Women's winter sport update

Posted by Katie Peverada

Not to be overshadowed by the success of their fall counterparts, the winter women's sports teams entered the winter break with solid efforts. The riding team continued its dominance, the basketball team's 3-4 record looked promising and the women's swimming and diving team finished in sixth place out of 10 teams at the Liberty League championships on Dec. 7 and 8. But how are they doing now?

Women's Riding
The reigning national champions started off the fall semester with four first place finishes in four shows, with the final victory coming on Nov. 23 at the Van Lennep Riding Center. The Nov. 23 show proved to be a tough test, but Skidmore College was able to beat Morrisville State College with a narrow two-point victory. The Thoroughbreds will open the second part of their season with two home shows in a row on Feb. 15 and 22. The Zone 2 Region 3 Finals loom in the future on March 29.

Women's Basketball
The Thoroughbreds headed into winter break with a respectable 3-4 record, including a convincing 75-42 win over the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Skidmore College went on to capture the Salem Holiday Tournament, beating Salem State University and Albertus Magnus College on their way to the title. Angela Botiba '15, who was named the tournament MVP, currently leads the 6-11 Thoroughbreds in rebounds and blocks per game with 10.4 and 1.2, respectively. Jordyn Wartts '14, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, currently leads the team in scoring with 14.2 points per game. Despite a 1-7 conference record, Skidmore's players are not giving up and are still strong in every game. Botiba is among the top in the Liberty League, sitting at third in both rebounds and blocks per game. Molly McLaughlin '15 is fourth in the league with 4.4 assists per game. The team has eight games remaining, games in which they can play spoiler for other teams in the league..

Women's Swimming and Diving
With their sixth place finish at the Liberty League championships, the women's swimming and diving team set themselves up for a strong finish to the season. Although they lost their dual meet against RPI on Jan 25., they received strong individual performances that bode well for the remaining two meets. Erin Donovan '17 won the 200 Free and Backstroke in addition to a second-place finish in the 50 Free. Yookee Roh '17 continued the freshmen push with two wins of her own in the 100 Backstroke and the 200 IM. The team also grabbed a first place finish in the 200 Free Relay. The Skidmore College Women's Invitational awaits them at 1 p.m. this Saturday, and the New York State Championships take place Feb. 19 to 22

Men's winter sports catch-up

Posted by Katie Peverada

While Skidmore students were on break, the men's winter teams were hard at work trying to establish themselves in the pool, on the ice and on the court. And although there is still much to be expected this semester, there also was plenty of action while students were gone that is deserving of attention.

Men's Ice Hockey
The hockey team entered the winter break with a record of 3-4-3, and now stands at a respectable 7-7-6. Three seniors led the team in scoring, with Aaron Beck (13 goals, 4 assists), Vlad Gavrik (8G, 9A) and Brad Schuler (5G, 12A) each contributing 17 points to the Thoroughbred offense. First-year Anthony Bird leads all of the first-years on the team and ranks fourth overall in scoring (6G, 10A). Gavrik is tied for sixth in the ECAC East in scoring and his three power play goals are tied for second overall in the league. Meanwhile, Bird is third in the league for first-year scoring while Schuler is fourth among defensemen. Jack McDonald '17 has been getting most of the action in goal, sporting a .920 save percentage and 2.68 Goals Against Average. The Thoroughbreds, who sit in sixth place in the league, have five games remaining, all of which are ECAC contests.

Men's Swimming and Diving
Heading into the break, the men's swimming and diving team had a record of 2-4, and finished off their fall semester with a fifth place finish at the Liberty League championships. In their first meet after the break, they finished sixth out of seven at the RPI Invitational before dropping their final dual meet of the season 127-160 to RPI. The meet served as the final home meet for seniors Taylor Best, Tim Brodsky, Jon Markowitz and Peter Quattromani. On the diving board, Jacob Nathan '15 qualified for NCAA events in the 1-meter and 3-meter dives. The men have two meets remaining as they travel to the Vassar College Men's Invitational on Feb. 2 and the state championship from Feb. 19 to 22.

Men's Basketball
The men's basketball team finished the fall semester with a solid 4-2 record and have continued that strong play since returning from break. With their 10-7 record and 4-4 Liberty League record, the Thoroughbreds are positioned to move up from their fifth place standing into a playoff spot. With the top four teams qualifying for the post-season tournament, Skidmore College will have to beat RPI, RIT and Vassar, all teams who are ahead of them in the standings, in their upcoming games. Sophomore Aldin Medunjanin leads the offensive charge with 16.4 points per game, while classmate Erik Sanders is right behind with 16.2 per game. Both Medunjanin and Sanders are in the top 10 in the Liberty League in scoring. Medunjanin also is helping his teammates score, as he leads the team with 5.2 assists per game, also first in the league. Connor Merrill '15 and Medunjanin are tied for the team lead with 6.2 rebounds per game and Merrill leads the team with 1.9 blocks per game. Merrill and Perun Kovacevic '15 are first and second in the league in

NBA Talk: The East stinks and will only get worse

Posted by Andrew Shi

The Eastern conference is currently in shambles. As of Wednesday, only two of its teams are above .500. Boston, the team that just traded away its all-stars and was suspected of tanking the season, is fourth. Meanwhile, the team that it dealt its all-stars to and was expected to be a serious contender for the conference finals, the New Jersey Nets, is 13th. In the Western conference, there are 12 teams .500 or better and the bottom four of those teams, which are currently sitting outside of the playoffs could, if in the East, be battling for third place. Simply put, the East is awful and it may only get worse.

The reason for this is that in the East only two teams are seriously playing for the championship: the Pacers and the Heat. The Bulls were the third team until Derrick Rose suffered another knee injury that has resulted in a second consecutive lost season. Perhaps another seven or eight teams are playing just to make the playoffs. Four teams are likely in a race to the bottom: The Celtics, 76ers, Magic and Bucks. In the West, there are six teams that can reasonably aspire to play the Heat or Pacers in the finals: The Trailblazers, Spurs, Clippers, Thunder, Rockets and Warriors. More importantly though, there are another six teams that are definitely playing to make the playoffs, and the Suns are playing well enough to make the playoffs as well. There are only two teams playing for the lottery: The Kings and the Jazz.

There are thus three groups of teams in the West: the championship contenders, the playoff contenders and the tankers. As the season progresses, these demarcations will become more accentuated, but what's important about the first two groups is that as the trade deadline approaches, they're going to be bidding for spare role players to increase their chances for victory. That's 12 teams looking for role players, or even stars, and they'll be looking at teams that won't be playing for the playoffs. And those teams will be in the East.

If the rumors are true, the Celtics, 76ers and Magic are all playing for the draft. Originally, the Bucks were expected to be playing for mediocrity again, but after the loss of Sanders and Defino and the current disaster their team has become, they may be joining that race to the bottom. A fifth team, the Raptors, which is good enough to make the playoffs in this conference, is allegedly looking to shed its big contract players and make a run for Wiggins. That would make five teams, all with serviceable players, that will be targeted by the West.

By the February trade deadline, players that have been playing impressively: Aaron Afflalo, Glen Davis, Evan Turner, Brandon Bass and Demar Derozan, for example, may very likely be playing in different uniforms come the end of the season. The end result is that these Eastern teams, which have been playing admirably and playoff worthy, will be even worse.

