By Siobhan Nolan

Women’s soccer’s weekend didn’t get off to an ideal start last Sunday, Oct. 3, when the team faced Richmond at McCarthy Stadium. The first 15 minutes saw an intense midfield battle between the Explorers and the Spiders, where the visitors recorded the first shot on goal of the game. A Richmond attacker was knocked away by La Salle goalkeeper Jordynn Stallard, keeping the game scoreless. 

Kelli McGroarty made her presence known by creating two chances in two minutes, with her effort in the 22nd-minute meeting at the hands of the opposing goalie, and her 24th-minute chance sailing just over the crossbar. Despite La Salle’s attacking efforts, Richmond would find the back of the net first, with Jessie Prillaman putting the ball into the top right corner of the goal. 

Haley Gschrey continued the Explorers’ offensive pressure, putting the ball just wide of the net and another chance denied by Richmond goalie Taylor Montague. In the last gasps of the game, the Spiders struck again, this time with a rocket of a shot off the foot of Molly Weirman, solidifying the 2-0 loss for La Salle. 

However, things picked up when La Salle traveled to Washington, D.C. to take on George Washington. This time, the Explorers had the first chance of the match, as Camaren Cox and Molly O’Brien combined to force the opposition goalkeeper into an early save.  La Salle goalie Michela Auguadro also put her goalie skills on display, stopping a shot that came from the six-yard box. The offensive pressure from the Explorers kept coming, with Gschrey and Danielle Rooney both getting in close efforts, but to no avail. A breakthrough finally came in the second half, with Bella Gonsiewski making a brilliant run down the right wing and making a cross into the box, where Cox was waiting to slot the ball into the back of the net to give the blue and gold a 1-0 lead. G-W had a couple more chances of their own, but La Salle’s defense held strong to ensure that the team would be coming back to 20th and Olney with a victory. 

Mia Mattingly, Staff 

This past weekend, the men’s and women’s swim and dive teams took the trek up to Boston to compete at the Catholic Invite, hosted by Boston College. The two-day invitational saw much success for the Explorers, a great start to the season for both squads. The women’s team ultimately finished second out of six teams and the men fourth of six.

In particular, divers Phoebe Shaya and Sam Henninger both placed first in their events: the Women’s 3M dive and the Men’s 1M dive, respectively. Henninger, who claimed gold in the 1M dive at the Atlantic 10 championship meet last season, is already off to a promising start to reclaim this title for this season, especially after this performance. Shaya also received hardware at the 2021 A-10 championship, with a bronze in the Women’s 1M. Her performance this past weekend is on par for her to medal again in February at the championship. Overall, the divers ended the weekend with several impressive performances. In the women’s 3M, senior Kaitlyn Smykowski placed fifth and junior Erica Kenski finished seventh. As for the women’s 1M, Shaya placed third, graduate student Julie D’Amore ended in 5th, Kenski in 6th, and Smykowski in 8th. 

As for the swimmers, the lady Explorers kicked off the meet to a great start with a second-place finish in the first event, the women’s 200-yard freestyle relay. The relay consisted of all returners from last season’s 200 free relay: Toni Rafferty, Sarah Rizzetto, Sam Boyes, and Brynn Peterson. These ladies placed second at the Atlantic 10 championships, where they also broke a school record in the process. Their time this past weekend was only a five-second difference from their personal best last season. This result is promising for the team, allowing for them to have continued dominance in this event.

Rizzetto led the field in the 400 individual medleys, finishing first with a time of 4:34.88, which is eleven seconds faster than anyone else in the field. While Rizzetto did not swim this event last season at the championship, she did place first in the 200 backstroke — the only Explorer to place first in an individual swim race at A-10s.

The women scored at least 16 points in every event, which in the end was what secured them second place. In particular, they were particularly dominant in the 500 free and the 50 free. In the 500, three Explorers received points for a total of 28 in the event. Anne Moser placed third, Brynn Peterson 12th, and Ava Carter 14th. As for the 50, the ladies also scored 28 points, with Rafferty finishing sixth, Lauren Fenn seventh, Boyes 19th, and Raven Domingo 20th.

Other individual performances worth noting include Rizzetto’s third-place finish in both the 200 individual medley and the 200 back, Rafferty’s second-place finish in the 100 free and third place in the 100 fly, and Moser’s second-place finish in the 1000 freestyle.

The relays did very well for the women as well, with the A relays finishing sixth in the 400 medley, fifth in the 200 medley, and second in the 400 free.

