Kevin Boyle: The man behind the mask â–ş UMLConnector.com
THE UMASS LOWELL
Serving the Student Body Since 1976
February 23, 2016
Kanye West drops ‘The Life of Pablo’
In This Issue Journalist talks black media
Andrew Haverty Connector Contributor
â–ş Page 3
“PokĂŠmon Yellowâ€? revisited
â–ş Page 4 Lacrosse vs. Yale
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Final River Hawk Scores Team
Score
Overall Record
Softball vs. Georgia Southern
L 8-3 1-4
M. Basketball at Binghamton
L 81-77
W. Basketball at Binghamton
L 55-52 4-23
W. Lacrosse at Dartmouth
L 18-2
11-17
0-1
Taking a look at PairWise, nothing has been guaranteed Kyle Gaudette Connector Editor
When it comes to who makes the NCAA tournament come mid-March, NCAA rankings mean absolutely nothing. They are perfectly fine numbers to slap next to a university’s name. That’s exactly how the NCAA draws in their television crowds before the tournament. They throw a one next to say Duke and a two next to, say, North Carolina and boom, you got yourself a must-see marquee matchup. But when it comes time for the big tournament, those numbers are as non-existent as ten hours of sleep a night to a college student – which is why you should not feel as comfortable as you may be with your River Hawks. That is not to discredit anything UMass Lowell has done on the ice this year. The NCAA rankings are a completely valid measuring stick to track regular season wins and losses, and for the River Hawks to be sniffing around the top 10 all season is no small feat. But, and this cannot be stressed enough, they mean next to nothing when figuring out the field of 16 for the tournament. To tackle that issue, you need to look at the PairWise rankings. What makes the PairWise different, and more fair, is its usage of Rating Percentage Index or RPI. RPI is a fantastic index, as it
I love Kanye West. Say what you want about him as a person. I won’t argue with you on the subject of his personality and his ego. But I will argue with you on the subject of his music. I grew up listening to “College Dropout� and “Late Registration.� 808’s & Heartbreak helped me get through a breakup during my early years of high school. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy changed my perception on what truly makes up a masterpiece in the art of music. West has been with me my entire life and his music has undeniably changed the rap game more than once.
After days of delays and several title changes, we finally get to listen to what is now “The Life of Pablo.� And let me tell you, West may have another classic for you to add to your Kanye collection. Right out the gate, it is clear West and his friends have been hard at work. The opening track “Ultralight Beam� practically sounds like the Holy Spirit coming right through the speakers. The song itself feels like a carefully crafted work of art, with the powerful voices of The-Dream and Kelly Price, the glorious gospel chorus of Kirk Fraklin, and the unique style brought only by the fellow Chicago native Chance the Rapper. This
Courtesy Photo
“The Life of Pablo� is Kanye West’s seventh studio album and his first since “Yeezus� in 2013.
seems like a track Kanye West dreamt of making. In fact, the whole album actually feels like a project Kanye was longing to create. We get all different
forms of Kanye in “T.L.O.P.,â€? keeping listeners on their toes for what is to come next. “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1â€? feels â–ş See “TLOP,â€? page 4
River Hawks sweep UMass Amherst season series Hannah Manning Connector Staff
UMass Lowell got goals from four different players, and came out of Friday night’s nonconference matchup against rival UMass Amherst with a 4-2 win. The victory completed a season sweep of the Minutemen, and was the River Hawk’s twentieth win of the season. This is the fifth straight season that UMass Lowell has won at least twenty games. “It’s not easy to get twenty wins in a season, so I’m extremely proud
of the group in that room,� Head Coach Norm Bazin siad in the postgame press conference. It was a big game for sophomore forward C.J. Smith, who recorded two points - the team’s first goal, and an assist on John Edwardh’s shorthanded tally. “I was coming off of a couple games where I didn’t think I was playing my best hockey, and I was kind of able to sit down with Coach [Bazin] and have a good talk with him,� said Smith. “I got my mind right, and I went out there and I
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
► See �PairWise,� page 7
Sections News.............................3 Campus Life.................. 4 A&E.............................. 5 Sports........................... 6 Joe Gambardella positions himself in front of UMass goalie Alex Wakaluk.
