Beyond The Ice

The Truth about #10 – Melissa Hauptman

In the illustrious world of sports there are stories told about athletes who share a special connection to the number that they wear on their jersey. In lieu of Derek Jeter’s retirement, several students had shared their connection to wearing number two in his honor. That is until Melissa Hauptman had shared her story.

Hauptman is currently preparing to play her third year as a member of the Manhattanville women’s ice hockey team. She will be sporting number 10 again this season. This number has a special significance to Hauptman and the reason may surprise some.

“The coach of my youth ice hockey team was Ashley Trimble. She was a two-time all American and was a Manhattanville Alumni. When I came to Manhattanville I wanted to honor her by wearing her number. I’ve dedicated to her.” said Melissa Hauptman.

(Ashley Trimble, Manhattanville Alumni)

This was not the first time that Hauptman had been paid a tribute to someone by wearing their jersey number. In fact, one of the most influential numbers for her has been the number 34. Her older brother who had also played ice hockey used to wear number 34.

“My brother stopped playing hockey so that I would be able to play. I don’t think anyone really knows this, but he’s the reason why I wore number 34 for such a long time,” said Hauptman.

She had worn other numbers throughout her years as an athlete including numbers: 2, 12, and 40. However, the most important ones to her have certainly been 10 and 34. They each have a story to tell, and they are much more than just numbers. Hauptman is not only efficient when it comes to ice hockey; she has also played soccer, lacrosse, and softball throughout the years.

It should also be known that for Hauptman numbers go beyond just simply being plastered on the back of her jersey. After her career as a Manhattanville student athlete, she dreams about being able to work for professional sports in regards to stats and information. She wants to be able to look up statistics for teams, players, and/or broadcasters.

“I want to find them and give it to them,” said Hauptman excitedly as she shared her passion. “I have so much information and numbers in my head that I don’t know what to do with them. I remember it all when it comes to statistics, which is something that I don’t forget." 

Soccer Field Woes

Moral Victories Count Too

Purchase, NY – Manhattanville’s women’s soccer team entered the afternoon looking for a win to bounce back from their last game. After being completely blown out by Vassar College with a score of 6-0 they needed to redeem themselves. Unfortunately all they could get was a moral victory out of today's game. They fell short against SUNY Old Westbury Panthers by a single goal.

Their defeat began early on when Old Westbury’s Stephanie Maybie shot a goal at the 3:45 minute, while she was assisted by Kassandra Franco. Manhattanville tried to make the comeback but the Old Westbury defense blocked all the shots. Luckily, the Valiants were able to toughen up their own defense and on the field they appeared to have taken control.

It wasn’t until the 19 minute mark that Stephanie Maybie had scored yet another goal from the midfield, assisted by Jordan Schildt, taking the lead 2-0. That would be the end of their offense explosion for the remainder of the game, whereas the Valiants had just started to make some noise on the field. Even though they weren’t scoring many goals they took the shots.

It was in the second half that life was put back into the Valiant’s side. Manhattanville’s Christie DeMarco was able to break up the score and get the team up on the scoreboard with her third goal of the season. At that point the odds of winning seemed attainable but the Panthers defense ultimately made the difference in the end.

While a loss is still a loss, this one gave the team a much needed moral victory. The solidarity of the team maintains strong even with all of the obstacles they have faced. For one, the team is not fully equipped with the necessary number of players. Currently the roster has 15 players on it; ideally a team needs to have at least 25 players.

Not to mention, one of their star players Christie Freer has recently suffered a season-ending injury to make matters worse. This team is certainly considered the underdog and it will be interesting to see how they manage to pull through soccer field woes.

A Room Full of Silence...

Kennedy Gym Needs More Noise

For the majority of the 2012-2013 school year Manhattanville’s Kennedy Gymnasium had seen quite a few drastic changes, all to improve the facility. This facility is the pride of the athletics department and the home to many of the Mville teams. The arena is the stage for the women and men’s basketball teams as well as for the women’s volleyball team. Yet, when it is time to “perform” the turnout of spectators isn’t as large as it should be.

