05.20.19
One-on-one with Kathryn Giroux ’19 p. 2 Men’s rugby team prepares for college championships p. 3 The Dartmouth Sports Awards: 2018-19 rookie of the year, female athlete of the year and male athlete of the year p. 4-5
Softball standout Schroder named Ivy League Player of the Year p. 7 COURTESY OF MICAH SCHRODER
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MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY
ONE ON ONE
with Kathryn Giroux ’19
B y Addison Dick
and was also seeing some success myself.
The Dartmouth Staff
Kathryn Giroux ’19 finished her collegiate career 11th all-time in NCAA history with 418 draws, but she did not even begin to focus on that aspect of the game until her sophomore year at Dartmouth. Head coach Danielle Spencer, who took the draw during her career at Northwestern University, imparted her knowledge upon Giroux during her first year with the Big Green in 2017. Spencer — who was named the co-Ivy League Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season earlier this month — has seen Giroux transform into the best draw-taker in Ivy League history. This year, Giroux was one of six unanimous selections to the All-Ivy First Team after earning Second Team honors in the previous two seasons. How did you first become interested in the sport of lacrosse? KG: I started playing around third grade. It’s a thing in my town; everyone played lacrosse. I have some good family friends who are older than me who got recruited to play lacrosse in college, so I looked up to them. Two of them ended up playing lacrosse at Dartmouth, so I saw older girls from my town who were becoming really successful at the sport, and it was becoming more popular in my area. I obviously realized that I loved the game
When did you first think you would play college lacrosse? KG: Going into high school recruiting was really early. They recently changed recruiting rules, but when I was in high school, I was being contacted my freshman year. At the end of eighth grade, I had to decide whether I wanted to continue playing summer lacrosse and go to recruiting tournaments or pursue something else. Having older girls from my school and town who were recruited to play lacrosse and seeing how they did it made me realize that it was an option and something that I wanted to do, too. Giroux’s 418 career draws places her 11th all-time in NCAA women’s lacrosse history.
What went into your decision to come to Dartmouth? KG: During my visit to Dartmouth, I loved the campus. As opposed to other schools, the girls on the team had things that they were interested in outside of lacrosse, so it seemed like they were getting a really well-rounded experience that wasn’t fully dominated by lacrosse. When I was being recruited, Dartmouth was the two-time Ivy champion and a top-10 team with a really prominent coaching staff. I could also feel the sense of family that the team had when I came on my visits. What were your expectations and goals at the start of your
Zachary ZacharyBenjamin Benjamin’19 ’19
Debora Hyemin Han ’20 Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief
Hanting Hanting Guo Guo ’19 ’19
Aidan Sheinberg ’20 Publisher Publisher Publisher
Ioana IoanaSolomon Solomon’19 ’19
05.20.19 Vol.CLXXV CLXXVI No. 4.30.18 4.23.18 Vol. Vol. CLXXV No. No. 27 2141
COURTESY OF KATHRYN GIROUX
Amanda AmandaZhou Zhou ’19 Alex Fredman ’20 ’19 Executive Editor
Luke Gitter ’21 Mark Cui ’19 Justin Kramer ’21 Justin Samantha Hussey Lili Kramer Stern ’22’21’20 Associate Editor SportsSports Editors Divya DivyaKopalle Kopalle Kopalle’21 ’21 ’21 Divya Michael MichaelLin Lin Lin’21 ’21 ’21 Michael Photography PhotographyEditors Editors Editors Photography Jaclyn Jaclyn Eagle Eagle ’19 ’19 Hattie Newton ’21 Templating TemplatingEditor Editor Editor Templating
Dartmouth career, and how did those change over time? KG: Coming in as a freshman, you are playing against really good players and you’ve never seen that level of competition. I did not have any high expectations for myself during my freshman year. My goal was to learn as much as I could, work hard and get as much experience as I could. It turned out that I did get some playing time my freshman year, which was really cool, but our team did not see much success that year. At that point in my career, I didn’t even take the draw, which is basically my position now. When did you start to focus on taking the draw? Was it something that you focused on in high school or developed when you came to Dartmouth? KG: I took the draw in high school, but it wasn’t really a focus. I was more of a midfielder who also happened to take the draw. During my sophomore year, when Danielle Spencer became head coach, she put a strong emphasis on the draw because she had taken it in college. I started training for the draw with her, and that’s when I became good at the draw and started to take it for Dartmouth. We would spend hours of reps doing the draw, me against Spencer. She’s one of the best draw takers to ever play lacrosse, so it was really learning from her and having her train me through it that got
me into the draw. What does it feel like to end your college career as one of the best draw takers in NCAA history? KG: That’s definitely really exciting. When you’re playing in the middle of the season, you try to not get wrapped up in stats or anything like that. Looking back now, it’s really cool, and I am really thankful that I had the opportunity to work with Spencer these last three years and perfect the craft. I’m also really lucky to have had teammates who were amazing circle girls. It was much more of a three vs. three game on the draw than a one vs. one game even though the stats don’t show that. Whatmakesthedrawsoimportant in the game of lacrosse? KG: If you control the draw, you control the game. You can’t score unless you have the ball, so it puts you in a good position if you know you are going to get a lot of the possessions because that means you will have that many more opportunities to score. What we saw this season was that it’s hard for other teams’ defensive units to consistently stop the ball when they’re seeing that many of our attack possessions. It’s a really big momentum shifter. If we score and then I win the draw, the offense gets another opportunity to score right away and it’s pretty deflating for the other team.
