Monthly Archives: March 2012

Weekend Preview

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Four softball games, four baseball games, two lacrosse games, two tennis matches, 36 holes of golf and the first track meet of the outdoor season … there’s a lot on the docket this weekend, with most teams competing at home or nearby. Hopefully, the forecasted rain will not turn this busy schedule into an April Fool.

Softball vs. Washington (Saturday, 1:00); at Gettysburg (Sunday, 1:00)

Two Centennial Conference playoff teams square off on Saturday in the Mules’ first home CC doubleheader of the 2012 season. Muhlenberg beat Washington, 8-4, in the first game of the playoffs en route to the CC championship last year. The teams split in the regular season. The Shorewomen are off to a 4-0 start in CC play, while the Mules are 2-0.

Live stats Game 1: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/softlive/xlive.htm

Live stats Game 2: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/softlive2/xlive.htm

Gettysburg did not make the CC playoffs last year but is traditionally one of the strongest teams in the league, and one that gives Muhlenberg a hard time. The Mules have never swept the Bullets in a regular-season doubleheader, and they haven’t won a game at Gettysburg since 2000.

Live stats: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/gettysburg.portal#

Baseball vs. Ursinus (Friday, 3:30); at McDaniel (Saturday, 12:30 doubleheader); at Centenary (Sunday, 12:00)

The 16-6 Mules, who received 11 votes in this week’s D3baseball.com poll, look to continue their winning ways with three CC games and one non-league contest. Coming off Tuesday’s 11-5 win at Ursinus, Muhlenberg will try to complete its first season sweep of the Bears on Friday.

Live stats: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/baselive/xlive.htm

Saturday’s twinbill is against a McDaniel team that, like Muhlenberg, has shown great improvement: The Green Terror is 11-4 after winning 12 games all of last season. The Mules, who have scored in double figures in 13 of their 22 games, will try to solve a McDaniel pitching staff that has a sparkling 2.40 ERA.

Live stats: http://www.mcdanielathletics.com/livestats/landing

Sunday’s non-conference matchup will be played at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, N.J., the home of the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League.

Live stats: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52657926/Baseball/xhome.htm

Lacrosse doubleheader vs. Washington (Saturday, men at 1:00, women at 4:00)

Both Mule lax teams are seeking their first CC win of the season. Both lost by three at Washington last year but beat the Shoremen/women on their last trip to Allentown.

Live stats (men): http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/mlaxlive/xlive.htm

Live stats (women): http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/wlaxlive/xlive.htm

Live video (both): http://www.livestream.com/muhlenberg

Tennis doubleheader vs. Washington (Saturday, men at 11:00, women at 3:00)

After evening their CC mark at 2-2 with a dramatic win vs. Franklin & Marshall last night, the Mule women look to make it two in a row against a Washington team that reached the CC championship match last year. The Mule men are looking for their first win of the spring.

Men’s Golf at McDaniel Spring Invitational (Saturday and Sunday)

The Mules compete in one of their biggest tournaments of the season, with 18 teams scheduled to tee off in the two-day event. Among their opponents will be five other CC teams.

Live stats: http://www.mcdanielathletics.com/sports/mgolf/live-stats

Track & Field at Lafayette 7-Way Meet (Saturday)

At their first outdoor meet of the season, the Mules will be the only Division III squad. The other teams scheduled to compete are Division I Lafayette, Lehigh, St. Joseph’s, Rider and Monmouth and Division II East Stroudsburg.

Senior Profiles – Men’s Basketball

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As college basketball prepares for the last few games of the 2011-12 season, here are some final thoughts from the two seniors in the Muhlenberg men’s basketball program, taken from their Senior Day profiles.

Spencer Liddic

What’s your secret to grabbing so many rebounds? My real secret to grabbing so many rebounds is simply to miss a layup and grab the offensive rebound.

How have you changed as a player during your career? I have continually tried to extend my game away from strictly layups and become a better outside shooter. I believe I have also become a better leader, and I strive to make everyone on our young team better every day. Lastly, as coach can attest, I have become a pretty tenacious defender. I regularly match up against our opponent’s fifth-best scorer.

What did it mean to you to be just the third first-team Academic All-American in school history?

It is an enormous honor to represent Muhlenberg College both academically and athletically at the national level. It is also a tremendous tribute to my teammates, coaches and professors; I would never have been able to achieve such an award without their help.

