Medaille Perspective

April 28

Bills grade well in draft

C.J. Spiller, a running back, a play maker, a defenses worst nightmare. With the 9th pick overall, the Buffalo Bills grabbed the best available player, and a collective sigh was heard throughout Bills nation. I know Spiller is not a coveted quarterback like that kid from Texas, Colt McCoy; or the great Jimmy “Christ” Clausen out of Notre Dame; or that Heisman winning, awful throwing motion, “but he’s such a great leader” Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow.

Bills take Spiller and draft talent over need

Ever since I followed the draft I have been a firm believer in selecting value over need. A perfect example was in the 2007 NFL Draft when the Minnesota Vikings chose Adrian Peterson over Brady Quinn and other “needs” they had. They already had Chester Taylor and didn’t need to select a running back, especially with their first pick.

Bills go after potential

The 2010 NFL Draft commenced this past weekend in New York City at Radio City Music Hall. This year the first round of the draft was in prime time for the first time ever. The Bills held the 9th overall slot and made a splash by picking C.J. Spiller, a dynamic running back out of Clemson.

Helping you back onto your feet

When an athlete on a soccer field or basketball court goes down or gets injured the first to respond to the athlete is Medaille College’s Head Athletic Trainer Katie Sampson. She has one of the most challenging and demanding, yet rewarding jobs on campus.

Mavs fighting for playoff bid

It has been a season of ups and downs for the Medaille College Baseball team. With expectations to the sky, the baseball team has both been let down, as well as shock and has awed the college community. Single game performers like Junior Matt Dunford and Senior Brian Vital, have provided pitching gems on the mound, proving that “Maverick Swagger” is something that other teams need to take into account when the Mavs show up to their town.

Men's lacrosse team battles into the playoffs

The Men’s lacrosse team has been battling during their final games of the season. After their big win over Alfred University the men lost the next three games. The guys went five and one over the next six games. The team has seen strong performances from every player.

Zemla claims homerun record

As of April 20, the Lady Mavs are an even 14-14 overall and 7-7 in AMCC play. However, they have at least one player ranked in the top five of each major AMCC offensive statistic, with conference playoffs right around the corner. Junior, Alyssa Zemla, leads the AMCC with 10 home runs and 34 RBI’s thus far.

Lady Mavs end season strong

The Medaille Women’s Lacrosse team ended their season last week with an impressive 23-2 victory over Waynesburg College. Junior Marilyn Meyer scored five goals in the final game and was later named to the First Team All Conference. Meyer led the Lady Mavs in almost every statistical category including points (30), shots (55), goals (26), ground balls (51), and shots on goal (39).

Sabres front office at fault

At press time, the Buffalo Sabres are preparing for a vital Game Six against the hated Boston Bruins. The series has been very physical and has seen dramatic back and forth games and come-from-behind victories (not by the Sabres). Regardless of the result of Monday night’s game, Sabres fans will look at who to point their fingers at whenever it is that our season ends.

McFayden goes pro

Kendell McFayden is ready to put the USL-1 soccer ball up on the mantle. McFayden signed a three year contract through the 2012 season with the Austin Aztex, starting May 10th after he graduates. The Aztex are one step below the MLS (Major League Soccer) level.

March 29

Men's volleyball prepares for NECVA tournament

As spring rolls around for all Medaille sports, volleyball is looking forward to the NECVA (North Eastern Collegiate Volleyball Association) Tournament Championship that will happen the weekend of April 10th, as they travel to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Keith Koch: Q & A

Q: This group of guys seem extra special, how do you feel as the play-offs approach? A: I think that this team has a good mix of newcomers and veteran leadership. I feel confident that we can beat anyone in our conference. However, we will need to play at a high level and work together as a team in order to advance deep into the conference tournament.

Women's storied run ends in the Capitol

The Lady Mavs had a successful season. Preseason polls picked the Lady Mavs to finish 4th in Conference play and they proved everyone wrong. The Lady Mavs took 1st place in the conference by going undefeated in conference play. They won the AMCC championship game and made it to the second round of the NCCA’s.

