84 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/11/07 12:00pm)
"I know you're diverse here. There just isn't any diversity in this room ... or at my last two shows. They're all busy shooting photographs for the school's brochure."
Steve Hofstetter had about 90 students laughing during his third appearance on campus as he joked about the College, Facebook, irony and intelligence levels last Thursday night, teasing students about their social lives.
"I actually don't get into video games much because I'm attracted to women," Hofstetter said.
No topic was safe from Hofstetter as he poked fun at the world: "I love Canadian TV because their quality has gotten so much better ever since they added that second camera."
Indiana recently voted on taking part in Daylight Savings Time for the first time in years: "When I got off the plane in Indiana my watch said one thing and my phone said another; they've never fought before. I called the National Time Services and asked what time it was. She said, 'I have no idea.'" Apparently Indiana was also named the No. 1 terror target in America, to which Hofstetter said, "To coordinate a massive terror strike, you'd have to know what time it is."
Hofstetter even suggested better ways to keep people off drugs. His "Truth" commercial would be, "One day you're gonna want to smoke and it's gonna be real fuckin' cold. The Truth." Another advertisement Hofstetter suggested was, "Two words: Ugly Chicks. That's my anti-drug."
Sororities Theta Phi Alpha and Delta Zeta hosted Hofstetter along with Phil Mazo and Denis Donohue in Forcina Hall. Mazo and Donohue, who are currently on tour with Hofstetter, opened the show and got the attention of the crowd.
Mazo opened the show with a joke about how he was pulled over by a police officer after tailgating an Escalade for an hour-and-a-half. Mazo explained, "Officer, I'm just trying to watch the movie."
Donohue got the audience ready for Hofstetter as he touched base on what his childhood was like.
"(My mom's) got Jesus, Mary and Joseph on her dashboard but babies playing 'wee' in the back of the car (not in a car seat)," Donohue said. "He can't be everywhere, that's all I'm sayin'."
Donohue then talked about how his Italian mother "would take the spoon right out of the sauce ... I felt like a chooch 'cause I'd go to school with little pink circles all over me. The kids would see it and ask, 'Italian mother?' ... One kid had green circles on him ... pesto."
Lindsay Fisk and Karen Montecuollo of Theta Phi Alpha and Leanne Healy of Delta Zeta organized the event.
"We were happy to fill half of Forcina," Healy said. Fisk added, "All three (of the comedians) were really funny; we're really happy about (the success of the show)."
Hofstetter's popularity as a comedian has flourished in the last few years. Most college students know him through his Facebook profile, which was recently closed off to new friends because he reached the 500,000 person plateau.
He rewards his Facebook friends by giving out free shows to the Colleges at which he has the most friends.
Besides having his own column in Sports Illustrated, Hofstetter is also involved in a sports column known as "National Lampoon Sports Minute (or so)," which is featured in The Signal each week.
At the show, Hofstetter sold his CDs, "Taste like Bliss" and 'Cure for the Cable Guy," along with T-shirts that say "Add Me," alluding to Facebook and MySpace.
Hofstetter, Mazo and Donohue have done many shows together so far. "I like it a lot; it's kind of nice to be able to hang out after the show and spend some time with people," Hofstetter said. "It works out really well."
The show was laid back and enjoyable for everyone as each guy talked about things that students could relate to, like poking people on Facebook. Even off the stage, the guys are carefree and fun. After being asked if the comedians want to leave the audience with a message, Mazo put it best: "I'd like (the audience) to come away with the message that 'I'd like to sleep with that guy.'"
(03/28/07 12:00pm)
As journalists, we respect certain rules above all else. First, don't lie or fabricate. Second, be unbiased when reporting. Finally, do not speculate; only report the facts.
Our neighboring "professional" paper, The Times of Trenton, has chosen to ignore two of these rules.
In its March 21 issue, The Times ran a story on the cancellation of Senior Week. In The Signal's coverage, not one senior, administrator or Senior Class Council member mentioned that they thought the cancellation of Senior Week was related to the tragic death of John Fiocco Jr.
The Times, however, decided it was so relevant to the cancellation that it must be mentioned in the third paragraph of its Senior Week article. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the fact that The Times thought Fiocco was related to the cancellation of Senior Week -- it was the way they presented it.
"It was March 25 last year that Fiocco dropped down a trash chute in an incident that remains under investigation," the article reads.
Besides its inappropriate tone, this comment is speculation, something that has not been proven in the investigation of Fiocco's death. For The Times' editors to let something like this slip by is completely unacceptable. Since the beginning, The Times and other media outlets have assumed and guessed things about Fiocco's death.
The Times showed its carelessness in keeping facts straight when its own report was proven wrong four days later.
On March 25, The Times reported, "There was no forensic evidence in the trash chute itself. . Fiocco's body . remained in good enough condition for investigators to determine if Fiocco had plummeted down the trash chute."
New Jersey State Police Detective Sgt. William Scull added, "There are certain things we look for that would have been indicative of him falling down the chute. We didn't see any of these things . not one."
I was in the Times newsroom the night Fiocco's body was found. At that time, it was not yet proven that it was his body. In response to this not yet proven fact, an editor of my section exclaimed something to the effect of, "It doesn't matter, that's how we're running it anyway."
Not only did The Times break the rule of speculation, but it assigned the Senior Week article to someone with an obvious conflict of interest.
Senior journalism major Matt Egan was assigned the story on the cancellation of Senior Week, his Senior Week. To have someone write an article for a group of people to which he belongs is a big problem in journalism.
It is impossible and unfair for Egan to have to write an article on an event he most likely would have attended with his peers under traditional circumstances.
Journalists wonder why they get so much criticism for their work. It's because there are papers like The Times breaking all the rules and making it harder for us to put forth a decent, honest newspaper that people can turn to for information. What can you really believe?
