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(10/27/10 5:49pm)
For sophomore tennis players Karisse Bendijo and Allie Tierney, Fall Break wasn’t a time of rest and relaxation. The pair traveled to Alabama to compete in the ITA Championships from Oct. 14-17.
Bendijo’s victories in both the singles and doubles brackets during their regional qualifier last month meant that she would compete in both tournaments, being one of three competitors to do so.
The first day for the Lions was one of upsets, as the pair knocked off the fourth seeded team of juniors Lauren Lukas and Trelsle Sadler from Washington and Lee University. In their opening match, Bendijo and Tierney beat their opponents 6-2, 6-4. Bendijo also played her first singles match that day, beating third-seeded Jennifer Kung from the University of Chicago 6-3, 6-3.
“It was pretty draining,” she said. “After the first day I was so tired.”
On the second day, the duo continued their campaign with two doubles matches. They first took on top seeded senior Chrissy Hu and junior Kendra Higgins also from Chicago. The unseeded Lions fell to the two-time champions 6-3, 6-0, ending their progress in the tournament. Their other match of the day was for third place, where Bendijo and Tierney defeated senior Lorne McManigle and junior Zahra Dawson from Emory University. For the two sophomores, their season together ended 15-1 and was worthy of All-American honors.
“(Bendijo) and I work really well together,” Tierney said. “Our styles of play compliment each other nicely and we were able to communicate in a way where if one of us is having a bad day, we can pick each other up so we still end up playing a good match.”
While the tournament was over for Tierney, Bendijo was still active in the singles’ bracket. On the third day of ITAs she squared off against Samantha Frank from Gustavus Aldolphus College, another unseeded player. In a hard fought match, Bendijo fell to Frank by a score of 7-5, 7-5. She moved on to the third place match against 1st seeded Lauren Chen, a junior from Carnegie Mellon University. Chen defeated the unseeded Bendijo 6-3, 6-2, but Bendijo walked away with All-American honors once again.
“At first I was a little disappointed, but now I realize how much I’ve accomplished this season,” Bendijo said. “I achieved my personal goal of winning regionals and breaking 50 wins. I’m trying to follow Jackie Shtemberg’s lead.”
Bendijo and Tierney have had one of the best finishes for the women’s tennis team this season. Even better, the duo are just sophomores, paving the way for more success in their athletic careers here at the College.
(10/13/10 11:08pm)
The women’s soccer team tied their first game of the season on Oct. 6. Even after two overtime periods, the Lions held Stevens Institute of Technology to a scoreless draw, extending their unbeaten streak to 12 games.
While they weren’t able to find the net for the first time this season, it wasn’t from a lack of effort. Freshman midfielder Sloan DePiero made an early attempt on goal, but was denied by Stevens’ goalie Kaitlin McClymont. The College would have another opportunity from junior defender Annie McCarthy, but would be denied once more by the Ducks’ defense.
“Steven’s defense was pretty strong and were really aggressive,” DePiero said. “They played in the same formation we did (4-3-3) so it was a bit crowded in the middle, but we were able to handle it.”
In the second half, the Lions’ offense took multiple shots on goal, including a near post effort from sophomore striker Allyson Anderson. The shot, which ended up sailing wide of the far post, was one of the best chances of the night for the home side. Sophomore Amy Van Dyk midfielder tried to put her mark on the night, but also came up short in overtime. The Lions finished the night outshooting the Ducks 34-6.
The Lions’ defense had a formidable game as well. Freshman keeper Kendra Griffith only made one save on the night, making the game her seventh shutout of the season. The teams’ goal against average is currently .09 goals per game.
“Our biggest strength is the way we work together,” Griffith said. “We have a great unit that communicates and plays together very well.”
While the team tied the game, their record is still 11-0-1, and they have a week-long break from competition. And even with a lengthy break between games, the Lions’ aren’t taking their foot off the gas just yet.
“The tie will make us want to work harder in every practice and game,” Van Dyk said. “We have so many goals for this season and one tie won’t stop us from achieving them. Practice this week is going to be really hard, as we still need to improve our fitness and skills to ensure that every game we play from now on will continually get better and better.”
The Lions’ next opponent is William Paterson this Wednesday. The Pioneers are currently second to the College in the NJAC rankings. Their 4-0-1 record in conference play puts them in two points behind the Lions who are a perfect 5-0-0. The game will take place under the lights in Lions’ Stadium starting at 7:30 p.m.
(09/29/10 4:40pm)
Although their NJAC season is complete, the women’s tennis team’s season is far from over. The Lions competed in the Intercollegiate Tennis Associations’ Northeast Regional Championships this past weekend hosted by William Smith College. Sixty-four doubles teams and 64 singles teams vied for the chance to compete in the championships in Alabama next month.
Sophomore Karisse Bendijo advanced all the way to the finals of both the singles and doubles competition. The No 3-ranked seed cruised through the first day, defeating Montana Wilson from SUNY New Paltz and Elizabeth Statchtiaris from New York University by scores of 6-0, 6-2 and 6-4, 6-0 respectively. On Saturday, she defeated top-ranked Frances Tseng from the University of Rochester in the semifinals 6-0, 6-2. Bendijo faced Epraksi Yushkova in the finals from Hunter College who was last year’s junior college national champion and took the tournament title, 6-3, 3-6 and 6-4.
In doubles play, sophomores Bendijo and Allison Tierney opened their campaign with an 8-1 win over a pair from William Smith College. They mimicked that score line against fellow New Jersey competitors from Richard Stockton College. Bendijo and Tierney’s record remained perfect at the end of Sunday’s competitions, as they were 12-0 going into the final round. The pair shut out Cristina Nunez and Becky Guzzo of Ithaca College before trouncingNo. 7 seeded Jamie Bow and Lia Weiner from the University of Rochester 8-2. Their opponents in the final were 8th ranked Stephanie Finn and Hillary Drewry from St. Lawrence. Bendijo and Tierney took the final 6-1 and 6-0, securing a spot in the ITA Small College Championships, taking place in Mobile, Al. on Oct. 14-17. The doubles pair earned ITA All-American honors as a result of their win.
The entire team advanced deep into the tournament. Sophomores Paige Aiello and Lauren Balsamo as well as the junior duo of Emily Petersack and Felice Trinh went 2-0 on their first day. Trinh and Petersack fell in the quarterfinal, losing 8-4 to Tseng and Alex Goodman from Rochester 8-4. Aiello and Balsamo fell to eventual finalists Finn and Drewry in the same round 8-5, putting a stop on their 10-game winning streak this season. Tierney and Balsamo’s singles campaigns would produce the same result. Tierney fell 6-0, 6-2 to Vivian Peng of Drew University and Balsamo lost to eventual singles finalist Yushkova 6-0, 6-1.
