Lev-Ari Finds Home Halfway Around the World
Date: 11/07/2012
Big West Conference
At Matador Field the temperature reached 108 degrees during soccer practice. With the scorching sun beating down on the players, Sagi Lev-Ari was still in good spirits after practice.
"I like this weather. It’s like Israel so I’m use to it," said Lev-Ari, who comes from the city Haifa. It's a change from the weather he endured in New York a year ago.
"It was cold there. It was so hard for me to adjust; my toes were freezing," he said with a laugh.
Lev-Ari always dreamed of playing soccer and getting a degree. After leaving Israel he went to Monroe College in New York, where he had received an offer to come play for a good team. There he scored seven goals and the team reached the finals. When off the field, the shy Lev-Ari said he all he did was study. Then his opportunity at Northridge came.
The transition at CSUN has been smooth for him and he already considers his teammates and coaches his family.
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Big West Conference
At Matador Field the temperature reached 108 degrees during soccer practice. With the scorching sun beating down on the players, Sagi Lev-Ari was still in good spirits after practice.
"I like this weather. It’s like Israel so I’m use to it," said Lev-Ari, who comes from the city Haifa. It's a change from the weather he endured in New York a year ago.
"It was cold there. It was so hard for me to adjust; my toes were freezing," he said with a laugh.
Lev-Ari always dreamed of playing soccer and getting a degree. After leaving Israel he went to Monroe College in New York, where he had received an offer to come play for a good team. There he scored seven goals and the team reached the finals. When off the field, the shy Lev-Ari said he all he did was study. Then his opportunity at Northridge came.
The transition at CSUN has been smooth for him and he already considers his teammates and coaches his family.
Read more...
CSUN Duo Redefining Idea of Basketball Twin Towers
12/12/2011
GoMatadors.com
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- Throughout the history of basketball, there has been a long list of tall duos dominating the paint. From Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson to David Robinson and Tim Duncan, thesetandems have often overpowered the opposition with their height and weight, gaining numerous accolades along the way. However, two guards on the Cal State Northridge women's basketball team are showing that big things come in small packages, too.
At five feet seven inches, freshmen Janae Sharpe and Ashlee Guay have both made an immediate impact for the Matadors in the early stages of the 2011-12 season.
Their attack in the paint for rebounds has been exceptional. The Matadors are the Big West Conference's top rebounding team, and pulled down 60 boards in their win over San Jose State. Individually, Guay averages around five rebounds while Sharpe is close to four per game.
That disregard for the opposition's height has also helped the pair create fouls and get to the free throw line. Sharpe leads the team with 40 attempts and Guay is shooting 80 percent from the line in 25 attempts.
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At five feet seven inches, freshmen Janae Sharpe and Ashlee Guay have both made an immediate impact for the Matadors in the early stages of the 2011-12 season.
Their attack in the paint for rebounds has been exceptional. The Matadors are the Big West Conference's top rebounding team, and pulled down 60 boards in their win over San Jose State. Individually, Guay averages around five rebounds while Sharpe is close to four per game.
That disregard for the opposition's height has also helped the pair create fouls and get to the free throw line. Sharpe leads the team with 40 attempts and Guay is shooting 80 percent from the line in 25 attempts.
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No. 2 Matadors sink in semifinals against No. 6 Long Beach State
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – One penalty in the last period of play and one missed penalty shot in overtime made the difference in the semifinal game as CSUN failed to capitalize to make it to the Big West Championship game.
With 1:32 left in regulation and the Matadors up by one, CSUN’s Sydney Sonoda got called for a penalty in the five-meter, which allowed the 49ers to take a penalty shot that tied the game 6-6.
“It happens in games I had to change my role a little bit, because Heidi (Pettinger) had two ejections and I had to help keep her in the game because we already had lost Jessica (Goforth). I wasn’t okay that it happened, but it did,” senior Sonoda said.
No. 6 Long Beach State upset No. 2 CSUN with a 7-6 win in overtime. It was the 49ers’ third win over the Matadors this season.