On the flip side, though, these Eastern teams may also trade with other Eastern teams aspiring for the playoffs: the Cavaliers, Knicks, Nets, Pistons, Bobcats and Wizards. The Knicks and Nets are desperate to make moves and they are both likely to pay big for whatever may put them over the edge.

So while on the whole the Western will become better at the expense of the East, several Eastern teams may improve as well, or at least make the playoffs more interesting. And even without these inevitable trades, it's unlikely that the Cavaliers, Knicks or Nets will continue to play gutter-worthy. Still, come playoffs, it will all be about the West

Why the Red Sox letting Ellsbury, Saltalamacchia walk is a good move

Posted by Katie Peverada

The past week has been quite busy in the world of baseball, with the hot stove turning on full-blast. There were a lot of notable players moving around, via trade and free-agency, but the Boston Red Sox letting two players walk in free-agency were calculated moves for the benefit of the team. It would appear that the Red Sox let two key players walk in catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. These moves seem detrimental and counter-productive (isn't the idea to repeat as World Series Champions?), however, Boston's general manager Ben Cherrington has the Red Sox on the right track. So far, the Ellsbury and Saltalamacchia moves are the right moves for each team involved.
By now, the sports world knows that Jacoby Ellsbury left the Boston Red Sox and signed with the New York Yankees for $153 million over seven years. The deal, which has an option for an eighth year, was in typical Yankee fashion. Stealing the Red Sox star-center field is something they've been doing for years (see Johnny Damon). Ellsbury is coming off one of the best years of his career and, pending he can stay healthy, should provide the Yankees with a strong bat at the top of the lineup. On top of Ellsbury's signing, the Yankees also signed catcher Brian McCann, and are still in a good position to resign pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. To sum it up, the Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008 (!), and as a result have embarked on a huge spending spree to return to the top of the AL East. Even if they don't win the World Series, the Yankees will still achieve their yearly goal of spending the most money, as they did in 2013 with $228,995,945 payroll.
In an equally as important departure and signing, but one done with much less fanfare, Saltalamacchia signed with the Miami Marlins for three years and $21 million. Saltalamacchia is a huge upgrade over Jeff Mathis and Rob Brantly, the Marlins platoon in 2013. Saltalamacchia's batting average of .273 is an upgrade of over .060. The Marlins, as bad as they have been the past few years-they haven't finished over .500 since 2009-they do have a strong, young, and deep pitching staff that finished a respectable 11th in MLB in 2013 with a team ERA of 3.71. It's at the plate where the Marlins struggle, finishing dead last this year with a team average of .231. Saltalamacchia wasn't the best available catcher on the market (the Yankees got that with McCann), but his stats are very comparable and his experience with winning is what the Marlins need in the locker room. Pending any crazy fire sales from owner Jeffery Loria, Saltalamacchia will prove to be the anchor for the Marlins climb back into relevancy.
But what about the Red Sox? They lost their starting centerfielder and their primary catcher and remain committed to keeping their roster financially flexible. Saltalamacchi was looking for a multi-year deal and Ellsbury was asking for a lot of money. In what was one of the quietest offseason signings, the Red Sox signed catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a one-year deal worth $8.25 million. Pierzynski was signed before Saltalamacchia made it official with the Marlins. The Red Sox were not only ready to move on, but they were also prepared to. Pierzynski, a durable catcher coming off of a .283 season in Texas, will join last year's backup David Ross. Ross is no slouch, and could start on other teams, as he caught four of the six World Series games. Cherrington probably also had in mind that he has the sixth-ranked prospect catcher, Blake Swihart, and another great catching prospect in Christian Vazquez. Swihart won't be ready this year, but the Red Sox are high on his ability, which is why signing a one-year deal was important. It allows Swihart and Vazquez to develop in the minors in 2014 and makes the spot behind the plate open in 2015, when hopefully Swihart or Vazquez proves ready. Ellsbury's departure makes way for Jackie Bradley Jr. to replace him in centerfield, and explore free-agency a bit. Bradley struggled at the plate in his time in the majors last year, but the team seems ready to commit to him and his lights-out defense.
The Red Sox letting Ellsbury and Saltalamacchia walk got what everybody involved wanted. The Yankees will continue to spend, and nobody can ever tell what the Marlins are going to do. And while the Red Sox's success from letting the players walk does depend on how the prospects develop in 2014, all these teams will at least get a chance to prove that they made the right moves.

Blackhurst earns Longstreth/NFHCA Division III National Player of the Year

Posted by Katie Peverada

The Skidmore field hockey team's season ended in the NCAA Division III semifinal, as they lost to Salisbury on a rare overtime penalty stroke. The season was one of the program's most successful, and it also marked the end for Kelly Blackhurst '14, the program's all-time leading scorer. Blackhurst, though, is continuing to pull in national recognition for her season and her career.
On Tuesday, Blackhurst was selected as the 2013 Longstreth/NFHCA Division III National Player of the Year on the strength of her 32 goals and 15 assists this season. Her 79 points this season give her a career total of 264 points (105 G, 54 A), which is 5th all-time in career scoring in Division III.
This season, Blackhurst was also tabbed as a Longstreth/NFCHA All-American for the third time in her career, and she was selected as North Atlantic Region Player of the Year for the second time in her career. Additionally, this season marked the second time Blackhurst was named the Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year as well as being named to the All-Liberty League team, and she finished her career as the League's all-time leading scorer.
Blackhurst's 32 goals this season was a record for most in a season, and the eight of those goals that were game-winners was also a record. Blackhurst also slashed a couple other records, including most career game-winning goals (20) and most points in a season.
Blackhurst's career goals per game (1.24) is fifth all-time in Division III, her career goals (105) and career assists per game (0.64) are both seventh all-time.
The Thoroughbreds ended the season at 19-4, won the Liberty League championship and made it to the Final Four for the third time in program history.

Winter athletes honored by Liberty League

Posted by Katie Peverada

The winter-sports teams are well underway, with some Skidmore athletes already earning recognition from the Liberty League for their individual performances.
Women's basketball senior Jordyn Wartts was selected for this week's League Honor Roll. In the team's overtime win over Hamilton College last week, Wartts led Skidmore with a double-double. Wartts scored 24 points and added 12 rebounds, including seven key points in an 8-0 Skidmore run in the second half that pulled the team back into the game. Wartts is currently ninth in the Liberty League in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game for the Thoroughbreds.
Connor Merrill '15 of the men's basketball team was also named to the Liberty League Honor Roll this week, as he helped lead the Thoroughbreds to an 87-74 victory over SUNY Potsdam. Merrill scored a career-high 32 points in the game, shooting 12-16 from the field and 6-7 from beyond the three-point line. Merrill also added 15 rebounds in the game, and he combined with teammate Tanner Brooks '16 to score 13 points over a four-minute span late in the game to cement the win.
Wartts and the women's basketball team, who sit at 1-4 on the season, are hosting Middlebury College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Merrill and the 3-1 men's basketball team are also playing Middlebury College at home at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Gophers' historic winning streak comes to an end