On the men’s side, the 100 backstroke was a very strong showing for the Explorers. Trent Burr placed second in the event with Alex Kuriawa third right behind him. Burr continues to show success in backstroke events after placing 14th in the 200 back at the Atlantic-10 championship last April. Burr also showed dominance in the 100 butterfly at the invite, ultimately placing fourth. Kuriawa also found success in other events, finishing 6th in the 100 free.

Other key swimmers at the meet include Zack Miller, Jason Rosales, and Jake Kramer. Miller placed fifth in the 50 free, Rosales 6th in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke, and Kramer 5th in 1000 free.

As for the relays, the men’s A relay placed third in the 200 freestyle, seventh in the 400 medley, third in the 200 medley, and eighth in the 400 freestyle.

After a successful weekend out of town, the Explorers are ready to start their home meet schedule at Kirk Pool. They will pick back up with the action for the home opener this weekend on Friday, Oct. 8, against cross-town rivals Drexel at 5 p.m.

La Salle TV presents “SportsLine” Season 24 Episode 3

Click below to watch this week’s episode of “SportsLine.”

Credits:
– Hosts: Siobhan Nolan, Libby Gilliland
– Producers: Isaiah Clark, Siobhan Nolan, Tyler Small, Jamie Smith
– Writers: Isaiah Clark, Siobhan Nolan, Jamie Smith, Sam Long, Tyler Small
– Director/Technical Director: Isaiah Clark
– Graphics: Isaiah Clark
– Video: Mike Holden
– Floor Director/Cameras: Tonya Ellis
– ©La Salle TV — SportsLine 2021

Thank you to our friends at La Salle TV for partnering with the Collegian to present “SportsLine.” Check back regularly for new episodes here and on La Salle TV’s YouTube channel.

Samantha Boyes, Staff

As the first few days of fall kick-off here at La Salle University, women’s golf did not disappoint with their opening tournament at Bucknell University. The six women took the two-day event at Lewisburg by storm coming in eighth out of the eleven teams competing this weekend. 

On Saturday, sophomore Kayleigh Zeman started the Explorers off strong when she placed 13th out of 68 athletes shooting during the first round. Zeman happily scored her all-time best with a 76 (+6). Alongside Zeman, sophomore Hannah Basler also led the women’s team to success with a score of 83 (+13). During the second round, Basler boosted her score to an 81(+11) during the second outing. After a long day at the Bucknell Golf Club, the women’s team was ready for day two. 

Sunday also has some great competition from the Explorers as the team shot 322. Again, Basler led the way for the women shooting 76 (+6) tying for 23rd place. Not only is that another personal best for Hannah, but it was also a tremendous jump in the ranks by 12 spots, but that’s not the only good news. Zeman tied for 27th (only a couple of spots behind Basler). Best scores were all around this weekend because senior Grace Hickey shot a new score of 84 (+14). The women ended the day in eighth place, an extreme improvement from the previous day.

It was a wonderful job all around from the Lady Explorers. When speaking to Hannah Basler, she said, “The team was feeling really positive. We performed way better as a team than we were expecting, and it was encouraging to start seeing part of the potential of the young team.” Let’s hope Basler carries her optimism for not only the rest of the season but especially for next weekend when the team travels to Annapolis for the Navy Fall Invitational.

Hannah Basler was also nominated for this week’s Explorer of the Week, so go vote!

Siobhan Nolan. Staff

Women’s soccer faced away games against the University of Dayton and Saint Louis University this week, but unfortunately, they are coming back to 20th & Olney without a win. 

While at Dayton, the Flyers were able to score just about four minutes into play, with Itala Gemelli scoring the first shot of the contest. 

In the 35th minute, things went from bad to worse for the Explorers as Naya Vialva was shown a red card after committing a foul. Vialva was initially only given a yellow card, but after the officiating crew deliberated on the matter, she was sent off. 

Although they were playing with just 10 players, La Salle was able to find some offense in the second half. They were able to tally four shots in just 15 minutes. Junior Emily Banashefski sent a low strike towards the bottom left corner of the goal but wasn’t able to find the back of the net. 

Despite the promising energetic offensive push, the home team was able to find two new goals, handing the Explorers a 3-0 loss. 

It was then off to Missouri to take on Saint Louis University, where the first half saw very few scoring opportunities. Banashefski found herself in a position to score again, shooting a shot just wide of the right post in the last gasps of the game. 

Despite being outshot 5-1, goalkeeper Jordyn Stallard was able to make three saves to keep the game scoreless at halftime. 

The second got off to a less-than-ideal start, with the Billikens’ Lyndsey Hackel able to put the home team ahead four minutes in. 

