The Dartmouth 05/13/2019

05.13.19

Track and field competes in Ivy Heps, New England championships p. 3 2019 football captains named following GreenWhite game p. 4 Women’s lacrosse sees NCAA championship bid halted in first round p. 5

Henrich awarded as nation’s best women’s college rugby player p. 7 COURTESY OF EMILY HENRICH

SW 2

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

New indoor facility will give teams more practice availability B y ELIJAH CZYSZ The Dartmouth

After a lengthy legal battle that went all the way to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, contractors finally began construction on a new indoor practice facility on campus this past winter. The new facility will provide space to Dartmouth sports teams — varsity and club — that have struggled with cancelled practices, icy New Hampshire winters and a lack of sufficient accommodations at the sole indoor practice facility currently on campus, Leverone Field House.

In late 2016, the Hanover Planning Board denied a permit to build the new indoor facility. The College first appealed the decision to the Grafton Superior Court, leading to another denial in late September of 2017. The College’s second appeal, however, was successful. In early November 2018, the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled unanimously to overturn the Planning Board’s initial denial.

New Hampshire Supreme Court associate justice Patrick Donovan cited the board’s “subjective and personal feelings” as the basis for overturning the denial.

An important rationale behind the new indoor practice space is that Dartmouth’s norther n geography brings severe, extended

winter weather, according to deputy director of athletics and recreation Bob Ceplikas ’78.

Currently, Leverone is the only facility available to many teams for practice during inclement weather.

“As the northernmost Ivy League school, Dartmouth faces unique challenges regarding the need for indoor practice space during cold and inclement weather, especially in the winter, early spring and late fall,” Ceplikas wrote in an email statement.

With hard winters driving demand for indoor practice space, many Dartmouth teams have experienced difficulty finding timeslots for training in Leverone, according to softball player Micah Schroder ’20.

“Every team has a certain day where, if everyone has to come inside, you lose your practice time,” Schroder said.

Ceplikas echoed Schroder’s sentiment, emphasizing the challenge of fitting every team into the indoor practice schedule, given that the track and field team has priority over Leverone.

“While Leverone Field House is a wonderful facility, it serves as the primary venue for indoor track and field, so the hours remaining for all of our field teams fall far short of the demand,” Ceplikas wrote.

Dartmouth football quarterback Derek Kyler ’21 said he hopes

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that the new facility will free up the schedule and allow individual athletes to use the new facility or Leverone to train outside of practice when they want to.

In addition to the increased availability, the new facility, which is located near Thompson Arena and Burnham Field, adjacent to the Boss Tennis Center, will have multiple accommodations not found at Leverone. The 56,000-squarefoot field at the new facility is nearly three times as large as Leverone’s 20,000-square-foot temporary turf field.

With a significant increase in the size of the turf, the new facility will be able to house some of the larger teams, like football, which currently must split into two different groups when practicing at Leverone, according to Kyler. “[Leverone is] a confined space,” Kyler said. “It’s almost like a walk through, and we can never get the reps we want to.”

Not only is the field in the new facility larger, but it is also composed of a newer turf that will better serve almost every field-based sport at Dartmouth. According to Ceplikas, the new turf, to be made of FieldTurf®, “best replicates natural grass.”

The current non-infill turf in Leverone has caused problems for field sport teams that will be solved in this new facility, according to Kyler. “ We c a n’t we a r c l e at s i n [Leverone],” Kyler said. “It’s just tennis shoes right now. You can never go full speed practice in Leverone because you never have good grip … It’s a little dangerous in that sense.”

With eight teams — men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, football, baseball, softball and women’s rugby — using the new facility, Leverone availability will be opened up for field hockey, which, according to Ceplikas, “prefers to compete and practice on a non-infill turf surface.”

Leverone will be more accessible not just to field hockey, but to club

sports that previously had sporadic access to an indoor practice facility.

Johnny Elliott ’19, a former captain of the men’s ultimate frisbee A team, Pain Train, spoke to the challenges of finding practice time at reasonable hours despite the club sports office’s best efforts.

“Our biggest difficulty is that we have to go after all of the varsity sports in terms of securing times,” Elliott said. “We get the best times of the latest crop, and we’re still ending up with practice times that end at midnight. People become more sleep-deprived and more stressed out, and it really shows in our competitions when … we’re all down on our luck from a term of late practice times.”

Ceplikas noted the “domino effect” he expects will benefit club sports once the new facility is completed.

“By relocating eight varsity sports into the new facility, many Leverone hours will be freed up for use by club sports, including some clubs that

currently have little or no access to indoor practice space,” Ceplikas wrote.

Elliott is similarly hopeful that the new indoor facility will prove helpful for club sports such as ultimate frisbee.

“I am excited that the new facility is going up because I think that will get us to move earlier, and I think that will be better for us going forward into the future,” he said.

