The LVC women’s lacrosse team came out on top in its first game since 1985.
On March 5, the women’s team crushed Lancaster Bible College 18-7 at the In the Net complex in Palmyra.

Hana Krechel ’13 scored the first goal of the game to add to her seven total for the day.
Not even 20 minutes into the game, LVC had a big lead scoring 9 to Lancaster’s 1.

Both Rachel Murkey ’12 and Rachel McGinniss ’13 finished with hat tricks. Scoring two goals was Lauren Grande and also adding goals to LVC’s side were Amanda Cubbage, Jen Strack, and Suzanne Sullivan ‘13.

Sullivan says about the win, “It was our first real game as a team. We were really proud that we won, but we still have a lot to work on.”

Susquehanna University held the lead during most of the game on Thursday to hand the women its first loss of the season.
By the end of the first half, LVC was only down by one goal, 8-7.

Coming as close as 13-11, LVC attempted to play catch up, but were unable to overcome Susquehanna who pulled away with 6 goals in less than 5 minutes.

Coach Brianne Tierney said, “Aside from a five-minute lapse, they played a strong game.”

Krechel had her second seven-goal game including two at the end of the game making the final score 19-13 Susquehanna.

Women’s lacrosse sprung back from their Susquehanna upset to defeat Immaculata University on Saturday.
Tierney said, “Saturday’s game was ugly with the weather. They showed they are a tough team.”

The women led Immaculata 4-0 eight minutes into the game. After an 8-2 lead by the start of the second half, Immaculata started to close in scoring three in a row, but couldn’t get ahead of LVC.

Top scorers for LVC were Krechel and Murkey each earning hat tricks. The LVC midfield held an 11-6 advantage on draw controls and Erica Ameigh made for saves.

Sullivan says, “We have a few players who haven’t played lacrosse before. For a new team, we are doing really well.

In preparing for their first MAC contest this Saturday against King’s at Arnold Field, Tierney said, “We now have 3 games under our belt and experience. We’re going in confident.”

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LVC Men’s lacrosse was able to win their season opener and Arnold field debut, but couldn’t clench a third win.

In its first game since 1985, the men came out with a 14-7 win against Mount Saint Mary College on March 6.

Scott Sutton ’13 led the scoring for LVC with 5 goals. Joining him in scoring were Kyle Stewardson, CJ Adams, and Ian Schmid each with two goals.

Mount Saint Mary College was scoreless in both the second and third quarters, while LVC scored 10 straight goals.

While MSMC attempted to fight back, LVC kept control having a 46-20 shots advantage.

Last Wednesday, men’s lacrosse outscored Husson University 12-7 in their first game on Arnold Field.

Brendon Cummings came out with four goals and an assist, while Adams and Ty Fosnacht each scored a pair.

Each time LVC pulled away, Husson tightened the gap. Husson went from falling behind at half 6-3, to only being down by 1 in the third, 7-6. LVC answered scoring five straight in the fourth, and Husson was only able to score an additional goal.

Ethan Hilberg made eight saves.

The men’s streak stopped after the second game as Immaculata overcame LVC 9-4 on Saturday at Arnold Field.

Cummings scored twice for LVC and Scott Sutton and Schmid also each had a goal.

LVC managed to gain a short lead in the second quarter, 4-3, and the game was tied at the end of the half.
Things went downhill for the Valley from there. Immaculata left LVC scoreless in the second half, and the Dutchmen suffered 11 second-half turnovers.

Senior JT Fredlund says, “It was a disappointing loss. We were tied going into half and could have come out. We weren’t taking the high percentage shots.”

Hilberg managed seven saves.

Fredlund says the team is improving every day. “We have a great coaching staff that is really understanding.” He  adds, “Every team we played so far has been more talented as we [progress]. Every game is a challenge. Where we started, we’ve come leaps and bounds.”

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At 12p.m. on Tuesday, February 23, an article was posted on GoDutchman.com announcing that LVC’s men’s ice hockey program will be leaving the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III to compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), beginning in the 2010-2011 academic year.

