CRUSaDER
T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R F A N S A N D S U P P O R T E R S O F H O LY C R O S S A T H L E T I C S
NATION Winter 2015
THE DRIVE FOR TROPHY #12
With unrivaled success in the Patriot League, Women’s Basketball gears up for another title run
Holy Cross places nine basketball players on the Winter 2015 • Crusader Nation Patriot League’s 25th Anniversary Teams Page 8
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AD’s Corner Fellow Crusaders,
In This Issue 3 Coach’s Game Plan
As we approach the end of 2015, I’d like to take a brief look back to draw your attention to some significant accomplishments from our student-athletes this fall. In football, junior quarterback Peter Pujals broke the school’s single game passing and total offensive yards records with 508 yards passing and 526 yards of total offense against Fordham. Men’s Soccer posted a breakthrough win against national power Duke and tied #8 Providence. The Men’s Rowing team won their sixth straight Snake Regatta, and the Women’s Rowing team finished 3rd. Our Field Hockey team achieved the most wins they have had since 2006. Finally, Holy Cross Athletics was recognized by the NCAA and ranked third nationally in Graduation Success Rate, demonstrating exceptional achievement in the classroom by our studentathletes.
Women’s Basketball
Winter sports are now underway, and if you were at any of the season openers you were able to experience Phase II of the Hart Center interior redesign that showcases student-athletes from all of our varsity sports. In addition to the visual improvements, you will also see products of some of our new corporate partners, like Gatorade, which not only supports Athletics financially, but also provides essential nutrition and recovery products for our student-athletes to compete at their peak performance. I look forward to seeing you at the Hart Center for a game soon.
Emily (Henry) Dickinson ‘11, Women’s
The end of the 2015 calendar year also signals the beginning of the Hart Center expansion and renovation project. Our entire department of student-athletes, coaches and staff is looking forward to the beginning of construction on this transformational project. There will be a lot of activity preparing the construction site for the start of work this winter. As with any large construction project, there will be some temporary inconveniences and we ask for your patience and support. Once completed, the new Hart Center will be the cornerstone of the Holy Cross Athletics competitive revival and I promise that it will be well worth the wait!
Crusader Nation
December 31 is right around the corner, and I would like to thank everyone who has made a gift to the Crusader Athletics Fund in 2015. Your generosity affords our student-athletes tools, training and opportunities they need to represent Holy Cross in the best possible way. For those who have not yet made a gift, please consider doing so before December 31, 2015. Within Holy Cross Athletics, we have emphasized how important each person’s gift is to our programs. To that end, our student-athletes and staff have responded impressively with 100% participation from the entire Athletics Department staff and our senior class of student-athletes! Please join us in making an investment in Holy Cross Athletics. Go Crusaders!
Nathan Pine Director of Athletics 2 Crusader Nation • Winter 2015
6 Paying it Forward Jim Glavin ‘57
7 Student Spotlight
Claire O’Brien ‘16, Swimming & Diving
8 LEAGUE LEADERS
Nine Alumni on Patriot League 25th Basketball Teams
11 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT...
Barry Parenteau Peter Van Buskirk
12 Catching Up With Crusaders Ice Hockey
13 Calendar
Sports Schedules
14 What I was Thinking
DiQuan Walker ‘18, Football
16 Why I Give
Produced by the Office of Advancement, Department of Athletics and Office of College Marketing and Communications DESIGNER Michael Grinley PHOTOGRAPHERS Neil DeKrey, Mark Hasprzk, Tom Rettig, Gil Talbot C R U S A D E R N AT I O N Office of Advancement College of the Holy Cross One College Street Worcester, MA 01610 Phone: 508-793-2415 Email: crusaderathletics@holycross.edu Website: GoHolyCross.com
Coach’s Game Plan The Drive for Trophy #12 With unrivaled success in the Patriot League, Women’s Basketball gears up for another title run By Chris Edmonds ’04
A
s long as the Patriot League has been around, Holy Cross’ Women’s Basketball team has been winning titles. No other league member can match the Crusaders’ record these last 24 years: 18 championship game appearances and 11 rings. That kind of history sets a high bar year in and year out. This year’s squad understands that, and given recent history,
Seniors Lisa Mifsud of Erie, Pa., Molly Hourigan of Memphis, N.Y., Raquel Scott of Ridgewood, N.J., & Katie Gillespie of Washington, D.C., hope to join Head Coach Bill Gibbons in the winner’s circle. Winter 2015 • Crusader Nation 3
also knows the challenges that lie ahead to grab trophy number 12. The 2014-15 season ended in disappointment — an upset loss to Lehigh in the Patriot League tournament — which followed three straight seasons of championship game appearances, but no titles. If the team ever needed an extra push heading into this season, there it is. “We got there but didn’t win, and that means we weren’t good enough,” said Raquel Scott, a senior captain. “That’s our motivation. We shouldn’t be comfortable with where we are now.” And where they are, on the precipice of a new season, is in the gym, getting ready for a loaded non-conference schedule followed by a typically challenging league slate. It will be a monthslong grind, for sure, but early signs suggest this year’s outfit has the chance to equal past feats and add another Coach Gibbons reinforces his game plan.
