The Bowdoin Orient
Volume CXXXII, Number 1
September 8, 2000
News ... Features ... Opinion ... A&E ... Sports
Under Head Coach Tim Gilbride's direction the men's soccer team enjoyed its most consistent success, including NCAA berths in 1997 and 1998 and a solid 7-5-2 season last year. Gilbride, however, stepped down as a varsity coach following the 1999 season to focus on his responsibilities as men's basketball coach. He will remain with the soccer program as the junior varsity coach.
Replacing Coach Gilbride is Brain Ainscough. Before coming to Bowdoin, Coach Ainscough had stints as an assistant coach at both Villanova and Boston College and as head coach at Providence College.
With Ainscough's intensity, a strong core of returning players, and an exciting group of freshmen the team looks to build upon its solid 1999 performance.
Despite the loss of goalie Tom Casarella (who graduated last year holding more than half the school's keeper records), the Poalr Bears will continue the tradition of solid defense. Harrison Leong's experience last year and his hard work in the off season will help provide reliable goalkeeping throughout the year.
While it remains to be seen how Ainscough will position his players, there will be a solid defensive unit on front of Leong. Senior tri-captain and starting sweeper Mike Eaton will anchor the defense. Junior Jeff Corsetti and sophomore Kevin Folan are also returning from last season's back four.
The Bears will not be short on offense either. With another productive season senior tri-captain Patrick Hultgren has a good opportunity to break the school's all-time scoring record.
Joining Hultgren in the attack will be versatile juniors Pat Bracewell and Dave Bulow as either forward of offensive-minded midfielders. Sophomore Bart McMann will also look to build on his experience last year and contribute to the attack.
The Bears open their season at home against Husson on Wednesday, September 13 at 4 o'clock. Their first conference game is next Saturday as they travel to Williams. In what could promise to be important conference games, the team plays Colby and Bates at home on October 21 and 25, respectively, before closing out the regular season on the road against Wesleyan.
At 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, the women's volleyball team will put on those knee pads and get ready to play the first game of the season. For two weeks this team of only ten women has been working hard to gain back some of the strength they lost from last year's graduation.
Despite the loss of four starters, Coach Lynn Ruddy is optimistic. "This group has so much potential," she said. "The newer members of the team are rapidly gaining confidence under the leadership of our captains Jaime Burnett '01 and Shanna Mitchell '01."
After waving goodbye to several veteran players last year, these senior captains are now in the position to step up to the net and build new strength for the upcoming season. A crew of strong sophomore hitters including Jessica Reuben, Michelle Platt, Mara Caruso, and Rebecca Geehr return this fall stronger than ever.
First years Erin Philipson and Bryony Heise have also joined the team and are currently training to be setters; they will provide a solid backup for starting setter and captain Shanna Mitchell '01. Captain Jaime Bennett '01, who is a strong defensive hitter, looks forward to working together with these younger players. "I am excited to have everyone bring their individual strengths to the team," she says. "I know that we can all work together."
The women's volleyball squad is also welcoming the addition of Assistant Coach Mike Connolly. Some of you may know him as Bowdoin's baseball coach but apparently, he's also a hit with the volleyball team. "Everyone likes him," said Ruddy. "He is working very hard to help the team with conditioning." Together Coach Ruddy and Coach Connolly hope to build the team's confidence, help them work to their potential, and blast through to the NESCAC Championships.
This year's playoffs will be especially exciting for the team because they are going to be held right here at Bowdoin. "Having the NESCACs here at school gives us special incentive to defeat several strong teams," said Geehr.
The Bates Bobcats may present a special challenge, entering the season with returning senior Kate Hagstrom, 1999 NESCAC Player of the Year.
However, to our delight, Coach Ruddy feels that Bowdoin has a relatively good chance against Colby this year. "Though they return with four senior starters, they have been very up and down lately."
This is great news for all you Polar Bear volleyball fans since the first Bowdoin-Colby game will be held in Morrell Gym on the evening of September 20. It is also the first home game in what promises to be a very exciting season.
