the bobcat bulletin

The Bobcat BulletinPresented by the Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports NetworkSeptember 24, 2012

Vol. 2, Issue 1theqbsn.com

@QBSN

On par for historyBy Brian Farrell

Rugby off to strong start in program’s second year

Back for round two

After its inaugural season in 2011, it could have been easy for the Quinnipiac women’s rugby team to be discouraged because of several large blowouts. This season is completely different, as the Bobcats are now on the other side of the blowouts. Quinnipiac started this season 3-0 for the first time in program history, after starting last season 0-2. This season, victories include a 91-0 drubbing of Binghamton and a lopsided 94-0 victory over SUNY New Paltz. “I think it’s been an improvement … a lot of that has to do with the effort they made in preseason,” Head Coach Becky Carlson said. Last year the players came into preseason learning the sport on the fly. Carlson and Assistant Coach Michelle Reed spent a lot of time developing the basic skills of their players leading up to their inaugural game against Rutgers. The result was a 51-0 defeat at the hands of the Scarlet Knights, but the Bobcats did not get discouraged. A few weeks later, in only its third rugby match of its existence, Quinnipiac picked up its first ever victory in a 15-5 win over SUNY New Paltz.

By Kevin Noonan

Women’s golf team at the Towson Golf and Country Club move to the next hole. The team finished 14th out of 18 teams at the Tignanelli Invitational.

The 2011 women’s rugby team finished the season with a 3-6-1 record. More importantly, the Bobcats gained an entire season of experience. “[This preseason] compared to last season, we breezed through the first two days, because last season we spent so much time explaining things,” Carlson said.The strategy from last year to this year is more defensive-minded rather than a game plan that was more play-oriented. “We decided this year we’re just going to polish our defense and have them really work together,” Carlson said. “We’ve shifted our focus from an offensive side of the game because if the defense is on you can keep the scores to a minimum.” This change has paid dividends for the Bobcats, as they have only allowed seven points through their first three matches of the season. Quinnipiac picked up its biggest win in program history winning a 2-1 series against Eastern Illinois University using the Rugby Seven’s format. The victory avenged three losses EIU handed the Bobcats last season, including a 66-3 loss in the final meeting between the two teams.

See RUGBY, page 6

Courtesy: QuinnipiacBobcats.com

O’Connor is in his third year as head coach of the women’s golf team, but this season is the first in which he was able to go out and actually re-cruit golfers to come to Quinnipiac. This was a major issue two seasons ago after O’Connor made the switch from men’s coach to women’s coach. Following Quinnipiac’s decision to cut a variety of teams, including the men’s golf program in accordance with Title IX, the university added a women’s golf program. The problem was that this decision was made so late that O’Connor barely had time to fill out a roster. “I took over a team in October 2010 and put together a squad from students that were already on cam-pus that were not recruited to play golf anywhere, let alone at Division I school,” O’Connor said. Outside of senior walk-on Brianne Tansey, who trained under PGA Pro

Phil Fecteau, and a handful of other girls that played some golf in high school, O’Connor was starting from scratch. “Fortunately I had a senior with some experience and a group of freshmen willing to work and prac-tice and deal with their fear of com-peting in the Northeast Conference,” O’Connor said. With a ragtag team of walk-ons and some girls new to the sport, O’Connor began laying down the building blocks. “Myself and my first year assistant didn’t work on any complexities of the game. We worked more on some of the simpler aspects like how to mark your ball, where to stand, who plays first, how to rake a bunker, how many clubs you can carry, what to do if you lose a ball all the while trying to help improve their games.” That first season, the best score

There seems to be a trend going on at Quinnipiac University over the past 10 years or so. The trend can be described as never settling for any-thing less than the best. The school is now Division I. There are two new campuses, a med-ical school on its way, and a beautiful new student center. The list goes on and on. While the idea for change comes quickly, around here the change itself has taken some time. That may be true for putting up bricks on build-ings but not for the success of some QU athletic teams. Women’s ice hockey coach Rick Seeley has turned a three-win team into one of the na-tion’s top teams, Tom Moore took men’s basketball to the brink of the biggest tournament in college sports, and now it is women’s golf coach John O’Connor’s turn.

for a round was an 89 shot by current Bobcat, Jennifer Forlenza. Tansey’s 97 average was the best on the team followed by Amanda Nagel’s 99.60.Just three golfers returned from the team’s inaugural season: Forlenza, Nagel, and Stacey Kmill. In addition to the three return-ers, O’Connor managed to bring in veteran transfer Kayla Ketcheson to lead the team. Ketcheson immediately made an impact by bringing college golf ex-perience to a team that was still look-ing to find its personality. The personality that the team found came less from winning and more from team chemistry. “We are like a family,” Nagel said last season. “I know it’s cliché, but there aren’t that many golfers on a team,

See WOMEN’S GOLF, page 3

What to Check OutINDEX:

Page 2Volleyball

Page 3Where are they now?

Page 4Women’s soccer

Page 5Cross Country

Page 6Athletes of the Month

UPCOMING EVENTS:

9/29/12VB vs. St. Francis U, 1 p.m.

9/30/12Rugby vs. Marist, 1 p.m.

10/5/12WHOK vs. Mercyhurst, 7 p.m.

10/6/12WHOK vs. Mercyhurst, 1 p.m.

