Category: Sports

Soccer Standouts Ready for the Season

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By: Alyssa Abbonizio Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, aqa5498@psu.edu

 

With fall sports underway, the men and women’s soccer team look to garner winning seasons. The women’s soccer team looks to return to the championship game after making it there in Brandywine’s inaugural year. The men’s team looks to return to playoffs after being upset in the first round last season.

Senior Bill Walleekendeh and sophomore captain James Cellucci lead the men’s team as they are looking to make it to the PSUAC championship. A human development and family studies major, James has been playing soccer since he was little. His parents got him playing as a child and he’s been playing ever since. When he was in high school, his high school coach had a big influence on him and because of him he decided to continue playing in college. Last season, James was named an USCAA All-American and a Second Team All-PSUAC.

“When I heard it I was surprised,” says James. “My friend Joe showed me and I wouldn’t have ever known unless he told me.”

When asked about being named captain, he said,

“It’s pretty cool. It’s an honor and cool to be a sophomore captain.”

One of James’ memorable moments happened in the first game of this season; he scored off a free kick. Being a defensive player, you rarely get chances to score so when he scored off a free kick, it was a big deal.

“I was really surprised and very happy to score my first goal in college off a free kick,” he explains. “Pure shock was going through my head.”

Bill started playing soccer because it’s a major sport in his country, Liberia. He came to Brandywine because of its proximity and he decided to join the soccer team. Bill is the all-time points leader in Brandywine history for soccer and this makes him feel great. “It makes me want to work more and prove I’m the leading scorer and keep doing it when I step on the field,” he explained. “It motivates me to keep working hard.” Bill knew he would play in college but never thought he would make history. He didn’t think it would happen. In his first game of his senior season, he scored five goals against Central Penn. Once he scored his fifth goal, he kept thinking, “31 more goals so I can reach 100 goals in my college career.”

This season he’s looking forward to his first PSUAC championship, scoring 100 goals, going to nationals with a winning soccer team, and graduating. Both Bill and James like the new coach, Jesse Zafiratos, and feel the team has “adapted well with him.”

On the woman’s side, returning sophomore Laura Delgadillo and senior Jen Lindauer are looking to return to the championship game in the program’s second season. A business major, Laura is in her fourth year of playing soccer and wanted to play because she loves the sport and loves high intensity games. Last season, the team lost in penalty kicks to Penn State Beaver in the championship.

“The reason we lost is because the team fell apart at the end,” says Laura. “It motivated the team and me to work better as a unit to be able to compete and win a championship.”

With an almost totally different team this season, she thinks the team definitely has what it takes to return to the championship and win. Laura was a member of the historic inaugural season of women’s soccer at Penn State Brandywine and never thought she would be a part of history.

“I never thought I would be a part of history at this college or through the woman’s soccer team,” says Laura. “But I’m glad I was and hopefully the program gets better and better each year.” Looking forward to the season, she hopes to destroy Beaver and be able to enjoy the championship game with the new freshman and returning players.

Jen’s story is different from these players. She had never touched a soccer ball in her life. She grew up playing lacrosse and never thought she would play soccer in her junior year of college.

“The first time I touched a soccer ball was last year,” says Jen. “So I’m always trying to improve my foot skill.”

Being a part of the team last season, she was a part of history being on the first-ever team at Penn State Brandywine. She didn’t expect the team to make it all the way to the championship in its inaugural season.

“I didn’t think we were making history until I looked back on the season and was like ‘wow’ we’re the first ever Brandywine team,” she explains. “We made it to the championship with players who’ve never touched a ball.”

With a lot of new talent this season, the team works together, Jen and the returning players, are looking to come back with a vengeance and dominate the conference to winning the conference and going to nationals. You can catch Jen, Laura, Bill, and James in action on the field this fall by checking their schedule on Brandywine’s athletic website.

New Additions to Athletics Puts Penn State Brandywine in the Running

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Brandon Stewart, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, bis5306@psu.edu

Penn State Brandywine has added track and field to its men’s and women’s sports lineup this season. This comes on the heels of the success of the recently added soccer program that went to championships in its inaugural season and the announcement of residence life—expansion is a theme.

