did score so quickly after (that goal) was key because we never got down on ourselves. We just got fueled off the adrenaline from our goal.”
Sophomore midfielder Erin Waller picked up where she left off in 2011, putting the Lions ahead 2-1 and then assisting on Nealon’s second score to give the Lions a two-goal lead heading into the half. Both goals came after penalty corners started by Passucci.
“Erin has been doing a great job and her hard work in the offseason has definitely paid off,” Passucci said. “She is such a key player in the midfield and the offensive corner crew and will make a big impact this year without a doubt.”
Early in the second half, Nealon kept her stick hot, securing a hat trick 43 seconds into the second period. Nealon would add her final goal later in the half, putting the Lions comfortably ahead 5-2 in what ultimately ended as a 5-3 game.
In the shadow of the Nealon’s career-high performance, sophomore goalkeeper Amanda Krause posted a solid day in the cage in her first start replacing last year’s goalkeeper Shannon Syciarz.
Krause, who finished with three saves, impressed her teammates and Syciarz, who was in attendance, when she made a beautiful save on a Stevens’ stroke.
“Her save against the stroke was a key save that definitely changed the momentum of the game to our favor,” Passucci said. “She is starting to find her groove, and we’re confident with her as our defensive anchor.”
The Lions also saw encouraging play from two freshmen, forward Cortney Natalicchio and defender Mikayla Cimilluca, who both started against the Ducks.
“Both Cortney and Mikayla adjusted really well to playing in their first college game, which is difficult to do, and I think they are both going to keep improving and really help the team out,” Nealon said.
After shaking off the rust against Stevens, the Lions have a few things to work on before they play their second game of the season Saturday, Sept. 8, against FDU-Florham, but for now the Lions are just happy to have started 2012.
“It felt good to finally get on the field and play another team,” Nealon said. “We have been in preseason for a while and we have scrimmaged each other a lot so it was nice to finally have a game.”
(09/05/12 5:27am)
Last week, the Education Building began housing classes for students at the College and, so far, the reviews on the new building have been nothing but positive.
Marion Cavallaro, an associate professor in the department of counselor education, said that although the move from Forcina Hall into the new building was difficult, “no one minded the work.” Even though she has worked at the College for 33 years, Cavallaro said entering the Education Building was like “walking into a new universe.”
Cavallaro noted that the new technology was one of the major upgrades made when the building was constructed. Sixteen of the 20 rooms in the Education Building are “smart” classrooms that allow professors more possibility in terms of the presentation of material, according to Cavallaro.
The technology makes it easier for professors to show PowerPoints and also provides them the ability to show print materials on screen immediately. Professors can also use the “smart” technology to write over PowerPoints and can save what they write directly into their computers, which makes it so “you don’t even need to use a board,” Cavallaro said.
Another major improvement for the department of counselor education has been the development of rooms that can be viewed through one-way mirrors. Cavallaro explained that these rooms allow students to watch their peers conduct mock counseling sessions and take notes or make critiques of the performance.
These rooms are also equipped with recording devices that allow students to watch themselves in action. The recordings can be copied to card readers and can be taken home for further viewing on all kinds of devices, which Cavallaro believes opens a Pandora’s box of possibilities.
“A lot will happen in the classroom, but this technology will allow us to do a lot of this outside the classroom as well, which is a whole new experience for us,” Cavallaro said. “We are just now beginning to think of all the different possible ways to use it.”
The technology has impressed students as well.
“The most noticeable advantage I see is the new technology,” said senior Alyssa SooHoo, who is in the five-year special education program and is planning to double major in psychology and minor in speech pathology. “I am taking a graduate course on assistive technology and its great that we can just follow along on our own computers in class. The hands-on experience is a lot better and makes for a nicer learning environment.”
Callavaro believes it is important for the students to get a sense of the “smart” classrooms now, since they will have to use it in future jobs.
Beside the technology, students and professors have also commented on how inviting the new building is for education majors.
“One of the best things about it is probably the café because it finally gives education majors a place of their own where they can gather before and after class,” SooHoo said. “There are also little pockets within the building with couches where students can socialize or just read before class. The balcony with seating area outside the special education office is also awesome.”
SooHoo praised a few other aspects of the building as well.
“The multi-purpose room gives education students a place for bigger events and parking in the lot right next to the new building for commuters is helpful,” SooHoo said.
Senior Karyn Unger, who is in the five-year urban education program at the College, also praised the building’s new café.
“I like that the café has a wide selection of drinks and food,” Unger said. “The iced coffee and vegetable packages are delicious. I also like that the café is a great spot to relax and grab a bite to eat in between classes. I can see the cafe becoming an ideal location for meetings with classmates as well.”
Unger added that the new building has an “abundance of windows” and is a lot more open than Forcina Hall was.
Callavaro already gets the sense that the week-old building has given education majors something they have lacked in the past: a home.
“We talk at the College about how we are a community of learners and I think that this kind of building that we have now will facilitate that because I think students will want to be there,” Callavaro said. “There is a café, there is a beautiful computer room and places for them to sit before and after class to do work and converse. I think there will be a new sense of identity with the School of Education Building as not just a classroom building, but a home for them on campus.”
(09/05/12 5:15am)
This summer the College went to work on updating its campus and some of the projects will carry over into the semester.
The new Education Building is still undergoing some final touches on its interior, which should be done by the end of the fall, according to Matt Golden, associate vice president for Communications and College Relations.
The interior stairs still need to have terrazzo treads installed and Golden expects that job to be done over the next two weeks. There will also be a glass railing installed on these stairs and the railing should be delivered in the next two weeks and should be up by early October, according to Golden.
The remaining construction on the building is minor cleanup, which occurs on most buildings after they are constructed and first occupied, Golden said.
“All other work is punch list work and is being done now through the fall months,” Golden said. “It is routine for several months of punch list and cleanup work to occur after a building is opened and first occupied.”
The College’s Steam and Sanitary Pipes Replacement project, under construction on the lawn behind Allen, Brewster and Ely Halls and on Metzger Drive, is on its way to being completed, but there is still some work to be done, according to Golden.
“The sanitary line to the Power House has been completed,” Golden said. “Campus Construction is working now on the steam and condensate piping, which is nearby, and will complete it by late fall.”
Another noticeable piece of construction on campus is being done outside Packer Hall. Golden said that these are Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) upgrades that are “being done to provide cooling to the pool area, utilizing the campus-wide chilled water system.”
The HVAC portion of the project is scheduled to be done in October 2012 and the roofing portion of the project will done in May 2013, according to Golden.
The budget for this construction reported at the July 2012 Board of Trustee meeting was $3,952,054.
