Nora Militz Profile

For the love of the game: the story of a Division 1 college softball walk-on

By John S. Condakes

Most walk-ons don’t make it past their sophomore year. They usually get frustrated with the lack of playing time and quit. For Nora Militz, a senior on Boston University’s softball team, the fight for playing time and the camaraderie of the team are what keep her coming back.

“Being on the team is like having 17 sisters,” she said. “Every day I get to play is pretty much a battle,” said Militz, “I look at it optimistically and try to do my best every chance I get.”

Throughout high school, Militz’s coach at Rolling Meadows High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois would tell her that she wasn’t good enough to play Division 1 college softball. She never made a recruitment tape but still received letters from a few Division 3 schools. Her top priority for college had always been academics and if the opportunity arose for her to play college ball, she would give it a shot.

The letters came with good reason. Militz had an excellent high school career where she lettered three times, was named an honorable mention all-conference player as a sophomore followed by two-time all-conference honors as a junior and senior and was named All-Area and team MVP as a senior. Throughout high school, she played on an elite travelling team and was a standout catcher. She had become used to being the number one backstop but that would all change when she enrolled at BU in the fall of 2005.

Her shot at playing for a Division 1 school came in September when she decided to attend a tryout for BU’s softball team. Coach Shawn Rychcik found it rather easy to accept her onto the team. He figured her ability to catch would help the team in practice or in the bullpen. Also, she is left handed so it gave him a possible left handed hitter if she developed. And lastly, he saw that she had a good personality and worked hard in the few days of tryouts.

“Her biggest strength is her character. She is one of our best kids all around. She also has one of the best work ethics and will put in extra time,” said Rychcik.

At the time, Rychcik’s squad already carried Militz’s classmate and now current co-captain Christy Leath, who would become the starting catcher as a freshman. Militz earned her spot on the team and was given the role of utility player by Rychcik. Her on-the-field action as a freshman included a few defensive innings and some appearances as a pinch runner in 15 games along with one at-bat but her primary role on the team was as the bullpen catcher.

“My love will always be for catching,” she said, “it’s been hard switching to outfield because of the way you look at the ball out there and thinking about where to run and the timing is a lot slower. I also enjoy being in charge of the game.”

Her sophomore season saw some increased playing time and Militz rose to the second catcher on the depth chart but Rychcik opted to use her as the designated hitter along with then-newcomer Rachel Moeller. Hours of hard work on her swing gained her more confidence from Rychcik and increased playing time. She finished that spring with a .237 average in 30 games and 20 starts along with two home runs and 13 runs batted in. After two seasons, she played a total of one game at catcher. That was when she realized that in order to contribute, she would have to concentrate on getting better at the plate.

Moeller and Militz have developed a friendship as they compete for playing time. According to Moeller, the two have become very supportive of each other even though they fight for playing time in right field and as the designated hitter.

“I think we're pretty similar people as far as work ethic goes and how passionate we are about the game,” said Moeller. Even though they both vie for playing time, Rychcik has used them both in the lineup at the same time on numerous occasions. In those instances, Moeller would be in the field and Militz would be the designated hitter. Last season he decided that if they played in the same game, one of them would get the start and the other would come in about halfway through.

Moeller also noted that Militz is a great teammate and that she works hard all of the time and pushes others to do their best every day. She knows to help out when someone is having a bad day, and if the team is slacking off or being lazy she's not afraid to call them out on it and make sure that as a team they get the most out of every practice. Above all else, the two share a great deal of respect for each other even though they compete against each other.

“She's very passionate about the game and you can always tell that it’s something that she loves and truly enjoys,” said Moeller. “It’s great to have a teammate who works so hard to be the best that she can be and has fun while doing it.”
Militz’s love for the game never once changed over the last four years even though she still wasn’t any ever day player and appeared in more than half of the games for the scarlet and white last spring. Last season she became more of a contributor with increased playing time and posted some decent numbers at the plate. She hit .211 in 35 games and started 31 of them with one homer and 12 RBI. Her numbers declined a little from her sophomore to her junior year but the constant pressure of competing with Moeller was likely the cause of the decrease in average.

“I put tons of pressure on myself when I play. Probably way too much because I know I need to perform and every day is a battle,” said Militz.

Rychcik pointed out in an interview that most walk-ons don’t get as much playing time as Militz has. After her freshman year, Rychcik noticed that when Militz returned in the fall that her hitting had improved a great deal. From then on, he knew that she would challenge her teammates for some innings.

“She earned her chances by putting a lot of time in the cages over that summer,” said Rychcik.

One of Militz’s teammates who has known her from the beginning is co-captain Brooke Hudson, the team’s senior third baseman. Hudson believes that Militz is one of the most selfless people she has ever met, is always willing to help out when needed and is extremely dedicated to her fellow teammates on and off the field.

“I think that Nora has earned her spot as an everyday player,” said Hudson. “She came in as a walk-on her freshman year and did not play very much, and she decided from the get go that that wasn't something that she wanted.”

While Rychcik doesn’t share the same sentiments as Hudson, he does believe that Militz will continue to earn playing time as a designated hitter and in right field.

“Nora hit a home run off the conference Pitcher of the Year and scored the winning run that won us the Speedline Tournament in South Florida against Bowling Green,” said Rychcik when asked about what moments define his senior utility player. Hudson noted that Militz’s defining moment came when she started a rally in a game against UMass Amherst.

“They had an amazing pitcher who throws around 70 mph, which is the equivalent to a 100 mph fastball in baseball and everyone on the team was really struggling,” she said. “No one was really hitting until Nora got up to bat. She nailed a line drive between the 2nd and 1st baseman and got a rally going.” For the rest of the game she had that girl’s number, and really earned the respect of the coaches and her teammates.

No matter what the circumstance, Nora Militz will be fighting to earn her playing time this season just as she has in the past. While her teammates believe that she has put in her time and earned her spot, her coach doesn’t agree. As she dons the number 18 in scarlet and white for one last season, Militz has learned to cherish every moment that she is out on the field and plays every pitch like it could be her last.

“I’ve never had a day when I’ve said ‘I don’t want to play softball today,’” she said. “I just love the game and am happy that I get the chance to get my uniform dirty whenever I’m in the lineup.”

Phil Kessel is making his shots count

By John S. Condakes

Phil Kessel is becoming the real deal before our eyes. Now in his third season of professional hockey, Kessel is a budding star in the NHL and proving to doubters that he definitely has it. The Bruins have invested a lot of time in the kid ever since they took him with the fifth overall pick in the 2006 entry draft and now that time is paying dividends.
Unlike contemporaries Sydney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Eric Staal, Kessel has had a bit of a different experience during his first few seasons in pros. He hasn’t been asked to put the team on his back and take control, which has aided in his growth. Phil the Thrill also had a bout with testicular cancer in the 2006-2007 season and missed 11 games which cut his freshman campaign short. Ever since then, he’s been trying to get his timing back and now it’s starting to show. Through the first 19 games of this season, Kessel has a line of nine goals and five assists and is tied for second on the team in points with nine. Behind him and his team-leading nine goals, the B’s are 12-3-4. On the whole, it has been a youth movement on Causeway Street the last few seasons but the cornerstone and leader of the pack has always been Kessel.
Ever since Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Montreal last April, Kessel has shown his potential to be a top-tier forward in the league. B’s coach Claude Julien benched Kessel in Games Three and Four in order to motivate him. Did it ever. The young stud responded with a brilliant effort in Game Five as he created numerous scoring chances and scored his first goal of the playoffs to tie the game. The B’s never looked back and went on to force Game Six with a 5-1 thrashing of the Canadiens. In Game Six, Kessel was an absolute force potting two goals and leading the Bruins to a 5-4 victory and a decisive game seven date up in Canada. We all know how that one ended. The point is, the flashes of brilliance and teases are finally coming to fruition. It’s no longer absurd to think that Phil Kessel can’t become one of the elite players in the NHL. A player with his skill set can win games as we’ve seen him do in countless shootouts against elite goaltenders like New York’s Henrik Lundqvist and Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury.
Scouts have been high on Kessel since he was a teenager and in his first and only season with the Golden Gophers up in Minnesota he sported a line of 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points--51 points on a loaded Minnesota team as a freshman. Most players his age are either still busy finishing a college degree or mulling around in the lower ranks waiting for their call to the big show. There was never a doubt that Kessel’s speed, hands and hockey sense have given him the potential to be a tremendous player. What remains to be seen this season is whether or not he has the drive to take his game to the next level, but so far he seems as hungry as ever to do it.
So far this season, Kessel has used his speed much more as a weapon than in the past. He has shown that he’s not afraid to go digging in the corners for pucks and will sprint back full-speed on defense when the other team is on a fast break. In most of the games this season, Julien has paired him with fellow youngster Milan Lucic and top playmaker Marc Savard. Kessel has taken cues from both of them and their line has been one of the Bruins’ top two scoring lines thus far. Savard’s patience and creativity with the puck are two traits that have certainly rubbed off on Kessel and with Lucic the human wrecking ball out on the ice to wreak havoc on opponents’ defenders, Phil the Thrill gets just enough space to work some magic of his own.
After a full 82-game season in his second year of professional hockey, it became clear that Kessel belongs in the league. His sophomore campaign boasted a solid 19 goals with 18 assists for 37 points. He wowed crowds with his ability to dangle, skate and score and developed a knack for driving goalies insane come shootout time.
Phil the Thrill is off to his best start yet. All things considered, if the Bruins are finally going to get over the hump and win their first playoff series since 1999, they need Kessel to fulfill his potential and become the offensive juggernaut of their hopes and dreams. With Number 81 leading the way, the B’s future looks brighter than it has in years.

Lions end Raiders' streak

PENNCREST ENDS RIDLEY STREAK WITH 26-19 WIN

By John S. Condakes

MIDDLETOWN, PA-The upstart Penncrest Lions broke the Ridley Raiders’ 26 game winning streak and handed them their first loss in over two and half years Friday night 26-19. The win put the Lions in a tie for first place in the Central League with the Raiders as both squads now have identical 6-1 records.

“That was one of the biggest wins we’ve ever had,” said Penncrest coach Paul Graham whose team rallied in the fourth quarter for the third time this season. “Ridley’s defense is great but we were able to break a few big ones and that really helped us. We’re feeling pretty good right now.”

Penncrest’s comeback was sparked by a clutch play from its defense. With the Lions trailing 19-13, senior Tyriq Kershaw intercepted a Colin Masterson pass to give Penncrest possession. On the ensuing drive, senior quarterback Matt Atkinson hit classmate Rickey Bailey with a 78-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. Bailey jumped to make the catch over a Ridley defender and broke two tackles to get across the goal line. The extra point put the Lions up 20-19 with 7:54 left on the clock.

“I knew I had to go up and get the ball,” Bailey said. “Matt took a big hit on the play and when I came down my only thought was getting into the end zone.”

Penncrest struck first in the contest with a nine-yard touchdown run by Kershaw in the first quarter to go up 6-0 but Ridley came surging back in the second with 13 points of its own. Chris Myers scored on a 25-yard run and Troy Foster hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass to put the visitors up 13-6 at the half.

Ridley didn’t let up in the third quarter as Pat Mills returned a punt 69 yards for another score leaving the Raiders in command with a 19-6 lead. Penncrest answered with a two-yard touchdown run by Jerry Boyer before the quarter ended to make it 19-13. After Bailey’s touchdown, Boyer broke for a 50-yard touchdown run to cap the scoring at 26-19 in favor of the home team.

“You can’t take anything away from Penncrest,” said Ridley coach John Waller. “We had them down 19-6 and they never gave up. That was the case [in their games] against Haverford and Springfield. They have a resilient bunch of kids.” Waller said that Ridley’s starting quarterback, Andrew Pidgeon, did not practice earlier in the week due to an injury and was unavailable for the game.

“We beat them for the first time and it feels good. We’ve never had a more satisfying win,” added Atkinson. “I keep saying that every week and we keep getting better wins.”

“This team just has some magic to it,” Graham said. “We’re not trying to figure it out, just keep it going.”