Brandon Wesley ’14 played an instrumental role in the football team’s opening 19-17 victory over Marist on Sept. 8. Despite inclement weather that delayed the game for over an hour, Wesley didn’t let the pressure of the quarterback position get to him.
“I did not do anything special to prepare for this game at all; I usually just try to stay pretty relaxed and calm before games. Funny thing is, I almost fell asleep before this game while we waited in the locker room because of the rain delay. That might have been a little too much relaxation,” Wesley said.
It appears the relaxed approach worked, as Wesley completed 74 percent of his throws, en route to 190 passing yards. His most clutch throws came in the fourth quarter 14-play drive that culminated in the game-winning kick by Sean Cobelli ’14.
“I also think a large part of my success came from the great blocking of the offensive line, who often times receive very little credit for our success as a team. Without them, we wouldn’t have been in position to make that game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter,” Wesley said.
Wesley and the football team will continue their 2012 campaign at Delaware tomorrow.
The most damning stat from the 2011 NFL regular season is 8-8.
That was the final record of the so-called “dream team”–the Philadelphia Eagles.
The dream team was as doomed as a runaway train from the very beginning. The moment an unproven squad puts the proverbial target on their back, that’s usually it.
The Eagles were no exception. They stumbled out of the gate to a 1-4 record, and a couple of Michael Vick injuries and brain freeze moments later, they fell flat on their faces with an out-of-contention, 8-8 finish.
You could say this year is the “make-or-break” year for the Birds. It could be Vick’s last shot to prove he can stay healthy and lead a contending team deep into January. It could be Andy Reid’s disappointing curtain call after 14 years if the Eagles aren’t around for the postseason. It could be DeSean Jackson’s one and only chance to win back some of the “haters” he garnered in the city of brotherly love because of the many issues he carried onto the football field amidst his contract dispute last year.
It could even be a season ending with a parade down Broad Street.
A week one win over the Browns doesn’t score the team anything more than a pat on the back and a “good luck next week,” though. Besides, after a bumpy preseason featuring two Vick injuries and the death of Andy Reid’s son, Garrett, the team looked very sloppy in victory.
For the first time in many years, Philadelphia fans don’t have any idea what they have. When this offense clicks, it’s hard to find a better one in the NFL. They can beat you with speed, they can beat you deep, they can beat you on the ground and they can beat you with off-the-wall play.
But if the mental mistakes creep in like they did last year–dropped passes, tons of turnovers (something that happened once again against Cleveland), poor third down play calling, Vick’s unwillingness to slide at the end of plays)–they could be just another disappointing means to an end.
The defense could be a lot better with Pro Bowl middle linebacker, DeMeco Ryans, there to sure up the middle of the field. Or, it could be much of the same if the 28-year-old Ryans truly isn’t the same player after his 2010 Achilles injury. For what it’s worth, he looked very comfortable against the Browns’ inept offense.
This year is pretty much a mulligan for the boys in green. After failing miserably last season, no major changes occurred. In fact, quite the opposite. Reid has been given a “do-over,” straight from the mouth of owner Jeffrey Lurie. Players like Trent Cole, Evan Mathis, Todd Herremans, LeSean McCoy and even Jackson were given the extensions and financial security they all clearly desired. Even Juan Castillo, former offensive line coach and now defensive coordinator, has been given second life.
That’s a lot of leeway to go around, which makes this season all the more important.
The preseason already seemed to have an underlying ominous tone, as Vick couldn’t even stay on the field for a quarter at a time–let alone a game at a time. It’s a “live-and-die-by-the-quarterback” league, and the Eagles can’t afford to have Vick out for a few games at a time. Great teams need continuity and Vick has to find a way to give his locker room that this year.
The Eagles might be equipped with the best all-around running back in football: McCoy. Despite the blow of losing All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters to an Achilles injury in the off-season, Eagles fans can expect big things out of the electrifying 24-year-old they call “Shady.” However, it’s DeSean “all eyes on me” Jackson who fans are really going to be judging this year.
