Merciad Articles

Sports Page 8September 8, 2010

Football team plays with added incentive

Mercyhurst College’s football team added extra motivation for success this season by “Making a Point to Take Away Cancer.”

Head coach Marty Schaetzle decided to personally donate $1 for every point scored and $5 for every takeaway (interception and fumble recovered) during the 2010 season.

The team will donate based on the same guidelines.

Schaetzle was inspired during summer camp to aid in the battle against cancer.

“It [was] a combination of hear-ing something, seeing an ad and hearing about other coaches doing something,” Schaetzle said.

This combination prompted him to think of what could be done through football.

“I came up with the slogan, ‘Make a Point to Take Away Cancer,’ [and] it covered all the possibilities and tied into football,” Schaetzle said.

The players accepted this cam-paign without hesitation.

“I think it’s great. We have a couple guys on this team, myself

included, that are faced with dev-astation of cancer,” senior quarter-back Garrett Kensy said. “Ninety percent of the guys on the team

have been affected by cancer per-sonally, whether it be a friend, family member or anything like that. I think it’s great to all rally together and give back.”

Both Kensy and junior offensive linemam Jeffory Pollard are cancer survivors.

In 2007, Kensy, a sophmore at the time, was diagnosed with cancer and missed the entire season.

Last season Pollard was diag-nosed with with cancer and missed the 2009 season.

The connection that both of these players have formed through

strong. The team has also formed a a spe-

cial sensitivity to the battles fought by cancer patients as they have seen two teammates beat cancer

Both students, through support from the team and Schaetzle, have returned from these ordeals.

Kensy, the starting quarterback, has been a exceptional success story battling back from cancer.

The football team encourages

other teams, students, faculty and members of the community to jump on board.

teams would do a pledge and raise as much money as possible,” Schaetzle said.

“Hopefully, we can get a little momentum with the guys on the team and their families, and it

Kensy said.Another member of the athletic

community agrees. “I am going to try and encour-

age my team, as well as my friends, to help out this cause,” senior base-ball player Craig Denman said.

that everyone schoolwide can get involved with and help out.”

The Mercyhurst Athletic website provides a link to those wishing to make donations to the initiative.

The John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation of Erie will receive the money raised by the “Make a Point to Take Away Cancer” initiative.

By D.J. HaurinContributing writer

Freshmen give ’Hurst a fresh start to season

Mercyhurst College football players junior Je! Pollard and senior Garrett Kensy serve as inspiration for their team.

Tyler Stau!er photo

The Mercyhurst College wom-en’s soccer team won impressively by completely dominating their opposition in their opening two games of the season.

In the season opener Sept. 3, the Lakers crushed West Virginia Uni-versity Institute of Technology 7-0.

The win showed the strength of the recruiting class as six new play-ers scored.

Freshmen Gabrielle Catrabone and Perrin Kern led the way with two goals each, and Maria Antunez and Katie Michaelis each scored.

The Lakers then continued their dominance Sept. 5 when they defeated Davis & Elkins College 4-1.

Marsh added another two goals, and freshman Aina Torres and junior Paige McDowell each scored one.

Catrabone, a McDowell High

School graduate, added three assists, starting off her college career very strongly.

She believes the team has strong

unity, which has showed through its performances.

“I think our team has a lot of depth and is clicking early in the

season,” said Catrabone. “A strong desire to improve and

do well, plus good coaching, are the main reasons for the team clicking

so well and so quickly,” Catrabone said.

Senior Jamie Schroter says the strong start is a result of a solid pre-season.

“We have been able to start playing very well as a team,” said Schroter. “We are just trying to improve from game to game so web are ready for our strong Penn-sylvania State Athletic Conference schedule.”

The Lakers were disappointed

minute to Davis and Elkins.“It was a good reality check that

we need to stay focused all 90 min-utes, but that goal was still disap-pointing,” Catrabone said.

Though disappointing, the Lakers continue to dominate and have high hopes for the season, as they defeated Ohio Valley Univer-sity, 4-0, on Tuesday.

The game was shortened at 71 minutes due to lightning.

