VOL. 87 No. 1 9/ 11 / 20133
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Merciad ONLINE POLL RESULTS What are your summer plans? 8% Traveling across the globe. 14% Absolutely nothing. 14% Sleeping under a bridge while I work at an unpaid internship. 22% Attempting to find a job. 42% Wrangling llamas.
MORE INSIDE & ONLINE Former Laker plays at AA level
Freshmen do’s and don’ts at the ‘Hurst
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Hurst “evives” recycling
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NEWS
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September 11, 2013
NEWS
September 11, 2013
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Welcome Week ushers Service project in new academic year helps community By Garrett Erwin A&E editor
Welcome Week is a week set for students coming back to campus to take the first few days that they have off before classes begin and enjoy events that are sponsored by various organizations on campus. This year’s welcome week included events such as the Blacklight Bash, day of service projects, Toga Party, MinuteTo-Win-It, Casino Night and the very anticipated Hypnotic Intoxication. A lot of the Welcome Week events are heavily attended by the incoming freshmen, but most of the events are also open to the upperclassmen. Student Activities Council Chair Victoria Lewis could not have been happier with how the activities went that were sponsored by the SAC. “Welcome Week was a huge success this year, and we
had a ton of energy from the freshman class and also the upperclassmen,” said Lewis. Along with the major events, the incoming freshman students sit through various presentations about getting involved in campus life as well as becoming the best well-rounded student that they can be. Following Welcome Week is the annual Campus Involvement Fair. All RSCOs and organizations on campus set up a table in and outside of the student union that give the opportunity for all students on campus to walk around and see what the campus has to offer to students looking to get involved. Freshmen use Welcome Week as a way to connect and form friendships with other students. Freshman Taylor Rider, used the week of welcoming to defuse the intimidation that some may feel at the
beginning of college. “I was honestly really intimidated coming into college, but having a schedule of really fun and great events kept my mind off of being away from home and made the transition much easier and more fun than I ever imagined,” said Rider. “I met all of my current friends through my Welcome Week activities.” Welcome Week is always full of free events for new students and existing students on campus to take a short break and relax before the pressure of school begins. Often times, there are constant giveaways from the various organizations that work to extend their reach to the student body. “We love to see everyone on campus enjoying themselves and having a good time,” said Lewis. Welcome Week is an annual happening and is open to all students as a welcome back to campus.
Evive bottles refresh campus By Zach Dorsch & Ryan Kushner
Managing editor & Staff writer As summer vacation ended and students returned to our university, there were a number of changes that were evident around campus. One important change that supports Mercyhurst’s continuing effort to promote a more sustainable campus environment, was the installation of its first Evive Station. The first station is located on the second floor of Old Main, with plans for installing many more around campus. This addition represents a way to decrease the use of bottled water on campus by providing a station that both fills and sanitizes reusable bottles. The Evive unit has two sections. The first section will fill any size reusable bottle with chilled, filtered water. The other section is designed exclusively for the Evive bottles. This section sanitizes the Evive bottle by using UV light and then fills it with filtered, chilled water. While this 90 second process is occurring the station’s screen will display campus news, ask you survey questions and display other useful information. The Evive bottles are sold at the
Mercyhurst Bookstore and on the manufacturer’s website. Student response to the Evive bottles has been positive. Art education student Megan O’Polka believes the concept motivates people to join the initiative. “I’ve been using the Evive station since it arrived on campus this summer. I think it is a cool concept and I definitely drank more water because of it. I hope they add more stations around campus throughout the year,” she said. These bottles are made of BPA free plastic and have Passive RFID Tags on the bottom. The tags allow you access to the sanitizing section of the station. Evive also has a smart phone app that enables you to track your average consumption of water as well as the estimate of the number of plastic bottles that you have not used. The Evive system is clearly a better alternative to using and recycling plastic water bottles. Some students, however, consider the idea to be somewhat silly. Junior Gary Loo said, “it is a very ridiculous idea. It’s nice, but it’s just a huge water fountain.” Plans have been made to add more stations to the Mercyhurst campus throughout the year, starting with three new stations, tentatively
By Will Bickelmann Contributing writer
The freshmen class of 2017 started off their experience at Mercyhurst with a service project on Sept. 3, which involved volunteering at 25 nonprofit agencies across Erie. These jobs entailed many types of service, ranging from cleaning up Presque Isle beaches, handy work at many area farms and aiding Erie’s senior citizens by spending time helping the elderly in local nursing homes with technology. Though these jobs are simple in nature, the large scale efforts of the freshman class were gauged to have $30,000 value equivalency from volunteer time. Through the service project, 1,500 hours of service were provided through the 750 volunteers (including staff, chaperones and Laker Leaders that participated), over 2,000 pounds of produce picked from Mercyhurst’s farm for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwestern Pennsylvania and over eight trash
Mercyhurst University Police & Safety
bags worth of garbage were removed from Presque Isle beaches. In order to reach out to the community’s elderly, volunteers were sent to local nursing homes and were tasked with aiding the residents with any technological difficulties. Problems ranged from difficulty with the television remote to inability to use certain applications on the latest iPhone were short work for Mercyhurst freshmen and provided an outlet for assisting and socializing with Erie’s senior citizens. When asked about the student’s general reaction to the service project, Director of Service-Learning Colin Hurley stated, “The students were able to learn the joy of service and the most universal reaction of the students was regret that they were only able to give two hours of service.” For more information on the freshman service project and other service learning opportunities, contact Colin Hurley at churley@mercyhurst.edu.