In addition to the new facility’s larger field and change in turf, Ceplikas wrote that the 70,000-square-foot facility will feature a meeting room, two video filming platforms, a satellite sports medicine space, batting tunnels for baseball and softball and dividing netting similar to that in Leverone.

In a previous interview with The Dartmouth, he said he is hoping to accelerate the timeline to get the new facility open for as much of winter as possible.

Anna May Mott contributed reporting.

Saturday MTRACK @ New Balance Twilight, Boston, MA WTRACK @ New Balance Twilight, Boston, MA Sunday WROW @ Eastern Sprints Regatta, Worcester, MA HROW @ Eastern Sprints Regatta, Worcester, MA LROW @ Ivy League Championship, Camden, NJ

New England Free Jacks vs. Toronto Arrows Professional rugby exhibition game

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

SW 3

Track and field competes in Ivy Heps, New England championships She was unable to do much of her usual lifting routine but found a way The Dartmouth to adjust it with “explosive plyos” After months of competing and other substitute exercises. indoors and outdoors, the Big “It’s been one of those seasons Green track and field team is finally where there are lots of ebbs and flows wrapping up its outdoor season. Last and uncertainties here and there but week, the team traveled to Princeton definitely some positives coming out University to compete in the 2019 of it too,” Rothwell said.

Ivy League Outdoor Heptagonal Rothwell said that she felt more Championship where the men’s team pressure than she had in previous took fifth and the women’s team years leading up to outdoor Heps, took seventh. This past weekend, citing her previous success in the the team competed at the New event as the cause of some of this England Championship, with the pressure. Rothwell added that the women taking first place and the weather and not having ran her “best men finishing time” in the prelims in fifth. contributed to her “It’s been one of Despite nerves before the c h a l l e n g i n g those seasons where 100m hurdle finals. c o n d i t i o n s , there are lots of She said she “knew s e v e r a l [she] really had i n d i v i d u a l s ebbs and flows and to dig down and r e c o r d e d uncertainties here and execute to a T,” impressive and execute to a T there but definitely performances she did. Rothwell a t t h e I v y some positives coming pulled away over League Heps. out of it too.” the last few hurdles, Of these, five accelerating took first place through the finish titles, including -CHA’MIA ROTHWELL ’20 and claiming the Ben Ose ’19 in victory. the decathlon, With her victory, Cha’Mia Rothwell has qualified for the 100m Rothwell ’20 in the 100m hurdles, hurdles in the upcoming NCAA Julia Valenti ’20 in the pole vault, Eastern Regionals, which takes place Henry Raymond ’20 in the 1500m May 23-25. and Max Frye ’21 in the 400m Frye’s win in the 400m hurdles was hurdles. his first championship title after he Standout Donovan Spearman took second place in the event last ’21 set Dartmouth’s 200m all-time year. After running several 500m record with a time of 21.11 after races during the indoor season in breaking the record three weeks ago preparation for the 400m hurdles, with a 21.14 run.

Frye said he was excited to see how Rothwell’s win marked her eighth his training would affect his 400m Heptagonal championship title after hurdle time. Despite struggling with previously winning five hurdles titles a back injury over the spring, Frye and two long jump titles. Her win found that running the 500m put is especially impressive given that him in a good spot going into the much of her early season was spent outdoor season. His times steadily recovering from an injury. Back improved over the course of March in November, Rothwell fell while and April. attempting a hurdling drill, breaking The weekend before outdoor her hand. Her recovery involved Heps, Frye was ready to go with surgery, a metal plate in her hand a plan in mind. Some people like and several weeks with pins sticking to save a little bit of energy during out of her injured extremity. prelims if they know they are going to However, Rothwell said she was qualify for finals, but Frye disagreed determined to maintain her fitness. with this strategy. Going into the race,

B y GRETTA PICKETT

DOUG AUSTIN/COURTESY OF THE DARTMOUTH ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

Cha’Mia Rothwell ’20 won the 100m hurdles at Heps to qualify for the NCAA Eastern Regionals later this month.

Frye’s goal was to put in a maximum high jump and Maria Garman ’19 effort. took fourth in the heptathlon.

“I mean, the difference between Rothwell, Frye and women’s head running 95 percent and 100 percent coach Sandy Ford-Centonze all isn’t that much, so I’d rather just remarked on the weather at the event. go all out.” Frye said. “I think the Wind, rain and cold temperatures confidence that I get from doing well made for less-than-ideal conditions exceeds any tiredness from running on day two of the meet, but all out on day the Big Green were one.”

“I think the confidence sufficiently prepared Looking to compete in the that I get from doing forward, inclement weather.

Frye is seeded well exceeds any “One thing No. 28 for tiredness from running that we try to get Eastern across to everybody Re g i o n a l s. all out on day one.” is that, yes, this is He hopes to something we don’t potentially like to compete in, -MAX FRYE ’21 move up into but at the same time, the top 12 everybody has the which would same circumstances,” qualify him for NCAA Outdoor Ford-Centonze said, “You know, it’s Championships. raining in everybody’s lane. If the The Big Green also saw strong wind is blowing in lane one, its performances from Cole Andrus ’20, blowing in lane two and lane three. who took second in the javelin, Parker And I think that honestly, because Johnson ’19, who took fourth in the we’ve had [bad weather] a lot during 110m hurdles and Olivia Wiener the season, people handled it well.” ’19, who took fourth in the javelin.