(09/04/12 4:50pm)
The 23-year-old man who was found Saturday morning near the Spiritual Center was attacked and struck by a vehicle, suffering a broken femur while attempting to leave an off-campus party, according to Ewing Police.
Detective Jeffrey Jacobs said in an email that the man, who was at the College to watch Friday’s football game, attended a house party held on Vannest Avenue in Ewing, a residence rented by members of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity at the College. When he attempted to leave, he was attacked by three or more individuals and “at some point during the assault the victim was struck by a vehicle, which fled the scene,” Jacobs said.
According to an email from Campus Police, the victim “was not able to provide a description of the attacker(s) or the location of the incident, but he appeared to have sustained significant injuries and was transported to the Helene Fuld Medical Center.” Ewing Police have revealed that although the victim could not describe the attackers, he did say the vehicle that hit him could possibly be an older model gold Acura.
The victim also stated that he was put in a car and then dropped “dumped out of the car,” according to police.
Police also discovered through interviews that there were approximately 200 people at the party and that they know there were several witnesses to the assault hit-and-run.
The incident is still under investigation and at this time, Ewing Police are asking anyone who may have been a witness or involved to call Jacobs at 609-406-5562, the confidential tipline at 609-882-7530 or email an anonymous tip at policetips@ewingnj.org.
Campus Police also asked anyone with pertinent information to call Campus Police Services at 609-771-2345.
(09/01/12 4:18pm)
A 23-year-old man was found this morning near the Spiritual Center and reported being attacked at an off-campus party, according to an email sent out by Campus Police.
According to the email, the victim, who is not a student at the College, said he visited campus last night to watch the College’s football game against Ursinus College. He reported that he was attacked later and then dropped off at the location that he was discovered.
In the email, Camus Police stated that the victim “was not able to provide a description of the attacker(s) or the location of the incident, but he appeared to have sustained significant injuries and was transported to the Helene Fuld Medical Center.”
Campus Police also asked anyone with pertinent information to call Campus Police Services (609-771-2345) and encouraged students to travel in groups and notify them of any suspicious behavior.
(08/28/12 5:39pm)
The College will induct its 2012 Hall of Fame class on Friday, Oct. 19, in the Brower Student Center, welcoming six individuals and two teams of distinction on the evening before Homecoming.
The event’s committee members voted to enshrine Carl Jones ’87 (football), Marie Whalen ’90 (field hockey/lacrosse), Howard Forman ’91 (baseball) and Robin Selbst ’96 (field hockey/softball/lacrosse). Meanwhile, the veterans committee selected Steve Libro ’65 (football) and Fred Surgent ’64 (gymnastics/soccer/track and field).
Joining these six individuals will be the 1985 women’s lacrosse team, which won a National Championship, and the 1963 football team.
Jones filled many roles on the Lions’ defense during his tenure and ended his career with a program record 274 career tackles.
Whalen was a member of four teams that won national titles during her time with the field hockey and lacrosse programs. Whalen shined as a freshman for the field hockey team, making the all-tournament team on the Lions’ way to the 1985 National Championship, according to head coach Sharon Pfluger.
“She was just a really steady sweeper for us and made the all-tournament team as a freshman,” Pfluger said. “It was a loaded team and Marie just slipped right in there.”
Forman’s claim to fame at the College is his 18 career complete games — a program record. The right-hander posted a 26-4 career record and racked up All-America honors in 1991, a year in which the Lions finished second in the Division III College World Series, and 1992.
Selbst is one of the crown jewels in the 2012 class, earning a Hall of Fame spot after excelling in field hockey, softball and lacrosse during her time as an athlete at the College. She is the only Division III athlete on record to win a title in three different sports, according to the College’s athletic website.
“Robin is a great athlete,” Pfluger said of her former player and current colleague. “I don’t think (her selection) was even questionable, whether it was in field hockey or softball.”
After playing for Pfluger in both field hockey and lacrosse, Selbst became a coach on her staff and is currently a full-time assistant for both programs.
“It’s the icing on the cake that she works here and devotes so much of her life to the athletic program,” Pfluger said. “It’s not often that someone that works here is inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
“I’m really happy that she is able to share this not only with her field hockey and softball families, but also with her colleagues here at the College.”
Libro was a two-way football player for the Lions in his day and was also a member of the 1963 team, a squad that held their opponents to seven points or less in seven of eight games during a 7-1 season.
Surgent, like Selbst, also participated in three sports during his time at the College. The tri-athlete made his biggest impact in gymnastics, helping the program climb to varsity status, but also participated in soccer and thrived as a pole vaulter for the track and field team.
The 1985 women’s lacrosse team won the first Division III women’s lacrosse national title under head coach Melissa Magee with a 7-4 win over Ursinus College.
For more information about the event, contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at (609) 771- 2598.
(08/28/12 5:38pm)
Head coach Sharon Pfluger has always seen the talent in senior defender Camille Passucci and she now believes the rest of the country will too.
Passucci was the glue that held the ship together for the College last year on its way to a National Championship, contributing on both ends of the field. This year, she will lead the Lions as one of six seniors on a quest to repeat last year’s glory.
“She’s really become an outstanding field hockey player,” Pfluger said. “She works very hard, is an excellent leader and is demanding of the other kids. So, even though she was in the limelight (last year), now she will be even more so I think.”
Passucci, who led the Lions with 43 points last year, will be the center piece of a senior class that also includes forward Caitlyn Jenkins, defender Christy Wham, defender Meredith Jeffries, forward Jillian Nealon and forward/midfielder Cassandra Martin.
Pfluger knows there’s a lot to miss from last year’s squad, but she expects this year’s senior class, along with sophomores Lauren Pigott and Victoria Martin, to set the tone for a team attempting to be the first team at the College to repeat as National Champions since 1996.
“I expect those girls to pace the team,” Pfluger said. “I think that’s the biggest thing (when you lose seniors), they say, ‘Okay, it’s our turn.’ So as long as they step up and take that leadership role, that will be a good direction for us.”
The Lions head into the season ranked as the No. 1 team in the 2012 Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III Preseason Poll, but Pfluger said her team doesn’t feel any added pressure.
“I don’t think it’s any greater challenge this year than in years past because we, as a coaching staff, have high expectations and the players have high expectations,” Pfluger said. “We want to meet those expectations and we work so hard to reach those expectations.”
The Lions lost a lot of talent with the graduation of forwards Leigh Mitchell and Kathleen Notos, defenders Alex Okuniewicz and Jessica Persicketti and goalkeeper Shannon Syciarz. However, a rash of injuries early last season gave the younger girls plenty of opportunities to play and the “kids got a lot of experience,” according to Pfluger.