What’s the most memorable moment from your Mule career? Besides all the friendships that I have made during my four years at Muhlenberg, my most memorable moments are definitely the two home wins over nationally ranked Franklin & Marshall teams. Those are two wins that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Your great-grandmother was Gertrude Hawk of candy fame. How much chocolate did you eat growing up? Let’s just say I have had my fair share of Smidgens over the years.

What are your future plans? I have already accepted a job with JPMorgan Chase in Newark, Delaware. I also hope to one day open my own business.

What has Max Saidman meant to the team as a student assistant? Max brings a lot of basketball knowledge to the program. He does an immense amount of behind-the-scenes work and has poured his heart and soul into the program over the past four years. Max recently scouted and successfully put together a winning game plan against the No. 8 team in the country, F&M. The program will greatly miss Max when he graduates in May.

Max Saidman

What made you decide to become a student assistant? Coach Madeira told me he didn’t need any more sub-six-foot slow guys and decided to cut me. So I stayed around pretty much for the free gear. 

What do your duties entail? What do you like doing best? My duties entail everything that Coach Finch doesn’t want to do. The thing I like to do the best is set the “Swag Standard” for the squad.

What’s the most memorable basketball moment from your time at Muhlenberg? When we toured Ireland the summer before my sophomore year. This year, it was definitely beating F&M at home. That game and atmosphere were awesome.

What are your future plans? Continue to work with a team or company that is basketball related. I’m a free agent, and I’m looking for the first place to step up with a six-figure signing bonus.

What’s it been like spending four years with Spencer Liddic? Spencer this, Spencer that. All-America this, All-America that. 4.0 GPA this, 4.0 GPA that. Spencer, Spencer, Spencer … That’s all we ever hear!! But actually, believe it or not, Spencer is even better than all the hype. He never lets it get to his head and is always putting the team first. He’s a great player, but an even better guy off the court.

 

Athletes of the Week

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for contests between March 19 and March 25

Female Athlete of the Week – Emily Szulman, Tennis

Szulman went a perfect 3-0 in singles play without dropping a set and added a doubles win for the Mules. The sophomore only dropped three games at No. 2 singles to help the Mules pick up their first CC win over Bryn Mawr on Friday. Szulman followed that up with a dominating 6-4, 6-0 singles win at Gettysburg on Saturday.

 

Male Athlete of the Week – Brett Rosen, Baseball

Rosen batted .500 with six runs scored, four RBI, two doubles and a triple in four games for the Mules. The sophomore also walked once and was hit once for a .571 on-base percentage. Rosen, who had an RBI in every game he played during the week, reached base five times, stole his first career base and scored four runs in the 16-3 win over Albright on Thursday.

Senior Profiles – Women’s Basketball

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Here are excerpts from the senior profiles that ran in the Senior Day program for the women’s basketball team.

Alexandra Chili

What’s it mean to you to be the leading scorer in Mule basketball history? Becoming the leading scorer in Mule basketball history has been a tremendous honor and certainly one of my favorite achievements of my college career. I’ve worked tirelessly throughout my four years to be the best player I could be, but my efforts would be wasted if I was not blessed with such amazing teammates.

How did you become such a great shooter? I developed my shooting prowess like any other great shooter; hard work, persistence, repetition, dedication and some more hard work. When I was growing up, I would shoot 1,000 shots a day and wouldn’t rest until I had made 100 free throws. I’m not sure I can claim the same today, but that’s why you put in the work early!

What’s it like having a father that played at Duke? Having a father like mine, regardless of whether he played at Duke, has been such a blessing. My Dad has always been there for me as a coach, rebounder, my biggest fan (tied with my mother, whom I love dearly) and anything I’ve needed to be successful. Being a star at Duke does have its perks though. We usually go to a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium once a year, and he seems to know everyone there! I’ve even met Coach K. That was beyond cool!

What are your future plans? I’m hoping to play basketball professionally in Europe somewhere for a year since I was never able to study abroad. I really love to travel, and I think it will be a good experience for me to be out on my own for a little while. When I return to United States, I will seek admission to law school in either Maryland or California and begin my path towards becoming a lawyer.