Ford-Centonze also remarked Abby Burke ’22 took fourth in the on Valenti’s win in the pole vault

as very exciting for the Dartmouth team, as Valenti’s win marks her third Heps title in the event and the first time in 18 years that a woman from Dartmouth has won the outdoor pole vault.

For many athletes on the Dartmouth track and field team, outdoor Heps marked the end of their track seasons. However, several athletes went on to compete at the New England Championships this past weekend in hopes of qualifying for regionals. Despite not sending full teams, the team did remarkably well, with the women taking the overall team win, and the men placing fifth.

Shawn Ohazuruike ’20 and Alec Eschholz ’19 placed second in the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles, respectively. Marco Pompilj ’19 won the 3000m steeplechase and Caroline Walter ’21 set a personal record in the 400m, winning the event with a time of 55.94. Claire Dougherty ’20 took second in the 800m as did Breanna Glover ’22 in the 1500m.

Valenti and Brooke Brunet put the cherry on top, going one-two in the pole vault.

SW 4

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

2019 football captains named following Green-White game B y baily deeter

The Dartmouth Staff

We are still several months away from Sept. 21, when the Dartmouth football team will travel to Florida for its first game of the season at Jacksonville University. But while the team’s first official game is still far off, the culmination of the Big Green’s spring practices arrived last week in its annual Green-White spring football game.

The game saw the offense and defense battle with no live tackling but full contact until the whistle ended the point. Both the offense and defense demonstrated some positives. Quarterback Derek Kyler ’21 completed a whopping 16 of his 17 passes for a touchdown and no turnovers, but the defense surrendered just the one touchdown and three field goals on the day.

The defense picked up right where it left off from last season. The unit was a huge reason for the team’s 9-1 record, never allowing more than 24 points in a game, pitching two shutouts and holding the Big Green’s opponents to 14 points or fewer in seven of its 10 games.

The defensive group will look different in 2019 without safety Ky McKinney-Crudden TH ’19 and four of the team’s eight leading tacklers, but the Big Green has plenty of remaining defensive talent to keep the unit as strong as it was last season, according to linebacker Jack Traynor ’19.

“Defensively, we have a lot of guys who have played a lot of snaps and have been in a lot of different situations,” Traynor said. “[They] know how to carry themselves, how to prepare and how to perform.”

Retaining Traynor will be huge for the Big Green; he has experience as a captain from this past season and was reelected to the role as a fifth-year senior. But unlike last season, he will only be accompanied by one other captain: cornerback Isiah Swann ’20.

Last season, McKinney-Crudden and offensive lineman Matt Kaskey ’19 joined Traynor for a typical group of three captains, but this year’s vote pointed to having two captains.

“It was a dispersed vote, with 20 players getting votes,” head coach Buddy Teevens ’79 said. “We revoted, and Jack and Isiah were appreciably higher.”

Swann was not a captain last season but certainly made his presence felt by leading the Football College Subdivision with a remarkable nine interceptions, including three in one game against the College of the Holy Cross en route to multiple first-team All-American honors. He is also known for being a sure tackler, posting 39 last season, a high number for a defensive back.

Swann said being named captain is a tremendous honor largely because it represents how much he has grown from being just one of many talented freshmen to a primary leader of the team.

“If you would’ve told me four years ago that I would’ve been [a Dartmouth football captain], there’s no way I would’ve believed you,” Swann said. “It’s an incredible feeling to have my teammates, who I’ve grown with for the last few years, nominate me as a group.”

With these two superstars and other solid returning players such as linebacker Nigel Alexander ’20, defensive lineman Jackson Perry ’19 and cornerback DeWayne Terry Jr. ’21, all of whom matched or exceeded the 35-tackle threshold last season, the defense should be in good shape.

In its first test during the Green-White game, the defense bent but did not break, giving up just one touchdown and holding the offense to three field goals.

“I think we were a little slow coming out, partially because we weren’t able to tackle,” Swann said.

“But we picked it up in the middle and the end and played how we were supposed to play. We looked pretty solid.”

With Swann and Traynor both defensemen, the Big Green did not elect an offensive captain, which is relatively unusual. However, Teevens established a leadership group consisting of rising seniors, several of whom are offensive players, who he believes are poised to represent the team well on and off the field. Teevens

SAM HYSA/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

The Green-White game showcased a talented football squad that hopes to build on last year’s 9-1 record.

noted that some of the players from the group played a key role in the team’s groundbreaking decision to hire coach Callie Brownson, the first full-time female coach in Division I football.