Police Log
Friday, Aug. 30 Theft Lot #5 Referred for discipline Sunday, Sept. 1 Criminal Mischief Lot #7 Referred for discipline Sami Rapp photo
Students and faculty alike have reacted positively to the Evive bottle system. dated for installation by the end of November at the latest. For more information on the bottle system, visit www.evivestation.
Thursday, Sept. 5 Harassment Lewis Ave. Referred for discipline Saturday, Sept. 7 Liquor law violation 3939 Briggs Ave. Referred for discipline
FEATURES
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September 11, 2013
Do’s and don’ts for freshmen By Juan Mendez News editor
Sami Rapp photo
Freshmen are encouraged not to wear lanyards around their necks or shoulders, unless they want to stand out.
With the start of a new year, an incoming class of freshmen arrives at the Mercyhurst campus ready to begin the four-year adventure that will kickstart their careers. But, not all of them will make the most out of the four years, and the next thing they know, they’re picking up a diploma, wondering where their college years went. Here’s how to avoid that. Involve yourself in campus activities. Not only is it a great resume builder, but it also helps you meet people that share interests. There are a variety of clubs around campus, so it is unlikely to not find a club that revolves around at least one of your interests. There are also major-specific clubs, which allow you to meet people who will be taking one or more classes with you in the course of the following four years and serve as a great networking activity.
One of the most important tools for the classes you will be taking is going to them. People will tell you not to, but the best way to succeed in your college courses is by actually attending classes. Plus, it saves you time on studying for tests since you already know what was covered in class. Don’t give into peer pressure. College is a time of experimentation and self-exploration, but it should always remain clear that you should not do something if you do not feel comfortable. Most importantly, don’t do anything just because someone tells you you should or “it’s cool.” Not only could you get in trouble, but it could have a negative impact on your life. There’s nothing wrong with saying “no;” people will understand and it won’t tarnish your reputation in any way, shape or form. Don’t carry a full backpack on weekend nights when you’re not going to the library or any other place to study. Don’t feel the necessity to travel in large groups anywhere. Whether you’re
going to Egan for dinner or to the park for some healthy fun, it’s unnecessary and it clutters pathways. It’s perfectly fine to get food from the dining halls by yourself. It allows you to relax, think about stuff or do your classwork and it removes the whole social expectation from the eating process. Try your hardest to make friends. Your college years are allegedly the best years of your life and they allow you to meet people from all walks of life and all places from the world. Making friends helps you broaden your perspective, gives you a support system and makes it convenient for those lazy days where you just want to watch movies with someone. Last, but not least, don’t let these four years go to waste. Enjoy your life to the fullest. Have fun. Get an A in every class if you wish. Just make sure that when you graduate, your memories of college are filled with great memories instead of “what-ifs.”