(09/22/10 4:17pm)
The women’s soccer team posted its sixth straight win of the season against visiting Swarthmore College on Sept. 15. A first half goal from inside the penalty area from sophomore forward Jessica Davila put the Lions up 1-0 going into halftime. Davila now has five goals in six games, making her the leading goal scorer for the Lions. Fellow sophomore midfielder Amy Van Dyk doubled the tally in the second half to seal the win. Freshman keeper Kendra Griffith had only one save on the night, but now has 4 shutouts so far this season.
“My teammates have been really good at finding my feet in front of the goal,” Davila said. “I use their skill to my advantage and just take shots whenever I get the chance.”
Saturday’s game at Ramapo was the Lions’ first NJAC game this season. While they went down 1-0 within the first two minutes to the Roadrunners, the Lions came back with three unanswered goals. Sophomore forward Allyson Anderson leveled the score 12 minutes in before junior forward Brenna Rubino and junior defender Annie McCarthy scored two more goals in less than three minutes later in the half.
“There is always pressure on us to remain undefeated because we are every other team’s big game,” Davila added. “We have a long history of beating all these teams and winning the NJAC that they make it their goal to try and beat us.”
Griffith had a career-high six saves on the day, and had her streak of 500-plus goalless minutes spoiled by freshman Sarah Barnes from Ramapo. Still, the Lions’ record stands at 7-0, and have outscored their opponents 20-1 so far. They are also now 1-0 in the NJAC, their perfect record giving them first place over Kean University and Rowan University who are also 1-0.
“Getting scored on by Ramapo was tough,” Griffith said. “But on the positive side, we can move on from that and learn our lesson. Plus, my defense is wonderful. They are all strong and supportive and we work well together.”
The Lions continue their NJAC pursuit on Wednesday at Richard Stockton College.
(09/16/10 6:31pm)
The men’s tennis team had an almost perfect run at Stevens Institute of Technology’s Doubles Invitational on Sept. 11. The Lions only lost one match, ending the day 17-1 against teams from Stevens and New York University. Of the seven teams that competed, six had perfect records.
Senior Jeremy Eckhardt and Sophomore TJ Riley won all three of their matches, their best performance being an 8-3 triumph over Jason Ringstad and Lopburi Sasinin. Senior co-captain Jonathan Yu and sophomore partner Dean Thompson went 3-0, including a 9-8 (5-0) victory against the Bobcats’ Connor Witty and Raphael Namias. Junior co-captain Bill Carrig and fellow junior Dan Lee also went 3-0, shutting out Jason Sacher/Tim Wu from NYU 8-0.
“The matches in the fall are definitely important as far as getting the team ready for the school year and set up a great spring campaign,” Carrig said. “The fall allows us as a team to see where we need to make improvements for the season.”
Junior co-captain Steven Fernandez teamed up with freshman Howard Telson in the tournament, completing their own 8-0 shutout against NYU’s Boris Aldanmaz and Alex Topchishvili. Telson is one of four freshman entering the program, creating an even spread of talent among the four classes here at the College. Another is Kacey Carrig, Bill’s younger brother, who already feels comfortable with the team.
“My brother has been playing tennis here for two years already and I have come out to a lot of matches so to finally be in the Lion uniform and to play for the team was such an awesome feeling,” Kacey said.
He and junior Stewart Fernandez paired up to win their two matches against duos from NYU. They defeated Vikram Nayar and Daniel Huang 8-2 as well as Vivek Nayar and Steven Wu 8-1.
“Stew and I have known each other for a while before I got to (the College) so I have practiced with him before. Our games actually compliment each other’s very well and I feel that we make a very strong doubles team. He is an extremely smart player and every time we step on the court he teaches me something new. I respect him as a player a lot and it’s great for a newcomer like me to be paired with someone who’s willing to help improve my game.”
Bringing home two more victories was the team of sophomore Jordan Cruz and freshman Sean Lu, an 8-4 win over Nayar and Huang being their best finish. Nayar and Huang were the only team to beat the Lions at the tournament, defeating the freshman combo of Ricky Pelica and Gurkirat Kohli 8-4. Pelica and Kohli broke even for the day, defeating Nayar and Wu 9-7.
While this is just their offseason, the men’s tennis team still has a busy schedule. Their next tournament is a weekend-long matchup with Kutz town starting on Sept. 25.
(09/08/10 4:31pm)
The Women’s Tennis team began their season on a high note, completing a 9-0 sweep of Rutgers-Newark University on Sept. 1. All six singles matches and three doubles pairs extended the Lions’ streak to 132 consecutive wins.
The Lions, who were picked unanimously to capture their 28th consecutive NJAC title, are mostly comprised of underclassmen this season. Two seniors graduated last year, and they currently have two juniors as the eldest members of the team.
“I think its great that we have a young team,” junior Felice Trihn said. “It gives us the opportunity to grow together, giving us a better chance to overcome any obstacles. The new freshmen are a great asset and will help us continue with our success.”
Sophomore Karisse Bendijo defeated freshman Bushra Memon at the first singles position 6-0, 6-1. She paired with fellow sophomore Allison Tierney at first doubles to take Memon and freshman Agnes Bangayan 8-1. Tierney took down sophomore Ashley Lawrence 6-2, 6-3. Lawrence and freshman partner Michelle Kvitnitsky fell to the second sophomore duo of Lauren Balsamo and Paige Aiello 8-0. Aiello and Balsamo also shutout their singles opponents Kvitnitsky and Liane Drastal with scores of 6-0, 6-0.
Rounding out the doubles victories were junior Emily Petersack and freshman Tara Criscuolo who posted an 8-0 win over freshman Dhaneya Kumar and Drastal. Petersack went on to beat Bangayan and Criscuolo took down Kumar 6-0, 6-0 in her debut for the College.
“I was really nervous about my first match as a Lion because of our streak,” Criscuolo said. “But I was also excited. After just a few weeks with the team, I can tell this is going to be a really fun and successful year.”
The Lions’ next match is this Wednesday at William Paterson University. The team’s home opener is a doubleheader on Saturday against Richard Stockton College at 11:30 a.m. and Kean University at 3 p.m. at the Tennis Complex.