By Billy ColtonStaff writer

Freshman Gabrielle Catrabone maneuvers past a West Virginia University Institute of Technology defender as the Lakers would rout the Golden Bears 7-0.

Tyler Stau!er photo


Travis Rearick: the man behind the signs

In every sport, players and coaches are forced to fi nd a way to communicate with one another, without the other team knowing what is happening.

After careful consideration, many coaches chose to use signs as the primary way to communicate throughout the course of a game.

Mercyhurst College football is no different. Looking on the sidelines during a Lakers offensive series, fans can see number 14 giving obscure signs to the offense.

Is there a rhyme or reason to these signs, or are they just there to confuse the other team, and who is this number 14?

This number 14 is redshirt junior Travis Rearick. Rearick has served his team as the back-up quarterback the last three seasons.

He also aids his team as the play caller, giving signs during every

offensive series. After sitting down with Rearick,

one can see exactly why and how

these signs come about. “The signs I give in the game are

useful because they are quick and

meaningful,” Rearick said. This allows senior quarterback

Garrett Kinsey to give the play to the offense in a quick manner in order to avoid a penalty.

Although most of the signs are effi cient, Rearick still fi nds some time to have some fun with them.

“We love having fun with the signs, so sometimes we take what is convenient like making an L with my hand for left, or sometimes it’ll be funnier like giving myself wolf ears and lifting up my leg as if to pee for our sign for wolf forma-tion,” said Rearick. ”I personally think that some things have to be funny in order to commit them to memory faster.”

If anyone has seen a Mercyhurst football game in the last three years, funny is an understatement.

Just look at the sidelines during an offensive series the next time you are at a game and you can see number 14 giving signs and having fun.

Rearick’s not limited to play call-ing, he also helps out the team in

any facet he can. After each series, he has a one-on-one with Kinsey to help him make better reads or to point out something that he may have noticed.

“After a series, Garrett will usu-ally come off and talk to coach (Marty Schaetzle) and then to me to try and see if he missed any open routes, or maybe what the backside of a play looked like,” Rearick said.

Perseverance and dedication to his teammates convinced Rearick to stick around the last four years, always being the backup.

“I felt a loyalty to my friends and teammates here at the ‘Hurst. Transferring wouldn’t have solved anything,” Rearick said.

Saturday, the Lakers suffered their fi rst loss of the season to Kutztown University 35-14.

Rearick continues his act on Homecoming Weekend, Saturday, Sept. 25, against Lock Haven Uni-versity.

Be sure to check out the sidelines for number 14 when Mercyhurst has the ball.

By D.J. HaurinStaff writer

Field hockey stays optimistic despite losses

Mercyhurst College football player junior Travis Rearick is the man behind the signs for the Laker offense.

Ethan Magoc photo

The Mercyhurst College fi eld hockey team started off the season on a low note, with a 1-4 start.

The Lakers recently went win-less in their fi rst two-game home stand, fall-ing to Millersville University 4-2, and Bellarmine University 2-1.

Despite the results, the Lakers have been looking at the little successes from each game and are seeking to improve.

“We are on track for success,” said head coach Stacey Gaudette, “We have a set list of goals for ourselves this year and everyone is working to improve.”

The Lakers have various objectives for themselves this year, such as scor-ing a goal in each game and having a certain amount of corners per game.

“From someone looking at us from the outside they may not see it, but we feel that we are improving in a number of different areas,” Gaudette said.

Junior Serena Slattery has certainly bought into this positive attitude.

“I feel like we are right on track to accomplishing our goals. We are get-ting there a little bit at a time but we are really building up to being good,” Slattery said.

Despite some of the struggles there have been some early bright spots on the fi eld hockey team.

One of these positives has been freshman Meghan Smith.

Smith scored the lone goal on a breathtaking arching shot, which landed right behind the goalie, for the Lakers in their 2-1 defeat Monday at the hands of Bellarmine.

More impressive was that the play was specifi cally designed for Smith, already showcasing her immense talent.

If the Lakers look to turn their season around, they will need to con-tinue to keep their positive attitude and hope these fl ashes of young talent are more than aberrations.The Lakers next play Sept. 18 at Shippensburg Univer-sity.