4 Crusader Nation • Winter 2015
title to the trophy case. “With the senior leadership, the good mix of young and veteran players, and the hunger I’ve seen, there’s a similar feeling this year to a lot of those [championship] years,” said Coach Bill Gibbons, who is entering his 31st season as Head Coach at Holy Cross. “It’s a long journey and a lot of things can happen, but I’m really excited about the upcoming season.”
Starting over but starting strong That journey began nearly as soon as the final whistle sounded on March 6, 2015, when the Crusaders fell to the Mountain Hawks in the league quarterfinals at the Hart Center. The defeat served as a reminder of how cruel tournaments can be: win and you keep playing, lose and your season is over. “It was one of the worst games we had all season,” said Scott, a First Team AllPatriot League selection last season.
From that, however, has sprung the 2015-16 team’s motto: All in. As in, all in during individual summer workouts straight through preseason, non-conference play, the league season and the league tournament. As in, all in with the singular goal of winning the program’s 12th Patriot League title. “We don’t want the pit in our stomachs from another loss,” said Lisa Mifsud, a guard and one of the team’s four seniors. “It’s all about working hard, preparing and being ready to win the league.” That foundation gets laid during the summer, when the onus falls on each individual player to maintain her conditioning and basketball sharpness. “It’s not an easy job, not with so many players also juggling internships and various commitments, but it’s a vital period,” said senior guard Kate Gillespie. “That is where the discipline and responsibility come in,”
she said. “How hard are you working when no one’s watching?” The proof came when the team reconvened on campus in September to start the fall semester: “All the players came back in shape,” said sophomore guard Katie Doherty, a Patriot League All-Rookie team pick last season. “It looked like everyone worked hard in the summer to stay in shape and fix the things they needed to work on.” Not that their coach would have expected any less of a team that returns nine of its top 10 players from a year ago. “I know the women have worked very hard this summer,” Gibbons said. “That drive is there to get the trophy back and hang another banner.”
New and improved Winning the league title would further another of the program’s and the players’ goals: raising the profile
First Team and Academic All-Patriot League player Raquel Scott ‘16 lines up a shot.
of Holy Cross Women’s Basketball on campus, in the conference and across the country. Nothing spurs that quite like winning. It also helps to play — and play well — against top competition, like Penn State, Boston College, and the University of Pittsburgh, where they will travel to compete on Dec. 6. “Playing bigger schools is always a great learning experience for us,” said senior center Molly Hourigan. “But at the end of the day, they’re just another basketball team. They tie their sneakers the same; they dribble, rebound, and shoot just like we do.” In those big games, Hourigan added, “you’ve got to keep yourself grounded. You can’t be too cocky, but you also can’t be afraid.” Such marquee games also serve as a measuring stick for the team’s league-title aspirations. “If we can compete against these women at the highest level of college basketball, we should be able to win the Patriot League,” said Gillespie. And the visits to Pennsylvania hold special significance for Mifsud, one of five players who hail from the Keystone State. “I have a lot of friends at Pitt and Penn State,” she said, “and my mom’s whole family is from Pittsburgh.” The tough non-conference schedule for this winter continues a trend from the past several years that has seen the Crusaders face off against the likes of Notre Dame, Iowa State and Florida. It also goes hand-inhand with other changes in the program and the Athletics department, in general. And those range from the small, such as a new shotrebounder and renovations to office space for coaches,
to the major, such as planned improvements to transform the Hart Center. All of those efforts are designed, according to Athletics Director Nathan Pine, “to get us to the top of the mid-majors.”