“I try to identify guys who will represent us well on campus,” Teevens said of how he formed the group. “If there are issues we have, I’ll ask for advice or suggestions from these guys. We have eight to 10 minds who can go back to their teammates and let them see some of the decisionmaking processes I might make.”

Dartmouth finished second in the Ivy League with a stellar average of 34 points per game last year, and it finished the season strong with 35 and 49 points in its last two games against Cornell University and Brown University, respectively. All of this happened with a sophomore quarterback primarily at the helm, which should mean more offensive success as Kyler matures in his junior season.

Last season, Kyler led an efficient, ball-control offense throughout the season. In a run-heavy offense, he only averaged 17.7 passing attempts per game, yet he still managed 13 touchdown tosses while being intercepted just twice.

His greatest strengths were playing

turnover-free football and completing most of his passes, and he built on those trends in the spring game. While the sample size of 17 passes was small, he greatly exceeded his conferenceleading completion percentage of 68.9 percent from last year without throwing an interception.

“That may have been his best outing of the spring,” Teevens said.

While the passing game was efficient last year, the Big Green certainly relied more heavily on its ground game. Overall, the team had 442 rushes on the season, more than doubling its league-low total of 212 pass attempts. The team will return its leading rusher in Jared Gerbino ’20, a quarterback who is known for running the ball in a Wildcat-style offense. Losing primary running back Rashaad Cooper ’19 will be a tough blow, but Caylin Parker ’20 played well in the spring game and appears ready to shoulder the load, according to Teevens.

Dartmouth had a great deal of success on the ground last season, but in order to duplicate that success in the 2019 campaign, many new players will have to emerge on the offensive line. If the spring game is any indication, the unit is poised for another big season, as Teevens was pleased with what he saw from it.

Zach Sammartino ’19, who is also a part of the leadership group, had a solid outing as the anchor of the offensive line. Teevens also praised a couple of freshmen John Paul Flores ’22 and Calvin Atkeson ’22 who appear to have bright futures in the trenches.

The expectations are high for the running game, but with a more experienced quarterback and two of the team’s top three receivers from last season in Hunter Hagdorn ’20 and Drew Estrada ’20, Teevens is expecting improvement from the aerial attack.

“We need to expand our pass game this year,” Teevens said. “We’ve been running the football well. Mixing and matching our schemes will be critical.”

Looking forward, the team will finish up lifting and running in the spring term before transitioning to the summer, Teevens said. Rising juniors will stay on campus to train while most of the team will train separately, according to Teevens, and the team will reunite in mid-August in hopes of achieving one common goal.

“There’s one thing that keeps eluding me, and that’s an Ivy League championship,” Swann said. “That’s the main goal.”

SW 5

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

Women’s lacrosse sees NCAA championship bid halted in first round B y addison dick

The Dartmouth Staff

After earning a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013, the women’s lacrosse team fell in the first round by a score of 16-13 to the University of Colorado Boulder.

The team sat squarely on the bubble when the field of 28 teams was announced last Sunday after a devastating 15-14 loss to the University of Pennsylvania in the Ivy League Tournament semifinals on May 3. After trailing by four goals with under eight minutes remaining, the Big Green cut the lead to one with three unanswered goals in just over three minutes. The teams traded goals, and a costly penalty and late turnover on an offsides call allowed the Quakers to run out the clock and advance to the Ivy League final.

Two days following the loss to Penn, the Dartmouth players gathered in their film room to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show. Attacker Kierra Sweeney ’19 said the team was nervous as the bracket was revealed.

“Even though we knew we had put ourselves in a good place to likely get a bid, nothing is certain when it comes to at-large bids, and there are so many great teams out there,” she said. “The room erupted in cheerings when our name flashed across the screen ...

Obviously, bringing the program back to the NCAA tournament is a huge achievement, and we [were] grateful to be a part of it and make the program alumni proud.”

Midfielder Emma Lesko ’21 said making the tournament was even sweeter after falling just short of a tournament berth a year ago.

“Last year, we thought we had a chance and we didn’t get it, so we were really bummed,” she said.

“This year, we were all together in our film room ready to watch.

Nobody really knew what was going to happen, which made it really exciting. We were literally one of the last names to get called, and everyone erupted in excitement.”

The Big Green made the field, slated to play Colorado in a firstround matchup on Boston College’s home field in Newtown, MA. The tournament berth was the first in six years for Dartmouth and marked head coach Danielle Spencer’s first appearance in the national tournament with the Big Green.

“It was super exciting,” Lesko said. “It’s kind of hard to put into words, but we haven’t done it years.

Seeing how far the program is progressing each year is extremely exciting.”

The Big Green played from behind for most of Friday’s first half against the Buffaloes. Dartmouth won 10 of 15 draw controls in the half, but the Big Green’s eight turnovers allowed Colorado to build a two-goal lead with under five minutes remaining in the half.