(04/27/10 4:54pm)
The women’s tennis team finished their season with two back-to-back home wins last week, including a 9-0 shutout of Wellesley College on April 24. Seniors Jackie Shtemberg and Stefanie Haar were honored for their contributions to the No. 23-ranked team, which includes a combined effort of both singles and doubles for a total of 297 wins for the College.
Haar triumphed over senior Alice Cummings 6-2, 6-1. Shtemberg defeated sophomore Marie Watanabe 6-3, 6-3 in singles, and paired up with freshman Felice Trinh to defeat Watanabe and her partner junior Jacqueline Shen 8-3. After losing the first set 2-6, Trinh rallied back in 2nd singles to defeat Shen 6-2, 10-2. The second doubles combo of freshmen Allison Tierney and Karisse Bendijo defeated the team of senior Mohona Siddique and junior Nathalie Herman 8-3. Bendijo went on to defeat senior Meghan Stubblebine 6-3, 6-4 while Tierney shutout Siddique 6-0, 6-0. Freshman Lauren Balsamo and sophomore Emily Petersack rounded out the effort in doubles by taking down Stubblebine and Cummings 8-6.
“My four years here on the team have been surreal. Most of my favorite college memories have involved the tennis team,” Shtemberg said. “The team has grown during my time here and i am so proud to have been a part of the College’s tennis team.”
In midweek play, the College won 7-2 over Bates College on April 21. Shtemberg led the team with wins as an individual and with Trinh in 1st doubles. The pair easily defeated sophomore Meg Anderson and senior Alexandra Piacquad 8-3. Tierney and Bendijo were also successful over the Bobcats’ freshmen Ashley Brunk and Nicole Russell 8-2. In singles action, Shtemberg dominated Meg Anderson 6-0, 6-1. Freshman Paige Aiello bounced back from her loss in doubles to shut out senior Jean Gulliver 6-0, 6-0. Balsamo, Haar, and Petersack all won their matches in 2 sets, barely giving their opponents a chance to score a point.
For the men, the mid-week result was their only match, as the Lions fell to Bates 8-1. Sophomore Dan Lee provided the silver lining in the match, winning his 16th match this season by defeating senior Zach Fenno 6-4, 6-3. The No. 29-ranked Bobcats swept the three double teams. Senior Amrit Rupasinghe and freshman Matt Bettles defeated sophomores Steven and Stewart Fernandez 8-4. Senior Max Berger and sophomore Jeffrey Beaton took on freshmen TJ Riley and Dean Thompson 8-3. Finally, Fenno and freshman Rob Crampton defeated Lee and junior Jonathan Yu 8-4. Bates College continued with an impressive effort in singles as well, taking five of the six matchups.
“Bates was the second hardest team we played all season,” Steven Fernandez said. “They definitely didn’t deserve to be ranked 29th.”
Even though the team has hit a collective slump by losing two consecutive matches, they still keep a positive attitude heading into their last two matches against Haverford College on Tuesday April 27 and familiar rival Stevens Institute on Wednesday April 28.
“If we can raise our intensity and really focus, I think we can beat both teams,” Fernandez continued. “When we played Stevens in the fall we beat them.”
“Our team dynamic is amazing, especially when it comes to doubles,” Stewart Fernandez said. “As twins, Steve and I read each other well, and Dean and TJ are best friends, so their chemistry is great too. I have confidence in the team as we get ready for nationals.”
The men finish the regular season with home matches against Stevens Institute of Technology today at 3:30 p.m. at the College’s Tennis Complex.
(04/13/10 6:42pm)
The Lions responded well to performing at home as two school records were broken while the College hosted its first invitational of the season on April 10. Senior Steve Liccketto dominated his events, placing third in the men’s discus, second in shot put, and broke the school record in the hammer with a distance of 52.82 meters.
Also breaking a record was freshman Steven D’Auitolo who took first in the triple jump with a distance of 13.79 meters.
“I felt good going into the meet, not too sore or anything from practice earlier that week,” Liccketto said. “I would like to keep improving through the season not just to set the bar higher, but to achieve a higher qualifier for nationals.”
The meet also had many first place finishes. The Lions began by sweeping both the women’s 200-meter dash and the women’s 100-meter hurdle races. Juniors Tiffany Etheredge and freshmen Kayla Ghanavati and Kim Shelus and in the 200-meter as well as senior Priscilla Senyah, freshman Brielle Doremus and senior Meghan Miller in the 100 meter took first, second, and third respectively. Ghanavati took first in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:02.99 and was a part of the winning 4x400 relay team.
Junior Rochelle Prevard and sophomore Emma Tucci joined Ghanavati and Shelus to take first with a combined time of 4:07.59. Tucci continued her success by out-throwing the competition in the javelin with a distance of 35.91 meters. Junior Sarah Wehrhan took first in the hammer with 43.49 meters, and junior Miriam Khan sprinted to first in the 100-meter dash in only 12.32 seconds. Finally, Sophomore Katie Nestor stayed ahead of the pack in the 1,500-meters, finishing strong with a time of 4:48.24.
The women weren’t the only ones with massive success. The men’s team dominated their side of the invitational as well. Junior Kyle Gilroy took
top honors twice in the 110-meter and 400-meter dash with times of 14.95 and 54.88 seconds respectively. But it was the men’s relay teams that shone the brightest. In the 4x100, the quartet of Gilroy, sophomores Rob Jiggetts and Christopher Medina, and freshman anchor Kyle Magliaro sprinted to first in 42.27.
Not far behind was the second team of grad students Rob McGowan and Steven Murray, senior DeShard Stevens and sophomore anchor Justin Worthing with a time of 43.52. Worthing also combined with Gilroy, Murray and Medina to take the top spot in the 4x400 relay with a speedy time of 3:21.85. The second team of Stevens, McGowan, Magliaro and freshman Robert Searby placed second in 3:26.29.
“The relay was the most exciting race,” Jiggetts said. “It’s different when you don’t know your competitors or how fast they are. There was a lot of trash talking between the teams but it was positive because we pushed each other.”
On the individual level, Jiggetts continued his success with two second place finishes in the 100 and 200-meter dash with impressive times of 10.98 and 22.15 respectively. McGowan narrowly edged out Worthing in the 400-meters. His time of 50.39 was just .02 seconds faster than Worthing.
Junior T.J. Bocchino endured the 3,000-meter race and was rewarded with a third place finish in 8:48.92. Not too far behind him was junior Rob Nihen with 8:52.31. Shawn Rembecky and sophomore Kevin Burns tied for second in the high jump, clearing 1.89 meters. Junior Tim Blashford continued his successful season by clearing 4.42m in the pole vault, earning a second place finish.