By Nick GlasierSports editor

Freshman defenseman Kellie Avery passes the ball up the fi eld in the Lakers’ 4-2 loss to Millersville University.

Ethan Magoc photo


Defense wins championships. Coaches across the nation preach this to every team.

Mercyhurst College football is no different.Although a Pennsylvania State Athletic Con-

ference championship has yet to come Mercy-hurst’s way, the team’s defense has won some big games during the past few seasons.

Senior Fred Hale has led this defensive attack the past two seasons.

Hale became a regular his sophomore year, starting every game at defensive end. He kept his performance level high and earned the starting job again in 2009.

Now, at the start of his senior year, Hale is playing at his highest level as one of the key leaders on defense.

“I see myself as a leader. I try to lead by example by always working hard and trying to

do right,” Hale said.The “right” path on the fi eld has sent suc-

cess Hale’s way since 2008. Last year, Hale recorded a career high 41 tackles, 13.5 of which were for a loss of a combined 50 yards. Hale is off to a fl ying start in 2010, already recording 15 tackles.

Defensive end Fred Haletackles leadership role

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Fred Hale rules the trenches on the fi eldContinued from Page 1Hale focuses hard before each

snap in order to get the best reads he can.

“I personally key on the offen-sive lineman’s stance and where his weight is distributed prior to the snap,” said Hale. “I just try to do my job and my responsibility, knowing the person next to me will do their job too.”

However, the job of a defensive end is not all that glamorous. Since Mercyhurst plays a 3-4 defense, there are only three defensive line-men going up against fi ve offensive linemen.

“Even though most of the time the defensive ends are getting single or double teamed, our nose tackles are getting it worse with double and triple teams every play,” Hale said.

This challenge only motivates them to play faster and harder, creating opportunities for the line-backers and defensive backs.

“I feel Alex Trouten, Serge Augustine and Dusty Galich, our three nose tackles, do a really good

job at taking on the centers and guards, allowing our linebackers to make plays,” Hale said.

Currently, Hale stands with 91 total tackles in his career, 25 of which were for a loss of yards.

Hale has also forced two fumbles in his career while recording nine sacks as well.

Hale’s athleticism doesn’t just stop on the fi eld.

After not wrestling since high school, Hale almost qualifi ed for nationals last year.

“Right now, I’m really focused on football, but I’m also excited for the wrestling season and what that will bring.”

This two-sport collegiate athlete stops at nothing when it comes to the sports he loves.

No one has to try to motivate him.

He comes ready to play and loves doing it.

“I am primarily motivated by the fact that it is my senior year and I know I’ll never get this opportunity to play again,” Hale said.

Fans can get their opportunity to see Hale play this weekend, as the

Lakers welcome the Eagles of Lock Haven University for their annual

Homecoming game at 1 p.m.

Kristen Cameron: more than just a coach

Hard working, competitive and dedicated are some of the words that Mercyhurst College women’s hockey head coach Michael Sisti, and assistant coach Paul Colontino, use to describe Kristen Cameron.

On Sept. 12, shock and devas-tation were the feelings running through both Sisti and Colontino when they heard a drunk driver hit Cameron, an assistant coach for the women’s hockey team, as she was biking.

“I was shocked and saddened when I heard the news,” said Colontino. “It was our day off and when you have such a busy week, you use this time early in the season like Kristen who used her day off to take a bike ride. It’s the last thing you expect.”

Sisti shared a similar response.“I was devastated. She was just

going out for a bike ride to stay fi t

and then she gets hit by a drunk driver,” said Sisti. “I was called and they asked me to come down to the hospital and I went there right

away.”Sisti ended up staying by Camer-

on’s side throughout the night and the next day.

Senior assistant captain Vicki Bendus also released a statement expressing the team’s emotions about the situation.

“The entire Mercyhurst Lakers Hockey family is devastated by this terrible tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kristen and her family during this diffi cult time. Kristen has always been a tremen-dous role model for us girls.,” said Bendus.