'Madness' leaves feeling of optimism

It’s the end of March and that familiar feeling is in the air. It’s not spring, it’s tournament time. Sure, flowers are blooming and snow is melting, but there’s something more beautiful going on in living rooms across America.

Women's lacrosse building chemistry

The Medaille Women’s Lacrosse team just returned home from their spring trip to Myrtle Beach. While in South Carolina, they practiced at least twice a day and participated in beach runs. The main focus of the trip for the Lady Mavs was teamwork.

Lacrosse ends spring trip 1-1

This year’s spring break for men’s lacrosse was full of learning experiences for the team. The men played two games in Myrtle Beach and finished their trip with a one and one record. “It was nice to actually play outside and be out of the gym for the first time this season,” said Junior Charlie Coogan.

Twins, Mauer meant to be

This move had to happen. The Twins needed it to happen. Joe Mauer wanted it to happen. And most of all, baseball needed it to happen. Finally, after a few weeks of negotiations and $184 million dollars, the Twins and Joe Mauer reached an eight-year extension.

Baseball shows strong spring

“We have played some really good teams so far,” says Medaille Baseball’s Junior Captain Dan Barancotta, “and we have played with, and beaten them.” After a 6-4 start, including a split with the number 9 team in the country, the team really likes their chances this year.

Softball team comes together

Spring is in the air, and the Medaille Softball team is ready for another competitive season. After a third place finish in last year’s AMCC Tournament, the team looks to improve this year and win the conference. The team started their season by playing 10 spring training games at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.

Medaille involved in NCAA Tournament, plays host to Vermont and FSU

As Buffalonians got the chance to see some of the “Field of 65” for the first time in 4 years, Medaille College had a rare opportunity to become a part of all the fun. Both the University of Vermont and Florida State University came into the house the “Crazies” built, to loosen up for their trip to Buffalo.

March 1

Men's lacrosse looking to win championship

The men’s lacrosse team is looking to change their way they are viewed this season. They would like to be recognized as the champions that they are. The team has to overcome the loss of two captains who lead the team on and off the field. “The team as a whole has been upgraded.

Bills follow the best

What do you do when part of your defense is rock solid and another part is getting dominated every game? How about change it completely. It may not be the smartest move but, that’s what the Buffalo Bills decided to do. Their defense was 2nd in the NFL in passing but 30th in the league in stopping the run.

Baseball on right track

After finishing up last year below team expectations, the 2010 Medaille Baseball team is looking to turn heads in the conference, and get back to the diamond. This year’s team should be vastly improved from last year through hard work and additional talent.

Edholm to lead softball team

The Medaille softball team is looking to improve on last year’s success and hopefully have another run at the playoffs in 2010. Sophomore Katie Griffin is among the players who were responsible for last year’s 11-7 record and third place finish in the conference.

Mavs in top ten ranking for first time since 2005

The sky is the limit for the high fliers of the Medaille Men’s Volleyball team. As of February 24, 2010 the Mavs rank in the Top 5 of the National Poll; it’s the first time that the Mavs have ranked higher than the Top 10 since 2005. The Mavs are also ranked 2nd in their league, the NECVA (North East Collegiate Volleyball Association); #4 Baruch currently sits atop the NECVA.

Tiger leaves questions about return

On February 19th, Tiger Woods made his first public statement to a select group of media members. The press conference lasted close to 15 minutes and he didn’t take any questions after he spoke. Woods apologized to his fans and family and went after the media for accusing his wife, Elin, of attacking Woods the night of his car accident. 2 comments

New incoming talent looks to improve game

If you looked at any team and it contained numerous first year players, you would think they would be building toward a winning season and getting their players experience they need to succeed at the next level. Not in this case. The Medaille Women’s Lacrosse team already had a great core of players last season before they added a great recruiting class this offseason.

