Lacrosse: Lock-ed Out
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 10:45AM Lacrosse team's magical season ends with semifinal loss to Lock Haven
By: David Kropp, Co-Sports Editor
A magical lacrosse season came to an end this past Friday to Lock Haven, losing 6-5 in the PSAC Semifinals. The top-seeded Bald Eagles were expected to completely crush the Huskies (5), but the scrappy hounds would not exit quietly.
Maggie Canavan won the opening draw control, and drew a foul within the first 20 seconds. She even had the first shot of the game seconds after the foul, but sailed wide left. Julie Falk scooped up the wide shot, and ripped another shot that hit the left post. The left side of the goalmouth seemed to be the game plan from the gecko. Lock Haven cleared the ball down field, and manufactured some shots on Bloomsburg goalie, Sara Bates. Bates turned aside a low-angled shot, and cleared the ball downfield. This type of back-and-forth dumping, and shooting would continue for about 13 minutes. To Lock Haven’s surprise, but not to Bloomsburg, Bates would turn away two extremely tough shots, including a free-position shot. After an Eagles turnover and a failed clearing attempt, Julie Falk took a shit that went just high of the crossbar. Though, she outhustled the Eagles’ defense and picked up her rebound. After swirling around behind the net for a few seconds, she netted the first goal of the game at 16:54. Falk was then substituted by Patrice Coleman, and Sam Mazzie was in for Canavan. Morgan Sherriff won the following draw control, and Lock Haven was in shock. Falk’s goal would be the only offense of the first half for either side.
Now, Lock Haven dominated the Huskies in early May, 15-5 with eight goals to one in the first half alone. For Bloomsburg to be ahead going into the second half; an improbable upset in the making looked not-so-impossible after all.
The second half began with another Canavan opening draw control win, which would provide the Huskies some early offensive production. Mazzie took advantage of a free-position shot at 28:11 in the early going, giving Bloomsburg the lead at 2-0. One minute and then some later, the past practically repeated itself. Falk took advantage of another Lock Haven foul, which led to a free-position shot, by capitalizing with her second goal of the day. Yet again, another Husky free-position shot attempt was successful, making the score 4-0.
That’s when the might Bald Eagles soared back. Other than a Falk goal at 15:30, the second half was all Lock Haven. They scored five unanswered goals in 13 minutes apart.
A season that looked very dim from the beginning, turned into a playoff-bound 10-8 bunch. Towards the midway mark of the season, they were 2-5 with eight games remaining. Few thought they would dive straight into the playoffs entering the second half of the season. That’s exactly what they did. Seven consecutive victories, including one in the playoffs will give next year’s team a season to look forward to, and one to remember.
David Kropp Softball: Survive And Advance
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 10:42AM Softball sedded seventh in Altantic Regional 2
By: David Kropp, Co-Sports Editor
Despite being eliminated from the PSAC Tournament, the softball team has earned a seventh seeded spot in the Atlantic Regional 2. Bloomsburg’s 31 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Championships will persist against Shippensburg University this Friday at 2:30 p.m. Whichever team wins advances through the winners bracket to play on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Just a little more than a week ago, Cait Paine pitched a two-hitter, and propelled the Huskies over the Raiders, 6-0. That PSAC Tournament victory may strike fear in Shippensburg. Aside from Pane, the week of March 25th’s PSAC Athlete Central Division Athlete of the Week, that is Chrissy Belko is probably the most excited for the first round. She had a field day against Shippensburg, batted .333, scored a run, belted a three-run bomb, and drew a walk. Hannah Moir, Kayla McHale, Mandi Baer, and Rachel Fredell will be anxious at the plate as well. Combined, they batted an average of .400, and batted in the other three runs themselves. “Here comes the Paine” will surely bring the heat once again too. Along with the two-hitter, the probable Friday starter struck out nine, and only allowed three batters on base.