“Last year she was behind us pro-viding support and encouragement during the hockey season and now we are behind her as she battles to recover from her injuries. Her strength, will, and fi ght are inspira-tion for the entire team to have the most successful season we’ve ever had.”

The Lakers have rallied to sup-port Cameron, sending her story to various news stations. They plan to wear a patch on their jerseys this season with the initials K.C.

Cameron came to Mercyhurst to join the Organizational Leadership

Program, help coach the Lakers and work as a graduate assistant in the anthropology department.

“Every two years we bring in vol-unteers to learn the ropes of wom-en’s college hockey at the highest level,” said Sisti. “When she came in, our past graduate assistant had just left and our goal with all these assistants is for them to move on to become a full-time coach and that was the goal with her.”

According to Sisti, she was excel-ling at the tasks she faced as an assistant coach.

“She is a great coach. The girls really look up to her competitive-ness and how she is so ambitious and always striving for excellence,” Sisti said.

The Lakers will play in an exhi-bition game against Wilfrid Laurier University at the Mercyhurst Ice Center this Saturday at 2 p.m.

They will go into this game with a K.C. on their jerseys and Kristen Cameron on their mind.

By Nick GlasierSports editor

Mercyhurst College women’s hockey assistant coach, Kristen Cameron, talks to her players during last year’s Frozen Four.

Ethan Magoc photo

Mercyhurst College senior two-sport star, Fred Hale, is the leader of the defense on the football team and may be a key member of the wrestling team.

Ethan Magoc photos


Kimball family adds a wrinkle to rivalry

Junior Gerald Anderson hopes to spark the Lakers offensive. Last season Anderson ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns against the Golden Knights.

Nick Glasier photo

The Mercyhurst College football team faces off against its rival, the Golden Knights of Gannon this Saturday.

For two local players, this game means more.

Bryant and Connor Kimball grew up around football.

Their father coached it, and it came natural to them

This weekend, these young men will be defending their schools against one another, for the last time; Connor plays for Gannon and Bryant plays for Mercyhurst.

Both are sons of Mercyhurst’s own athletic director, Joe Kimball.

Kimball coached the Mercyhurst football team for nine years, posting an overall record of 41-46-1.

However, Kimball enters this weekend not as a coach, but as a father and athletic director.

Being an athletic director is only one of the hats Kimball wears, but it’s not always the one that comes fi rst.

“You’re always a dad and want nothing but the best for your kids,” Kimball said. “The father hat always prevails.”

When it comes to his kids, Kim-ball wants nothing more than for both to succeed. But when it comes to a specifi c school, he wants Mer-cyhurst to win.

“I want Connor and Bryant to both have great games defensively, but for Mercyhurst to win the game.”

It’s hard enough having two sons playing on two different teams in Erie. Add in their youngest Colin playing for McDowell High School on Friday nights, weekends get pretty hectic.

“It’s tough knowing that one of your sons is playing and you can’t be there,” Kimball said. “My wife goes in one direction and I go in another, so we are (both) some-where in the state of Pennsylvania watching football.”

This rivalry is no stranger to Bryant and his brother Connor.

Both have formed a little rivalry of their own the past couple of years playing against one another.

By D.J. Haurin Staff writer

arguments over football, but we try to keep it in perspective, which keeps the rivalry fun and fresh.”

Mercyhurst has an overall record of 3-1, 1-0 in the west division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

The Lakers are coming off a dynamic win against Lock Haven University this past Homecoming Weekend.

The Lakers scored 41 points against the Eagles, setting the tone for this week’s contest against Gannon.

“Last weekend was a big win,” Bryant said. “We struggled a little bit in the fi rst half, so we will take those mistakes and learn from them.”

The Golden Knights enter this weekend with an overall record of 2-2, 0-1 in the PSAC’s west divi-sion .

This past weekend they lost to another local rival, Edinboro Uni-versity, 13-0, and are looking to bounce back this week as they host the Lakers.

The Laker defense is a strong point of the team this year.

They have 12 interceptions for a combined 101 yards, holding oppo-nents to an average of 281 yards of

total offense per game. The Golden Knights have a

pretty good running game, averag-ing 135.5 yards per game.

