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(10/31/94 10:00am)
As Michael Turner ran off the field after scoring his first career touchdown, he still had the ball tucked under his arm. Even when he came into the interview room, seemingly countless hours after that first-quarter score, he still was clinging to that ball. He refused to give it up, not even to the referee who asked for it after he went into the end zone to give Penn an early 7-0 lead Saturday. And although his score proved pivotal in a 14-6 Penn victory over Yale, it was not what really made him the player of the day. In front of former players returning to Franklin Field for homecoming, Turner proved himself worthy of such lofty company. While legendary Penn coach George Munger's players honored their recently deceased coach at halftime, Turner was coming up with even new ways to top his stellar first-half performance. "We said at the beginning of the year that the front seven was going to dominate," senior safety Nick Morris said, "and that's what they're doing. That's why we're undefeated." But Saturday was something unique. Saturday, Turner seemed to be everywhere all the time. One moment he is rushing the passer and knocking down passes -- the next he is scoring touchdowns. Every play was a chance for him to shine. Even when Yale was marching late in the contest, he never feared a possible Eli tying touchdown. The thought never even crossed his mind. "They were driving on us in the second half, but we buckled down," he said. "Nobody lost their head. Nobody was screaming at each other in the huddle. We just realized that we had a job to do and we did it." After all, that is what Turner and the defense have been doing all season. Against Dartmouth, the defense bailed out the offense with an almost unbelievable goal-line stand. Against Columbia, the nation's No. 1 defense held the Lions to just one field goal. Last week, after the Quakers shut out the Bears, Brown coach Mark Whipple called Turner the best in the league. And after this week, the Elis now know more about Turner than they ever cared to. After scoring Penn's first touchdown, Turner did all he could to create another opportunity to score just 41 seconds later. As Yale quarterback Chris Hetherington rolled to his left on an option run, Turner read it perfectly. As Penn defensive lineman Chris Johnson closed in on Hetherington, Turner stayed with Yale running back Keith Price. And when Hetherington's flip inevitably came, Turner tipped it toward the Eli end zone. Morris picked it up and returned it to the Yale 19-yard line. Although the Quakers failed to convert, Turner's influence was far from complete. Late in the second quarter, Turner created the second Penn touchdown. Hetherington had to see him coming. Turner ran right around the offensive line and pressured Hetherington into letting go of a poorly thrown pass. Morris grabbed the football and returned it to the Yale 28-yard line. Six plays later, the Quakers had a 14-point lead. But even this double-digit buffer was not enough to ensure a Pennsylvania victory. But then in the second half, Turner added to the legend. He paced the defense as it shut down the Elis as they attempted to march for the tying touchdown in the final minutes. It's this kind of cool leadership that wins close games. It's this type of leadership that makes up for a sputtering offense. It's this kind of leadership that leads to consecutive undefeated, Ivy League titles. Joshua Friedman is a College senior from Beverly Hills, Calif., and sports editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(10/29/94 9:00am)
Ever since the Penn football team played its first game November 1, 1876, the Quakers have been synonymous with big-time action. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Franklin Field played host to Notre Dame, Penn State and Michigan on a regular basis. But all of this changed in 1956 with the formation of the Ivy League. Still, Penn was competitive, but nothing like it used to be. And then in 1979, the rules and regulations became even more restrictive. Still, Penn football has seen its share of great athletes. And even after the implementation of all of these limitations, Joe Valerio received national acclaim. The all-American offensive lineman for the Quakers in the late 1980s seemed to do the impossible. After attending a Division I-AA program that did not offer scholarships, Valerio became a professional. He was chosen in the second round of the 1991 National Football League draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. "Once in a generation does an Ivy League football player make it to the NFL," said Howard Mudd, the former Kansas City offensive line