Posted by Katie Peverada

Last year, I wrote about the University of Minnesota's women's hockey team and their historic 38-game win streak, a record at the time. The team went on to end the season undefeated and earn their second-straight national championship. Dating back to the 2011-2012 season, the Gophers had won 49-straight games and started this season with 13-straight wins too. But on Sunday afternoon, the historic winning streak ended at 62-straight victories. Facing off against the team that had given them their last loss all the way back on Feb. 17, 2012, Minnesota fell to the University of North Dakota 3-2.
To say The Streak (as it has become known in the college hockey world) was impressive is an understatement. They annihilated the previous-best Division I women's hockey winning streak of 21 games (owned by Harvard) and did the same to the men's record of 30 games (by RPI and Cornell). They almost doubled the previous best 32-game unbeaten streak, which counts ties, of the University of Wisconsin women's team and trumped the men's record of 38-straight unbeaten games held by RPI.
More impressive than the streak itself is how, for 639 days, the Gophers repeatedly dominated their opponents in nearly all aspects of the game. Minnesota outscored their opponents 311 to 63. During the 2012-2013 season - the meaty part of The Streak - the team led the nation in team offense with an average of 5.3 goals per game. Boston College was second with 4.3. During the three seasons that The Streak spanned, the Gophers have remained in the top five of team offense. Their highest scoring game was an 11-goal performance against Colgate University in 2012.
But, as all sports fans know, defense wins championships. In the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, the Gophers finished first in team defense nationally. In 2011-12, they only gave up 1.32 goals per game and followed that up in 2012-13 with an even stouter .88 goals per game. And through the first 14 games of the 2013-14 season, Minnesota sits at a very respectable fifth place, allowing only 1.43 goals per game.
So as impressive as the team offense was, so too was the team defense. When the defense was tested, it responded well. While only three of the 62 games went into overtime, Minnesota was obviously on the winning end of all three, including a three-overtime thriller against North Dakota in the NCAA quarterfinals in the 2012-13 season.
Only six of Minnesota's games were of the 1-goal-margin-of-victory variety, clearly in part due to the minuscule goals allowed per game and offensive output seen above. Every other victory was by at least two goals. They made national powerhouses look helpless.
The average margin of victory throughout The Streak? 4.25.
Minnesota trailed entering the third period only once during The Streak, which again can be either be attested to their outrageous offense or their stalwart defense.
While their team performance throughout The Streak was remarkable, the individuals that make up the team are some of the best in the world. The current US Olympic roster contains four players from Minnesota who were a part of The Streak, two of whom - Amanda Kessel and Lee Stecklein - will return next year after taking this year off to focus on Sochi.
Defensively, goaltender Noora Raty, a member of the Finnish national team since the age of 15, registered 20 shutouts in the 46 games she appeared in during the streak. Raty was the top goaltender in the nation in 2011-12, as she was first in goals-against-average (1.35) and third in save percentage (.942). Raty was even better the next season, registering a .964 GAA, a .956 save percentage and backstopping the Gophers to their second-straight national title.
Offensively, during the 2011-12 season, Minnesota had two players in the top ten in the nation in scoring in Jen Schoullis and Kessel. During the 2012-13 season, Kessel won the Patty Kazmir award and led the nation with 101 points (46 goals, 55 assists) despite missing three games due to injury. Fellow forward Hannah Brandt was second in the nation with 82 points (33 G, 55 A), and defenseman Megan Bozek was ninth with 57 points (20 G, 37 A).
Some were concerned that coming into this season, the Gophers would have trouble replacing the players lost from last year's team. But Amanda Leveille has taken over in net for the graduated Raty and is currently the sixth ranked goalie in the nation (1.43 GAA, .942 SV%); not bad for a goalie who only had three career starts coming into the season. And Minnesota is still producing offensively, with Brandt, Rachel Bona, Kelly Terry and Sarah Davis all sitting in the top ten in scoring.
The Streak might be over, but Minnesota is poised to win their third-straight National Championship. Even after their loss on Sunday, Minnesota remains in the top spot of the USCHO.com poll, a spot they have held since March 5, 2012.
Something that might last longer than the 639 days The Streak lasted is the impact that it has had on the world of hockey. Yes, there has been an increase in attendance at games and a boost in recruiting for a team that already had unprecedented depth. Perhaps the most telling evidence - sadly - was when the team was finally featured on Sportscenter last week. Minnesota scored two goals over the final 2:02 against St. Cloud to preserve their streak. Admittedly, it was a short clip that most people brushed off.
But in a world where what Tom Brady is wearing at his press conference takes precedent over one of the greatest feats in North American sports history, the Gophers finally received the acknowledgement they deserved.
Unbelievable.

NBA Talk: Where Rondo could go

Posted by Andrew Shi

Recently there has been news of a Knick's attempt to trade for the Celtic's Rondo. While Rondo would be a great fit in the Knick's starting lineup, the pieces for a successful trade are not there. Celtic's GM Danny Ainge also seems adamant that Rondo will not be traded, but for the right price Ainge would probably trade his own kids away.

Two other teams have recently been brought up as prospective destinations for Rondo: the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Houston Rockets is an unlikely fit for Rondo as James Harden essentially plays the point. Rondo fits best in a lineup where the accompanying shooting guard can cut and shoot on a dime (think Ray Allen). A Rondo-Harden backcourt would be redundant and a poor use of Rondo's talents. What Houston really needs in its starting lineup is a second shooting guard.

The Lakers would be a more interesting fit for Rondo. Kobe is also a player that likes the ball in his hands but his play with Nash last year was a bright in an overall failed experiment. The Lakers also currently have a 2014 first round pick to give away and many expiring contracts that the Celtics would likely be willing to pick up in exchange for dumping heftier contracts onto the Lakers along with Rondo. Yet, as rumors have it, the Lakers are unwilling to pick up cumbersome contracts with a highly anticipated 2014 free agency.

It's unlikely that Rondo, if traded, will end up in New York, Houston or LA, but there are still a few places that could use the services of Rondo and may be willing to trade away the pieces necessary for him.

Dallas right now has the fire power that is keeping it afloat in the Western Conference but it is currently fourth in points allowed at 104 per game. Rondo is widely regarded as the top, if not one of the top defensive point guards in the league. He would be a huge upgrade over Maverick's current point guard, Jose Calderon, who is at times more porous than a sponge. The Mavericks also have a 2014 draft pick to give away, one that could be very high if the Knicks continues to play worthy of the gutter. However, Calderon's current contract is for four years at a grand total of $29 million which is something the Celtics will be very reluctant to take on. Perhaps if the Celtics can trade a few additional burdensome contracts to the Mavericks, such as Wallace's in exchange for Shawn Marion's expiring contract, the two teams may be able to work something out.

The other team Rondo may be destined for is the Sacramento Kings who tried to sign Calderon this past summer. Currently the Kings have Grevis Vasquez playing point. While Vasquez is a top distributor and led the league in assists last year, he is still a tier below Rondo. The Kings are ready for a push for the playoffs, and Rondo will expedite the process. The Kings have already given their 2014 draft pick away, but they have plenty more in the future to give for Rondo. Vasquez is also on an expiring contract which will entice Ainge.

Point guard is the deepest position in the NBA and it will be difficult to move Rondo. Much also depends on Rondo's ability to bounce back from his torn ACL and play at the same level he has in years past. Otherwise, his depleted stock may just keep him in Boston for the time being. However, Rondo (at least pre-injury) was a top five point guard and an All-star, and there will be plenty of teams looking into his services in the weeks to come.

