The Bobcat Bulletin

The Bobcat Bulletin

Vol. 1, Issue 2 May 2, 2012

Presented by the Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network

@QBSN theqbsn.com

Leaving a Lacrosse Legacy

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By Nick Sczerbinski

he Quinnipiac women’s lacrosse team will graduate four seniors in the class of 2012. This class is responsible for a 44-23 overall record, a 30-5 conference regular season record, three NEC championship game appearances, and most notably, a 2011 NEC Tournament Championship.

“Their success on the field speaks for itself. They are the most decorated class of individual athletes,” said head coach Danie Caro. “Every one of them has been a contributor to the program.... also to have a class of four great people off the field who has made a positive impact on the program; that makes me very proud as a coach.”

Each of the four seniors has produced her own share of accomplishments and moments in her four years with the team. Marissa Caroleo, NEC Rookie of the year in 2009 and back-to-back NEC Player of the year in 2011 and 2012, has become the most prolific scorer in Quinnipiac history. Caroleo scored 46 goals and added nine assists to total 55 points in her senior year.

These totals would leave her with the most goals scored in Quinnipiac history and just one less point than Katie Latonick for first place in the Quinnipiac all-time points rankings.

Devon Gibney has also grown into a leadership role throughout her four years with the Bobcats and she has broken her share of records as well. Gibney, the 2011 NEC Tournament MVP and 2012 NEC Defensive Player of the Year, has become a fixture in the center circle for the Bobcats. Late in her senior season, Gibney set the all-time and single season records for individual draw controls with seven draw controls in a game against Central Connecticut.

Kim Davis, a key Bobcat defender, has greatly increased her role as a leader on the team. Through her freshman and sophomore years, Davis played in just 19 total games. However, in her junior and senior campaigns, Davis played in all 34 of the team’s games and accumulated 58 ground balls and 32 caused turnovers. Her style of play was the epitome of the entire senior class, who was known for leading with actions as opposed to words.

“Our class leads a lot by example,” said Caroleo, “Our biggest struggle this year is not being as vocal as some of the leaders in the past, so leading by example becomes even more important.”

Noelle Martello has been a piece of the Bobcats’ goaltending picture since she arrived in Hamden as a freshman. After winning seven games in her first two seasons as a backup goaltender, Martello became the starter in her junior year and she took it in stride. Starting 15 of the 18 games that she appeared in, Martello led the conference in goals against and save percentage and was second in the nation in the latter.

“Through my four years, the defense has played very well in front of me,” said Martello. “The defense doesn’t get recognized as much as the offense, but they have always been pretty solid and that has helped me out a lot.”

With such a quality senior class departing, Caro and her team will look to key juniors such as Lianne Toomey, Chelsea Guerrera and Sarah Allen to fill the roles that are being vacated by the graduates.

“One of the things that has been nice over the last few years is that each class has been as successful, or more successful, than the class from the year before,” said Caro. “The younger players have a year or two to learn from the upperclassmen before taking on a bigger role.”

One player who has benefited most from the mentoring of the upperclass-

photos by Matt Eisenberg

Marissa Caroleo (left) and Sarah Allen (right) run the Quinnipiac offense in the NEC semifinal on Friday, April 27 against Monmouth at Sacred Heart. The Bobcats lost to the Hawks 9-4. men that she has played with is Allen. Allen filled the position of anchoring the offense that was left by Latonick in 2010. Latonick graduated from Quinnipiac as the all-time points and assists leader, as well as holding some single-season records.

“I think we’ve been very lucky to always have a team-oriented offense,” said Caro. “Sarah was fortunate to have Katie Latonick on the team during her freshman year and she got to spend a year working with Katie and learning from Katie and seeing how it was done.”

Allen totaled 22 points as a freshman before filling Latonick’s shoes in 2011 and leading the team with 34 assists (41 total points). Her junior season, however, was one of the best in program history as she tallied four goals and 64 assists for a total of 68 points. Her 64 assists were the most in the NCAA in 2012 and shattered the previous single-season mark that belonged to Latonick with 44. Allen finishes her third season just one behind Latonick’s in all-time points.

Allen credits a lot of her success and strategy to her father.

“My dad was a quarterback, so I think about that when I play,” said Allen.

“I try to think like I’m in his shoes and play like a quarterback would.”

Due to the loss of the seniors, Allen and her fellow juniors have already

become one of the more prevalent leaders on this team.

“I think Sarah has turned into a really good leader for this team,” said Caro, “Our junior is doing a really good job developing as leaders.”

The Bobcats have developed a program that is built for the long run and, for the most part, avoids any crushing losses after each graduating class leaves.

“We have a lot of young players who are going to step up and fill those roles,” said Caro. “It’s not about rebuilding, it’s just about the younger players stepping up and taking over in those roles.”

One key player who has already begun to develop into a bigger role is freshman attack and NEC Rookie of the Year Kyra Ochwat. Ochwat scored 32 goals on the season and credits a lot of her success to Allen as well.

“We all look up to her,” said Ochwat. “We’ve built up a trust and that was key for us to grow together as teammates. Timing and everything else comes after that.”

With every player that walks out the door into the real world, another player walks into Hamden with a skill set and personality that will mesh with the rest of the team. The Quinnipiac University women’s lacrosse program has pieced together a strategy that many programs envy.

QBSN Annual Honors Male Athlete of the Year: James Johnson, Men’s Basketball

By Jordan Katz James Johnson is the Bobcats’ all-time Division I leading scorer. This past season, Johnson led the Bobcats to the NEC semifinals, where they almost defeated LIU-Brooklyn on the road. He scored 16.5 points per game this season and took a young Quinnipiac squad in slight transition and made them one of the better teams in the Northeast Conference. Who else was realistically going to be the Male Athlete of the Year?

