March 27, 2015 Issue Digital Edition

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October 10, 2015 2014 March 27,

THE CROCK

• Vol. 60, Issue 11•

The official independent, student-run publication of Plymouth State University since 1952 Know The Times, Read The Clock

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March 27, 2015

CLOCK PHOTO / NINA WEINSTEIN

Elizabeth Barden Editor in Chief

n Mar. 19 it was announced O that Pumpkin Festival will be moving to another college within the

state’s University System: Plymouth State University. Both the Plymouth Selectboard and the Keene City Council have decided that based on recent University police reports and the amount of security each town is able to provide in policing, Plymouth is the best location and community to hold this year’s Pumpkin Festival.

Back On Mar. 13, the Keene City Council Committee rejected the Pumpkin Festival Permit for the year 2015. The continuation of the festival came into question after last year’s riot that broke out near the festival’s location.

With nearly twelve major arrests, at least 30 people injured, and about $100,000 worth of damages, the Keene City Council Committee came to their decision unanimously. Committee members claim that there is no way they could take another hit like this in the upcoming year. According to WMUR, Councilman David Richards said, “$100,000 becomes $200,000 or more to have the right police coverage here to make sure

that doesn't happen again. And no one is offering to pay that bill, so I don't think we can ask the taxpayers to pay it."

On Oct. 15, 2014, afternoon parties surrounding Keene’s Pumpkin Festival began to spiral out of control.

Police tried to contain the disturbances but the activity became out of control as thousands of students, from Keene and beyond, poured out into the street. Students and other young visitors began throwing beer bottles and other objects at each other as well as police personnel.

The Boston Globe quoted a Keene State sophomore, Ellery Murray, who said, “There were about 4,000 kids in this backyard, and it almost felt like a war zone.” During this riot, at least one car and two dumpsters were overturned, with a lot of damage made to the surrounding area.

Pumpkin Fest has been a tradition and pride filled festival for the Keene community of 23,000 people for 24 years. Each year, the community tries to set the world record of having the largest number of carved and lighted jack-o-lanterns in a single location. This past festival, the Keene community was able to set the world

record with exactly 31,581 lit jack-olanterns. This event brings together both the local community and college community. Many people would like to see this tradition live on and the surrounding city council committees decided to see it through.

Based policy reports made during PSU’s Spring Fling Weekend and other events that have taken place on campus over the past few years, Plymouth has seen minimal damages made to the community and campus.

“We see no reason to believe that any rioting activity, as displayed in Keene this past October, would take place in our community,” said Plymouth Town Officer, Blake Riley. “We have great [police] departments in our surrounding area and with our numbers, safety should not be an issue.”

Back in late January, Vice President Jim Hundrieser had sent an email out to students, just after the New England Patriots claimed their victory in the play off game, with a friendly reminder of what the University expected from student in terms of behavior.

- continued on pg. 5

Inside This Issue: PSU Chosen for Set of New Movie WPCR Spotlight:

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Star Wars Episode VII: Worse Than the Prequels?

Clark Announces His Donation to Women's Teams

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Nick Clifford & Nick Einstman

Page 9

Page 18

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The Clock Editor in Chief Elizabeth Barden eab1010@plymouth.edu Managing Editors

Production Manager Tim Waugh kagoodwin2@plymouth.edu Sports Editor Eric Brill edbrill@mail.plymouth.edu News Editor Elect Joseph Boisvert jrboisvert@plymouth.edu Assistant Features Editor Nichole Currier ndc1010@plymouth.edu

Rachel Perelli rcperelli@plymouth.edu Benjamin Hunton bh1010@plymouth.edu Photo Editor Nina Weinstein neweinstein@plymouth.edu Media Manager Bobby Costanzo rncostanzo@plymouth.edu Features Editor Cassie Pearson clp1010@plymouth.edu

Assistant Photo Editor Colby Aubut cmaubut@plymouth.edu A&E Editor Tim Waugh tswaugh@plymouth.edu Advertising & Sales Ross Ferrulo clockads@gmail.com

PSU Students Step Up For Injured Fellow Panther, Anthony Fertitta S

unday March 15th, Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, should have been a day of celebration, but fellow student, Anthony Fertitta was caught in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Anthony was seriously injured and taken to Mass General.

After suffering from massive brain hemorrhage and multiple surgeries, his prognosis is positive.

Now the hard part begins the recovery. Medical bills are mounting

up and a call to the friends, family and fellow PSU students have already amassed up closing on $15k in the GoFundMe account started by Fertitta’s family friend, James Campbell.

Fertitta will be unable to return to PSU this semester due to ongoing speech and motor function therapy.

Plymouth State’s motto, Ut Prosim, (That I May Serve), has been proven through the wonderful outpouring of well wishes and money to help fellow

-Debbie Grotheer; For the Clock

Sports Photo Editor Field Martin fkmartin@plymouth.edu Assistant Sports Editor Justin Siewierski js2010@plymouth.edu

Contributors Addie Weller Sarah Liebowtiz Geneva Samber Gary Frappier Kendal Lariviere Westin Atwood Jarred Wilkins Debbie Grotheer

The Clock

Student Newspaper of Plymouth State. Published every other Friday We're looking for •Reporters •Videographers •Editors •Comic Artists •Photographers •Marketing & Business •Graphic Designers Majors www.theclockonline.com Interested?

Contact eab1010@plymouth.edu

The Clock is an editorially independent newspaper. Opinions expressed do not reflect those of Plymouth State University or of the University System of New Hampshire. The Clock is funded in part by the Student Activity Fee and is distributed free of charge to the Campus and Community every other Friday of the Academic Calendar Newsroom Phone • (603) 535-2279 Fax Line • (603) 535-2729 Email • mjormsbee@plymouth.edu Website • http://www.TheClockOnline.com Advertising • (603) 535-2279 clockads@gmail.com

classmate, Fertitta. If you would like to send your well wishes and or help out financially, the link is: http://www. gofundme.com/Anthony-Fertitta.

US Mail: The Clock Suite A9 Hartman Union Building Plymouth State University, Plymouth NH, 03264. = All contents © 2011-2012 The Clock.

All rights reserved.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: The Clock welcomes letters to the editor, and aims to publish as many as possible. The Clock reserves the right to edit for vulgarity and libelous content.

Opinions expressed in both signed and unsigned letters to the editor, opinion pieces, cartoons or columns are not necessarily those of The Clock or it's staff. If you do not see your side of the argument being represented, The Clock invites you to submit a letter to the editor to present your side.

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Delta Zeta Canned Food Drive aking a difference in the M Plymouth State community is something that many students

would love to do but are unsure how.

Being able to help those less fortunate gives students a perfect reason to attend the canned food drive being held next week by Delta Zeta.

The sorority will be collecting any and all canned food donations. They are looking for a variety of goods from canned fruits and vegetables, to canned tuna or ravioli.

“Delta Zeta Sorority is actively involved in giving back to the community. Last semester we had a canned food drive with all donations going to the Pemi Youth Center,” says Cassandra Pearson, a sophomore and the sorority Philanthropy Chair.

This time, Delta Zeta will be donating all collections to the Student Support Foundation Food Pantry, located right on campus. “During the canned food drive, we will be collecting monetary donations in order to send one of our sisters to the Painted Turtle Camp in California for a week of volunteering,” said Pearson.

The can drive is being held Mon.March 30 from 12:00p.m. to 4:00p.m., Tues., March 31 from 11:00a.m. to 4:00p.m., and Thurs., April 2 from 11:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.

Sorority members will be tabling in the HUB collecting all donations and answering questions. If there are a few cans lying around or students don’t mind splurging a few dollars to help a family in need, then anyone can head to the HUB and help better the PSU community.

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HUB 123 Becomes the “Keefe Chamber” Joe Boisvert For the Clock fter Dean of Students A Timothy Keefe retired at the end of last year, faculty

across campus have been looking for a way to honor the man who did so much for the Plymouth community. The school has decided to name a room within the Hartman Union Building after him. The room in consideration, currently HUB Room 123, will be renamed the “Keefe Chamber” “I love the idea, I think it will really add some more character to the HUB,” said junior Mary Johnson, “It really exemplifies the students connection with Keefe and this will only increase the impact he had on this campus.”

The room, which serves as a chamber room to the Hage room was chosen for symbolic and functional reasons, “Dean Keefe followed in the footsteps of Dick Hage so we found it only appropriate to have a room connected with the Hage room named after him,” said HUB staffer Frank Roberts. “Students also often use this room more frequently than any other in the HUB and with Dean Keefe’s heavy involvement within the student community, we thought this would be a perfect match.”

Students frequent this room quite often using it for various reasons, whether it’s to meet for a club, work with a group on a project or simply just hang out. Renaming the room will offer a new bit of personalization to an already popular room.

Sophomore Steven Baker also expressed his excitement with the new room name, “Dean Keefe was always an integral part of the Plymouth Community, and the Keefe Chamber will continue to serve as a hidden treasure to students trying to escape and relax for a while.”

Professors around campus also support the decison to honor the former Dean. Biology professor Stephanie Williams said, "Dean Keefe was prevelant all over campus for such a long period of time. It is only right that we as a community honor the man that has been a cornerstone of student success."

Freshman Jack Johnson never met Dean Keefe but had no problem with renaming the room, "It adds a new level of character to the HUB. I think we should do this more often, its a lot more fun to tell people that we should meet in the 'Keefe Chamber' rather than HUB 123."

Dean Keefe served as a resource for students. He will now be appropriately honored within the HUB, continuing to serve his community, by providing students a place to gather and relax.

CLOCK PHOTO/JUSTIN HARDESTY

Honorary African Scholar Serves as Sidore Lecturer Addie Weller For the Clock lymouth State University had P the honor of hosting the renowned Dr. Toyin Falola on Monday,

COURTESY PHOTO/ADDIE WELLER

March 9 in the Smith Recital Hall at the Silver Center for the Arts. As a part of their Saul O Sidore Lecture Series, this year’s theme is the state of democracy.

Dr. Falola’s presentation titled, “Convention, Culture, and Corruption: Democracy in Africa” focused on the key issues related to creating and maintaining democratic political systems in Africa. He spoke to numerous faculty, students, and community members and sparked thought-provoking conversation centered on the issues with the West’s definition of democracy in regard to African nations.