“We all put in a lot of hard work,” Jiggetts said. “This track is where we train rain or shine, and everyone was so excited to have a home meet to show everyone what we could do.”
The Lions have a busy schedule ahead of them. This weekend they will travel to Moravian College for the Greyhound Invitational and Princeton University for the Larry Ellis International.
(03/30/10 4:16pm)
The track and field team opened their outdoor season with a series of first place finishes at the Danny Curran Invitational hosted by Widener University March 26-27. Senior Priscilla Senyah began her final season with a pair of first place finishes in the 100 and 200-meter dash with times of 12.76 and 25.92 seconds respectively. Senyah barely edged out junior Miriam Khan in the 100-meter, winning by only .02 seconds.
“If we keep trusting in our coaching to get us where we want to go, trust in each other when it comes to the relays, stay positive, and keep working harder and support each other on and off the track, I think we’re going to have a great season,” Senyah said.
Also finishing one-two in the 110-meter hurdles were senior Jianna Spadaccini and junior Meryl Wimberlye. With times of 58.02 and 58.46 seconds respectively, the pair were the only competitors to finish under the one-minute mark. Sophomore Emma Tucci placed first in the long jump with a distance of 5.26 meters. She almost matched her efforts in the javelin throw, earning second with 37.45 meters.
The invitational is in honor of Danny Curran III, a Widener alum who graduated in 1999 and died from hypothermia during a hiking trip in 2000. Curran used to hold the school record for the pole vault, and his father Daniel Curran II not only officiated the event, but presented a commemorative rock for the male and female first place finishers. Junior Tim Blashford’s height of 4.40 meters won the event and tied the current meet record.
“Last year the goal of this meet wasn’t a height, it was to get that rock,” Blashford said. “My coach won it his senior year in college, and he wanted me to get it. Getting second place last year wasn’t the plan. This year it was the same thing, get that rock. It came down to my last attempt, either win it, or not even place in the top 5. Winning that rock means a lot, knowing Mr. Curran has that rock made each year, and knowing what it represents for him, it’s just real special that I have it to remember this all by.”
Other individuals also had an impressive showing at the invitational. Senior Michelle Wallace placed second overall in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:39.89. Junior indoor track All-American Kyle Gilroy also finished second in the 400-meters hurdles with a time of 55.89 and freshman Robert Searby finished fourth with 56.65. Senior Meghan Miller finished third overall in the same event for the women, finishing in 1:07.28. Freshman Brielle Doremus wasn’t far behind, finishing sixth overall in 1:09.89.
Junior thrower Sarah Wehrhan had a solid meet, placing second in the hammer throw with a distance of 42.98 meters, and third in the discus with a distance of 32.02 meters. Fellow senior Ashley Krauss finished behind Krauss in the hammer throw with 41.13 meters, rounding out the top three. On the men’s side, seniors Zach Goldstein and Steve Liccketto took fourth and sixth in the hammer throw with throws of 49.67 and 45.67 meters respectively.
The Lions continue their season this Friday and Saturday at the Sam Howell Invitational hosted by Princeton University.
(03/23/10 3:38pm)
The preseason fifth-ranked lacrosse team in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll has been busy in the last week, adding three wins to start their season off 4-0. The team tied their scoring record of 22 goals in a single game with their 22-9 win over Eastern University March 16, and almost posted a shutout over Cabrini College on March 18.
The Lions saw themselves trailing early against Eastern. Within the first five minutes of the game, the Eagles managed to outscore the Lions 3-1. But the Eagles wouldn’t stay on top for long. Back to back goals from sophomore midfielders Leigh Mitchell and Kathleen Notos tied the game at three. Junior midfielder Ali Jaeger gave the Lions the lead, and Notos scored again, while senior attacker Lisa Saldeen netted three times in two minutes to make the score 8-3. Eastern would only find the back of the net two more times in the first period, before the College went on a seven-goal streak.
Four goals from Mitchell, two from Jaeger, and one from sophomore attacker Sara Keating brought the score to 15-5 at the half.
The second period would closely resemble the first. A pair of early goals from freshman atacker Jillian Nealon and Jaeger kept the momentum alive. Eastern junior attacker Grace Griffith would score back-to-back in the hopes of sparking some momentum for the Eagles, but the Lions couldn’t be stopped. Leading by as much as 14 goals, the team made a second five-goal run from Saldeen, Jaeger, and Notos. Jaeger finished the night with seven goals and three assists while Mitchell had five goals and four assists. Saldeen and Notos each added four goals to their season tally. Junior goalie Mary Waller came up big with seven saves on the night.
“It feels really great to be back and playing with everyone again,” said Mitchell, who tore her ACL around the same time last year and had to miss the rest of the season. “I think we are a very close team this year which makes it even more fun to be out on the field when you are playing with your best friends.”
The Lions travelled to Cabrini on March 18. They were rewarded with a near perfect 19-1 victory over the Cavaliers. Unlike the game against Eastern, the College never trailed the home team. Jaeger wasted no time setting the pace, finding the net in only 56 seconds. She would score five goals in the first period alone, alongside Nealon and senior attacker Robin Deehan who both had three goals, Saldeen who scored twice and finally Keating and Notos who had one each. The Lions went into the half 15-0.
They would net only four times in the second half. Saldeen, Mitchell, Jaeger and Notos each added one to the tally, before junior attacker Jamie O’Hanlon spoiled the
Lions’ shutout with 5:52 left in the game. Waller only had four saves the entire game.
But the Lions weren’t done yet. In their final game of the week, the College visited Drew University on March 20 looking to continue their unbeaten run. Their explosive offensive style changed to strong defense as they pulled off a 6-4 over the Rangers. Once again, Jaeger put the Lions on the scoreboard first after four minutes. Sophomore attacker Aileen Musynke tied the score before Mitchell put the College up 2-1 before the half.
Drew’s junior attacker Cara Jeffries evened the score close to the restart, but a goal from Notos gave the Lions the advantage. Saldeen and Deehan also scored, giving them a 5-2 lead. Jaeger scored her second of the day, sandwiched in-between goals from Jefferies and sophomore midfielder Lyndsay Rossi to secure their fourth-consecutive win. In just four games, the Lions’ tally now stands at 63 goals scored and 20 goals allowed.
“Our passing game on attack has really improved this year, and that has made a big impact on our scoring. We read each other really well, and we aren’t afraid to make the ‘thread the needle’ passes,” Jaeger said.