coach. "And Ivy offensive linemen are even rarer -- like once every two or three generations. Joe has got all of the tools. He is here to stay." But Valerio's transition to the professional level did not come without its bumps. After spending most of his first season on the bench, only playing occasionally as the team's backup long snapper, Valerio has slowly improved and become an integral part of the Chiefs' offensive line. "The line is awesome," he said of his teammates in Kansas City. "They've been playing incredibly. I don't feel disappointed playing behind a group like this. It's learning time for me." And after just one season, Valerio proved his worth to the Chiefs. He became the starting long snapper. He became the first backup offensive lineman, seeing substantial action during the last three seasons. But maybe most importantly, he became a valuable asset close to the end zone. In Kansas City's jumbo lineup, Valerio lines up as the third tight end, eligible to catch passes. And that is exactly what he has done -- three times to be precise. The first came in a key victory over the Chiefs' biggest divisional rival, the Los Angeles Raiders. It was his catch in a 24-19 victory that propelled Kansas City into the playoffs in 1993. And this year he has added two more scoring receptions from Joe Montana. But then again, it has never taken Valerio long to excel in any sport. When he was just nine years old, the catcher on his Little League team went down with an injury. When the coach turned to Valerio -- who had never donned catching gear -- and asked if he was ready, Valerio responded, "I can do it." And the excited nine-year-old did just that. In one of his squad's few victories that season, Valerio threw out two runners attempting to steal second base. From this auspicious beginning, Valerio developed into one of the Delaware Valley's top catching prospects, attracting professional scouts from around the country. But even after proving his prowess behind the plate, Valerio still seemed to have some free time on his hands, so he took up basketball in high school. Within weeks of joining the team, Valerio moved into the starting lineup at center. He had to face one of the nation's best players in the state regionals?Billy Owens -- the same Billy Owens named Pennsylvania high school basketball player of the year in 1987-88, leader of the Syracuse Orangemen and star for the Golden State Warriors. Joe Valerio is not easily intimidated. He held the superstar from Carlisle to just six first-half points. Although Owens finished the game with 20 points in a Carlisle victory, Valerio still netted 14 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. "I had the best game of my life," Valerio said. Even with all this success in baseball and basketball, Valerio's forte has always been football. The gladiator on the line likes to throw his weight around. More importantly, he likes to throw defensive linemen around. But he has not always been a 300-pound muscular force. When he first committed to Penn, he weighed in at 220 pounds. But then Quakers strength coach Charlie Packman organized a weightlifting and nutrition regimen designed to add bulk to Valerio's large frame gradually. "We always had something structured for us to do," Valerio said of his Penn days. "You have to schedule weightlifting like it's a class. It takes a lot of discipline. You're walking down College Green and there are people lying out throwing frisbees. You say to yourself, 'Man, I want to lay out.' But you have to hit the weight room. "Every year, I just put on a little bit more [weight]. I never went from 225 to 260. I went 20 pounds a year. That way, my knees took it well." Valerio's dedication paid off. By the time he arrived at Penn in the fall of '87, he joined the freshman team at 240 pounds and bench pressed his weight. As he continued to work over the course of his Quaker career, he gradually put on more mass and grew stronger. By the time he graduated, he bench pressed 400 pounds, military pressed 230 pounds and could leg press 520 pounds 13 times. "He's a lot bigger [than the average Ivy lineman]," then-Penn offensive line coach Tom Gilmore said in 1990. "But it's not just the numbers. It's the way he looks. He's about 300 pounds, and he doesn't really look like he's 300 pounds." Try convincing NFL defensive linemen he's not really that big. Try convincing the Los Angeles Raiders of that. In fact, try convincing anyone who saw Penn play in the 1980s. They saw one the best Ivy offensive linemen ever to grace Franklin Field. Although the Quakers have been blessed with many tremendous athletes, one of the greatest now is spending his Sundays catching touchdown passes in Arrowhead Stadium.
