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Red Wings: Detroit trails 2-1 to the Nashville Predators in NHL playoffs
Sturrus Center: Construction on phase two set to begin–seriously
Tigers: Detroit takes an early lead in the AL Central
After losing 3-2 on Sunday, the Detroit Red Wings now trail the Nashville Predators 2-1 in the NHL Western Conference Quarterfinals. The Wings fell behind by two goals twice in the game and were unable to overcome the deficit. Detroit played game four last night and will play game five Friday night in Nashville in the best of seven series.
At the April 4 Student Senate meeting, Aquinas College president Juan Olivarez announced that construction of the second phase of the Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center will begin this summer. President Olivarez announced that the construction time line was made possible by securing a multi-million dollar donor.
It is never too early to think about division races. At least, that is what Tiger fans are thinking after Detroit has started the season with a 7-3 record. The Motor City Kitties are a half game up on the Chicago White Sox for the division lead. Third baseman Miguel Cabrera has been shining of late with three home runs and nine RBIs.
Reporting the passion of others dan meloy | sports editor
Wrapping up my final days at Aquinas College, I have been in a rather reflective mood as of late. Yes, I know that opening was a cliche amongst cliches but hang on, it’s going somewhere. During my four years of covering sports at Aquinas College, I have been pondering several questions, oddities and moments that seem to stick out in my mind. College sports is a great part of the American cultural conscience, or rather NCAA Division I sports are part of the American cultural conscience. The truth of the matter is that outside of schools such as Michigan, Michigan State or even Central Michigan, not many tend to care about small college sports. You would notice this by simply polling Aquinas students on campus about how savvy they are about Aquinas sports. You’ll notice that they’ll know more about the SEC football season then about the WHAC men’s soccer outlook, and if you are one of those people, shame on you for not reading The Saint. But it is easy to understand why more people follow the big schools more, even those who attend Aquinas. Big schools equal big budgets, and big budgets equals big talent. The competition level of the Big Ten and ACC for outstretch that of the WHAC and the MIAA. Therefore more people pay attention to what happens on the “national” collegiate sports scene. It also doesn’t hurt to have a nice, fat contract with ESPN. But I will say that it is an utter falsehood to say that small college sports are not worth watching. Take away the big names, the corporate endorsements, the media hype and what you get is one of the most remarkable things in all of humanity: The pursuit of perfection, the drive to succeed, the harnessing of individual or collective efforts in order to achieve an objective for the sake of achieving the objective. And for me, that is why I follow sports. That is why I chose to write about sports in the first place. There is nothing better as a journalist than write about people who genuinely have a passion for what they are doing. And in NAIA athletics that is what you mostly find, passion. In college athletics, only a slim majority of student-athletes will play professionally and an even smaller number of student-athletes from the NAIA ranks will play in the pros. This leaves you with a bunch of athletes who participate in a sport for the sole enjoyment of what they do. Yes, they do get scholarships, but full rides are unheard of at the small college level. And I would say that covering sports at the small school level has to go down as one of my favorite pastimes during my stay at Aquinas College. There’s a great feeling in seeing one of your friends score the winning goal of a championship game, knowing that the school’s star point guard lived in your residence hall and goes through all the first-year rigors as you do, or yacking up on Facebook about the basketball team beating Calvin and making it as big of a deal as your friends who go to Michigan and Michigan State about their sports teams. One of the biggest things that infuriates me is the statement that Aquinas does not have “real” sports. If that is the case, then the only logical conclusion is that Aquinas is not a “real” college. And if you are one of those who submit to this thinking, then might I ask you leave this school because Aquinas is better off without you. I am proud of the work I have done over my four years with The Saint and I hope to continue telling other people’s stories sometime in the future. I’ve cheered, I’ve heckled, I’ve yelled and I was threatened by a deranged parent from Madonna after I suggested that her son was a mile offside and had the mental prowess of a mineral. So thank you Aquinas, you have provided with me with a lot memories both in athletics and in life in general. Now time for my final passionate rant: Go Saints. Calvin is predestined to lose. The MIAA schools won’t play Aquinas out of fear of losing. Davenport should not qualify for college sports since they fail to meet half the requirements. And most of all, Go Aquinas! For life.
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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012
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WHAT TO WATCH
>> MEN’S TENNIS
The Aquinas College men’s tennis team will be competing in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Championships in Grand Rapids this Friday and Saturday. The Saints are 21-1 and 4-0 in the WHAC. The team is currently ranked 13th in the NAIA and are favorites to win the WHAC.