Still, this should be no match for the Laker run defense, as they have held opponents to an average of 72.2 yards per game and, forced six fumbles.

For this weekend to be a success, the Mercyhurst pass defense needs improved.

The Lakers have only been able to hold opponents to an average of 208.8 yards per game in the air.

This number proves to be high among other members of the PSAC’s west division.

The Golden Knights pass defense hasn’t been much better, holding opponents to an average of 212.2 yards per game.

The Lakers lead Gannon in their overall series 9-3-1.

Last season the Lakers defeated Gannon 27-17.

As with any rivalry, statistics don’t count.

Whoever has the most heart and passion will prevail.

The next showdown between these rivals will begin on Saturday, at 12 p.m. at Gannon University Field.

“We keep it in perspective,” Bryant said. “Living at home in the summer, there are some heated

Mercyhurst College Junior safety Byrant Kimball, son of Athletic Director Joe Kimball, looks to keep Gannon’s wide receivers in check.

Nick Glasier photo

Page 7October 6, 2010

Football team throws away Niagara Cup

The Gannon University Golden Knights slipped by the Mercyhurst College Lakers Saturday, scoring with just two minutes left to solidify the come-from-behind victory.

Both sons of Athletic Director Joseph Kimball played big roles in the game. Bryant Kimball stuffed GU running back Tyler Batts on a 4th-and-3 to force a turnover with 45 seconds left to give the Lakers a shot at winning the game. On the ensuing drive, brother Connor Kimball intercepted a pass to seal the Knight’s victory.

This game is only the third time both teams scored 14 points or less. As the rivalry stands, the Lakers lead the head-to-head series, 9-4-1. However, since the renewal of the rivalry in 2004, when both joined the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s west division, Mercy-

hurst leads the series, 4-3.Both teams fought hard on Sat-

urday, proving to be a precedent set in the early ‘90’s when this rivalry

started. Since then, the home team hosting the game has only won three times, showing how hard each team plays when the game matters

the most.The Laker defense played hard

for the majority of the game, giving the offense the best chance at scor-

ing points. “The game was a battle just like we expected it to be,” senior linebacker Tim Herbner said. “We played well defensively for 58 minutes, but couldn’t get it done in the last two minutes.”

Although the defense played well, the Laker offense failed to fi nd a rhythm and move the ball. Both teams punted the ball a total of 17 times, proving that each team’s defense played an important role in this game.

“It’s a hard loss, but we have to put it behind us because we have another huge game this week,” Herbner said.

The Lakers will travel to Indi-ana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Saturday. A win here moves the Lakers into the top three in the PSAC’s west division.

The Lakers upset the Crimson Hawks last year on Homecom-ing, 20-16, but this year they face a hungry team looking for redemp-tion.


Mercyhurst College junior Nick Jackson falls short of tackling Gannon University senior quarterback Zach Boedicker in Mercyhurst’s 14-10 loss.

Ethan Magoc photo

Hockey is back

My previous post at The Merciad was covering our men’s ice hockey team, a job that I relinquished to take this one. However, one thing has not changed, and that’s the passionI have to write with about hockey.

Would it be too much to assume that Mercyhurst has been awaiting the arrival of hockey season?

The fi rst home game was a women’s game against Wilfrid Laurier, an impressive win for the No. 3 ranked Lakers.

This year is very important and exciting for the women’s program, as they welcome back two-time gold medalist Meghan Agosta for her senior season with Mercyhurst.

The team has also brought back many familiar names as well as some new freshmen who are eager to get things rolling at the ‘Hurst, especially in a year when Erie will be hosting the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four.

When asked about making this year’s team, freshman Christie Cicero said it’s “exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Coming to a team who is on a completely different level of play is so exciting.”

“As a freshman, I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’m learning from the best, and the Frozen Four will be an amazing experience in our home town here. Mercyhurst women’s hockey is a big time thing,” Cicero said.

This is true, knowing that, Erie will indeed rally around its hometown Lakers in hopes that the Mercyhurst women make it to the Frozen Four this coming this March.