Two players that the Lions hope continue developing are sophomore forwards Erin Waller and Erin Healy. Waller ended an impressive freshmen campaign (29 points) with two goals and an assist in the National Championship game — a 3-1 victory over Middlebury College — while Healy collected a few starts herself and provided valuable minutes of the bench.
The Lions will also benefit from the comebacks of junior forward Sarah Cummings, sophomore defender Marissa Pennypacker and Victoria Martin — all of whom went down with season-ending injuries last year.
The biggest question mark to start this season may be in the cage where sophomore Amanda Krause looks to replace Syciarz. Pfluger said that Krause was a “very good” high school goalie, but that she got even better last year and her small sample size — almost 60 minutes of play without surrendering a goal — in 2011 is encouraging heading into this season.
The bar has been set high for the Lions, who come into the season on a 14-game winning streak, but right now, the Lions are just working day-by-day to piece together what their starting lineup will look like when the season opens against Stevens Institute of Technology on Aug. 31, according to Pfluger.
“We work through that in each session,” Pfluger said. “Where is the right combination, where is the natural chemistry between players? It’s always a challenge, but they do what we ask of them and we are just hoping to bring them to the next level every day.”
(08/28/12 4:46pm)
What was merely a vision in May 2010 has now become tangible with the new Education Building operational for the fall 2012 semester.
The new building — which will be the School of Education’s new home, replacing the outdated Forcina Hall — is 72,000 square feet and has 20 classrooms. These rooms include: typical classrooms, a tiered classroom, a computer classroom, an Early Childhood Model Classroom, an Elementary Model Classroom, a Science Education Research Classroom and a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Classroom. The building also has a tiered, 165-seat auditorium and one seminar room.
The idea for the $33.5 million structure started back in 2001 when the Education Building was included in the Conceptual Campus Facilities Master Plan Framework and the planning began about half a decade ago, according to Matthew Golden, associate vice president for Communications and College Relations.
“The programming began more than five years ago, when the College’s facilities master plan was updated,” Golden said in an email. “At that time consultants met with many campus constituents, including vice presidents, the provost, deans, faculty, staff and students to develop program requirements for all facilities included in the master plan.
“The program developed for the education building during that master-planning process was a starting point for the design, which began in January 2010 and involved the dean, chairs, faculty, staff and students,” Golden continued. “Working with consultants, this group updated and refined the program.”
Of the 20 classrooms, 16 are standard “smart classrooms.” A smart classroom has technology built into it and is the new standard at the College, according to Golden.
The ceiling-mounted projector and projection screen can be operated by wall switches or at the lectern. The lectern houses the computer, which is connected to the projector. The lighting controls allow the professor to turn off the lights at the front of the room when the white board in use, or turn that row of lights off when the projection screen is in use. The white boards are interactive, meaning that they electronically record what is written on them.
“The devices in the other rooms have been tailored for unique requirements,” Golden said.
The building was designed by Environetics Design, Inc. and constructed by Dobco Inc. It was designed to meet LEED Silver standards, but will not be certified in order to save money on the certification fees, according to Golden.
“The College can get the same environmental and energy-saving benefits without spending additional money for the actual certification,” Golden said. “For this type of project, the additional fees would likely cost between $60,000 and $70,000. In keeping with our constant goal of minimizing unnecessary costs to the College and helping keep tuition and fees low for our students, we chose to forego buying the certification but are happy to know we have built to LEED silver standards.”
LEED standards are often thought of as addressing energy efficiency, which it does, but another aspect of this design is occupant comfort, Golden said.
“The design addresses occupant comfort through indoor air quality (IAQ) measures, including increased ventilation, low-emitting materials and an IAQ plan during construction,” Golden told The Signal in an email. “Daylighting of space and views to the exterior were another important component of the design.”
Energy-efficient features include motion-activated lighting and a chilled beam system with heat recovery wheels and heat pipe technology. This chilled beam system pre-treats the air to reduce the amount of cooling and heating needed to condition the building, Golden explained.
The system provides free pre-cooling and also reheats air to the air handling unit. The reduction in primary airflow allows the amount of electricity used to be reduced, according to Golden.
There will be a café in the building, which will be open to serve day and evening students. Meal equivalency will apply in the Education Café, as will meal plan points.
The Education Café will be open from Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., as well as on Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Golden said.
The total cost of all the ins and outs of the new state-of-the-art building will be covered by a bond issued in 2010, according to Golden.
“The bonds were issued as combination of tax-exempt and taxable Build America Bonds,” Golden said. “The Build America Bonds were part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. (The College) will receive an annual cash subsidy of approximately $1.0 million or 35 percent of the interest payment from the United States Treasury to offset the annual debt service payments on these bonds.”
The building structure consists of steel and concrete, the exterior is made of brick and cast stone, the flat roof is ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) and the sloped roof is synthetic slate. There will also be a piece of aluminum artwork outside of the new Education Building, which was created by Tom Nussbasum.
(08/28/12 4:42pm)
Over the past summer, the College gave itself a facelift, bringing several buildings and its pipes system up to date.
The main attraction of the summer was the completion of the new Education Building, but the College’s pipes system as well as Centennial, Decker, Travers, Wolfe and Cromwell Halls also went under construction to improve their current condition before the fall 2012 semester.
The College’s Steam and Sanitary Pipes Replacement project is currently under construction on the ABE lawn and Metzger Drive and is designed to “replace major building components and utility infrastructure based on expected life spans of equipment, materials and systems,” according to Matthew Golden, associate vice president for Communications and College Relations.
“The steam line developed a condensate leak, which allows treated water to be discharged into the storm water system,” Golden told The Signal. “This condition is not permitted by regulatory agencies and must be corrected. Without the steam system, there would not be heat or hot water.”
Golden explained that one of the biggest factors the College took into account was the exception that the addition of the new Education Building would add more waste to sections of pipe that were already considered to be inadequate.
“The sanitary pipe system carries waste from sinks, showers and toilets to the treatment facility,” Golden said. “The College recently investigated the underground sanitary pipe system and found that the pipe serving Centennial is undersized based on the flow rates and slope of the pipe.”
Centennial Hall saw numerous renovations over the summer as a part of the College’s asset renewal plan, similar to the recently completed Decker Hall renovations. The College expects the renovations to Centennial to be completed over two summers, which will allow the school to avoid taking the building off-line for a year, according to Golden.
Golden shared that the College reviewed last year’s student petition with Residential Education and addressed some “cosmetic issues, but the focus of this project is on asset renewal needs of major building systems related to life safety, environmental controls and building envelope.”
