PSUC athletes pick up not-so-typical names from teammates

A story is to be told behind every Plattsburgh State athlete’s nickname.

Outfielder Mike Mulvihill is the only baseball player on the team who goes by a different name.  During his junior varsity years, the bus he rode to away games often passed by a statue of a moose. While passing by the statue, Mulvihill always stood up from his seat to yell “Moose.”

Mulvihill’s coach then decided that would be the new name.

“It’s not the most interesting story in the world,” Mulvihill said.

 His father, Ken Mulvihill, said he remembers when Mike arrived at the plate during high school games before fans would yell “Mooose.”

“It was pretty funny that it just stuck with him from that point on,” Ken said.

After arriving at PSUC for freshman orientation, Mulvihill told his group his nickname was “Moose,” which resulted in it spreading among others.

Mulvihill said his nickname took his identity because everybody calls him by it, but he doesn’t mind.

“I don’t think I’ve ever called him Mike,” second baseman Pat Shaughnessy said. “Even the fans probably don’t know what his real name is.”

Mulvihill personified his nickname to the characteristic of a moose itself as being large, powerful and aggressive.

“When I think of a moose, I think of a big, goofy thing, and that’s exactly what Mike is a big, goofy guy.” Shaughnessy said. “I think it fits him perfectly.”

Unlike Mulvihill, third baseman Michelle Iannone’s nickname didn’t reappear again until coming to PSUC.

“Meesh,” which is supposed to be short for her first name, was given to her by an eighth-grade classmate.

  Similar to Mulvihill, her nickname spreaded through teammates once they heard. But she stills wonders how her past followed her to the softball team.

“No one knew me by that,” Iannone said. “Surprisingly, I feel it’s more popular here than it was at home.”

Ice hockey goalie Mathieu “Chewy” Cadieux was born with his nickname.

Teammate Alex Jensen said that when Cadieux’s mother, Michelle Cadieux, announced Mathieu, her French accent sounded as if she was calling him “Mat-chew.”

Since hearing that, his teammates decided to go with the name “Chewy.”

Jensen has his own nickname as well. He goes by “Baby” Jensen because he is the younger brother of teammate Nick Jensen.