Johnson, throughout his college career, was constantly a terrific scorer and an offensive threat on every possession. He demonstrated time and time again his affinity to take the big shot when the game was on the line. His scoring picked up his sophomore year, which helped lead the Bobcats to a deep run in the NEC tournament, eventually losing to Robert Morris in the finals. That loss is something that Johnson could “absolutely” recall, even in his senior year.

This year, Johnson’s scoring increased once again and he showed his senior leadership late in games. After a loss to Wagner on Jan. 28, the Bobcats were 11-10 and 4-6 in NEC play. The Bobcats finished the regular season 6-2 behind some monster performances out of their star. Johnson had a great stretch run and another big performance against Robert Morris in his final home game of his illustrious Bobcat career.

The Bobcats would start NEC tournament play on the road against St. Francis College. Johnson finished the game with 22 points, eight rebounds, six assists and made 12 free throws in the 80-72 victory. It was a terrific allaround performance, offensively and defensively, summing up the maturity of Johnson.

Unfortunately, the Bobcats would lose a nail biter at LIU-Brooklyn the

game after. Despite the fact his NCAA Tournament dream and the goal that he and his team had all season long didn’t happen, “Big Shot Bo” and his incredible career in the NEC finished with Johnson hoisting up a three at the buzzer from the parking lot. He swished it.

2011-12 Season Stats 16.5 points/per game 3.5 assits/per game 3.3 rebounds/per game 1.3 steals/per game 36.1 minutes/per game 31 games played

Photos courtesy of quinnipiacbobcats.com

Female Athlete of the Year: Heather Schwartzburg, Softball

By Kyle Brennan A blistering fastball and an elusive screwball have helped Quinnipiac senior Heather Schwartzburg tally a top-30 ERA in the country and earn the QBSN Female Athlete of the Year.

Schwartzburg, a native of Mission Viejo, Calif., leads the Northeast Conference in a number of statistical categories, including ERA (1.53) and opponent average (.168), through games of April 30. Her ERA places her among the top 30 pitchers in the country.

2012 Season Stats* 17-5 overall 1.53 ERA 178 strikeouts 3 saves 23 starts 19 complete games 159.2 innings pitched * as of 4/30/12

The Bobcat Bulletin 2

The 5-foot-10 right-hander has a 17-5 record with 19 complete games and three saves this season. Her 7.8 strikeouts per game and her 2.9 strikeout-towalk ratio both lead Quinnipiac pitchers.

Schwartzburg earned NEC Pitcher of the Week recognition for the weeks of March 5 and March 19, increasing her career total to 12 honors.

She started the season with an 8-1 record, including a 10-inning performance in a 3-2 win over Miami (Ohio) on March 3. Schwartzburg didn’t allow an earned run until her sixth appearance of the season on March 9 against Loyola Marymount.

Five times this season, Schwartzburg has racked up double-digit strikeouts.

In her first start, a 2-0 win over Iona on Feb. 25, she tossed a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts. She fanned 11 in the 10-inning win over Miami (Ohio) before throwing a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts in a 2-0 win over Mount St. Mary’s on March 23. The same week, she sat down 11 in a four-hitter against UMass on March 28, a game in which she took a hard-luck, 1-0 loss.

Schwartzburg also chucked a pair of one-hitters against Florida Gulf Coast on March 2 and Fairleigh Dickinson on April 15.

Schwartzburg has started the majority of the Bobcats’ games since her freshman year in 2009. She was the 2009 NEC Rookie of the Year, the 2011 NEC Pitcher of the Year, and earned All-NEC First Team honors in both 2010 and 2011.

She also broke the NEC and Quinnipiac records for single-season strikeouts last year with 296 and holds the school record with 21 wins last season.

Rookies of the Year Matthew Peca

By Peter Rossi Few would expect that in the 2011-12 Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey season a freshman would score 39 points, but one player defied the odds and expectations. Freshman Matthew Peca tallied eight goals and 31 assists in his first year as a Bobcat, and had one of the greatest rookie seasons in Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey history. An outstanding feat given among a team comprised of players such as Jeremy Langlois, Scott Zurevinski and Connor Jones.

Throughout the course of the year, Peca certainly defined his role as one of the most tenacious and consistent players for the Bobcats, as his hard work and determination garnered him a spot on the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie team and as a three-time ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week winner.

Peca would not stop there, as he continued to put his name in the record books, becoming the first Quinnipiac player to have a hand in 11 consecutive goals scored. The phenom was also the first freshman to lead the team in scoring in the postseason with nine points, on a goal and eight assists in six games played, a Quinnipiac record. Peca also assumed control of the second longest point streak for a Quinnipiac freshman as he posted an 11-game point streak.

All the accolades and statistics aside, what Matthew Peca brought to the Bobcats this past season was more than fancy stick handling and slick skating. He provided the Bobcats with more depth up front as well on the defensive side of things, emerging as a potent two way player.

Jasmine Martin

By Nick Dench With a stellar breakout season, Jasmine Martin became the sixth women’s basketball player in Quinnipiac history to be named to the Northeast Conference All-Rookie Team this past season. Martin was the second leading scorer for the Bobcats this season, averaging 10.9 points per game in 29 games this year while playing just over 20 minutes a game.