Captain Katie Gillespie ’16
“Holy Cross is a special place,” Pine said, “and athletics will take huge steps in the next few years. We’re changing the whole outlook on the importance of athletics and what it does for our studentathletes, how the education they receive beyond the classroom really sets them up for success in the future.”
Katie Doherty ‘18
And Holy Cross’ Women’s Basketball is a special program in its own right: “Without question, Holy Cross has been a dynasty in the Patriot League,” said Pine, “and that’s how we see ourselves moving forward. Coach Gibbons has had great success and very good players have come through and developed under his leadership.” For his part, Gibbons said the enthusiasm is palpable for the direction of his and every other program. “I can see in our women’s eyes that they’re excited to be a part of Holy Cross basketball right now,” he said.
Challenges ahead Also right now is a focus on improving areas the team needs to strengthen as they translate that enthusiasm into wins. Gibbons cited improving rebounding and focusing on making defensive stops at key times. Mifsud, who made the All-Patriot League third team last winter, mentioned communicating better on the court and off it. The common theme: a close attention to the details, to doing the little things right while building toward larger goals. Because chances
It’s all for one and one for all in the Crusaders’ huddle. Winter 2015 • Crusader Nation 5
are, at some point this winter, a game will swing on one of those little things.
Paying it Forward: Jim Glavin ’57
Of course that doesn’t all just happen on Day One. So, how do you achieve success? “It’s a process,” said Gibbons.
More than 50 years later, Jim Glavin’s commitment to Holy Cross Hockey remains unwavering. As a member of the Hockey program during his time on The Hill, Glavin remembers the impact the sport had on him: “It made all the difference in how I enjoyed the school — the team bonding, the sense of belonging to something beyond yourself.”
“We’ve competed for championships and really anything besides a title and a trip to the NCAAs is not deemed a success with our women,” said Gibbons, “and that’s the right way to have it.” That championship-or-bust mentality fits with the team’s “All in” motto, and it’s why players were up for 6 a.m. workouts several times a week. “It’s tough getting up,” said Doherty, “but we’ve really been working hard and we have great energy in the mornings. Now, if we can take that same energy and put it into everything we do, that will help us all the way through to playoffs.” Gillespie sees it the same way: getting over the championshipgame hump isn’t something that just happens in March. “The foundation for that is set in the preseason, the hard conditioning, the lifts and pickup on top of that. It’s tough, but it prepares us for the long haul of the season.” “Every Patriot League game is a big game,” said Gillespie. “Every team is like our archrival — we play the same teams so often and each game means so much for the standings. It’s two months of big games.” And then about 10 days of make-or-break contests in the Patriot League Tournament, resulting — the team hopes — in the dynasty’s latest ring. “Obviously, we want to get that trophy back where it belongs, in the Hart Center,” said Gibbons. “It’s a matter of winning that one more game, of finishing the job.” 6 Crusader Nation • Winter 2015
Glavin has watched the Hockey program evolve and grow since graduating in 1957, when it was much smaller and self-contained. Through his generous donations and his service to various hockey committees, like Friends of Crusader Hockey, Glavin has had his own hand in bettering the program for the students after him. “Hockey is the only sport I’ve ever played and loved, and I want the program to thrive,” he says. Glavin recalls the Hockey Team’s historic 2006 win over Minnesota as the underdogs in the NCAA Tournament. “I hope the school never forgets that win in overtime. It was a huge upset and a phenomenal victory.” This moment exemplifies the growth of the program and the potential of its future for Glavin. “Holy Cross hockey players have gone on to play in the NHL. The program’s success and the players’ skills are beyond anything we could have thought when we played hockey there.”