For the rest of this column go to merciad.mercyhurst.edu.

By Steve BukowskiColumnist


Mercyhurst and Edinboro fi ghting cancer

The Mercyhurst College football team beat local rival Edinboro Uni-versity Saturday in an exciting over-time. However, this game represented more than a friendly competition.

As part of Edinboro’s “Cancer Awareness Day,” the two teams played to raise awareness and funds for the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation.

“Everyone has been touched in some way by cancer,” Head Coach Marty Schaetzle said. “We’ve had two of our own in the past few years fi ght testicular cancer. This is just a small way that we as a football team can help contribute to fi ght against cancer.”

Edinboro head coach Scott Brown-ing couldn’t have agreed more.

“This is more than a game,”

Browning said. “It’s about Edin-boro and Mercyhurst uniting and fi ghting this disease.”

Battling on the fi eld for bragging rights only helped fi ght this disease.

“Yes, we (had) a big football game, but playing to fi ght cancer really put things in perspective,” Browning said.

“During the season, we get tied up with what happens on Saturday and lose perspective of what’s really important,” Schaetzle said.

Both agreed what was really impor-tant this past weekend was bringing awareness to this horrible disease.

To go along with Edinboro’s “Cancer Awareness Day,” all cancer survivors were admitted into the game for free and were recognized before the start of the game.

Donations were taken to benefi t the Kanzius Cancer Research Foun-dation and fans were encouraged to donate to the “Make a Point to Take Away Cancer” campaign.

“As coaches, we raise money for projects, such as a new locker room or new equipment, but I think it was

more important to redirect our efforts to something bigger,” Schaetzle said.

This game defi nitely meant more

to some of the players. Both teams have been affected in

some way by cancer. Mercyhurst’s Garrett Kensy and Jeffrey Pol-lard are both cancer survivors, and Edinboro’s Cody Harris has seen his mother battle breast cancer the last two years.

“I have great admiration for Jeff and Garrett,” Browning said. “It affects all of us in a negative way.”

Harris’ mother was an honorary captain and assisted with the coin toss this past Saturday.

“What coach Schaetzle and the football program are doing is of great value, no matter what the amount raised,” said Director of Athletics Joe Kimball.

The players showed their support by wearing pink wristbands. The Lakers roll into this weekend with an overall record of 5-2, 3-1 in the conference. They bring with them a lot of momentum, coming off two huge wins the past two weeks.


Schaetzle has been a leading force in Mercyhurst College’s “Making a Point to Take Away Cancer” campaign.

Ethan Magoc photo

Fall break nonexistent for men’s soccer

While the majority of students went home for fall break, men’s soccer - who were ranked number 4 in the nation last week - was on the road for the whole four days in New York, and Washington D.C.

They did not complain or moan about having to play during break but instead continued to win games.

First up was Molloy College on Friday, Oct. 15 in New York. The Lakers disposed of the Lions 4-1 with graduate student Christoph Hampel grabbing three assists.

The Lakers then traveled to Washington D.C to face The Uni-versity of the District of Columbia defeating the Firebirds 4-1. Mer-cyhurst’s record now stands at an imposing 11-0-2.

The team certainly racked up the miles on the bus this weekend while most other students were with their families. The players, though, didn’t mind.

“It’s a commitment that all of us

made to play soccer, and the road trips are always a lot of fun with the guys,” senior Tommy Lund said.

Lund does admit that it is much easier to enjoy the long away trips when the team is winning.

“If you’re losing it can be a ter-rible trip, but when your winning it makes the whole trip better,” Lund

said. Lund, who hails

from South Euclid, Ohio, said he would have just gone home for a few days if he didn’t have soccer, although he was happy to be away with the team.

Graduate student Dale Young didn’t have the same options as he is one of 10 for-eigners on the soccer team who would not have been able to make it home for the break.

Young, who is from Birmingham, England, said, “It’s good to be

out on the road with the soccer boys because I would be with them anyway. It’s great to get on the bus and have a bit of banter with the boys.”

With the break being so short, many of the foreigners would have been limited for choices for the break.