 At approximately 2:00p.m. the facebook group “Save LVC Ice Hockey”  had been created in protest to the administrative decision.

By 6:45p.m. it had swelled to 406 members. By 8:00p.m. it had reached 487.  By 9:00p.m., 525. LVC’s student population is roughly 1,600 students. While the article made clear that “hockey will continue to be a fully funded program at LVC” one thing is certain; many are not happy about the decision.According to the article on GoDutchman.com, the decision to change leagues came after “a comprehensive review of the LVC men’s ice hockey program conducted by senior College officers and Rick Beard ’90, M’92, director of athletics.” Among the reasons cited for the shift are a reduction in missed class times, travel costs, and that by competing against more PA schools, LVC will build more regional rivalries. A

s Dr. Stephen MacDonald, President of the College, stated in the article, “We are confident that LVC hockey teams will be able to play competitively against other ACHA teams and afford our student-athletes the measure of success they have been unable to enjoy recently in NCAA Division III.”

However, many in the LVC community do not see the change as an improvement; among the most incensed are the hockey players themselves. Matt Markowski ’12 called the decision “A slap in the face” to the team. Michael Fransen ’12 said that he feels as though he has been “lied to and cheated” and that it is “an indirect way of getting rid of hockey.”

Spiros Anastasiadis ’10, who took over as the team’s student coach after the resignation of Ted Russell earlier in the year, says that as a graduating senior, the decision to move to the ACHA leaves a “very bitter taste.” He remembers President MacDonald specifically telling him as a freshman that “hockey is here to stay for at least 100 years,” and while the program may still physically exist, Anastasiadis says that the decision to change to the ACHA is merely a loophole to maintain that promise.“I feel that I have been directly lied to.” He said. “I feel that I will be receiving a degree from here that has no honor behind it.”

For the players, it is not so much the move from the NCAA itself, but the ethics of the decision, which has caused the most frustration. Many of the hockey players on LVC’s team spent years playing in junior programs and prep school hockey, and came to LVC from locations across the country and even from abroad in order to play at an NCAA school. Therefore, the shift takes away incentive for a lot of players, who came here specifically to play hockey, to stay. As Markowski put it, “A lot of state schools offer DI programs, but they don’t charge [roughly] $40,000 a year to go there.”

 As a result, rumors have circulated that a large portion of LVC’s hockey team may be seriously considering transferring, or, like Markowski and Fransen, that they are at least uncertain of whether or not they will stay. For Anastasiadis, the future looks particularly grim.“If LVC can retain two students from the thirty-two here, they should give themselves a pat on the back.” he said.And with transfer deadlines approaching quickly, many of LVC’s  players are feeling cheated by a decision that they say was made for all the wrong reasons.

Team members cite factors such as poor leadership and the school’s inability or unwillingness to change those circumstances that led to the team’s poor record in the NCAA.“It just seems like nobody paid attention to anything other than the fact that we were losing.” said Markowski. Anastasiadis also claims that many players who led LVC in scoring over the past four years and left are now among the scoring leaders for their current schools, and that had any effort been made to retain them, the LVC team might have been more competitive.As for the students, support has already rallied behind the hockey team in an effort to overturn the administration’s decision.

Krystina Chapman ’12, Samantha Stewart ’13, and Bri Roman ’13, co-creators of the facebook group “Save LVC Ice Hockey” regularly attend the home games and created the site in protest to the administration’s decision. The group already has a strong following of students, friends, and family of the hockey team within its first twenty-four hours, and continues to grow. Chapman also says they plan to assemble a petition over spring break, and that they will have it available for students to sign in Mund College Center the week of March 8^th -12^th.“It’s definitely shaken the school up.” Stewart said. “A lot of parents too.”Chapman says they will also be preparing a portfolio of testimonies from coaches, parents, alumni, and local businesses to accompany the petition, in hopes that it will reverse the decision.