This bright future is not only reserved for the Hockey Team, but also for the Athletics program as a whole. “It’s great to see how many sports are played at the College now. I am thrilled that there are so many opportunities for students to participate in athletics,” says Glavin, who believes the value of the program lies in the balance it creates between the athletic demands and academic rigor of Holy Cross, which shaped him at an early age. For Glavin, supporting Holy Cross is a central way of giving back and keeps him connected. “Whether you want to admit it or not, you owe some of your success to how your school shaped you. I want the school to know that I appreciate the changes that it left in me.”
Men’s Hockey celebrates its historic win over Minnesota in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
2016 Ram-Crusader Cup Holy Cross vs. Fordham Saturday, November 12, 2016 Time: 3 p.m. (subject to change because of television) Yankee Stadium Bronx, NY Tickets can be purchased beginning Nov. 2, 2015 at 10 a.m. Purchase online at GoHolyCross.com/Tickets or by calling 1-844-GOCROSS.
Student spotlight Claire O’Brien ’16
Women’s Swimming and Diving Claire O’Brien ’16 (Bedford, N.Y.), captain of the Women’s Swimming and Diving team, has competed in 22 individual events during her tenure at Holy Cross. She has achieved career bests in the 500 free (5:28.32), 50 free (26.71) and 50 back (29.92) at the Patriot League Championship, and in the 200 back (2.13.52) at the Harold Anderson Invitational. She is a member of the Holy Cross Leadership Academy, is on the Senior Class Gift Committee, and is a president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She has been named to the Patriot League Honor Roll and First Dean’s List. Her father, Andrew J. O’Brien ’85, attended Holy Cross, as well as her two older sisters, Molly ’11, who also served as captain of the Swimming team, and Haley ’13.
Q How much did your father’s
Q Other than Molly, did anyone
A Holy Cross has always been an
A Although they weren’t on the
Holy Cross spirit impact your decision to apply and attend the school?
important place to my family. Because of that I always felt a connection and a pride for the school, so I applied early decision. It was always the college I wanted to attend.
Q How about your sisters? Did they help shape your decision or impact you in any way?
A Although Molly and I never
overlapped at school, she was on the Swimming team and was a team captain, like me, when she was a senior. Haley was a senior when I was a freshman and she didn’t swim but was very focused on academics. Both of them were great role models for me as I made a decision to take both athletics and academics very seriously.
else in your family swim for Coach Barry Parenteau?
Swim team, my dad and my aunt, Beth McGrath ’87, actually lifeguarded for Barry when they were at school. Barry was coaching when they were here as well, so it is pretty cool that my coach not only knows the family but has seen us throughout the years.
Q How have you enjoyed your Holy Cross experience overall?
A I am glad I went to a liberal arts
college because it gave me the chance to explore my passions and interests. I think that is shown by how I am involved in a broad range of cocurriculars. For example, I created my own major in architecture, in addition to an art history major, participated on a team and more. Holy Cross has helped me discover who I am.
Q
Speaking of cocurricular activities, I took a spin class and you were the instructor! What made you want to become a spin instructor on top of all of your other responsibilities?
A Like everything in my life, I am a
real believer that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. In this case, spinning is something I’ve loved forever. So why not teach it and be a leader in an activity I love.
Q What do you want to do after college?
A I am applying to graduate school
to become an architect. I have always loved art and design but was never talented enough to be a painter. This will be a great way to pursue what I am passionate about. By Catherine Rutter ’16 Winter 2015 • Crusader Nation 7
LEAGUE Holy Cross places nine basketball players on Patriot League’s 25th anniversary men’s and women’s teams By Chris Edmonds ’04
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WOM E N ’S TE A M
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o mark its 25th anniversary, the Patriot League this summer released anniversary all-star teams, the best of the best in each sport. Nine Crusaders made the basketball rosters. Here, we catch up with the honorees.
NORINNE POWERS ’93
LAUREN (MANEY) GEORGE ’96
Highlights: Patriot League Player of the Year (1992, 1993), AllDecade Team; two PL titles
Highlights: Patriot League Player of the Year (1995, 1996), All-Decade Team; seventh on PL career scoring list; three PL titles
Norinne Powers admits she was never “the biggest powerhouse.” She thrived by relying on intelligence and craft. That paid dividends on The Hill and, for five years, in Germany’s top professional league. She pursued art history studies at the University of Stuttgart and, after her career, at the University of Oregon. She stayed in Eugene, but switched to kinesiology. Now she splits her time between painting and work at a physical therapy clinic. And she plays basketball – 15 years with the same pickup crew. “I’m the only woman, but I just got into a groove.”
