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(01/28/00 10:00am)
Incoming Executive Editor Binyamin Appelbaum, a College junior, will lead the student-run boards. Nothing lasts forever. And so tomorrow night, the tenure of the 115th Board of Managers and Editors of The Daily Pennsylvanian will come to an end. For the last year, these 27 men and women have spent countless hours at the DP offices on 4015 Walnut Street, to ensure that the Penn community would have 14,000 printed papers everyday. When this group hands over control of the University's independent student newspaper tomorrow night at the DP's annual inaugural banquet, there will be mixed emotions. The 115th Board may not miss sleepless nights, but the constant air of excitement and pride will never be forgotten. Over the last 12 months, the newspaper's editors and managers have covered the change in the University's alcohol policy, the construction of Sundance Cinemas and the unveiling of plans for Hamilton Village. The Daily Pennsylvanian was also recognized as one of the country's finest publications as a Pacemaker finalist. Additionally, the DP's excellence was recognized for both editorial content and business accomplishment. And changes have been made within the organization to improve the quality of product delivered to the Penn community everyday. Several redesigns of dailypennsylvanian.com have made the site more user-friendly and attractive. 34th Street Magazine printed hard-hitting news features and well-written entertainment reviews. The results have meant a better product and more growth. The newspaper recorded its highest profits in history for the second straight year. Beginning next Monday, 30 new editors and managers will work to continue the tradition of quality and excellence that accompanies the DP's names. Executive Editor-elect Binyamin Appelbaum, a College junior from Newton, Mass., will lead the 116th Board of Managers and Editors. Appelbaum served as the newspaper's editorial page editor last year. Before that, he covered the health system, retail and city politics as a beat reporter. Appelbaum plans to improve the depth of coverage in the DP in the upcoming year. He also intends to reach out to the community and work with different groups at Penn. Flanking Appelbaum will be Managing Editor-elect Ben Geldon and Business Manager-elect Brett Rose. The triumvirate will lead the 30 editors and managers into a new millennium of DP excellence. Geldon, a College junior from Bethesda, Md., served as the city news editor on the 115th board, and covered crime and legal affairs prior to his editorial stint. Geldon will be responsible for the newspaper's day-to-day editorial operations and content. He intends to emphasize stronger feature writing and more investigative and enterprising news coverage. Rose, a native of Milwaukee, was the newspaper's marketing manager during the past semester, helping to revive the department. In the Huntsman Program, Rose plans to major in International Studies and Spanish in the College, and Marketing and Communications in Wharton. He will act as vice president of the corporation and run the newspaper's business board.
(11/19/99 10:00am)
Let's get the obvious out of the way. Michael Jordan played badly Wednesday night. Jordan will be the first to admit he wasn't an offensive force. "I shot like shit," Jordan said. But, make no mistakes -- this is Michael Jordan's team. · During Jordan's painful showing in Rupp Arena, what produced more pain was the obvious realization that no matter how well David Klatsky handles the ball, how many threes Langel hits or how many eyebrows Ugonna Onyekwe raises, Jordan is simply irreplaceable. The reason isn't necessarily his scoring production, though he is sure to equal or better his 15.3 points per game average of last season. But Jordan didn't even come close to those numbers last night in his 34 minutes of playing time. In fact, Jordan actually missed more shots (12) than any of his teammates took (Langel attempted 11). The next highest total of minutes on the team was registered by center Geoff Owens, who was on the court for just under 28. No one else topped the 25-minute mark. While Jordan drew nothing but air on two of his shot attempts, not one of the 21,451 fans in attendance could question his heart. He is often the teams' offensive leader, but he is always its emotional leader. Langel's heroics and the inspired play of the freshmen kept Penn in the game. But without Jordan, the Quakers had no chance of getting back on top. If he hits a key shot, maybe Lamar Plummer hits one of his five threes or Frank Brown doesn't get shut out of the scorebook. But this team thrives on his energy and the success that usually comes from that energy. Even with his effort falling short, Jordan tried to lead his David over Kentucky's Goliath. Usually, if his shot isn't falling, at least his hustle gets results. "I just tried to tell them, 'Don't worry about it, keep playing hard, eventually it will work out as long as we stay calm,'" Jordan said. "But I guess it wasn't good advice. It didn't work for me." He plays every game like it might be his last, but after all, how can your team follow your example when the results just aren't there? "Personally, I just tried to keep playing hard," Jordan said, "and I thought shots would fall and they didn't. Coach [Gil] Jackson told me to keep shooting and not abandon my shot, but they just never fell." "It was an off-night. I tried to pick up defensively. I just couldn't finish down the other end." · Jordan didn't score until 22 minutes had expired in the game. He missed his first six field goal attempts, and as the Kentucky faithful deemed him a different type of "Air Jordan," he continued to play like a bat out of hell anyway. In typical Jordan fashion, when he finally produced some offense, it counted most. With the Quakers trailing, 34-28, Jordan hit a baseline jumpshot, bringing Penn within four. On Kentucky's ensuing trip down the floor, Geoff Owens rebounded a Jamaal Magloire miss. Jordan found the ball and with his trademark first step, drove into the lane for a finger roll. 34-32. It seemed like a turning point in the game. In 17 seconds, Jordan had four points. Two minutes later, with Penn back down by four, Jordan stormed the Quakers back downcourt and found Onyekwe for a short jumper from the left side. 36-34. In two fast and furious minutes, Jordan played his normal game. Then came the real turning point in the game. Kentucky blew the game open, and just four minutes later, Penn was 12 behind the Wildcats. Jordan and the Quakers made one last-ditch effort to get back in it. At the 13:35 mark in the second half, Jordan missed his fifth three-point attempt on the night. But he flew down the court and blind-sided a Saul Smith pass for his only steal of the game. Streaking down the floor in pursuit of his fifth and sixth points, Kentucky freshman Marvin Stone tracked his course and blocked Jordan's layup attempt. Once again, Jordan got himself back into the play, blocking Tayshaun Prince's three-point attempt on the other end -- only to have Prince dually recover and block Jordan's fast-break layup. In the 38-second span, Jordan missed his fifth three-pointer, had two shots blocked and tallied one steal and one block. Jordan struggled mightily, and so did his teammates. It epitomized his night. He couldn't find a way to win and the collective gasp of the team could almost be heard over the raucous crowd. When all was said and done, Jordan had a terrible game, maybe his worst in a Penn uniform. And he'll be the first to tell you that. Sure, it came at an inopportune time. But no matter how well anyone else plays, the barometer for this team's success is Jordan. That became painfully obvious Wednesday night. And, though he won't admit it, he knows that much is true. "I guarantee you that shit will never happen again," Jordan said. "I guarantee you, I will never shoot that poorly again."
(11/18/99 10:00am)
Several Penn freshmen saw significant minutes off the bench last night. LEXINGTON, Ky. -- With eight minutes left in the second half and Penn down by 16 points, the Quakers' future was on display in Rupp Arena last night. Penn point guard David Klatsky stood on the free throw line with fellow freshmen Ugonna Onyekwe and Koko Archibong waiting to battle for rebounding position in the paint. In that snapshot moment, Klatsky buried both of his free throws and it became clear that Penn's future is now. Operating in an environment saturated with basketball history, Penn coach Fran Dunphy redefined some of his own history. Normally hesitant to give freshmen playing time of any magnitude, Dunphy relied heavily on the newcomers in last night's high-pressure game in the first round of the Preseason NIT. The new look started early, as freshman Klatsky was the first Quaker off of the bench, replacing Matt Langel just five minutes into the game. "The fact is that we gave the freshmen minutes and I thought they responded pretty well," Dunphy said. Battling nationally ranked Kentucky, traditional wisdom and Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, Penn's experience may have been a possible edge. But Klatsky, Onyekwe and Archibong piled on the minutes and, in spite of the 17-point loss, provided a glimpse of what more may come this season. Even off-guard Duane King got into the action down the second-half stretch. "I think the freshmen all realized what our roles are," Onyekwe said. "We understand that our first year, some of us may not play as much as we want to. But everyone is handling it well and doing what is best for the team to win." Onyekwe was often the best Quaker on the court, totaling 14 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes. The freshman power forward continually provided Penn with a strong inside presence, rebounding well at both ends of the court. Onyekwe's versatility was equally impressive, as he added a three-pointer to his stat sheet. "He played really well. He knocked down some open jumps shots, and caught us off guard a little bit, because he wasn't on our scouting report," Kentucky point guard Saul Smith said. "But everybody in the country knows he can play now." In the backcourt, Klatsky was better than adequate. From the moment he got his first action, just five minutes into the contest, Klatsky exhibited a comfort level equal to that of anyone on the court. "Dave is a real smart player," Dunphy said. "He made just one glaring mistake, trying to make a long pass to over the Kentucky defense in transition. Other than that, he is a very good decision maker." Klatsky's first college points came on a three-pointer that ignited a Penn run midway through the first half. "We were struggling our buns off in the first half trying to get something going, and he made a huge three," Dunphy said. "That really meant a lot to us." The play of Koko Archibong may best explain Dunphy's reasons for the extensive playing time for the freshmen. Archibong played 18 minutes but didn't score. His play, however, proved inspiring to a Penn team that became visibly frustrated at times. At any given point of the game, Archibong could be found diving for an array of loose balls or challenging the Wildcats' big men down in the post. "Even Koko, who didn't score -- he's usually in the right spot," Dunphy said. "It is just a matter of time; it will come for him. He is going to be a real good player." Archibong ended with no points and only two rebounds but his versatility and hustle kept him in the game. Even King began to earn minutes late in the game, replacing Langel as a defensive specialist. King, a Kentucky native, capped off his homecoming with the first basket of his career, a three-pointer with just 1:13 remaining in the game. Overall, the freshman accounted for 48 percent of the Quakers offensive production. "I thought that Dave, Ugonna and Koko did a really nice job," Dunphy said. "To be thrown into an environment like this and perform the way they did, they have a really bright future."
