Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Leo Kagan

Leo Kagan, Assistant Sports Editor

Leo Kagan (he/him) is a freshman journalism major from the North Shore of Boston. He currently edits The Beacon’s sports section. He is also a member of Noteworthy, one of Emerson’s a cappella groups. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to Wallows and eating Ben & Jerry’s.

Latest from Leo Kagan
Senior guard Ella Bushee in a game against Coast Guard on Feb. 18, 2023

Women’s basketball focuses on unity in improvement

October 26, 2023

The Emerson women’s basketball team thought they were ready to take a leap forward in 2022-23.  After a difficult 2021-22 season, in which the squad...

Illustration by Hailey Akau

“Community” is the tombstone to the episodic sitcom’s grave

September 13, 2023

“Community” is the greatest TV show of all time.  Maybe you think I’m wrong—that I’m stupid or simply misinformed. The 10” x 10” sheet...

Emersons 14 athletics programs shone in a variety of ways in 2022-23

The Year of the Lions: Highlights from Emerson athletics’ 2022-23 season

April 27, 2023

The 2022-23 Emerson Lions have a lot to be proud of: across all 14 athletic programs, the Lions captured a bevy of accolades, including five major individual...

The Bruins will face the winner of the Lightning/Maple Leafs game.

Bruins on Boylston: Leafs or Lightning—which could be a tougher second-round competitor?

April 26, 2023

The Boston Bruins lost in overtime to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, with the Panthers clawing their way to the victory to live another day.  And...

Sophomore middle/outside Neiko Pittman attempts a dig against Nichols College.

Men’s volleyball captain earns GNAC Defensive Player of the Year

April 26, 2023

Men’s volleyball captain Neiko Pittman was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year on April 17, while also earning First Team All-Conference honors.  The...

The Boston Bruins are 2-1 in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Bruins on Boylston: Why the B’s could be more Avalanche than Lightning in the postseason

April 22, 2023

The 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning—winners of that year’s President’s Trophy with a NHL record-tying 62-win regular season—were unceremoniously swept...

Junior guard Ava Saltii

How athletes become Lions: Inside the recruitment process

April 12, 2023

Collegiate athletics are an exclusive club—in every NCAA-recognized sport, only a fraction of those thousands of high school athletes across the country...

Bruins on Boylston: With five games to go, what are the five causes behind the Bruins’ historically successful season?

Bruins on Boylston: With five games to go, what are the five causes behind the Bruins’ historically successful season?

April 5, 2023

The Boston Bruins moved into third place on the NHL’s single-season wins list on Sunday, tying the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens 60-win season with a 4-3...

The 2019 Tampa Bay Lightning tied the NHLs regular season wins record—and then were swept in the first round of the playoffs. Could the Bruins suffer the same fate?

Bruins on Boylston: Could the B’s be the next NHL super-team to experience a first-round collapse?

April 2, 2023

On April 16, 2019, the Columbus Blue Jackets shocked the hockey world and made NHL history by completing a 4-0 sweep of the league-best Tampa Bay Lightning...

Emersons newly-elected Athletic Director, Stephanie Smyrl

Emerson names new Athletic Director

March 29, 2023

Emerson College announced last week that Stephanie Smyrl, the current athletic director at Lesley University, will take over the same position at Emerson...

The Boston Bruins have nine games left to play in the regular season, but theyve already clinched a playoff spot.

Bruins on Boylston: Five more questions (and answers) facing the Bruins as the regular season winds down

March 26, 2023

Last spring’s first-round playoff loss to the Carolina Hurricanes marked the beginning of an uncertain summer for the Boston Bruins. After Head Coach...

The Boston Bruins have 19 games left to play in the 2022-23 NHL season, and have posted a 49-9-5 record.

Bruins on Boylston: Using the Predictor 3000 to project postseason opponents

March 10, 2023

The Boston Bruins have 19 regular season games left to play. If they pump enough points out of them between wins and overtime losses, they stand to make...