was able to play hard, and was able to get rewarded.â€? Smith was recently named the most valuable college hockey player hailing from Iowa. Smith said that it was “coolâ€? to be named to the list. He said he found out from a text his mother sent him, but that it’s his job to just keep playing. “C.J. will be an excellent player in college,â€? said Bazin. “He already is, I think his upside is tremendous.â€? This should prove quite exciting to River Hawks fans of the present and future.â€? Despite a slow start, the River Hawks surged offensively during the last ten minutes of the first period, finally taking control of possession and getting shots on net. It led to a rousingly successful second period, in which the River Hawks scored three times, once on a shorthanded goal by sophomore forward John Edwardh. The game was full of chances for the River Hawks to score, some of the most promising ones breaking down only because of bad bounces and near misses. â–ş See â€?River Hawks,â€? page 6
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February 23, 2016
OPINIONS & EDITORIALS Marvel coasts between big movies Owen Johson UML Student
It is surprising to know that “Deadpool� was made by 20th Century Fox rather than Marvel Studios. Marvel Studios rose to fame because of its cinematic universe idea. They make a bunch of movies that are part of the same universe, which expands the world and allows for crossover movies like “The Avengers� and the yet-to-be-released “Captain America: Civil War.� Through this gimmick, Marvel has figured out that it does not have to try as hard anymore. The first wave of Marvel movies was all leading up to “The Avengers,� which people wanted to see. Therefore, it did not matter how “Iron Man 2,� “Captain America: The First Avenger,� or “Thor�
ended up, because people had to go see them in order to understand the characters and the universe for “The Avengers.� Because all of the movies are connected, important details that are present in one movie will affect the next movie, so one would have to watch the previous movies to fully understand what is happening. Now, that is what should happen in a continuing story like, for example, Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight� franchise, but here is where they differ. The way it should work is that the people who liked “Batman Begins� would want to see a sequel when it was released. When “The Dark Knight� gets released, those same people go to see it. With Marvel, the people who liked “Iron Man� want to
THE UMASS LOWELL
Serving the Student Body Since 1976
UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR
EDITORIAL BOARD MARLON PITTER Editor-In-Chief
Courtesy Photo
Marvel’s “Deadpool� earned $55 milion in its second weekend in theaters.
see a sequel, but along with the sequel they have to watch “Thor� and “Captain America: The First Avenger� because all of these movies are going to be connected. Now that Marvel has ensured an audience to their movies, the lack of trying comes in. They do not have to worry about making the movies good since they have a guaranteed audience and can make them as dull and uninspired as they want. No creativity needs to be included and no risks need to be taken to keep people coming around for more. They just need to superficially please movie-going audiences so that they do not realize
Marvel’s trick. This results in a bunch of middle-of-the-road, uninspired, interchangeable movies. In all fairness, Marvel has released genuinely good movies like “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,� “Iron Man� and “Guardians of the Galaxy,� and took creative risks with “Iron Man 3,� but those are just four movies in a list that at the moment is made up of 12. When the good to bad ratio is at that level due to a lack of effort, or when an audience member has to watch 12 movies to understand the two movies they actually wanted to see, there is a problem.
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February 23, 2016
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NEWS
Journalist gives audience scoop on black media Dave Rudderham Connector Editor
What would be the solution if it was your job to distribute a newspaper that defends black rights and culture at a time where the south was still under segregation laws? The answer: use the mail system. That is what happened to “The Chicago Defender,” a newspaper founded by Robert Abbott in 1905 with the intent of giving a voice to African Americans. They put their newspapers in a brown paper bag and mailed it to subscribers who paid for it. The white south, as much as they hated the paper, did not want to disrupt the order of the U.S. mail delivery system. Ethan Michaeli, a be-speckled journalist who wrote “The Defender,” a book about the famed Chicago newspaper, has been touring college campuses to talk about what happened at that historical newspaper all those years ago. Michaeli visited our campus just last week. He began his speech at the 1893 World’s fair, a historical event for science, the future of America and for African-Americans. The infamous Fredrick Douglass attended the affair. “Frederick Douglass was 75 years old at the time or the World’s Fair,” says Michaeli. According to the author Douglass used the event to find “an entire generation of activists preparing for the civil rights struggle.” The founder of “The Chicago Defender” was at the World’s Fair and a
member of that generation. Over the years the southern states fought hard to politically dismantle rights for blacks in America, most notably in the Jim Crow laws. “The white rulers did not like this situation and incrementally reduced their rights,” says Michaeli.
in many ways helped cultivate this activism and they banned them from towns, prohibited sales, etc. However, subscribers sent in money for the mailed copy of the newspaper as well as others with a similar format and message. “He (Robert Abbott) didn’t support
Kevin Nance/Chicago Tribune
Ethan Michaeli, pictured here, is the author of “The Defender.”
