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March 2019, theqbsn.com
QBSN the magazine
CHASING SUCCESS p. 16
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March 2019
Rand Pecknold reached 500 wins, but his work isn’t done yet. p. 8
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 4 6 10
Q&A: Tom Pecora
Learn about the men’s basketball asssociate head coach and his journey to QU.
Samo’s Next Step
For Melissa Samoskevich, Quinnipiac University was more than just a place to play hockey. It’s home.
The Road Less Traveled
From Africa to Maryland to a Quinnipiac basketball legacy, Abdulai Bundu has had a crazy ride.
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Centerfold
Check out the moment the women’s basketball team secured its third straight MAAC title.
1000, And Then Some
Aryn McClure, Jen Fay and Paula Strautmane have made women’s basketball history. But to them, there is much more important business to attend to.
Opinion
Phil Akre discusses how social media impacts our athletes.
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QBSN The Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network (QBSN) is a student-run organization at Quinnipiac University and was founded in 2010. QBSN offers students the unique opportunity to become active sports journalists, though we welcome folks from every major to come in and get involved in a fun and welcoming atmosphere. QBSN covers the majority of sporting events at Quinnipiac University with all broadcasts available either on Mixlr or via Quinnipiac Athletics. QBSN also offers game previews, recaps, feature articles, photography and live podcasts available through this website, as well as live social media updates. QBSN also works closely with other Quinnipiac Student Media organizations to further the coverage of all things Quinnipiac University. This includes the weekly show, Bobcat Breakdown that QBSN produces with Q30. After only two years of existence, QBSN gained noticeable recognition, earning the QU New Student Organization of the Year award in the 2010-11 scholastic year and the 2011-12 Quinnipiac Athletics Behind the Scenes award. Without the support of its passionate members, the Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network would not be able to flourish in all areas of student media, including pioneering the next phases of development as an organization. Thank you to all of those who have made this venture a reality. Happy reading. CHIEF EDITOR: Liz Flynn PRINTED BY: TYCO Printing CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Bryan Schwartz, Tom Krosnowski, Kirby Paulson, Will Fowler, Jon Surratt, Dan Bahl, Sophia Alfieri, Jonathan Banks, Kevin Higgins, Anna Buonomo, Phil Akre, Bryan Murphy, Emma Hunt, Juliana Vitti, Joey Slavis, Emma Robertson Cover Photo: Liz Flynn
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Q&A: Tom Pecora By: Bryan Schwartz Quinnipiac men’s basketball’s associate head coach Tom Pecora has been around the game of basketball in the New York-metro area for his whole life. After stops at Hofstra and Fordham, among other places, and working with college basketball legends like Rollie Massimino and Jay Wright, as well as many others, Pecora is in his second year with Baker Dunleavy in Hamden. I sat down with Pecora to talk about his career. You were a long-time assistant at Hofstra, before you were a head coach, Jay Wright was there. What was your experience like working at Hofstra? We were kids. We had both been assistants for Coach Massimino at UNLV. We came from there. For me it was a homecoming. It was a trial and error. At the time we were in our early 30s. We were just experimenting with different things. Now we came from UNLV, we had 23,000 people at every home game. One of the funny stories is the first game the first year, before the game started we were in the old building at Hofstra, the old gym and he said ‘what do you got?’ I said ‘73.’ He said ‘what’s that?’ I said ‘that’s how many people are in this gym.’ 73 4
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people came to our first home game. After year one, we got a good player named Timmy Beckett. Then we get Speedy Claxton, who really kind of made our program. It was just a great experience. A real opportunity to grow. We’ve been friends since college, so that aspect of it was cool. It was great to build a program. I had been a head coach at a junior college for three years prior to that. That came in handy. I made some mistakes doing that. It was a great opportunity to grow as a coach, and do it at home. It was nice to get back home. So then you move on to Fordham. Obviously it didn’t go as you had planned. What’d you learn from your time there? Well I learned a lot. I became a better coach. Going into games in the Atlantic 10 at the time, we were trying to rebuild a program that had won two games the year prior to us getting there. The year prior they had won three games. We were really building from the ground up. At the time, the Atlantic 10 was a five and six bid conference, so it was at its peak as far as the level of talent. We were playing against great teams. It took longer than we thought. I thought we were at the
precedes. We were about to break through. We had Eric Paschall, who is now at Villanova, and obviously a pro. He had a great season last year for them. Joseph Chartouny is playing at Marquette right now. He’s another guy we brought in. He was another rookie of the year. Three other kids transferred to UConn, Boise State and Creighton. We had a young bunch of good players. We just weren’t able to finish the job. When you go out with lesser talent, which was the case the first couple years, it really tests your grit as a coach. We were in a lot of games. We always had a winning non-conference record, but once we got to the A-10, we would get overwhelmed by talent. We could hang around with teams down the stretch in a lot of games, but they just were able to get over the top. Then after you spent two years in TV, you come to Quinnipiac. What drew you in here? A lot of things. First, I’ve known Baker for a long time. I had opportunities to go to some bigger schools. During my time off and then when I decided I was going to come back I had talked to a few people about it, but I didn’t want to be March 2019
too far from home. We have two girls and a boy. Our youngest guy is a junior in high school now. I wanted to be within striking distance. I didn’t want to have to get on a plane to come back home every other weekend to try and see him and my family. That was important. The other thing was knowing Baker as long as I’ve known him and knowing the kind of guy he is, the kind of man he is. I would be comfortable here and he would respect my opinion on things, and I would be used the right way. The other thing was the facilities. I know Greg Amodio a long time. You have good leadership here. I’ve heard the legend of John Lahey from other people. Having met and spent time with him, obviously, it was impressive. Then when I saw what they had done to this campus and this kind of facility, and the opportunity once again to build a program. I had done that at Nassau Community College. I was an assistant coach. For the first time we went to the NJCAA Tournament. I rebuilt a program at Farmingdale. We were a top 20 team nationally in junior college. At Hofstra, Jay and I rebuilt something together. At Fordham, even though the results didn’t turn out the way we had planned in year five, I felt confident going forward in years six, seven, the following years. The program was on steady ground to be rebuilt. There’s a blueprint for this, and I felt comfortable doing it. And I knew that it just was a place that was going to give the support to get it done.