Dr. Falola argued that the Western definition of democracy is limited in scope. Simply put, this ideology cannot easily define Africa’s government

due to the country’s long struggle with military regimes, authoritarianism, and violence. The constant military rule within the country has caused many communities to become imbalanced and unequal.

The push for democracy stems from this belief, but it does not solve the problem entirely. African nations are still suffering from corruption, judicial manipulation, poor leadership, and ethnic rivalries. While democracy may seem like the only solution from a Western perspective, Dr. Falola cited that democratic nations are still repressive and do not promote a search for Africa’s ideal government.

Based on Dr. Falola’s research, African nations should, instead, invest in creating vibrant institutions undefined by democracy. With such institutions in place, Africa can then spend their efforts on uplifting poor communities and building equal nations. He encourages everyone to take part in the process by helping to spread ideas on development and initiate conversations on equality.

Dr. Toyin Falola currently serves as

the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair Professor in the Humanities, as well as the Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He is both the Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.

Dr. Falola has received numerous awards and honors for his work, such as the Jean Holloway Award for Teaching Excellence and the Ibn Khaldun Distinguished Award for Research Excellence. He has written and edited many publications, including the historical book, Nationalism and African Intellectuals and the personal memoir, A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt.

Dr. Falola also sits on various committees for the United Nations and travels on peace missions to Africa.

The final lecture of the series will be held on Tuesday, April 7 at 7 p.m.

The speaker, Marin Gilens, a professor of politics at Princeton University, will be discussing the failures with American democratic institutions.

All Sidore lectures are free and open to the public.

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Early Childhood Studies Club Partners With CHaD Joe Boisvert For the Clock s seen on campus in the A past few weeks the Early Childhood Studies club has been

collecting donations in the form of either toys or money to benefit the Children’s Hospital at DartmouthHitchcock. CHaD as it is more commonly known, is the state’s only comprehensive, full service pediatrics hospital offering everything from check-ups to a Pediatric Intensive Care.

CHaD has many children who are receiving long term treatment and need to stay in the hospital for prolonged periods of time.

Because of this, the toys they play with while receiving treatment are vital to keeping their spirits high as well as providing therapy and a distraction.

“As the Early Childhood Club we are always looking for fundraisers and volunteering activities we can do for children. My professor Dr. Shedd mentioned donating toys to CHaD since they are there for very long periods of time and the

hospital has limited amount of toys because of the germs they collect over time,” said senior Rachel Orkin, “So the EC club came up with the giving tree to make it more personal for the donator since they are picking which toy they would like to donate. We also had a watering can so if people didn't have time to go out and buy a toy they could donate their money to a specific toy.”

So far the Early Childhood Education club has received over $400 in toys and monetary donations benefiting CHaD. “This fall, a former student shared about another child with Neuroblastoma and connected me with this family who lives in Michigan. It is through them that I learned more about art therapy among pediatric chemo patients, the need for individual supplies for pediatric patients, but also the need for developmentally appropriate toys for all pediatric patients who require an extended stay,” said Dr. Meagan Shedd, a Professor within the Early Childhood Studies program, while explaining where the idea for an angel tree came from. “The Early Childhood Club members gathered more information about CHaD,

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and then started talking about what they wanted to do based on their conversations with the contact at CHaD, their ideas about the giving tree, and wanting to have a variety of toys and games for infants and children."

The Early Childhood Studies club partnered with the Volunteer club to keep their tables manned the week before spring break so that they would be able to spread the word as much as possible.

One of the volunteers, sophomore Casey Henry said, “I thought it was a very rewarding experience, it motivates me to be a better person because I also took on a toy to get for a child at ChaD. Organizations usually focus on children around the holidays but these kids are stuck at the hospitals for months on end and really need the toys for entertainment and to take their minds off things.”

This program is another example of the spirit and culture that shines here at Plymouth State. The student body has once again shown their ongoing desire to give back to the community that has treated them so well.

COURTESY PHOTO/SANTAROSAKISHOUSE.COM

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Pumpkin Fest 2015 Moves to Plymouth

The email made clear that any violations of the law or University policy, should any students act inappropriately following the Super Bowl, would be handled with proper citations including arrests.

Following the Patriot’s win on Feb 1., a second email was sent out

by Hundrieser, Dean of Students, Jeff Furlone, and Director of University Police, Rick Bailey, thanking the students for their appropriate response and behavior that night.

“We are pleased to share that overall the community celebrated in a very responsible manner,” read the mail.

“This represents you, as a student body, in a very positive light and enhances the integrity of your education at Plymouth State University."

Since then, the University has witnessed a growth in not only the individuals who currently attend but the community as well. “We have seen a great deal in our time,” said Town of Plymouth resident Bonnie Ackerman, “But based on the last year, I have nothing but good things to say about the University community.”

Ms. Ackerman has been a resident of Plymouth since 1981, thus being apart of the community that has seen many graduating classes make the entrances and exits with all the personality that goes with it.

“I think this will be a great opportunity for the campus and community to come together,” said senior, Hannah Van Slyke. “It will be great to get Plymouth on the radar.” Local business owners should also see an increase in visitors and sales during this event as local Keene businesses have seen in the past. “I think bringing Pumpkin Fest to Plymouth will bring more business and attention to the area,” said Business Major, Stephen Pike. “With the amount of businesses that have come and gone in the last year, this will only be beneficial for the growth of Plymouth.”

Plymouth State University welcomes the festivities to campus and looks forward to hosting this New England tradition. “I have attended Keene’s Pumpkin Festival for the past four years with my children and grandkids so I look forward to having the festival a little closer to home,” said Administration Assistant, Cheryl Benson. “Administration and the town of Plymouth can’t wait to invite folks to come enjoy our beautiful community and campus and join us for this incredible celebration.”

COURTESY PHOTO/POLITIFACT.COM

Mini Career Fair Takes Place at PSU Gary Frappier For the Clock

day, 3/25/2015, bright and early for the Career Services’ Mini Career Fair. Students were dressed in their finest business casual garb, eager to impress their hopeful employers.

The title was not an exaggeration. This career fair was exactly what is claimed to be, mini. This allowed students a more intimate setting with the employers, and allowed employers to look past student’s resumes and actually get to know them as individuals. It was almost as if each students had the one on one time to allow for a mini interview, or even bypass the formal interview process completely.

Students and employers alike seemed to enjoy the smaller setting. More often than not, students left each table with literature and a smile. Conversations were

CLOCK PHOTO/EMILY DUDCK

mployers from all across E New England arrived at Plymouth State last Wednes-

engaging and personal, a trait that can be lost at a career fair of a larger size.

“Half the resumes I get, it seems like kids are just lying to me,” a representative from Bae Systems said, “this allows me to actually get to know a [candidate] instead of just looking at another applicant.”

These types of small, relaxed, one-on-one, meetings with potential hiring staff are rare in business and career related environments. The mini-career fair allowed for students to reap the benefits of Plymouth State’s smaller campus size, and more liberal minded education style.

For more information on Plymouth State’s Career Service center, or future career fairs check out the weekly PSU FYI emails, email Career Services at career.services@plymouth. edu, or head over to their website at https://www.plymouth.edu/services/ career-services/.

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Student Support Foundation Cassie Pearson Features Editor here are a number of problems T students find themselves running into such as getting food, or

emergency financial needs for medical, travel, or textbook expenses. The Student Support Foundation (SSF) is a confidential program established in August 2005 that is available for Plymouth State University students to utilize in order to overcome these financial obstacles.

The SSF is made up of nine board members and several more food pantry volunteers. The advisors are Linda Corriveau and Domenica Medaglia-Brown. Terri Dautcher and Samuel Wisel provide marketing assistance. It is important to note that “this organization would not be possible without Carrie Morgridge and her husband John Morgridge,” said Maria Nacopoulos, a board member of the SSF.

The Morgridges helped to establish the SSF with the goal of teaching students about “poverty and the life skills of service and philanthropy, providing them with the funds to help keep students in school through short-term emergency assistance and long-term student support,” said Nacopoulos. With the approach of their tenth year on campus, the Morgridge Family Foundation has offered the SSF an opportunity to participate in a Dream Big Project to provide something useful and beneficial for PSU. The SSF funds grants for students who have emergency financial need: travel (i.e. for a death), textbooks, medical, and dental. If a student finds him or herself in need of one of these grants, he or she can fill out an application on the SSF Plymouth webpage. “Members of the board will review these applications and determine the need. We can grant up to $200,” said Denisha Odell, the President of the SSF. The SSF food pantry is open to all

students in need of food. It is located next to Blair Hall. Students are able to come and pick up food about four times a semester. Students only need their student ID and a hard-copy of the Enrollment Verification for the semester. “Being able to provide even the smallest amount of assistance to individuals in need and seeing how great of an impact it can have on their lives is so rewarding,” said Odell.

If students find themselves eager to give back to the community, like Odell and Nacopoulos, they can e-mail the volunteer coordinator at opchambers@plymouth.edu. The hours of the food pantry are based around the availability of their volunteers. With more volunteers, they hope to expand their hours and, in turn,w help a greater number of students. Students can apply to be SSF board members on the SSF Plymouth webpage as well. For those who do not have the time to give back with hours, Odell said, “Donations to the pantry are always welcome!”

Thurs., 2:00-3:30 p.m.

The SSF food pantry is open for Fri., 1:30-3:30 p.m. the following hours: Any further questions can be Mon., 10:00-11:00 a.m. and directed to Odell at dsodell@ 3:00-5:00 p.m. plymouth.edu.

Tues., 1:00-4:30 p.m.

Wed., 12:30-2:00 p.m.

CLOCK PHOTO/JENNIFER TEPPER

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veryone has an opinion on what E could be improved throughout the university. Whether it be shuttle

times, quiet hours, or the unnerving flickering of the sidewalk lights, everyone has an idea of how the school should be run and what changes should be made. The only way to know what’s concerning students most, is to chat about it. No change is ever made from people keeping their concerns to themselves, after all. After asking students what their biggest issues were to date, a small list was compiled of things students wished could be a bit different on campus.

