8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 13, 2010

1/8

Musicians from the DAngelo Department

of Music made their Broadway debut over

Christmas break with the world premiere

of Jordan Farrars The Day Boy and TheNight Girl.

The Lakers unity and confidence sends

them soaring in the PSAC standings.

Read more on Page 6

Read more on Page 5

Read more on Page 7

Budding artists

get creative with

old prom dresses

Vol.83, No.11/1.13.10/Free

Students performopera on Broadway

Erie drivers bannedfrom talking, textingon mobile phones

Public plea for

grilled chickenVictoria Gricks gives her view on a specific

menu deficiency in Egan Dining Hall.

Teamwork fuelsturnaround forwomens basketball

Read more on Page 3

Texting, calling, e-mailing and Internet activity

on mobile devices is now banned while driving

in the city limits. This violation is a primary

offense with up to $300 in fines.

Read more on Page 4

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 13, 2010

2/8

NEWSPage 2 January 13, 2010

Former counterterrorist agent discusses extremist threat

Offer Baruch, a former

Israeli Counter Terrorism

Agency (Shin Bet) agent,

explained the origins of

Islamic extremism as a threat

to America and the West as a

whole to students and faculty

at Mercyhurst College.

Baruch gave his lecture,Global Fundamentalist Islamic

Terror, on Thursday, Jan. 7.

Baruch focused the lecture on

emphasizing the threat posed by

global Islamic extremism and

the fact that it should not be

underestimated.

Even so, Baruch was quick

to emphasize the need to

clearly distinguish the main-

stream Muslim population fromextremists and fundamentalists

and stated that his lecture was

in no way an attack on Islam or

Muslims.

After this disclaimer, Baruch

detailed the roots of Islamic

extremism, or Global Islamic

Revolution, as it appears today.

Baruch focused largely on

dispelling the Western miscon-

ception that Islamic terrorismemerged only in the late part of

the 20th century.

In fact, the emergence of

Islamic extremism began in

1928 with the foundation of the

Muslim Brotherhood, the goal

of which has been to advance

both the religion of Islam and

its social tenets. The Muslim

Brotherhood has gone as far as

advocating the global imposi-tion of Sharia law, Baruch said.

Throughout the presentation,

Baruch emphasized the lack of

scruples consistently displayed

by the Muslim Brotherhood

and similar organizations, par-

ticularly their willingness to use

violence to achieve their goals.

Baruch stressed the dangers

posed by the ideology and pro-

paganda of extremism.It starts with words, and

then you become radicalized,

Baruch said. It is a progressive

development of a mindset.

One of Baruchs main strat-

egies to counteract the prob-

lem is via continued outreach

to the mainstream Muslim

community.

In Baruchs view, mainstream

Muslims are afraid to opposethe more radical elements of

their faith, since such radicals

consider dissenters as traitors to

Islam and thus targets.

Enabling Muslims to break

free of extremism is good for

both the Muslim community

and global society as a whole,

Baruch said.

Another point strongly

emphasized by Baruch washis opinion that extremists

are unreasonable. As such, he

advocates capturing and inter-

rogating when possible and

taking out those who cannot

be captured.

In this lecture, Baruch was

also adamant that intelligence

communities worldwide must

share information more readily.

Freshman Phil Blair saidthe lecture was a very inter-

esting perspective on current

events.

Students had the opportunity

to ask questions at the conclu-

sion of the lecture.

Baruchs counterterrorism

credentials include joining the

Counter-Intelligence Division

of the Israeli Security Service in

1978, becoming supervisor of acounterintelligence unit of the

Israeli Counter Terrorism Task

Force in 1991, directing secu-

rity for several Israeli Foreign

Ministry diplomatic missions

and tightening security at the

Amman, Jordan branch of ElAl Airlines.

Baruch is currently the vice

president of International

Shield, Inc., a security consul-

tant and training company.

By Kelly Dempsey

Staff writer

Offer Baruch spoke at Mercyhurst College on Thursday, Jan. 7.

His lecture focused on the origins of Islamic extremism as a

threat to the United States and the West as a whole.