Fair encourages students to participate in various clubs By Dan Tarr
Features editor Students at Mercyhurst, both old and new alike, were given the chance to become a part of the many groups and clubs on campus. On Friday, Sept. 6, the Campus Involvement Fair took place outside of the Student Union. This was the first year the Campus Involvement Fair took place on the first Friday of the year. In years past, the fair usually occurred after the first few weeks of the academic school year. According to Leadership and Outreach Coordinator Kristy Jamison, this change was made so that incoming students could be involved in the various RSCOs from the very beginning of the year. She said it was also made so that RSCOs could start the year off right, allow for a longer programming period, and so students could create some early connections. Jamison had been given the job of coordinating the fair two weeks before the fair was scheduled to happen. Campus Involvement Center Director Sarah Allen was also another person who was responsible for putting on the Campus Involvement Fair. The goal of the fair is to get students connected to the campus community outside of the classroom setting. It is also used as a way for students to meet others with similar
interests and show off the vibrant student life on campus, according to Jamison. In addition to the many student clubs and organizations being represented at the Campus Involvement Fair, non-profit local services from all around the Erie area had booths representing themselves at the fair. There were approximately 36 local Erie services at the fair. Director of Service Learning Colin Hurley was in charge of coordinating the appearances of the local services at the fair. The Campus Involvement Center believes that the Campus Involvement Fair went very well. Jamison says that a good majority of the RSCOs representing themselves at the fair were able to get a good number of potential new members for their individual clubs and organizations. “The good weather we got that day really seemed to help a lot too,” Jamison said . If you would like to know more about the many RSCOs on campus, please visit the Campus Involvement Center located on the top floor of the Student Union. You may also contact Kristy Jamison at (814)-824-2388 or kjamison@mercyhurst.edu and Sarah Allen at (814)-824-2089 or sallen@ mercyhurst.edu.
Selina Bowe photo
Students, both old and new, ran and visited booths at this past Friday’s Campus Involvement Fair.
September 11, 2013
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Marionettes set to string in crowd enlightening themes to the stage. Jamie Grady, the director of Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture says, “Many of the pieces are whimsical and funny while others can be a bit more moving and thought provoking.” Cashore’s interest in marionettes began at a young age. He recalls seeing a colorful pirate hanging from the ceiling in a store he was in with his parents when he was about 11
By Sam Beckas Staff writer
miac.mercyhurst.edu
Cashore Marionettes will perform on Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Walker Recital Hall.
The Cashore Marionettes are known internationally for incredible talent and engineering skills. Now Mercyhurst University has the opportunity to host not only one, but two shows in the Walker Recital Hall. The Cashore Marionettes, created by Joseph Cashore, bring
ONE FOR YOU AND A FRIEND
YMCA YOUNG ADULT MEMBERSHIP BOGO GLENWOOD PARK Y located across from the Erie Zoo Tired of the crowded Student Center on campus? Don’t want every Tom, Jane and Harry from class with their eyes on you while you work out? Can’t log the pool time you need? For WAY LESS than your monthly data plan, you and a friend can join the YMCA of Greater Erie! With the Glenwood Park Y location near the campus of Mercyhurst, the Y is your one-stop shop for popular group classes like: Bootcamp, XBike, PiYo, Turbo Kick, ZUMBA and Holistic programs such as QiGong, Reiki, Yoga, and more. Plus, there’s a Massage & Energy Center right in our Y! We have the latest cardio and strength training equipment, personal training, sports and rec leagues, swimming pools – AND, opportunities for community service, work-study jobs and internships – at the Y, we are building your body AND your resume. Plus, when you are a member of one Y branch, you can use them ALL – like something at one – then go for it! There’s FREE WIFI in our lobby too!
Online
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Full list of events can be found on the MIAC website
YOUNG ADULT BOGO OFFER (18-24)! Buy one 6 month young adult membership and get one free Sept. 1Sept. 15 – that’s just $16/month for each of you! * Told you it was less than your data plan! If you have CoventryCares insurance – ask us how you can earn a FREE membership! ymcaerie.org or find us on facebook – search branch name
The Glenwood Park Y is conveniently located on an EMTA bus route and has a bike rack.