Junior class helps lead field hockey to Final Four

Posted by Katie Peverada

When I first arrived to interview the junior class of the field hockey team, it was utter chaos. With their flight to the Final Four less than 12 hours away, they had something far more important to take care of: helping each other pick out their outfits for the banquet they would be attending while in Virginia Beach.
When it seemed that it would never come to an end and they would miss their flight, Sam Revera spoke up and said, "Guys, the plane can't leave without us."
Revera may have been joking, but she was right.
Meet the junior class of the Skidmore College field hockey team. All eight of them. Together, they have scored 56 goals and 128 points. In net, they have combined to play 98.9% of a possible 4,340 minutes over the past three seasons. Since they've set foot on campus, they've won two Liberty League Championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament every year. Their record since they've been at Skidmore is 51-11.
But one of those losses came in last year's Liberty League semi-final, a feeling they weren't used to.
"As freshman, we just walked into a Liberty League championship. We didn't really realize how big of a deal it was until we didn't have it" co-captain Pauline Searles said.
Revera added that this year, they had the mentality of "It's going to happen. It's not getting taken from us again."
And it wasn't, as they beat William Smith 4-3 for the League title. But they made it very clear that they aren't done, and by Sunday afternoon they intend to be 53-11 and National Champions.
"We pretty much always have that as our goal," Revera said about winning a National Championship. At the beginning of each year the team comes up with new individual and team goals, but the goal of a championship is always there.
Collectively, they have all taken on a larger role both on and off the field, and they continue to push each other in all aspects of the game.
"Freshman year we didn't earn it. We weren't really playing as much, but this year it feels like we all played our part," Mel Webb acknowledged.
The girls felt that lately the team has been playing some of its best field hockey of the season. In the first two games of the NCAA tournament, they throttled Keene State 11-1 and then edged the number three-seed in the tournament, Middlebury College, 4-3.
"There's definitely a new energy. We're playing to earn everything," Amy Beck, a goalie on the team, said.
Despite the obvious importance and impact of the junior class in this year's success, they were quick to shower their coaches and teammates with praise. The coaching staff, is headed by coach Beth Hallenbeck, who is assistated by Lauren Winchell and volunteer Wes Chella. Winchell and Chella provide insight and a calming presence, with Winchell working closely with the goalies. The players lauded the individual attention that the coaches are willing to give them.
"With Beth, she's trying to push you, but Lauren can cheer for you while Beth is pushing you" Beck said.
Chella takes on the role of a spinner. He is able to take every situation and make it a learning experience.
"Wes always has this in-depth analysis of every situation," Sam Skott said.
The junior class was just as effusive about their fellow teammates as they were about their coaches, particularly the senior class. Co-captain and defenseman Annie Weis, the player they all view as the backbone of the team, leads the defense. Meanwhile, Skidmore's all-time leading scorer Kelly Blackhurst leads the offense and the mindset.
"Knowing how much she [Blackhurst] wants it makes," Beck started, "...Me want it" Webb finished.
The way that Webb jumped in and finished Beck's sentence is telling of how powerful and instrumental the junior class is to the team heading into the weekend.
The team is made up of 21 individuals, but all of them contribute to the process, with eight of them coming from one class. It's not that dissimilar from their process of choosing each other's outfits
But as individual as their outfits for the banquet ended up being, the team was just as excited to be wearing matching travel suits on the plane.
"We're going to look so cool on that airplane in matching clothes. I love when we're matching," Beck said.
"When everybody is on the same page, we just all work wonders," Searles said.

The Thoroughbreds take on Salisbury University in the NCAA Division III semifinals on Friday at 2 p.m. You can watch live here: http://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule/2013/11/22

Liberty League honors Thoroughbreds

Posted by Katie Peverada

The Liberty League announced on Monday their annual end of season honors, and Skidmore's team success was reflected on the lists. There are fourteen different athletes representing Skidmore, including one Player of the Year and eight First Team honors.

Volleyball: Corinne Palmer '14 topped off her stellar Skidmore career by earning a spot on the All-Liberty League First Team for the second time. Last year, Palmer was named both the Player of the Year and an All-American, in addition to her First Team honors. Palmer's sophomore year she was on the Second Team. Palmer has also been on the Liberty League All-Academic Team every year she was eligible. She led the team in blocks, kills and, hitting percentage.

Field Hockey: The field hockey team had five members earn Liberty League honors, including player of the year Kelly Blackhurst '14. Blackhurst was also named the Offensive Player of the Year and received First Team honors for the fourth time in her career. Blackhurst, who netted 65 points (26 G, 13) is Skidmore and the Liberty League's all-time leading scorer. Blackhurst was also selected as the 2013 Longstreth/NFHCA Division III North Atlantic Region Player of the Year for the second time in her career.
Jenn Hanks '16 was also selected to the All-Liberty League First team because of her stellar defensive work. Hanks led the League with seven defensive saves, netted five goals, three assists and earned Defensive Player of the Week twice this season. Hanks was an All-League Honorable Mention last season.
Krista Lamoreaux '17 rounded out the Thoroughbreds on the First Team on the strength of her strong two-way play. Lamoreaux netted six goals and four assists and was second on the team amongst field players in minutes played and was fourth on the team with 22 shots on goal.
Dani Degregory '16 led the conference with 15 assists and was second with 18 goals, earning her a spot on the All-Liberty League Second Team, adding to her strong freshman campaign last year in which she was voted an All-League Honorable Mention.
Sam Skott '15, this year's Liberty League Tournament MVP, netted a career-high 13 goals and four assists for 30 points, which was also third on the team. Skott scored the game-winning goals in the semifinals and final.

Women's Soccer: The women's soccer team had five members earn end of year recognition from the Liberty League, including two on the First Team.
Christine Bellotti '14 has three game-winning goals, trying her for third in the League, and finished second on the team with five goals to earn a spot on the First Team. Bellotti, who has started every game for the Thoroughbreds this season, led the team in shots with 42.
Arena Manning '16 leads the Thoroughbreds in scoring, netting five goals and one assist for a team-leading 11 points. Manning's three game-winning goals tied for third in the conference.
Gab Lawrence '14, named to the Second Team has backstopped the Thoroughbreds all season long, notching nine shutouts along the way to make it 19 in her career. Lawrence's goals against average (0.48) and save percentage (.869) were second and third in the League, respectively.
Kelsey Russell '14, who anchors the Skidmore defense and has started all 17 games this season, earned a spot on the Second Team.
Morgan Governale '16 received honorable mention for her part in contributing to both offense and defense. Governale started all 17 games, scoring two goals and adding one assist while also helping the tight Skidmore defense.

Men's Soccer: The men's soccer team had two players earn All-Liberty League First Team honors and two players receive honorable mention in a season that saw them return to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
Adam Beek '15 earned his second-straight First Team selection after registering 16 points (6 G, 4 A). Beek also added four game-winning goals for the Thoroughbreds, tied for second in the League.
Brock Bakewell '15, the team's leading goal-scorer with 12, also received a First Team nod. Bakewell's 12 goals were tied for first, and five of those goals were game-winners, also tied for first.
Andrew Blake '14 led a Skidmore defense that only allowed 0.91 goals per game and received honorable mention for his efforts. Blake also tallied one goal and one assist.
Adebare Oyeniyi '17 also received honorable mention, netting two goals and assisting one other in his freshman campaign. One of Oyeniyi's tallies was a game-winner.

Men's Soccer to Launch "Save The Bees" Campaign

Posted by H.L. Shmencken

After falling to defeat at St. Lawrence University in the Liberty League Championship, many members of the Skidmore men's soccer team suddenly found themselves with a lot of free time. Thus, an announcement is expected to come from the men's soccer headquarters regarding their latest initiative: Save The Bees. 