The Centennial Hall renovations project, according to Golden, was completed prior to students moving in and includes: new flooring in the hallways, fresh paint on walls and ceilings throughout the building, new furniture — including beds, bunk ladders, dressers, desks and desk chairs — and a new spray-applied coating on the tile walls in the bathrooms.
A small renovation of the lower level lakeside showers will take place during the summer of 2013.
Centennial also underwent a roof replacement during the summer along with Decker, Travis and Wolfe Halls.
The Cromwell renovations project started in May 2012 and is expected to be completed prior to the fall 2013 semester, according to Golden. The focus of the project is to “replace aging plumbing fixtures and piping infrastructure” and will also include new finishes throughout the building’s rooms, lounges, entrance and lobby.
(07/13/12 6:58pm)
President R. Barbara Gitenstein and the Board of Trustees eased their way through their public meeting on Tuesday, July 10, discussing the 2013 budget, the current professor contract situation and a few changes regarding admittance for future classes.
During the meeting, a budget was unanimously approved for the 2013 fiscal year that will cause an increase in tuition and fees of 3.3 percent for full-time, in-state undergraduate students and 3.4 percent for full-time, out-of-state undergraduate students.
This amounts to a $342 increase for in-state students, while out-of-state tuition rose by $685. Room and board went up from $10,677 to $10,998 for all students.
Tuition and fees for graduate students, in-state and out-of-state, increased 3.5 percent in all categories.
The highest increase came under the student activity fee, which shot up 6 percent, a move recommended by the Student Finance Board and Student Government, according to the public meeting agenda.
Jorge A. Caballero, a member of the board, reported that these increases were the second lowest in the state — Rowan University comes in at the lowest with a 3 percent increase, according to Lloyd Ricketts, associate treasurer at the College.
President Gitenstein said that the College will be able to “see additional investments as a result of the tuition increase and cost containment.”
Caballero said it was important to recognize that the College was putting money into “investments that we must make, but also investments that we want to make.”
These investments include additional resources for library acquisitions, student and faculty research, staff development, scholarships and tuition waivers as well as salary adjustments, according to Gitenstein.
Those salary adjustments come in association with the recently ratified contracts with the state, in addition to the contracts with the American Federation of Teachers that have not been ratified yet, according to the Board of Trustees.
Gitenstein said that the strategic planning involved in the budget has “established a foundation for future direction.”
The trustees also announced that this year’s class was the largest pool of applicants in the College’s history. Those students that were accepted averaged an SAT score of 1262 and ranked in the 91 percentile of their graduation class.
“The applicant pool in number and quality continues to indicate that (the College) is an excellent opportunity for students of great promise and talent,” Gitenstein said. “We are becoming more and more competitive.”
Along the lines of improving the quality of the College’s students, the trustees announced an opportunity for students placed on the wait list, known as the Provisional Student Pilot Program. This program allows students who were not admitted to take three courses at a reduced fee, according to Robert A. Altman’s address to the Board of Trustees.
If these students perform well, they will become “regularly matriculated students in the spring,” Gitenstein said. She explained that the program is designed to fill rooms left over from students who decide to study abroad in the spring.
Altman also announced that the SAT will be optional for future students who wish to come to the College majoring in art.
The trustees included time in their meeting to honor 2012 graduate Randi Lynn Veenstra and professor John McCarty for their service to the Board of Trustees.
The meeting concluded with the approval for resolutions that will name an early childhood classroom after Marilyn Grinwis Gray and the varsity softball field for June Walker.
(05/15/12 1:24am)
As head coach Sharon Pfluger addressed the College’s lacrosse team at halftime of their quarterfinal matchup with No. 2-ranked SUNY-Cortland, she had momentum on her side. The No. 4-ranked Lions had just dug themselves out of an early 5-1 hole to end the first period only down 7-6, but Pfluger could not anticipate what happened next.
The second half began and the chance to gain control of the game lay in both squads’ hands, yet for a time it seemed that neither would take advantage of it. The first score of the second half did not become a reality until after what seemed to be a never-ending 20:36 minutes ticked away and the Red Dragons took an 8-6 lead, which eventually became a 9-7 Cortland victory on Sunday, May 13.
“The second half was like a stalemate the whole time and then they scored to go up two,” Pfluger said. “You can’t have too many mistakes in a row in a tight game because you’re not going to get your opportunities back. We didn’t play some situations as smart as we should have and I think we could have shot better.”
After taking the field again for what ended up being the last 30 minutes of their season, the Lions kept the pendulum of momentum swinging their way as senior midfielder Kathleen Notos grabbed the opening draw control.
The Lions seemed to have a picture-perfect pass from senior midfielder Leigh Mitchell to junior attacker Alex Spark -- a combination that produced 26 goals this season -- but Cortland goalkeeper Shauna Hutchinson made the save.
During the 20:36-minute stretch, the Lions would have two more strong opportunities to score, but neither could find the back of the net: one hit off the post and the other sailed wide.
“It’s great to have a strong first half, but it needs to finish and carry over to the second half,” said sophomore attacker Jen Garavente, who recorded three goals and an assist in the opening half. “We didn’t play the full 60 minutes.”
Meanwhile, the Lions held their ground every bit as much as the Red Dragons did defensively with sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Zinck leading the group with four of her eight saves coming in that span.
“Kelsey was tremendous and this was her first postseason experience; Kelsey’s a good goalie,” Pluger said. “There was a save that Kelsey made that made me say, ‘That was awesome.’ It was nice and steady, so I think she did her job. I don’t think she should be upset with herself. Maybe upset with the outcome, but not with herself.”
Things became progressively harder for the Lions after the Red Dragons drove down and made it a 9-6 ball game a few minutes later. After that score, the Red Dragons began to play pitch and catch as they looked to run out the clock.
The Lions weren’t dead just yet though as Notos forced a turnover, Mitchell scooped up the ground ball and then Notos capped the sequence off with her second goal of the game, setting the contest at 9-7.
Notos won the ensuing draw control, but the Lions hopes were slashed when their next shot attempt ended up in the back of Hutchinson’s stick instead of the back of the net. The Red Dragons were able to hold possession for the last four minutes after that misfire and walk away with the win.
“We didn’t have many shots (in the second half) and if we did they weren’t smart shots,” Pfluger said. “Not to say (Hutchinson) isn’t a good goalie, but there are ways to beat her and we know that.”
As disappointing as the second half was for the Lions, it would not even have been noteworthy without the Lions battling back from down 5-1 in the first half.