The Kennedy Gymnasium arena is spacious and its capacity holds up to at least 1,000 people. Sadly it doesn’t fill up its space often and when most of these games are played it feels vacant. Aside from the players and the coaching staff, there aren’t as many spectators there to support the teams. Why is that the case?

It may be due to the lack of marketing and advertising for it. Email blasts sent out to students might not be enough to get them involved in the college’s sports community. It is more for the athletes than for anyone else. Student athletes are the ones out there showcasing their talent; it would be an injustice to them to not be able to share it with a crowd of supporters.

There has been a push to increase the awareness of the athletics department through the growing use of social media. Manhattanville sports have their own website (GoValiants.com), Twitter, Facebook, and even Instagram. It will take some time for the school to develop a following large enough to bring in a substantial number of people.

Even though Manhattanville College does not have a football team to draw in large flocks of people, they have the resources to make it possible. If they can recruit players from all around the country and in some cases around the world, they can find a way to get existing members of the Manhattanville community to attend more games. After all, the various renovations that have been made to the Kennedy Gymnasium deserve to be seen. 

WANTED: Consistency

Mville's Women's Basketball

College athletes have a lot more to deal with than just making sure that they perform well playing on their team. Manhattanville College is a division-three school that demands a lot from their students academically. It is no surprise that academics should always come first and that it is a privilege to be able to play on a team as long as the athlete keeps their grades up. In an ideal world as long as the student plays by the rules then the facilitators would help them advance as athletes.

As the women’s basketball season approaches that ideal is a work in progress. There have been new rules established into the preseason. Preseason will consist of required workouts that focus on pickup techniques, lifting and conditioning. There will also be mandatory study-halls, which if not attended could impact the playing time and the athlete’s spot on the team.

This season’s team will consist of 16 players, many who are returning players and some who have been recruited. There are also three people who are planning on trying out for the season. There are more expectations that will come; expectations that senior Shayna Robinson is all too familiar with.

Robinson has been playing basketball since she was in the seventh grade and has played at Manhattanville since her freshman year. While she understands that the expectations need to be met in order to be on top, she wishes that there was more consistency. Being on a women’s team also brings challenges as well.

“I wish the school was more consistent and made people want to stay,” Robinson said. “We don’t have a large turnout.”

In comparison to the men’s team the women’s team doesn’t have the same praise.

Robinson was not shy to express her thoughts on the matter. “It would be nice if there was an effort to create an environment that makes the females feel more equal to the men. There is a need for more exhibition games to motivate the females. Like being able to play at Madison Square Garden like the men’s team has in the past.”

Surely, there is always room for growth. Consistency plays a large role and it would benefit the players. Some of these athletes would like to get put on the map. “Manhattanville should reach out and help their players beyond the court [and field],” Shayna Robinson reiterated. Following the women’s basketball season will undoubtedly be noteworthy.  

Valiant Family: Irish Twins on the Field

The Moricone Sisters  

In professional sports you hear about siblings playing a sport during the same season or even on the same team. It does not happen often but when it does it certainly can become interesting to watch. Manhattanville’s women field hockey team is lucky enough to have a sister duo playing for them this season. The Moricone sisters, Toni Moricone and Gina Moricone have been playing together for years and have shared the Manhattanville field for the last two years.

Toni Moricone will be playing her third season as a Valiant and Gina Moricone her second. What many people might not know is that the Moricone sisters are actually Irish twins; they were born 11 months apart with Toni Moricone being the oldest one. That certainly accounts for them being so similar and it has helped their relationship as sisters. Their sisterhood has been a secret weapon to the team and has helped influence the shape of the team as a whole.

“My sister and I have been close our whole lives, we obviously have had our downs with extreme arguments and fights here and there but I can definitely call her my best friend. On the field is where we put our sister skills to good use because we naturally flow together. I can read her really well so if were playing the same side of the field I know what kind of hit she’s going to give and where she’s positioned on the field,” shared Gina Moricone.

