Western Courier| April 10th, 2019

Sports: Baseball swept the fourway Mastadons.

WesternCourier.com

Opinions: Voting age should stay 18.

Wednesday, April 10, 2019 - Vol. 119 Issue 75

@WesternCourier

Council looks to approve budget at next meeting

FELICIA SELMON/COURIER STAFF

FELICIA SELMON/COURIER STAFF

By Steven Barnum news editor

tspr.com

Alderman Don Wynn led Monday's meeting where City Attorney Kristen Petrie and City Administrator Dean Torreson discussed the budget and liquor licenses.

Opinions: Vote on PurplePost in the current SGA election.

In a rare event, Alderman At-Large Don Wynn led Monday’s committee of the whole meeting with the absence of Mayor Mike Inman and Alderman At-Large Dennis Moon.

The council discussed issuing a liquor license to Forgottonia Brewing Company, a business expected to open at 324 N Lafayette St. in Macomb. A representative for the business said that it will primarily be a brewery and tap room. It will offer cold-brew coffee, house-made sodas and beer. They will not be making food at this location but will allow food from the outside to come into the brewery for sale.

There were no objections at the public hearing and the business has provided all necessary information, according to City Attorney Kristen Petrie, which indicates momentum toward a liquor license approval. The license would include on-site wine consumption and Sunday sales. The business, “Forgottonia” is in reference to the term used to call attention to the lack of state and federal funding to communities in rural Illinois.

It is expected to open this summer.

The owner of “Dad’s Garage” would like to expand at a new location, 833 N Lafayette St. According to Community Development Coordinator John Bannon, the council would need

to approve the addition of three bays.

The owner of the business would also have to construct a fence within 90 days of moving into this location.

Since there was no objection during the March 27 planning commission meeting, the decision will be up for approval at next week’s meeting.

The city’s contract with its designated physician will end in May, forcing the council to find a new doctor to perform exams for public officials.

City Administrator Dean Torreson said that he emailed all local clinics to see if they would be interested in entering a service agreement contract with the city. Of the responses, the most sensible proposal was from the McDonough District Hospital. If approved, the exams would be performed by whoever is working as opposed to one specific doctor.

“In terms of the pricing, it’s very similar to what we have now,” Torreson said, “so I’m satisfied with that.

The staff is also satisfied with this and I think it will serve the purposes at the same cost.”

The two-page agreement between the city and the hospital will cover contract length and standards to prevent violations of confidential information. This contract will be up for approval during next week’s city council meeting.

City Council page 3

2

NEWS

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Chandler Boulevard investigation is ongoing

By Steven Barnum news editor

The Macomb Police Department and the Illinois State Police are still investigating the death of a 24-year-old woman they found in a home on Chandler Boulevard.

The individual was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound last Friday. According to Macomb Police Lt. Lindsey May, evidence points toward a suicide.

It is not yet confirmed if the individual lived in the home nor has it been confirmed who lives in the home. As previously reported, the owner of the home asked officers to conduct a walk-through of the home after a neighbor saw suspicious activity.

Police also conducted a search of a silver SUV parked on Murray Street, which May confirmed belonged to the deceased. The Illinois State Police normally assists local officers in these incidents, according to May, in order increase the efficiency at the scene. Since the investigation will continue to develop, more updates will be provided.

WC Located on the third floor of the Heating Plant Annex on the south end of campus across from Sherman Hall.

Mail: 1 University Circle, WIU, Macomb, IL 61455 Phone: 309-298-1876 Fax: 309-298-2309 Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays E-mail: micour@wiu.edu Member: Illinois College Press Association, National Association College Press

COURTESY OF NEWS 3

STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu news editor Steven Barnum

proofreader Amanda Wandachowicz

SS-Barnum@wiu.edu

A-Wandachowicz@wiu.edu

opinions editor Allison Young

photo editor Becca Langys

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sports editor Bradley Piros

assistant photo editor Sara Remar

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assistant sports editor Chris Bean

production manager Jimmy Pierson

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edge editor Marc Ramirez

business manager Faith Rucker

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copy editor Brie Coder

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The Western Courier is published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the regular school year, excluding holidays, finals week and semester breaks. The WC updates the website weekly during the summer. All content reflects the editorial discretion of the students operating the newspaper and must be interpreted as unofficial university communication. While every attempt is made to determine the validity of advertising contained herein, the advertising in the WC is not to be construed as endorsements of any specific products or services. The WC assumes no responsibility or liability resulting from the content of paid advertisements. Subscription price is $36 per year mailed third-class bulk rate from Macomb.

