CULTURE
April 12, 2017
Page 21
Emma’s Eats | Emma Fingleton
Dessert Goals Festival is a Piece of Cake
Dessert Goals is a festival that gathers some of the most wellknown and up-and-coming bakeries, ice cream shops and candymakers under one roof. What would be a diabetic’s worst night was a dream come true for me. Created by two friends who decided NYC needed a Smorgasburg-like festival devoted to desserts, this March’s festival was its second event after its inception last fall. I attended the two-day pop-up event in Brooklyn on March 25 and probably consumed more sugar in an hour than many people consume in a month: worth it. Almost two dozen vendors served dessert with roots from all over the globe, from the Japanesestyle ice cream in fish waffle cones at Taiyaki to churro s’mores from the Spanish restaurant Boqueria to Belgian chocolate mousse from Brooklyn-based Johan. My inner glutton was excited to try desserts from every stand, and I started with a matcha cone from Taiyaki. I already wrote about them in a previous column, and I could not resist its creamy soft serve and warm (and photogenic) fish waffles. Van Leeuwen’s ice cream bon bons, made exclusively for the event, were fantastic. Their ice cream always has very clean, pure flavors. The bon bon, a salted caramel enrobed in dark chocolate, was a gourmet version
of a Klondike bar. (Note: I noticed few vegan options overall, but Van Leeuwen offered a vegan flavor as well as vegan brownies. I have had the vegan ice cream several times before, and it is the best I have tried out of vegan ice creams in the city.) Silk Cakes’ offerings were arguably the most beautiful of the whole event. Delicate “Sakura blossom” mousse cakes and pastel almond layer cookies arranged on tea stands created a crowd of people elbowing each other for a picture. The almond cookies, essentially more elegant versions of Italian-American rainbow cookies, were perfectly layered with jam and chocolate. Around the corner, Underwest Donuts was offering many of its popular cake donut flavors. I snagged a delicious quarter of the special Dessert Goals donut, a funfetti donut with salted caramel, cotton candy and a chocolate glaze. Another highlight was realizing there were more vendors on the rooftop, including delicious twists on peanut butter cups from Jessie’s Nutty Cups and exquisitely decorated cake pops from Rebecca’s Cake Pops. Brigadeiros, Brazilian truffles made with sweetened condensed milk, were my favorite new item I sampled; they were rich, chocolatey and so cute when rolled in sprinkles. However, the mochi ice
cream from Mochidoki did not work texturally; the chewy outside did not have a strong matcha flavor, and the ice cream interior was too cold considering you had to bite into it. Guests pay a nominal fee to enter Dessert Goals, which includes access to the Dylan’s Candy Bar sponsored candy bar, the scenic rooftop area and the garden. Obviously the organizers know their audience, as everyone there was under thirty and had their phones in one hand, desserts poised in the other. Not only were the dessert vendors curated, but the space itself was very welldesigned, with inflatable donuts and Instagram-worthy balloons spelling out “Dessert Goals” welcoming the crowds, gummy bear chairs on the rooftop and a clever “Salt Bar” full of pretzels and other snacks to cleanse the palate. The atmosphere was very exuberant and youthful; after all, it is an event devoted to overindulgence. Each vendor was so friendly and willing to answer questions about the desserts, which was great because many of the vendors offered sweets I had never tried before, like ice cream-filled mochi and dragon fruit bowls. My only regret was not sneaking in a container to smuggle some dessert home. Even I have my limits when it comes to sugar, and unfortunately I could not try ev-
erything, such as the macarons from Stache of Goods and the ring dings from Ring Ding Bar. However, I definitely am looking forward to attending the event when it comes back to NYC and seeing which vendors are chosen next.
If you didn’t get a chance to check it out this year, do not worry, the team behind the festival just announced Dessert Goals is hitting LA this June, and it will be back again, probably by next fall. Remember, dessert is always a good idea.
COURTESY OF EMMA FINGLETON
Like many things in New York City, the Dessert Goals Festival was over-the-top.
Review | Film
Parallel Game Illuminates Forgotten Baseball Players By GRACE MULLEN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Now that the baseball season has officially begun, fans across the nation are undoubtedly anticipating the skillful plays and thrilling games that await them in the coming months. Yet, while most people have turned their attention toward the future, a group of Fordham students got the chance to recognize some of the great baseball players of the past. In February, the members of the West Wing Integrated Learning Community were invited to explore the legacies of athletes often left in the footnotes of sports history. The Parallel Game, a documentary produced by Eric Newland and Fordham alum George
Dalton, presented students with an in-depth examination of the Negro Leagues and their profound influence on the world of baseball. The film began with a look at the origins of Negro League baseball and the social tensions that led to its inception. Established during the days of Jim Crow and racial segregation, the Negro Leagues were of the utmost importance to black communities throughout the United States. According to filmmakers, because so much of the public sphere was considered “off-limits” to African Americans, they decided to establish their own social spaces, including churches, music clubs and, of course, baseball teams. Described during the documentary as “the
jazz version of baseball,” the Negro Leagues served not only as a representation of the black community within the athletic world, but also a reinvention of the game itself. The documentary screening was immediately followed by a discussion between Newland and Dr. Mark Naison, a professor of African American studies at Fordham. Newland, who described The Parallel Game as a major passion project of his, shared his experiences with the production of the short film, for which he interviewed dozens of historians, public figures, and athletes, including several retired Negro League players. In addition, Naison gave a deeper commentary on the radical significance of the Negro Leagues in both developing a distinctly
COURTESY OF TWITTER
The documentary Parallel Game gives light to the Negro Leagues that remain a major yet little-known part of American history.
black community and breaking the racial boundaries that divided American society. In general, The Parallel Game offers a thought-provoking take on the central role of baseball in American life and its direct implications for black communities. The film successfully establishes the world in which its events unfurl, presenting its audience with a sweeping view of the social climate of mid-twentieth century America that made the Negro Leagues so essential. Yet in taking a more comprehensive approach to such a rich history, the documentary ultimately fails to expand upon the more compelling perspectives that were reflected in the film’s closing interviews, many of which contained first-hand accounts of life as a player in the Negro Leagues. However, Newland and Dalton are not yet finished with the stories of these sports legends. The trials faced and victories won by black baseball players will soon be depicted, albeit fictionally, in the upcoming television series “Smoke Town,” which is currently being optioned for production by studios in Los Angeles. By grounding the story of Negro League baseball and its nationwide impact in personal narratives and interactions, the producers hope to offer audiences across America a more intimate, in-depth view of Black community life in such a tumultuous social climate. The film was generally well re-
ceived among many of the West Wing Scholars. Andrew Seger, FCRH ’19, shared his educating experience with the film.“I think it was a really thoughtful documentary that [Newland] clearly did his research and tried to really shed light on this one perspective of black culture that really isn’t talked about, but is something that was really important throughout history. So I’m glad we got to see it.” As a visual arts major, Mary Kate Magee, FCRH ’19, focused more on the production value of the documentary. “The film did an excellent job of piecing together baseball history from a usually unseen angle, and did so in a very visually pleasing way,” Magee said. My one critique is that the film’s false ending came at an awkward time and did nothing beneficial for the storytelling, but otherwise it was a great film with a valuable message. Overall, The Parallel Game grants its audience a chance to take a second look at sports history and acknowledge the stories of athletes kept too long on the sidelines. By establishing the profound impact of the Negro Leagues on contemporary baseball and its players while arguing on behalf of its central role in black community life and the search for equality, The Parallel Game encouraged the West Wing Scholars to develop a deeper appreciation for the untold stories of these ground-breaking black figures in American history.