According to Anastasiadis, the administration also ignored his own offers to cover travel expenses for the team and fundraising suggestions, if that were to be a deciding factor in whether or not to make the move. But what many team members claim as one of the deepest wounds is the fact that the team was never included in the decision making process and that once it was made, that it was “final.”“It was going to be a process that would involve…everybody’s opinions.” Anastasiadis said. “That was what threw me off guard. What does that say about LVC? They assured me that my teammates would have a chance to speak.”

And so, in the wake of a tough decision, the chance of a fresh start has been no condolence to the majority of the team and its supporters. The fate of LVC hockey still remains to be seen, but in any case, the bitterness, it seems, may remain.“All you hear about is how LVC is a family, but families don’t do this.” Stewart said.Due to time constraints on the paper, members of administration were unavailable for contact for this article. However, La Vie plans to provide continuing coverage on this issue and all parties involved in it, in our next issue on March 17.

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Regardless of the 13 freshmen and the graduation of first baseman Joe Soupik and catcher Bert Malloy, LVC was ranked fifth with 23 points in the MAC Preseason Poll, falling behind fourth place Messiah by a mere three points. Alvernia leads the pack with 41 points followed by Elizabethtown with 37, and Widener with 36 points. Albright and Acadia follow the Dutchmen with 20 points and 13, respectively. Alvernia was predicted to take first-place as it notched four votes while Elizabethtown and Widener received two and one, respectively.

As for the placement in the MAC Preseason Poll senior Grant Wiest stated, “We have a ton of talent and it is understandable how we were picked so low because of a lot of that talent comes from young players who have been under the radar.” He also recognized the importance of having Caleb back and full strength and he predicts Caleb, along with the other starters, will help in the successfulness of the season. He also recognized returning talent from last year’s freshmen class and stated, “These guys can play ball, the freshman all the way up, and it’s too bad I only have one season left to play with all of them.” Coach Evans stated, “The conference is going to be a difficult and any game will be a key game. E-town and Alvernia look to be some of the tougher series during the year.”

The team marked a 19-21-1 record for the 2009 season with a 10-5 record in the Commonwealth Conference, placing them in second place. Coach Evans mentioned, “We finished a game out of first last year and hope to improve this year. We will be very young in the field this season, but talented.” Key returners for infield include Second-team All-Commonwealth Conference player Colt Zarilla ’12 at shortstop, who finished last season with a .373 batting average, 59 hits, 32 RBIs, and a .513 slugging percentage. Classmates Ryan Schwartz, 3^rd base, and Jacob Rhody, 1^st base, return alongside Zarilla in the infield and Jordan Witmer will be appearing behind the plate, freshman Andrew Germann and Kevin Greene will be splitting duties at third. Senior Grant Wiest, who led the team with a .385 batting average last year, helping him being named to the second-team All-Commonwealth Conference, returns to left field. Also in the outfield with Wiest will be sophomores Dustin Deibert and Aaron Mills. Coach Evans added, “The DH spot is going to go to the player with the hot bat at the time”

On the mound, nine of 12 pitchers who saw time last year return for the team, including juniors Shane Specht, Jake Becker, and Nate Blough, and Caleb Fick, who returns from an injury last year. Freshman Lee Krammes is also expected to see time as a starter. Relief pitchers will be lead by Pete Moro, Dylan Holland, Derek Brousseau, Dustin Deibert, and Grant Wiest.

The team opened up its season in Florida, where Ryan Schwartz noticed, “we averaged around 12 runs per game, even without one of our best hitters, Grant Wiest, due to injury in the second game.” In Florida the team ended up with a 4-3 record, including an impressive first game where they clenched a 22-4 victory Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Back in PA, Schwartz said one of the goals of the season was to “win every series, two out of three games when it comes to conference play, and go out and prove some people wrong again this year. Experienced senior Wiest noticed, “From past experience, I would say that every team we play has a chance to be a thorn in our side, but the biggest contenders I believe will be E-Town and Alvernia…. I would say that we have a team that has the undeniable ability to go far and is dying for a chance to prove itself.”

