Saints spotlight feb2014 by Emmanuel College

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT | 400 THE FENWAY | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02115

FEBRUARY 2014

Gillis Adapts to Emmanuel Among Other Things Emmanuel College freshman men’s lacrosse player Liam Gillis (Boston, Mass.) is eager to kick off his first season of collegiate lacrosse this weekend. Before things get underway, he’ll wrap up another season. For the past four years, Gillis has been on staff at the Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation team in Bethel, Maine. They’re not a lacrosse or soccer squad, but a group of individuals who regularly volunteer their time and skills to help teach skiing and other sport lessons for the non-profit organization, which services thousands of people with disabilities each year. The best thing about these lessons is that they’re completely free of charge. “It’s an incredible organization and program,” said Gillis. “I’m very fortunate to be a part of something so special and could see myself being involved with Maine Adaptive for quite some time. Maybe even forever.”

Gillis first got involved with Maine Adaptive when he was a sophomore transfer at Gould Academy, a private high school not far from the Sunday River Mountain, where the program is based. The boarding school makes sure that every single student has an extracurricular activity each trimester, be it a competitive sport or a volunteer opportunity at a local organization. Many of the 350 students opted for sports, but with soccer and lacrosse taking up his fall and spring, Gillis opted for Maine Adaptive each of his three winters at Gould. “There were probably only seven or eight of us total who decided to volunteer at Maine Adaptive when the program started,” said Gillis. “But that wasn’t a bad

Gillis (far left) has been involved with the Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation program since his high school days at Bethel Academy.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5...

Go Saints!

By the Numbers – Four Emmanuel Student-Athletes hail from the hometown of Wethersfield, Conn. Freshman Men’s Basketball player James Sullivan, sophomore Men’s Lacrosse player Patrick Vitner, sophomore Softball player Catherine Davis and freshman Softball player Susie Kieselback all call Wethersfield home and played for the WHS Eagles not too long ago.

Get up-to-date news, game results and schedules or watch a game live at goecsaints.com.

We are the Saints :: Your Source for Emmanuel College Athletics News W W W.E M M A NUE L . E D U

W W W. G O E C S A IN T S. C O M

EMMANUEL COLLEGE SAINTS SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER

48.74

By the Numbers – Junior sprinter Adam Julien (New Orleans, La.) set a new Emmanuel record in the 400 meter dash, racing to a time of 48.74 seconds at Boston University on Feb. 8. His time ranked him 4th in New England and 8th nationally.

Upcoming Games Women’s Basketball 3/5 3/8 3/9

ECAC Quarterfinals * ECAC Semifinals * ECAC Finals *

TBD TBD TBD

MEN’S VARSITY SPORTS • BASKETBALL • CROSS COUNTRY • GOLF • INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD • LACROSSE | OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD • SOCCER • VOLLEYBALL WOMEN’S VARSITY SPORTS • BASKETBALL • CROSS COUNTRY • INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD • LACROSSE • OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD • SOCCER • SOFTBALL • TENNIS

•

VOLLEYBALL

*Draw, seeding and location announced on 3/4

Men’s Volleyball

Men’s VB Downs #7 Baruch NEWYORK, N.Y. – Emmanuel College stepped up to defeat 7th-ranked Baruch College, 3-1, on Feb. 21 in the opening round of Baruch College’s Invitational Tournament. The Saints suffered a 23-25 setback in the opening set and then rolled to wins in the next three sets, 25-13, 25-21 and 25-16. Click here to read the entire game story

3/7 3/8 3/18 3/20 3/23 3/25 3/27 3/29

vs. Ramapo # vs. Daniel Webster # vs. Sage # at Emerson * vs. Wentworth * vs. Rivier * at Albertus Magnus * at Mount Ida * vs. Lasell * vs. Anna Maria * vs. Emerson *

6:00 PM 11:00 AM 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 1:00 PM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 12:00 PM 4:00 PM

# Endicott College March Madness Tournament

Men’s Lacrosse 3/1 3/5 3/9 3/14 3/17 3/19 3/22 3/25 3/29

vs. Keuka + at MIT vs. Kean ^ vs. Hilbert College ^ at Salem State vs. Albertus Magnus * at Rivier * at Daniel Webster * vs. Anna Maria College *

11:00 AM 4:00 PM 4:00 PM 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 1:00 PM 4:00 PM 12:00 PM

+ Game played at Lasell College ^ Games played in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Women’s Lacrosse Editor EC Sports Information Dept.

Layout Daniel Campagna

Writers Daniel Campagna Alexis Mastronardi

Design Direction/ Graphic Design Helen Kimeria

Photographers Merrill Shea Carla Osberg Photography EC Sports Information Dept.

Published Monthly by Athletic Department 400 The Fenway Boston, Massachusetts 02115

3/13 3/15 3/18 3/21 3/25 3/27 3/29

at Regis at Saint Joseph (CT) * vs. Johnson & Wales * at Anna Maria * vs. Simmons * at Nichols vs. Albertus Magnus *

Indoor Track & Field 3/7

at ECAC Championship

5:00 PM 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 3:00 PM 10:00 AM

Softball 3/9-3/14 3/19 3/21 3/26 3/28 3/29 3/30

at Fastpitch Dreams Classic Myrtle Beach, S.C. at Wentworth (DH) 3:30 PM vs. Colby (DH) 6:30 PM vs. Framingham State (DH) 6:30 PM vs. Saint Joseph’s (ME) (DH) * 6:30 PM at Lasell (DH) * 12:00 PM at Simmons (DH) * TBA

* Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest W W W. E M M A N U E L . E D U W W W. G O E C S A I N T S . C O M

FEBRUARY 2014

Get the full schedule at www.goecsaints.com

GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS!

EMMANUEL COLLEGE SAINTS SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER

Ashanti Jackson Men’s Volleyball

Jackson was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week following a strong effort for the Saints. The junior outside hitter finished the week with an all-around solid defensive effort, combining for a total of 41 digs and 5 blocks. He tallied 106 total receptions in the backrow for Emmanuel with just one error for a .991 reception percentage on the week.

Sarah Higgins Women’s Basketball

After missing the entire first semester studying abroad, Higgins returned to the women’s basketball team providing a mid-season spark that helped the Saints post an 11-0 record in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. Higgins was named to the GNAC Honor Roll for her play in February and is currently averaging 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

James Sullivan Men’s Basketball

Sullivan was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks to close out his rookie campaign with the Saints. On the year, the swingman earned the weekly honor three times and wrapped up the season as the Saints’ second leading scorer, averaging 11.4 points per game. Sullivan closed out the year scoring in double-figures in his final seven games including a season-high 25 point outing against Norwich University on Feb. 6

GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS!

FEBRUARY 2014

WOMEN’S VARSITY SPORTS • BASKETBALL • CROSS COUNTRY • INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD • LACROSSE • OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD • SOCCER • SOFTBALL • TENNIS MEN’S VARSITY SPORTS • BASKETBALL • CROSS COUNTRY • GOLF • INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD • LACROSSE | OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD • SOCCER • VOLLEYBALL

•

VOLLEYBALL

Shining Saints

EMMANUEL COLLEGE SAINTS SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER

Options Open for Brady

•

VOLLEYBALL

Following his final season of men’s soccer at Emmanuel, the team captain of the Saints is on quite a roll. Ryan Brady (’14) has been accepted to every law school he has applied to so far this winter. A history major at Emmanuel, Brady has already been accepted to four of the seven law schools in which he applied, including New England, Northeastern, Vermont, and Western New England.

Brady scored well on the LSATs, finishing in the 80th percentile (160/180). With solid test scores, he was encouraged to apply for the New England School of Law’s “Sandra Day O’Connor Scholarship.” Just fifty of the 1,200 students enrolled at New England receive scholarships. Brady is now among those fifty and if he chooses New England has the option to go free of charge. Brady has been a four-year starter for the Saints and the first-ever student-athlete at Emmanuel to serve as the Men’s Soccer team captain for threeconsecutive seasons. He was named the team’s “Most Valuable Player” at the annual EC Athletic Awards night last April. The standout defensive stopper for the Saints was also stellar in the classroom throughout his four-year career. Brady received Emmanuel’s team “Academic Achievement Award” and was a two-time GNAC Academic All-