(10/25/99 9:00am)
The winning formula for Ivy League football may have revealed itself. Start with a mobile, strong-armed quarterback, add several big, physical receivers and make them the focal point of your offense. Brown's aerial attack Saturday was anything but unexpected. James Perry has put together the best passing numbers in Ivy League history. The past several years, a game against the Bears has served as the test of any team's secondary. And most of the time, that secondary has lost -- big. Penn's secondary has been criticized in recent seasons. With Perry passing for 440 yards against the Quakers, similar blame could fall on the Penn defense again. The reality is that the Penn secondary may not be any better than the rest of the league, but it certainly isn't any worse. Brown is simply redefining the standards of an Ivy League passing game. Penn quarterback Gavin Hoffman is just a sophomore and his arm strength and passing accuracy may prove to be as good as Perry's in two years. However, even if that were the case, he still wouldn't have all of the tools that Perry has to run a prolific passing attack. What separates Perry and Brown from the rest of the Ivy League quarterbacking club is their receiving corps. Their size, even more than their excellent speed, make it nearly impossible for Ivy League defensive backs to shut down this offense. Steven Campbell is 6'3" and 220 pounds. Billy Rackley is 6'0" and 200 pounds. These two Brown receivers combined for 18 receptions for 336 yards. "With the receivers that we have, it makes it an easy job in the system that we run," Perry said. "Steve makes great plays and the yards after catch is through the roof." In comparison, Hoffman's top wide receiving targets, Rob Milanese and Brandon Carson, are 5'10" and 5'11" respectively. The responsibility of covering the two physically imposing Brown receivers fell upon defensive backs Joey Alofaituli and Anthony DeSalle. Alofaituli supports 175 pounds on his 5'10" frame, while DeSalle checks in at 5'11" and 180 pounds. Brown carried the advantage of a mismatch from the start. Two of Perry's other receiving options Saturday were Bears freshman Chas Gessner and sophomore tight end David Brookman. Gessner, who caught two passes, measures in at 6'5" and 200 pounds. Brookman is an inch shorter than Gessner, but weighs 240 pounds. An offense that can run timing routes with physically imposing receivers, as Perry did so often Saturday, is devastating in this league. The Brown quarterback took quick three-step drops and lofted high passes towards the sidelines or corners of the endzone. And he just let his receivers battle for the ball. More often than not, big, physical receivers are going to win those battles. Even Brown's starting secondary would match up unfavorably. Their four starting defensive backs measure up at 5'10", 5'10", 5'11", and 6' tall. What is even more devastating for Ivy League defenses against a team like the Bears is the adjustments they have to make. Saturday, Penn made the necessary adjustments to try to defend against the Brown passing game. The Quakers tried different defensive schemes, including zone packages, looking to incorporate the help of safeties Eric Bunn (6'0" and 190 pounds) and Hasani White (5'11" and 190 pounds), who match up more favorably against the Brown receivers. But then the middle of the field opened up. And Perry, Campbell and Rackley began dissecting the Penn with routes over the middle. Perry even got the backfield involved in the passing game. Tailback Michael Malan and fullback Michael Borgonzi combined for eight catches. When the two got into the defensive backfield against the Quakers, they too presented matchup problems for the Penn backs. Both Malan and Borgonzi check in at 5'11" and both weigh more than 200 pounds. Obviously, the size of the receivers doesn't matter if they can't catch the ball. But Brown has found big receivers who can run and catch, and in the meantime has redefined passing game excellence in the Ivy League. "We knew coming in that the onus was on us, the d-backs," Alofaituli said. "All week the coaches put in a really good scheme for us. We came in with confidence but we knew we were up against good competition in their receivers and Perry. A combination of a few blown assignments and that they just made some great plays kind of set us back" The coaches may have put together really good schemes. But for the Quakers to shut down the passing game, execution would still have needed to be perfect. And that will never happen. Maybe Penn needs to follow suit, recruiting bigger receivers to punish the rest of the Ivy League defensive backfields. Or if the Quakers are happy with their receiving corps, maybe it's time to raise the standard on the other side of the ball, and go find some big, physical defensive backs.
(10/08/99 9:00am)
Not to take anything away from Bolinder, but that's not how it was supposed to happen. Hoffman's two touchdown passes, to this point in the season, were supposed to be scripted for Doug O'Neill and Brandon Carson -- and there were supposed to be more of them. In this young 1999 football season, Hoffman has not met his high expectations with just one 200-yard passing game and four interceptions versus two touchdowns. But the Northwestern transfer was tagged with "savior" status at a time when everyone thought his arrival would be eased by the presence of an experienced receiving corps. Then again, any young quarterback is better when he walks onto a field and his top four receivers combined for 109 catches for 1,545 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. But Hoffman and the Quakers had a rude awakening. David Rogers took his 29 catches for 405 yards on a Mormon mission this season. Then Dave O'Neill's 10 catches for 165 yards were declared ineligible. Finally, Doug O'Neill's 42 catches for 506 yards found the infirmary when he tore a ligament in his knee. And to make matters worse, Carson has been banged up the first three weeks. "I don't know if it's been difficult, but it has been trying sometimes," Hoffman said. "When you get so many reps with Doug in the preseason, then you kind of have to start all over again with the other guys. Even if Doug was still here, it would still be something to work on, because they are different receivers than I am used to." Carson quickly became Hoffman's only wide receiver with significant experience. Left to pick up the slack were Jason Battung, Colin Smith and Rob Milanese. The 49-yard touchdown was Bolinder's only catch of the season; he is listed as a quarterback on the Quakers' roster. Battung is also a former quarterback, playing his first full season at wideout as a junior. And Milanese and Smith are both sophomores. They all may be very talented receivers, just as Hoffman may be a very talented signal caller. But between the four of them, there is a whole lot of inexperience. "I only had a couple of weeks here before the first game," Hoffman said. "There are different speeds out there and there are different ways to run routes. At Northwestern I spent the whole summer getting my timing down with receivers and when I came here I had two weeks to do the same thing. It is a process." Hoffman's job was made exponentially more difficult by having to learn the nuances of a new group of receivers while still finding a comfort zone in this offense. No matter how great the understanding for any system on paper, execution takes time. The same stigma was attached to the running back situation before Kris Ryan emerged as a dominant performer. Ryan is sophomore who is relatively inexperienced. However, the pieces are in place for his game to thrive, running behind senior lead blocker Brian Cosmello and a primarily veteran offensive line. "The pass game is always going to take a little longer than the run game," Penn offensive coordinator Chuck Priore said. "We have a kid step up at running back and we've had some decent performances on the offensive line overall. But we haven't had someone step up at wide receiver or at quarterback to this point." With inexperience comes mental errors. A strong receiving corps would have given Hoffman the time he needed to work through those mental errors and still produce good numbers. Bad reads by Hoffman might turn into catches with savvy wideouts. But now, if Hoffman makes a bad read and his receiver runs the wrong route, it will look like Hoffman threw a pass directly at the defensive backs. Hoffman's numbers aren't great. But they aren't bad either. "Hoffman's not getting any big plays -- partly because the line doesn't protect, partly because his receivers aren't running the right routes but partly because he isn't playing as well as he can either because he is still learning," Priore said. "He is a good player but he is only as good as everyone else around him is. "The problem that everybody has is that everybody says he is going to be a savior. But as soon as he and everyone around him realize he is just part of the team, the better off we'll be." It's real easy to blame the quarterback when the passing game is off. But as the receivers go, so goes this offense.