Martin won NEC Rookie of the Week honors twice this season and was a big part of the Bobcats earning the second seed for the NEC tournament. Averaging 32.7 percent on shots beyond the three-point arc, Martin was one of the go-to players when the Bobcats were in need of a three in late-game situations.

She made an impact for the Bobcats’ team early in the season, showing she isn’t afraid to take a big shot late in the game. With a buzzer beater, Martin gave the Bobcats the 64-62 victory against Minnesota in the St. Mary’s Concord Hilton Thanksgiving Classic. Martin scored her seasonhigh in points Jan. 16 with 22 points off the bench against Robert Morris, second on the team in scoring that game only behind Felicia Barron.

Martin did all of this for the Bobcats off the bench for coach Tricia Fabbri. Martin made a name for herself as a freshman at Quinnipiac and can provide a spark for the team next year as a possible starter. With her NEC recognition and noticeable presence on the court, Martin provides the Bobcats with a bright future.

Pioneer in the nation

Rugby looking to carry monementum in year two

By Marc Schwartz Over the past year, Quinnipiac University has gone through a bevy of changes scholastically, structurally, even socially. Construction was completed on the York Hill Campus, continues at the Mount Carmel Campus, and has even broke ground at the North Haven Campus. Yet it is a change in the Quinnipiac athletics department, with its roots seeded over a year ago, that has placed Quinnipiac once again as a pioneering university.

The Quinnipiac University women’s rugby program is wrapping up its first full scholastic year after becoming only the second Division I program in the nation. In a sport that still remains a relative question mark to many, the Bobcats were able to turn some heads in their first season.

“I have other coaches come up and say, ‘Hey, Quinnipiac is doing a fantastic job.’” said head coach Becky Carlson. “I think that there is an education process that has to go along, not just to the recruits that come in, but an education to the parents.”

In their inaugural season this past fall, Carlson’s Bobcats enjoyed a roller-coaster-type season, going 3-6-1. Quinnipiac’s season was highlighted by the program’s first ever win – a 15-5 victory at SUNY-New Paltz – and arguably the most impressive victory of the year in a 23-7 victory against Marist – the program’s first home victory.

Though there are the assumed difficulties that come with a new sport like rugby, Carlson is proud of the way that her players have embraced their new roles.

“They have just done a fantastic job of learning the game, but also understanding the game and applying all of their multi-sport backgrounds and their athleticism to make them into rugby players.”

While Carlson has gone through a similar process in her time at

Eastern Illinois University, she remains fascinated with the way her players continue to go about their business as official Division I athletes.

“What is interesting is the way that the kids have embraced the opportunity to be pioneers in this,” Carlson said. “We try to instill in them that this

photo by Matt Eisenberg

is a first…and they really take to that; they are proud of that.”

When applied to life, the first of anything will always be hard to forget, and that holds true for Carlson’s Bobcats. The memory of the first practice, the first time they saw their jerseys in person, realizing that the season was a reality, the first time that the players jogged out onto the field in unison, preparing for their first game as a team, and of course, the first time they tasted victory. All of these memories will last a lifetime for every single person on that team, and that is something that can never be taken away from them.

Yet while last year will always be remembered, Carlson’s excitement for future of the program is clear. “[Quinnipiac] has all the resources available, and it really shows the rest of the country what rugby is capable of with those resources,” she said.

With a full season in the books, the future for this program is nothing but bright. With the full support of Quinnipiac University, the foundation has firmly been established for not only just another team here in Hamden, but sure-fire winner.

As for next season’s expectations, Carlson emphatically stated without hesitation, “I want to win. I want to win the conference.”

Left - Under head coach Becky Carlson’s tutiledge, the Bobcats had a successful first season. Here, Carlson embraces senior prop Marie Pescatore after a big play.

2011-12 QBSN Award Winners Lax transitioning Every year, the E-Board of QBSN honors those members who have demonstrated quality work for the organization time and time again. This year showed great effort from everyone involved with QBSN, but these are broadcasters and writers who exceeded the standards set by the organization.

Writer of the Year: Brian Farrell, Junior

A native of Cape Neddick, Maine, Farrell has been a consistent contributor for QBSN over the past two years. Known primarily for his hockey broadcasts, Farrell has ventured into the writing medium successfully. He is the brainchild behind “Hockey Night in Hamden,” a QBSN exclusive hockey podcast.

versitile broadcaster, he has done field hockey, ice hockey, basektball and lacrosse. Through his experience with these various sports, Sczerbinksi has become a very well-rounded member of QBSN.

Call of the Year: Kyle Brennan, Senior

A small town America kind of guy, Brennan has carried his experience with sports from his high school days at Woodland High School to Quinnipiac. His call of the Quinnipiac softball team’s record-tying four consecutive home runs has garnered many views on Youtube.

Alongside Jon Alba and Shane Doyle, Brennan painted a verbal picture of the historic sequence.

Rookie of the Year: Mark Spillane, Freshman

Field Producer of the Year: Giovanni Mio, Freshman

From the onset of his freshman year, Mio quickly became involved with QBSN. He was eager to help out in any way possible and found a niche in field producing. Mio has perfected the art of social media updates along with handling the equipment.

Spear-heading an outstanding freshman class, Spillane has excelled in all facets of QBSN. He wasted no time getting his feet wet with the organization, contributing across the board. He has done play-byplay, color, field producing and has written game recaps all with the detail and precision that this organization prides itself on.

Color Analyst of the Year: Mark Spillane, Freshman

QBSN MVP: Kevin Noonan, Sophomore

Spillane has done a remarkable job as an analyst for QBSN this year.