Lauren Maney spent her years at Holy Cross picking apart defenses. These days, she picks apart financial records at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston. She still carries lessons she learned at Holy Cross: “Coach Gibbons instilled that when you put on that uniform, you represent Holy Cross and you have to take pride in that,” she said. “Working for the federal government, it’s the same kind of mantra.” About two years ago, Maney, a mother of four, started playing in a pickup league. Like so many on the anniversary teams, she heard the news from a teammate — a text from Kathy Courtney.
LEADERS KATHLEEN (COURTNEY) MESSIER, M.D. ’97
AMY (O’BRIEN) DAVAGIAN ’99
ANNA (KINNE) PATEL ’00
Highlights: Patriot League Player of the Year (1997), Rookie of the Year (1994), PL Female ScholarAthlete of the Year (1997), AllDecade Team; two PL titles
Highlights: Patriot League Player of the Year (1998, 1999), Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year (1998-99), All-Decade Team; three PL titles
Highlights: Patriot League Player of the Year (2000), Tournament MVP (1999, 2000), All-Decade Team; three PL titles
Like so many here, sports has opened doors for Kathy Courtney: “My boss hired me because I played college basketball. That was one of the first things he said.” It also helped that she had degrees from Holy Cross and Georgetown Medical School. “I loved my time with Coach Gibbons,” said Courtney, a pediatrician in Winchester, Mass., “and I had the best teammates in the world.” So good that eight of Courtney’s 12 bridesmaids were Holy Cross players. “One of the most important things I learned from Coach Gibbons was to be thankful for what you have,” she said. “I’m a mom, I have a nice career, but you can never take things for granted.”
A Worcester native and long a Crusader fan, Amy O’Brien remembers being in middle school and watching Norinne Powers — “one of my idols” — play. After her distinguished career, O’Brien tried pro ball, but after three months in Germany she opted to return home. She thought about law school but ended up with a master’s in education and a middle school classroom. After a break to have children, she’s now a kindergarten assistant. And she’s still in the gym: as a game official and as a TV analyst covering Holy Cross Women’s Basketball games. “It’s an honor to be picked,” she said of the anniversary team, “but at the same time, we wouldn’t be here without our teammates.”
After four years on the court, Anna Kinne spent five on Bill Gibbons’ coaching staff. Kinne’s now a guidance counselor at a Catholic school in Connecticut, but keeps close what she learned her final year as a player. “As a senior captain, you were never allowed to have a bad day. You always had to be there to support your teammates. That’s really stayed with me.” With two kids and a career, there isn’t much time for getting back to Worcester. Good thing, Kinne said, that the Crusaders often play at Yale and she can see the new group of women playing as she did, “being part of a team, part of something greater than yourself — that’s one thing I cherished about Holy Cross.”
Winter 2015 • Crusader Nation 9
LEAGUE LEADERS
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MEN’S TEAM
ROBERT “ROB” FEASTER ’95
TIM SZATKO ’03
KEVIN HAMILTON ’06
KEITH SIMMONS ’07
Highlights: Patriot League Player of the Year (1995), Rookie of the Year (1992), Tournament MVP (1993), AllDecade Team; PL title
Highlights: Patriot League Player of the Year (2001); PL Rookie of the Year (2000); PL Tournament MVP (2002); three PL titles
Highlights: Patriot League Player of the Year (2005); PL Defensive Player of the Year (2006); PL title
Highlights: Patriot League Player of the Year (2007), Tournament MVP (2007); AP All-America honorable mention (2007); PL title
Rob Feaster still holds the league’s singleseason scoring mark and ranks second on the career list. He went from sinking baskets at the Hart Center to doing the same overseas for 11 years. Now he’s a physical education teacher at a middle school in Indiana. “It’s an impoverished, low socio-economic area,” he said. “I grew up like these kids, and I try to be an example.” A mentor, he uses sports to reach kids. “I try to find a lever and use that to get them motivated.” As for the scoring, Feaster’s still got it: “I’m in a 40-andolder league ... but I’m still giving them 25 to 30 points a game.”
