(Photo: Franklin Pierce University Athletics)

For the first time ever, the Men’s Baseball team will start their season off with a three game road trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on February 24^th.

This will be the first season in the history of the program that starts off in Myrtle Beach. Last year the team went to the Dominican Republic in over Thanksgiving break and played affiliates of Major League baseball teams such as the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins. The trip lasted five days and helped showcase the players on the team.

This year’s trip will be different with the games being played in Myrtle Beach will count as legitimate games. These games are all being played as a part of  “The Ripken Experience” which is a series  of tournaments held in Myrtle Beach every year. Wins and losses will only count during the games against C.W. Post, Chestnut Hill, and West Virginia Wesleyan.

Isaac Wenrich, a senior first baseman said, “I can’t wait.  Any time you can start your season before March, it is awesome.” Wenrich went to stress that when it comes to an early start, preparation is key. Wenrich said, “We’re definitely ready. We’ve had some pretty good weather so far up here so we’ve been practicing outside. Our pitchers have been pitching in cold weather, and our hitters have been hitting in cold weather. Our stamina when we get to the warmer weather down there will definitely be an advantage.”

Kevin McGowan, a sophomore pitcher is also excited about the trip. “I’m really looking forward to it,” McGowan said. “I don’t think we’ve ever started out our season at Myrtle Beach, at least not since I’ve been here.”

There will be other teams from the Northeast playing in this tournament such as conference rivals, Southern New Hampshire University. “I don’t think that the teams from the South playing in this tournament have an advantage over the teams in the North,” McGowan said. “We put in a lot of work in the preseason just like everyone else.”

The team will continue to practice in Rindge outdoors until they leave for the trip. Last year they finished 40-14 and made an appearance in the Northeast-10 tournament.

The Ravens Basketball program had a two game sweep of the St. Rose Golden Knights this past Saturday, with the women’s squad winning 57-53 and the men 70-55. The victory, the men’s team would clinch their first winning season ten full years.

The Lady Ravens entered their contest in a virtual tie with the Golden Knights in the Northeast-10 standings, both with 9-5 conference records and 12-6 overall.  The team was led by a combined effort from seniors Jewel White and Marielle Giroud, who both ended with double-doubles.  White would finish with 17 points and 15 rebounds, while Giroud went for a game high 18 points and 14 rebounds.

(Photo By: Franklin Pierce Athletics)

Part way through the first half, after scoring her first nine points, White moved into sole possession of tenth place on the Ravens all time scoring list with 1,264.  The center currently leads the team in scoring with 17.7 points per game well as rebounds per game with 11.6.

Franklin Pierce went up against a St. Rose attack that was led by Ashley Rath who had 13 points, and Gabie Polce not far behind with 11.  However, it would appear that the Raven had the game in hand going into the locker room at half time with a 33-21 lead.  In the second half, however, the Golden Knights came back to finally take a 42-41 lead with just under eight minutes left in regulation.  Franklin Pierce would come right back to straight to Giroud on what seemed like every offensive possession.  Making their free throws and owning the rebounding battle by an amazing tally of 43-32, the Ravens would hold on to take the four point victory.

“We all played really well,” said Giroud.  “It’s great to be able to have everyone playing well at this point of the season.”

Head Coach Steve Hancock said, “It looked like we were shooting ourselves in the foot for a while there in the second half, but we got a lot of production from Marielle (Giroud) in the end which helped a lot.  Also rebounding the way we did today can never hurt you.”

The Men’s Basketball team found the same result as their counterparts with a few more fireworks to show for it.  Winning their match by a impressive score of 77-55 and improving their record to 14-5, the men would clinch their first season with a winning record in ten years.  The last time they finished with over a .500 winning percentage was in 2002, when the team ended with a 15-12.  This year also give the Men’s Basketball team the most wins that the program has had since 2003.

(Photo By: Franklin Pierce Athletics)

The Raven’s were led by freshman starter Ryan Vilmont.  The 6’5 forward finished the game going 8-12 from the field and had a game high 21 points, 15 of which came from five three pointers.  Vilmont also had four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the victory.

The squad would shoot a very impressive 50 percent from the field for the game, including 42 percent from behind the arc.  Helping in that were sophomore forward Ellis Cooper, and senior center Adedamola Abu who each chipped in 12 points.

Head Men’s Basketball Coach David Chadbourne said, “The guys we have this year are kind of over-qualified for their roles.  We’ve got guys coming off of the bench like Andre Blackwood and Igor Lebov who help out a lot.”