The College takes on Ursinus College this Thursday at 7 p.m. in Lions’ Stadium.
(03/03/10 7:56pm)
Wintry conditions didn’t stop the College’s Track and Field team from competing at the New York University Fastrack Invitational on Feb. 26. After winning the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) for the 13th straight year on Feb. 22, a few members of the team returned to The Armory in one last attempt to qualify for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships this weekend and the NCAAs later this month.
“We’ve never lost an indoor NJAC, so the Fastrack Invite is an opportunity to represent our school and show the conference why we’ve never lost,” junior Dennis Waite said. “The fact that we do win, individually and as a team is motivation to do better and keep racing.”
Freshman Brielle Doremus was the only Lion to break a College record during the meet. Her triple jump distance of 10.85 meters earned her an 8th place finish.
The throwers made high marks, with multiple Lions placing in the top 10 of their events. Senior Ashley Krauss finished fifth in the weight throw with 14.04 meters, the best result by any Division III competitor at the invitational. Junior Cristina D’Amato and freshman Mary Chismar placed eighth and 11th in the same event respectively.
The men’s team also had a strong performance. Senior Steve Liccketto took fourth in the weight throw with a distance of 15.72 meters, also the best distance for all Division III athletes. Fellow senior Zach Goldstein was right behind him in sixth with 14.93 meters. Junior Alexander Necovski placed 10th in the shot put with a throw of 13.65 meters.
Following her first place finish in both the 55-meter dash and 55-meter hurdles at the NJACs last week, senior Priscilla Senyah continued to turn heads by finishing eighth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.86 seconds. Also performing strong was NJAC first place finisher and senior Jianna Spadaccini, who placed 11th in the 400-meter with a time of 57.71. She also competed in the 4x400 relay with senior Meghan Miller, as well as juniors Kayla Ghanavati and Meryl Wimberly. The team placed seventh with a time of 3:56.58.
The men’s 4x400 relay team of senior DeShard Stevens, junior Kyle Gilroy, sophomore Justin Worthing, and freshman Robert Searby also came in seventh with a time of 3:19.38. Gilroy placed well as an individual too, placing 10th in the 60 meter hurdle event with an 8.40. While junior Rob Nihen already qualified for the ECACs in a previous meet, he improved upon his time in the mile, achieving a personal best of a 4:18.01. Junior Dennis Waite who took first in the mile for the third consecutive year at NJACs, finished 9th in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.14, an NCAA provisional mark.
“You have to think of every meet as an individual experience, with nothing beyond it,” Waite comments. “At NJACs, you don’t hold anything back because you’re worried about Fastrack, or any other meet. There is always a focus to run hard at the meet you’re at today, and not worry about later.”
The Lions continue their season with the ECAC Championships this weekend at Smith College.
(03/03/10 6:26pm)
In a rare, large-scale collaboration, “TCNJ’s Got Talent” on Feb. 27 showcased 15 acts of some of the College’s best musicians, comedians, dancers and much more.
Co-hosts Christina Kopka, freshman business open options and Spanish double major, and Olaniyi Solebo, sophomore political science major, started off the Student Government Association (SGA)-organized show with a parody of Kanye West’s infamous MTV Music Awards gaffe.
Kopka sang most of the way through Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” before being interrupted by Solebo, mimicking West. He then proceeded to introduce the first act.
Solebo appeared in a different outfit every time he was onstage, paying humorous homage to Lady Gaga.
Sophomore mechanical engineering major Ian Bakst played “Fallen by the Wayside,” an original song about heartbreak. Accompanied by high school friends Sam Judkis on drums and Mike Morrongiello on bass, Ian Bakst’s guitar skills and soulful tune were reminiscent of John Mayer.
Comedian and junior business major Garrett Hoffman livened up the crowd with jokes about pornography and his luck with the ladies.
“If I had to compare my game to an actual game, it would be Boggle Jr.,” he joked. Also trying his hand at comedy was freshman biology major Frank Liu. Liu won the crowd over with his awkward delivery of encounters with the dean of the school of science and his first milkshake at the College.
The show included two individual tap dances from sophomore nursing major Jackie Caruso and junior accounting and Spanish double major Kathy Sikora. Caruso danced to “Hit Me Up” by Gia Farrell and Sikora danced to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Senior communication studies majors Vinny Scafuto and Cat Cosentino showed off their musical theater skills in their performance of the duet “Come What May” from “Moulin Rouge!”
Signal Arts & Entertainment Editor and sophomore journalism major Matt Huston performed two original songs titled “Curtains” and “Barracuda.” Armed with only an acoustic guitar and plagued by a small microphone problem in the beginning, Huston serenaded the crowd with his singer-songwriter ballads.
Junior interactive multimedia major and slam poet Esteban Martinez intrigued the crowd with two slams about love and living life to the fullest. Martinez used his charisma and humor to deliver long fluid cadences describing the battlefield of love and the world of tomorrow to close the first act.
Guys with guitars aimed to capture the hearts of all the women in the audience. Freshman engineering major Alex Matteson sang an original song called “Waves,” closely resembling Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd.
Junior business major dedicated his combination of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Bob Marley’s “One Love” to his girlfriend.
The sophomore trio of history major Brian Gross, statistics major Andy Spedick and political science major Greg DiSipio entertained with “The First Single“ by The Format.
Also rocking out were bands The Magic Rats and Ali Jaeger and the Jaegermeisters.
The Magic Rats consisted of six freshman floor mates from floor six of Wolfe Hall. The Jaegermeisters included junior biology major Ali Jaeger on drums, Matteson and junior health and exercise science major Ben Johnson on guitar and freshman open options science major Johnny Arnold on bass. They made the crowd go wild with their covers of “Taper Jean Girl” by Kings of Leon and “Tick Tock” by Kesha.
The most exceptional act of the night was the sophomore juggling trio of math and secondary-education major Pat Catalano, sociology major Mark Kaplan and philosophy major Jesse de Agustin. They kept the crowd alive while juggling a multitude of light-changing balls and even a set of clubs to the sound of Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia”.
The College’s Taiko club closed the show. The drummers were sophomore math secondary education major Alissa Abad, freshman english major Mariko Curran, Martinez, sophomore music education major Mike Smith, senior computer science major Matthew Tom-Wolverton and freshman international economics major Russell Wolf.
The event, hosted by SGA, was the first talent show at the College in four years.
“I thought the show was a success ... thanks to all of the phenomenal acts,” freshman international business major Dustin Paluch said.
