Last Sunday, Gettysburg College’s Fencing Club went to its second competition against Wilson College. This competition also marked the Club’s first “away” game, with the Club members driving up to Wilson’s campus in order to compete. The Fencing Club managed to get a head start winning bouts in the beginning but struggled towards the end of the competition as Wilson College picked up the pace. Nonetheless, after some intense fencing, Gettysburg College managed to pull its second victory from Wilson College, winning 17 bouts out of 27. Special thanks go to all who went to the competition and represented both their school and their club:  Foil: Mike Behling, ‘13, Robin Miller, ’14, Johnny Santacruz, ’15; Epee: Peter D’Arpa, ’14, Darcy Merrill, ’14, Dominique Saunders, ’13; Sabre: Kenny Anderson, ‘14, club vice president-elect Grace Madland, ‘14, club president Anh Nguyen, ‘14. A big thank you also goes to the IRC for lending their van to the Club in support of the Club’s competition.

Never before in the history of international men’s handball had a team won four successive major tournaments. That is, until France triumphed in a thrilling and salacious final over Denmark Sunday in the 2011 Handball World Championships. France, the reigning European, Olympic and World Champions, capped off the tournament with a stunning 37-35 overtime victory over the Danes, in what has immediately been called by some as the greatest handball game in recent memory.

Familiar to most Americans as a sport played in Junior High Gym Classes, the 2011 Handball World Championships were hosted in Sweden and broadcast to hundreds of millions of viewers throughout 150 different countries. By winning the tournament France automatically qualifies for both the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2013 Handball World Championship in Spain.

Denmark, who entered the game undefeated at the World Championships, started as slow as molasses in January, taking over five minutes to score their first goal. Looking as spooked as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs, mental mistakes and unforced errors marked the first half for the Danes, with countless dropped balls and phantom passes. Kept alive by the miraculous play of Mikkel Hansen, who ended the night with 10 goals, and the breathtaking aerobatics of goalkeeper Niklas Landin, who blocked more than 40 percent of all French shots, the Danes somehow managed to enter halftime down by only three.

During the second half the French were able to maintain their lead based on the seamless play of Nikola Karabatic, who earned player of the tournament honors, and winger Luc Abalo, and could seemingly score at will with the ball, but a slew of late goals by Danes Lars “Mr. 100 Percent” Christiansen and Hans Lindberg narrowed the score in the final minutes.

With less than a minute remaining and down by one the Danes pulled their goalie, adding an extra attacker. Helped by a French two minute suspension, Denmark was able to go up by two as time wound down. With just seconds left Bo Spellerberg launched a missile from nearly nine meters out, tying the game and forcing overtime.

In overtime the Denmark of the first half returned, coughing up several costly turnovers and allowing the French to take a lead, this time permanently. When it was all said and done in Malmo the French were able to emerge from this instant classic of the hard floor with a 37-35 victory.

Fresh off winning the Centennial Conference a year ago, the Gettysburg College basketball team came into the 2009-2010 season with high aspirations. But the opening Days Inn Tournament did not go as planned for the Bullets.

The Bullet basketball team lost both games of the tournament on their home court. First, Messiah College handled the Bullets 59-46 and second Catholic University, 69-48.

Says pre-season All-American Andrew Powers, “the tournament offered us a chance to get back on the court and play against someone in a different jersey. Unfortunately for us, we couldn’t pull them out.”

After a close loss to York College to start the season 0-3, the Bullets returned to their winning ways in their conference opener.

The Bullets opened conference play last Tuesday night against John Hopkins and looked sharp in a 70-61vicotry.

“We moved the ball well and were able to find the open man. We knocked down our shots and played well on the defensive end. Defense is always easier when you make your shots” says Junior Guard Kevin Kennedy, who finished with 12 points.

The Gettysburg team continued their impressive run against Centennial Conference foes as they visited Haverford College. The Bullets breezed y Haverford on their way to a 58-43 victory.

The win was notable because it helped Gettysburg to a 2-0 start in conference play, but also because of Powers. Powers became just the 23 rd Gettysburg player to score 1000 points in his career.

Says Powers, “It’s definitely an honor. I was able to get open and my teammates found me. I am more excited about the win, but it is an honor.”

After the 0-3 start to begin the season, the Gettysburg basketball team has found their winning ways. They look to continue their strong conference play against nationally ranked Franklin & Marshall on Tuesday, December 9 th.

The game is a rematch of last year’s Centennial Conference Championship game.

With the season still young, Gettysburg looks for a return trip to the NCAA tournament for a third year in a row. Good luck and Go Bullets!

What can I say, it’s the World Series. Just as a brief recap of what has been happening; The Phillies are playing the Rays and so far the Phillies are dominating the Rays leading the series 3-1.