With the addition of track & field as a club for Spring ’17 and positioned for future varsity status, Brandywine has officially added four programs in the last four years to bring the total sports programs to thirteen.
Each of Brandywine’s current varsity programs: baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, cross country, cross country, tennis, tennis, and basketball compete as members of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) as well as the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC).

Two new coaches have been added to lead the runners.

Angela Fitch will lead the track and field program and assist as cross country coach. Having coached and mentored at the college and high school levels in schools such as Kell High School in Marietta, GA and Bowie State, Fitch brings a wealth of experience to the team. While at Kell, Fitch led the girl’s team to a third-place showing in the state.

Joe Frassenei will lead cross country and assist with track and field. He comes to Brandywine from Woodstown High School in New Jersey where he spent many years as girls’ track coach and as girls’ cross country coach. Fitch has mentored many student athletes and has run programs to benefit athletics.

Assistant Athletic Director Bobbi Caprice is excited to add another sport to Brandywine’s growing list. She said,

“It is an exciting time for Penn State Brandywine athletics as we have expanded to include 13 varsity sports. We identified track & field as having a large amount of interest among high school students in the area as well as those students already on campus. I look forward to watching our new programs and the athletic department as a whole continue to grow.”

The school hopes that more sports will bring more success and more students over to Brandywine in athletics.

Brandywine softball defeats Rosemont

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By Brian Bosco, Lion’s Eye staff writer, bwb5310@psu.edu

 

The Penn State Brandywine softball team traveled to Rosemont College on Thursday, April 21, and came away with two blowout nonconference wins.

 

After a 9-0 shutout win by the Lady Lions in the first game of the double-header, they set out to do the same in the nightcap.  Game two started off with a bang as Brandywine plated five runs on three hits that included a three-run RBI triple by Katy Steffen.  The other two runs were knocked in with a pair of singles by Julie Foeldes and Steph Harvey.

 

Foeldes led seven players with at least two hits by going 3-4 at the plate.  Harvey was not far behind Foeldes’ performance as she tallied five hits and three RBI’s over both games.

 

“We were able to put Rosemont in a hole early,” Head Coach, Mark Castansa said.

 

The early lead was all the senior pitcher, Olivia Encarnacion, needed.  Encarnacion blanked the Ravens over the first 4 ⅓ innings before an error allowed Rosemont to score an unearned run.  She finished the game with six strikeouts, only allowed five hits, and earned her sixth win of the season.

 

“I was just trying to get the ball over the plate as much as possible,” Encarnacion explained when asked how she kept Rosemont on edge.

 

A four-run fourth inning sealed the deal for the Lady Lions.  The inning was led by last year’s All-Americans, Katie Steffen and Katie DeStefano.  Steffen added an RBI double to score Foeldes, and Katie DeStefano recorded a big run scoring single.  This ran the score up to 12-0 in Brandywine’s favor.

 

Heading into the top of the fifth inning Brandywine knew it had to hold Rosemont in order to keep the 10 run rule in effect.  In college, the 10 run rule takes effect when one team is beating the other team by 10 runs or more through five innings.

 

Knowing they had to keep Rosemont from scoring two runs, Brandywine looked a little tense at the start of the inning.  The inning started with a leadoff single, followed by a throwing error that allowed one run to score.  This left Brandywine with a one run cushion and a runner on third.  Next batter hits a rocket down to Grace DeRosa at third base.  She slung it home to the catcher, Steph Harvey, as who embraced a forceful collision while tagging the runner out at the plate.

 

“It kept the game at 10 runs,” Harvey said.  “I wasn’t trying to hurt her, I was just trying to do my job and get the out.”

 

Harvey got the out, while also making the play of the game.  The next two batters hit lazy fly balls, and that ended the game with a final score of 12-1.

 

Brandywine is now 14-14 (7-1 in conference) and heads to Widener on Friday afternoon. Their big challenge comes this weekend with conference doubleheaders against Penn State New Kensington, and Penn State Fayette.

 

Brandywine Softball: 2016 Preview

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Brian Bosco, Lions Eye Editor, bwb5310@psu.edu

The Penn State Brandywine softball team is returning to defend its championship title in the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC).