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Wednesday, April 10, 2019

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NEWS 3

Art Department hosts last First Wednesday of semester

By Tyler Moseberry courier staff

This past Wednesday marked the last Art First Wednesday of the year in the University Art Gallery. Art First Wednesday is an event held in Garwood Hall and the Heating Plant Annex. Both are open and free to everyone of all ages and bringing a friend is encouraged.

Refreshments are usually provided at the Art First Wednesday. If you come early enough you will be welcomed to cookies, drinks, chips and sometimes even cake. This is

City Council from page 1

Macomb will need to rehabilitate its water treatment plant in the near future.

Torreson said that there is $620,000 in available cash set aside for the project, which includes materials to improve the gravity and sand filters. The equipment was installed in the 1980s and needs to be replaced.

Water plant manager Kent Cox said that they will use in-house labor for as much of the project as they can. Sand filters will cost $325,000, installation costs will total $40,000, and replacing vacuum tanks will cost $31,000. The council will decide whether to collect bids on the latter two projects at a later date,

of course a small highlight of the Art First Wednesday, but food always brings people together.

Art First Wednesday is held from 7 to 9 p.m., which is to accommodate student and faculty time and allow for any parents that would like to join to come as well. If you have had any art classes, you may see a professor that you have had recently as the activities are run by the professors.

Depending on what type of art you are seeking, you can almost guarantee that it will be available at Art First Wednesday. If you are not

an artist, you should not fear of doing poorly because the professors and the other people in attendance are nice and supportive.

For the last Art First Wednesday there were nine different activities. Six of the activities were in Garwood Hall while the other three were in the Heating Plant Annex.

Garwood had Printmaking, Bag Ladies, drawing with watercolor crayons, Design your own Business Cards, Children’s Activity and Painting.

The Heating Plant Annex had Clear Packing Tape Sculptures, Bracelets

but it must first approve the purchase of materials for $325,000.

Cox said that the funds for the project will not come out of this year ’s budget and that the deadline to complete the regulated guidelines is October.

Services are not expected to be interrupted at any point during the project.

“We really don’t have any choice, do we?” Alderman Tom Koch said, noting that the outdated system and regulations back the city into a corner.

For the last major discussion of Monday’s meeting, the council briefly talked about a repair project to S Johnson Street. Public Works Director Scott Coker said that the Macomb school district is moving forward with its plans to

build a new school south of the high school. Thus, the city will hold a vote on moving back the planned repairs to Candy Lane.

Construction on the school will tentatively be completed by the fall of 2021. According to Coker, it would make sense for the city to wait to improve S Johnson St. until after the excessive traffic from the construction crew ceases.

The improvement project could also include an 8-feet wide sidewalk.

Mayor Inman spent Monday testifying on behalf of Macomb in search of additional funding for the city during a time when it is desperately needed. A decision on the 2019/2020 budget will be on the agenda at next week’s city council meeting.

(Metal building) and Wheel Throwing (Clay). All these activities are important to visit since some activities are only temporary.

Some of the “harder” things to do are usually the step by step art techniques like wheel throwing. Although relaxing, wheel throwing is known to get people not only dirty but frustrated at the new type of techniques they must master in such a short amount of time.

Painting is something that most people are familiar with and usually draws a crowd of people. Damon McArthur is the professor that runs this

activity and he had a few words explaining the event and how to have fun while you are there. McArthur believes in the importance of attending the events. He said that it’s a great place where aspiring artists and those who are interested in art to step out of their comfort zones.

“This event is the best way to bring people together and unlock your creative spirit,” McArthur said. “Although you may not like what you made now, keep digging and don’t give up on your piece of art. There is always more to uncover.”

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58 H 46 L JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER

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OPINIONS

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

WesternCourier.com

JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER

There’s been an increasing number of people who support lowering the voting age to 16, but I don’t think that would be appropriate.

I don’t think there’s any universal age where we can guarantee that everyone in that group is mature and responsible enough to vote.