Broadcasting a plethora of sports, with a concentration in ice hockey, he has excelled in both the broadcast aspect as well as in preparation.

Play-by-Play Broadcaster of the Year: Nick Sczerbinski, Sophomore

In his second year with QBSN, Sczerbinski has distinguished himself as one of the top play-by-play broadcasters at the university. A

The highest honor that can be given to a member of QBSN, Noonan has gone above and beyond expectations. His versatility and accountability has pushed him into the forefront as one of the most reliable students in the group. Hailing from North Stonington, Conn., Noonan has broadcasted virtually every sport Quinnipiac has to offer in addition to writing for the website and The Bobcat Bulletin. With an unparalleled amount of preparation, he continues to impress with every contribution to the Quinnpiac Bobcats Sports Network.

Meet the E-Board

with young squad

By Marty Joseph A year after falling just short of winning the Northeast Conference Championship, the Quinnipiac men’s lacrosse team headed into the 2011-12 campaign as a team in transition. Entering the season with 22 freshmen on the squad, the team was focused on rebuilding from the ground up. Led by the experience of senior captain Chris Coppolecchia on defense and returning midfielders like Basil Kostaras and Jay Binkowski, the young Bobcat squad would need all the help it could get in order to gain confidence early in the season.

The Bobcats opened their season in late February with a 12-7 loss at the hands of Brown University. In the game, Kostaras picked up right where he left off last season, netting a natural hat trick in the first quarter in a losing effort, clearly showing Kostaras was aware of the impact he could have on jumpstarting a young Bobcat offense.

The Bobcats dropped their first road game of the season against Air Force, 13-3 before heading home for a midweek contest against Fairfield in early March. Despite dropping the contest to the Stags, 9-6, the Bobcats never backed down from the challenge against the nationally ranked Fairfield team. In the game sophomore Dylan Webster (pictured left) netted a career-high four goals See TRANSITION, page 6

Marc Schwartz: Co-Director Junior, Broadcast Journalism, Syosset, N.Y. Home for all your Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Can’t make it to the game? Tune in to www.theqbsn.com Also look for game recaps, feature articles and more Follow us: @QBSN for in-game updates for all QU sports

Webster sprints down the field in the home opener for Quinnipiac against Brown.

The Bears defeated the Bobcats 12-7.

Matthias Gausz: Co-Director

Junior, Broadcast Journalism, Raritan, N.J.

Angelique Fiske: Publishing Editor Sophomore, Print Journalism, Ludlow, Mass.

photo by Matt Eisenberg

The Bobcat Bulletin 3

Spring Recaps / Fall Previews Men and women’s tennis fall short of conference titles

By Taylor Massey The NEC Tennis Championship is three days of the best teams in the conference battling it out for the title of champion. This year the Quinnipiac men’s and women’s tennis teams headed to the Mercer County Tennis Center in West Windsor, N.J. for their final matches. Despite a tough fight, neither team was able to bring home a trophy.

Each team secured a spot in the semifinals after the men’s team defeated Robert Morris and the women topped St. Francis (Pa.) on Friday afternoon.

The women’s team swept every match of the day earning a 4-0 victory. Robert Morris made a push during the singles matches but was ultimately outlasted by the men’s team.

Despite a strong first outing, day two of competition saw the demise of the men’s team. The second-seeded Bobcats received the first point from the doubles portion against third-seeded Monmouth but broke down during the singles matches. Monmouth came back with wins in four of the six singles to win the match. The men ended their season with an overall record of 8-11.

The women’s team, also seeded second, fared better in its second day of play as it once again swept its opponent, this time third-seeded Sacred Heart.

After snatching the doubles point, they went on to win or lead in all of the singles matches. Once they held a spot in the finals against top seed Fairleigh Dickinson, it was time to buckle down. The Bobcats were eager for a rematch after they fell to Fairleigh Dickinson 7-0 in the regular season “We were hungry to come back and win,” said junior co-captain Sarah Viebrock. “We knew that after a 7-0 loss it would be a really big deal if we pulled it out.”

The FDU Knights seized the doubles point, but the Bobcats were not about to go down without a fight. Of the six singles matches, four needed a deciding third set. Viebrock and Lavinia Cristescu grabbed two points for the Bobcats, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Knights. The women ended their season with a 10-12 overall record.

Both teams played their best and head coach Mike Quitko showed no signs of disappointment in his teams.

Smiles, swings and success

By Brian Farrell

“We had 100 percent effort 100 percent of the time, and that’s something that I’ve maybe seen once or twice,” Quitko said.

Combined, the Bobcats will only be losing one senior as this season comes to a close. James Kwei of the men’s team played his last match as a Bobcat in this championship. Kwei earned his 127th win in his last match.

photo by Matt Eisenberg

Junior Sarah Viebrock sets up for a backhand earlier in the season. Viebrock finished the year with a personal record of 15-13 and 5-1 in the NEC.

Softball eyes NEC Tournament

By Kevin Noonan The Quinnipiac softball team (28-15, 12-6 NEC) currently sits in third when I ask her in these conference doubleheaders to go out there and pitch place in the Northeast Conference standings, startwo games and she does it, it gives our team a treing a run at the playoffs dead in the eye. mendous boost,” Fairchild said.

Last year’s run was abruptly cut short because Quinnipiac has seen increased offensive producof rain, and the NEC declared the Sacred Heart Piotion from junior Alex Alba and senior Mina Duffy. neers conference champions and earned an NCAA Alba leads the way offensively with .359 batting tournamnet birth. average and .618 slugging percentage. She has 14 This season the Bobcats have set out to prove doubles, one triple, six home runs and 26 runs batto the NEC that they are the team that deserved to ted in. win in 2011.