(02/23/10 2:45pm)
College Union Board’s (CUB) inaugural Bring Your Own PowerPoint (B.Y.O.P.P.T.) show, held Feb. 19 at the Rathskeller, featured four presentations assembled by College students. Each concentrated on a different subject and shared anecdotes about various life experiences.
Junior English major and CUB event coordinator Matt Daley opened with his PowerPoint, “13 Words + Phrases You Should Know, That You Didn’t Know You Should Know, When Entering the Gay Club Scene.” Even without a microphone, Daley captured the audience’s full attention with words like “GayDD,” the act of stopping mid-conversation to check out someone passing by. Daley provided causes of the act, including Ryan Philippe and Brad Pitt, as well as a solution.
“There’s nothing you can do, just let it happen,” he said.
Freshman nursing major Mary Merwitz’s “The Sheltered Life” featured a series of anecdotes about her transition from Catholic school to the College. While she was very energetic and informal with the audience, some of the stories were drawn out, causing some to lose interest. Out of the numerous stories, she seemed to draw the biggest laugh from her tale about unknowingly watering her neighbor’s extensive indoor garden of cannabis while house-sitting back in high school.
Senior digital arts major Andrew Lubas and junior marketing major Doug Teixeira provided the most random PowerPoint of the night, “TROLLIN THE BYOPPT.” The presentation, which highlighted some of the “most interesting people of the past 10 years” had one objective — to make fun of as many people as possible. While their act received plenty of laughs, the majority of attention seemed to come from their large group of friends who were in on all of their inside jokes. The set of slides included images of Christopher Walken and Robocop, as well as pictures of random College students that responded to the Facebook event made for the show. This allowed the rest of the audience to participate, anxious to see if they would be the next victim on the duo’s slideshow.
The most traditional PowerPoint came from junior English major and CUB financial director Allie Binaco and senior English and women and gender studies double major Tricia Torley. The closing act, “Kissing, Sex, and Not Quite Sex” investigated the love lives of the two women from high school to present. Binaco and Torley impressed the crowd with pre-recorded romantic anecdotes of friends, especially the explanation of “The Bases” and a cameo by “The Godfather of B.Y.O.P.P.T.,” sophomore communication studies major Jake Ehrlich.
B.Y.O.P.P.T. was first introduced on campus by Ehrlich, who got the idea from a friend in his hometown. He debuted the concept at Student Soloist Night last semester and said he thoroughly enjoyed Friday night’s show.
“I thought the event was a success,” Ehrlich said, “I can only hope there will be more.”
(02/16/10 6:22pm)
The indoor track and field team had two record-breaking performances during their meets in New York City and Boston this past weekend.
At the Valentine’s Invitational at Boston University, senior sprinters Deshard Stevens and Jianna Spadaccini broke the College’s 500-meter and 800-meter records with times of 1:04.22 and 2:10.57 respectively. Spadaccini’s time was a provisional National qualifier.
Senior Priscilla Senyah broke her own school record in the 55-meter hurdles with a swift time of 8.21 seconds. The girls’ Distance Medley Relay team of Spadaccini, fellow senior Michelle Wallace, junior Meryl Wimberly, and sophomore Katie Nestor also broke the school record and ran an automatic National qualifier with an 11:46.66. Junior distance runner Dennis Waite also ran a provisional National qualifier in the mile with a 4:11.64, while junior Rob Nihen ran an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifier in the 5,000-meters with a 14:57.
“Boston is a big trip for relays and distance runners,” Waite said. “It has a lot of deep competition. Rider-Lafayette is also a very solid meet, but it isn’t as competitive at the very top.”
The Rider-Lafayette Invitational at the 168th Street Armory in NYC was the second time the College raced against Rider this season. Last week the boys’ team fell 85-78. But the surprising loss motivated the team to perform better. Sophomore Justin Worthing took first out of 48 runners in the 500-meters with a time of 1:04.50, only 28 hundredths of a second behind Stevens’ record in Boston. Also performing well was the men’s 4x400 relay team of Worthing, juniors Jule Brooks and Kyle Gilroy, as well as freshman Robert Searby. They finished second with an ECAC-qualifying time of 3:17.38. With the indoor season winding down, the Lions have a busy schedule ahead of them. Next week they will return to the Armory to participate in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship (NJAC) on February 22nd. The College Indoor Track team has never lost the NJACs and plan to keep the streak alive this year.
“After this weekend, I am pretty confident that both our men’s and women’s team will sweep the NJAC title once again,” Stevens said.
Just four days later, the Lions will race one last time at the New York University Fast Track Invite, the final opportunity for individuals on the team to qualify for the ECAC at the end of the season on March 5-6. Some of the Lions have already qualified by meeting a preset standard in any given event.
The same type of rule applies to the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships March 12-13. The times that Spadaccini, Waite and the girls distance medley relay ran this weekend bring them once step closer, as the NCAA takes the top 16 times in each event. Even with the underlying pressure of qualifying for multiple championships at every race, the Lions continue to keep their cool and stay focused on the task at hand.
“Our team is on a good pace to place high at nationals this year, having several people already qualified,” Stevens said. “As a team, we are establishing a name for ourselves, showing why (the College’s track and field team) is the best program in the State and one of the best in the country.”
(02/02/10 6:17pm)
With the Union of European Football Assosciations Champions League (CL) making its return in two weeks, here’s a crash course to some of the teams squaring off in the Round of 16.
Manchester United vs. AC Milan
This draw has been the source of much of drama, even before the first kickoff. The match is a chance for Milan’s David Beckham, on loan from the L.A. Galaxy, to take what could be his last stab at former club Man U. More importantly, it’s his chance to get back at his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson whom he had a falling out with upon his transfer to Real Madrid seven years ago. Manchester United secured their spot in England’s Carling Cup final on Jan. 28 last week and are currently on a two-game winning streak in all competitions.
They cleared their qualifying group by three points, and have a fairly easy schedule in-between meetings with AC Milan. The same can’t be said about the Italian club; in fact, it’s exactly the opposite. Milan took second place in their group with only two wins, and are on a two-game losing streak stemming from their recent exit from the Copa Italiano. And given the track record of Italian/English matchups in the CL, it’s safe to say that Milan’s a done deal. Just don’t be too surprised if Man U striker Wayne Rooney scores a hat trick.