Senior guard Chelsea Gibbons leads the huddle against Coast Guard on Feb. 18.

Senior spotlights: Women’s basketball seniors “held down the fort” for rebuilding program

March 8, 2023

Chelsea Gibbons and Carla Pelino joined the Emerson women’s basketball team as two of the three first years on the 2019–20 roster. They integrated...

Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney traded away two first-round picks in addition to future assets to acquire three new players in the last week.

Bruins on Boylston: B’s deadline dealings are bold, risky

March 2, 2023

It’s official: the Bruins are all-in on winning the Stanley Cup.  If centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí re-signing or the Bruins’ unreal...

Graduate midfielder Hannah Beck (Courtesy: Jessie Koffman)

Women’s lacrosse increases roster and expectations

March 1, 2023

In 2022, the Emerson women’s lacrosse roster had just 15 players.  For somebody unfamiliar with the sport, 15 may sound like a lot—the Emerson...

Senior attacker and captain Nick Fuglione leads the rush against the Wentworth Leopards.

Men’s lacrosse looks to capitalize on a new season

February 26, 2023

On a sunny Connecticut afternoon last April, the Emerson men’s lacrosse team was in a tie game with six minutes left in the fourth quarter—six minutes...

The Bruins last won the Stanley Cup in 2011—could they win it again in 2023?

Bruins on Boylston: Comparing 2023’s Bruins to 2011’s championship team

February 22, 2023

On June 15, 2011, then-Bruins captain Zdeno Chara hoisted the Stanley Cup above his head in victory, ending a 39-year championship drought for Boston’s...

The Boston Bruins are the NHLs best team with a 39-8-5 record.

Bruins on Boylston: What can, should, and will the B’s do at the trade deadline?

February 13, 2023

For Boston Bruins fans, the trade deadline should be one of the most exciting times of the year.  Apart from the playoffs, in fact, nothing should...

Emersons baseball team went 10-23 in 2022. (Courtesy: Anna Schoenmann)

Competition, execution, and preparation: Emerson’s baseball team ready to take strides

February 13, 2023

The Emerson baseball team dropped its last two games on April 30, 2022, swept in a doubleheader against MIT. But by late April, the Lions were out of the...

Bruins on Boylston: Measuring losing streak concern levels with the Yikes-o-Meter

Bruins on Boylston: Measuring losing streak concern levels with the Yikes-o-Meter

February 2, 2023

Encircling the faceoff dot in the middle of the ice at PNC Arena in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes lifted their arms and clapped together with a crowd...

Bob Socci has served as the Patriots’ radio play-by-play announcer since 2013. (Courtesy: Bob Socci)

Voice of Patriots radio embraces a new challenge: teaching at Emerson

February 1, 2023

Almost every Sunday afternoon, from early September to mid-January, Bob Socci steps into a broadcasting booth situated a few dozen rows up from the field...

The womens basketball team is 7-12 this season.

Winter sports update: Men’s and women’s basketball chug along, milestones, and more

January 30, 2023

While the majority of Emerson’s student body wasn’t strolling on campus for the entirety of the winter holiday break, a few athletes stayed behind,...

Boston Bruins face off against the Calgary Flames on November 10, 2022. Photo by Leo Kagan

Bruins on Boylston: Which Bruins were All-Star snubs?

January 28, 2023

The NHL released its initial selections for the 2023 All-Star Game—the league’s best players all gathered on the same sheet of ice for a weekend—on...

The Boston Bruins face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden.

Bruins on Boylston: Revisiting preseason queries and posing three current questions

December 9, 2022

Plenty of NHL teams faced questions entering the 2022-23 season. Would the Colorado Avalanche play their way to a second consecutive Stanley Cup? Would...

Senior Cali Bruce was pivotal to the Lions success in the 2022 Season.