With the tie at the end of regulation, the teams went into overtime, with 30 seconds off the clock, CSUN had a golden opportunity to go up by one again, but Pettinger missed on the penalty shot and on the 49ers next possession, LBSU scored, which gave it the lead.
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With 1:32 left in regulation and the Matadors up by one, CSUN’s Sydney Sonoda got called for a penalty in the five-meter, which allowed the 49ers to take a penalty shot that tied the game 6-6.
“It happens in games I had to change my role a little bit, because Heidi (Pettinger) had two ejections and I had to help keep her in the game because we already had lost Jessica (Goforth). I wasn’t okay that it happened, but it did,” senior Sonoda said.
No. 6 Long Beach State upset No. 2 CSUN with a 7-6 win in overtime. It was the 49ers’ third win over the Matadors this season.
With the tie at the end of regulation, the teams went into overtime, with 30 seconds off the clock, CSUN had a golden opportunity to go up by one again, but Pettinger missed on the penalty shot and on the 49ers next possession, LBSU scored, which gave it the lead.
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CSUN athlete John Hayward-Mayhew runs informational website
If you see 6’8″ John Hayward-Mayhew walking around the CSUN campus, at first glance you may assume he plays basketball, well you’re right, but what you might not know is that the CSUN men’s basketball junior forward also has a well-known blog.
His site, JohnsiPhone.com launched September 2010, where he gives tutorials, news, giveaways and tips about the latest Apple products.
“I’ve always been into websites since high school and I realized if you find a trendy topic, it will attract more people to your website,” Hayward-Mayhew said. “I had an iPhone and I always liked Apple products, so I opened an iPhone blog.”
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CSUN Hockey: California native Chris Gale returns from ACHA All-Star games in Europe
Matador Chris Gale recently came back from Europe where he played for the Division III American College Hockey Association All-Star team (ACHA), which was a first for a California native to participate in.
Gale said it was one of the greatest experiences in his hockey career. He lived part of a dream, traveling to Europe and playing four hockey games, he said.
“I heard a little bit like, ‘Shouldn’t you be surfing’ that kind of stuff,” said Gale, who leads the Matadors with 36 goals. “All the guys were cool and it was interesting how quickly we bonded, it was one of the closest teams I played with.”
Hockey is a big part of Gale’s life. It’s the sport he has lived and breathed since he was five years old.
Bad weather and a delayed flight from New York to Europe was an inconvenience for Gale and the team.
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Gale said it was one of the greatest experiences in his hockey career. He lived part of a dream, traveling to Europe and playing four hockey games, he said.
“I heard a little bit like, ‘Shouldn’t you be surfing’ that kind of stuff,” said Gale, who leads the Matadors with 36 goals. “All the guys were cool and it was interesting how quickly we bonded, it was one of the closest teams I played with.”
Hockey is a big part of Gale’s life. It’s the sport he has lived and breathed since he was five years old.
Bad weather and a delayed flight from New York to Europe was an inconvenience for Gale and the team.
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Northridge seeks redemption in future games
A few Matadors have circled certain games on their 2010-11 calendars as they prepare to take on challenging, but memorable, games this season.
The first obstacle on the road for Northridge will be Friday at UCLA. For many of these players, it will be the first time playing at the historic Pauley Pavilion, but the Matadors know what they need to do when they get onto the court.
“Going into the gym with the history and coach (John) Wooden and all the championships, it’s kind of intimidating, but once you get there you have to play ball,” senior forward Lenny Daniel said. “We expect to go in there and give them good competition in the game, expect to come out and win. So hopefully that’s the plan.”
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The first obstacle on the road for Northridge will be Friday at UCLA. For many of these players, it will be the first time playing at the historic Pauley Pavilion, but the Matadors know what they need to do when they get onto the court.
“Going into the gym with the history and coach (John) Wooden and all the championships, it’s kind of intimidating, but once you get there you have to play ball,” senior forward Lenny Daniel said. “We expect to go in there and give them good competition in the game, expect to come out and win. So hopefully that’s the plan.”