Redshirt junior Camaren Cox took a shot of her own in the 59th minute, but the Saint Louis goalie was able to clear the ball without much trouble. 

The Billikens were able to put another goal on the board through Caroline Kelly, turning it into a 2-0 contest. 

Senior Molly O’Brien threatened in the 72nd minute, but again, the opposing goalie was able to handle the shot and keep the final score at 2-0.

Josh Delillo, Staff

 The Raiders busted open the Steel Curtain at Heinz Field this Sunday, putting up stellar numbers on both sides of the ball. A familiar theme in these two wins has to be their critical plays made on defense. 

We have seen some great flashes these two past weeks upfront. Similar to last week, the Raiders were able to generate pressure on the not-so-mobile Ben Roethlisberger. Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue both rallied in 5+ pressures. This duo seems to be living up to the hype. Even when they are not in the game, the depth on this defensive line really shines when you need a big play. Solomon Thomas was able to get in the backfield and sack Big Ben twice. “First time in my career getting two,” he said. Thomas had dealt with injuries and mental struggles in the past.  “Hopefully I can have more games like this, and help this team win,” he stated, wearing a big smile after the game. 

The Silver and Black generated enough pressure for third-year corner Trayvon Mullen to pick off Big Ben. Mullen praised his teammates’ performance and all the strides they have made on defense. “I feel like we have a group of guys that love playing football and have a sense of urgency.” 

The defense’s tough performance allowed for Derek Carr to do what he does best — be clutch in the 4th. Vegas held onto a 2 point lead, Pittsburgh had the chance to force a punt on a 3rd and 10 and get the ball back. However, Carr once again demonstrated why he deserves respect around the league, and oh boy did he deliver. On their own 31 yard line, Las Vegas lined up in a bunch wide-receiver set to the right. Carr launched a bomb to a receiver downfield. Of course, the speedy Henry Ruggs III chased the deep ball down, ran under it, and jogged into the endzone, thus sealing the victory for the Raiders. 

The Raiders must lick their wounds and prepare for their next opponent as the Dolphins come to town. It is unsure yet whether or not Tua Tagovailoa will be suiting up in this one, as he went down with a concerning rib injury in their blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. Tua or no Tua, the Raiders should have a field day upfront defensively, as the Dolphins offensive line had another disappointing week. PFF ranked the Fins with low grades in pass-blocking, with four out of five starters having a grade under 40, and allowing 4 or more pressures on passing attempts. Raider Nation has a good chance to hit the jackpot on defense in week 3.

La Salle TV presents “SportsLine” Season 24 Episode 2

Click below to watch this week’s episode of “SportsLine.”

Credits:
– Teleprompter-Aidan Tyksinsk
– Audio- Jon Colella
– Director- Jamie Smith
– Technical Director/Graphics-Isaiah Clark
– Video-Mike Holden
– Floor Director- Tonya Ellis
– ©La Salle TV — SportsLine 2021

Thank you to our friends at La Salle TV for partnering with the Collegian to present “SportsLine.” Check back regularly for new episodes here and on La Salle TV’s YouTube channel.

Enrique Carrasco, Editor

The La Salle Explorers Men’s Soccer team hosted the Rider Broncs at home on Saturday Sept. 11. After 90 minutes of action-packed soccer, the men came away with a 4-2 win. The first goal of the game came from Rider, who managed to get the ball past junior goalkeeper Carlos Mora at the 29th minute. This was one of the five shots coming from Rider in the first half alone, while the Explorers failed to get a single shot off in the first half of the game. At the start of the second half, the Explorers started with the ball and seemed like a completely different team. The squad came off with explosive energy on both sides of the ball. Despite this, it was not until the 59th minute that the Explorers managed to equalize the game with a perfectly placed header from senior Sam Decencio, with the assist coming from senior defender Charlie Collins. A little under four minutes after the equalizer came, the Explorers put themselves up on the scorecard with a goal from sophomore forward junior Nare, his first goal in the season. Despite this, the Broncs were able to tie the game yet again after fooling Mora with a fake and finding the back of the net at the 65th minute. Shortly after the equalizer from rider, junior defender Franc Gamiz was able to head in a perfectly placed pass from senior forward Ike Hollinger. At this point, all the momentum in the game had shifted towards the Explorers, and it seemed as if they were unbeatable. As the final minutes of the game passed by, senior midfielder Andrew Weir managed to find the back of the net, and ultimately destroyed any chance Rider had at a draw in the game. 