Rumors spread in the dining hall Sources close to the situation revealed to The Skidmore News that members of the men's soccer team have organized a tightly-knit coalition to raise awareness for one issue affecting us all: the extinction of bees.

Junior, Robert Smukler, who spoke under condition of anonymity, told The Skidmore News that the goal of the operation is to "stop the extinction of bees."

The announcement should come as no surprise: recently appointed head coach, Jeremiah Kneeland, has made it his personal mission to engender his players with a strong affection for wildlife and social action.

In August, Kneeland traveled to Nigeria to recruit prospective student-athletes and raise awareness for endangered Zebras as part of his latest campaign, Halting All Zebra Endangerment (also known as, "Operation: H.A.Z.E.").

Many members of the team have expressed moral outrage, as sophomore benchwarmer, Jessie Evensky, said in an interview with ESPN U, "I'm morally outraged."

Defender Mike Lemnios, also a sophomore, has been a hugely impactful bee activist since high school. He attributes his bee affection to a "powerful" documentary he watched several years ago.

Sophomore defender Andrew Pertsov is also an active member of the cause. Despite his passion for bees, he refused to comment in a phone interview, but did breathe into the receiver for long enough to fog up the The Skidmore News headquarters.

Senior, Andrew Blake tucked his chin into his left shoulder and lambasted apathetic students and offered a rallying cry, "I literally am not exaggerating when I tell you that bees just do so much for us."

Andrew's right: bees contribute to our society greatly. It's approximated that one-in-three bites of food would not be possible without bees and their pollinator powers. Moreover, they have a significant impact on our economy: more than $15 billion a year in U.S. crops are pollinated by bees" according to

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of the nation's preeminent environmental advocacy groups.

In fact, beekeepers, such as David Hackenberg, who was featured in the 2009 film Vanishing of the Bees, have apiaries (a fancy word for bee farms) where they maintain 2400 active bee colonies, according to the Hackenberg Apiaries website.

Hackenberg and other beekeepers ship thousands of bees across the nation from Florida, to Calif., and then they ship the little guys to the east coast in time to for blueberry season in Maine and Cranberry season in Mass. After about six months, they drive the bees (via tractor trailer) back to Florida.

Bees are crucial to certain industries. According to the NRDC, "every year, California almond growers must import honey bees from other states to pollinate their $2.3-billion-a-year crop, using about half of all honey bees in the United States."

However, in 2006, many beekeepers across the nation experienced a mass disappearance of bees. Suddenly, bees were not returning to their hives, or were dying. The nation-wide phenomenon alarmed many beekeepers and stakeholders. Researchers and scientists have labeled the mysterious disappearance "Colony Collapse Disorder."

A report, released by NRDC, cited global warming, toxic pesticide use, habitat loss and parasites as possible causes of CCD. However, there is no consensus in the scientific community about why the mass disappearance is occurring. In one instance, a beekeeper checked on his beehives in the morning, only to find that all 3,000 of the bees inhabiting the hives had disappeared.

It's estimated that CCD has killed more than 10 million beehives in North America since 2007. According to U.S. News and World Report, academics are now identifying pernicious pesticides as the primary cause of colony collapse disorder.

If we don't start raising awareness and changing our ways, CCD may begin to sting us. As the bee population vanishes, food prices rise-so enjoy your $12 grapes, because that might be where we're headed.

For now, Skidmore Men's Soccer team is working their hardest to fight CCD and raise awareness. "We'll probably make some t-shirts on Fun Day," said freshman attacker Nick Masiero, who added, "but only after we finish cleaning the locker-room."

Correction Appended: November 15, 2013

In a previous version of this article, Alex Hodor-Lee, a senior defender, was listed as the Treasurer of the "Save the Bees" campaign. However, he has since been kicked out of the organization. Though, sources close to the situation suspect he may be reinstated. 

Look out for more in our series of "Athletes doing good stuff"! Next week: "Men's LAX to Global Warming: Chill with that, Bro"

NBA Talk: Initial thoughts on the season

Posted by Andrew Shi

Good Teams Doing Poorly:

The Nets were supposed to be riding their all-star lineup to a top-three slot in the Eastern Conference, but they're currently languishing at 14th. The Wizards, who were expected to be a potential eight seed or a fringe playoff team reside in the position below. Detroit, who had a blockbuster offseason acquiring Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings, the Knicks and Cleveland are all on the outside of the playoffs too. On the other side of the country, Memphis is the equivalent of the Net's and the Nuggets have exceeded expectations of how bad they would be after a demoralizing and much criticized offseason. However, despite these disappointments, it's way, way too early to hit the panic button, at least for several of these teams. The Nets, Wizards, Pistons and Cavaliers will need time to develop chemistry with players injured last season or recently added. Memphis too, need not worry yet. The Knicks just lost Tyson Chandler, the cornerstone of their defense and as far as playoffs go they're still favored.

Bad Teams doing well

On the flipside, several teams are exceeding expectations including the Suns, Celtics and the 76ers. Eric Bledsoe and the crew of young bloods are proving themselves tenacious despite the front office's every effort to tank the season. The Celtics, too, are showing that even without Rondo they're capable of competing, although their offense is still one of the worst in the NBA, and that will quickly catch up with them especially now that they don't have the marquee defense they could brag about last season. The 76ers and the rise of Michael Carter-Williams has been one of the more exciting stories so far, but while Carter-Williams may very well be NBA rookie of the year, the 76ers can be still be expected to end the year in a bottom four seed. All of these team's victories can be largely attributed not so much to their phenomenal basketball, but rather to the deficiencies of the teams they played, something that will soon be shed as the season progresses and the rust wears off.

The Pacers can win it all

The Pacers haven't lost yet and Danny Granger still hasn't returned. Their defense is top in the NBA and their offense has improved from last year, thanks to a beefed up bench. While still not the favorite to win it all, analysts should countenance that maybe they should be. Once Danny Granger returns they're going to have an even deadlier bench. Or, even, a healthy and prolific Granger could fetch much on the market.

The Rockets:

Dwight Howard and James Harden are the deadly duo they were expected to be. Howard and Omar Asik are not, though. By the trade deadline in February Asik will be gone, and the Rockets will be better for that alone (although Asik off the bench would give the Rockets the best backup center in the league, bar a healthy Bynum, which probably won't happen). Asik will be coveted by many teams and will give the Rockets the power forward they need. Once that is achieved, the Rockets will be the top four team that they should be. Not to mention, Jeremy Lin is finally playing at the level he was originally paid for, and the bench is putting up solid stats as well.

Monta Ellis and the Mavericks.

Perhaps a new scene was what Ellis needed, as his game has drastically improved since his move to Dallas. His shot selection has become more thoughtful and his stats are showing the results. He's shooting less but making more of his shots and is almost at 50 percent for FG%. His 3FG% still has much to be desired but is up five points from last year. It wasn't originally clear how to judge the Maverick's offseason, but they're hanging steady at eighth in the conference. With Dirk Nowitzki playing the full season the Mavericks may very well return to the playoffs, although likely at a low seed and far from contender level.

Other story lines to watch out for as the season progresses:

What will new Raptors GM Masai Ujiri decide to do with his team? He's known for big moves and some are expected from him as his team is good but not nearly good enough to compete as a contender.

Along similar lines, the question around Danny Ainge is whether he will keep the Celtics as is or deal players as soon as the opportunity arises. I'd put my money on the latter.