A new coach, new sailors, a new year; the already impressive sailing team has set bigger goals this year. Thomas Sitzmann has taken over for MacGregor Gray, who left an outstanding group of sailors for the new coach to work with. "I'm very impressed so far," said Sitzmann, who recently left his position as assistant coach of the U.S. Naval Academy sailing team. "Mac has obviously done a great job. He has built the beginnings of a Division I level or a top ten level program."
Sitzmann believes that the sailing program has great potentialand wants to make it the best in New England. Although Bowdoin may not get to that level in the coming season, Sitzmann is determined to make it happen. For this year, he's aiming for a top five ranking in NEISA (New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association).
Sitzmann's reputation as a top sailor and coach should bring in some impressive recruits in the coming years. As the coach says, he has already been "inundated with interest" from prospective Bowdoin students. It looks as if the Polar Bear sailing team has embarked upon a journey that will take Bowdoin to a whole new level of competitiveness.
Although there is plenty of work ahead, the sailors are enthusiastic about the future of their team as well as their new coach. Seniortri-captain C. W. Estoff speaks for the team: "The team is very happy with him. Everyone's getting so much better so fast."
Estoff and fellow captains Kate Mendenhall '01 and Bridgid O'Connor '02 have set high goals for themselves and for their squad. Sitzmann is particularly impressed with the senior class for making the transition between coaches go smoothly for everyone. This year's seniors are Oren Abeles, Melissa Bailey, Jace Brown, Holly Noble, Kevin Oh, Mitch O'Neill, Mendenhall, and Estoff.
Many of the sailors are very similar in ability, so there should be a steady string of great performances this season. Mitch O'Neill is off to an impressive start, and Melissa Bailey is beginning what should be a great season as crew.
The strong sophomore class is led by Ryan Cauley and crew Melanie Keene; Laura Windecker and crew Heather Honiss; and by Allison Binkowski and crew Tiana Gierke.
The freshman class includes experienced sailors and newcomers, many of whom show considerable promise. Ben Peterson, Lizzy Jones, and Katy Adikes are expected to make great contributions to the team.
Rising freshman star Steve Lampert will attempt to fill the shoes of his brother, Mike Lampert '00, one of Bowdoin's key losses. Other important team members lost to graduation are Josh Helfat and Dave Anderson.
This weekend, Bowdoin will be sending two boats to each of four regattas. Sailors will compete at Maine Maritime, Dartmouth, Tufts, and UNH. For anyone hoping to catch some nearby sailing action, the team will be competing at Maine Maritime on September 9th, 23rd-24th, and 30th. Bowdoin sailors will also be racing at USM on October 7th and 14th.
After completing a tremendously successful spring, the men's and women's crew teams look forward to the upcoming fall season in which they will compete against Division 1 powerhouses and Olympic hopefuls.
The highlight of last spring's competition was Bowdoin's impressive showing at the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia. In this 2K coxed-four event, Bowdoin entered five boats (three women and two men).
Both the first men's and women's boats made it to the finals while competing against stiff competition. The men rowed to a five second victory, securing the championship, while the women finished strong in third place. At the champs' heels were the University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, and other Division I notables.
Also, the women's novice boat surged forward until they were stopped in the semifinals. Said Tom Scifres '03, who rowed on the novice boat as a freshman, "crew is really an amazing sport because it is the only sport where Bowdoin can compete against D I schools."
Not only did Bowdoin fare well in the Dad Vail, but they proved to be a potent force throughout the season. The first men's boat, comprised of Will LoVerme '02, Will Colvin '00, Dave Thomas '00, Gordon Clark '03, and coxswained by mary Minor '02, also added the New England Championships and the New England 4s Championship to their list of accomplishments.
The first women's boat, rowed by Kelly Ricciardi '01, Erin Jaworski '01, Abby Lockwood '01, Lindsey Sortor '02, and coxswained by Katie Smith '03, finished second in the New England Championships and claimed the top spot at the New England 4s championship.
After the impressive showing in the spring, the men's season continued as their victory at the Dad Vail propelled them to the Henry Royal Regatta in London, arguably the most prestigious crew event in the world. The setup at the Henley Royal differs from the traditional events as 64 boats must qualify for 32 spots in a single elimination tournament.