What’s Katy Rossino like off the court? Wow, where to begin. When Katy is not collecting chapstick, she is meticulously grooming her financial savings. When she’s not doing that, she’s pulling a prank on someone; so watch out … Jokes aside, Katy is just as amazing off the court as she is on it. Brilliant, hardworking and my best friend.

Kimberly Mui

How great did it feel to be able to step back on the court this season? When I tore my ACL last summer, the hardest thing to comprehend was the fact that I would not be able to be on the court and play with my friends that season. Being able to step back on the court this season was an incredible and indescribable feeling. I have a great passion for basketball, so stepping back on the court with my teammates was amazing, and I’m lucky to have had a successful surgery to be able to play again in my senior year.

What’s the key to playing tough defense? Defense has always been my main focus in basketball. I’m a true believer in the saying “Defense wins championships.” I also believe that with good defense comes good offense. I think one of the keys to playing tough defense is to always keep your feet moving and stay lower than your opponent. Being fast and quick also doesn’t hurt 🙂

How many different ways have you heard your name mispronounced? Over my life, I’ve heard ridiculous mispronunciations of my name. It spans from Moo, Moo-i, Moo-ey, Mwee, to My. I think my favorite is Moo-ey because a lot of people call me that and yell out that name. Also, Moo-ey seems to flow off the tongue. Mew is a funny one too because my freshman year, all the senior basketball players used to call me “Kim Mew for Two.”

What are your future plans? I’m not exactly sure yet because I still have to send my resume to companies and go on interviews, but I would love to work at a marketing firm somewhere in New York. My dream is to work in the sports industry, like being on the marketing team for the New York Yankees.

What’s Kathleen Naddaff like off the court? Kathleen is probably the weirdest person you will ever meet. After living with her this year, I realized that she likes to make weird noises and scream randomly. All kidding aside, Kathleen is one of the most genuine and sweetest people I know. She would do anything for her family, friends and teammates, and that is one of the many things I admire about her.

Kathleen Naddaff

How would you describe your style of play? I am definitely a lot more defensive-minded when it comes to my style of play, and I know my role on the team is not to be a leading scorer, but to help the team win with rebounding, boxing out, screening and playing defense. I definitely would say I play to try and make the team better, and I don’t worry about my stats.

How have you improved since your freshman season? During my freshman year I was nervous, scared and very hesitant. I looked at all of the teams and thought they were much more experienced than I was, so that intimidated me. I can remember the first game of the Scotty Wood Tournament my freshman year, I literally thought I was going to throw up I was so nervous. Now I go out on the floor with the mindset that no one can guard me or get by me if I tell myself they won’t. I have prided myself on my defense, and if I just concentrate on that and get a few great stops, my offense will come. I am a lot more confident walking out on the court because I have done it many times before.

What’s it like having a father that was drafted by the Indiana Pacers? I am so proud of my dad, and I look up to him a lot. He and my mom have been such amazing role models in my life. Yes, my father’s shoes are very hard to fill (quite literally), but I know that he has been through a lot and knows the game of basketball. So I really do look up to him and respect everything he has to say.

What are your future plans? I actually have two job offers right now, with a few more interviews lined up. The job offers are at BE Furniture and BFI Furniture. They are corporate furniture companies in Parsippany, N.J., where I would function as a project manager. I am looking to stay close so I can live at home for a few more years. Mom and Dad are going to love it 🙂

What kind of teammate is Kimberly Mui? Kim is not only an amazing teammate, but she is also one of my roommates. Kim really makes me want to be a better teammate, because regardless of what happens, she is there for this team with a smile and encouraging words. I seriously give her all the credit in the world for what she went through last year and how supportive she was throughout the entire year for the team. Kim will cheer every single girl on, and she honestly is not just an amazing teammate but also a great friend.

Katy Rossino

What’s it feel like knowing you’re in control of the offense as a point guard? I love being a point guard. There was a time at the beginning of the season when I was nervous about it. To know that I was in control of the offense was a scary thing for me, especially since I hadn’t had that opportunity to see significant minutes since high school. I’ve become a much more vocal player, and have learned so much about each player on our team – where to get them the ball, how they are going to come off a screen, etc.

Have you always been so hesitant to shoot? I’ve never been one to take 20 shots in a game, but I did shoot more in high school. I’ve always tried to do what I need to help the team. My role has always been to be more of a passer, a provider of comedic relief and, most importantly, a role model to the younger girls. They really look up to me as a mature, inspirational and “larger than life” figure.