In just their second season as a varsity program, head coach Mark Caserta led Brandywine to a 23-12 record and its first PSUAC championship.  The Brandywine Lady Lions won all 18 of their games against league competition, while outscoring opponents 220-51 during those contests.  The women are eager to show the league they can do it again.

This season there will be six returning players, two of whom were named All-Americans as freshman.  The All-American duo of Katie DeStefano and Katy Steffen helped lead the team to the championship last season, and they look to forward to everyone gunning for them as Caserta said.

DeStefano was also PSUAC Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year for 2015, with seven starts against league competition, and posted a perfect 7-0 record with a 1.02 earned run average and 54 strikeouts in 41.0 innings.  On the offensive side of the All-American duo is Steffen.  The first baseman registered a team best eight home runs, 51 RBI, and had a batting average of .377 with 24 extra-base hits.  The two have been working hard to be even better this year, and will help elevate their overall team play.

Entering the 2016 season, the Lady Lions are down seven players from 2015.  Last year’s starting shortstop and centerfielder, players named USCAA All-Americans, did not return to the team this year because of personal issues.  This has created some question marks in the lineup.

However, the Lady Lions welcomed seven new players, including two pitchers who are dedicated to help out DeStefano.  Having multiple pitchers with different strengths is another asset this team has lacked in years past.  Each of the seven players brought in are hoping to make a positive impact on the starting lineup.

“One of the strengths of this year’s team is going to be how versatile each player is,” Caserta said.  “There will be lots of options for me as each position will be interchangeable.”

Key matchups for the Lady Lions include conference games against Hazelton and Schuylkill.  Penn State Hazleton won the championship in 2014 and gave Brandywine a run for its money in the playoffs last season.  Penn State Schuylkill will also be a matchup that will be tough as they qualified for the national United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) tournament last season.
Caserta had some interesting insight as to how a softball season can go.

“Every year could be different, one year a team could be bad, but the next they could have a pitcher that could turn the whole team around,” Caserta said.

All-in-all, the 2016 Brandywine softball team will be a force to be reckoned with.  Having a great core of upperclassman leadership, along with adding dedicated freshman, will help this team have the depth they need to go all the way.  These women are seeking a championship from pitch number one.

Men’s Basketball Outhustled by Penn State York

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By: Erin Dolan, Lion’s Eye Writer, evd5158@psu.edu

The Penn State York men’s basketball team defeated Penn State Brandywine 91-69 on January 30.

From tip-off, Penn State York’s momentum and speed outhustled was evident.  In the first half, Brandywine shot 20 percent from the field verses York’s 62.1 percent.  Missing shots and being outrebounded impacted the team mentally.

Omar Richburg, Brandywine men’s basketball coach, explained what went wrong.

“It appeared there was a lack of energy and passion,” Richburg said.

In addition, within the first ten minutes of the game, both teams were in foul trouble. York racked up 12 fouls, but shot 11 for 13 from the line, while Brandywine racked up ten fouls and went 9 for 17 from the line.

By the end of the first half, York led 53-24. In the second half, Terrance Quinn, Brandywine’s guard, came out strong shooting two 3-pointers. The team’s momentum picked up, but could not be sustained. With five minutes remaining, York had its largest lead — 32 points.

York’s freshman duo of Trent Thomas and Mike Coleman led their team in points; Thomas contributed 28.

Fan Margo Gargus claimed, “Thomas was unstoppable.”

Brandywine’s forward, Marcus Turner, lead the team with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists.

“Turner played phenomenally,” Richburg said.  “The game is his first game back from an ankle injury, so he is trying to get his flow and repetition back.”

Turner’s high energy assisted in closing York’s lead. Brandywine forward Cyrie Spencer grabbed eight rebounds for Brandywine.

Brandywine’s victory against Penn State Hazleton the night before, 73-59, couldn’t offer any added momentum in this game.

“Back-to-back games were challenging because the team didn’t get home until late last night after beating Penn State Hazleton,” Richburg said. “But it’s not an excuse.”

With a 3-6 conference record, the team hopes to make a run for the playoffs as they approach their final seven games.

Richburg talked about his strategy going into a game against Penn State Mont Alto.

“We will go back to the drawing board and take a few days off to focus on the game ahead,” Richburg said.

Winning four games this season, Penn State Brandywine men’s basketball players look to improve their record by playing with more passion.