What makes you so successful on the draw? What is your strategy when you take the draw? KG: Having Spencer, one of the best draw control players ever, as your coach helps. Also, we go about the draw as a three-person unit. I’m working with the other two circle girls, and we are in constant communication because they’ll either be boxing out for me or they will go behind me and I’ll pull it behind me. Other teams have difficulty stopping us when we are on the same page. How have you become a leader and mentor for other players, and how do you plan to pass on your ability to win draws to the younger players on the team? KG: There are a few of us who take the draw in practice. Going up against them, honestly, they beat me a lot, so I think that’s part of what has made me so good. As a leader for me, what I want to pass on is telling the other draw takers what is working for me. We work together by sharing tips and also giving them confidence. They’ve gotten so many reps against [me] and I’ve been going 100 percent, so I hope that next year when I’m not there, they can feel confident going up against anyone else. I’m excited to see what we do on the draw next year. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY
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Men’s rugby team prepares for college championships in June B y ELIJAH CZYSZ
A shorter timeframe and a lesscrowded field means that sevens is more rooted in fast gameplay, and the The Dartmouth Rugby Football shorter roster is composed of quick Club has not been defeated since its playmakers as opposed to the defensive Sept. 2018 preseason loss to the United studs of 15s. “Chemistry and communication States Military Academy. In that match, the Big Green, a Division I-AA club on [the sevens] team is so much more team, finished just one try behind the vital because of the smaller quantity of people,” said Dylan DI-A United Burke ’19. States Military Because of the A c a d e m y “We care so much season’s structure, p r o g r a m . about the people that the Big Green must The promise helped us become constantly switch shown by debut between mindsets player s like who we are that we and play styles. Jasper Green wouldn’t think about This season saw ’22 and Mike the team transition Weir ’22 has skipping a practice.” from a 100-0 15s developed over win against the successful fall -DYLAN BURKE ’19 University of and spring Massachusetts seasons. The Amherst back to Big Green will face Army once again in its sevens for a first-place finish in the initial pool for the Collegiate Rugby Ivy Sevens tournament and then back Championship at the end of the to 15s for an impressive 43-5 victory over California State University month. The Big Green rugby season Chico in the Division I-AA Spring stretches over the fall and spring of Championship. “It was a great day to administer the academic year, bouncing between sevens and 15s competitions. The some beat-down!” said team captain culture and style of sevens, which sees Struan Coleman ’19 in an interview seven players on pitch, differs greatly with USA Rugby following the Spring from 15s, with 15 players on the pitch. Championship. The Big Green also administered Further, a game of 15s is played over 80 minutes, whereas a game of sevens some “beat-down” in bringing home is played just seven minutes each way. their 11th consecutive Ivy League XV The Dartmouth Staff
COURTESY OF DYLAN BURKE
The rugby team has been undefeated since losing to Army earlier this season.
championship. After the Big Green easily moved through pool play, the team faced a close match against Harvard University, winning 17-12 to take home the championship. One might not expect a club team from a small school to be hanging with, much less handily beating beating large
school programs. “History — we’ve got a rich history,” explained head coach James Willocks. “Which, then, rich history breeds culture … But most importantly it’s good people. It’s good students, it’s good leadership, it’s guys who work hard.” These sentiments are especially crucial for the student-led group, which relies far more on individual commitment than a varsity sport might. “We care so much about the people that helped us become who we are that we wouldn’t think about skipping a practice,” Burke said. Alumni of the team have also been heavily involved in the team’s success, as they financially support the training space, staffing and equipment that allows the club to keep up with larger programs that receive school funding. Looking to the Collegiate Rugby Championship, the team still has work to do in order to repeat its 2011 and 2012 crowns. According to Willocks, the team will be focusing on improving on fundamentals. “[We need to] consistently do the
little things at a faster rate, so at higher intensities and under more pressure,” Willocks said. Because the CRC falls after a long run in the 15s playoffs, Burke states that what the team needs most to succeed at the CRC is to redevelop chemistry and “a sense of unity” in the sevens squad. According to Burke, that will be accomplished through repetition. “On the field, it’s getting each other’s motions down, when you want to pass, when you want to offload,” Burke said. “And off the field, it’s camaraderie.” Camaraderie has been one of the team’s core tenets and major strengths. “There is a side that is very loose and fun, and there is another side that is intense and motivated to win rugby games,” Burke said. “And the combination of the two helps us as a club.” The team will begin play in the CRC starting on June 1, when its initial pool play will be against Army, the United States Naval Academy and the University of South Carolina.