Jackson exploded onto the scene immediately during his rookie campaign in 2008. Within a year he was a triple-threat Pro Bowler who could beat just about anyone in a footrace. Last year, he had serious problems because of his aforementioned contract dispute. As a result, his season stat line was the worst since his rookie year and his mind-blowing mental errors cost the Eagles dearly throughout the year.
Despite the negative press Jackson brought upon himself, the organization decided to believe in the usually up-beat 25-year-old and gave him a five-year, $51 million contract. With his financial worries behind him, it’s time for Jackson to light up the highlight reel like he did for the first three years of his career.
It’s talent like the combination of Vick, McCoy and Jackson that makes analysts continue to show some faith in the Eagles’ Super Bowl chances. But talent only takes you so far; they need to win.
The Eagles are still “on the clock,” but it’s time for them to nut up or shut up–because this roster will assuredly be clocked out if they can’t make some serious noise this year.
The men’s and women’s golf teams kicked off their seasons with third and seventh place finishes, respectively. This past weekend, the Colgate Invitational in Hamilton, N.Y. gave the men a team score of 618 or 42-over par, leaving them 20 strokes behind tournament champion, Youngstown State. The women’s team had a tougher time during its host tournament, failing to extend its event winning streak to three straight years.
For the men, Dan Bernard ’13 led the team with a 36-hole score of 153, earning him a top-10 finish in a field of 54 competitors.
“The team performed pretty well,” Bernard said. “It was good for the freshmen to get some tournament experience in the tough conditions over the weekend.”
The Bison started two first-years this weekend, Luke Edelman and Nick Geissler, who finished T-21 and T-36, respectively, in their first collegiate tournaments. Edelman posted scores of 80 and 76 over the two days, while Geissler finished with two rounds of 83 and 80.
“Personally, I was disappointed with my performance on both days and will not take it lightly,” Edelman said. “I plan to work very hard in the coming weeks to ensure better performances in the future. Although I was very upset with my performance, I must say that the entire feel of the tournament was great between our team, our coach and the tournament itself.”
Rounding out the top five for the Bison were Schuyler Stitzer ’14 and Zach Pogust ’15 who finished T-13 and T-18, respectively. At the end of the tournament, all but Youngstown State’s Bill Gaffney were over-par. Gaffney held a seven stroke victory at one under par.
Coming away from the weekend, the Bison can be satisfied that they were able to finish ahead of host team and league rival Colgate, who finished with a 639.
For the women, Bridget Wilcox ’14 led the team with a 54-hole total of 231. Wilcox was the sole player for the Orange and Blue to record three-straight rounds under 80, allowing her to finish in the top 10 at +21.
Coming into the event, the Bison were the two-time defending champions, but could not find the consistency to win this year. At the end of the three rounds, Boston University stood atop the leaderboard after squeezing by both Rutgers and Seton Hall by a stroke. The Orange and Blue were able to finish strong, posting its best round of the tournament on Sept. 9 to move from eighth to seventh in the 15-team field.
“Well the tournament was a little disappointing. We’ve won our home tournament for the past two years, but this year it just didn’t happen for us. None of us played our best, but it’s a building year for us and we know what we need to work on,” Lexi Klein ’15.
The men’s team will return to play today when they host the Bucknell Invitational, while the women will take the week off before heading to Michigan to play in the Wolverine Invitational.
Coming off the momentum of their turnaround 2011 season, the football team opened up the 2012 campaign with a hard-fought 19-17 win over Marist. The offense was led by quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14, who was 20-27 for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
Wesley put together a masterful game-clinching drive, which spanned 14 plays, seven minutes and 23 seconds. The drive was capped by a 36-yard field goal by Sean Cobelli ’14. Jeremiah Young ’13 ran for 35 yards on seven plays after last year’s leading rusher, Tyler Smith ’13, left the game early with an ankle injury.
Marist was able to close the gap to 19-17 after quarterback Chuckie Looney led them on a 10-play, 80-yard drive, but the Red Foxes were unable to recover the ensuing onside kick with 31 seconds remaining.
