Lady Cav’s soccer: strong despite weak record

Senior’s last chance at PAC’s

LAURA VAN DE PETTE STAFFWRITER LCV722@CABRINI EDU

Senior Diana Frosh plays defense for the Lady Cavs soccer team, but only 14 more games before her last season will be complete. With five losses on their record, Frosh is experiencing some mixed emotions concerning her last season with the Lady Cavs. The loss of two top scorers to injury and transfer, the addition of six new freshmen and a difficult start to her final season has not been easy for Frosh, but her positive outlook and leadership qualities have kept her optimistic as she plays in her final season.

After playing four hectic years of soccer, basketball and softball at Interboro High School, Frosh graduated in 2001. She continued to play soccer and softball at Cabrini, where she is an elementary education major. Frosh plans to attend West Chester University or a southern college to obtain her Masters degree in education. But before she leaves Cabrini, she still plans to make the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference championship in both soccer and softball.

Some soccer fans may say she’s too optimistic as the soccer team’s current record is an abysmal 1-5, but she is confident the Lady Cavs will play in the PAC championship. Frosh said,

“The Lady Cavs are a completely new team this year and some girls are playing positions they are not used to playing in. We are starting to come together, but we also struggled in the beginning of last year and we still came together to win the PAC championship.”

In addition to a rocky start to their season, the Lady Cavs were forced to adjust to playing offense without their leading scorers, Christine Watson, who transferred, and Mary Remoli, junior, who suffered a severe knee injury after scoring 47 goals last season. Regarding these two losses, Frosh said, “You can tell from our record that we have not been scoring as much as we would like or as much as last year, but we are working on our shots daily at practice.”

As one of three seniors on the women’s soccer team, Frosh said, “I am always talking positively on the field and providing constant motivation when they are frustrated by a loss.” Fellow softball teammate, Megan O’Brien said, “Diana’s key to athletic success is dedication to her teammates and keeping them positively motivated.”

Unlike many seniors who discount freshmen, Frosh said, “I feel they are making a great impact on our team. The freshmen who receive playing time are really great and the freshman that are getting less playing time support us while the team is on the field.”

Besides her constant motivation and genuine support for the freshmen, Frosh said “The one sure way to get the team to feel positive and pumped for a game is to listen to our warm-up music. Baba O’Riley by The Who is our favorite!”

When asked about what she will miss most about playing sports at Cabrini, the sentimental Frosh said, “Awww, you just got me sad. I don’t even want to think about my final games!” She explained she will miss game days and being goofy at practice and most of all her fellow players, some of whom have become her best friends.

If Frosh seems like a loveable and goofy sports nut, it’s because she is. Along with her amazing athletic ability is her genuine love for her teammates, including the newly adopted freshman. This semester Frosh is living offcampus at nearby Kingswood apartment complex and she said, “I love having my independence!” She really enjoys spending time with her teammates off the field, as they often come to her apartment to just hang-out and be silly.

From her love for Led Zeppelin music to her unique bathroom walls covered in handpainted Simpson characters, this senior is truly one of a kind both on and off the soccer field. When Frosh describes herself as responsible, athletic, funny, smart and absolutely crazy, her teammates can attest she is absolutely correct!

Freshman’s first season

CHRISTINE BLOM STAFFWRITER CBB722@CABRINI EDU

Erin O’Brien is one of the newest additions to the Lady Cavalier's soccer team. O’Brien has been playing soccer for the last 14 years and she says she has enjoyed every minute of it.

O’Brien is a Garnett Valley graduate and Boothwyn, Pa. resident. She was a midfielder in high school and continues to play that position here at Cabrini.

Athletes set goals for themselves on and off the field. “I want to work hard and do the best that I can do,” O’Brien said. She is hoping to succeed by doing well in her classes and in the games.

The women have high expectations for themselves especially since last season they were PAC champions. “I hope we at least make it to the playoffs but it would be great if we could win the PACs again,” O’Brien said.

Sometimes when an athlete gets injured, they shy away from the game and it hinders their ability to play. Not O’Brien. She chipped her ankle bone in her freshman year of high school, had surgery but that could not stop her. If anything, she believes that has made her a stronger player.

Although the team has had a rocky start with a 0-2 record, O’Brien believes each player needs to work on certain aspects of their game. “In order for me to become a better player, I think I need to work on my shooting skills.” She has scored four goals but only one counted due to a technical call by officials. This caused her great disappointment but she has put it behind her.

Even though the team has had two losses they have had some nail-biting games. O’Brien, as hopeful as she is, believes that the team can turn things around and make it to the PACs as long as thy stick together as a team.

“When we played St. Mary’s College, we were tied the whole game and lost in overtime,” said O’Brien. “It is all about team unity. I think we all just need to figure out how we work as a group and then we can build from there. That will make us PAC champs!”

