NCAA proposals to make changes

Heather DiLalla & Antonio Masone STAFF WRJTERS HCD722@CABRl'<I.EDU & MASONEANT@CABRJNI.EDU

The National Collegiate Athletic Association voted on 11 proposals this past January affecting Division III schools such as Cabrini. Most of the rule changes would cut down on the hours <if athletic participation to force student-athletes to focus more on academics.

One rule change affects students wishing to transfer. Prior to the winter of 2004, a student athlete interested in transferring had to be released by his or her athletic department before contacting another institution. Proposal 59 in the January voting allows "student athletes who wisb to transfer to another Division III college to contact such institutions without consulting with their current coaches or athletic directors."

Men's Lacrosse Coach Steve Colfer said, "It [Proposal 59] would have a negative effect. A coach should be involved at some level to provide some guidance with eligibility, financial aid, and things of that sort."

Others opposing Colfer argue that a Division III student athlete has the right to keep their options open without consulting their coach. Karen Pelkey, women's softball coach, said, "If you 're unhappy, you have the right to go. Division III is a more personal atmosphere; we don't own you."

Kate Corcoran, assistant women's basketball coach, agreed with Pelkey. She explained that Division Ill athletes are not receiving money to play and at the end of their schooling are forced to pay back massive loans. Corcoran went on to say that this rule is fair to students because they should have the right to choose the school they want to -transfer to.

Tracey Stabler, a second year student who participates in women's tennis, feels that because Division III does not offer scholarships the college should not have the final decision on whether a student can transfer to another school and participate in their activities.

According to Athletic Director Leslie Danehy, student athletes who redshirt due to a lack of playing time will no longer be tolerated in Division Jll programs. This proposal will be enforced mainly to discourage athletes from becoming a fiveyear students.

Another rule change eliminated "redshirting," the practice whereby a student would sit out of athletics for a year and still retain athletic eligibility for four years. Proposal 57 states that "athletes who do not compete in a specific season for legitimate academic reason, such as classtime conflicts or study abroad, can practice with their team at other times for the year without using a season of eligibility."

Junior English/communications major and field hockey player Holly Orlando said, "I do not agree with Division III players redshirting [unless they are hurt] because student athletes that go to Division III schools should be there primarily for an education."

The NCAA committee passed Proposal 63 that limited the nontraditional seasons to 16 practice days and one day of competition. Sports that rely on non-traditional seasons for practice and preparation of the upcoming regular season will be affected as a result

--ofthis rule chan ----~reu111ri11g ptayetS stmt off Sophomore softball player Jen on the right foot, academically Taggart said, "I think this rule is and socially," Colfer said. unfair because the off- season is Jackie Neary, head women's our only chance to compete field hockey and lacrosse coach, against Division I teams. So in a said, "I don't feel as though I am sense, this rule is holding us back as affected as say women's softfrom fulfilling our team goals ball or boys' lacrosse. Roughly 80 and proving ourselves as a good percent of my players participate team that is able to compete in two sports, so we don't really against higher division schools." have time for an off-season."

Men's lacrosse will feel the Two of the 11 proposals were effect of this rule change because rejected by the NCAA voting the traditional season does not committee. One rejected proposal begin until the second semester, had to do with decreasing the allowing the team less time to maximum number of games in prepare in the fall. "I like to have the traditional season, and the as much contact as possible to other to eliminate athletic particimake sure our freshmen as well pation in the "nontraditional" season.

"Limiting hours of the division that probably puts the least amount in is crazy. Unlike Division I, which may have mandatory game film and lifting programs, we work that into our 20 hours a week. We are hardly the abusers here," Colfer said.

Life without lacrosse

Besides redshirting, there are other common stories told of saved and lost NCAA eligibility.

A student- athlete may struggle with school- work for the duration of the semester, maintaining a GPA high enough to continue schooling, but low enough to lose an athletic scholarship, causing the athlete to leave his or her team. That was the case for third-year New York Institute of Technology attackman, Joe Droge.