The series started in Tampa with the Phillies edging over the Rays with a score of 3-2. The Rays came back and took game two in Tampa 4-2. Then the Phillies came went back to Philadelphia and dominated games three and four winning game three 5-4 and game four 10-2.

Some say that the Phillies had the World Series in the bag when a costly decision by the Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig was made. Selig permitted Game Five of the World Series to commence with possible rain storms. Selig used information from three different weather services, who told him that the rain storms would not happen. However when the rain didn’t stop pouring during the game, it had to be suspended. Some say that the game should have been suspended in the fifth inning because of the weather conditions, and would have forced a repeat of game five from the start as opposed to starting in the sixth inning.

The game is currently suspended in the middle of the sixth inning with the score being tied at 2-2. The Phillies are up to bat and Cole Hamels the Phillies Ace will not bat. How will this turn out? Each team has had two days to think about possible strategies coming into the last portion of game five. The Rays will be trying to come back and save their season, and the Phillies will be trying to finish it off and win the championship.

The game is scheduled to begin Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 8:35 P.M. ET. These will be the most highly anticipated 3 innings in baseball history. When the game resumes, will there be a formal start as if it were a start of a normal game, or are they going to jump right in. Should the umpire have called the game in the fifth inning so that it could have started over? Should the game have started at all? These are all questions that should be answered, but hey, what has happened is done. So let’s play ball.

Postscript: The Phillies won the game and the World Series on the 29 th.

Todd Wawrousek has been at the helm of the Gettysburg Women’s soccer team for sixteen seasons. Wawrousek has also served as an assistant coach with the Hershey Wildcats of the A-League and with the youth soccer club FC Delco. In his time with FC Delco, Wawrousek had the pleasure of coaching current DC United and Unite States National Team midfielder Ben Olsen. Gburgforum.com’s Jason Endres had the pleasure of sitting down with Coach Wawrousek to discuss his time at Gettysburg College, graduating players, Centennial Conference Player of the Year Katie Myers, and recruits for next season.

JE: The Bullets finished with an overall record of 11-7-3, how successful of a season was it in your eyes?

TW: You have to look at in the primary objective: to guide players. Every year, you have different levels of personnel and talent. Our achievement was quite considering we lost six starters. Two of them were All-Americans and two others were All-Region players. This season, it took time for younger players to get into leadership roles.

We played one of the top five schedules in the country. The team could have easily folded, but their resilience was supreme. We went on a run at the end of the season, but lost two close games to end our chances at a conference championship. To finish the way we did, I thought we had a great season.

JE: Gettysburg won the Division III ECAC Southern Championship, what did that achievement mean to your team?

TW: They had higher aspirations for themselves. We know it’s a second rate tournament, but I think they were happy to be able to validate their season. It set their spirits higher for what the future may hold. It served as an inspiration for them for next year.

Steph Smith… I thought she had a breakout year. Down the stretch, she was willing to take the team on her back. She was named ECAC Player of the Tournament.

JE: In 2004, Gettysburg went 15-5-2 and won their first round game in the Division III NCAA Tournament. The team did not fair as well on the field this year. What was different about the 2004 team compared with the 2005 team?

TW: The six seniors on that team were all very different, but they all had that mentality of not to lose. Other players in that class assumed roles. It was such a great mesh of players that was able to be examples for the younger players. Christina DiTucci had one of the top two touches I have seen in my sixteen years here. Those six players just did not need to be motivated. They came ready to play.

We had the opportunity to have Bob Lilly, the current coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps of the A-League, join us for that season. I had previously coached with him with the Hershey Wildcats. He was able to tweak our system. We knew we could control the ball, but couldn’t attack effectively. We decided to play a bit more direct as soon as we got the ball. We were able to quadruple our breakaways that season. It was a lot of work for our forwards. If we couldn’t get forward straight ahead, we played it to DiTucci.

JE: Which graduating player will be missed most on the field and which player will be missed most off the field?

TW: It’s hard to pick one. Kristin Igusky, Katie Ferraro, and Megan Murphy were all great. None were blessed with great talent, but all became good players. Each of them had their best season in their senior year. Putting the captain’s band on gives a whole new list of responsibilities.

Ferraro’s versatility and spirit are very difficult to match. Murphy had good pace and would play until she dropped. Igusky was a very good athlete. She was good off the dribble and could cover a lot of ground in the back.

I can’t define one loss over another loss. They love to put the colors on their back to play. They are high degrees of inspiration and spirit.

JE: Katie Myers was the Centennial Conference Player of the Year. What do you expect from Katie in 2006 in her final season in a Gettysburg uniform?

TW: To continue to improve her game. Goals didn’t come this year like they did the year before. My expectations for her are ninety minutes every game and to not worry about the impression of those watching. If she takes players on and plays great defense, I’ll be happy with her performance. Timing was all off for the team in the beginning of the season.