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CSUN hockey season preview: Matadors hope to return to Nationals with 12 new players
With an explosive offense that scored 220 goals and having two of the top scorers in the country, the CSUN hockey team had its first taste of Nationals last season.
But it is a new year; players have graduated, leaving the Matadors with a difficult obstacle to overcome in order to return to Nationals.
The Matadors, who finished the regular season last season with a 23-4 overall record, have added 12 new players and believe the offense will be a strong point once again.
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But it is a new year; players have graduated, leaving the Matadors with a difficult obstacle to overcome in order to return to Nationals.
The Matadors, who finished the regular season last season with a 23-4 overall record, have added 12 new players and believe the offense will be a strong point once again.
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Fans not blue about Manny's exit
Going to Dodger Stadium won’t be quite the same anymore since Los Angeles will no longer cheer for Manny. No. 99 has left Mannywood.
The day we signed Ramirez in 2008 was like another holiday for Dodger fans. Just his presence had the media drooling. And to think, he came to the Dodgers at no cost.
We took him in like a lost child needing a home and love. He loved us back saying in his big news conference how happy he was to be in L.A.
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The day we signed Ramirez in 2008 was like another holiday for Dodger fans. Just his presence had the media drooling. And to think, he came to the Dodgers at no cost.
We took him in like a lost child needing a home and love. He loved us back saying in his big news conference how happy he was to be in L.A.
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CSUN Hockey Looks to Shine at Nationals
The Cal State Northridge hockey team is looking to have its own miracle on ice, as the Matadors head to the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division III National Tournament for the first time in the club’s 39 years of existence, this Wednesday in Fort Myers, Fla.
While CSUN has a few nationally ranked athletic programs, like the men’s volleyball team and the women’s water polo team, the hockey team is virtually unknown.
“I really wish more people knew about the team,” said junior assistant captain Chris Gale. “Hopefully this will get the school to really recognize us and give us more support in the following years.”
The Matadors did have a crowd that supported them this season, but they would like to see more people come out to the rink.
“The fan base is growing,” said goalie Ron Dierkes. “But still there is so many students at CSUN when I talk to them about the hockey team they have no idea that the school has a team.”
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While CSUN has a few nationally ranked athletic programs, like the men’s volleyball team and the women’s water polo team, the hockey team is virtually unknown.
“I really wish more people knew about the team,” said junior assistant captain Chris Gale. “Hopefully this will get the school to really recognize us and give us more support in the following years.”
The Matadors did have a crowd that supported them this season, but they would like to see more people come out to the rink.
“The fan base is growing,” said goalie Ron Dierkes. “But still there is so many students at CSUN when I talk to them about the hockey team they have no idea that the school has a team.”
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Matadors watch championship slip away
LONG BEACH, Calif. – The entire UC Irvine water polo team, including the coaching staff, celebrated its back-to-back Big West Tournament championship on Sunday by jumping into the pool.
While the Anteater party was going on, the Matadors huddled up for their final postgame speech of the season with tears running down their faces after losing 12-11.
“We gave it our all… unfortunately it wasn’t enough,” said Matador goalie Jillian Stapf, who had 11 saves during the Big West title game. “I couldn’t pick one person out that didn’t play as hard as they could. Toward the end we scored two quick goals, but couldn’t find enough time to find the back of the net.”
With 3:54 left in the fourth quarter and the Anteaters leading 12-9, CSUN had one last push. In a key moment of the match, Matador Whitney Delgado, who had five goals in the game, had a penalty shot blocked with 3:42 remaining. Kristin McLaughlin scored and with seven seconds left, Alison Pierce scored before Northridge’s season ended.
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While the Anteater party was going on, the Matadors huddled up for their final postgame speech of the season with tears running down their faces after losing 12-11.
“We gave it our all… unfortunately it wasn’t enough,” said Matador goalie Jillian Stapf, who had 11 saves during the Big West title game. “I couldn’t pick one person out that didn’t play as hard as they could. Toward the end we scored two quick goals, but couldn’t find enough time to find the back of the net.”
With 3:54 left in the fourth quarter and the Anteaters leading 12-9, CSUN had one last push. In a key moment of the match, Matador Whitney Delgado, who had five goals in the game, had a penalty shot blocked with 3:42 remaining. Kristin McLaughlin scored and with seven seconds left, Alison Pierce scored before Northridge’s season ended.
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CSUN advances to Big West title game
LONG BEACH, Calif.- In sports there are times where a team gets a chance of revenge over an opponent that shattered their hopes of a championship the year before. In CSUN’s case that came to reality on Saturday in the Big West Tournament semifinals against UC Santa Barbara.
“We knew coming in that we wanted revenge,” said two-meter Heidi Pettinger about the Gauchos, who they lost to in last year’s semifinals. “It was our time to win.”
This time No. 2 seed Northridge (28-7) made sure to be prepared for the Gauchos (18-11), as it won 11-5 and advanced to the conference championship game against UC Irvine.
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“We knew coming in that we wanted revenge,” said two-meter Heidi Pettinger about the Gauchos, who they lost to in last year’s semifinals. “It was our time to win.”
This time No. 2 seed Northridge (28-7) made sure to be prepared for the Gauchos (18-11), as it won 11-5 and advanced to the conference championship game against UC Irvine.
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CSUN Water Polo impresses in Home Debut
After 20 road games CSUN’s No. 10 ranked water polo team (17-5) did not disappoint its fans at the home opener this past Thursday, as they swept Wagner (8-9) and Occidental (1-11) in a doubleheader.
“The crowd was spectacular, it was by far the most people I seen at a home game in the five years I’ve been here,” said head coach Marcelo Leonardi. “It was a great turn out.”
In the first game CSUN and Wagner were head-to-head on defense but CSUN came up big in the second quarter and won 11-5.
“It took a little time to adjust to them,” Leonardi said. “They (Seahawks) did a good job on us defensively in the first quarter.”
The Matadors and Seahawks were tied after one quarter 1-1 before Wagner took its only lead in the game when a floater went over goalie Jillian Stapf to make it 2-1. After that the CSUN offense exploded and the tempo changed. CSUN scored five goals to give it a 6-2 lead going into the half.
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“The crowd was spectacular, it was by far the most people I seen at a home game in the five years I’ve been here,” said head coach Marcelo Leonardi. “It was a great turn out.”
In the first game CSUN and Wagner were head-to-head on defense but CSUN came up big in the second quarter and won 11-5.
“It took a little time to adjust to them,” Leonardi said. “They (Seahawks) did a good job on us defensively in the first quarter.”
The Matadors and Seahawks were tied after one quarter 1-1 before Wagner took its only lead in the game when a floater went over goalie Jillian Stapf to make it 2-1. After that the CSUN offense exploded and the tempo changed. CSUN scored five goals to give it a 6-2 lead going into the half.
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Big West water pol tournament: Matadors say, bring on whomever
In last year’s Big West Tournament semifinals matchup between CSUN-UCSB, the top-seed Matadors went in expecting to cruise past the 4-seed Gauchos. The excessively confident Matadors ended up losing 6-5 and had their Big West championship aspirations vanished.
“It was a huge heartbreaker, the whole season we had been beating (UCSB) and going into the tournament I think we felt really confident that we were going to play Santa Barbara and beat them,” attacker Whitney Delgado said. “Then we lost and everyone was in shock and angry because it shouldn’t have happened.”
This season No. 2 seed Northridge find themselves in a similar situation heading into the conference tournament, as they await the winner of the UCSB-Long Beach State first round match on Friday.
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“It was a huge heartbreaker, the whole season we had been beating (UCSB) and going into the tournament I think we felt really confident that we were going to play Santa Barbara and beat them,” attacker Whitney Delgado said. “Then we lost and everyone was in shock and angry because it shouldn’t have happened.”