However, activists, both black and white, organized and fought back over the years. “The African American population had doubled. Activists in Chicago had created, not the strongest African American political unit, but the strongest political unit period,” says Michaeli. Counties in the south fought back against newspapers like “The Chicago Defender” that greatly benefitted and
the Great Migration until he saw that the migration was hurting the economy in the south,” says Michaeli. The newspaper continued to fight for their message and legitimized black culture. They also hired Earl Calloway for their entertainment editor. Calloway was the newspaper’s link to many historical acts including the Jackson Five. Black actors, athletes, and musicians were a common fea-
ture in the newspaper underneath John Songstacke, the successor to Robert Abbott. Unfortunately, like most newspapers in the modern world, “The Chicago Defender” does not have as large of an audience and print numbers it once had, but it does continue to publish. When asked by an audience member where black political activism had gone in the modern era, Michaeli said, “The gradual decline of print journalism shows that a lot of it has shifted to online. It’s certainly still there just not as much in print.” And of course print journalism still exists in some regard as Michaeli just published a book that “took 6 years to write after [he] got the contract.” The event Michaeli spoke at was sponsored by the Center for Race and Ethnicity, the History Department at UMass Lowell and Bob Forrant. And don not be misled into thinking that the speaker, because he was talking about very important parts of U.S. history, was somehow devoid of humor throughout the event. While recalling a story about how he was called by Michael Jackson, a seemingly impossible occurrence to most people who would be skeptical of the high pitched voice on the other end of the line, Michaeli said “Later when Janet Jackson called, I was much more prepared and courteous.”
Steve Almond talks writing at UMass Lowell Jacob Boucher Connector Staff
Kerouac Writer-in-Residence and celebrated author Steve Almond hosted a reading of his work in O’Leary 222. Almond is best known for his works “Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America,” the Paterson Prize-winning story collection “God Bless America” and his most recent release “Against Football: One Fan’s Reluctant Manifesto.” He also cohosts a podcast, “Dear Sugar,” with the memoirist Cheryl Strayed, and has self-published smaller works on everything from countering hate mail to overcoming writer’s block. Steve Almond was introduced at the event by UMass Lowell professor and renowned author Andre Dubus III, who told the audience anecdotes about how he became familiar with Almond and his writing. After this, Almond took to the stage and informed the crowd there was
“nowhere to go but down.” In Many of the questions that server drew a comparison to a similar fashion to his writ- night concerned Almond’s boxing, a once popular sport ing, Almond’s talk was frank most recent work, “Against which also caused serious and funny, saying it like it is Football: One Fan’s Reluc- injury, and asked why one while also being sarcastically tant Manifesto.” Almond, a had been condemned while self-deprecating and sincerely former Oakland Raiders fan, football still gains popularity well spoken. He knows why was forced to condemn the in the U.S. To this, Almond people often will get angry at him for his writing, as his topics are often political. Almond, however, holds his ground to the very end, undeterred by angry, often vulgar dissenters. Almond read from a variety of pieces, everything from his poetry to short stories to hate mail, but with every reading he found the right pace and tone to illicit in the audience exactly the reaction he hoped for: bringing out the Jesse Costa/NPR seriousness in darker pieces and highlighting the irony Steve Almond is the author of “Against Football: One Fan’s or hilarity of others. For ev- Reluctant Manifesto.” ery heartbreaking short sto- sport due to the effect it has said. “You never see the guys’ ry, there was an over-the-top on players’ health, coming faces,” arguing that in boxing poem that was bad enough out against the sport for the the blood and bruises were it read like humor; every sex brain damage up to one third center-stage, while in football scene would be punctuated by of players receive as a result the damage is cleverly hidden the comical evisceration of a of constant collisions, going beneath helmets. “You just proverbial internet comments so far as to call it a “brutal, don’t see it; it’s invisible,” he section. crazy murder ballet.” One ob- said.
But Almond did not just talk about football, he also gave excellent advice to aspiring writers. Throughout his career, Almond said he was trapped in a struggle between two extremes – intense narcissism, believing every word he wrote was profound and game-changing, and crippling self-doubt, which he believes in its worst form to be writer’s block. Finding a balance, Almond said, is the best way to write well and write consistently. In his opinion, the best way to do this is to read and review the work of other writers at your skill level, improving your “critical faculty.” He also advises using great authors, your Jane Austens and David Foster Wallaces, as inspiration and not contemporaries. By comparing yourself to the greats, he said, your early work will never live up to them and never improve.