The first, and most mentioned concern heard from students was the desire to have cereal back at all meals as opposed to just breakfast. “I’ve heard a lot of people say they want the cereal back,” said freshman Marcus Content.

The cereal doesn’t seem to be the only thing concerning students about the dining hall, though.

“I wish the dining hall plates were cleaner,” said freshman Rachel Couture.

She wasn’t the only one to think so. “The bowls especially are usually dirty,” said freshman Kelly Cohen. Fellow freshman Jessica Walsh agreed.

The dining hall wasn't the only place where students had suggestions. The dorms are another place where improvements could be made. “I also wish there was two-ply toilet paper in the bathrooms,” says Walsh. “Or more thermostats in the dorms.” Cohen agreed that thermostats would be a large improvement, as the temperatures are often not as comfortable as they could be.

Between dining hall plates, the quality of toilet paper in the bathrooms, or the temperatures that the dorms are kept at, there are aspects of the campus that students feel could be changed. One of the best ways to achieve this common goal, is to discuss the issues and possible solutions.

If students have a topic that concerns them on campus, or a solution to something they have noticed concerning other students, they should talk about it. Feel free to send thoughts to the Features Editor, Cassandra Pearson, at clp1010@ plymouth.edu to continue Chatting for Change. Students deserve to have their opinions heard, but that will only happen if they take the opportunity to talk.

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PSU Chosen for Set of New Movie Cassie Pearson Features Editor here have been several rumors T flying around that Plymouth State University will be featured in a movie. After talking with Laura Goodwin, the advertising representative at PSU, these rumors have been confirmed. “We are very pleased to announce that Seth Gordon chose our school as the location for his next film,” said Goodwin.

For those who don’t know, Gordon is the director responsible for movies such as Horrible Bosses (2011), The Kind of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters(2007), and Identity Thief (2013). The first movie was a hit in theaters, whereas the third was not as well received. The director hopes to improve his score by making a comedy film that a large part of the population can relate to—

college life and relationships.

The movie, Caught on Tape, will follow a group of freshmen who met during their orientation. It will tell the tale of how they grew apart and grew together throughout their four hectic years in college. “I’m really interested in stories about identitywho I am now versus who I used to be,” said Gordon. With a movie so close to his own interests, he believes he can give justice to the characters and the storyline.

This up-and-coming director has been scouring New England for a location for his new film. He chose New England because of his positive experience filming in Laconia, New Hampshire for The King of Kong.

During an interview about his search, Gordon said, “The best movies are rooted in reality,” and that is why he wanted to choose a college campus and use the students as extras. This past fall, he attended orientation sessions at schools across New England.

He chose PSU because of the close knit community he witnessed during his visit.

During the month of May, auditions for roles as extras in the film will be held in the Silver Center.

More detailed information will be released at a later date. If students don’t make the cut for extras with speaking parts, there is always a chance they will be in the background during filming.

When asked around about auditions, Mary Jackson, a sophomore musical theater major said, “I’ve already started rehearsing for the audition. This could be my big break!”

Jackson has been with the musical theater department since her first semester as a freshman.

Josh Powell, a freshman biology major, is just as eager for the filming to begin. “I’ve been a huge fan of Gordon’s directing since the first time I saw it. I can’t believe he will be on campus next year,” said Powell.

It is evident that excitement is spreading like wildfire all over campus. Regardless of majors and inter-

ests, everyone is thrilled for a chance to have their ten seconds of fame.

COURTESY PHOTO/STRAWBURRY.COM

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses Addie Weller

For the Clock et’s face it: ever yone has L skipped class. Maybe once, maybe twice… Perhaps a handful of

times. Either way, every student has been there. Whether it was hitting the snooze button over and over again, wanting to enjoy the warm weather at Livermore with friends, or getting buried beneath a pile of work due that day, the “standard” excuses just don’t seem to cut it anymore.

PSU students’ creativity knows no boundaries when it comes to reasons for not going to class. Now, soon-tobe graduates weigh in to reveal their best (worst) advice. Underclassmen, take note.

The classic excuse is to blame it on the family. Be careful with this one though—karma finds everyone.

Ryan Curtin, a senior Environmental Science major, said he hasn’t skipped class often, but when he has he’ll say he has “personal family matters.”

This way, “there aren’t any repercussions. Professors won’t ask questions, and I won’t have to live with the guilt of faking a 'death in the family.' No one wants that,” said Curtin.

A little more practical excuse is that tried-and-true 'car trouble.' Of course, having a car and living offcampus are musts to this lie. Even if the criteria isn’t entirely believable,

give it the old college try. Tommy Silva, a senior Finance major, said that “in the past, I’ve used that my car won’t start and therefore I can’t get to class… even though I live on campus.”

There’s an ‘A’ for effort.

Sickness is another gem. After all, the infamous "Plymouth Plague" has kept many students away from the classroom. When springtime rolls around and the plague has left campus, sometimes being explicit is necessary. Senior English major Annette Maheu said, “[having] explosive diarrhea” may be her best excuse yet.

No further questions needed— not a single professor will want to know the details. ‘Nuff said.

There are even the rare and the bold who will show no remorse.

While some thought and planning may be involved in their ultimate decision, these students won’t even bother coming up with an excuse.

“Strategic skips are ideal. If I know I’m not going to fall behind if I miss a class, then I just won’t show up,” said TJ Palmer, a senior Meteorology major. Honesty counts for something, right?

Of course, students should always be wary of the classes they skip. They may have those days when they need to do what is best for them, but they shouldn’t let skipping become a habit.

Education is valuable, and every class counts and costs (big time). So, if need be, make those excuses count, too.

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Preserving New England Libraries Cassie Pearson Features Editor anina Misiewicz is a junior J English major with a minor in photography who has started a fundraising campaign in order to raise enough money to delve into her newest photography project, New England Libraries. Misiewicz is using her passion for photography to capture the essence of how libraries are today. She wishes to preserve their image before they change with the world.

The end goal for this project is for Misiewicz to create a photobook that will work to keep the image of these libraries alive. More specifically, she will be focusing on “preserving the beauty and culture of small town libraries in New England,” said Misiewicz. If properly funded, she will be traveling throughout the six New England states over the next year and locating unique and charming libraries in each state. She will post pictures along with articles on her blog dedicated to this project at

newenglandlibraries.com.

Misiewicz is going to use a traditional 4x5 large format film camera because “it produces better quality images than any other format in photography, it is the only camera that can reduce linear perspective distortion on site, and because the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) require historical documentation to be made in polyester-based archivally-processed sheet film,” said Misiewicz.

Misiewicz has turned to the internet for help fundraising this project.

She is using the crowdfunding website Kickstarter.com to meet her goal of $10,000. Kickstarter works by saying that if the artist cannot raise all of their funds in a set number of days, all of the pledges made will be canceled and the artist will receive no funds. For Misiewicz, that means she needs to raise all $10,000 dollars before April 30, 2015. Without this monetary aid, she will not have the resources to make New England Libraries a reality.

Kickstarter appealed to her be-

cause it gives her “the ability to spread my idea quickly and efficiently to a lot of people—keeping people updated on the status of my project is invaluable,” said Misiewicz. This may be her first time using online sources for fundraising, however this is not her first rodeo when it comes to funding a project. In 2012, she worked on a project highlighting the dining staff at Bard College. This improved their work environment by increasing the amount of respect and appreciation the staff received. For this particular project, Misiewicz was able to successfully fund, produce, and exhibit her photography project.

Misiewicz plans on making a career out of her passion for photography. Her skillset has already shown through as she is already an award-winning photographer with roots in Meredith, New Hampshire.

Misiewicz believes her upcoming project will be a huge stepping stone for her future in this field.

Anyone interested in learning more about this project can visit Kickstarter.com after April 1, 2015 or Misiewicz’s blog.

CLOCK PHOTO/JACK ROBERTS

Cramming Conundrums Nichole Currier

Assistant Features Editor ith the end of the year closing W in faster and faster, students are finding themselves in the same predica-

ment: an overflow of tests and projects and little free time to complete them.

All students have found themselves in this situation before. They're lying in bed, ready to relax and go to sleep, when all of sudden there’s that horror-striking realization that they have three tests the next day and have neglected to study for any of them. The most common solution to this problem? Cramming.

“I had a test today that I crammed for last night,” said senior Aaron Pendelton.

“I started around seven last night and studied for about an hour, then just woke up around eight this morning to finish.” While not completely proud of it, Pendelton admitted to cramming being a normal thing. He wasn’t alone.

“I find myself cramming for a test the night before a lot,” said freshman Isobel Janus. “I usually get better grades if I don’t, but I always wait until the

last minute.” This shows where the real problem lies: procrastination.

“I try not to,” said Pendelton. “I have three tests next week that I’m going to try not to cram for.” Even after promising they will never procrastinate or wait until the last minute to study, students always seem to find themselves in the situation again. For a last ditch effort to achieving that desired grade, students shared tips for staying awake during those long nights of cramming.

“Coffee,” was the primary answer for most students. For those who don’t like caffeinated drinks, though, there are other ways. Sitting at a desk as opposed to a bed or soft chair is a common technique. “I usually stay in my room and blast music,” said freshman Alyssa Duke.

“Or open the windows if it’s winter time.”

If students find themselves in the seemingly unavoidable night of cram studying, remember to take a moment and prioritize what needs to be finished first. Then, stay awake, and get it done.

Above all, though, try and study a few days ahead of time. It’ll help improve confidence, sleep, and the overall grade on that looming test or project.

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WPCR Spotlight: Nick Clifford & Nick Einstman Tim Waugh A & E Editor ike a couple of deck hands, L Nick Clifford and Nick Einstman lounge on the worn out couch

surrounded by endless rows of CDs in the WPCR studio. They are PSU’s hosts on WPCR’s Pirate Radio, a show that’s meant to take listeners back to their roots through bands such as Pink Floyd and The Eagles.

And hey who knows, Sinatra might even make his way onto the play list. “I was raised on classic rock and so it’s nice to go back to my roots,” says Einstman, the Assistant General Manager of the station. “If there’s one show that I’m going to do that’s very freeing and relaxing, it’s playing the stuff that I grew up on,” said Clifford, the station's Training Manager. Doing a show with friends adds to the relaxing environment created during their show. Einstman went on to say that it’s nice to have someone to banter back and forth with. “Spontaneous,” Clifford calls it.