Liz Flynn
What about your relationship with Baker. What’s that dynamic like? It’s great. I remember Bake’s dad. He’s five years older than me. I was a kid, an eighth grader, and I remember watching his dad play at Nazareth High School in a Christmas tournament in Brooklyn. His father was the best player in New York City that year. One of. Him and a guy Butch Lee who played at Marquette. It’s an interesting relationship, in a very positive way. I think that he wouldn’t have brought me out here if he thought I was going to overstep my boundaries. I am very aware of what my role is here, and how to be the best older assistant coach I can be without getting out of my lane. Stay in your lane. Understand what your job is. The great line is: ‘assistants give suggestions, head coaches make decisions.’ I’m quick to make suggestions to him, and he relies March 2019
on me for a lot of things. That makes it good work. I feel positive about it, and I feel great about making a young coach get better every day.
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I would be comfortable here and he would respect my opinion on things, and I would be used the right way.” - Tom pecora You recruited Savion here. What is that process like when you’re trying to get a high school player to come here? How do you go about that? It’s all about relationships. Savion and Tyreese Williams. His (Williams’) high school coach was my grad assistant at Hofstra. People at Cardinal Hayes, I’m very close with a number of board members there. So there’s long-standing relationship in the New York Catholic League. With Savion, I taught his high school coach when I was a middle school physical education teacher. His guidance counselor was a grad assistant at Hofstra when I was coaching at Hofstra. There were a ton of connections there. That’s what this business is about, like any business. So much of it is about relationships and then about your body of work. When you can go into a gym and into a family’s home and you have a body of work where you can be trusted. When you have graduated 100% of your players. When they know the pedigree of Baker, and coming from Villanova. Obviously that’s something that’s very impressive to people. And they can just trust you. It really becomes a matter of trust. And because they’re going to entrust their son in you for four years, and when you talk to them about the fact that everyone I’ve ever coached graduates. That’s the only way I know how to do it. That puts their mind at ease. And then you talk to them about the way you play basketball. And the way you’re going to treat their son, not only as an athlete, but off the court. It really just comes down to a matter of trust. Then you express to them, you give them some names and say
‘call this other player’s parents. Call this person that you know, mutually. Reach out to those people.’ The people say you can trust twhese guys. Who has influenced you most in your career and why? Rollie Massimino. He gave me my first break. I had an opportunity to work for Bob McKillop, who is now the head coach at Davidson, as a high school coach. Rollie Massimino and Jay Wright. Two guys that have won national championships and Bob McKillop’s been to the final eight. I’ve been blessed to work with really smart, motivated coaches. Coach Massimino took me in like a second son and gave me an opportunity that no one else would give me when he made me his assistant at UNLV. I was teaching kindergarten and coaching junior college. I owe him a lot. What teams are you a fan of? When I was ten, the Mets won the World Series. The Knicks won the World Championship. The Jets won the Super Bowl. I thought it was going to happen every year, and it hasn’t happened since. What NBA player would you like to have dinner with? I’ve had some with a couple present NBA players. I guess I would have to say LeBron. Just because he’s the man. My favorite players when I was a kid were Pete Maravich and Tiny Archibald. I’ve hung out with Tiny. I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Maravich before he passed away. Better pizza – Long Island or New Haven? Brooklyn. There’s a bunch of spots that are pretty good in Brooklyn. Favorite New York sports radio host? Sports radio? Gotta be Mike. He’s the king of New York Sports radio. Although Michael Kay is very good too. He’s a Fordham grad. I became very good friends with him. I know they got a little turf war going on, but I think that’s good. I think that’s healthy. It keeps you motivated. It’s like a good sports rivalry. theqbsn.com
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SAMO’S STORY BY: TOM KROSNOWSKI It’s a common sound heard most Friday and Saturday nights at the People’s United Center: “starting at left wing, from Sandy Hook, Connecticut, number 11, Melissa Samoskevich!”