(03/21/07 12:00pm)
Last year at Clearview Regional High School, a student received the John Anthony Fiocco Jr. Memorial Scholarship for being an artistic student athlete with a GPA above 3.0 who demonstrated integrity and strong character traits, all things that describe John Fiocco Jr.
After passing away in late March 2006, Fiocco left quite an impression on the College and on his high school alma mater.
"It was like there was a black cloud over us," Kevin Kitchenman, principal of Clearview, said. "John's brother and sister (Nicholas and Kelly Fiocco) were attending Clearview while everything was happening. It was very hard for them and all their friends. It really hit the ones that knew him."
Family, friends and fellow classmates of Fiocco came together to make sure he would not be forgotten. They took donations and sold wristbands with Fiocco's name inscribed on them for $5 each to fund a memorial scholarship. Donations can be made to the scholarship fund at any Commerce Bank location.
A Web site was also created in memory of Fiocco. The Web site, johnnyfiocco.com, features photographs of Fiocco and his friends and family along with a message board, guestbook and music by Green Day and Kenny Chesney.
The Web site also offers general information on Fiocco's memorial scholarship and how to fund it. The homepage of the Web site features a poem about Fiocco next to a clipping from Clearview's 2006 yearbook, a page dedicated to Fiocco from his parents.
Friends, family and people who have never even met Fiocco use the message board as a way to stay connected with him. They share stories, wishes and photos and send their prayers out to Fiocco and his family.
"I noticed a change (in the atmosphere) only when it first occurred," Kitchenman said. "The students and staff did an amazing job of rallying and supporting each other."
(01/31/07 12:00pm)
"No, you have to go down the stairs," the hall security worker at Wolfe Hall claimed. "The elevator doesn't run after eight."
I could barely walk from hobbling around all day on a sprained ankle and crutches. All I wanted was a decent meal from T/W to get some of my lost energy back. But I was forced to crutch my way down the slippery steps of Wolfe.
The elevators in Travers and Wolfe halls do not descend to the basement floor after 8 p.m. for fear of someone sneaking into the dorms at night.
So, here I am crutching my way down the steps just to reach some food. One wrong move and everyone walking in front of me would have broken my fall. My only other option was to hobble to the back of T/W, but I wasn't up for it.
What would have happened if I couldn't get down the stairs on my crutches? What if I did fall? What if I was stuck in a wheelchair and did not have the energy to go to the other side of the building?
I called the office of Residential and Community Development, which had no idea why there was not another way to get into T/W. My call was redirected to Terry Yamiolkowski, the disability coordinator of the College, who said that Residential and Community Development should have been able to take care of my call.
Apparently, I could have worked my way into getting a temporary access pass to use elevators on campus. If I happened to be permanently handicapped, I could receive full access. The problem is that no one ever told me this. Yamiolkowski agrees that Residential and Community Development should have alerted me to this when I went to T/W in the first place. They obviously saw I was in crutches and should have at least redirected me to their manager.
So how do we correct this problem? Something needs to be implemented in the training of hall security workers so they know where to direct a person who may have trouble getting down the stairs. Yamiolkowski agrees that people in those kind of positions should go through comprehensive disability training.
I was injured on campus in the Student Recreation Center playing in an intramural basketball game. The Lions' EMS service and the Recreation Center staff should also be taught that this kind of access exists and should be able to alert me to it.
In a perfect world there would be handicapped access to all sides of a building, but for now, the College, as it stands, meets all building codes and in most areas surpasses these codes. The codes, unfortunately, are not 100 percent convenient, just accessible.
Yamiolkowski alerted me to the difference between being handicapped at high schools and at colleges. High schools are required to provide aides and assistants whereas colleges are only required to provide access, not success.
Until there are handicapped ramps and entrances on all sides of buildings, I'll be hanging at the top of the steps, bad ankles and all.
(11/29/06 5:00pm)
The Lions opened their season with an average start, as they now stand at 3-2 after two tournaments and their regular season home opener.
The College battled Keystone College for its first home game and it went down to the wire as the team exchanged fouls to eventually give the Lions the 61-58 win.
Senior guard Brian Halligan, junior guard Corey Gilmore and junior forward Mark Aziz combined for 42 of the Lions' points, scoring 14, 13 and 15, respectively. Aziz took seven rebounds away from the Giants.
The Lions opened the season by traveling to Susquehanna University for the Pepsi-Weis Markets Tournament. The Lions split their games as they went 1-1 overall in the tournament.
Aziz took control in the second game of the tournament against Penn College as he scored a career-high 22 points, eight boards and four steals, leading the team to a 79-56 win. Junior forward Jeff Warner scored 21 points.
"The highlight was picking each other up and going out the second game of both tournaments and playing well enough to win pretty convincingly," Aziz said.
Halligan and sophomore forward Adam Gonzalez also reached double digits as they scored 15 and 12 points, respectively. The 12 points were a career high for Gonzalez.
Halligan had 12 points in the first game of the tournament against King's College to earn a spot on the All-Tournament team along with Aziz. The College lost to King's 67-44 in its opening game of the season.
In the second tournament of the young season, the Lions visited the Emory and Henry College Food City Tournament to face John Carroll University in the first game and Huntingdon College in the second.
Against the Blue Streaks of John Carroll, the Lions suffered an 80-48 loss. The Lions got to experiment, as freshman forward Matt Bramley had an impressive 13 points off the bench to lead the Lions. Aziz added eight points and six rebounds in the loss.
"We are starting to get more comfortable playing together which is very important because of how young we are and that most of us haven't played together," Aziz said. "I think we can upset a number of teams in the league and make it to the playoffs where really anything can happen."
The College rebounded after the loss to take down Huntingdon and take third in the tournament with the 62-36 win.
