Sports

Chatham celebrates winter athletes with “Midnight Madness”

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When you walked into the AFC on the night of Wednesday, October 14, you knew something was going on.

As the women’s Ice Hockey team, and the men’s and women’s Swimming and Diving, Basketball, and Indoor Track teams filed into the gym, the crowd in the stand began to grow as well. People lined up to get some Buffalo Chicken Dip and chips, and then they began to take their seats. After some mingling, the games began.

Competitions with the people in stands began, consisting of 3-on-3 and coaches vs. student 5-on-5. The crowd really got into it and really showed their school spirit.

As the hour neared midnight, the crowd began to die down. They anxiously waited to hear the announcement of the new 2015-2016 winter sports teams.

The announcer came on to introduce the women and men’s Swimming and Diving and Track teams. They then moved onto the women’s and men’s Basketball teams. The men’s team gathered around the center of the court and really got the crowd going with their enthusiastic chants.

After the conclusion of the announcements, the basketball teams had their own contests against each other. The coed shootout was greeted with lots of support from the fans.

One fan, sophomore Ava Iuliucci, had a great review of the event.

“I thought it was fun; it made it feel like it was an actual college, compared to last year where we couldn’t do that for the women’s teams,” she said.

There was then a skills contest among the women’s team and then the men’s. The competitors had to make a layup, dribble down the court, pass into a laundry basket, make a jump shot, then dribble down the court and pass to their partner.

After the event concluded, the teams all helped clean up and the fans began to leave. Many fans, both faculty and students, turned out for the event, making it a contender for a new Chatham tradition.

Women’s soccer team hits a brief rough patch

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The Chatham Cougars Women’s Soccer team hit a two game downhill slide. The first of the back to back losses came against the Thomas More, a nationally ranked team, on October 11. The Cougars were out-shot 19 to 3, and they lost the number of corner kicks at 11-0 and shots on goals. The Thomas More Saints won this match 0-7, leading the Cougars to suffer one of their hardest losses this season.

The second loss of the week came against the Golden Tornadoes of Geneva on October 14. It was a very close game, with the Cougars leading in goals for the majority of the game. It came close with Geneva scoring a goal within the final seconds of the game. This gave Geneva the win with a score of 4-5.

The game against Geneva was not without a stellar performance from the Cougars. First-year Emmory Tardivo saved 11 goals, sophomore Megan Sieg scored one goal and had two assists, first-year Kassianna Politis scored one goal and had one assist, and first-year Julie Bruening had one goal.

After a 3-0 win against Thiel on October 17, the Cougars record stands at 8-4 overall and 2-3 in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference.

Chatham Women’s Soccer continues to raise the bar

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The Chatham Women’s Soccer team continued to move forward as they faced Bethany College on Wednesday, October 7. As a President’s Athletic Conference (PAC) game, the women tried their best to bring the soccer PAC record to 1-1 for the season, and they succeeded. Having scored three goals to Bethany’s one by the time the first half was over, the game seemed to be in Chatham’s favor. However, as the second half began, the Cougars began to become a bit pressured by Bethany’s slightly more aggressive play style.

Bethany scored once again at the midpoint of the second half, but Chatham retaliated by scoring a goal of their own, bringing the game to 4-2. Chatham played a defensive game from that goal on, making sure they were able to box Bethany out and stop them from scoring again, keeping the final score of the game at 4-2; the goals of this game being scored by Kassianna Politis, Megan Sieg—with one assist by Skylar Benjamin—and Cassandra Small.

The game versus Bethany was a big one for the Cougars, in more ways than one. Not only did it help them continue to improve the Chatham University record for goals in a season, which is currently 40, but it also was the game that allowed the team to break the record for “Most Games Won in a Season,” by any Chatham Women’s Soccer team in the past. This means that during the season, the women’s soccer team has broken two records and tied one.

“It’s pretty exciting to know that we broke those records,” said first-year player Katie Sieg. “But now we just have to keep working harder each practice and improve every game.”

“It feels great breaking those records,” said sophomore Megan Sieg. “Our team has come a long way and it’s amazing to see all the improvements that we have made this year, so far.”

First-year Morgan Stamm had this to say about the season so far: “It’s an awesome feeling knowing that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. We are winning with finesse, and in doing so, we are making a better name for the Chatham University Soccer program.”

The Cougars continue their season with a current 7-2 record, pushing forward as their season winds down through the month of October.

For more information regarding Cougar Women’s Soccer, visit gochathamcougars.com

Athlete profile: Julie Bruening

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First year Julie Bruening, from Madison Ohio, has dedicated most of her life to the sport of soccer. This year has been slightly different. There are still the early or late practices, the tough coaches, and the intense competition, but now she is living with her teammates instead of just playing with them.

Bruening has been receiving quite a bit of attention recently as an athlete at Chatham. She has been named PAC Offensive Player of the Week, is currently tied with junior Skylar Benjamin for most goals in a game at four apiece, has scored ten goals overall this season so far, and has been recognized by NCAA as the top scorer of points per game in Division III Women’s Soccer.