This season No. 2 seed Northridge find themselves in a similar situation heading into the conference tournament, as they await the winner of the UCSB-Long Beach State first round match on Friday.
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CSUN softball welcomes Michigan State to Matador Diamond, in season home opener
By Monique Muniz
Daily Sundial
February 26 2010
After starting the season with an 11-game road trip, the Cal State Northridge softball team (2-9) comes home to Matador Diamond to face Michigan State in a three game series, starting Saturday afternoon.
Before Wednesday night’s 5-4 victory over San Diego State, the Matadors were on a seven-game losing streak due to their inability to pitch and drive in runs. With the victory over the Aztecs the Matadors could have momentum going into their series against the Spartans (3-6).
In last weekend’s tournament at UCLA, where CSUN played Portland State and the Bruins, the Matador pitchers allowed 35 runs and 38 hits in four games.
“We need to transfer what we do at practice into the games,” said pitcher Amanda Pitzenberger.
The Matadors Debbie Duran (0-3) and Mia Pagano (0-2) both have an ERA of over 8.39 and Piztenberger and Hannah Fraijo ERA is over 4.05 combining for 91 hits and 71 runs in 11 games.
“Our pitchers need to show up to the games,” said head coach Roni Sparrey “We need to pull together and get in sync.”
The start of Michigan State’s season has been rocky too with four games being one-run losses, but two of its three wins have been blowouts, where they’ve won 10-2 and 8-0. The Spartans come into Northridge with a four game losing streak. In their nine games they have left 41 runners on base and have had 49 hits.
Leading the offense for the Spartans is Lindsey Hansen with a batting average of .385, 10 hits, and four homeruns. Following her is Brett Williams with a batting average of .308, six RBI’s, eight hits, and two homeruns. Their pitching has only giving up 18 hits and Spartan Shelby Wise has an ERA of 0.87, giving up one run and 10 hits.
The Matadors are staying positive even though they have lost big games to start the season.
“We have to keep the intensity up and stay motivated as a team,” said Pitzenberger
The series will start with a double header on Saturday at 12 p.m. then at 2:30 p.m. and the last game will be played Sunday at 12 p.m.
Daily Sundial
February 26 2010
After starting the season with an 11-game road trip, the Cal State Northridge softball team (2-9) comes home to Matador Diamond to face Michigan State in a three game series, starting Saturday afternoon.
Before Wednesday night’s 5-4 victory over San Diego State, the Matadors were on a seven-game losing streak due to their inability to pitch and drive in runs. With the victory over the Aztecs the Matadors could have momentum going into their series against the Spartans (3-6).
In last weekend’s tournament at UCLA, where CSUN played Portland State and the Bruins, the Matador pitchers allowed 35 runs and 38 hits in four games.
“We need to transfer what we do at practice into the games,” said pitcher Amanda Pitzenberger.
The Matadors Debbie Duran (0-3) and Mia Pagano (0-2) both have an ERA of over 8.39 and Piztenberger and Hannah Fraijo ERA is over 4.05 combining for 91 hits and 71 runs in 11 games.
“Our pitchers need to show up to the games,” said head coach Roni Sparrey “We need to pull together and get in sync.”
The start of Michigan State’s season has been rocky too with four games being one-run losses, but two of its three wins have been blowouts, where they’ve won 10-2 and 8-0. The Spartans come into Northridge with a four game losing streak. In their nine games they have left 41 runners on base and have had 49 hits.
Leading the offense for the Spartans is Lindsey Hansen with a batting average of .385, 10 hits, and four homeruns. Following her is Brett Williams with a batting average of .308, six RBI’s, eight hits, and two homeruns. Their pitching has only giving up 18 hits and Spartan Shelby Wise has an ERA of 0.87, giving up one run and 10 hits.
The Matadors are staying positive even though they have lost big games to start the season.
“We have to keep the intensity up and stay motivated as a team,” said Pitzenberger
The series will start with a double header on Saturday at 12 p.m. then at 2:30 p.m. and the last game will be played Sunday at 12 p.m.