Droge was given the option to take summer classes in order to raise his GPA for the following with professors over wo was not received, Droge felt that he was put in an unnecessary situation and decided to transfer.

Prior to the NCAA voting this past January, student-athletes did not have the option to speak with another coach or institution until the player was released by his or her coach and athletic department.

"When I decided I was going to leave my former school, Adelphi University, due to the controversy with the summer classes, my former coach told me he would help me transfer anywhere as long as it was not another Division ll school. At this point I was unhappy with the entire situation and decided to transfer to Suffolk County Community College to get my GPA back to where it should have been," Droge said.

Droge was a starting attackman and was also named to the All-New Y:orkCollegiate Athletic Conference Second Team at Adelphi his freshman year.

According to Droge, the situation at Adelphi left a sour taste in his mouth. Upon leaving he was not sure where he was headed, but had decided it was time to take a break from lacrosse.

After nearly a year and a half of spending hours at the gym, Droge returned to the field as a starting attackman for the NYIT Bears, a rival of his former school, Adelphi. "People made it seem that I was nothing without lacrosse," Droge said.

Following the April 10, 2004 meeting of the two teams, Droge who netted two goals and tallied two assists said, "Aside from winino thP tinn,il r " ninm:hin

Redshirt-freshman leads new team

Steve Hill was granted a medical redshirt from his former school, Drexel University, after being injured in the fall season of his freshman year.

Hill, a graduate of Ridley High School, is happy with the decision he made to join two other Ridley graduate, junior Rory Friel, and sophomore Kevin Rayer. "Playing with them has made the transition so much easier. I played on an attack line with the two of them in high school. They help me fit in," Hill said.

According to Hill, competition at the Division III level is much different. "Playing Division I, you have a job everyday of your life you have lacrosse. You spend your winters lifting and conditioning for the upcoming season," Hill said.

Now at Cabrini, Hill's grades have improved and he is happy with his overall situation. "My parents left the decision up to me. Cabrini had the best program in the area, and I felt that another year without lacrosse would cause me to lose interest and hurt my overall skill and development," Hill said.

Junior teamate Rory Friel said, "I have played with Steve from youth league to now in college. It is easy to say that he is the most fundamentally sound player on the field. He has made an immediate impact on the field."

As of April 22, 2004, Hill was at the top of the statistics list with ?? o-n,.Js" cl 1ve ssists.

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Flyers take 2-0 lead on Maple Leafs

Gina Peracchia STAFF WRITER

GMP722@cABRINLEDU power play, and they finally have a goalie who is hot at the right time."

They defeated the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, and as of Wednesday morning, the Flyers were leading their semifinal series against the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0. Both games were played in Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center where the crowds were going so crazy that you would have thought the Flyers just won the Stanley Cup.

In game one of the series, the Flyers were confident and ready for anything, including the tight defensive style of Toronto. To make it easier for the Flyers to deal with Toronto's defense, head coach Ken Hitchcock moved enforcer/goon, Donald Brashear, up from the 4th line to play on a line centered by Flyer's captain Keith Primeau. Using their size, they were able to shut down at this Toronto'sscor' line centere point in the playoffs, it's a big possibility. Flyers fan, Jordan Friter said, "[Coach] Ken Hitchcock has been there before. They can score goals on the by Joe Nieuwendyk. Tony Amonte and Toronto's Alexander Mogilny exchanged first period goals before Marcus Ragnarsson scored the game winner in the second period. Simon Gagne tacked on a late goal to seal the victory with 4:25 left in the game.

A plus for the Flyers heading into game one was the leg injury that made Toronto's #1 forward, Mats Sundin sit out for the game. Sundin came back for game two, but Nieuwendyk did not play due to an undisclosed injury.

One of the main reasons the Flyers have won six of the seven games they've played so far in the playoffs is because of goalie

In 6'!!~-e he stopped 23 shots, and he fol- lowed it up with 26 saves against the Leafs in game two, including several key saves in the closing minutes. In an interview with