These mates have had their fair share of airtime, and both continue to hold at least two or three shows each throughout the week. “I feel

comfortable in this place. Everyone has their niche in this school, this is mine,” Einstman said. “I just love music. I love spreading the love of music. Radio is a dying industry and it's something that can still thrive.

People still have an interest in it,” said Clifford. “We’re competing with the aux cord, everyone gets in the car and plugs in. We want to give people something diverse to listen to. Our top policy is don’t listen to Top 40.

We just want to give people the option of listening to something different but that can still be enjoyed by a majority of people,” said Einstman.

Continued interest is something the station has thrived on, gaining at least 20 new people to the station this year. Einstman and Clifford said that they want people to join the radio and furthermore want people to take something out of it, just as they have. One of their main desires is to make the radio station a communal and comfortable place for everyone who wants to get involved. Both can be spotted in the station, along with the other executive members, at all different times of the day and want to continue that presence so people can relax in the place they’ve found a home in. Both execs are also working to bring the comfortable and friendly nature of the organization outside of

CLOCK PHOTO/EMILY DUDEK the station by promoting themselves more on campus. Clifford, has made efforts in forming a training process that is attainable and more guided so no one feels lost upon getting on the air. As AGM, Einstman has worked

heavily on creating more promotional activity such as highlighting the station on social media and getting more recognition from the school, specifically when it comes to touring.

All of this adds up to WPCR bring-

ing more involvement to campus with the benefit of more members joining the station. They all know students pass by the station at least once a day anyway.

Never Before Seen Plays at Playwrite Showcase Sarah Liebowitz For the Clock our brand new plays premiere F in the Playwrights Showcase this weekend. It features staged readings of one-act plays written and directed by Plymouth State University students. The showcase started 17 years ago and happens once every three years. “When we first did this, it was called the Playwrights Festival,” said Paul Mroczka, Director of Theatre at PSU. Every three years, the theatre department would put on fully staged shows featuring student writing. When that proved too much, “We changed it to a showcase, where there [are] scripted hand readings,” Mroczka said.

A committee blindly selected the scripts for this year’s showcase. Potential directors submitted proposals for as many plays as they liked, and Mroczka matched students with

the selected scripts. “I could tell the directors understood both the strengths of the play, and also what needs to be worked on,” he said. All of the directors are seniors, and three of the four were in the last showcase, “which is pretty neat, because they understand how it works,” said Mroczka.

Chase Perkins directed the Sci-Fi piece Artura Verani. It was his first time working with a new script, and the experience was both challenging and exciting. “We just got the final version of our script [last] Sunday,” he said. This was a challenge for the actors, but “It’s also really great because you’re evolving with your character as your character evolves on the page.”

Rachel Pantazis, who wrote Poetry Night, planned on distancing herself from the work after she handed it over to the director. “I believe as a Plymouth State grad with a B.A. in English, that the author is metaphorically dead,” she said, “But as I learned from working with the lovely Haley,

that discourse with the playwright and the director can be really beneficial, especially when we're in a learning environment like this.” Mroczka said that the Playwrights Showcase is one of the most exciting things that the theatre department does. “That’s where the most excitement comes from,” he said, “the new stuff.”

The four plays that are being performed are: The Narcissist, written by Leo Curran and directed by Meg Anchukaitis.

It follows Edgar Wallow and the three most important girls in his life. Edgar faces emotional events from his past, but he finds assurance in his own reflection.

How I Lost My Mind, written by Kayla Fernekees and directed by Sam St. Jean. In this chilling ghost story, Elly tries to convince her husband Andrew that their house is haunted. He doesn’t believe her until it’s too late.

Artura Verani, written by Hayden Stearns and directed by Chase Perkins. The futuristic play takes place

CLOCK PHOTO/NINA WEINSTEIN on a spaceship manned by Prance and Derian. They explore what it means to be human as they decide the fate of an androidess named Siri and a newly discovered planet.

Poetry Night, written by Rachel Pantazis and directed by Haley McKenney. It takes place in a café bar during its monthly poetry reading. Walt, the café owner, reconnects with his brother after 25 years of estrangement. Other town members

find an outlet in their attempts at being poetic.

The Playwrights Showcase is showing in the Recital Hall in the Silver Center for the Arts on Thurs, Fri., and Sat., March 26, 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. Call (603)-535-2787 or visit www.plymouth. edu/silver-center for tickets.

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THECLOCK

Many Years of Brill

The Clock would like to dedicate this week's centerfold to Eric Brill, our graduating Sports Editor, in thanks of all the hard work he has put into the paper for the past nine semesters.

Thank you Eric for all your contributions to the The Clock!

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9 Semesters

65+ Issues

200+ Articles Courtesy Photos / facebook.com/EricBrill

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Juried Student Exhibit Sarah Liebowitz For the Clock he PSU Juried Student Exhibit T is on display in the Karl Drerup Art Gallery until April 11. The

exhibit includes student work of all different mediums, from all different levels. The pieces were selected by two visiting jurors: Sarah Chaffee, the gallery director at McGowan Fine Art in Concord, and Deborah Mahar, an art educator at Parker Academy in Concord.

There are five categories of judging.

Levels A-D include submissions from Plymouth State art classes, ranging in level from beginning to advanced.

Level E features independent student work. There is also an award for Best in Show and a Juror’s Award.

“At first we gave [the jurors] different colored stickies,” said Cynthia Robinson, Director of the gallery.

The jurors placed the stickers next to works they wanted to consider for the exhibit. Then they discussed their choices in order to come to a common conclusion. “I did remind them we’d like to have different media,” said Robinson. The jurors naturally chose a variety of mediums, but they double checked to make sure they represented many types of artwork.

“That’s kind of the point of this show.

It shows all of the different classes

that we have,” said Robinson. The exhibit includes drawings, paintings, photographs, mixed media, 3-D work, and video.

Many talented students submitted artwork to be judged. “Taking the skills learned in an art program, adding your unique voice and putting the work out for others to judge is an exercise in vulnerability & bravura,” said Juror Sarah Chaffee. “It is always exciting to observe the next crop of artists pushing those boundaries in both content & technique.” There were multiple pieces selected in each category. The winners of each category are below.

BEST IN SHOW “Transcend” Liam Tabor Oil on Canvas JUROR’S AWARD “Wisdom” Mollie Sinclaire Pen on Paper BEST IN A “Fruit” Hannah Boutin Oil on Canvas

Not-stalgia Tim Waugh A & E Editor t's the year 2015, but you I wouldn't know it if you looked at the coming soon page on IMDb.

Complaining about originality in studio films is a complaint that's almost as old as grumbling about MTV's lack of music videos, however some recent news involving the Ghostbusters makes me want to revisit this topic. Consider this an addendum to that column I wrote about the upcoming femaleled Ghostbusters film directed by Paul Feig, because Sony Pictures just announced yet another Busters movie being produced (and possibly

starring) Channing Tatum with an all male cast. Their plan is to release the “male-centric” installment after Feig's movie and build an entire expanded universe (not unlike Star Wars or Marvel) around the paranormal janitors, with the help of Dan Aykroyd and original director Ivan Reitman.

This, coupled with the recent news that Neill Blomkamp, director of District 9, and Chappie and the guy who's slowly becoming the M. Night Shyamalan of sci-fi, is directing a new movie in the Alien franchise, has me thinking about what beloved movie series' are worth revisiting or even deserving of their nostalgia. Looking at the Alien series objectively, there are four movies two spinoffs, and a sort-of

CLOCK PHOTO/NINA WEINSTEIN For more information about the Karl Drerup Art Gallery, visit www.plymouth.edu/gallery

BEST IN B “Path of Retribution” Jacob Morgan "Steel"

BEST IN D “Have a Seat” Patrick Walsh Mixed Media

BEST IN C “Space” Samantha Dunn Oil on Canvas

BEST IN E “Rokoby” Janina Misiewicz Silver Gelatin Large Format Photo

prequel. The first two films are classic horror and action films respectively, but it's all downhill from there (I think Alien 3 gets a bad rap, but that's still not enough for it to reach over the quality threshold). Even still, with that 2:5 win ratio, any Alien movie announcement without fail will garner a huge positive reaction from fans. I can't fault people for being genuinely excited for something, but more often than not fans will be elated when a sequel to a classic is announced only to cry foul over the quality of the finished product. Alien hasn't really gotten it right since 1986. Maybe it's time to hang up the power loader and preserve the classics while they still have some dignity.

This brings us back yet again to Ghostbusters (I swear I've talked

more about these movies in the past three months than I have in my entire life). The entire Ghostbusters series amounts to two movies; one good, one bad. That's a ratio of 1:1, otherwise known as 50%, or failing.

An F. Yes, Ghostbusters is absolutely a classic and deserves its nostalgia and praise, but it's a product of it's time and five comedians at their comedic and creative peaks. You can't just cut paste different actors into the premise and expect lightning to strike twice. It's not the premise that people originally fell in love with it's the characters and the charm of the actors playing them, and you cannot build a giant, long-running cinematic universe around that, no matter how hard Sony tries. On the other side of

the coin it was recently announced that Disney is officially going forward with Tron 3. Keep in mind this is in spite of the fact that they've already tried to resurrect the series with the 2010 sequel Tron Legacy and not many people seemed to care. Do you really like Tron, or do you just like the concept behind Tron?

Essentially, I feel it's time we start recognizing when it's time to let a good film series enjoy it's retirement and dust off those Blu-ray box sets instead of hoping for another installment that will probably end up souring your experience on the franchise as a whole.

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Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens; Worse Than the Prequels?

COURTESY PHOTO / FORBES.COM

Tim Waugh A & E Editor t's a sad fact of life that someI times the things we want most can end up hurting us. However, no

amount of stilted lovers or puppies who have “gone to the farm” can measure up to the profound disappointment felt while sitting through the highly anticipated Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. While the J.J. Abrams directed film has certainly had it's fair share of publicity and fan hype since it's announcement, it seems to have definitely oversold how absolutely underwhelming of a viewing experience this latest installment in the saga is.

