The Bobcat Bulletin

The Bobcat Bulletin

Vol. 2, Issue 3 November 12, 2012

Presented by the Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network

@QBSN theqbsn.com

HISTORIC HEARTBREAK

Tie-breaker turns heart-breaker:

The men’s soccer team takes first in NECs, falls to Saint Francis University

By Kevin Noonan

www.theqbsn.com @QBSN

T

he Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network (QBSN) is the exclusive student-run sports organization at Quinnipiac University. Originally founded by Corey Hersch and Alex Birsh in the fall of 2010, QBSN offers students the unique opportunity to become active as a sports journalist at QU. QBSN’s primary function has been to broadcast most of the athletics at Quinnipiac – streaming live online at its website (www.theqbsn.com). Sports broadcasted include: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse, baseball, softball, acrobatics and tumbling, women’s rugby and field hockey. Students offer play-by-play and color commentary for each game, along with twitter updates and an in-game live blog on the website.

In addition to the games being broadcasted live, QBSN also offers game previews, recaps, feature articles and live podcasts through its website.

Hockey Night in Hamden, an exclusive QU hockey podcast broadcasted weekly, has become a popular show for ECAC Hockey enthusiasts to tune into to hear QBSN’s experts weigh in on the week that was Quinnipiac ice hockey. Pregame shows are offered live twice a week as well, going out before the first athletics action of the weekend.

QBSN is fueled by the passionate commitment that its members have demonstrated time and time again. Only a year-and-a-half into its existence, QBSN has gained noticeable recognition, earning the QU New Student Organization of the Year award in the 2010-11 scholastic year.

With a passion not only for sports journalism, but for Quinnipiac athletics as well, QBSN is proud and excited to present the first ever exclusive Quinnipiac University athletics monthly newsletter.

Future Bulletin Dates: April 1 May 6

December 10 February 4 March 4

Meet the Staff Co-Directors

Matthias Gausz, 2013 Marc Schwartz, 2013 Publishing Editor Angelique Fiske, 2014 Editors Brian Farrell, 2013 Kevin Noonan, 2014 Peter Rossi, 2014 Layout Design Rebecca Castagna, 2016 Andy Landolfi, 2016 Adviser Lila Carney Advertising Opportunity If you would like to advertise with us, contact: advertise@qustudentmedia.com The Bobcat Bulletin 2

For many of the seniors on the 2012 men’s soccer team, a trip back to the Northeast Conference Tournament brings their careers full circle.

This time it’s even sweeter because they played host to the tournament for the first time ever.

The Bobcats’ historic season came to an end in the semifinal on Friday. Quinnipiac’s men’s soccer team fell to Saint Francis University on penalty kicks 4-3 after both teams played to a 1-1 tie through regulation and two overtime periods.

Senior captain Philip Suprise scored the lone goal for the Bobcats 12 minutes into the second half to tie the game, while sophomore goalkeeper Borja Angoitia was solid in net for the Bobcats, picking up two saves.

Despite the tough ending, the season was an impressive turnaround for the Bobcats after finishing last season in eighth place.

“We’re happy to be here, finishing first and winning a regular season championship,” coach Eric Da Costa said. “Doing what we’ve never done as a program is obviously a huge achievement for us.”

Quinnipiac was projected to finish the conference in eighth place in the preseason coaches’ poll this season. By the end of the regular season, the Bobcats finished 10-53 overall and first place in the NEC with an 8-1-1 record.

“Getting into the playoffs was what we were going after, and then once we realized we had secured that our attention then turned to finishing first,” Da Costa said.

The road to clinching first place in the regular season of NEC play certainly was not an easy task for the Bobcats to accomplish, but with the leadership of Suprise it became a little easier.

Suprise and fellow seniors Will Cavallo, Greg DiGiovine, Marijan Jurac, Ryan Malki and Tim Quigley were all members of the 2009 Quinnipiac men’s soccer team that lost 2-1 to Monmouth in the NEC championship game.

Compared to the 2009 team, Suprise says there is one comparison that is on par with this 2012 team.

“The leadership, especially, the seniors on that team were pure leaders,” Suprise said. “They really helped carry that team through the highs and lows of the season and that’s the same with this team too. It’s not just me as the captain, it’s every senior leading every single player on the team.”

The offense was lead by Suprise this season, scoring a team-high nine goals and assisting two more for a team-leading 20 points. He wasn’t alone, as transfer senior Robbie McLarney had four goals and a teamleading seven assists.

Senior Will Daniels also chipped in six goals for the Bobcats, with Cavallo adding three goals of his own.

Quinnipiac totaled 32 goals this season as team, which is the most in a season since the 2008 version of the Bobcats finished with 34.

With everybody contributing offensively for the Bobcats, it took a lot of the pressure off of the team, according to Suprise.

The Bobcats were anchored in the backfield with one of the strongest goalkeepers in the conference.

Angoitia had his greatest season yet in net for the blue and gold, with a 1.12 GAA in all 18 games. He also recorded 78 saves in net, good for a save percentage of .788.

Da Costa had no doubts in Angoitia for this season, and these numbers certainly back him up.

“There’s no questioning his talent. He’s a talented goalkeeper,” Da Costa said. “We know that; we knew

that when we brought him here. To see him grow and mature the way he has is important because it’s going to set the tone for the next two years.”

Angoitia’s 1.12 GAA is the lowest for a Bobcat goalkeeper since current Toronto FC goalkeeper Freddy Hall posted a 0.75 GAA during the 2009 season.

The Bobcats have come together to put together one of the most memorable seasons in Quinnipiac men’s soccer history by hosting the NEC tournament for the first time ever.

“It feels surreal; it’s a big relief too,” Suprise said. “You kind of take it for granted coming in as a freshman, you think I’ll do it next year and the year after. That’s not the case it’s really hard, especially to win the conference championship outright.”

Graphic by Marc Schwartz

Try, try again: The William Cavallo Story

By Rebecca Castagna Will Cavallo does not accept “no” as an answer. Ever. This persistence has transformed him from “the boy who could not play baseball” to one of Quinnipiac’s greatest sports stories.

As a young boy, Cavallo was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“I was always so hyper,” he said.