Shippensburg projected starter, Emily Estep looks to rebound against the hungry Huskies Friday. The Raider ace is quite hungry herself after her previous outing with Bloomsburg. Pitching all seven innings, she allowed all six earned runs on eight hits, and walked three. However, similar to Paine, she is a strikeout machine herself. Again, she induced almost exactly the same statistics as far as ground ball outs to fly outs are concerned. Paine and Estep recorded seven batters to fly out, but Estep had one more ground out then Paine with five. More fly outs then ground balls gives homeruns a greater percentage to happen. Though, Paine is averaging three times as many fly outs then Estep. The difference between Paine’s pitching style and Estep’s varies greatly. Paine paints the black on both sides of the plate to perfection, while Estep leaves the ball way up in zone. Paine does have one of the better defenses behind her, explaining the eight less batters faced as opposed to Estep.
The Huskies have triumphed 10 out of 13 times over the Raiders in the NCAA Tournament. And, just two years ago, Bloomsburg defeated Shippensburg in the 2011 Atlantic Regional.
Once the Bloomsburg vs. Shippensburg game starts, the West Virginia State University (3) matchup against Kutztown University (6) should be concluded. The winner of that match will most likely play the winner of Bloomsburg and Shippensburg. Whomever advances throughout the winners bracket of the Atlantic Regionals will move onto the NCAA Super Regional, which scheduled for the 17th and 18th. The victor of the Super-Regionals will advance to the NCAA Finals, which is scheduled for 23rd through the 27th.
The deceased, but never respected the least Jim Valvano, knew all about winning when not expected to do so. The former college basketball coach of North Carolina State University motivated his team to get into the tournament, and win at all costs. Aside from Valvano’s off-court issues, he had a motto for his team to follow that 1983 month spring: “Survive and Adavance.” If the Huskies can be fundamentally sound Friday, and throughout the tournament, and have that survive and advance attitude, there is no team that can beat them.
David Kropp Football: High Hopes
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 10:41AM Bloomsburg earns National Spotlight
By: David Kropp, Co-Sports Editor
Graduation is upon Bloomsburg University seniors, and so are the boys of fall.
The 2013 football schedule was released this past Friday, as well as the first scrimmage, known as the Maroon and Gold spring game. The season opener will be played at Danny Hale Field, Saturday September 7th, scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff against Stonehill College. Last season, the Huskies opened up at Easton, MA by defeating the Skyhawks, 44-28.
Anyone that loves high scoring games or the AFL should definitely attend. You can even get amped prior to home games now, thanks to a new, incoming tailgate zone. For more information, please visit http://buhuskies.com/index.aspx?tab=football&path=football.
More so, for the first time in school history, the football team will host a nationally televised game against Shippensburg on Halloween night, which is a Thursday.
Here is a compressed schedule for the 2013 Huskies season:
9/07/13
1:00 P.M.
Stonehill College
Bloomsburg, PA.
Danny Hale Field
9/14/13
12:00 P.M.
at Edinboro University
Edinboro, PA
9/21/13
1:00 P.M.
PSAC
at Kutztown University
Kutztown, PA
9/28/13
3:30 P.M.
PSAC
Lock Haven
Bloomsburg, PA.
Danny Hale Field
10/05/13
12:00 P.M.
at Gannon University
Erie, PA
10/12/13
3:30 P.M.
PSAC
Millersville University
Bloomsburg, PA.
Danny Hale Field
Homecoming
10/19/13
1:05 P.M.
PSAC
at East Stroudsburg
East Stroudsburg, PA
10/26/13
2:00 P.M.
PSAC
Cheyney University
Bloomsburg, PA.
Danny Hale Field
Parent's Day
10/31/13
8:00 P.M.
PSAC
Shippensburg University
Bloomsburg, PA.
Danny Hale Field
11/09/13
1:00 P.M.
PSAC
at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA
11/16/13
1:00 P.M.
Slippery Rock University
Bloomsburg, PA.
Danny Hale Field
David Kropp