(09/21/99 9:00am)
DiStanislao replaces Carolyn Schlie Femovich, who left Penn after 17 years with the University to become commissioner of the Patriot League this past summer. DiStanislao will serve as Penn's senior women's administrator. In her time at Penn, Femovich did much to improve the state of women's athletics at Penn. "Growing up, I spent my evenings with my family at the Palestra, so coming to Penn and its environment is very exciting and comfortable for me," DiStanislao said in statement released yesterday. "But more importantly, the University's philosophy, the quality of the student-athletes and the position Penn enjoys in the Ivy League are the reasons I am here. "I'm thrilled to be the newest member of the outstanding management team Steve Bilsky has built in the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics." DiStanislao brings a wealth of experience to the Athletic Department. From 1976 to 1980, she served as women's basketball coach at Northwestern, where she led the Wildcats to two Big Ten titles. After that, she moved on to Notre Dame, where she turned the Fighting Irish into a top-20 program and won three conference titles. After her coaching career, DiStanislao earned an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern and went on to work for several corporations. Most recently, she served as associate director of the MBA Career Management Program at the Wharton School. "We had some very talented applicants but Mary stood out because of the diversity she has had in her career," Bilsky said in the same statement. "She has the talent and sensitivity to relate well to coaches, staff and student-athletes and the confidence to manage our extensive intercollegiate program." DiStanislao will join the Athletic Department on September 27. -- Rick Haggerty
(09/15/99 9:00am)
Though Hunt was successful, helping her team to a 1-1 record, she only played because of a continuing trend in Penn women's sports -- Anne Kluetmeier, last year's starter and still a Penn student, no longer plays for the Penn women's soccer team. In 1998, Kluetmeier set school records for fewest goals allowed (14), goals against average (.870) and shutouts in a season (10). For her statistical accomplishments, Kluetmeier was named All-Ivy Honorable Mention. So why didn't she play? "When I first got back to school after the summer, I wasn't really into playing soccer," Kluetmeier said. "I came out and played, but since I wasn't into it, I wasn't playing to the best of my ability. So I thought about it for a while and then I told coach I was going to quit." Kluetmeier is just the most recent female student-athlete at Penn to remove "athlete" from her title. In 1996, nine women came to Penn to play soccer. Only five are still with the team. And that is one of the more successful women's programs at Penn. Four years ago, the women's basketball team brought in four freshman to play at Penn. Only one of those four is expected to play this year. Of the 11 women recruited to play field hockey in 1996, only six are still with the team. And of the eight women recruited to play softball that year, only three are still playing. The volleyball team has kept two of its three 1996 recruits. But other factors can be used to measure problems with women's athletics at Penn. There are 13 women's varsity sports -- excluding women's golf which is in its first season -- and eight of the head coaches have fewer than three years of experience. "I believe that it's time for Penn to take a close look at the environment for their women programs in general," a former Penn head coach said. "There has been a large turnover in women's staff, you might even say an exodus in the past three to five years. There has become a greater emphasis placed on winning and greater responsibilities placed on fundraising, compliance and recruiting. "All of this leaves less time to coach and to interact with their team. As this occurs, coaches lose touch with their athletes and their team. Perhaps they could prevent some players from making that decision to quit." And when seniors like Kluetmeier leave their teams, young players are left with instability as their model. "This becomes an unfortunate sequence of events," the former coach said. "Not only is it the model, but you do not have the experienced athletes on teams who can support, understand and nurture the younger athletes. The cycle repeats itself and the model solution becomes quitting." It simply is time for Penn, and many other schools, to examine their women's athletics programs. Penn athletics is at a disadvantage to other schools to begin with. There are no scholarship opportunities and there is simply very little glamour in women's athletics. The only motivation for a female athlete is pure love of the sport. "The restrictions that the Ivy League puts on sports is a problem," Kluetmeier said. "We are supposed to focus more on academics and spend less time on the field. So we don't get to practice as much. That makes it hard to build a program." And if women are not getting a chance to play, the choice becomes easy. There simply isn't enough time to devote to athletics and a grueling curriculum. "If people aren't playing, or they don't feel like they are being given an opportunity to play," said senior softball player Michelle Zaptin, one of three players remaining from an eight-person recruiting class, "they aren't going to put in the time." The softball team also is one of the eight women's programs with a new head coach in the last three years. Carol Kashow coached just her second season at Penn last year. While Zaptin says the coaching change worked out well for her, she acknowledged that the lack of continuity in some programs can cause problems. "People come in and they are joining a program because they like a particular coach," Zaptin said. "It is difficult when things change and you are an upperclassmen." This has become the model for women's athletics at Penn, not the exception. In this era dictated by Title IX, one has to ask what the reality of gender equity really is. With the addition of women's golf, there are 14 women's sports at Penn -- compared to the men's 15. But, in the opinion of the former Penn coach, "the only real 'satisfied' athletes at Penn play football and men's basketball. "You might ask why? They have the most money to do more like take trips and buy equipment, and they get the most attention and respect, especially within the support structure of the Athletic Department. The model for them is completely different than it is for most, if not all the women's programs." Women's sports has come a long way. But the numbers show that large numbers of female athletes are not happy. So Penn and many other schools must continue to search for ways to bring true "equity" to women's athletics. You wouldn't play sports anymore either if it wasn't fun.
(09/10/99 9:00am)
But he has never won without a running back who rushed for 1,000 yards. Last season was the most recent example of this phenomenon. Jim Finn rushed for a school record 1,450 yards and the Quakers earned their third set of championship rings under Bagnoli. In 1993 and 1994, Terrance Stokes produced back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons (1,211 and 1,052, respectively). Penn went undefeated both seasons. It seems like a simple equation. This season, Penn will be hard pressed to find that 1,000-yard back. With the graduation of Finn, Bagnoli has moved to a quartet of backs to establish the Quakers ground game. Mike Verille, Kris Ryan, Matt Thomas and Brian Cosmello are all expected to earn a significant portion of the carries this season. Those four players produced eight carries at the college level last year, six of which came when Verille was in a Duke uniform. Quarterback Matt Rader's graduation has been eased by the arrival of Northwestern transfer Gavin Hoffman. But without a clear starter at the tailback position, the 6'6" Hoffman may double-take every time he hands off the football. "Hopefully with the four different pieces, we can find a running game that is effective," Bagnoli said. "I don't think we have any illusions that we can replace Jim Finn with just one kid. We don't have someone that can carry the ball 40 times, catch passes, pick-up blitzes and do everything that we wanted him to do." None of the four is expected to carry the ball 40 times a game like Finn did. None of the four is expected to show the ability to get to the corner on one play and carry five defenders on his back the next, like Finn did. And if all four share playing time, none of the four is expected to rush for 1,000 yards this season. But if the Quakers want to earn another title, they must establish a ground attack, or defenses will feast on the young Hoffman. Without a running game, wide receivers Doug O'Neill and Brandon Carson will have to fend off multiple defensive backs in the field. "There is a definite role that the running game plays in the sense that it is the backbone of this offense, and it has been forever," Verille said. "A good running game just makes an offense tougher. As great as it is to have a guy like Gavin come in and have a lot of receivers come back, we know that if we can't run the ball, we are not going to be successful." Still, the Quakers think they can win with a committee of running backs. Each player brings a different style to the playing field. Verille, like Rader a former Blue Devil, is expected to see the ball more than any back but Ryan. His cutback style of running led to 9.3 yards per carry in high school. In contrast, Ryan is expected simply to run people over. At 6'3" and 235 pounds, the sophomore may be more reminiscent of Finn than the other backs, though he lacks Finn's true speed. In addition to his abilities as a tailback, Ryan should see plenty of snaps as a blocking back. "At the collegiate level you have to expect a certain amount of success from a group of running backs," Ryan said. "We have some pretty decent talent in the backfield. Having a good camp has made us all better. I think we are comfortable within the system and we know what we have to do." The remainder of the carries will fall to Thomas, a sophomore, and three-time letter winner Brian Cosmello. Thomas gained experience as a junior varsity player last season and should contribute this year. Cosmello, a fullback, may be the most important piece of the equation. While Bagnoli says Cosmello will carry the ball more, his greatest asset to the Quakers will still come as a blocking back. "If you put Brian Cosmello in front of anybody, they are going to look good," Verille said. "His blocks can make any back look good." The 6'2" senior has been the starting fullback for 25 consecutive games. And last season Cosmello earned second-team All-Ivy League honors without carrying the ball once. Naturally, much of the burden will fall on the offensive line and Cosmello's ability to pick up a rushing linebacker. But the offensive line is established and deep. Starters Jason Lebron, Mike Bertolino and Carmelo Rubano are all experienced. Barring injury, the holes should open for the running backs. But will the backs hit the holes? The running backs do not have to replace Jim Finn. Bagnoli and the Quakers would welcome such individual excellence but it is unlikely they will find it. But what they do have to replace is Finn's ability to draw the defensive focus away from the passing game. If Ryan, Verille and company can establish the run, Hoffman's transition to the Ivy League will be made easy. If they can't, Bagnoli may have to wait until he finds another 1,000-yard back before earning title number four.
(05/27/99 9:00am)
Graduation weekend was a time of celebration and joy for many graduating seniors. Bright futures lie ahead and vivid memories will be left behind. The Baccalaureate Service -- which took place the Sunday before Commencement -- traditionally separates itself from the normal graduation weekend ceremonies as a celebration aimed at the entire Penn community. While many of the other Commencement events glorify the academic and extracurricular achievements of the seniors, Baccalaureate tries to celebrate the diversity of culture and religion that exists at Penn. With performances by two a capella groups, speeches by University administrators and readings of varied religious texts, the service offered a taste of the cultural diversity that can be said to define institutions like Penn. But you have to wonder: For how many seniors was this the first taste of that diversity? All too often, students wander through four years of school without exploring the cultural diversity that our school offers. And it may be the single greatest resource a student can choose to ignore. It is possible to go back later and read the historical or scientific lessons that we may have neglected in our college careers. But the unique setting that college provides will never again be available. It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to find the same sheer diversity in a small accessible area like the Penn campus. University President Judith Rodin said these "life lessons" are often as important as scholarly pursuits of classroom and laboratories. But we have to try and utilize the experiences available at Penn. For example, how many of the 1000 people in attendance at the service, who were not Muslim, had ever heard a reading from the Koran? Gerald Wolpe, who was the event's featured speaker and the senior rabbi of Har Zion Congregation in Philadelphia since 1969, relayed the importance of open-minded thinking to his audience. He told the crowd that he sees the quest for "self-identification" occupying society's thoughts. He believes this causes people to undervalue their heritage and ancestry, focusing solely on themselves. More importantly, Wolpe added, there is a failure to consider the heritage and history of others. It is equally important to understand different cultures because they have affected the development of all groups occupying this globe. The ability to interact with and tolerate all types of groups may be the best lesson we can learn at such a diverse university. The Glee Club and Counterparts represent a valuable contingency of the performing arts sector of the University -- a large part of the cultural experience at Penn. However, performing arts groups are certainly more visible in the Penn community than many other culturally diverse activities. Students need to expand their horizons and venture into other religious and cultural experiences. This is not to say that religious communities have a lack of participation -- but more importantly a lack of cross-participation. Why can't someone who isn't religious take the time to visit Chaplain William Gibson and learn about his faith and beliefs? Or, why shouldn't a devout Catholic speak with Rabbi Levine and try to comprehend the differences between Catholicism and Judaism? Regardless of how you mold your beliefs, your interaction with others will inevitably change after experiencing the cultural diversity that Penn has to offer. These may be the most important lessons people teach themselves at Penn and it would be a shame if you didn't open the text book until the weekend before you leave.
(03/19/99 10:00am)
All 22 members of the women's lacrosse team asked Anne Sage to step down as head coach. When the Penn women's lacrosse team plays Yale tomorrow, Anne Sage may be listed as the head coach of the team in the program. But she will not be pacing the sidelines. The week preceding spring break was one of turmoil for the women's lacrosse team.While the team was scheduled to leave for Florida on Sunday, March 7, for a series of round-robin scrimmages with other schools, the trip's future was jeopardized when the team met and unanimously decided they would no longer practice or play under Sage this season. "For something this drastic to happen, there was a lot of frustration on the team and a lot of it was directed at her," Penn co-captain Jenni Leisman said of the team's feelings. "As a team we all wanted to be here to play lacrosse so we tried to put our frustrations aside while we were on the field playing, but it just became more difficult afterwards." The team then drew up a petition expressing problems and concerns with Sage as coach and presented it -- with the signatures of all 22 members of the team -- to the Athletic Department. Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky was out of town at the time but he was notified of the situation. When Bilsky returned, he met with women's lacrosse co-captains Leisman and Brooke Jenkins, as well as Associate Athletic Director Earl Cleghorn. The team said that they were prepared to bypass their Florida trip and the season if Sage were to continue as coach -- a stance to which they hold now. The team then met with Sage and asked her to step down --Ea request she chose not to meet. Sage, who refused to comment for this article, was asked to take a leave from the team while the administration sought a solution to the problem. Assistant lacrosse coach Alanna Wren and Penn assistant field hockey coach Donna Mulhern -- both of whom declined to comment for this article -- joined the team in Florida. "While we are investigating some of the [players] allegations and simultaneously try to find a resolution that is fair to all parties, it was our sense that it would be best that [Sage] separated from the team for that time," Bilsky said. Since returning from the trip, Sage has remained on leave, with Wren and Mulhern leading practices. Meanwhile, University Associate General Counsel Eric Tilles and Sage's agent have been in contact in an attempt to resolve the situation. While Sage is in the first year of a two-year contract, according to Tilles, it is unclear how or if the terms of the contract will be executed. Pending results of the investigation about the legitimacy of the team's concerns, there are five or six possible outcomes to the situation, according to Tilles. On one hand, if the investigation finds the team's concerns unsubstantiated, Sage could remain the coach. Another result could be the finding that she has breached her contract and therefore the University would not even have to pay out the duration of the two-year contract. Furthermore, there may be a range of three of four other resolutions in between, including settlement between the parties involved. The team's complaints center around a combination of coaching problems, rather than personality problems, that have mounted to the point of injuring the overall integrity of the program. These include disorganized and unstructured practices, missed practices and an overall inability to remain up-to-date in a vastly changing sport. "If a coach isn't doing their job, it isn't fair to the team that we come here and are stuck in that position -- that we are stuck here as players with a coach that doesn't help us at our sport," Leisman said of the team's concerns. Over time, according to players and administrators, these problems have put the program at a competitive disadvantage and been harmful to the ability of the lacrosse team to recruit and retain high-caliber talent. According to sources in the Athletic Department, parents and players have issued similar complaints in the past. Sage has a celebrated career as a pioneer in women's sports at Penn and college lacrosse as a whole. The Abington, Pa., native is the only active Division I coach to take both a field hockey team and women's lacrosse team to the NCAA Final Four. However, much of her success was achieved prior to the 1990s. Though Sage has a 151-155-9 career record in 26 prior years at Penn, the Quakers have finished above .500 in the Ivy League only once since 1986. "When you have veteran coaches, they should be given the benefit of the doubt and given the opportunity to succeed," Bilsky said. The team's unprecedented actions have caused mixed reactions. "There had to be other avenues that should have or could have been addressed prior to this incident," Penn women's track coach Betty Costanza said. "My question to these athletes is why these avenues were not addressed and that would be my question to the administrators as well." Players and parents alike stand firm to the claim that these other avenues were pursued. Yet, the players stand by the sentiment that taking such action was the only way to bring about a change -- and are resolved to do so beyond this weekend. While no resolution has been produced yet, all involved hope for a decision to be made about Sage's future status by the end of the weekend.
(02/24/99 10:00am)
Villanova center Malik Allen used Geoff Owens' absence to dominate in the second half. VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Villanova center Malik Allen turned in one of the most dominant 20-minute performances against Penn in recent history. Unfortunately for the Quakers, it was the wrong 20 minutes of the game -- the last 20. After being held to just two points, one rebound and two blocked shots in the first half after picking up two quick fouls, the Wildcats center exploded in the second half of the game against a Geoff Owens-less Penn basketball team. Allen dominated every facet of the Big 5 contest in the paint for the Wildcats. In his last 19 minutes of play, the junior tallied 13 more points on 5-of-8 shooting to bring his game total to 15 -- four points better than his 10.8 average. "The advantage that we had for the game was what ended up being the difference, which was Malik Allen," Villanova coach Steve Lappas said. The Medford, N.J., native also added six rebounds and five blocked shots in the second half to finish with seven boards and seven blocks. Most importantly, the 6'10" center picked up just one additional foul in after the intermission. With Villanova experiencing shooting woes -- they went 3-for-20 from three-point land -- the Wildcats' only choice was to turn to Allen. "So far this year we have proven we are a pretty good three-point shooting team," Villanova forward Brian Lynch said. "When it is not working like this, that is when we have to take the ball to the basket and get the ball down to Malik and let Malik create a little bit." Allen's sheer dominance had Penn fans throughout The Pavilion searching for Owens in every corner of the building. Not only was the Penn center not in uniform, he was also unable to make the trip to the Main Line. And his presence has never been as sorely missed. "We don't have much of an answer for Malik when he posts up. We should have fronted him a few more times," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "But for the most part I thought we did what we wanted to do." But it wasn't enough. With 1:40 left on the clock, Penn was down 70-58 and trying to put together one final desperation run at a victory. Quakers forward Paul Romanczuk looked to score a quick two points inside the paint but was rejected by a waiting Allen. Penn guard Michael Jordan then picked up the loose ball and tried his hand in the lane, but found himself the victim of Allen's sixth block just seven seconds later. Allen's second-half dominance, however, began right out of the locker room. Without Owens and his 48 blocks on the season, Allen pounded the ball inside against the 6'8" Josh Sanger, who started in place of Owens. "We made a conscious effort before the game. We made a conscious effort in practice the last two days to get the ball to Malik," Lappas said. "In the first half, the foul trouble hurt us a little bit. Malik was out of the game, and they did a great job of not letting us throw the ball in that easy." With the Quakers ahead by a score of 36-32, Allen took matters into his own hands. The junior tallied his first field goal of the half at the 16:45 mark, beginning a personal 11-point run in the next 10 minutes of the game. His four-foot hook shot brought the Wildcats within one with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game. Three minutes later, Villanova's leading rebounder, at 6.8 per game, converted a one-and-one to put the Wildcats on top by six, 61-55 -- and they never looked back. Allen added only two more points to his team's final total but added two crucial rebounds and three blocked shots in the final three minutes. Since moving into the starting lineup in place of senior Rafal Bigus against Boston College on January 13, Allen has thrived as the Wildcats main offensive threat. "I thought he'd be our go-to-guy last year," Lappas said. "What Malik is doing now, I thought he would have even done more of at the end of last year. But I think he wore out last year -- physically he wasn't as strong as he is now. So I am not surprised at what Malik is doing." In a critical victory over Rutgers, he led Villanova in scoring with 22 points and six rebounds. Just last Saturday, Allen poured in a season-high 22 points and 11 rebounds against Big East rival Providence. His efforts were outshined, however, by the play of Friars forward Jamal Thomas, who dropped 38 points on the Wildcats to lead his team to a 90-84 win. Allen's performance last night was just a matter of time -- playing time that is. As long as the Villanova center stayed out of foul trouble, his low-post dominance was inevitable without a healthy big man like Geoff Owens in the paint defending against him. "This might be a game that we lose in December before Malik is playing the way that he is playing right now," Lappas said.
(01/21/99 10:00am)
Soriero said she quit because she "just didn't like the coach (she) was becoming." After 10 years leading the Penn women's basketball team, head coach Julie Soriero announced yesterday that she will step down at the end of the 1998-99 season. In her decade at Penn she has amassed 88 wins against 159 losses, including a 3-10 mark so far this season. Soriero's career record, including previous coaching jobs, stands at 213-247. "There is a combination of reasons," Soriero said. "The one that is most obvious is that I was very frustrated with losing, and winning was becoming all-encompassing. "I found myself coaching more and more with a frustrated tone in my voice and angry that we were missing the shots we were missing and not playing the defense we used to play. I just didn't like the coach I was becoming." The resignation comes amidst a disappointing 1998-99 season for the women's basketball team. After outperforming preseason expectations in 1997-98 to finish 13-13, including 8-6 in the Ivy League, hopes were high in '99. With last season's Big 5 Rookie of the Year Diana Caramanico, sophomore point guard Erin Ladley, the addition of transfer Mandy West and what is expected to be a strong 2003 recruiting class, Penn has become the early favorite to compete for the Ivy title in the upcoming years. Soriero's recent recruiting success made her sudden move a surprise to many, even in light of this year's struggles. "She told us at [the last] game, and I nearly fell out of my chair," Penn forward Caramanico said. "It wasn't a chair, we were sitting on bleachers -- but I nearly fell out of them. "Right after the game we felt like, 'Okay we're losing and you're quitting,' and we were mad and hurt. But now, she explained the reasons for her decisions, and I'm not mad at all, I'm just disappointed that she is going because she is the only college coach I have known." Last season was one of Soriero's best as coach of the Quakers as Penn earned its best win total since the 1990-91 season. In addition to a strong Ivy showing, Soriero also reached a personal milestone with her 200th career victory. For the win, the team defeated St. Francis, 56-45. Even in light of her success, Soriero found her job in question at the end of the season. The former Penn State star signed a one-year contract extension to stay at Penn. "Worrying about [my contract] gets very frustrating," Soriero said. "I went through the same thing last year, worrying that every free throw could be life or death. "That was a piece of it, but it wasn't a huge piece of [my decision]." Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky acknowledged the desire for a turnaround in the women's basketball program but says that Soriero has been a model for the Penn community. "I think Julie has felt pressure for 10 years," Steve Bilsky said. "And I think she has been very open and honest about it. Because we believe in Julie and we like her, we root for her and give her the benefit of the doubt. "But I think the pressure was more internal, as far as her desire to win. And I think that's what she was feeling in the end." After nine years without a winning record, 1998-99 loomed as Soriero's best chance yet. With the addition of West, a shooting guard from Boston College, the Quakers were poised to challenge league favorites Princeton and Harvard. But at 3-10, the season has been a disappointment. However, the team features a wealth of young talent. Coupled with Soriero's stellar incoming recruiting class of 2003, the Quakers seem on the verge of a breakthrough. "Penn has the table set for a real run at the league in the next couple years," Yale women's basketball coach Cecilia DeMarco said. "So I think leaving now is a surprise." But the Quakers began this season with five losses in their first six games. Two of the team's 10 losses to date have come to Ivy League opponents Brown and Princeton. Though the disparity between last year's .500 season and this year's record may appear large, the Quakers have actually made relative improvements. Coming up short in close games and a tough non-conference schedule have swollen Penn's loss column this season. The Quakers' improvements can be seen in the team's close games with La Salle and Temple, which blew out Penn last year. As the season became tainted by difficult losses, Soriero felt her philosophy as a coach slipping. She became increasingly more concerned about alienating a group of athletes with whom she has forged close friendships. "My first responsibility is to be an educator," Soriero said. "I felt that slipping away as winning was starting to became more important to me." The decision comes well before the most crucial portion of the season, with 11 Ivy League games yet to be played. At 1-2, the conference season is far from over. "I know that Julie is a competitor, and that we still have a chance to finish in the top of the Ivy League," Penn senior co-captain Sue Van Stone said. "And she'll do everything in her power to put us there." Soriero's hope is that she will return to her old ways in the remainder of the season. While trying to make the game more fun, she still will keep a focus on making a run at the Ivy title. "It seemed like there was a sense of relief," Caramanico said. "We aren't relieved that she is going. But we are relieved that it isn't such a tight, tense atmosphere anymore? because everyone feels stressed and pressured in tight games, when we know those games might mean her job. "I feel really bad that we lost these stupid games that we should have won -- and it's her job." Soriero came to Penn after a seven-year stint as the coach of Philadelphia College of Textile, a Division II school. At Textile she compiled a 122-37 record and guided her team to a Division II Final Four in 1986. The Lady Rams then returned to the round of 64 in 1989 under Soriero. Soriero's coaching career began in 1980 when she was chosen to begin the varsity women's basketball program at Haverford College. The Solebury, Pa., native began the program just six years after finishing her distinguished playing career at Penn State. While in State College, Soriero was a starter for the field hockey, lacrosse and basketball teams. Soriero is unsure of her plans for the future. But those that know her insist she will be found patrolling the sidelines again. "Penn is losing a good person. I hope Julie takes her experiences and really runs with it in another program," DeMarco said. "She'll be successful in the next place she chooses to go." Penn has no immediate plans to find a replacement since Soriero will finish the season. Most likely, the early notice will give Penn a chance to find a strong replacement. However, Soriero has plans for her future at Penn. "I want to be able to walk into the Palestra next season, to cheer them in a game and know that they are glad to see me," Soriero said. "So I had to make this decision."
(01/15/99 10:00am)
Senior Paul Romanczuk returned to form with a 24-point effort. Paul Romanczuk did not hit the game-sealing shot last night. But he did just about everything else. With center Geoff Owens emerging as the main Quakers inside force, Romanczuk has struggled this season. The senior power forward has seen his numbers slide significantly from the last two years. The West Chester, Pa. native entered last night's contest against the La Salle Explorers averaging just 8.7 points per game, his lowest total since averaging 6.7 ppg as a freshman. But last night he looked like the Romanczuk of yesteryear. "I think the key tonight was Romanczuk," La Salle coach Speedy Morris said. "I mean Romanczuk just killed us. He did a superb job." At Tom Gola Arena, however, Romanczuk tallied a season high 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting to lead the Quakers to victory over the Explorers. The total was one point off his career high of 25, set last year against Bucknell. Romanczuk exploded early, notching his first basket with a layup just 2:32 into the contest. The second of Romanczuk's 11 field goals came under two minutes later. "As soon as I get a good jump on things, the players are going, 'let's get it to Paul, let's get it to Paul'," Romanczuk said. Penn point guard Michael Jordan (10 points) penetrated the La Salle interior defense and found Romanczuk cutting to the basket for a two-hand slam that silenced a rowdy La Salle crowd early in the night. The assist was the first of Jordan's game-high eight, including four to Romanczuk. "[Romanczuk's] a tough kid and we new that.? He really did a number on us," Morris said. Morris and the Explorers felt Romanczuk's wrath last year, when he dropped 18 points on La Salle in the Palestra. With La Salle's perimeter defense taking away Penn's three-point shot, the Quakers continued to use Romanczuk's inside presence. While Penn only hoisted two three-pointers in the first half and eight in the entire game, the power forward consistently made his way into the paint. "They were really pressuring our perimeter players," Romanczuk said. "When I see that, I see lanes. And I'm an aggressive player, so when I see that, I take the ball to the basket. "That's my game -- that's always been my game since I have been playing basketball." Last year's Second Team All-Big 5 selection scored eight of the Quakers' first 10 points. He surpassed his season average less than 10 minutes into the game with a layup at the 10:13 mark. Romanczuk ended the first half with another layup to push the Quaker lead to 34-29 going into the locker room. He brought with him nearly as many points as the rest of his teammates, accounting for 16 of Penn's 34. "He's a competitive person. He got a lot of loose balls, he got a lot of rebounds," La Salle's K'Zell Wesson said. "He just got a lot of hustle baskets, but he played a good game, so you've got to give him credit." After starting the second half with the Quakers' first basket, Romanczuk was relatively silent in the latter stages of the game. However, the senior tri-captain carried the Quakers through their toughest stretch of the game. Penn fell behind for the first time since tip-off eight minutes into the second half, when La Salle star Wesson (19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocked shots) hit the second of two free throws to put the Explorers up by one, 46-45. Romanczuk responded with his second dunk of the game -- also assisted by Jordan -- to put the Quakers back in front. "Paul had a great game," Penn assistant coach Steve Donohue said. "As the game was going on, Paul and I talked about it and I was like, 'this is your game, because they're taking everything away from the perimeter'." Just three minutes later, with the Quakers a basket down again, Romanczuk showed his hot hand. He capped his 24-point night with a game-tying layup, starting Penn on a 5-0 run that put the Quakers ahead for the remainder of the game. The tri-captain also showed his leadership in focusing for a game distracted by the recent loss of Fran Dunphy Sr., father of Penn head coach Fran Dunphy. "We kind of prepared for this game," Romanczuk said. "Thinking that if coach isn't 100 percent into this game we can't look to him for motivation, we've got to look to ourselves." Romanczuk certainly found his old self -- the player that averaged 14.0 ppg and 6.3 rebounds per game a year ago. Last night's showing capped a breakthrough week for Romanczuk. In Penn's narrow 68-62 defeat of Ivy opponent Yale, Romanczuk scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds. The following night against Brown, Romanczuk's 14 points countered Bears inside threat Kamal Roundtree, who also scored 14. The week's not over yet either, as Romanczuk should have little trouble with Saturday's overmatched opponent, the Colgate Red Raiders.
(10/06/98 9:00am)
He doesn't do it at the end of the game -- by then he has already beaten you. Frankly, he doesn't usually do it at all. But after making a 31-yard, one-handed, Rice-esque, mind-numbing catch against Bucknell last Saturday, he did it. And he deserved it. In the process, the usually reserved O'Neill officially announced to everyone at Franklin Field that he is the main man in the Penn receiving core. O'Neill made only three catches for 55 yards on the day, but as any primary receiver does, he made them memorable; he made them statements. With the Quakers ahead by a measly three points (13-10), the offense started its drive at the Bucknell 48 with 12:30 left in the game. Penn needed to score. To nobody's surprise, Penn quarterback Matt Rader looked for O'Neill downfield to get the drive started. "We both see things on the field and make reads that help us stay on the same page," Rader said. Apparently, they read things just off the edge of the page the same way as well. Rader overthrew O'Neill by maybe five feet. But with the Bison cornerback tucked in his back pocket, Doug let his body ride the wind and cradled the ball with his fingernails. Six plays and only 17 yards later, the Quakers scored the game-sealing touchdown. · O'Neill gives the Quakers something they have lacked for two years -- a legitimate downfield threat. With the graduation of Miles Macik after the 1995 season, Penn coach Al Bagnoli turned to Jasen Scott in 1996 to catch the ball out of the backfield. Last year, he turned to, well? no one. Bagnoli crossed his fingers in the hope that one option would emerge among the group of John James, Brian Bonnano and Alec Daffener. They floundered miserably, and O'Neill found a crack big enough to slide into. At 6'0", O'Neill is not as large as James, and did not have the experience of Bonnano. But he quietly awaited the opportunity he deserved. "[At the beginning of the season] I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong," O'Neill said. "I was upset that I wasn't playing, but I didn't tell anyone that. I just kept working harder." He finally got his chance against Towson in week three, recording 49 yards receiving. O'Neill broke out with six catches for 71 yards against Lehigh one week later. By the end of the year, he compiled 32 receptions for 430 yards. · This year, he came back the man. "The other receivers look up to him," Rader said. "He is one of the veterans out there." O'Neill's talent and drive have been no secret inside the Penn football circle. Outside, however, the focus has remained on Jim Finn and Matt Rader. Leading the team in receiving (14 catches, 213 yards, 15.2 avg.), it was only a matter of time before the third offensive skill player on the Quakers got his due notice. Saturday, O'Neill just decided to take matters into his own hands. Actually, just one hand.
(09/29/98 9:00am)
Look across the page -- just to the left. That is what last weekend's Cissie Leary Invitational will be remembered for, Anastasia's win. Former Penn women's tennis coach Cissie Leary passed from the Penn athletics scene very much as she existed in it, quietly. Even those the most familiar with Penn sports may not know exactly who Cissie was, and certainly not what she was. And as every Cissie Leary Invitational passes, and only two of her recruiting classes remain, tragically, her memory falls more in jeopardy of existing to the outside world solely on a banner. This tournament embodies her much more than simply by name. The banquets for the players and the friendships forged before competition exemplify the platform on which she believed athletics should be played. Coaches bring players to this event for Cissie and what she believed in, not to showcase their talents. Cissie passed quietly through Penn's public eye, as she diverted attention away from herself. But her life was spent in the hearts of others and they flooded her open ears. Leary came to Penn in 1977 at the age of 22 and involved herself with everything and everyone she could until scleroderma finally forced her to rest in November 1996 -- after she spent 10 years fighting it. To this day, her influence is alive on tennis courts throughout the country, and her smile is ingrained in minds so vividly that some of her players can't help but refer to her in the present tense. As close friend Louise Gengler, head coach of the Princeton women's tennis team, stated, she became a common thread to coaches and tennis on the regional and national level. Her work went well beyond coaching Penn to 16 winning seasons, and a cumulative record of 229-119. "People who didn't know what Penn tennis was all about knew the name Cissie Leary," Gengler said. Cissie also spent nine years on the National Tournament and ITA regional Committees. She coached the 1981, '85 and '89 U.S. teams at the Maccabiah Games, and earned coach of the year honors by the United States Professional Tennis Association's Middle States Division. And the accolades go on and on. But her legacy was the friendships she bestowed upon those she worked with. On game day, Gengler says, there was no one more competitive. But practices were fun, and it was the players' time. With Cissie, it was always the players' time to shine. To the day she passed away, she wanted to make sure the spotlight landed somewhere else. Leary battled her illness for 10 years. She was diagnosed with her cancer simultaneously with the pregnancy of her now 12-year-old daughter Katie. Her legacy was to be a great mother, as she already was to so many. She took a chance of giving up her life -- a possibility the doctors made her aware of if she had her child -- to bring life to another, and joy to so many more. During the miraculous 10 years time she fought cancer, she made sure to live, not die. When she brought junior Elana Gold to Penn for a recruiting trip, she mentioned nothing of her sickness. It was only later, when Gold went to Cornell to be recruited, that she found out of Leary's illness. Senior tri-captain Karen Ridley recalls Leary saying, "I'm very sick, but I'll be fine; I'll be better," and simply thinking she would be. Cissie always made you think she would be fine. Her terminal illness was brushed away by her smile and her desire to hear your problems. Penn coach Michael Dowd tells the same story. "You would ask her how she was feeling, when she wasn't looking good," Dowd said. "And the next thing you know she had turned the question around into asking about how you were. "She made you feel like the only person that mattered. All of a sudden you'd be telling her about your problems that were so much less significant than hers. She never talked about herself." Tennis was her love, and people were her life. The hardest time of her life came in that November month of 1996. She couldn't drive the team van to away events, but she made every trip. Just before she passed away, she talked of the spring break trip, and bringing her dialysis machine with her so she could join the team. But she never put her needs ahead of the team. And last weekend, she wouldn't have either. Cissie would have wanted the spotlight to be on Anastasia. She would have read the article across the page first. She would have made Anastasia feel like she was all that mattered last weekend.
(09/22/98 9:00am)
Maybe he thanked the Ivy League gods. Or more importantly, he may have been thanking his players, who found the way to win. Whether it was because of Jim Finn's 41 carries that Priore called, or the defense's heart, Penn now has control of its league fate, and has no one to chase but itself. Little could Priore have known that Penn's win was so important. Only soon after the final whistle blew would the Penn coaching staff find out that what had gone on throughout the league that day was of strange and stunning proportions. The results of the game in Hanover may have been the only match of the afternoon that provided the expected result -- a Quakers victory. In Cambridge, the Ivy champion incumbents were being blanked by the once lowly Columbia Lions, 24-0. Just a couple of driving hours south, Yale disposed of All-America wide receiver Sean Morey and Brown, 30-28, on a 27-yard touchdown pass as time expired. And Princeton opened the season and the history of their new football stadium with a not-so-enthralling 6-0 defeat of Cornell. To say it was a strange week would be an understatement. Columbia, Yale and Princeton don't have the strength and depth to contend. For Penn, the results could not have been better. Priore may believe in looking to the sky for answers. But he may change his tune at the notion that the Quakers are in an auspicious position of controlling their own destiny. By most accounts, the toughest game is out of the way. Strange games have become the norm for the Penn-Dartmouth season-opener. Just look to last year's contest, when Dave Regula, the Big Green kicker, was responsible for 17 points himself, including a touchdown on a fumble return. So Penn coach Al Bagnoli has learned to expect the unexpected in the opener, no matter how large the disparity in talent. Saturday came dangerously close to falling into a similar category of losses that Penn should have won. But Bagnoli's troops found a way to win this one. In a game that was once again statistically dominated by Penn, it is a wonder that the point differential was a mere field goal. "I think it was a typical Penn-Dartmouth, last possession game," Bagnoli said. The Quakers amassed 317 yards of total offense, compared to a mere 105 by Dartmouth. Though the winning margin should have been an additional two or even three touchdowns, the win is all that matters. Harvard and Brown seem unfamiliar with that concept. After a 7-0 conference season, and all of their skill position players returning, the Crimson were the favorites going into the season. After only 37 yards rushing on 17 carries, people may wonder if Chris Menick, last year's leading Ivy rusher, was a one-year aberration created by a now turned over offensive line. Likewise, quarterback Rich Linden put together only 60 yards passing (10-for-17) with two interceptions. What happened to the Sports Illustrated poster boy? After week one, Yale's Joe Walland is on pace to be the league's leading passer. And Elis freshman Rashaad Bartholomew Jr. looks like the man to challenge Jim Finn for the rushing title after a 140-yard performance against the Bears. It's unlikely any of the week one performances will be used to gauge the individuals. A week from now, these individual performances will be replaced by other single game quirks, good and bad. But the won-loss records their performances produced will count for much more, and Harvard and Brown will be chasing the win column all season. And now, while it seems early to look too far ahead to the rest of the season, this bunch of Quakers is in an unfamiliar position -- control. After losing the first game against Dartmouth last season, every game was a must-win battle. This year, Penn has the upper hand, just by winning in week one. With an Ivy win, they now control their own fate in the standings. Well, the Quakers and whoever Chuck Priore talks to up there.
(09/18/98 9:00am)
Penn Quarterback Matt Rader's Resume is almost perfedt, except for one thing? Instead, he'll tell you All-Ivy tailback Jim Finn is the reason for the team's success and talk of his own personal goals -- which are the same as his team goals. Except for one goal. He wants the one thing that has eluded him for four years. While the Penn public and professional scouts have taken notice of his ability, he won't reflect on it until he has a winning season under his belt, something that has escaped him since he left Pennsbury High School (Yardley, Pa.) four years ago, when he won a state title. With Finn, a strong core of receivers in sophomore Doug O'Neill and Co., this may be his best shot yet, not to mention his last. "He's worked very hard in the offseason. I think he's in better shape. I think he's a little bit more agile," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "He's running the ball quite a bit -- at this point very, very sharp." Everyone who knows Matt knows he's done his part. He's primed to pass for 2,000 yards. "It's a case of the gratification that winning brings you with all the hard work and putting things together," Matt's mother, Beth, said. "He'd like to have that feeling just once at the college level. "Yes, there is heartache and disappointment along the way, but this being his last season, he's thinking it's time." · Matt Rader's arrival at Penn was storied last fall. It was the resurrection of a Quakers savior. The next great quarterback -- the first since Mark DeRosa -- to lift Penn football back to the promised land, an Ivy League title. Hopes rested on the sculpted arm of the wide-eyed local the minute he stepped foot on campus. The expectations associated with the No. 12 jersey became surreal. Every move was scrutinized because this was an Athletic Coast Conference-caliber quarterback. He played against the Florida States, Virginias and North Carolinas of the world. Rader, the Penn public was led to believe, could pick apart Ivy League defense with a cigar in his mouth and his bed slippers on before he opened his eyes. Every incomplete pass was magnified early in the season after Penn lost the season-opener to Dartmouth at home. Rader never fired back, complained or let the expectations decentralize his focus. All he wanted was to win. "I felt that from day one, there really weren't a lot of comparisons [to DeRosa] until the end of the year and people started talking about passing records," Rader said. "But I am just going to be who I am and that's all anyone can ask." He left high school with more options than most people ever dream of having. But he never won a football game as a starter at the college level before coming to Penn. As a sophomore at Duke he started five of the team's 11 games, and while his numbers were respectable, he never earned a victory as a starter. "I saw a lot of negative when I was down at Duke. When I was there for a solid week, I couldn't even buy a newspaper," Matt's mother Beth said. "Of course there was always a quarterback controversy because they never knew who was going to start." The burning desire to get back to the winning feeling he had been so accustomed to was all Rader needed to silence the voices inside and outside his head. He had gone to a school to be a quarterback so he could control his own destiny -- carrying a team on his actions, not his words. Rader passed for 1,832 yards last season, fifth best on Penn's all-time list, including 334 yards passing against Brown. When all was said and done, he had led his team to a 6-4 record overall, 5-2 in the Ivy League.* · *Just as quickly as he could say he had the elusive winning record, it was all stripped from him when former defensive lineman Mitch Marrow was found to be ineligible for all but one game of the '97 season. His accomplishments faded away in the ocean of paperwork and NCAA sanctions, and a 1-9 record. All of a sudden, Rader's achievements were reduced to an end result of one win and faded memories of celebration. The Penn football team remembers winning the games, but the asterisk won't. Rader was once again left to pick up the pieces and start over. It was the second year in a row. "In the record books, my last two years have been 0-11 and 1-9. So it's my last year; I'd really like to have a winning record as a starting quarterback," Rader said. "I'd like to go out on a winning note." How did such a simple dream become so difficult for the couldn't-go -wrong kid? · Coming out of high school was like winning a lottery, or 50. Matt garnered so many honors and accolades in his three years in high school that he drowned in choices and had college coaches fawning all over him. After his senior year, Matt was offered over 50 football scholarships, a dozen baseball scholarships at Division I, and a handful of Division II scholarship to play basketball. He was Bucks County's premier athlete as a quarterback and All-State linebacker, pitcher and power forward. He played in every all-everything game. He was awarded one of the country's four outstanding scholar-athletes awards by the National Football Foundation. His high school coach Larry Green was sure the same attributes that made Rader a successful high school athlete would take him to the next level of success in the NCAA. Not just his athletic ability, but his brain. He was a coach's dream and nightmare at the same time. "I always told him, you're a lot smarter than I am, but this is the way it's going to be," Green said. "He always asked intelligent questions, and I think he understood I knew what I was talking about football-wise." The Pennsbury coach (now of Central Bucks East) viewed it as a bonus, not a threat. He told Rader the way the game would be played and sent him to work. Rader obliged in uncharacteristic fashion. His raw ability allowed him to become a superior defensive end his sophomore year, then a secondary player and finally the All-State Linebacker and star quarterback he was his senior year. He did the same in the classroom. "He was called a geek when he was younger," Beth said. "But his payoff was that window of opportunity that opened up for him at the end of his high school career. So all the time he worried about people saying, 'Oh, you're a geek,' he had a goal in mind." Combined with his scholastic achievements, as valedictorian of a 750-student high school class, every picture he painted of college became palpable. He was in control. The choice was firm -- it was Duke. "One of the things I always tell Division I-A kids is to understand that this is a big commitment you're making," Green said. "But it's not like a marriage, lots of kids transfer." Little did he know then that those words would resonate in his head three years later. · He could have gone to Northwestern, but they wanted him as a linebacker, as did many of the other 50 schools. "I wasn't sure that quarterback was his position, since he was an All-State linebacker," Green said. "He likes the position of quarterback, not the pressure so much, but the idea that you're in control, you're in charge." But Rader was in control of this choice, and the choice was that he wanted to be in control of the team. It isn't just his physical ability placed upon him by divinity. His work ethic and desire would be the reasons he would turn around the Duke program. "Matt will go down to [the gym at] McCreedy's place, work out and do two-a-days, come home ride five miles on his bike all through [the neighborhood]," Beth said. "Then come back and put on those damn platform shoes to improve his vertical, stop traffic or whatever, then come and ask me to throw him alley-oops. The one thing he knows is that white men can't jump." Work paid off. He had to wait a redshirt year, and then a year on the bench. Finally, by his true junior year -- having redshirted sophomore year -- Rader got the chance to take control. His first college start came against Northwestern. It was the same team that had heavily recruited him, but would not give him the option to try out as a quarterback. "[Northwestern] recruited him. He got on the field and you could see the Northwestern coach on the sideline thinking, 'Holy shit!'," Beth said. "Because he had recruited him, and Matt would have gone there, but the coach wouldn't let him try out as a quarterback." During that game, a trend began that would continue through Rader's stay at Duke. Statistically, he posted good games, but lost. Against the Wildcats, Matt was 27-of-46 for 289 yards and a touchdown. The effort wasn't good enough to warrant a full-time starting job. He only got half the starts and suffered from the difficulty of trying to resurrect a bad team alone. He ended the year 85-of-150 for 905 yards and 5 TDs. With the worst rushing attack in the country, and a defense that allowed 40 points per game, Rader was on a team that was going nowhere. "Matt was happy to get the crap kicked out of him. He thought, 'Time to step it up a level,' " Beth said. "But when the adversity is within the organization and not yourself, that is tough. That is part of growing up. That was the hardest reality for him. He never questioned his ability." Duke coach Fred Goldsmith decided it was time to build for the program's future. Among other conflicts, Matt was asked to switch to another position or find another school. · Rader wanted the pressure of taking the snaps and making critical choices. He also wanted to plan for his future. Transferring meant a Division I-AA school so he would not have to sit out a year. With the academic opportunities and solid scholastics, Penn was a clear choice. Bagnoli promised him the chance to compete for the starting job with returning senior Tom MacLeod. "[At Duke] I was in a situation where I'd either have to play a different position or sit on the bench," Rader said. "I've gone through too much in my career to be put in that situation and be kind of a cast off. I just wanted to play." By the end of his very first workouts at Penn, it became clear that Rader was the man. And he once again had a chance to win a college football game under center. · If not for that asterisk, maybe Rader would talk about loftier goals, although probably not. Matt has the physical abilities to play in the NFL. He has been looked at and spoken to by scouts. The NFL is a boy's dream, but Rader is as close to a grown man as a college kid can be, and he is a realist. "Whatever happens, happens. I think he has had enough hard knocks in his college career that if it doesn't happen, he'll go on," Beth said. "He never looks back, never. No matter what disappointments happen, even if it was yesterday, it's over." Rader concedes he would like to go to an NFL camp if he is not drafted. A simple desire, with no more than a lingering thought. "If he gets a shot, nobody is going to work harder," Green said. "I think you'd be foolish not to look at him. He's got the arm strength. He runs well for a big guy. Certainly he has a good shot." As a Wharton student majoring in finance, Matt knows he could be successful in the business world. He could work on the stock exchange as he did last summer. But, for now, he has only one thought on his mind. Maybe more like 10 thoughts. · "If I could sum up Matt, he is probably the most competitive kid I have ever coached," Green said. Rader has faced adversity since he entered the college ranks. But his perspective has kept him focused. Focus and his parents, who he concedes have been his inspiration. But one thing eludes Rader. Forget the NFL, forget the records and the comparisons. "If we win the championship, we are not going to talk about that guy anymore," Finn said of his best friend DeRosa. Make no mistakes, Rader wants the title, and he wants to go 10-0. But he'd rather not talk about it, he'll just pave a 2,000-yard road and let the team take the glory -- then fade away into humility.
(09/15/98 9:00am)
He got acquainted with his team, gained their respect and then challenged them. What he asked was for his players to examine themselves. In return, he got a revamped roster, with only 14 field players at his disposal. Thirteen old faces became memories, many of them one-time starters. Brian Foote. Gone. Morgan Blackwell. Gone. Austin Root. Gone. The list keeps going. More important, though, is what remains. There is no longer any player on the roster who does any less than eat, sleep, breathe, study, shower and brush his teeth soccer. Some would argue that he made his job more difficult by cutting down the roster in such a fashion. But Fuller has put a team together that can meet adversity and shake its hand. "We have really trimmed the team down to the players who really want to be a part of it and really do what it takes to be successful," Fuller said. If you recognize a soccer player on campus, stop him and ask him if he was happy with last weekend's results (two 1-0 losses to Old Dominion and William and Mary). What you'll find is a stark contrast to George O'Neill's team from a year ago that bordered on apathetic if not unconfident after four disappointing losses early in the season. It is completely irrelevant that William and Mary is No. 11 in the national rankings and Old Dominion is a top-40 team. This team has one goal, to win the Ivy title. Fuller's team went to Virginia last weekend to win. When Fuller put his team on the field Friday, what he saw was not an outmanned team, but one that could compete with anybody. Against Old Dominion, the Quakers played a man down for 75-plus minutes and lost by one goal. William and Mary scored on a rebound that got away from Mike O'Connor. Penn was not dominated. But they lost. There were no moral victories, and to the players, the two losses were just that -- two losses. Fuller may be the only one happy with the weekend. And for good reason -- his players aren't. This is not the same team -- or at least the same half team -- that did not recover from four consecutive losses early last season. Fuller made sure of that. After a victory over Harvard, the 1996 Ivy League Champions, to open their 1997 season, the Quakers were at their highest point. From there, the team plummeted toward apathy following four straight losses. "To me they had a good team last year," Fuller said. "They were at a critical juncture in the season six games into the season. They were 2-0 and nationally ranked, and went to two tournaments and lost four close games. "That's when the problems began. It wasn't reinforced to them that they were 1-0 in the Ivy." Rudy's first priority is to win. But as a coach, he found solace last weekend in the fact that a team that allowed an Ivy League high 31 goals last season only allowed two goals against excellent teams. What pleases Fuller is the fact that his players want to go to Dartmouth Saturday and exorcise the demons of last weekend -- now. The Ivy match is the focus because perspective has been restored to a team which had none in the opening weeks of last season. The question Fuller shaped this team to answer was how they would react when they suffered growing pains. Fuller knew when he saw the schedule that the first four games would be the toughest of the season. Last year, when the Quakers lost four games early, the season was over. This year, it may just be starting.
(09/09/98 9:00am)
The Quakers may be without starting offensive linemen Carmelo Rubano and Jason Lebron for the season opener. The words pain and football have become synonymous over time. So with Penn's opening kickoff less than two weeks away -- September 19 at Dartmouth -- it is time to deliver the first edition of the Penn infirmary report. In the past, Penn coach Al Bagnoli has been able to keep his players pent up in the dorm rooms of Lawrenceville Prep (N.J.) for football camp. While the Quakers settled into the cushy confines of the Chestnut Street Sheraton for this fall's version of camp, injuries have piled up unlike Bagnoli can remember in recent times. So, while Jim Finn, Matt Rader and company used the extra two-a-days to sharpen the Quakers' offensive efficiency, many others found themselves working on improving the trainers' efficiency. · One of the biggest question marks going into this season is the play of the offensive line. After losing First Team All-Ivy lineman Mike Soyster and Chris Riley, several inexperienced players will be called upon to explode opposing defenders off the line of scrimmage. "We have a group of guys that are extremely talented, but they are young," Finn said. "The question is whether they can do it during the game." More discouraging is that the starting core has been the most hampered by pre-season injuries. Incumbent left tackle Jason Lebron suffered a third-degree knee sprain in last weekend's scrimmage against Millersville (Pa.). The junior is expected to miss anywhere from two to five weeks. The swelling and pain will determine when Lebron can put the pads on again -- if at all before the season opener. "You've lost your left tackle, which is a kid that has been around for 10 games," Bagnoli said of Lebron. "You have some young kids now who don't have a wealth of playing time." After a solid freshman season, Lebron started all 10 games last season in his sophomore campaign, making Lebron one of the few lineman who Bagnoli knows what to expect from. · Moving from tackle to center, Lebron's partner in pancake and chop blocks, Carmelo Rubano, has also suffered from early injury problems. Rubano was unable to practice until last week. "[Carmelo Rubano] is probably the quarterback of the offensive line. He's the center." Finn said. "Everybody trusts him. He knows all the calls. People go to him when they have a question." The senior has suffered from disc problems in his back. Though not the most game-tested returning lineman, the Quakes have expected Rubano to provide leadership for the young group. "Our front five, athletically, move pretty well. They are not a huge line," Bagnoli said. "We're not talking about having 300-lb. kids blocking for us. Our concern is inexperience." · On the other side of the ball, tight end Ben Zagorski has been struggling to stay healthy as well. Like Rubano, Zagorski was diagnosed with a bad back, but is not necessarily expected to miss game time. His condition has been classified as "nagging" and may effect his ability to play, but not necessarily dress and be ready for game conditions. "We've had some concerns with whether or not he will be a significant part of our offense," Bagnoli said. "He can get up field and catch the ball. So we'll keep our finger crossed and see if he can get healthy. But he hasn't been healthy all preseason." Though wide receivers Doug O'Neill, David Rogers and Brandon Carson have emerged as a solid targets for Rader, Bagnoli is seeking greater pass catching production from his tight ends. Zagorski has figured into a large part of the plans. Juniors Brandon Clay and Clint Burhorn will be called on to pick up the slack until Zagorski is healthy and all three can contribute. · One aspect of the Quakers' pre-season that has been healthy and productive is the play of several transfers. Three athletes brought their services to Penn this fall from other Division I programs. The one who seemingly will have the greatest immediate impact on the Quakers season is defensive lineman Mike Germino, a transfer from Boston University. After the graduation of Mitch Marrow and Doug Zinser, several questions existed about the D-line. Seniors Larry Rascoe, Qurran Rogers, Jason Maehr and junior Adrian Puzio are sure to provide solid play. Germino, however, has dazzled many in camp, and may be the answer to the departure of Marrow. "[Germino] started 10 games at BU last year, so he's got a wealth of playing experience," Bagnoli said. "It's not our system, but he played." The other two transfers hail from storied football programs, but will have to spend a year learning the Penn system. As quarterbacks, Edward Mebs and Reed Werner are both behind Rader on the depth chart. Mebs took snaps for the Miami Hurricanes and Reed played at North Carolina. Reed was also listed as a punter for the Tar Heels, and may find a way into some playing time if the special teams is in need of a shake up. · Bruce Rossignol is the latest Penn player to have to learn a completely different play book -- which in this case is his old playbook. He will start in the secondary as a safety, barring injury. Rossignol, a senior, spent last season as the Quakers' featured blocking back after playing defense the year before.
(05/15/98 9:00am)
He doesn't plan on doing anything the rest of the senior class normally would do. Mitch Marrow won't walk -- he did that last year. He won't go searching for a nine-to-five job. But Marrow will be one of the few Penn students leaving University City to chase an unlikely post-Ivy League occupation -- for the 6'5", 280-lb. defensive end, the dream is a career in the National Football League. "I am thinking of it in terms of work, it's a real good job," Marrow said. "It's a good paying job and a fun job." After being drafted with the 12th pick in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft on Friday, May 17 (73rd overall), Marrow's future employer became the Carolina Panthers. On-the-job training began soon after the draft when Marrow traveled to North Carolina for his first mini-camp. "We had a couple practices and I got to learn the system a little bit. They run a very similar defense to Penn, which helped me out a little bit," Marrow said. For the one-time All-Ivy League selection, the place of employment will be the football field, and his job training sessions will take place in gym shorts and t-shirts instead of three-piece suits, in the comforting setting of weight rooms. Like other students leaving the Penn campus, Marrow's prospects of employment will be difficult. On draft day, he saw the likes of Nebraska defensive end Jason Peter (6'4", 275-lb.) and Louisiana State product Chuck Wiley also drafted by the Panthers before him. Peter was Carolina's first pick, 14th overall, and Marrow's roommate in the first minicamp the week following the draft. Wiley was selected 11 picks prior to Marrow, as the first pick in the round. "I think he knows the challenge that's ahead of him. It's really going to help having good players alongside of him to learn from," Marrow's agent Jim Ulrich said. The stakes got a little bit higher when just a week later the Panthers signed former All-Pro defensive lineman Sean Gilbert. The former Redskin signed the richest deal for a d-lineman in the history of the NFL at $46.5 million over seven years. "I got a big chance to meet Sean that weekend. Anytime you get a chance to play with someone that talented you can only benefit from it," Marrow said. The Panthers' signing of the 6'5", 327 lb. nightmare made his first pro-bowl at 23 years of age in 1993, and cost Carolina their 1999 and 2000 first round draft picks. While Marrow will have some odds to overcome, he will most likely enter the ranks of employment having more fun and making more money than most 1998 Penn graduates.