Women’s soccer’s first All-American on her time at Emerson, growth, and more

December 8, 2022

After starting 56 games, scoring 21 points, earning three First Team All-Conference honors, and winning a NEWMAC championship, senior midfielder Cali Bruce...

Senior Cali Bruce raises the womens soccer teams first-ever NEWMAC Championship cup.

Senior spotlights: Women’s soccer seniors made history with balanced culture, united drive

December 8, 2022

Resilient, decorated, momentous, and victorious. This year, the Emerson women’s soccer team represented the purple and gold in a light it hadn’t shined...

Patrice Bergeron (via Beacon Archives)

Bruins on Boylston: Why you should doubt the Bruins’ strong start

December 1, 2022

The Bruins have played 22 games in the 2022-23 season, roughly a quarter of the regular season matchups they’ll take part in before the postseason, for...

The 23 Seniors were the first in Lions history to lead mens soccer to the NEWMAC finals.

Senior spotlights: Men’s soccer seniors guided team to landmark playoff run with quality leadership

November 30, 2022

The Emerson men’s soccer team came extremely close to winning a NEWMAC Championship, but fell to Babson College 1-0 in the finals on Nov. 5, ending not...

Sophomore defender Yoshiko Slater was named to NEWMACs First Team All-Conference.

Women’s soccer team earns six All-Conference selections, two other awards

November 19, 2022

After a historic season, the Emerson women’s soccer team—which won the NEWMAC championship on Nov. 5—added to its trophy case Thursday after being...

First-year PG Jacob Armant drives through the Fighting Scots defense.

Basketball doubleheader yields wins for men’s and women’s squads

November 10, 2022

The Emerson men’s and women’s basketball teams each secured season-opening victories Tuesday night—the men steamrolled Gordon College 95-51 and the...

Senior spotlights: Women’s volleyball seniors elevated the program and built a positive culture

Senior spotlights: Women’s volleyball seniors elevated the program and built a positive culture

November 9, 2022

At the end of every women’s volleyball season, the dismantling of the net in the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym marks the end of Emerson’s seniors’...

The Bruins drew criticism from their recent signing of Mitchell Miller (via CreativeCommons)

Bruins on Boylston: Bruins must sever ties with new signing

November 6, 2022

20 year--old Mitchell Miller inked his NHL entry-level contract on Friday, becoming a Boston Bruin for the next three years.  For most young players,...

Head Coach David Suvak lifting the NEWMAC trophy

Emerson’s women’s soccer clinches NEWMAC championship with 1-0 win over Clark

November 6, 2022

As the scoreboard counted down at Rotch Field Saturday afternoon, senior midfielder Cali Bruce—along with her teammates—was focused on making sure...

TD Garden.

Bruins on Boylston: It’s early, but the Bruins have all the pieces of a championship contender

November 3, 2022

The last time the Boston Bruins lifted the Stanley Cup was 2011. It’s been just over a decade—not long compared to franchises that have been in limbo...

Senior middle blocker Jillian Kay scoring a kill against Smith College in the NEWMAC quaterfinals

Women’s volleyball season ends in five-set heartbreaker

November 3, 2022

A final ball whistled past diving Emerson defenders, silencing a roaring crowd at the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym on Tuesday night, ending a tight...

The Emerson Womens Volleyball Team (courtesy: Ben Read)

Women’s volleyball wins annual “You Can Play” game

October 26, 2022

The women’s volleyball team dispatched the Endicott College Gulls in three sets on Thursday, earning a sixth consecutive home-court win in the annual...

The 2022-23 Emerson Womens Basketball Team (Courtesy: Bill Gould)

Women’s basketball looking to bounce back

October 26, 2022

Despite battling through a tough 2021-22 campaign, Emerson’s women’s basketball team remains hopeful for a better season this year, prepped with a...