In the early 2000s, Tim Szatko played a key role in three oh-soclose NCAA Tournament games. After graduation, he tried his hand at pro ball, mainly in Portugal, but it couldn’t compare: “It was really humbling,” he said. After two years, he moved to Chicago and settled into the sales and business development worlds. These days, he’s in financial services and with a company that rehabs properties in the city. He still plays basketball, and he credits the sport with helping his career. “It’s something to break the ice with, to be able to say I played in the tournament against Dwayne Wade.”
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A two-time league scoring champion and still its career steals leader, Kevin Hamilton went from The Hill to a pro career in Europe and Latin America. This summer, however, he decided to retire: “I’ve had a pretty great career,” he said. With daughters 2 and 6 and his wife finding a new position in New York, it felt like the right time. Hamilton has his eye on the finance and business management worlds, and he’s doing what so many graduates do: networking. “I’ve been fortunate enough to sit down with people and talk about my next career,” he said. “I’m looking for the right opportunity.”
During his time on the Hill, Keith Simmons scooped accolades nearly as often as he lit up opposing defenses. He lead the Patriot League in scoring once, three-point field goal percentage twice and, for three straight years, was named to the League’s first team. In his final season, he landed an honorable mention All-America nod. And the ball’s still bouncing for Simmons’ professional career. Since 2009, Simmons has been with Banvit in the Turkish Basketball League.
10 things to know about... Barry Parenteau: Swimming & Diving Barry Parenteau enters his 41st season in 2015-2016 as Head Coach of the Swimming and Diving programs. Parenteau assumed a fulltime role at Holy Cross in 1983 when he was named Aquatics Director of the swimming and diving facility at the Hart Center. 1. Barry’s father, Paul Parenteau, was head coach of Men’s Swim- ming at Holy Cross for 31 years prior to his son’s appointment. 2. Has coached the women’s program since its inception in 1975. 3. Is a two-time Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. 4. Coached Holy Cross’ first women’s All-American, Callie Taffe ’81. 5. Has swum more laps than anybody else in the Hart Center pool. 6. Additionally has a 40-year career as a referee for college and high school football. 7. Competed against Holy Cross swim teams, coached by his father, all four years while a student-athlete at Bridgewater State (1970-1974). 8. American Red Cross volunteer and lifeguard trainer. 9. Taught special education in the Worcester Public Schools for nine years. 10. A Worcester native and father of three daughters, he resides in Millbury with his wife, Dale.
Peter Van Buskirk: Women’s Ice Hockey Peter Van Buskirk enters his 16th season as Head Coach of the Women’s Ice Hockey team at Holy Cross. Under his tenure, the team has accumulated a record of 232-132-29 over the past 15 seasons. He coached the Crusaders to an ECAC Open Tournament Championship in 2015. It was the team’s seventh straight appearance in the title game, and fifth championship victory. 1. Graduate of the University of New Hampshire and Boston State College. 2. Taught in the Hudson, Mass., school system for 18 years. 3. Head Coach of the men’s program for 10 years. 4. Served as Director of the Hart Center for a number of years while coaching. 5. Member of the Hudson High School Hall of Fame as a player and coach, and the University of New Hampshire Hall of Fame as a hockey/baseball player. 6. National Coach of the Year in 1983 in the American Hockey Coaches Association, and in the Women’s ECAC East League in 2009. 7. Played on the eighth Army Championship Baseball Team in 1967. 8. Has driven across the United States seven times. 9. Entering his 34th season as a member of Holy Cross Athletics. 10. Married to Susan. Daughter, Kirsten, is class of 2001. Winter 2015 • Crusader Nation 11
CATCHING UP WITH Crusaders Emily (Henry) Dickinson ’11
F
rom the classroom to the ice hockey rink, Emily (Henry) Dickinson’s life after The Hill is greatly informed by her time on it. Before graduating in 2011, Dickinson, a native of Saskatchewan, Canada, was an important member of the Women’s Ice Hockey team and a history major. It was when she decided to explore American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Studies that her athletic and academic pursuits came together in a wonderful way. “I chose to take ASL to fulfill my language requirement, and ended up finding my passion,” says Dickinson. Through community-based learning, and with the help of mentors like Judy Fask, former professor and director of the Deaf Studies program at the College, Dickinson had the opportunity to work with a Deaf girl who was the goalie on an all-boys hearing hockey team. She assisted the young girl in communicating to her teammates, while also assisting the other players in communicating with her. “This experi-
ence shaped my time at Holy Cross,” she shares. “Being immersed into the Deaf community exposed me to the importance of access to equal communication and advocating for others. On a personal level, the Deaf community gave me a broader cultural perspective that took me outside my comfort zone.” Dickinson’s work with the Deaf community continued to evolve after graduation. She spent three years working at St. Joseph’s School for the Deaf in the Bronx, New York, which led her to realize that she not only wanted to continue working with the Deaf community, but more specifically through a career in Deaf education. “I chose Deaf education because it gives me an opportunity to assist young Deaf individuals academically and socially. I enjoy teaching students the importance of self-advocacy in a predominately hearing world and the value of embracing Deaf culture.”