Women's program continues hot streak with fourth NCAA appearance

After a 71-57 win over Penn State-Altoona Friday, the Lady Mavs arrived at the AMCC Championship game Saturday undefeated. They were able to remain undefeated after a close win against the 7th ranked Pitt-Bradford. “It is great to prove everyone wrong that told us we were a 4th place team.

Men's team redeemed with victory

“This is our house,” roared members of The Sixth Man, a group of rambunctious student fans, and there’s certainly strength in numbers. The gymnasium shook as the men’s basketball team stormed the court Saturday, February 26 - chanting and pounding fervently as friends, family, fans and staff awaited the AMCC conference championship tip off.

February 8

Great chemistry is key to Lady Mavs' success on the court

The Lady Mavs have far exceeded their expectations with their play this season. “We all expected to be good, we knew we had the experience, but being undefeated in the conference was past our wildest dreams,” said Mandy Sahhar. Coach Pete Lonergan had three reasons why he thinks his team has been so successful this season.

Mavs ranked 25th in the country for Division III

The Medaille Men’s basketball team has been on a tear this season with a record of 18-1 overall and a 13-1 in conference play. Currently, they are also ranked 25th in the country for division III men’s basketball. The most impressive victory this year had to come against John Carrol University as the Mavs were able to knock off the ninth ranked team in the country in late December to avenge there loss in last year’s NCAA tournament.

Mavs record 'setting' season

Through February 3rd, the Medaille College Men’s Volleyball team is 7-2, ranked 15th in the country and has had some command performances out of its usual suspects, as well as some new faces to the team. Junior Libero Dan “Tito” Jackson has broken the all-time digs record and currently sits at 739 digs.

This season spent rebuliding

The Medaille Hockey team’s season has gotten better as the season has progressed. At first, they were off to a rocky start but that tends to be a struggle that almost every team faces at the beginning of every season. They have learned to play well and built on their team chemistry.

Bowling season rolling along

The women’s bowling team had to cope with the loss of three of last year’s five starters, but they still had the talent of seven returning bowlers. The team also added three more ladies in order to add more talent to the team. There are three seniors on the 2009-2010 season that will end up leaving big shoes to be filled for next year.

Athletes find ways to donate to Haiti

The catastrophic earthquake in Haiti left hundreds of thousands dead, and has left even more Haitians without food and shelter. Of the countless relief efforts that instantly came to aid the devastated country, one has gone largely unrecognized. Numerous athletes and sporting organizations have established Haiti relief funds in the wake of the disaster that rocked the country.

Local stars get their shot in '10 Olympics

Four years ago, the United States Men’s Hockey team finished a disappointing eighth in Torino, Italy. This year in Vancouver, there is much hype surrounding USA Hockey, along with expectations of not just winning a medal, but a coveted gold medal.

Bills like their 'Chan'-ces

The Buffalo Bills new head coach is Chan Gailey. Wait, who? Okay, so he’s not the most recognizable name out there, but he has the credentials. Let’s take a look at Gailey’s resume. He does have NFL experience as a head coach and is a very talented offensive mind.

December 7

Transfers could benefit Men’s Volleyball

Western New York is known for its exceptional volleyball athletes that come from the area and move onto big time college athletics; both men and women. The Medaille College Men’s Volleyball team is no exception to this. “We have a ton of potential,” said seventh year Head Coach Keith Koch, “Our aspirations are as high as they’ve ever been.

Fewell deserves a chance

As the Buffalo Bills start their search for a new permanent head coach one name sticks out to me: Perry Fewell. The longtime defensive coordinator was promoted just hours after the firing of Dick Jauron who started the season 3-6. Jauron was 24-33 over three seasons as head coach and was largely ineffective during his tenure.

Storied men’s season comes to an end

All good things must come to an end. It’s a sad, but true cliché. Our men’s soccer team saw their terrific 2009 season come to a halt in the second round of the NCAA tournament after a loss to tenth ranked Carnegie Mellon. Sadly, we won’t be able to watch the guys play until next year.