Some people grow up fast and would take a responsibility to vote seriously and age isn’t the only factor that determines maturity; however, we do know that we’re

more likely to make unwise decisions at ages as young as 16.

A lot of states, Illinois included, will make buying tobacco products illegal for anybody less than 21 years old.

While I think this is mainly implemented to keep these products out of the hands of younger friends in high schools, it also adds merit to the argument that most people don’t fully develop until they are well into their 20s.

This is also taken into ac-

count when it comes to the legal age to consume alcohol in the United States. You have to be 21, with a couple of caveats, which shows that the government doesn’t put a lot of trust into 18-year-olds ability to drink responsibly.

Additionally, we can’t gamble until we’re 21 and most places don’t even let you rent a car until you are 25 years old. So, if the government doesn’t trust you to drink or gamble or rent a car at 18, then I don’t think that they should be striving to let you vote at an even younger age.

Currently, states allow you to vote in primaries of major elections at 17 years old as long as you turn 18 years old when the general elec-

tion rolls around. I think that this is a fair compromise as a way to get younger groups involved and engaged. This way, the government is recognizing that kids in this age group should have some sort of contribution since they are preparing to become legal adults and invest in their future.

But I think that the real issue here is that we consider people adults once they hit 18 years old. With the exception of joining the military, there are very few additional freedoms that we get once we turn 18. I never viewed myself as an adult until I was 21, and even then I had a hard time making myself out to be “mature."

The only reason why we start calling people adults at 18 or 19 or 20 years old is because they are out of high school and their traditional education is finished.

Whether they go to college or not, they typically make life decisions that they wouldn’t have been able to make at 16 or 17 years old. If our kindergarten through 12th grade education typically ended at 20, then I think that’s when society would consider us adults.

Personally, I wouldn’t be upset if 16-year-olds were able to vote, but based on the decisions that the government has made regarding our freedom, it would be an inconsistent change.

Do roommates change your college experience?

What does having a roommate teach you? And is it necessary or unnecessary?

Most of the time just due to the sheer size of a college, you may end up with a roommate, plain and simple. Even if you do have the opportunity not to then you may be stuck in a situation where you cannot afford the price of a single dorm.

Realism aside, what are the main differences and benefits of living with someone you do not know and is it worth it? The first poten-

tial benefit is friendship assuming that you and your roommate do not have problems that person is the easiest person to become friends with. At the same time, it is the easiest person for you to hate.

The truth is that both of you will spend a substantial amount of time together and have to deal with one another ’s vices and idiosyncrasies at one point. Now if both of you can get past that and be at least cordial, you have one person that has your back

on campus. This can be as simple as letting you into the dorm because you lost or left your key.

Once school really gets into the groove of things, you may find that your roommate is good in a subject that you need help in or better yet are in the same boat that you are. So, either way you basically have a 24/7 study partner at your service and convenience.

All of these things are nice, but what are some of the bad things that you encounter with a roommate? For starters, the biggest one is space and cleanliness. Since both of you share such a small space it is hard for either of you to have everything spotless all the time. Spotless does not

mean messy and some type A personalities despise even the thought of clutter in their place of living.

This is why if you can live on your own, it is usually is preferable. Sometimes in college you just want to do what you want when you want with no questions or strings attached.

Unfortunately, having a roommate means you must ask for permission to do certain things and that can annoy some people.

Something as simple as you want to be left alone is taken away because your space which is supposed to be your room, is taken away out of respect and contract you have with your roommate. Another battle that roommates have are people coming over.

Whether it is a partner or just a friend in FYE, having company over can be one of the biggest conflicts with roommates. This is all due to your roommate or you not liking who is in your room or what time they are in your room.

This adds a whole new dynamic to your relationship with your roommate that you must deal with now.

Most of the time it is the time that bothers people, other times it will be the weather or family or something else.

The point is that when you add another person into your space so abruptly you must learn and co-exist with one another because sometimes it is just a lot of dealing and compromising with the other person.

@WesternCourier

OPINIONS 5

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Vote Justin Brown for SMBOT Over the course of the Student Government Association election, I have come to the conclusion that it isn’t only our civic responsibility to vote, it is our duty to do so, that way as students we are properly represented across the University.