(10/24/94 9:00am)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Brown's offense tried desperately to score. The Bears tried play-action passes. They attempted reverses. They pulled guards and tackles on their sweeps. Brown even attempted to go deep. But each time, with calculated precision, Penn stopped the Bears as suddenly, and with as much force, as a demolition ball. The tone for the game was set early. After an unexpected reverse on the opening kickoff, the Bears already had the ball on their 46-yard line. But then Kevin Allen swatted away a deep bomb. Then Tom McGarrity slammed Marquis Jessie to the ground on a pitch. And after Paul Fichiera was stopped after gaining just a few yards, Brown coach Mark Whipple called in the punter. "Every game, we want to hold a team to three-and-out," Penn nose guard Chris Johnson said. "As the season's gone on, we've gained some momentum. We just come out ready to play week in and week out." But Saturday was not just another game. It was something special. It was a unique performance during Penn's current 17-game winning streak. Saturday, the Quakers pitched their first shutout since Oct. 24, 1992, when they overwhelmed these same Bears, 38-0. "Is it really?" coach Al Bagnoli asked after his third shutout at the helm for Penn. "You guys have all the trivia. That will be a trivia answer someday." Actually, the yardage Brown gained in the first half was trivial. The Quakers held the Bears to only four yards in the first quarter, and only 45 in the half. After that initial possession, Brown found itself down 7-0, and already Whipple, who suffered his first shutout as a head coach, felt the need to go to the air. But that may have not been the best answer for the Bears. On the few attempts when Brown quarterback Jason McCullough was able to avoid the constant Quaker pressure, his receivers either were blanketed by the Penn defensive backs, or they dropped routine passes. In fact, the Bears never even made it past midfield until after halftime, when the contest was already well out of reach. Coming out down by 24 points, even Whipple admitted he never thought Brown had a chance to come back. The Penn pressure was just too intense. Senior co-captain Michael Turner recorded two sacks and just barely missed many others. McCullough was sent scrambling on countless plays. "The key was the defensive linemen and the linebackers," senior safety Nick Morris said. "They really put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. He didn't have any time." But even when McCullough (9 for 28, 112 yards) did manage a crisp and accurate throw, it was most likely dropped. Fichiera dropped multiple passes. Brown tight end Tom Hornsby dropped a pass. Charlie Buckley dropped a sure touchdown pass. And when Buckley finally seemed to catch a pass for a score, he realized he was substantially out of the back of the end zone. "They have a lot of weapons," Goodwillie said. "They can make a big play out of any play they run. We were fortunate that they didn't have a whole lot of big plays against us. That really was the story of the game." No, the story of the game was the Quaker defense. Even when it appeared as if Brown was finally going to get on the scoreboard with a 32-yard field goal, the Bears' hopes were soundly rejected as Michael Juliano leapt into the air and sent the ball back toward the Brown end zone. That was the story of the game.
(10/20/94 9:00am)
The Pennsylvania Quakers football team wins. It is that simple. After the dynasty in the 1980s, when the Quakers won five consecutive Ivy League titles, coach Al Bagnoli has brought back that winning attitude. Bagnoli's squads, which have only lost only three games during his two-plus years at the helm, believe they are invincible. They come out expecting to win every single contest. Why shouldn't they? They have not lost a game since 1992. So when the Quakers marched onto the turf of Franklin Field Saturday to face the traditionally hapless Columbia Lions, why should they have expected anything less than another victory? These are the same Lions, after all, who hold the Division I record for consecutive losses. "Winning is an attitude," Columbia safety Jim Hudnall said. "They have an attitude. You can see it when they walk on the field. They expect to win." But what transpired Saturday was nothing short of a miracle. The Lions came out fired and ready to knock off the defending league champions. The Quakers calmly went through the motions, with little, if any, emotion. The Lions ripped through the field on their first possession to take an early 3-0 lead. The Quakers calmly came back and tied the game. "We weren't really that concerned," senior running back Terrance Stokes said about the halftime attitude in the Penn locker room. "We weren't concerned about losing.?We figured things would eventually go our way." So the second half was not the same as the first half. The Quaker defense once again shut down the opposition. The defense, which starts eight seniors and three juniors, knows how to win games. Those 11 men realize when the offense has only put three points on the scoreboard by halftime, it is up to them to control the game. Just like in every other game, the defense once again saved the game. As the intensity picked up, the Quakers only allowed the Lions past midfield once in the second half. But even this outstanding performance was not enough to ignite the dormant Penn offense. However, the