Saints spotlight nov2013 by Emmanuel College

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT | 400 THE FENWAY | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02115

NOVEMBER 2013

GNAC Cross Country CHAMPIONS!!! BOTH, the Emmanuel Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Teams, won Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships on Sunday, November 2 on the campus of Saint Joseph’s College in Standish, Maine

The pair of championships mark Emmanuel’s first-ever GNAC Cross Country team titles. The Saints’ victory in the men’s meet also marks Emmanuel’s first-ever men’s team championship in any sport. Further, this is the first time Emmanuel has EVER won multiple championships in a single season. Featuring four of the top 10 individual finishers in the women’s 5k, the Saints cruised to the crown with 48 team points. Emmanuel finished securely ahead of the host Saint Joseph’s College Monks (66 points), which finished as the team runner-up, despite placing the top three individual participants. Overall, 12 teams and 114 runners competed in the women’s championship. Simmons College placed third with 69 points, Norwich University tallied 104 points and finished fourth and Johnson & Wales University rounded out the top five competing institutions with 108 points on the afternoon. Saint Joseph’s junior Amber Dostie (Standish, Maine) won the conference race for the third-consecutive season after touring the course in 20:32

and was closely followed by a pair of teammates. Monks’ sophomore Lauren Rabideau (Ballston Spa, N.Y.), the 2012 GNAC Rookie of the Year, was six seconds off the pace and was the runner-up and St. Joe’s junior Heather Eaton (Lincolnville, Maine) placed third with a 20:53 effort. Closing out the top five were Johnson & Wales junior Joanne Mumbey (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.), who was fourth with a 21:04 time, and Norwich freshman Chapel Guarnieri (Pepperell, Mass.), who notched a fifth-place finish with a 21:10 performance. Four of the following five runners hailed from Emmanuel, as senior Molly Metivier (Keene, N.H.) was sixth, senior Meaghan Mauer (South Hadley, Mass.) finished seventh, junior Chloe Egan (Burlington, Vt.) placed eighth and sophomore Janelle Winship (Prospect, Maine) raced to a 10th-place finish. The fifth scoring runner for the Saints was freshman Olivia Wakefield (Easton, Mass.), who placed 17 overall with her personal best time of 22:16. Guarnieri, who had already CONTINUED ON PAGE 4...

Pictured above are members from the Men’s & Women’s Cross Country teams when it was announced that both squads had captured the 2013 GNAC Cross Country Championship.

Go Saints!

By the Numbers – The 2013 Emmanuel College men’s and women’s Cross Country squad landed a total of six runners on the Great Northeast Athletic Conference AllConference team, the most ever in a single-season in the program’s history. The previous high had been four runners.

Click Here to view the entire 2013 Men’s & Women’s GNAC All-Conference Teams

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

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EMMANUEL COLLEGE SAINTS SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER

By the Numbers – Junior goalkeeper Garrett Charette (West Springfield, Mass.) registered his eighth career shutout, making seven saves in a 1-0 victory over two-time defending GNAC Champion Albertus Magnus College on Oct. 26. His eight shutouts rank second all-time in program history.

Upcoming Games

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

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VOLLEYBALL

Women’s Volleyball

Men’s Golf Posts Best Finish in GNAC Championship CRANSTON, R.I. – The Emmanuel College Saints wrapped up the 2013 men’s golf season with their highest-ever finish in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship. The two-day tournament was hosted by Johnson & Wales University at the Cranston Country Club over the weekend of October 19 & 20th.

Click here for GNAC Golf Championship scores

11/7

vs. Johnson & Wales

GNAC Semifinals

11/9

GNAC Finals

7:00 pm

TBD

Cross Country 11/9

at ECAC DIII Championship 11:00 am

(Roger Williams Univ.)

11/16

at NCAA DIII Regionals

(Univ. of Southern Maine)

11:00 am

Men’s Basketball 11/15

vs. Wentworth !

5:30 pm

11/16

vs. Emerson/Framingham ! TBD

11/21

vs. Wesleyan

5:30 pm

11/23

at Westfield State

3:00 pm

! - Emerson College Tip-Off Tournament

Women’s Basketball Editor EC Sports Information Dept.

Layout Daniel Campagna

Writers Daniel Campagna Alexis Mastronardi Eddie Lockhart

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

W W W. E M M A N U E L . E D U

11/16

vs. Stevenson $

3:00 pm

11/17

vs.Ohio-Wesleyan/St.Lawrence $ TBD

11/19

at Easterm CT State

7:00 pm

11/21

vs. Rhode Island College

3:00 pm

11/23

at Middlebury

2:00 pm

11/26

vs. Brandeis

7:00 pm

$ - 30th Annual EC Invitational

Get the full schedule at www.goecsaints.com

W W W. G O E C S A I N T S . C O M

NOVEMBER 2013

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

Kaitlyn Atkinson Women’s Volleyball

Atkinson enjoyed another stellar month for the Women’s Volleyball team en route to being named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for the fourth time during the 2013 campaign. The middle hitter leads the Saints averaging 2.58 kills per set while ranking second on the team in blocks.

Sean Colford Men’s Cross Country

Colford’s breakout season with the Saints continued as the sophomore became the first Emmanuel College male racer to be crowned the Individual Champion in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Cross Country championship meet on November 2 at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish, Maine. With his time of 27:49, Colford helped Emmanuel capture its first-ever Men’s title in any sport since the college went coed back in 2001.

Maggie Carey Women’s Soccer Carey was named the GNAC Rookie of the Week after she scored a huge insurance goal in Emmanuel’s 3-0 GNAC Quarterfinal victory over the University of Saint Joseph (CT) in the 2013 GNAC Women’s Soccer Tournament. The rookie attempted a total of three shots, landing two on frame with the final attempt finding the back of the net for her third goal of the season to help the Saints advance to the GNAC Semifinals.

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

NOVEMBER 2013

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

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VOLLEYBALL

Shining Saints

EMMANUEL COLLEGE SAINTS SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER

GNAC Champions cont.

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VOLLEYBALL

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1...

established herself as one of the top newcomers in the conference this fall with several weekly honors to her name, claimed GNAC Women’s Cross Country Rookie of the Year accolades as the top-finishing first-year runner in the conference championship meet. With the individual victory, Dostie becomes the first women’s runner in GNAC history to win the conference championship on three occasions. Lasell College (6th, 187 points), Rivier University (7th, 196), Anna Maria College (8th, 214), University of Saint Joseph (9th, 225), Mount Ida College (10th, 301) and Albertus Magnus College (11th, 337) also competed in the 2013 GNAC Championship. Suffolk University featured runners in the event but did not place as a team. Emmanuel then completed the sweep, as the Saints raced to a team championship in the men’s 8k event. With all five scorers, including the individual winner, finishing in the top 16 overall, Emmanuel totaled 49 team points to finish atop a highlycompetitive field. Just 19 points separated the winner from the fourthplace finisher in the conference race. Saint Joseph’s College was the runnerup with 57 points. Norwich University placed third with 62 points and Johnson & Wales University was fourth with 68 points. Lasell College finished fifth with 119 points. Mount Ida College raced to a sixth-place finish with 198 points and Albertus Magnus College tallied 202 points to round out the competitors in the men’s event. Emmanuel sophomore Sean Colford (Epping, N.H.) toured the 8K course in 27:49 to claim the individual title, while Saint Joseph’s freshman Cody Vachon (Shapleigh, Maine) finished as the runner-up with a 28:14 effort. A pair of Johnson & Wales runners followed, as Adam Sachs (Ellicott City, Md.) and Brian Dinan (Geneva, N.Y.) placed third

(28:16) and fourth (28:18), respectively, and Emmanuel freshman Marco Caserta (Topsfield, Mass.) was fifth with a 28:22 time. Norwich freshman Robert Nichols (Eliot, Maine) placed sixth (28:23), Saint Joseph’s senor Faisal Abdillahi (Lewiston, Maine) finished seventh (29:02), Lasell sophomore Alex Weselcouch (East Haddam, Conn.) raced to an eighth-place (29:12) finish and Norwich sophomore Adam Miller (Claremont, N.H.) was ninth (29:15). Norwich freshman Logan Morton (Otis, Mass.) also claimed All-Conference honors – bestowed upon each of the top-10 finishers – by placing 10th with a 29:18 effort. With the individual victory, Colford becomes the first Emmanuel College runner to earn GNAC Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year accolades. View the video of Colford’s win. The Saints got an individual championship on the women’s side back in 2008, when Cat Lariviere took home the title on the same Saint Joseph’s College course. The Saints ran the men’s race strong and as a pack. Following Colford and Caserta for the Saints was senior Nate Bruno (Lenox, Mass.) and freshman Ian Chamenko (Beacon Falls, Conn.), who each crossed the line in 29:36 to place 13th and 14th, respectively. Junior Christopher Connelly (Quincy, Mass.) raced to a 16th place finish, just one second off of Bruno and Chamenko to score fifth for the Saints. Emmanuel’s Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams will compete again next Saturday, November 9, when the Saints travel to Bristol, Rhode Island for the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championship. Emmanuel will also compete the following weekend, when the Saints compete in the NCAA Division III Regionals.

Women’s Volleyball Raises Money and Awareness with Dig Pink Fundraiser BOSTON, Mass. - On Saturday, October 26, the Emmanuel College Women’s Volleyball team raised money and awareness for Breast Cancer during their annual Dig Pink fundraiser at the Jean Yawkey Center. The Saints warmed up in Dig Pink T-Shirts and sported pink ribbons and shoelaces throughout the afternoon’s tri-match against Rivier University and University of Saint Joseph (CT). 100% of the proceeds raised during the event were donated to the Sideout Foundation. For more information or to donate to the Sideout Foundation, Click Here

SuperFan of the Month EC SuperFans of the Month – Kaiden & Mackenzie Currie Kaiden and Mackenzie, son & daughter of Women’s Soccer Head Coach Wayne Currie, have frequented the Emmanuel sidelines since they’ve been old enough to walk. Always sporting the Saints Blue & Gold, the duo are loud and proud Saints supporters!

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

NOVEMBER 2013

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EMMANUEL COLLEGE SAINTS SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER

Chruscielski (left) and Atkinson (right) have burst onto the collegiate volleyball scene and helped the Emmanuel Women’s Volleyball team return to the top half of the GNAC.

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Chruscielski said. “Through the games you had to just let the fear of them go and the fear of screwing up. Being a freshman and playing right away you are terrified that it’s gonna be all your fault. You don’t want them to be like, ‘oh the freshman’ but these girls aren’t like that and that really helped.” Improved team chemistry was helpful but the skillsets of Atkinson and Chruscielski really fueled the recovery. Atkinson sits second on the team in kills and is the leader in solo blocks. She uses her 6’3 height to make blocks look effortless according to Chruscielski. But even Atkinson admits it’s not always an exact science. “To be honest sometimes I’ll surprise myself and my hands will just be there somehow,” Atkinson said. “Also when I get mad I want to block and I find myself jumping higher and penetrating more over the net. When I get blocks it’s an amazing feeling and I just want to do it over and over again.” Chruscielski, who thought a preseason foot injury would keep her off the court this year, has been no slouch either, leading the Saints in kills and ranking in the top five in the conference. Their standout performance has been recognized as the pair has notched a combined five conference Rookie of the Week nods. Atkinson, who won the award a third time for her play this past week, has relished the honor. “I was never very confident in myself,” Atkinson said. “I didn’t know that I’d be able to achieve this. Getting it again, I cried a little. I was amazed.” For Chruscielski, the awards brought an added pressure to perform. They were no longer two freshmen who could sneak up on the opposition. Now the other team would be coming for them. “I started to realize I’m gonna have double blocks on me, they’re gonna notice us,” Chruscielski said. “It kinda fueled the fire a little bit to wanna prove it.” Even though the combo has made the headlines this season for Emmanuel, they know it’s not a twowoman team. “I wouldn’t be able to have so many kills if it wasn’t for the great defense and the girls working their butts off to get the ball,” Chruscielski said. “We wouldn’t have been able to receive the Rookie of the Week honors if it wasn’t for them. We appreciate them so much.”

championship. But for freshmen there is much more than just this year to look forward to. Atkinson has her eyes on winning multiple GNAC championships while Chruscielski is set on qualifying for the NCAA tournament and making a run at 1,000 kills for her career. “Over the next few years we’re gonna get smarter, we’re gonna get more talented, and who knows what we can do,” Chruscielski said. By: Eddie Lockhart GNAC Communications Specialist

Kaitlyn Atkinson & Cassie Chruscielaki When a team only loses one conference game, posts a 20 win season, and positions itself for a run in the tournament, it would be logical to assume they are bolstered by experience and senior leadership. Not true for the Emmanuel women’s volleyball team this fall as the 17-woman roster features nine freshman and no seniors. While the Saints have traditionally been contenders in the GNAC, that lack of seniors and the influx of freshman players left the immediate future uncertain for the team. A slow 1-6 start made it look like they might have to wait a few years to see the dividends of its young talent but two budding stars emerged in first-year starters Kaitlyn Atkinson and Cassie Chruscielski. With their contributions, the Saints bounced back, ripping off victories in 19 of their next 24 matches. “At the Oneonta State Invitational we played really high competition teams,” Chruscielski said. “So it was a shock to all the young players but apparently we did better than we did in the past in that tournament. It was getting used to the high level, getting used to the college level and with that we started to learn more.” Atkinson also believes that it took the team a little while to get used to playing with one another with so many new players on the court. “I always say how we should be an amoeba on the court, we should all work together and be one,” Atkinson said. “I feel like some games we weren’t an amoeba but in some games when that clicks I feel like that we’re all there for each other.” The group of freshmen is unusually mature which also contributed to the quick turnaround according to Chruscielski. “We’re all ready to play. We’re all bigger personalities so we work really well with each other and that has been really key with how we’ve played,” Chruscielski said. As the team came together Chruscielski was able to break out of her shell and become the type of player she had been high school. She became more comfortable with her teammates and took on a vocal leadership role. She admits she was scared at first to step on any of the older player’s toes. “That was one of the turning points for me, being super loud, I love yelling and screaming,”

VOLLEYBALL

GNAC Student-Athlete Spotlight

NOVEMBER 2013

Campagna Watches Red Sox Win World Series BOSTON, Mass. - Emmanuel College Assistant Sports Information Director, Dan Campagna, was in attendence for the 2013 World Series clincher at Fenway Park on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The former Emmanuel student-athlete and 2007 graduate was able to secure tickets to the big game through the World Series ticket lottery on the Red Sox website. The Red Sox victory was their third World Series win in the past nine years but it was the first time the Emmanuel neighbors have brought home the trophy at Fenway Park since the 1918 season.

Click Here for more 2013 World Series coverage Despite their early success, Atkinson and Chruscielski know that they have room to grow as individuals, and as a team. Chruscielski sees the team getting smarter as time goes on which will help them eliminate the type of mistakes that can cost them against top teams. In the short term the duo have their sights set on maintaining the second seed for the GNAC tournament that starts Tuesday and finding their way to the conference

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

Athlete of the Month Christine Durkee

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VOLLEYBALL

Women’s Volleyball

Birthday: Hometown: Nickname

What do you like most about Emmanuel? I love that Emmanuel is such a small and welcoming community. It is really easy to feel at home. Favorite place on campus? Yawkey Center Favorite sports team? NY Yankees Favorite athlete? Derek Jeter Lucky #? 12 Something that most people don’t know about you? I used to be a soccer referee. Favorite vacation spot? Walt Disney World Accomplishment you are most proud of in your sport? Winning State Finals my senior year of High School. Favorite holiday? Christmas Do you have any pets? Unfortunately, no. Favorite movie? The Princess Bride Favorite music artist/band? Toby Keith or Keith Urban

NOVEMBER 2013

Sept. 9, 1993 Salem, Conn. Durkee

Class Year: Junior Major: English & Secondary Ed.