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THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY
MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
The Dartmouth Sports Awards: 2018-19 rookie of the year, female athlete of the year and male athlete of the year B y THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS STAFF
At the end of each academic year, The Dartmouth’s sports section puts up players to be voted on by the student body as the best of the best. In this year’s The D Sports Awards, five of the top rookies, five of the top female athletes and five of the top male athletes are pitted against each other, the winners to emerge after a popular vote by members of the Dartmouth community. In order to vote, students and community members must go online to cast a single vote before Wednesday, May 22 at 1 p.m. The winners will be announced on Friday, May 24 in the next issue of The Dartmouth. Rookie of the Year: Emily Henrich ’22 (Women’s rugby) Emily Henrich ’22, an Upstate New York native, won the MA Sorensen Award this season as the top player in collegiate women’s rugby. The first Dartmouth player to win the award, Henrich carried the team to its first ever National Intercollegiate Rugby Association championship against Harvard University, scoring the final try for the Big Green in a 19-14 victory. Henrich was first on the team in the fall with 11 tries while her 73 points ranked second on the team. Her efforts,
highlighted by a 27-point dominating performance against Brown University, also earned her First-Team All-Ivy recognition. Daughter of two former Dartmouth athletes, Henrich has also received honors outside of collegiate rugby, including the Buffalo News Rugby Player of the Year prior to attending Dartmouth and a spot on the U.S. women’s national team for this year’s November tour as one of two 18-yearolds. MiaLeko’22(Women’sswimming) Mia Leko ’22 certainly made a splash in her first season swimming for the Big Green. The freshman from North Branford, CT led the Big Green to an even 5-5 record after a four-season slump in which Dartmouth won just one meet out of 24. The crown jewel of an outstanding freshman recruiting class, Leko accumulated several honors in her first season. The Dartmouth swimming and diving program awarded her both the Outstanding Freshman Award and the Karl B. Michael Award, which is “given to the member of the squad who has given the most to the team.” The Ivy League recognized her achievements with first team All-Ivy honors after she won the 200-yard fly and had impressive showings in the 500 free, 200 free, 400 medley relay and 800 free relay at the Ivy League Championships. Leko was invited to the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America
DOUG AUSTIN/COURTESY OF THE DARTMOUTH ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
Cha’Mia Rothwell ’20 won her seventh Ivy League Heptagonal championship this year.
National Invitational Championship in March, where she again won the 200 fly.
Tricia Mangan ’19 (Women’s alpine skiing) Alpine skier Tricia Mangan ’19 already had an established career at the national level before completing her first season for the Big Green this year. The Buffalo, NY native skied for the U.S. national team and 2018 Olympic team while finishing fourth in the 2018 International Ski Federation Junior World Ski Championships super giant slalom event. When Mangan left the international stage to compete collegiately, however, she did not leave her talent behind. At the NCAA Skiing Championships this year, she took third place overall in the giant slalom with a time of 2:01.56, finishing less than a second behind the national champion in the event. Mangan won the Pam Merrill Award, which is given by the coaches to the best first-year player on the team. Even with Mangan’s impressive success on the slopes, she is just as impressive off of them, earning a spot on the AllAcademic Ski Team as named by the United States Collegiate Ski Coaches Association. Drew O’Connor ’22 (Men’s hockey) Forward Drew O’Connor ’22, hailing from Chatham, NJ, was named to the All-Ivy Second Team this season as the only rookie in the conference to receive All-Ivy recognition. O’Connor’s 17 goals led all Ivy League rookies and were the second-highest total among all NCAA rookies. His impressive goal total was the best on the team this year and the third-most by any Dartmouth rookie in team history. Additionally, his three Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey Rookie of the Week awards were the most of any ECAC players. His individual performances were also exceptional, as O’Connor scored in each of Dartmouth’s three games in the first round of the playoffs against Saint Lawrence University. In particular, O’Connor excelled late in the game in clutch situations. He tied a game against
ALEX FREDMAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Drew O’Connor ’22 led all Ivy League rookies with 17 goals this season.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with only 1:04 left; netted the only goal against No. 11 Clarkson University with just 32.9 seconds to go in regulation; and helped the Big Green complete a comeback against Union College with a goal in the final two minutes. Nathan Skinner ’22 (Baseball) Nathan Skinner ’22, who hails from Jacksonville, FL, had an amazing start to his Dartmouth career. The starting pitcher posted a 5.96 ERA on the season in a high-offense league and finished the season on an incredibly strong note, leaving the team excited for what the future holds for the tall right-hander. Skinner won the Ivy League Rookie of the Week award twice, once for a onerun outing against Fairleigh Dickinson University and one for a six-inning, two-run gem against Harvard University. Two of Skinner’s last three outings were quality starts, as he finished off the season by pitching 6.2 one-run innings in a victory over Cornell University. He became efficient with his pitch count as he ate up innings to keep a depleted bullpen fresh; he only needed 88 pitches in his final outing of the season. Skinner cemented his spot as one of the team’s three core starting pitchers this season and should play an even more prominent role come next season.