The Big Green used a Colorado penalty to cut the deficit in half, as attacker Ellie Carson ’20 scored on the advantage. Less than one minute later, attacker Kellen D’Alleva ’19 found the back of the net for her first of three goals on the day, and the teams entered the second half tied at seven goals apiece.

The Big Green jumped into the lead at the start of the second half, building a 12-10 lead when Sweeney scored her 58th goal of the year. The Buffaloes, however, found their stride and surged in the final minutes of the game, scoring six of the game’s final seven goals.

Carson finished with four goals, and goaltender Kiera Vrindten ’20 made seven saves, but the Big Green only scored twice in the game’s final 20 minutes, and the Buffaloes advanced to the second round of the tournament with a 16-13 victory.

Sweeney said she was proud of the way the team fought despite struggling to find an offensive rhythm.

“I think the team stayed really connected throughout the game,” Sweeney said. “That is always a strength of the Dartmouth program.”

Lesko said that despite the loss, she was happy with how the Big Green played.

“I don’t think we could have played any better,” she said.

“Sometimes shots don’t fall and the game doesn’t go your way, but we showed a lot of heart and played as a team, and it was really fun to play that way for our last game.”

This year was one of the most successful seasons for the program in recent memory. The team won a share of the regular season Ivy League championship, the team’s 12th in program history and first title since 2011. Eight players earned All-Ivy honors, and Spencer was named co-coach of the year in the conference for the second consecutive season. The team’s 245 goals in the regular season were a new program record and Carson set a single-season program record for assists while Kathryn Giroux ’19 finished 11th in NCAA history with 418 draw controls throughout her career.

Sweeney characterized the season as “record-breaking.”

“This team has brought Dartmouth lacrosse back to where it used to be and beyond,” she said.

“This season, we broke numerous program records and pushed the

program to new standards. Getting an Ivy League title has been a goal the entire time I’ve been on the team, and to finally achieve it my senior season felt amazing.”

Lesko said this year’s team had a special bond, which translated to success on the field.

“We just have really good chemistry, which I think boils down to how much we love each other,” she said. “There’s no animosity on the team. We just enjoy each other’s presence and hang out all the time, and I think that contributed to us being able to play as a team on the field, which is one of our biggest strengths.”

The team chemistry was sparked by the leadership of the team’s nine seniors. Goaltender Becca Wade ’22 said all of the seniors are leaders in different aspects of lacrosse.

“Every day, they pushed us to be the best lacrosse players we could be and the best people to represent the program,” Wade said. “I don’t think any other class could have done that so well.”

Lesko agrees with Wade and described the senior class as invaluable.

“They’re so close, and their love for Dartmouth and the women’s lacrosse program is infectious,” Lesko said. “It’s an honor to have them as our seniors this year.

They’re absolutely fearless leaders, and it was awesome to see them work together.”

While the Big Green will miss the contributions and leadership of the seniors, the team hopes to use this season’s success to propel them in the near future. Lesko said it is crucial to continue to build off of this year’s success.

“It’s easy to get complacent after such a good season, but I think it shows what we can do and that we can make it to the NCAAs,” Lesko said. “I hope that other teams start to realize that we’re someone to take seriously, and I just want to do better from here.”

Wade said she is confident in the team’s ability to continue to take steps towards greater success. “[Spencer] said it very well when she said these are the building blocks for future success,” she said. “This won’t be the last time we make the NCAA tournament. This is us just getting our feet in the water.”

DIVYA KOPALLE/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Despite a successful season that led to a share of the Ivy League title, women’s lacrosse lost against Penn and Colorado.

SW 6

Pucks in Deep

with Sam Stockton ’19 Pucks in Deep: Hamilton the Pig and the Carolina Jerks In the first round of the NHL Playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes s k at e d a n d s k at e d u n t i l t h e defending champs just couldn’t hold on any longer. In the second round, they made mincemeat of one of the league’s top defensive teams. With their insistence on enjoying the child’s game they play professionally, they have implicitly declared war on Don Cherry, mouthpiece of hockey’s old guard and tsar of the most iconic segment in hockey’s television history. Now, Cherry says they are no longer just a “bunch of jerks” but a “bunch of frontrunning jerks.” They are the darlings of #HockeyTwitter with their sparkling Corsi and refusal to play by tired rules.

And yet, as they continue their quest to turn Raleigh, NC into the epicenter of modern hockey, bring Lord Stanley a few hours South down 95 from last summer’s home and redefine our expectations for expected goals (that’s x_Gf for all you statheads out there), and what gets celebrated most is the collective — collective commitment to relentless forechecking, speed through the neutral zone and perfectly placing their sticks on the penalty kill.

Today, I’d like to offer an introduction of these “jerks,” extrapolating on the one they’ve written for themselves on their march to the Eastern Conference Finals. If things continue to progress at their current pace, we’ll be

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

looking at all-out religious revival by mid-August — worshipping five-onfive dominance, anti-establishment hockey and inexplicably brilliant goaltending. Without further ado, these are a few of the Jerks turning the hockey world on its head.