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February 23, 2016
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Classic Game Review: ‘Pokemon Yellow’ Shane Foley Connector Editor
In the last 20 years, Pokémon has transformed from a Japanese video game to a cornerstone of worldwide culture. Fans could not even watch the Super Bowl this year without witnessing a tribute to the franchise. The Super Bowl ad, however, was simply the first in many events that will take place to celebrate Pokémon’s twentieth anniversary. One such event is happening right here at UMass Lowell, as the Anime Club is sponsoring Pokémon Day on Feb. 27, 2016. This is the same day Nintendo will release “Pokémon Red”, “Blue” and “Yellow” for the Nintendo E-shop. Therefore, to join with the festivities, “Pokémon Yellow” will be featured in this week’s classic game review. “Pokémon Yellow” began the tradition of the “Pokémon” “third game.” It has become customary for Nintendo to release two games at the same time, each featuring some different Pokémon, and then afterwards releasing a “third game” with some differences from the two originals (example: beginning is Aspertia Town in “Black/White 2” as opposed to Nuvema Town). Aside from the changes, you still explore the same region as in “Pokémon Red and Blue,” where you and your companion Pokémon must catch other Pokémon, battle trainers and defeat gyms to reach the Pokémon League, where upon beating it will earn you the title of Pokémon Champion. The most notable feature that distinguishes “Pokémon Yellow” from its predecessors is the Pikachu factor. Instead of being given the option to begin your journey with a fire, water or grass Pokémon, you are prompted to start your journey with a Pikachu. This Pikachu, not liking poké balls, actually follows you around, and you can engage your Pikachu during the game to check its mood. This Pikachu also cannot evolve, unlike other games where Pikachu evolves into Raichu when given a Thunder Stone. These variations to Pikachu were all done in response to the success of the first season of the Pokémon Anime show. The main protagonist, Ash Ketchum, has a Pikachu that follows him outside
the poké ball and Ash refuses to evolve Pikachu due to their special bond. This did well with audiences around the globe who saw the show, as well as other factors, like the incorporation of show characters Jesse and James of Team Rocket. “Pokémon Yellow” also updated the design of many Pokémon to closer resemble their counterparts in the show. A lot of the success that “Pokémon Yellow” enjoyed came from the fact that it was released on the Game Boy Color. Before that point in time, Game Courtesy of Nintendo
“Pokemon Yellow” was originally released in 1998.
Boy games were colorless and had to be played under some sort of light source for the player to see the action on the screen. The introduction of color, to some, made Pokémon feel like a whole different experience. Being able to see color on the attack animations for the Pokémon went a long way in having players enjoy watching two Pokémon duke it out. For most every Pokémon game, outside of the objective to win the Pokémon League, the main objective of the game is usually considered to be catching every Pokémon to complete the Pokédex for that region. This objective can prove to be quite a nuisance, seeing as Pokémon involve trades at times to evolve, some Pokémon can only be caught in one
version of the game, and some Pokémon have very convoluted methods of catching (example: buying Porygon in “Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow”). For “Pokémon Yellow,” though, this objective might be easiest to accomplish. Not only are there only 150 Pokémon, but there is a very small list of unobtainable Pokémon in the game. The list sums up like this: none of the Team Rocket Pokémon can be caught, the trio with the elemental punches cannot be caught (Jynx/Magmar/Electabuzz), Mew can only be caught via glitch, the Weedle evolutionary line can’t be caught because Ash didn’t catch it in the anime, and Raichu is unobtainable since you cannot involve Pikachu. That means every other Pokémon is able to be caught in game. You would only have to trade for seven Pokémon! With the large roster, the teams you can make in this game are ridiculous. Oustide of Pikachu, you can later catch Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. Adding that to the legendary birds, fossil Pokémon, non-legendaries like Gyrados, Dragonite and Lapras, and the formidable Mewtwo, you can make a combination of some pretty vicious Pokémon. Of course, someone playing this who is used to more of the “Pokémon X/Y” style will go through a transition. It is a very different experience. There are no berries in “Pokémon Yellow,” no night/day cycle, no secret bases or super training or a lot of the innovations that have been introduced over the years. The best thing this game has going for it is simplicity, though. You don’t necessarily have to worry about getting the Pokémon with the right typing or train them a certain way. You can win with a lot of different options. So, it is not about building the perfect team with this game. It is about getting Aerodactyl and destroying everything with Earthquake. It’s about buying the Scyther because he just looks so cool. It is about always carrying a ton of Ultra Balls because you know you need that Master Ball for Mewtwo. This game may not challenge you intellectually as much, but your inner kid will fall in love with it.