While many applauded Abrams decision to use more practical effects and scenery as opposed to CGI, the goofy over reliance of green screen in Episodes I through III would be preferred to the stilted stop motion and amateur make up effects that wouldn't look out of place in a movie from the sixties. One of the few places where CGI is actually visibly used is in the painstakingly realistic depiction of Jar Jar Binks, who plays a large role in the film. A fact that was completely kept under wraps. Abrams is known for his highly secretive productions; no one knew a thing about Super 8 or Cloverfield before they came out, and Benedict Cumberbatch's role in Star Trek into Darkness was kept under wraps until opening night.

However this twist is the moment where Abram’s gimmicks may have gone too far. Somehow Jar Jar survived the events of Episode III and stayed in hiding during the original trilogy until this film, where he now plays a key role in the film to a point where most of the other characters barely appear on screen.

It appears fans aren't the only ones upset by these changes as Harrison Ford, after multiple clashes with the crew on set, refused to complete his dialogue, leaving a majority of the lines spoken by Han Solo to be delivered through what sounds like Microsoft Sam. Worse yet is the abrupt tonal shift halfway through the film where it suddenly shifts into a shot for shot remake of the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special,

complete with a CGI recreation of Bea Arthur herself. The sad result is a film that feels more like a show on Adult Swim than an actual movie.

Whether intentional or not, Episode VII is where this seemingly unstoppable franchise has finally started to stall. That's no hyperbole. Disney is reportedly so disenchanted with the final product that they are expected to pull George Lucas, the father of the saga himself, out of retirement to helm the rest of the new trilogy in an attempt to harken back to the glory days of the prequel trilogy.

It's seems like Disney's grand experiment and $4 billion-plus venture into the galaxy far far away has been in vain. All we can do is sincerely hope that this same fate doesn't befall

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PSU Baseball Wins Four, Drops Six in Fort Myers Justin Siewierski Assistant Sports Editor

The Plymouth State baseball took

a trip down to sunny Fort Myers, Florida over the University’s Spring Break to play a series of four doubleheaders against teams from both New England and the Midwest. The team was led by sophomore sensation Curtis Arsenault (Berlin, NH), who went 2-0 on the mound, pitching 13 innings and complimenting his 1.38 ERA with 12 strikeouts.

Arsenault pitched in the first of two games against St. Lawrence, hurling six innings and giving up two unearned runs on five strikeouts and a pair of walks. Newcomer Dallas DeFrancesco (Meriden, Conn.) picked up his first save of the year, facing six batters and giving up two runs on two hits.The offense was on fire, scoring nine runs through three innings and scoring 13 total runs on 11 hits. Junior Paul Reny (South Portland, ME) had a career game, batting in five runs and stroking a pair of triples to compliment his three-hit day. Game two was a bit

different, however, as the Panthers were only able to collect four singles through seven innings, but still managed to score five runs in the seventh without putting the bat on the ball. The Panther bullpen was exercised after senior Cody Gilchrist (Tyngsboro, Mass.) was unable to get out of the third inning; Gilchrist gave up four earned runs (six unearned) on nine hits. Junior Zach Perry (Lincoln, R.I.) pitched 1/3 on an inning, giving up four earned (one unearned) on four walks and a pair of hits. Robbie Greenleaf (Lee, NH) pitched the fifth and sixth, giving up three unearned runs on five hits and a walk, and freshman Steven Knox (Attleboro, Mass) gave up one earned on a pair of hits and a walk.

The Panthers dropped their next four (two against Skidmore, two against Edgewood).The team gave up 33 runs through the losing streak, an average of just under 8.5 per game, while only averaging 2.5 runs per game.

The team didn’t get its second win until Arsenault’s turn in the rotation came back around on day four, going the distance for the Panthers in a 4-3

victory over Wisconsin-Platteville.

The sophomore gave up only three hits and two walks, while striking out seven and giving up two earned.

PSU was down 3-0 until the sixth inning, when Reny doubled scoring two. Senior Dave Hall (Groton, Conn.) followed up with another double, scoring Reny from second.

Jake Broom led all hitters with two hits, including an RBI walk-off single in the bottom of the 7th that scored freshman pinch runner Peter Esposito (Cranston, R.I.).

In the second game of the Platteville double-header, the offense picked it up tremendously from their past five games, putting up nine runs behind a great outing from Cody Gilchrist on the mound. Improving his record to an even 1-1, the senior gave up three hits, zero walks and zero runs, going the distance, and was perfect through four before giving up a single. Sophomore Jarek Krajewski (Cranston, R.I.) led the offense for the Panthers, recording two doubles and three RBI’s. Freshman Cam Ruziak (Sterling, Mass) went 1-4 with a double, and senior Brian Thompson (Southington, Conn.) had

the only triple of the day, collecting two RBI with the hit.

The Panthers finished off their trip with a split double-header against Bethel, losing the first game 9-1 but bouncing back to win game two, 5-3.

Senior Josh Young (Somersworth, NH) recorded his second lost, giving up nine earned runs on 13 hits and a walk. Perry pitched the fifth, and Greenleaf pitched the sixth, neither one giving up a hit. The Panthers recorded a mere four hits and scored their only run on a wild pitch. In game two, the team gave up three runs on a strong effort from the newcomers on the mound; junior Matt Doxter (Somersworth, NH) got his first win of the season, giving up all three runs in five innings on six hits and five walks. Freshman Ryan Perro (Glen Head, NY) recorded his first save of the year, giving up three hits and two walks but holding Bethel from reaching the plate. Offensively, junior Mike LaFlamme (Bedford, NH) went 2-4 from the plate, scoring twice.

Both Ruziak and Thompson gave the Panthers an RBI apiece, and junior Justin Walsh (Goffstown, NH) hit an RBI double that sparked a four

run first, and LaFlamme scored unassisted in the second after a single, a stolen base, and an error.

Plymouth State finished 4-6 overall in Fort Myers, and although they’re still below .500, showed great improvement for their first time outside since October. Three players have averages over .300 through ten games; Paul Reny (.367), Dave Hall (.385) Jake Broom (.333).

The big problem so far is on the defensive end; the team’s given up an average of 6.7 runs per game on 14 errors and a cumulative average ERA of 6.62.

P S U b a s e b a l l re s u m e s i t schedule this Saturday in Eastern Connecticut, as they look to find a pair of wins in their first conference double-header; first pitch scheduled for noon.

PSU Power Rankings Weston Atwood For The Clock

We can all feel it, the crisp chill in the air is starting to fade, trees are sprouting buds to become bright green leaves, the snow is slowly disappearing and spring is fast approaching. With spring comes four big sports played by the Panthers both men and women have already taken the field for lacrosse, softball, and baseball. After a spring break where three of the four teams traveled to much warmer climates to play games let’s take a look at how the teams stack up so far this season.

1. Men’s Lacrosse – This one’s pretty straight forward. The team has played five games, all away, and currently sports a 4-1 record. They’ve yet to begin conference play and have scored a combined total of 54 goals to their opponents total of 25 2. Women’s Lacrosse – The women’s lacrosse team came back from spring break sporting their California tans after playing three game out west where they captured two victories, they also get the distinct honor of playing the first spring sports home game of the season. They have a solid team that currently sits 4-3 with no conference games yet played 3. Baseball- The boys started their season in the Florida sunshine taking four out of ten games, while the record isn’t fantastic, the team is scoring plenty of runs, with 56 runs in their first 10 games.

4. Softball – The softball team also made a trip to the Sunshine State and unfortunately could not pick up a victory. Currently 0-10, they look to start fresh back up here in New England where they have yet to play conference games. It should also be noted that while in Florida, they played two of the top 25 teams in the nation.

So, after looking at the team ranks lets break down each team for the top players so far

Men’s Lacrosse

1. Nick Morello – The senior midfielder from North Billerica, MA leads the team in points (16), as well as goals (11).The captain looks to lead the team to continued success this season 2. Aaron Boss- The senior midfielder from Keene, NH has accumulated 14 points for the Panthers and has scored 9 goals in the team’s efforts.

3. Chris St. George – The senior goaltender from Marblehead, MA has a 67.1 save percentage as well as an 80% winning percentage. Great goaltending is the key to success and the Panthers have a solid one in the stable.

4. Nicco Sorrentino – The sophomore attacker from Chelmsford, MA also has 14 points and leads the team in assists with 6, he’s also netted 8 goals himself.

5. Adam Haversat – The sophomore long-pole midfielder from Cape Elizabeth, ME is a groundball machine, picking up 22 so far this season.

Women’s Lacrosse

1. Amy MacDonald – The senior attacker from Hull, MA leads the Panthers in points with 21 goals and 9 assists. Only six games in, and that is a gargantuan number.

2. Shannon Connerty – The senior attacker from Nashua, NH is next up on the total points list with 18, leading in assists with 10 and adding 8 goals.

3. Megan Tingley – The freshman attacker from Natick, MA is quickly adjusting to college athletics with 16 points and 10 goals.

4. Caroline Vanachen – The sophomore midfielder from Framingham, MA has 13 points for the Panthers, 12 of which are goals.

5. Becky Dale – The sophomore defender from Keene, NH has played great picking up 13 ground balls and 9 caused turnovers.

Baseball

1. Paul Reny – The junior infielder from South Portland, ME leads the Panther’s in hits (11 total) with 3 triples, 2 doubles, and 8 RBI’s. He currently sports a .367 average and a .633 slugging percentage.

2.Curtis Arsenault – The sophomore pitcher from Berlin, NH has pitched 13 innings and sports a nice 1.38 ERA, 12 strikeouts, and only 3 walks.

3. Dave Hall – The junior third baseman from Groton, CT has the best average on the team at .385, and has 10 hits, 5 RBI’s, 4 walks, and no strikeouts 4. Mike Laflamme – The junior outfielder from Bedford, NH is a base running nightmare to the opposing teams. He’s scored 7 runs and stolen 5 bases.