Sophomore guard Jeff Molinelli feuled the Lions as he scored a career-high 20 points and tallied eight boards. Aziz followed close behind as he notched 18 points and six rebounds.
The Lions will return home this Saturday to host the Gothic Knights of New Jersey City University at 3 p.m.
(11/29/06 5:00pm)
On Nov. 18, the Lions took part in the Ursinus College Fall Brawl and blew away the competition with three champions.
Junior Ray Sarinelli went 4-0 throughout the tournament to take the 133-pound crown to continue his successful season.
Senior Joey Galante took first in the 157-pound division, as he also went 4-0 with two pins.
In the heavyweight competition, junior Steve Carbone dominated his bracket as he went 4-0 with three pins; the first of the two was within the first 23 seconds.
The Lions also had two second-place finishes as freshman Tyler Branham made an impressive run in the 141-pound competition, going 3-1 during the day, while sophomore Greg Osgoodby went 2-1 to take second in the 174-pound division.
Rounding out the Lions was senior Mike Guenther, as he took third in the 165-pound division.
The Lions will host King's College tonight at 7 p.m in Packer Hall.
(11/15/06 5:00pm)
After helping launch the Lions to Sectionals of the NCAA Division III Soccer Championship, senior forward Christine Mullin is glad she decided to work through her pain and become a force on the field.
During Mullin's freshman year, she tore her meniscus. The following year, she managed to tear her ACL just three games into the season. After being sidelined for the entirety of her sophomore year and picking up a medical redshirt, Mullin contemplated whether or not it was worth going through the pain to be able to play.
"I was never really going to quit ... but it was tempting," Mullin said. "Especially after having a hard comeback season last year. But, I knew the team counts on me as captain."
As the lone senior on the Lions' squad this year, there is a lot of pressure on Mullin to perform well. After finding out that most do not make the full recovery until the following year, she became more determined to get back on track and decided to remain on the team.
"My teammates and coaches were counting on me," Mullin said. "But mostly, (I came back) because there were moments last year when I could tell that I still had my old self in me and the injury was just holding me back. I decided to take the winter off from training just to think. I love the game and everything that goes with it: the team, road trips, just memories I wasn't willing to give up yet."
During Mullin's junior year, she started just four games and tallied one goal, making only one-third of her shots on goal during the season (5-of-15).
That following summer, Mullin made a change.
"I played summer league just to see if I still had it," Mullin said. "There was one game ... that I was playing well, feeling like my old self, but what really did it was when I collided with a goalie at full speed and just popped right back up. That is definitely not something I would have done last season. My parents were proud."
This year, Mullin has made a drastic turnaround, as she is second on the team in points with 21 after scoring nine goals and dishing out three assists. Her shots-on-goal percentage has also increased to .500, as she has put 15 of her 30 shots on goal.
Four of Mullin's goals this season were game winners. In her last game in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Mullin registered one goal and two assists to contribute to the 10-1 victory over Villa Julie College.
These statistics make Mullin a team leader and an unofficial captain. It took a lot of rehabilitation to get Mullin where she is today, but to her, it was worth it.
"I started running about four months after ACL surgery, but wasn't able to play soccer again until about eight months, so I was playing only about a month before preseason of my junior year," Mullin said.
After the disappointing junior year, Mullin got many supporters in her corner, allowing her to push herself back to her normal self.
"I was so down on myself from last year's personal disappointment that I tried to come in with no pressure on myself as a player; just to try to be a good leader and let the rest come," Mullin said. "It's just a bonus that while the team is succeeding, I am as well."
Mullin continued about her support: "(The team) was as supportive as anyone could be. They knew how painful it was for me physically and mentally so they kind of let me push myself and deal with it on my own rather than putting extra pressure on me. My parents were my biggest supporters throughout my entire career, but that came out most during the time I was injured; they were by my side through everything."
Mullin has become a role model for all Lions athletes. Through her drive, she has proven what hard work can do and she has shown what a true leader she really is.
Though she redshirted her sophomore year and still has one year left of eligibility, Mullin has decided to graduate this spring. A biology major, she has applied to veterinary medical schools for the fall. Until then, Mullin will continue to lead the Lions through the remainder of the 2006 NCAA tournament.
(11/01/06 5:00pm)
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams started their winter season with huge wins as they blew Montclair State University out of the water this past Friday.
The men's team took down the Red Hawks 131-89, while the women's team was an even bigger winner with a 161-70 score. Both teams start their winter season at 1-0.
"Our expectations are always high," sophomore Ted Yoa said. "A lot of guys will be looking forward to (the NCAA Tournament)."
On the women's side, standout junior Ava Kiss placed first in three events as she dominated the competition in both the 200-individual medley (2:16.48) and the 100-freestyle (55.44).
Kiss was also a crucial link in the first-place 400-medley relay team. Kiss joined with junior Christine Marino, sophomore Emily Reichard and sophomore anchor Brittany Collyer to take the medley in a time of 4:13.78.
Marino also placed first in the 200-backstroke in 2:20.40, and Collyer took first in the 50-freestyle in 25.82.
Junior Stefanie Rashti picked up two first-place wins for the Lions, capturing the 200-freestyle in 2:04.97 and the 200-butterfly in 2:17.80.
Freshman Stephanie Seto also brought home two wins for the Lions as she took the 500-freestyle in 5:34.09 and the 1,000-freestyle in 11:30.21.
In diving, senior Lee Swanson swept the competition in the one-meter events, posting scores of 164.70 and 244.73 to get first in each contest.
For the men's team, Yoa was the big winner for the Lions as he tallied three first place finishes in three different events.
"It's always a good feeling when you know that you're helping the team," Yoa said.
Yoa swam a 2:17.59 in the 200-breaststroke and a 2:05.67 200-individual medley to place first in both events. Joining sophomore Tom Nawrot, junior Josh Forsman and junior John Altobelli, the Lions also placed first in the 400-medley relay with a time of 3:40.81.
"It's always good to start out with a win," Nawrot said. "It helps build our confidence for the rest of the season. We expect to have another successful season."
Nawrot went on to place first in the 100-freestyle with a time of 49.28, while sophomore Mike Molloy was a double winner, registering times of 1:47.59 and 2:02.71 in the 200-freestyle and the 200-backstroke, respectively.
"We look good so far, just where we should be given the hard training we're in right now," Nawrot said. "I think we can win the Conference and improve our standing at Nationals."
Sophomore Mike Heaney showed his endurance as he placed first in the 1000-freestyle with a time of 10:33.97.
"It's not going to be easy, but we're really working our aerobic core training now," Nawrot said.
In men's diving, the Lions took two first place finishes as sophomore Greg Lloyd posted scores of 164.48 and 314.85 in the one-meter events to help complete the win over the Red Hawks.
"This is only the beginning," Nawrot said. "We're working hard and we all know that (head coach Brian) Bishop's training is meant to make us faster."
The teams will visit Franklin & Marshall College on Nov. 5.
(10/18/06 4:00pm)
After sweeping the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional tournament, freshman Jackie Shtemberg and junior Christina Contrafatto flew to Fort Myers, Fla., for the ITA National Small College Championships.
Shtemberg entered the singles tournament and placed sixth overall to be named an ITA All-American, making her the No. 6 player in the country among small colleges.
"I came into the tournament really nervous and knowing that the competition was going to be a lot more intense and my nerves totally took over my first match," Shtemberg said. "Then I got over it a bit and won my next match."
To get to sixth place, Shtemberg lost her opening match to the top-seeded player in the tournament, senior Elizabeth Bondi of Depauw University, with a 6-2, 6-0 score. It was the rookie's first loss in 12 matches, breaking her winning streak and dropping her to 15-2 on the season. The rookie picked herself up to win her next match.
"I just was unable to pull it through unfortunately," Shtemberg said. "But I will definitely feel a lot more confident next year since I will know how the tournament works and everything; that is if I get the honor of coming back again next year."
Shtemberg then suffered a loss in the fifth-sixth place match to Siobhane Finicane of Pomona Pitzer College 7-5 (5), 6-3 to drop her record to 16-3. A year before, Contrafatto placed seventh in the same tournament for All-America honors.
"(Contrafatto) was a tremendous help to me all weekend in singles and in doubles," Shtemberg said. "It would not have been the same without her."
Contrafatto paired with Shtemberg in the doubles competition to take fifth overall for ITA All-America citations. After just half a semester of college, Shtemberg has already made a name for herself by collecting two All-America citations.
"I sure hope I can come to nationals all four years," Shtemberg said. "I would be extremely happy with that and I hope to do well in the spring ... Overall I just want to play the best I can and enjoy it and wherever it takes me, so be it."
On the way to the fifth place finish, the duo lost its opening match 7-5, 5-7, 11-13 to senior Mona Iyer and junior Amy Staloch of Carnegie Mellon University. The loss also snapped a nine-match win streak by the pair.
"We just didn't pull it out at the end because it was close and it was anybody's game," Contrafatto said. "The girls are more confident and more experienced here. Girls have been here so long that in tennis terminology they are called bullies."
On the next day of competition, the twosome downed freshman Cayleigh Simpson and junior Renae Wright of Trinity University 6-2, 2-6, 10-6.
The pair then edged past seniors Sonya Reynlolds and Sara Sargent of Swarthmore College in the fifth-sixth place match 6-7 (3), 6-2, 10-7 for the victory, bringing its overall doubles record to 15-3.
"I think when you're at a national event, the motivation isn't a concern, it's just controlling their emotions," head coach Scott Dicheck said. "We have two talented players; we want them to play with confidence and be aggressive. The competition is going to be the best they've seen in the fall."
After a conference championship and two All-Americans, women's tennis will resume action in the spring.
(10/18/06 4:00pm)
In front of over 4,000 screaming fans intoxicated with school spirit at the annual Homecoming game, the Lions boasted a 27-21 overtime victory over the Pioneers of William Paterson University.
"It definitely makes a difference playing in your own stadium," junior running back Daniel Dornacker said. "You see all your friends and players that you played with who graduated. It makes you want the win that much more to know that they are cheering the whole time behind you. The themes of today's game were heart and togetherness."
"The way it turned out was obviously a good thing," head coach Eric Hamilton said. "It is part of the learning experience. I'm very happy to be able to come back and steal a win. It's special. If it's going to happen, to happen at Homecoming with a lot of people there ... what they saw was a pretty good football game. This is a big boost for us."
The Pioneers made it to the Lions' 1-yard line on their first overtime possession for what looked like a touchdown until the Lions defense forced a fumble. Freshman linebacker Allen Mantz recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
On this, the first Lions' possession of overtime, freshman quarterback Chris James made a 5-yard run to the end zone to seal the victory.
The touchdown brought the Lions back to an even record at 3-3. James had added a spark to the Lions offense when he came in to replace senior quarterback Chris Bell and rushed for 58 yards on 17 carries, went 5-for-9 in passing with 70 yards and finished with two touchdowns.
"The momentum was switching, but we knew as a team that if we executed the plays that we couldn't lose," James said. "It's always a rush when you get out there in front of so many people, but my line blocked well and the running backs ran hard and we played well overall."
"Today's game was a very big contribution to the bonding of our team," Dornacker said. "Every game we have gotten better and we want to continue to do so. Today's game served as a mental confidence builder to know that we will pick each other up when things don't go our way, that offense and defense always has each other's backs."
The teams managed to keep their audience on the edge of its seats as they exchanged big play after big play.