Tyler Stauffer photo

Trustees to vote on entrance-way renovation

Later this month, the Mercy-

hurst College Board of Trustees

will vote on a landscaping proj-

ect to update the entrance-way

on East 38th Street.

This project evolved from

a Master Landscaping Plan

done by Dahlkemper Land-

scape Architects and Contrac-

tors and a Mercyhurst College

Committee two years ago,

Executive Vice President of

Administration Thomas Bill-ingsley said.

On Thursday, Jan. 7, Billing-

sley asked the Buildings and

Grounds Committee to design

new landscaping for the front

entrance. However, for the

project to progress, the Board

of Trustees must approve the

plan as part of the preliminary

budget for 2010-2011.

If the Board of Trustees

approves the entrance way proj-

ect at their next meeting, con-

struction could begin as soon as

June 2010 and finish as soon as

August.

This project would be the first

to change the appearance of thefront entrance since the 1970s.

Some students did not

respond positively to the pro-

posed project.

I dont think they should

do anything to the front gates,

especially not to update them

since they are historic. There are

other buildings on campus, such

as the gym, that actually need an

update, freshman Diane Bojar-

ski said.

Other students did not place

much importance on the devel-

opment.

My parents always go in the

back entrance since its closer to

Warde, sophomore Erica Gal-lagher said. Im not really sure

of the traffic issues or conve-

nience issues.

It would be a shame to lose

the gates that seem so much a

symbol of the traditional Mer-

cyhurst values, but is there a

reason other than image for

remodeling the entrance?

sophomore Chelsea Schermer-

horn asked. If not, then it is

a waste of the colleges money,

and a destruction of a commu-

nitys morale. The money could

be put to better use with a

scholarship or changing some-

thing on campus that needs to

be changed.Plans do not, as yet, involve

the gates themselves. Rather,

construction will focus on

installing sidewalks so students

do not need to walk on the road

when exiting the front gate.

These sidewalks would be

enhanced with benches and two

lines of trees. The trees would

replace the ones standing by the

front drive, which have been

damaged during winter storms.

The budget and design pro-

cess have not been decided

upon.

The Board of Trustees will

make their decision to approve

or reject the project Thursday,Jan. 21.

By Jennifer McCurdyStaff writer

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 13, 2010

3/8

NEWS Page 3January 13, 2010

Erie drivers banned

from talking, textingDont pick up that phone while driving in the

City of Erie, or you could be using next termsbook money to pay a hefty fine.

Texting, talking, e-mailing, and all Internetactivity done on a handheld mobile device whileoperating a vehicle (including a bicycle) is nowillegal in the City of Erie.

Cell phone use is permitted only if the driver isdialing 911, reporting traffic accidents or recklessdrivers, or if the car is in a parking lane or space

out of moving traffic and not in gear.The new law went into effect Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Drivers caught violating this law will have to pay

charges ranging from $150 to $300.

As a primary offense, police officers can pull adriver over if they see the driver using a phone.

Senior Cara Adamus said, Its a good idea, butI dont agree with it. We are part of the multitask-ing generation, so we can do more than one thing

at a time.Erie City Council decided not to follow Har-

risburgs lead and post signs alerting residentsof the ban. The Mercyhurst administration puta notice about the law in the daily faculty e-mail,

but the college has not informed students of theban. As a result, the ban could come as a surprisefor students with cars, many of whom do not

read the Erie Times-News or watch local news

stations.Its safer, but its a little inconvenient at the

same time, sophomore Nicole Vonderau said.One inconvenience is having to remember

where the law is in effect. Because the law only

applies to drivers within the City of Erie, cellphone use is not restricted while driving in themunicipalities or other parts of Erie County. Erie

city limits extend from Grandview Boulevardnorth to the lake and from Pittsburgh Avenue eastto Bird Drive.

One option would be to refrain from using cellphones at all, but this may be hard for a genera-tion used to being accessible 24/7.

Brittany Palmer, a high school student whotakes classes at Mercyhurst, said, Its a good lawoverall, but I think its going to be hard to restrain

from picking up the phone when someone calls.

