The Daily Hen Sports Update

Men's Tennis

Overall: 4-4     SCIAC: 1-3

Women's Tennis

Overall: 6-2     SCIAC: 3-0

Baseball

Overall:11-3     SCIAC: 6-0

Softball

Overall: 10-6    SCIAC: 5-3

Women's Water Polo

Overall: 4-3     SCIAC: 0-0

Women's Lacrosse

Overall: 1-3     SCIAC: 0-0

Sagehen Lacrosse Splits Matches on Texas Trip
By: Kayla McCulley

For the Pomona-Pitzer women’s lacrosse team, 3-1 was the stat to remember from their road trip to Dallas last weekend. In the end, 3-1 counted more than the final result showing on the scoreboard. Throughout 30 minutes of play, the Sagehen defense dug in their heels against the heavily-favored Tigers of Colorado College and limited their explosive offense to just three goals in the second half, while also notching one of their own.  

Despite being on the losing end of a lopsided 13-1 Colorado victory, the Hens finished up the weekend on a positive note. Instead of dropping their heads after the first half and the shellshock of a ten-goal deficit, P-P rallied to improve their game on the defensive end and frustrated the Tigers’ attackers. Kat Cerny-Chipman ’09 capitalized on a free-position shot to prevent the shutout. Goalie Kristin Raphel ’11 stayed tough throughout the game, ending with 12 saves on the day.

Coach Brighde Dougherty was pleased with the team’s performance in their first appearance against Colorado.

“Being the underdog allowed us to play not for perfection, but for personal and team success, or pushing ourselves one step further than we thought we could go,” said Dougherty. “With nothing to lose we gave it everything we had and, despite the score, we played our best game of the season.”

While the match against Colorado highlighted the hard work of P-P’s back line, a day earlier against University of Dallas it was the Sagehen offense that saw much of the possession in their end. Melissa Berg ’08 tallied three goals, while Liz Cerny-Chipman ’09, Liza Harman ’08, and Liz Mackell ’09 each scored two.

The Hens’ experience served them well against the Crusaders, whose 15-player deep roster included ten freshmen. Nevertheless, expecting to win easily lured the Sagehens into a sense of complacency against Dallas’s young program. Despite triumphing 13-2, P-P’s game lacked the intensity and focus that was evident in the following match against Colorado.

“Against Dallas we were afraid to make mistakes and played only to win,” said Dougherty. “On the other hand, we knew that we had nothing to lose against Colorado and everyone thus played their hearts out.”

Traveling together as a team to Dallas helped build the ever-important sports intangible: team chemistry.

“I think that everyone learned more about one another off the field which will inevitably affect our performance on the field,” said Dougherty. “Once we all know each other inside and out, we will be able to push one another beyond our personal limits both on and off the field.”

The Hens’ record now stands at 1-2. The upcoming home game on Monday night at 7pm versus Denison University promises to be a demanding test that will require a cohesive offense and defense working together through the midfield. In Denison, the Hens will face an equally, if not more, challenging opponent from Colorado. Against one of the top D-III teams, the team will have the chance to show their improvement from the beginning of the season and hopefully walk away with the win.

Dougherty believes that the flashes of brilliance against Dallas and Colorado showed that her players possess the on-field skills and the heart to pull out the tough wins deeper in the season.

“The best highlight from this weekend was seeing the team come together and play our own game,” said Dougherty. “We are beginning to put all the small pieces together and becoming one cohesive unit.”

And perhaps the best part about the trip to Dallas? The Hens made it back in time on Saturday evening to don their neon spandex and unitards to enjoy the spectacle that is Smiley 80s. Not even a loss to Colorado could put a damper on that much excitement.

Pomona-Pitzer 7, Whittier 8
By: Kayla McCulley

It was a tight match until the final whistle, but the Pomona-Pitzer women’s lacrosse team finished on the losing end of their match against Whittier on Monday night. The final score finished 8-7, with Whittier netting the decisive goal near the end of the second half.

After a challenging preseason, the players were filled with anticipation to take the field before the home-field fans. A much-improved Whittier squad came out strong, looking to avenge their two losses to the Sagehens during last season. Nevertheless, the teams were very evenly-matched, trading goals for the entire 60 minutes. The score was knotted 5-5 at halftime, and both teams buckled down on defense and searched for a crucial goal off a transition or a free-position shot.