5. Cody Gilchrist – The senior pitcher from Tyngsboro, MA threw a complete game shutout against Wisconsin-Platteville, giving up only 3 hits and no walks

Softball

1. Whitney Roberts – The senior pitcher from Chocorua, NH sports a 3.78 ERA as well as hurling 15 strikeouts.

2. Katie Kennard – The sophomore first baseman from Concord, NH has 7 hits, 4 RBI’s and 5 walks with a .304 average.

3. Abrie Davis – The freshman third baseman from Amherst, NH has 4 RBI’s for the Panthers and is the lone ballplayer to date to hit a homerun.

4. Calia Abbott – The sophomore pitcher from Atco, NJ is sporting a 5.12 ERA with 12 strikeout’s thrown.

5. Kim Leiter – The freshman shortstop from Manchester, NH currently has a .375 average and a .727 fielding percentage which is imperative when laying such a vital position.

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Real Sports Talk with E$ October 10, 2015 2014 March 27,

Eric Brill Sports Editor

This one, this right here, might be the column of

columns that I’ve ever had. Since I wrote my last column, which really feels like forever ago, a lot has happened.

Chances are, when you were reading the last issue of The Clock, I was skiing over at Whiteface Mountain with two of my really good friends in Chris Harle and Matt Cann. It was the first time that I’ve ever skied at that mountain, and it was one hell of an awesome experience that I was able to spend with those two.

The reason as to why we were over there was due to the fact that we were on our way to a weather conference (called Northeastern Storm Conference) in Saratoga Springs, New York. At the conference, I was able to interact with Jim Cantore, who is basically the “whose who” within the meteorology and weather world.The guy was awesome, and I was able to see my friends interact with him. Chris was on a first-name basis with him by the end of the weekend, and even bought Cantore a beer and a shot at a bar in Saratoga, which was funny as hell and awesome at the same time.

While all of that was going on, I watched the Men’s hockey team at Plymouth capture their second MASCAC championship, and no one was prouder of that whole entire program. Whether it be Phil Arnone, Tyler Carson, Tieg Alward, Kyle Brumfield, Craig Russell or Dan Dupell, I was unbelievably ecstatic and happy to see them climb over the hump, and capture the title that they set out to be their goal a year ago. Some people on campus might think that they are a bunch of air heads with massive egos, but I can tell you for a fact that there isn’t another group on campus that is just all-around awesome. I was watching them beat Salem State, who is a hell of a program within itself, while physically being at the banquet dinner at the conference. While the dinner was going on, I was watching the game on my phone, literally holding in my excitement for the BICE as the game progressed on. Upon the victory, and the dinner banquet being over, I went back into my hotel room and just yelled for them because of the accomplishment they were able to achieve. It might sound cheesy as hell that I did that, but I really was so proud of them.

Fast-forward to the week before Spring Break occurred, and not a whole hell of a lot happened (at least, that I can think of off the top of my head). Roll around to the Friday, which was the last day of classes prior to Spring Break, I went to the ice arena to wish the BICE good luck against Norwich, and I truthfully believed that they would win the game. They took off for their game the following day, so I just kicked it with my roommate Tommy Silva for the Friday night.

As Saturday rolled around, I eventually got on to a plane with the women’s lacrosse team, as we traveled over to the West Coast, and California. The flight, of course, was during the time of the Plymouth/ Norwich game, and I was unable to watch it. As the plane was starting to land, I was updating my phone literally every two seconds, trying to find out how the game went (it was approximately 1:00 A.M. EST by this point, so the game was over). Upon seeing that Plymouth lost 3-2, I felt bad for the team, but had a number of people text me saying how proud I would have been of them based on their gritty, tough, rugged performance. Knowing that these people were being honest with me, I knew that their season was over, and turned to Kristin Tracy (Women’s lacrosse Head Coach for those of you that are clueless), and told her “well, it’s officially lacrosse season.”

Being the only male of 27 women out in the Golden State might sound like any man’s dream, but honestly,

and I can say it now, I was dreading the trip. Having to put up with that many women can be quite overwhelming.What I soon figured out is that being with the group would be the least of my problems, as Alamo car rental was quickly #1 on my shit list. There were three 15-person vans reserved for us, and long story short, we weren’t able to get two of them.

As the chaos of that started to calm down, and we drove to the hotel in the greater Anaheim area, I was quickly able to see that the group of girls that were in my van were extremely excited to be the hell outta the cold in Plymouth, and genuinely thrilled to be on Spring Break. That moment, right there, changed my perception of this trip.

After telling a group of football kids to politely “leave” the practice field that the team had reserved, I was looked at as being “the man” for clearing the few assholes out of the field. Despite getting a full practice in, the results weren’t able to show for that first game in Cali, as Chapman (University?) smoked PSU 18-5.

The next day, which was Tuesday, 3/17, I saw a team and a program come together upon facing a number of obstacles throughout what was suppose to be a fun day. After a morning practice, Coach Tracy told the team that

we would be going to a Price is Right taping that day (which I had known about). Aside from being happy that Coach utilized an idea that I had told her back in December, I was hopeful that I would be picked for the show (you can see the shirt I came up with in this article).

Well, we got in line to get inside of the building for the taping, only to find out that we weren’t allowed to have open-toed shoes, or backpacks.

About half the team had backpacks, and I was the only one in sneakers.

A number of the players ran back to the respective vans to get sneakers, and a few even bought new pairs of sneakers to save some time.To watch everyone work as a team, and help each other out as they were running around to the parking garages was chaotic, but cool to see everyone helping each other out.

We eventually got inside of the studio (which is much smaller than you would think), and everyone was “letting their freak-flag fly.” When music would play, people would dance (including myself, which was a site to see), and everyone was having a hell of a fun time.As the taping progressed on, it didn’t seem like anyone would get on to the show until Coach was chosen to be a contestant. Despite not getting her guess correct on some sort of fancy GPS/Bluetooth/radio/$1049 thing, everyone was ecstatic for Coach.

Upon the show ending, there was a drawing of everyone who hadn’t been

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picked yet, and the person that got picked would win $100.

After they called the number of the person, the winner was Senior captain Rachel Fistori, who couldn’t have been a better choice.The team really rallied around the day’s events happening, and looked to capture a win against a team that Coach stated,“would be the best opponent of the season.”

Well, the team was told to go out and have fun, and that’s exactly what they did! A 10-7 victory for Plymouth against Claremont Mudd-Scripps was one of the top two games I’ve seen at Plymouth so far this season, as it was an intense environment, and an awesome game.

Without drawing this column out longer than I already will, the team ended up pulling off a 13-12 double overtime win in their last game in California against Occidental (College?). It was another awesome game to watch. We eventually jumped on a plane on Sunday (3/22) afternoon, and returned to Plymouth at about midnight on Sunday night. The trip was one hell of an adventure, and ended up being the exact opposite of what I had anticipated, in that it was a great eight-day span.

In other Irrelevant (though I find interesting) sports news: -The Golden State Warriors are absolutely just getting it done.

-Crazy how some of the NFL free agent moves have panned out, and also interesting to see how some teams might let their quarterbacks become free agents next off-season (Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers, Russell Wilson) -Chris St. George aka “Turkey” is having one hell of a season for the men’s lacrosse team. Keep it up, man.

-Fining NFL teams is an absolute joke. With the amount of money that these teams make every year, $500,000 is NOTHING to them.

-The AFC East is going to be one hell of a strong division this season.

-In something that I think went under the radar, interesting to see San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland retire due to the potential of getting seriously hurt and effecting his future. Borland walked away from the NFL after doing research, and seeing what the potential damage could be done to his body.

Non-Sports Information of the Week: Rant of the Week- Pretty minor this week, but it sucks that I’m/we are limited to only four tickets for graduation.

Pretty disappointed in the school that they aren’t able to do better than that, but I’m sure they will be quick to ask for donations.

-Don’t rent a car through Alamo. In short, they aren’t “cool beans” -Do fly through JetBlue. They have televisions in the headrests, and you have like 40 channels of DirecTV that you are able to watch for “free” (you pay for the physical flight, so it isn’t free, but it is).

-Pisses me off when people don’t e-mail me back that I want to have them featured in sports. Do people seriously not check their e-mail at least once over a three day span?

-Not sure how I feel about Sammy Adams coming for Spring Fling, as I know none of his music.

-While I was in California, I saw one of the school’s newspapers, and of course checked out the sports section.

Of course, I laughed when I compared it to my own sports section, as I think it is pretty good. When I inherited the sports section at The Clock, it, quite frankly, was garbage.

I’m damn proud as to where I am leaving it come May -Currently in the process of organizing a trip to Las Vegas with Matt,Tyler Cote, and one of Matt’s friends from home.

Stay tuned.

-I wonder how many people are going to be pissed to find out that stories within this issue are fake for April Fools. I still think the idea behind it is stupid, but at least the general idea of it is much better now.

-Can’t wait for the new Fast & Furious movie to come out.

Real Talk with Eric- GRIND. Get Ready, It’s a New Day. ‘Til the next time I write this, I’m outta here…..

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October 10,2015 2014 March 27,

On The Road to Success The road warriors are off to a fast start,

winning four of their first five games, including Jarred Wilkins beating up on Mass Maritime 19-4 for their latest For The Clock win in there current three game winning streak.

Their only loss came from Univ. of New England in a close 8-5 stunner. The PSU Men’s Lacrosse team has been playing extremely well, working keep them outside, and even if they get a than everything’s not coming together.” together to achieve the goals set out for them, shot it’s still going to be from like 18 yards, St George believes that if this team there not letting anyone inside that much.” continues to have fun, than the wins will to win the Little East Conference. continue to stack up.

Paving the way for the Panthers is the starting St. George attributes his success from goalie, Chris “Turkey” St. George (Marblehead, how well the defense is playing, and if this While St. George is a brick wall in goal, the Mass). The anchor of the defense has been team continues to win, Turkey will have to offense has been working on all cylinders, playing incredible, saving 67% of opponent’s continue to trust that his defense can stop scoring 10.8 goals-per-game. Leading the way is senior captain Nick Morello shots on goal, and allowing only 5.2 goals-per- any offense in the conference.

(North Billerica, Mass.), who is the team game.