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THE FORDHAM RAM
Page 24
Rams’ Run Reaches 16 in a Row By ALVIN HALIMWIDJAYA ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Fordham women’s tennis team’s last loss came on January 25 against Drexel. Since then, the Rams have reeled off 16 straight wins, notching their last three victories this weekend. Fordham swept Saint Joseph’s and La Salle with two 7-0 wins on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8, respectively, and they eked out ahead of Rhode Island 4-3 on Sunday, April 9. The Rams started out the weekend with their third A-10 matchup of the season against St. Joseph’s. Fordham started off by taking the doubles point, as the duo of sophomore Carina Ma and junior Estelle Wong defeated Claire Minnoe and Alex Zachem 6-1. While junior Carolina Sa and freshman Maia Balce dropped a close game to Isis Gill-Reid and Maureen Devlin 6-4, the pair of senior Mayu Sato and sophomore Alexis Zobeideh secured the point by beating Katherine Devlin and Sarah Contrata 6-1. The Rams reigned supreme yet again in singles matches, as Ma started off the sweep with a win over Claire Minnoe 6-1, 6-4. Wong defeated Maureen Devlin 6-1, 6-2, Balce took a tight match against Isis Gill-Reid 7-5, 6-4 and Sato notched a victory against Alex Zachem 6-3, 6-0. Senior Destiny Grunin pulled out a win over Katherine Devlin 7-6 (3), 6-1, and sophomore Gianna Insogna capped off the sweep with an easy win against Sarah Contrata 6-1, 6-1. It was more of the same against La Salle as the Rams started off with three doubles victories. Ma and Balce won against Brittany Poje and Ali Sny-
der 6-3, Sa and sophomore Whitney Weisberg won a close set against Jade Smith and Ally Santorelli 7-5. Zobeideh and Grunin swept Jayla Smith and Maansi Malhotra 6-0. The Rams kept rolling right along in the singles matches. Ma notched another victory against Brittany Poje 6-3, 6-0, while Insogna took an easy game against Ali Snyder 6-0, 6-1. Grunin picked up a win against Ally Santorelli 6-1, 6-1 and Zobeideh shut Jade Smith down 6-0, 6-1. Sa earned her first singles win of the season in a close match against Jayla Smith 7-5, 6-3, and Weisberg defeated Maansi Malhotra 6-2, 6-2 in her singles debut of the season. The Rams ran into a tough opponent at the University of Rhode Island in their final match, earning a crucial doubles point to start off Sunday. Ma Wong took a close set against Emily Zargham and Rachel Smilansky 7-5, and though Balce and Sa fell to Mihaela Codreanu and Tiara Higuchi 6-2, the duo of Sato and Zobeideh defeated Ariel Haber and Paige Alshon 6-1 to earn the point. The Rams drew even with Rhode Island in the singles matches. Ma dropped her match to Mihaela Codreanu 6-0, 6-4, but Wong countered with a victory over Emily Zargham 7-6 (8-6), 7-5. Balce lost her first singles match of the season to Rachel Smilansk 6-4, 7-6 (4-2), and Sato fell in a back-and-forth matchup against Tiara Higuchi 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. However, Insogna defeated Ariel Haber 6-1, 6-3,and Grunin notched a victory over Jordan Rucks 6-3, 6-1. The Rams play next against St. John’s in Jamaica, N.Y. on April 15.
SPORTS
April 12, 2017
Men’s Tennis Goes 2-1 Over the Weekend
By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER
The men’s tennis team was busy this weekend. They took a trip down to Pennsylvania on Friday to compete against Saint Joseph’s, and then came back to Fordham for two matches on their home court on Sunday. Overall, Fordham fought hard and had a successful weekend. They played a close tournament against Saint Joseph’s, which ended with a final score of 3-4. The Rams defeated both Coppin State University and St. Francis College Brooklyn on Sunday with final scores of 6-1 and 4-3, respectively. The Rams started out strong against Saint Joseph’s, winning two out of the three doubles matches to take the doubles point. Senior Tomas Cosmai and freshman Allen Thornes won in second doubles with a score of 6-3. In third doubles, senior Nick Borak and freshman Jeremy Chung defeated their opponents 6-3. Saint Joseph’s came back to win most of the singles matches, but Fordham did have two singles wins. In third singles, freshman Fabian Mauritzson split sets, but won in the tiebreaker with a score of 6-3, 6 (2) – 7, 10-6. Borak, who played the fifth singles position, also went to three sets, defeating his opponent 6-0, 5-7, 7-5. The final score for Friday’s tournament was 3-4, and the Rams returned home for their doubleheader on Sunday. The men’s tennis team was victorious twice on Sunday. Their matches against Coppin State were mostly sweeps, with a final score of 6-1. The Rams secured all of the doubles matches, earning the doubles point. Cosmai and Thornes won the first doubles
JULIA COMERFORD/ THE FORDHAM RAM
Fordham earned wins against Coppin State and St. Francis Brooklyn.
match 6-1, while junior Joseph Kavaloski and freshman Steven Duka won the second doubles match 6-0. In third doubles, juniors Harris Durkovic and Cameron Posillico defeated their opponents with a score of 6-2. Fordham also grabbed all but one of the singles matches. Mauritzson played first singles, winning in a tiebreaker, while Chung played second singles, dropping it in the third set. Thornes, Posillico, Durkovic and freshman Gabriel Mashaal all won their singles matches in two sets. Fordham was victorious over St. Francis with a final score of 4-3. The doubles matches were all wins for Fordham. Sophomore Victor Li and Mauritzson played first doubles, and they won 6-1, while Cosmai and Thornes also ended with a score of 6-1 in second doubles. Kavaloski and Borak were in the lead in third doubles when the match was halted at 4-2. The opposition became tougher in the singles play, with Fordham winning three
and losing three. Cosmai, who played second singles, Borak, who played fourth singles and Duka, who played fifth singles, all fought hard to stay in their matches. They eventually fell, giving St. Francis three points. Kavaloski, in the sixth singles position, was the first match to finish, scoring a 6-0, 6-0 win for the Rams. Li, in first singles, won his match 6-1, 7-6 (5). This tied the final score at 3-3, with only Mauritzson left playing in the third singles position. He battled his opponent to the end, winning his match 7-5, 6-2, and he earned Fordham the final point, making the score 4-3. The Rams found much success at the end of this weekend, and they hope to continue this trend through to the end of their tennis season. They’ll be playing again on the Saturday of Easter weekend, when they’ll be hosting Siena College on their home courts at noon.
Varsity 8’s Race on Mercer Lake By PETER VALENTINO STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Laurel Fisher won gold in the 3000m steeplechase.
Fisher Wins 3000m Steeplechase By TOM TERZULLI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
For the third week in a row, Fordham Track and Field returned to Virginia for some weekend action. This time, George Mason University played host to the Mason Spring Invitational in Fairfax. Sophomore Laurel Fisher was the star of the show, winning the 3000m steeplechase. The Garden City, New York native won the gold with a time of 11:07.12. Another top performer was Nkeka Pinheiro. The sophomore finished in the top 20 in both the 200m and 400m. She was 17th in the 200m, finishing in 25.70 and 13th in the 400m, crossing the line in 57.59. Fellow sophomore Mary Kate Kenny finished right behind Pinheiro in the 200m. She placed 18th with a time of 25.80. Meanwhile, sophomore Morgan Menzzasalma grabbed 21st in the 400m hurdles
in 1:07.26. Junior Merissa Wright led the way in distance action, finishing 15th (2:13.65) in the 800m. Sophomore Aidan Moroz followed in 34th (2:19.75). Senior Shanna Heaney rounded out the Ram women on the track. She placed 21st in the 1500m run at 4:42.33. In field events, freshman Gabriella Gavalas earned a pair of top 20 finishes. She garnered 13th in the triple jump at 11.35 meters and 14th in the long jump, reaching 5.38 meters. On the men’s side, there were four Rams in the top 10. The pairing of junior Louis Santelli (1:52.59) and freshman Michael Petersen (1:52.83) finished second and third respectively in the 800m. Junior Brian Cook secured seventh in the 3000m steeplechase in 9:48.99. In the javelin, senior Nicholas Regan took fourth with a throw of 57.16 meters.
The men also entered a Ram a piece in the 100m and 400m. Freshman Richard Webber was 21st overall in the 100m in 11.06 seconds and sophomore Jared Benn was 11th best in the 400m (49.60). The final competitors were a quartet of runners in the 1500m. Junior Thomas Slattery (37th3:57.62), junior Fritz Heinrich (43rd-3:59.62), sophomore Sean Phillips (59th-4:01.61) and senior Devin Rocks (62nd-4:01.97) were the finishers. Fordham’s one relay team came from the women. The team of Gavalas, Pinheiro, Kenny and Menzzasalma took 11th in the 4x100m relay with a time of 49.91 seconds. After all the scores were tallied, the men finished 12th in the team standings with 21 points, while the women placed 20th at 10 points. The Virginia trip comes to an end on April 14th and 15th. The Metropolitan Championship in Piscataway, NJ will be the site.
