Alexis Zawelensky Staff Writer
Under the direction of Jym Walters, the Lady Bearcats are taking the field trained to win, and are doing just that. Starting off the season with a loss to rival Thiel, the Lady Bearcats stayed confident and posted great scores against Waynesburg, Calvin, Wilson and Franciscan. The Lady Bearcats are very proud of their successes this early in the season. The biggest highlight for the team thus far was their 15-13 win against the Frostburg Bobcats. Down at the half, the girls successfully fought against the odds and pulled through to victory. This win was very exciting for the team, as they had not played Frostburg in years. However, that was not the only major win for the Lady Bearcats this season. Senior Nora Posival scored an individual victory by assisting 16 goals in the April 11th home game against Franciscan, breaking the NCAA record for assists in one game. Senior captain and defender Kerry Tittinger is thrilled with the team’s progress, saying, “This year has been a productive year for us. We have an awesome group of talented and hardworking ladies, and it has definitely paid off. We recently beat Frostburg, which is a big win for us and shows the great strides we have made this season. We have a lot of games left, so I’m excited to see us finish strong and end on a positive note.” Freshman midfielder Lenna Shoplik shares in Tittinger’s excitement. Being new to the team, Shoplik is grateful to not only be a part of such a successful season for the Lady Bearcats, but also to learn all she can from her talented teammates. She stated, “It’s really great to join a team that is starting to really reach its potential, and it’s exciting for me to be able to come into a program like this and try to bring it to the next level. The older girls have been really great. I’ve learned a lot from them this year, and I’ll continue to learn a lot from them in the years to come.” This Friday, the Lady Bearcats travel to Ohio to face their next opponents, the Mount Union Raiders. The men’s lacrosse team, meanwhile, had a rough start to the season but is prepared to overcome this setback and finish the season on a positive note. Winning only two of their first eight games, the team was not set up for a successful season. However, a win against conference competitor Bethany keeps them optimistic about a positive finish in the PAC Championship. While statistics show a loss against Wittenburg, the Bearcats view the game as anything but a disappointment. A close match, the team lost by two points as Wittenburg scored in the final five minutes of play. Zach Clark, a sophomore attackman, speaks for the team by calling this game the best they have played thus far. “We played a very competitive team that we’ve played well within the past, and we took it to them early and got a lead but slowly watched that slip away,” stated Clark. “This gave us a nice benchmark for ourselves, but at the same time gave us a bad taste in our mouths and pushed us to work harder.” Regardless of their rough start, the team is hopeful about the remainder of the season. Sophomore defenseman Jake Murtaugh recognizes the team’s capabilities for a successful comeback. “We haven’t had the start we would like, but we’ve been fighting hard and we are progressing considerably,” he said. “We have been battling injuries, but we are working hard to end the season out right.” Clark echoed his teammate’s optimism by recognizing the team’s progress. “We haven’t been able to put a full four quarters together, but we have seen improvement on offense,” Clark said. The Bearcats travel to North Carolina for their last away game against Greensboro College on Saturday. This game will be a tough match for the team, as they have lost to Greensboro in the past. However, the Bearcats are up for the challenge and will strive for victory. At press time, the Lady Bearcats had a 7-2 record, while the men trailed with a 2-7 record.