JE: In what ways does the team need to improve next season?

TW: I have always believed you do something in a certain way. I felt we lost our sense of focus. Those things really happen; how you prepare, interact, and even take care of the equipment. It’s all of that. We need to do things on a more consistent level. Assuming individual responsibility to prepare when no one’s watching is essential.

We have to be more effective in transition from midfield to front and at a high rate of speed. Speed of thought and speed of play have to match. Specifically, players know how they have to improve technically with individual meetings.

JE: In terms of recruiting, what positions are you trying to improve the most this off-season? What kinds of players are you trying to bring to the Gettysburg Women’s soccer team?

TW: Right now, we have a transfer from Xavier University. Her name is Molly Johnson from outside of Harrisburg. We welcome her to the club possibly in the playmaker, attacking midfielder spot. In addition, we have five early decision acquisitions. Mary Peters is a defender. Emily Harper, from outside of Pittsburgh, is also a defender. Francesca Raleigh, a local product, is a very good athlete, raw but I l look forward to developing her talent. Megan Palmer is a wide midfielder. Kari McKenna, a two year All-State selection from the Kent School in Connecticut, will complement Myers up front.

There are six others who we are very interested in. If we get two of those six players, it will be the best recruiting class we have ever had.

I love to develop talent. It’s what I do best. I love to outwit my opponents. We have been fortunate to have a fair amount of success here. With each year you want to succeed and do better.

The 2006 Winter Olympic Games is well underway, and the United States has had a good showing at the Olympic Games thus far, however, there have been a handful of let downs for the team. In no particular order, here are the most important stories so far for the United States Olympic Team.

Michelle Kwan Withdraws from Olympics

In a shocking announcement last week, USA Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan withdrew from competition because of a groin injury. Kwan is well known and was a favorite going into the games. She has won five World Championships and nine US Championships. Although Kwan may be the most decorated figure skater in American history, she lacks an Olympic Gold Medal. She won the silver in Nagano in 1998 and the bronze at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. Kwan decided to continue to skate until the 2006 Olympics to try to win the Olympic Gold Medal. The injury ended Kwan’s decade long quest to be an Olympic Champion. Emily Hughes, sister of 2002 Olympic Champion Sarah Hughes, will take Kwan’s place in the event. After the short program, Sasha Cohen leads going into the free skate.

US Places Well in Speed Skating

Apolo Anton Ohno won the bronze medal in the men’s 1000 meter race. In the 2002 Olympics, Ohno was sent 16,000 hate mail letters from fanatical South Korean speed skating fans after Ohno was given the gold medal in the 1500 meter race due to a South Korean skater being disqualified. Ohno has two events left to compete in at this Olympic Games and both of those events are on Saturday; the final day of the Olympics.

The USA has dominated in Men’s Speed Skating. The team has won gold in each of the three individual events so far. The United States took first and second finish in the 1,000 meter race. Shani Davis was the first African-American male to ever win a gold medal at a Winter Olympics. Davis and fellow teammate Chad Hedrick are intense rivals. It is widely known that the two athletes do not like each other. After Davis won the 1,000 meter event, Hedrick did not even congratulate his teammate. In the 1500 meter the United States took second and third place finishes, won by Davis and Hedrick, respectively. First place went to Italy’s Enrico Fabris with a time of 1:45.97.

Disappointing Performances in Hockey

The USA Women’s team had its most unsuccessful performance in Olympic History. Women’s Ice Hockey was first introduced at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. The USA won gold in Nagano and silver in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. In the 2006 Olympics, most people thought a showdown with Canada was inevitable, however, the USA was defeated by Sweden in the semifinals to prevent the USA women from competing in its third consecutive gold medal game.
The Men’s Hockey team has not faired well at all. They lost in the quarter-finals to Finland 4-3.

Predictions for Week 2 (as of 2/20)

The first week of the Winter Olympics was interesting and fun, but the second week of the Olympics is when things start to really heat up. Rivals get to compete again and the glamour events of the Winter Olympics take place this week. Below are five bold predictions for Week 2.

Americans Will Not Medal in Ladies Figuring Skating
Anton Ohno Will Medal in the Short Track 500 Meter Race
No more crashes for Bode Miller at these Olympic Games
Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick will finish 1st and 2nd in the Men’s 1500 meter Speed Skating Race which will be the most exciting event at these Olympics
The USA Men’s Hockey Team will win its Quarterfinal Game and will have a chance at a medal

“The Steelers are gonna win; that’s it. I’m a hardcore Steelers fan.”
-Heather Jackowski, ’06

“I watch it for the commercials!”
-Graham Kimmerer, ’08

“I’m looking forward to the halftime show. Who really watches it for the game?”
-Kyle Archer, ’08

“I just wanna see a really good game; I don’t care who wins.”
-Anton White, ’06

“I don’t really watch football a lot. I never understood the rules, so I never got too interested in it. I might sit down with a couple of my friends who are hardcore football fans and enjoy watching them enjoy the game.”
-Gitendra Malla, ’07

“The Seahawks will win because I hate the Steelers because I don’t like Ben Roethlisberger and Joey Porter’s a jerk!”
-Steve Ginter, ’07

“Seahawks! I also don’t like the Steelers.”
-Claire Maylor, ’07

“I don’t really have any thoughts on football. I don’t even know who’s playing. I like the Super Bowl just for the wings and beer.”
-Laura Hough, ’06

What is your record?
There are normally seven games a weekend. We usually go 5-2 or 6-1 per weekend.