KYLE ROUGEAU STAFFWRITER KCR723@CABRINI EDU

After playing four matches Cabrini’s women’s tennis team is 3-2 and still going strong. With two losses and three shutouts the team shows promise and is expected to make playoffs this season according to the coach and players.

The first match was a disappointing loss to Richard Stockton College, 2-6, but came back strong with a shutout against Alvernia College ,9-0. In the following match Cabrini played Gwynedd-Mercy College where Cabrini’s new head coach, John Magee, previously was the assistant coach to the tennis teams there. It was a close match with an ending score of 4-5 making it Cabrini’s second loss thus far this season. The next match was against Neumann College, and Cabrini gained their second shutout of the season with a score of, 9-0. A Sept. 15 match against Immaculata University was suspended to Sept. 29 due to sched- uling problems. Cabrini’s third shutout this season came in a match against Villa Julie College, 9-0.

This season’s goals focus on having a good time, respecting each other and their opponents, and overall player development. The team has been able to keep up with their goals even though four players did not return this season due to reasons such as minor injuries, work, and academics. One senior did return making the team fairly young with two juniors, five sophomores, and two freshmen.

Losing players has not been the only struggle the team has faced. Last years coach, Reggie Day, was replaced with new coach John Magee. “Reggie’s expectation was to do good,” sophomore Jackie Creighton said, “where John’s more of a teacher.” Previously Magee was the assistant coach for both men’s and women’s tennis teams at Gwynedd-Mercy College. He also works with an annual summer special needs clinic called

“Touch of Tennis.”

“I love coaching at Cabrini,” Magee said. “It’s been a great experience so far and I really like the college atmosphere here.” Magee would like the team to work more on playing under pressure and maturity, which he is confident they will achieve over time through experience.

The season is still early but for the most part the team has been thriving despite the struggles they have faced early on. “This season took a lot of adjusting,” sophomore Victoria Nicodemus said, “to a new schedule and coach. So far we had one disappointing match against Gwynned Mercy but the rest have been pretty successful.”

Later on in the season Cabrini will face their hardest competitor, Mar ywood University, the defending Pennsylvania Athletic Conference champions. Last year Cabrini placed at a strong second. The team is looking forward to playoffs where they hope to defeat Marywood University and take the PAC title.

ANDREW MATYSIK STAFFWRITER AJM722@CABRINI EDU

How do our teams pay for that?

Cabrini sports teams, like most college teams, often travel for tournaments and spring break practice, sometimes at great distance.

The men’s basketball team has traveled to California. The softball team ventured to Florida just to practice. Cabrini athletic uniforms and equipment always appear to be of the highest quality.

The question that arises here is where the money comes from to pay for these trips and new uniforms. Leslie Danehy, the Cabrini athletic director, explained how each team is funded.

Danehy is given separate lines from Cabrini to allocate money for different expenses. “I have an official’s line, a travel line, meals, supplies, capital, and part-time coach salaries,” Danehy said. This covers most of the bills that need to be paid.

Some teams such as men’s lacrosse receive a larger budget. Men’s lacrosse requires more money because they have a larger number of players and more expensive equipment. The uniforms, for the most part, are paid for by the college. The lacrosse team takes up the most money, but they also are given the most from alumni.

John Dzik, head coach of the men’s basketball team, said, “Men’s basketball and both men’s and women’s lacrosse teams generate the most money from alumni.”

However, the money given from the athletic department does not cover the trips taken by some of the teams. Extended trips incur costs, which the college can’t completely cover.

“All extended trips or spring break trips our teams take, are partially funded by Cabrini’s budget. Then the team fundraises the rest,” Danehy said. Cabrini covers 40 percent of the costs for trips. This leaves the rest of the bill to be paid by fundraising.

Cabrini alumni play an essential role in donating money to their former or favorite team. “I love to see my old school traveling the country and claiming victories. It gives me a sense of pride,” Patrick Devers, Cabrini graduate and soccer fan, said.

There are many different fundraising tactics that Cabrini teams use to gain support. For instance, Golf tournaments are commonly planned to provide big money.

“Selling AVON products, tshirts, and holding camps for children are a big help,” Danehy said. With all these different techniques, you would think getting the money would be easy. However, fundraising can still be difficult.

If a team still can’t seem to raise the money needed, it has to come out of the players’pockets. For example, the men’s basketball players had to pay $350 of their own money for a trip to California.

Bill Leahy, a senior basketball player, had to raise this money last season. “I just got a few people to play in a golf outing, which was pretty easy. Anyone that didn’t raise the money got it billed to their account,” Leahy said.

The players did not object. For the fun they get out of these trips, they felt it was well worth the work put into fundraising.