The Dutchmen made marks on the board early against the Dickinson Red Devils when Colt Zarilla’s double to center field followed by an error sent the first run across the diamond in the bottom of the first at McGill Field on Tuesday March 9. Dustin Deibert followed the score with a single knocking in two runs and leaving a senior Grant Wiest on third. Wiest went on to run home after the bounced ball was unable to be caught by the Red Devils’ catcher when Andrew Germann was at the plate. His single hit Deibert in, making the score 5-0.

Zarilla and Jacob Rhody opened up the second with a single a piece. Wiest hit a triple to right field, sending the sophomore pair across the plate, making the score 7-0. Jordan Witmer ’12 had an RBI as Wiest crossed, adding another run to the Dutchmen’s already impressive score.

The offense was not the only impressive part of the team, junior Caleb Fick, who returned from an injury last season, pitched five innings and recorded eight strikeouts, preventing Dickinson from scoring until a fifth inning single up the middle by Mike Schuster sent a run home.

Commonwealth Conference pitcher of the week Lee Krammes started on the mound in the sixth inning for Lebanon Valley. In his two innings the freshman allowed two hits and he struck out two.

Back on offense in the bottom of the seventh, the Dutchmen scored four runs, putting them ahead 11. Sophomore Aaron Mills hit a single, loading the bases and Zarilla, who went 3-for-5 at the plate on the night, added a double to right center to score two runs. Rhody added another and the Dutchmen added one more run on the board before going on defense.

Nate Blough ’11 pitched in the eighth and held Dickson scoreless yet again before the game was suspended due to darkness. The final score for the Dutchmen victory was 12-1.

When asked about the game, Coach Keith Evans mentioned, “It was a nice win over Dickinson… so far the team is doing well with the young players and everyone seems to be fitting in well.”

The team’s weekend games include a double header at PSU-Harrisburg on Saturday, March 20 at 12:00 followed by a home double header on Sunday, March 21 against PSU-Berks at 1:00. The team will also play Wednesday, March 24 at 4:00 at Ursinus College.

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Two hours after the announcement that the Lebanon Valley College ice hockey team would be moving from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) on Tuesday, February 23, there was a Facebook group created to “Save LVC Ice Hockey.” The group was created by Krystina Chapman ’12, Samantha Stewart ’13, and Brianna Roman ’13, and is intended to raise awareness of the situation and how it was handled.

Only two and a half weeks after the group was created, it had 1,494 members, including players, students, friends, and fans dissatisfied with the administration’s decision. Although not all students may agree with or care about the administration’s decision, the fact that 1,494 persons disagree with it for a school that only has approximately 1,600 students shows large dissatisfaction and tremendous support for the LVC ice hockey team as a NCAA Division III team.

President MacDonald has released a statement to La Vie Collegienne explaining the College’s decision to move its hockey program to the ACHA, a club league.

Regarding this change, one of the hockey players stated, “It’s like telling the baseball team they cut the program, but they’re going to have a t-ball team.”

According to Scott Biggar’s article “Flying Dutchmen Grounded: After Finding Success in the ECAC Northeast, Lebanon Valley College Struggled in the ECAC West,” the college performed an evaluation of the hockey season after Coach Tim Russel’s resignation in January. In order to do this, the college used a “Success Formula,” which looked at factors such as costs, student-athlete graduation rates, travel requirements, missed class time, and competitiveness.

One of the College’s main points in support of their decision includes the team’s performance over the past six seasons after it was unwillingly moved from the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast Ice Hockey League, where the team endured success, to the ECAC West for the 2004-2005 season. Since this time, President MacDonald noticed the team has been unable to offer much competition to other schools, as the team has only a .080 winning percentage since the change.

Regardless of the bad winning percentage, the team obviously has many loyal fans.