Remy Borinsky ’19 (Soccer) Remy Borinsky has established herself as a powerhouse for the women’s soccer team, starting all but two games of her career and making Second Team All-Ivy her freshman year and First Team All-Ivy her sophomore, junior and senior years. This season, Borinsky led the Big Green with six goals and six assists on the season, tying her for fourth in the conference with 18 points. The Warren, NJ native was named the Ivy League Player of the Week twice this season, becoming the first Big Green player to receive the award since 2015 and first sole recipient since 2014. Borinsky also became the first Dartmouth player to win the Player of the Week award twice in one season since 1999. She was named First Team All-Ivy and was one of three players to be named to United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region. This represents her fourth Ivy League honor and third First Team selection. Borinsky received her third postseason award when the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Soccer Association named her a Second Team All-New England selection. She was one of five athletes from the Ivy League to make the first or second team.
Female Athlete of the Year:
Katharine Ogden ’21 (Skiing)
Katharine Ogden ’21 is back on the nomination list — this time for Female Athlete of the Year — after she took home Rookie of the Year in last year’s D Sports Awards. The sophomore Nordic skier from Landgrove, VT secured her second consecutive Women’s Nordic Skier of the Year title, awarded by the United States Collegiate Ski Coaches Association. Ogden proved her dominance with a first place finish in the women’s 15k classical and a fourth place finish in the 5k freestyle at the NCAA National Collegiate Skiing Championships in March, where the Big Green finished fourth. Closer to home, Ogden’s success was recognized by the Dartmouth skiing program with the Martha Rockwell Award, which is given to someone “who, in the estimation of the coaches, has performed the best throughout the season.” Ogden was also named one of 30 semifinalists for the prestigious Amateur Athletic Union James E. Sullivan Award, given to the most outstanding athlete in the U.S. in any sport. Past recipients include Payton Manning, Shawn Johnston and Michael Phelps. Ogden’s impressive sophomore season comes on the back on a historic season, during which she became the first Dartmouth skier to win two titles in one championship in 56 years at the 2018 NCAA Skiing Championships. Cha’Mia Rothwell ’20 (Track and field) Dartmouth track star Cha’Mia Rothwell ’20, a Durham, NC native, had another remarkable season in the long jump and hurdles for the Big Green. A former Class of 1976 Award Winner (Most Outstanding Female Athlete), Rothwell added two more First-Team All-Ivy League honors to her growing résumé. Rothwell, who was the Ivy League Indoor Heps Most Outstanding Female Field Performer in 2017 and 2018, won her seventh Ivy League Heptagonal Championship competition (fifth indoor) by speeding to a 8.37-second finish in the 60m hurdles. The victory was her third in three 60m hurdles Indoor Heps races, as Rothwell became the sixth sprinter to accomplish the three-peat. She secured the three-peat in Outdoor Heps as well, winning her third consecutive 100m race with a time of 13.53 seconds. Rothwell previously set the program records for the 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles and will look to build on her accomplished
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THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY
MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
career next weekend at the NCAA East Regional. Micah Schroder ’20 (Softball) Second baseman Micah Schroder ’20, hailing from Houston, TX, put up one of the best seasons in program history for Big Green softball en route to Ivy League Player of the Year honors. She excelled to a .586 BA/.638 OBP/1.014 SLG slash line in Ivy League games and a .473/.539/.786 slash line overall which gave her the best batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage among all Ivy players. Her batting average and 40 total RBIs were the best in Dartmouth history while her 41 hits and 33 RBI in league games exceeded all other Ivy League players by 10. In addition to the Ivy League Player of the Year award, Schroder earned a spot on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I All-Northeast Region First Team, unanimous FirstTeam All-Ivy recognition and three Ivy League Player of the Week awards. The second baseman has been a revelation since starting her career with a .217 average her freshman season. Kierra Sweeney ’19 (Lacrosse) Kierra Sweeney ’19, who comes from Oakton, VA, played a phenomenal final season for the Big Green. After scoring 39 goals in the 2018 season — good for second on the team — she came back for a brilliant senior season, accumulating 58 goals in 17 games. This average of 3.41 goals per game is the 16th-most in all of Division I women’s lacrosse this season and the second-most in the Ivy League. Sweeney also racked up the third-most assists on her team with 15, and led the Big Green in total points (73). Her contributions set up the Big Green to earn a share of the Ivy League Championship title with Princeton University — and when Dartmouth lost in the first round of the Ivy League lacrosse tournament, to receive an atlarge bid to the NCAA tournament. Sweeney received recognition for her achievements from the Ivy League when she was one of three Dartmouth lacrosse players to take home All-Ivy First Team honors. Male Athlete of the Year: Charlie Broom ’20 and David Horneffer ’20 (Tennis) Charlie Broom ’20 and David
Horneffer ’20 have been forces of nature for the Big Green men’s tennis team. Much of their success has come as a pair, which is why we co-nominate them for Men’s Athlete of the Year. Broom has received All-Ivy First Team honors in each of his three years competing for the Big Green. His freshman year, he received honors just in singles, while for the past two seasons, he was named to the first team for both singles and doubles. Horneffer, Broom’s doubles partner, also received All-Ivy First Team honors in doubles this season. As a pair, Broom and Horneffer are ranked ranked No. 19 in the country for doubles. They went 5-1 against ranked opponents this season and received an automatic bid to compete as one of 32 doubles teams at the 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championships. When they travel to Orlando, FL this week, Broom and Horneffer will become the first Dartmouth doubles team to make it to the postseason since 1976.