“One thing I think Alex has done a good job Quinnipiac certainly proved that on April 1 when of is not pressuring herself,” Fairchild said. “She’s it hit four straight home runs against the Pioneers as stronger than she was so some of those long fly part of a doubleheader sweep in the home opener. balls she used to hit are going for doubles and dropHead coach Germaine Fairchild said the team did ping in the gaps.” exactly what they hoped to do.

Duffy has come alive during her senior season “It was neat to see the team come out really fired at Quinnipiac by clubbing six doubles, seven home up, I was pretty certain that they would. They came runs and driving in 28 RBIs, solidifying her role as out really lasered in,” she said. an offensive threat.

The Bobcats are led by senior ace Heather “Mina’s always had the strength and the athletic photo by Matt Eisenberg Schwartzburg who has dominated opponents once ability,” Fairchild said. “I think the boost that she’s again. So far this season, Schwartzburg leads the Junior Alex Alba swings at a pitch against given us right now is a step up to give us that home NEC with a 1.53 ERA. She also has a 17-5 re- Fairfield University in a 2-0 win on April 4. run threat has helped us psychologically.” cord with three saves and 178 strikeouts in 159.2 An NEC tournament appearance would mark the innings. third straight year the Bobcats qualified for the postseason but they are hoping “Heather is someone who is willing to do whatever the team needs, so this is the season they will make it beyond that and to the NCAA tournament for the first time.

The Bobcat Bulletin 4

Every future has a beginning, and for Quinnipiac women’s golf, that beginning is now. After last season’s struggles on the course, the team is starting to find its way.

The team’s improvements on the course this season is a direct correlation of what the team has been doing off the course.

Senior Associate Athletic Director Billy Mecca once said, “There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude, and the big difference is whether it’s positive or negative.”

It’s that little difference that is paving the future for Quinnipiac women’s golf.

“The coaches have made it really apparent to go out there and have fun,” senior Amanda Nagel said. “You know, don’t look at the scores, and don’t focus on breaking 90 or 80, and since [head coach John O’Connor] has been doing that we have been playing better.”

Sometimes in sports it’s easy to forget why anyone gets involved in a game in the first place, but that is not a common occurrence for this team.

“In golf, especially when you spend so much time on the course practicing, and playing, and competing, you really need to have fun with it, and if you’re not having fun, then why are you doing it?” junior Kayla Ketcheson said with a smile.

“I can’t think of time when we are in the van or on the course and we aren’t laughing,” Nagel said.

Along with laughs is a profound sense of respect for all ten golfers wearing blue and gold.

“We are like a family,” Nagel said. “I know it’s cliché, but there aren’t that many golfers on a team, and it’s not like a big team where players can be kind of pushed aside. There’s just a lot of respect.”

The team’s desire for respect has been a mainstay since the beginning of the program.

“Even with the age difference, and with people coming and going, it just always seemed to click,” Nagel said. “And I think that’s because of the coaches.”

So now with two years gone and a respectable finish in ninth at the NEC Championships last weekend, O’Connor knows just how special this team will someday be.

“These ladies have worked harder than I ever expected and deserve a great deal of credit the way they carry themselves and represent Quinnipiac.

I couldn’t be prouder of them. Every day it seems as if they know they are setting the standard for hard work for all future women’s golfers at Quinnipiac.”

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Injury-ridden Bobcats hope to recover from disappointing season

By Angelique Fiske In light of a season that saw the women’s soccer team post a disappointing 5-10-1 overall record and 4-6 in the Northeast Conference, the offseason holds change in tactic as well as faces. An emphasis on defending and fitness, according to head coach Dave Clarke, is not just limited to those putting on the Quinnipiac uniform for the first time.

“The players who didn’t play last year…they’re like new sign-ins as well,” Clarke said.

With players like Jillian Strassner, Larissa Rosenberg and Angela Ellison returning to the field, the team will also welcome back another Bobcat as a graduate student. After missing her junior year, senior goalkeeper Jill Kelley will remain in net, a presence that will be appreciated.

“A lot of times with the players coming back for a fifth year, much like Kyla Miles last fall, is they provide experience to the younger players, so that’ll be key,” Clarke said.

As Kelley returns to her rightful spot in goal, the Bobcats also welcome back an overwhelming number of upperclassmen. Over half of the roster is in the latter end of its collegiate career, something that will only benefit this Quinnipiac squad.

“Teams who are freshmen and sophomores don’t always win,” Clarke

Aine McKeever sets up to strike the ball in Sep. 18 matchup against Holy Cross.

photo by Matt Eisenberg

said. “They tire. They might do well in the league, but by the end of the season, the fatigue, the physicality of it, the demands, the expectations, the pressure. You need to be a junior or senior.”

It’s a lesson Clarke credited to looking around the NEC. Quinnipiac has no shortage of upperclassmen to challenge those experienced teams in the league. This combined with the daunting seventh-place finish, tied with Mount St. Mary’s, will serve as motivation for Clarke’s team.

“Throw in the disappointment of the underachievement last year, throw in the players who will be hungry from missing in terms of injury, I think they’ll take care of themselves,” he said. “I won’t have to babysit them as much in the fall because they know. They’ve been around the block.”

While there is safety in numbers as far as upperclassmen go, the absence of No. 11 will not go unnoticed. Graduating the 2011 leading goal and point scorer, the team will have to turn elsewhere to fulfill the void left by Furtuna Velaj.

