Club basketball players in it for the fun (Club sports roundup)
Squash team gets game in
with Bienen; hockey team ready to win games
By Etan
Harmelech
A.C. Hoffman caught the
alley-oop off the backboard at the apex of his jump,
soaring high above the rim. The dunk would be a statement, would be thrilling, would ... clang off the back of the rim. He said he misread
just how much hangtime he had.
"That has to be my season highlight," said Peter Custer, Northwestern men's club basketball president. "The 6-foot-8 kid couldn't throw it down."
Custer, who
tossed the ill-fated pass, and Hoffman have played together on NU's club team for four years and comprise the core of the
squad's 13-man roster. This season the squad has hovered around .500, playing
against varsity opponents from junior colleges and larger schools' club teams.
While winning remains a primary objective, Custer said his first goal is to
make sure everyone has a good time.
"We just
try to make sure that everyone plays," he said.
According to
Custer, that all-for-one mentality extends well past game time, as most of the
players are also good friends. Team members can often be found playing pick-up
games at the Sports Pavilion and
The team plays
its home games at Welsh-Ryan Arena and is currently preparing to compete in
Notre Dame's 5-on-5 tournament in February.
SQUASHING
THE PRESIDENT: About once a year, University President Henry Bienen challenges select members of the Wildcats' club
squash team to a match, and according to team president Matt Archibald, Bienen's got some game. Youth prevailed last
spring, however, at least in the meeting of the presidents.
"I played
him last year and I beat him," said Archibald, a junior.
Bienen is not the only familiar NU face found lurking around the squash
courts. For the past two years, Kunle Patrick, better
known for his exploits on the football field, also has competed as a member of
the squash team. The athletic prowess needed to play squash overlaps in some
respects to those used to running routes on a football field.
"It's tons
of short bursts and quick sprints, you have to have explosive muscle,"
Archibald said.
The squash
season started Thanksgiving Break and runs until the end of February with the
national meet at Yale. Last year, Northwestern finished the season ranked 29th.
TAKING
THE ICE: For years, Northwestern had no men's hockey except for fraternity
intramural floor hockey. Lack of interest and funds forced the club ice hockey team
out of existence, until its resurrection five years ago. This winter, the team
boasts a roster of about 20 players, and the squad has a truly global flavor.
"We have
one guy from the
The hodgepodge
of talented players, both foreign and American, have combined to propel the
club ice hockey team to the top of its division, positioning it to earn an
invitation to the four-team playoffs in February. Przybylo hopes the club can
improve on last year's dismal post-season showing.
"We got our
asses handed to us by
Just
don't look for those "Wildcats" in the upcoming NU hockey games. Because the athletic
department does not fund club sports, teams are not required to use the
university's mascot. So the hockey squad chose to be the Deceptacons,
a name stemming from the cartoon Transformers. The squad continues to prepare
for upcoming tournaments in