By JoEllen MarshEditor-in-chief

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Events

Monday, Jan. 18

8 a.m.

Mass

Christ the King

Chapel

9-11 a.m.

M.L.K. Reflection

Reception

Student Union

News BriefsAn accident at the GE Transpor-

tation plant in Erie on Monday, Jan.

11, killed William Huff, 46. Huffs

daughter is a Mercyhurst College

student, sophomore Jordan Huff.

MSG hosts DiscoveryChannels Jeff Lieberman

Read this article atmerciad.mercyhurst.edu/news

The Pennsylvania Superior Courtrecently overturned the prison sen-

tence of former Mercyhurst student Teri

Rhodes. A new judge will resentence her.

Rhodes pleaded guilty to voluntary man-

slaughter for killing her baby moments

after she was born on Aug. 12, 2007.

Board college van behind Student Union

or meet by the Gazebo in Perry Square

11:15 a.m.

24th Annual Memorial March

Downtown Erie

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 13, 2010

4/8

FEATURES January 13, 2010

Hurst kicks off fi rst annual Relay for Life event

On Tuesday, Jan. 12, Mercyhurst Colleges StudentGovernment and Circle K held a kickoff ceremony for

Mercyhurst Colleges first-ever Relay for Life event.The kickoff events festivities included team registra-

tion, food, music, speakers and video footage of previ-

ous Relay for Life events.Senior Vanlam Luu, an MSG representative and co-

organizer of the event, said the actual relay is scheduled

to occur at Mercyhurst on Saturday, May 1 from 11 a.m.to 11 p.m.

Relay for Life is an event to celebrate the lives of

cancer victims, remember lost loved ones, and fightback against the disease. The day-long event symbolizesthe struggle cancer patients face because cancer never

sleeps.Along with Luu, senior President of Circle K Club

Maria Rambuski is coordinating Relay for Life.

There are very few shared experiences in life thatconnect people together, for the good or the bad, in theway that cancer does, Rambuski said.

The relay begins with a survivor walk, where cancersurvivors take the first honorary walk around. Thesecond walk is for caretakers of people with cancer and

then finally the teams begin walking.In a normal relay, team members take turns walking

around the course for 24 hours. However, since this will

be Mercyhurst Colleges first Relay for Life event, Luusaid the relay will occur for only 12 hours.

Team members may leave and come back as long as

there is one person walking at a time, Luu said.

However, entertainment, food, and music will be pro-

vided, so people are encouraged to stay the entire time.Each team should be comprised of up to 15 people

and is asked to raise at least $25 per person. Each person

to raise $100 or more will receive a free T-shirt.No matter who we are, we all are rooting for a cure

or struggling with the effects of cancers touch, either

directly or indirectly, Rambuski said.Students and faculty who missed the kickoff event

may still register a team by contacting Vanlam Luu

at vluu13@mercyhurst.edu or Maria Rambuski atmrambu64@mercyhurst.edu.

Registration packets will be delivered and donations

are also being accepted.

By Liz MaierStaff writer

Shoppers turn dresses into works of art

The lower level of Hirt was filled with busy shoppers

on Thursday, Jan. 7, and Tuesday, Jan. 12.Erie and Mercyhurst community members picked

dresses, donated by My Fathers House, in exchange for

a minimum $10 contribution to benefit Grace House, aprogram that helps women who are returning from themilitary adjust to returning to the Erie community.

The idea is that people who bought dresses turn theminto works of art by altering them in some way.

Mercyhurst College senior Jordan Zangaro, who is

currently interning at My Fathers House, helped comeup with the concept for this fundraiser as well as bring-ing it to campus.

When I came to my internship, my bosses had anidea for a 48-hour challenge, but that didnt work out.Then they came up with this idea, whic h I tweaked and

changed just a little bit, Zangaro said.The dresses will be sold at a silent auction that will

be held on Monday, Feb. 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. at theCummings Art Gallery. The event is named Women inTransition: Silent Art Auction.