The dynamic duo may share many similarities but Toni Moricone was sure to note that they were still different from one another. “An interesting fact that no one knows about each other would be that even though we are so close, we are completely different. It is like night and day. She is quieter and more conservative whereas I come off as shy and quite but really I am more outgoing and talkative,” she elaborated.

One might ask how these sisters managed to end up playing the same sport. Toni Moricone had no hesitation in crediting one of her older cousins for her love of the game.  Her sister would then follow her footsteps and also find affection for field hockey.

“My older cousin (Jennifer Moricone) made me decide to play field hockey. I never heard of field hockey when I was little. It wasn't until I was going into seventh grade that my cousin told me that she used to play. She gave me her old stick and showed me how to play. I wanted to be like her since I was already playing softball just l like she had. Now I could play another sport [just] like her,” said Toni Moricone.

Needless to say, once these sisters were introduced to field hockey they’ve never stopped playing ever since. Both sisters have shared their own goals for the 2014 season, and one commonality was their desire to win. Toni Moricone wants to score more goals this season while Gina Moricone’s goal is slightly different.

“My goal for this season is just really to improve as a teammate, to be positive and a role model for all incoming freshman, as well as defiantly see my team come out on top in the conference and win as many games as possible,” explained Gina Moricone.

This duo is hopeful that this season will bring plenty of success to Manhattanville and they look forward to what lays ahead of them. 

Manhattanville’s Very Own

HALL OF FAME

It is every athlete’s dream to cement their name somewhere in history. Whether they admit to it or not is a different story. May it be on a professional level or on a collegiate level; players want to be remembered for their performance on the field or on the court. Manhattanville College itself has created a “Hall of Fame” for the Valiants that have brought great distinction to the college.

Several changes have been made to Mville athletics department. The department’s mission has been to find ways to help Manhattanville stand out in more ways than one. The vision was made a reality with the help of Joseph Merritt, the owner of Joseph Merritt & Company. His marketing team was hired by Manhattanville to help renovate the department and give it the edge that it needed in order to stand out.

A few changes that were made included touch sensors that scan the athletes fingerprints into the system, only authorized players are allowed to enter into the facility. It also depends on the sport that they play; for example a field hockey player cannot enter the facility if it only allows the soccer players to go in at that specific time –very high tech. Not many schools can say that they have that available to them.

The athletics department has certainly been able to create a much more aesthetically pleasing area for all to admire, including high quality graphics and room to show the hardware that many teams work hard to earn. Not only will the changes help provide a “winners setting” for the existing players but it will also be more appealing to future athletes as well.

One of the most noticeable changes that have been made in the athletics department is the introduction of the Hall of Fame. The Manhattanville Hall of Fame gives the college an opportunity to separate them self from other division-three schools. It give past alumni athletes an opportunity to be more involved, and a chance for the college to give thanks to those that wore the Valiant colors so proudly through their collegiate career.

The Hall of Fame is not just for past players; it also serves as a motivation for future Manhattanville alumni. Not to mention it is a great way for the school to recruit new players. All in all, it is a win-win situation for everyone involved.  

This year’s induction dinner will take place on Saturday, September 13^th. There will be 4 inductees and all of the ticket proceeds will go into the athletics department for them to provide more resources for the present players. The progress that has been made throughout the last couple of years will surely bring the department a lot more to celebrate.

INSIDE LOOK:

Christie Freer

While many may know her as Manhattanville’s women’s soccer center-back, there is much more to Christie Freer than people may know. Entering her junior season on the team, she has developed into a model player on the team. She has the most minutes played out of the entire existing roster.

“It is really difficult to play 90 plus minutes. So being able to do it as often as I have is a huge accomplishment for me. The fitness level has helped.”

The women’s soccer team has experienced highs and lows early on in the season and Freer has been there for it all. Originally, she had been an outside-back and due to the lack of center-backs she had move into the position. Freer had challenges through the transition of positions.

“I’m only like 5’4, so I’m probably like one of the smallest center defenders in our conference. So learning how to win balls out the air and being more aggressive was definitely hard for me to adjust.”