First, there is Justin Williams, 37 years old with a graying playoff beard to prove it. A three-time Stanley Cup winner and Conn Smythe with a reputation as one of the league’s best when facing elimination, Justin Williams is the most famous of the Jerks. “Mr. Game 7,” the uncreative but apt sobriquet he’s earned from his repeated clutch performances, set up the double overtime winner in Game 7 against the defending champions, the Capitals, lofting a fluttering feed to the net mouth for Brock McGinn to deflect past Braden Holtby. The assist was his 15th Game 7 point of his career, an NHL record. In Game 7n of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, it was Williams who registered an emptynet goal to solidify the first Stanley Cup in Carolina franchise history, sending what was then referred to as the RBC Center into a frenzy.

Williams spent eight full seasons away from the Canes, winning his second and third Cups in Los Angeles and a pair of Presidents’ Trophies for the Washington Capitals before returning a season ago. Now he’s back, captaining the team on its quest to capture Stanley once again.

Then there’s Sebastian Aho, the rapidly rising Finnish superstar.

Aho has quietly become the centerpiece of Finland’s blossoming golden generation, bringing speed through the middle of the ice as a dynamic young puck carrier. He will be due for one of the league’s biggest raises when he reaches restricted free agency (the Hurricanes will almost certainly pay any price he asks). Any serious NHL contender needs a dominant center, and Aho is Carolina’s. In the first round, he went toe-to-toe with Nicklas Bäckström and Evgeny Kuznetsov, winning the match-up handedly at five-on-five. In the second, he helped lead the charge against the Islanders. Now, he will be tested by the likes of Patrice Bergeron and

Zdeno Chára, but if the the first two rounds were any indicator, he will rise to the occasion.

Next, there is Jaccob Slavin, the Greek god of stickwork. Slavin is the best defenseman in the world at creating turnovers with his stick, denying zone entries, stripping the puck from unsuspecting attackers and refusing to surrender passes to the slot. In the regular season, Slavin led the NHL in stick checks and ranked third in pass breakups.

Add that defensive stick to the fact that he is one of the best puck movers in the league and you’re looking at the prototypical modern defenseman at just a $5.3 million cap hit.

After that, we come to the two Hamiltons. The first, Dougie, is Slavin’s defense partner. While Slavin is the steady defender and adept puck mover, Hamilton is the fleet-footed rush leader from the back end. After Islander Bro c k N els o n d i s res p ec tf u lly patted Curtis McEhlhinney’s head following a Game 3 goal, Hamilton exacted revenge for his netminder, returning the pat to Nelson’s head in the handshake line following the four-game sweep. Twice traded, Hamilton was rebuked in the trusted hockey man community after a leaked report suggested that Dougie — then playing for the Flames — visited a museum while on a road trip. Shame on him for daring to engage in culture and taking an interest in something other than hockey.

No disrespect to Dougie, but the other Hamilton, a 90-pound adopted pig, is the greater fan favorite. Ham rides around in a red Radio Flyer wagon, was recently hand-fed a carrot by a 500-goal scorer in the NHL on national television and, where traditionally the most famous pigs have been served between buns and soaked in a vinegar-based barbecue sauce, Hamilton the Pig has become an untouchable national celebrity.

It is hard to deny that he is the Canes’ biggest star, and the team has yet to drop a game with Ham in attendance this postseason.

Of course, we cannot forget a b o u t t h e m o s t i m p ro b a b l e goaltending duo in the league.

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

After out of favor in Detroit and struggling in Philadelphia, the Jerks’ starting goalie Petr Mrázek has been everything and more that his team has needed him to be in his first ten postseason starts, recording a pair of shutouts. His backup Curtis McElhinney was forced into duty after Mrázek suffered a lower-body injury in the second round. After the first decade or so as a serviceable NHL backup, McElhinney has enjoyed an age-curve-defying renaissance in his mid-30s. His unorthodox, fish-out-of-water style has inexplicably produced two of his finest career seasons in the past two years. Though Mrázek is now healthy, it is McElhinney who now leads the Jerks onto the ice as the starting goaltender in the Conference Finals.

Last but not least is the Jerk who coaches this insufferable bunch: Rod Brind’Amour. Known as “Rod the Bod” for his impeccable physique during his playing days, Brind’Amour has injected the

upstart Canes with a decided spark, finally turning a team that always seemed on the cusp of contention into a serious playoff threat in his first season in Raleigh. Oh, and did I mention Rod the Bod was also the captain and first to touch Stan when the Canes captured him back in ’06? I can’t think of a better coach to lead this team.

Unfortunately, I can’t cover all the Jerks. The rest you’ll have to meet for yourself as you watch the remainder of the playoffs. For now, eep an eye on Teuvo “Turbo” Teräväinen. His speed and skill coupled with teammate Aho must make the Blackhawks rue including him in a cap dump trade back in 2016. Nino Niederreiter is also worth monitoring, as his arrival at the trade deadline seemed the final piece necessary to the Canes’ ascendance. There are others too — Brett Pesce, Jordan Staal, Andrei Svechnikov. You’d best get to know them soon, as these will be prevalent names for years to come.