Unfortunately, Bowdoin faced an extremely difficult first round opponent in the London Rowing Club, a feeder for the English National Team. Despite applying steady pressure on the favored Club, Bowdoin was bested by a mere 3/4 of a boat length or approximately one second. However, Bowdoin's boys did make an appearance in The London Times for their efforts and were referred to as the "Americans". No longer were they representing Bowdoin College, but the United States as a whole.
In the upcoming year Bowdoin hopes to carry over their momentum and translate it into more championships against some of New England's and the world's best rowers. This fall, the men and women will compete at the 5K distance sporting two men's varsity boats and two open weight women's boats as well as a light weight women's boat.
The addition of a whopping 51 freshmen hoping to contribute makes this season one of the most internally competitive years in history.
Although both the men and women are losing key contributors from their first boats, they are confident that they will be replaced by competent and equally determined athletes.
The men lose the recently graduated Will Colvin, the 6'9" rowing machine, and Dave Thomas, while the coxswain, Mary Minor '02, is studying away for the semester. The women lose only one member of their first boat, Abby Lockwood, who will be replaced by Erin Giggey '01.
At this point in the season, the crew team is preparing for its first event, the Textile River Regatta, on October 1. A week later, the Colby, Bates, Bowdoin Regatta will take place with school pride burning and a chance to claim crew supremacy amongst these rivals.
However, the biggest fall regatta is the Head of the Charles in Cambridge, Massachusetts which captain Will LoVerme described as the "Super Bowl" of crew in North America. Unfortunately, Lo Verme and the men's crew will not be able to compete at the competition because only one qualifying bid, secured by the women, can be sent to each school.
The women's crew team is raring at the possibility of competing in the coxed-four event against schools such as Harvard and Yale as well as national teams from Germany, Canada, and the U.S. "We will be able to watch our competition on ESPN," boasted co-captain Erin Jaworski.
Although the initial setback of not being able to race in the Head of the Charles frustrates the men, they still remain upbeat about the fall and are already looking forward to the spring.
Said LoVerme, "Despite the disappointment of not rowing in the Charles, hopefully this year will be a continuation of last year's success and an attempt to defend the New England Championships and the Dad Vail titles in the spring."
When I tell someone that I play water polo, I usually recieve one of two reactions: first, a blank facial expression that indicates, "what the hell is water polo?", and second, "we have a water polo team??"
Unless you're from the west coast, it's pretty unlikely that your high school had a water polo team, and even more unlikely that you actually sat through a game. It's not your fault. Water polo is just not that popular a sport among small east coast towns.
However, the excuse that the pool is "just too hot to sit in," "reeks of chlorine", or, my personal favorite, "there are too many guys in Speedos walking around" is not a good enough explanation to neglect watching the Bowdoin water polo team in action.
They're smart, they're slick, and they're SEXY. They also happened to have had a terrific season last fall. Out of three tournaments, Bowdoin lost only once, and they not only hosted Division III club nationals, but managed to place third.
The Polar Bears lost several significant starters to graduation, injury, and... the FOOTBALL team. Five key starters- Charles Gray, Stew Mackie, Tim Hayes, David "Ferris" Lawrence, and Scott Fujimoto- graduated this spring. Another starter, Matt Loosigian '03, is out this fall with a shoulder injury, while Nick Driskill '02 decided to play football.
Yet the Polar Bears have significant depth from the bench waiting to step up and take on starting positions. Captains Erin Veenker '01, Dave Frank '02, and Nate "Big Guns" Kosub '02 all bring experience and leadership to the team. John Clifford '02, Dave Harden '03 and Robie Anson '03 show fresh talent and will be crucial players in tournaments this fall.
Several first years have also expressed interest in playing polo for Bowdoin. Alex DeRubira '04 and Chris Choi '04 are both experienced players from the west coast, while Lynn Furick '04, Gillian '04, Abbie Perelman '04, Jenifer Montalvo '04, and Becky Grossman '04 will deepen the team's lineup. Jeff Tillingest '04 brings extensive experience to the goal.
Bowdoin will play at Holy Cross for the first tournament of the fall on September 15 and 16. Perennial rivals Colby and Bates will also be in attendance.
Captain Nate Kosub states, "I'm really excited about this fall. We're in much better shape physically than we were last year. We're also sexier."