After the game, Franc Gamiz stated in an interview, “We performed very well. We brought a lot of energy, we competed very well and the team was very solid. We wanted to win at home, which is a big thing for us. The people were there despite the COVID regulations. I think ultimately we deserved the victory.” When asked about how he felt about the team’s first win against Rider in three years, Gamiz stated, “That feels amazing. They beat us three years ago, they’re really good, they’re a big school, but we demonstrated that at home we have a better team than them. With a new coach, young players, the way we play, we can do very big things this year. A lot of people ask us if we see ourselves as A-10 contenders this year and to that I say, ‘why not?’ We work for it, we fight for it. We go game after game, we want to win. Right now we’re just focusing on the next game. We can be A-10’s champions this year. I’m confident about it, the team has a good spirit… We’ll see what happens.” When asked how he felt about the fans at the game, Gamiz stated, “I have to appreciate the fans. They support us every day, every game. It’s a big thing for us. Everyone is welcome at our games, and hopefully we can succeed for them. The people mean a lot to us, the community means a lot to us.” Gamiz had an outstanding game, going one for one on shots on goal, and being the one to ultimately break the tie between Rider and the Explorers. With this header, Gamiz scored his first goal of the season and ultimately gave his team the energy it needed to come up on top. 

Another stand out player was junior goalkeeper Carlos Mora, who played his first game in nearly two years due to Covid and a season ending injury last season. When asked in an interview after the game about his performance, Mora stated, “Since it was my first game in a long time after ankle surgery, it was a tough game for me. As a team we performed excellent, after being able to come back from two goals, two mistakes from me. I’d say the team performance was excellent. In personal performance though, I’d say it was not my best game, but honestly I’m just happy to be back. I’m very excited to be back in the cage, obviously after all the time I spent out due to my surgery, it’s great to be back. The team was solid in defense, we conceded cheap goals, but after half time we were able to come back, and we changed the course of the game. Even after the scare we kept going and managed to come away with a win. We’re all excited about the team for the rest of the season. We’re ready to win every game we have; I think we’re capable of that. I think we’re all excited.” Mora’s performance comes at a great surprise to not only himself, but to the squad. The squad did not expect Mora back in the cage yet, but they seem excited to have him back. Mora finished the game with two saves on goal, after having to face 12 shots from Rider, two of which scored. This seems to be a slight hiccup for the junior goalkeeper, and it seems that the time away from the cage made him rusty, however if his freshman season was any indication of what’s to come, the Explorers might have their starter goalkeeper back in the cage after all this time. 

This win comes at a vital point in the season for the Explorers. After a couple of away losses, the Explorers stand at a 2-5 record in the season. Both of their wins come from home games. Whatever the case may be, the men’s soccer team has a lot of practice and sweat in front of them if they wish to reach A-10’s, and ultimately bring the trophy back home.

Samantha Boyes, Staff

The women’s soccer team had an exciting two weeks with multiple successful games to start their season off strong. On Wednesday Sept. 15, the Explorers took home a major win against Saint Francis University. Freshman Lauren Costello put La Salle up 1-0 at the beginning of the first half with a goal right from an initial push from La Salle’s junior defender Naya Vialva. La Salle stayed strong and brought energy to the field after traveling more than four hours to Saint Francis. In an interview after the game, junior Emily Banashefski stated, “We were able to come out with such a high focus and energy.” The women maintained a strong defense and remained dialed in by stopping all three attempted shots from Saint Francis. In general, the Blue and Gold squad brought serious energy to the game and got an important win on the road during a rainstorm, a rare sight to see.  

The Explorers also had a grueling tie this past Sunday during the Atlantic 10 home opener against Fordham University. La Salle remained in the game through the second half and managed to come away with a goal from freshman defender Shea Collins. Although the Rams were able to even out the score 1-1, the women played smart and quick. Banashefski stated, “Although we didn’t get the result we wanted today, I think we played some unbelievable soccer and generated tons of quality opportunities… It’s great to see everyone bring their game to the next level during conference games because we know each one counts.” While a tie isn’t the outcome any sports team wants during any conference competitions, a tie keeps them in the running for A-10’s. 

The potential this young team has is more than impressive. Senior Molly O’Brien attests to what this team can do in the future by expressing that, “Our team is young, and we have learned a lot about ourselves during out of conference play. We have so much potential and have worked so hard to get to where we are now. I truly believe we are such a talented team and I think we will be one of the top teams in the Atlantic 10!”. This is a great start to the season for the young team. It seems the team has managed to carry their momentum from their previous season, when the women finished 7-2 in the season, into this season. It is a much needed momentum for the team, as a good amount of the players lack game day experience in a D1 setting. Whatever the case may be, if this opening weekend was anything of a sneak peek for their season, this squad can become the team to beat in the postseason