* All stats listed throughout bulletin current as of 9/21/12

The Bobcat Bulletin 2

The Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network (QBSN) is the exclusive student-run sports organization at Quinnipiac University. Origi-nally founded by Corey Hersch and Alex Birsh in the fall of 2010, QBSN offers students the unique opportunity to become active as

a sports journalist at QU. QBSN’s primary function has been to broadcast most of the athletics at Quinnipiac – streaming live online at its website (www.theqbsn.com). Sports broadcasted include: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse, baseball, softball, acrobatics and tumbling, women’s rugby and field hockey. Students offer play-by-play and color commentary for each game, along with twitter updates and an in-game live blog on the website. In addition to the games being broadcasted live, QBSN also offers game previews, recaps, feature articles and live podcasts through its website. Hockey Night in Hamden, an exclusive QU hockey podcast broadcasted weekly, has become a popular show for ECAC Hockey enthusiasts to tune into to hear QBSN’s experts weigh in on the week that was Quinnipiac ice hockey. Pregame shows are offered live twice a week as well, going out before the first athletics action of the weekend. QBSN is fueled by the passionate commitment that its members have demonstrated time and time again. Only two years into its existence, QBSN has gained noticeable recognition, earning the QU New Student Organiza-tion of the Year award in the 2010-11 scholastic year. With a passion not only for sports journalism, but for Quinnipiac athlet-ics as well, QBSN is proud and excited to continue to present the The Bobcat Bulletin.

www.theqbsn.com@QBSN

Meet the Staff

Everything has to start somewhere, and for Quinnipiac volleyball, that start may have just begun, again. The new coach is Kristopher Czap-linski, a young no no-nonsense coach who is still actively playing the game. “I still play to this day whether it’s doubles tournaments in the Northeast or my men’s national team that goes all over the U.S.,” Czaplinski said. Redshirt junior libero Logan Rik-er has only positives when talking about her new coach. “He came in and brought in a lot of energy and new ideas. We’ve worked more than we’ve ever worked before, but we are having more fun than we ever have before.” Any volleyball should be fun vol-leyball for Riker as she returns after a knee injury put her on the bench in early September last season. “I haven’t had this much fun since senior year of high school,” Riker said with a smile. Riker was a key missing piece last year for a team that struggled to stay healthy. This year, Czaplinski will be relying on everyone out on the court. “It’s all about defense,” Czaplin-ski preached. “I don’t want a ball hit-ting the ground unless all six players are on the ground too. So it’s about hustle, effort, and heart.” Hustle. Effort. Heart. These are inspiring words for a team that is ad-justing to not only a new coaching

New coach, new setter, new beginningBy Brian Farrell

After a tough 2011 in which the Quinnipiac men’s soccer team fin-ished with a 6-10 record (4-6 NEC), head coach Eric Da Costa knew things needed to be different. “We had to do a good job with our recruiting class and bring in some players that could fix our immediate needs. We did a good job of that and some of our new players from last year have already made immediate impact for us,” Da Costa said. Six games into the team’s 2012 campaign, Da Costa is pleased with the results. “We are where we thought we would be, by playing good soccer up to this point and the chemistry of the group has been so fantastic.” A staple of this chemistry is senior captain Philip Suprise. Suprise’s career at Quinnipiac has been historic. He has scored 22 goals, good for eighth all-time, and contrib-uted eight assists. His 52-point to-tal is also in the books as 10th most in Quinnipiac men’s soccer history. This season alone he has scored five of the team’s eight goals. “A lot has impressed me with Philip because his work rate is re-ally second to none,” Da Costa said. “… He has not been blessed being the most skilled, technical, fastest, or strongest player on the team, but he is good at all of that.” Suprise works hard day after day

to improve different facets of his game. “This season, I have to continue to remind myself to not do too much. I get caught sometimes trying to do what I’m not capable of and that is what will throw my game off,” Su-prise said. “If I do what I’ve been doing my entire life, the goals and points will come naturally.” Suprise also acknowledged a com-mon issue that comes with the for-ward position. “ . . . Forwards always need in-put from someone off of the field, and coach does a great job with im-proving my positioning during the game,” Suprise said. “I really need to improve on my passing. That has always been my weakest point, and I’m always trying to improve that aspect.” While Suprise leads the charge for the front line, sophomore goalkeeper Borja Angoitia anchors the back. Af-ter 58 saves and one shutout in his freshman season, Angoitia is poised for a strong sophomore campaign. “Borja’s biggest attribute is his passion for the game of soccer,” Da Costa said. “I have not before had a player with so much passion and en-thusiasm for a specific position than he has.” Angoitia and goalkeeper coach Jason Grubb work hard together to get Angoitia ready for every contest.

Da Costa, Suprise lead Bobcats into NEC playBy Thomas Albanese

style, but to a few new positions, in-cluding a switch that moves outside hitter Brittanie Robinson to setter. Robinson is a bit of a newcomer to the position but had some success in the past. “My senior year of high school I set for the first time in six years, and it actually worked out really well,” Robinson said. “We won the Valley Championship for the first time in my high school’s history.” Riker believes the switch for Robinson has been a positive for the Bobcats. “It has been a fabulous adjustment for the team so far,” Riker said. “Our hitters have really connected with her, and I think she has stepped up with her presence on the court, and she is a little bit louder … I think it will help us do some big things in conference.” One of those hitters is sophomore Tanner Celestin. “Tanner came out on fire in our match against Fairfield,” Riker said. “No matter what the set was she was killing the ball, and that is something we need from an outside hitter.” The improved play of both Rob-inson and Celestin are positives for a team that is still looking to put all the pieces together. “There’s a lot of up and down right now because we are so new … I see a lot of determination and a lot of heart

on the court,” Czaplinski said. “We just need to come together more as a team and then we will be more con-sistent through the game. That is just going to be with time, and constant play and practice.” Some of that constant play and time is beginning to pay off for the Bobcats. On Sept. 14 Quinnipiac picked up its first win of the sea-son defeating Providence 3-2 at the Bucknell Invitational. After losing the first set 15-25, the Bobcats won three of the next four sets. Robinson led the way with 37 sets, 13 digs, and four blocks. Robinson’s blocking success, even as the team’s setter, comes from the fact that she is five inches taller than Kayla Lawlor. Senior Taylor Payne and fresh-man Chandler Thornton added dou-ble-doubles of their own. Payne fin-ished with 10 kills and 11 digs, while Thornton added 13 kills and 13 digs.Now the Bobcats just need to keep playing like they did against Provi-dence, something that Riker knows the team can do. “We have the ability to do big things,” Riker added. “It’s been re-ally frustrating because we haven’t been able to get it together. We haven’t gotten that pattern down yet as a team, but I truly believe we can do big things in conference, and I am looking forward to that.”

“It depends who we will be facing over the week that makes each train-ing session different,” Angoitia said. “If the team plays physical we train how to deal with crosses under pres-sure or facing shots through traffic.” Despite opening up the season with a 2-1 loss against nationally ranked Boston College, the team strung to-

gether back-to-back wins over Holy Cross and Lafayette before dropping the next three non-conference games to Loyola (Md.), Yale, and Hartford. The two victories serve as a bright spot for the team as it surges into conference play for the remainder of the season.


Taylor Payne goes for a block at the net, in a Sept. 17 match versus the University of New Hampshire. Payne enters her senior campaign as one of the Bobcats marquee players.

Philip Suprise looks to strike the ball on frame against Yale in a game on Sept. 14. The Bobcats would be outdone by the rival Bulldogs 1-0. Suprise has scored the last five goals for Quinnipiac.


Co-DirectorsMatthias Gausz, 2013Marc Schwartz, 2013

Publishing EditorAngelique Fiske, 2014

EditorsBrian Farrell, 2013

Kevin Noonan, 2014

Layout DesignRebecca Castagna, 2016

AdviserLila Carney

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If you would like to advertise with us,contact: [email protected]


and it’s not like a big team where players can be kind of pushed aside. There’s just a lot of respect.” While the 2011-12 squad didn’t make any noticeable gains on the course, it did well enough for the NEC coaches to award O’Connor with Co-Coach of the Year honors. “It’s always special when people, especially other coaches notice the effort that you put into your work,” O’Connor said. But don’t be fooled that O’Connor thinks his job is work, not when you see the personality of his golfers. That team personality has continued once again this season, and that at-titude has begun to lead the team to a better chance of winning. Last season, the positive attitude kept the sport of golf fun. This year it brought in two top recruits. “Coach O’Connor was great to me,” freshman Krissy Unger said. “He always kept contacting me and was just enthusiastic. Then I met the girls one time, and it seemed like such a fun team and everyone had such camara-derie with each other.” “[O’Connor] was one of the only coaches that really made an effort to always talk to me and see how I was doing,” freshman Jenn Whaley said. “I met a few girls, and everyone talked about coach and how much he loved the team, and I knew that I’d love it too.” With two top recruits added to the mix with Ketcheson, the team is begin-ning to take shape on a competitive level. “Our practices are far more finely tuned than they were three years ago because we now have a team that is extremely comfortable amongst the best golfers on the east coast and golfers from other countries playing at some great universities,” O’Connor said. In the team’s first tournament this season, Whaley and Unger set program records for the best two-day scores. In the team’s second tournament, Whaley set the program record for low-est 18-hole score with a 76 (+4). On the weekend, Whaley became the first golfer in program history to eagle a hole as well as the first to place in the top 10 of a tournament. Along with the eagle on day one of the Dartmouth Invitational, the Bobcats carded seven birdies and another five birdies on day two. Now combine Whaley’s 154 and Unger’s 159 and you have the first time

in program history that two golfers shot under 160 at a two-day tournament. The numbers do not lie. This team is making progress. Before the season even began, the two newcomers received only praise from O’Connor. “They are serious golfers with a legitimate chance of being all-conference and if they want to, they could pursue a career in golf.” In just two seasons, O’Connor has gone from scraping together a team full of walk-ons to bringing in golfers that could one day make a career out of the sport. “I think this year is going to be a lot different than last year in terms of competitiveness on the team,” sophomore Hannah Russell said. “I think we will have to be more supportive, which will be awesome.” And O’Connor knows this as well. Now that his golfers are stepping up and know more than the basics, he knows he has to adjust as well.

“It’s not like it used to be,” O’Connor noted. “We need to get better with our coaching as our team gets better.”But O’Connor’s coaching has always been there. Look no further than For-lenza. Forlenza has been with the team since its inception and has improved

every season. “She was one of my freshmen that had a little bit of experience but also had a willingness to work hard at her game because she wants to be good,” O’Connor said. “She’s worked on her game all summer long. Her game is longer, more accurate, and she has a lot more confidence in her game. For a walk-on to compete against girls that were recruited is pretty impressive.” The fall season is extremely young. In addition, college golf is a bit dif-ferent than other sports because there is both a fall and spring season. All that time gives O’Connor a chance to continue to shape the team into a competi-tive group of golfers. When asked about what he was most excited for this season, O’Connor answered with a smile and a simple statement. “Obviously, [it’s] seeing the other coaches’ reaction to a good, quality team.”