The Hens’ strong suit continues to be its defense, which finished last season with the second-lowest goals-against average amongst all D-III schools. Freshman goalie Kristin Raphel put in a stellar performance between the pipes, recording 12 saves and a 60% save percentage. During 30 minutes of play in the second half, the Hens’ back line, composed of Iris Gardner ’09, Kayla McCulley ’09, Elena Fanjul-Debnam PI ’10, Zara Klaff ’10 and Katie Taylor ’11 held the Poets’ attackers to just three goals.
Despite the scoreline, the Hens took away many positive aspects from the game.

“There were moments during the game where we worked really well as a team and realized our potential,” said senior Liza Harman.

“We finally had the chance to try some of our tactics out on an opposing team, and got to see many things we've been working on in practice gel throughout the match,” said Melissa Berg ’08.

Offensively, Berg led the Hens’ attack with three goals. Liz Mackell ’09, Kat Cerny-Chipman ’09, McCulley and Lindsay Slote ’08 rounded out the scoring. Producing more offensive opportunities will be crucial moving forward in the season.

Over the weekend, Pomona-Pitzer flies to Dallas for two matches against Independent League opponents University of Dallas and Colorado College. Facing Dallas, also a relative newcomer to the varsity lacrosse scene, the Hens will be looking to fine tune their weaker areas in preparation for the second match versus perennial powerhouse Colorado. The Tigers have made six consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament since 2002. Pomona-Pitzer will be in the advantageous underdog position, playing with nothing to lose.

“The most important thing for us in Dallas” said Harman, “will be to disregard the reputations of our adversaries and play our game.”

Season Preview
By: Kayla McCulley

The curious looks from hikers sharing the trail said it all: these weren’t your typical weekend warriors enjoying an early Saturday morning jaunt in the Claremont Wilderness Park. These were the Sagehen lacrosse players of Pomona-Pitzer, traversing the rolling foothills with sticks in hand, answering the occasional query from fellow trekkers: “Now what sport is that again?” 

Following the surprise success of last season’s debut at the varsity level, the 2008 Sagehen lacrosse team hopes to continue their momentum that carried them to a 10-2 record and established their presence as a player on the national lacrosse scene. A more demanding strength of schedule will test the Sagehens’ ability to compete at the D-III level, including a match-up against perennial powerhouse Colorado College on February 29.

Under the leadership of first-year coach Brighde Dougherty, the squad looks primed to put all their effort during the off-season towards another winning record. Dougherty joins the Hens after two years as an assistant coach at William Smith College, where she was also an All-American attacker as an undergraduate. Recognizing the opportunity to help shape the development of P-P’s relatively new program, Dougherty left the traditional lacrosse stronghold in the Northeast and joined the 5-C community over the summer.

“My goal in coaching is to use sports as a means to help foster leadership, communication, dedication and other life skills in athletes. Coming to work with the caliber of students at Pomona and Pitzer, while at the same time helping to develop a new program seemed like the perfect opportunity to not only coach lacrosse but help mentor tomorrow’s leaders,” said Dougherty.

Unlike the previous coaches whose experience was primarily drawn from men’s lacrosse, Dougherty brings a wealth of knowledge about the women’s game accumulated over the years during her successful career as a player.

“Brighde is really pushing us to the next level. She brings the attitude, the skills, and the knowledge to make the team a success. Over the past few years, we've had some good coaches, but none of them have really known women's lacrosse. Brighde obviously knows her stuff, has a ton of experience coaching, and really believes in our ability to succeed,” said Captain Sarah Jenkins ’08.

For the returnees, it will be the third coach in as many years, after the departure of Mike Wood to join the staff at Chapman University. With an emphasis on intense physical training and collective achievement, Dougherty’s coaching style appeals to the players, who have quickly come to appreciate her motivational skills and on-field teachings.

“I think the team has reacted extremely positively to having a new coach– Brighde's coaching philosophy is all about positive energy and working hard while enjoying our time out there on the field, and I think we all can see that she's the kind of coach who will bring the team to the next level,” said Captain Lindsay Slote ’08.
One of the biggest challenges facing the Sagehens will be sheer numbers–the roster lists 18 players, whereas most lacrosse teams field around 23-23 athletes. Maintaining injury-free personnel will be crucial to their success throughout the season, which features a much more challenging lineup of opponents compared to last year.

“Our fairly small roster will be our biggest challenge when we face the depths of teams like Colorado College and Denison. Our individual endurance is getting better with each practice and I hope that our full team transition will grow strong enough to compete with these and other tougher competitors,” said Dougherty.

Four new additions to the team–goalie Kristin Raphel ’11, midfielders Katie Taylor ’11 and Devon Haynes ’10 and defender Zara Klaff ’10–can expect to contribute early on in the opening matches. The Sagehens look to be strong on attack, with the return of senior scorers Melissa Berg ’08 and Slote, who contributed 29 goals last season.

“We've lost some key players to injuries and graduation, so we're working with pretty low numbers. We all need to stay healthy and motivated. Coach is teaching us a lot of great new skills, and our challenge is to keep improving throughout the season, and keep adapting to new situations as they come at us,” said Slote.

Big games against Colorado College and Ohio’s Denison University give the Hens a chance to disprove the commonly-held view among the sport’s followers that West Coast teams are characterized by a dearth of talent.

“Traditionally, lacrosse has been an East Coast sport, and East Coast schools don't usually give much credit to West Coast teams. So the hard part is stepping outside of that schema and really showing these teams that our potential isn't just limited to moderate regional success–and hopefully over the next few years we'll be able to seriously compete with a lot of the better D-III teams out there,” said Jenkins.

“I see further developing the programs transition from a club team to a competitive D-III program as the most important goal for the 2008 season.  We have a much more competitive schedule this year and I hope that we are able to continue to elevate our level of play every day,” said Dougherty.

In their first game on February 25, the Hens face the Poets of Whittier, a team which they beat twice last year. P-P hopes to pick up this important first win to boost their confidence heading into a tough weekend on the road in Dallas, against the vaunted Colorado College and the University of Dallas on March 1.

Men's Golf

Overall: 0-0     SCIAC: 0-0

March 12
The Sagehen golf team had strong showing in the second SCIAC tournament, which was held at Red Hill CC. Finishing a strong third, the team put out its best showing in five years and moved ahead of CMS and Cal Lutheran. Seniors Chris Moreno-Hunt and Josh Mecouch led the way by both putting up a 4 over par 76. Senior Erik Akeson and Sophomore Wynn Sullivan capped off the team score with a 78 and a 79, giving the team a total score of 309, which was good enough for third place. This is the first time since the 2000 season that PP has finished this high in a league event.

March 3
The Sagehen golf team opened the SCIAC season with a fourth place finish at Empire Lakes. It was a move up from last years finish and gave a shot in the arm to the young team.

After the good showing at Empire Lakes, the Sagehens traveled to Bakersfield and was the only DIII team in the CSU Bakersfield tournament at Seven Oaks CC. A good start was wasted as the Hens fell out of the pace in the third round and finished well down in the standings. It was a great tournament and the team gained a lot of experience against tough competition. Hopefully this willl pay off as the team hosts the next SCIAC tournament at Redhill CC.

Men's Track & Field

Overall: 0-0     SCIAC: 0-0

Pomona-Pitzer's men's track and field team competed Saturday, March 8, at the CSU Fullerton Ben Brown Invitational, with numerous Sagehens posting strong early-season marks.

Sophomore Wynton Marsalis won his 800m heat in 2:02:65, while sophomore Russell Oka completed a tough triple in the 11m (12.20), 200m (24.48), and 400m (55.86). Four 5000m runners -- Charlie Enscoe, Nolan Zandi, Keenan Ferar, and Ross Brennan -- all ran personal bests, with Enscoe leading the charge at 16:18.85.

This weekend the Sagehens compete at the Occidental Distance Carnival Friday night and at the SCIAC Lower Quad meet at Caltech on Saturday.

Women's Track & Field

Overall: 0-0     SCIAC: 0-0

Sophomore Alicia Freese's 5000m school record run highlighted the Sagehen performances Saturday, March 8, at the CSU Fullerton Ben Brown Invitational. Freese ran 17:27.42 to erase the old standard of 17:48.94 set by Laura Bishop in 2001. Freese's mark also provisionally qualifies her to the NCAA National Championship meet in late May.

Junior Anna Scharfen won her 5000m heat in 18:49.72 to record the #10 all-time mark for Pomona-Pitzer while junior Maddy Kieselhorst clocked a strong 4:54.80 in her 1500m debut. Other top marks came from junior sprinter Connie Cheng, who ran 13.02 in the 100 m and 27.02 in the 200m.

This weekend the Sagehens compete at the Occidental Distance Carnival Friday night and at the SCIAC Lower Quad meet at Caltech on Saturday.