“I think any team, any program, any other sport at this school would miss a player of her quality, just the statistical analysis of it,” Clarke said. “I also think that as a team, to have a player with that ability sometimes can overshadow other players, so it’s a loss to lose Furtuna, but I think we’ll make up for it in other areas – collective scoring, defensive mindedness, and other individuals coming back.”

Despite the loss of Velaj, the veteran Bobcats know the season that lay in front of them is as much theirs as it is any team in the NEC.

Field hockey looks to bounce back after loss in NEC semis

By Zack Daly The 2011 campaign was a roller-coaster ride for the Quinnipiac field hockey team. The season ultimately ended with a heartbreaking loss to Monmouth in the NEC semifinals.

“Last season was definitely eye-opening,” said senior goalkeeper Nicole Lewis. “It was as far as we’ve gone and how close we’ve come in making it to the finals. It’s going to be a big building block for our team this year knowing we can make it that far” Coming off 2011, the Bobcats are ready to flash their claws in the 2012 season.

Lewis is coming off her best season with a .776 save percentage, goals against average of 2.57 and posted a career high in saves with 173. Lewis will look to take her success in the cage last year and build on it this season.

“This year I have the trust in myself and I can trust my teammates around me, especially coming off of this spring season.” the senior cage minder said.

Lewis is joined by fellow fifth-year senior, midfielder Lauren Zimniski, as the Bobcats will rely on the two to lead them back to the NEC playoffs.

“I learned a lot from last year’s seniors, especially persevering through the hard times,” said Zimniski. “We’re getting a better idea of where we’re going, and I just want to be able to bring the team into the entirely new system.”

Quinnipiac is losing five key players to graduation, including three of its top five scorers. Despite the heavy losses to their roster, the Bobcats will still contend for another NEC title. Coach Becca Main knows that, despite the changes, her team is one that can be competitive in the conference.

“We’ve changed our entire system,” said Main. “We’ve changed our attack and defense corners; we’ve changed who’s playing where. We have done a lot of changing and a lot of growing from last season.”

Replacing Kim Cunniff, who anchored the Bobcats last season, will be critical for Quinnipiac this year. QU is moving players around in its system, and Main believes they have found someone to step up this year.

“Amanda Danziger has become one of our more steady players and has really been able to play almost any position,” Main said. “She has really blossomed in our defense along with Cate Colucci. The two of them have really found our place in our system.”

Quinnipiac’s attack is returning two major players from last year, Jess Rusin and Danielle Allen, who combine for 44 points and 15 goals last season. Along with Rusin and Allen, Quinnipiac will have Kristen Engelke back after missing the 2011 season with an injury.

Main has been impressed with the play of Jess Portal and Christa Romano during the spring season. Portal, who hasn’t had a great amount of playing time in the past, has developed into a scoring threat for the Bobcats. Romano, who missed some time due to injury last season, brings her experience from regional teams she played for in the past and has the ability to play all over the field.

Monmouth and Rider will continue to be the main threats to the Bobcats in the NEC. Quinnipiac has revamped its approach to its two main NEC foes.

“At the beginning of the spring, we look at our statistics and we looked at Monmouth and Rider,” said Main. “We realized that even though we scored a ton of goals, we also gave up a lot of goals as well.”

The key to the Quinnipiac’s season will be how well the team adjusts to the new system. If the veteran Bobcats mesh with the rookies coming in, then look for the Bobcats to challenge for the NEC title.

photo by Matt Eisenberg

Senior Maria Malonoski attempts a penalty corner on Oct. 28 against Sacred Heart. The Bobcats went on to win the game, 5-2.

The Bobcat Bulletin 5

Shoes to Fill:

Class of ‘12 gives way to rising stars

By Mark Spillane With the 2011-2012 Quinnipiac athletics year almost in the books and the Class of 2012 about to graduate, there are a lot of questions to be answered as to what players will step up and fill the void left by the outgoing seniors.

Men’s Soccer: This fall the Bobcats will only be losing two seniors: Durval Pereira and Matthew Rothbart. But those two were key leaders for the squad, with Rothbart starting all 16 games on defense and Pereira tallying seven points in his 13 starts. The guy to watch for to help fill those shoes is senior-to-be, Will Daniels (pictured right). Last season, Daniels scored two goals in just four starts but should be counted on to play a larger role this upcoming year and will need to help out leading scorer junior Phil Surprise.

Women’s Soccer: The Quinnipiac women’s soccer team will be without graduating seniors Kristina Del Mistro, Chelsea Smith and Furtuna Velaj, but it gets starting goalie Jill Kelley back for one more year of eligibility. However, Velaj’s absence could be tough to compensate for as a year ago, she led the team with 14 points and six goals. Without Velaj, the Bobcats need junior Shauna Edwards to have a big season. Last year, Edwards was second on the team to Velaj with nine points and three goals.

Women’s Rugby: The women’s rugby squad is losing six seniors heading into the fall season, and the one player that must step up is junior Colleen Doherty (pictured left). Last season, she had six tackles in the Bobcats’ victory over Marist, and she must provide that type production more consistently to help Quinnipiac succeed next year.

Women’s Volleyball: With seniors Kelby Carey, Brittany Garnett and Kayla Lawler on their way out this spring, the Bobcats will turn to Logan Riker to fill the void. Riker led the team with 423 digs in 2010 before missing time with an injury last fall. An effective return from her is crucial for the Bobcats success.

Women’s Cross Country: This past fall the Quinnipiac women’s cross country team said goodbye to five seniors, but will return their star, junior Becca White (pictured right) for the 2012 season. The NEC’s 5,000-meter record holder will look to continue her success next season as she hopes to lead the Bobcats to their eighth consecutive NEC championship.