“I’m really happy to have all these things, but it wasn’t just me. If it wasn’t for my teammates backing me up and the coaches supporting me, I probably wouldn’t have gotten this far,” Bruening said. “I think that you have to try your best because you know that the team has your back and that you have theirs. Teamwork really does make the dream work.”

Bruening continues to play during the season, while balancing a personal and academic life. In her free time, she likes to hang out with her friends and teammates.

Chatham women’s soccer team’s success continues

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Chatham University is all about setting records and making history. Many people thought males coming to the school would be the biggest historical change of the year, but they were wrong. The women’s soccer team has continued to live up to the standard of excellence that Chatham expects of its student-athletes.

In their game against Washington Adventist, the Cougars succeeded in breaking the school record of goals in a season, which was previously 33. The Cougars have scored 36 goals this season, a number that will only continue to increase as their season goes on.

About breaking the record during her first-year, Kat Luteri said, “It’s a great feeling. Soccer is such a big team sport and the effort of everyone went into getting this far.”

With a 6-1 record in the season so far, the Cougars Women’s Soccer team still has a lot of time to continue to set records and do great things as the season continues into October.

Chatham celebrates annual Division III Week

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Across the country, colleges and universities celebrated Division III Week (DIII Week) during the week of April 6. The week is dedicated, “to observe and celebrate the impact of athletics and of student-athletes on the campus and surrounding community,” according to the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). Chatham University is no stranger to DIII Week, celebrating student-athletes each year.

The NCAA introduced DIII Week in 2010 to better define the division as part of Division III’s Identity Initiative. It creates a platform for student-athletes to share why they chose to compete in Division III. Defined as a division where student-athletes can follow their passions and develop their potential, it is known for a better balance between athletics, academics, and campus interests. DIII Week is designed to integrate athletics into campus culture, including all campus departments, students, and alumni.

Sophomore Jesse Hinkle said, “DIII Week is a wonderful celebration of participating in athletics for the love of the game. It highlights successfully balancing college athletics and academics.”

Chatham University fully immerses itself into DIII Week, hosting events and programming almost every day of the week. Activities include National Student-Athlete Appreciation Day, hosting a Coaches Roundtable, a food drive, and the annual Patience T. Blayden athletics banquet honoring athlete accomplishments throughout the current school year.

“DIII Week gave our department an opportunity to interact with the campus community through the Coaches Conversation and the Carson Shout Out for Division III,” Head Swimming and Diving Coach Christina “Tilly” Sheets said. “During the Coaches Conversation, the coaches were able to give insight about what it is like to coach at the Division III level to faculty and staff. We had an excellent turnout for the event, which included over 50 members of the Chatham faculty and staff.”

Chatham athletes from each sport were highlighted throughout the week on posters placed around campus. The highlights included their reasons for choosing Chatham as well as their favorite moments of their season.

Highlighting the athletes’ competitive spirit, and their love of food, was the food drive, or better known as the Hungry Games. All members of the campus community were encouraged bring in canned goods to the Athletic and Fitness Center, Anderson Dining Hall, or a student-athlete. The donated items, designated to a specific team when turned in, will be given to Pittsburgh’s local Food Bank. The athletic team with the most donated items wins a food party.

The weeklong celebration was topped off with the athletics banquet. Coaches and athletes from all Chatham sports attended, sharing their season accomplishments with each other. President Barrazone praised both the athletes and coaches for the hard work that they put in every day. ESPY style awards were voted on and given to athletes for silly things, such as always having snacks to being the most likely to sleep through practice.

Coaches also gave out awards for the most accomplished athlete on each respective team, be it for athletic achievement or dedication. Coach Jason Evans, head ice hockey and softball coach, noted that the ice hockey team had a. “banner year,” breaking several team records, and that the softball team was making progress to finishing stronger than previous seasons.

Overall, Chatham had a successful Division III Week, involving student-athletes and the campus community.

**This article was updated on 4/16 to include a quote from Coach Christina “Tilly” Sheets.

Chatham basketball season comes to a close

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The Chatham University Cougar 2014-2015 basketball season came to an end on February 21. The Cougars rounded out their season with six wins and 19 losses.

While at home, the Cougars had a record of 5-7 (W-L). Their scores suffered while away, as they finished with a record of only one win and 12 losses. The Cougars did not play any games on neutral territory.

The Cougars averaged 57.6 points per game, totaling 1440 points throughout the season. Chatham’s effort was significant, but not enough to avoid an overall opponent point average of 72.2, totaling 1804 points during the season.

The star player of the season was Rachel McClain, a junior Exercise Science major. McClain averaged 12.3 points per game (the highest on the team), with her points overall equaling 295. She also played an average of 31.1 minutes per game (also the highest on the team), with a total of 747 minutes on the court. McClain plays guard.