On Sunday, Rams rowing finished up a weekend racing on Lake Mercer in West Windsor Township, New Jersey, the Knecht Cup Regatta. In the race, the Rams won the petite final with their second varsity 8. The first varsity 8 took home sixth in their petite final. For the second varsity 8, the team placed third behind Bucknell and Wisconsin in their heat, finishing at 7:12:56. This moved them to the semifinals, which they also placed third behind Boston College and Radcliffe at 6:56:39. In the petite final, the Rams finished at 6:55:54, winning ahead of teams like North Carolina, Massachusetts, Delaware and Boston University. For the first varsity 8, the team had consecutive third place finishes in their heat and in the semifinals,
clocking in at 7:00:79 and 6:49:48 respectively. In the final, the rowers finished sixth at 6:53:18, behind Temple, SMU, North Carolina, Bucknell and Wisconsin. In other categories, the third varsity 8 placed third in its heat at 7:21:49 before finishing fifth in the final behind Boston College, North Carolina, Connecticut and Delaware. Fordham’s varsity 4 finished in third place in its heat at 8:05:43 before placing fifth in the semis at 7:59:72. The second varsity 4 placed fifth in their heat. In the Freshman/Novice category, the 4 took third in its heat at 8:45:94 and fourth in the semis, while the eight took seventh in its heat at 8:25:31. The next regatta is this Saturday, April 15, in Philadelphia, as the rams will compete in the Kerr Cup on the Schuylkill River. This is the second to last race before the A-10 tournament.
COURTESY OF MARK CARLTON
The third Varsity 8 made it to the grand final at the Knecht Cup Regatta.
SPORTS
April 12, 2017
Sam Belden Sergio’s Masters Moment After nearly two decades on the world stage, what can you say about Sergio Garcia that hasn’t already been said? How about this: “That guy’s a major champion.” Yes, it finally happened for Garcia, the top Spanish player of this era. After a career of near-misses and what seemed like a lifetime of scar tissue, the 37-year-old finally had his moment in the sun at the Masters, knocking in a rousing birdie on the 18th hole to down longtime Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose in sudden death. It was surreal. Garcia has been playing well this year, picking up a European Tour victory in Dubai, but had done nothing to indicate that his famous major drought was approaching its end. Sunday’s green jacket ceremony was like the best kind of surprise party: disarming, thrilling and totally unexpected. Maybe the win shouldn’t have shocked us. Golf history is pretty clear: if a player keeps knocking at the door, it will usually swing open eventually. But if we’re going by history, then Garcia had no business winning a Masters — not with all that heartbreak over the years. A man can only fumble away so many British Opens before people start to conclude that there’s no room for him at the inn. And through 11 holes of Sunday’s final round, it looked like the same old story. Garcia had just squared his second consecutive bogey, giving Rose a two-stroke lead, and with inaccurate drives and misread putts peppering much of the last hour, the Spaniard didn’t appear to be in any shape to make a charge. Appearances can be misleading though, and after fighting hard for a couple of adventurous pars, the levee finally broke. With his confidence restored, Garcia birdied 14 and eagled 15, suddenly evening the score with Rose as the rest of the field languished. He then parred 16 and 17, watching as his English opponent made a birdie, then a bogey and then, on 18, a par. Suddenly, Garcia had a five-footer to win the Masters — and he missed, finishing regulation in a tie. However, salvation came quickly in the playoff, as Rose drove his ball into the pine straw and hit a thin punch shot with his second. Garcia took a textbook approach — fairway in regulation, green in regulation, unnecessary 20-foot birdie to win. Now that’s how you do it. And now, he can rest. A round of golf lasts a few hours. A green jacket lasts forever. It took him years to pull it off, but now that he has, the only black mark on his career is gone. You couldn’t have scripted it any better. Never mind the riveting showdown with Rose — Garcia won the Masters on what would have been the 60th birthday of the late Seve Ballesteros, Spain’s greatest player. He also became the first winner to eagle the 15th in the final round since Jose Maria Olazabal, a countryman and close friend, did it in 1994. And now, Garcia will forever reside in that pantheon of Spanish greats. It really is amazing how much can change in a week.
Page 25
Senior Profile | Lauren Quense By JONAH HASKELL STAFF WRITER
Fordham senior Lauren Quense has been one of the best pitchers on the best team in the Atlantic-10 for the past three years. However, she will be graduating in just a few weeks. In her time as a Ram, Quense has won three A-10 titles, is on track for a fourth and has also cracked the programs all-time top-10 lists for appearances, starts and wins. She sat down with The Fordham Ram to talk about her time in the Bronx and about her final few starts before graduation in May. TheFordhamRam:Whendidyou start playing softball? Lauren Quense: I started playing when I was three years old. I have an older sister who was playing tee ball, and I was the bat girl [laughs], and it kinda just stuck from there on out. My dad was the coach so we would practice all the time, and it’s been my whole family. Like I said, my sister was involved in it, she played in college. So it’s kind of just been since I was three and it stuck with me since then. TFR: Can you tell me about the recruiting process? Why did you end up choosing Fordham? LQ: Well, the recruiting process is so stressful. [laughs]. I ended up choosing Fordham; I believe it was my junior year. Obviously, I was getting looked at by other schools, East Coast primarily, but I mean, the thing that stuck out to me was New York City. I wanted to be in the city, I knew that. And also, it’s the coaching staff and meeting the other players coming in with me, and getting to talk with the other players that went here. Also, the academics, you know, that’s what really sold me on Fordham. So that kind of made it an easy choice. TFR: You were forced to miss most of your sophomore year because of an injury. What was that like and was it hard coming back for your junior year? LQ: Well, I can tell you, missing a whole season due to an injury is probably the worst thing ever, because it just takes a toll on you mentally and physically. It was really hard for me to adjust to it at first, because I had never been hurt in my sport until then, so I think the biggest thing coming back from that injury was just being able to stay positive, and you know, kind of understanding that it’s not going to happen overnight. I’m not going to become as good as I was before overnight, so I think just having that kind of resilience to work through that injury, get back and get on the field with my teammates. A lot of that is accredited to my trainer, Erin, for always being there to help me out and get me through the recovery. Also, you know, family, friends and teammates just being there to support me through that was really big for me. I think most of all, though, it’s a mental thing, because you just can’t play and you have to watch the games and that’s probably the worst thing ever. [laughs] Not being able to help your
team if they’re struggling and just kind of being a cheerleader meant I had to take on a different role, which was challenging at first, but I got it down. TFR: Last year you came back from the injury and ended up having to step up for an injured Rachel Gillen to lead the pitching staff on an A-10 title run. What was that experience like and how did it prepare you to be a team leader this year? LQ: I mean, it was awful that Rachel got hurt, but I was definitely ready to take that role on. We were always very supportive of each other as pitchers because it was only me and her. So when that did happen it was obviously not ideal, but we did have people step up, including myself, Lindsay Mayer coming into pitch and some other people taking on different roles at that point. I think just coming in and being able to lead – I’ve been doing that my whole life – and just having my teammates there to back me up and support me was a pretty big deal, considering I was throwing six games in six days. You’re not going to strike everyone out at that point. You’re going to have to use your defense and your offense, so I think just coming together as a team and realizing that we had to do what we had to do to get it done because we were shorthanded. That was what really helped me be able to lead them through that. I kind of just took it on as a challenge. I was like, “Alright, well, this happened, can’t do anything about it now, got to make the best of the situation,” and just got after it, you know? I went into every game like “Alright, it’s me, so, we’re going to get this done. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but we’re going to get it done.” That was basically the outlook I had just to stay tough and get through it knowing that Rachel was going to come back before A-10s. I think it also changed me as a leader for this year, because it gave me a lot of experience in dealing with adversity and having to be like, “There’s really no back up.” Just being able to perform under pressure and get things done under pressure definitely helped me be able to prepare for this year, with three freshman pitchers, as I try to lead that staff and help them be the best they can be. And they’re doing awesome right now, so that’s great. It really just kind of shaped me as a person in the sense where, you know, I had no choice but to step up and so this year I’ve just tried to keep that rolling. TFR: Well you’ve certainly been rolling since you’ve been at Fordham. Three A-10 titles in three years and a great chance for another one this year. Could you just talk about the enormous success you’ve had at Fordham, both individually and as a team as a whole and what you think accounts for it? LQ: Obviously, we are very excited about winning the past three and going for a fourth this year. I think the biggest thing with that is that we have an atmosphere that really tries to be
Pat Costello Not-So-Unlucky 13th
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
successful and win, so I think that’s where the drive comes from. Everyone on the team could tell you that. Winning is fun for us, it’s fun for everyone, but that’s just something we go after, something we take pride in that we won three A-10 championships and we’re going for a fourth. As a senior class I’ve got Sydney Canessa in center, I’ve got Amy Van Hoven at shortstop, Lindsay Mayer, Ally Vergona, Steph Ferri. All of us have really come together and said, “Alright, we won the three. Now it’s time to go for the four.” So right now we’re just trying to get after it, get our business done and do what we need to do. TFR: Earlier this season you threw your first career no-hitter. What was that like? LQ: It was awesome. But for me, throwing a no-hitter should be accredited to the team. I mean, yes, I was the pitcher so I threw the nohitter, but they had to make all the plays behind me, and my catcher, Ally Vergona, that’s a no hitter for her too. So it was really exciting but I just see it as another game. My defense played really well and our bats, well, we smoked them in that game. Again it was exciting, but I think of it as more of a team success, not just for me. TFR: Do you have any post-graduation plans? Does softball figure into them at all? LQ: I just got accepted into the Marketing Intelligence Masters Program here at Fordham. So I’m going to be doing that next year, hopefully playing a fifth year because of my injury during sophomore year. I guess after the graduation after that, my masters graduation, I’d hope to get a job and stay in New York City. Marketing or something along those lines, in that industry, in NYC, is the goal. TFR: And finally, what has been your favorite thing about being at Fordham? LQ: I guess my favorite thing would definitely be the experiences I’ve had, friendships I’ve made and memories I’ve made on and off the field with teammates, and just with my friends here at Fordham. Just the experiences I’ve had here, on the softball team, off the softball team, going to the city, with my professors, everything. I guess that’s kind of vague.