Listening to and reading the speeches given during the SGA Debate and by following campaign Facebook pages, I have come to the conclusion that Justin Brown, current Student Member to the Board of Trustees should be reelected for a second term in office. During his first term he has been a continuous advocated for every student at Western Illinois University, at both the Macomb and Quad Cities campuses.

Justin’s high involvement across campus makes him a spectacular candidate. He currently serves as the Treasurer for his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi and the Vice President of Finance for University Union Board. In addition, to these he is a Student Representative for the Council on Admissions, Graduation, and Academic Standards, the Council on the Quality of

Campus Life, the Student Cost Management Task Force, the Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management search committee and worked as a Undergraduate Intern at the National Association for Campus Activities Mid America Region.

All of these unseen involvements truly prove that he has worked perpetually to do his best to better Western in the interest of the students around him.

I feel that Justin reflects our student population very thoroughly.

He isn’t only involved within the Greek community but also works a job on campus, studies in the library and spends his free time in the Union. The slight difference is that he has been a steady advocate for Fraternity/Sorority life on our campus as he has even presented a powerpoint on the highlights of being involved in one of these organizations to the Board and spends his spare time in the University Union trying to answer questions and concerns constituents may have about the University’s current state or questions regarding the tough decisions that had to be made by

the University.

Regardless, Trustee Brown has worked to be transparent with students about all things that he possibly can. He wants to hear and represent the voices of students. It was said during his speech at the SGA Debate that this position has helped him gain insight and knowledge about how the University operates and has given him the chance to work closely with faculty, staff and the student body. He has worked as a Orientation Leader, Experience Western Buddy and Discover Western tour guide, which have all given him the upper hand when getting to know incoming students and giving him the opportunity to answer questions and addressing concerns they may have as first year students. In doing this he has attempted to increase enrollment and retention by establishing relationships with people all across campus.

These are just some of the many reasons why students, should log onto PurplePost and vote for Justin Brown for the Student Member to the Board of Trustees. Voting opened Monday and will close Friday.

It is important that as students we are able to have our voices heard and Justin is the person who has, can and will do that for us.

Justin Brown is a great canidate for this postition.

WIU

6

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

SPORTS

Softball from back page

The playing of games two and three took place Monday in a doubleheader. Game two started off with SDSU taking an early 3-0 lead. They added one more to their lead when power hitter Ali Herdliska hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third.

After scoring one more in the fourth, the Jackrabbits scored another two in the bottom of the fifth when both Herdliska and Mallory McQuistain hit solo home runs, giving SDSU a 7-0 lead.

Western was able to score a lone run in both the sixth and seventh, but that wasn’t enough to earn a win as the Leathernecks dropped game two 7-2.

Game three began the same way the other two did: SDSU scored first. This time it came off a Julia Andersen solo home run in the bottom of the first.

The Leathernecks put themselves on the board in the top of the third after Lara and Abbott both reached base and Lara scored after Sydney Hollings reached on a fielder’s choice.

Later in the inning, Aly Compton reached first on a walk. Abbott, Hollings and Compton were all driven in when Ira hit a double to right center, giving Western a 4-1 lead.

The Jackrabbits scored one more in the bottom of the fourth.

Western scored an insurance run in the top of the sixth. The Jackrabbits couldn’t make anything happen against the dominance of Emily Ira and Western won game three 5-2. Western took the series two games to one.

Western travels to Chicago this Saturday for their last non-conference matchup in a doubleheader against the University of IllinoisChicago. Game one of the doubleheader is set to start at 1 p.m.

Twitter: thefluffy66

G0LEATHERNECKS.COM

Hailey Duwa keeps her eye on the ball in the batter's box.

Western Illinois women's golf team ends Indiana State Invitational on a high note

By Jacob VanZuiden courier staff

On Monday, the Leatherneck women’s golf team looked to finish the Indiana State Invitational on a high note. The event held at the Country Club of Terre Haute was the last matchup of the regular season for Western Illinois, and after making a statement in their previous match, they had high hopes that they could keep their momentum churning into this one.

Western’s competition in the invitational posed an onerous task for them to overcome. Battling the Leathernecks in the two-day event was Eastern Illinois, Green Bay, Dayton, Evansville, Valparaiso, Purdue Fort Wayne, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Loyola, Butler, California Baptist and Youngstown State. Of the opposing schools, Butler stood out as a program ranked 59th nationally according to NCSASports.org.

The Bulldogs would prove worthy of their ranking as the match played out. Nonetheless, the Purple and Gold had plenty of optimism as they felt they were just beginning to play their best golf of the year.

However, things didn’t go exactly as planned as the lady Leathernecks struggled to find their groove early on. An area where the team just couldn’t get things going was on the green, where several misfires around the cup left them with a tough hill to climb back to the top of the standings. Nicole HamiltonCross (Jr.) provided a spark for her squad through the first 18 holes, where she led the bunch with a 77 (+5).

Falling next in line was Mariah Peters (Sr.), who fired an 80 (+8). As a team, WIU shot a combined score of 323, falling to dead last on the leaderboards with one round left to play. Head Coach Lia Biehl Lukkarinen stressed the importance of improving in the second-half of the meet.

“We let a couple of holes get away from us,” Lukkarinen said. “We need to capitalize on the greens that were holding and improve our stats getting up and down.”

Day two of the invitational showed some steady improvement amongst her squad. Just as it did in the first round, a score of 77 (+5) led the team, this time coming from the clubs of Emily Marrs (Fr.). This left her off with a total 164 (+20) for the event. HamiltonCross provided rock-solid play once again, finishing with a team-best total of 157 (+13) after firing an 80

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on Monday. Peters, after a sufficient day-one outing, stayed right on track with an 82 in the concluding round, ending with a tally of 162 (+18). Right behind them were Cassidy Jurkaites (Jr.) and Katie McTaggart (Sr.), who rounded out the starting lineup with scores of 165 (+21) and 171 (+27), respectively.

As a team, the Purple and Gold finished 13th out of 13 qualifying teams.

Lukkarinen spoke again following the meet, acknowledging that her squad will have to improve in certain areas of their game before the postseason tournament.

“We will be focusing on iron accuracy and our short game as we prep for The Summit League Championships,” said Lukkarinen.

While this wasn’t the kind of performance the lady Leathernecks envisioned to conclude their regular season, this won’t deter them from giving their utmost effort in prepping for The Summit League Championships. They’ll have just under two weeks to do so, as they’ll head to Newton, Kan. on April 21 to compete in the biggest event of the year.

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Nicole Hamilton-Cross follows through her swing.

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Sports 7

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

@WesternCourier

Predicting NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs first roud

It’s been a very long six months for all of the 31 NHL teams, but come April only 16 teams make the playoffs, eight from the East and eight from the West. The NHL regular season capped off on Saturday with some teams still fighting to get in and others trying to move up in their division.

After 82 games, it all comes down to this, the best playoffs in professional sports, the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I’m just here to make my picks for the first round.

Let’s start off in the east with the best team in the league Tampa Bay Lightning going against the second wildcard Columbus Blue Jackets. This is the only first round series I think that has the potential to be a sweep. Tampa Bay tied the all-time record with 62 regular season wins and scored the most goals out of any other team in the league over the course of 82 games. Nikita Kucherov has the most points in the league with 128, 87 of those being assists. And then there is their deadly power play unit with Brayden Point’s 20 PPG and Steven Stamkos’ 19. Overall, they have the best power play percentage at 28.2 percent. Their penalty kill is also first in the league at 85 percent and they’re also first in goals per game, averaging 3.89. I just don’t think the Blue Jackets will be able to keep up with that kind of offense and that’s why I have Tampa Bay winning in four.

Next up is the Boston Bruins going up against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second year in a row. Last year the Bruins bested Toronto in the first round and that’s where they’ll meet up once again.

The Bruins have the second best PPP in the playoffs at 25.9

percent but the Leafs have some serious goal scorers. Led

by John Tavares’ 47 goals and followed by Auston Matthews’ 37, this team has no problem shooting the puck. That being said, the Bruins have one of the best defenses in the league including their captain Zdeno Chara, Matt Grzelcyk and Torey Krug. And with an offense led by Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron, I think Boston is an all-around solid team. I think this matchup will be the closest, but I have to go with the Bruins in seven.

Moving onto the defending champs in the Washington Capitals going up against the Carolina Hurricanes. While I don’t think they’re going to repeat, I do believe they have an easy trip to the second round. With Alex Ovechkin on the offense scoring 51 goals (first in the league) and possessing the deadliest slap shot in the league, there isn’t much the Hurricanes (or any team for that matter) can do to stop it. Seven Capitals players have scored at least 20 goals this season, so that’s not a problem and neither is their defense. Oh, and then there is their all-star goaltender in Braden Holtby behind it all.

Once again another all-around great team. I think the Canes might steal a home game win so that’s why I’m going with Capitals in five.

The last matchup in the East is the New York Islanders going head to head with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins haven’t had the greatest of seasons, but they still have the individual talent to get through to the second round. New York, on the other hand, don’t really have any big-name players, just a bunch

of guys working hard for each other. Matthew Barzal leads the team with 62 points while Anders Lee leads with 28 goals. They don’t have a lot of depth while the Penguins do.

They have arguably the best player in the league Sidney Crosby and his 100-point season. They have Phil Kessel, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Patric Hornqvist, all guys that have plenty of playoff experience and were part of that back-to-back Stanley Cup campaign. New York has home ice, but I’m still going with the Penguins in six.

Moving onto the Western Conference where there are five teams coming out of the Central Division (but that’s a topic for later). Let’s just say that with one game left, three teams could have won the division; it was that close.

I’ll start with the best team in the Central in the Nashville Predators going up against the Dallas Stars. Dallas missed the playoffs last season but with the help of Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn, they were able to make it back. Nashville, on the other hand, has been a constant in the playoffs as of late. They made it to the finals in 2017 but lost to the Penguins. They have the depth and talent to do it again with the likes of P.K. Subban, Ryan Johansen, Roman Josi and Filip Forseberg, again all guys that have been here before and know how to get things done. This matchup is full of heavy hitters and is one of my favorites. I think it’ll go all seven with Nashville coming out on top at home.

Next up is the only first round series I care about, the Winnipeg Jets vs. the St. Louis Blues. The Blues find themselves in the playoffs after being in last place on Jan. 2 while the Jets have been in and out of first place in the Central all season. It’s been a rollercoaster of a year for the Blues, including blowing two and three-goal leads to

Ryan O’Reilly’s insane overtime goals. The Blues’ first line has been the reason for their late success. With O’Reilly, Braden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko combining for 199 points this season followed by a 41-point season from captain defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, it’s no secret that the Blues are hot. The Jets aren’t a team to sleep on, though. They made it to the Western Conference Finals last year and they have the depth to do it again. The team is lead by Blake Wheeler ’s 91 points and Mark Scheifele’s 38 goals. Along with players like Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Bryan Little there is no lack of skill. These teams are very similar in skill and that’s why I think the series will go to whoever has the better goalkeeper. For the Jets you’ll see Connor Hellebuyck, while the Blues have rookie sensation and Calder Trophy hopeful, Jordan Binnington.

Binnington is 24-5-1 since his NHL debut with only a 1.89 goals against average (first in the league), and he shows no sign of slowing down. This is going to be close, but I have my St. Louis Blues in six.

Onto the best team in the West, the Calgary Flames take on the Colorado Avalanche.

The Flames are lead by one of the best young talents in the NHL, Jonny “Hockey” Gaudreau. He has 99 points on the season and leads his club with 36 goals. Add in the likes of Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm, Matthew Tkachuk, Mark Giordano and Mikael Backlund and you’re talking about a team that has a very good shot at going all the way.

They match up against the second wildcard Avalanche. Lead

by Nathan MacKinnon’s 99 points and 41 goals alongside 22-year-old Mikko Rantanen’s 31 goals and 56 assists and you can see why this offense is no joke. The problem is their lack of depth. This will be a great series showcasing some

excellent young talent, but I have to go with the red-hot Flames in five as I just don’t think Colorado have enough left in the tank this year.

Last but certainly not least is the Pacific division matchup between the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights. Everyone knows about the unreal run from the Knights last year as they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season, beating the Sharks along the way, but I don’t see them doing that again.

They have the talent ranging from Jonathan Marchessault’s 25 goals and 34 assists to William Karlsson’s 24 goals and 32 assists. Then you have Reilly Smith, Alex Tuch, Paul Stastny, Cody Eakin and Max Pacioretty, all great players.