Although senior forward Melissa Samoskevich’s career at Quinnipiac is wrapping up in just a few short months, this won’t be the last arena in Connecticut where these words will be heard. Samoskevich was drafted second overall by the Connecticut Whale of the National Women’s Hockey League in December 2018, and will get to continue living her dream of playing professional ice hockey, in her home state, no less.
tions Cup tournament. Samoskevich says that putting on the red, white and blue never gets old. “Since I was a little girl, I’ve kind of been dreaming of that moment,” she said. “Just to continue to work for it, to have that opportunity, is awesome.”
Of course, Samoskevich wouldn’t be receiving any of these opportunities if not for her outstanding work at Quinnipiac. Over her four years as a Bobcat, Samoskevich has tallied over 50 goals and 50 assists, making her one of just six Bobcats to have scored 100 points. She has served as captain for the last two seasons, and is undoubtedly one of the most impactful players to have ever put on When Samoskevich found out the news though, it wasn’t the typ- the navy and gold. ical ceremonious way seen with many Samoskevich knew coming athletes on TV – surrounded by family, excitedly huddled around the tele- into the season that she was on pace to reach 100 points, but she didn’t let phone. No, even though the Bobcats the pressure manifest itself over the were on winter break, Samoskevich was doing the one thing that occupies course of the season. most of her time: playing hockey. “It’s more about the team than it is about my own 100th point,” “I was at winter camp in Samoskevich said. Michigan for USA Hockey,” Samoskevich said. “Maggie [Pruitt, Still, she knew exactly when she put the puck in the back of the net versus Quinnipiac Assistant Director, Athletic Communications] called me, and Sacred Heart that she had finally done it. just told me ‘Hey, just so you know, the Whale is going to draft you,’ and “I did know it was my 100th then I called my mom and my dad. point,” Samoskevich said. “My friends They’re always my go-tos anytime counted it up for me a couple of something big happens.” Though she’s the captain of the games before that – I was around 95 Bobcats, Samoskevich also has ties [points] at that time – and we’d just to USA Hockey. She has played for been counting down since that moTeam USA since high school and ment.” continued this year at the Four Na6
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Although the 100-point milestone is arguably Samoskevich’s most impressive individual accomplishment, she says that her favorite moment as a Bobcat was a team victory – beating Clarkson in the 2016 ECAC Hockey Finals on home ice. Samoskevich was a freshman that year, but that moment assured her that she made the right decision in coming to Quinnipiac. “It just kind of proved to me … that there would be great things that happen here. There’s always ups and downs, but I knew that I was going to grow here as a player and as a person. I knew it was going to push me enough in ways that I hadn’t been pushed before.”
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It’s more about the team than it is about my own 100th point.” - Melissa Samoskevich Every year presents a new challenge for a hockey team, and this year, the team’s record isn’t where Samoskevich thought it would be. Still, Samoskevich is confident that the team can turn it around in time March 2019
for the NCAA Frozen Four, which will be hosted at the People’s United Center. “I think this year, just the feeling of the team that we have here, it’s a special group,” Samoskevich said. “There’s a lot of heart. There’s a lot of drive. I have a good feeling that we’re going to do good things even though our record isn’t that great.” Samoskevich bases that feeling around her confidence in her coaching staff and her teammates. She says that for the team to do what it’s capable of doing, the team has to get back to a certain approach on the ice.
Liz Flynn
“Instead of just focusing on not losing, actually having the goget-it mentality of scoring goals and putting pucks to the net, I think that’s going to help us. March 2019
“The ‘F-you’ mentality.”
That phrase can describe the mentality of women’s ice hockey in general. The women who play hockey professionally still don’t receive as much attention as their male counterparts, but Samoskevich feels that state of the game is continuing to improve. “It’s in an awesome place right now, especially USA Hockey. They’re working really hard on the marketing with the women’s side of USA Hockey,” Samoskevich said. “It’s awesome just to have our schedule out there on NHL.com and NHL Network. It’s in a great place. It’s climbing.” Samoskevich’s time at Quinnipiac is ending, but she’s still all-in on trying to help the Bobcats go as far as they can. Her timeline for reporting to the Connecticut Whale is still up in the air as Samoskevich focuses on finishing strong with the team that helped her earn this chance. As for her legacy at Quinnipiac, Samoskevich will finish her Bobcat
career in the top five all-time in goals, assists and points. However, Samoskevich doesn’t want that to define her legacy. “I hope that it’s a good leader… on and off the ice. I want people to look up to me. I want to be known as a respectable, easy-to-talk-to girl. I don’t want to be a scary name on the wall. I want to be someone that’s approachable, and someone that anyone can look up to.” Like it or not, Melissa Samoskevich will be a big name on the wall someday very soon. But Samo’s story is more than just her time at Quinnipiac. It has helped her come full circle from a girl who grew up in Connecticut dreaming of playing professional ice hockey to actually living the dream this coming fall. Although Melissa Samoskevich won’t say it, she’s a true Nutmeg State success story. theqbsn.com
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To 500, and Beyond Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold on success, culture and more. By: Kirby Paulson
It was December 29 at NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. The Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team had put up a six spot and hadn’t allowed a goal against the Colgate Raiders. As the clock wound down to zero and the final horn blew, Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold was greeted with hugs from his personnel on the bench. He had just won his 500th contest as a college hockey coach. “It was a great moment, I wasn’t prepared for the hugs because we don’t usually do that,” Pecknold said with a laugh. “So I was just trying to be, you know, matter of fact and it’s just another win. Obviously my assistant coaches who I’m close with didn’t look at it that way, so in hindsight reflecting back on it, it was a nice moment.” Over his 25 years of service as Quinnipiac’s bench boss, Pecknold has 8