COURTESY OF TANGUY NEF
Tanguy Nef ’20 was named the NCAA men’s alpine skier of the year.
Adrian Clark ’20 (Hockey) Hockey goalie Adrian Clark ’20 gave opposing offenses a hard time throughout the season. The Toronto native was named to the 2018-19 AllIvy League First Team, a well-deserved honor for the amazing season he had in net. Clark recorded a strong save percentage of .910, and he finished the season with a Dartmouth-record six shutouts. Moreover, he tied the all-time Dartmouth record for career shutouts with his fifth, giving him a great chance to break the record in his senior season. Even over the course of a long season in which he racked up nearly 2,000 minutes of playing time, Clark’s performance never wavered at the end of the season. In the team’s final game against Harvard University, he stepped up in a big way with a season-high 36 saves. Additionally, Clark managed to post two assists on the season, with one coming in one of his shutouts against Yale University as he assisted on more goals than he let in. His save percentage has increased every season and should only continue to trend upward for his senior season.
NCAA Tournament in each of those seasons. Before his career at Dartmouth, Ikoba was a Top Drawer Soccer four-star recruit and captain of his team, leading his teammates to the US Youth Soccer ODP National Championship. Ikoba impressed his freshman year, tying the team lead with four goals. After struggling with injuries his sophomore year, he bounced back his junior year in a breakout season. Ikoba scored eight goals and assisted on three, earning himself a spot on the All-Ivy League First Team and National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region team. This year, Ikoba has again earned a spot on the All-Ivy First Team and All-Region honors, scoring five goals and making an assist in the final three games. In his final game against Brown University, Ikoba led the Big Green on a blistering comeback win, scoring twice in a 4-1 victory over the Bears. His impressive performance saw him named the Ivy League Player of the Week, and he became first Big Green player to receive the award this season. Ikoba led the Big Green in both goals and points and finished top 10 in the league in points. As the 63rd overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft, Ikoba looks forward to showcasing his talents for FC Dallas in the coming years.
Eduvie Ikoba ’19 (Soccer) From Bettendorf, IA, Eduvie Ikoba has played an integral role in success of the men’s soccer team over his four years, helping Dartmouth win the Ivy League title in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and advance to the second round of the
Tanguy Nef ’20 (Alpine skiing) Originally from Geneva, Switzerland, Tanguy Nef ’20 has been a prodigious skier in his career with the Big Green, and this year was no exception. After exceptional freshman and sophomore seasons, highlighted by All-American
First Team recognition in 2018, Nef did not slow down in his junior year. He took first place in the men’s giant slalom at the NCAA Skiing Championships, and was named the Men’s Alpine Skier of the Year by United States Collegiate Ski Coaches Association for the second consecutive year. The Dartmouth ski team’s coaching staff also awarded Nef the Norwegian Trophy, which is given to the best player on the team during that season. Nef split time between the Dartmouth ski team and the Swiss World Cup team this season, but will take his senior winter off to focus on the World Cup circuit and transition more fully into professional skiing. Isiah Swann ’20 (Football) Isiah Swann ’20, a native of Queen Creek, AZ, had a legendary junior campaign. The cornerback led the Football Championship Subdivision with a whopping nine interceptions, three of which came in one game against the College of the Holy Cross and another two of which came against Columbia University. Swann was also a sure tackler, leading the league in tackles and ranking third in the FCS with 18 passes defended, 39 tackles made and one fumble recovered. For his stellar play, he was named to the Associated Press FCS All-America First Team, solidifying his status as one of the best cornerbacks in the nation. Swann anchored a defense that allowed a mere 12 points per game this season and was arguably the most impactful contributor to the Big Green’s incredible 9-1 season. Swann will be one of two captains for the Big Green next season as he looks to add even more accomplishments to his résumé.