Senior Kerri Smith is one of the many participants

of the auction. The dress she bought, a hot pink prom

dress with tulle on the bottom, resembles a dress shesaw in a childrens book called The Rainbow Fish.Smith is planning to model her alterations on the story.

Im planning to spray paint it with glitter and some-how turn it into a fish, Smith said.

Mercyhurst College graphic design teacher Jodi Sta-

niunas-Hopper said that certain attributes of the dressshe purchased inspired her to turn it into a vessel ora basket or a hat. Although she is not sure of the end

result, she said she is definitely going to be taking thedress apart.

So far, there have been 27 dresses sold. Zangaro saidshe thinks this is a great turnout.

It is better than I ever expected. I was only expectingto have 10 teams total, and we sold 19 dresses on the

first day. I am very exited, Zangaro said.Although official selling dates have passed, there are

still dresses for those who are interested in participat-

ing.The completed dresses must be returned to Hirt on

Feb. 8 or 11 between 12 and 3 p.m. They must include

the name of all who participated in its making. Set-up

for the event will occur on Feb. 14.If you are interested in buying a dress or want more

information on the event, contact Zangaro at jzanga22@mercyhurst.edu.

By Javi CubillosFeatures editor

Mercyhurst senior Marie Schiappa purchases a dress.

Ethan Magoc photo

O

nli

ne

..

Merciad.Mercyhurst.

edu/Features

Merciad.Mercyhurst.

edu/Features

Videogame of the Week:

Bite Me

An Erieite Appetite:

Matthews Trattoria & Bar

Page 4

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 13, 2010

5/8

The Metropolitan Opera

Simulcast season is entering its

second half with the much cel-

ebrated Carmen.

Carmen, playing at the

Mary DAngelo Performing

Arts Center on Saturday, Jan. 16,

at 1 p.m., has been one of the

worlds most performed operas

since re-opening in Vienna in

the 1880s.

To help celebrate this opera,

the Mercyhurst College voice

students of Louisa Jonason will

be starting off the afternoon

at noon by performing a few

pieces from Carmen live in

the art gallery.

Junior Lynn Dula will beperforming one of the most

famous pieces from the opera,

Act I Habanera.

Dula, senior Mary Spinelli and

junior Megan Duane will also per-

form the Act II Gypsy Song.

Composer Georges Bizet

was inspired, like many opera

composers, by literature. Bizetturned to Prosper Merimees

novel Carmen, written around

1845. With help of two libret-

tists, Henri Meihac and Ludovic

Halevy, Bizet completed

Carmen in 1875, when it was

premiered in Paris at the Opera-

Comique Theatre. The opera

was very unpopular when it first

premiered, and Bizet died of a

heart attack before seeing what

a timeless success his opera

would become.Now Carmen is looked at

as staple operatic repertoire.

MET production director

Richard Eyre describe Carmen

as centering around sex, vio-

lence and racism. The opera

takes place around 1830 in Spain.

Carmen is a Gypsy who falls in

love with a soldier, Don Jose.

Act I begins outside of a ciga-

rette factory, where soldier DonJose arrests Carmen, who responds

by making seductive promises.

Don Jose then lets Carmen escape,

for which he is arrested.

Act II takes place in an inn

where Carmen greets Don Jose

after his release from jail.

In Act III Don Joses old lover

seeks him out and tells him that

his mother is dying. Don Joseleaves to go to her.

In Act IV, Don Jose returns

to Carmen to see that she is

now the lover of a bullfighter.

In a jealous rage, Don Jose takes

dramatic steps causing an unsus-

pecting tragedy that can only be

found out by attending the MET

simulcast this weekend.

The unabridged version can befound online.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 5January 13, 2010

A&E online

merciad.mercyhurst.eduMayer examines relationships withBattle Studies

John Mayers new album is reviewed in this column andis shown to focus heavily on his personal relationships.

Inheritance short, satisfying read

Esthers Inheritance is about a woman faced with adecision to make about her only love.

Student has opportunity with NYC opera

During Christmas breakthis year, students from the

DAngelo Department of Music

made their Broadway debut.