The Lions opened the game with an 82-yard kickoff return from senior running back Cory Schoonover, which led to a Dornacker 1-yard touchdown run to give the Lions an early lead with 13:03 left to go in the quarter. Junior kicker Matt Dalessio missed the extra point attempt to put the score at 6-0.
"We definitely had the momentum in the first half," Dornacker said. "Starting with Schoonover's big kickoff return ... and the defense came up with some big plays to give the offense good field position, also."
Dornacker said that it was a huge emotional rush to be able to score in front of full stands at Homecoming, "But I can only run as far as the offensive line blocks. They did an outstanding job today in creating room to run. I can't say enough good things about the heart of our offensive line."
The Pioneers answered as sophomore running back Mike Vicci barreled through the Lions defense for a 17-yard touchdown run. Junior kicker Ricky Krautman made the extra point attempt to put the Pioneers ahead 7-6.
With 2:33 left to go in the first quarter, James contributed to the scoring and made a 9-yard touchdown run. Making it look easy, the Lions had a successful two-point conversion with Bell making the pass to junior tight end Chris Opdyke to give the College a 14-7 lead going into the second quarter.
This was James' first full week in pads since he was injured scoring the winning touchdown over LaSalle University earlier this season. According to Hamilton, he should see a lot more playing time with Bell, while senior quarterback Jeff Struble showed that he can do a little bit of everything by punting in the game.
The longest drive of the day came at the start of the second quarter as the Lions kept possession for the first 8:17 of the quarter. After the 18-play, 97-yard drive, Dornacker tallied his second touchdown of the game with a 6-yard run. Dalessio made the extra point to give the Lions a 21-7 lead.
"It was good to see us take the ball the length of the field," Hamilton said. "It's about time because they have the capability to do it with the young set of guys we have."
The Lions left little time for the Pioneers to have any shot at scoring in the rest of the half, but the Pioneers dominated the scoreboard in the third quarter, scoring twice in less than six minutes on a 1-yard run from Vicci and a 43-yard pass from quarterback Bryan Petite to John Malone. After a successful kick by Krautman, the score was deadlocked at 21 for the rest of regulation.
"I'm extremely disappointed with the way we started the second half," Hamilton said. "All too often, the third quarter in three of our games has been our Achilles' heel. The good part is that we have been able to overcome that in the fourth quarter. We had chances but we made a couple of bad decisions. It was a drive that we kept alive with penalties; that's a drive we should have stopped."
"In the second half, they made some adjustments on offense and took it to us," Dornacker said. "Fortunately, we were able to put together a couple of drives to change the field position game after they got their scores."
The teams traded possessions during the fourth quarter but could not put points on the board.
Unlike the NFL, the NCAA overtime rule is that each team has a possession starting at the opposite team's 25-yard line. The second team has to either match or beat the first team's points in the possession to continue or win the game.
After a Pioneer fumble, the Lions recovered and James walked into the end zone for the victory. The Lions had 21 first downs to the Pioneers' 16. William Paterson had 271 yards of offense while the Lions had a solid game with 333 yards on offense.
"I'm very, very happy for them; it's tough to get excited when you see the (negative) things that happened," Hamilton said. "It's a sense of relief as well as good for the players. The difference is now we are 3-3 and Paterson is going to struggle. It is character building for us and a big confidence boost. Now we have some possibility to have a good record ... It is good to get this win under our belt because now we have a great opportunity to make a difference in the conference."
The defenses of both teams had their strengths. The Pioneers intercepted the Lions' quarterbacks five times for 16 yards, three from Bell and two from James, while the Lions defense sacked Petite five times for a loss of 38 total yards.
"Very rarely do you make five turnovers in a game and still win. One interception was a Hail Mary so that one doesn't bother me," Hamilton said. "One bounced out of the receiver's hands into the defense's; what are you going to do about that? The other three were frustrating because it is all the things we practice that shouldn't happen."
"The sacks that our defense came up with were huge when considering the momentum of the game," Dornacker said. "Again, I feel like with the home field advantage, our mistakes were looked at optimistically, and when we came up with big plays the momentum was immediately put in our favor and magnified."
The Lions dominated time of possession 47:58 to 27:02 and led in third-down conversions, as they were successful on eight of 16 chances to the Pioneers' four of 13 chances.
"I think we should have beat them by more," James said. "But a win is a win and we came together today and pulled it out."
Next on the Lions' schedule is a visit to Western Connecticut State University, which beat William Paterson on a last-second field goal. The game is scheduled to take place on Oct. 21 at noon.
"(Western) Connecticut is a very strong team and going up to their place will be a challenge," Dornacker said. "We have been in every game that we've played so far, win or lose, and as long as we go up there with the attitude that we brought today, we have every reason to be confident."
(10/04/06 4:00pm)
The Lions' field hockey team kept its undefeated streak alive by going 2-0 over the course of the week, scoring a combined 12 goals in the games to now stand at 7-0.
It was a battle between nationally-ranked teams as the No. 3 Lions scored the go-ahead goal in the second half against the No. 6 Red Hawks of Montclair State University.
The College edged past Montclair 2-1 and also trounced Manhattanville College 8-1.
Last Tuesday, the Lions were down 1-0 after a quick a goal in the second half against the Red Hawks. The Lions rallied in the final minutes of the game as freshman midfielder Jessica Falcone evened the score with 10:56 remaining off a feed from junior midfielder Colleen Dougherty.
Senior forward Allison Greene followed with 7:22 left in regulation to net the game-winner for her eighth goal of the season.
"It was really important for us to come out on top of those games," sophomore forward Katie Reuther said. "We've been having a great beginning of the season, but the game especially against Montclair was a good test for us. I think we really proved something because we lost to Montclair last year."
The Lions outshot the Red Hawks 24-1 in the win and had them beat 21-0 on penalty corners.
