Sports The Who, What and Why of Crusader Sports
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Ice hockey slides to success The 2011-2012 Crusaders ice hockey season stands out as the program’s most successful season in its 10-year history, with an outstanding overall team record of 23 wins and seven losses, two occurring in overtime. The Alvernia team made its fourth appearance in five years to the conference playoffs and fell just short of a championship.
Alvernia’s softball team claimed the Commonwealth Conference title and earned a trip to the NCAA D-III championships.
Spring teams sparkle
10 Alvernia University Magazine
Winning on the field and off While Alvernia’s women’s field hockey team brought to close a successful 15–8 season with a tough loss to Lebanon Valley in the ECAC championship game, off the field they were claiming victory. The team was recognized by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) as one of the top five academic teams in Division III. This is the eighth consecutive season the Crusaders have earned the distinction. The National Academic Team Award recognizes institutions that achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.0 during the first semester of the 2011-12 academic year. This year’s NFHCA Division III top five academic field hockey teams and their GPAs were Vassar (3.52), Wesleyan University (3.52), Clark University (3.51), Alvernia University (3.48) and Johns Hopkins University (3.48). In addition, 11 individuals were named to the NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad for achieving a minimum GPA of 3.30. Seniors Katy Eby, Sam Landis, Tonya Rutt and Mary VanKirk have earned this individual academic honor all four seasons of their collegiate field hockey careers.
Photos by Jon King
Crusader pride was rampant this spring as Alvernia athletics teams sparkled. The men’s golf team won the Commonwealth Conference title by one stroke over cross-town rival Albright, earning the right to represent the conference at the NCAA D-III national championships in Orlando. Not to be outdone, the women’s golf team took home the Middle Atlantic Conference golf crown. The Lady Crusaders’ softball team defeated rival Messiah twice in the championship round of the double-elimination tournament to win the Commonwealth Conference title for the very first time, giving the team a trip to the NCAA Championships. Following suit, the women’s lacrosse team defeated Marywood University to win the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Championship. And despite falling in the Commonwealth Conference title game, the Crusader baseball team’s strong 30-12-1 record and third place ranking in the Mid-Atlantic Region was enough to earn an at-large bid as the #3 seed in the NCAA Championships.