“I would have either stayed in Erie and been bored or I would have had to spend money and go somewhere, so it would have been

a lose-lose. At least this way I’m with the lads the whole time, and were winning games and seeing big cities,” Young said.


Sophomore Austin Solomon fi ghts for the ball against a defender.

Tyler Stauffer photo

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LakerNet’s demise

looms in December Online poll results:

How do you feel about the

Ice Center weight room?Page 5

Bad decision.

Spend $250,000

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Great addition.

Support our

athletes.

Great addition.

The Rec is too

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Why did

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the road?

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12%

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Senior shares his gift for

music through education


Football team beats Cal for huge win

Twenty-four. A normal number to some, but to the Mercyhurst College football team, it represents something greater.

On Saturday, the Lakers knocked off No. 3 California University of Pennsylvania, 31-21, breaking a 24-game conference win streak for the Vulcans.

With the win, the Lakers earned the No. 24 spot in the Ameri-can Football Coach’s Association (AFCA) poll, giving them a national ranking for the fi rst time in the pro-gram’s history.

At the same time, Mercyhurst pushed Cal from No. 3 to 14 in this week’s poll.

Head coach Marty Schaetzle couldn’t be prouder of his team.

“It’s great recognition for what we have been doing,” Schaetzle said. “We should be proud, but we just need to stay focused on the upcom-ing game against Slippery Rock.”

The Lakers’ win over the week-end came in a different fashion than the previous weeks, as they domi-nated the Vulcans from the fi rst quarter, rather than waiting until the fi nal drive.

Prior to the meeting with Mer-

cyhurst, Cal, fi ve-time defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Con-ference (PSAC) Western Division champion, had rolled off 24 con-secutive conference wins.

The last three weeks proved very exciting for the Lakers, who have turned in clutch performances to beat three quality teams – Indiana (IUP), Edinboro and Cal.

However, this excitement has been focused on one thing.

Junior quarterback Travis Rear-ick put that into perspective.

“We had a goal to win the PSAC West,” Rearick said. “The past three weeks, we have just been fi ghting to keep the dream alive.”

Senior cornerback Julius McCor-mick took those words to heart.

“We always have a goal to win the west, and we can’t win the west by just beating Cal,” McCormick said. “We now have to beat Slippery Rock and Clarion, which forces us to focus harder.”

The Laker defense played a cru-cial role in the victory over the Vul-cans. Cal quarterback Josh Portis was constantly under pressure and was sacked four times for a total loss of 39 yards.

“Our plan was to be aggressive the whole game,” senior linebacker Tim Herbener said. “Defensively, we always pride ourselves on being sound in our responsibilities

because when we all do our jobs collectively, no one can beat us.”

Building on each win, the past three weeks have been stepping stones for the defense.

“I think the games that we’ve played previously have kind of helped us out, even though they have been rather tough,” Schaetzle said. “It has really given us a new kind of confi dence that we now

play with.”Offensively, the Lakers threw

for 299 yards, scoring four touch-downs.

For Rearick, this is nothing new.Earning the starting job just three

weeks ago, the PSAC West Offen-sive Player of the Week has steadily improved, gaining confi dence from his team and coaches.

And yet, the junior quarterback will be the fi rst to tell you that he only played a small part in this game.

“It was a total team effort,” Rearick said. “Our special teams

gave our offense good fi eld posi-tion, and our defense stepped up in every possible way by creating turnovers.”

The Lakers enter this Saturday’s noon’s home game against Slip-pery Rock with lofty goals for the season’s remainder.

They are now in position to win the PSAC West and even host the conference championship game.

“Any time you beat a top fi ve team in the nation at any level,” Herbener says, “you are going to get some serious playoff consider-ations.”


Mercyhurst College junior Trevor Kennedy hauls in a touch-down catch to seal the Lakers’ 31-21 victory.

Ethan Magoc photo

Mercyhurst College junior Travis Rearick threw for 299 yards and four touchdowns against Cal. His performance earned him PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Ethan Magoc photo

Sports Page 8November 3, 2010

Every child has a dream, whether to become a skilled physician or a professional athlete.