Men’s Cross Country: The team is losing John Healy, David Coppola and John Beckshaw to graduation. However, they are returning future sophomore, Spencer Mannion. Mannion led the team at the NEC championship last fall with a time of 27:50.90 in the 8,000-meter run. He will need to duplicate and build upon his successes this coming season to lead the Bobcats to success.

Field Hockey: Kim Cunniff and Kaitlyn Notarianni are the two most notable of six seniors graduating for the Bobcats field hockey team, leaving gaps up and down the roster. Fortunately for Quinnipiac, senior Nicole Lewis will return to play goalie again next season, but the other holes on the roster must be filled. The player in best position to help compensate for the losses is sophomore Jess Rusin. Rusin, a forward, was second to Cunniff on last year’s team with 22 points but will need to do even more than that this season to help the team generate offense.

All photos courtesy of quinnipiacbobcats.com

TRANSITION continued from page 3

and head coach Eric Fekete was pleased with his team’s effort through the first couple of games.

“The team’s getting better all of the time and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Fekete said. “The guys are really working hard, and when you have young guys, it’s a developmental process.”

After Fairfield the Bobcats dropped three more games to Detroit Mercy, St. Joseph’s and Hartford, bringing the team’s record to 0-6. However, those three games brought on the emergence of two offensive weapons for the Bobcats. Webster and freshman Michael Sagl led the charge for the Bobcats in those three games. Sagl netted six goals and added four assists, while Webster netted seven goals of his own.

With the offensive pieces finally falling into place, the Bobcats returned home for a late March meeting with Binghamton. The Bobcats registered their first win of the season with a dramatic last minute goal by Binkowski to propel the team to victory. Binkowski’s goal capped off a hat trick on the afternoon and Sagl continued to play with the hot hand by netting four goals.

“Basically we knew we had limited time,” said Binkowski on his last minute goal. “But we wanted to make sure we got a good shot and we didn’t want to just settle for anything. But we have a great group of guys and everyone is working hard and things were clicking today for us.”

After finally getting the first win under their belts, the Bobcats opened up NEC play on the road at Mount Saint Mary’s, last season’s NEC Champion.

Freshman Matt Diehl led the way offensively for the Bobcats, whose offense seemed to be running on all cylinders. Diehl netted five goals and added an assist in the Bobcats’ 12-8 victory over the Mount. Freshman goalkeeper Dylan Torrey was also instrumental in the victory with 10 saves.

The Bobcats opened their brief home NEC schedule against Wagner and hit the Seahawks with a balanced scoring attack of nine different goal scorers on route to a 15-5 victory. The win stretched the Bobcats season best winning streak to three games and improved their record to 2-0 in NEC play.

The Bobcats have dropped their last four games - on the road at Harvard, home to Bryant and road losses to Robert Morris and Sacred Heart. Despite the loss at Robert Morris the Bobcats clinched the third overall seed in the upcoming Northeast Conference Tournament. They will face second-seeded Bryant on Friday, May 4 at 8:30 p.m. in Moon Township, Penn.

Volleyball puts the past behind

By Brian Farrell Quinnipiac volleyball has struggled the past few seasons, but the key word there is past.

“Last year our freshmen were frustrated, and we were all really frustrated, and then the injuries just made for a not so fruitful season,” junior Taylor Payne said.

Starting libero Logan Riker went down with a season-ending injury on Sep. 9 against La Salle, and the team continued to struggle from that point on.

“The fact that we were such a young team and the lack of experience was one of the reasons we got beat a lot,” Payne said.

The veteran presence that the team did have has now since graduated. Soon to be graduate Kayla Lawler has been a mainstay as the team’s second touch with 734 assists last season. In addition, the team graduates Kelby Carey who was second on the team last year in kills.

But that was last year and things are already starting to change during the team’s spring practices.

“Practice has been really high energy,” Riker said. “We’ve been working a lot more on our skills as a team and just being fast paced.”

Riker’s health is one of the major keys for next season, along with filling

photo by Matt Eisenberg

Brittanie Robinson, pictured left, celebrates a kill in front of a packed Burt Kahn Court on Quinnipiac’s Parents & Family Weekend

The Bobcat Bulletin 6

the shoes of Lawler and Carey.

“It’s promising just seeing us come together more in practice and really surprising ourselves with the abilities that we have as a team,” junior Olivia Grattan said. “We are realizing that as we get stronger and the more that we get pushed.”

Grattan led the team last year with 162 kills and was second in kills per set with 1.71.

Despite playing in just 67 sets due to injuries, freshman Tierra Allen was just 31 kills back of Grattan last season.

The Bobcats are currently led by interim head coach Kristopher Czaplinski who is preaching a faster and more physical style of play.

“I think one of our main goals is to really try to become a strong, physical team,” Payne said. “In practice, Kris is always saying that we are going to be the strongest team in the conference and that there is no reason that anyone else is going to be stronger than us and that no one else is going to work harder than us.

When it comes down to next season, Payne has a simple message.

“It’s time to bring the noise.”

“...there is no reason that anyone else is going to be stronger than us and that no one else is going to work harder than us.”

- junior Taylor Payne

The Bobcat Bulletin 7

Skip-ing to 500

Coach Dan Gooley jumps into Quinnipiac record books with historic win

photos by Matt Eisenberg

Head coach Dan “Skip” Gooley celebrates his 500th victory with a hug from Senior Associate Athletic Director Billy Mecca (left). He then received a gatorade shower from senior captains Kyle Nisson and Chris Migani (right). The Bobcats defeated Mount St. Mary’s 17-3 on Friday, April 13 to put Skip in the history books.

