Sports

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SPORTS 11/11/23 12:03pm

Elon University men’s basketball head coach takes on 2nd year leading the Phoenix

By Mason Willett

With the men’s basketball season arriving, head coach Billy Taylor looks to lead the team as he starts year two. For the first season of Taylor’s era, the team finished last spring with 8-24 and 6-12 in conference play. Taylor said he doesn’t believe the record told the full story as the team was shorthanded with a small roster and then some injuries. Now the team brings in six new freshmen and two transfers. The Phoenix won its home opener against East Tennessee State University on Nov. 9 and look to take on North Dakota at 2 p.m. on Nov. 12 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

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SPORTS 11/9/23 11:16pm

Elon University men’s basketball wins home opener in thrilling finish

By Miles Hayford

The Elon University men’s basketball team defeated East Tennessee State University 79-76 in its home opener Nov. 9 at the Schar Center, fueled by first half dominance and last second heroics. This was their first win over the Buccaneers since 2005, and avenged a brutal loss against ETSU in the Asheville Championship last year. The Phoenix got off to a rocky start, plagued by early turnovers and superb defense by ETSU. In the first three minutes, Elon found themselves having committed four turnovers. ETSU quickly found themselves up by 10. However, sophomore LA Pratt helped Elon get back on track with back-to-back 3-pointers.

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SPORTS 11/7/23 6:59pm

Elon University men’s basketball falls to Wake Forest in season opener

By Jack Prahinski

The Elon University men’s basketball team did not break its 101-year long losing streak to Wake Forest University in its season opener Nov. 6. After Elon led by 21 points during the first half, the Demon Deacons dominated the second half at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum — coming out on top 101-78. Wake Forest’s scorching second period was led by combined scoring efforts from senior forward Andrew Carr, redshirt sophomore guard Kevin ‘Boopie’ Miller and junior guard Cameron Hildreth.

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SPORTS 11/5/23 2:46pm

Elon University sophomore guard pulls from international experience

By Jack Prahinski

Even though it is halfway across the world from his home in Australia, sophomore guard Max Mackinnon said he knew he was making the right decision when he committed to Elon University. Mackinnon played professionally in Australia’s National Basketball League when he was 17. During his professional career, he played in the International Basketball Federation, also known as FIBA. Mackinnon said because FIBA play does not involve a lot of isolation, it has been a rather smooth adjustment to the offense head coach Billy Taylor has used dating back to his coaching days at the University of Iowa.  

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SPORTS 10/27/23 9:35am

High school quarterback tackles college classes

By Mason Willett

For Western Alamance High School senior Evan Kuehnel, the college classroom is a chance to get ahead no matter how tired he may get undertaking college classes, football and being a regular teenager. Kuehnel is currently taking an accounting and a communications class at Elon University in the morning and attending Alamance Community College classes online. Though he is currently not taking any classes at Western, he is still considered a student. After Kuehnel’s classes at Elon and Alamance Community College, he takes the football field to lead Western’s football team as quarterback. 

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SPORTS 10/24/23 11:51am

Elon University women’s soccer dominates Charleston in regular-season finale

By Jack Prahinski

The Elon University women’s soccer team put on a dominant performance against the College of Charleston during their regular-season finale at Rudd Field Oct. 22. An early goal by junior forward Kelly Degnan gave the Phoenix breathing room from the outset. Impressive second-half goals by freshman forward Grace Gelhaus and freshman midfielder Gabby Hoschek put Elon in position to cap off their 2023 campaign with a 3-0 victory. Both teams sat near the bottom of the Coastal Athletic Association standings entering the match and there were no outcomes that would allow either squad to clinch a postseason berth to the CAA tournament.

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SPORTS 10/9/23 8:09pm

Elon University women’s soccer team ties 1-1 against Drexel on Senior Day

By Jack Prahinski

After the Elon University women’s soccer team scored early, their offense screeched to a grinding halt — which generated just one shot in the second half. The Phoenix also gave up a late goal to Drexel University, allowing the Dragons to tie the match. Despite several quality looks from Drexel, neither team could find the back of the net in the final minutes — ultimately forcing a 1-1 draw at Rudd Field Oct. 8.

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SPORTS 10/8/23 1:52pm

Club Basketball resorts to tryouts as interest surges at Elon University

By Benjamin Berfield

Over the last three years, Elon University’s club basketball team has seen a massive change in popularity. The program went from struggling to gain interest after the pandemic to having almost 90 sign ups each year starting from 2021 according to Elon senior and club basketball co-president Max Casey. Casey said in his freshman year, the team struggled with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Casey said the team did not hold tryouts that year, as talent was not a major factor when selecting the roster.

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SPORTS 10/6/23 5:09pm

Elon University women’s soccer falls 1-0 to Delaware after go-ahead goal in opening minute

By Jack Prahinski

After a record-setting performance in their last outing, the Elon University women’s soccer team fell short to the University of Delaware at Rudd Field. Delaware’s goal in the opening minute combined with their impressive defense was enough to propel them to a 1-0 victory over the Phoenix Oct. 5. Elon head coach Neil Payne said the Blue Hens’ immediate goal was “something you don’t plan for.” He also said the way Elon started the game wasn’t up to their usual standard.

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SPORTS 10/3/23 8:27am

Dream Center youth soccer club travels internationally

By Zach Pearson

Burlington's CityGate Dream Center soccer club traveled across the Atlantic, facing off against international competition in England. CityGate Dream Center director Lisa Edwards said the Dream Center is so much more to the community of Burlington than just a soccer program — it is a haven for everyone. Yet, coach and head of athletics Armando Camacho said the soccer program is more than just a haven for talented players in the area to showcase their skills; it's also a place where young players can develop their character and learn valuable lessons. 