Last year ’s “Cinderella Story” was unprecedented and I believe a fluke. I’d like to see them prove me wrong, but they’ll be fighting off a veteran Sharks squad. Lead

by Brent Burns’ 83 points, 16 goals and 67 assists, (most points by a defenseman) and Tomas Hertl’s 35 goals and 39 assists, this team knows what they are doing. Add in Logan Couture, Timo Meier, Joe Pavelski, Evander Kane, Joe Thornton and Erik Karlsson and this team has some serious depth. They have home ice and I think that will be the deciding factor. The “Shark Tank” is one of the toughest places to play in the league, and Vegas hasn’t been so hot on the road. For all those reasons, I have San Jose in seven.

It’s no easy task even making the playoffs with how much talent is in this league, but 16 teams managed their way in and every single one of them believes they have a chance at the cup. For all 16 of them, the road to hoisting the Stanley Cup starts here.

Five of the first-round games are tonight with the remaining three series starting tomorrow night.

Virginia wins first National Title in Historic Run

All the madness has come to an end as Virginia defeated Texas Tech in overtime, 85-77, in the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game on Monday.

For the first time since 2006, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament was producing a first-time national champion. Virginia and Texas Tech were playing for the first National Championship in program history.

One year after becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 in the NCAA tournament,

Virginia has made one of the greatest redemption stories in sports history.

“This is just everything you dream as a kid. This is a dream come true,” Virginia guard Ty Jerome said.

Jerome, De’Andre Hunter and Kyle Guy led the Cavaliers, scoring 67 of their points. Hunter scored a careerhigh 27 points, Guy added 24 while Jerome finished with 16.

The Cavaliers’ defense did it again, making Texas Tech pressure for almost every point. Jarrett Culver, the Red

Raiders’ best player, scored 15 points but was only 5-of-22 shooting. Texas Tech trailed double-digits twice, and climbed all the way back into the lead with 3-pointers.

After a slow start by both teams, Virginia rushed to a 17-7 lead midway through the first half before Texas Tech, who had missed their first eight shots, went on an 18-4 rout. The Red Raiders hit three consecutives 3-pointers by Brandone Fracis and Davide Moretti.

Virginia had the lead at 32-29 after Jerome nailed a 20-footer from the top of the key to cap-off a tug-of-war first half.

Both teams combined for 10 3-pointers, five ties and four lead changes. The Red Raiders were able to hang around

thanks to 13 points off the bench and 7-of-13 shooting to end the half.

The Cavaliers led by as many as 10 points with less than 10 minutes to play. The Red Raiders, however, cut down their deficit to one about nine minutes later and took a lead with less than a minute left of the game.

Jarrett Culver’s layup on a drive with 35.1 seconds left in regulation gave Texas Tech a 66-65 lead, and Norense Odiase, a 62 percent shooter, hit two free throws with 22.5 seconds left. But Hunter tied it with a 3-pointer with 12.9 seconds left.

Culver missed a 3-pointer, but with the ball rolling out of bounds, the Red Raiders took possession with one sec-

ond left. The final shot was blocked by Braxton Key, sending the game into overtime.

During overtime, Virginia made all 12 of their free throws and Hunter splashed another three-point shot with 2:09 left, making it 75-73.

With seven seconds left, the Cavaliers’ Braxton Key stood at the free throw line, and the trio of Guy, Hunter and Jerome stood behind him enjoying the final seconds they had left. Virginia went on to claim their first national championship 85-77.

“I told them, I just want a chance at a title fight one day,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “That’s all I want.. You’re never alone in the hills and the valleys we faced in the last year.”

Baseball looks to continue after sweeping Oral Roberts

By Christopher Gibson courier staff

MY'ANNA PURDUE / PHOTO STAFF

Steve McShane runs the bases.

JOSH PURNELL / PHOTO STAFF

CJ Schaeffer awaits a pitch.

JOSH PURNELL / PHOTO STAFF

Kevin Raisbeck stands in on deck circle.

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Deion Thompson celebrates his RBI.

This past weekend the Western Illinois University baseball team (11-18) took on the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (14-15) at Alfred D. Boyer stadium. The Leathernecks managed to sweep the Eagles, defeating them Friday, Saturday and Sunday by scores of 8-5, 7-3 and 11-7, respectively.

Things got started early Sunday afternoon when the Eagles scored in the top of the first off of a home run. That was their only lead of the game. The Leathernecks responded in the bottom of the first.

