Bilchak Leads Bonnies to First Shutout Victory of the Season

Earlier today, Father Kyle Haden of St. Bonaventure had the opportunity to bless
newly renovated Joyce Field. That blessing just may have extended to the team as well.
The St. Bonaventure softball team (11-25) earned a 2-0 shutout win over Little Three
rival Canisius (12-26) this afternoon.
The Bonnies offense was once again led by senior slapping duo Kelli Rohan and
Emily McDonough. Rohan drove in both runs for the Bonnies, and McDonough went 3-4
on the day, scoring one of the Bonnies two runs.
But the star of the day was Bonaventures starting pitcher Carly Bilchak. The
senior earned the win, pitching all seven innings in the teams first shut out of the season.
Bilchak struck out six and walked none while only giving up three hits.
Its nice to see us finally starting to put all of the pieces together, said Bilchak.
Its really easy to pitch when I know I have a good defense behind me.
Bilchak had a perfect game going for the first 4 innings until Canisius Madison
Aston hit a pop up into shallow center field, just out of senior outfielder Emily Belfields
reach.
Its good to get a few midweek wins, Added Bilchak. We have some good
momentum going into an important weekend.
The Bonnies will host Atlantic 10 rival Dayton this upcoming weekend starting
Saturday at Noon. The Flyers sit second in conference standings with a 9-2 record.
They have some of the best pitchers in the conference, so it will be a good test
for our hitters said Bilchak about the upcoming games. Its not going to be a slugfest
this weekend, it will just be a matter of who can plate a few runs.

2nd Half Spark Surges Bonas to OT Victory

By halftime of tonights game at the Reilly Center, no one was sure if the
womens basketball team was going to be able to keep their home-game winning streak
alive. George Washington, reigning Atlantic 10 champions, came to play, outscoring the
Bonnies 37-22 in the first half. But that didnt stop the Bonnies from getting the 69-67
victory over the Colonials.
Coming off of a tough loss to UMass last Saturday, and with GW tied for first in
the conference, the Bonnies knew this game was a must win for them if they wanted to
keep their NCAA tournament dream alive.
We played well, but they played much better, stated coach Jim Crowley when
commenting on the teams first half. They made up for every slow step and lack of
communication we had.
The Colonials shot 50% in the first half as opposed to the Bonnies field goal
percentage of merely 28%. What is even more notable, however, is the fact that GW was
6-8 from behind the arc while the Bonnies were blanked, going 0-5.
Katie Healy led the Bonnies at half with 8 while Miranda Drummond, who
typically averages 12.7 points per game, came out of the half with only 4.
Were good shooters, and they took that away added Crowley.
But at that point, the game was just getting started. The Bonnies came out of the
locker room ready and with every intention of keeping their home-court winning streak
alive.
We needed to get stops to get our tempo going said Crowley.
Our defense was tight, we just needed to get our offense going.
And the Bonnies did just that. They opened up the 3rd period with a 7-0 run. With
the team creating turnovers and back-to-back blocks by Nyla Rueter and Mariah Ruff, the
Reilly Center started to come to life. Meanwhile, the Colonials lead was slowly being cut
throughout the second half.
When a team is undefeated at home and has seen the success
they have, we knew at half time we were going to get their best shot
coming out of the locker room stated GW coach Jonathan Tsipis.
Thats the fun part of this league. You expect to get everyones best.
Healy came out of regulation play with 17 points, and would add
7 in over time to finish the night with 24. Mariah Ruff trailed closely

behind, finishing with 18, including a game tying three-point bucket

that could arguably be considered the biggest shot of the game.
Although the stats dont show it, senior guard Nyla Rueter played
a key role in the Bonnies comeback victory. After being blanked in the
first half, Rueter came back with 4 blocks and added 7 points in over
time, including a corner three with 1:58 remaining giving the Bonnies a
lead they would hang on to.
She responded. She struggled a little in the first half and she
knew her team needed her said Crowley on Rueter. Her demeanor
really helped us. She blocked a jumpshot emphatically, and I think that
got our kids and the crowd going. Im really proud of her for that.
Tsipis also had good things to say about the senior guard. She
was able to put the first 40 minutes away and play great in overtime.
Its been fun to watch her develop. I love that kids toughness. I dont
think her offensive struggles took away from her defensively.
Crowley and his team look to keep the momentum going this
weekend as they travel to Philadelphia to take on the La Salle
Explorers.
We had to really earn this game against a good team, which is
what you hope for in late Februarya game that matters against a
good opponent on your home floor. Thats whats fun.

Feeding the Beggars

Growing up, I was always taught to give to the less fortunate. One way my
family does this is by visiting and sponsoring a school and orphanage in Southern India.
When I was 11 years old, I was able to experience it for myself for the first time. Little
did I know, it would forever change my outlook on life.
At first I hated it. While driving through major cities and small villages, I
witnessed an extreme poverty that my young mind couldnt even begin to imagine. I
could feel my heart breaking as I saw kids younger than me, wearing nothing but dirty
rags, knocking on my window and begging me for food to eat. I remember looking at my
mom and saying, I dont know why you like it here. Its so depressing.
That mindset quickly changed once I arrived to the orphanage. I got to meet the
kids that I had been hearing about, and began to form real relationships with them.
It wasnt until then that I understood. I learned their stories and quickly realized
how much my family and I had impacted their lives. If it wasnt for all of the support we
had given to them, those kids I love so much would be the kids begging at my window
days before.
I believe in doing all that you can for those that are in need. I believe in loving
those people unconditionally. Not only did my trip to India make me realize how
fortunate I was to live how I do, but it also showed me how much of an impact I can truly
make. It showed me how badly this world needs that impact.
I try to love people relentlessly. I believe with everything in me that if you love
everyone unconditionally, you are going to be blessed for it. We often forget that even the
smallest acts of kindness we do can change a persons outlook on the day, and if were
lucky enough, their entire life. I believe that if you show that kind of unconditional love
to others, you will change lives. Feed the beggars and you will give them a future; you
will give them a place to call home.