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SPORTS 10/1/23 5:54pm

Elon University men’s soccer falls 3-0 to No. 19 Hofstra

By Jack Prahinski

After the Elon University men’s soccer team put on a potent offensive display in the first half against No. 19 Hofstra University, it seemed like the Phoenix had a chance to win its first game in over a month. Yet, back-to-back goals by Hofstra in the opening five minutes of the second period suggested otherwise, as the Phoenix would go on to fall 3-0 on Sept. 30 at Rudd Field. Head coach Marc Reeves said while his team played a fantastic first half, he didn’t like how they reacted once they started falling behind in the second.

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SPORTS 9/30/23 1:18pm

Elon University volleyball player turns to coaching after medical issues

By Mason Willett and Abigail Hobbs

Just weeks before her senior year, Presly Austin had a difficult decision to make. During volleyball conditioning, Austin slipped two discs in her back, causing her to go to the hospital. It happened again only a little while later. Austin said she had to decide to suffer through the pain to play her last year of volleyball or quit the sport she loves. Austin has been playing volleyball for 12 years and started her college recruitment process as a freshman in high school. She said she adored Elon — plus escaping the cold weather of Alberta, Canada, was a plus.

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SPORTS 9/24/23 1:03pm

Elon University volleyball defeated by UNCW in CAA home opener

By Jack Prahinski

The Elon University volleyball team was unable to win its conference home opener against the University of North Carolina Wilmington as they fell 3-0 on Sept. 23. After dropping both matches to Hofstra University last weekend, today’s loss placed Elon in a three-way tie for a race to the bottom of the Coastal Athletic Association standings. Elon head coach Mary Tendler said while it was good to be playing in the Schar Center again, she felt like her team lacked energy from the outset of the match.

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SPORTS 9/22/23 1:40pm

Elon University women’s soccer ties against UNCW

By Jack Prahinski

After holding the lead for almost an entire half of play at Rudd Field, a late goal by the University of North Carolina Wilmington forced a 1-1 draw for Elon University women's soccer Sept. 21. The only win on the season for the Phoenix came last month against Wofford College. Coming into Thursday's Coastal Athletic Association matchup, Elon had lost four consecutive matches. Elon head coach Neil Payne said he felt like Elon handled the Seahawks’ attacks well for large portions of the match. However, Payne said his key takeaway from tonight was that Elon has to learn to put teams away.

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SPORTS 9/21/23 9:25am

Community weighs transgender sports ban

By Miles Hayford

North Carolina lawmakers overrode Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act with the power of the Republican supermajority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The new law went into effect at the start of the academic year and bans “students of the male sex” from playing on all “athletic teams designated for females, women or girls.” This includes teams at the middle school, high school, intramural and collegiate level. With the passing of the bill, North Carolina joins a long list of states that have prohibited transgender women from playing in women’s sports. 

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SPORTS 9/20/23 7:00pm

Historical halfback play surges Elon University football to first conference win of season

By Benjamin Berfield

With an experienced offensive line, along with redshirt sophomore running back Jalen Hampton primed to build off a 1,000 yard freshman campaign, there were high expectations for the Phoenix to continue its success with run games, according to head coach Tony Trisciani. While Elon averaged 116 rushing yards per game in the first two losses against Wake Forest and Gardner-Webb, Triscianni said Saturday night’s 27-3 victory over the North Carolina A&T Aggies was the type of dominating performance the Phoenix were counting on.

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SPORTS 9/16/23 1:44pm

Elon University ultimate frisbee team sets sights on nationals

By Alex Sterne

Elon University’s club ultimate frisbee team, appropriately named “Big Fat Bombs,” began an unprecedented run after starting the season being ranked 138th in its division. While this could have diminished the motivation of the team, team president Tyler Myers said he discovered the team’s value didn't reside in the speed or the strength of the individual players. Riding off the progress of last fall, the team looks to improve for this season.

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SPORTS 9/12/23 11:43am

Elon University junior stands against sister as CAA opponent

By Audrey Toscano

Junior Sydney Love is an outside hitter and captain for Elon University's volleyball team. As volleyball kicks off their 2023-24 season, Love prepares to face her younger sister Ryann Love on the opposite side of the net. Though the sisters grew up learning and playing volleyball together, Ryann now plays at William & Mary. Both sisters said they look forward to the competition that comes with playing against each other at the collegiate level. This season, Elon’s first game against William & Mary is Oct. 7.

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SPORTS 9/11/23 7:56am

Athletic scholarship awarded to Elon University sophomore

By Mason Willett

Redshirt sophomore Julian Bumper was rewarded an athletic scholarship after a few years as a walk-on for Elon University's football team. According to Bumper, receiving the scholarship is something he said he will never forget and credits his success to his parents — who graduated from Elon in the '90s. “I just want to say, I thank y'all," Bumper said. "All the sacrifice, all the times bringing me to practice. Believing in me throughout my whole time here, understanding that eventually my time will come and believing that when I get the opportunity, I'll make the most of it."

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SPORTS 9/8/23 8:31am

Elon University athlete finds solace in rugby team

By Erin Martin

Junior Coby Fecher was 18 years old when he planned to meet up with someone he trusted. That someone, a man, sexually assaulted him. Now as a junior at Elon, Fecher said the experience left him fearful of men — especially those who are bigger and taller than him. Around the time of the incident, Fecher joined Tobacco Road Rugby Club in Durham while attending Alamance Community College. For Fecher, rugby has always been a constant in his life, but playing on the field helps him work through his feelings. When he transferred to Elon last fall, Fecher said joining club rugby was an easy choice.

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