Tiger leaves legacy in danger

As many of you know by now, Tiger Woods was injured in a car accident last Friday near his Orlando home. The world’s greatest golfer received several facial lacerations after his SUV crashed into a fire hydrant and then a tree in his neighbor’s yard around 2:30 AM.

Flag football title handed out

Team Blue Ribbon retains bragging rights for next years season

The Flag Football season was another successful one and came to an end with a dramatic victory in the quad last month. A lot of students, residents and commuters alike, have taken part in the games. Several teams were organized prior to the Fall season consisting of five to eight players per team.

Hoop Dreams: Women's Basketball Preview

Women’s basketball looks for rebound season after disappointing '08/'09

The women’s basketball team has started their season off on a positive note. The women are 5-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play. They have seven returning players, one transfer and five freshmen on the team. “This season we’ve brought a lot of experience back,” said captain Mandy Sahhar.

Hoop Dreams: Men's Basketball Preview

Seniors relish a second chance to cut down the nets in '09/'10

The men’s basketball team over the past few years has gone from pretender to contender. The turnaround started in the 06-07 season when the team more than doubled their win total from the previous year. On that team there were four freshmen that have contributed to the turnaround in Medaille men’s basketball: Keith Hack, Chris Moscato, Kelly Condello, and Mike Berkun.

November 9

Movin' On

Men’s soccer team shuts out Penn State-Behrend to win the AMCC Championship

Josh Meier is now officially the most popular kid in school. His goal in the 79th minute led Medaille past Penn St. Behrend to win the AMCC Championship. It’s the Mav’s fourth conference championship in the last five years. The win solidified their spot in the NCAA tournament and contention for the national championship. 2 comments

Yankees claim 27th World Series

The New York Yankees won their 27th World Championship Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies. Hideki Matsui, later named World Series MVP, hit a two-run home run in the second inning and drove home four more runs in the 7-3 rout of the Phillies.

Center Court: Coach MacDonald

A look ahead... The coaches' viewpoints

If there is a message that fourth-year Head Coach Mike MacDonald wants relayed to his basketball players, it’s this: “Fame comes in an instant, but greatness comes with longevity.” Coach MacDonald is that type of person -- the type that forms everlasting relationships with his players, the type of coach a player dreams of playing for.

Center Court: Coach Lonergan

A look ahead... The coaches' viewpoints

After coaching at Niagara University from 1978-’85, Pete Lonergan thought his coaching career was over. “When my wife and I started our family in 1985, I promised myself that I would leave coaching and focus on my children and become that family guy,” said Lonergan.

Mavs looks to repeat last year’s success

It’s basketball season once again, and the reigning AMCC champs are in search of another championship. Picked as this year’s favorite the Mavs brought back 13 players from last year’s roster. A more “physical and determined” team is what separates this year’s team from last year, according to junior forward, Ron Malicki.

Lady Mavs team shooting to improve record

The Lady Mavs are ready to jump into their 2009-2010 season hoping to improve from last year’s record of 16-11. Captains Mandy Sahhar, Kacie Mills, Laydee Ankoma-Mensa, Tiffany Sullivan, Teneda Travis have done a good job mentoring the younger players, according to Coach Lonergan.

New coaches seek growth

The long-term goal of the club hockey team is to become a D-3 program, and this season they hope to make themselves one step closer. There are also new coaches including Head Coach Paul Barker and Assistant Coach Victor Tomasulo. Barker, the first-year head coach, brings on-ice experience and a good knowledge of the game.

Lady Mavs set record for wins

The Lady Mavs, coached by Jake Beiter, saw the 2009 regular season shape up to be the best in program history. They finished 19-10 overall, with a 6-4 conference record. The team has missed the playoffs for the past couple years with only fifteen wins the past two seasons.