“I couldn’t sit and play baseball. I was in the infield picking grass and grounders were going by me.”

When Cavallo was four years old, his mother decided to sign him up for soccer. He says she thought the constant running and chasing after the ball would be good for him.

He hasn’t stopped since. For the past 18 years, Cavallo has played soccer every year, every season.

When it was time for him to look at colleges, Cavallo sent tapes to a few Division III coaches but ultimately made his decision based on academics.

“I figured Quinnipiac was a better education so that’s just what I leaned more towards: education and getting a better degree,” he said.

However, Cavallo still held onto the idea of playing college soccer and decided to send his tape to Quinnipiac’s soccer coach Eric Da Costa.

He invited Cavallo to the team’s preseason camp the summer before his freshman year.

For three days straight, Cavallo traveled three hours each way to Quinnipiac from his home in Londonderry, N.H. “I came and I was absolutely dreadful,” he said of his performance during the camp.

Da Costa told him there was no spot for him on the team, but he should try out again at the start of the season in the fall.

Cavallo did come back, but was cut a second time.

He questioned whether he should try out a third time in the spring. Once again with the encouragement of his mother, he worked hard to improve his freshman year and tried again.

“She wasn’t going to let me quit that easy,” he said with a smile.

After playing in a few spring games, Cavallo was called back for the preseason. He says these spring games gave him the confidence he needed to improve even more for the next season.

“I’ve been told ‘no’ by multiple coaches and it hasn’t stopped me before,” he said. “I just was like, ‘Alright, I’m going to really make sure this guy sees what I’m made of and knows what I’m capable of.’ I guess [Da Costa] took a chance.”

He says he was lucky his confidence increased because it improved his playing and changed the way he carries himself on and off the field.

Cavallo made the team his soph-

omore year and since then has scored seven goals, including six gamewinners.

See Cavallo, pg. 4

Photo by Matt Eisenberg

Senior Will Cavallo is greeted by his teammates for a celebration after scoring against Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 4. Quinnipiac won 3-0, and Cavallo had two goals on the day.

Women’s Frozen Four comes to the Bank in 2014

Photo by Matt Eisenberg

Head coach Rick Seeley, Director of Athletics and Recreation Jack McDonald, and ECAC Hockey Commissioner Stephen Hagwell announce that Quinnipiac will host the 2014 Women’s Frozen Four.

By Angelique Fiske Director of Athletics and Recreation Jack McDonald announced in a press conference on Nov. 1 that Quinnipiac has been chosen to host the NCAA’s Women’s Frozen Four in 2014. The High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center will be the hub of women’s college ice hockey come March of 2014, something that McDonald feels is deserved.

“I continue to tell all of my friends and colleagues that Quinnipiac might not have the biggest building in college sports, but we

have, by far, the best building in college sports,” McDonald said. “We tell that to people all the time, and we particularly been telling it to the NCAA and the Women’s Ice Hockey Committee since we’ve been open.”

Head coach Rick Seeley believes the High Point Solutions Arena to be a reputable site, even more so after grasping a new perspective of operations from the inside.

“Having just come off my term on the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Selection Committee, it gave me a great opportunity to view a Frozen Four from the inside out, and it became crystal clear to me that Quinni-

piac is incredibly well-suited to host an event like this,” Seeley said.

Quinnipiac will be the first ECAC school to host the Women’s Frozen Four since St. Lawrence welcomed the NCAA in 2007 to Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y. “But the exposure for the league in hosting this event and for people within the women’s college hockey community to come to this facility and this campus and see what a jewel it is, I think that will be great,” ECAC Commissioner Stephen Hagwell said. “It will have ramifications on the positive side for our league.”

As Hagwell praised the benefits for the league, McDonald noted the economic surge the Hamden and Greater New Haven area will experience in those days. With four teams, officials, families, alumni, and college hockey enthusiasts flocking to fill the seats of High Point Solutions Arena, businesses will welcome warmly the Frozen Four.

“We haven’t really put the pencil to the numbers, but you can see it.

It’s probably close to a million dollars in terms of what the impact that will have on this community over that four or five day period,” McDonald said.

Economically, the impact is foreseeable. However, Seeley knows how this will influence the reputation of his team in the eyes of the NCAA and future recruits.

“It certainly helps us moving forward. I think once we have one, the NCAA’s going to want to come back,” Seeley said. “Once you’re on that radar and on that rotation, then you can use it with every recruiting class.”

McDonald also announced that Jamie Schilkowski, the assistant athletic director, and Eric Grgurich, the executive director of the TD Bank Sports Center, are at the helm of the event. With the ECAC AllStar Team’s face-off against U.S.A. Olympic team in 2010 to its name, the staff knows the hard work neces-

sary to make such an event successful.

“I don’t think anyone here is under the illusion that ‘if we build it, they will come.’ We know the hard work it’s going to take to pull off an event like this, and that’s another reason I think Quinnipiac is so well suited,” Seeley said.

As Quinnipiac prepares for its opportunity to show the NCAA its prized TD Bank Sports Center, all three campuses, and the supportive community behind it all, Seeley acknowledged that it is no longer flying under the radar.

“When Cassie Turner, my associate head coach, and I arrived about four and a half years ago, inevitably in every conversation when we’d recruit, we’d say, ‘You know, Quinnipiac is the best kept secret out there,’” Seeley said. “I think the secret’s out.”

While the world of women’s college hockey will have to wait until 2014 to see what Hamden, Conn. can bring, this year’s Frozen Four will be held at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. by the University of Minnesota.

Graphic by Matthias Gausz

The Empire: Women’s XC wins eighth straight NEC title

By Angelique Fiske A team that wins once is good.

A team that wins twice is better. A team that wins thrice is a dynasty. If this statement holds true, the Quinnipiac women’s cross country team has created an empire.

In an unprecedented stretch, the women’s cross country team capped off eight consecutive Northeast Conference Championships with a firstplace finish on Oct. 27.

“It’s really awesome to be a part of this program for this long and being able to see all of the championships we’ve been able to put together,” head coach Carolyn Martin said.

“It takes a really strong team to be able to do that year after year.”