Patrice Bergeron (via Beacon Archives)

Bruins on Boylston: New system yields rewards and creates problems

October 20, 2022

Former Bruins Head Coach Bruce Cassidy was not who fans would’ve expected to be fired last summer. If anyone, it would’ve been General Manager Don...

The win bumped the womens volleyball teams record to 14-3.

Women’s volleyball secures 13th win of the season, defeating Salve Regina

October 19, 2022

As the fans poured into the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym, the women’s volleyball team took on the Salve Regina Seahawks during Family Weekend,...

Courtesy: Creative Commons

Seven observations from the Bruins’ preseason finale loss

October 12, 2022

The Boston Bruins fell 5-3 to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night, concluding their preseason with a home-ice loss.  The loss to the Devils was...

Shannon Norton 13 (Courtesy: Shannon Norton)

Alum finds traction in WNBA and NBA G League

October 6, 2022

Shannon Norton ‘13 was recently promoted to Operations Coordinator for two professional basketball teams, and is now aiming higher.    Emerson...

Junior goalkeeper Ava Salti is also a guard on the womens basketball team. (Courtesy: Kayla Buck)

Nothing but net: Women’s basketball player becomes dual-sport athlete

October 5, 2022

For Ava Salti, sports are everything—more obsession than pastime.    With a quick glance into her dorm room, you’d notice a New York Islanders...

Zdeno Chara (via Creative Commons)

What is the Bruins’ longtime captain’s legacy?

September 28, 2022

Boston Bruins legend and longtime captain Zdeno Chara retired last Tuesday, ending his 25-year career by signing a one-day contract with the Bruins.  Chara...

Five questions facing the Boston Bruins as preseason approaches

Five questions facing the Boston Bruins as preseason approaches

September 21, 2022

With just weeks left before the start of the NHL season, one might be tempted to call the Boston Bruins predictable. In the last 15 years, the team...

Men’s soccer team tramples Lesley University 8-1, wins 8th Charles River Cup

Men’s soccer team tramples Lesley University 8-1, wins 8th Charles River Cup

September 21, 2022

Lining up to shake hands with the Lesley University Lynx, Emerson men’s soccer players were all smiles Tuesday night as they prepared to hoist the Charles...

Tuesday’s win was the second of the season for the Lady Lions.

Women’s soccer routs Plymouth State 5-1 in second win of the season

September 19, 2022

The Emerson women’s soccer team defeated its NEWMAC rival Plymouth State Panthers 5-1 on Tuesday, securing the Lions’ second win on the season.  The...

The Skunks were officially recognized on campus as an organization in 2019.

Emerson Skunks seek to expand community this season

September 14, 2022

As the fall semester kicks off and the temperature begins to mellow out, Emerson’s ultimate frisbee team, the Skunks, reclaims its spot on the baseball...

The win bumped the womens volleyball teams record to 14-3.

Women’s volleyball team tops Brandeis with clutch third-set finish

September 13, 2022

The Emerson women’s volleyball team beat the Brandeis University Judges 3-0 on Thursday thanks to the strength of a narrow victory in the third and final...

Women’s volleyball team starts off strong with pair of wins

Women’s volleyball team starts off strong with pair of wins

September 8, 2022

Emerson’s women’s volleyball team dropped just one set in its season opener, beating both Simmons and Manhattanville College in a Sunday doubleheader...

Emerson College Womens Volleyball team (Beacon Archives)

Women’s volleyball team strives to reach new heights at the start of the season

September 6, 2022

Following their first-round defeat in last year’s NEWMAC Championship, the Emerson women’s volleyball team is on a mission of redemption, aiming for...

Coming fresh off the French soccer scene, Sophomore Hugo Berville looks forward to the routine of playing soccer at Emerson.

From France to Emerson: Men’s soccer recruit travels internationally to find his place in world of sport

August 30, 2022

The Emerson men’s soccer team added a new international player to its roster, recruiting Sophomore midfielder Hugo Berville from Villejuif, France ahead...

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