What off-the-court accomplishment are you most proud of? I’m very proud of my work with the Academic Resource Center. I’ve been a tutor all four years at Muhlenberg and have tutored about 25 students in math, finance and accounting classes. I enjoy tutoring because it is an extremely rewarding experience. It’s always great to know that I helped someone succeed in a class. I’ve learned a lot about how to adjust to different learning styles, which is a skill I have been able to use at various financal and accounting internships and plan to use in the future when I start working.

What are your future plans? Next October I will begin working as an auditor at Deloitte & Touche, a big four public accounting firm, in Boston. I’ll spend the summer studying for the CPA exam and hope to pass all four sections by my start date. Then I hope to transition into my dream job, which is winning the lottery and moving to Europe, where my only responsibilities will be eating and sleeping.

What kind of person is Alexandra Chili? Where do I begin? Chili has been my best friend at Muhlenberg since we were freshmen. We spend way too much time together playing basketball, becoming the dominating duo in team ping-pong tournaments, saying “Hey, what’s up” to all the wrong people, and everything in between. She has an extraordinary personality and can make anyone laugh to the point of tears. Sometimes we laugh so much we cry, and then the next morning we have no idea what we laughed about. She’s an unbelievable basketball player, student and friend. I’ve already promised her that I’ll name my first child “Alexander Chilington,” which has been my nickname for her.

A “Special” Saturday

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NCAA Division III is engaged in a partnership with Special Olympics this year. According to the NCAA Website, the purpose of the partnership is to improve the lives of Special Olympics athletes through their involvement with Division III student-athletes and to foster a mutual learning experience between Division III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes.

On Saturday, four Mule athletes representing four sports (field hockey, volleyball, basketball and softball) and field hockey coach Megan Eddinger paticipated in a Special Olympics event. Junior Devon Barber filed this report:

Most people would argue that beautiful Saturdays aren’t meant to be spent inside – except the members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee who spent a great St. Patrick’s Day afternoon at Jordan Lanes for the Special Olympics Lehigh County Bowling Event.

Coach Eddinger, Brittany Blohm, Kate Clawson, Erica Wenzel and I all hopped in a mini-van behind Martin Luther Saturday morning to head over to the alley. After a much-needed stop at Dunkin Donuts, we arrived to find that we missed a memo. We were all dressed in Muhlenberg t-shirts, but many of the athletes were dressed in St. Patrick’s Day attire. One of the staff members even had a green beard! Still, we were welcomed with open arms by the staff, athletes and the local Girl Scouts who were helping out as well.

The staff seemed stressed from the beginning and we were a bit nervous. The reason behind this tension was because there were 96 bowlers that we had to keep track of! Bowlers were either playing individually against other bowlers in the same lane, or there were two teams that were competing against each other in opposing lanes. It was handled pretty smoothly, though, as the competition started at 1:00 on the dot.

The national anthem was played after the reciting of the Special Olympics Oath:

“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

It was pretty powerful to hear all of the athletes say this oath before they began bowling. It represented a lot of what Special Olympics Lehigh County is about, where their philosophy asserts the athletic spirit of courage and joy, as well as giving those with disabilities the opportunity to share their skills and friendship with the community as a whole. Special Olympics Lehigh County provides year-round sports competitions, such as for basketball, gymnastics, track and field and more, for adults and children of a variety of ages. For this event specifically, the bowling winners had the chance to advance to different competitions, so it was safe to say that the contest was fierce from the get-go.

Coach and Kate were assigned to keep score for the lanes that had a battle between two teams. Erica, Brittany and I were placed on reward duty, so we got the chance to sit back and watch a couple games before we had to turn on our math brains to add up the scores.

The bowlers were allowed to practice a bit before the scoring started. We were a little confused to see how even though they were on different teams, they switched back and forth to each other’s lanes between turns. I could see Coach starting to get uncomfortable because we all didn’t really know what was going on. Coach asked one of the bowlers, Christina, to explain the switching of lanes. She claimed that this is what they have been doing for weeks, so they knew that what they were doing was correct.