Quakers did get close enough to the Columbia end zone to connect on four field goals. Every time Penn faced a long third down, Mark DeRosa found the sure hands of all-American wide receiver Miles Macik. After one seemingly perfect third-down conversion, Columbia linebacker Jim Lill grabbed his helmet in disbelief. Then Bagnoli looked to his sure-footed kicker -- Andy Glockner. Once again, an experienced senior came through in the clutch. "They play with a tremendous amount of intensity," Holy Cross coach Peter Vaas said last week. "That comes from having been exposed to success in the past. When you have success, success breeds success." And when you lose, that losing attitude snowballs. So down by six midway through the fourth quarter, the Lions should have known what was coming -- another 'L.' But the Lions had a chance on a fourth-and-long situation. But then again, this is Columbia. "I think you have to learn to win in these types of games," Bagnoli said. "We've been through plenty of close games with 17-14 and 34-30 scores, and that's something that just evolves. I give the Columbia team credit, but it just takes a little time to be able to win in those tight situations." And that is what Saturday's game eventually came down to -- the Quakers know how to win, the Lions just do not. Joshua Friedman is a College senior from Beverly Hills, Calif., and sports editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(10/11/94 9:00am)
You try to catch his attention after a long day of practice. You yell to him, "Nick," but there's no response. You try again, "Nick Morris," but still no acknowledgment. Then you hear someone behind you yell, "Hey Luke Skywalker," and he instantly turns around. During his two-year varsity football career at Penn, Nick Morris has played so many different roles, most of the time time he did not even know who he was. But now, the once highly recruited quarterback has settled into his starting strong safety position. The defense, which wears dark uniforms during practice, has brought Morris over to the Dark Side. "It's a lot nicer," he says of playing everyday. "It was fun, but it was a little bit of a struggle not knowing whether I was going to get into the game. Now that I have a position, I have the security to know that I'm going to play a full game." Even though Morris now has a permanent position, that still does not mean he is going to play every down. This fact has been made all too apparent as he has suffered through an injury-riddled career. After earning Freshman Most Valuable Player honors while playing quarterback, he hurt his ankle in the last game of the season, forcing him to forego trying out for the baseball team. Then he red-shirted his sophomore year after tearing the tendons in the middle finger of his throwing hand. And although he didn't feel comfortable throwing the ball last season because he could not put pressure on his finger, he still was the Quakers' returning passing leader this fall. But last year, when he did take the snaps, more often than not, he took off running with the pigskin. "I always liked to run," Morris says. "I just didn't have confidence in my throwing ability. But I had confidence in my legs and that I could hit somebody." His desire to hit convinced defensive coordinator Mike Toop to woo Morris to defense when starting free safety Sheldon Philip-Guide broke his arm last season. "Most people don't realize that we basically took an offensive player and taught him the free safety position," Toop says. "That's a tremendous feat, but he was able to do that." And as the season progressed, the move looked better every week. Morris is a devastating hitter. And although he had difficulty adjusting to his new position, he still made some of the biggest plays of the year. In the final game, with an undefeated season hanging in the balance and down by 14 points at halftime, Morris stepped into the spotlight. On a pass intended for Cornell wide receiver Erik Bjerke, Morris snagged the interception and ignited a previously dormant Penn offense. "Nick made a hell of a play on that ball," then-Penn quarterback Jim McGeehan said. "He stepped up and made the biggest play of the year." Morris then found a way to top that play. With the Big Red marching for the winning touchdown late in the contest, he dragged down Cornell tailback Pete Fitzpatrick two yards short of the first-down marker on a key third down. These are the types of hits Morris always seems to deliver -- just ask senior cornerback Jamie Daniels, who felt his wrath earlier this season. "I should have got it still. But Nick is a great hitter, and he proved it on that play," Daniels said after trying to hold onto an interception when he was leveled by Morris. "I just thought about going after the ball," Morris says now. "I didn't even realize what was going on. I just ran into him. One thing I want to do is be more physical." This craving to hit was one of the reasons Morris moved to the defensive side of the ball. As a quarterback, he got sick of being a target for offensive linemen. As a wide receiver, he grew tiresome of being the prize possession of defensive backs. But as the strong safety for the undefeated, defending Ivy League champion Pennsylvania Quakers, he now gets to deliver the hits. The crunches. The devastating blows. The crushes. This is the mind set of a defender. This is the thinking of someone who has switched to the Dark Side.