AMCC title hopes extinguished

The Lady Mavs hopes for winning the AMCC Championship ended Saturday with a loss to Pitt-Bradford. Despite outshooting and outplaying the Panthers, the Mavs couldn’t score a goal and were upset 1-0. Finishing third in the conference with a 9-8-2 record, the Lady Mavs finished the season strong with two convincing shut-out victories.

October 19

Golf team faces string of inclement weather

The Medaille Golf Team finished up their fall season a few weeks ago with a 5th place finish at the AMCC Conference Championships at Thom’s Run Golf Course in Pennsylvania. The team shot a combined 340 and 333 between the two days. Standing out from that crowd was junior John Haberman who shot a 79 and a 76 to earn himself a 5th place finish.

Bills need more than just a new coach

Former Buffalo Bills Coach Marv Levy once said, “Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?” After these past five weeks I believe every Bills fan, including myself would say “anywhere but here”. The Bills organization can’t do anything right and it seems to be mistake after mistake every week. 1 comment

Sabres off to good start

The Buffalo Sabres are looking to have a better season this year. They have already played four games in which the scoring has not been high. The Sabres have not lost a game in regulation yet this season. The first game of the season, against Montreal Canadiens, was a good defensive game for the Sabres.

Volleyball ‘digging’ deep

The Medaille College Women’s Volleyball has continued to set themselves up for a post season bid as their current record sits at (15-4) as of October 13th. The Lady Mavs are continuing to build on the best season the program has ever seen.

Lady Mavs surging at just the right time

Conference play has been good for the Medaille College Women’s Soccer program in 2009. Posting a (5-1) record through October 13th, the Lady Mav’s have continued their menacing ways in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. Currently tied for second place in the conference, the Women’s Soccer program is no joke.

Men’s soccer on top of AMCC standings again

In the 2009 season, the Medaille men’s soccer team has had continuous success. All season long the Mavs have put up their best effort and it shows with their results. Once again, the team is atop the AMCC standings, looking to win a fifth consecutive Conference Championship. 1 comment

September 28

Boughton breaks record with his 63rd career assist

Ten years ago, on October 5, 1999, the Medaille Men’s Soccer team set the Division III record for giving up the most goals in a game by giving up 23 to Buffalo State. Fast forward to the 2009 season and that is a thing of the past, as now the Medaille Men’s Soccer team is a true contender to win a national championship.

Team looks to bright future

Throughout the season the Lady Mavs are hoping to put all the pieces together and communicate a little more so they’ll be able to pull off a promising season yet and make it to the playoffs.

Bisons strike out in inaugural season with Mets

If you happened to catch a Bisons game this past summer, you probably  couldn’t tell too much of a difference from seasons past. Sure, the  logo and the name of the stadium were different and the jerseys had a  new blue and orange color scheme to match those of their new  affiliates, but what really changed? You could still get a pair of  tickets and a few hot dogs without breaking the bank. The perky interns  (most from Medaille’s Sport Management program) still came out between  innings with fun giveaways and prizes for lucky winners. The excitement  in the stands was palpable as fans watched, expecting another winning  season from their beloved Bisons. 

Competitive edge sharpened by tough schedule

“Our concept is to play 11 strong on the field, and in fact, play 23 strong as a team,” said second year Head Coach Matthew Andrews (Women’s Soccer). If you have not heard yet, the women’s soccer program has something to be proud of. Coach Andrews led the program into a tough non-conference schedule, where they finished up play (2-5), including a 2-1 loss to Ohio Wesleyan; who have won back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002, and have a rich tradition of winning.

Cross country headed in new direction

Cross Country has a new coach, a new season and new expectations. The new coach is Jason Longo and he has a new idea on how to help train the cross country team. His training method is different than years before. Instead of running many meets, he has selected a fewer number meets for the team to compete in and then a championship meet. This is so that the runners can, in a way, train while running the meets but get their peak times at the championship meet on October 31.

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