Favorite pre-game song to get pumped up? Anything by Beyoncé Pepsi or Coke? Coke Guilty Pleasure TV Show? Toddlers in Tiaras Favorite cereal? Coco Puffs Best Halloween costume you’ve worn? Toddler Pageant Queen Favorite city or town? Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Favorite ice cream? Vanilla & Chocolate Twist with Rainbow Sprinkles How many foreign countries have you been to? None If it could rain something other than rain, what would it rain? Chocolate Favorite Family Guy character? I actually have never seen the show... Favorite Person at Emmanuel? My dad because he is here all the time Favorite quote? “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we quote.” –Pope John Paul II

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EMMANUEL COLLEGE SAINTS SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER

Rogers inducted into Ferrum Hall of Fame Women’s Soccer Assistant Coach Keith Rogers was recently inducted to the Athletics Hall of Fame at his alma mater, Ferrum College. FERRUM, Va. - Women’s Soccer Assistant Coach Keith Rogers was recently inducted to the Athletics Hall of Fame at his alma mater, Ferrum College. Rogers, who has been a fixture on the Saints Women’s Soccer sidelines for the past 13 seasons, was a member of Ferrum’s 1974 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship Football Team. Starting as a wide received for the Panthers for two seasons, Rogers led Ferrum to the national title during his sophomore year. Ferrum has since made the transition to NCAA Division III. The Athletic Department invited Keith and his family back to Virginia on October 5th for the induction ceremony. Rogers, along with several members of the ‘74 squad were honored at halftime of Ferrum’s Centennial Homecoming football game vs. Greensboro and a banner was raised in their honor.

Three former Emmanuel College student-athletes from the Class of 2013 who enjoyed remarkable careers with the Saints have taken their skills to the next level as professional athletes all over the globe. Nick Updike, a four-year starter from the Men’s Volleyball team, is playing professionally in Olso, Norway on a team called Olso Volley. “I am loving it,” said Updike through email correspondence. Updike’s team website is written in Norwegian, which makes it a little difficult to navigate but visit www.oslovolley.org and you’ll see a familar face in the team picture. Updike’s team is made up of three Polish players, two Americans, three Norwegians, and one Estonian. They are currently 3-1 right now and have traveled to Oksnes, Trondheim, Kristiansund, Tromso, and played a tournament in Sweden. Their are eight elite teams in Norway and the top four go to the Scandinavian playoffs and the winner advances to the European cup. Updike believes his squad has a good shot at finishing in the top four in the Norwegian league. “It is an absolutely amazing experience.” Another former Saints star from the Women’s Basketball program, Fiona O’Dwyer, is playing pro-basketball is England while getting her Masters Degree. O’Dwyer is playing for Leeds Carnegie along side her former Assistant Coach, Katie Bergeron. For more information on O’Dwyer’s overseas squad visit http://leedscarnegiebasketball.co.uk/ Updike (#1 in first row) pictured with the rest of his Olso Volley Teammates

Finally, former Saints Cross Country and Track & Field star Adbi Ibrahim is now running for the Somalian National Cross Country and Track & Field Teams. He is training under his former Head Coach Tony DaRocha and plans to compete in the 3rd African Cross Country Championships (ACC) which will be held at Kololo Airstrip in Kampala, Uganda in March of 2014 as well as the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Relays Nassau Bahamas 4x800 and/or 4x1600m in May of 2014.

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!

NOVEMBER 2013

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Saints Alums Taking it to the Next Level

VOLLEYBALL

Emmanuel College congratulates Keith on this tremendous honor!

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