‘The Life of Pablo’ review
►Continued from front page like a daylight daydream and finishes “Pt. 2” with a startling mental breakdown detailing past struggles with his mother’s passing. It is one of the best listens on the album, and though they are separate tracks, I cannot listen to one part without hearing the other. Then we are immediately treated to a bass-heavy, absolutely magnificent Swizz Beatz production on “Famous” accompanied by a cringe worthy introduction from West, where he has some choice words about Taylor Swift. And we do not cringe because the line is bad. We cringe because we know nothing good can come from it (whether or not he previously ran the line past Swift, as he claims on Twitter). Me? I love the line; not because I agree with him and not because I do not care for Taylor Swift. I love the line because it represents what I love about West most. He is fearless. He is going to express himself in ways he sees fit. Nobody is going to dare tell him what he can and cannot say on his album.
In the middle of the album, we get entertaining glimpses of West’s best past work. We get a bit of that 2013 Yeezus sound with “Feedback.” Then we are treated to the amazing intro “Lowlights” to my personal favorite track “Highlights” that immediately struck me as reminiscent of when Kanye made the absolutely beautiful intro to “All of the Lights” on “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.” “Freestyle 4” is an interesting track, coming off as Kanye staggering out of the club with a bottle of Hennessy in hand, reciting lyrics that are unapologetically bombastic. That is followed by the skit “I love Kanye,” where ‘Ye addresses the public in the most Kayne way possible ending the track saying, “And I love you like Kanye loves Kanye.” “Waves,” the track Chance the Rapper fought so hard to be on the album (so hard in fact that the album was delayed because of it), does not even include Chance at all. It is a solid track with great production and a nice hook
from Chris Brown, but I would not have cared if it had been left out. The conclusion of the album is deep and self-reflecting. “FML” is all about the negativity surrounding West and his goals. “Real Friends” exposes the loyalty of West’s family and friends, even questioning his own loyalty as well. And “Wolves,” arguably the most powerful and moving track of the album, compares the negative influences around him and his family to wolves going after lamb; the lamb being his own children. It is a perfect end to the album, if it actually ended there. Now, I end “The Life of Pablo” at “Wolves” by choice, but I also truly believe it is meant to end at track 13 rather than 18. Kanye added some last minute tracks, but they are all treated like bonus tracks even though they are not properly labeled as such. We all got to hear “30 Hours,” “No More Parties in LA,” “Facts” and the highly buzzed about club production “Fade” before the album released. “30
Hours” offers a classic Kanye flow as well as the Kendrick Lamar featured “No More Parties in LA.” “Facts” now has less imitating production, and “Fade” is a bit disappointing, as I like the original unreleased version without all the background noise better. All tracks are great listens for any West fan, but they add little to nothing to the overall package. Putting the added tracks aside, I am incredibly satisfied with how “The Life of Pablo” turned out. It is an album that has been building hype for a long time now, and I could not be more confident in saying it lived up to it. With all the features (there are a lot of them on here), West knows exactly how to use the artists to the best of their abilities. Whether he is writing up some dope lyrics or working on a sound nobody has heard before, he is always perfecting the art. “The Life of Pablo” is further proof that there are not many artists today who know how to craft an album better than West.
February 23, 2016
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CAMPUS LIFE Disable the Label brings sign language to two games Shane Foley Connector Editor
Disable the Label, an on-campus organization dedicated to advocating for the rights of underprivileged identities, runs an annual event using Bingo as a means to practice sign language. In the latest iteration of the event, however, the organization put out Twister boards with the Bingo boards and was able to make both activities incorporate the practice of sign language. “It was simply to try and do new, innovative ways to get kids involved to practice their sign language, just like when the kids use games to learn Spanish,” said John Romano, who helped run the event with fellow members Jeremy Daigneau and Alyssa Mulno. “Rather than when they do Spanish drills, when they are behind on homework and stuff, they try to do different games; same concept here, just in real life.” The event began with a couple rounds of only Bingo, after which the Twister board was brought out. The Bingo game was so popular that attendees wanted both games to be played at once – a request to which Disable the Label gladly obliged. For the bingo games, attendees were given boards with various colors on
them as opposed to numbers. They were then instructed on how to sign each color, as well as each letter in the word BINGO. For the first round, the
Shane Foley/Connector
Disable the Label filled University Suites 106 with Bingo and Twister players.
event moderators said the color/letter combinations aloud while signing, and for subsequent rounds they only signed. Winners would also have to sign back the spaces they covered to prove their victory. When the Twister board was introduced, Romano stayed behind with the Bingo players while Mulno mod-
ng happeni What’s us on camp th?! this mon SUNDAY
21
erated the Twister game. “We did the direction, so right and left, and then I just told them the hand or foot,” said Mulno. “That was too hard to sign.