I was lucky enough to be

part of a group of Mercyhurst

undergraduates who traveled to

New York City over the holiday

break to perform in a world pre-

miere: Jordan Farrars The Day

Boy and The Night Girl, which

was presented by the AfterDinner Opera Company.

The cast was made up pri-

marily of Mercyhusrt voice per-

formance majors, but included

many others as well, including

alumni and faculty.

The experience started with

a dress rehearsal that was open

and free to the community. The

opera was performed to a full

audience in the Taylor Little

Theatre on Dec. 27.

Our group left for New YorkCity the next day at 6:30 a.m.,

hauling with it approximately

90 costumes and countless set

pieces and props.

When we got there, we had

about an hour to rest before we

had a rehearsal with the orches-

tra in the composers apartment.

Finally the cast was able to hear

how the music would sound

with an orchestra playing it.

The next day we had some

free time in the morning before

it was time to unload the sets,

props and costumes out of our

vans and bring them to the the-atre.

The premiere was to be per-

formed at Symphony Space,

which is located at Broadway

and 95th Street.

Later that day, we had a run-

through to get light cues set, and

then we had a dress rehearsal.

Finally it was time for opening

night. Excitement was palpable

backstage as everyone waitedfor the orchestra to begin the

overture.

Overall, the show was a hit

the audience loved it. The next

night we performed another

show, again performing to a

sold-out audience.

At last it was time to pack up

and go home. Though we were

excited and happy with how the

show went, everyone was also

tired and ready to go home.

Personally, I am glad that I was

involved with the production of

The Day Boy and The Night

Girl, and I would do it again inan instant.

Alex Stacey was the company

manager for the Mercyhurst College

opera The Day Boy and the Night

Girl.

Through this production, Stacey

completed an internship for her minor

in Arts Administration. She had

many administrative responsibilities

before the show, including writing con-tracts for the cast, attending rehearsals

and making travel arrangements for

their trip to New York City.

Once in the theatre, Alex acted as

stage manager, changing all the sets

during the production.

By Alexandra Stacey

Staff writer

Freshman Ali Chudecke and

junior Veronica Joy getting

ready backstage.

Contributed photo

Mercyhurst College voice performance majors performed in

Symphony Place in New York City.

Contributed photo

Carmen hits MET stageBy Megan DuaneStaff writer

Carmen will be streamed to

the PAC on Jan. 16 at 1 p.m.

Contributed photo

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 13, 2010

6/8

September 3, 2008OPINIONPage 6 January 4, 2010

@mercyhurst.edu

editormerciad

newsmerciad

featuremerciad

opinionmerciad

sportsmerciadentertainmentmerciad

photomerciad

photomerciad

emagoc80

ejohns89

admerciad

copymerciad

wwelch

bsheridan

The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of MercyhurstCollege. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of

finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is(814) 824-2376.

The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signedand names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the

letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Lettersare due Mondays. by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit

letters to box PH 485 or via e-mail at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

If you dont want it printed . . . dont let it happen.Editors

JoEllen Marsh

Kelly Luoma

Javi Cubillos

Jordan Zangaro

Nick GlasierAlaina Rydzewski

Sam Williams

Tyler Stauffer

Ethan Magoc

Ethan Johns

Gaby Meza

Kyle King

Bill Welch

Brian Sheridan

Positions

Editor-in-Chief

News Editor

Features Editor

Opinion Editor

Sports EditorA&E

Graphics

Photographer

Multimedia Editor

Web Editor

Advertising Manager

Copy Editor

Adviser

Adviser

The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the v iews of Mercyhurst College, the staff of The Merciador the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be e-mailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

Online Opinion Articles...

merciad.mercyhurst.edu

By Victoria

Gricks

Staff writer

Public plea for grilled chicken

The line may have been long,

but it wasnt anything I couldnt

handle. I mean, Egan at 5:30

at night was almost always a

madhouse, so waiting an extra

10 minutes didnt really botherme, especially with my friends

there to keep me company.