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built an on-ice culture that drives results including five NCAA Tournament opportunities and six conference tournament final appearances. In 2016, the team captured its first ECAC Hockey Whitelaw Cup Tournament Championship in Lake Placid. That same season, the Bobcats skated their way into Tampa, Florida where they would finish as the runner-up in the National Championship; their second similar finish in three seasons, as they did the same in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2013. They also tallied 20 consecutive non-losing seasons from 1997 all the way to 2017. This season alone, Quinnipiac has already earned 25 win, including a victory against the No. 1 team in the country at the time in the University of Massachusetts Minutemen. The team also received a first round bye in the ECAC Hockey Tournament and won a share of its fourth ECAC Hockey Cleary Cup Regular-Season Champion-
ship. Pecknold himself was just recently announced as a finalist ECAC Hockey Tim Taylor Coach of the Year, an award which he won in 2013 and 2016 respectively. But what is all of this success attributed to? “I think we’ve done a really great job of creating a culture of winning, a culture of accountability,” Pecknold said. “You know within that culture there’s a great development model whether it’s weight room, practice, film, offseason, we have a really good business plan in place and because our culture is where it is the kids really buy in and then certainly we’ve got enough talent to pull it all off, you’ve got to have some talent too.” During some press conferences, Pecknold talks about “playing to your identity” in order to “get your reward.” March 2019
When asked about what it’s like to play with that identity and a Bobcat hockey mentality, he gave a nod to a successful and well-known professional sports team. “The Patriots are a really good example, like they have a great culture, they have an identity, their main thing is ‘Do Your Job’ you know but they also within that, they do an excellent job of drafting and trading and signing the right type of player that’s going to fit that,” Pecknold said. “You know, high IQ, team-first, selfless player and certainly have talent so that they can win and we’ve been doing this for 25 years, we’re not any different. We want players that are selfless and have excellent buyin and are very coachable and we have our success as a result of that.” Team results aside, some Quinnipiac players have also found their form in the program earning finalist spots for the Hobey Baker Award. Reid Cashman, a former defenseman and associate head coach, was in the running in 2005 while goaltender Eric Hartzell was in the same position in 2013. This season, there’s a strong argument for another Quinnipiac finalist and possible winner in senior defenseman Chase Priskie. Priskie has been tallying points left and right, garnering a total of 39 with 17 goals and 22 assists. Priskie is also the captain of the team and his leadership has been a major plus for the Bobcats. “Chase has been really good as a leader, he’s been excellent,” Pecknold said. “Everybody talks about Chase’s offense and the goals and everything like that but I think he’s the best defensive defenseman in our league, maybe one of the top in the country, just excellent leadership.”
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Priskie handed the praise right back to his coach, speaking of what it’s like to play for him. “You really don’t appreciate it until you start to understand everything March 2019
that Rand puts into this program,” Priskie said. “Like, he cuts video every day, he comes in before us, he stays later than us, he sacrifices time with his kids missing them growing up, all just to have this program to succeed and you just start to learn how much that he wants every individual to grow and prosper whether it’s on the ice or as human beings and citizens of the community and it’s unbelievable to have a guy that cares so much about his players. The results go beyond the Quinnipiac campus and the college hockey world though as Pecknold has seen some of his players move into the highest rank of hockey, the National Hockey League. A little over a half-dozen Bobcats have dressed for a game in the league, including Eric Hartzell, Bryce Van Branbant, Matthew Peca, Connor Jones and Michael Garteig. On the coaching side, Cashman is currently serving as an assistant for the Washington Capitals.
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I think we’ve done a really great job of creating a culture of winning, a culture of accountability.” - RAND PECKNOLD Just this season, two former Quinnipiac defensemen, Connor Clifton and Devon Toews, made their NHL debuts for the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders, respectively. “I like those players as people so I’m proud of their success and I’m happy for them, I know how hard they work, I know how hard they worked here and before here and how hard they
work now,” Pecknold said. “So I think it’s rewarding, I know Devon scored that game-winning goal last night and you know you wake up this morning, my phone’s blowing up with all these texts and you see the goal, it’s just a pretty cool moment.” Development is a key component of college hockey coaching and Pecknold fits that bill and more through his teaching method according to his captain. “He doesn’t teach so much as a dictator but as a friend and he knows how to cooperate with everyone, he knows the different tendencies like some guys can’t get yelled at or else they just kind of shatter, some guys need to get yelled at to really get going, get that spark,” Priskie said. “So it’s interesting to see how smart he is behind the bench and how much recognition that he should get that he doesn’t really get. At the end of most games, you may see Pecknold look around the crowd as if he’s playing a Bobcat version of the popular jumbotron game of “Spot the Differences.” He’s looking for his family and when he finds them, he gives a smile and maybe a quick point of the finger. It’s a touching tribute to the influence of the important things. “Probably the highlight of that 500th win at Nassau was just being with them to get the picture we got after the game and you know, just it’s a moment that I cherish and I feel very fortunate and lucky to have a family like that,” Pecknold said. The Pecknold family was together for a big moment in the coach’s 500th win. But hopefully some day in the future, possibly quite soon, the six will gather again on the ice for a photo. This time, with a National Championship hat to wear, a trophy to hold and even more moments to cherish. theqbsn.com
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the journey of a lifetime By: Jon Surratt Abdulai Bundu is a senior forward on the Quinnipiac Bobcats men’s basketball team. He has been at Quinnipiac for all four seasons, and has had a remarkable career and legacy at the school.
America was the place to be. To wake up the next morning, you are actually in America. I did not know my parents for the first seven to eight years in my life. To actually meet them, it was something crazy too.”
He did not originally grow up around basketball, and was not even born in the United States. Bundu was born in Sierra Leone, a country in southwest Africa, and grew up there for most of his childhood. He would eventually move to Maryland and meet his parents along the way.
Bundu was introduced to basketball in seventh grade by his coach. However, he was originally the “waterboy”.
“I was mind blown, baffled, that this is actually happening,” Bundu said. “Growing up especially from Sierra Leone, outside looking in, 10
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“I was a soccer player,” Bundu said. “Then in like eighth grade coach said just give it a shot. So I gave it shot. First thing I was taught was to make a layup.” Bundu attended Largo High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland. At Largo, Bundu was a
2015 Capital Classic All Star and had a career high 54 points his senior season. Then after high school, Bundu had to adapt to the college basketball routine. His coaches always pushed him to succeed, which helped coming to college.
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When I am around them, I’m relaxed and can be myself and goof off.” - abdulai bundu March 2019
“I was really thankful to have good coaches in high school,” Bundu said. “Adjusting was made a lot easier. I just had to adjust to the speed of the game and the different sizes of players. I was used to be being the biggest guy on the court most times. Now you got guys on the court like 6 foot 10 and up. Having to compete at that level with them and finding consistency and find that pace to fit in as a freshman.”
However, even with his high school coaches helping him adjust, Bundu had two other freshmen to help him on the journey as well. Now senior guards, Andrew and Aaron Robinson grew up and played high school basketball just 27 minutes away from Bundu. “I think it made it a lot easier,” Bundu said. “Just knowing you have people from where you are from and understand the culture. I played against Andrew in Vegas and he played for Team Melo. Ironically, we were guarding each other that whole game. He came out the gates firing. He had about 16, I had a good 22 so I was fine with it.”
the fourth player in Division I school history to amass 600 career points and rebounds. “When the tweet went out saying I was 600 and 600, I was like wow,” Bundu said. “That was the last thing on my mind coming into the season. I am very blessed to have it.” With stats aside, his favorite part about playing basketball at Quinnipiac are his teammates. “I’m usually a quiet guy,” Bundu said. “When I am around them, I am relaxed and can be myself and just goof off.” Now with Bundu being a senior, he has to show the ropes to the freshmen this year, just like he got shown his freshman year. He enjoys how much the freshmen get along and
feels as if he is their mentor. “It’s a lot easier to teach them the tradition,” Bundu said. “When we are not around, they know what to do. It makes our job easier. If they need help on a personal level, I’m willing to talk to them. If they are struggling basketball related, I’ve been there, so I understand how it all goes. Understanding that it’s okay to make mistakes, just learn and grow as a player, then by that time you’ll be the one teaching how everything goes.” After Quinnipiac, Bundu hopes to play somewhere, but if all else fails he will always be around basketball. No matter what happens though, he will always keep a life motto. “You’re already here,” Bundu said. “Might as well get the job done.”
Bundu met Aaron and Andrew Robinson differently than most. “I did not realize they were coming to Quinnipiac until I took my visit,” Bundu said. “It was toward the end of my visit and I am talking to the coach. I hear these two loud individuals in the hallway. We just met each other and bonded. Since then, roommates freshman year, sophomore year, junior year and now suitemates senior year.”
Liz Flynn
Now through four years, with coaching changes, player transfers and a “rollercoaster” ride at school, Bundu has amassed a legacy at Quinnipiac. Throughout his career he has totaled 711 points, 45 assists, 681 rebounds, 39 steals and 61 blocks. Bundu became October 2017
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dancing again Photo by Liz flynn The women’s basketball team celebrates as it wins its third straight MAAC tournament and punches its ticket to the NCAA tournament.
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March 2019
HERE FOR THE CHASE Chase Priskie wasn’t the biggest recruit coming into college. He fought for playing time like any other freshman. But now, a captain and Hobey Baker candidate, Priskie’s out to prove he’s one of the greatest to lace up the skates for QUinnipiac.
Liz Flynn
By: Dan Bahl and Sophia Alfieri
March 2019
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When you think of states that are known for hockey, which ones come to mind? Go ahead, we’ll wait.
the NHL.
Minnesota? Or, maybe Massachusetts?
Being a student of the game, Priskie took the opportunity to learn from those players. Not just how to play the game on the ice, but how to conduct yourself off of it.