And are the San Antonio Spurs still a top team in the West? The Heat may be able to beat them but they clearly won't lose to age.

Hockey topples Nor'easters, tricycle race proves exciting

Posted by Rebecca Shesser

Skidmore Men's Hockey opened league play against the University of New England on Friday night with a 5-2 win in front of a large home crowd at the annual Pack the Rink event. The Thoroughbreds outshot the Nor'easters 29-25. Highlights included senior forward Vlad Gavrik leading the Thoroughbred offense with three goals and notching his first career hat trick and freshman goalie Jack McDonald stopping 23 shots on net.
UNE started the scoring with a rebound goal in the first period. Junior forward Dave Limoges responded shortly thereafter with assists by Nick Mannarino '15 and Aaron Beck '14. The Thoroughbreds dominated second period play, scoring twice in the first two and a half minutes, with Gavrik and Beck registering the go-ahead goals. UNE's Zeth Zielinski scored for the Nor'easters bringing his team back to within one goal, but Gavrik quickly regained the 2-goal lead with a beautiful breakaway goal beating the glove of UNE goalie, Colby Drost. Gavrik capped off the night's scoring with a second breakaway goal, beating Drost for the third time when his backhander found its way into the back of the net. The Throughbred's five goals were assisted by Ondrej Krajnak '16, Thomas Park '15, Anders Gunderson '15 and Tony Giacin '14. The Thoroughbreds improved to 2-0 for the season with the victory.
The night's festivities were co-sponsored by the Skidmore Crew team, whose members managed the highly successful canned food drive. The Skidmore Women's Lacrosse team also sponsored a successful 50/50 raffle to fundraise for their upcoming season.
Arguably the most exciting portion of the night came during the first intermission with the always-competitive tricycle ice race. Four teams took to the ice but only one came out as champion. Sophomores Cassie Fishkin, Lila Rosenfeld and Emma Harris took home the $50 Peabody's gift card as well as invaluable amounts of pride with their victory.
"I was just so nervous," winner Cassie Fishkin said through tears of joy during the post-event interview, "but all my hard work really paid off and I'm just overwhelmed by how well I carried this team on my back."
Fellow winner Lila Rosenfeld also commented, "I donated my hair a couple weeks ago and I think getting rid of that extra weight is what really lifted this team to victory." Fishkin and Rosenfeld, Skidmore Softball team members, were later heard plotting ways to keep their third teammate, Women's Lacrosse team member Emma Harris '16, from sharing in their Peabody's bounty.
All in all, it proved to be a most successful night for the Skidmore Thoroughbreds.

The evolution of Skidmore's athletic facilities

Posted by Katie Peverada

Skidmore College has been around for about 100 years, over which the athletic facilities have undergone serious renovations. Still today, though, students have a tendency to criticize the condition and shape of the athletic facilities that the college has. All students take advantage of the aerobics room, weight room and intramural gym, while the basketball and volleyball teams compete in the main gymnasium and the swim teams use the six-lane pool for their meets. The tennis teams play on nine outdoor courts while soccer and lacrosse play on Wachenheim Field. Field hockey does its playing at Wagner Park, as does the softball team. All of these fields are on campus, but baseball and ice hockey play off campus, at Ingram Park and the Saratoga Springs Ice Rink, respectively. Additionally, the riding team goes off campus to the Van Lennep Riding Center.
But even though some teams have to go off campus and the winter months prove to be difficult as several teams try to schedule time at the gym for practice, all of Skidmore's teams and students are pretty lucky to have these facilities: there was a time when such things were an afterthought of the school.
Technically, the college's first gymnasium was the Young Women Industrial Club's clubhouse on Regent Street, which had a gymnasium and bowling alley. In 1904, physical education wasn't a major part of the curriculum or student life.
Skidmore's first athletic field is no more, as the school purchased it before moving to its present day location. In the spring of 1916, ten anonymous Saratoga Springs citizens donated $18,000 to the board of trustees for the purchase of an athletic field on Regent Street. The field, which students used for informal athletics, ensured that Skidmore owned the whole block (Union Avenue, Circular, Spring and Regent Streets).
Later that year, then-President Charles Keyes started the push for a gymnasium for the school, but not for the reasons one would think. It turns out that in order for Skidmore to meet the requirements of the state to confer baccalaureate degrees, they had to build a gymnasium (in addition to buildings like a library and a classroom building). Skidmore became an accredited college in 1922, but more importantly, by 1925, the new gymnasium and Cochran Pool were under construction.
Today's swimmers might be interested to know that back in the 1910s, students swam at the Saratoga Reservation pool on Phila Street for a small fee of 20 cents (about $4.64 in 2013 dollars).
Skidmore's riders didn't move to the Van Lennep Riding Center until 1970. In 1949, Skidmore acquired a part of the famed Yaddo artists' retreat property, and promptly built a riding stable in addition to several athletic fields. The property became known as Fifty Acres and served as the recreation center for about 10 years. In 1959, the chair of physical education, Margaret Paulding, pushed the trustees to build a bigger gymnasium space and a larger swimming pool.
By the early 1960s, the budding college was breaking ground on a new campus located on the Woodlawn estate (where the college is located today).
When Skidmore became co-ed in 1971, it struggled to attract male applicants due to the lack of sports facilities on campus. The gymnasium on Regent Street was deficient. Its basketball hoops were the women-regulated nine feet off the ground, much to the chagrin of the male students. Thus, in 1976 a temporary gymnasium was built and the push for a more vibrant athletic program began. This temporary gym, though, was not much better than the facility on Regent Street. It had an asphalt floor, making volleyball and basketball dangerous activities.
In 1982, a new sports center finally opened on campus. By 1994 it had to be expanded again, which resulted in the artificial-turf field, lighting, electronic scoreboard and press box that are there today. Training rooms, weight rooms and an aerobic room were also added in the 1994 expansion. In October of 2010, the facility was named the Williamson Sports Center in honor of trustee and longtime benefactor Susan Kettering Williamson '59.
Today, there are a lot of complaints about the shape of Skidmore's athletic facilities. But if Skidmore students and athletes look at the whole picture, they can't help but be grateful. The basketball teams have three courts, the softball team has a turf field and swimming has a six-lane pool -- all marked improvements over the facilities from the 1920s to the 1970s.

Men's soccer shuts out RPI, heads to Liberty League championship

Posted by Katie Peverada

On Wednesday night, the Skidmore men's soccer team was playing in the program's first playoff game in six years, an accomplishment in its own right. Now, they're headed back to the Liberty League Championship after shutting out defending champion Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2-0.
An eighth minute goal from Adam Beek '15 would be the only goal Skidmore would need, but Brock Bakewell was able to ice the game in the 69th minute with a second goal.
Skidmore put the pressure on RPI early, earning two corner kicks in the first eight minutes. The second kick would prove to be fruitful for the Thoroughbreds, as Beek was able to curl it untouched directly into the RPI goal.
With the score 1-0, Skidmore continued to pressure the RPI defense, registering six shots in the first half. Another corner kick in the the 20th minute almost made it 2-0 when another Beek kick found Jesse Evensky '16 on the back post, but RPI goalie Rob Dewald and the RPI defense were able to block the shot and clear the ball.
RPI came out firing in the second half, putting up 10 shots, but Eli Kisselbach '16 and the Skidmore defense were able to keep the ball out of the net.
The Skidmore offense, though, was able to put up a second goal in the 69th minute when Bakewell headed a cross from Alex Hodor-Lee '14 past Dewald. Hodor-Lee carried the ball down the right wing and sent a ball into the box that found the head of Bakewell.
The Engineers would not go down easily over the final 20 minutes of the game, putting up four shots in three minutes. But the shots were unable to find the back of the net, as two missed the net, one was blocked, and Kisselbach took care of the fourth, to preserve his fifth shutout of the year. Kisselbach finished with five saves, and Dewald finished with four.
RPI outshot Skidmore 15 to 11 and had five corner kicks to Skidmore's four, but the Thoroughbreds were able to put a two where the Engineers weren't able to put anything.
The Thoroughbreds now head to St. Lawrence on Saturday, a place they had success two weeks ago when they handed the nationally-ranked Saints their only home loss of the season, 1-0.