Garavente keyed the Lions attack as they climbed back into the game, scoring three goals -- two coming after yellow cards issued to the Red Dragons – and assisting Mitchell’s only goal of the contest. Junior attacker Trenna Hill also tallied a score on a free-position opportunity.
In the end though, the Lions were not able to repeat the comeback they made the day before against Amherst College, turning a solemn 7-4 into an awe-inspiring 8-7 -- an experience that made the loss even harder to take, according to Zinck.
“It was definitely tough,” Zinck said. “It was physically exhausting, mentally exhausting and emotionally exhausting, especially after playing yesterday in such a tight game.”
Another tidbit that added to the emotion was that Notos, Mitchell and senior attacker Sara Keating graduate another class of Lions who were unable to win a National Championship in lacrosse -- the College’s last title came in 2006.
“Honestly, they’re the only thing that races through my mind right now,” Garavente said after the game. “The reason why you want to do it is so your seniors graduate on a great note. You want to do it for the team, but your biggest motivation is to win it for your seniors because they’ve taught us so much. None of us would be half the players we are without them, so that’s your biggest motivator. You love them to death and that’s honestly the first and only thing that raced through my mind when we lost.”
Although she would have liked to see a different outcome, Pfluger expressed that her team should be proud of all that they accomplished in 2012.
“It seems really sad, but in the big picture it’s a great thing that they care so much and that we all care so much about each other,” Pfluger said. “It’s not just about winning. It’s about being around each other every day and helping each other out. I’m proud of them. I’m just upset we didn’t finish strong.”
(05/13/12 3:29am)
Cortland, N.Y. -- Junior attacker Alex Spark dodged her way through defenders and ripped off a shot that could have been heard all the way back in Ewing.
It was the culmination of a comeback that saw the College’s No. 4-ranked lacrosse team inch their way back, tooth and nail, from a 7-4 deficit to overcome No. 7-ranked Amherst College 8-7 on Saturday, May 13. Spark’s goal with 4.6 seconds left was just the exclamation point on the Lions' comeback story.
“It felt pretty good because there is so much energy on this team,” said Spark, who finished the game with a team-high five goals. “Throughout the whole game we just worked so hard and we didn’t come here to lose this game and we fought to the very last second to win.”
With 7:20 left in the contest and her team down by three goals, head coach Sharon Pfluger called a timeout to settle the team down. She reminded them that they still had time -- they just need to keep possession and go to goal. After the break in play concluded, Pfluger saw her words come to life vicariously through her players.
Less than 20 seconds later, Spark began a run that would lead the Lions to triumph. The Lions won the following draw control before turning it over, but there was just too much fight to hold them down.
Sophomore defender Claire Engelman stripped the ball away from Amherst’s Alex Philie and began a sequence that would end with Spark netting a score from the 8-meter.
“Our main goal was to keep pressuring and pressuring,” senior midfielder Kathleen Notos said. “Whoever had the ball, we needed to get the ball. If we applied pressure, we could cause turnovers when we needed to and we were sliding, playing a good helping defense.”
With time becoming precious and possession being the name of the game, the Lord Jeffs won the draw control. Instead of dropping her head though, junior defender Becky Gilman rose to the occasion and played team defense, knocking the ball free from an Amherst attacker and allowing senior midfielder Leigh Mitchell to pick up her seventh ground ball of the game.
The answer to the Lions woes on offense again came from the stick of Spark, who tied things up at seven by sending one into the nylon after receiving a pass from junior attacker Trenna Hill. But, it’s a moment that never would have happened if not for Gilman’s caused turnover, according to Mitchell.
“I think our defense really stepped up, getting the ball back for us, and just gave us more opportunities that we were able to capitalize on,” Mitchell said.
The score now tied at seven, the Lions had one thing on their minds: We need to get the ball back.
“They didn’t have a choice, there was no option because giving up was never an option,” Pfluger said. “This is what you work for. It doesn’t matter how tired you are and it doesn’t matter what else happened in the game because it’s all about the present. You adjust, you make opportunities for yourself and just hope that everyone is on the same wavelength.”
Right on cue, the Lions' season leader in draw controls, sophomore midfielder Lauren Pigott, snagged the tip off out of the air and sent it ahead to the attack.
The Lions worked the ball around, with each member of the team getting several touches before setting up the final all-or-nothing charge toward the net. As the clock ticked down, Spark began to make her move and, after a halt due to a foul call on Amherset, she finished the job -- a summation of the Lions' efforts from the defense all the way to the attack.
“It was a matter of finding the right combination: to get the ball back, to get the ball down the field, figuring out who is going to take the shot,” Pfluger said. “The defense, the midfield and the attack all had to groove together in order for that to work.”
The Lions' late stretch of goals was much needed after the team saw shot after shot either hit off the post or end up in the stick of Amherset goalkeeper Lamia Harik.
“Some go off the post, some the goalie makes good saves, some are shots that could have been better,” Pfluger said. “You get that mix of three going and you’ve good a bad combination.”
Although the offense struggled goals from Spark and Hill as well as a couple of scores from sophomore attacker Jen Garavente – whose second goal ended a nearly 25-minute scoring drought -- kept the Lions within striking range.
While the offense found its way, the defense -- whose play led to 17 turnovers by the Lord Jeffs -- held on for the Lions.
“We finally found someone who was hot and Alex was on, our plan was to give her the ball, but it was also the defense that came up clutch,” Notos said.
Waiting in the wings for the Lions is No. 2-ranked SUNY Cortland -- a team that beat the Lions 9-8 back in March. Pfluger believes that her squad’s play down the stretch against Amherst will be a good precursor for tomorrow’s game against the Red Dragons.
“It was a hard-fought game. Amherst played really well, they forced us to play very hard and we want that,” Pfluger said. “We want to earn our right to each next round and I think that we did.”
Notes: Spark’s five goals gave her 76 on the season, which is fourth best in a season in program history and leaves her 11 away from breaking alumna Ali Jaeger’s record of 86. Mitchell recorded an assist in the contest, giving her 100 points for the season. She is the only Lion to ever record three 100-point seasons.
(05/10/12 9:06pm)
Sophomore defender Jennamarie Colicchia eyed up her opponent, recognized her opportunity and seized it.
With the College up 8-2 in the second half, Colicchia poked the ball loose from her mark and began the Lions' attack. After clearing the ball, the Lions ended their surge with a goal from junior attacker Alex Spark, who led the lacrosse team with five scores.