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Sergio Garcia was dead. When he hooked his tee shot left, over Rae’s Creek and under a bush, that should have been the end of his hope of winning. He was forced to take a drop on the pinestraw, punch his ball out and save a scrambling par. Therein lies the problem with the bookend of Amen Corner: it’s too forgiving. A hole at the Master’s should not be easy. Players should have to be on their game from the time they hit their first drive, to when they make their last putt. The 13th hole, formally known as Azalea, needs to be changed. “I think that you want to make the hard holes harder, but you want to actually make the easier holes easier,” three time Master’s Champion Phil Mickelson said of the historic course. However, it would be physically impossible to make 13 any easier. This weekend alone the scoring average on the hole was 4.614. There were 128 birdies and 131 pars. For reference, there were only 24 birdies on the 12th hole for the whole weekend, and only six in the entire final round. There were six eagles on 13 all weekend, three of which came during the final round. A hole doesn’t get much easier than that. The solution to this problem is fairly simple: make the hole a Par 4. Currently, the hole measures in at 510 yards, after it was pushed back from 485 yards in 2002. Some have called for Augusta National to purchase more land from Augusta Country Club and extend the hole and keep it a Par 5, but that gives big hitters an advantage, while cutting the knees out of the shorter hitters. Someone like Zach Johnson would never have the option to go for the green, while a guy like Dustin Johnson would still have a chance to get there in two. By moving the tee box back to 485 and making the hole a Par 4, it negates the advantage a player would have. Instead, the player would have to go for it in two, and wouldn’t have a three-putt cushion. This solution would make the hole much more challenging, and actually punish players for not hitting a good drive. The opponents to this solution say that by making it a Par 4 it changes the identity of the hole. Azalea is normally the hole in which most players begin their back nine charges. However, as I said before, there shouldn’t be a hole at the Master’s that is seen as easy. There should be constant challenge. I don’t want to see Jordan Spieth shooting -18. I want to see a shootout between multiple guys who are not higher than -6. Garcia and Justin Rose gave us a great battle, but making such a crucial mistake at 13 should have punished him more. It’s Amen Corner after all. You should be praying for Par, not saying hallelujah because of a tap in birdie.
Page 26
’Bocker Bulletin: Dysfunction Starts Up Top By GRANT HILL STAFF WRITER
It would be hard to find anyone in sports whose unpopularity matches that of Mr. James L. Dolan. With his rugged look and cynical demeanor, the man deemed “the worst owner in sports” has been a thorn in the side of Knicks fans since he started calling the shots for New York back in 1999. You might be thinking, does he really deserve that title? Without any hesitation: a resounding yes. Let’s start this dysfunctional tale in present day, since the 2016-17 NBA season has not been kind to Dolan. For a man who treats the very concept of media attention as a threat to his reign, he has been unable to keep himself out of headlines. The most recent news surrounds an incident that occurred last Tuesday night when the Knicks played the Chicago Bulls. Reported by Deadspins’ Dave McKenna, Dolan exchanged a few choice words with a fan outside of Madison Square Garden before the game started. Mike Hamersky was speaking on behalf of Knicks fans everywhere when he yelled, “Sell the team, Jim!” after noticing the owner outside the arena. Instead of taking the high road, Dolan approached the fan, got in his face and called him a name unfit for print. When asked by McKenna if he actually said that, Dolan was proud in his response, “I did call him [one],” Dolan told McKenna, “because he is [one].” Like a fight between middle school kids during recess, there were two different sides to the story. Dolan took his usual response, saying that the fan was unruly and possibly drunk. “He had an open bottle of beer and smelled of alcohol, and I told him he wasn’t going in,” said Dolan. Hamersky—a lawyer— denies these allegations, stating there was no time for him to get drunk, as he had just finished teaching a Fordham law class. Sound familiar? You bet. Dolan found himself making headlines in an eerily similar situation back in February when he had former Knicks legend Charles Oakley escorted from Madison Square Garden. After an altercation that saw
Oakley escorted out and later arrested, Dolan and the organization suggested alcohol as a main factor. A recovering alcoholic himself, Dolan also suggested two years ago that 72-year-old fan Irving Bierman, who didn’t drink, had an alcohol problem after Bierman lashed out at the owners inability to run the franchise. Therefore, calling this his “go-to response” is accurate. In the handful of interviews Dolan has done, he is almost always questioned on how the fans and media perceive him. Dolan has always answered the same way: it doesn’t bother me. Well Jim, looks like this time it did. Responding to the fan is justifiable, as we all deserve the opportunity to defend ourselves. Getting in the fans face and calling him names, however, is not and he should have acted more professional. Last Tuesday’s incident, along with the Oakley incident, put Dolan on a national platform. Everyone could now see Dolan as the evil boss he personifies. For the Knicks fans, the Dolan stranglehold has been going on for 17 years and running. From 2001-present, the post-Ewing era has been nothing but a nightmare: a no-man’s land where hopes, dreams and talents go to die. Led by Dolan, the team has seen only one playoff series win (2013), and a historic collection of awful decisions. Whether it’s been the decisions from GMs, coaches or players, the Knicks have done it the wrong way for almost 20 years. His latest disaster has been Phil Jackson, who has gone from a hero to a villain within the short span of three years. Before Jackson, it was Isaiah Thomas, whose time in New York makes Knicks fans cringe every time his name is brought up. Dolan has a strange loyalty to men he believes can save the franchise, but who instead just add fuel to the growing fire. Let’s not even get into the list of horrible contracts, because then we will be here all day. Whichever way you slice it, Dolan’s tenure with the Knicks has been like a bad movie that just doesn’t seem to end. The Knicks have found themselves the laughingstock of the NBA for over two decades, and that likely will not change until Dolan surrenders his reign and hands over the keys to someone more competent.