Imprint Left on Lady Lions’ Legacy

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By Symantha Marrero, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, sjm5946@psu.edu

Over the last four years, the Lady Lions have found success on the basketball court due in part to four particular women.

Jessy Gledhill, Jilly Gledhill, Lauren Munro and Cashae Hinton are all seniors at Penn State Brandywine. In their four year careers at Brandywine, each senior has contributed to the legacy of the Lady Lions, and each in her own way.

First, these ladies built a foundation of trust.

“On this team I have met an outstanding group of girls whom I have become close with and consider my sisters,” Hinton said. “I will truly miss being a part of the sisterhood when I am gone.”

Jilly concurred with Hinton’s emotional statement.

“I met my closest friends (Lauren and Cashae) playing here,” Jilly said. “I’ve enjoyed every second of my career at Brandywine.”

The Gledhill twins are known not only for their similar faces, but also their similar jumpers. With a combined total of 1,231 points, these sisters know not only how to score, but also how to push one another.

“It’s been a lot of fun playing with my sister,” Jessy said. “We didn’t plan on going to college together. I remember Jilly saying, ‘I’ll go if you go.’”

Although they’re both known for their clutch shots, each sister has other attributes to their game that truly stand out. Jilly arguably sacrificed her body the most out of anybody; she is believed to have taken the most offensive charges in Brandywine history, while Jessy was the one to go to when Brandywine needed to shut down an opponent defensively.

The other two seniors, Munro and Hinton, each surpassed 1,000 points this season.

Despite the fact that her quick moves to the basket and powerful rebounds are what will be remembered most from her game, Munro led the PSUAC in field goal percentage this season at 53.4 percent. She also ranked fourth in steals in the same conference.

For the second straight season and third time overall during her career, Hinton claimed All-Conference honors after leading the PSUAC in assists per game (4.7) and steals per game (3.8). Hinton also has a PSUAC Championship under her belt.

It wasn’t always about the on court success, however.

“I was also able to learn under a great group of coaches who taught me how to better myself both on and off the court,” Hinton said.

Munro couldn’t agree more.

“This establishment has provided me with so many amazing opportunities that have prepared me to take this next step in life,” Munro said. “I’m excited for what the future holds.”

The four seniors are finishing internships this semester, as they prepare to graduate in May. Graduate school could be next.

“After taking a year off, I will get my master’s in special education and hopefully become a Special Ed teacher,” Munro said.

If there’s one thing these four women absolutely agree on, it’s that their freshman year, the year they met one another and became friends, was their favorite.

1000 Points for Hinton

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David Brown, Lion’s Eye Editor, dvb5451@psu.edu

As the Brandywine Lady Lions continue their successful season with a record of 10‐6, Cashae Hinton has made history with her 1000‐point season and has no desire to slow down.

Hinton, a Norristown native, leads the league in assists and ranks sixth nationally, averaging 4.5 assists per game. She ranks ninth nationally and second in the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) in steals per game with 3.5. Hinton is coming off an All‐American season while leading the team with 25 minutes per game. As far as credit for Hinton’s success, the senior point guard gives it all away.

“All the credit goes to the coaches and team I play for,” Hinton said. “I can’t tell you the amount of times they took me out of a game when I was frustrated, calmed me down and still believed in me.”

When asked on how she felt about being the eighth player to reach 1000 points she said, “It’s pretty amazing. A big burden and a lot of pressure come with it, but I couldn’t have done it without the outstanding players I have played with.”

Lady Lions Head Coach Larry Johnson couldn’t say enough about Hinton’s character and effect on the team.

“She (Hinton) is a leader, our captain, and I would say the best point guard in our league,” Johnson said. “Cashae knows how to get her teammates involved. Whenever we need a big steal, she comes up it. She is definitely our best defensive player.”

Johnson also mentioned Hinton and Olivia Encarnacion as the squad’s quality shooters. The two have become key players on offense with a combined average 23 points per game, while the entire offense averages 73 points per game. Defensively, the pair averages 8.2 rebounds and five blocks per game.

Johnson talked about the team’s defense, touching on improvements the team could make.

“We have to get better defensively 100%,” Johnson said. “We give up too many points to other teams that shouldn’t score that many points.”

