‘Get it done’: softball preview

Get it done. This is the phrase that is printed on the back of the Cabrini softball team’s practice shirts. These words are there to remind the players every practice that they need to work hard to be strong contenders in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference this season. The team is looking to bring the PAC championship title back to Cabrini softball.

The Lady Cavaliers, while having a successful season last year ending with a regular season record of 18-8, did not reach their ultimate goal-being PAC champions. The softball team ended-up third in the conference, ending their string of five consecutive PAC titles.

Junior exercise science major Jen Euganeo, one of the three captains on the 2006 team, is very optimistic about this upcoming season.

“Our most important goal as a team is getting the PAC title back, which is going to be tough, but we have a lot of talented players, new and returning, who are hard workers and willing to fight for the title,” Euganeo said.

With last season tucked away in the players’hearts, minds and memories, this year’s team is excited and optimistic about starting their season. The team is going into this season with the loss of five key players who graduated in 2005. But with loss, there is always gain. Nine new players have been added to the roster this season and all of them are showing a lot of potential.

Junior education major Megan O’Brien said, “It’s going to be extremely hard to replace the five phenomenal starters from last year but we’re eager to start our season, give it our all and we expect great results.”

Senior business major and cocaptain, Jen Taggart, expects a great last season for her and her teammates.

“We have a very young team this year that’s full of talent. If we are able to put all that talent together and mesh well as a team, we’ll come out on top and win the PAC,” Taggart said.

Over spring break, the softball team will be traveling to California to get a few games under their belts. They are looking forward to playing together as their new and promising 2006 team.

Freshman secondary education major Bernadette Dolan, pitcher for the Lady Cavaliers, said, “I believe we have strong players at all our positions and the returning players are great leaders. This season is going to be a successful one.”

The players of the softball team are under the leadership of head coach Martine Susko. This is Susko’s second year as head coach and she plans to keep Cabrini’s winning tradition alive in her time here as a coach. Susko said, “With nine new team members we will definitely be a young and rebuilding team. But with the talent and work ethic of our 16, this is the next chapter of success in the Cabrini softball dynasty.” are some very talented members of the team, one of them being senior Diamond Jones. O’Hora said on behalf of Jones, “Diamond Jones has been a two-time national qualifier, and an all ECAC performer for Cabrini.”

Jones said, “I am doing very well so far. I’m fourth in the nation, and I am looking forward to the bigger championships.”

When asked what her favorite event was she said, “I would have to say the triple jump. I’m the only jumper that can beat the sprinters on the team.”

Next weekend the CTCs will be held at the Armory in New

York . This meet brings together about 40 teams from the New York and Philadelphia areas for a championship meet.

Cabrini community support has had a shortfall, O’Hora commented. “Most of the Cabrini community is unaware we even have a team. Cabrini students and faculty are geared towards how teams do in the PAC. There is no PAC track championship, therefore we don’t get much attention. The reality is that the track & field team has the best athletes on campus.”

The Cavaliers are confident they will do well in the events yet to come. They are hopeful they will do as well as they did last year. O’Hora said, “The Cabrini women’s team is one of the best in NCAADivision III. Last year, we had two All-Americans and six national qualifiers.”

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