Children dream big. Mercyhurst College freshman hockey player Nate Jensen is no different.

Ever since he was a young boy, hockey has been the centerfold of his life.

From the beginning, Jensen’s dream was to follow in his father’s footsteps by playing hockey at the professional level.

Those are lofty goals, but Jensen feels confi dent he can undertake the challenge.

His father, Dave Jensen, played three seasons with the Minne-sota North Stars of the National Hockey League and represented the United States at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

His uncle Paul also played for Team USA, participating in the

1976 Olympics.“I have always looked up to my

dad,” Jensen said. “As soon as I could skate, I was encouraged to play hockey at a high level.”

His father opened his eyes to the value of the sport and ways to har-ness this tool throughout life.

“My dad taught me to be a good hockey player, but also how to be a

good person through hockey. It has taught me several life lessons: the value of teamwork, leadership, to be positive when there is adversity, but most of all, it taught me to have fun in whatever you are doing,” Jensen said.

His family keeps him motivated, as he strives to surpass his cousins.

Three cousins also play hockey either at the collegiate or profes-sional level.

Cousin Joe Jensen plays in the Italian Serie A Professional League, cousin Jim Jensen plays at Augsburg College in Minnesota and brother Beau Jensen plays club hockey at Iowa State.

With the four of them, competi-tion comes naturally.

“My family is all about hockey when we get together,” Jensen said. “There is defi nitely bragging rights on the line when we play pick-up games, so they are pretty competi-tive.”

Growing up with a twin, the brothers constantly pushed each other.

“We would battle in everything we did,” he said.

Although his family played at larger schools––his father at the University of Minnesota and his uncle at Michigan Tech––Jensen chose Mercyhurst to be his step-ping stone to the next level.

“I had some options to play else-where, but when I came on my visit, I liked what I saw and felt this would be a good fi t for me,” he said.

Jensen recently started his fresh-man season at Mercyhurst, where he plays defense for the Lakers.

“Nate has seen a signifi cant increase in playing time since the start of the season,” said Assistant Sports Information Director Erik Kaminski.

Prior to Mercyhurst, Jensen played for the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

During his time there, he scored seven goals and assisted on 20 others.

The Storm recognized him as Defenseman of the Year.


Jensen hockey line comes to Mercyhurst

Soccer sweeps weekend series with Gannon

Mercyhurst College men’s and women’s soccer teams both defeated rival school Gannon University this past week.

The women started the trend on Friday when they humiliated the Golden Knights 7-1 on Mercy-hurst’s Senior Day.

The men won 1-0 on Sunday in a dramatic fashion.

There was just 21 seconds left on the clock when junior Alex Manea sent the crowd into a frenzy.

“There’s always something spe-cial about playing a team that is only a few blocks away,” said senior Tommy Lund, who was also cel-ebrating Senior Day.

Lund has experienced the rivalry for four years, seeing both victory and defeat.

“Mentally, you are more focused

than ever to win that game. Beat-ing Gannon can make a bad season a good one, and a good season a

great one,” he said.Graduate student Oliver Gage

agreed that it was extra special, and

that it was the perfect way to send off the seniors who have done a lot for Mercyhurst soccer.

Gage had been looking forward to this game for a long time.

“The whole atmosphere was great. I had heard a lot about the rivalry but I was yet to experience it.”

“The week leading up to the game the whole campus was buzz-ing with anticipation, you could see how much it meant to people with the great support we got,” said Gage.

The vocal crowd can be a dis-traction, says Gage, as there is a lot going on off the fi eld but players must stay focused.

“It’s important to stick to your game plan,” Gage said. “We really showed how mentally tough we are by staying focused for the full 90 minutes, not only by scoring the late goal, but also keeping a clean sheet.”

For the rest of this article visit merciad.mercyhurst.edu and click on the sports tab.


Mercyhurst College freshman Nate Jensen looks to continue a long family line of successful hockey players.

Sports Information photo

Mercyhurst College men’s and women’s soccer teams defeated rival Gannon University. On their senior days women defeated Gannon 7-1, while the men beat Gannon 1-0.

Ethan Magoc photo

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