The Bison took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter on a touchdown pass from Wesley to fullback Travis Friend ’14. The drive was set up by a fumble recovery returned 55 yards by safety Ryan Morgan ’14. Marist responded by tying the score at seven late in the first quarter, but the Orange and Blue regained the lead on a 22-yard Cobelli field goal to take a 10-7 lead. The Bison extended their lead late in the second half to 16-7 on Wesley’s second touchdown of the game, this one to Jake Flaherty ’14, capping an eight-play, 43 yard drive.
Quite possibly the most impressive part of the win was that the offensive line, featuring four new starters, did not allow a sack and was able to give runners enough space to run, as the Bison averaged 3.7 yards per carry. Head coach Joe Susan attributes the offensive line’s success to composure and a balanced offensive attack.
“Our offensive line did a good job maintaining their composure. That is critical in their first start together,” Susan said. “Our effectiveness was enhanced by being able to balance the offense.”
Susan also noted how Wesley and the line worked together to make each other’s jobs easier.
“They did a very good job in protection, especially against a pressure front,” Susan said. “Brandon was smart with the ball and our passing game is based on timing. Hence, we did not give up a sack.”
Despite being outgained offensively 366 to 332 by Marist, the Bison were able to use a balanced attack to efficiently break through the Marist defense. The Bison racked up 142 rushing yards and 190 passing yards.
On defense, the team was led by Morgan and Evan Byers ’15 with eight tackles each. On offense, receiver Victor Walker ’14 had six catches for 81 yards.
The Orange and Blue, leading the nation in turnover differential last season, were even in the category on Sept. 8, with two turnovers a piece for each team.
The Bison next travel to Newark, Del. to take on the Delaware Blue Hens tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. before opening at home on Sept. 22 to open Patriot League play against Lafayette. Susan expects the team to be ready to face the challenges Delaware will create.
“We will continue to improve as a team and make necessary adjustments in scheme and personnel to do so. Delaware poses different challenges as they have excellent skill offensively and a very good defensive front,” Susan said. “We have to be more secure with the ball and control it to keep their offense off the field. Field position will be a critical factor in this game.”
The field hockey team was shut out against the Columbia Lions on Sept. 8, but came back with an overtime win at home against the Saint Francis Red Flash to finish the weekend with a 4-2 record on the season. The Orange and Blue have been victorious in each of their last seven overtime games.
“We’ve had a few come-from-behind victories this season and we have been working really hard in practice and in games to play our best and compete at the highest level we can,” midfielder Gabby Palumbo ’15 said. “I have been so impressed by our team this season considering how young we are.”
The Bison fell behind by a goal early to Columbia, but played evenly with the Lions for the rest of the half before eventually surrendering another goal in a 2-0 defeat. Goalie Erica Perrine ’14 recorded five saves in the effort.
The game against Saint Francis (Pa.) was a different story, as the Bison took a two goal lead in the first half behind goals from forward Abby Watson ’16 and Palumbo. The lead did not last long, as the Red Flash scored three times to take a one goal lead into the last minute of regulation. With 51 seconds left, forward Rachel Misko ’14 tied the score at 3-3 on an assist from defender Tayler Siegrist ’13.
Forward Maggie Murphy ’15 provided the overtime goal, sealing the win for the Orange and Blue. The Bison are now 9-0 all-time against Saint Francis.
“I think we had some really great moments in the Saint Francis game and deserved our early lead,” said Palumbo. “Saint Francis was a really great team and they were tough to fight off … but just by the way we were playing, I knew we could come back and win.”
This weekend, the Bison will begin a stretch of five consecutive home games. They will play against Towson and nationally ranked Ohio State on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The men’s and women’s cross country teams dominated the Running Fit-Detroit Titan Invitational last weekend, winning the team meet behind some very strong individual performances.
Caroline Tolli ’13 showed her determination once again as she led the women to a team victory and won the five-kilometer race with a time of 18:27. Katie Jessee ’15 came in second overall and finished behind Tolli for the second time this season with a time of 18:50. Montana DiPietrantonio ’15 finished fourth with a time of 18:59 and Alison Billas ’16, Betsy Edinger ’15, Beth Braunegg ’14 and Meghan Carroll ’16 finished fifth through eighth, respectively.
Overall, 10 of the top 15 finishers were running for the Orange and Blue, putting them in first place out of 10 teams, with a total of 18 points and seven of the top eight spots.
