 "Photo: Briana Bramm")
 "Photo: Kristine Parsons")
YEAR IN REVIEW
While most of FAU’s regular sports teams, such as football, fell short of making it to a championship in 2009, two of FAU’s club sports made it to championships in their respective fields — and rinks.
Roller hockey
The FAU roller hockey team glided out of last year as the regional champions of Division II, and FAU’s paintball team made it to the paintball Collegiate World Cup in October. The 2008-2009 season was the first official season for both of these teams.
“It’s unprecedented for a first-year team to win the Southeast Division and make it to the nationals,” said Steve Capandonis, one of the coaches of the FAU roller hockey team.
While they didn’t win the national championship game, the young team defied the odds as they beat out older and more well-established teams, such as UF and UM, on their path to becoming the regional champions of Division II in 2009.
The team finished their first season with a stellar 15-0 record and received a bid to play in the national collegiate tournament in Pittsburgh, Pa., before being beat out in the first round of playoffs.
After moving up from Division II to Division I this season, the team is off to a slightly slower start with four wins, one tie and three losses. They still, however, have their eyes on a national championship for Division I.
Paintball
The paintball team made it all the way to the Collegiate World Cup in their first season before being beat by UF and Purdue University.
While they didn’t walk away with a victory at the World Cup, the team feels that they have won a sense of unity and school spirit.
When asked about how playing a sport at FAU affects him, paintball captain Greg Montalvo said, “I didn’t have much school spirit until I played [paintball] for the school. Something about wearing the team jersey gives you that team spirit.”
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