years old. Later in life, he studied at University of Notre Dame, graduating with a bachelor in fine arts and continued to study portrait and figure painting at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Cashore designs, molds and paints all of his marionettes. There is great detail put into his work and the range of movement he can portray is truly amazing. The Cashore Marionettes were brought here by Grady’s interest in the art of puppetry after working in Atlanta with the Center for Puppetry Arts. It wasn’t until he was in New York City that he saw the Cashore Marionettes and knew they would be perfect to bring to Mercyhurst. Grady further explains that he thinks everybody who sees the show will love it. There are no spoken words but the shows bring a
theme of spirit and what it means to be alive through the movement of both humans and animals. The show is being performed on Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. There will be a pre-show event on Sept. 14 before the 2 p.m. show. At the pre-show there will be face painting provided by Erie Clown College, music by WMCE, an art show and sale by local artist Heather Cash and Erie Experience Museum will be playing movement games with children. Tickets are $20 for adults, $17 for senior citizens, and $14 for students. The show is appropriate for all ages and all are expected to enjoy the rare art of puppetry! For more information, contact the MIAC Box Office at (814) 824-3000.
Ellie Goulding lights up with Halcyon Days By Zach Dorsch Managing Editor
Ellie Goulding’s career as a pop star started out rather slow. Her first hit single, “Lights,” arose in popularity a whole year after it was released in the UK. Once “Lights” caught on, the whole world fell in love with this British sweetheart. With the release of her third album, Halcyon Days, Ellie continues to show the world why she deserves to be in the same ranks of other big name pop stars. Halcyon Days can be viewed as a double EP. The first album is a re-release of Ellie’s second album, Halcyon. The second album, I have dubbed “Days,” is chalked full of new material from Goulding. Halcyon is viewed by many as a very dark album. The themes of most songs talk about missed chances with love, or future romance that will be worth the wait. The one thing I like about this album is that it doesn’t feel like a re-release. Halcyon now feels like a sampler of what Halcyon Days was going to contain. This album truly shows the full potential of Ellie’s ability to dabble in almost any genre she wants.
View upcoming performances at: miac.mercyhurst.edu
www.infectiousmagazine.com
Ellie Goulding’s newest album, “Halcyon Days” shows why she deserves to be in the same ranks as other pop artists.
Songs can range from “Halcyon” that features rhythmic acoustic folk guitars with electronic back beats to her newest number one single “Burn.” This pulls heavily from electric dance music, a genre in which Ellie features greatly in the second half of Halcyon Days with songs like “Stay Awake” and “Flashlights,” featuring big name producers. Though this album may seem like a lot of commitment to some, the length of the album is 28 songs long and spans almost two hours, it should not be a deterrent. This album is fully worth it with a mix of familiar tracks you have already grown to love, assorted with several new refreshing tracks.
www.merciad.mercyhurst.edu/ arts_entertainment
September 11, 2013
OPINION
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The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
Miley Cyrus ‘Can’t Stop,’ but she needs to By Juan Mendez News Editor This academic year, Mercyhurst has installed an allergy-free station at Egan Dining Hall. It is good to see the school is making accommodations for students with food allergies. On another good note, Mercyhurst climbed from number 47 to number 37 in the 2014 edition of “America’s Best Colleges,” released by U.S. News & World Report.
The iconic and historic gates at the entrance to Mercyhurst fell victim over the summer to a branding effort that was not necessary. Does anyone not know this is Mercyhurst University when they enter the campus?
Although, Mercyhurst has put a lot of focus on our university status, the sign marking the west entrance to campus still bears the old college logo.
In this day and age, anyone could come up with a thousand and one ways to become famous. Through websites like YouTube and other social media, you don’t need to have extreme talent to be famous. All you need is a camera and some creativity and the stage sets itself. It can be moderate or outrageous, as long as it’s all in good taste. No one relayed this message to Miley Cyrus. In what could only be described as the beginning of a downward spiral, Cyrus has been making a series of career choices that show how “mature” and “grown” she is now that she’s left the fame of her Hannah Montana days behind. These actions, although meant to symbolize her growth, have only
served to ridicule herself in the media. A couple of facts I need to clarify before I go on, only for the purpose of expressing my vantage point: I am a fan of Miley Cyrus and her music. I’m guilty on 25 charges of enjoying and listening to both “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball” on repeat. However, my fanaticism did not prevent the wave of embarrassment that took over after watching both of her music videos. In a time period during which everyone can become famous for being themselves, cultural appropriation and over-sexualization are not the way to go. I’m not saying that people are not allowed to do as they wish, but there should be a level of taste going into the final product. Miley Cyrus performing lewd acts in front of millions of people —
teenagers and children included in the audience — with a foam finger is neither art nor tasteful. Miley Cyrus shedding all her clothes as she rides a wrecking ball in the music video for “Wrecking Ball” is not an artistic nude. It’s simply Miley Cyrus being naked in front of a camera while licking some seemingly unsanitary construction work equipment. Although she is free to be who she wants to be and do the things she
wants to do, there should always be a concern and a purpose of artistic revelation in her work. Nothing should be done for the sake of selling sex. Miley has the talent to sell the songs, which are good, without the tasteless videos that accompany it. Running out of puns, I have to say that the only thing that should come in like a “wrecking ball” in her career is her parents, telling her to stop.