“Our women took control of the meet very early and I am happy with the consistency of most of them. Eighteen points was the lowest score in the meet’s history, however, we will see better competition later on,” head coach Kevin Donner said.
The Bison defeated Wayne State (49 points) and Detroit (90 points) to earn the victory.
“The Detroit Invitational was an awesome experience because it allowed us to see our coach’s old home course and compete against teams from a different region. Our team worked really well together during the race by focusing on running in packs and staying mentally tough. We’re excited about how our season is shaping up and will be taking these next two weeks to train hard for our next meet at Saint Francis,” Braunegg said.
The Bison men also dominated the field, once again led by John Dugan ’15, who won the four-mile race with a time of 20:31. Dugan beat Nick Jackson of Wayne State by 11 seconds. D.J. Krystek ’13 placed fifth with a time of 20:52, Michael McGowan ’15 placed seventh with a time of 20:57 and Andrew Garcia-Garrison ’15 finished in ninth place with a time of 21:05.
The team completed the invitational with 26 points to beat Wayne State, who finished in second place with 47 and Detroit in third place with 62.
“Our men ran a little better than last week. It was good to get McGowan back from injury and Garcia-Garrison needs to be scoring for us as well. Winning the meet on a tough course was an honor and now we can train for 20 days without a meet to help us improve and get ready for the championships in seven weeks,” Donner said.
The Bison will have a three-week break from competition as they prepare for the Saint Francis Invitational on Sept 29.
Both the men’s and women’s tennis programs were successful in the opening of their season at the Bucknell Quad tournament. The Bison men won two out of three individual championships and the doubles championship, while the women had three individual runners-up and a doubles team runner-up.
Kelly Morque ’13 and Aiden Lynch ’14 won the doubles final on Sept. 8, giving the Orange and Blue their first title of the year. They defeated Brandon Gallegos and Lorenz Schwojer of Niagara University 8-6 in the final match.
On the singles side, Nick Bybel ’16 and Josh Katten ’13 emerged on top to win the A and C brackets. Bybel began his career for the Orange and Blue with a first-place finish after defeating his teammate Evan Zimmer ’13 6-4, 6-4 in the Flight A final. Katten also defeated a Bison teammate, Chris Tortora ’14, to capture Flight C.
“The preseason preparations that our coaches had for us really helped me get back in the swing of things. Normally it takes me some time to get back from taking a few weeks off from playing, but the drills and the intensity of our practices really helped me regain my form. The results from this weekend are great building blocks for the season and my college career,” Bybel said.
“For me, preseason preparations were out of the ordinary this year. Following the spring 2012 season, I underwent double knee surgery and have been on the recovery trail ever since. This first tournament gave me the opportunity to get my feet under me and to test out, as I like to say, my new knees,” Katten said.
The women’s squad showed similar promise for the upcoming season. Maria Cioffi ’16, Stephanie Pino ’16 and Claudia Silvers ’15 all put in impressive performances to reach their respective bracket finals, but none were able to pull out a victory in the final.
In finals play, newcomers Cioffi and Pino were impressive once again as they advanced to the doubles final after defeating teammates Elena Vidrascu ’14 and Lydia Colvin ’15. Unfortunately, they came up short in the final, losing 8-1 to Megan Hahn and Olivia Ott of Loyola (Md.).
“I was extremely pleased that I was able to make it to the finals in this tournament for both singles and doubles, and I hope it sets the tone for a great season … This tournament also gave me the confidence to know that I can successfully play college tennis and contribute to the success of the tennis team. It also gave me the opportunity to identify some areas that I would like to work on so that I can continue to improve my tennis skills and perform well in the tournaments to come,” Pino said.
The next competition for the women will be on Sept. 14 at the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational. The men’s team will be back in action the same day, splitting their squad between the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational and the Princeton Invitational.
The men’s water polo team went 1-3 when they traveled to New Jersey to compete in the Princeton Invitational this past weekend. The Bison started the weekend by dropping a close decision to No. 20 St. Francis (N.Y.) 8-7. In their next two games, the Bison lost to No. 3 California and No. 18 Brown, 20-3 and 12-6, respectively. They bounced back in their final game of the invitational, defeating Fordham 20-8. The Orange and Blue are now 3-3 on the season.