Either way, the first state that came to mind probably wasn’t Florida. The Sunshine State is known for baseball and beaches, but not hockey. That didn’t seem to matter to Chase Priskie, the Pembroke Pines, Florida, native. Priskie grew up playing hockey in Florida as a kid, but when it came time to play in high school, he chose to take his talents up north. At the age of 15, he packed his bags and headed to South Kent School in Connecticut. He made stops in North Dakota and British Columbia, before returning to Connecticut to join the Bobcats. It was with South Kent, however, that Priskie got his first taste of what it’s like to be a member of the Quinnipiac hockey team. Priskie and his team were on campus, taking a tour of Quinnipiac’s hockey facilities, when the coach pulled him aside. Rand Pecknold wanted to see him in his office. “I had never heard of Quinnipiac,” Priskie said on the Quinnipiac Athletics Podcast. “I sat there, and I listened to him talk, and the only thing going through my head was ‘There must be a camera somewhere, this can’t be real.’” Surprisingly, it wasn’t a prank. Priskie committed to Quinnipiac, and was slated to join the team for the 2015-16 season. Little did he know, he was joining a team that was poised for a run to the Frozen Four. “Coming in, it wasn’t about being an offensive threat, it was just about staying in the lineup,” Priskie said. “That ‘15-16 team was so deep, we had 11 defensemen on the roster.” Not only did Priskie stay in the lineup, but he finished seventh on the team in points. The players ahead of him that year? Five of the six are current professional hockey players, and two of them have played in 16
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Not bad company for your first season.
“I was very fortunate to work with guys like Devon Toews, Connor Clifton and Derek Smith, who, whether I liked it or not, always had something to say and something for me to improve at,” Priskie said. One of the things that his coaches and teammates instilled in Priskie from a young age was the importance of playing a more defensive style of hockey. Known as an offensive defenseman coming into Hamden, Priskie quickly learned that the best players in college hockey know how to play in all three zones of the ice. “You can see that no matter how good you are offensively, if you give up the same defensively, it’s a zero-sum game,” Priskie said. “So you have to be able to defend, and I wanted to be someone that could be counted on in all key situations.”
Fast forward three years and he’s in his second season as the captain, the 45th in the program’s history. Not only that, but he’s in the running for the 2019 Hobey Baker Award, given to the best player in college hockey. Despite all of the attention and accolades, however, Priskie isn’t satisfied just yet. “It’s great to be considered one of the best 82 players in the country,” Priskie said. “But at the same time, I just try to focus on my game everyday.” Since Priskie was nominated back in January, the Bobcat community has taken to Twitter to spread the #ChaseTheHobey campaign. The goal is simple: get as many people to vote for Chase each day as possible. Always humble, Priskie appreciates the support but tries not to let it distract him from playing the game. “I see the stuff on Twitter, but I just try to
block it out,” Priskie said. “It’s just kind of nonsense until anything big happens.” His coach, on the other hand, thinks differently. “I think he deserves the attention he’s getting, in terms of #ChaseTheHobey,” Associate Head Coach Bill Riga said. “He’s all about wins and losses, but I would trade all of that in to have him in the locker room and have him be our leader.” Chase’s mother, Lisa Evans, echoed what Riga had to say. Although she’s more than five hours away by plane, she has had a front row seat to all of the attention her son has been getting. “It’s heartwarming to see the support he’s getting from so many people,” Evans said. “Especially coming from South Florida, where hockey players aren’t routinely recognized.” A former hockey player herself for the Bowdoin College Polar Bears, Evans knows the game inside and out. She’s watched her son grow over his three years in Hamden, from a freshman just trying to stay in the lineup, to one of the best defensemen in the country. “He not only has acquired skills but also a winning mindset,” Evans said. “I also am impressed that he has been able to sustain such a high level of performance while remaining humble and constantly committed to improving. Off the ice, he has developed into a true leader.” No one has seen this leadership better than Riga. Riga echoes that Priskie has proven himself to be just as valuable off the ice as he is on it. “For all the goals that he scores, and all the points that he gets, I’d trade it all in for his leadership ability,” Riga said. “If I had to pick one or the other, I’d pick the leader over the points guy.” Priskie’s leadership ability was put to the test in his first season with the “C”. The 2017-18 season was a trying year for the Bobcats, who finished under .500 for the first time since 1995-96. Some players March 2019
would be quick to forget a season like that. That’s not how Chase Priskie operates. “Doing what he did last year, as a junior captain, that’s not an easy thing to do,” Riga said. “As soon as that year was over, he learned how to [be a captain] a little bit better, and this year he’s hit the ground running.” Choosing to return to Hamden for his senior year, Priskie forewent signing a professional contract with the Washington Capitals, the team that drafted him back in 2016. He knew he had unfinished business with the Bobcats in 2018-19. “When I made the decision to come back, I wanted to leave a legacy here,” Priskie said. “I don’t think it’s good enough to be a name on a program, I want to come in and make an impact.”
Liz Flynn
So what exactly is the mindset of a player like Chase Priskie? The way he puts it, it’s actually a pretty simple formula –believ-
March 2019
ing that you’re better than your opponent isn’t good enough. You have to prove it, day-in and day-out. “I try to make people look bad in practice, when I go out during games I try to make people look bad,” Priskie said. “I try to make a statement and say that ‘I’m better than you’.”
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I don’t think it’s good enough to be a name on a program, I want to come in and make an impact.”