This consistently strong team placed three runners in the top 10 at the NEC Championships, helping

preserve the historic nature of the Bobcats’ success.

Senior Becca White crossed the line first for the Bobcats, finishing third overall behind first and second place runners Eimear Black from Bryant and Alyssa Selmquist from Sacred Heart. Jessica Soja and Morgan Roche, separated by two seconds, came across in the seventh and eighth spots respectively. Brianna and Amanda Faust capped off Quinnipiac’s fourth and fifth places, 12th and 16th overall.

White’s first place finish for the team marks the second time she has finished at the top for Quinnipiac in the NEC Championships. She came in first place for the team and overall in her sophomore year. White knows how special her experience has been in the past four years.

“I’m really excited about it be-

Photo Photo by

by Matt Matt Eisenberg Eisenberg

The women’s cross country team takes off at the start of a race earlier this season. The Bobcats won their eighth consecutive NEC Championship on Oct. 27.

cause this means four wins for the team in the four years that I’ve been here. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” White said.

Even with Quinnipiac’s top five finishing in 18:42.23 or less, Martin did not know for sure that the team had won until the official scores were posted. Rather, she was in denial until she saw the official results.

“Some of the other assistants were adding up the points, and they said ‘Oh, we’ve got it. We’ve got it,’” Martin said. “I refused to believe anyone until I saw it in writing.”

When the score did come out, and in a form that Martin would trust, it showed Quinnipiac edging all with a low score of 46, followed

by Sacred Heart with 54, and Bryant with 82.

That familiar moment of ecstasy and celebration for the Bobcats, occurring annually like a holiday for the past eight years, transformed from a hopeful dream to the norm.

“At the beginning of the season, we set our goals, but winning NECs is never a goal – it’s an expectation,” Roche said.

This legacy of continuous victory provides motivation for those runners who have already felt triumph; it also draws strong, prospective runners to the program, perpetuating its success.

“After the first few, we knew we were building a really strong program, and of course, once that tradition is in place, you can keep recruiting kids in,” Martin said. “They

want to be part of that tradition. Tradition never graduates.”

The veterans that have seen this team through half of its claims to fame, and in some cases more than half, are sure to instill the younger runners with the same sense of drive.

Using the inspiration of the Bobcats before them, the championship effort turns into a selfless act rather than individual glory.

“Winning is a tradition, and on that day, we not only fought for ourselves, but we fought for the seven other QU teams who fought to keep the tradition alive,” Roche said.

“We’re a family and we fight to win for each other.”

Having witnessed five NEC Championships firsthand, redshirting her junior year, Roche’s attitude highlights that the team’s goals are greater than individual’s, which may mean sacrificing personal praise.

“The individual race winner or Rookie of the Year didn’t come from our team, but there was only one trophy we wanted, and we brought it back to Hamden as a team,” she said.

“I couldn’t have been more proud.”

The women’s team contiuned its success when it placed 20th overall at the NCAA Northeast Regionalson Nov. 9, but the season highlight remains the NECs. From year to year, team to team, the overall approach continues to stem from camaraderie.

“Before every race we say ‘Together fight, together win,’” Roche said. “Together we fought, together we won.”

The Bobcat Bulletin 3

Moving forward while looking back: Loss in 2010 NEC Championship still on the minds of the Bobcats

By Mike Morgese For Quinnipiac seniors Jamee Jackson and Dave Johnson, their greatest motivation comes from losing.

“On my laptop is a picture of us on the bench holding our heads crying, and I go back to that moment,” Jackson said talking about the Northeast Conference Championship game in 2010. The nationally televised game on ESPN2 saw Quinnipiac lose to Robert Morris 52-50.

A lot has changed to Quinnipiac basketball since 2010 but the constants that have remained are Johnson and Jackson.

“We’ve been here since before freshman year in summer session,

and Jamee was my roommate and we are still here,” Johnson said. “We’ve had a lot of guys that have come in and out, but it’s important for us to get back to where we were.”

Johnson and Jackson were freshmen contributors for the Bobcats that season when they clinched the school’s first NEC regular season title and hosted the NEC Championship “[The NEC Championship] was something I will never forget,” Johnson said. “It’s definitely something I am trying to get back to. Nothing is equivalent to that night.”

According to head coach Tom Moore, that night still ranks first in his moments as a head coach.

“I was just so proud that night of

Photo courtesy of quinnipiacbobcats.com

Jamee Jackson, Dave Johnson, and teammates hang their heads after losing to Robert Morris in the 2010 NEC Championship. Jamee Jackson and Dave Johnson are the only two players on this year’s team that were on the 2009-10 squad.

our program working so hard to get that game here but secondly, I was so proud of the Quinnipiac community, all the students, alumni, local fans for coming out. It was a two hour nationally televised advertisement for Quinnipiac and that has been the highlight so far.”

Fast forward to today; Johnson and Jackson are the only two faces remaining from that team.

“You need guys like that,” Moore said about the two. “Those are going to be the two faces that I’ll look to with Garvey [Young] and they’ll be the guys I’m going to lean on the most in that last week to 10 days preparing for the NEC Tournament.”

Despite the heartbreaking ends to the last three seasons, Jackson still relives the NEC Final in his mind.

“It’s been motivation ever since.

To get to that point as a freshman and to get to your senior year without getting past that point it’s like you’re not reaching your goal,” he said.

But instead of getting down on himself, Jackson turns the experience into leadership.

“You want to do better and better every year, and we have not achieved that yet. It’s up to Dave and myself to keep working harder and harder and try to achieve that goal,” Jackson said.

In order to reach this goal, Jackson has his own means of inspiration.

“In the team room, there is a picture of the jump ball from that game, and in the locker room, the score 5250 is on the board so I think of that moment every day, and the freshmen know that,” he said. “I tell them it all comes down to one play, every drill,

every practice, one possession will change the whole game.”

Now that they are seniors, Johnson and Jackson find themselves as the leaders of a team along with redshirt senior Garvey Young who transferred from Vermont three years ago after winning the America East title with the Catamounts.

“Garvey really helps us out because of his experience,” Johnson said. “He’s been there already, and Jamee and I have been at that championship level but we have never won so we definitely look to Garvey as motivation.”