Conference selection. When asked about his preference for next year, Brady smiled and said, “Well, I’m leaning toward New England right now because it’s free.” He is hoping to hear back from Boston University, which he considers to be his reach school. Brady also likes the idea of working in a law firm first and then going on to law school after he has some work experience. “I applied for a two-year internship at Goodwin and Proctor, so I would definitely consider this first if I get it.” The career path seems to run in the family, as Brady’s father is a lawyer and one of the owners of Brady and Callahan, PC in Brady’s hometown of Springfield, Vermont. “I always considered being a lawyer, but wasn’t necessarily sure. I made a firm decision about midway through my time at Emmanuel. I think I will enjoy it and be good at it.” Brady is still unsure about what type of law he may want to practice. He does know that he is not interested in moving back home to Vermont. He has enjoyed his time in Boston and prefers to live and work in a bigger city. With schools to choose from throughout New England and the acceptance letters rolling in, Brady is keeping his options are open for the future.

Saints Compete at DIII New England Championships CAMBRIDGE/SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Seven women and six men represented Emmanuel College’s Indoor Track & Field Teams at the Division III New England Championships on Saturday. The women’s championship was hosted by Springfield College, while the men’s championship was held at MIT. Senior captain Kelly Ulf (Lunenburg, Mass.) qualified for and competed in two field events at the New England Championship, for the first time in her collegiate career. Ulf landed 16’2.50” for 14th place overall in the long jump. She hit 4’11” in the high jump, good enough for 17th place. Freshman Ashley Brooks (Danvers, Mass.) tied Ulf in the high jump, reaching 4’11 for 17th place overall in her first collegiate championship. Click here to read about the rest of the Saints that competed and view the entire results.

SuperFan of the Month EC SuperFan of the Month – Andrew Connolly A dedicated and spirited member of the Emmanuel College Athletics work-study staff, Andrew has been designated the important role of department videographer for all of the EC Men’s and Women’s Basketball and Volleyball home matches. Andrew hardly ever misses a home game and is the reason you can watch the Saints from home!

Will you be the next SuperFan? Get spotted in the stands! Go to www.goecsaints.com for a full game schedule.

FEBRUARY 2014

GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS!

EMMANUEL COLLEGE SAINTS SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER

Gillis Adapts to Emmanuel cont...

Gould students like Gillis would return from their Thanksgiving break and head to the mountain on weekdays after school for training lessons until their winter break. It was during this time when Gillis learned to master some of the equipment used to aid skiers and even test some of it out on his own. “Getting the chance to try some of the equipment out on our own was an awesome way to prepare. It allowed me to become more familiar with what my students would be working with and also gave me a chance to have a better understanding of some of the challenges they were facing that I might not have realized,” said Gillis. Skiers who participate in the Maine Adaptive program range in ages from 4 to 75. Some are hearing impaired, visually impaired or blind. Others are amputees, suffer from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), cerebral palsy (CP) or multiple sclerosis (MS). No matter what they’re going through before they arrive to the mountain, Gillis and his team will have them skiing before they leave. “It’s really incredible to see these people transform right in front of you,” said Gillis. “They’re the ones

“Bob’s a great guy, and one of the reasons why I know I’ll want to be involved with an organization like this forever. We talk about more than just getting him down the mountain and have developed a unique bond. He’s into politics, I plan to major in Political Science, so when we’re out there together it’s like I’m just hitting the slopes with one of my friends. It’s pretty special,” said Gillis. Each year, to raise funds for the operation, the organization puts on an annual Ski-A-Thon in which teams are formed to raise money. 100% of the proceeds raised go to the Maine Adaptive program and last year the SkiA-Thon raised over $300,000 dollars. Gillis and his team of five members were able to raise $3,600 with Gillis generating $1,300 of that total on his own. Gillis hopes to raise $2,000 on his own this year through the Ski-A-Thon. “All the money goes towards the Maine Adaptive program, which I can’t say enough good things about.” This year’s Ski-A-Thon will take place on March 29 at the Sunday Rivier Resort. The Men’s Lacrosse team plays that afternoon at home against Anna Maria College at 12:00 PM so Gillis will be running from one event to the other but that’s nothing new for him. On top of his involvement with Maine Adaptive and the men’s lacrosse program, Gillis is an avid runner who raced in the 2012 Chicago Marathon and plans to run in the

VOLLEYBALL

Four years later, Gillis is now a certified ski instructor.

One of Gillis’ students has been coming back to the mountain ever since he began volunteering for the program in 2010, and often requests to ski with him. Bob Sargent, a retired member of the United States military, suffered a stroke several years ago and now suffers from some paralysis in one side of his body. In his 70’s, he decided that he wanted to try and take up his old love of skiing with the help of the Maine Adaptive program.

Pictured above: Bob Sargent and Gillis during a winter ski session.

•

“It was just a different culture up there, so I was already a little behind when we first started up,” said Gillis. “But the Maine Adaptive staff does a really great job preparing all their instructors and volunteers so that in just a few weeks, I was ready to teach on my own.”

putting in the hard work, I’m just there to give them a little push when they need it.”

GNAC Pre-Season Lacrosse Polls Released

BOSTON, Mass. - The Great Northeast Athletic Conference released the 2014 Pre-Season Coaches’ Poll for Men’s Lacrosse and Women’s Lacrosse on February 25. Both the Men’s and the Women’s programs at Emmanuel earned their highest ranking ever in the poll as the Men were tabbed 4th and the Women were picked 5th. Click here to view the GNAC Men’s Poll Click here to view the GNAC Women’s Poll

2014 Philadelphia Marathon, as long as it doesn’t interfere with his fall ball schedule. “The transition to college lacrosse has been a lot of fun,” said Gillis. “Just like I had to adapt on the mountain, I’m adapting on the field and really excited to be a part of the Saints men’s lacrosse family.”

campaign this weekend against Keuka with their first home contest on March 19, but in the meantime, Gillis will continue to

lend a hand on the weekends up at Sunday Rivier with his Maine Adaptive family. To contribute to Gillis’ Ski-AThon team, visit his personal Fundraising Page here.

The Saints open their 2014

GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS!

FEBRUARY 2014

thing because everyone at the mountain loved it when the Gould [Academy] crew showed up. They knew us all by name and loved working with us, as we did with them.” Growing up in West Roxbury, Mass., Gillis enjoyed hitting the slopes a few times each winter, but admits that he was far from a pro compared to the Maine locals.

EMMANUEL COLLEGE SAINTS SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER

Athlete of the Month Alexander ‘Wyatt’ Cooper

Birthday: Hometown: Nickname

Sept. 26, 1992 Ridgefield, Conn. Scoop

Class Year: Junior Major: Management

•

VOLLEYBALL

Men’s Volleyball

What do you like most about Emmanuel? The location. Favorite place on campus? The gym Favorite sports team? Philadelphia Eagles Favorite athlete? Tom Wallisch Lucky #? 25 Something that most people don’t know about you? I freestyle ski in the off season. Favorite vacation spot? Oregon Accomplishment you are most proud of in your sport? I was named to the Connecticut All-State First Team during my senior year in high school. Favorite holiday? Christmas, by far. Do you have any pets? Two dogs, Rosie and Izzy Favorite movie? The Big Lebowski Favorite music artist/band? Lil Mouse or Lil Bibby

FEBRUARY 2014

Favorite pre-game song to get pumped up? 100 Bars by Lil Mouse Pepsi or Coke? Coke Guilty Pleasure TV Show? True Detectives Favorite cereal? Honey Combs Best Halloween costume you’ve worn? Clifford the big red dog. Favorite city or town? New York City Favorite ice cream? Easily cookie dough. How many foreign countries have you been to? Just Italy but I’ve been to Bermuda and the Bahamas a lot. If it could rain something other than rain, what would it rain? Money, make that rain. Favorite Family Guy character? Evil Monkey Favorite Person at Emmanuel? Professor Katie Liesener Favorite quote? “Ball is life” -Beans

GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS!