Since earning her master’s degree in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Early Childhood Education at Hunter College in New York, Dickinson worked at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Pittsburgh, and recently moved with her husband and fellow alumnus, Gerald Dickinson ‘09, to Philadelphia where she works as an itinerant teacher of the Deaf with the Philadelphia Department of Education. “At Holy Cross we are taught to be men and women for others — and I truly believe in that mission,” says Dickinson. “I work with many socially and economically disadvantaged students. Holy Cross taught me the importance of having a sense of community. My role as a Deaf and hard of hearing teacher today is to foster that same sense of community with my students and their families and to bridge a gap between the Deaf and hearing students. I believe I am part of this cause, which is much greater than myself.” Beyond this vocation, Dickinson’s love of hockey has also continued with her after Holy Cross. She took up coaching girl’s hockey in Central Park in New York with the help of former teammate Stephanie Cousin ’09. Dickinson still makes time to play competitive hockey, having joined several leagues while living in New York, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and even runs the occasional half-marathon. Dickinson shares her active lifestyle with her husband, a former member of the varsity Men’s Soccer team whom she met at Holy Cross. “My family and time at Holy Cross gave me a foundation and the ability to have a broader and richer perspective on life,” Dickinson offers. “My four years on The Hill, on and off the ice, blessed me with a lifetime of memories, networking opportunities and friendships.”
Emily married former Crusader soccer player Jerry Dickinson ’09.
12 Crusader Nation • Winter 2015
By Evangelia Stefanakos ’14
Calendar
2015-2016 Winter Home Events and Notable Dates December
February
2 Women’s Basketball vs. Vermont 4 Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Mercyhurst 5 Men’s Basketball vs. Albany 12 21 30
7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 2:05 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Mercyhurst 7:05 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Manhattan 1:05 p.m. Women’s Ice Hockey vs. Colby 3:05 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Dartmouth 11:15 a.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Maine 7:05 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. McGill (exh.) 4:05 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Boston University 7:05 p.m.
January 2 6 9 13 15 16 20 22 23 27 29 30
Women’s Basketball vs. Navy Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Princeton
1:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m.
Men’s Hockey game is at the DCU Center
Men’s Basketball vs. Colgate 7:05 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Bucknell 1:05 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Lafayette 7:05 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Robert Morris 7:05 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Lehigh 1:05 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Robert Morris 7:05 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Army West Point 7:05 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Canisius 7:05 p.m. Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving vs. Providence 11:00 a.m. Women’s Basketball vs. American 1:05 p.m. Women’s Ice Hockey vs. St. Michael’s 2:05 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Canisius 7:05 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Loyola (Md.) 7:05 p.m. Women’s Ice Hockey vs. Castleton State 6:05 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Navy 1:05 p.m.