Real Madrid vs. Lyon
This should be the closest matchup this week. Both teams qualified for the next round with 13 points; Real took their group while Lyon finished second. After two record breaking transfers this summer for Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka (a combined total of $223 million), all eyes are on the Spanish club to perform at a better level in the CL than they have been for the past few years. Lyon currently stands far behind Ligue one leaders Bordeaux, and are facing slight déjà vu with Real Madrid. For the French club, it’s a chance to redeem themselves from crashing out last year against eventual CL champions F.C. Barcelona at this very stage.
For Real Madrid, it’s the opportunity to make a strong statement to all future competitors. For the fans, it’s the promise of an exciting match from two clubs teeming with potential. Expect Real to score early and almost blow their lead at the end.
Bayern Munich vs. Fiorentina
What a waste of a draw! Fiorentina stands in ninth in Serie A, the lowest domestic standing for any team still in the CL. They topped the group with 15 points, gaining recognition only after beating abysmal former champions Liverpool twice. Bayern finally found the form they’ve been searching for, remaining undefeated in all competitions since November.
But the most successful club in Germany can never make a lasting impression in the CL. They fell to the mighty hand of Barcelona last year like Lyon, and haven’t made it past the second round in years. So even though Bayern might be making moves domestically, don’t get your hopes up. This match will most likely end in a draw.
Arsenal vs. Porto
Arsenal has always been a force to be reckoned with in the Champions League, normally making it to the semi-final each year. Now that they’re finally proving their worth in the English Premier League instead of holding steady at third or fourth, this should be nothing more than an extension of their group stage domination. That’s not to say that Porto are strangers to success, but they have been on the bad side of the draw since the fairytale that led them to the title back in 2004. It seems that their downfall is always an English team, and Arsenal will be no different this year. Even without striker Robin van Persie and possibly defender Thomas Vermaelen, don’t worry. Arsene Wenger has been known to pull many tricks out of his beret.
(01/26/10 3:19pm)
The wrestling team started the semester with a strong 35-10 victory over Centenary College last Wednesday Jan. 20. Freshman Kenny Amponsa pinned his opponent, Centenary sophomore Nick Marchiafava in 46 seconds, the fastest pin at the meet. Graduate student Dan DiColo, and freshman Brian Broderick also pinned their opponents. Juniors Dan Hughes, Mike Denver, and Ed Broderick, as well as senior Robert Micheliche came away with victories over the Cyclones. Denver became the first Lion to reach 30 pins in one season.
“It feels good knowing that all of the hard work and time that I have put in is starting to pay off,” Denver said. “But even though I put in the time and effort, it is the people in the room that I wrestle with everyday that helps me to wrestle the way I do.”
The dual meet began as a close race. Centenary took an early lead when sophomore Jose Vega defeated Danny Franke in a 12-0 majority decision. But Hughes was able to edge out Cody Mooney 4-2 in overtime. Micheliche kept momentum going, but Jon Stillo evened out the score with a tight 3-2 victory over junior John Barnett. The meet continued to go back and forthas DiColo pinned Meagher and Matt Regan defeated junior David Kiley. But Brian Broderick’s pin in 6:50 gave the Lions enough momentum to take the last four weight classes and win the meet.
“I’m proud of my brother, even if I don’t tell him often,” Ed Broderick said. “He’s become a great asset to our team and I know he’ll accomplish what he wants as far as wrestling goes.”
Though the semester started on a high note, the rest of the season won’t be without its challenges. The number of injured starting wrestlers is steadily growing. Notable names on the list include grad student Tyler Branham as well as juniors Justin Bonitatis and Adam Koziol. While some of the Lions key players are inactive, they are still providing reinforcement for their teammates off the mat.
“Wrestling is a sport with a lot of variables that you can’t control. Injuries are expected; that’s the kind of sport it is. All you can do is keep your head up and stay positive,” Koziol said.
Even though Friday’s dual meet didn’t produce the same results as Wednesday, it was still full of close finishes and excitement. After honoring the seniors for their hard work and dedication, the Lions found themselves trailing by a big deficit.
The Colonels won the first four weight classes, giving them a 17-0 advantage with only six weight classes remaining. Sophomore Kyle Packer began the Lions’ comeback with a win over freshman Nathan White. DiColo and Denver also beat their opponents, junior James Histed and freshman Jesse Villella respectively.
Freshman Brian Broderick, who was one of three grapplers to pin their opponents on Wednesday, beat No. 5-ranked Wilkes senior Frank Hefferman with a takedown in overtime, bringing the score up to 17-14. Junior Ed Broderick beat junior Jake Weinrich by a sizeable margin of victory, but Wilkes senior Zach Pizzaro defeated Amponsa to give them a 20-18 victory over the 7th ranked Lions in their final home meet.
“The support of our family and friends means a lot to us,” Ed Broderick said. “We really appreciate that they take the time to come and get to see us wrestle. I think I speak for everyone when I say no one wants to compete in a hollow gym. Thank you for coming and supporting the team.”
The team continues their season at Williams College for the New England Duals on Jan. 30.
(11/20/09 9:39pm)
The wrestling team kept their momentum going with their second win of the season this past Wednesday. The No. 12 Lions won eight out of 10 weight classes to defeat Hunter College by the score of 37-7.
Of those eight wins, sophomores Dan Herr and Ben Ostner, junior Mike Denver and senior Al Wonesh were successful in pinning their opponents. Denver, who wrestles at 184lbs, pinned Hunter sophomore Ryan Baxter the fastest, clocking in at just 1:59.
Hunter began the match strong. Sophomore Greg Pollack defeated senior Dan Franke 3-1 after three overtimes. Herr gave the Lions an advantage with his pin, but sophomore Dan Messina put the Hawks back on top with his win over freshman Anthony Damico. The College would then win the next sever matches, thanks to the efforts of Denver, Wonesh, and Ostner, as well as junior Adam Koziol, seniors Tyler Branham and Justin Bonitatis and graduate student Dan DiColo.
(11/17/09 9:22pm)
The student soloist night hosted by the College Union Board (CUB) in the Rat last Friday featured four very different sets from some of the College’s most talented students.
Sophomore communications studies major Jake Ehrlich kept the audience intrigued with his original “B.Y.O. ppt. (Bring Your Own PowerPoint).” Dressed in full business attire, the act consisted of a presentation entitled, “The Women of My Early Years: The Ones Who I Made Cry, But Mostly the Ones Who Made Me Cry- K-12.” The 40-minute routine broke down his entire love life in yearly anecdotes, which was driven by his dry humor as well as before and after pictures of all the girls he introduced. Ehrlich was very open about all of his humiliating experiences of rejection, including getting in trouble for threatening to kill a boy just to impress a girl in elementary school.