D

By Thomas Albanese

an Gooley has become a giant, extremely successful piece of the baseball program at Quinnipiac University for the last four decades. Gooley was graduated from Quinnipiac in the 1969. After his graduation, Gooley’s life would turn straight to the game of baseball, starting in 1971 right at Quinnipiac.

From then until now, Gooley has achieved 502 career victories as a baseball manager with 401 of them coming at Quinnipiac, and there is more to earn through the rest of his coaching career.

Back on April 13, in the first game of a four-game series against Mount St. Mary’s, the Bobcats defeated the Mountaineers 17-3, which gave Gooley his 500th career victory as a college baseball manager. He would also become the third coach in Quinnipiac history to arrive at the 400-win mark at the university when the Bobcats again defeated Mount St. Mary’s the next day, putting him among the ranks of Burt Kahn and Mike Quitko.

Gooley is a man who really respects the game of baseball, all of his players, the opposing athletes, and also the opposing fans too. Everything that he has learned through camps and other clinics has helped him to teach each of his players the right way of playing the game of baseball.

“Getting to 500 wins means that you have done things right, and the baseball gods have smiled down on me and have told me that it is ok, ‘Go and reach that point because you have earned it,’” Gooley said. “After all, you only get what you earn, and I have been fortunate enough that the baseball gods have let me get there 500 times.”

Senior captains Chris Migani and Kyle Nisson are only a couple of players that have been taught well by Gooley not just how to improve their baseball skills, but also how to be a man in everything you do.

“What Skip has really taught me is how to deal with adversity, how to step up and change ideas of action when things are not always going your way,” Migani said.

“Skip has helped me to grow up as an individual and now I am very confident with any obstacle that comes my way,” Nisson said.

Gooley’s first four years at Quinnipiac were as a student, but he was also a member of the baseball team during his education too. As a starting pitcher, he would break some records as well as put his name among some of the university’s best players. Gooley continues to hold the record today

for the most strikeouts with 316 and ranks second with twenty victories and a low, impressive earned run average of 2.47.

It all began for Gooley immediately after his graduation from Quinnipiac. Former athletic director and head basketball coach Burt Kahn gave Gooley a phone call.

“Burt Kahn asked me if I would be willing to work sixty hours a week with many jobs, including one as the assistant baseball coach,” Gooley said.

He would serve in this position for six years.

Gooley would take the managerial reins for the first time in 1977, and in 1979, he led the Bobcats to their first NCAA Division II Regional appearance with a 23-8 record. The 1983 season was such a special year in the university’s history as Gooley’s team ended the year at 25-10, making their second trip to the regionals.

“The 1983 team was one of my favorite teams that I got to manage because we went into the losers’ bracket during the regionals, and we were able to come out of it and win that tournament, which made this team the only Quinnipiac team in all of the school’s history to ever make it to the College World Series,” Gooley said.

After that successful season in 1983, the Bobcats would return back to the regionals again in 1984. The team would continue to be successful under Gooley until he was hired to be the new manager at the University of Hartford in 1988, where he would spend the next five seasons. The Hawks of Hartford were a Division I program and Gooley compiled a 101-90-1 (.529) record and led the Hawks to two appearances in the ECAC Division I Championships.

Gooley would return back to the Quinnipiac manager’s bench in 2002 to continue his coaching career for the Bobcats as he continued to make them a better team as each season went on. His first season of getting the school back to the playoffs came a couple years later in 2004, guiding the Bobcats to a 16-7 Northeast Conference record.

That season, Gooley was named the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year and the Connecticut Baseball College Coach of the Year. This became Gooley’s second honor. The first came in 1988 when he was named the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year.

In 2005, the Bobcats finished 26-24 and captured their first-ever NEC

regular season and tournament championships. The team would advance to their first-ever Division I NCAA Regional, where it would be defeated by the University of Texas, the team that would win the National Championship that season. This year for Gooley helped his team to match the 1988 club who went 26-8-1.

The 2007 season was also a great year for Gooley and his squad, getting the No. 1 seed in the NEC Championship Tournament.

Gooley’s career resume as a manager featured him coaching many players at both Quinnipiac and Hartford who would move on to the Major Leagues. These names included Jeff Bagwell of Hartford, and Turk Wendell, Pat Egan, Tim Blinkoski, Randy Gress and Wilson Matos who all attended Quinnipiac University.

Gooley’s career has been filled with many great memories that have helped him to become a member of the Quinnipiac Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame.

“There were so many exciting moments along the way, but it is all about the players, the coaches, and the assistant coaches that I have been with and I am just full of gratitude for everything that has happened to me, because without them, we would have never got this far,” Gooley said.

As Gooley achieved 500 career victories, all of his players felt so great to be able to share this huge accomplishment with him on the field, but not as much as Nisson and Migani as both of those men cooled off their coach by pouring the water-cooler over his head to begin the celebration.

“Just being here for four years was great and we all knew that Gooley was going to reach that milestone and it is just good to be a part of it and share in that special moment,” Migani said.

Nisson even called the game “the closest I felt to a championship game” since he has been at Quinnipiac.

Gooley’s coaching career will continue for the rest of the 2012 season and for further years to come until he chooses to end his managerial duties, but he has truly become one of the largest, if not the biggest face of the entire baseball program at Quinnipiac University.

“It has truly been the greatest ride that I have ever been on in my life,” Gooley said.