Stewart noticed, “This year’s freshman class performed amazingly. The team relied greatly on the young players, and they certainly came through for the team on multiple occasions, and for this reason, we believe the team can only progress from here as the freshmen get more experience.”

ECAC West Correspondent Scott Biggar noticed, “Things were actually looking up for the Flying Dutchmen earlier this season. [They] showed a noticeable increase in competitiveness compared to previous seasons. Several coaches around the ECAC West noted this… and were hopeful that the team was rounding the corner. Even after the resignation of Russel in January, the team played on, including an overtime loss to Neumann and close games against Hobart and Utica. Perhaps more than any other time in the last three years, these eight games showed the resilient character of this team.”

 In the last eight games, injured captain Spiros Anastasiadis ’10 filled in to help assistant coach Brendon Herr. Anastasiadis had played five games injured before making the switch to helping coach because of Russel’s resignation.

Reflecting on the events Anastasiadis noted, “I could have played [those games] through my injury, but I was given false hope to help coach and turn things around. So I played my last game without even knowing it, and didn’t even get to skate on my senior day.”

Anastasiadis decided to join track, a sport he had not participated in since his freshman year of high school in ’99, so he could end his athletics experience at LVC on his own terms.

Many of the other hockey players also successfully play other sports on campus, including the reinstated lacrosse team and the golf team. According to Anastasiadis, the reason the players are successful on the other teams is because of coaching.

Anastasiadis added, “[Lacrosse] Coach Hause, [Golf] Coach Sorentino, and [Track] Coach Weidler are incredible examples of good role models… I thank Coach Haus for taking in my teammates and giving them a good experience. I thank Coach Sorentino for doing the same… and always supporting us. And I especially thank Coach Weidler for bringing me into her track family and giving me one last opportunity to be a part of something special… It’s just too bad the administration couldn’t give hockey a chance with a coach who cared as much as those three do about their athletes.”

Shaun Stamm ’12 agreed that coaching was the main problem stating, “Our coach was ill-equipped, poorly qualified in the coaching sense, and was hired over the summer months of school when recruiting was out of the question… The administration did not see only winning a pair of games in the 2007-2008 season as a red flag… When Ted Russell resigned, the real turmoil began. We were left with an assistant coach that was by no means capable of coaching a Division III NCAA hockey team in the best conference in the country.” He also added that when Anastasiadis filled in as coach, he was “more devoted than any of the coaches I’ve experienced at this college.”

Stamm said many of the players plan to transfer to other schools where they may not even play hockey, although almost all of the players chose this school to have the opportunity to play DIII hockey.

Regarding the transferring, Stamm added, “This administration is not only losing a hockey team, but perhaps the most diverse group of individuals that LVC has, 32 players from 16 states/provinces and three countries.” Finally, he added, “I am deeply hurt that I will be departing this school on such a negative note. It will be hard not only leaving friends, professors, and the school, but leaving these 31 guys, who are better off as brothers to me, will surely be the hardest thing I’ll ever have to do.”

Regarding the fact that many of these players will have to reevaluate and change their life plans because of their decision to choose LVC for the chance to play hockey, Greg Krikorian stated, “Students come to school for an education, hockey is part of the experience.”

President MacDonald reported that the change to ACHA is a positive change because the administration is certain the team will be successful. The team will compete as a D-1 team, but the team will probably have to play as a D-1 independent competitor for the first year, where the team may have to play D-2 teams to fill the schedule. President MacDonald also noted that he contacted the presidents of 18 other colleges and universities that have teams in the ECAC East or ECAC Northeast and also the Commissioner in order to see if the team could change to one of these divisions

 But, the contacts were in vain, as President MacDonald found, “there is no realistic prospect of LVC being welcomed in either the ECAC East or Northeast.”

Though justified by the administration, the effects of their decision to move the hockey team to the ACHA will impact not only the school, but also the community for years to come. The hockey players have assisted student organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Colleges Against Cancer and have helped the community through events such as the cleaning of Lebanon Park. LVC is losing not only a hockey team, but a band of brothers devoted to the LVC family and its surrounding community.

