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(04/20/95 9:00am)
Penn assistant coach Bill Wagner can still recall the first time he saw Ed Haughey play baseball. It was at Haddon Township in Westmont, N.J. Wagner was instantly impressed by Haughey's poise and character as he watched the high schooler crush a 400-foot home run. What went unnoticed at the time was Haughey's winning pitching performance. Although Haughey's hitting expertise did not attract the attention of scholarship schools, Penn and Princeton both drooled over the young prospect. The Tigers envisioned him filling their hole at third base for years to come. The Quakers saw something more -- maybe even a Division I pitcher. Since the fateful day when Haughey finally chose the friendly confines of West Philadelphia, he has never even logged one at bat for the Quakers. Instead, Haughey has spent the past four years stabilizing the Penn pitching rotation while posting some of the Ivy League's most prolific numbers on the mound. "He never really got a chance to hit because he became too valuable as a pitcher," Wagner confesses about his staff's ace. Haughey's value to the Red and Blue was evident the first day he walked down Locust Walk. The six-foot senior broke into the starting rotation just in time for the league campaign in his freshman season of 1992 -- a feat not accomplished since Craig Connolly did it in 1987. Connolly is still playing professionally today. Over the course of the past four years, Haughey has led the team in innings pitched and wins and ranks second in strikeouts. Because of his consistency and reliability, Wagner's decision to name his starter for the Ivy League opener was simple. Wagner considered only one factor when making his decision -- he wanted to start the Ivy season with a win. And after one game of league play, Penn stood at 1-0. "Ed Haughey threw like he always throws. All he does is win games," catcher Rick Burt said after the Quakers' 4-2 win over Harvard. "He threw great. He's consistent. He's a great pitcher." Haughey, however, was not the same caliber pitcher he is today when he first arrived at Bower Field. He had the potential, but he had not developed what is now by far his most deadly pitch -- the slider. This addition to his arsenal came during the summer following his first season. As Haughey, just a sophomore, perfected this pitch, Wagner wrote his name into the No. 1 slot. With this honor, though, came responsibility. Haughey had to set the tone in the opening game of every Ivy weekend. He went head-to-head with the opposition's best pitcher. He was the stalwart of the rotation, the rock of consistency and quality. No doubt there was added pressure. But if there was, it never affected Haughey. "It's really not that much pressure," Haughey shrugs at the suggestion. "You've got to keep in mind that you're not pitching against the other pitcher, you're pitching against their hitters. You just do all you can." With that awesome slider, Haughey has given the Quakers more than anyone could have ever expected. "It's always the slider. It's the only pitch he ever throws -- eight out of 10 pitches are sliders," Burt says of the secret to Haughey's success. "I don't know how his arm doesn't fall off. But he wants to throw it every time and I want to call it every time. It's no secret. It's a nasty pitch. People know it's coming. They just can't hit it." It is a slider right-handed hitters wish they could reach and one lefties wish they could lay off. This year, it's produced a league-leading 6-1 record and 45 strikeouts. He's also held opponents to a 2.31 earned run average. But even after four years of giving everything to the Penn baseball program, Haughey still dreams of unfulfilled opportunities. "I love to hit. I wish I could still do it," Haughey fantasizes. "I'm still hoping that one game it's a blowout and I can get an at bat, but I'm not counting on it." After relying on Ed Haughey's right arm for four successful years, maybe it's time the Quakers' coaching staff sees if that magic Wagner witnessed at Haddon Township is still there.
(04/12/95 9:00am)
Quakers suffer sweep at Bower Field Entering yesterday's baseball doubleheader with Lehigh, Penn expected to gain momentum for this weekend's clash with Gehrig Division-leader Cornell. After dropping three of four games over the weekend, the Quakers thought the 9-16 Engineers would make ideal guests. For the first three innings at Bower Field, Penn's expectations seemed realistic. The Quakers took an early 2-0 lead courtesy of walks, Lehigh miscues and timely hitting from Penn's hitting machine, Mike Shannon (4 for 7 on the day, double, triple, 1 RBI). With Alex Hayden in perfect control on the mound, everything seemed to be going Penn's way. But then the game went awry. In the top of the fourth inning, Lehigh started to roll. The Engineers took advantage of a seeing-eye single, a perfectly placed bunt and an error to score two runs and tie the game. From then on, the day belonged to Lehigh. The Engineers swept Penn, 3-2 and 5-3. "After losing three out of four over the weekend, we were hoping to gain some momentum going into this next weekend," Shannon said of Penn's upcoming four-game series with the Big Red. "Obviously, the bats weren't there. I don't know what to say about these games. There's no way Lehigh should be on the same field with us." Shannon's sentiments were echoed by most of the team. The Quakers were at a loss for words trying to explain how Penn (11-15) was swept by the Engineers (11-16). "We should have beaten Lehigh," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. "They're not a good team. We're a better team than Lehigh, at least we think we are." From that fourth inning and into the early evening, it was not the Engineers who beat Penn. Instead, the Quakers beat themselves with mental errors, poor hitting and physical mishaps in the field. In the fourth, with men on first and second, an easy double-play ball rolled right between Joe Carlon's legs at third base. The Engineers took advantage of that freshman miscue to score two runs. The following inning, Lehigh scored the winning run behind three walks and a fielder's choice. When game one went into the record book as a 3-2 Lehigh victory, Penn had collected just four hits while committing three errors. "Everything magnifies if you don't score runs," Seddon said. "We're just not hitting. To be polite and nice about it, we're in a drought. We're struggling." In the second half of yesterday's twin bill, the Quakers continued to struggle. Although freshman Armen Simonian looked impressive on the mound, giving up just one run on three hits in four innings, Penn labored from the plate and in the field. In the top of the seventh inning, with the score notched at three, A B Fischer, who replaced Simonian in the fifth, found himself in a jam. Fischer walked the leadoff hitter. Then Matthew Rosato bunted the ball back to the mound. But on the advice of his freshman catcher, David Corleto, Fischer threw to second base -- safe. But even after this mental error, assistant coach Bill Wagner had a plan. With the infield rotating to cover a possible bunt, Fischer attempted to pick off Daniel Kulp at second base. However, the ball bounced in the dirt and rolled into the outfield. After the runners advanced to second and third, Brian Yost hit a sacrifice fly, and then Gregory Boye executed a suicide squeeze to give Lehigh a two-run advantage. The lead had come on a walk, error and fielder's choice -- all the game-winning inning lacked was a Lehigh hit. "We're not doing the little things that make the difference," Seddon said. "We're making too many errors. We played four freshmen and it showed." But even down by two runs in the bottom of the seventh, Penn had a chance. Rob Naddelman led off the inning with a Texas League single to right field, but again the Quakers seemed to be lacking mental awareness. As Naddelman rounded first, Rosato nailed the senior from right field. The Penn miscue grew in importance since Tim Henwood and Sean Turner connected on back-to-back singles with two out in that final inning. Then Shannon was coerced into a routine ground ball to the shortstop. "It's disappointing, very disappointing," Seddon said. "We're not playing well. We're struggling from the plate, which was our fear, because obviously the pitching is there."
(04/03/95 9:00am)
Penn takes 3 of 4 from Harvard, Dartmouth Not many baseball teams have hit Dan Galles hard. But last season, Dartmouth knocked in six runs in less than two innings against the Penn baseball captain. Galles remembered that April 9 day when he warmed up for yesterday's rematch against the Big Green at Bower Field. He recalled it between innings sitting in the dugout. But after he pitched Penn to a 9-1 victory, Galles only thought of vindication. "Most of the emotion came from years past," Galles said. "None of the seniors had ever beaten them. They've always been our main nemesis because we've played poorly against them. Last year, it almost cost us the season. This year, we have lofty expectations and weren't going to get beat in our league opener." Penn beat Dartmouth for the first time this decade yesterday, sweeping the Big Green, 9-1 and 2-0. After Galles (2-2) cruised through the Dartmouth lineup, Mike Shannon (2-1) shut out the Big Green to give the Quakers (10-9, 3-1 Ivy League) the early lead in the Gehrig division race. The day before, Penn split a doubleheader with Harvard, winning the opener, 4-2, before falling in extra innings, 7-5. The tone yesterday was set early. Galles sat Dartmouth's first seven batters down in order. As Galles (7 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 8 strikeouts) was in control on the mound, the Quakers sent 10 batters up in the second inning to take a 6-0 lead they would never relinquish. Michael Green led the onslaught with a double, triple and four runs batted in. Mark DeRosa also went 3 for 4. But in yesterday's nightcap, these same explosive bats were practically silenced by Dartmouth's Travis Farrell. The freshman, who was recruited by Penn but was denied admission by the University, pitched a complete game, allowing just two runs on only three hits. But Mike Shannon was just that much better. The junior pitcher (7 innings, 0 runs, 5 hits, 5 strikeouts) shut out the Big Green. He improved upon his team-best 2.25 earned run average with the help of the solid defense and timely hitting of Rob Naddelman (1 for 2, 2 RBI in yesterday's nightcap). "What can you say about Mike? I don't know. Mike is one of the best pitchers on the East Coast," Burt said. "He's nasty. He throws hard. He throw strikes. There's nothing you can say about Mike other than he's a better pitcher than they are hitters." But while Shannon was the beneficiary of solid defense and consistent playmaking, Saturday's second game against Harvard featured none of the same. After staff ace Ed Haughey (7 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits, 5 strikeouts) upped his record to 4-1 with a 4-2 victory in the first half of the doubleheader against the Crimson, Penn literally threw the second half of the twin bill away. With Harvard clinging to a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning, the Quakers began to rally. First Shannon got on base. Then Naddelman knocked him in with a triple. And Allen Fischer tied the game with a pinch-hit single to right field. It was not enough, however, as Harvard scored yet another run in the top of the seventh. But then Armen Simonian's fourth hit of the day started another Penn rally. As a train overhead stopped to watch, Naddelman hit a two-out triple to tie the game at 4. Harvard center fielder Marc Levy dove for a routine base hit and the ball bounced over him and rolled to the wall. While Levy lay on the grass holding his head in his hands and left fielder Brett Vankoski chased down the ball, Naddelman probably could have scored. But Penn coach Bob Seddon held him at third. In the extra inning, the Crimson took advantage of two walks, two errors and a base hit to score three unearned runs. Still, the Quakers had a chance. Penn loaded the bases with just one out -- but there the Quakers stalled, falling 7-5 in eight innings. "It seemed like every time they'd get up, we'd come back and tie it," Burt said. "We were one hit away from putting them away. We just didn't get that hit." Saturday's nightcap was how every game against Harvard and Dartmouth used to be. The Quakers had compiled a paltry 3-13 record against these two New England foes in the '90s before this weekend. After losing eight consecutive games to the Big Green, Penn pitching coach Bill Wagner proclaimed, "I want Galles to pitch. It's time to shut them down." And after yesterday's sweep, Wagner gloated, "Did I tell you? Did I tell you he was pissed off? He was fired up. That's why we set the rotation that way." With those pitching changes came an early tie for first place in the Gehrig Division.
(03/27/95 10:00am)
After yesterday's doubleheader with La Salle at Bower Field, the Penn baseball players jogged in right field. Junior right fielder Sean Turner stayed in the dugout and iced his bruised heel. As the Quakers prepared for the postgame meeting, starting pitcher Dan Galles iced his elbow and his shoulder. Shortstop Mark DeRosa, recovering from a shoulder injury, also kept an ice bag on his shoulder. And catcher Rick Burt, who caught both games, complained about the pain of the ice on his elbow. It did not look like a team pleased with its performance yesterday. And after a lengthy talk led by coach Bob Seddon, the players' demeanors did not improve. After splitting the twin bill with the lowly Explorers, 11-3 and 0-4, Penn knows it has to become more consistent before its league opener with Harvard Saturday. "Each year, each team has to realize it's hard to win both games of a doubleheader," Seddon said. "It's hard, not easy. It was a disappointment, especially since we got shut out in the second game." No one epitomized yesterday's inconsistencies more than star hitter Mike Shannon. The hot-hitting junior had his way in the first contest. He went four for four, with two base hits, a double and a triple, in addition to collecting three runs batted in and scoring twice himself. Tim Henwood also went two for three, both doubles, and knocked in two runs while crossing home plate three times. La Salle starting pitcher Dan Fritz had trouble hitting his spots and was knocked out of the contest after just three innings. The Quakers (6-8), led by Shannon's bat, hit Fritz's fastball and his slider -- when they made it into the strike zone. But the second game did not appear to feature the same two squads. Although the names in the starting lineups were similar, the explosive Penn bats featured in the first contest were nowhere to be seen in the nightcap. After spanking Fritz, Shannon couldn't touch Chris Seiler. Shannon struck out, hit a routine fly ball to center field and was thrown out by the catcher on a grounder that barely travelled a foot. Seiler exploited his slider and changeup to keep Penn off balance. On his way to a complete-game shutout, Seiler faced just 25 batters, four over the minimum 21, to help the Explorers (3-17) split the doubleheader. "We were too satisfied with our victory in the first game," Shannon said. "We came out flat. Everyone took it for granted that we were going to win the second game." The Quakers did collect six hits against Seiler, but Penn was unable to string anything together. And when consecutive batters did make contact, it seemed like the Explorers would always turn a double play. "You can't get behind in a seven-inning game," Seddon said. "They jumped out early. In a seven-inning game when you jump out early, you put the other team behind the eight ball." Only the Penn pitching kept the Quakers together. Ed Haughey and Dan Galles pitched back-to-back complete games. Haughey (7 innings pitched, 7 hits, 3 earned runs, 10 strikeouts) fought through numerous potentially dangerous spots to get the victory in the opener. In a similar fashion, Galles ran into early troubles due to control problems and defensive errors. But even after allowing three unearned runs in the first two innings, Galles (7 innings pitched, 8 hits, 1 earned run, 9 strikeouts) settled down and kept the Explorers at bay the rest of the game. But without help from the offense, it was not enough. "They've been sharper," Seddon said of his two top starting pitchers, "but they showed a lot of guts and worked through it." With the Ivy League opener just days away, it is now the time to show more than guts on the mound. To win the division, it's going to take consistency on the mound, in the field and at the plate. Good pitching will only carry the Quakers so far. This weekend it carried them to a split. That probably won't be good enough in the future.
(03/23/95 10:00am)
Fischer, Henwood homer, Shannon dominant on hill After yesterday's baseball game against Coppin State at Bower Field, Penn coach Bob Seddon stormed into the dugout, furious at what he had just witnessed. Seddon, in his 25th season as the Quakers' skipper, had rarely experienced such a display of errors and inconsistency. Seddon was not seething about what he had seen on the playing field -- Penn demolished the Eagles behind an eight-run second inning to win 13-3. Instead, the Penn coach was flabbergasted that the University of Pennsylvania Parking Services towed just about every car parked behind the field -- including the umpire's. "The University of Pennsylvania is a disaster when it comes to parking," Seddon fumed. "They tow everybody -- they towed the umpire, they tried to tow the coach. The University of Pennsylvania Parking Services has a real problem." But on the field, Seddon's squad had little problem disposing of overmatched Coppin State (7-16). Mike Shannon pitched a one-hitter through five innings and the bats of first baseman Allen Fischer and centerfielder Tim Henwood took care of the rest. After struggling at the plate since returning from their spring break trip, the Quakers (5-7) hit everything Eagles starter John Hamilton (1 1/3 innings, 9 runs, 6 hits) threw. The second-inning hit parade began with a comedy of Coppin State errors. After Michael Green doubled to the left-center gap, Sean Turner walked. Derek Nemeth got on base when Hamilton's throw to first could not be handled. Next, Burt -- playing for the first time in two weeks after recovering from a hamstring injury -- beat out a grounder bobbled by Eagles third baseman Jamal Davis. Then the hard hitting began. Henwood stroked the ball into center field. Armen Simonian drove the ball down the third-base line. Shannon crushed the ball to right field. And with a man on third base, Fischer exploded on an inside fastball, knocking it 350 feet for his first Penn career home run. When the second inning finally came to a close, the Quakers possessed an insurmountable 9-0 lead. "[Hamilton] did not throw very hard. When guys do not throw very hard, we tend to jump all over that," Fischer said. "It was the type of pitcher we love to face." That was more than enough for Shannon to work with. He struck out five Eagles looking and allowed only three base runners -- no one ever even reached second base on him. "[Shannon] didn't have his best stuff today, but he didn't seem to need it," Burt said of his batterymate. "Even without his best stuff, he's one of the best pitchers on the East Coast." As the game dragged on, Seddon took advantage of the large margin to play most of his players. Lance Berger and Mike Martin finished up for Shannon, while every position starter left before the game was eventually called due to darkness. Amid the twilight, as Seddon was locking the gate to the field and gathering his goods before heading home, he was still complaining about the parking. Luckily for Seddon, the game took care of itself. Now maybe someone could do something about the parking problem.
(03/15/95 10:00am)
Quakers travel to St. Joseph's today at 3 p.m. The Penn baseball team's season has only just begun, but its future may have already been decided. While the Quakers went a lackluster 3-5 in Florida, more important questions and solutions may have arisen. The Penn pitching staff performed with stellar consistency, keeping every game close into the late innings. Team captain Dan Galles, flanked by Ed Haughey, Mike Shannon and Lance Berger sparkled. However, injuries began to take their toll on the Quakers. First, starting shortstop Mark DeRosa injured his shoulder sliding into third base. Starting catcher Rick Burt hurt his hamstring and may be out for a while. DeRosa, who is also the football team's starting quarterback in the fall, missed three games during the Rollins Baseball Week Tournament, but eventually he did return to bat in the designated-hitter slot. Burt missed the last game of the spring-break trip and probably will not play in today's 3 p.m. contest at St. Joseph's. "Rick Burt hurt his hamstring," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. "He is the key to our season. We have lots of guys behind him, but very little experience. We also need Mark to get healthy quickly." The Quakers began their spring break slowly, dropping their first few games. St. Leo, which began its season weeks ago, beat Penn twice. Seddon believes Penn should have won one of the games. "We started off pretty slowly," Burt said. "We didn't do as well as we'd have liked, but we won our last two and feel we are rolling at just the right time." The tournament field itself was comprised solely of fellow cold-weather schools playing in their first games of the 1995 season. Against these other schools burdened by sub-freezing weather, the Quakers amassed a 3-1 record behind solid pitching and the all-tournament performances of Tim Henwood and junior sensation Mike Shannon. "Mike does it all," Burt said. "He pitched well, but he hit the ball really hard also. He's just the complete player." The turnaround was epitomized by Penn's performances against Purdue. After being buried by the Boilermakers 10-0 earlier in the week, the rematch was a different story. In the Quakers' final game of the tournament, Penn jumped all over Purdue and pounded the Boilermakers 6-1. "We're feeling really good," Burt said. "Taking the last two games was a big confidence booster. We've forgotten about all the negatives." The negatives included losing many games in the final innings. Unlike Ivy League games, which are only seven innings, these tournament contests were nine innings. And after the starting pitchers left closely fought games, the team either gave up key runs or failed to produce from the plate in clutch situations. Still, the Quakers won three of their four contests against cold-weather squads. However, junior centerfielder Sean Turner confessed, "There really was not too much excitement." · The Penn baseball team will play its first Philadelphia game today at St. Joe's (3 p.m.). The Quakers did not face their cross-town rival last season. In fact, Seddon, Penn's baseball coach for the past 25 years, visited the St. Joe's field yesterday just to see where it was. Even though both teams play just minutes from each other, the Quakers have never played at St. Joe's before.
(03/03/95 10:00am)
Five seniors to bid Palestra adieu against Yale Saturday This may be the first time the Penn men's basketball team has not looked forward to a game. At least that's how it is for the Quakers' five seniors. All starters. All destined for greatness -- maybe even recognition as the greatest class in Penn basketball history. As these five step onto the Palestra floor for the last time tomorrow night at 7 p.m., basketball may be the last thing on their minds. After four years of playing and fighting and struggling, Senior Night will be filled with emotion and triumph. They all took different roads to get here. Jerome Allen and Eric Moore, teammates at Episcopal Academy, brought that same championship spirit to the Palestra. Shawn Trice turned down multiple scholarship offers for the opportunity to be a Quaker. Scott Kegler dreamed of playing for Ohio State, but now he would have it no other way. And Matt Maloney added the final piece to a magnificent puzzle when he transferred from Vanderbilt. But after the Quakers host Brown tonight (7 p.m., Palestra, WXPN 88.5-FM), when they will have the opportunity to clinch the second spot in the NCAA tournament after UCLA did it two nights ago, there will be only one home game left in these five players' illustrious careers. Tomorrow night against Yale, Allen, Moore, Trice, Kegler and Maloney will play their last game on the hardwood on which they have gone 40-6 during their four years here. "I can't start thinking about it yet," Kegler said. "It's going to be real sad. It's going to be real emotional. I think I'll be feeling a lot of that Saturday night when we suit up for the last time here." Before the Quakers (19-5, 11-0 Ivy League) can turn their attention to the seniors' final game on the famed Palestra hardwood, Penn faces a tough Brown squad (13-11, 8-4) that has recently been decimated by injuries. Brian Lloyd, the Bears' second-leading scorer who poured in 35 points in two games last weekend, will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury last Saturday. This comes just one week after Brown's other star guard, Eric Blackiston, broke his arm. And with Penn beating Ivy League opponents by an average margin of 23 points, the Quakers are looking forward to clinching the Ivy crown for the third consecutive season tonight. "It will be fun," Kegler said. "Our goal, however, is not just to clinch. We want to go 14-0 [in the Ivies] again. But if we win this weekend, it will be a great feeling because we'll be in the tournament." And then the emotional roller coaster will really begin. With pregame ceremonies planned to honor the graduating Quakers tomorrow night, feelings and memories should explode as the five seniors play in their final game in the Palestra. Although Yale (9-15, 5-7) is the official opponent, the greater obstacle may be just holding the emotions inside for 40 minutes of basketball. "With Senior Night, it's an end of an era," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "I've not allowed myself to think about it. We've got a lot of unfinished business here still. I don't allow myself to think about what it's going to be like without these guys, because hopefully we've still got a lot more games with them." The last regular season game these five seniors will play is Wednesday, when Penn visits Princeton (8:30 p.m., ESPN2, WXPN 88.5-FM). With a national audience watching the first televised Ivy clash in years, Penn is not afraid of a letdown, even after such an emotional weekend. The Quakers spanked the Tigers by 19 points at the Palestra in January and want to be at their best going into the NCAA tournament. "We're playing at their place in the last game of the season. I think we'll be ready," Maloney said. "We've been through this before and we know what to expect." After winning 40 consecutive Ivy League games, why should anyone have reason to doubt him? No one has gone three straight years undefeated in conference play since UCLA in the early 1970s, so now the Quakers are not just playing for wins. They're playing for a place in history.
(02/16/95 10:00am)
It was not supposed to happen this way. Sea Lonergan was not supposed to be an impact player on a Division I college basketball team. Lonergan was not going to be on a Division I team at all. If it was not for Dartmouth coach Dave Faucher travelling through Dallas one fall day two years ago, Lonergan would now be playing at Rhodes, a Division III school in Tennessee. "I was down in Dallas and got a good look at him," Faucher recalled. "I thought he could help us. Obviously, I couldn't imagine the impact he'd have on the team and the league. I did think he'd be a decent Ivy League player, but I never expected this." What Faucher never expected was that Lonergan would blossom into one of the league's top players. After a slow start last year, Lonergan gradually improved and then exploded during the second half of the season. Last February, he scorched Penn for 20 points and seven rebounds on his way to earning Ivy Rookie of the Year honors. Lonergan's success has continued this season. He currently leads the Ivies in scoring, averaging 17.2 points per game. He also ranks in the top 10 in the league in assists (3.8 apg), field goal percentage (47.9), three-point field goal percentage (42.7) and free throw percentage (77.5). Lonergan has proven this year he is not just a one-dimensional player. "At Dartmouth, I don't think we've ever had the case where our leading scorer was also our best defender," Faucher said. "He always draws the toughest defensive assignment, yet he's still our leading scorer. That shows that he's very, very special." But to keep up this intensity and level of play on both ends of the floor takes commitment. After he won the Rookie of the Year award last season, then had to replace one of the Big Green's all-time best players in Gregg Frame, expectations grew to monumental proportions. As the pressure mounted, Lonergan realized he would have to be Dartmouth's catalyst for the Big Green to contend in the Ivies. He would have to do just about everything -- score, pass and defend. Although his frail 6-foot-6 frame does not appear to be able to carry such a heavy burden, Lonergan has more than made up for the loss of Frame. Dartmouth is in second place with only two league losses. "He went home to Dallas and worked hard," Faucher said of Lonergan's summer regimen. "He works harder than anyone else on the team to improve. He stays in the gym longer than the other kids." It's this type of work ethic that has always attracted Faucher to Lonergan. With an athlete this naturally gifted willing to toil so hard, it is impossible to go wrong. And Lonergan is just a sophomore. "He's going to be even better," Faucher boasted. "He's going to be a tremendous and have a great career." After proving the doubters wrong before, there is no reason not to believe Lonergan will excel for years to come.
(02/08/95 10:00am)
It's that time of the week again -- Ivy Roundup time, that is. We're here to delve deep into the wars fought on the hardwood throughout the Northeast this past weekend. Although Dick Vitale may not have broadcast any of the past weekend's thrillers in the Ivy League, there was still much excitement and anticipation -- in the race for second place, at least. This week saw more than its share of the interesting and bizarre. It's a story of secrets exposed in Ithaca, of Princeton coach Pete Carril accepting his fate as a failure yet again and of long-overdue joy in Providence. But most of all, once you leave Philadelphia, it's a story of embarrassment and humiliation on the Ivy League courts. Wherever Penn goes, Ivy victories come with it -- 34 to be exact. Watch out for the wacky and unpredictable in the Ivies, but don't expect a Quaker loss anytime soon. Big Red Secret Our crack investigative reporters here at Roundup have discovered that reality has finally reached Cornell. After the Big Red fell in embarrassing fashion on its home floor to Dartmouth, coach Al Walker finally admitted the inevitable. Walker let the biggest secret in Ithaca out -- Cornell, according to him, will not be playing for the Ivy League title. Cornell will not even be playing for second place. Now, the Big Red is playing just for respectability. Oh, really. This well-kept secret was known to everyone other than Walker before the season even began. Walker's self-proclaimed "Transition to Excellence" program will have to wait. Not even three junior college transfers and nine freshmen can speed up the process. Actually, most of the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the JUCO newcomers (JUCO players in the Ivy League -- what's up with that?). Eddie Samuels, the 27-year-old military man who also played on the national champion Pensacola (Fla.) Junior College squad, has been unable to pick up his performance in the Ivies. Add to this the chronic fatigue afflicting Troy Tolbert, who has been mysteriously limited to only five minutes of action per game, and we here at Roundup have confirmed the Ivy League cellar sure is looking mighty tempting for the Big Red. Get used to it Walker, because it looks like you'll be there a while. Jedi Master Coming off a tremendous thumping at the hands of our soon-to-be three-time defending Ivy League champion Quakers, Princeton has given up on its Ivy title hopes. (We here at Roundup believe it might be good advice for the rest of the league to accept as well.) Pete "Yoda" Carril confessed before this past weekend: "We're dead." Oh really, Jedi master of the obvious. That point was driven home Friday night when the Tigers were beaten at Brown. The lone bright spot for Princeton was center Rick Hielscher, who scored his 1,000th point for the Tigers. However, Carril was not overly impressed with the accomplishment of Mr. Tendinitis. "Big deal," Yoda exploded sarcastically when asked about it after the game. Why Storm the Court? It's been a long, long road to respectability for the Brown basketball team. In fact, the Bears may have hit their apex this weekend with a thrilling victory over the suddenly below-average Tigers. Although Princeton was only 7-8 at the time, the Brown fans stormed the court after the overtime win in Providence. Come on, is this what the Ivy League has come to? We here at Roundup gained respect for the Brown faithful, who came out for the Penn game in masses with pots, pans and everything but the kitchen sink. They came out in droves, even skipped their precious hockey games, to root on the Bears in their quest for second place. But rushing the court after beating Princeton? The Tigers ain't the champs, remember? Storm the court when you beat the Quakers, but politely clap when you beat those pussycats from that toxic waste dump that is New Jersey. It's all right, because reality finally sunk in Monday. After everyone in Providence rather conveniently forgot the Bears' thumping Saturday night at the hands of the Quakers, all anyone could talk about was John DuPont. "Who's John DuPont?" you ask. He's the Brown fan who tossed not one but two paper airplanes from the stands into a trash can placed at midcourt during halftime. For sinking even one plane, which had not been accomplished at the Pizzitola Sports Center in recorded history, he earned a trip on USAir to anywhere in the continental U.S. We here at Roundup advise him to take a trip to Seattle, because everyone knows Brown has no chance to ever get there.
(02/02/95 10:00am)
With the heart of the Ivy League season rapidly approaching this weekend, coach Fran Dunphy may have the perfect opportunity to look to the future. The Penn men's basketball team swept the 14-game league schedule last year, and only one contest was not won by a double-digit margin. With this in mind, and realizing all five starters are seniors, Dunphy may give future Quaker stars valuable playing time in the upcoming weeks. But to date, the five starting seniors each average over 25 minutes per game, and juniors Ira Bowman and Tim Krug each see the floor for about 20. No one else can claim to have seen action in every contest or average more than six minutes. "I try to give as many guys an opportunity to play as possible, but I can't say it's specifically focused on the future," Dunphy said. "There's a natural course that it will take after the seven players in the rotation." Specifically, Dunphy is referring to Nat Graham, Donald Moxley and Jamie Lyren. "They're all going to be a big part of our future," Dunphy added. However, beyond Graham, who has slowly earned increased playing time in the frontcourt rotation, no one else sees significant action when the outcome of the contest is still in doubt. In Saturday's contest against Princeton, the Quakers were trouncing the Tigers by 30 points with eight minutes showing on the clock. Dunphy chose to keep the starters in even longer. In fact, not one of the key parts to next year's Penn squad besides Krug, Bowman and Graham played for more than three minutes during the game. "There's no set plan that at the five-minute mark if we're up by so much we're going to put this group in because they're our future," Dunphy said. "I just try to get as many guys as many minutes as possible." That plan may start to be employed this weekend if the Quakers continue their domination of the Ivy League. Last year at Brown, Moxley chipped in 15 minutes on the floor, more than he played against any other team. That playing time paid significant dividends when Moxley drilled a key three-pointer in Penn's NCAA tournament victory over Nebraska last March. Last year, however, Dunphy had the comfort of knowing the nucleus of his team was returning. He does not have that luxury heading into the 1995-96 season. In fact, not one starter will be returning next year. "Playing time is very helpful," Dunphy said. "It's time on the floor. There's people in the stands. There's still concentrations you have to stay up with. It's very helpful." The other parts of the future also include the three freshmen newcomers this season -- Vigor Kapetanovic, George Zaninovich and Garett Kreitz. While Kapetanovic and Zaninovich have seen more playing time, Kreitz has lit up the opposition during his limited action. He's hit four-of-six shots, including three-of-five three-point attempts. But the real test may begin this weekend. If the future of Pennsylvania basketball is going to earn the right to see significant action, it probably will begin in the Ivies. · Forward Shawn Trice ranks last among the Quakers' first seven players in scoring with seven points per game. Then there is a large dropoff to Graham, the next highest scorer, who averages 1.8 ppg. Graham also leads Penn's underclassmen in rebounding, with 2.5 game. The only other member of the second half of the Quakers' rotation averaging more than one rebound is Moxley, with 1.3. The assists leader among the underclassmen is Lyren, who has seven.
(02/02/95 10:00am)
With the heart of the Ivy League season rapidly approaching this weekend, coach Fran Dunphy may have the perfect opportunity to look to the future. The Penn men's basketball team swept the 14-game league schedule last year, and only one contest was not won by a double-digit margin. With this in mind, and realizing all five starters are seniors, Dunphy may give future Quaker stars valuable playing time in the upcoming weeks. But to date, the five starting seniors each average over 25 minutes per game, and juniors Ira Bowman and Tim Krug each see the floor for about 20. No one else can claim to have seen action in every contest or average more than six minutes. "I try to give as many guys an opportunity to play as possible, but I can't say it's specifically focused on the future," Dunphy said. "There's a natural course that it will take after the seven players in the rotation." Specifically, Dunphy is referring to Nat Graham, Donald Moxley and Jamie Lyren. "They're all going to be a big part of our future," Dunphy added. However, beyond Graham, who has slowly earned increased playing time in the frontcourt rotation, no one else sees significant action when the outcome of the contest is still in doubt. In Saturday's contest against Princeton, the Quakers were trouncing the Tigers by 30 points with eight minutes showing on the clock. Dunphy chose to keep the starters in even longer. In fact, not one of the key parts to the future Penn squad besides Krug, Bowman and Graham played for more than three minutes during the game. "There's no set plan that at the five-minute mark if we're up by so much we're going to put this group in because they're our future," Dunphy said. "I just try to get as many guys as many minutes as possible." That plan may start to be employed this weekend if the Quakers continue their domination of the Ivy League. Last year at Brown, Moxley chipped in 15 minutes on the floor, more than he played against any other team. That playing time paid significant divends when Moxley drilled a key three-pointer in Penn's NCAA tournament victory over Nebraska last March. Last year, however, Dunphy had the comfort to know the nucleus of his team was returning. He does not have that luxury heading into the 1995-96 season. In fact, not one starter will be returning next year. "Playing time is very helpful," Dunphy said. "It's time on the floor. There's people in the stands. There's still concentrations you have to stay up with. It's very helpful." The other parts of the future also include the three freshmen newcomers this season -- Vigor Kapetanovic, George Zaninovich and Garett Kreitz. While Kapetanovic and Zaninovich have seen more playing time, Kreitz has lit up the opposition during his limited action. He's hit four-of-six shots, including three-of-five three-point attempts. But the real test may begin this weekend. If the future of Pennsylvania basketball is going to earn the right to see significant action, it probably will begin in the Ivies.
(02/01/95 10:00am)
It was January 25, 1993. To most Philadelphia basketball fans, it was just another Big 5 matchup at the Spectrum. But to Scott Kegler, it was much more. It was not his first collegiate start. Nor was it a permanent promotion. Kegler knew Barry Pierce would return to his starting small forward role soon. The moment may have been fleeting, but the confidence would last forever. La Salle opened the contest in a partial zone, with man-to-man coverage on Penn's famed backcourt duo of Matt Maloney and Jerome Allen. It didn't take long for Kegler to exploit the Explorers' lack of respect for his shooting ability. "He came up big," Maloney recalls. "They were playing a triangle-and-two on Jerome and me. Kegs just shot them out of it. We knew he could do it. When those shots started falling, it looked just like practice." Maloney always had confidence in his teammate. Most colleges, however, did not express the same enthusiasm for Kegler. The Columbus, Ohio, native starred in high school at Upper Arlington. Even after being named the team's Most Valuable Player after his senior season, only Division III schools came calling. It was a harsh reality check for the kid who had always envisioned himself wearing the scarlet and grey of Ohio State. "Columbus doesn't have any professional teams, so Ohio State is pretty much it," Kegler says. "Everybody talks about it. Everybody watches it. You dream of playing in St. John Arena. You dream of playing for the Buckeyes." But Ohio State wanted one of Kegler's teammates, not him. So the search continued. Deciding he wanted a top education along with a basketball career in college, Kegler looked to the Ivy League. In the fall of his senior year, Kegler made an edited video tape of himself playing basketball. With the help of his father and a voice-over by Bill Hosket, a family friend and Buckeyes basketball legend in the late 1960s, Kegler was finally ready. He sent a copy of the tape to all the Ivy coaches. The phone finally rang. Pennsylvania liked what it saw. "He could shoot plus he was a pretty good athlete," Penn coach Fran Dunphy recalls of what he saw on that video tape. "We just saw something that was pretty impressive. It's difficult to scout and recruit off a film, but in this case, there was something there. He just seemed to be a kid you couldn't go wrong with." But Kegler did not immediately blossom with the Quakers. In his freshman season he struggled to overcome injuries and a lack of substantial playing time. He averaged less than a point per game. Although he saw more time as a sophomore, he still did not shine in the Penn system. "It's really frustrating not playing," Kegler says. "It's hard initially. I had never come off the bench in my career. I didn't like it a whole lot, but I adjusted to it. I sort of molded my game to it. By my junior year, I was comfortable with it." The team needed Kegler his junior year. He knocked down seemingly every open three-pointer he saw. He also led the Quakers in the intangibles as the guy who could do it all. Kegler occasionally helped with the ball handling duties. He played solid defense and was always able to draw the charge. But most importantly, he played with a contagious level of emotion and intensity. When Maloney was asked what Kegler adds to the Quakers, he sighed for a moment, then said it would probably be best to sit down since it was going to take a while. "Kegs is an integral part of our success," Maloney says. "He does more than just shoot the ball. He brings a lot of things to the table to help us win. Without him, I don't know what we'd do." Still, even as this season approached, Maloney did not know if Kegler would be in the starting lineup with him. Every major publication proclaimed Providence-transfer Ira Bowman the obvious choice to fill the void left by Pierce's graduation. Once again, people doubted Kegler's abilities. "It was a situation where I wanted to see how the first couple weeks of practice went and see what the best team was for us," Dunphy says. "There was no question Scott had earned the right to start. We decided to go with Scott in the starting lineup and see where it took us. Obviously, it's proven successful." The facts are undeniable. As Kegler's playing time increased, so did his performance. He has started every game this season and averages double figures. He's drained over 50 percent of his three-point attempts, placing him first in the Ivies and fifth nationally. He draws charges and consistently plays solid defense. He also leads the team from the free-throw line, connecting on 75 percent of his attempts. He even beat his old home-town idols Dec. 3, 1994 -- Penn 91, Ohio State 71. But all of these accolades may have never come if it weren't for that one display at the Spectrum last winter. "The La Salle game was certainly a time when he was recognized as being an excellent long-range shooter," Dunphy says. "He's always been a very good shooter, and he's got confidence in himself now. I think it's all part of the progression of Kegs."
(12/15/94 10:00am)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Penn runs the play countless times in practice. When the Quakers reach game time, it seems like an everyday routine. Jerome Allen lifts a closed fist at halfcourt. He penetrates, the defense collapses, then Allen finds fellow guards Matt Maloney or Scott Kegler spotting up for an open three-pointer. But after Penn had burned Michigan all night with that same play, the Wolverines were not going to let it happen with the game on the line. With the game tied at 60 and 15.3 seconds remaining, Allen brought the ball to midcourt. He didn't have to raise a closed fist -- everyone in Crisler Arena already knew what was coming. But this time, when Allen drove into the lane, the Michigan defenders stayed close to their men. So Allen took the shot himself. After struggling all night, Allen made the game winner. The eight-foot leaner over Jimmy King with 4.4 seconds left gave Penn the 62-60 victory. "I was struggling all night," Allen said. "To actually do something that was positive gave me a good feeling inside. I persevered through tough times." Those tough times almost cost Penn the game. Allen, the Quakers' leading scorer entering Tuesday night, connected on just two of his 10 prior shots. The 80-percent free-throw shooter also missed his one attempt from the charity stripe. His inbounds passes were stolen. He got called for a charging foul. To make matters worse, Allen also turned the ball over five times. The senior captain's troubles did not take place only on the offensive end of the floor. With Penn clinging to a four-point lead with just 55.5 seconds remaining, King took a long three-point attempt. The shot hit the rim and bounced out of the basket. But Allen had fouled King, who went to the line for three shots. After King hit two free throws, Michigan still trailed by two points. The Wolverines again called King's number. He penetrated past Allen and hit the tying layup high off the glass to tie the game at 60. Every mistake Allen made during the first 39 minutes, 55.6 seconds of the game was forgotten with his final shot. "He didn't have a particularly good game," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "But as usual, when those kinds of big shots needed to be taken and made, a kid like him will do it. I'm very thankful that he did." But Allen almost didn't make the shot. As he twisted and turned through the lane and guided the ball toward the basket, not everyone was convinced it was going in. "I didn't think it had a chance of going in," Kegler said. "He turned around, and I didn't think he thought it was going in." Even Allen couldn't explain what he did. "I really can't say what kind of shot it was," he said. "Jump shot? Half hook? Did I throw it up behind my head?" In the end, it doesn't really matter how it went in. All that counts is that it did go in.
(12/07/94 10:00am)
There was a time last year when the best player on the Penn men's basketball team was not Jerome Allen. It was not even Matt Maloney. It was senior forward Shawn Trice. Although most of the campus did not witness Trice dominate the U.S. West Cellular Air Time Tournament in Seattle last December, let me assure you he was indeed the best player on the floor for two nights. Hard as it may be to believe, Trice scored 42 points on 18-of-21 shooting. He grabbed a total of 14 rebounds against Washington and Georgia. But where has he gone in 1994? In the season opener against Canisius, he had nine points while the man he was guarding, Michael Meeks, torched him for a career-high 36 points. Trice followed that performance up with a 1-for-10 shooting night in Bethlehem during the Quakers' overtime win against Lehigh. Even in Penn's coming-out 20-point victory over Ohio State on Saturday, Trice was conspicuously absent. In 25 minutes of action, he took just three shots. If Penn expects to be a top-25 team, Trice will have to produce. He's heard it all his career, but the Quakers' future success rests on his shoulders. Allen and Maloney obviously must produce from the outside, but there must be an inside game to compliment one of the best backcourts in the country. And although Eric Moore is tearing apart opposing defenses now, his production will inevitably drop off as the Quakers begin the tougher part of their schedule. There is no way Moore will continue to pour in more than 15 points per game against the likes of Massachusetts' Marcus Camby and Temple's 6-foot-11 William Cunningham. Moore is not an extremely gifted athlete, but he gets the most out of his abilities. Trice has been inconsistent throughout his career. He performs best in Penn's biggest games, but he seems to lose his focus and drive in other contests. The Quakers cannot afford for this trend to continue. They need consistent production from the senior. It is time for Trice to step up his play, take better shots and help Penn on both ends of the floor. If Trice does not start playing up to his capabilities, the team will be in severe trouble in the long run. In the meantime, someone will have to fill the void while Trice tries to find himself. Moore has been playing admirably so far, but he needs help in the post. If it's not Trice, then Tim Krug will have to produce. Krug, like Trice, unfortunately has been plagued by inconsistency throughout his career. He can score more than 20 points one night, then come out and go scoreless the next. In 1994, more often than not, it's been closer to the latter. Against Canisius, he scored just two points on 1-of-8 shooting, including 0 for 2 from the free-throw line. Then, after instrumental contributions in the OT thriller over Lehigh, he connected on just 3 of 11 shots against the Buckeyes. To make matters worse, Krug consistently has been beaten on defense. He must start playing for the win rather than the highlight film. Too often, he goes for the blocked shot from behind his man instead of maintaining good defensive position. There comes a time when a player must place the success of the team above his statistics. That time has now come for Tim Krug. Joshua Friedman is a College senior from Beverly Hills, Calif., and Sport Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(12/01/94 10:00am)
Last season, for the first time in coach Randy Ayers' four years at the helm of the Ohio State men's basketball team, the Buckeyes did not qualify for a postseason tournament. And that was the good news for Ayers, whose squad plays Penn Saturday at the Palestra. Bigger problems loomed in the immediate future of this once proud basketball institution. In May, Ayers' prized incoming freshman, Damon Flint, was ruled ineligible to play for the Buckeyes after at least 17 NCAA violations were tied to his recruitment. The 6-foot-5 swingman has since enrolled at Cincinnati and OSU has been placed on probation. From there, the trouble just got worse. After two transfers and three dismissals, the Buckeyes will now have to struggle to repeat last season's success. And last season did not exactly go OSU's way, as the Buckeyes finished with a 13-16 record, their first losing season in 17 years. While other teams were dancing in the NCAA tournament, OSU received its second major blow. Charles Macon, a 6-7 forward and former Indiana Mr. Basketball, pleaded guilty to theft, drunken driving and marijuana possession. While serving a one-year suspension from the team, Macon failed out of the university. In April, Gerald Eaker, who led the team with 36 blocked shots last season, got in trouble with his teammates. His scholarship was lifted after he shot out the tire of a car owned by Antonio Watson. He left OSU after this incident. The month for Ayers, however, was just beginning. Rickey Dudley, one of the few big men on the Buckeyes was charged with drunken driving. After he failed to pay his $300 in fines and $69 in court costs, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Dudley paid these dues and returned to play tight end for the football team, and should be joining the hoops squad in the near future. Throughout these months, junior guard Greg Simpson was involved with an array of incidents. First he was arrested for drunken driving, then an assault charge was dropped and finally he was the get-away driver involved in the team shooting incident. As if these charges and problems were not enough, he was recently involved in a fight with a former girlfriend. And as the Buckeyes' days in courts mounted, the few remaining stars fled before the situation got worse. Derek Anderson, who led Ohio State against Penn last season with 23 points and some amazing heroics, transferred to Kentucky. Following this lead, Nate Wilbourne left for South Carolina. After all these defections and dismissals, OSU returns only 10 percent of its scoring, 11 percent of its rebounding and 12 percent of its assists. Last year's success may be hard for the Buckeyes to repeat
(11/21/94 10:00am)
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Mark DeRosa was in pain all week. After tearing ligaments in his thumb on his throwing hand, he was unable to throw a football until Thursday. But even after that carefully guarded performance, the coaches were not sure he was ready for Saturday. He didn't have the zip he usually has on his passes. He couldn't throw a tight spiral. And he was in extreme pain. He just wasn't himself. But Saturday meant too much. It was for a second consecutive perfect season. It was a Division I-AA record 21 straight wins. It was the last game in the seniors' careers. "It hurt," DeRosa admitted after the Quakers' 18-14 win Saturday over Cornell. "The decision was up to me of whether I could throw the ball, and I figured I had to at least go and find out. You're so caught up in the emotion of the game, you don't have time to let things bother you." DeRosa refused to let his thumb or the cast bother him Saturday. Even though he is having his right thumb operated on 8 a.m. today, he just wouldn't give in to the pain. Every time he went to the sideline, coach Al Bagnoli asked him about his thumb, but DeRosa would not come out of this game. "He's a tough kid to get a straight answer out of," Bagnoli said. "He kept saying, 'Feels great.' " Bagnoli made sure backup Steve Teodecki stayed ready on the sideline. And as Teodecki watched, DeRosa stenciled his name into the annals of Penn history as he threw for 360 yards, the most ever for a Red and Blue passer. DeRosa took every blitz, every knockdown and every sack Cornell could muster. And for more than 45 minutes, it appeared as if Bagnoli was making a mistake. In Penn's first series, DeRosa threw a slow pass behind Leo Congeni that was intercepted by Chris Hanson. His passes were continually batted down on the line. He missed Miles Macik open in the end zone. The passes were overthrown, underthrown and intercepted. And when he did complete passes, it just wasn't the same. DeRosa lofted passes he used to be able to bullet into his receivers. He found Felix Rouse behind the Big Red defense, but Rouse had to stop and wait for the ball -- a sure touchdown was turned into just a long completion. But DeRosa just kept coming. Regardless of the hits, he stayed in the pocket as long as he could. And finally, in that final period, he found his old high school teammate. Mark Fabish ran a post pattern, beat Andrew Slocum, and high-stepped into the end zone. "In high school, we always ran the post route," DeRosa said. "He's probably the fastest kid on the team. He can get behind anyone. We needed a big play to ignite us." And after DeRosa found Congeni to convert the the extra point, Penn found itself down by just three points with 14 minutes, 17 seconds remaining. After stalling six times in Cornell territory, the Quakers finally put an end to the drought. But the high-school connection was not done. With 4:20 left, Penn got the ball back with one last chance to win the game. After DeRosa was sacked, the Quakers faced a seemingly impossible third and 19. Fabish was supposed to cut across the middle. He was supposed to set up a short fourth-down play. But when Fabish saw the middle was clogged, he decided to run deep. "He made a beautiful read," DeRosa said. "I was looking for him across the middle. When I saw him take off, there was no hesitation. I had to go to him." After holding the ball for as long as he could, DeRosa finally let it go. As Fabish tucked it away, he landed on the one-yard line. The pain it took DeRosa to throw that pass wasn't even noticeable. The memory of the crushing blow delivered just one play earlier was forgotten. For a moment, DeRosa forgot he was wearing a cast on his hand. He ran down the field, and was too winded even to call the next play. Nothing was going to stop DeRosa. He called the play. The Quakers eventually fought their way into the end zone to take the lead for good. And Mark DeRosa didn't feel the pain.
(11/16/94 10:00am)
When he came into football camp this fall, Dana Lyons didn't know if he would play. He hoped he could fit into the defensive backfield somewhere, but with three starters returning, there was not much room. The only opening was at free safety, where all-Ivy player Jim Magallanes used to reside. But at a mere 160 pounds and a natural cornerback, Lyons does not appear big enough to play safety. How is a 160-pound defensive back supposed to tackle 200-pound fullbacks? How is he supposed to knock down mammoth tight ends? "That was the thing everybody was concerned about," Penn coach Al Bagnoli recalls. "At 160 pounds, was he going to be that consummate safety who comes in there and knocks down the 210-pound halfback? Could he run the alley and make a play?" Lyons has heard this before. His size kept major colleges away when he was in high school. But he always believed in himself. Even after sitting on the bench nearly the entire 1993 campaign, he knew he was good enough to play. He never had a doubt. "Even though I am undersized, I always had confidence in my abilities," he says. "I'm not afraid to stick my head in there, even though I'm a little bit overmatched sometimes." Lyons has rarely been overmatched this year. Bagnoli knows he is not going to deliver devastating tackles like all-Ivy sensations Michael Turner and Pat Goodwillie. But when a tackle has to be made, Lyons will be there. It is his responsibility to stop big plays. But more importantly, it is his responsibility to make defensive adjustments on the field. "He's done a great job," Turner says. "He stepped into the position and has done a great job making the calls. That's really important because he's running the show on the field. He's basically the coach in the backfield." This success does not come easy. Lyons spends hours watching films, making sure he knows everything the opposition might throw at the nation's top-ranked defense. "Once I get the field, I don't want anything to surprise me, to shock me. I don't think you can ever be too prepared," he says. That preparation has paid off. In the season-opener against Lafayette, however, he still felt nervous. He never really felt comfortable in Penn's star-studded defense. But then with Dartmouth on the Penn 14-yard line and marching late in the first half of the first league contest, Lyons intercepted Ren Riley's pass. After that play, he finally felt like he belonged. "I didn't feel like I had an identity with the defense," Lyons says. "After the interception, I really felt like I could make an impact. I just finally felt comfortable out there." And as he grew into his new position, Lyons began to get noticed. Against Brown, he made a diving interception grab on the Brown 23-yard line to set up a Penn score. Then at Franklin Field the following week, he upended Yale's 6-foot-3, 220-pound running back, Keith Price, on a key third-and-one play. "A couple of our guys bounced off Price and pushed him back a little bit," defensive coordinator Mike Toop remembers. "Dana was the one who came up and took him down for a two-yard loss." "He broke a few tackles," Lyons says. "I was there. It was the play I had to make." That's what makes Lyons the ultimate safety. He possesses the speed and coverage ability of a top cornerback, but is still strong enough to make the big tackles. Beyond the physical tools, Lyons has proven he has mastered the mental aspect of playing the most important position in Penn's top-ranked 5-2 defense. "He's done a great job," strong safety Nick Morris says. "He doesn't get caught up in the game and he doesn't bite on fakes. Nobody's hit a big play on us, and a lot of that is a tribute to his play." And as the Quakers prepare for their final game of 1994, Lyons has found a home at free safety.
(11/07/94 10:00am)
PRINCETON, N.J. -- In the first series of the second half, Penn starting quarterback Mark DeRosa was stepped on by the Princeton defense, literally. After lying on the grass for seemingly an eternity, he was carried to the sideline. There was no sign of the man who would eventually lead the Quakers to a 33-19 victory over the Tigers. Backup Steve Teodecki came in and tried to stall, but all eyes were still watching DeRosa writhing in pain on the trainer's tables. As they tended to his ankle, the play on the field was at a standstill. But after jogging with a severe limp on the Penn sideline, DeRosa returned to lead the Quaker offense with 16 minutes, 42 seconds remaining in the contest. And from there, as Yale upset Cornell 24-14 in New Haven, 21,985 spectators watched the Quakers clinch at least a share of the Ivy League title behind the strong arm and agile feet of Mark DeRosa. "It was a definite lift just to know Mark was okay, but it was more of a lift when he came out and completed his first pass," Penn wide receiver Miles Macik said of DeRosa's return. "It's not to say we don't have confidence in Steve Teodecki, because we do. But right now, Mark's our man and he's doing a great job back there. We were really excited when he came back in." When he had to, DeRosa (18 for 30, 243 yards, 3 touchdowns) had little difficulty finding his receivers. On a long third down, the red-shirt freshman bulleted the ball into Macik's all-American hands for a first down. Then he hit Leo Congeni crossing over the middle. To put Penn up by a two-touchdown margin, he lofted it up to Macik once again for a 23-yard touchdown strike and a 26-12 lead with only 9:26 remaining. Just 23 seconds later, DeRosa scrambled and pump faked before connecting with Macik (9 catches for 102 yards, 2 TDs) high-stepping for yet another 23-yard touchdown, putting the game out of reach and guaranteeing the Quakers their second consecutive Ivy title. "We went into the game with such high hopes and great expectations," Princeton wide receiver Marc Ross said. "Now, we're a part of Penn getting the championship. We tried to deter them from getting that. It makes it hard to take." The first half, however, was not as flawless as Penn would have liked. After floundering around and looking quite inept on its first possession of the game, Penn came back to score on two consecutive drives. The first, featuring numerous DeRosa bootlegs and quick passes, resulted in a 30-yard Andy Glockner field goal. After holding the Tigers, Mark Fabish returned the ensuing punt 30 yards to set up a seemingly effortless 28-yard drive in Penn's very next four plays. The Quakers took advantage of a pass interference penalty called against Princeton's Jimmy Archie at the two-yard line to set up a DeRosa short-arm pass to Warren Rosborough for a touchdown. But after the extra point went wide, Princeton came back with trick plays and a little luck to score two unanswered touchdowns and take the lead temporarily. The Tigers' craftiness came in the form of option runs, play-action passes and numerous Marc Ross reverses. The second score was set up when Fabish fumbled a punt at the Penn 16-yard line. But even then, the Tigers should have known the game was not going their way. Brian Buckman's first extra point sailed wide left. Then his next conversion attempt was blocked by Michael Juliano, and Kevin Allen returned the ball 84 yards to cut Princeton's lead to 12-11. And then with only 3:01 showing on the clock in the first half, running back Terrance Stokes (31 carries for 110 yards, 1 TD) and Macik propelled Penn on a 60-yard drive, capped off by a Stokes 13-yard run and a two-point conversion to take a 19-12 lead into the intermission. "They spread the ball around well," Princeton coach Steve Tosches said. "We tried to put as much pressure on the quarterback as we possibly could. DeRosa made some great plays. He really rose to the occasion today." But when the Quakers took over after halftime, DeRosa was trampled during the second play, and left the game for most of the remainder of the third period. The Tigers, however, were unable to capitalize on their good fortune. Their one scoring opportunity, a 19-yard field goal attempt, was blocked by Juliano once again. And then before Princeton knew it, DeRosa was back in leading the Penn offense. From there, the Quakers marched to their 19th consecutive victory, one shy of the Division I-AA record. When the final gun sounded, although the goal posts remained standing, Penn was crowned Ivy League champion for the second straight season.
(11/07/94 10:00am)
He doesn't get to play much. He probably only sees the field three or four plays a game. So when Michael Juliano does get out there, he makes sure his efforts count. Saturday, this seldom-used defensive end was the catalyst that turned the game in Penn's favor. After Princeton marched for its second touchdown to go up 12-9 as the game neared halftime, the latest a Penn opponent has had a lead this year, Juliano came out to attempt to block the extra point. As Juliano came out onto the field, he looked around. He looked at safety Nick Morris and Jamie Daniels. They were stunned, in disbelief. No one could comprehend that the Tigers, in just over 23 minutes, had scored more points than any previous Quaker opponent had in an entire game. Juliano saw the team was down. The senior screamed at his teammates to get them into the game. But when that did not work, he picked his play up. As Princeton's Brian Buckman attempted the extra point, Juliano leapt through the air and sent the pigskin back towards the Tiger end zone. Kevin Allen scooped up the loose ball, and Juliano turned and looked at senior co-captain Michael Turner. They both knew no one was going to catch the speedy cornerback. And as the realization of what Juliano had just done sunk in, he jumped into Turner's arms. "It feels great to be a part of the team," Juliano said. "Usually I come in when it's 40-0, but this time I helped the team win. I don't mind if all I do is block kicks, because it's an important part of the team." Saturday, it proved to be an extremely important part of the game. Instead of being down by four points, suddenly the Quakers were within one. Suddenly, even though Penn was losing, the Quakers had the momentum. Juliano, who blocked a key extra point against Dartmouth and preserved Penn's shutout over Brown with a blocked field-goal attempt, has proved to be very valuable. Even coach Al Bagnoli admitted he was moving up the depth chart with his inspired performances. "Mike Juliano had a great game," the usually reserved coach said. "There's one of those unsung kids you never hear about. He had a great game. He's proved to be very, very valuable for us." But Juliano, never the raven for attention, gave all the credit to his teammates. "It was all the push by the front guys," Juliano said. "They crushed the center and all I have to do is jump. Really, it is pretty easy. I just look at the kicker and only think about him." At least Juliano makes it look pretty easy. In the third quarter, he did it again. He blocked a 19-yard field-goal attempt, protecting Penn's touchdown lead. As the ball went off his head and sailed wide right, the Quakers seemed to be rejuvenated. But even this stellar performance seemed to go unnoticed. Juliano didn't get to go to the press conference with his more celebrated teammates. In the locker room, however, his teammates know how important he was. Not one player passes him without patting him on the head. Not one player walks by him without yelling out his name. Defensive coordinator Mike Toop smokes a well-earned victory cigar, but he knows it was Juliano who lit it for him. And as Miles Macik and Mark DeRosa answered questions during the press conference, Juliano did his job and headed for the showers, just glad to be a part of the team. Just glad to contribute.
(11/01/94 10:00am)
It was just a routine trap block up the middle. The running back, Terrance Stokes, took the handoff and ran right up the gut of the defense. Matt Tonelli, just a sophomore at the time, playing in his first varsity game, delivered a devastating block out of the tight end position. And although Stokes only gained about two yards on the play, it would be impossible to tell that from Tonelli's reaction. "Matt absolutely flattened the kid," Penn tight ends coach Brian Bowers recalls. "Matt had no concept of what was gained. He just got up, raised his arms in the air -- so proud of his block. When we watched the film, we all saw it and laughed because it was just a two-yard gain and you have this kid on the field going crazy." That is how Tonelli plays. His coaches may have thought at the time he was just an overexcitable kid playing in his first game. His teammates may have not understood what was going on. But Tonelli was just being himself, playing with the emotion of a child on a shopping spree at Toys 'R' Us. "He's always the most emotional guy on the field," fellow tight end Warren Rosborough says. "Whenever Miles Macik scores a touchdown, he is always the first to hug him and go crazy." But even with such displays of enthusiasm on the field, some how, some way, this charismatic leader seems to get lost in the shuffle behind all the great Penn football players. At the end of practice, his name does not even get announced in front of all of his teammates. "It gets kind of upsetting," Tonelli says of the lack of attention. "I mean, they just kind of forget about you. But all that matters is that the quarterback doesn't forget you." And although Tonelli relishes the spotlight and making the big catch, his fundamental responsibility as the starting tight end is blocking. In an offensive alignment that rarely utilizes a fullback, the Quakers rely heavily on the tight ends to trigger the ground attack. "His primary responsibility is the running game," Bowers says. "We tell them, 'You have to be able to block or you're not going to be able to play tight end.' In our program, our running game is based on our tight ends, so you better be able to block or you're not going to see the field." Ironically, it was Tonelli's desire to catch the ball that attracted him to Penn. To hear him describe it, "There's nothing better than getting the ball and hearing the crowd go wild." But as a high schooler from Gilberts, Ill., raised primarilly on basketball, he had heard very little about the Quakers. Once he visited the campus and met Al Bagnoli's staff, he was sold. "I saw there were a lot of possibilities," Tonelli says of his decision to attend Pennsylvania. "They made me feel at home, and I knew they used the tight end a lot." But Tonelli's relationship with the Penn coaching staff has not always gone the way he originally expected it. On the road trip against Dartmouth earlier this season, after arriving late in the evening, his roommate, Brian Higgins, still vividly recalls how Tonelli earned the pair extra running after practice. Since they both were thirsty, they headed to the vending machine down the hall. However, when they found it was broken, they headed downstairs to the hotel lobby in order to find something to drink. Naturally, upon seeing the hotel bar, they headed in and ordered their Cokes? "We looked up and saw ESPN SportsCenter, so we decided to sit down and watch it," Higgins recalls in a humorous light. "Matt said, 'Let's sit down and watch this.' I told him I wasn't sure about it, but he said it would be alright. A few minutes later, all the coaches walked in. Coach Bagnoli came right over. We got nailed drinking Cokes on a Thursday night on the road." Although the coaches may have gotten on Tonelli's case that September night in Hanover, they have rarely had reason to criticize his play on the field. "I think he has the ability to do it all," Bowers gloats. "He's definitely athletic enough for this league, by far. I think we have a good one."