(10/06/94 9:00am)
Going into the last weekend's game against the winless Fordham Rams, it appeared as though the Penn football team was prime to blowout an overmatched team. After all, the Rams had been shut out by Columbia. However, as the 10,000-plus fans who were at Franklin Field now know, the Quakers had to rally from behind to pull out the victory. Throughout the final quarter of play, Penn exuded just enough poise and confidence to get it through the surprisingly difficult game. One of the most impressive performances came from sophomore wide receiver Miles Macik. "The thing that impressed us all was that he really got smacked coming across the middle," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "It was a legitimate, hard hit. He got stung, and yet he was able to come back and make some plays down the stretch for us. That showed a lot of character and heart and toughness on his part." Although Macik may not be a household name even among the Penn faithful, he certainly will be soon. Macik led the Quakers with 12 receptions, which also tied the Penn record for catches in a game. He also racked up 141 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner with under five minutes to go. These impressive numbers were enough to earn Macik the Ivy Rookie of the Week honors. "We felt we had a personnel advantage and we were trying to exploit it," Bagnoli said. "He was hot and [senior quarterback Jimmy McGeehan] was hot and we just kept going to him until they stopped it." But even beyond last week, Macik has consistently put up incredible numbers in his short varsity career. He currently leads all of Division I-AA in receptions per game with 8.33 a game. With his 25 catches so far this season, Macik only needs to make 29 more catches in the remaining seven games to break the school record for most catches in the season. He also is ranked 24th in yards per game with 82.0. Furthermore, Macik is slowly developing into a more important part of the Quaker offense as he has caught a team-high four touchdowns. "He's a great receiver," McGeehan said. "He has great hands. He reads the defenses well and he's only a sophomore. He's a big target. He sticks out." "He's fun to throw to," McGeehan said after Saturday's game. "It's like throwing to a net. I threw out one ball, I thought I hit the second level of Franklin Field and he came down with it." · Don't look now, but that little yellow flag was thrown nine more times this past weekend against the Quakers. The referees called nine penalties against Penn, which ended up costing it a grand total of 91 yards. Included in this comedy of penalties were three-consecutive illegal procedure calls which turned a routine extra point into a 35-yard "field goal." "Penalties have plagued us at that very inopportune time," Bagnoli said. "When you look at when we got stopped offensively, a lot of it was when we ran a six- or seven-yard play. The flag got thrown, and all of a sudden instead of looking at a second and three, we end up being first and 20. That happened on three-straight possessions." Unfortunately for Penn, this disturbing trend is not a one-time occurrence. The Quakers have collected more than their share of penalties already this season. In its first three games this season, Penn has amassed a total of 29 penalties accounting for 261 yards. "We have been plagued with [penalties all season]," Bagnoli said. "We're trying like heck to overcome them. We've got to do a better job and we've got to stress them some more. We've got to try to eliminate them." · For all of the Penn faithful who have wondered what ever happened to the bizarre Quaker kickoff formation that Bagnoli brought to West Philadelphia last season, the answer is finally here. Penn use to "fake" the kickoff, running up to the ball and stopping prior to kicking it, and then proceed with the real kickoff. However, this season has brought a change to the kickoff format. Now, the Quakers line up in an unorthodox format with one person on each wing, the kicker in the center and four people lined up behind each other on both sides. But they do not attempt to "fake" the kickoff. Instead, Penn simply proceeds with the kickoff in a more traditional fashion. "Some of the NCAA rules have changed in terms of the number of people you can put on either side of the kicker," Bagnoli explained. "The reason we did that was for on-side kicking purposes. We kind of switched our philosophy, so we've gone to a straight kickoff now." · Now for this week's edition of the McGeehan watch. The Quaker signal-caller threw for 216 yards against the Rams, raising his all-time total to 2,390 yards in his career. He still sits in eighth place on the all-time list. No. 7 Bob Graustein ('77) is seventh with 2,626 yards. After Saturday's performance, McGeehan now needs to average 153.3 yards a game over the final seven games to eclipse Malcolm Glover ('90) to become the top-ranked passer in Penn history.