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Athletics always bring some of the most anticipated events of the school year here at the Valley.  Part of the MAC Conference, Lebanon Valley faces some extremely intense competition.  Teams like Elizabethtown, Widener and Albright provide for some great match ups.  However, when it comes to rivalry, one team stands out from the rest, the Falcons of Messiah College.

Messiah has historically been one of the biggest rivalries since the athletic program began here at the Valley.  One of the oldest sports here on campus, baseball, has had a long-running rivalry with the Falcons.  The last time the two teams met was a weekend in May 2009 when LVC came out victorious in all three games. 

“The LVC/Messiah rivalry just seems to keep growing as the years pass along,” says LVC’S baseball head coach, Keith Evans. 

“We try to have good, intense practice early in the week and looser practices towards the end; we don’t talk about the rivalry prior to a game,” he adds.

Another sport where the rivalry has really started to take off just in the last few years is women’s basketball.  On January 20, the Flying Dutchmen defeated the Falcons for the first time in nine years. 

“It’s a fun rivalry win or lose, but it’s always nicer to win,” says head coach Todd Goclowski. 

“To be the team and program we want to be, we need to play and beat good teams like Messiah.” 

Some athletic teams historically have much more heated rivalries than others.  For Men and Women’s Soccer as well as Field Hockey, the matchup between Messiah and LVC is anticipated for the duration of the season. 

Jerry Chaplin, Athletic Director at Messiah College, said that the rivalry is one that is quite positive and both teams have a great respect for the other. 

“Fans as well as athletes on either side of the rivalry respect the talents that each team brings to the floor.  Especially in Field Hockey, Soccer [Men and Women’s] and basketball, LVC is definitely a team to be reckoned with.” 

Head Men’s Soccer coach, Charlie Grimes is quite familiar with the rivalry in his respective sport.  Grimes is a former player for Elizabethtown College and remembers what it felt like when facing powerhouse Messiah. 

“We take every game seriously.  But it is clear that Messiah has set the standard in Men’s Soccer having won seven out of the last 10 National Championships.  It [the rivalry] definitely contributes to the landscape of collegiate men’s soccer, especially here in southern Pennsylvania.” 

“Messiah has a unique history of success at the national level across the board in many athletics,” said head LVC Field Hockey coach Laurel Martin.

“The institution creates an opportunity for success in the athletic arena.  I enjoy the nature of competition and think that win or lose one can always gain from strong opponents.”

One large part of the rivalry for almost all of the athletic teams is trying to not let it become “personal” and take away the focus of the game.  A lot of coaches try to focus on the “x’s and o’s” as opposed to the actual opponent.  However when a rivalry is this strong, sometimes that is difficult to do. 

“We try to approach the game as we would any other but we all know that’s tough to do.  I feel it’s one of the toughest places to play so we travel there trying to maintain a tough, steady and focused mindset,” said head Softball coach Stacey Hollinger. 

Head Women’s Soccer coach Lauren Frankford agrees. 

“We try to focus on what we need to do to be successful and not so much our opponent.  We are always the underdog in this rivalry so I stress we go out and play our hardest, we have nothing to lose!”

The rivalry has really defined itself as an important part of LVC athletics.  It has grown since the beginning and only seems to be continuing to grow and instill a great desire for great competition in not only athletes but coaches alike.  Messiah has helped to shape what Lebanon Valley athletics are about, strong, relentless competition. 

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The LVC women’s basketball team will be playing their third annual Pink Zone game against Elizabethtown on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 at 6 p.m. to raise breast cancer awareness. The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association initiated the idea of the game in 2007, at which time 120 schools had participated; two years later, more than 1,600 teams joined the great cause. This year the women’s team will debut their white, pink, and blue jerseys to support the efforts. The unique jerseys will be auctioned off after the game to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Head coach Todd Goclowski was quoted as saying, “The NCAA’s Pink Zone initiative really opened the door for us to create a game here on campus and involve all aspects of our community in the endeavor.”

Last year’s crowd consisted of 1,280 fans, but the first year drew in 1,310 fans—the best turn out for a LVC women’s basketball game.

As usual, the this year’s game will have prizes for fans who attend to show their support.  Some of these raffle prizes include gift certificates, gift baskets, and a $200 gift card to the College Store.  There will also be a chance to win a 2009 Chevy Cobalt for one lucky fan if he or she can sink a half-court shot.  And each time a member of the Dutchmen scores a three pointer, Subway will be handing out coupons to lucky fans.

Other events occurring at the game will include performances by the band and the LVC dance team.  Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) will be at the game with a Survivorship table where pins will be handed out to cancer survivors, and CAC’s Education committee will be handing out information about cancer awareness and information regarding Relay for Life, which is taking place on March 26 and 27 of this year.

The past two years have had great turn outs, and over $6,000 was raised for cancer research. With this year’s team on an eleven game winning streak and the opportunity to win great prizes while supporting a good cause, who would want to miss this fun-filled, entertaining event? So come out and support the Lady Dutchmen against Elizabethtown on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 at 6 p.m.

…Who knows?  You might win a car!

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       LVC head coach Jim Monos has watched a lot of football over the years, however no game will compare to the one he will attend next Sunday - Superbowl XLIV. Jim Monos' son, Jim who, along with his name shares Monos' love of football, is the Southeast Area Scout for the New Orleans Saints.

       "As a scout I get the ball rolling, then the General Manager make sthe selection," Jim Monos said. This is his fifth year with the Saints. The southeast is considered one of the better regions to scout for, as there are a lot of top selections in those schools.

       Jim Monos has been the head coach for The Flying Dutchmen for 17 years now, but nothing has been comparable to this past season. They enjoyed a 9-2 record last season, and set a program record for wins in a season. They also won their first postseason game since the Tampa Bowl in 1935. They won the 2009 ECAC Southwest Bowl when the took down Salisbury 37-21.

       Both of Jim's sons played football in High school and both of them played at LVC for a year before transferring and graduating at Bloomsburg University.

       "It was a great expereince, playing with my dad as the coach. Good when things are going good, and not when they are not. I learned a lot."

       "It wasn't the easiest of experiences coaching them, it takes a spectacular person to coach your sons," Monos said.

        After graduating from Bloomsburg with a Communications major, Jim began working as a PR intern for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2000. He started working in the scouting department. After working for the Eagles, the Saints called him and asked him to be an area scout for them. 

       As a Southeast Area Scout, Jim is responsible for scouting in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. He looks for athletic ability, production, tenacity, knowledge, and the combination of those skills coming together.

When Jim Sr. coached a Bloomsburg, there was a player by the name of Jahri Evans. Both Coach Monos and his son took an instant liking to the athletic ability of Evans. He ended up being a fourth round draft from Bloomsburg to play on the New Orleans Saints in 2006. Since then he has established himself as one of the top offensive guards in the game.

       Jahri was at Lebanon Valley College this past summer running an offensive linesman camp. He may be bakc next summer as well.

      Coach Monos, who attended the Saints mini training camps in June, was thrilled to be in the audience at the NFC Championship game last weekend.

      "It was a lot of fun," Monos said of the NFC Championship game, "I got the chance to visit Jim and Jahri and hang out with them. The people of New Orleans are very nice, and they deserve this win after all they've been through."

       "Right now I'm still watching tapes," Jim says, "Right after the Super Bowl I have two weeks of important draft meetings."

       A typical work day for Jim includes arriving at a college in the morning, watching films of games until 2:30, then watching practice and speaking with coaches.

      "What I experienced last week in the NFC Championships was one of the greatest things I've ever experienced in my life. It was an all time high." Jim says New Orleans love the Saints and the game will go down as one of the better NFC games in history.

      "My father was very influential in me learning football. Both of my parents have great work ethics. That's also a common theme in the NFL, everyone has a lot of passion." 

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