EMMANUEL COLLEGE SAINTS SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER

Goddard & Maloney to Lead Saints Women’s Lax The Emmanuel College Women’s Lacrosse Team will see coaching changes take place for the 2014 campaign. Liz Goddard, who served as the Saints’ Assistant Coach for the past two seasons, has been promoted to Head Coach. Goddard is just the second head coach in Emmanuel Women’s Lacrosse program history. She takes over the reigns from Amanda Laws, who spent three seasons at the helm, beginning with the program’s inception as an NCAA varsity sport in 2011.

Both talented players, they hail from different backgrounds on the field, one more offensive minded and the other favoring the defensive aspect. “Liz (Maloney) headed up the defense at Bentley, while I was a midfielder and attack player, so I think our different mindsets will make for a good coaching combination.” ” “I think our coaching styles will complement each other well,” stated the Maloney, a newcomer to the Emmanuel staff. “We’ll be able to take what we remember working from our days of playing together and apply it to the program here at Emmanuel. We are both tough competitors and I hope it will translate through to the team.” The Saints went 9-5 last season with a 5-4 mark in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. Emmanuel’s nine wins set a new program record for victories in a single season and the Saints advanced to the GNAC Tournament Quarterfinals for the second consecutive season. Goddard and Maloney have a solid base to work with, returning 9 veterans from last year’s record-setting team, including All-GNAC midfielder Kristen Tuleja (Mansfield, Mass.) and the 2013 team leader in assists and groundballs Sarah Wootten (Berlin, Md.). The team is young and hungry with their eyes on a return trip to the conference tournament and advancing among their GNAC competitors. “This program has come a long way since its inception only three years ago; making the GNAC play-offs the past two seasons and posting a record-setting campaign last season,” noted Goddard. “My goal as head coach this season is to continue to build on what has been started and create an identity for the program that the players and school can be proud of. I am confident that my familiarity and understanding of Emmanuel College, the Athletic Department and the current team will help us build upon the foundation we already have here. We have a core group of outstanding student athletes returning this year and a talented freshmen class. Their dedication and hard work will take us far this season.” Impressed with Goddard in her role as an assistant coach for the past two years, Emmanuel College Athletic Director Pam Roecker is excited about the prospect of the young coach in her new role. “We are thrilled to be able to announce the Coach Goddard era of Saints Women’s Lacrosse. Liz was a standout student-athlete from an outstanding Bentley University program and she has gained a clear understanding of Emmanuel College over the past two seasons. More importantly, she has developed great rapport with the young women currently in our program. Moving forward, Liz will bring great energy and effort to the recruitment process. She is passionate about the sport and she will be an outstanding role model and leader for our student-athletes.” The Saints began practice last week and open up competition on March 13th, when they travel to Regis College for a non-conference match-up with the Pride. Emmanuel will host its first home game of the 2014 season on March 18th vs. Johnson & Wales University.

Support Emmanuel College Athletics Today! The Saints Booster Club supports Emmanuel athletics by providing additional resources to keep our programcomprehensive and competitive and ensure the continued growth and success of our student-athletes.

Visit www.goecsaints.com to support Emmanuel College Athletics. GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS! GO SAINTS!

FEBRUARY 2014

•

Maloney (left) and Goddard (right) will staff the 2014 Saints Women’s Lacrosse team. During their collegiate playing days, Goddard and Maloney both received All-Conference honors and led the Falcons to the Northeast-10 Championship game in 2007. The duo had the honor of representing the very competitive NE-10 Conference on an All-Star team, which traveled to Prague to compete for ten-days.

VOLLEYBALL

Goddard has hired Liz Maloney to be her Assistant Coach. Goddard and Maloney played collegiate lacrosse together for three years at Bentley University, a strong NCAA Division II program. Following her graduation from Bentley, Maloney returned to Waltham as an Assistant Coach for the Falcons, and actually coached Goddard for one year. Goddard is anxious to hit the field again with her former team mate. “Liz Maloney and I played together at Bentley and have remained good friends over the years,” stated the new head coach. “We’re very excited to be coaching together at Emmanuel. Liz was a fierce competitor, a leader and an exceptional teammate. I know that she will bring these same qualities as a coach and will be a strong asset to our program at Emmanuel.”

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT 400 THE FENWAY BOSTON, MA 02115 WWW.EMMANUEL.EDU WWW.GOECSAINTS.COM