(10/06/94 9:00am)
Like a baseball closer, he waits until the late innings to come into the game. He follows the coach around sporting a clipboard and baseball cap. But unlike most backup quarterbacks, Rob Callahan has actually had an opportunity to play. Although he has not started one game for winless Holy Cross this season, Callahan has made an appearance in every contest. With the offense struggling, Crusader coach Peter Vaas has found himself looking over his shoulder and calling for No. 14 more than ever. And now, facing the Quakers Saturday, Callahan will finally get his chance to start. "It feels pretty good," he said. "This is when the work finally pays off. It's been a little frustrating, but you have to accept the decisions made by the coaches and take advantage of your opportunities when they come." This is how Callahan has been approaching his role throughout his career. As a freshman, his playing time was limited to the junior varsity squad. As a sophomore, he took only four snaps. But after starting quarterback Andy Fitzpatrick suffered a season-ending knee injury against Bucknell last year, Callahan led the previously 1-6 Crusaders to a 2-2 mark the rest of the season. But then in the spring, Fitzpatrick was handed his starting job again. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Fitzpatrick appears to be the ideal size for quarterback. And during the 1993 campaign, he had completed 55.6 percent of his passes, including six touchdowns without an interception. However, in 1994, the offense has not been producing. Against Army, the Crusaders scored no points. Against Massachusetts, they produced three points. And against Yale, they were outscored by 25 points. After not landing the ball in the end zone during the first half last week against Harvard, Vaas called for Callahan. "The offense just wasn't moving the ball," Callahan said. "I'm glad the team responded to me when I came in. We were able to move the ball pretty well." Callahan orchestrated two second-half touchdowns against the Crimson. After that, Vaas gave Callahan the nod for this weekend's matchup. "It's just a change," Holy Cross quarterbacks coach Tom Caito said. "We need to get some spark into our offense. Callahan moved the ball against Harvard. He scored two touchdowns. He's doing a good job." But Callahan's success to date has led to a quarterback controversy in Worcester, Mass. Fitzgerald was the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 1992; Callahan sat on the sidelines. Fitzgerald excelled last season; Callahan waited for his opportunity to shine. Now the roles are reversed. "I don't know if there is a controversy," Callahan said. "We just scored a couple touchdowns when I was in there. The team needs a couple changes, so the coaches are trying some different things. "We've stayed friendly. You can't let it bother you. We're both competitive, but we just don't let it get involved in our personal relationship." Saturday, Callahan will have to concentrate on the Quaker defense. He will have to watch for Michael Turner coming in from the outside. He will have to watch for Jamie Daniels covering the Crusader wide receivers. But Callahan's greatest threat may be waiting on the bench, sporting a baseball cap with clipboard in hand.
(09/19/94 9:00am)
Lafayette entered Franklin Field as the proud favorite to win the Patriot League title. With all-American Erik Marsh leading the offense, there was no doubt the Leopard offense would put points on the board. Doubt crept into the Lafayette locker room Saturday courtesy of last season's best defense in the Ivy League. The Leopard offense, which averaged 24.6 points per game a year ago, was unable to produce any offensive points the entire contest. The Quaker defense did something even last year's squad could not accomplish --Eshut an opponent out. "We play for a shut out every time we go out," senior co-captain Michael Turner said. "We still don't like to see that '7' on the board, but there are some things we can't control. I'm not worried though." Turner has no reason to be worried after Saturday's domination of the Leopards. Lafayette barely entered Penn's half of the field all day. Besides one drive, which ended with a Michael Juliano-Pat Goodwillie blocked field goal attempt, the Leopards did not traverse more than two yards into Quaker territory until only backups remained on the field. The Leopards had to know there would be problems early. In their very first possession, they traveled a net total of two yards. And when the final gun sounded, Lafayette had only averaged 2.5 yards per play. "The defense played hard," coach Al Bagnoli said. "We made them earn most of their yards." Lafayette's job was made even tougher thanks to the big-play Penn defense. After early adjustments, the Quakers shut down Marsh, who only had 25 second-half yards. That allowed the defensive line to explode on whichever quarterback the Leopards sent in. "If and when we get pressure, it's a cumulative threat," said Turner, who recorded two sacks. "When the quarterback's throwing off his heels, it makes it easier for the backs." And that is exactly what happened as Lafayette quarterback Joe Clair was running for his life all afternoon. While being pressured by Mike Silvey, Clair tossed one up. Unfortunately for the Leopards, Penn defensive back Jamie Daniels grabbed the pigskin and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown. "I hope they throw at me," Daniels said. "I know the defensive line can put pressure on them and make them throw a bad pass." And bad passes seemed to be in fashion for the Lafayette quarterbacks, who completed only 12 of 35 attempts. During Mike Talerico's stint taking snaps, he managed to throw one interception, throw at least 10 passes away under pressure and get acquainted with Franklin Field's Astroturf on three separate occasions. So obviously, Lafayette's all-time winningest coach, Bill Russo, turned to Clair. If it was possible, things got worse. Clair, under constant pressure from the Quakers' front five, overthrew wide receivers, skipped passes off the turf and tried to avoid Penn defensive linemen. And as bad as things got, they could have been even worse for the Leopards. Daniels dropped two possible interceptions, one when senior safety Nick Morris delivered one of his patented hits. Clair, who was under constant pressure but was never sacked, barely avoided a safety in the third quarter. Penn running back Terrance Stokes fumbled on the Lafayette four-yard line. And Lafayette even converted five third downs and two fourth downs. "We played fair," Daniels said. "We did not play exceptionally well. We played in spurts." But for one hot afternoon in September, those spurts were enough to overwhelm Lafayette. The high-powered Leopard offense, which led them to a second-place finish in the Patriot League and a 5-4-2 record last season, left Franklin Field dejected, having seen enough of the best defensive unit in the Ivy League.