To kick off the weekend, the Orange and Blue fell to St. Francis on Sept. 7. The Bison and Terriers played an even game throughout, responding when the other team tried to pull away. Despite falling behind 3-1 in the first quarter, the Orange and Blue were able to take a 4-3 lead into the intermission. In the second half, the Bison could not stop the Terrier attack and allowed five goals, while only scoring three of their own. Julian Colina ’14 and Mike Kimble ’14 led the Bison in scoring with two goals apiece. Stefan Aleksic ’16 was also strong for the Orange and Blue with two assists and a goal of his own.
“We moved the ball and worked well as a unit together. We also executed our offensive game plan very well, especially against St. Francis. Additionally, our five-man defense was very good. It is one of our strengths as a team and something we can rely on when the games come down to the last few possessions. The team looked good against very stiff competition, but we made a few mistakes that the other teams capitalized on,” Kimble said.
For the Orange and Blue, the second day of the Princeton Invitational started against California. The Bears scored early and often against the Bison, finding the back of the net six times in the first quarter. By the end of the second quarter, California held a commanding 7-1 lead. Along with stifling defense throughout, California ramped up their offensive production in the second half, scoring 10 times in the third quarter. The Bears added three more goals in the fourth to reach 20 total goals. Despite the offensive onslaught, co-captain Matt Napleton ’13 looked strong in goal, stopping 10 shots in the first 16 minutes of play.
In the second game, the Orange and Blue faced Brown. Despite a conscious defensive effort, the Bison could not contain Brown in the first half, allowing the Bears to take a 7-4 lead into the intermission. In the third quarter, the Orange and Blue outscored Brown 2-1 but were unable to find the back of the net in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 12-6 loss. Kimble had two goals and Alex Nowlin ’14 had two assists and a goal, respectively. Again, Napleton was impressive in goal, recording 11 saves in 32 minutes of action.
“We need to work on having consistent play throughout the game and being able to stick to our game plan without panicking if we get down a few goals. As captains, Matt and I will make sure the team is physically and mentally ready for highly competitive practices. This will help us deal with staying consistent in games, dealing with adversity and playing hard for four quarters,” said co-captain Brian Barron ’13.
The Bison showed their resilience in their final game of the weekend by defeating Fordham. The Orange and Blue dominated throughout the game, controlling the tempo of play on the offensive end, while shutting down Fordham on the defensive side of the ball. Aleksic tallied a team-high with eight points from four goals and four assists. Joining him were teammates Jack Else ’14 who had four goals, while Kimble and Barron recorded five points each. In goal, Napleton stopped seven shots in 32 minutes.
The Orange and Blue will travel to Cambridge, Mass. this upcoming weekend to compete in the North/South Tournament. The Bison will begin the tournament by facing host-team Harvard, tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m.
The women’s soccer team had a solid week, picking up wins against Mount St. Mary’s and UMBC. Goal keeper Sandita McDermott ’13 held down the box and got her fourth shutout of the season. Unfortunately, the Orange and Blue’s win streak ended at four with a loss at Saint Francis (Pa.).
Behind a scoring blitz from Evelyn Nicinski ’15 and Courtney Nelson ’15, the Bison defeated UMBC 3-0 at home on Sept. 7. Three minutes into the game, Hannah Bonotto ’15 nailed a free kick into the box that found Chelsey Garkowski ’14, who headed the ball to Nicinski, which allowed her to score her first goal of the season. Garkowski also battled for a 50-50 ball that rebounded to Nelson for another Bison goal.
Nelson, who made the transition from defender to forward this year, leads the team with four goals this season.
“It has actually been a pretty big mental transition; my mind has always been focused on stopping people from scoring,” Nelson said. “However, I’ve always been one of those people during practice that likes to shoot and get in on the offense.”
Corey Tipton ’14 capped off the victory with a goal off an assist from Brigit Falcon ’15 and Corinne Collins ’13 in the 69th minute. McDermott broke the Bison record for longest scoreless streak and had six saves for the game.
