From only “half expecting” to make the team following tryouts his freshman year to being named club president for his final season, defenseman Conor Peterson saw more success as part of the Clemson club ice hockey team than he initially anticipated.

However, Peterson learned over his four years with the program that the most special part of playing on a team is the people you get to do it with.

“It’s more of the bonding that’s the best part,” Peterson told The Tiger in an interview. “I’ve had hockey friends since I was five, since I started playing on my first team. That bonding, the special moments, is really what stood out to me about the game.”

The defenseman from Wilmington, Massachusetts, stepped onto the ice at the rink just 10 minutes from his childhood home for the first time at age 5, with encouragement from his father and cousins.

“I just loved the game from there,” Peterson said.

By the time he graduated from high school, that little kid who loved the game had yet to quiet his voice in Peterson’s head, and he knew it was only right to continue playing in college.

“All my cousins went to schools down south,” Peterson explained. “When I was visiting South Carolina, I got the notice that I was accepted to Clemson. It was only two hours away, so my family and I decided ‘Yeah, might as well give it a shot.’ So, we drove over here and didn’t even get a tour — we just walked around. I was like, ‘Yeah, I like this place.’”

And the rest was history.

Peterson discovered Clemson’s club ice hockey team through his cousin, who was the club hockey team captain at the College of Charleston.

“He mentioned, like, ‘Hey, I’m playing club hockey. I love it.’ And I wasn’t looking to go anywhere with it,” Peterson told The Tiger. “I just wanted to go to college, have some fun and keep playing the sport. So, I came down here … was only half expecting to make the team … It’s been unbelievable since then.”

Of course, the prospect of continuing to play the sport you love at your dream school sounds more than ideal for most young athletes. For Peterson, being a part of this team shaped his Clemson experience into something even better than he ever could have imagined.

“It’s the best. Even the community here is unbelievable … when we played in Huntsville (last spring), a guy in the (North Alabama) Clemson club came and talked to us after one of our games. He was breaking down and crying, telling us how much it meant to him that we were there and representing the team … I couldn’t imagine that it would be anything like this.”

Peterson’s favorite memory as an Ice Tiger was the team’s trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, two years ago. Despite falling short in both games, he noted that the memories and time spent with his friends made it worthwhile.

“All the older guys were there,” he explained. “We were able to travel with them, hang with them for the day, and see Tennessee beat Alabama … just being in that football element with all my best friends from here. That was pretty unbelievable.”

The support from the Clemson community and the off-ice memories are just a fraction of why he’s loved being a part of this program for the last four years. To Peterson, the most special part of the Clemson club ice hockey team is the same thing that kept him in the game as a child: the friendships.

“It’s 100% the bond (that makes this team special),” he said. “I came to Clemson and knew one family friend from home, and that’s it … I was trying to figure out, like, ‘who am I gonna be friends with?’ And since I made the team, these have been my best friends for four years.”

Following his departure, the team president hopes to be remembered as “a team player. A team guy who always tried to put others before himself for the team goal.”

Peterson can only hope that, as the program grows, the future generations of Clemson club ice hockey players get the same experience as he did.

“When I was a freshman, we had maybe 40 kids at tryouts,” Peterson said. “That’s more than doubled now … It’s all only getting better and more popular from here, but I hope it keeps the club hockey aspect of just guys, having fun, trying to play the sport.”

Following graduation, the senior finance major plans to move to Greenville, South Carolina, and obtain his Corporate MBA from Clemson.

IRVINE, Calif.  – In a heart-pounding rivalry showdown, No. 14 UCLA edged USC, 7-6, in Friday night’s series opener at Great Park.
 
With the bases loaded and two outs in a nail-biting ninth inning, freshman right-hander Easton Hawk rose to the occasion by fanning the final USC batter to preserve the victory for UCLA (34-11, 17-5 Big Ten) and secure his second save of the season.
 
Mulivai Levu delivered a masterful performance at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs to power the Bruins’ offense. His pivotal bases-clearing double in the fourth inning gave UCLA a lead they did not relinquish.

AJ Salgado homered for the fourth time in the last five games, bringing his season total to 11. The Glendora, Calif. native went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.

 

Payton Brennan also enjoyed a multi-hit game for UCLA.

 

Dean West led off the contest by slapping a single through the left side of a shifted infield to give the Bruins an early base runner. He later scored on Levu’s RBI single, giving UCLA an early 1-0 lead.

 

AJ Salgado doubled the Bruins’ advantage in their next trip to the plate when he launched a 408-foot home run over the centerfield wall.

 

USC answered in the bottom of the third by scoring twice to tie the game.

 

The Bruins quickly stormed back into the lead by rallying for four runs in the top of the fourth. Brennan led off the frame by legging out an infield single and scampered to second base on a wild pitch. Jarrod Hocking promptly bunted him over to third before Cashel Dugger smashed an RBI base hit off the third baseman to plate the first run of the inning.

 

After Phoenix Call worked a walk, USC elected to intentionally walk Roch Cholowsky, loading the bases for Levu. UCLA’s first baseman made the Trojans pay, ripping a bases-clearing double to left field to give his team a four-run lead.

 

The Trojans plated two more runs in the bottom half to cut the deficit in half. This chased starting pitcher Ian May out of the game, bringing freshman Wylan Moss on for his first appearance since April 18.

 

Moss was solid in his 2.1 innings of work, allowing just two hits and a run during his relief outing. He went on to earn his second win of the campaign.