(09/14/94 9:00am)
Offensive linemen lead the way for high-profile players They're not your typical football players. They don't receive glory or accolades. You probably wouldn't even recognize one if you passed him on Locust Walk. They don't get their names in the paper very often, and you probably wouldn't even know their names if they did. They're offensive linemen --Ethe most vital asset to this year's Quaker offense. "The kids on the offensive line are different kids," offensive coordinator Chuck Priore said. "They don't get their names in the paper?.It's too bad?but who cares if the newspapers respect you." In fact, when a Philadelphia paper recently came to talk to the Penn captains, the reporters jumped to interview defensive end Mike Turner and running back Terrance Stokes. But the reporters all but ignored starting all-everything center Pete Giannakoulis. "Lineman is a forgotten position," Stokes said. "Everyone tends to overlook the linemen. I try, on each occasion I can, to congratulate them for a job well done." This season, with an inexperienced quarterback leading the Quakers, Stokes expects to have even more opportunities to thank his line for clearing his path to the promised land. But with new quarterback Mark DeRosa coming in, the pressure is on the offensive line to protect him. "Last year, we were very inexperienced," Priore said. "I think the kids did a good job, but I don't think by any means they were a dominant offensive line. We just did what we needed to do. I think this year we should take a little pressure off the other positions." And the men responsible for relieving the pressure begin right in the middle with Giannakoulis. The senior co-captain is a two-year starter who was named first team all-Ivy last season. In games which he has started, the Quakers have amassed an awesome 17-2 record. "He's our best football player up front," Priore said. "He's got to be one of the top lineman in the league. When you start in the middle and have a good center, I think it helps you on both sides." "It's his fourth year with the program," Stokes said of Giannakoulis. "Each year, he's gotten better. He's been a steady performer for us. It's only right that he be named a captain." Flanking Giannakoulis' sides will be junior Rick Knox, who started seven games last season, and senior Mike Teller. These two well-seasoned veterans will be backed up by three big sophomores -- Sears Wright (6-foot-6, 350 pounds), Matt Julien (6-4, 285) and Mark Fleischhauer (6-0, 232). On the ends, the Quakers return both starting tackles. Juniors Scott Freeman and Bill Glascott expect to continue exactly where they left off last season --Eclearing the way for Stokes' wide sweeps and protecting the quarterback's blind side. If either of these two goes down with an injury, senior Kevin Lozinak is a capable backup with some playing experience. The five starting linemen last season cleared the way for the Penn offense to overwhelm the Ivy League. The Quakers only averaged 408 yards of total offense per contest last season. The line only gave Jim McGeehan enough time to become the most efficient quarterback in the league. These five in the middle of every play made the offense run smoothly, and seemingly effortlessly. "Last year, I think they really performed well," Stokes said. "A lot of our success has to be attributed to them. There's no way I would have run for 1,200 yards and there's no way Jimmy would have the career year he had without those guys. They are definitely an important factor in this offense." And come Saturday, although the public address announcer may not call out their names after every play, they're the ones fighting in the trenches. They're the ones covered in mud. Watch Terrance Stokes, he'll congratulate the right people for his success. After yet another one of his successful running plays, he'll go over and thank an offensive lineman for a great block. And that's all they ask for -- respect.