Second to McClain was Megan Sieg, a first year Exercise Science major. Sieg averaged 11.2 points per game, and scored a total of 279 points in the season. She played a total of 764 minutes during the season (more than anyone on the team), and had an average of 30.6 minutes per game.

Sophomore Psychology major Jesse Hinkle earned the title of most rebounds 14 times during the season, the most of anyone on the team. She got a total of 147 rebounds during the season, with an average of 6.4 per game.

Jessica Manfredi, a sophomore Elementary and Special Education major, led the team in assists for the season, averaging 2.1 assists per game and 52 assists throughout the season. She was also the player with the third-highest number of minutes played, with 26 on average and 650 overall.

The highlight of the Cougar’s season came earlier this month on Senior Day. They played PAC Conference rival Geneva College and won 78-66.

During that game, the Cougars had a five-point lead into the half and ended up leading for the rest of the game.

The point leader for the game was sophomore Nikki Ingel with 19 points, followed by McClain, who finished with 17 points. The Cougars nailed 21 of their 25 free throws in the second half.

The Cougars will say goodbye to three seniors this season: Kayla Saylor, Becky Rowe, and Emily Schmidt.

Rowe averaged 19.6 minutes per game in 14 games this season. She averaged 7.9 points per game. Schmidt averaged 17.3 minutes per game in 14 games. She averaged 6.4 points per game.

The Cougars may not have come out with a winning record, but they can certainly boast of another season full of hard work, sportsmanship, and team effort.

Cougars basketball team drops close game against Thiel

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Chatham Basketball took a tough loss in its home game against Thiel College on February 4. The game–which raised money and awareness for the V Foundation for Cancer Research and Play 4Kay initiative as part of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, both of which support breast cancer research–was filled with excitement from start to finish.

The Cougars shone in the first half, leaving them up eight points at the half 33-25. Senior forward Emily Schmidt led her teammates in the first half, racking up eight points for the Cougars. She went on to score points in the second half, making her one of three Cougars that finished with double digit points by the game’s end.

Other highlights for Chatham throughout the game included junior guard Rachel McClain and sophomore guard Jessica Manfredi scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively. Sophomore forward Jesse Hinkle made eight rebounds, along with three assists and one steal to help out the Cougars. Schmidt also earned 10 rebounds, a team high from both her and Hinkle.

With only 53 seconds left in the game, Thiel tied Chatham 53-53. The Tomcats went on to score two more points from a Cougar foul with 14 seconds on the clock, giving Thiel the lead and the win at 55-53.

Chatham’s record drops to 5-15 for the season.

Chatham Cougars score double victory in dual swim meet

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The Chatham Swimming and Diving team won the home tri-meet against Penn State Altoona and Franciscan University on Saturday, January 31 at the Sigo Falk Natatorium. The Cougars beat Penn State Altoona 181-94, and Franciscan University 179-94.

The meet started out with a recognition celebration for seniors Kianna Hedjazi and Jessie Lippert. They received flowers, framed pictures and small gifts to commemorate their time as a Chatham athlete. Seniors from Franciscan and Penn State Altoona were also honored.

Standouts from Chatham included first year Anna Wolhaupter winning the 50-yard backstroke with a time of 30.20 and leading off the winning 200 yard medley relay, which also included sophomore Elina Lankinen, sophomore Theresa Schrider, and junior Alexis Rectenwald.

Lankinen also scooped up wins in the 50-yard breaststroke in 34.19 and the 500-yard freestyle in 5:47.09. Senior Kianna Hedjazi won the three-meter diving competition with a score of 259.25.

Chatham won several events at the meet, including the one-meter diving, 200-yard freestyle, 50-yard freestyle, 1000-yard freestyle, and 200-yard freestyle relay.

Lankinen was happy with her swims. “I am happy that our team did well, and I’m excited for PACs because we should do well as a team.”

This meet was the last meet for the Cougars before PAC championships, which will be held at Grove City College from February 11 through February 14.

Cougars basketball team falls to Wolverines 68-48

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The Chatham Cougars basketball team fell 68 to 48 against the Grove City Wolverines on Wednesday, January 14 at the Chatham University Athletic and Fitness Center (AFC).

Photo Credit: Kaylee LaPosta

Photo Credit: Kaylee LaPosta

The Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) game was filled with excitement as the Cougars battled back and forth with the Wolverines. Senior Becky Rowe started Chatham’s first half momentum with an early three-pointer.

The Cougars junior guard Anna Shashura led the team with 11 points, one assist, and one steal. Other major contributors to Chatham’s total score included junior guard Rachel McClain with eight points, four assists, and two steals and sophomore guard Nikki Ingel with nine points, two assists, and one steal.

Leading the team for the Wolverines was junior forward Kathryn Erbelding, with 20 points on the board.

At the end of the first half, the Cougars were down seven points. The team picked up energy in the second half, shooting five three-pointers to lessen the deficit in the score.

The Cougars fought back hard, but were unable pull ahead in the end. The loss drops Chatham’s season record to 4-10.