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

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THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

Henrich awarded as nation’s best women’s college rugby player B y kaitlyn lees The Dartmouth

Looking at the résumé of Dartmouth women’s rugby’s team, it is hard to believe the team has only been a varsity program for four years. This year, the team has a national championship, five First Team All Americans, a Fulbright Scholar and now, one winner of the MA Sorensen Award. Emily Henrich ’22 became the first Dartmouth rugby player to receive the MA Sorensen Award. Presented by the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle, the award is given annually to the top women’s rugby player in the country. Kat Ramage ’19 was also nominated for the award.

Although just a freshman, Henrich has already cultivated an impressive resumé. Last fall, she led the Big Green in tries and was third in conversions, racking up a total of 73 points for the team. She scored an important last try in the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association National Championship to push Dartmouth ahead of Harvard for the victory. Following the fall season, she was one of five Dartmouth players, including Milla Anderson ’19, Idia Ihensekhien ’21, Camille Johnson ’19 and Ramage, to be named to the NIRA First Team AllAmerican Roster. Henrich has also been recognized at the highest level for women’s rugby in the United States. In November, she was named

to the women’s national team roster and competed at internationals in England.

“I’m so proud of Emily for her to win this award,” Ramage said.

“She’s incredibly deserving and has given one hell of a season.”

Dartmouth rugby is a family affair for Henrich, as both her mother, Lisa Henrich ’92, and father, Chris Henrich ’90, played rugby for the Big Green. Henrich began playing the sport at just six years old while watching her parents compete in Canada. Growing up, she was also a three-sport athlete in high school, playing soccer and basketball on top of rugby. The choice to come play for Dartmouth was so natural that Henrich resisted at first.

“I grew to love the coaches, the team and the school in my own way.” Henrich said. She expressed a particular excitement with the direction the program was heading and their recent successes as a team.

In addition to her impressive history with rugby, Henrich is also no stranger to the challenges of competing at a high level while balancing her studies. She missed two weeks of classes in the fall to compete on the national team.

“I came back from England basically straight into finals season and our national championship,” Henrich said.

Despite her extended time away from school, she praised the support

COURTESY OF EMILY HENRICH

Emily Henrich’s star performance her freshman year earned her the MA Sorensen award, the first ever for Dartmouth.

Dartmouth provided her to be able to participate in such a unique opportunity while furthering her academics. Fittingly, the award’s namesake, Maryanne Sorensen, was a prolific rugby player who later transitioned into a different career by becoming a doctor.

Since the team went varsity her freshman year, Ramage said she has witnessed first-hand the evolution of the team into one of the best programs in the country.

As one of the first recruited players, she has seen the team grow from not qualifying for the national championship her freshman year to winning her senior year.

H e a d c o a ch K at i e D ow t y remarked on Ramage’s impact on the team.

“To have a player of her caliber join the program really made a statement for players behind her like [Henrich],” she said.

Indeed, Henrich said she has looked up to her teammate since high school, as they occasionally played against each other before her tenure at Dartmouth. In the fall, Ramage tied for fourth on the team

in points and second in conversions.

Her first-team All-American status marks her third consecutive time receiving the accolade. She has been nominated twice for the MA Sorensen Award.

The depth and skill of women’s rugby’s coaching staff, made up

by Dowty and assistant coaches Stacey Bridges and Kelly Sullivan, has been key to program’s success, according to Henrich.

“They have such a wealth of knowledge that it’s hard not to develop under them because they just care so much,” Henrich said.

“They’re willing to devote all their time and attention into this team and it really shows on game day.”

Ramage and Henrich were named to the 2019 USA Rugby Performance Squad, the highest development tier for women’s rugby. Over the summer, USA Rugby will pick a national team from that squad to compete against New Zealand, Canada and England over the summer in San Diego, CA. This summer, Henrich will train at the Olympic training center for rugby in San Diego and plans to

compete in the rugby sevens at the Pan American Games in Peru and the 15s Super Series. She also said she has plans to take next year off in order to prepare for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo and hopefully be able to represent the United States there.

Ramage also has plans to continue her rugby career after her time at Dartmouth. This summer, she plans on staying on campus to help with preseason and continue training here. As a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the U.S., she said she has also considered possibly playing professional rugby there, where the sport is more established compared to the United States.

As rugby features two different formats of competition, 15s and 7s, Dartmouth’s season is not quite over. The Big Green competes in the more traditional 15s format in the fall while tackling the 7s format in the spring. The team will compete for its second national championship of the year at the USA Rugby 7s National Championship in Tucson, AZ on May 24-26.