“We need to be helping on D (defense), helping each other, and having consistent ball movement,” Hinton said.

The Lions’ defense has been an issue for the team this year as they have been averaging 20 turnovers per game, 66 points against overall and 75 points against in conference games. Hinton didn’t sell her team short when it came to expectations for this season.

“We can get to Nationals,” Hinton said. “This is a very talented group of girls, and besides losing two key players from last year, we have the same squad and can be very successful.”

The coach concurred with Hinton’s expectations.

“Our expectations are to always make it to the PSUAC playoffs,” Johnson said. “If we come together I think we could win the championship and make it to the national tournament.”

This Brandywine squad has been successful since Hinton’s freshman year, and even more so under Coach Johnson and his staff. In his nine‐year tenure, the team has a winning percentage of .660 accumulated with a 163‐84 record.

Johnson has brought Brandywine nine PSUAC South Division championships in a row, two regular season championships, two PSUAC tournament championships, three USCA tournament bids and PSUAC coach of the year award during the 2013‐2014 season.

With all that said, this Brandywine squad looks to add to Coach Johnson’s resume.

Hinton reminisced on her favorite moment of her basketball career at Brandywine.

“My favorite moment was as a freshman to help the upperclassman overcome a 20‐point‐deficit to win the championship,” Hinton said. “It was surreal.”

Similar to that squad in 2010 Hinton referred to, the Lady Lions has challenges to overcome, but does have the talent that could drive them into the postseason. Defensively, improvements do need to be made, but this team has done more with less before.

Only time will tell if Hinton’s favorite memory of bringing home another championship to Brandywine will be repeated this season.

The Lady Lions finished the season with a record of 18‐9, losing in the Final Four to rival Penn State Beaver. Hinton finished the season with 1,176 points.

Story updated by the Lion’s Eye Web Staff

Rebuilding Year for Brandywine Men’s Basketball 

Posted By under About, Campus News, Entertainment, Sports

Erin Dolan, Lion’s Eye Writer, evd5158@psu.edu

The Penn State Brandywine men’s basketball team is rebuilding its foundation for future basketball seasons.

The 2015-16 season has showed promise with a team record of 4-13 thus far, already exceeding the number of wins from last season’s 1-23 record. Head Coach Omar Richburg found his first year challenging. This season, he looks forward to blending the talents of veteran and rookie players. With eight conference games left, he’s pleased with the team’s 3-5 record. Richburg believes the young team shows potential, but needs to work on free throws and rebounds.

Starting center Cyrie Spencer has made a presence inside the paint. Spencer is a key returner and leads the team in rebounds (6.8) and points per game (12.9). Throughout the season, Spencer has sacrificed his position at center to work as a guard and forward. In previous games, opponents have attempted to shut down Spencer by double-teaming him.

With the previous year’s leading scorer ineligible, freshman Naifes Smalls has stepped up as starting guard. Smalls is not far behind Spencer in rebounds (4.4) and points per game (8.4). Smalls’ incomparable defensive skills have made him a crucial asset to the team.

Freshman Terrence Quinn has worked his way into a starting position after having a career high of 18 points against Valley Forge.  Quinn leads the team in free throws, shooting 75-percent from the foul line.

With three years left of eligibility, Richburg sees a bright future for Quinn.

“He has grown over past four or five games and is playing his role,” Richburg said.

The inexperience of the young team has equated to missed free throws and rebounds, and thus potential wins slipping away.  While fine-tuning their skills, the team remains focused on their main goal– the playoffs.

“Our main goal is getting to the playoffs, continuing to have a strong year, building the chemistry and culture of a winning program and staying focused and working hard,” Richburg said.

With many players returning including Spencer, Smalls and Quinn, the team has big plans for the 2016-2017 basketball season.

“Getting better, adding pieces to the puzzle, and increasing in size,” Richburg said.

Richburg remains committed to preparing the program by recruiting players who best represent Penn State Brandywine.

With the determination to excel on and off the court, the team anticipates giving Penn State Brandywine the recognition it deserves with a championship title.

Updated by the Lion’s Eye Web Staff

Pre-Season Thoughts on Brandywine Baseball

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Brian Bosco,  Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, bwb5310@psu.edu

As spring approaches, the warmer weather shines light on the coaches and players on the Brandywine Baseball team.