Chadbourne went on to stress that the team owes its success this year partly to the fact that they’re healthy, which points to the Raven’s injury struggles in recent seasons.  Ellis Cooper had spent the better part of last year out due to injury and now playing his first full season with the team, he is among the team leaders in scoring, while at the same time being a constant influence as team captain.

The Raven’s continue their press towards the playoffs with a home game against St. Michael’s on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.  For more information on both basketball teams, please visit athletics.franklinpierce.edu.

(Photo: athletics.franklinpierce.edu)

by Siobhan Dunn
edited by Amanda Cote & Kristin Carbone

Franklin Pierce men’s ice hockey tied Stonehill 3-3 in Northeasat-10 conference play at Foxboro Sports Center Monday night.

“I would say for the most part we were well prepared. I think we understood the magnitude of the game based on the season series,” said Head Coach Jaymie Harrington.

Franklin Pierce is now 3-9-4 (2-2-2 Northeast-10) and 0-1-1 against Stonehill with one game remaining against the Skyhawks on Feb. 4.

After a scoreless first period, Franklin Pierce took a 2-0 lead in the second period when junior defenseman Brendan McCarron scored twice in the first eight minutes.  Stonehill quickly retaliated when sophomore forward Bryan Rooney scored on the power-play with an assist from junior forward Christopher Gorovtiz ending the second period 2-1.

(Photo: Siobhan Dunn)

Franklin Pierce defenseman Andrew Dadds put away another power-play goal eight minutes into the third period giving the Ravens back the two-goal lead.  The assists went to junior forwards Dino Federico and Adam Dallaire.

Later in the third period, three penalties were called within minutes of each other.  With a 4-3 player advantage, Stonehill pulled their goaltender.  Sophomore forward Bill Carey scored for Stonehill on the power-play.  Just two minutes later, junior forward Dana Borges scored tying up the game, 3-3.

The game went into overtime but neither team scored causing the game to end in a 3-3 tie.

“I think that we need to find that way to close out games.  We had a 3-1 lead late in the third but they were able to get the power-play goal and the tying goal within a few minutes of each other,” said Harrington.

Raven sophomore goaltender John O’Brien made 43 saves while senior Tyler Jackson made 23 saves for Stonehill.

“I definitely believe we played hard and played up to the game’s magnitude.  We had a few guys hurt and we had other guys compensate for those who were out,” said sophomore defenseman Kyle Craig.

The Ravens play next at home Saturday, Jan. 28 against Assumption in a Northeast-10 Conference game at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena at 7:30 p.m.

Statistics provided by http://collegehockeystats.net/1112/boxes/mfpustn1.j23.

After having a great game against Assumption, the Men’s Basketball team got their third straight victory defeating Pace University with a final score of 74-64.

The team went into the contest with a 12-4 record, which was by far a major improvement since the 2010-11 season when the Raven’s finished at 6-21. After  only being down by five, the Ravens came into the second half outscoring Pace by 15. The squad had multiple players scoring in double digits, including sophomore forward Ellis Cooper.

Photo By: athletics.franklinpierce.edu

“I am only one piece to a puzzle. Yeah I can have a good game but it’s a team thing. They help me get my points and I do the same thing for them offensive wise and defensive wise,” said Cooper.

The captain would end the game with 23 points and seven rebounds. He also managed four steals and a pair of assists. Others that were in double figures were junior guard Eric Jean- Guillaume with 18, and freshmen forward Ryen Vilmont who had 13 points and a pair of blocks.

Head Coach David Chadbourne said, “We had a rocky season last year. Coming into this season we lost two guys who graduated but gained one.  I’m glad that we got our act together this season and hope that we keep doing what were doing and we might get to the top like where we want to be.”

The Ravens next square off against Saint Rose on Saturday January 28. For more information, stats, and upcoming games, check out athletics.franklinpierce.edu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5UDAqxo4Uc&feature=g-upl

The men’s soccer team will play fourth-seeded Le Moyne in the semi-finals of the Northeast-10 Conference tournament this Friday at 4 p.m. at Sodexho Field as they continue their quest for a second national championship in four years.

The Ravens defeated Le Moyne in their regular season finale 2-1 on Saturday, October 29th. Freshmen Tom Wampler and Trent Roy accounted for the team’s two goals. With their victory the Ravens improved to 17-0-1 on the season.