I shuffled forward slowly,

desperately attempting not to

bump into anyone. (Personally,

I think its awkward having

to apologize for accidentally

touching someones arm or

foot, so I try to prevent it from

happening.)

Anyway, after a nice, collision-

free wait, it was finally my turn to

enter the cafeteria. Forcing my

mouth into a smile, I handed my

ID to the cashier. At that point,

I was feeling impatient, but I

concealed my emotions because,

frankly, it wasnt her fault that

the entire world became hungry

at the same time.

As soon as she gave the card

back, I hastily shoved it in my

pocket, rubbed my hands with

sanitizer and marched toward

the opposite side of the room.

I was starving and couldnt wait

to eat.Reaching the counter, I

grabbed a plate and looked

at my options: grilled cheese

sandwiches, hamburgers and

cheeseburgers. I rubbed my

eyes, thinking I had missed

something, but another glance

at the food proved me wrong.

I dropped my hands to my

sides. Once again, there wasnt

any grilled chicken.

While most people would

have accepted this loss and

moved on, I just couldnt. The

reason why is simple: I dont eat

beef. Now, before you jump to

conclusions, let me make it clear

that I made this choice because

I dont like the taste of the meat,

not because I feel particularly

bad for cows.

I will admit that when it comes

to meals, our school has done its

best to offer students a variety

of options, but it has failed to

realize that not everyone shares

the same taste.A true fitness freak through

and through, I cant survive

without my daily serving of

protein, but that still doesnt

make me want to eat beef. I

would much rather eat some

peanut butter from my dorm

and call it a day.

No matter how much I love

Jif, I cant use it is as a meat

substitute for the next four years

of my life.

So, Egans chefs, is it possible

for grilled chicken to be made

every day? I sure hope so, and I

know Im not alone.

I heard it said that

conservatives only hated the

government when it offered

people a crutch, not when it

clubbed them. I think theres a

lot of truth in that.Listening to most people

who consider themselves

conservatives, you get the

impression that the military and

police dont count as part of the

government. They talk a good

game about big government

and its intrusiveness, how it

meddles in everything, how

dangerous it is and so forth.

For example, Michelle Malkin.She wants a government thats

small, just big enough to perform

essential functions, like rounding

up a few hundred thousand of

its own citizens because of their

ethnic background and holding

them without trial in internment

camps.

Bill OReilly doesnt like big

government. But he thinks

terrorist thugs should be killed

on the spot. So, a governmentcan be small while holding the

power to kill anyone it claims is

guilty of a crime.

OReilly even defended the

right of police to harass people

they knew were guilty, when

they couldnt prove it beyond

a reasonable doubt to the

satisfaction of a jur y.

Another neoconservative

favorite, Sean Hannity, issecond to none when it

comes to denouncing big

government, but he practically

wet himself when Ted Kennedy

accused Bush of lying about

Iraq. Kennedy committed the

heinous crime of, gasp, calling

the Commander-in-Chief a

liarin wartime!

So, the single most powerful

human being on Earth with

the greatest concentration ofcoercive force at his disposal

doesnt count as part of the

government. Government is

to be distrusted. Government

is to be feared. But to most

conservatives it only counts

as government when its

acting within the borders of the

United States.

Read full, unabridged version atmerciad.mercyhurst.edu.

By Thomas

Kubica

Staff writer

Conservatives belief in small

government is one of convenience

Beating the blues with laughterJordan Zangaro was having a problem

getting out of her miserable winter

funk until a suprising, funny e-mail

came her way. Read how Christian

the Lion changed her dreary-Erie

attitude.

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 13, 2010

7/8

Sports Page 7January 13, 2010

Johnson & Johnson

Properties

Rental Houses

available

for next year - call

now

to lock yours up!814-860-8817

Mercyhurst College junior Amy Achesinski lays out for a ball, demonstrating the selfless play

that has turned the womens basketball teams season around.

Ethan Magoc photo

merciad.mercyhurst.edu/sportsOnline sports articles......................

Why care about the World JuniorHockey Championships?Columnist Devon Swanson explains theimportance of the WJHC.