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New water system rocks By Mathew Anderson Editor-in-Chief
If you haven’t heard about Evive yet, you’ve been missing out. Over the summer, Mercyhurst installed a new water distributing system on the second floor of Old Main, located near Preston. I heard about this new concept from a few friends who had been on campus over the summer, who all received free Evive water bottles. The bottles are $15 and are available in the Mercyhurst Bookstore, across from the Starbucks bar. Although you may think that $15 is too much for a water bottle, you’ll certainly make your money back after a few times of filling the water bottle for free at the station. After you buy the bottle, you go to evivestation.com and set up your bottle from there, using a personalized code and choosing your own pin number. The
website will give you another number to verify your bottle at the Evive Station. Once at the station, touch your bottle to the machine, and it’ll automatically detect the chip in the bottom of the bottle. Verify your pin number, and you’re ready to start enjoying free, purified water. The water from the Evive Station is chilled perfectly. This UV filtered, perfectly chilled water goes directly from the machine to your water bottle. But wait, there’s more. This station not only provides healthy drinking water, but it also will clean and sanitize your water bottle for free. Enter your pin number and a hydraulic-controlled door will open on the front of the machine, revealing a compartment that will clean and refill your bottle in the same process. Not only is the Evive machine awesome to use, but you’ll also be doing a little more to help the Earth’s ecosystem by reducing your plastic consumption.
If you don’t want it printed . . . don’t let it happen. Editors Mathew Anderson Zach Dorsch Juan Mendez Daniel Tarr Samantha Bante Garrett Erwin Leann Krysiak Nicole Lawrence Sami Rapp Ethan Johns Will DeFeo Bill Welch
@mercyhurst.edu Positions editormerciad Editor-in-Chief managingmerciad Managing Editor newsmerciad News Editor featuremerciad Features Editor sportsmerciad Sports Editor entertainmentmerciad A&E Editor copymerciad Copy Editor photomerciad Graphics photomerciad Photo Editor ejohns89 Web Editor admerciad Ad Manager wwelch Adviser
The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst University. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is (814) 824-2376. The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Letters are due Mondays by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485 or via email at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
SPORTS
September 11, 2013
Page 7 September 3, 2008
Former Laker Walczak selected to play By Samantha Bante Sports Editor
Former Mercyhurst student Jamie Walczak, a member of the Cincinnati Reds organization, has been selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Glendale Desert Dogs in the fall 2013 season. Walczak played mostly outfield during his time at Mercyhurst University from 2006-2009. He was a standout of player, and only continues to progress. During his time here, he had 76 hits during his senior season in 2009, and currently is tied with Zak Blair and Shane Latshaw for the program’s alltime record. He did not pitch until his senior season and served as the Lakers’ closer that year. In 17 appearances out of the bullpen, Walczak went 4-3 with five saves as well. He started the season with Cincinnati’s Single-A affiliate and then moved to the Bakersfield Blaze of the California League. The former Laker, standing at 6-foot-2-inches tall, has been making
Contributed photo
Former Laker Jamie Walczak, shown pitching for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at the AA level. his way through the minor leagues each year since he has been signed.
Since appearing in Double-A for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the
Walczak was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 15th round during the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He now plays at the double-A level after starting his professional career with Billings of the Pioneer League right after signing with the organization. Walczak is one of three former Lakers currently affiliated with Major League organizations. The other two are David Lough who is an outfielder for the Kansas City Royals and Zak Blair plays for the Arizona League Cubs at the rookie level. The Arizona Fall League’s first game of the season is scheduled to take place on Oct 8. The Desert Dog’s roster holds these minor league teams: Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins. Also, there are six teams in the Arizona Fall League: the Scottsdale Scorpions, Mesa Solar Sox, Salt City Rafters, Phoenix Desert Dogs, Peoria Javelinas and Surprise Saguaros.