Men’s tennis set to win Men’s lacrosse looking for back to WHAC and regional championships back playoff berths
KATHERINE MATA / THE SAINT MORGAN DANTZER / THE SAINT
Evading the defense: Freshman midfielder Zack Brancheau tries to juke his way around a Grand Valley State defender. By Alyssa Frese Staff Writer The Aquinas College men’s lacrosse team has had a pretty balanced season. The Saints have a record of 7-7 going into their final games of the regular season against Ferris State University on Tuesday, April 17, and Oakland University on Saturday, April 21. In recent games, the Saints won against U-M Dearborn 8-2, Northwood University 17-7 and Siena Heights University 7-4. The Saints are determined to win these final two games and return to the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association Tournament which has only been done once in school history, last year. The Saints need to stay motivated as a team and be willing to help each other out and push the boundaries. With a win over Ferris State the Saints will have qualified for the CCLA Playoffs. “My goals for the rest of the season are to motivate the team as much as I can with my play and my actions,” said senior midfielder Jordan Matheny. “I hope that through senior leadership we can help the younger players see that we can make it deep into the playoffs and overcome the obstacles that lay before us.” The Saints have had to rely on upperclassmen leaders to take the reins and work really hard, as there are a lot of freshmen who are new to the team this year. “We have a group of five se-
niors who have been at this for three years. They want to win. We have a large group of freshman all over the field and they are willing to learn what it takes to win,” said men’s lacrosse head coach Luke Griemsman. The freshmen in return have had to work really hard and be very attentive and willing to do extra work and learn new techniques to be successful. “We have a nice crop of hard working freshman. Don Boyer, Mitch Ringer and Austin Ensing are just a few that have been really great this season,” said Griemsman. The biggest challenge for the Saints this season has been staying consistent throughout each game. “I hope the team continues to strive towards greatness. We must continue to work towards putting together a complete offensive and defensive game for four quarters,” said assistant coach Doug Seites. “At this point in the season, it’s all or nothing for the team. These last two games are extremely crucial.” “I have had a great experience as a freshman this far. I am learning a lot more about lacrosse and fundamentals. If we play the way we know we can there’s no doubt that we can make it to the CCLA Tournament,” said freshman defender Mitch Ringer. Aquinas will close out their regular season this Saturday against Oakland at 1 p.m.
Women’s tennis on a roll heading into WHAC Championships By Laura Rico Staff Writer After a pair of 9-0 victories the Aquinas College women’s tennis team is 11-7 and 2-2 in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference heading into the WHAC Championships this Saturday. On March 31, the Saints hosted the University of Northwestern Ohio and lost 6-3. In the singles competition sophomore Lauren Ramey and freshman Gina Kukulski defeated their opponents 6-0, 6-2 and 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. During the doubles competition freshman Daniela Fonseca and Kukulski won their set 8-4. “The competition was very good. Even though we lost we had close matches and we can beat them,” said Ramey. On Thursday, April 5, the women went against Alma College and won 6-3. In the singles competition Ramey won 6-0, 6-4, sophomore Jessica LeMire won 7-6, 6-0, Kukulski won 7-5, 6-4 and sophomore Jen Staup won 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8). In the doubles competition Ramey and Fonseca won their set 8-3 and LeMire and Kukulski won 8-4. Next Aquinas dominated Indiana Tech with each Saint recording a victory in their match. Ramey won 6-1, 6-0, Fonseca 6-3, 6-0, LeMire6-0, 6-1, Senior Emily Decker 6-0, 6-0 and freshman Jes-
Sports Editor Dan Meloy
sica Gast 6-2, 6-0. Aquinas won all three of the doubles competitions after Indiana Tech withdrew from the meet. The winning streak continued when they women played rival Cornerstone University on April 11 and won 9-0. Ramey won 6-0, 6-0, Fonseca 6-0, 6-1, LeMire 6-1, 6-1, Decker 6-1, 6-3, Kukulski 6-2, 6-0,and Gast 6-0, 6-0 in the singles competition. In the doubles competition Ramey and Decker, LeMire and Hendrick, and Fonseca and Staup all won when Cornerstone withdrew. “In preparation for the WHAC and regional tournaments, which are just around the corner, we have been solidifying our doubles play and trying to keep everyone healthy and injuryfree,” said LeMire. “I think that the team has a really great chance of succeeding in the coming conference tournament and regionals,” said sophomore Kelsey Moellmann. “We are playing the best tennis of the season and are ready to have some competition in our near future.” The WHAC Championship is scheduled for this Saturday April 21. On Wednesday, April 25, the women will play against Grand Rapids Community College at 3 p.m. and will compete in the Regional Championship will take place on April 27.