The Polar Bears also have a coach this year. In the past, the team captains have always coached water polo. Burcay Gurcan, a graduate of RIT and a native of Turkey, generously gave the team technical advice last season as the coach.
"Burcay has a lot of experience playing water polo. He's going to be invaluable to us as our captain this year," says captain Erin Veenker.
Although the Bears have lost a lot of depth, this season promises to be exciting, challenging, and rewarding. "I have a feeling that a lot of people are going to step up this season," says Kosub. So for all the non-water polo fans out there: start keeping track of the team. This season, the Polar Bears should prove once again that they are one of the nation's best.
For the past several weeks, during double sessions and 6 a.m. practices, the women's soccer team has focused on opening day. The Polar Bears begin their season with high expectations for September 9. This team is not concerned with whispers of a sixth straight NCAA appearance. Instead, it is concentrating on tomorrow's game and every day between now and the post-season.
The 1999 season was an amazing year for the team. Coach John Cullen and his squad participated in Bowdoin's fifth straight NCAA Division III tournament. In the first round, the Polar Bears defeated Farmingham State2-0, giving Bowdoin its first-ever national tournament win.
Williams, in the second round, scored in the final minute of play to defeat Bowdoin 1-0. Despite the loss, the women's soccer team finished the season with the outstanding record of 13-3.
Senior quad-captains Kim Bohlin, Allison Farmer, Sarah Farmer, and Molly Perencevich will lead the 2000 team. Returning this year are seventeen players, including nine starters. Sarah Farmer '01, one of the region's best goalies, will return to the net, while veteran players Diana Blazer '01, Kim Bohlin '01, Abby Lockwood '01, and Katie Sheridan '02 will protect Farmer. The midfield will be controlled by Kate Walz '01, while Alison Lavoie '02 will lead the attack. Bohlin, Lockwood, A. Farmer, and Lavoie were 1999 all-region selections. Caroline Budney '03 and Shelly Chessie '03 were non-starters last year, but they were two of Bowdoin's top scorers. This season, the pair should expect to move into the starting lineup. Coach Cullen describes the veterans as players who "know what needs to be done."
Monday, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) released the women's preseason polls. Bowdoin is ranked fourth in the New England region- behind Williams, Western Connecticut, and Wheaton- while Bates and Colby are 12th and 13th respectively. While fans are looking to the playoffs, Bowdoin is focused on the regular season.
Coach Cullen said the Polar Bears' only goal was "to work hard today." Sarah Farmer believes that the team's commitment to daily improvement, along with the combination of talent, enthusiasm, and experience will prepare it for both regular and post-season play. She also said, "this season the question isn't how good we are, it's how good do we want to be."
For Bowdoin to return to the NCAA Tournament, it must win the New England Small College Atheletic Conference (NESCAC) championship.
This weekend, Bowdoin will begin to answer the question "how good they want to be." The 2000 regular season opens tomorrow in Massachusetts, when the Polar Bears take on Bridgewater State.
The team's first home game will be played against the University of New England on September 13 at 4 p.m.
The women's cross-country team is hard at work, training for another successful season. This year's team is preparing to surpass last year's impressive ninth place finish (out of 35) in the region. Head Coach Peter Slovenski displayed a genuine confidence in attaining this goal. "We want to be in the top 5 of our NESCAC championship, and to be in the top 6 in the region this fall. We also want to win the state meet this year, and to do that we'll have to beat Colby who beat us in every race last year."
The Polar Bears will be put to the test on September 23 at NYU for their first meet. That will be the true test as to how well the rigorous hill and alternative kayaking workouts have prepared them. Hopefully the women will prove strong competition with Brandeis' and Amherst's nationally ranked teams. Other competition Bowdoin will face is against Colby and Tufts.
This year's team will be led by senior captains Jeanne Bourdeau, Jesse Gray and Erin Lyman. Last year's captain and number one runner, Vicky Shen, will be a loss to the team. However, returning members Jesse Gray, Erin Lyman and Libby Barney '03 will be the heart of the lineup. Of the top seven runners this year, six will be returning and, with the new talent evident in the freshman class, this year's success should ensue. Good luck women! GO U BEARS!