The Matthew Online

JCU Students Show Interest Interest In Lady Gladiator Soccer

Turnout for the Lady Gladiator’s first week of tryouts reflected a highly enthusiastic group of young women who are ready to get serious on the field.Martina Rogers, a study abroad student,  said she tried out because it represented an opportunity to play a sport that she hasn’t played in years. “I haven’t played since second grade, but I came out today and still learned so much,” she said. “I loved it. It wasn’t intimidating because the team was so inviting. I’m in Rome! What better way to experience the Italian culture than to play soccer?”       

This season should be a promising one.  The team is already becoming a cohesive unit, an essential element to any well performing team. Last year’s goalie, Captain Alexandra Fernandez, encourages all young women to come out and give calcetto, the soccer equivalent for women, a try, regardless of past playing experience.  In the end, the experience is worth every minute spent on the field, she said.      Calcetto is played with five players per side. There are currently 10 girls who have  participated in the Monday and Wednesday night practices, only 3 of which are degree-seekers.                                                                                                                         

During these practices Coach Danilo Cinti has been preparing the players for the fast approaching season. On September 16, the team faces their first pre-season match. The match will be a friendly practice game, but with the first official kick off less than a month away, it will serve as a good indicator.  

JCU Gladiators Ready For Promising Season

By Brodie Reuter

The JCU Gladiators men’s football (soccer) team has a promising season in front of them as the team has many returning players, including degree seeking students.  The addition of some new study abroad students bumps the total number of players up to 20.  According to the returning players their biggest rivalry is The American University of Rome.   The Gladiators have just started practicing to get ready for the season opener in October. 

Coach Emilio Delellis said that having a team with a high player turnover does not mean that the Gladiators have a handicap. Even though his players are constantly changing and the ability levels often differ greatly, it is the love of the game that pulls them together, he said. 

The team has already managed to find some harmony and play as though they have been together for several seasons. Delellis said that having returning players who are able to cross the language barrier make the team work together as well. 

The difficulty is the lack of  sufficient practice time.  The Gladiators have practices late in the evenings and it requires taking a bus to get to the field.  This inconvenience in itself requires an added level of dedication to the team from both the players and the coach, Delellis said.

Antonio Diep, a study abroad student on the team, signed up because he wanted to live the European style. “I wanted to experience a different setting for soccer, being in a different country and playing with students from around the world,” he said.   

Diep has been playing soccer all of his life and plays at his college in the United States. The style is different but the love for the game is the same. To keep up on the team stay tuned to The Matthew.  

JCU's soccer season ends in forfeit for the men, the women roll on

 

By Marie Bugnitz

ROME, April 17 - The John Cabot University men’s soccer team ended its season last night in a forfeit to crosstown rival Campus Bio Medico.

The two teams were supposed to participate in a play-off of two ten-minute periods to determine who would advance, following a 3-3 tie a week ago.

Standing in Piazza Trilussa waiting for their rides, however, team members realized they did not have enough players. They were forced to call Campus Bio Medico and forfeit the match. This ended any chances of advancement for the JCU Gladiators.

“It was a bad way to end the season,” said a disappointed Joe Kaley, a study-abroad student who played with the team this seas.

The Lady Gladiators, however, will advance to the final round of their playoff tournament after a 2-1 victory over Roma Tre on Wednesday night. The details of the final match have yet to be determined. Details will be posted on campus for the next match.

JCU battles to 3-3 tie

By Jamila Gulec

ROME, April 10 - John Cabot University’s soccer team, the Gladiators, played to a 3-3 tie in a playoff match Monday night against Campus Bio Medico, a game that ended in complete confusion.

With the tie, there was only one rather large problem: there was no shoot-out in order to declare a winner. Following the final whistle, a debate ensued on how to settle the tie-breaker when the players from the opposing team walked off the field. Campus Bio Medico believed it is allowed to move on to the finals because of its higher ranking.

As of press time, there was no official ruling, leaving the season in doubt.

Soccer: Gladiators fall to Campus Bio-Medico 2-0

By Cheryl Wayne

ROME, March 14 – The John Cabot University Gladiators are off to a slow start this semester, losing their third soccer match Thursday night to Campus Bio-Medico 2-0.

Campus Bio-Medico struck early, scoring shortly into the first half. The Gladiators were never able to recover. Coach Massimiliano Digennaro tried to motivate his players with an invigorating halftime speech but the Gladiators could not get the ball in the goal.