That sequence was the poster child of a defensive gem that the No. 4-ranked Lions posted yesterday as they cruised to a 14-5 victory over No. 17-ranked Elizabethtown College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“I think defense really did a good job with high pressure and forcing them into mistakes and then we capitalized on those mistakes,” said sophomore attacker Jen Garavente.
The game did not start off well for the Lions as the Blue Jays won the opening draw control, but head coach Sharon Pfluger’s group quickly turned the tide.
Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Zinck made a move outside her crease, intercepted a pass and sent the ball off to the attack. Pfluger came away impressed by her first-year starter’s early aggressiveness and her overall performance — she added four saves on top of three ground balls.
“Every game was a new experience for Kelsey this year, but now I think she is feeling very confident, not over confident, just comfortable,” Pfluger said.
Garavente, who netted four goals, would miss the Lions’ first shot attempt after Zinck’s interception, but her hustle allowed her to force a turnover and keep the ball in the Lions’ hands. The result of that exertion came 24 seconds later when sophomore midfielder Lauren Pigott sent one past Blue Jays goalkeeper Rachael Waldman.
Pigott was productive for the Lions on offense, scoring three times, but her defensive effort was where she really stood out. The midfielder, who was recently voted the New Jersey Athletic Conference’s Defender of the Year, collected four draw controls, two caused turnovers and a ground ball in the victory.
“Lauren Piggott is a great player for us. She’s a terrific athlete, she works hard and she’s a great kid,” Pfluger said. “I really can’t say enough about her. She’s the perfect fit for our program. Even last year when she was a freshman, I was saying to the assistants, ‘I feel like Piggott has been here forever.’ Right away she was playing like a senior last year and what’s really great is this is what she always wanted.”
Fellow midfielder Kathleen Notos was also a staple on defense, compiling four caused turnovers, three draw controls and two ground balls.
As a team, the Lions forced the Blue Jays into nine turnovers and scooped up a total of 19 ground balls. Although they were outdone on the draw controls — the Blue Jays held an 11-10 edge — the Lions held their opponent to scoreless stretches of 18:27 and 24:11 during the contest.
“I think the last two days we had good practice and we were really focused coming in together as a team,” Pigott said. “We really helped each other out and saw the double and saw the opportunities where we could crash in. I think overall we just had really good communication and had each other’s back.”
Pfluger reiterated that thought in her analysis of the defense’s performance.
“I think they were really working very well together,” Pfluger said. “They were reading what each other’s girl was doing so they knew when to slide, when to hold and what to force. I think we played really nice team defense. It was a nice group effort.”
On offense, Spark was the centerpiece of an attack that had five players tally at least one score.
“She reads the situation well, she reads a lot of our players well and she reads the defense well,” Pfluger said. “Her perception and her game sense is very keen.”
Beside Garavente and Pigott, Notos and junior attacker Jillian Nealon each registered a score. While senior midfielder Leigh Mitchell did not score a goal, she produced three assists.
“I think we were really just seeing each other well,” Garavente said. “The credit really goes to your teammates because they’re the ones passing to you.”
With the Blue Jays behind them, the Lions now look ahead to their matchup Saturday, May 12, at 3:30 p.m. against No. 7-ranked Amherst College (13-4) in Cortland, N.Y.
(04/24/12 9:42pm)
Assistant head coach Gina Carey-Smith fires shots at Kelsey Zinck to warm her up before each game and she can’t help but see a little bit of herself in the goalkeeper.
Zinck not only guards the net for the No. 5-ranked Lions (12-3), like Carey-Smith did back in the early 1990s, but she also came to the College from a Division I program. Carey-Smith, who transferred in from Ohio State University, has been Zinck’s mentor this season as the sophomore transitions to the College after playing last season at the University of Connecticut.
“As her coach, I think that she has made a remarkable adjustment,” Carey-Smith said. “I know that playing at the (Division I) level and then coming in here and having to fight for a starting position was very difficult, but Kelsey is the type of kid who challenges herself.”
Bringing in transfer students is something that head coach Sharon Pfluger has never shied away from during her 26 years as the head honcho of the Lions lacrosse program. And it’s a practice that has helped her solidify her team over the last two years as the Lions welcomed Zinck (Burke, V.A.) and junior attacker Trenna Hill (Syracuse, N.Y.) this season as well as junior attacker Alex Spark (Harvey Cedars, N.J.) and sophomore defender Claire Engelman (Colts Neck, N.J.) in 2011.
Although the girls haven’t been with the program as long as some of the others, Pfluger feels that they have been able to slide right in.
“The girls welcomed them with open arms like they would with anybody,” Pfluger said. “We get a lot of transfers, it’s not uncommon, and the girls like that. They like to see girls who looked us up, researched us and wanted to become part of us, a part of something special.”
Carey-Smith reiterated that thought, but also admitted that Pfluger has been a major influence during that process.
“(Pfluger) encourages the kids to welcome new people in, so it comes from the top,” Carey-Smith said. “Coach is very adamant of making everyone feel like a part of this, regardless if you are the superstar, you’re a transfer or you don’t play at all. Everybody has a role on the team and everyone has equal importance.”
They all have different stories and backgrounds, but the College’s tradition was ultimately the decisive factor for all four of the Lions’ recent transfers.
“Coach Pfluger is an amazing woman,” Zinck said. “She has the best interest of all of her players in mind and really just wants to help us achieve anything we dream of. The program has earned respect throughout decades of competing and winning, with many great players that I now get to follow in the footsteps of. I am reminded everyday of how lucky I am to be a part of the history of TCNJ lacrosse.”
Hill, similar to Zinck, transferred in after playing at the Division I level at Syracuse University. It wasn’t an easy decision for the junior attacker, with two of her cousins winning National Championships for the Orangemen’s men’s lacrosse team, but one she ultimately had to make.
“It was definitely a tough decision considering it was my childhood dream to attend (Syracuse),” Hill said. “I didn’t apply to anywhere else when applying for colleges as a high school senior, but the decision just needed to be made.”
“It definitely has its pros and cons coming from a (Division I) program,” Hill confessed. “I will admit I was a bit frustrated at first, but everything that I felt Syracuse was lacking I found at TCNJ.”
Hill’s transfer alongside the growth of Spark, who transferred in after spending a year on the crew team at Loyola (MD) University in 2010, has certainly helped the Lions attack this season as they’ve had to replace 2011 graduate and the College’s all-time career goals leader, Ali Jaeger. Hill is third on the team with 34 goals in 13 games, while Spark leads the Lions with 55 goals scored.
“Alex and Trenna have made a tremendous impact to our attack this year, which definitely helps after losing Ali,” said senior midfielder Leigh Mitchell. “They both have produced very consistently for us throughout the season and they have become very accustomed to our attack.”
On the defensive end, Zinck has bought into the Lions’ philosophy and begun to become more of a leader in the net, according to Carey-Smith. In front of her, Engelman, who began her college career at Salisbury University, used her length to frustrate opposing attackers.
Mitchell, who works with the offensive and defensive units, praised the manner in which all four girls have been able to integrate themselves into the program.
“We are a very close team and are very welcoming to new comers and they seemed to take no time to adapt and fit right in,” Mitchell said. “They definitely have established themselves as Lions on and off the field.”
The quartet of transfers will become even bigger factors once the regular season ends and although they’re just a slice of the overall pie that is the College’s lacrosse, Mitchell is eager to take the field with them come playoff time.
“I think all of them will make a huge impact in postseason,” Mitchell said. “They have already been creating names for themselves throughout the season and I can’t wait to see what our team does throughout playoffs.”
(04/17/12 8:26pm)
Senior midfielder Leigh Mitchell has always been a facilitator, whether on a basketball court or a lacrosse field, and that’s exactly what she was when she reached the Mount Everest of pinnacles in Division III lacrosse.
Mitchell found her comfort zone behind the net against Rowan University on April 3 and let the potential plays run through her imagination before sending a pinpoint pass to junior attacker Alex Spark, who finished the job. The goal was another notch on the belt for the budding Spark, but the assist was Mitchell’s 365th career point — a mark that put her ahead of former teammate Ali Jaeger as the school’s all-time leading scorer.
“(Mitchell) is the type of player that sees the field extremely well and really wants to work for her teammates,” Spark said. “She has very good connections with players on the field allowing for her to make those passes. It also has to do with the trust she has in the players on the field and how well we can all work together.”
Mitchell has long since shattered the College’s career assist mark, she’s the first Lion to ever record 200, but Jaeger’s record was something that’s been on the horizon all season long. Jaeger’s record stood for less than a year, but she’s okay with that if it means seeing her name below a player as special as Mitchell.
“(Mitchell) is one of the most dedicated, hard-working and selfless people I know,” Jaeger confessed. “I couldn’t be happier to see her name at the very top of the points leaders list.”
There are many adjectives that describe Mitchell. Just ask around and you’ll start to get déjà vu hearing the same words over and over again: selfless, dedicated, quiet, tremendous, humble, subtle. Each one paints the picture better than the last until you’ve got the masterpiece that has been Mitchell’s career with one of Division III’s most prolific programs.
“She deserves every credit and every honor that she receives,” professed Mitchell’s teammate and best friend, senior midfielder Kathleen Notos. “I am so thankful to have her as a teammate and get the chance to watch her excel every day in lacrosse. (Mitchell) doesn’t like to brag or even acknowledge that she is an amazing lacrosse player and has broken so many records, so I like to take on the role of telling everyone about her and bragging about how good she is.”
It’s been a lengthy and memorable five-year run for Mitchell, who first suited up for the Lions lacrosse team back in 2008 alongside her older sister, Kelly Mitchell, now an assistant for the Lions.
“We have always had a special connection on and off the field, and having her to guide me and our team was a great learning experience,” said the younger Mitchell. “She was such a powerful player and leader, words can’t describe the impact she has made on me as a player and person.”
Leigh was impressive from the moment she stepped onto campus, according to head coach Sharon Pfluger. Her coach could see that Mitchell was comfortable with the program having watched her sister play two years at the same school, so she wasn’t surprised to see Mitchell end the year with 25 goals and 10 assists.
“We knew that she was going to be a critical part of our game, but what we didn’t know was that she was going to be breaking school records,” Pfluger said.
The next Spring Mitchell was back on track to have a successful season, scoring 22 goals and dishing out 10 assists in six games, until she ran into the most unfortunate of setbacks.
During a practice, Pfluger saw Mitchell go to the ground, something that had happened before, but she knew something was wrong when the sophomore did not bounce right back up.
“I will never forget that day because it wasn’t like she was running a 100 miles per hour and she buckled out,” Pfluger shared. “As soon as she went down I knew she was hurt because she never goes down and, if she does, she gets right back up.”
The diagnosis was one that none wanted to hear — a torn ACL. The injury meant that Mitchell would be sidelined for the rest of the season, missing out on her sister’s senior campaign. Pfluger knew how serious an injury this was, but tried to comfort Mitchell with words of hope.
“I remember when her ACL was torn I told her, ‘We don’t know what the reason is, but somehow another team just might need you more later on (here) and somehow this is going to work out,’” Pfluger said. “You’ve got to hang on to something in that situation because you’re very confused.”
Mitchell gained a lot of insight on the game she thought she knew so well as she watched from the sidelines during her rehabilitation process.
“Rehab was very difficult and at times seemed hopeless, but the want to get back to the field outweighed any pain in the preparation to get there,” Mitchell said. “Watching from the sidelines and not being able to make an impact on the field was very frustrating, but I think being out was a learning experience, I needed to get stronger and become a better player and teammate.”
One of the fears that Mitchell had as she worked her way back was that she would lose some of her speed. However, Notos explained that the opposite may have occurred.
“She was always working hard and pushing through the pain to get back to where she was and I feel like when she came back onto that field, she was even better and faster than before,” Notos said.
One of the benefits that came from the time of Mitchell’s injury was that she was able to redshirt in 2009, making 2010 a repeat assignment as she got a year older, but remained a sophomore in eligibility.
Mitchell came back better than ever that year, doing the things she did back at Lenape High School that made Notos and Jaeger excited to join her as a Lion, as she registered 56 goals and 50 assists — a school record for helpers at that point.
“No one can see the field like Leigh,” Jaeger said. “She has an incredible ability to sort through the chaos in front of the net, find an open teammate and thread in a pass right to their stick.”
Mitchell was far from done though. With 2011 came another year of maturity, another year for greatness.
Although they were knocked out in the semifinals of the national tournament — finishing the year at an ultimately disappointing 20-1 — the Lions’ offense set school records for points, goals, assists and wins in a season where Mitchell was the crown jewel. The midfielder reset her own assist record by tallying 68, but that was the underside of a year in which she scored 123 points — a feat that no Lion had ever reached.
“The caliber of players to come through here at TCNJ is so incredible I think it is impossible to consider myself one of the best,” Mitchell confided, a statement that just cements her status as the Mona Lisa of Lions. “I just am glad that I got to play for the program that produced some of the best in Division III.”
This all occurred while Jaeger was busy setting records of her own, topping alumna Lauren Dougher on the all-time points list. It’s a realization that makes Notos drop her jaw in awe.