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Pucks in Deep
with Sam Stockton ’19 Pucks in Deep: Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns and the San Jose Sharks As the San Jose Sharks continue their controversial march through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, two players among their ranks are the easiest to pick out on the ice. First there is Erik Karlsson, a Swedish defenseman who joined the Sharks this offseason as the Ottawa Senators descended toward rock bottom. His shoulderlength hair flows freely from beneath his helmet, long enough to slightly obscure the nameplate of his jersey. While Karlsson’s lettuce might garner the most glances in warmups, by the time the puck drops, his play stands out even more. In his 10th NHL season, Karlsson remains one of the league’s best skaters. His careful edge work helps him breeze through the neutral zone, never seeming to strain himself but still gliding around and by his opposition. Blessed with incredible vision, Karlsson excels at creating and finding space for his running mates. Second is Brent Burns, who, though drafted by Minnesota, has spent the past eight seasons in the Bay Area. Burns’ defining feature is the wild man beard that completely absorbs the chin strap of his helmet — a beard so thick it made the Chewbacca mask he donned at the 2016 All-Star festivities hardly look out of place. Alongside Karlsson, he is the Sharks’ other star on the blue line. Burns — who curates a personal zoo on his Texas ranch in the offseason — brings a willingness
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY
to fire a shot at any moment, tremendous skill as a playmaker and dogged strength that makes him one of the league’s best at winning puck battles. As their stat lines reflect (the duo is tied for second on the team with 16 points each in 19 playoff games so far), Karlsson and Burns force a reconsideration of the position we have long referred to as “defenseman.” This misnomer suggests that a blueliner’s greatest contribution to his team’s success refers to his work on the defensive end. It evokes names like Scott Stevens or Eddie Shore. The days of the hard-hitting, shot-blocking, stay-at-home defenseman may not be entirely dead (here, I owe a tip of the cap to Messieurs Ron Hainsey, Brooks Orpik and Roman Polák), but they are certainly dwindling. A better term for the 2019 iteration of the position would be “back” or “guard,” referring to the role’s positioning off of a faceoff without implying that the player’s primary impact occurs when the opponent has the puck. For years, trusted hockey men have pointed to stats like “hits” or “shot blocks” as exemplars of a player’s skill in defending and therefore merit as a defenseman. In fact, a player who racks up these stats is likely one who spends a lot of time in his own end chasing the puck. As such, this is not the kind of player I would want controlling my blue line. Karlsson and Burns are at the bleeding edge of the ongoing blue line revolution. Both excellent skaters, they routinely venture deep into their opponents end to create offense, unfazed by the prospect of an odd-man rush in the opposite direction because they can usually outskate their opponents on the back check if necessary. In Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the St. Louis Blues, Karlsson buried the overtime winner into a gaping net off of a Gustav Nyquist feed. Setting aside an undetected hand pass from Timo Meier (does it feel better to know that the NHL said they’re sorry about that, Blues fans?), Karlsson was able to score such an easy goal, his second of the game, because of his willingness
to aggressively participate in the Sharks’ offensive attack. After guiding San Jose into the offensive zone, Karlsson camped out in the slot to the left of St. Louis’ net. For not retreating to safer ground along his own blue line, the (modern) hockey gods rewarded Karlsson with an open goal. To make it even sweeter, the goal was an overtime winner. Of course, this aggressive style of defenseman play does not come without costs. Both Karlsson and Bur ns have vulnerabilities in their games. For Karlsson, that vulnerability stems primarily from his health. While still a Senator, Karlsson guided Ottawa to the Eastern Conference Finals with serious tendon damage in his foot. Throughout this season, he has struggled with a nagging groin injury that appears to have severely hampered his ability to pivot, causing him to struggle on puck retrievals and in occasional oneon-one situations. Meanwhile, when Burns is off his game, he takes too many shots from low-danger areas or makes careless passes in his own end that turn into strong chances for his opposition. The nature of the role both Karlsson and Burns play makes them highly susceptible to media criticism. Both are asked to carry the puck regularly and defend one-on-one chances against them. Inevitably, they will sometimes turn it over or get burned. However, because players like Burns and Karlsson are charged with the most difficult and important job in the sport — moving the puck from the area where it poses a risk to an area where their team can attack — these foibles do little to diminish their value. Even with the occasional blunder, these are two of the most effective and dangerous players in the sport. If the Sharks want to give themselves the best chance to finally capture Lord Stanley, they would be well-served to unleash their pair of rovers. Both right-handed shooters, the duo does not play together on the same defense pair, and, as the stakes continue to rise, the Sharks have the luxury of being able to deploy one or the other for essentially the
MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
entire game. Prior to yesterday’s Game 5, Karlsson averaged approximately 25 minutes and Burns 28 as the two players with the highest amount of playoff time on the ice. As the Sharks attempt to secure their second-ever berth in the Stanley Cup Final and first Cup championship, both those numbers should slide even closer to 30. Head coach Peter DeBoer ought to use his two horses on the back end to take over the remainder of the postseason. To maximize his two unique talents, DeBoer should encourage Karlsson and Burns to venture even more freely than usual. Both are uniquely gifted at creating quality chances from the right point, an area that is not typically a dangerous
one. However, to get the most out of his star “defensemen,” DeBoer must urge them to set up shop in increasingly dangerous areas of the offensive zone; take below the goal line as an example. From positions like that one, Karlsson and Burns can survey the entire ice and take full advantage of their playmaking prowess. Karlsson and Burns have helped carry San Jose this far through their redefinition of the “defenseman” position. To finally push the Sharks over the top, they will likely have to steer even more toward their tendency to roam. They may give up a few chances the other way, but a pair like this one will surely be able to create more offense than they surrender once fully unleashed.
MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
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THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY
Softball standout Schroder named Ivy League Player of the Year B y KAITLYN LEES AND ERIC VAUGHN
top of the Ivy League. She also ranks among the nation’s best softball players with a batting The Dartmouth average currently third in the Dartmouth softball star Micah country. She is also 14th overall Schroder ’20 was recently awarded in on-base percentage and 26th Ivy League Player of the Year for in slugging percentage. Despite her incredible 2019 performance. putting together one of Dartmouth She is the first Dartmouth player softball’s best individual seasons to win the award since Katie ever, including the highest overall McEachern ’16 in 2016. After batting average and RBI total earning unanimous First-Team, in a Big Green season, Schroder All-Ivy recognition, Schroder was expressed surprise and humility recently named to the National at receiving the Player of the Year Fastpitch Coaches Association nod. “I was really surprised and really Division I All-Northeast Region thankful,” she said. “It’s really nice First Team. The second baseman’s stats to get recognized for how hard you from the 2019 season demonstrate work. There’s people who work her excellence both within the Ivy hard every day and they don’t get League and nationally. Her stellar recognized for it.” Schroder’s career has been .586 BA/.638 OBP/1.014 SLG slash line in conference play and marked by consistent improvement. .473/.539/.786 slash line overall In her freshman year, her batting gave her the best batting average, average was .217, but she improved on-base percentage and slugging to .367 after her sophomore season, earning her a spot on percentage the NFCA Division among all “I was really surprised I All-Region Second Ivy League and really thankful. Team and the Allplayers. Ivy Second Team. W i t h i n It’s really nice to get Schroder attributes conference recognized for how this difference mainly p l a y, s h e w a s a l s o hard you work. There’s to a deeper focus on her mental g ame first in hits people who work hard rather than any (41) and every day and they technical changes. RBIs (33), “It’s hard to come l e a d i n g don’t get recognized in as a freshman and a l l o t h e r for it.” be as mentally tough players by as you need to be 10 in each and be as disciplined c a t e g o r y. -MICAH SCHRODER ’20 at the plate as you Schroder’s should be,” she said. batting Along with focusing on her average placed her a full .135 above her nearest competitor, and mental game, Schroder’s work her slugging percentage, over 1.000, ethic also contributed to her trumped the next best mark by .157 success at the plate, according to and the third best by .240. Her Ivy Dartmouth softball head coach League performance this season Jennifer Williams. Williams also earned her three Ivy League Player points to Schroder’s connection to of the Week designations. Moreover, her teammates, which allowed for Schroder’s .473 overall batting her breakout year. “[Schroder] had a great journey average in the Ivy League was .060 than the next best competitor’s this year as a teammate and a while her .786 slugging percentage player ...” Williams said. “She really connected with her teammates and paced the league by nearly .100. However, Schroder’s offensive her team as a whole, kept herself skill does not just place her at the more centered, and was able to
COURTESY OF MICAH SCHRODER
Schroder hit an eye-popping .586 in Ivy League play this season, leading the conference in hits and RBIs.
recover from bad at-bats this year Ivy League play — which is really because she was focusing on her ambitious, but I think if you put your teammates.” head to it and have the confidence After her successful sophomore and put in the work, it’s attainable.” year, Schroder said she was Centerfielder and captain Taylor motivated to keep working to Ward ’19 honed in on how Schroder outperform herself. She said she hit relentlessly dedicates herself to six days each week over sophomore improving when no one else is summer to watching. p re p a re fo r “[Schroder] is “[Schroder] is one of t h i s y e a r, one of the hardest w h i c h g ave the hardest workers wo rk e r s I h ave her additional I have ever seen, ever seen, whether confidence i t ’s a t l i f t i n g, and comfort whether it’s at lifting, conditioning or with her swing conditioning or practice,” Ward this season. said. “She is practice.” With her final someone who is season playing never satisfied fo r t h e B i g -TAYLOR WARD ’19 and continously Green coming is trying to get up next year, better.” Schroder With her tough plans to maintain her drive to mindset, Schroder thrives under outperform her already historic pressure. She hit .692 with runners 2019 season. in scoring position with two outs “I know I had a good season, but and .525 with runners in scoring I still want to do better,” she said. position overall. This year, she said “Maybe next year I’ll hit .600 in her approach changed from trying
to score runners to simply extending i n n i n g s. T h i s n e w a p p ro a ch decreased the pressure she felt during these key scoring moments. Schroder’s slash line in conference play was also considerably higher, which she attributed to a more aggressive strategy. “That’s just [Schroder] — she loves the game and loves to be the player in those situations,” Williams said. “Building that resilience through the year caused her to be even more excited for those situations.” For next year, expectations are even higher, and Williams hopes big things will come from both Schroder and the team as a whole. She hopes that Schroder will bond with and motivate her teammates and “learn how to be consistent both on and off the field for her team and herself,” while maintaining an aggressive training regimen. Hopefully, Schroder’s impressive play will help the team improve upon its 10-11 conference record next season.