Field conditions at La Selcetta were harsh for the Gladiators who are accustomed to playing on state-of-the-art turf. Forced to compete on a dirt field with poor lighting, many players felt that they were at a strong disadvantage. Coach Digennaro said, “we’re playing on a potato field lighted by candle sticks.” 

Senior captain Dean Torosian, who is currently out with a hamstring injury, believes that despite this loss the Gladiators still have a chance at clinching a playoff spot.

The playoff schedule has not been released. Your next chance to catch the JCU Gladiators compete is this Monday at 9 p.m. on their home field. For more information check the bulletin board at the entrance of JCU. Also, check out the Facebook group JCU Gladiators for some fun facts about the team.

 

 

JCU student to lace up for this weekend's Rome Marathon

By Amanda Baker

ROME, March 12 – John Cabot University student Kent Harding will completes his preparations to explore the city in an unusual way -- while running in The Roman Marathon this Sunday.

Harding, a 21-year-old visiting student from Michigan State University, has not been doing the expected rigorous training for the Maratona della citta' di Roma. While he has been working on sustaining his endurance with three- to ten-mile runs for three days a week, he has not followed a strict diet or done any other special preparations.

For Harding, the purpose of the marathon is simply to test his abilities with minimal training. As it is his first marathon, Harding would like to see where he stands as a beginner.

“There is no better time than now. I might as well see how I do for this first marathon and use it to improve for the next," said Harding (pictured above). 

The end of Ronaldo's career? The fans debate

This past weekend, The Matthew Online correspondent Jamila Gulec traveled to the heart of A.C. Milan country at a difficult time. The club's high-priced striker Ronaldo went down with an injury. Could this be the end of the football great's career? A.C. Milan fans let us know.

Feb. 13 was a tough day for A.C. Milan when 31-year-old Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, or "Ronaldo" for short, ruptured a knee tendon, in a game against Serie A rival Livorno.

Surprisingly, fans are not too sorry to see him go.

JCU Lady Gladiators shut out rival AUR 5-0; men tie 2-2

By Chiara Travia

ROME, Dec. 6 - On Wednesday night, John Cabot University's Lady Gladiators soccer team shut out rivals The American University of Rome (AUR), 5-0.

 

Within the first 20 minutes of the game, Ariel Goetz scored for JCU. Three other goals followed in the first half, one from Margo Messina, and two from Jessa Hybrechts, the team's interim captain. The second half finished strong as well. The last goal was made by degree-seeking student, Sarah Gabai, with ten minutes left in the game.

Goetz’s roommate, Emilia Aguinaga, later said, “I am happy she scored within the first twenty minutes, especially against AUR.”

 

Within the last five minutes of the game, Jocelyn Fredrick, who has been out all season with an injury, decided to play. Her teammates cheered her on as she hit a header and made some good plays. “We had a really good season, we all came together and I am so proud of the girls,” she said.

It is unclear if Fredrick will be fit enough to play in the Spring.

The victory was all the sweeter after the JCU men's soccer squad was forced to forfeit its match against AUR last month. The men's team was also in action on Wednesday. They drew to a 2-2 tie against Campus Bio Medico.

JCU Gladiators forced to forfeit victory against rival AUR

By Maddie Sousa

ROME, Nov. 30 – In a disappointing twist, John Cabot University's soccer team, The Gladiators, were forced to forfeit the match they won against school rival American University of Rome on Monday night. The team was forced renounce their win after the league discovered that a player who was supposed to be disqualified from the game played anyway.

The American player, who asked not to be named, was disqualified because he received three yellow cards, which, he explained, according to league rules, required him to sit out the game against AUR. The school’s league rules state that three yellow cards are equal to one red card. One red card means the player cannot play in the next match.

The Gladiator players say that allowing the player to participate in the game was an oversight.

A comment from the Gladiator coaching staff was unavailable as of press time.

Fatal gunfire forces game cancelations, angering soccer fans

ROME, Nov. 12- For the second time in ten months, Italy mourns over another soccer tragedy.

A fan of Rome cub Lazio was shot dead by the police on the way to the game Sunday, an incident that triggered game cancelations and a violent riots across the country.

Gabriele Sandri,a 26-year-old disc jockey  from Rome, died on Sunday in what police are calling a "tragic accident". A policeman said he fired shots to disperse a crowd; one of the bullets fatally struck Sandri.