(Photo: Kyle Soule)

“When we played them (Le Moyne) Saturday it was a really rough game,” said freshman goalkeeper Sam Meza. “We’re pretty confident. We already know what they look like so we’ll know how to handle them second time around.”

On Tuesday, the team defeated eighth-seeded Stonehill 4-0 in the quarterfinal round. The game was played at Southern New Hampshire University due to the weather conditions at Sodexho.

Since last season the Ravens have won 28 of their last 30 games, with two ties. Another conference title could be just a few victories away. They have participated in the tournament every year since 2007, the last year they won the national championship.

Fan support is a huge part of the team’s success. “It means so much to the players and staff when members of Franklin Pierce University and the local Rindge community come out to support us on game day,” said Head Coach Craig Stewart.

(Photo: Kyle Soule)

According to Stewart, the team’s reputation has been built off of their unity and moral support for each other. Led by six seniors, they have held opponents to .63 goals per game, scoring an average of 2.1 a game. They finished the regular season ranked second in the country, higher than their ranking than 2007 when they won it all.

“The important thing is that we don’t let our success get to our head,” said senior goalkeeper Michael Pelletier. “Our team is more focused on the game coming up rather than the last game.”

Stewart said, “I think there is a team culture and identity that has been created over the years that will hopefully serve us well for many years to come.”

If victorious on Friday, the team will advance to the conference finals, putting them one victory away from another Northeast-10 Championship. For more information on the conference tournament and the NCAA tournament, log on to athletics.franklinpierce.edu.

FPU Golf Team (Photo: Google)

Previously ranked 10th out of 11 teams in the beginning of the season, the golf team has been “turning heads,” according to head coach Greg Scerbinski, from their stellar performance this season.

The golf team capped off its impressive 2011 fall season with a great finish in the second round at the New England Interscholastic Gold Association Championship.  Senior co-captain BJ Powers and junior Ian Landry led the way for the Ravens with the two best scores on the team.  The team finished 11th out of 34 teams in the tournament.

The golf team has had multiple performances like this including a 1st place finish at the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational and a 2nd place finish at the NE-10 Championship, one of the better performances in school history.

Scerbinski’s “Big 3″, senior co-captain BJ Powers, senior co-captain Brian Fleckles, and junior Ian Landry are the leaders of the Franklin Pierce golf team.

“They set a real good role for the rest of the team in terms of practice,” Scerbinski said.  “We have a lot of fun but when it is time to perform, it’s time to focus.”

The other members of the five man squad include freshman CJ Konkowski and sophomore Adam Spencer.  Konkowski, who just led his squad to a first place finish shooting a 75, has been really happy with the depth the team has this season.

“Yeah it’s pretty awesome because in the past the team has had one or two good players.  It is a lot more fun when you go into a tournament knowing you have a chance to win,” Konkowski said.

Scerbinski said there was no stand out player, describing their success as “a real team effort.”

The team’s performance next spring season will determine if it will be eligible to participate during post-season play at the end of April.

The team will be honored for its outstanding season on Thursday, October 20th, at halftime of the Pierce Pride field hockey game.

The field hockey team has made a complete turnaround with the start of the second half of the season, winning more games and breaking records.

With a three and six start to the season, the turnaround started with a strong win against No. 10 in the nation Bentley on Oct. 4 who they beat again eight days later. The Ravens dominated both games winning 2-0 and 4-2 respectively.  In the first game, the Ravens were led by senior goalkeeper Brittany Nyzio.  Nyzio three saves to earn her eighth shutout of her Franklin Pierce career, which set a new program record for shutouts.

(Photo: athletics.franklinpierce.edu)

“Words can’t describe how it feels to break the record,” said Nyzio.  “It means knowing that hard work really does pay off.”  Nyzio is also currently the only Franklin Pierce goalkeeper to earn 20 wins.

Nyzio was not alone in breaking records.  In the team’s next game against Saint Anselm’s, senior forward Tia Levins scored her 26^th and 27^th goals in the 3-1 victory, tying and then breaking the program record for all-time goals.  Levins thanked her teammates for helping her.

“Clearly I wouldn’t be in this position without my teammates,” said Levins.

With the team breaking records and winning games, Coach Meighan Guiney explained that this demonstrates that the team is performing and making strides.  “The two records that have been broken mean two things: we are scoring goals and limiting the amount that go in. That’s always a plus,” said Guiney.

The team now stands at 7-8 with three games remaining.  Even with the tough start, playoffs are not out of the question and the team continues to prepare for the rest of the season.  Guiney said, “If we come into every game with the mindset that we can win and we play 70 minutes there is no reason we should not make the playoffs.”