The not-so-glory days of thePittsburgh PenguinsColumnist John Baranowski reminisces aboutthe 2003-04 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Video game of the weekCheck out video of the Mercyhurst Collegemens hockey teams victory over AIC. Thisweeks video game of the week is womenshockey against Clarkson on Saturday, Jan. 16.

Teamwork fuels turnaround

Team. This one small word

means big things for Mercyhurst

Colleges womens basketball.

Team is what the women say

has contributed to their seven-game winning streak.

Team is what has defeated

rivals Lake Erie College,

Madonna University, Ship-

pensburg University, Cheyney

University and West Chester

University in the past three

weeks.

Its not surprising that the

women are accomplishing

great things this season because

together, they make a near-per-

fect team.

If you recall earlier in the

season, the team was off to a

rocky start. But after the women

faced Mansfield University on

Dec. 7, things began to change.

Junior guard Samantha Load-

man points to a recent boost inconfidence for this turnaround.

Once we got one or two

wins under our belt, we played

with more confidence and have

been able to continue the win-

ning streak, Loadman said.

This confidence has become

apparent when watching the

team play and seeing their

record, now at 8-4.

Still, the winning streak

doesnt feel like much of a

winning streak to sophomore

Megan Hoffman.

We are on a winning streak,

but I dont feel as though that

is what is on our minds when

we step onto the court to play. I

think that every time we play we

know exactly what we have todo to win and that is what weve

been doing, Hoffman said.

It seems that the team has

found a way to not think about

winning and yet still accom-

plishes the task time and again.

For the rest of this article

go to merciad.mercyhurst.

edu and click the sports tab.

By Katie DinunzioSataff writer

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 13, 2010

8/8

Laker SportsVisit merciad.mercyhurst.edu January 13, 2010

The Mercyhurst College Lakers con-

tinued their winning ways in the AtlanticHockey Conference, stealing a pair of

games away from American Interna-

tional College (AIC) this past weekend at

the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

Since Nov. 20, Mercyhurst has not lost

a game in Atlantic Hockey Conference

(AHC) play, posting a 9-2-1 record.

Several of the games were won by mul-

tiple goal margins, as the Lakers scored

43 times in the 12 games since their last

conference loss, on Nov. 14.Head Coach Rick Gotkin pointed to

the fact that one of the key components

of winning games has been a return to a

completely healthy lineup, with the excep-

tion of sophomore Phil Ginand, who is

out for the season with a knee injury.

Also, a healthy boast of confidence

has contributed to the recent success.

We started to get better goaltend-

ing from Ryan Zapolski, which in turn

gave the rest of our team some con-

fidence. Then we started to win a little

which gave all of our players more

confidence, Gotkin said.

Gokin has also instilled in the Lakers

the idea of taking the season one game

at a time.

We need to take it one game at a time,and not get ahead of ourselves. We real-

ize how competitive our league is every

night, and how tough it is to win every

night, Gotkin said

Mercyhurst took its first game against

AIC by a convincing score of 7-2. Junior

Brandon Coccimiglio posted his second

career hat trick, scoring all three of his

goals in one period.

Saturdays game proved to be more

of a challenge after Mercyhurst allowed

two AIC goals in the first period to fall

behind 2-0 in the early going.

However, the Lakers responded with

five unanswered goals and the Lakers

would go on to secure a 5-3 victory.

The Lakers look to extend their AHC

winning streak this upcoming weekend

as Mercyhurst travels to Fairfield, Conn,

where they will face the 7-9-3 Sacred

Heart University Pioneers.

By Steve BukowskiContributing writer

Mercyhurst College senior Matt Fennell stakes past an American International

College defender in the Lakers 7-2 victory over the Yellow Jackets.

Ethan Magoc photo

Mens hockey healthy

Womens Hockey vs.Clarkson

Check the Golden Knights with LSC: Join

the Laker Lunatics in a BLACK OUT as the

womens hockey team takes on Clarkson.

Wear all black and bring your friends; first

100 students will receive a LSC T-shirt!

Stay for the entire game for raffles of gift

card prizes. Friday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m. at the

Ice Center.