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MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY
SPORTS
Women’s rowing finishes sixth in Ivy League Varsity 8 final B y ANNA MAY MOTT The Dartmouth Staff
The Dartmouth women’s crew team traveled to New Jersey this past weekend for its Ivy League Championship on the Cooper River. In overall team points, the Big Green came in sixth out of eight crews, positioned directly above Cornell University and below the University of Pennsylvania. These results mirror the outcome of the 2018 championships, in which Dartmouth was also wedged in sixth place. There were three ways for a team to win on Sunday. The title of Ivy League champion went to the victor of the first varsity eight Grand Final, a title Dartmouth has won only twice. The overall team points trophy was awarded to the school with the most points accumulated from the performances of each of their boats. Finally, and for the first time ever, the team with the most NCAA points (from the V8, second varsity eight and varsity four) was automatically given a bid to the NCAA tournament next week. This year, Princeton University won all three of these honors. According to Dartmouth captain Rebecca Conway ’19, each of the Big Green’s boats had their own goals and challenges going into the races on Sunday, but an overall target for the team was to have every boat make the Grand Final. All but the 2V8 did. The weather in New Jersey this weekend was hot and sunny, but a strong crosswind that ensured the teams’ coxswains had their work cut out for them to keep their boats moving straight, according to the ESPN announcers on the televised broadcast. Conditions varied throughout the day, but gusts capped out at just about 20 miles
per hour. This wind shook up the lane assignments a bit, according to the broadcast; lanes five and six were protected from the wind and consequently became the preferred positions, given to the highest placing boats in the morning preliminary races. Dartmouth’s V8 came in third out of four in its preliminary heat, beating Columbia University by just under six-tenths of a second and earning the sixth and final spot in the grand final. This time put the crew in lane one Sunday afternoon, where it battled the crosswind for just over seven minutes and six seconds. This time placed the boat in sixth, roughly 42 seconds behind gold-winning Princeton, but Cara Cavanaugh ’19 qualified for the All-Ivy First Team for her efforts. The Big Green’s 2V8 came in last in their preliminary, relegating the crew to the Petite Final. There, the boat dueled Columbia for a decisive, open-water victory by a margin of 12.5 seconds. All three of Dartmouth’s V4s raced in their Grand Finals. The V4A came in fifth of six, the V4B last of seven and the V4C fourth of five. The Ivy League championship capped off a season that captain and V8 coxswain Katie Erdos ’20 described as a “whirlwind.” As Erdos explained, the Connecticut River took a particularly long time to thaw this year, and once it did, there was an abnormal amount of debris getting in the way of the team’s practices. With very little time practicing on the water, the Dartmouth women came in seventh overall out of 12 teams at the Doc Hosea Invitational on March 30. The team then traveled to Princeton, NJ for the Ivy League Invitational on April 7 with the Connecticut still in bad shape,
COURTESY OF KIRSTEN FELDMAN
The Big Green’s V4C boat finished in fourth place in the Ivy League Championship this weekend.
according to Erdos. There, the Big Green faced some of the same teams it met this past weekend at the Ivy championships. In its first and last regatta at home on the Connecticut, the team took control of its homeriver advantage and swept Boston University in every race. According to Conway, weather problems are a frequent scourge on the Connecticut, but having a river to yourself has its benefits. “ I t’s rea l l y f u n r a c i n g at Dartmouth ... because you get this sense that you can really isolate yourself if you want to,” Conway said. “So, we’re really excited to come out and kind of blow everyone out of the water with the changes we’ve made and what we’ve be able
to do on our own.” Erdos said that the Clemson Invite regatta the weekend of April 19 was a good representation of the ups and downs the Big Green faced throughout its spring season. After waiting to race through delay after delay, the regatta was ultimately cancelled because of tor nado warnings in the area. “It was a moment that stands out in terms of our team being super cohesive and able to roll with the punches ... and race our best race, no matter when that is or what the weather conditions are,” Erdos said. The new expansion of the team’s boathouse and training facility, projected to be completed in time for the fall of 2019, is meant to
help the team get the training they need despite less-than-ideal weather conditions. New moving-water rowing tanks, for instance, will simulate practice on the water while the Connecticut is frozen over. Beyond the promise of the boathouse expansion, Conway and Erdos said they are optimistic about the team’s future, encouraged by how much young talent it has. Only nine of the 39 rowers on its roster are upperclassmen, and the team will only graduate five seniors this year. With at least one freshman in each of its boats this past weekend, Dartmouth has a depth of talent that promises to last into the next few years, as new classes bring in still more speed.