And then, the color. It worked out pretty well.” According to the event moderators, Disable the Label is always looking for better ways to have people practice sign language. “[We are] trying to pick games that are familiar to people, that they know of already, that they can play with their eyes closed. [These] are
games you can use to help that,” said Romano. “So, Bingo’s a good game like that, Twister is a good game, you could do Battleship, you could do a bunch of different others.” The Sign Language Bingo/Twister event also marked the final event before the busiest time of the year for Disable The Label. March has been declared Disable the Label Month, and the organization has many events planned, including Playing for Inclusion. “Playing for Inclusion is our big event that is coming up on campus,” said Romano. “We’re working with students that have different muscular distrophy disorders to help put on a floor hockey clinic for them using a couple different club teams and a couple different colaborations - ourselves, Love of the Game and Best Buddies - to kind of do a game for them, have students cheer them on and make them feel like their special and make them stand out.” The event is to be held at the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on March 6, 2016. Romano described the event as being, “something that can really help them and means something to them; kind of give them a clear, shining moment.”
CAMPUS CALENDAR
FEB/MAR MONDAY
22
TUESDAY
23
WEDNESDAY
24
THURSDAY
25
FRIDAY
26 Fresh Friday 10 p.m. Fox Common
28
29 EVA Open Mic Night 11 a.m. UCrossing 490
1 Americans with Disability Act Anniversary 3 p.m. Moloney Hall UCrossing 260
2
3
4 What the Heck Do I Say? 11 a.m. UCrossing 490
SATURDAY
27 Pokémon Day UCrossing 247-249 12pm
5 Mothers of Rock XII 7 p.m. Durgin Concert Hall
Calendar listings are FREE when space is available. To better ensure your listing’s placement, get your information in two weeks in advance by marlon_pitter@student.uml.edu.
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February 23, 2016
UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR
UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR
February 23, 2016
SPORTS
River Hawks split decisions on day two of EMU invite UMass Lowell Athletics
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – Junior Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) went 4-for-6 (.667) to lead the UMass Lowell softball team (1-3) to a 1-1 record on Day Two of the EMU Madeira Beach Invitational. The River Hawks earned their first win of the year, 9-0, in five innings against Manhattan before falling, 1-0, against Siena. “Our defense and pitching have been solid so far,” said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. “Our bats came
alive in the first game today and we had opportunities to score in the second game. We looked a bit more confident at the plate and I am looking forward to us putting it all together to finish up the weekend.” Welch added two runs, one RBI and a 1.000 slugging percentage on the day. Freshman Brianna West (Fairfield, Conn.) (.400) and senior Alyssa Zinkiewicz (Massapequa, N.Y.) (.200) paced the squad with two RBI apiece, while junior Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) went 3-for-8 to finish with a .375 batting average in the two
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
UMass Lowell got a 9-0 victory to split its opening series in the EMU Invitational.
games. Two freshmen made their first career starts in the circle for UMass Lowell. Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) picked up the complete-game shutout against Manhattan, allowing just one hit. Classmate Sydney Wash (Suffolk, Va.) went the distance in game two, allowing four hits and one walk. The River Hawks jumped in front quickly in game one against Manhattan, taking advantage of their first trip to the plate. Welch logged a one-out single to center field to get on base for Zinkiewicz, who blasted her second long ball of the tournament over the fence in left center, putting UMass Lowell on top, 2-0. The River Hawks extended their lead to 3-0 in the second thanks to back-to-back doubles from West and Welch. The team then rallied for five runs in the fourth, including a RBI walk from sophomore Madison Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) and a two-run sacrifice fly from West, to make the score 8-0. Talcik, who retired the Jaspers’ side in order through the first three innings of play, did not allow a hit until the bottom of the fourth. In the top of the fifth, junior Alyssa Hasbrouck (Middletown, N.Y.) stepped in as a pinch hitter and led off with a base hit. Junior Emily O’Brien (Salem, N.H.) followed with a walk before both runners
advanced on a wild pitch. Sophomore Samantha McQueen (Ewing, N.J.) followed with a fielder’s choice that scored Hasbrouck. The squad then held Manhattan to one runner in the bottom of the fifth to seal the 9-0, mercy-rule win. UMass Lowell, who was also the visiting team in game two, threatened to take another early lead, but left the bases loaded in the top of the first. Freshman Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) singled for the River Hawks in the second, and advanced all the way to third, but The Saints used a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to take a 1-0 edge through one complete inning. Hasbrouck walked in the third before both teams went three-up and three-down in their next at-bat. Siena stranded two in the home half of the fourth, giving the River Hawks a chance in the fifth. Welch registered a one-out hit up the middle, but she would not advance. UMass Lowell was then unable to get anything started in its final two trips to the plate, as the Saints sealed the 1-0 decision. The River Hawks will play their fifth and final game of the EMU Invitational tomorrow, Sunday, February 21 at 11:30 a.m. against Georgia Southern.