Field hockey dominates Vassar to return to Liberty League championship

Posted by Katie Peverada

With a 4-0 win over Vassar on Wednesday, the Skidmore College field hockey team will return to the Liberty League tournament final where they will face William Smith.
Skidmore scored under two minutes into the game and it would prove to be the game-winner. Captain Pauline Searles '15 had a beautiful carry down the baseline, forcing her way to the net where she fed Sam Skott '15 near the left post.
Skott was quick to give credit to Searles for setting up the goal.
"I took Pauline's great pass, I just happened to pop by the goalie at the right time," Skott said.
The first half quickly turned into a goal-tending clinic, with both Brelis and Haley McDougall '15 coming up big for their teams.
McDougall had five saves on the day, but the most important came just 1:23 into the game when she had a point-blank save on a Vassar shot. Not only did the score remain tied but the Thoroughbreds moved the ball up the field quickly to set up Skott's game-winner. McDougall came up big again with time winding down in the first half when she fought off a Vassar screen and made a save with her left leg to send the Thoroughbreds into halftime with a lead.
Skidmore came out strong in the second half, and Searles sent the ball to the high-far post for a 2-0 lead. About 20 minutes later, Krista Lamoreaux '17 found the back of the net with a hard low shot from the box to make it 3-0. Jenn Hanks '16 put an exclamation point on the victory when she lofted the ball past Brelis for the final goal of the game.
Skidmore dominated the game offensively, outshooting Vassar 28-7.
Skidmore was able to generate several offensive opportunities off of transitions. Dani DeGregory '16 had several nice runs down wing, nearly scoring at the 19:00 mark of the first half when she beat the Vassar defense on the right side, cut in and dove to get a shot off on the backhand. Brelis, though, was able to make one of her 17 saves.
The Thoroughbreds held a 15-4 penalty corner advantage in the game.
Defensively, Skidmore never let Vassar gain any serious momentum as they had trouble even breaking into the offensive third of the field.
Lamoreaux and Sam Revera '15 played a huge role in manning the middle of the field for the Thoroughbreds, coming up with several huge stops and quickly sending DeGregory and Skott on counterattacks. Hanks and Annie Weis '14 stood tall all game long, both coming up with key stops to crush any momentum Vassar was gaining. Five minutes in to the second half, Vassar was able to draw McDougall out of the net and postmark a ball for the back of the net, but Hanks came out of nowhere to dive to her right and keep the ball out of the net with a defensive save and preserve the 2-0 score. Around the 22:00 mark Weis was able to shutdown the Vassar offensive and immediately send Skidmore the other way.
The Thoroughbred victory was extra-sweet, as it was coach Beth Hallenbeck's 200th at Skidmore. Hallenbeck's career mark of 270-135 ranks 15th all-time among Division III coaches. Additionally, the win avenged a 2-1 loss to Vassar earlier in the year.
The 1 p.m. home game on Saturday will be a rematch of the 2011 championship, a game Skidmore won 2-1 over William Smith.

Liberty League tabs three Thoroughbreds

Posted by Katie Peverada

This past week, the Liberty League selected three Thoroughbreds to honor for their performances in the pool and on the field. Two of them, Catherine King '15 and Erin Donovan '17, started their seasons with stellar performances, while the third, Kelly Blackhurst '14, continued to produce as the playoffs approach.

Catherine King '15 - Women's Swimming and Diving - Performer of the Week
Skidmore opened its season with meets against St. Lawrence and SUNY Potsdam and King earned seven first place finishes between the two. Against St. Lawrence, King won the 50 and 100-freesyles (24.88 and 55.66) and was the anchor of the winning 200-freestyle relay team. Against Postdam, King again took home first place in the 50 and 100-freestyle races (25.15 and 57.17), the 200-freestyle (2:04.61) and added a first place in the 400-medley relay.

Erin Donovan '17 - Women's Swimming and Diving - Rookie of the Week
In her first two meets as a Thoroughbred, Donovan came away with four first place finishes. In the two meets against St. Lawrence and SUNY Postdam, Donovan won the 100-backstroke with times of 1:03.40 and 1:03.28, respectively. Against Postdam, Donovan also added a win in the 200-backstroke (2:17.64), 200-individual medley (2:24.37) and was part of the first place 400-freestyle relay.

The swim teams are back in action at 1 p.m. on Saturday at home against Vassar.

Kelly Blackhurst '14 - Field Hockey - Offensive Performer of the Week
Blackhurst continued her amazing senior campaign, earning her fourth OPW of the season in the process. In the Thoroughbreds' 9-4 win over Stevens Tech, Blackhurst netted four goals and one assist. The nine points were a season-high for Blackhurst, who was also named to the 2013 Front Rush/NFHCA Senior Game. Blackhurst will look to continue her amazing scoring pace in the Thoroughbreds' Liberty League semifinal at home at 2 p.m. on Wednesday against Vassar.

NBA Talk: The Celtics moving forward

Posted by Andrew Shi

The Celtics are currently in a unique position. After jettisoning their two all-stars, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, and former sixth-man Jason Terry, the Celtics officially entered a period of rebuilding. At the moment, general manager Danny Ainge apparently plans on rebuilding around a core consisting of all-star Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk, a group of young, very talented players. Everyone else, including the expensive contracts obtained in the Nets trade, are expendable.

The issue at hand is that while the Celtics are rebuilding, Ainge also seems to be committed to not tanking, as the Suns and 76ers are doing. The Celtics are currently comprised of a bunch of spare parts that on a team with another all-star or two could lead a team to a championship; but alone they'll just mire the Celtics in the undesirable position of straddling the eighth playoff spot. The Celtics are currently a team that will enter the lottery, but are still too good to likely have a chance of acquiring the prizes of a deep lottery.

Ainge currently has two concerns on his mind: the luxury tax and the loaded 2014 draft. Pricey contracts will burden the rebuilding process by restricting trade leeway, and this is a draft that needs to be heavily invested in to expedite the rebuilding process. If Ainge is savvy enough, which he has proven himself to be in the past, then he can trade away the expensive contracts and acquire the draft picks in their place.

There should be a core of players Ainge builds around, but that list should consist only of three of the current players: Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk. These are all young players that are good "as is" and will only get better. While Rondo may be the current face of the Celtics, and one of the top point guards in the league, his inconsistent shooting leaves much to be desired, and in a deep draft his value may be optimized by the picks he is traded for. Green is now being given the burden of being Paul Pierce, but he has never shown the ability to do so. Like Rondo, he may be more valuable as a trading piece.

Once the playoffs near and teams begin to look for players to give them that extra boost, the Celtics will receive a lot of calls. Ainge can expect inquires from the Trailblazers, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Mavericks and possibly the Lakers, all who will be battling for that 7th and 8th seed in the Western Conference. Just as likely though, he may receive calls from the Rockets who, once their Omar Asik-Dwight Howard pairing falls through, will need a serviceable power forward.

A possible trade with the Rockets may look like this:

Celtics: Kris Humphries to Houston Rockets

Rockets: Omar Asik to Thunder

Thunder: Kendrick Perkins and first round to Celtics

Kris Humphries, before the move to Brooklyn a year ago, was a double-double machine, averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Thunder are also in desperate need of a good center. As the Thunder battle the Clippers and Spurs for a top seed, they'll need Asik and will likely be more than willing to give up a draft pick. The Rockets may need something more in return, perhaps a young player from the Thunder like Jeremy Lamb, but this is definitely a trade that would benefit all three teams.

The true target of Ainge, though, should be the Bobcats. The off-season acquisition of Al Jefferson showed that this team is impatient to reenter the playoffs after being the butt of jokes for years. What the Bobcats need most is a star point guard. While the Bobcats do not have their own pick, they do have Portland's and Detroit's. This trade will require Rondo, and it is overall a bit unlikely regardless, but if anyone can pull it off it is Ainge:

Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace,

Bobcats: Ben Gordon, Bismack Biyombo, Kemba Walker, Portland's 2014 pick, Detroit's 2014 pick, future first round pick.

This, like the Rocket trade, assumes that Wallace plays again like he did before the move to Brooklyn, when he was hitting career highs from outside and at the free-throw line. Moving Gerald Wallace would move the Celtics' currently highest contract in exchange for Gordon's, which is more expensive but expiring. Portland and Detroit can be expected to be at either a late lottery or a pick or two afterward, where there will still be plenty of talent.

With players like Brandon Bass, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Courtney Lee and Kieth Bogans, the Celtics have a lot of valuable assets. Even without having to give up Rondo or Green, Ainge, if dogged enough, should be able to trade these players away for a first-round pick or two. At the moment, though, Ainge needs to commit to rebuilding, which means tanking. If he is to keep Rondo, he should have him pull a Derrick Rose and sit out the whole season so that the Celtics can expect to land bottom five and thus acquire a top-five pick among whatever other picks Ainge acquires by then.

Field hockey clinches regular season Liberty League title

Posted by Katie Peverada

Heading into the weekend, Skidmore's field hockey team knew that a regular season title was within reach if they won both games. However, with both games also coming against nationally ranked opponents in the University of Rochester and William Smith College, the Thoroughbreds also knew they would have to play tough.
The field hockey team came into the first game on Friday at 11-3 overall and 3-1 in Liberty League play and ranked an impressive 17th in the nation, but they were facing off against the 14th-ranked, and Liberty League foe, University of Rochester Yellow Jackets. Skidmore, though, started the game strong, taking an early 2-0 lead.
Kelly Blackhurst '14 got Skidmore on the board first in the third minute with her 20th goal of the season. Blackhurst intercepted a Rochester clearing attempt at the top of the circle and fired it past Rochester's Madison Wagner. Less than two minutes later, Sam Skott '15 made it 2-0 when she received a pass from Sam Revera '15 near the left post and calmly tapped it in.
Rochester cut the lead to 2-1 when they scored off of a penalty corner, but the Thoroughbreds again put up two goals in a row to take control.
Skott and Blackhurst both scored again in the 17th minute and 26th minute, respectively. Skott jammed home the ball amid traffic in the front of the net, this time off of a pass from Dani DeGregory '16. Blackhurst again scored from the top of the circle, this time taking the ball off of a penalty corner, dribbling around a Rochester defender on the left wing and slotting it home to make it 4-1.
Rochester, though, showed why they are also one of the top teams in the country and would not go down easily. The Yellow Jackets quietly added a goal with 15 seconds remaining in the first half, but that was enough to give them momentum heading into the second. Rochester was able to score a goal off of a redirection seven minutes in to the second half to make it 4-3.
However, the last 27 minutes was all about defense with neither team able to get score, let alone get off many shots. Skidmore held Rochester to just one more shot the rest of the way, and none of Skidmore's five shots were able to find the back of the net. Haley McDougall '15 finished with two saves while Wagner and Tara Lamberti combined for 10 saves.
The win put the Thoroughbreds at 4-1 in Liberty League play heading into last Saturday's game against William Smith and gave them a chance to earn the #1 seed with a victory.
William Smith came into the game ranked 7th in the nation and 4-1 in League play, but Skidmore knew that a victory would seal home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
DeGregory got things started for Skidmore with two goals in the first 30 minutes. DeGregory received a pass from Blackhurst off of a corner and was able to slide it home past William Smith's Amy Feda. DeGregory continued to maintain a strong net presence when she was able to tip the ball in, with the assist going to Revera.
William Smith was able to add a goal off of a deflection with 25 seconds left in the half to make it 2-1, but Jenn Hanks '16 scored the game winner at 63:11. Melanie Webb '15 and Becca Halter '17 earned the assists on Hanks' goal which came off a penalty corner. Earlier in the game, Hanks had saved a goal with a nice defensive save.
Later in the game, with the score 3-2, William Smith pressured Skidmore with an extra attacker for the last minute and a half. But McDougall and the Skidmore defense continued their strong play to preserve the win. McDougall, who made a game-preserving save as time expired, finished the game with eight saves. Feda had five saves for William Smith.
The Thoroughbreds hosts Stevens Tech at 2 p.m. on Nov. 2 in what will be the senior game and the final regular season game. Skidmore will then host Vassar College on Nov. 6 in the semifinal of the Liberty League playoffs.

Women's soccer falls to St. Lawrence in OT

Posted by Katie Peverada

The women's soccer team suffered their first home loss of the season on Saturday, falling to St. Lawrence 1-0 in overtime. It was their first game since their first loss of the season, a 2-0 defeat at William Smith last weekend, and moved them to 10-2-2 overall and 5-2 in Liberty League play.
The only goal of the game came just 1:28 into overtime, when the Saints were able to score off of a corner kick. With the ball bouncing around in the box amidst players from both teams, Saint Julia Friesen was able to lift the ball into the top left corner of the goal, past the Skidmore defense.
Even though they were on the losing end of the score, the Thoroughbreds were in control for a large part of the game. In the first half of play, Skidmore outshot St. Lawrence 10 to one and finished the game with 16 shots to eight. Skidmore also had 6 corner kicks to the Saints' 2, but the Saints were able to convert one of those for the game winning tally.
Skidmore's best chance of the first half came in the 13th minute when Christine Bellotti '14 hammered a shot from the top of the 18. Saints' Kelsey West saw the shot all the way through, though, and timed her catch perfectly. Bellotti would go on to test West several times throughout the game, most notably in the 42nd minute when she took a corner kick from the left side that curved in towards the goal, but West was able to get a hand on the ball and knock it away. Bellotti also tested West in the 75th minute with a dead ball kick.
St. Lawrence threatened a bit in the second half, but Gab Lawrence '14 was there to answer. In the 52nd minute, Lawrence tracked a long shot from the top of the box, and then came off of her line later in the half to cut off a cross. Lawrence finished the game with three saves, with only the final shot, in overtime, finding the net.
Although the number one seed is no longer attainable, the Thoroughbreds can still earn a home game and the number two seed with a win at RPI on Wednesday, Oct. 30.