Settling into a new role has not stopped Freer’s performance and she continues to thrive on the field. Although her individual achievements are great, she is more focused on the team as a whole. Out of all the things she has experienced during her Manhattanville athletic career she will most remember her junior year after dealing with changes in regard to their coach.

“I’m really proud of the team for coming together and continuing to work hard, nobody quit after that or didn’t want to be a part of the program. Everybody really worked for each other and was positive.”

With only a few games under her belt this season, she has seen a great change in the team as a whole and expects to see great things from her teammates. The sisterhood of the team is kept not only throughout the game but also before the game.

Freer shared the fact that before each game the players come into the locker room 45 minutes early before the coach comes in to play music.

“We [the team] always write a quote on our white board and then everybody writes an individual goal for game and then a team goal and then we read them out loud before the game, so everybody sets a standard for the team and what they look to accomplish for themselves and for the team to grow.”

Had it not been for the previous women’s soccer head coach, Christie Freer may not have ended up playing for the Valiants. She had played for him through his club since she was 12 and found ties with him at Manhattanville. She liked the school and ended up becoming a remarkable valiant player along the way.  

Say It Ain't So!

ROCKY START  

[Picture taken from GoValiants.com]

   

After having had been the Manhattanville Women’s Soccer head coach for almost ten years, Matt Paton had resigned at the start of the 2014 season. Leaving the women’s soccer team without a coach or so it had appeared. How could someone leave just like that without warning? Especially when there had been relationships formed throughout the years. A couple of players on the team had expressed their feelings on the matter, and one that wishes to remain anonymous was actually pretty happy. She wasn’t a huge fan in the first place and feels that the new changes will be helpful for the development of the team.

Luckily, the women’s soccer team wouldn’t remain coach-less for long. They were able to promote their assistant coach Graham Kennett as the new head coach. Junior and defense player, Carolina Paleaz, was certainly pleased with the fact that he had taken on the role. “We are familiar and comfortable with him. The relationship is good,” she said. As many know, chemistry is crucial in the development of a team and it adds to its success.  Christie Freer, who is a junior and also plays defense shared her optimism on the upcoming season. “The chemistry is definitely better and it’s not just on the field.” With all of the changes that have been made so early in the season it has become vital for the women on the team to form a sisterhood to support and count on one another.

There are plenty of expectations going into the new season. Aside from hopefully being able to win a title, there is also an emphasis on being able to stay healthy as team. Of course there is always the competitive side to the team that wants to win as many games as they can. As for Paleaz and Freer, they also have individual goals of being able to perform the same way they had in the prior season. Being upperclassman they feel the need to carry the team and set an example.

Though the team has gotten off to a rocky start losing both of the first couple of games (against Saint Joseph and Western New England), there is still an opportunity to make improvements. They appear to have all of the pieces at their hands, they just need to put them to use.

Welcome

A new year, a new start; a new opportunity to be seen and to be heard officially came. As a commuter I probably never put much thought into following the sports at my own college. Why? Well, to be completely honest I was too busy following the sports teams that I one day hoped to work for. The more I thought about it, the more I realized just how much I was missing out on. I was missing out on the opportunity of becoming an insider. 

Instead I had remained an outsider for more than two years. Two years of not knowing the notably growing world of Manhattanville sports. I was missing out on the opportunity of being able to follow the college careers of the future “Derek Jeter’s” and “Kobe Bryant’s” of Manhattanville. College sports undoubtedly have an impact on the way professional sports have evolved over the years and a lot of talent comes from it.  

As an outsider this semester will hopefully be an eye-opening experience. I will be exploring the various pieces that make up the world of Manhattanville College sports. Jumping around from sport to sport, I will find out what makes Mville sports worth watching. Along with finding out more about the students that focus a large portion of their time working hard as players, I hope to find hidden gems and information far beyond the castle walls. The wondrous world of the valiant is waiting…

Follow me on my journey from becoming a castle outsider to a valiant insider.