After a disappointing end to the 2015 season, the Lions look forward to a fresh start as they have a new mentality and are preparing for the road to a championship.  The new year has meant new players along with a pitching coach who is ready to push these players to their limits.

Head coach Bill Haines along with assistant coach Toby MacCart plan to lead the team to success, and this year they have new strategies that will help accomplish their goals. The Brandywine baseball team lost in the semi-finals of the 2015 playoffs to Penn State Beaver.  Key changes for the 2016 season were made after that loss.

“Personally, my goal is for my team to buy into the new culture and way of coaching I have developed through some minor changes,” Haines said.  “They may not even notice some of the small changes but hopefully will see the big impacts.  My goal is to always have my team come together and play together for one another.  One of my big motto’s for this year’s team is ‘STRONGER TOGETHER.’”

Improvement comes by players working together.

“If we establish a culture from the beginning with the thought of doing everything we can to be successful and play as hard as we can for every one of our teammates then we will be very successful and win a lot of games.” Haines said.

Coach MacCart is the new pitching coach for the team, and is a crucial part of this reconstruction process.

“Self-belief is the most important factor,” MacCart said.  “If a player believes he can have success, then that will provide all of the motivation to continue to improve.  If the team struggles, so will player attitudes and that will affect how we finish the season.  If we believe in ourselves and in each other we will find success on and off the field.”

It is clear that the coaching staff is dedicated to this team, however it will be up to the individual players to work on their own aspects of the game, and better the team as a whole.  With a team of mostly underclassman, it will be up to the seniors to help instill this new culture into the younger players, and ensure the Brandywine Baseball program is headed in the right direction for years to come.

 

 

From Blocking Shots to Saving Lives

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By: Symantha Marrero, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, sjm5946@psu.edu

It’s almost every kid’s dream to become a college athlete or a police officer. One woman in particular has a shot to fulfill both of those dreams.

Melanie Kempf, a 20-­year-­old student at Penn State Brandywine, is your average girl. She loves to listen to music, spend time with friends and family and to be active. There’s a catch—she’s a 6-­foot center who’s on the path to becoming a state trooper.

A college athlete typically plays for the duration of their time at school, which four years. Kempf’s time on the basketball court, as well as in the classroom, has been cut two years short because of her upcoming task.

The process to become a Pennsylvania State Trooper is rigorous and exhausting. Not only do physical demands need to be met, but also written exams and polygraphs are expected to be passed as well. Once these expectations are completed, the final stage is the academy, where cadets partake in hardcore physical training, in addition to police training for six months.

The physical training includes an intense amount of running, pull­-ups, push-­ups, lifting and even swimming. The police training, which will likely be Kempf’s favorite part of the time spent at the academy, includes how and when to use a firearm, how to drive a police vehicle properly, how to “cuff” people, as well as self­defense.

Perhaps the best part of the entire process is graduating from the academy and starting the first “assignment,” wherever that may be. Finishing this semester at Brandywine brings Kempf that much closer to her goal.

Kempf reminisced about leaving the game of basketball behind.

“Since I was able to walk, I always had a basketball with me,” Kempf said. “Now, it’s like I’m losing a piece of me that had always been there.”

Kempf starts for the Lady Lions and averages just under 18 minutes a game. She’s a huge factor in the team’s success. Basketball isn’t her only talent, however. She also played on the women’s volleyball and soccer teams at Brandywine.

“Mel has the biggest heart I know,” former teammate Colleen Kennedy said. “She gives her all at anything she sets her mind to. I think she’s going to make the perfect police officer.”

Ride-alongs are what sealed the deal for Kempf. After researching and being inspired by family members in the force, Kempf began going on ride-alongs and quickly learned just what it takes to be a police officer.

“Going on these ride-alongs have assured me this is what I’m supposed to do,” Kempf said contently.

From gruesome scenes of suicides to speeding over 85 MPH to chase down a wanted man, Kempf wants it all.

“This is what I’m supposed to do, protect and serve my community, family, friends, everyone,” Kempf said. “I see myself being a police officer within the next two years, ideally a PA state trooper. As long as I’m a police officer, I’ll be happy!”

Until then, she’ll settle with making baskets on the hardwood.