Senior goalkeeper Erin Mitschke recorded the win without having to make any saves.
The College put on a clinic against Manhattanville as it extended its undefeated season, with seven different Lions contributing to the scoring efforts.
After being down 1-0 only 6:33 into the game, the Lions took control as Greene took an assist from sophomore midfielder Melissa Buttray to even up the score about a minute later.
Junior defenseman Ashleigh Pecherski tallied two straight goals before Reuther added the fourth to give the College a 4-1 lead at halftime.
"I am really proud to be able to help our team win," Reuther said. "These past few games I think our teamwork has really shined on the field. Everyone on our team is able to contribute something great and not just one person is doing all the work."
The domination continued in the second half as Reuther knocked in her second goal of the game. The Lions gave themselves more cushion as sophomore forward Jenny Lubin netted a goal just four minutes later to make it 6-1.
Sophomore midfielder Kelly Mitchell tipped in her first goal of the year and Greene closed out the scoring for her team-leading 10th goal of the season with just 8:38 to go. Sophomore midfielder Jackie Gelinas fed the ball to Greene for her second assist of the game.
"If we continue to play the way we are playing, I definitely believe that we can stay undefeated," Reuther said. "Our team is determined to come out on top this year and we are ready for any obstacle we may face."
The Lions return to action tonight at 7:30 p.m. as they face Susquehanna University in Lions' Stadium.
(10/04/06 4:00pm)
The men's soccer team split its games with Rutgers University this week as it destroyed Rutgers University-Newark 4-0 and fell to Rutgers University-Camden 1-0.
"(Newark) was a must-win game for us and we knew that," senior defender Tim Dudek said. "We came out and played hard, moved the ball around and came away with a victory. If we want to win the NJAC (New Jersey Athletic Conference) tournament this year again, we have to win those types of games."
Junior midfielder Craig Langan got the ball to senior forward Mike Ferber's feet as he connected with a shot to score the game-winner against the Scarlet Raiders.
"It was a good feeling because we knew it was a game we were very capable of winning, so scoring early took some of the pressure off of us," Langan said. "(Scoring first) hasn't been our strong point this year; we tend to score more in the second half."
Minutes later, Dudek notched his fourth goal of the season off a pass from junior midfielder Joe McGinley at 23:15 to give the Lions a 2-0 lead. Dudek leads the team in points with 11 from four goals and three assists.
"This win gets us back on track," Dudek said. "It's a conference win, which is huge, and it should be the start of our team getting started in the right direction again."
McGinley contributed again as he found Langan, who put the ball in the back of the net at 68:53. Junior defender Frank Fiorilli capped off the win with the final goal at 70:58, as he collected a head ball that ricocheted off Dudek's head from a corner kick to give the Lions the 4-0 lead.
"It definitely wasn't a crucial goal to the game, but it meant a lot to me because I don't usually get opportunities in the game and to finish the one chance I got really made me happy," Fiorilli said. "Plus, coach has always joked with me and said I would never score at the College, so I had to show him otherwise."
Junior goalkeeper Matt Kasperavicius had three saves in the shutout and shared the win with junior goalkeeper Stephen Scutellaro, who had one save.
The Lions now have four shutouts on the season with an average of 1.45 goals allowed per game.
"(The win) gives us that starting momentum for the next few games which are all region games," Fiorilli said. "If we are able to put together a solid winning streak of four or five games, we will be in good shape going into the NJAC tournament and hopefully the NCAA tournament."
Rutgers-Newark sophomore goalkeeper Matthew Johnson was injured when he challenged a Lions forward for the ball. He made 10 saves before the injury. Freshman goalkeeper Max Dubane relieved him to make three saves while in net for 13:59.
Against the Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers-Camden, the Lions outshot the Raptors 14-10 but fell short when it came to finishing as they sufferred a 1-0 loss and fell to 3-5-1 overall and 1-3 in NJAC play.
The game was a rematch of last year's NJAC Championship game that the Lions won, also with a score of 1-0.
The lone goal came from senior midfielder Michael Reed as he headed in a corner kick from junior midfielder Rob Gambino.
Despite the loss, the Lions remain confident as one of their goals becomes being to finish their scoring chances more often.
Langan believes the Lions can still repeat as NJAC champs. "There hasn't been a team yet that we feel we couldn't beat," he said.
"It was our goal at the beginning of the season and it still is," Fiorilli said. "A finish any lower than that will be looked upon as a disappointment in our season. A couple of losses in the beginning of our season isn't going to take away from our goal."
Next, the College travels to face off against Drew University tonight at 7 p.m. They will return home Sunday in a 1 p.m. matchup against Lincoln University.
"We definitely have the talent to repeat again," Dudek said. "We just need to apply it to the upcoming games. When we play our best, only a few teams can hang with us."
(10/04/06 12:00pm)
Word got out last week that the men's club rugby team had violated the behavioral code at the College. The consequence is two weeks of suspension - Sept. 19 until Oct. 3 - from any group activity.
"Members of the rugby team had violated campus behavior policies and were supsended for two weeks," Matt Golden, director of Communications and Media Relations, said.
Golden also said the team cannot use the athletic compolex for games or practices during its suspension.
"Somebody's mom stole the e-mail about (the team) having a drinking thing after a game," a member of the rugby team who chose to remain anonymous said. "It got back to the person in charge of club sports, so we got suspended from games and practices for two weeks all because they found out we were going to have a drinking thing after a game."
It gets worse for the club, who had to cancel a contest against Princeton University. Because of the cancellation, the Lions run the risk of losing their NCAA Division I status.
"It really sucked because we are trying to have a good season so that we could stay in D-I," the rugby team member said. "If we have to forfeit in D-I, we might have to be D-II next semester. Luckily, (the suspension) was just for two weeks; it could have been a lot worse."
Worried about word getting out, the team was hesitant to give any information about the situation.