“I wish I could take full credit for it, but the idea came from my friend David,” Ehrlich said. “He was involved with something similar at his school, and when he told me about it, I knew it would be a great thing to bring to the College.”
Sophomore international studies major Maggie Pakutka opened the night with a set of original songs on her acoustic guitar. Pakutka’s song “Key Guy” told a love story featuring multiple places throughout the College including the Science Complex and Cromwell Hall. The song “Smoke” had a sultry chord progression reminiscent of lounge music, while the upbeat tune “I Wanna Be Your Plans” had a tinge of country. Most entertaining was her last song, an acoustic version of R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix).”
Danny Giovenco, senior communication major, drew the most crowd support of the night. A trio of girls stood at the bar, armed with a sign saying, “We Love You Danny.”
Giovenco sang many popular songs, such as his opener “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 and “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon. From the beginning the crowd was enthusiastic, singing and clapping along to his songs. Giovenco also serenaded the audience with “Run,” which was a hybrid of the two versions by Snow Patrol and Leona Lewis.
“Seeing my friends in the audience made me a lot less nervous,” Giovenco said after the show. “I was so happy that they came to watch, so I wanted to make sure I put on a good show.”
Junior English major Rick Cohen closed the night in a surprising twist. Prior to student soloist night, Cohen performed at the Rat in the New Jersey Comedy festival where he was selected as a finalist. When he sat down onstage with a guitar in hand, the audience looked confused. Many believed that he was introducing a new side of his comedy and were satisfied with his opening song, a dry yet scathing tune about his ex-girlfriend
But his next song was a short song about the end of the world. Although Cohen’s songs were comical, there were small nuances of his set that were slightly darker. Right as the audience expected the next verse to a song, Cohen would stop playing.
“I don’t really write songs longer than a minute or two,” he admitted. His carefree stage presence drew more laughs than applause from the small crowd.
(11/10/09 5:59pm)
The women’s swimming team continued their strong start to the season with a win over Southern Connecticut State University this past Saturday at home. Junior Margaret Molloy and sophomore Laura Pierce once again led the Lions to a 168-126 win that improved the College’s record to 4-0.
Molloy won three freestyle events, including anchoring the 400-yard relay with freshmen Traci Hofer, Melissa Hessler, and junior Danielle Dilts. She also posted impressive times in both the 500-yard and 1000-yard freestyles.
Pierce outshone last week’s stellar performance by taking first in four events this week. With events 100-yard butterfly and both the 50-and 100-yard freestyle as well as swimming on the winning 200-medley relay team, Pierce proved that her career as a Lion has only just begun.
The men also had a strong meet against Southern Connecticut State. They shook off their first of the season last week with a 164.5-121.5 win over the Owls, giving them their first loss.
Junior Joe Tseng came up big for the College with 4 first place finishes. He served as the leadoff swimmer in the 200-yard medley, which he won with freshman Adam Schneider, fellow junior Tom Medvecky and senior Myles O’Connor. Tseng also competed in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke as well as the 200-yard individual medley.
“Win or lose, as a team we race to the best of our ability in each and every event,” Tseng said. “We have to stay focused on what we want to accomplish in the future and not dwell on what already happened. After losing to Stevens, the team was determined to defeat one of our top competitors, Southern Connecticut State. Ultimately, we were well prepared for the meet and everyone was psyched up to swim fast.”
Medvecky and sophomore Mike Vernoia made the NCAA cut in the 200-yard butterfly and 200-yard freestyle respectively. O’Connor joined them with a winning time of 58:34 in the 100-yard breaststroke.
“Even though it’s early in the season, we’ve had a lot of injuries,” junior Peter Goldsmith said. “We’re really focusing on becoming healthy and more long-term goals, such as winning the Metropolitan Championship and improving on the national level.”
Next on the schedule for both teams is Franklin & Marshall College at home this Friday at 6 p.m.
(11/08/09 2:27am)
The Lions’ hopes of reaching the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships were cut short just 3 minutes before the end of double overtime this past Wednesday. After a Rowan corner kick created multiple shots on the College’s goal, junior midfielder John Loiodice finally found the back of the net in the 106th minute, sending the Profs to the NJAC Championships this Saturday against No.1-seed Montclair State University.
“The (second) goal was heartbreaking,” Luber said. “It’s tough to lose your last collegiate game on a golden goal. But that's how the game is sometimes. Two pretty evenly matched teams fought hard and unfortunately there has to be a loser.”
The Lions, who had earned a first round bye, took the lead early in the game. Junior forward Drew Lampitt connected on a pass from sophomore forward Ray Nelan and hammered a shot past Rowan’s junior goalkeeper Charlie Cunliffe 1:20 into the game.
“To be honest, I was just fortunate to get the last touch on the ball,” Lampitt said. “All the hard work came from Phil (Cunha) getting the ball up to Ray who ran down the line to give it to me. I was just hoping it was what we needed to get some early momentum going.”
The Lions fell back into a more relaxed style of play, until the Profs mounted a series of offensive attacks. The Lions countered with their own offensive onslaught, creating more than one chance to score by senior forward Kevin Luber and senior midfielder Anthony Staropoli. By the end of the first half, the College maintained its 1-0 lead.
Rowan came back in full force during the second half. In a similar move, Rowan junior Randy Kohr scored from a corner kick two minutes after the kickoff. The remainder of the game remained split. The Lions and the Profs battled back and forth for the rest of the half, including more chances from Luber and sophomore midfielder Ed Kozic, resulting in a 1-1 stalemate that produced two overtimes.
Before the game, TCNJ announced that four seniors were selected for the all-NJAC teams this year. Luber was named as a forward for the First Team, while Staropoli was named as a midfielder for the second team. Defensive back Adam Dorflinger and Midfielder Brian Galicia were named All-NJAC honorable mention as well. The team will graduate six seniors this year.
“I am very proud to have had the chance to play and represent TCNJ,” Luber said. “Every day of every season was hard work. I could not be any prouder of the team’s performance over these four years. I could not have asked for a better group of teammates and coaches. I am very thankful to of had the opportunity to play at such a high level.
“The seniors are an incredible group,” junior defender Phillip Cunha said. “Every one of them means so much to the team whether it’s on or off the field. They’re leaving some big roles to fill, but being part of a good program is all about stepping up when certain players leave. They are tremendous individuals and I’m honored to know and have them as my teammates.”