How did you do in the Battlefield Brawl?
We took 3 rd. Messiah won the tournament.

Are there often a lot of crowds at the tournaments?
Not really. Basically if there are people it’s because we forced them to. Hopefully we will reserve the turf field for the spring tournament so that will draw a bigger crowd.

How is the team in comparison to others?
Messiah is the only team that can clearly beat us. This year we have the best team we have had in four to five years.

How many players are on the team?
Around 25-30. We bring 13 to 16 people to a typical tournament. This year there are two teams so we can bring more people.

How did you get the name Pan Fried Funk?
The rumor is the founders of the team got it because they had to walk by the Pizza House everyday, so there is some sort of connection.

What is a typical practice like?
We run a lap or two for warm-ups, stretch, and then two drills focusing on fundamentals of throwing and defense for about an hour. Practices usually run from four to six.

How would one go about becoming a member of the team?
Just show up. We have practice on the intramural fields. To officially get on the team you have to pay dues.

After a close game with Muhlenberg, the Bullets should have been riding a wave of success; unfortunately, it came crashing down in another close game against Ursinus on Wednesday, February 9th. With a final score of 69-64, the Bullets came close but just couldn’t seem to stop Ursinus from scoring.

The game wasn’t lost in just one half. Gettysburg never let Ursinus get too far ahead of them without catching up. In the first half, the Bullets gained leads, but then Ursinus would catch up, usually taking the lead back. It didn’t improve in the second half either, which began with Gburg trailing 35-31. The Bullets caught up only to lose the lead half way through the game, and then gain it back, but again lost it for good with only ten minutes remaining.

The men have had a roller coaster season; starting out with a rocky set of loses, but they recovered with a seven game winning streak, including a win over Division 1 Navy in Annapolis. It ended at the end of January with a loss against Haverford. Despite their losses, the games have been really close. They aren’t getting blown away, which sometimes makes the loss sting even more. In this game the problem might have been that Gburg shot the ball worse than their opponent. The Bullets could only find the net 41% of the time opposed to Ursinus which found it 44%. In basketball, a three percent difference in field goal percentage wouldn’t make an overwhelming difference, but in such a close game it does.

The men have a solid basketball team, especially with Senior Co-Captains David Glaser and Kyle Jakobe and Junior Matt Whelan. Jakobe takes every opportunity to shoot three point shots, in which he made four of the nine (44%) shots that he attempted in this game. Whelan is a tenacious player on the court. Despite his size, which is the shortest on the team, a small 5’9, he makes up for with the speed and energy he brings to the court along with his go-get attitude. Glaser is a two time All Centennial Conference Player and leads the team in points, rebounds, blocks, and assists. Glaser is the team’s go to player and the fate of this team and its season lies in his hands.

After so many close games, Gettysburg needs a victory, and with an away game against Washington on Saturday, this might be just the shot for Gburg.

1. First of all, what makes a club sport different from a campus sponsored sport?
Club sports are organized through campus recreation and receive very little support from the school. In fact we raise almost all of our own money.

2. When was it started?
The Gettysburg College Hockey Team was started in 1992 and from the onset the team has always maintained a winning tradition

3. How many are involved?
Currently there are 20 guys on the team and an alumni coach.

4. Are there tryouts?
At the beginning of every season at the first practice everyone comes out and everyone makes the team assuming they have enough hockey experience to play at a high level safely.

5. Do you have a coach?
We have a coach who is an alumnus of the hockey team who lives and works in the area.

6. Who do you play against?
We play against Dickinson , Washington College, Loyola, Mount St. Mary’s, Salisbury , Catholic University , George Washington University , Johns Hopkins, and Navy.

7. Where do you practice/play?
We play our home games at the Twin Ponds rinks in Mechanicsburg , PA and Harrisburg , PA.

8. Is that little tiny patch of ice that has been called an “ice rink” over the volleyball court of any use to you guys at all?
Some of the guys go out there and skate around, but we have not used it extensively.

9. Finally, who does one contact if they want to get involved?
President, Walter Kowtoniuk
Vice-President, Scott Kenner
Coach, Eric Esser