“This year I feel like everyone is more leader in scoring with 11 goals, and the When asked about how he has been so comfortable with each other, and people team leader in points with 16. Coming in successful Turkey stated, “The defense, every know their roles and understand what they close second is senior midfielder Aaron shot I get is usually a savable shot. They always need to bring each day. If one person fails Boss (Keene, NH) with 9 goals, 14 points,

and Nicco Sorrentino (Chelmsford, Mass.) with 8 goals, 14 points.

St. George has revenge on his mind going into their next game at Western Connecticut.

Last year he tore his ACL, ending his season.

“I tore my ACL in that game last year, so I’m kind of happy that we have them next, but East Conn is another big game because their head coach this year used to be my assistant coach at Hartford, so there is a personal rivalry there.”

After winning four out of their first five, the PSU Men’s Lacrosse team looks to continue their success with stellar play by their goalie Chris St. George, and their attack. The schedule doesn’t get any easier though, with the top teams still ahead. They play West Conn this Saturday and East Conn at home for their last game on Friday, April 24th.

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PHOTO CREDIT:ERIC BRILL

PHOTO CREDIT:ERIC BRILL

Spring Break Leaves Panthers Winless in Florida The Women’s Softball team had a challenging start to

their season this past week. The Panthers travelled to Clermont, F.L. for their spring break trip, and played 10 games over six days against some of the most talented teams in the country. They were unable to pull off a win and return to Plymouth with a record of 0-10.

The ladies kicked off the week with a pair of games on Sunday, 3/15, against Luther College (Iowa) and Clarkson University (N.Y.). Luther finished at 32-8 last season after losing in the NCAA Regional final and went into the game at 10-0 so far this season.The Panthers managed to drive in only one run to Luther’s nine and fell after six innings. Clarkson was 4-2 going into the game against the Panthers, and managed to hold them to just three hits and keep them without a run, ending the game after five innings with a score of 8-0.

The Panthers opened their second day with a game against the two-time defending national champion,Tufts University (NESCAC). The Panthers were only able to mange one hit against the Jumbo’s senior pitcher Allyson Fournier, which was a lead-off single from freshman Kim Leiter (Manchester, N.H.). Unable to connect with any more, Plymouth fell early to Tufts in the sixth inning, the score 8-0.

In the Panther’s second game on Monday, Bowdoin (a

Kendal Lariviere For The Clock NESCAC school) kicked off the first inning by driving in five runs. PSU answered with three runs over the course of the next seven innings, but were unable to take the lead, falling to Bowdoin 9-3.

The next day, PSU took on Utica in their first game. Utica scored two runs to open the first inning, but the Panthers quickly responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, driven in by hits from junior Nicole Abreu (Hudson, N.H.) and sophomore Callia Abbot (Atco, N.J.). The Panthers connected on only two more hits over the next six innings, but were unable to drive any home. Utica scored three more runs, bringing the final score to 5-3. In the afternoon, PSU took on The College of New Jersey, but were only able to connect on three hits. TCNJ drove six home, beating the Panthers 6-0.

After a break on Wednesday, the Panthers took on another pair of NESCAC teams Thursday, including Tufts once again.

In the first game against Trinity College, Plymouth came alive and scored four runs in the first inning off a grand slam from freshman Abrie Davis (Amherst, N.H.), her first home run of the season. Although they would manage three more hits the rest of the game, PSU didn’t cross home plate again.Trinity was

able to tie it up with four runs in the third and pull ahead another run in the fifth and two in the seventh, for a final score of 7-4. In the rematch against Tufts, PSU connected on 11 hits with doubles from senior Cynthia Barata (New Fairfield, C.T.), freshman Jessica Pietersen (Norton, M.A.), and freshman Taylor Wood (Londonderry, N.H.). Despite pulling ahead at 3-1 in the top of the sixth inning, the Jumbos rallied with eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. Tufts defeated the Panthers by a final of 9-3.

On their final game day in Florida, the Panthers were matched up against Babson College and Hope College (Michigan), but unfortunately came up short in both games.The first game against Babson was a battle of the pitchers, as both Panther senior Whitney Roberts (Chocorua, N.H.) and Babson’s senior Meghan Hayes both threw shutouts for the first four innings. The Panthers were the first to score with two runs at the top of the fifth, but the Beavers slipped by them in the bottom of the sixth with three runs, making the final score 3-2. In their last game of the trip, the Panthers managed to tie the game at three in the bottom of the third after Hope kicked off the game with runs in the first and top of the third. They were unable to hold on, as Hope drove in three runs in both the fifth and six inning to secure the win at 8-2.

The Panthers returned home down 10 and were looking to gain their first victory in a non-conference double-header at Salem State on Thursday, 3/26, but the game has been postponed. Their next game is scheduled for this Saturday, 3/28 in a Little East Conference double-header at RIC.

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18

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Athletic Teams to get a Boost From a Plymouth Source Eric Brill Sports Editor

family are extremely excited to see where this could take Plymouth State as a whole. A number of members on various men’s teams expressed how enthusiastic they are about the money to the program as a whole. “The money that is donated to the women’s team

through the first five years of the building being there than anticipated. The hope is that all teams around Plymouth will develop just as good of a following, and having that additional $200,000 to the women’s teams will only amplify that.

As

the ALLWell Nor th facility starts to really develop some true physical structure , the women’s athletic department at Plymouth State University will look to get a boost from one of their own.

It was announced approximately two and a half weeks ago that Athletic Director John Clark was set to step down from his current position, beginning in this upcoming summer.

With Clark set to take the role of being the founding manager of the ALLWell North facility, Clark decided to go above and beyond his duty, and has decided to make a $200,000 donation to the 13 women’s athletic teams that will be competing on campus, starting in the fall of 2015. The $200,000 will be divided out evenly to each of the 13 teams, so that each teams receives approximately $15,000.

While one may be quick to wonder why only the women’s teams will receive the extremely generous donation, Clark had donated to the men’s teams upon completing his first leg of being the Athletic Director of the Panthers.

“It is something that I believe will be extremely beneficial to all 13 teams,” Assistant Women’s Lacrosse Coach Sean Gleason stated. Gleason was very quick to say how “proud” he was of someone he has looked up to over the past few months since he was a coach at PSU. For that team specifically, they will likely use that money to go towards recruitment, as they will name the home field that they will start playing on in 2016 John P. Clark Park.

Many other members of the Panther

COURTESY PHOTO: ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

Clark announces his donation to Women's teams will allow all of the facilities for Plymouth to be upgraded as a whole,” said sophomore men’s soccer goalie Jim Nolan.

Upon the Hanaway Rink being completed in 2010, the men’s hockey team saw a significant growth in their attendance, as not too much of the student body attended their games at Waterville Valley (which is where the team use to play). With that growth in attendance, there were a number of people who bought season ticket deals, and saw concession sales be hire

“It’s just another spoke on the tire, and that wheel just gets bigger and bigger,” Gleason exclaimed.When asked him what he meant by this, Gleason was insinuating that the program is becoming bigger, and more relevant around the Division III world, and that a number of teams appear to be likely to be competing for national championships in the next decade.

“By having all of these facilities pretty much up to date, it will be easy to have prospective student-athletes fall in love with the campus,”

Gleason added.

As the women’s teams around campus started to get the word of the generous donation by Clark, a number of the teams were quick to join the women’s lacrosse team by having something named after the 20-year Athletic Director. One of the things rumored to be named after Clark included one of the sections of grandstand, as Clark is a regular to attend Plymouth sporting events, both at home and on the road.

“His commitment to the athletic department is unbelievable, and it is awesome to see how people have dedicated so many miscellaneous things to his name,” Nolan added.

Soon to be interim Athletic Director Kim Bownes might have been the most excited member of anyone within the athletic department. Bownes, who has allow a number of the women’s teams grow over the past handful or so years, knows that the teams will use the money wisely, and just picture in their minds Clark with that trademark smile as they allow their programs to develop.

With Clark taking the role of founding manager for the 2015-2016 academic year, he will have the ability to see these teams start to progress. Clark stated that he plans to “retire from Plymouth State in 2016,” but will still be seen around the greater Plymouth area, as he will continue to attend athletic events.There is a rumor that Clark could potentially play in a few intramural sports in Plymouth, just so he can keep that competitiveness still going.

As the spring sports around Plymouth really start to get into their conference schedules, make sure to thank John Clark for his donation, and just all around fantastic job that he has done. With the $200,000 donation to women’s sports to be given on July 31st, a number of teams will utilize the money right away to ensure that their team can send John Clark into the sunset on a high note for the 2015-2016 year.

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October 10,2015 2014 March 27,

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Women’s Lacrosse Looks to Rebound After Mediocre Start Eric Brill Sports Editor The Plymouth State Women’s lacrosse team competed in their seventh game of the season this past Wednesday (3/25), and fell to Castleton State College 13-11.The loss brings the team’s overall record to 4-3.

Prior to the game against the Spartans, PSU played a wide variety of teams in their first six games of the season.

To kick off the 2015 season, the Panthers were able to knock off Gordon College behind eight goals by senior captain Amy MacDonald (Hull, MA). In this game, Molly Gleason (Haverhill, MA) was able to collect seven draw controls, which allowed her to eclipse the all-time record for most draw controls in a career for PSU women’s lacrosse history.

This allowed PSU to start off the season 1-0 for the first time since 2011.

The next game ended up being a challenge for Plymouth, as they fell to Springfield College 8-1. One big contribution to the loss could be pointed at the difference in fouls, as Springfield had less than half (17) of the amount that PSU obtained (36).

Believe it or not, the Panthers were actually able to “host a game” (the game took place down at New Hampton School) in March, for the first time since 2009. Being able to compete on their home turf resulted in a strong game for PSU, as they were able to capture a 20-10 win over Salve Regina.A number of players had strong performances against Salve, including Caroline Vonachen (Framingham, MA, four goals, five draw controls), Shannon Connerty (Nashua, N.H., three goals, two assists), Megan Tingley (Natick, MA three goals) and Gleason (two goals, eight draw controls).

Having three games under their belt heading into Spring Break, the Panthers looked to build some momentum on their season as they headed out to California.

It didn’t go as planned at first, as Chapman University was able to defeat PSU 18-5. One of the big reasons that Chapman was able to win so decisively was due to the fact that temperatures at game time reached the upper 80s, and playing on a turf field just amplified the heat.