Christina went on to explain how the bowling event that we attended was actually the end of an eight-week series, where bowlers competed every weekend since sometime in January. Bowlers that were at this event were allowed to compete to move onto the next competition if they were present at at least five of the eight weekend events. With this being said, the athletes took control, and quickly moved from the practice round onto their competing games.

It was fun to walk back and forth between games to see how well they were doing. One of the bowlers, David, was angry about one of his scores, 130-something mind you, which is way higher than I would ever get personally. I told him I celebrate when I break 100 and he laughed at me.

It was certain that these athletes were in it to win it, although the more serious bowlers were also balanced with those who were there just to have a good time. It showed because they were the ones that were making jokes with us and taking pictures with us. Kate especially looked like she was having a great time, as she was surrounded by two teams of all happy-go-lucky bowlers. All in all, it was fun to take photos, laugh, and just watch and learn as they racked up impressive scores.

At the end, Erica, Brittany and I were in charge of adding up the scores and distributing the ribbons. I think Erica would agree when I write thank goodness for calculators! The scores were added and a ribbon was presented to each bowler representing first, second, third or fourth place, with their names and individual scores written on the back.

It was an amazing feeling to see how excited they were to receive their ribbons from Brittany for any place that they got. It really allowed me to think back about why I started playing sports in the first place: for the happiness I feel because of it.

Kate Clawson said, “Overall, the experience at the Special Olympics bowling event this Saturday was very rewarding. Interacting with the athletes was awesome. They were all such great sports and that’s something I really admired about them, as they admired us for volunteering our time.”

I think generally we were just happy to interact with each other, especially on such a fun holiday and a beautiful day. It was something that I’ll always remember, and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

If you would like more information about the Special Olympics Lehigh County, or would like to get involved in the action, please visit http://www.specialolympicslehighcounty.org/ for more information!

Athletes of the Week

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for contests between March 12 and March 18

Female Athlete of the Week – Kelsey Jones, Softball

Jones pitched a four-hit shutout for her first career win in the second game of the Elizabethtown doubleheader. The freshman walked one and struck out six, including back-to-back whiffs of the Blue Jays’ fourth and fifth hitters to end scoring threats in both the first and third innings.

 

Male Athlete of the Week – Nick Kennedy, Baseball

Kennedy hit .450 with three runs scored and three RBI in a 3-2 week for the Mules. He also walked once and was hit twice for a .522 on-base percentage. Kennedy had three hits in each game of the Penn State Brandywine doubleheader sweep and started an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play with the bases loaded and score tied in the seventh inning of the nightcap.

Weekend Preview

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St. Patrick’s Day weekend gives us great weather, three conference openers and one home opener. Enjoy!

Men’s Lacrosse vs. Franklin & Marshall (Saturday, 7:00)

Muhlenberg will be collecting food items and donations for the Second Harvest Food Bank at this game. Most food shelters receive plenty of donations around the holiday season. It is right around spring time when their supplies run out, so this is a very important time to give.

Do not expect the spirit of giving to carry over to the lacrosse field. Centennial Conference games are usually closely contested, and these two teams have taken that to an extreme, going to double overtime last year and triple overtime in 2008 and 2010. Those three games were all in Lancaster; the last meeting in Allentown was a relative blowout, with Muhlenberg winning 10-8.

It could be another close one. Although the Mules come in 2-4 and the Diplomats 5-1 and receiving votes in the national poll, both teams played at Susquehanna with similar results: Muhlenberg won 9-7, and F&M won 9-8 in overtime.

Live stats: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/mlaxlive/xlive.htm

Live video: http://www.livestream.com/muhlenberg

Women’s Lacrosse vs. Franklin & Marshall (Saturday, 1:00)

As close as the men’s series with F&M has been, the women’s has gone the other way. The Mules are winless in 28 all-time games against the Diplomats, but they will try to change that after getting off to a 3-0 start.

F&M (3-1), which won national championships in 2007 and 2009, is tied for eighth in the Division III poll.

Live stats: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/wlaxlive/xlive.htm

Live video: http://www.livestream.com/muhlenberg

Baseball at Susquehanna (Friday, 3:30); vs. Penn State Brandywine (Saturday, 12:00 doubleheader)

The Mules (10-3) can surpass their win total of 11 from all of last season by winning two of these three games. Saturday’s games are the first at home for Muhlenberg this season.

Live stats for Susquehanna game: http://www.susqu.edu/athletics/livestats/xlive.htm

Live stats for Penn State Brandywine doubleheader:

Game 1: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/baselive/xlive.htm

Game 2: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/baselive2/xlive.htm

Women’s Tennis at Bryn Mawr (Friday, 3:30)

The regionally ranked Mules open Centennial Conference play on the road. Last year, Muhlenberg went 7-3 in the CC to qualify for the playoffs.

Men’s Tennis at New Jersey (Sunday, 1:00)

It’s the first Division III match of the season for Muhlenberg. Click here for a season preview.

Spring Break Report – Baseball

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The last of our three Spring Break reports is by Nick Gazzillo, a sophomore outfielder on the Muhlenberg baseball team.

“My worst fear every year is that someone will get to the gate and say, ‘Coach, I don’t have my ID.’ Don’t let that happen.” This was Coach Goff’s first message to the baseball team during the meeting prior to our trip to Fort Myers, Florida.

ID safely in tow, Usewick and Nick Gies get some sleep on the bus en route to the airport

Well, apparently freshman infielder Danny Usewick wasn’t paying attention during that part of the meeting. If a 5 a.m. bus ride to the Philadelphia airport wasn’t enjoyable enough for the team, watching Danny scramble through the bus, locker room and his dorm room was surely the thing to get the trip off on the right foot. He eventually found his ID and the Mules arrived in Florida ready for nine days of baseball.

The mission was clear. We were down there to play baseball, collectively get better as a team, learn to “hold the rope” for one another and win some games. The always classy senior Nick “Goose” Busillo kept these goals clear, stating: “We gotta play ’em one day at a time. I’m just happy to be here and hope I can help the ballclub. I just wanna give it my best shot and, Good Lord willing, things’ll work out.”

Bull Durham quotes aside, the trip revolved around a very busy baseball schedule, one that included 6:30 a.m. bus rides to the field and late returns to the hotel. Through it all, however, the team found plenty of time to relax and get their minds off baseball for a while. Movies, video games and team dinners gave us a chance to unwind and rest.

The trip saw the continuation of two traditions of the Muhlenberg baseball program. Outrageous haircuts and facial hair kept the superstitious happy and the rest of the team embarrassed to be seen with them. Games of “mental warfare” kept the freshmen confused and frustrated and the upperclassmen laughing, especially junior pitcher Rob Shannon, also known as “the ghost” due to both the fact that he was never seen in his hotel room and his very pale skin.

A large outdoor mall located across the street from the hotel provided another getaway for many of the players, although crossing the six-lane highway proved to be a challenge for many, especially when the sprinklers decided to go off on the median.

Players also found time to hang out at the hotel’s pool. While it was relaxing for most, junior outfielder John Muha and freshman infielder Mike Giordano found out the hard way not to stand near the edge of the pool when sophomore infielder John Scuderi is around. On the bright side, both hits and subsequent splashes were captured on camera and can currently be seen on Facebook.

The pool wasn’t the only place that saw hostility. From the time the bus arrived at the hotel every night, it was a race to get to the only two washing machines in the hotel. Many players found their uniforms to have a more pungent scent than others, and looking at our record, that may have given us an edge over the other teams.

We split our first two games on the first day and won two more games over the following two days before a well-deserved day off. Players were able to spend time with families that had made the trip down, while others spent the day at the beach or by the pool.

The Mules went on to win three of the remaining four games, finishing with a 6-2 record for the trip and a 9-2 record overall. As senior Brian Beck put it, “It was a good, successful trip. We played well as a team and picked each other when we needed to. We were focused on winning baseball games and having fun.”

Sophomore Tyler Latrenta gets some studying in at the airport

Maybe even more important than the results, the team walked away from the trip closer than beforehand. Senior Mike Speroni gave his view, saying, “The chemistry we have on our team is outstanding. It was enjoyable to get to know the true personalities of everyone, especially the freshmen. I’m really excited about the next few weeks and holding on to the rope.”

The team is off to one of its best starts in history and looks forward to continuing the winning trend back in Allentown. No matter how the season ends up, the Fort Myers trip is sure to be one of the highlights of the year.

 

 

Athletes of the Week

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for contests between March 5 and March 11

Female Athlete of the Week – Kelly Kline, Softball

Kline hit .733 with a 1.600 slugging percentage in five games for the Mules. She had four doubles and three home runs with six runs scored and six RBI. In a 5-4 loss to Misericordia, she tied school records for extra-base hits, home runs and total bases in a game. Kline, also named Centennial Conference player of the week, had hits in seven straight at-bats in one stretch and had at least one extra-base hit in four consecutive games.
 
Male Athlete of the Week – Joseph Vila, Baseball
 
Vila wins the award for the second week in a row. He hit .474 with 10 runs scored, six RBI, an .895 slugging average and a .583 on-base percentage in a 4-1 week for the Mules. He had at least one extra-base hit in four of the five games and also stole two bases. Vila scored the go-ahead run in an 11-5 win against Merchant Marine and drove in the go-ahead run in a 3-1 win against Wilmington.

Spring Break Report – Women’s Lacrosse

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Our second Spring Break report comes from women’s lacrosse co-captain Angela Napoletano in Hilton Head.

After enduring a 13-hour-long bus ride, filled with eating, sleeping and some more eating, we finally arrived at the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina, at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Although the rain put a damper on unloading the bus, everyone on the team was very excited to be here and ran to their villas to pick their rooms. The team was split into three villas of about nine people each. Each villa was required to prepare a meal one night for everyone on the team. 

Waking up early on Sunday morning was not as bad as everyone had expected it to be due to the anticipation of playing in the warm 70-degree weather. The fields of Hilton Head are definitely not the surface we are used to playing on. Barker Field, with its grass, dirt and mud terrain, made for an interesting adjustment to prepare for our game on Tuesday, but our team was up for the challenge. Needless to say, after a long two-hour practice in the heat, we were ready for a home-cooked meal.

My villa was picked to cook for everyone the first night, so when we went shopping at the famous Piggly Wiggly on Sunday after practice, the employees and residents of Hilton Head were a bit overwhelmed by the influx of our team.

The picture does not even show all of the compartments under the bus that contained the food we bought, but going shopping allows us to have all the food we want for the week.  For dinner, my villa chose to make baked ziti with garlic bread and salad along with a birthday cake for the newly 21 year old Alexandra Franck.

After being in Hilton Head last year for Spring Break, we knew all of the good spots we had to go back to visit. Besides our Bieber bus, our only method of transportation around the island was rented bikes. Being that all of us are between the ages of 18 and 22, one would think that we know how to ride a bike. However, that was not the case for sophomore Veronica Maccia. Unfortunately, she did not make it through our first bike ride on the island in one piece after falling off and scraping up her knees, hands and toes. She has the evidence to prove it with multiple scrapes and bruises.

The Salty Dog was a favorite among our team last year and the restaurant and shops were at the top of the list to go back to, where everyone either purchased a sweatshirt, long sleeve, hat or tank with the Salty Dog logo on it.

Although the Salty Dog was enjoyed by everyone, we knew the next day we had to get focused in order to win the game we came down here to play. We knew going into the game that it was going to be good competition against regional rivals Eastern University. The beginning seemed grim as we got off to a slow start, allowing Eastern to score in the first 30seconds of the game. At halftime we were up 8-7, but we knew we needed to make a lot of changes to win this game. We came out in the second half holding Eastern to three goals while we stepped up and rattled off five straight goals to solidify the win. After a game with multiple fouls and rough play we were proud to come out with the win. Knowing that we came down to Hilton Head on a 13-hour bus ride to play this one game gave us incentive to play without regrets and put everything out on the field.

The celebration of our win came to a sudden halt when we discovered that the “Muhlen-plague” had followed us to South Carolina. Unfortunately seven of us were unable to practice and be outside in the beautiful weather with the rest of our team. As I sit here writing this blog with Kaitlyn McCaffrey, the rest of our team is out enjoying a hibachi dinner, which has nothing on our Gatorade and saltine cracker diet.

This image of the lighthouse in Harbor Town will be forever embedded in our minds, especially on our long bus ride home on Friday. While we are sad to leave the beautiful Hilton Head, we need to focus on the rest of our season. The stomach bug won’t keep us down for long because when we come back to Allentown, we have our home opener Wednesday against Lebanon Valley, and our first conference game against F&M Saturday. Even though we had great experiences here we are excited to return back to Muhlenberg to continue our success as a team. HEE HAA HOO HAA, GO BERG!