Junior Kevin Raisbeck led things off with a single through the left side. Junior Drue Galassi then hit himself a home run, allowing the Leathernecks to take over the driver’s seat. This was only the start of the inning. After senior Bailey Montgomery and sophomore Alex Dorethy drew walks, senior CJ Schaeffer Jr. singled through the left side. This single allowed the runners to advance a base. However, the Golden Eagles made an infield error, allowing all the Leatherneck runners

to take an additional base, causing Montgomery to score, Dorethy to advance to third and Schaeffer Jr. to advance to second. After another Golden Eagle error on the next batter, Dorethy scored, Schaeffer Jr. moved to third and senior Steve McShane reached first.

McShane ended up stealing second base a couple of batters before senior Deion Thompson singled to third base, driving in Schaeffer Jr. Leathernecks led 5-1 after the first inning.

The Leathernecks got on the board again in the bottom of the second after a Dorethy solo homer to increase the lead to five.

After the Golden Eagles managed to put up three runs in the top of the third, Western responded in the bottom of the inning by tacking on three more runs of their own. After a couple of walks by McShane and sophomore Dillon Shane, freshman Diego Munoz laid down a sac bunt, setting up runners on second and third for Raisbeck.

Raisbeck singled up the middle scoring both runners. A wild pitch allowed Raisbeck to advance to second, just before Galassi singled to right field,

allowing Raisbeck to score.

The score remained 9-4 until the top of the seventh inning when Oral Roberts put up three more runs.

The Leathernecks went on to add four more runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a single by Sears scoring McShane and Schaeffer Jr. After this series sweep, Western is still fifth in The Summit League standings, but only by one game.

Coming into the series, the Leathernecks were looking to get their offense jump started and it happened in a big way. Before this series the team had only managed to put up 10 runs in their previous four games. The team lost all four of those games by a combined 37 runs. In these three games alone, the Leathernecks put up 26 runs. This will be something the team looks to continue as they take on Bradley (17-10) Tuesday at 4 p.m. This is a rematch game, with the Braves coming out on top in the last meeting by a score of 10 to nothing. Looking to avenge their loss on April 2, the Leathernecks have a lot of momentum making them hard to beat.

Softball wins series against SDSU Jackrabbits 2-1

By David Koier courier staff

The weather affected the Western Illinois softball team’s schedule once more this season, but luckily Mother Nature was a bit more forgiving this time. The team traveled to South Dakota on Sunday to face off against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in a three-game series this past Sunday and Monday.

Game one pitted Leatherneck ace Emily Ira against Jackrabbits starter Morgan DeMarais. Western center fielder started off the game with a leadoff walk, but after being advanced to second on a Payton Abbott fielder’s choice, was picked off on her attempt to third. A fly out by Sydney Hollings made it a three up three down inning for SDSU. SDSU was able to find the scoreboard first when Julia Andersen doubled to left center, scoring Peyton Daugherty who was earlier hit by a pitch.

The Jackrabbits added one more to their lead in the bottom of the second when pinch hitter Erin Mullen hit a two out double that scored one, bringing the score to 2-0.

The pitchers were both hot

for the next two innings as the two teams only combined for three hits in the third and fourth. Western’s bats started to warm up in the top of the fifth as three singles and a sac fly scored two, allowing Western to tie up the game.

It wasn’t until the top of the seventh that Western’s bats caught fire. With two baserunners already on, SDSU intentionally walked Leatherneck power hitter Hailey Duwa to load the bases. Danielle Olson was hit by a pitch to score Jasmine Lara and take the lead.

Halle Hollatz stepped up next and hit a grand slam for her first home run of the season, widening the Purple and Gold’s lead to five. South Dakota State couldn’t get any offense going in the bottom of the seventh, resulting in a 7-2 game one win for Western Illinois.

Emily Ira earned the win for herself after pitching seven full innings, allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out seven, bringing her overall season record to 6-6.

MY'ANNA PURDUE / PHOTO STAFF

Emily Ira winds up for a pitch.

MY'ANNA PURDUE / PHOTO STAFF

Halle Hollatz. makes a play in the infield.

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GOLEATHERNECKS.COM

Danielle Olson leads off while on base.

Sydney Hollings runs the bases.

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