River Hawks battle late, but drop 81-77 decision at Binghamton UMass Lowell Athletics
VESTAL, N.Y. – Freshman Isaac White (Ashland, Ohio) registered a game-high 20 points to pace the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (11-17, 7-8 AE) in a closely-contested, 81-77 loss at Binghamton (7-20, 4-10 AE) on Saturday afternoon. "It was a good effort, but I was disappointed with the way we handled their pressure early on," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "I thought we made the right passes, but we didn't finish some easy baskets. This Binghamton team forces you to make plays, and I felt like we made them and then didn't finish around the rim. I think had we done that, it would've changed the complexion of the game." White knocked down five three-pointers on the day as one of four scorers in double figures for the River Hawks. Redshirt sophomore Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.) finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, to lead both teams on the glass. Freshmen Logan Primerano (Peru, Ind.) and Ryan Jones (Rio Rancho, N.M.) chipped in with 12 and 11 points, respectively, as well.
The Bearcats won the opening tip and scored the first five points of the game, but the River Hawks quickly closed the gap to one with buckets from Jones and redshirt freshman Josh Gantz (Grove City, Ohio). The home squad then used a 7-2 spurt to pull ahead, 16-8, with 13:41 remaining in the first half. White drained three pointers on UMass Lowell's next two possessions, but Binghamton worked to build a 28-14 advantage at 10:05. Junior Tyler Livingston (Hudson, N.H.) then banked in a layup for the River Hawks, sparking a 10-2 run to make it a two-possession game at 30-24 with 6:32 to play in the first. The Bearcats scored the next six points, though, to regain a double-digit edge, 36-24 at 4:43. In the waning minutes of the half, UMass Lowell outscored Binghamton, 7-3, thanks to five points from White, but the home squad would hold on to take a 39-31 lead into the break. Binghamton scored six of the first eight points coming out of the break to extend its buffer to 4533. The River Hawks answered with a layup from
Thomas and a three-point play from Jones, cutting the difference to seven at 45-38 with 17:16 still to go. The home team, who led by as many as 12 in the next seven minutes, maintained at least an eightpoint margin until UMass Lowell scored nine consecutive points, including a long ball from Primerano, to put UMass Lowell back within a basket, 61-58, at 6:32. However, a 10-1 BU run gave the Bearcats a 71-59 lead with 3:42 to play. The River Hawks continued to battle in the final minutes, making it a five-point game on a three by Primerano with 33 seconds remaining. Despite having to foul, the visitors cut the deficit to just two when White hit from downtown in the final 10 seconds, but Binghamton went on to seal the 81-77 decision. Saturday's contest marked the 11th meeting between UMass Lowell and Binghamton in the sport of men's basketball. UMass Lowell still owns a 7-4 edge in the all-time series. The River Hawks return home to host UAlbany in their season finale on February 24 at the Tsongas Center. Tipoff for that Senior Night contest is slated for 7 p.m.
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River Hawks bubble watch
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into account the wins and loses a team has, plus adds into the equation that team’s strength of schedule. It’s not as simple anymore as team X beat team Y. By using this metric, beating someone ranked higher in RPI will help you more than beating a team, say, ranked 50 – the same goes for losses. RPI is the most fair metric used to determine who deserves to make the tournament. A team could go 30-1 yes, but if twenty-nine of those wins came against the Watertown Mass. YMCA rec. league, then the PairWise would reflect the quality of those wins. Again, this is not meant to discredit anything your River Hawks have done this year, but to warn against getting
too comfortable with the 11 you see next to UMass Lowell in the NCAA rankings. Currently, the River Hawks are thirteenth in the PairWise rankings. So they are still in right? Well yes, but not by much. There are six conferences in Division I college hockey, each of which, whether deservedly or undeservedly so is a debate for another article, get an automatic bid to the tournament. It’s simple – if you win your conference tournament, you get into the NCAA tournament. And that is where things are getting tight for UMass Lowell. There are currently two conferences
George DeLuca/Connector
Dylan Zink has been hot as of late, scoring four goals in the teams last three games.