Home Venues unless otherwise noted
Baseball: Fitton Field Basketball: Hart Center Ice Hockey: Hart Center Lacrosse: Holy Cross Field Softball: Freshman Field Swimming & Diving: Hart Center Tennis: Sinnott Family Tennis Facility
1-844-GOCROSS
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goholycross.com/tickets
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Women’s Basketball vs. Colgate 7:05 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Bucknell 1:05 p.m. Women’s Ice Hockey vs. Franklin Pierce 3:05 p.m. Baseball Lead-off Dinner 6:00 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Lafayette 7:05 p.m. Women’s Ice Hockey vs. UMass Boston 3:05 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Air Force 7:05 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Lehigh 1:05 p.m. Women’s Ice Hockey vs. St. Anselm 2:05 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Air Force 7:05 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse vs. Boston College 4:05 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Army West Point 7:05 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. AIC 7:05 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse vs. Sacred Heart 1:05 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. American 12:05 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse vs. Bryant 4:05 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Loyola (Md.) 7:05 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Boston University 1:05 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Sacred Heart 7:05 p.m.
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Men’s Lacrosse vs. Loyola (Md.) 2:05 p.m. Men’s Lacrosse vs. Brown 5:05 p.m. Men’s Lacrosse vs. Bucknell 1:05 p.m. Men’s Tennis vs. Fordham 11:00 a.m. Baseball vs. Yale (DH) 1:05 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse vs. Harvard 6:05 p.m. Baseball vs. UMass Lowell 5:05 p.m. Men’s Lacrosse vs. Jacksonville 11:05 a.m. Women’s Lacrosse vs. Navy 2:05 p.m. Baseball vs. Brown (DH) 1:05 p.m. Baseball vs. Hartford 5:05 p.m. Softball vs. UMass Lowell 2:35 p.m. Women’s Lacrosse vs. Army West Point 4:05 p.m. Baseball vs. Harvard 5:05 p.m.
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Check GoHolyCross.com for schedule updates Winter 2015 • Crusader Nation 13
What I Was Thinking... 14 Crusader Nation • Winter 2015
“I was thinking … this is as good as it gets. Coach Gilmore always stresses that there is nothing quite like the experience of playing college football, that it is one of the best experiences we will have in our lives. I knew he was right at this moment. When I ran out onto the field during Homecoming Weekend, we had a huge crowd in the stadium and I was pumped. I realized at that moment that as Crusaders we are not just playing for ourselves, we are representing the College and all of our fans as well. It was a proud moment. An exciting moment.”
#3 DiQuan Walker ’18 Running back from Clearwater, Fla. Holy Cross vs. Colgate, Homecoming Weekend Sept. 26, 2015
Winter 2015 • Crusader Nation 15
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Why I Give Lorn Davis ’90 (Dedham, Mass.) Basketball
“Holy Cross was a fantastic place for me, providing an excellent education, a remarkable athletic experience, and significant life-long relationships that have greatly benefited me throughout my adult life. While I know that Holy Cross is a great place, even for a young man from Jacksonville, Fla., my mother instructed me to always try to leave things a little bit better than I found them. My wife, Tamar, and I give to contribute to Holy Cross’ effort to make things even better as the College invests to improve the academic, athletic, and social experience for current and future students on The Hill.”
Rev. Kevin Donovan ’83 (Wolcott, Conn.) Rowing
“I give to the Crusader Athletics Fund every year not simply because I was a member of the Rowing team but especially because of the friendships I continue to enjoy today with some of my teammates. The bonds we formed on our hallways, in classrooms and rowing together on Lake Quinsigamond continue to sustain me in my life and work as a parish priest. I rely on the support and encouragement of those teammates, as well as other friends from Holy Cross. I donate to CAF each year in the hope that today’s Holy Cross student-athletes will have an experience similar to mine.”
Katherine-Anne “Kat” Sipolt Rosenthal ’13 (Boston, Mass.) Softball
“Softball was the most wonderful part of my Holy Cross experience. I will never forget the sense of pride I felt while pulling on my Crusader uniform before every game. I may not have had the most illustrious career, but the memories from Freshman Field will stay with me for my entire life. HCSB became my family and will continue to be for years to come. I donate to continue my relationship with the team, to make sure future players have an amazing experience, just as I did, doing the book, pinch running, or catching the perfect game.”
Find Us
Phone: 508-793-2415 Email: crusaderathletics@holycross.edu GoHolyCross.com Stay in touch with Crusader Athletics via social media
16 Crusader Nation • Winter 2015