Not a bad way to think. And now, this approach has helped him land a top 10 spot for the Hobey Baker. Those around him share a similar sense of pride and joy seeing him recognized for the work he’s put in. “It was a special moment for me seeing Chase recognized as one of the top college hockey players in the country,” Evans said. “It’s great to see all his hard work and focus pay off.” There’s plenty of reasons for her to be proud. Priskie is near or at the top of the list for the most points and goals scored by defensemen in the nation this year. Whether it’s a power play, a penalty kill or five-on-five play, he’s always the first one off the bench for Rand Pecknold. “I don’t just want to be a captain,” Priskie said. “I want to be one of the best players to ever play here.”
- CHASE PRISKIE
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1000-Point Club By: jonathan banks
The Quinnipiac Bobcats, winners of 52 straight games against MAAC opponents, have achieved this level of dominance within their conference thanks to selfless play, internal hunger to prove doubters wrong and a team-first culture, among other things. From the outside looking in, it seems personal accolades are not prioritized by any player or coach who dons the blue and gold. This is usually the case with great teams in any sport. More times than not, personal achievements come with sustained team success. Aryn McClure, Jen Fay and Paula Strautmane- arguably the three most impactful players for Tricia Fabbri’s squad on the court- can attest to this. All three players have reached the illustrious 1,000-point mark in their respective careers, making them the only trio in Quinnipiac women’s basketball history to accomplish such a feat. For McClure, who knocked down her 1,000th point in Quinnipiac’s victory over Marist in last year’s MAAC Championship game, scoring this many points was never something that crossed her mind. “When I first came to Quinnipiac, I just wanted to play a few minutes and learn the college system,” McClure said. “Each year I set goals for myself as I became more successful.” The New York native has been efficient offensively throughout her entire career in Hamden. In the last two years, she averaged over 12 points a game as a junior, and a touch over 10 points a game in her senior campaign. Even though she puts the ball in the basket at a consistent rate, McClure still finds humor in hitting the 1,000-point threshold. “I don’t really score as much as I should, to be honest,” McClure said with a smile. “That goes into me being a pass-first 18
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player.” McClure is not the only Quinnipiac star who has seen team-oriented basketball translate to personal success. Redshirt Senior Jen Fay, who notched her 1,000th point in a loss to No. 10 Texas in the team’s fifth game this season, attributes all of her achievements to the women she battles with on the court. “It’s not about individuals. It’s really about the team success and that’s why we’ve been so good over the years,” Fay said. “On any given night, another player is going to show up. And it really shows from the total success we’ve all had as a group.” Fay is a player born for the big stage. Look no further than her capturing two consecutive MAAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player awards in her last two seasons as proof. Pairing those individual trophies with 1,000 career points and other milestones in Hamden could not be achieved without the guidance of one specific person, according to Fay. “Coach [Tricia] Fabbri and I have a great relationship,” Fay said. “She’s hard on me, but it makes me better.”
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It’s not about individuals. It’s really about the team success and that’s why we’ve been so good over the years.” - Jen fay
Tricia Fabbri’s success on the court as the all-time winningest coach in Quinnipiac women’s basketball history speaks for itself, but her connection with players off the hardwood is second-to-none.
It’s the reason she has three 1,000-point scorers on her roster rather than two. Paula Strautmane was born roughly 4,125 miles away from Hamden, Connecticut in Riga, Latvia. When she toured Quinnipiac as a potential recruit, the now-senior forward quickly fell in love with her surroundings, from the aesthetics of the campus to the people. “Quinnipiac wanted not only a player but a person,” Strautmane said. “I didn’t have to compromise my athletics or my academics and they are always so excited about me playing with the [Latvia] national team.” Strautmane knocked down her 1,000th point from the charity stripe in mid-January against Monmouth. Just like McClure, she never saw such an achievement coming her way due to her offensive tendencies. “Coaches throughout my career have been pushing me to score more and more,” Strautmane said. “I’ve been more of a passer than scorer myself, so I never thought I would make it there.” Even without personal aspirations of hitting the big four digits in points, all three players managed to put the ball in the basket with consistency throughout their careers to get there. But as we know, that doesn’t matter to McClure, Fay and Strautmane. McClure says progressing past the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament- a stage the Bobcats reached in 2016-17- is what pushes all members of the Quinnipiac women’s basketball team to their limits. “We have a certain standard of excellence and maintaining that and being consistent makes it different and special compared to other places.” And if personal glory come with that, so be it. March 2019
Liz Flynn
A women’s college basketball powerhouse has emerged within the depths of the mid-major pool.
Liz Flynn
March 2019
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from prodigy to pro By Will Fowler and Jon Surratt
Chase Priskie
Keith Petruzzelli
Chase Priskie is a senior defenseman and captain out of Pembroke Pines, Fla. and attended high school at Salmon Silver Backs before attending Quinnipiac University. Priskie was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft with 177th pick. So far through his collegiate career, Priskie has racked up 25 goals, 59 assists, 84 points with a plus/minus of 29. He also has a good amount of accolades with - 2017-18 ECAC Hockey Second Team Selection, 2016-17 ECAC Hockey Third Team Selection, 2016-17 ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team, 2015-16 ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team and 2015-16 ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team.