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The return volley: Sophomore Nik Artaev forehands a return shot across the court. The men’s tennis team is an astonishing 21-1 this season, crushing big name opponents like Grand Valley State University and Lake Superior State University. By Rachael Luehm Staff Writer The Aquinas College men’s tennis team is on a hot streak as they have won 20 out of 21 meets and are 4-0 in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. The Saints have won all five of their April meets, three of which were shut out victories. Currently Aquinas is ranked 13th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. On Wednesday, April 11, the Saints beat school rival Cornerstone University 9-0 with sophomores Aaron Hendricks and Nik Artaev and junior Kyle Masteller all winning straight sets against their opponents. Then Hendricks and Artaev paired up to defeat their opponents in the doubles matches along with Masteller and senior Travis Wolfe, both winning straight sets yet again. The team is looking to make the national tournament this May, which is located in Mobile, Alabama, on May 1317 as well as win the WHAC Champi-
onships. In order to qualify for nationals the team must win the regional title or get an at large bid which is based on their ranking at the national level. In order to win the regional meet they must beat schools like the University of Northwest Ohio. “We played [Northwest Ohio] this weekend and it was a very close match,” said Artaev. “We ended up winning but we weren’t happy with the result.” Aquinas defeated Northwest Ohio 6-3. Artaev later said that the UNOH “fans created a hostile environment for us.” The men will have to focus on what they need to do to overcome the environment that may await them with the next game against Northwest Ohio and move on to the championships. The team will travel to Indiana to face Valparaiso University today at 4 p.m. This weekend the Saints will take part in the WHAC Championships in Grand Rapids. The following weekend Aquinas will head to Lima, Ohio for the Regional Tournament.
Softball team looking for continuity By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter Coming into their doubleheader against Hope College on March 29, the Aquinas College women’s softball team was 14-9. Unfortunately, the Saints were not able to sustain their momentum, losing both games to Hope by scores of 6-2 and 4-3 respectively. Outstanding performances included senior shortstop Whitney Stratton with three hits and the only runs batted in during the first game. In the second game, sophomore infielder Ashley Milheim had two hits and two RBIs respectively. “We only played six and a half innings that day,” said junior first baseman/outfielder Renae Tuburgen.“We left a lot of people on base.” The Saints started off slowly in a doubleheader against Indiana University Southeast, losing 5-3. A four run third inning put the Saints in a hole they could not climb out of. A highlight included a two-run home run by Stratton. The Saints bounced back in the second game as they beat IUSE 9-3. Two four run innings in the fourth and sixth helped the Saints pull away. Highlights included a solo home run from Tubergen as well as a solid pitching performance from sophomore Rebecca Shineldecker. “We definitely struggled and didn’t hit in the first game, but in the second game we were on fire, hitting anything and everything. We just need to find a way to play two complete games rather than one,” said senior outfielder Taylor Turcott. The Saints continued with a doubleheader against Davenport Univer-
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sity and just like the past two series, the Saints started off slowly in the first game, losing 6-4. Notable individual performances included sophomore catcher Torie Lowe, who notched a home run and junior outfielder/catcher Lindsey Stewart, who had two RBIs. The Saints found their stride in the second game, winning 6-4. Notable performances included junior pitcher Carlie Giarmo throwing a four hitter through seven innings, as well as sophomore third baseman Sadie Stowell, who had two RBIs. As of now, the Saints are 18-17 overall and 1-3 in the Wolverine- Hoosier Athletic Conference. Softball head coach Crystal Laska is pleased with the team so far. “We are still trying to find ourselves and our identity, our biggest obstacle is being contagious, if one person is doing well, everyone else is doing well, but if one person is not doing well, the whole team feeds off of that. We are still trying to fix these issues, but there is some time to correct them before the conference tournament starts,” said Laska. The Saints split a four game Easter tournament with wins against Judson University and McKendree University, as well as losses to Davenport University and Olivet Nazarene College. On April 11 Aquinas came back from the break with a doubleheader loss to Cornerstone University, losing 4-1 and 7-2. In the first game, the Saints were shutout after the first inning. In both games, the Saints left a total of 12 runners on base. Aquinas will host U-M Dearborn this Saturday at 1 p.m. and Madonna this Sunday at 4 p.m.