 

Levu got himself into scoring position by hitting his second double of the game to lead off the seventh for UCLA. After advancing to third on Roman Martin’s fly out, Salgado delivered a two-out, two-strike RBI single to extend the Bruins’ lead to three.

 

USC tacked on a run in the seventh to make it a two-run game. Chris Grothues limited further damage in the inning by stranding a pair of runners in scoring position with a strikeout to end the threat.

 

August Souza was the next Bruin pitcher to come up clutch in a crucial moment, fanning back-to-back hitters to leave two runners on base in the eighth.

 

In the ninth, Head Coach John Savage turned to Hawk to get the last three outs. USC’s Adrian Lopez led things off with a double down the left field line, immediately creating some drama. Hawk got a strikeout for the first out of the inning, then induced a ground ball to bring the Trojans down to their final out. 

 

A base hit scored Lopez to bring USC within one while placing the tying run on base. After back-to-back walks, Hawk had no-room for error with the bases loaded and the tying run just 90 feet away. 

 

The freshman delivered in the biggest moment of his young career, punching out the final batter of the game to allow UCLA to escape with the 7-6 win in the series opener.

 

The Bruins will take on USC for the second game of the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. Michael Barnett is scheduled to get the start on the mound for UCLA. The game will be available to watch on B1G+.

 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems has announced the appointment of James Curtiss, MD, to Gastroenterology Professional Services, practicing in the North Adams Regional Hospital office and providing gastroenterology and endoscopy services for North Berkshire patients. 

 

Dr. Curtiss is accepting new patients.

 

Dr. Curtiss received his medical degree and completed a Fellowship in Gastroenterology from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine from the University of Virginia School of Medicine.  Dr. Curtiss has over 20 years’ experience as a gastroenterologist.  He has practiced the last seven years at Gastroenterology Associates of Central Virginia.  

 

He is a General Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist who does general and advanced endoscopic procedures.

 

“I enjoy the teaching aspect of medicine both to those still in training and particularly to my patients as I feel if they have a better understanding of their issues and the rationale for treatments it helps my patients take a more active part in their health and happiness,” said Dr. Curtiss.

 

He enjoys physical fitness and exercise and likes to play ice hockey.  He and his wife look forward to moving to the area and to enjoy its many offerings.

Tags: BHS,   BMC,   

Grantham, Pa. (May 2, 2025) – Alvernia Softball’s (23-17) 2025 season came to a close on Friday evening with the Golden Wolves falling to #3 Hood College (23-17), 5-4, in the first elimination game of the 2025 MAC Commonwealth Championship tournament at Messiah University. 

The game was back and forth through the middle innings, with Alvernia holding a slight 3-2 lead entering the fourth. But, the Blazers put up a three spot in the home half of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead into the back half of the game. The Golden Wolves threatened in the top of the seventh, but could not convert.

After a scoreless first inning, the Blazers scored two runs on a two-run single down the right field line to take a 2-0 lead. 

Alvernia answered in the top of the third. After Summer Montgomery walked to leadoff the inning and advanced to second on a Brooke Hauck walk, Montgomery scored on an Angelina Sponheimer single through the left side. The Golden Wolves then took the lead, 3-2, on a Meryn Bellacima single to center field to score Hauck. 

The Alvernia lead did not last long as the Blazers retook it in the bottom of the fourth. The Blazers plated three runs on two hits to the outfield to take the 5-3 lead.

The Golden Wolves stranded a runner on base in both the fifth and sixth, but threatened in the seventh. Montgomery singled down the right field line and advanced to second on a single by Taylor McClain. Montgomery then scored on a single to right by Bellancima to bring Alvernia within one with two outs. Ryann Healey then stepped up to the plate to pinch hit and ripped a ball to left field. But, the Hood left fielder got a great read and jump on the ball and was able to secure the catch for the 5-4 win.

Ashlyn Hillanbrand got the start in the circle for Alvernia and went four and a third with five hits and three earned runs. Kelsey Racine pitched one and two thirds in relief and did not allow a hit or a run.

Meryn Bellacima led Alvernia’s offensive efforts, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Summer Montgomery also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Messiah and Eastern will face off on Saturday for the MAC Commonwealth title.

The Golden Wolves finish the season with a 23-17 record overall. 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – A day after being named to the All-Big 12 Team, Kansas State senior Sophie Bert capped her honors from the league as she was named the Big 12 Women’s Golfer of the Month for May, the conference office announced Thursday.
 
It is Bert’s first Big 12 Golfer of the Month honor and the second in as many years for the Wildcats as Carla Bernat picked up the accolade last March. K-State has now had six Big 12 Golfers of the Month in program history, while it is the first time ever the Wildcats had an honor in consecutive years.
 
Bert’s monthly award comes after she became the first player in program history to win an individual conference championship as she turned in a 54-hole score of 2-under par 211 to capture the 2025 Big 12 Championship individual title. She was the only player to finish under par, while her score of 211 was the best three-round total in K-State’s conference championship history.
 
A native of Deurle, Belgium, Bert began the final round in a tie for 14th place and five shots back of the lead, but she rose to the top spot thanks to a performance of 5-under par 66 over the final 18 holes. It was the best round ever by a Wildcat in the conference championship and tied for the sixth-lowest round overall.
 
Bert holds a 72.75 scoring average this season – which currently ranks third in school history – while she has produced seven top-10 finishes in her 11 starts with a pair of top-five showings.
 
Bert and the Wildcats compete in the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional, next Monday through Wednesday, at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky.