Kusmaul's Champion Corner

          Although it feels like the NHL season just started,  we are already two months into a six-month regular season, which means that people are starting to think about end of season a wards. The Calder Memorial Trophy, named for former National Hockey League president Frank Calder , is  “...  awarded to the National Hockey League player judged to be  the most proficient in his first season ”,   according to the official Hockey Hall of Fame website. Notable former winners of the award include players like Bobby Orr, Mario Lemie ux, Alex  Ovechkin,  Nathan  MacKinnon  and many of the  league’s best players since the 1932-1933 season.    Among the  rookies  this season,  several stand out as  likely candidates  for the award. Matthew Schaefer, Ivan Demidov, Beckett  Sennecke  a nd  Jesper  Wallstedt  are all name s floating around the Calder ...

PITTSBURGH -- The bright arena lights give off a blinding glare as they reflect on the shiny boards of the court. Shoes squeak, people shout, and the unmistakable thwack of a volleyball cuts through the air. The ball flies over the net at breakneck speed. Someone shouts "I got it!", and the libero digs it out with the tip of her finger. The ball pops to the setter, who sends it spinning to the outside hitter. The girl winds up with her whole body, ready to slam the ball into the opposing team's floor. Bam! The ball hits a wall, and ricochets back to the floor where it came from. The wall: built by none other than senior middle blocker Ariel Helm.  With a loud voice, standing at 6 feet tall, Helm sticks out from the crowd of players. With her final season having drawn to a close, she leaves behind a trail of broken records and a Duquesne volleyball program that will not soon forget her name.  While her passion and effort may be formidable, they weren't always directed ...