SPORTS
April 12, 2017
By ALVIN HALIMWIDJAYA ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
With Kendrick Lamar announcing that his next album will be dropping on April 14, anticipation is heavy among his rabid fanbase. His latest single, “HUMBLE.,” is arrogant, forceful and a welcome sight to see after the more introspective, sociopolitical themes coming from To Pimp a Butterfly. We have no idea what this album is going to contain: will Kendrick Lamar spend 12 tracks taking shots at Drake? Will he have one song that will completely ruin Big Sean’s quasi-ruined career? Will his latest LP raze charts around the globe to the ground? Similarly, when Kevin Durant abandoned the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors to make a Splash Family, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to joke around about how Russell Westbrook would take the league by storm. “Oh, watch Westbrook average a triple-double.” “Oh, watch Westbrook dunk on 86 percent of the league.” “Oh, watch Westbrook knock down 30-foot game-winners because he feels like it.” It felt good to imagine his ridiculously high ceiling; it would never happen, of course, because feats like averaging a triple-double just aren’t possible in today’s game. Right? Well, what fans, critics and analysts galore failed to realize is that Russell Westbrook is the Kendrick Lamar of the NBA. Russell Westbrook is Kendrick’s “Control” verse personified. Imagine if you lit a forest on fire, chucked a nuclear missile into the mix and incinerated the entire planet with the Death Star: that’s what Russell Westbrook’s season has been to the rest of the league. Averaging 31.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game, Brodie has done everything in his power to keep the Thunder afloat. In a year where there has been an unprecedented level of competition for MVP, Russell Westbrook has forged a season-long battering ram of a case that is impossible to ignore. On Sunday, he broke the 55-yearold record of 41 triple-doubles in a season previously held by Oscar Robertson. If that wasn’t enough,
he also casually drained a 30-footer off a handoff at the buzzer to snatch a win and extinguish the Denver Nuggets’ playoff chances. A man who has bulldozed through multiple teams with personal double-digit runs to win games, Westbrook has rammed home his qualifications like one of his signature fastbreak dunks. Seeing him grab a rebound, run up the court and charge through three defenders like Marshawn Lynch is genuinely exhilarating. He frequently pops three-pointers from ridiculous distances and positions, to the point where I feel like I could dare him to shoot a pull-up 27-footer when I’m on my computer in my room. His dunk on Clint Capela early in the season to seal a win over the Houston Rockets was one of the most threatening moments I’ve seen happen on a basketball court. With what seems to be an athletic synthesis of rage and confidence, Westbrook has constantly reminded me this season of a defiant Kendrick Lamar. When I hear songs like “Backseat Freestyle” and “King Kunta,” I can picture Brodie knocking down a running three-pointer to send it to overtime against the Orlando Magic. When Russell Westbrook pulls a Shammgod out of his pocket before dishing his 22nd assist of the game, it screams a “I got love for you all, but I’m tryna murder you” vibe. In a phase of the game where players like Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving glide through de-
fenses without disturbing a soul, Westbrook’s sole intent is to run through any opposition and deposit the ball in the basket with ferocity, whether from three feet or 30. There are plenty of contenders for MVP; James Harden has taken Mike D’Antoni’s system and unleashed his offensive arsenal through a roster loaded with shooters. Lebron James has trudged through the season with the weariness of Wolverine in Logan, only dismantling opponents when he deems it necessary. Kawhi Leonard remains a silent, stone-cold juggernaut Gregg Popovich has groomed through the Spurs system (we have still not received confirmation whether he is human or robot). However, through all the offensive brilliance we’ve seen this season, from Devin Booker’s 70 points to the Warriors’ onslaught from beyond the arc, Westbrook has forced himself into a position where his name is synonymous with pure force in the NBA. Every play he makes is a reminder drummed into fans that he can not, and will not be beaten. He is intent on crushing the spirit of whoever he is playing, and if he dunks on a couple of players? Even better. The 2016-17 season has been an ingloriously long and vigorous statement of intimidation from Russell Westbrook, essentially saying, in the most recent words of Kendrick Lamar, “sit down. Be humble.”
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
Russell Westbrook’s triple-doubles should earn him the MVP.
Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY Baseball
Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports
Softball
Thursday April 13
Friday April 14
Saturday April 15
St. Joseph’s St. Joseph’s St. Joseph’s 12 p.m. 11:30 a.m. 2 p.m. UMass UMass (DH) 3 p.m. 12/2:30 p.m.
Men’s Tennis
Siena 12 p.m.
Women’s Tennis
St. John’s 12 p.m.
Golf
Yale (36 Holes)
Rowing
Kerr Cup TBA
Track
Metropolitan Chamiponship 12 p.m.
Sunday April 16
Monday April 17
Tuesday April 18
Wednesday April 19
Fairfield 3:30 p.m.
Columbia 6 p.m. St. Bonaventure (DH) 2/4:30 p.m.
Rhode Island
SPORTS
April 12, 2017
Sam Belden Sergio’s Masters Moment After nearly two decades on the world stage, what can you say about Sergio Garcia that hasn’t already been said? How about this: “That guy’s a major champion.” Yes, it finally happened for Garcia, the top Spanish player of this era. After a career of near-misses and what seemed like a lifetime of scar tissue, the 37-year-old finally had his moment in the sun at the Masters, knocking in a rousing birdie on the 18th hole to down longtime Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose in sudden death. It was surreal. Garcia has been playing well this year, picking up a European Tour victory in Dubai, but had done nothing to indicate that his famous major drought was approaching its end. Sunday’s green jacket ceremony was like the best kind of surprise party: disarming, thrilling and totally unexpected. Maybe the win shouldn’t have shocked us. Golf history is pretty clear: if a player keeps knocking at the door, it will usually swing open eventually. But if we’re going by history, then Garcia had no business winning a Masters — not with all that heartbreak over the years. A man can only fumble away so many British Opens before people start to conclude that there’s no room for him at the inn. And through 11 holes of Sunday’s final round, it looked like the same old story. Garcia had just squared his second consecutive bogey, giving Rose a two-stroke lead, and with inaccurate drives and misread putts peppering much of the last hour, the Spaniard didn’t appear to be in any shape to make a charge. Appearances can be misleading though, and after fighting hard for a couple of adventurous pars, the levee finally broke. With his confidence restored, Garcia birdied 14 and eagled 15, suddenly evening the score with Rose as the rest of the field languished. He then parred 16 and 17, watching as his English opponent made a birdie, then a bogey and then, on 18, a par. Suddenly, Garcia had a five-footer to win the Masters — and he missed, finishing regulation in a tie. However, salvation came quickly in the playoff, as Rose drove his ball into the pine straw and hit a thin punch shot with his second. Garcia took a textbook approach — fairway in regulation, green in regulation, unnecessary 20-foot birdie to win. Now that’s how you do it. And now, he can rest. A round of golf lasts a few hours. A green jacket lasts forever. It took him years to pull it off, but now that he has, the only black mark on his career is gone. You couldn’t have scripted it any better. Never mind the riveting showdown with Rose — Garcia won the Masters on what would have been the 60th birthday of the late Seve Ballesteros, Spain’s greatest player. He also became the first winner to eagle the 15th in the final round since Jose Maria Olazabal, a countryman and close friend, did it in 1994. And now, Garcia will forever reside in that pantheon of Spanish greats. It really is amazing how much can change in a week.
Page 23
Senior Profile | Lauren Quense By JONAH HASKELL STAFF WRITER
Fordham senior Lauren Quense has been one of the best pitchers on the best team in the Atlantic-10 for the past three years. However, she will be graduating in just a few weeks. In her time as a Ram, Quense has won three A-10 titles, is on track for a fourth and has also cracked the programs all-time top-10 lists for appearances, starts and wins. She sat down with The Fordham Ram to talk about her time in the Bronx and about her final few starts before graduation in May. TheFordhamRam:Whendidyou start playing softball? Lauren Quense: I started playing when I was three years old. I have an older sister who was playing tee ball, and I was the bat girl [laughs], and it kinda just stuck from there on out. My dad was the coach so we would practice all the time, and it’s been my whole family. Like I said, my sister was involved in it, she played in college. So it’s kind of just been since I was three and it stuck with me since then. TFR: Can you tell me about the recruiting process? Why did you end up choosing Fordham? LQ: Well, the recruiting process is so stressful. [laughs]. I ended up choosing Fordham; I believe it was my junior year. Obviously, I was getting looked at by other schools, East Coast primarily, but I mean, the thing that stuck out to me was New York City. I wanted to be in the city, I knew that. And also, it’s the coaching staff and meeting the other players coming in with me, and getting to talk with the other players that went here. Also, the academics, you know, that’s what really sold me on Fordham. So that kind of made it an easy choice. TFR: You were forced to miss most of your sophomore year because of an injury. What was that like and was it hard coming back for your junior year? LQ: Well, I can tell you, missing a whole season due to an injury is probably the worst thing ever, because it just takes a toll on you mentally and physically. It was really hard for me to adjust to it at first, because I had never been hurt in my sport until then, so I think the biggest thing coming back from that injury was just being able to stay positive, and you know, kind of understanding that it’s not going to happen overnight. I’m not going to become as good as I was before overnight, so I think just having that kind of resilience to work through that injury, get back and get on the field with my teammates. A lot of that is accredited to my trainer, Erin, for always being there to help me out and get me through the recovery. Also, you know, family, friends and teammates just being there to support me through that was really big for me. I think most of all, though, it’s a mental thing, because you just can’t play and you have to watch the games and that’s probably the worst thing ever. [laughs] Not being able to help your
team if they’re struggling and just kind of being a cheerleader meant I had to take on a different role, which was challenging at first, but I got it down. TFR: Last year you came back from the injury and ended up having to step up for an injured Rachel Gillen to lead the pitching staff on an A-10 title run. What was that experience like and how did it prepare you to be a team leader this year? LQ: I mean, it was awful that Rachel got hurt, but I was definitely ready to take that role on. We were always very supportive of each other as pitchers because it was only me and her. So when that did happen it was obviously not ideal, but we did have people step up, including myself, Lindsay Mayer coming into pitch and some other people taking on different roles at that point. I think just coming in and being able to lead – I’ve been doing that my whole life – and just having my teammates there to back me up and support me was a pretty big deal, considering I was throwing six games in six days. You’re not going to strike everyone out at that point. You’re going to have to use your defense and your offense, so I think just coming together as a team and realizing that we had to do what we had to do to get it done because we were shorthanded. That was what really helped me be able to lead them through that. I kind of just took it on as a challenge. I was like, “Alright, well, this happened, can’t do anything about it now, got to make the best of the situation,” and just got after it, you know? I went into every game like “Alright, it’s me, so, we’re going to get this done. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but we’re going to get it done.” That was basically the outlook I had just to stay tough and get through it knowing that Rachel was going to come back before A-10s. I think it also changed me as a leader for this year, because it gave me a lot of experience in dealing with adversity and having to be like, “There’s really no back up.” Just being able to perform under pressure and get things done under pressure definitely helped me be able to prepare for this year, with three freshman pitchers, as I try to lead that staff and help them be the best they can be. And they’re doing awesome right now, so that’s great. It really just kind of shaped me as a person in the sense where, you know, I had no choice but to step up and so this year I’ve just tried to keep that rolling. TFR: Well you’ve certainly been rolling since you’ve been at Fordham. Three A-10 titles in three years and a great chance for another one this year. Could you just talk about the enormous success you’ve had at Fordham, both individually and as a team as a whole and what you think accounts for it? LQ: Obviously, we are very excited about winning the past three and going for a fourth this year. I think the biggest thing with that is that we have an atmosphere that really tries to be
Pat Costello Not-So-Unlucky 13th
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
successful and win, so I think that’s where the drive comes from. Everyone on the team could tell you that. Winning is fun for us, it’s fun for everyone, but that’s just something we go after, something we take pride in that we won three A-10 championships and we’re going for a fourth. As a senior class I’ve got Sydney Canessa in center, I’ve got Amy Van Hoven at shortstop, Lindsay Mayer, Ally Vergona, Steph Ferri. All of us have really come together and said, “Alright, we won the three. Now it’s time to go for the four.” So right now we’re just trying to get after it, get our business done and do what we need to do. TFR: Earlier this season you threw your first career no-hitter. What was that like? LQ: It was awesome. But for me, throwing a no-hitter should be accredited to the team. I mean, yes, I was the pitcher so I threw the nohitter, but they had to make all the plays behind me, and my catcher, Ally Vergona, that’s a no hitter for her too. So it was really exciting but I just see it as another game. My defense played really well and our bats, well, we smoked them in that game. Again it was exciting, but I think of it as more of a team success, not just for me. TFR: Do you have any post-graduation plans? Does softball figure into them at all? LQ: I just got accepted into the Marketing Intelligence Masters Program here at Fordham. So I’m going to be doing that next year, hopefully playing a fifth year because of my injury during sophomore year. I guess after the graduation after that, my masters graduation, I’d hope to get a job and stay in New York City. Marketing or something along those lines, in that industry, in NYC, is the goal. TFR: And finally, what has been your favorite thing about being at Fordham? LQ: I guess my favorite thing would definitely be the experiences I’ve had, friendships I’ve made and memories I’ve made on and off the field with teammates, and just with my friends here at Fordham. Just the experiences I’ve had here, on the softball team, off the softball team, going to the city, with my professors, everything. I guess that’s kind of vague.
Think you know sports? Become a writer! Email: fordhamramsports@gmail.com
Sergio Garcia was dead. When he hooked his tee shot left, over Rae’s Creek and under a bush, that should have been the end of his hope of winning. He was forced to take a drop on the pinestraw, punch his ball out and save a scrambling par. Therein lies the problem with the bookend of Amen Corner: it’s too forgiving. A hole at the Master’s should not be easy. Players should have to be on their game from the time they hit their first drive, to when they make their last putt. The 13th hole, formally known as Azalea, needs to be changed. “I think that you want to make the hard holes harder, but you want to actually make the easier holes easier,” three time Master’s Champion Phil Mickelson said of the historic course. However, it would be physically impossible to make 13 any easier. This weekend alone the scoring average on the hole was 4.614. There were 128 birdies and 131 pars. For reference, there were only 24 birdies on the 12th hole for the whole weekend, and only six in the entire final round. There were six eagles on 13 all weekend, three of which came during the final round. A hole doesn’t get much easier than that. The solution to this problem is fairly simple: make the hole a Par 4. Currently, the hole measures in at 510 yards, after it was pushed back from 485 yards in 2002. Some have called for Augusta National to purchase more land from Augusta Country Club and extend the hole and keep it a Par 5, but that gives big hitters an advantage, while cutting the knees out of the shorter hitters. Someone like Zach Johnson would never have the option to go for the green, while a guy like Dustin Johnson would still have a chance to get there in two. By moving the tee box back to 485 and making the hole a Par 4, it negates the advantage a player would have. Instead, the player would have to go for it in two, and wouldn’t have a three-putt cushion. This solution would make the hole much more challenging, and actually punish players for not hitting a good drive. The opponents to this solution say that by making it a Par 4 it changes the identity of the hole. Azalea is normally the hole in which most players begin their back nine charges. However, as I said before, there shouldn’t be a hole at the Master’s that is seen as easy. There should be constant challenge. I don’t want to see Jordan Spieth shooting -18. I want to see a shootout between multiple guys who are not higher than -6. Garcia and Justin Rose gave us a great battle, but making such a crucial mistake at 13 should have punished him more. It’s Amen Corner after all. You should be praying for Par, not saying hallelujah because of a tap in birdie.
SPORTS
April 12, 2017
Evan Biancardi
NFL Offseason Winners It’s been a busy offseason so far, and with just a few weeks left before the NFL Draft, let’s recap what we’ve seen so far, determine which teams have improved their chances of making a run, and determine which have diminished their odds of playing into January. Over the past decade, it seems as though the clear favorite to win the Super Bowl is almost always the New England Patriots. Since the start of free agency, they’ve only helped their case. The reigning champs addressed their lack of issues by improving their roster on both sides of the ball. As if Tom Brady needed more weapons, the Pats signed Colts tight end Dwayne Allen and Bengals running back Rex Burkhead. These acquisitions don’t seem to be much, but we’ve all witnessed what Brady can do with his running backs and tight ends. Perhaps their biggest addition, though, was the trade to acquire Brandin Cooks. Cooks is a speedy receiver and a top deep threat that can give defenses nightmares. On the defensive end, New England signed Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore and Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy. I think it’s safe to say defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is going to have a lot of fun this year. Okay, enough about the Patriots. The team that improved the most this offseason was the Jacksonville Jaguars. With already a top defense in the league a year ago, the Jaguars went out and signed three of the top defensive free agents – Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye, Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell and Cowboys safety Barry Church. All three players had great seasons in 2016, and all hope to add to a defense that already features cornerback Jalen Ramsey, defensive end Dante Fowler, defensive tackle Malik Jackson and linebacker Myles Jack, among others. Add the number four overall pick into the equation, and the Jaguars are probably the most improved team in the league. It hasn’t been all winners this offseason, though. The Dallas Cowboys are likely the biggest loser heading into the new season. Dallas came into the offseason with just enough money to resign wide receiver Terrence Williams, but that’s just about all they were able to do. To make matters worse, the Cowboys lost safeties J.J. Wilcox and Barry Church and cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr, all to free agency. In addition, with Randy Gregory suspended on top of all that, the Cowboys will be forced to rely on several of their younger players to recoup what they lost. On the offensive side, Dallas lost guard Ron Leary, which proves more significant now, due to the retirement of tackle Doug Free. Beloved quarterback Tony Romo also retired, so if Prescott were to go down or struggle in his sophomore season, the Cowboy’s only hope would be Kellen Moore. To say that the Cowboys reduced their championship hopes would be an understatement, and taking into account the improvements of their division rivals, the future of the Cowboys is up in the air.
Page 27
Liam McKeone
Varsity Scores & Stats Softball George Mason Fordham
St. Louis 1 Fordham 7 (FOR) Murphy: 7 IP, 5 SO, 1 ER
3 5 2 5
George Mason Fordham
2 1
George Mason Fordham
Fordham 3 Iona 2 (FOR) Mayer: Walk-off Sac fly Baseball Fordham Saint Peter's
5 2
Fordham Saint Peter's
7 5
St. Louis Fordham
0 10
11 3
Fordham Iona Men's Tennis George Mason Fordham
4 3
Fordham Iona
6 1
Fordham Iona
4 3
George Mason Fordham (canceled) Women's Tennis St. Joseph's Fordham
0 7
La Salle Fordham
0 7
Rhode Island Fordham
3 4
Rowing Knecht Cup 2nd Varsity 8 Petite 1st6:55.54 Varsity 8 Petite 6th6:53:18 Men's Track George Mason Spring Invitational 12th/20 teams Women's Track George Mason Spring Invitational 20th/22 teams
Athletes of the Week Fabian Mauritzson
Estelle Wong
Freshman
Junior
Tennis
Tennis
Mauritzon went 4-0 in matches against Saint Joseph’s, Coppin State and Saint Francis College, notching three singles wins and one doubles win. His most notable match came in a comeback against Saint Joseph’s 4-6, 6-4, 10-5.
Despite playing only two out of three matchups over the weekend, Wong went 4-0 in her matches against St. Joseph's and Rhode Island, playing an important role in extending Fordham's women's tennis win streak of 16 games.
Each week, The Fordham Ram’s sports editors honor one male athlete and one female athlete for their on-field performances as their “Athletes of the Week.”
News & Notes • Softball and Baseball Win on Tuesday Softball won in dramatic fashion at home
against the Iona Gaels, 3-2. Senior starting pitcher Lauren Quense gave up a solo home run in the first inning. The Rams took the lead in the fourth inning after a fielding error allowed two runs to score. Freshman Taylor Stocks gave up a run in the top of the sixth, but senior Lindsay Mayer came to the rescue with a walk-off sacrifice fly. They are 30-9. Baseball’s quick road trip to Siena was less dramatic, as the Rams won easily, 11-3. Fordham had 11 hits, including a homer and a triple from senior Ryan Mahoney. They used seven pitchers, who collectively gave up just one earned run and twirled 12 strikeouts. They improve to 15-13.
• Nieves Named Rookie of the Week Freshman Tomas Nieves was awarded the
A-10 Men’s Golf Rookie of the Week on Friday, April 7, which is his first weekly honor of the year. At the Coca-Cola Lehigh Collegiate Invitational from April 2-3, Nieves placed in a tie for 27th with a total of 153. He shot a 76 the first day and a 77 the second day, coming in at nine over par. Fordham men’s golf ’s next competition is on Saturday, April 15. They will be traveling to New Haven, Connecticut to take part in the Yale Invitational at the Course of Yale.
• Santelli Named A-10 Co-Performer of the Week
• Wong and Mauritzon Win A-10 Weekly Awards Tennis players Fabian Mauritzson and
Estelle Wong were each honored with an A-10 weekly award. Wong was named women’s tennis Player of the Week, while Mauritzson was named men’s tennis Rookie of the Week.
Track and field junior Louis Santelli was named the A-10 Co-Performer of the week, notching his first honor of the season. At the Mason Spring Invitational on April 8 in Virginia, Santelli finished second in the 800 meter run, coming in one spot above fellow Ram Michael Petersen. He recorded a season best time of 1:52:59. The track and field teams’ next competition is the Metropolitan Championship from April 14-15 in New Jersey. -Compiled by Alvin Halimwidjaya
The Matchup of the Year The NBA playoffs are the best time of the year and, this year, the premiere matchup is between James Harden’s Rockets and Russell Westbrook’s Thunder meeting in the first round of the playoffs. This is a series that features two great teams, to be sure, but all eyes are on Harden and Westbrook. The leading MVP candidates of the year, both point guards constantly recorded triple-doubles as they led their teams to win after win in a tough Western Conference. Westbrook has had a record-shattering year, recording 42 triple-doubles (and counting!) and averaging 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists per game. Harden has been no slouch himself, averaging 29 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists while leading one of the league’s top offenses. The main difference between Harden and Westbrook is what surrounds them. Harden is on a team built around his strengths. Head coach Mike D’Antoni is renowned for his offensive schemes, and this year is no different. By turning Harden into a point guard and designing the entire offense around his ability to shoot threes and get to the basket, D’Antoni is the architect of yet another record-breaking offense. A starting lineup of Harden, Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Patrick Beverly and Clint Capela has everything a modern offense needs: three elite shooters, a defensive stopper and a big man who excels in the pick and roll. Along with scoring machine and deadline acquisition Lou Williams, the Rockets have turned into one of the best offenses in the NBA, averaging 115 points with an astounding 40 three-point attempts per game. They secured the third seed in the West, and are comfortably considered one of the three best teams in the conference, along with the Warriors and the Spurs. The Thunder, on the other hand, are a completely different story. Westbrook is singlehandedly dragging his team to victory night after night. This was a team made to complement Kevin Durant, filled with defensive stoppers and skilled offensive big men, but Westbrook was all they had left after Durant went to Golden State, and he’s been on a season-long tear. One would think the Thunder would be better than the sixth seed, but Westbrook’s teammates haven’t picked up the slack, and defenses are now focusing on Westbrook and Westbrook alone. The team stumbles if Westbrook falters, but no one can shut him down. He’ll shoot 20 or 60 percent, but he’ll somehow get a triple-double and hit a 30-foot three pointer at the buzzer to win the game. The combined greatness of Harden and Westbrook this season is what’s going to make this series one for the ages. Harden is one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the game, but Westbrook is a one-man wrecking ball intent on a championship. The two will be going back and forth for at least four games, and hopefully more.
SPORTS
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April 12, 2017
TheFordhamRam
Softball Takes the Show on the Road vs. GMU By JONAH HASKELL STAFF WRITER
This weekend the Fordham Rams traveled to Fairfax, Virginia, to take two of three games in a weekend series against conference rival George Mason. The Rams, who were on the road for the first time since mid-March, as they were led by strong performances in the circle by senior Lauren Quense and freshman Madison Auginbaugh, and while the offense struggled on the road, it was enough to bring Fordham’s season mark to an outstanding 29-9. Fordham kicked off its weekend in the Washington D.C. suburbs with a double header on Saturday, as the Rams took the first game, 5-3 in nine innings, behind a complete game performance from Quense. “Lauren has been throwing great and really excels when in tough challenging spots like extra innings.” said Fordham head coach Bridget Orchard. Quense started out strong, shutting out George Mason for the first five innings, and her offense finally broke through to give the Rams a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth, when freshman 3B Skylar Johnston doubled home sophomore pinch runner Maria Trivelpiece and sophomore DP Jordy Storm. However, the Patriots were quick to respond against Quense in the bottom of the inning, when 2B Erin Calpin smacked a two-run double to left to tie the game. From there, both pitchers would settle down, as Quense and her
counterpart, Mariana Vitalich, traded zeroes into extras, but in the ninth, Vitalich (or, more accurately, her defense) blinked. Auginbaugh managed to reach on an error on the Patriots’ pitcher, then scored when senior Sydney Canessa’s flyball to centerfield was dropped, another error. Canessa was then able to score on a sacrifice fly from junior Madison Shaw and the Rams added another after senior Lindsay Mayer singled, advanced to third on an error and came home on Quense’s RBI groundout. Quense would allow an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth, but held down the fort as the Rams came away with the 5-3, extra inning victory. In her masterful performance, the Fordham senior struck out eight, allowed only two earned runs and let only eight runners reach base to get the win. “She has thrown a lot of innings.” said coach Orchard. “She has worked hard in the off season, to be able to throw so much you have to be great shape.” The second game on Saturday was less of a nail biter as the Rams starter, Auginbaugh, tossed the second complete game of the day en route to a 5-2 victory. The Rams jumped on top early, as Auginbaugh helped out her cause with an RBI single to score Mayer in the first. The Patriots tied in back up in the fourth when Mary-Elizabeth Luttrell hit an RBI double off of Auginbaugh. Fordham reclaimed the lead for good with four runs in the sixth, when
RODERICK PEREZ/THE FORDHAM RAM
Freshman Taylor Stocks allowed 1 run on 2 hits in 4.0IP in a 2-1 loss on April 9th.
sophomore Jess Hughes hit a basesloaded single to give the Rams a 2-1 lead. Not to be out-done, Mayer followed with an RBI single of her own to make it 3-1, and Shaw, looking to out-do everybody, did the same, except that two runs were scored on her hit, making it a 5-1 game. George Mason would manage an unearned run against Auginbaugh in the bottom of the seventh, but the comeback fell short, as the Rams swept the doubleheader with the 5-2 win. In the final game of the series on Sunday, Quesne was back on the mound for Fordham and Vitalich made the start for the Patriots, this time Vitalich would come out on top. An epic pitching duel, similar to the one from the day before, ensued as both offenses were flummoxed by the opposing team’s ace. Fordham managed to scratch one across against Vitalich in the third, when senior Ally Vergona scored on Canessa’s infield
single to shortstop. The Patriots responded an inning later to tie it at one, all off a homer from Jess Curbeira, and the game once again seemed destined for extra innings as it entered the bottom of the seventh with that score. Just as George Mason’s defense had failed them a day earlier, Fordham’s defense proved to be its bane. With two outs and runners on second and third, back-up shortstop Mayer, playing for injured regular senior Amy Van Hoven, made an error on a grounder that allowed the winning run to score, walking off for the Patriots. Despite the tough loss, Fordham had a good weekend in Fairfax, and coach Orchard is still confident in the ability of her back-up shortstop. “Lindsay was recruited as a shortstop and has played there in high school and travel so we are confident she will improve the more she plays there,” she said. “It is a challenge after playing third for the last three years,
but we are expecting big things from her both with the bat and on the field.” After going 2-1 against George Mason, the Rams are now 29-9 overall and 7-2 in conference play. This week, Fordham has a few non-conference games as it take on Iona at home on Tuesday and then travel to Pennsylvania for a double-header against Lehigh on Wednesday. Then, over the weekend, the Rams will be in Amherst, Massachusetts for a series against the University of Massachusetts, to kick off a less than threeweek period during which they will play seven conference games. Despite the rough schedule, coach Orchard thinks her team will be ready. “We are playing a lot of games, so it doesn’t leave much time to work on things, so we are trying to get as much as we can when we have the days to do it, especially defense when we can get on a field,” Orchard said. “Trying to keep it positive and keep the energy up for all the games. “
After Travel Issues, Baseball Splits with Saint Louis
JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM
The Rams pitching staff struggled in the first half of the doubleheader agaisnt Saint Louis
By JACK McLOONE STAFF WRITER
After a canceled flight on Thursday resulted in Fordham Baseball being rerouted to St. Louis via Syracuse, the Rams’ weekend was thrown out of whack. Instead of three games from Friday to Sunday, they played a doubleheader on Sunday. After dropping the first game, the Rams were able to leave Saint Louis on a better foot than the one they arrived on with a win. The Rams and head coach Kevin Leighton have definitely settled on their go-to weekend arms. First up was sophomore Reiss Knehr, who turned in yet another quality performance. Over his six innings of work, he allowed three runs one unearned on seven hits. He only had two strikeouts, but also only walked one. The first two of the Bilikens runs came in the fourth inning. Senior
third baseman Matthew Kozuch’s errant throw on a bunt attempt sent one runner home, and an RBI single by the next batter made it 2-0 Saint Louis. Knehr’s other run was a solo home run in the sixth inning. He was relieved by senior Shane McDonald, who worked a clean seventh. However, the inexperienced Rams bullpen imploded in the eighth. Freshman Marc Bisogno got the first batter he faced to line out, but the next four batters resulted in three singles, a double, a stolen base and three more Saint Louis runs. He was relieved by another freshman, Brian Weissert, who struggled even more mightily. Weissert was unable to record an out, walking the first batter he faced, giving up a two-RBI double to the next one, allowing a runner to move up on a wild pitch and then one more single.
“I thought Marc was in the middle of the zone too much, and Brian was missing the zone too much,” said Leighton. “Both will result in a difficult day. We also had some mistakes behind our pitchers that inning that didn’t help them.” Junior Parker Barnell was next in line, and the first batter he faced rolled a ground ball towards third. However, Kozuch committed his second error of the day and another run crossed the plate. Kozuch was pulled following the error with freshman Justin Machado replacing him. Barnell gave up one more run in the inning, pushing the score to its final of 10-0. The Rams’ bats went quiet in game one of the doubleheader. They had just six hits, and never had more than one baserunner before the ninth inning. And even in that frame, the second baserunner following a single
from junior outfielder Ryan Jennings was senior catcher Pat Gardner reaching on an error. In game two of the doubleheader, the Rams fortunes reversed. Graduate student pitcher Jimmy Murphy continued his remarkable stretch of immaculate performances, spinning seven innings of one-run ball. He had five strikeouts and just one walk while scattering eight hits. The Rams looked to come somewhat alive right away, with a two-out double from sophomore catcher Justin Bardwell and a wild pitch putting a runner just 90 feet away, but a lineout stopped their threat. But in the third inning, Fordham was able to take advantage of pitching miscues of Saint Louis starter Jackson Wark. He walked senior outfielder Ryan Mahoney to start the inning. After a sac bunt from senior outfielder Jason Lundy, Kozuch drew a walk to put runners on first and second with one out. That quickly became runners on second and third with one out on a wild pitch. Wark battled back to strike out freshman outfielder Jake Baker, but it was Bardwell who came through with two outs. His double plated both runs, putting Fordham up 2-0. After Saint Louis halved the lead in the bottom of the fifth, the Ram, once again were major beneficiaries of Biliken miscues. Three of the first four batters reached on an error, with the other reaching on a walk. The last of the errors, a groundball to short from sophomore first baseman Brian Goulard, plated the first run of the inning.
Freshman shortstop Matt Tarabek, playing in place of an injured Luke Stampfl, wore a pitch to late the second, making it 4-1 Fordham and forcing a Saint Louis pitching change. The next arm did not fare any better against the bases-loaded, none-out situation, allowing back-to-back RBI singles to put Fordham up 6-1 before he finally stopped the bleeding. Fordham tacked on one more run in the eighth, once again thanks to another error, bringing the game to its 7-1 final. All in all, Saint Louis committed four errors and five of Fordham’s seven runs were unearned. The Rams had the same number of hits six in both halves of the doubleheader. Freshman Alvin Melendez continued his dominance in the late innings, relieving Murphy in the eighth. He worked two innings of one-hit ball, walking one more. “I think in the first game we ran into a very good pitcher, and in game two we were able to capitalize on a couple of Saint Louis’ mistakes that allowed us to open up a bigger lead,” said Leighton. “Ultimately when you can put pressure on an opponent, mistakes will be made, and I thought we did a good job of that in the second game.” With the doubleheader split, Fordham Baseball is now 14-13, with a 4-4 conference record. Its next series starts this Friday on April 13 at 2 p.m. against Saint Joseph’s at home. The Rams are 10-1 so far this season at Houlihan Park.