According to the rugby team member, the team, and probably all other club teams, will change the way it sends information to organization members.
"I'm sure it will be different now, not really sending out e-mails and stuff; it will definitely change," the rugby team member said. "It wasn't so bad because we had (no game) this week, but at the same time it sucks that we can't do anything organized because in the next game we are going to be out of it."
The rugby team member continued to explain how this may affect the rugby team and other club sports teams on campus.
"We will have to be more careful in the future, especially with the College cracking down as it is. If another team gets caught, it will be worse. We aren't going to take any chances; we're not allowed to do anything organized at all."
Currently, club sport teams are required to sign a code of conduct brought forth from the College.
The code of conduct outlaws "use, distribution, or possession of alcoholic beverages while a member of an official traveling party of a (College) team is competing at an intercollegiate event."
All members are required to sign the code of conduct or they will be prohibited from playing.
(09/13/06 12:00pm)
The women's soccer team ended their stay in Cary, N.C., with a solid 2-0 victory over Capital University on Sunday. The win came on the second day of the Esprit Division III Tournament.
Junior forward Dana DiBruno netted the go-ahead goal against Capital 1:58 into the second half off an assist by sophomore Coleen Weber.
Sophomore Jillian Casey extended the lead to 2-0 less than four minutes later off an assist from junior Kristen Cubicciotti, her second of the young season.
Freshman goalkeeper Jessica Clarke made just one save in the contest, extending her shutout streak to two games. An opponent has not scored against the team in 252:42.
In the first game of the tournament, the College fought to a scoreless tie against the University of Puget Sound. Clarke had four saves in the game.
The Lions are currently ranked second in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas Division III poll.
(09/13/06 12:00pm)
In the 2005-2006 season, the club ice hockey team achieved something that no other Lions team had done in the program's 35-year history - the team made it to the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference championship series.
In the third game of a best-of-three series, the Lions suffered a heartbreaking 8-7 loss. In the process of making it to the championship, the Lions developed a growing fan base that is still growing. Approximately 300 people were in attendance at the off-campus series finale.
It was an exciting turn of events for a team that may be the most demanding club sport on campus. Since starting in August, the team has one to three games a weekend and practices twice a week from 11:15 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. With expenses eclipsing $900 a head, a player is not even guaranteed to dress for a single game due to league limits.
"I think it's perfect," senior forward Mark Fidanza said. "It's not every day, but it is much more demanding. It's something you need to have commitment for and be unbelievably dedicated."
After placing second in the league last season, it is easy to see why players are still eager to play despite the burden on the wallet.
The Lions had eight all-star selections last season, while the most any other team had was five.
The College also had the league MVP in sophomore defenseman Alex Gorden. According to Fidanza, Gorden carried the team on multiple occasions, single-handedly lifting the team to victories. The Lions also have senior forward Ryan Potosky, who leads the team in goals and points along with tough sophomore defenseman Eric Castellazzo. Also, Fidanza picked up the League Sportsmanship Award.
After six players graduated last season, the Lions were slightly nervous, but they are excited to welcome nine rookies, including three goalies, to the roster this year. The Lions are also confident about what this year has to offer.
"It would be a huge disappointment if we did not win the championship (this year). We have a great team and great coaches," Fidanza said. "This is definitely the most fun I have had in college."
With newly-named head coach Jeff Pelus from Temple University at the helm, the College looks to build on last year's successful season. The Lions open their season against the Owls at Temple on Sept. 16.
For up-to-date information on the Lions, including directions and schedules, visit www.tcnj.edu/~icehock.
(09/13/06 12:00pm)
Last April at a large base budget meeting, the Student Finance Board (SFB) instituted a new policy for all club sports. Funding for the sports was taken out of the SFB agenda, and it was decided that club sports would have their own separate SFB-like organization, the Sport Club Advisory Council (SCAC).
"SFB met with some club sport representatives last year to discuss some new possibilities," Amanda Tobin, junior business administration major and member of the club softball team, said. "We all decided that it made more sense to create a new board consisting of just sport-team representatives. Since we're all athletes, we understand how important it is to buy new equipment and play games and tournaments."
The council was given $42,000 to divide among all club sports throughout the year. With a representative from each sport, the council decides how much money each club should be issued for the year. This was decided after analyzing each team's base budget, home game costs, membership dues, rental time and capital equipment.
"It is giving more control over how the money is distributed to our teams," Tobin said. "It's great being able to put the emphasis on our own team's most important games or tournaments that we need funding for."
Former SFB Executive Director Julia Pratt explained the logistics to the council, and it was then up to the members to organize how the council should be run. Senior secondary education/chemistry major Mark Fidanza took the helm as secretary of the council, the only position named.
"I do think it is an excellent system because it puts the power into the athletes' hands," Fidanza said. "Because of the same logic, it is hard to sit around the table and look at what other people (need) and sit face-to-face and tell them (what they can't have) because it creates disputes. One of our meetings lasted over three hours."
With all the work the council will be putting into its thought process, it realizes the benefits of the council and why SFB decided to separate them from the rest of the budget. With this new system, students participating in club sports will get back 80 percent of the student activity fee through SCAC.
However, this also makes it harder for a new club sport to get funding. To be considered a club sport, a team has to go through SGA to get approved first. This includes a long application process that may take up to a year. Once that is done, SCAC hears requests from the teams that wish to get funded at its monthly meetings.
Before this, a club had to come to SFB directly and was usually denied the money.
SCAC can only accept one male and one female team, or one co-ed team, per year. If multiple teams wish to get club status in the same year, this can create quite a waiting list. After hearing the request to become a club, the 17 representatives vote on whether a team will get funded. If a team is denied funding, it can never reapply.
Only time will tell if this is the best way to distribute money to club sports. As far as the council can see, however, it is the fairest way.