Levins had similar thoughts on the team’s potential.  “As long as we keep doing what we have been doing, we are sure to make it far,” said Levins.

The team has confidence that goes beyond just making the playoffs.  “We’ve really come together as a team and we’re upsetting the NE-10,” said Nyzio. “If we can hang neck and neck with nationally ranked teams, the Championship is where it’s at.”

(Photo: athletics.franklinpierce.edu)

Both Levins and Guiney attributed the team’s success in the second half of the season to the team coming togehter.  “ We are all communicating better with each other,” Levins said.  Guiney added that this team is “the most well-rounded team – character, personality and skill” since she came to Franklin Pierce in 2006.

Nyzio said, “We started the season playing not to lose, playing to our opponent. Now we’re playing to win, playing to have fun, and making our opponent play to our level, rather than us playing at their level.”

The field hockey team will travel  to Saint Michael’s on Saturday, Oct. 15 for their last away game and their last two games will be at home against Stonehill and Assumption on Oct. 20 and Oct. 22 respectively.

The women’s rowing team will compete in the Head of the Charles for the first time in three years in their new custom-painted crimson boat named after the donor, Bernie Taradash.

“This is one of the premiere athletic events of the world,” said Head Coach Jeff Allen. “We go down to win.”

(Photo: athletics.franklinpierce.edu)

The Head of the Charles, held on October 22nd, is a three-mile race similar to other “head” races, where each boat races against time. Competitors will include Penn State, Northwestern, and Chicago, to name a few, while the race regularly draws national teams from as far away as Sydney, Australia.

“If you look at the competition, it’s pretty intense,” said Allen.

Allen described his team’s outlook as excited and anxious, saying the event draws a crowd of 400,000-500,000 along the Charles River. The course is difficult and puts a lot of pressure on the coxswain with several hairpin turns that can cost a team up to 30 seconds, which could amount to 10 or 15 places. Even missing a buoy may add up to an entire minute onto the team’s final time.

The Ravens are training to compete at 30 strokes per minute for the Head of the Charles, dependent on both the weather and team’s conditioning. “You try to balance stroke ratings with workloads to get the optimum performance for the course,” said Allen.

The boat will be christened with both champagne and Pearly Pond water. There will be brief speeches to honor the boat’s donor who is “an incredible friend to Franklin Pierce,” according to Allen, and who will be in attendance.

The carbon-fiber boat models an aircraft industry design, weighing only 113 pounds despite its 41’6″ length.

For more information on the 47^th annual Head of the Charles race, visit http://hocr.org/home/default.asp.

(Photo: Deanna Miller)

by Danielle Russell

From Thursday September 1st until Sunday September 4th the woman’s volleyball team played in the Puma Invitational Tournament for the first time ever.

The Puma Invitational Tournament took place at St. Josephs College in Rensselaer, Indiana. The Tournament consisted of seven teams. The team played against four of the seven: Michigan Tech, McKendree, Indiana University Pennsylvania, and Notre Dame (Ohio).

They lost their matches against Michigan Tech (3-2), Notre Dame(3-2) and Indiana(3-0), while beating McKendree (3-0).

Women’s volleyball “started out strong for this upcoming season playing against teams we knew nothing about,” said Kylie Clemens, Junior Team Manager.

The team also had some loyal fans rooting for them from the stands.

“It was so great to have a chance to watch the girls as the they traveled here to Indiana. They did such a wonderful job in the new environment, considering the humidity there was last weekend also!” said Deanna Miller, mother of Lauren Miller.

The trip wasn’t all hard work and no play. “This trip caused us to really bond as a team and find out more about each other both on and off the court,” said Clemens. The team had the opportunity to go four wheeling and go carting after the tournament concluded on Saturday.

(Photo: Deanna Miller)

The girls also had the pleasure of visiting Sophomore Captain Lauren Miller’s hometown. “It’s nice the girls were able to see where I come from so that they have a better understanding about my home when I talk about it,” said Lauren Miller. The team was invited to the Miller barn to enjoy a home cooked meal.

“Seeing the girls bond together while hanging out at the house and playing for the first time together was amazing. They have such a bright future to look forward to, we are all so excited to watch them grow,” said Deanna Miller.

(Photo: Deanna Miller)

Come out and support Women’s Volleyball at their next home game September 24^that 1:00pm vs. New Haven.