“I think the quick offense really helped us to seal the deal,” McDermott said. “Having so many great individual performances really has helped this team to keep the ‘team’ mentality moving forward.”
After a three-game shutout streak, the Orange and Blue were met with a potent offense by Saint Francis that defeated the Bison 5-1 on Sept. 9 at Loretto. It was a tough game, as the Red Flash had 22 shot attempts. Saint Francis scored two goals in the 17th and 43rd minute that gave them the 2-0 lead at halftime.
The barrage continued early in the second half with Saint Francis nailing three goals in less than three minutes to put the game away. Danielle Piccirilli ’16 scored the lone goal for the Bison in the 72nd minute.
Two nights later, the Orange and Blue bounced back from the loss to capture a 2-0 victory against Mount St. Mary’s at home.
It was a balanced game for the Bison, as they attempted 17 shots and held the Mountaineers to seven shots. Kayla Yee ’13 scored a goal off of a penalty kick at the three minute mark to get the Bison off to an early lead. Taryn Boucher ’13 stayed aggressive on the offensive end with five shot attempts and scored in the 76th minute to ice the game.
The Bison will travel to Moraga, Calif. to compete in the St. Mary’s Tournament this weekend.
“Each game is a new challenge, and there are only a number of things that we can do. We try to focus on fighting for each other, staying positive and keeping calm,” Nelson said.
The men’s soccer team earned its first wins of the season this weekend, taking down previously unbeaten La Salle and Saint Francis (Pa.). Playing in Philadelphia on Sept. 7, the Bison received second half goals from CK Kumah ’13 and Josh Plump ’13 to carry the team to a 2-1 victory over the Explorers. Two days later, the Orange and Blue shutout a strong St. Francis squad 1-0, bringing their record to 2-1-2 on the season.
“After having three games go into overtime and not coming away with a win, it was crucial for us to win these two games,” Plump said. “The team did a good job following the game plan and getting the results that matter the most.”
Despite being outshot by La Salle 23-16, the Bison were able to come away with the win behind another stellar performance in goal by Mike Lansing ’16. Lansing, who has registered 34 saves in five games this season, recorded nine against the Explorers and did not surrender a goal until the 69th minute.
The game remained goalless until the 57th minute of play, but the Bison were able to get two quick goals within a minute. Kumah’s goal came off of a corner kick set, where the midfielder capitalized on a pass from Brendan Burgdorf ’13. Plump followed this by dribbling past four defenders and beating the keeper. The goals were the first of the season for both players.
“I think we’re really starting to flow as a team,” midfielder Chris Thorsheim ’16 said. “I believe to we need to continue to move the ball and be a possession-oriented team.”
Against Saint Francis, the Bison struck quickly when Josh Butzke ’14 scored his first goal of his career just six minutes into the game. Thorsheim earned his first career assist on the play.
“Finally getting my first goal was a huge relief,” Butzke said. “I always get a hard time from Coach Nash, especially on my shots, so this was a perfect chance to prove myself with a left-footed shot from 26 yards out.”
After a gaining a 10-3 shot advantage, the Bison saw a completely different Red Flash team in the second half. The Saint Francis squad turned the pressure on and held a 12-3 shot advantage in the second. The Orange and Blue relied on Lansing to come up big and he did, recording four of his five saves in the second half to earn his first career shutout. Lansing was later named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week.
“The thing that we need to do better is play a full 90 minutes of consistently great soccer,” Butzke said. “We dominated Saint Francis in the first half and then something happened in the second half that just wasn’t right, and we played poor, but fortunately we pulled it out.”
Getting their first wins, the Orange and Blue are confident that they can compete with their Patriot League counterparts as well as on a national scale. The team has two more games this weekend before they begin league play, and it will be important for them to continue to play at a high level.
“People think just because we’re in the Patriot League, we can’t compete with the other big schools,” said Butzke. “I completely disagree and I think we have a Top 25 program here, easily. I don’t want to jinx anything, but I think we are rolling now and I think this group is going to do something this year that has never been done before.”
The Bison play their first regular season home games this weekend against Adelphi tonight and Albany on Sunday.