Moore knows that path he has set for his team is not necessarily easy. However, he also knows that years down the line, it will be something worth the work.

“If we get to the NCAA’s, we will have a banner even bigger than the ones that are up there now,” Moore said. “That will be something when they get old and gray and fat, they can come back with their kids and their grandkids and point up to it and say ‘I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into getting that banner up there.’”

CAVALLO, continued His mother continues to play a “Don’t be afraid to hear no from vital role in his soccer career by com- a coach one time,” he said. “You’ve ing to his games as a fan and critic. got to have confidence and you’ve “She still tells me I stink when- got to have dedication. You’re going ever I have a bad game but she still to get turned down. It’s how you turn supports me,” Cavallo said of his it around that matters.” mother. “She’s like, ‘You’ll get ‘em Cavallo says the no’s he heard next time.’ You know, typical mom changed him from the person and stuff. Tough love.” player he was five years ago as a His perseverance extends past freshman. He credits these changes soccer and into his academics. After to the guidance and examples set graduating last spring as by his mother, coaches, a broadcast journalism “You’re going to trainers and especially major, Cavallo decided get turned down. his teammates. to continue his school“These are the It’s how you turn memories ing to get his Master of that in 20 it around that years from now I will Business Administration (MBA). look back on and matters.”

“That’s another laugh,” he said. “It will tough thing to strive for,” Cavallo not be the scores of the games or the said. “My mom was another influ- outcomes but rather the moments I ential part of that. She’s happy I did spent with my fantastic teammates.” that. I’m happy I did it.”

For now Cavallo will prepare for Returning to Quinnipiac as a life after Division I soccer. graduate student afforded Cavallo “I will miss not showing up to the opportunity to play for one more training each day and competing year. As he rounded out his final sea- with my teammates and the bond that son playing for the Bobcats, as an I have build with these guys on and NEC titleholder and NEC, College off the field,” he said. “Their comSports Madness and College Soccer mitment to getting better each day News Player of The Week, he recog- has helped me grow as a player and nized what got him to this point. person.”

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Season preview: High expectations for women’s basketball

By Jonathan Alba They needed one win. They had 21 before this and 13 of them in the Northeast Conference.

The clock began to wind down as Felicia Barron rushed down the right side of the court trying to salvage the season for the women’s basketball team.

They suffered 10 losses. Just five of them in NEC play.

Barron had been a guarantee all season long, making 58 3-pointers and had 20 points in the game. There was no reason to believe she would not hit the game-tying shot against Monmouth with a spot in the conference finals on the line.

But she missed it. And with that, Barron, Lender Court, and the Bobcats’ dreams of dancing in March fell silent.

Even as an NIT berth eventually fell in favor of the squad, head coach Tricia Fabbri only had one message for them following the game.

“We’ll be back,” she said.

Eight months later, most of that hungry Bobcats’ team remains, and want to be fed more. And they enter

the season ranked No. 1 in the NEC. “Being on paper, No. 1, it just means we have to go out there and prove it,” guard Jasmine Martin said, one of last year’s breakout freshmen who was named a captain for this season. “They say none of the teams who are ranked first win the conference, and we are going to try to change that.”

The squad entered 2012-13 returning all but two players alongside adding three freshmen to an already solidified unit.

“I really think we have all the pieces of the puzzle and are all on the same page,” Fabbri said. “I think we have at least 12 players who know what it will take to win.”

Among those players is Barron, who averaged 16.5 points per game and led the nation in steals.

“I believe that after this season is over, Felicia has potential to be the best player to ever put on a Quinnipiac uniform,” Fabbri said at the team’s media reception.

Joining her is Brittany McQuain, who averaged a near double-double and will once again be a cornerstone of the team. Add in Martin along

with fellow sophomore Samantha Guastella and experienced forward Camryn Warner, and the Bobcats appear set to score at will.

One of the keys to Quinnipiac’s success last season was a new system that Fabbri tried, which enabled for more Bobcats to penetrate the interior off a handle to establish a quality shot. This year, she will be experimenting with another system to best utilize the team’s depth.

“We ran a continuity which was good to us,” the 18-year coach said.

“We talked a lot about the dribble drive and [assistant coach Mountain MacGillivray] went and researchedtalked-research-talked. This one is going to be a real attack. It’s a different style of play and we’re trying to get both to look good at the same time.”

Fabbri’s team also traveled to Italy earlier in the year, giving the players an opportunity to square off against some of the world’s best.

While the new system wasn’t quite in place just yet, the experience allowed for the girls to become closer as a unit.

“Our trip to Italy was a big bond-

ing experience, we’re a lot closer than last year,” Martin said. “Just to be able to run the ball and see everyone’s personnel and hitting the spots was good.”

Shelby Sferra, a senior captain who Fabbri believes can make an impact through her leadership this season, also shared Martin’s sentiments.

“Italy gave us a chance to see how we played,” she said. “It helped our chemistry.”

Guard Gillian “Boo” Abshire believes that the trip also benefitted the team because of its youth.

“We were really young last year, but we learned a lot from game experience,” the sophomore captain said.

“I’m really excited and think we’ve all come together.”

Regardless of their chemistry, the Bobcats will still be tested by a difficult conference schedule this season. This season’s campaign will see Quinnipiac play 18 straight Northeast Conference games, leading all the way to the conference playoffs in March. Fabbri said that the road to March Madness will not be easy.

“It’s going to take luck, good

defense and consistently getting better in the half-court,” she said. “If we can turn and become efficient, it is going to be our execution in the half court and it’s going to be our patience and detail that we’re putting into that.”

Still, the captains have high expectations.

“We believe that come March, we will be NEC champions,” Martin said, a notion her colleagues agree with.

Fabbri believes it is a possibility as well.

“We have a lot of weapons, and we’re certainly as talented and deep as we’ve ever been,” she said. “What we do with that will be interesting to see throughout the year.

Quinnipiac opened up the season with a 65-60 upset of James Madison on Sunday. Barron led the team with 23 points. The Bobcats are back in action on Nov. 16 when they travel to face UMass.

Photo by Matt Eisenberg

Sophomore captain Jasmine Martin moves by a Mount St. Mary’s defender.

Martin averaged 11.2 points per game last season coming off the bench.

Bobcats looking to capitalize on conference play

By Marty Joseph

Photo by Matt Eisenberg

Sophomore forward Nicole Kosta looks to center a pass in a matchup against the University of Maine at the High Point Solutions Arena on Oct. 12. Kosta tallied five assists for the weekend series against the Black Bears.

Kosta currently ranks second on the team in assists (14), points (21), and +/- (+15).

With the first month of the 201213 season in the books, the women’s ice hockey team (6-4-2, 3-2-1 ECAC) is now making its transition into conference play.

Beginning ECAC Hockey play with a 2-0 loss to Harvard on Oct. 26, the Bobcats bounced back the following day with an 8-3 victory over Dartmouth.

Even with the lopsided win, head coach Rick Seeley knows his team still has work to do as the season moves further into the month of November.

“It was an 8-3 game that could have gone either way,” Seeley said.

“I thought we gave them way too many chances in our zone and I thought [Victoria Vigilanti] stood on her head. The fact that it was 8-3 wasn’t necessarily indicative of a dominating performance. I thought we were better against Harvard.”

Although the Bobcats put up eight goals against the Big Green, Seeley said the women’s ice hockey team is not expecting to reach that amount on a regular basis.

“We’re in a position where we want to be in low scoring games,” Seeley said of the Harvard game.

As if foreseeing the future, the Bobcats opened the following week-

end series with a 2-1 victory over Colgate.

Defense was the key for the Bobcats in Hamilton, N.Y. as the team limited the Raiders to only 14 shots and just two in the final frame.

Kelly Babstock scored her 11th goal of the season in the second period that stood as the game-winner. Brittany Lyons scored her team-leading fourth power-play goal of the season in the first period and Kosta assisted on both Bobcats’ goals in the 2-1 win.

Quinnipiac had a quick turnaround as it took the ice against the Big Red less than 24 hours after the win against Colgate. The Bobcats fell 4-3 against a team that is ranked second in the nation.

“We’re taking both teams if as we were just playing [any other team],” senior captain Regan Boulton said prior to the trip. “We’re not too worried about who we are playing but we know with Cornell that they have knocked us out of the ECAC playoffs twice.”

Quinnipiac had a chance to knock off the Big Red as they scored three goals in the first six minutes of the third period to take a 3-2 lead.

However, the Bobcats could not hold on to the lead as Cornell scored two third-period goals to claim the comefrom-behind victory.

This past weekend, the Bobcats tied the Union Dutchwomen 2-2 in overtime and defeated the RPI Engineers 3-2.

Against Union, Nicole Brown put the puck in the back of the net for the first time as a Bobcat, and Babstock scored the game-tying goal halfway through the third period.

The following day, Babstock came up big yet again with the gamewinning power-play goal. The Bobcats took a 2-0 lead in the first four minutes on goals from Brown, and Kosta on the power play.

Since the start of conference play, Kosta has made her presence felt against opposing ECAC teams.

In six conference games, Kosta has tallied 10 points including six goals.

She is currently tied for fifth in the nation in points with a total of 21 seven goals and 14 assists.

In all of last season, Kosta lit the lamp a total of eight times.

“I think the experience of last season has definitely helped,” Kosta said. “In the offseason I worked hard, by working on my shot and getting stronger. As I get faster it gets easier to make plays because I have more time with the puck.”

With Kosta’s breakout performance thus far, the Bobcats continue ECAC play to define their position in the conference this year.

Newcomers providing a spark for Bobcats Samuels-Thomas, St. Dennis and Barron headline marquee additions

By Mark Spillane Each year, the Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey squad brings in new players from across North America to help bolster its roster.

This year, some of those newcomers are already playing big roles on the ice.

The Bobcats have needed the new contributors after losing some big names, including captain Scott Zurevinski, to graduation.

Despite those losses, the Bobcats have skated to a (5-3-1) record this season, highlighted by the season opening victory on the road against Maine, and a weekend sweep of Colgate and Cornell during the first weekend of ECAC play.

Some of the early-season success has been due to some not-sosurprising names, such as sophomore Matthew Peca and senior Jeremy Langlois.

Along with Peca and Langlois, three new Bobcats in particular are making their impact known.

The most anticipated of the three is junior transfer Jordan SamuelsThomas. The 6-foot-4 winger is new to the team this season after playing two years for Bowling Green State University. There he led the Falcons in goals, assists, and points in both seasons before making the switch to Quinnipiac. He sat out last year due to NCAA transferring rules.

Even though he still has not found his scoring touch—he has just

one goal through nine games, the game-winner against Maine, he believes he will.

“It’s just a matter of time, getting better every game,” he said.

“I think I’m more so quick than fast, and I’ve been working on my skating a lot,” Samuels-Thomas said.

“The game that I play, I have to kind of work in quick bursts and use my size and quickness to create separation for myself.”

As for the number 19 on his jersey, Samuels-Thomas does not wear it because of past captains Zurevinski and Jamie Bates, but instead for a childhood favorite.

“I knew the comparisons were going to come [to Zurevinski], but to me it’s just a number,” he said.

“Twenty-one’s not available because of (Reid) Cashman, so I just took the 19 because Joe Thornton is my favorite player.”

The other two new contributors are freshmen: Travis St. Denis and Alex Barron.

St. Denis, a quick forward, played for the Penticton Vees and the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League.

In just 203 career BCHL games, he used his speed to score 99 goals and assist on 126 more for 225 career points.

“I just try to use my speed against bigger guys in the corners, especially bigger defensemen,” St. Denis said.

Despite his numbers from the BCHL, he has just two goals in nine

games so far, but much like SamuelsThomas, St. Denis believes the scoring will come naturally.

“I think it’s going to come in time. I played on really offensive junior teams. This team, we focus really on defensive play, so yeah, I think points will come.”

Head coach Rand Pecknold agrees that time will only help his team.

“I think they will both score here,” Pecknold said. “We’ve struggled a little bit offensively here at the beginning of the season … and we’ve hit some good goaltending.”

St. Dennis started off the season playing left wing on the second line alongside Samuels-Thomas and Langlois but has seen time on the first line with Peca and Kellen Jones following Connor Jones’ injury.

He has shown his versatility by playing with each line at a high level.

Unlike his two goal-scoring teammates, Alex Barron is more suited for a defensive role.

With one assist through nine games, Barron has racked up the second most penalty minutes on the team with 20, trailing only junior Zach Tolkinen.

Though it is never smart to give opponents a man advantage, Barron’s aggressive style may help establish an identity on this team that it may have lacked a season ago.

In the second period of Quinnipiac’s 3-1 victory over Ohio State on Oct. 20, Barron received a double-

minor roughing penalty for shoving a Buckeye player post-whistle, after that player had put a questionably late hit on Bobcats’ captain, senior Zack Currie.

Barron’s energy on the ice is obvious and has the potential to become a positive impact on the Bobcats down the road. A large part of his comfort level is that his older brother, Loren, is a senior defensemen for the Bobcats. It is clear that Loren’s presence was a big factor in Alex’s choice to come play for Quinnipiac.

Overall, Pecknold has been pleased with the trio of new Bobcats.

“We’ve been happy with all three; our new players have all been really good,” he said. “A couple of other kids are going to start making some impacts here for us too.”

With three new players already playing big minutes, it sounded like a few more might shortly follow suit.

However, despite the positive impact already made, it is clear the Pecknold and his players are expecting even better results moving forward.

Photo by Matt Eisenberg

Jordan Samuels-Thomas makes his way down the ice against Robert Morris University on Oct. 1

I C E H O C K E Y

QU set for championship match A couple of minutes into the second half Marist senior Kelley There was plenty of emotion sur- Sullivan took the ball and stormed rounding the women’s rugby semifi- up the field for 50 yards but was nal against Marist. Parents, relatives, brought down by a try-saving tackle and friends were in attendance for se- from Orrico. Despite the big run the nior day as Colleen Doherty, Krystin Bobcats were able to keep Marist off Orrico and eight other seniors were the scoreboard. Marist’s best scoring acknowledged as they played their opportunity came midway through final home game of the Bobcat ca- the second half when a maul was reers’. Quinnipiac clinched a spot in stopped five yards short of the goal the Tri-State line. The Red Rugby Con- “To be able to say that we took Foxes did not ference title a group of walk-ons and trans- come close game after to scoring for formed them into the athletes the 30-0 victhe rest of the that earned a trip to the cham- game. tory.

Q u i n - pionship is pretty amazing,” The shutnipiac domiout was the - Becky Carlson nated the first sixth of the half by scoring five tries. In the first season for Quinnipiac, as the im10 minutes, freshman wing Nata- proved to 10-0 on the year. lie Kosko scored two tries. Her first In only their second year head came from a ruck near the goal line. coach Becky Carlson is pleased with The ball was lateralled to Kosko, the progress the program has made, who ran into the in-goal area and “To be able to say that we took a placed the ball on the ground. group of walk-ons and transformed Her second try came moments them into the athletes that earned later when she received the ball on a trip to the championship is pretty the Quinnipiac defensive side of the amazing,” 50 and beat all defenders en route for Quinnipiac heads to Vassar on the score. She later added a third try Sunday Nov. 18 to face the Great in the second half.

Danes of Albany in the conference Seniors Nancy Dunn and Megan championship match. Albany adHannemann both were also able to vanced after defeating Rutgers 29-22 find pay dirt in the opening stanza to in the other semifinal on Sunday. extend the Bobcat lead.

The Great Danes gave the BobQuinnipiac’s strong offensive cats one of their toughest tests on the output led to a commanding 25-0 season but Quinnipiac prevailed over lead at the break.

Albany 27-10 on Oct. 28.

Men’s cross country takes third at NECs, 23rd at NCAAs

By Colin Babcock

By Angelique Fiske

Photo by Matt Eisenberg

Sophomore Elisa Cuellar bolts past the SUNY New Paltz defense on her way to the in-goal area for the try. She posted four tries on the day in the 94-0 win on Sept. 16.

Before the 2012 season even began for the men’s cross country team, it had something to prove. The Northeast Conference preseason poll pegged the Bobcats to finish seventh in the league.

“We’re just hoping to upset that preseason poll that they gave us,” head coach Carolyn Martin said early on in the season.

Her team did exactly that.

The NEC Championship race saw the Bobcats finish in third place overall, a mere seven points out of first, “which is like one point in basketball,” according to Rich Klauber.

“I think we knew we could be a top-three team. We just didn’t know if we were going to be able to put it together on that day,” Martin said. “I never anticipated being seven points out of first place.”

Klauber placed first for the team and fifth overall with a time of 25:20.96. Freshman Brendan Copley followed suit seconds later at 25:31.84 for an eighth place finish.

Spencer Mannion rounded out the top 15 at 26:03.58.

“I’m not even sure if it’s really the third place we’re kind of happy with. I think it’s the fact that we were so close to first to prove that we are one of the best team in this conference now,” Klauber said of the team’s NEC performance.

Even though Klauber “didn’t

run the race he would have liked,” his efforts in his final year of eligibility have only positively impacted the team, according to Martin. His return to Quinnipiac “was a catalyst for [the] program” this fall season.

“He really helped get the guys motivated and help them realize their potential, that we could be a topthree team,” Martin said.

The Bobcats channeled this motivation into the NCAA Regionals on Friday, Nov. 9. The team placed 23rd overall, again led by Klauber.

He served as the only Quinnipiac runner to break the top 50, finishing 40th overall with a time of 31:21.4.

Mannion and Copley took 111th and 137th respectively.

With the end of the season comes the time to look toward the future in hopes of continuing what has been started.

“The men’s program means a lot I think to everyone that’s been part of this program since we’ve lost men’s track,” Martin said. “Anyone who knows anything about running understands that running is a three-season sport, and so it is very difficult to recruit for one season. That’s our biggest battle is trying to get good kids to come here who are only going to compete in one season.”

In spite of this, the Bobcats have managed to put together teams that not only proved their peers wrong but that have exceeded their already lofty hopes.

Falling into place: Men’s basketball looks to finally get over hump

By Jordan Katz Opinion The Quinnipiac Bobcats entered the 2012-13 season as one of the top teams in the Northeast Conference.