“We never really got a chance to take it all in as a team because we were just so focused on winning one game at a time,” Notos said. “But as I sit here and think about it, it is just amazing to have played alongside with TCNJ legends,”
All that led up to this season, a season in which Mitchell never would have gotten to experience had she torn her ACL a game later in 2009.
Besides rewriting the lacrosse record books — Mitchell set game-high records for points and assists against Ramapo College this year — she also won her first national title as a member of the field hockey team.
“I could not be more grateful that my injury happened when it did and I had the opportunity at another year and a second chance,” Mitchell said. “Looking back at it now it was the greatest blessing in disguise because without that injury I would have never been part of the field hockey team this year that went on to win the 2011 National Championship. I guess some things really do happen for a reason.”
Mitchell’s career is far from over, she’ll have another month or so of play if the Lions reach the National Championship. It’s a month or so that may be full of records as Mitchell already has 64 assists this year and is only five points behind her record-setting pace from last season, but Mitchell’s only focus is a national title in lacrosse — the last mountain peak she has yet to climb.
“I think the want and will to win a National Championship in lacrosse this year is what fuels Leigh’s fire and drive,” Notos said. “Leigh doesn’t settle for anything less than winning it all, and ending a season and a career on a win is the greatest victory.”
(04/17/12 7:49am)
Paul “Quickstep” Salomone drove a well-struck ball into short right field and worked his way to first base as quick as his legs would take him, glancing back at the last moment to watch a teammate cross home plate.
That run was the first of six that the Elizabeth Resolutes — full disclosure, my Elizabeth Resolutes — would tally on their (our) way to a 6-5 extra-inning victory over the Flemington Neshanock on Saturday, April 14 at Commerce Bank Ballpark.
It was a “splendiferous” afternoon — as Neshanock’s captain Brad “Brooklyn” Shaw would put it — as he addressed the crowd at the Somerset Patriots’ FanFest. A crowd that was filled with baseball fans, young and old, who came out to watch a game replicated after 1860s baseball — the kicker? It was free.
The annual game at Commerce Bank Ballpark has become more than just a venue to show off our unique game though; it has become a reminder to me and the rest of the guys on the Resolutes and the Neshanock of the love of the game.
It’s not very often that our team gets to play in front of big crowds — or any crowds that don’t include our family or friends for that matter — we play because we love the game and we’re not ready to stop playing it. Look at our roster and you’ll see guys from all over. You’ll see fat guys, skinny guys, slow guys, fast guys, old guys, young guys, guys named “Mud” and guys named plain old “Danny.” We’ve got a lot of guys.
So, when we get a crowd like we did on Saturday to watch our style of play and enjoy the show we have to offer, it’s like looking in a mirror.
I see the same look in those kids’ eyes that I used to have when I was seven years old, watching the 1998 New York Yankees work their way to a World Series Championship. The kids are there to admire, not to criticize. They’re there to fall in love with the game, not point out its flaws. They’re there to spend an hour of two of their time enjoying the weather, not texting or tweeting or playing video games.
It’s a fun thing to experience. Actually, I’m not sure who had more fun Saturday — the fans watching me play or me watching them enjoy the game.
I cracked a smile every time a kid would work his or her way down toward the dugout with their parents nervously waiting to ask the ultimate fan’s question, “Can I have your autograph?” Sure, we tell them, “Do you have a pen?”
We take pictures with fans. We explain our vintage rules to them (If you catch the ball on a hop, it’s still an out). We show them our bats and our uniforms. We’d show them our gloves too, except we don’t use any (“Are you guys out of your mind?” is a commonly asked question).
Every request met with a smile and a “Certainly” though. We do it for them for the same reason they come out and watch us: for love of the game.
(04/17/12 4:01am)
Junior attacker Trenna Hill aligned herself and let the thoughts of scoring a goal roll through her mind before the whistle blew, then put the College ahead 10-9 on a free-position opportunity with 15:07 left to play against No. 1-ranked Salisbury University.
The lead would not stand though as the No. 6-ranked Lions (11-2) were held scoreless for the reminder of the game, eventually falling to the Sea Gulls (12-0) by a score of 12-10.
“We didn’t score in the last 15 minutes of the game, which definitely killed us,” said Hill, who finished the game with four goals. “They capitalized on our defensive mistakes, and we didn’t play as smart as we should have on offense.”
The ending of this top-10 matchup was a Bizarro version of how the game started, as the Lions raced out to 4-1 in the first 10 minutes.
Leading that charge was sophomore midfielder Lauren Pigott, who came out like a woman on a mission as she scored three of the College’s first four goals and grabbed two of the game’s first five draw controls.
“(Pigott) made a great impact,” head coach Sharon Pfluger said. “She’s a midfielder that could score a ton of goals if she was just on the offensive end. She’s a great athlete and a perfect fit for our program as a player and a person.”
The Lions’ prowess was met with plenty of hostility from Salisbury though with the Sea Gulls rallying to get back to even. Salisbury would score three straight goals before Pigott broke up their streak with her fourth and final goal of the game.
“I think we played a great game overall,” Pfluger said. “I think we had a lull with the defensive ball possession in the first half, but we recovered from that.”
Junior attacker Alex Spark helped the recovery process by putting the Lions ahead 6-5, but a last-second score by Salisbury’s Katie Bollhort made the score an even 6-6 split at the half.
Hill didn’t let the Lions stay even for long, scoring on another free-position shot to commence the scoring in the second half.
“I definitely think my shots were a big component in my game (against Salisbury),” Hill said. “I was seeing the cage well and the ball felt good in my stick.”
The rest of the game can be summed up with three words: tug of war. The Lions and Sea Gulls didn’t give up much ground as neither team led by more than a goal until the 4:02 mark when Bollhorst put the nail in the coffin by making it a 12-10 game.
The Lions had their fair share of opportunity in those last 15 minutes, but the Sea Gulls’ Ashton Wheatley was a rock for Salisbury, shutting down any attempt the Lions threw at her.
“I think she was very athletic and I think she was a good goalie, but I think some of our shots we shot right at her head,” Pfluger said. “I think the hard work was done, but we didn’t hit on our chances.
“The game comes down to these moments where you think, ‘Oh my god, this so could have been fixed, this so could have been fixed.’”
The Lions will have a few weeks to fix any mistakes in time for the playoffs, but Hill views this loss as not only a lesson, but also as motivation going forward.
“If anything, I think this loss has made us even hungrier for revenge, which seems to be a big theme lately on our team,” Hill said. “I also think this loss has taught us how crucial it is to put two good halves together. Lacrosse is a game of momentum and we have to be able to finish.”