(the WCHA and the UP CO MI N G AHA) where the topRiver Hawk Games seed is not ranked in the top sixteen of Wednesday, Feb. 24 3 p.m. WLAX at Manhattan the PairWise. Michigan Tech currently Wednesday, Feb. 24 7 p.m. MBB vs. UAlbany leads the WHCA and is ranked eighteenth, Thursday Feb. 25 7 p.m. WBB at UAlbany while Robert Morris is atop the AHA and is 1 p.m. .SB vs. South Carolina Friday, Feb. 26 currently ranked twenty-fifth. They are bad Friday, Feb. 26 1 p.m. BB vs. Nicholls St. conferences yes, but that does not matter. 7 p.m. Hockey at B.C. Friday, Feb. 26 The winner will autoFor more sports information and full game schedules visit goriverhawks.com matically get in, that’s Bradel the rule. UMass Lowell is essentially fifteenth, as now, if Michigan Tech can run the those two potential conference win- table and win the WHCA, they will ners will “steal a spot” from a team most likely move into the top sixteen ranked in the top sixteen. To put it in PairWise and would then not be simply, if the NCAA tournament stealing a spot from a team like UMastarted today, the River Hawks would ss Lowell. But even that would not be the second-to-last team to make it. guarantee a spot for Lowell. There is not a lot of breathing There is still a ton of hockey left this room. season. The River Hawks have the Fortunately, there are still options possibility to control their own destiheading into a final weekend show- ny, but a couple more losses down the down with Boston College. The sim- stretch and a quick elimination from plest of which would be to win the the Hockey East tournament could Hockey East tournament and get the keep them out. automatic bid. Another Hockey East I’m sorry to say it but someone has finals appearance would look good, to – the River Hawks are on the bubbut UMass Lowell is still looking for ble. upsets to happen in-conference. Also, seeing as they are ranked eighteenth
UMass Lowell shows fight, but falls 17-7 to Yale Alexa Hyde Connector Staff
UMass Lowell (0-2) kicked off their home season this Saturday against the visiting Yale Bulldogs (10). Despite a strong fourth quarter, the River Hawks were unable to overcome the dominating number nine ranked Yale team, and experienced a 17-7 loss at Cushing Field. “We learned a valuable lesson today and hopeful-
ly that will serve us through the season. That being our second game and fourteen games to go, we gotta learn from that,” said Head Coach Ed Stephenson on the loss. The start of the first quarter started off slow for both teams despite a pair of goals from Yale and a goal from junior midfielder, Sam Klingsporn for the River Hawks. The score stayed at 1-2 in favor of Yale until the final minutes of the quarter, where Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
Smith’s two points lifts River Hawks to 4-2 victory over rival UMass Amherst ► Continued from front page
Bazin called a timeout during the waning minutes of the second period, confessing that he thought his defensemen were “gassed, and [he] didn’t want to wait for something bad to happen. It was just to get their energy back, so they could go out and get a productive shift.” Unfortunately, despite being up 4-0 for more than half of the third period, UMass Amherst turned up the heat and scored a power play goal. The Minutemen had twenty shots on goal in the third period, and eventually scored twice. It was a disappointing turn of events for those hoping to see senior goaltender Kevin Boyle end the night with his tenth career shutout. But the buzzer ran out
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and UMass Lowell came out of Friday night with a win. The River Hawks will take on the No. 2 ranked Boston College Eagles next weekend in a home-and-home series to close out the regular season. Friday night’s contest will be played in the Conte Forum, and the final game of the regular season will be played Saturday night in the Tsongas Center at 7 pm
Head Coach Ed Stephenson attempts to rally his team to make a late came push in what was a 17-7 loss to Yale.
UMass Lowell’s defense broke down and allowed three more goals. Yale also controlled ground balls, with 13 compared to UMass Lowell’s five, and shots, where Yale had 13 and UMass Lowell had two. The quarter ended with UMass Lowell down four. The River Hawks were able to come out strong in the second half. UMass Lowell’s defense kept Yale to just 2 goals and River Hawk goalkeeper, freshman Grant Lardieri, made two big saves. Another goal from Klingsporn kept UMass Lowell in the game, despite Yale having two times as many shots in the quarter. The teams heading into the half with the River Hawks trailing, 2-7. UMass Lowell struggled both offensively and defensively in the third quarter. They had only three shots on goal and were unable to finish any of them. Defensively, the River Hawks allowed nine goals and 19 shots from the Bulldogs. Frustration plagued the River Hawks as well, as defending suffered from penalties. UMass Lowell earned four penalties in the quarter and Yale lead 2-16 to end the quarter. The fourth and final quarter saw a resurgence from the River Hawks after Yale stopped pressing during transitions. UMass Lowell outshot and outscored Yale during the quarter, earning 12 shots and five goals in the quarter. Yale still controlled the faceoff over UMass Lowell but saw more turnovers, with six compared the UMass Lowell’s three. Klingsporn got another goal for the River Hawks, earning a hat trick, but his effort wasn’t enough to significantly cut Yale’s lead. The River Hawks travel to Loudonville, N.Y. to face Siena College next Saturday at 1 p. m.