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MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

SPORTS

Climbing team gets fourth at nationals,Waterhouse wins an event B y Kirby phares The Dartmouth

The Dartmouth climbing team placed fourth in the USA Climbing: Collegiate National Championships held in in Murfreesboro, TN on April 26 and 27, missing the podium by just one point, according to newly-appointed captain Roxy Holden ’21. Claire Apuan TH, Holden, Kayla Lieuw ’19, Marlee Montella ’21, Eric Och ’22, Matt Rube ’19 and Alex Waterhouse ’20 competed in the two-day competition.

The seven Dartmouth athletes competed in the three events of the championship: bouldering, speed and sport. In the women’s final round of bouldering, Lieuw placed 12th, and Waterhouse and Rube came in third and 15th, respectively, for men. Lieuw, Waterhouse and Rube placed again in the speed finals, coming in eighth, 11th and 18th in their respective events.

Dartmouth had two climbers in the final round of sport; adding to his impressive showing in the other two events, Waterhouse snagged first place while Montella tied for 15th among women.

Montella likens climbing to solving a puzzle. Although nationals is ultimately a competition, she described the event as more of a communal effort in which everyone works together to solve the problem.

With upwards of 100 teams competing in the championship, the Dartmouth climbing team’s fourth place finish is quite the feat. Dartmouth has traveled to the Collegiate Nationals in previous years and had strong showings against schools with longstanding indoor climbing programs, according to Rube.

But unlike many of these other teams, the climbing team is coming up on just its fourth anniversary, having only started in 2015.

The founding of the Dartmouth climbing team is an example of hard work paying dividends. With

determination, passion and a little bit of moxie, Lieuw and Rube co-founded the indoor climbing team during their freshman fall in 2015. The two said they often competed in the same tournaments throughout high school, so when they both decided to come to Dartmouth, they came together to form the team.

The sport had been a large part of their lives before Dartmouth, and they saw an opportunity to bring something important to them to campus.

“We just didn’t see ourselves parting with [climbing],” Lieuw said. “I think for both of us that climbing has given us a lot of things. It’s definitely a tight-knit community. We just wanted to share that with other Dartmouth students.”

But the process of creating what came to be the Dartmouth climbing team was not easy, according to Rube. The idea was initially proposed as a club sport, but for a variety of reasons, they were then directed to talk to the manager of the Jonathan Belden Daniels ’86 Memorial Climbing Gym, the indoor climbing gym on campus. After a long search, they finally found their foothold with the Dartmouth Outing Club. The team became a subsidiary club of the DOC under the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club. The DMC is the outdoor climbing group at Dartmouth, and it provided freshmen Rube and Lieuw with a model for how to run their team and a recruiting opportunity for the budding group.

The team remained a sub club of the DOC until separating in the fall of 2017. This progression forced Lieuw and Rube to form a more well-rounded organization, according to Rube. That same fall, the Class of 2021 arrived at campus, and the two-year-old team luckily received unprecedented interest.

In addition to a short promotional video that appeared on the Dartmouth homepage over the summer of 2017, the team saw its first wave of experienced climbers come to Dartmouth who Lieuw said encouraged their friends to join.

Even with the general stress of junior

COURTESY OF SOPHIE KWON

The Dartmouth climbing team saw many strong individual performances but fell just one point shy of third place.

year and the new responsibilities that came with the growth of the team, Rube and Lieuw were happy to have the surge of new members.

“It was definitely overwhelming, but it was a good kind of overwhelming,” Lieuw said. “I think [Rube] and I definitely came in hoping that someday it would turn into this big team …

Personally, seeing the ’21s hang outside of practice made me really happy.”

The expansion of the team continued this year with the addition of the Class of 2022. With many of the newcomers lacking any prior climbing experience, the team leaders were tasked with teaching them how to climb while simultaneously holding effective practices for those with more experience, according to Rube.

When leading practice, Rube said that he takes a less structured approach.

Each member is tasked to figure out their

own weaknesses and focus on improving those while in the gym, whether that be gaining strength or working with Rube on the fundamentals. Although the division between experienced and inexperienced climbers makes it hard to accommodate all of them in one practice, Rube said that for someone with less experience, an easier climb will get the same workout as someone on a harder climb such that everyone can benefit from practice.

Looking toward next year, practice division will be one of the primary focuses for Montella, one of the team’s new captains along with Holden for the 2019-20 season. The two have different climbing backgrounds, according to Lieuw, as Montella came to Dartmouth with prior indoor climbing experience and Holden was first exposed to the sport last year. Both Montella and Holden

competed in collegiate nationals this year.

The transition of leadership from the founders, Lieuw and Rube, to Montella and Holden occurred last Monday, according to Montella. Although they said it was a strange feeling to pass on something that they have worked on throughout their entire time at Dartmouth, both Lieuw and Rube added that they are proud to see that other people care and want to take the team over.

Rube said that it is incredible “to see [the team] where it is today, where I can be absolutely confident that it will continue and become better.”

With new members of the Class of 2023 already expressing their excitement, Rube and Lieuw said they look forward to seeing the direction that Montella and Holden will take the young and growing team.