Southern League the former Laker has pitched in 22 games.
Women’s volleyball tries for PSAC tourney By Samantha Bante Sports Editor
In the 2012 season the women’s volleyball team went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since its 2009 season. This year, the Lakers are looking to build even more on one of the best seasons in the program’s history. Losing a total of seven seniors, and gaining eight freshmen, the women’s volleyball team is looking to take this year’s season to a whole new level. “The freshmen are all adapting really well to our program and collegiate volleyball in general.” said senior Sarah Vick. “The transition from high school to college sports is really tough, with the higher level of play and bigger time commitment, but they are all doing great. All of the freshmen work really hard and they really have been pushing all of us returners in the gym, every day.” This past weekend the Lakers visited Fairmount State and captured a
3-1 record during the tournament and started off with yet another successful season. “We talked a lot about our goals during preseason, and are focusing our goals on improving as a team every single practice and every single game.” said Vick. “We hope to have another great season like we did last year, but our goals this year are more centered on the little things than the end result; stuff we do every day and utilizing every minute of gym time.” “If we continue to improve as much as we have been these past few weeks, we will have an extremely successful season,” Vick said. Some of the returning players to look out for are junior Camille Alvarez and senior Sarah Vick with combined kills of 393 during last year’s season. Along with sophomore Kelly Vitt who had 301 assists and Nicole Texido with 262 digs. “This year we are more of a blocking team than last year. We have a lot of height and are making blocking
more of a focus for our defense,” Vick said. Last year the Lakers ended their season with 25 wins, the most the program has had since 1993. The team also had wins over every team is the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. “We have some new skills and other technical volleyball things we are focusing this year, but we are also working on our mental toughness. Volleyball is such a game of momentum and so far we have been doing really well with keeping our heads where we need to be,” Vick said. The Lakers’ next match will be a tournament hosted in Finlay, Ohio. from Sept. 13-15, against University of Southern Indiana, Rockhurst University, and University of Findlay.
“
The freshmen are all adapting really well to our program. Senior Sarah Vick.
”
Contributed photo
The Mercyhurst volleyball team traveled to West Virginia and played four matches this passed weekend.
SPORTS
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September 11, 2013
Field hockey aims for PSAC tourney bid By Samantha Bante Sports Editor
In 2012, the Mercyhurst field hockey team captured a total of five home game wins, setting itself up for a strong 2013 season. With losing only three players, Meghan Richards, Jessica Richards, and Tessa Ramsdell and gaining three freshmen, the Lakers are off to a solid start to this year’s season. “We’ve gained three talented freshmen. They’re fitting in perfectly with our team, and they’re quickly adjusting to Division II athletics,” said junior Marissa Faso. “Emily Burns, Alex Albright, and Kimberly Pflumm are going to have an amazing freshman season. They’ve worked so hard during preseason and deserve to show off their skills in the coming games.” Some of the returning players to look out for are junior Marissa Faso who lead the team with nine goals and total of 23 points during last year’s season. Senior Meghan Smith added
Field hockey was voted eighth in the PSAC Preseason Coaches Poll for the 2013 season. on an additional six goals, while sophomore Cayla Slade scored five times. “We’ve been doing extensive condi-
tioning, as well as fine tuning our stick skills,” said Faso. “Team systems have been a reoccur-
Contributed Photo
ring theme for every practice to be sure we are ready for anything in the 2013 season. We had the opportunity to be
coached by Moses So from England. He has helped bring us to that next level with special skills that he has been taught at the international level. Moses promised to come back when we make it to PSACs at the end of our season,” said Faso. With a 2-4 loss during the season opener against Millersville, the Lakers are holding strong and are ready for another unforgettable season. “Three-a-days are always stressful and tough but the team bonds best under tough conditions that we get through together. Our team has come a long way since Aug. 18. We’ve learned two new complex defensive and offensive systems, assimilated the three freshmen into our team dynamic, and our green versus white game proved we are prepared for the 2013 season,” said Faso. This season the Lakers have nine games scheduled against teams ranked in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Preseason Poll. The Lakers next home match will be on Sept. 13 against Limestone College at 2 pm.