Keith Petruzzelli is a sophomore goaltender out of Wilbraham, Mass. and attended high school at Muskegon Lumberjacks before starting his college career at Quinnipiac University. He was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft with the 88th pick. In his two years at Quinnipiac, Keith has registered 17 games played with 366 saves, 41 goals allowed, 89.9% save rate, and 2.71 goals allowed per game rate. He also has a career 7-5-2 record so far throughout college and one career shutout on, at the time, No.18 Boston College in 2018-19.
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detroit red wings
March 2019
Karlis Cukste
Peter DiLiberatore
Karlis Cukste is a junior defenseman from Riga, Latvia. Cukste has spent time playing for the Latvia U18 and U20 teams, recording a combined four goals and eight assists while representing his country, and spent his junior days with the Chicago Steel, recording four goals and 11 assists in 44 games. Before coming to Quinnipiac, he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks. Cukste became an impact performer for the Bobcats as soon as he stepped on the ice, recording 15 points in his rookie campaign. Standing at 6’3”, Cukste is almost always the biggest player on the ice.
Peter DiLiberatore is a freshman defenseman from Bedford, Nova Scotia. At just 18 years old, DiLiberatore is a true freshman – something that has become increasingly more uncommon at the top levels of collegiate hockey. He attended high school at the Salisbury School, a prep school in Salisbury, Connecticut, where he recorded 35 points in two seasons. DiLiberatore was drafted in the sixth round by the Vegas Golden Knights in last year’s NHL Entry Draft, and has thrived in his top-4 defenseman role as a freshman with the Bobcats.
Quinnipiac Athletics
san jose sharks
March 2019
vegas golden knights
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OPINION social media and human decency By Phil Akre @philakre
I love social media. I am like many of my friends and colleagues - we devote our education to learning more about it. I’m thankful to have an internship (and education) that is solely focused on digital and social media. I’m not alone when I say that I use Twitter every single day, multiple (and I mean multiple) times. And why shouldn’t I, or we as a society, use it everyday? Twitter and FaceBook are far more than just vehicles for simply staying in touch - they serve as hubs of information where users gather to collect insights, daily news and entertainment. There’s an undeniable, collective excitement that surfaces from what happens within it. Whether it’s politics, sports or entertainment, these events create communities that generate discussion from user to user. Despite the benefits and innovations of the everevolving field, social media is as harmful as it is informative. Where there’s good, even great, there is almost always bad. We generalize ‘trolls’ as unfortunate side effects of the internet, those whose sole purpose is to scour the social media landscape and look for something to criticize. When it comes to sports, 22
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specifically the athletes that play them, there’s no room for error. It doesn’t matter if you’re LeBron James and you hit the game-winning shot. It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete who brightens up a kids day in a feel-good story. Simply, it doesn’t matter if you do good anymore. Good is no longer ‘good.’ To please the digital world in 2019, you have to be better than great. Sadly, that’s a feat that not even the best can achieve. Everything is under a microscope, more so than ever before. Communication is instantaneous. Every single quote is analyzed, discussed and criticized, usually for worse. For athletes, it’s an unfair game. We frequently forget that a good portion of these ‘professionals’ are as young as 19 years old. Take a moment to consider this. When you were 19, where were you? Most of us were probably just starting college or our first job. In a broader sense, most of us were simply trying to find our direction in life. These kids are thrusted into the bright (and unforgiving) lights of stardom. I’m a 20-year-old in college pursuing a career in sports media, getting experience by writing for school publications.
Kevin Knox, a 19-year-old rookie on the New York Knicks, is a starter on a terrible - no, pitiful - team. He, along with every other player in the league, faces harsh criticism day in and day out. There will always be the faction that rides the tough-guy mentality: “These kids are professionals, they need to learn how to handle the criticism.” Sure, that’s partially true. Any professional in any discipline will have to learn the proper ways of handling criticism. In a much larger sense, how to deal with adversity and life. The difference, though, is that when these young adults are dropped into the limelight, we expect perfection. We forget that there is a steep learning curve. This is their first full-time job. This is their profession. When you started your first internship or job, you weren’t expected to do everything right. Growing pains are a natural part of the process when becoming suited to your role. Growing pains are a part of life. Don’t mistake this for an attack on the ‘mean’ people that populate these outlets. This is an admission from someone who admires social media and all that it does offer. You don’t have to be an expert or fan of the social landscape
to see its pros and cons. Just because we find the topic so interesting and beneficial doesn’t mean we can be blind to the everyday harm it elicits. When we take our irrational anger out on someone who cannot legally buy a beer yet, we sink to a low. But that low isn’t a new one. It’s existed for a far longer time than social media has. People just have the platform to speak out now. The pundits, critics and admirers are, for the first time, together. Sports, as much as I, my friends, and the world loves them, are not the most important thing. At their core, sports unite us. They unify countries in times of peril. They bring families together through a generational love. They form friendships for individuals who may have nothing else in common. They make us happy. Above all, we forget that sports are entertainment. The NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB all aim to do two things - promote their brand and generate revenue. Their duty is to provide a product worth paying attention to. Ours is to cheer on our teams and our beloved superstars. The silent duty that we often forget to carry out is one that holds a message as simple as sports themselves. Human decency.
March 2019
March 2019
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