The Bobcats have one of the best frontcourts in the conference led by junior Ike Azotam, a first team allNEC pick, and senior Jamee Jackson, who was poised for an outstanding season last year before he went down with an injury. They are disciplined on defense, great on the glass and well coached.

Before delving into the team’s keys for the season, this team lost a major piece. James Johnson, the outstanding guard for the Bobcats and the team’s all-time Division I leading scorer, graduated last year and is now playing overseas.

However, head coach Tom Moore isn’t as concerned as some others might be.

“We lost a lot, but we only lost one guy,” Moore said.

While James Johnson was a vital part of this team, the core from last season’s playoff run is still mostly intact and the experience that the younger players got last year will be a major benefit for this team.

Looking at the Bobcats for this season two things are a given. This team will be tremendous on defense and dominant on the boards. Moore made a point that the little things and the basic statistics are the ones that The Bobcat Bulletin 6

help this team be as stout as it is on defense.

Last season Quinnipiac was tied for the best defensive field goal percentage in the NEC and was 52nd in the country.

“We pride ourselves on our field goal percentage defense. We feel that, that is the best stat to accurately gage our defensive system,” he said.

“We will be bottom of the league in steals which is fine with me, but we need to be first or second in field goal percentage.”

In addition, the Bobcats are always a terrific rebounding team and this season should be no different.

The Bobcats were second in the nation last year in rebounding and should be top five in the nation again this season.

The Bobcats also have a talented freshman class that will contribute this season. Guards Kendrick Ray and James Ford can score the basketball at will. In fact, Moore believes that Ford may be “the best 3-point shooter on the team.” They also have Tariq Carey, a guard from St. Anthony’s High School in New Jersey. Carey is a great defender and extremely athletic. These players will need to be good scorers for a backcourt that is going to want to find consistent scorers for this team to reach its ultimate goal.

The schedule for the Bobcats provides some interesting out of conference matchups, mainly the Para-

dise Jam, a tournament that will take place from Nov. 16-19 in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“We’re definitely excited for it.

It’s going to be on a national stage and playing with Iona, Connecticut and Wake Forest, it’s going to be huge,” sophomore guard Zaid Hearst said.

Moore was quick to agree.

“I think the guys are really looking forward to it. It should be a great test for us.”

After the tournament, the Bobcats will host the University of Vermont and will travel to the University of Albany for their other two key out of conference games before a grueling NEC conference schedule.

So where will the Bobcats be this season? The major key for this team is its offensive consistency. The Bobcats struggle at points to score the basketball and last year, as a team, shot just 42 percent from the field.

However, Hearst, who will be the team’s primary wing scorer, said that there would be a new addition to the Bobcats’ offense this year.

“With the offense we’re running this year, the run and gun type offense, it will open up our offense for everyone to score easy.”

The Bobcats’ offense has been a slower tempo recently, but this run and gun style Hearst hinted to would benefit this team a lot. The run and gun, in theory, will stretch oppos-

ing team’s defenses for the Bobcats’ dominant post scorers like Azotam, Jackson, and Ousmane Drame to have favorable matchups.

In order for this to work, Quinnipiac will have to shoot the three better. Quinnipiac shot just 33 percent from 3-point range last season, which was outside the top 200 in the country. The Bobcats have good lowpost scorers, but it won’t matter if the Bobcats can’t stretch defenses with their 3-point shooting.

The second key for the Bobcats is the continued maturity of Hearst and Drame. They both had a great freshman season and will need to duplicate those to provide other scoring options for this team, especially Hearst. Hearst is the dominant backcourt scorer and he will have to be that for this team to get to where they want to go. Drame will need to provide big minutes off the bench and be a scoring option down low.

The third and final key for this team is the impact of its freshmen class. Minus Hearst, Dave Johnson, and Garvey Young, the rest of the guards on this team are incoming freshmen aside from Shaquille Shannon, a junior college transfer. The Bobcats have to be able to give their three guards rest so quality minutes from Ray, Ford and Carey are vital to this team’s success.

Ultimately the Bobcats are a young squad, but they are extremely talented and very capable of being

Photo by Matt Eisenberg

Senior forward Jamee Jackson, part of the Bobcats formidable frontcourt, celebrates a 3-pointer at the Connecticut 6 Classic in Hartford on Nov. 10.

the first team in school history to make the NCAA tournament. They are a great defensive team and if they can be a consistent scoring team offensively and have the depth many

think they will have in both the frontcourt as well as the backcourt, Bobcats fans may be celebrating come March.

The Bobcat Bulletin 7

Everyone’s a winner with positive play en’s ice hockey teams host Skate with the Bobcats. They invite anyGiving back to the community one to join them on the ice and spend is one of the most rewarding experi- some time getting to know the playences a person can have, and nobody ers. Many children show up for the knows that better than the athletes at event (pictured below) to hang out Quinnipiac University. Thanks to the with their favorite Bobcats.

Positive Play program, Quinnipiac Some athletes reach even further athletes are able to give back to the by making trips to local schools, as community that supports them. the community’s children look up to The Positive Play program was them. started 18 years ago to get athletes “You don’t need to be Derinvolved in community service. ek Jeter to get the eye of a young “It’s anything outside the class- child,” McDonald said. “When room or outside the athletic fields,” you’re 6-foot-5 and you’ve got your Athletic Director Jack McDonald gold Quinnipiac uniform on and the said. teacher says these are athletes, the Positive Play involves anything kids are like ‘WOW.’” from speaking It’s a memory at a local school, that both the chilhosting a chardren and the athity fundraiser, or letes won’t soon simply attending forget. the game of anThe good other Quinnipiac feeling from makteam. Events can ing a difference be inspired by a isn’t the only repersonal experiward athletes can ence or can just receive. The Posibe following a tive Play program tradition. is also a competiM c D o n a l d Courtesy of QuinnipiacBobcats.com tion between the helped create the program and uses teams. The team that participates in his personal experiences as his moti- the most community service wins the vation for helping others. At 13 years Positive Play Cup. old, his father passed away, leaving “They essentially get points for only his mother to care for him and whatever they end up doing that benhis 10 younger siblings. He was in- efits the community,” Richards said. spired by the generosity his family “At the end of the year, we tabulate received during that time. everything, and the team that has the “Not only will I personally do- most points essentially wins the Posnate to things when I can, but I can itive Play Cup.” use my 450 student athletes and 115 Last year the women’s lacrosse employees to say this philosophy is team was awarded the Positive Play important,” McDonald said.

Cup after contributing more than any His philosophy on community other team. They got right back to service has certainly stuck with stu- servicing the community this year, dent athletes. Many events have participating in a food drive as a part turned into traditions that take place of the CT 6 Play Day on Oct. 14. year after year.

Field hockey came in a close For the past 10 years, the men’s second to lacrosse, and Richards said ice hockey team has hosted the He- there are always other close contendroes Hat game against rival Yale. The ers. winner of the game receives the HeThe program helps remind sturoes Hat, which serves as a reminder dent athletes that they are students for all who lost their lives on 9/11. first. As fellow peers, they have the Aside from the annual Heroes opportunity to serve the community Hat game, the Bobcats have partici- where they reside. pated in 11 events this year alone, Currently, the men’s lacrosse and there are surely more to come. team is participating in HEADMost recently the field hockey team strong’s Mustache Madness. raised over $1,600 for the Susan G. Throughout November, they join the Komen foundation in their annual HEADstrong foundation to grow out Play for the Cure game. their mustaches and raise money and These events often allow the awareness for blood cancers. Anyone athletes to form a special connection can donate by simply going to the with the local community. men’s lacrosse page on quinnipiac“The New Haven/Hamden com- bobcats.com. munity is good to us, good to QuinThe volunteerism of Bobcat nipiac, good to our athletes and athletes is an inspiration to all. As a supporting the things that they do,” face for the university, they provide a Lyneene Richards, who assists with positive representation and a strong the Positive Play program, said. connection to the community.

“This is our opportunity to give back McDonald knows best that to them.”

Quinnipiac athletics is a lot more One of the ways Quinnipiac than just games. athletics gives back is by providing “I go to a lot of athletic events positive role models for the younger where there’s winners and losers, but members of the community. when you go to a community service Every year the men’s and wom- event, there’s nothing but winners.”

By Taylor Massey

Inside Quinnipiac Athletics: Eric Grgurich

By Giovanni Mio The TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden, Conn. screams excitement on the outside. But on the inside, it can be stressful, especially when you are the executive director of the building Eric Grgurich is in his fourth year as the Executive Director of the TD Bank Sports Center. This comes after he spent three years as the director of ticketing and promotions.

“I love that I get to come to work everyday at this beautiful arena and I am fortunate to work with many students and fans from all walks of life,” Grgurich said. “You really get to meet many amazing people.”

The Stonehill College graduate has been active in sports management since graduating in 1997. His first job was a one-year stint with the Jamestown Jammers, the Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. From there he spent eight years working for several teams in the American Hockey League, including the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Lowell Lock Monsters.

As it turns out all of these jobs were by accident. As a history major and baseball fanatic, Grgurich did his senior thesis on the history of America’s Pastime.

While doing his research, he met president and commissioner of the International League, Branch Rickey Jr. “He was the nicest guy and he took me out to eat a few times while I asked him questions pertaining to the historical perspectives of baseball,” Grgurich said.

Rickey is no stranger to sports management because his father, Branch Rickey, was the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Rickey Sr. is a part of history after he signed Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers. But, it was Rickey Jr. who thought Grgurich would do well in the field, which eventually led Grgurich to an internship in minor league baseball.

“I loved my internship and thought it would be a fun career path to follow,” Grgurich said.

After working for minor league teams, he now sits on top of the York Hill campus. As the executive director, Grgurich is in charge of almost everything “The Bank” has to offer.

From marketing and promotions to the ticket sales, he’s in charge of it all.

Grgurich said that most of the work ethic he puts into the arena comes from so many jobs in the minor league system.

“In the minor league positions you really develop a strong and sol-

Photo by Rebecca Castagna

Grgurich points out directions in the press box a top the High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center. Grgurich is the executive director of the ‘The Bank.”

Photo by Rebecca Castagna

Eric Grgurich is in his fourth year at the helm of the TD Bank Sports Center.

He has worked at QU for seven years, previously working in promotions.

id work ethic and dedication to this lifestyle,” Grgurich said. “It really is something that you have to ‘love’ to do. It is extremely long hours and a demanding schedule that can take its toll but in a weird way you get used to it and actually miss the hustle and bustle of the games, when things slow down a bit in the summer.”

During his tenure at the TD Bank Sports Center, Quinnipiac University’s athletic program has evolved.

While the arena is relatively new, it received national recognition for the men’s basketball NEC Championship game against Robert Morris on ESPN2 back in 2010.

Adding to the spotlight, Quinnipiac announced on Nov. 1 that the High Point Solutions Arena, the hockey rink at the TD Bank Sports Center, will host the 2014 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four. “ … [The Frozen Four] is an amazing event for QU,” Grgurich said. “It will give us an opportunity to showcase our venue on the national stage.”

Grgurich says that bringing in big events and games has a lot to do with keeping the fans happy.

“I learned that I cannot control what goes on, on the ice or basketball court as far as wins or losses, but I can control a fan’s experience at a

game,” Grgurich said. “Fans spend their hard-earned money to support QU, and I want them to enjoy their time at our games and in our arena.

I learned many unique ways to market minor league events and we had some crazy game promotions.”

While his position is demanding, according to Grgurich, it comes with the territory.

“At times, like any job, it can be stressful,” Grgurich said. “There are very long hours and it can be a very small market when you are trying to market four teams at the same time of year.”

When there are moments of stress and adversity on the job, Grgurich takes everything as it comes in order to optimize his effectiveness, especially with handling four collegiate sports teams all at once.

“For me the college athletic environment is a much better fit than the professional sports world,” Grgurich said.

“At times, the professional sports world can be very volatile and unpredictable. Sports franchises and minor league affiliates often change rapidly and organizations cease business quite frequently. The collegiate environment is much more stable and enjoyable for me.”

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