Former Bobcat guard signed a con-tract over the summer with the club team Forca Lleida in Spain. John-son, the Bobcats all-time Division I leader in points, will be a part of a completely revamped team as the Lleida only has two returning play-ers. Forca Lleida is in the LEB-Gold Division, which is the second tier in the Spanish basketball league. Fomer Bobcat James Feldeine is also cur-rently playing in Spain, as he suits up for Mad-Croc Fuenlabrada. John-son led the Bobcats in scoring last season with 16.6 points per game. He also holds the Quinnipiac record for most career starts with 127 in his four years in Hamden. “Bo” brought Quinnipiac within two points of the NCAA tournament bin the 2009-10 season.

~ Matthias Gausz

A standout goalkeeper for the Bob-cats has taken his talents north of the border to Toronto. Hall is a current member of Toronto FC of the MLS and has started three games for the club so far this season. Hall also worked a clean sheet for one half in a World Football Challenge friend-ly match against English Premier League powerhouse Liverpool. The Bermudan goalie came to Quinnipiac after a year at the University of South Florida. While at QU he led the na-tion with 121 saves and posted a save percentage of .833, good for third in the NCAA. Hall also has played for his home country in four World Cup qualifying matches before Bermuda was eliminated. Hall is currently the lone Bobcat at the highest level of professional American sports.

~ Matthias Gausz

Wong started off his Quinnipiac hockey career with a bang, earning Co-ECAC Rookie of the year hon-ors while finishing runner up to the National Rookie of the Year award thanks to his 27 goals, 17 assists, and 44 points campaign. Wong’s 68 career goals are second in Quinni-piac men’s Division I history, while his 143 points rank fifth. While the former Bobcat has enjoyed cups of coffee with the AHL’s Grand Rapid Griffins and the Hartford Wolf Pack (now Connecticut Whale), Wong currently plays for the Greenville Road Warriors, the ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers. Last sea-son Wong led the Road Warriors in goals (31), shots on goal (209), and +/- (+20) while finishing second on the team in overall points (61).

~ Marc Schwartz

Velaj had arguably the most il-lustrious career of any Quinnipiac women’s soccer player. As a senior in 2011, she received New England Women’s Intercollegiate Soccer As-sociation All-New England Division I first-team honors. She also had a team-leading 14 points, tallying six goals and two assists. She notched 33 career goals and 94 total points in her career at Quinnipiac. Velaj is now a member of the Boston Breakers, the longest tenured team in U.S. Profes-sional Women’s soccer history. The franchise was established in 2001 in the WUSA. In 2012 the Breakers joined the eight-team WPSL Elite League, which has eight teams from the Midwest to up and down the east coast.

~ Mike Morgese

Elkins was an integral part of the Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey pro-gram during her four years as a Bob-cat. A member of head coach Rick Seeley’s first recruiting class, Elkins was the definition of a team player. She was a two-year captain for the Bobcats. Elkins also tallied nine career goals along with 27 assists to give her 36 career points for the Blue and Gold. A native of Wasilla, Ala., Elkins has moved down south to become the head coach of the Dal-las Stars Elite Hockey Club’s women U-14 team and U-12 tournament team. She is also currently working as an assistant coach to the U-19 team.

~ Marc Schwartz

Freddy HallMen’s Soccer

Furtuna VelajWomen’s Soccer

Jordan ElkinsWomen’s Ice Hockey

Brandon WongMen’s Ice Hockey

Kim CunniffField Hockey

James JohnsonMen’s Basketball

Kim Cunniff finds herself back at the Quinnipiac Field Hockey Turf Field but in a different position. The for-mer Bobcats’ defender is now toe-ing the sidelines an assistant coach for the Bobcats. In her senior year, she started in all 19 games, tallying 14 goals and four assists. Two of her goals were game winners. For the week of Sep. 19, 2011, Cunniff was named the Northeast Conference Player of the Week when she led the NEC in goals (6) and goals per game (1.80). Cunniff is fourth all-time in career goals for the Bobcats with 25 and sixth all-time in points with 58.

~ Mike Morgese

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“They are serious golfers with a legiti-mate chance of being all-conference and if they want to, they could pursue a career in golf.” - John O’Connor

WOMEN’S GOLFcontinued from front page

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Clarke and Co. hope strong start carries through season

No whistle blown; QU hoops traveled to Italy The Quinnipiac women’s basket-ball team now has a reputation for traveling with the ball. For preseason this past August, the Bobcats went on an Italian tour, competing with All-Star teams. The ladies played three games and toured historic cities including Tuscany, Florence, Venice, Rome, Pisa, and Cernobbio. Not only did the Bobcats play basketball but they learned the history and culture of each city they visited. “My ladies really appreciated the trip,” head coach Tricia Fabbri said. “They were very much into what they were going to see and why they were going to see it, so that was a big deal.” Traveling as a team during pre-season helped returning players bond with the incoming freshmen. “We were already really close … but we didn’t know the freshmen and now we’re so close with them,” sophomore forward Nikoline Oster-gaard said.The players were able to grow and work on their chemistry, as the fresh-men became integral parts of the team.

Quinnipiac had to adjust to pro-cedures found in the Federation In-ternational of Basketball Amateur rules, which differ significantly from the NCAA rules that the players are accustomed to. Some changes in-cluded playing with a 24-second shot clock and a larger foul line. The team focused on two to three minute rota-tions so that all 14 players had equal playing time and the opportunity to start. “I think we got better at play-ing fast,” said Fabbri of their adapted style of play. “It was very different from how we play during the sea-son.” Fabbri said the use of quick rota-tions helped give each player a “fair shot” and ensure everyone a positive experience in Italy. While the team enjoyed the cultur-al aspects of the trip, it was also chal-lenged on the court. According to Fabbri, their third and final game in Castellanza was with their toughest competition and ended up being the most important moment of the trip. “Everyone had a positive statis-tic, pass, shot, defense … every-one walked off the court feeling so

good,” she said. The team plans to build on the confidence and camaraderie after winning all three games in Italy in its season ahead. Sophomore point guard Gillian Abshire reflected on the individual benefits from her experience over the summer as well. “A lot of us want to play [bas-ketball] overseas now… I did before, but now even more of us do,” Ab-shire said. According to Fabbri, by the end of the 10 days, the teammates, coaches, and entire crew became a “close-knit” family. From boarding the plane as they departed for their tour to the last night in Cernobbio, the Bobcats had a beneficial and cultural experience abroad.

“Coach just wanted everyone to have a good time and be happy, and it was nice that we got to play with people we weren’t used to,” Oster-gaard said. The women will travel again dur-ing the holiday break this season to compete in the Florida International University tournament. They will face off against the Georgia Tech in the first round, a team who was in the NCAA Sweet 16 last year. According to Fabbri, Georgia Tech is coming off of its “best [season] ever” as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us,” Fabbri said. “But this team seems to like to get on a plane and play.”

By Rebecca Castagna


Left: Samantha Guastella and Shelby Sferra block an opponent’s shot during their trip to Italy this summer. The Bobcats were undefeated in their exhibition games going 3-0.


Quinnipiac turns focus to teamwork and keeps eyes on tasks at hand

The Quinnipiac women’s soccer team made program history with a four-game win streak to begin the 2012 season, its best start since en-tering the division in 1998. “I planned from last November that we were going to change things for this year,” head coach Dave Clarke said. “The emphasis was go-ing to be less on the individual and more on the team, which hasn’t been the case.” Last season the team went 1-4-1 in its first six games and ended 5-10-1 overall. Several injuries could have been to blame for the less-than-per-fect season, but this year all of the missing pieces are starting to fall into place. A key factor in the Bobcats’ suc-cess is the change in defensive strat-egy. Clarke said they have switched to a pressing defense, which involves a team effort in putting pressure on the opposing team to gain or keep possession of the ball. In other words, every player has a defensive responsibility. “Although the defensive record is good, it’s not really just down to the back four or the goalkeeper. It’s

down to all ten or eleven [players],” Clarke said. He also credits their victories to the right roles being filled and an overall balanced team. He’s not the only one that knows how important that is. Senior defender Shauna Ed-wards made note of the stability. “It’s a good balance between older players and younger players, so I think that’s also what has helped us to become so successful this year,” Edwards said. Edwards stood out on the field last season with three goals and six as-sists for a total of nine points, second in points to Furtuna Velaj with 14. So far this year, Edwards tallied one as-sist, but making her presence known in every game by creating opportuni-ties for her teammates. Fifth-year-senior goalkeeper Jill Kelley leads the team defensively. So far Kelley has three shutouts and has only allowed three goals in six games started. She also recognizes the group effort that has transformed the team this season. “Everyone is working 100 percent for each other and everyone wants to see each other be really successful,”

Kelley said about the strong team connection. It’s clear the six new freshmen have plenty of experienced players to look up to, and some newcomers have already proved themselves on the field. Shannon Larkin recorded her first career goal against Harvard on a cross from fellow freshman Amanda Barroca. Barroca’s assist was also a career first. “They’re definitely bringing speed and skill to our line-up,” Edwards said of her new teammates. Speed and skill are what the team needed after losing Velaj to gradua-tion after last season. Looking to the future, Quinnipiac keeps its goals small so it can aspire to larger ones. A Northeast Confer-ence Championship title is still in the back of every senior’s minds, but Clarke said that’s not their focus right now. Through the first eight games of the season however, Clarke has al-ready reached one of his goals. “Our initial goal was to get to five wins. Why? Because we only won five last year,” Clarke said. The Bob-cats are currently 5-2-1.

By Taylor Massey

The women’s soccer team gathers in front of its bench before taking the field against Harvard on Sep. 12. The Bobcats lost 3-0 in the contest.


Long-distance runners often ex-plain their tireless running to as-tounded bystanders casually; shak-ing off the miles by saying they got in a groove. A set pace, a routine, a natural mental state. Both the women and men’s cross-country teams have found their re-spective grooves. On the women’s side, the run has gone the distance of seven consecutive Northeast Confer-ence titles, an unprecedented feat. “[Last season] we had some un-fortunate incidents, and we ended up not being able to run our entire top seven, and we held two girls out. We were really uncertain about if we could win it again,” head coach Carolyn Martin said. “…We were nervous about it, but the girls were empowered and they really ran like a team, ran together, and put it to-gether.” With most of the team’s victori-ous top seven returning for the 2012 season, the attitude is positive and confident, but not without the stress to win. “I think there’s always pressure, definitely,” senior Becca White said. “We’re just trying to keep the tradi-tion going.” Continuing a streak of conference titles ranks high on this season’s to do list, and the addition of seven runners only adds to the depth. The roster lends versatility to yet another hope for the year. “We’re trying to work together as a team more to place higher than we

Running to prove: Cross country teams chase vindication

Every season women’s ice hockey coach Rick Seeley takes the bar and climbs another rung on the expecta-tions ladder. 2012-13 will be no dif-ferent as the Bobcats welcome in the most highly touted recruiting class in program history. All five recruits played in the Pro-vincial Women’s Hockey League last season. In addition, all five played

on Team Ontario Red, which won gold at last year’s Canadian National Championship. This recruiting class has been set since last December and even then, Seeley had nothing but praise for the new Bobcats. “We understand that we are losing a lot to graduation in terms of ability, contribution, and leadership so we

know how important this class is,” Seeley said. “As a group, we believe these five individuals have the poten-tial to be one of the strongest recruit-ing classes in the nation.” “He’s a smart man about who he recruits,” senior captain Regan Boulton said. “He knows what he wants, and it’s not only about hockey, but it is also about personality and

Incoming class ignites fire under Bobcats for season

Above: Quinnipiac women’s cross country won their invitational led by senior Becca White. She finished first overall with a time of 18:11.10.

Above: Mike Levene surges in the final stretch in the Quinnipiac Invitational on Sep. 15. Levene finished in third overall and was the top finisher for the Bobcats.

By Angelique Fiske

Even though the Bobcats haven’t seen any game time this season, Boulton already loves what she sees. “The freshmen seem to be buying into the system. The past couple of years it has taken some time, but this year has been different. Right now the energy is just unbelievable.” Along with the newcomers, Quin-nipiac returns their top six point lead-

ers and top goaltenders Vigilanti and sophomore Chelsea Laden. Vigilanti proved to be the Bobcats’ number one goaltender last season, but Laden showed she is more than capable to fill in when she needs to. After breaking nearly every of-fensive statistic in just under two seasons, Kelly Babstock is back for her third year. Babstock’s line in the playoffs with Uden-Johansson and

sophomore Nicole Kosta put togeth-er one of the best offensive stretches that Quinnipiac has seen in program history when at least one player had a hand in seven of the eight goals scored. With a talented group of skaters, the Bobcats seem to be in good posi-tion for a successful season. “It’s all on paper now and we

have to prove ourselves on the ice but we are all excited for the start of the season.” The Bobcats lone exhibition is this Saturday against Cambridge. The puck will drop at the High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center at 4 p.m. The regular season opens up against Mercyhurst Oct. 5-6 at home.

have because we’re definitely a good enough team, so hopefully we’ll prove that,” White said. With two third place finishes as a team at the Stony Brook Invita-tional on Sep. 1 and at the Bryant Invitational a week later, the Bob-cats are well on their way to proving their place. Freshmen Ashley Carle and Chelsea Savage placed in the first two spots for the team at Stony Brook while White and Jessica Soja led the team at Bryant. As the women look to pick up right where they left their medals, the men found their groove in another way. After taking home a sixth place finish at the NEC Championship to end the 2011 season, they open up this year welcoming back a familiar face: Rich Klauber. Klauber trans-ferred from Quinnipiac to LaSalle after the men’s indoor and outdoor track programs were cut. “It really is such a great thing,” Martin said with a smile. “It says a lot about our program to have a kid who left here because he lost his in-door/outdoor track program to then still want to come back here and compete in his last year of eligibil-ity. He bleeds Quinnipiac; he really does.” Already earning an NEC Co-Athlete of the Week honor after his second place finish at Stony Brook, Klauber fell immediately back into place. “It’s nice to know that I haven’t really missed a beat as far as training

here,” Klauber said. “I didn’t really perform as well as I would have liked at LaSalle, so coming back here, the training’s been good.” With a strong pack-leader back in blue and gold, the Bobcats are out to avenge the NEC Preseason Poll that pegged them to finish seventh in the conference. “I think we could do fairly well, much better than what our preseason poll has said that we’re going to do,” Martin said. “We’re just hoping to upset that preseason poll that they gave us.” The Bobcats already show a hint of come-from-behind motivation. At the Quinnipiac Invitational, senior Mike Levene propelled the Bob-cats to a second place finish in his final home meet. His last 100-yard kick pushed him past a pack, and he crossed the line first for Quinnipiac and third overall. Despite the team’s confidence and the results to back it up, the team of 12 knows what the focus needs to be as the wear-and-tear of a rough sea-son sets in. “We have a small men’s team, so the big concern is just making sure we’re keeping everybody healthy,” Martin said. As is the case with the beginning of any season, both the men’s and women’s teams have their fair share of things to prove, hopefully hitting their stride along the way.

By Brian Farrell

Women’s ice hockey team welcomes five top recruits, looking to make early impact

character.” The Bobcats have some big skates to fill after the “Original Five” grad-uated last season. For the past two seasons Jordan Elkins, Kate Wheel-er, Bethany Dymarczyk, Chelsea Il-lchuk, and Melissa Perry were the anchors for Quinnipiac. This season, the Bobcats will be lead by Boulton and senior goalten-

der Victoria Vigilanti. “I think they are going to do great. They have grown up so much since freshman year. If you asked me when they were freshman, then I probably wouldn’t have said the same thing,” Dymarczyk said with a chuckle. Assistant captains senior Breann Frykas and juniors Erica Uden-Jo-hansson and Amanda Colin will join Boulton as the team’s leaders.




Courtesy: QuinnipiacBobcats.comLeft: The six freshmen for the women’s ice hockey team pose at the High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center.

“He knows what he wants, and it’s not only about hockey, but it is also about personality and character.”

- Regan Boulton


A few weeks into their careers as Bobcats, Haley Swartz, Emile Vandeputte, Meghan McCullough, and Ashleigh Allen have contributed to the Quinnipiac field hockey team’s success in numerous ways. This season the Bobcats have four freshmen seeing regular field time as starters, which according to Coach Becca Main is something she has only done once is recent memory. Having four young starters could be a disadvantage in the eyes of most coaches, but Main sees it as a differ-ent aspect to her team that could help them later in the season. “Not only do you get versatile, but you get a little bit of creativ-ity because people don’t know those players as well,” Main said. “So when you’re being scouted, having the ability to roll new people in and have a good set of fresh new people, it makes us unpredictable and differ-ent than we have been in the past.” From their style of play to their scoring contribution, the freshmen phenoms are helping the Bobcats pile up the wins, and their teammates have taken notice. “They bring a new freshness to our team,” captain Lauren Zimni-

Strong freshmen highlight field hockey’s successBy Zack Daly & Marty Joseph

“It was a joyous moment that was completely met by silence,” Carlson said. “The only thing that was happening was our team was cheering and the whole field … was silent. It was a weird feeling but it was really nice.” Through its development as rugby players, this Bobcat squad under Carlson’s leadership has developed a “Bobcat Brand” of rugby that has instilled the quality of hard work throughout the team “We’re building a brand which is nice,” Carlson said. The women’s rugby team will continue to develop this brand of rugby for the remainder of the season and into the future. One thing is for certain: these Bobcats have already made their second season in Division I a season to remember.

RUGBYcontinued from front page

The male athlete of the month is senior captain Philip Suprise. Surprise is a four year starter for the Bobcats. So far on the young season Suprise leads the team with five goals and one assist. Surprise’s season has been highlighted by a hat-trick game on Sep. 2 against the Lafayette Leopards. This was the second time in his career that Suprise has reached the trifecta, the first time was his freshman year against the Bryant Bulldogs. With that hat trick, Su-prise was named the NEC player of the week as he was the first NEC player to record a hat trick this season. With five goals on the season he now has 22 career goals. He is two away from his single season high of seven which he achieved in his freshman year when the Bobcats reached the NEC Final for the first time in team history. Suprise is 10th all-time on the Bobcats’ scoring list and 13th all-time on the Bobcats’ point list. Suprise also had a successful summer, leading his club team, the Croatian Eagles, to a national championship in the U.S. Men’s Majors League.

~ Mike Morgese

Freshman Jenn Whaley is the female athlete of the month after two amazing performances for the women’s golf team. On day one of her first collegiate tournament, Whaley broke the freshman 18-hole record when she shot an 81 (+9). The next weekend at the Dartmouth Invitational, Whaley added to her accolades when she broke her own single day and two-day scores. On day one, Whaley birdied the 14th hole and followed it up with the program’s first eagle on the next hole. Her superb performance on the back nine helped her reset the 18-hole record as she carded a 76 (+4). Whaley followed up her day-one performance with a 78 (+6) on the second day of the tournament. Whaley’s 154 is nine strokes better than the previous two-day record set by freshman Krissy Unger a week earlier. Whaley was also the first Bobcat in program history to place in the top 10 for a two-day tournament.

~ Brian Farrell

Male Athlete of the Month:Philip Suprise, Men’s Soccer

Female Athlete of the Month:Jenn Whaley, Women’s Golf


Right: Meghan McCullough observes play upfield during a game versus Lafayette, Sep. 16. The Leopards defeated the Bobcats, 4-2.

Newcomers provide new style of play, versatility and element of surprise

ski said. “They come with different skills we haven’t seen in awhile and bring a new mindset to the team.” Last season, Quinnipiac relied mostly on corners for its offense. This year’s freshman class brings a new look to the team and adds a great deal of versatility.. “Having strong freshman really

helps,” senior goalie Nicole Lewis said. “It lets us stay fresh through-out the game and lets us have a lot of depth.” Replacing Kim Cunniff’s 14 pen-alty-corner goals concerned the Bob-cats this year, but McCullough and Swartz have brought a new dimen-sion to the corner that was missing in the past. McCullogh and Swartz have al-ready taken advantage of their po-sition on corners. Swartz assisted the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win against Holy Cross on Aug. 24.

“Each of us bring something that someone else on the team needs,” said Swartz, “Whether it’s Ashleigh with her stick work, Meg with her shot, or Emile with her moves, each of us helps out at what we’re good at.” The very next game, McCollough scored her first career goal off a cor-

ner in the team’s 3-0 victory over Towson. “I didn’t think it was going in to be honest, but it did,” McCullough said of her goal. “…It was the best feeling in the world.” The upperclassman have noticed the standards set by the young class and feel obliged to match it. “They bring intensity to the team,” Cate Colucci said. “It reminds me that I have to bring my game because they are stepping up and bringing theirs.” But for the freshmen, it’s not all

about scoring goals. Allen has a knack for causing turnovers, getting the ball deep in the opponents end, and drawing the occasional penalty corner. “My stick work is something I really worked on in high school, and I’m glad I bring it to the team,” Al-len said. Vandeputte’s different style of play has helped her become a major factor in the Bobcat’s back line. “Being from Belgium, Emile brings a whole new style of play from Europe, which helps the team out a lot,” sophomore Kristen En-gleke said. The expectations for the Bobcats remain the same as they were last season. Even with the loss of Cun-niff and McCreedy, Quinnipiac still believes it can last in the late days of the season. With the strong freshman class mixed in with the resilient lead-ers on the team, the Bobcats will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come in the Northeast Conference.

“Whether it’s Ashleigh with her stick work, Meg with her shot, or Emile with her moves, each of us helps out at what we’re good at.” - Haley Swartz


Right: Meghan McCullough observes play upfield during a game versus Lafayette, Sep. 16. The Leopards defeated the Bobcats, 4-2.

Rugby Results

9/1 at Eastern Illinois, 2-1 W

9/9 at Binghamton, 91-0 W

9/16 vs. New Paltz, 94-0 W

*through 9/21/12

The Quiet Legend

What should be Mike Quitko’s office is actually a trophy room with a desk. The 14 conference Coach of the Year awards and 10 Northeast Conference Champion trophies line the walls and shelves, leaving the exact details of the wall it precedes up to imagination. The aura of a champion spills out from this office. It suggests the man behind the plaques and accolades to be a man of intimidation, a strong will to win, a cutthroat coach. But then, you’ll notice the small stuffed bear in a hat sitting in the corner next to the hardware. The fluffy companion is combined with the sticker above his door, which to the untrained eye is a tennis ball shattering the glass. These two small items say volumes more of the Quinnipiac men’s and wom-en’s tennis head coach than the blinding glare of his endless plaques. The man himself, more commonly referred to as Q, is of a laid-back de-meanor, and according to his players, a lighthearted source of inspiration. “Q, in my opinion, is more of a motivator than anything,” senior Rachel Cantor said. “I look to Q for the fist pumps, the ‘let’s go’s,’ the ‘come on’s.’” While his teams know Quitko as the fist pumper with a smile, the relaxed coaching style has brought nothing but success. Entering the 2012-13 cam-paign, Q leads all Quinnipiac coaches in program wins with 485. With the 500-win landmark within reach, it’s easy to forget that Quitko spent his college days on the football field for Southern Connecticut State University rather than on the tennis courts. He on started playing tennis to stay in shape with a friend on Saturday mornings. “From there I fell in love with the game,” Quitko said. “I was like [those] 14-year-old tennis rats that hung around the club, club rats, and every time they could get on, they would. I did the same.” So Quitko and his friend started to play at every given opportunity. “I mean when we first went out, we thought we were good. Boy, were we bad,” Quitko said with an unashamed laugh. Despite his faltering forehands, tennis carried him through the years start-ing with a time of desperation at the tennis club he played at. “I got better, and one day I get a call from Ian, the head pro at the club I was at, and he calls me up and says, ‘I need somebody to teach,’ so I said ‘why don’t you call somebody else?’” But Ian didn’t call someone else. “He shows me how to feed. He tells me not to hit, as he said, because that would give away how crappy I was, but I’m a people person,” Quitko said. “There’s more to me than just hitting the ball, bringing the racket back, and playing from there.” “So if I can present that to people and not show them the wrong thing, the thing that shows that they’re better than me, then they’ll believe what we want them to believe because I don’t hit.”

What started off as filler position of playful deceit turned into a career that spanned the course of two decades at what is now the North Haven Health and Racquet Club. Finally, in 1980 he began his career as a Bobcat and hasn’t looked back. In his 22 years, Quitko has posted an overall record of 485-277. He’s earned 10 Northeast Conference Coach of the Year awards and brought his teams to the Division I NCAA Tournament for the first time in Quinnipiac history in 2004, a feat that would be repeated for a total of 10 appearances. Quitko’s accolades continued when he was welcomed into the Quinnipiac Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009, what he deems his most memorable indi-vidual moment of his time here. “I’m grateful that the school saw fit to do it while I could enjoy it,” Quitko said. “It’s in that hall, and every once in a while, I’ll turn my head and just smile.” His players also understand the significance of this recognition for an ac-tive coach. “It makes us really proud to play for him. He definitely deserves every-thing he’s got,” senior Sarah Viebrock said. Now that he is again on the brink of history, Quitko believes the reasons for his success is a reflection of his teams and the hard work they put in each season. “It’s these kids that get it for me. I’m the ringmaster,” he said. “They set everything up and I close the deal, like putting them in the right places.” With that, Viebrock knows the added pressure on her and her teammates to surge him even further into Quinnipiac tennis history. “I think as a team, it makes us want to play really hard to get him those 15 wins so we can see it while we’re still here,” Viebrock said. This would not be the first time the team has been asked to meet or exceed expectations. Quitko cited the men’s team’s performance in 2010 when it upset Sacred Heart, winning 4-3 in the NEC Championship. The victory earned the team a trip to Stanford University for the first round of the NCAA Division I Tournament. Despite losing there, 0-4, one of Quitko’s proudest moments resulted from that trip. Knowing that they had extra time when they landed in San Francisco, Quitko and his team went to a Giants game.

“We walk in on the steps and we hear from probably 20 people ahead of us, ‘Hey, Quinnipiac: beat Stanford!’” Quitko said. “The first time we ever went [to NCAA’s] it was ‘Quinni-who,’ so I feel good that I helped spread the name, and my men and women brought us to another part of the country.” There is no doubt that the successes of both the men and women’s programs are known nationwide. Be it the five consecutive Northeast Conference titles on the women’s side or the upset of a No. 1 seed on the men’s, Quitko un-doubtedly changed the face of the Quinnipiac tennis program. While he may have never played a point in college, 485 wins are enough to reconcile that. Quitko: 40. Opponent: love.

Head Coach Mike Quitko defines Quinnipiac tennis through 22 years

Coach Mike Quitko accepts an award at the New Haven Open on Aug. 23. President John Lahey presented Quitko the award for his achievements in tennis.

Quinnipiac tennis coach Mike Quitko prepares his line-up card for the men’s team’s senior day match on April 10, 2012. Quinnipiac defeated Sacred Heart 4-3. The Bobcats went on to NEC semifinals, where they lost 4-2 against the Monmouth Hawks.

By Angelique Fiske


Coach Quitko Accolades

Entering 2012-13 season 15 wins shy of 500 career victories

Combined career record of 485-277 (.636) in 21 seasons

10 combined NEC Championships

10 combined NCAA Tournament appearances

14 combined NEC Coach of the Year awards

Inducted into the Quinnipiac Athletics Hall of Fame on 2/28/09

2004 USA Tennis New England College Coach of the Year


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