(09/06/06 4:00pm)
The Lions' field hockey team started the season on a two-game winning streak as they blanked Ithaca College 6-0 on Sunday and sailed to an easy 8-1 win over Millersville University on Friday.
"I think everything did fall into place," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "It was a great start for the girls; they played well together."
Both junior defender Ashleigh Pecherski and senior forward Allie Greene added hat tricks to the Lions' scoring efforts. Greene tallied three goals and two assists in the win against Millersville, while Pecherski notched three goals against Ithaca to make her the team's leading goal scorer thus far this season. She has four goals in two games.
Sophomore forward Katie Reuther contributed two goals against Ithaca and one against Millersville.
In the 8-1 victory over Millersville, Greene tallied all of her points in the first half of the game. Five other Lions added to the scoring efforts in the win.
Following Greene's goal 7:09 into the first half, Reuther scored on an assist from Greene only 31 seconds later to go up 2-0. Freshman midfielder Jessica Falcone got in on the action as she added a goal, her first for the College, on an assist from Greene. Pecherski followed with an unassisted goal to give the Lions a 4-0 cushion.
Greene tallied her next two goals back-to-back near the end of the first half. Sophomore midfielder Jackie Gelinas had the assist on Greene's third goal.
Sophomore midfielder Melissa Buttray and senior forward Jess Berkowitz added a goal each in the game, while senior goalkeeper Erin Mitschke made three saves in net. Freshman goalkeeper Amy Drackwicz saw some action and made one save in the contest.
"I was happy to get the opportunity to get players in the game," Pfluger said. "We got 27 players in the game, which is rare. We got a jump on them and maintained the lead; it was a really great team effort."
In the 6-0 shutout win over Ithaca, four Lions had a part in scoring for the College. Along with Pecherski's hat trick and Reuther's two-goal game, the Lions benefited from a goal by Berkowitz and an assist by Falcone.
Mitschke took the win in net, needing to make only one save in the game.
The Lions will return home to face off against SUNY-New Paltz at 1 p.m. in Lions' Stadium this Saturday.
(09/06/06 12:00pm)
chilling capped off the first win of the season for the Lions as she scored the game-winning goal with 16 minutes left in regulation.
The goal came off of an endline cross from junior midfielder Kristen Cubicciotti that Schilling headed into the top right corner of the net, allowing the Lions to edge past the Lady Captains of Christopher Newport University 2-1.
"It is definitely a boost of self-esteem," Schilling said. "(Christopher Newport) was a pretty decent team and they came out really hard so it was a big win."
Although Christopher Newport was chosen by coaches to win the USA South Championship for the second year in a row, the Lady Captains still could not handle the solid defense and powerful offense of the Lions.
Junior defensive midfielder Hillary Carney of the Lady Captains netted the first goal of the game with less than 10 minutes left in the first half.
The lead did not hold for long, as sophomore forward Jamie Kunkel tied it up at 9:40 of the second half. The goal came off of a big punt from freshman goalkeeper Jessica Clarke that was then tipped by junior forward Christine Mullin to allow for Kunkel's goal.
Clarke picked up her first collegiate win in the comeback. The College kept Christopher Newport's freshman goalie Erin Wojtkun busy, as she had 12 saves for the Lady Captains.
The game took place at Hershey Park Stadium in Hershey, Pa., due to rain over the weekend. Also, the Lions' season opener at the Elizabethtown College Blue Jay Tournament against Ursinus College was canceled because of inclement weather.
The Lions will now move on to the Esprit Division III Tournament in Cary, N.C., where they will face the University of Puget Sound on Sept. 9 and Capital University on Sept. 10.
"The team can definitely win every game and stay undefeated like last year and make it to the national championship," Schilling said. "Our schedule is a lot harder but I think we can do it."
(08/30/06 4:00pm)
After finishing tied for second in the NJAC last season, the field hockey team is prepared to develop in every aspect of the game.
"My expectations for the team is for us to improve everyday by taking one step at a time," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "This team is packed with potential and my goal is that they are happy with themselves at the end of the season knowing that they have achieved all of their goals."
With an overall record of 15-5 in the 2005 season, it would seem as though the talented team has little room for improvement, but due to the losses of senior goalie Kristina Beyel and senior Kailtin Wooster, younger players will need to step up to fill in the gaps on their field.
Senior goalie Erin Mitschke should see a lot of playing time in between the pipes this season. Freshman goalie Amy Drackwicz also has great potential to do well for the team.
Other seniors this year are Meg Hess, Jessica Berkowitz and Allie Greene. This trifecta has shown plenty of leadership for the team. Both Hess and Greene were named Dartfish/National Field Hockey Coaches' Association Division III All-American Second Team. Hess was named NJAC Defensive Player of the Year.
After making it to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 25th consecutive year, the team shows promise that they will continue to make headlines all season.
(08/30/06 4:00pm)
The women's tennis team continued its long reign of success at the College in winning their 11th straight NJAC match last season. Since 1982, the Lions have picked up 23 consecutive titles. Last season, the Lions did not drop a single set in NJAC play as they went 30-0 in singles and 15-0 in doubles matches. They posted a 12-2 overall record.
"The only player we lost from last season was senior Jackie Gavornik," head coach Scott Dicheck said. "Losing her is a big blow in terms of her leadership and desire."
This season the Lions return junior Christina Contrafatto and sophomore Haley Kutner. Contrafatto was NJAC Player of the Year as she finished the season ranked seventh nationally. She was the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Regional Champion and was named an ITA All-American. Kutner was named the NJAC Rookie of the Year.
Joining the team this year is a talented freshman class. Six girls will join the squad this year and will all have an impact on the team. This includes a nationally ranked player from North Jersey, Jackie Shtemberg, who will challenge to play in one of the top spots this year.