Looking to rebound in their next game, the Panthers were

able to have a fantastic game against Claremont Mudd-Scripps, which resulted in a 10-7 win for Plymouth. This game was a back-and-forth contest at first as CMS jumped out to an early 2-1 lead, but Tingley and MacDonald were able to score the next three goals to give PSU a 4-2 lead. Claremont was able to tie the game back up at four, but Gleason and MacDonald scored three goals wrapped around halftime that gave PSU a lot of momentum. CMS wouldn’t go away, scoring the next two goals, but MacDonald and Caroline Vonachen scored three goals to put the game away for the Panthers.

Not to be outdone, the Panther defense played extremely well, as Becky Dale (Keene, N.H.), Sophia Guerriero (Essex, MA), Megan Lunetta (Plymouth, MA) and Rachel Fistori (Medford, MA) limited the pressure on senior goalie Casey Curran (Framingham, MA). For the game, Curran was able to accumulate 11 saves on the 18 shots that she faced.

To wrap up the last game of the West Coast swing, PSU traveled to Occidental College on Friday (3/20) afternoon. Like the previous game, the game against the Tigers was a struggle for both teams, as neither was able to sustain a leader for most of the game.

Vonachen scored the first goal of the game to give PSU an early 1-0 lead, but Occidental was able to score seven of the next 11 to go up 7-5. Over the next four minutes, the Kaitlyn Wilder (Framingham, MA) show got going, as the sophomore was able to score three goals, while Rachel Fistori found the back of the net to give PSU a 9-7 lead with about seven minutes left in the first half.The high-scoring affair continued at the end of the first half, as the Tigers tied the game at nine.

In the first 15 minutes of the second half, the defense of Plymouth played much better, not allowing Occidental to score.

To help PSU, Wilder added two more goals, while Shannon Connerty found the back of the net herself.

Over the last 15 minutes of the game, Occidental was able to tie the game up at 12, and appeared to win the game in the last few seconds of regulation, but an illegal stick was being used by the goal-scorer.

In the overtime session, Meg Brault (South Windsor, CT) was able to shut down the Tigers, not allowing them to score in the first six-minute session, which resulted in a sudden-death overtime period.

In the overtime period, Becky Dale was able to collect the draw control, and Megan Tingley was able to find the back of

the net to give Plymouth a big 13-12 victory.

Upon returning to the East Coast, the Panthers traveled to Castleton State College to take on the Spartans. In previous years, PSU has been able to handle Castleton, but it was a different story in 2015.

Amy MacDonald was able to get the scoring going early in the lead, as she scored to give PSU a 1-0 lead. Castleton went on to take a 4-3 lead, but another MacDonald goal tied the game at four. This goal allowed MacDonald to eclipse 200 career points as a Panther. Unfortunately for MacDonald and the rest of PSU, Castleton scored three goals to go into halftime up 7-4.

In the second half,Wilder and Connerty cut the lead to a goal, and the two teams scored two goals a piece to leave the game at 9-8 in favor of the home team. Castleton wouldn’t allow PSU to tie the game, let alone take the lead, as they scored four of the next five goals to put PSU away.The 13-11 final is the most recent game to put PSU’s record at 4-3.

So where does the team go now? Expectations this season were relatively high this season, especially after qualifying for the NCAA tournament last season. One thing that the Panthers absolutely must limit is the number of fouls that they commit. In the losses that the team has had, they have committed 31 fouls per game, compared to 18 in their wins (albeit, fouls weren’t recorded in the other two Plymouth victories).

As the season starts to get closer and closer to Little East Conference play, this team will look to perform to the ability that they are able to play at. Through the first seven games of the season, the only game at which this team has been able to perform close to their ability was against Claremont Mudd-Scripps. The next two games that PSU plays against are ones that they are “expected to defeat”, but they can’t go into games with that attitude.

Getting to the NCAA’s last season just meant that PSU has that much bigger of a target on their backs in 2015.

As the 2015 season continues to move along, watch for this team to slip away from mediocrity, and get into a rhythm through the early part of April. With conference play starting on Saturday (4/4), look for the Panthers to get their first LEC win of the season against UMass Dartmouth.

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#20 October March 10, 27, 2014 2015

Men’s Hockey Falls in NCAA’s

The Plymouth State Men’s hockey team capped

off one of their most successful seasons in program history over Spring Break, despite falling to Norwich University on March 14th. The 3-2 loss against the Cadets drops the Panthers’ final record to 16-9-3.

Prior to the game against Norwich, PSU was able to capture the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) post-season tournament championship over rival Salem State, 6-2.

While the score may appear to have been a blow out, Salem was able to start the game off with a 1-0 lead about 6:30 into the first period.This lead was short lived, as Riley Flanagan (Weymouth, MA) found the back of the net after senior captain Zach Sarig (Reading, PA) set Flanagan up.

With both teams looking to get momentum as the first period came to a close, Josh Woody (Sunderland, MD) and Mike Freitag (Westmont, IL) were able to find Andrew Wigg (Lantz, Nova Scotia) with 23 seconds left in the period. Aside from giving PSU the 2-1 lead, the Panthers were able to gain momentum with the goal to end the period.

Neither team was able to sustain much offense through the early part of the second period, as both goalies and defenses looked strong. Between Matt Vermillion (South Lyon, MI),Tommy Dowell (Olathe, KS), Sarig, Tord Thoresen (Oppegard, Norway), Erik Strom (Gothenburg, Sweden) and Colt Smelstor (Fairfax, VT), the defense of Plymouth was able to limit Salem to only five shots in the 20-minute period. Junior goalie Gordon Ceasar (Oak Park, CA) was able to stop the handful of shots he faced.

On the offensive side of the ice for PSU, they were able to muster a number of shots, but unable to find the back of the net until Woody found the back of the net from Wigg and Freitag.

Less than a minute and a half later, it was Sarig’s time to score, as Wigg and Freitag set the defender up. With the Panthers able to grab a 4-1 lead heading into the second intermission, this game appeared to be over.

The Vikings didn’t get the memo, and were able to cut the lead to 4-2 about three minutes into the third. PSU’s defense was able to shut Salem down, and Ian McGilvrey was able to make it into a 5-2 score with nine minutes left in regulation. Salem wouldn’t throw in the towel quite yet, as they pulled their goalie with about four minutes left in the third. Fortunately for PSU,Woody scored his second goal of the game on an empty-netter with an assist from Freitag. Aside from sealing the 6-2 victory, the assist by Freitag was his 100-career

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Eric Brill Sports Editor

point in the green and white in Plymouth.

Upon Zach Sarig receiving the MASCAC championship, Freitag was named tournament Most Valuable Player, and PSU wasn’t done with awards. Upon all of the players receiving their conference championship medals, a special medal was given to Tyler Carson (Franklin, N.H.). Carson has been battling osteosarcoma, but has been able to appear at most of PSU’s games this season despite the bone cancer that he has.

As Carson and the rest of the Panthers eagerly waited to see whom they would face, Head Coach Craig Russell was able to enjoy being the MASCAC champions. “Winning a championship here is unreal

also because you feel like you get to share it with the fans,” Russell said. That home-ice advantage did wonders for PSU, and it was a packed Savage Center before the game even started. “To see the stands filled up BEFORE warm-ups even started was a huge advantage to us,” Russell added. PSU was able to get comfortable with their surroundings prior to the game starting, and didn’t allow them to get too excited once the game started.

As Monday, March 9th rolled around, it was established that PSU would play Norwich University in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Norwich, who had beaten PSU earlier in the season 9-1, was looked at as being one of, if not the top team in the nation.

Plymouth had their work cut out prior to the game starting, but having a successful week of practice, and arriving at Norwich a day before the game occurred was a big help.

Once the puck dropped, a different team than the 9-1 loss showed up on the ice.

Chippy play by the Panthers was going to be the way that they would win the game, and that is exactly

how they got the game going. Only 2:23 into the game, Dan Dupell (Collegeville, PA) found fellow sophomore Mike Economos (Crystal Lake, IL) for the game’s first goal. Norwich was able to tie the game up at one apiece about four minutes later, and took a 2-1 lead midway through the first.

Outstanding goalie play by Gordon Ceasar over the next 40 minutes allowed the game to stay at 2-1, but Norwich was able to find the back of the net with 6:42 left in regulation. Despite a taunt by the scorer of the Cadets, the goal was able to stand, and PSU lost Economos for the rest of the game.

The Panthers wouldn’t go down easy, as McGilvrey cut the game back to a goal deficit upon scoring on a 2-on-1 opportunity with Tord Thoresen.

Plymouth was able to jump on a powerplay over the last few minutes of the game, but that soon turned into a 4-on-4 game, and a Norwich powerplay.

Despite Norwich being on the powerplay, Gordon Ceasar was pulled from the net to create the even 5-on-5 matchup for the last thirty seconds of the game. Josh Woody had a shot that went wide of the net, and Zach Sarig’s last shot as a Panther was blocked just as the last few seconds of the clock ran off.

“We lost the game and will never find victory in defeat,” Coach Russell said after the game. Despite the 3-2 loss, PSU was able to show the Division III hockey world that they will be a team to be reckoned with in the coming years. When looking back at the game, and a season as a whole, Russell added “I’m awfully proud of this group of guys for everything they accomplished this season.”

Looking ahead to next season, the Panthers will be losing five members of the team due to graduation.

Aside from Sarig and Freitag, Kyle Brumfield (Bowie, MD), Zac Enstrom (South Windsor, CT) and Chad Barthelmess (Norristown, PA) have all completed their respective careers as hockey players for PSU. While it won’t be easy to replace any of the five of them, Plymouth will do so through a few additions next year.

“We should have 4-5 forwards, 3-4 defensemen, and 1 goalie coming in next season,” Russell explained.

With a large core of the team likely to be intact for the 2015-2016 season, it will be just a matter of time before the first game at Hanaway Arena.

Russell already looks forward to the season getting going, but added that “it’s going to be up to the guys and how committed they want to be to making themselves better every day.”

If PSU is able to put that time into the off-season, and improve on what they had for the 2014-2015 season, watch out, as they could legitimately compete for a Division III championship.