(06/30/94 9:00am)
The season came down to one weekend -- three games against Rolfe Division winner Yale. Unfortunately for the Penn baseball team, the Quakers were edged out for the Ivy League crown at Palmer Field in Middletown, Conn., last weekend, falling in the best-of-three game series, 2-1, to Yale. The Quakers completed their season at 25-12-1. The Elis (22-17) will play the winner of the Northeast Conference to determine which league will be represented in the NCAA tournament. Yale has won both Ivy crowns since the league's formation following the collapse of the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League, which included the eight Ivy League teams and Army and Navy. Penn fell in the Yale series opener, 7-1. Ed Haughey pitched a complete game for the Quakers, but received little support by his fielders. Nine Penn errors, four by senior shortstop Eddie MacDonald, led to five unearned runs. It was Haughey's first loss in seven decisions this season. Facing elimination, Penn rebounded in Game 2 behind the strong arm of junior pitcher Dan Galles, who has been named team captain for next season's Penn baseball team. Galles (8-2) lasted all nine innings, fanning 10 Elis en route to an 8-4 Quaker win. In the decisive third game, Yale bested the Quakers 5-1. "It was just two good teams going out to war," junior first baseman Allen Fischer said. "It was a battle. The whole season came down to nine innings of baseball. We live for those situations. It's what baseball is all about." Eddie MacDonald scored the Quakers' lone run in the first inning. After reaching base on an infield single, he moved to third on a pair of sacrifices, then scored on a throwing error. Penn kept a 1-0 advantage until the fifth inning when the wind in the Quakers' sails vanished. With two on and two out, Penn sophomore starting pitcher appeared to be ready to get out of the tough situation. Unfortunately for the Quakers, Yale rightfielder Thompson hit a routine fly to center field. Penn centerfielder Shawn Turner, however, tripped and misplayed the ball, allowing two Eli runs to score. "The series came down to [Yale] making the plays and getting key hits when they had to," sophomore catcher Rick Burt said. "They stepped up when they had to, and we didn't." Penn earned the right to play in the Ivy title series, which pits the winner of the Gehrig and Rolfe Divisions, by sweeping Columbia in a pair of fiercely contested games at Bower Field. The Quakers needed a two-game sweep in order to play Yale in the playoff series. The weekend started off slowly as the Lions took an early 3-0 advantage. But Penn received several key hits in the bottom of the seventh to squeak past Columbia and move into the driver's seat in the series. "Ed threw really well," Burt said. "He came out and had little trouble. He threw the whole game, even the extra inning." Then coach Bob Seddon handed the ball to Galles. "Whenever we need a win, he like to pitch," Burt said of Galles. "He was in trouble in the final inning. He stepped up and struck out the last batter. That's typical. That's Dan Galles." Behind a strong complete-game effort, the Quakers swept the Saturday series and advanced into the Ivy League playoffs. "We gave it our best," Fischer said. "That's why you play a sport --Eto be the hero or the goat. We've excelled in pressure situations all season long. Against Columbia, we had to win. And that weekend we were the heros. We were so excited to win in front of the home crowd."
(06/02/94 9:00am)
Women want same as men The University discriminates against its female athletes by not giving them the same equipment and services it provides to male athletes, according to a federal civil rights complaint filed against the University Friday. The complaint, filed by a non-profit feminist legal advocacy organization called the Women's Law Project, claims that the University is in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX mandates equal treatment of men's and women's athletes at any school that receives federal funds. The University issued a statement expressing its commitment to "gender equity in its athletic programs." "The University has been implementing significant changes and devoting substantial resources to improve women's athletics," the statement continues. But the Women's Law Project, which is representing a group of 10 Penn coaches and female athletes, claims that the University has not moved quickly enough. "There have been very few and slow attempts to rectify the problems, and that's what's bothering us," Penn women's crew coach Carol Bower said Tuesday. "The way it's going, it's never going to get done." According to Bower, the coaches attempted to pursue improvements by dealing directly with the athletic department. When this attempt failed, the coaches wrote a letter to the athletic department demanding four specific improvements and the creation of a task force to make further recommendations, Bower said. The coaches wanted two female sports, volleyball and field hockey, to be promoted to Level I status, which would increase the amount of resources devoted to coaching, recruiting, travel and other benefits. Currently, only men's football and basketball and women's basketball have Level I status. The letter also asked the University to hire on-site trainers, to restore the softball team's Warren Field and to resolve current salary claims, including back pay. According to Bower, when the University did not respond to these demands by the letter's by the April 21 deadline, the coaches decided to file the claim. "We took a very ordered progress before we filed the claim," Bower said. "We talked to the athletic department, we talked to general counsel and we gave the athletic department until [April 21] to respond to our grievances. "It's not a surprise," she said. "They knew it was coming." Still, the University claims that it has been working diligently and in good faith over the last year to improve gender equity. "For more than a year, Penn has been implementing significant changes and devoting substantial funds to support different programs," said Acting Director of News and Public Affairs Barbara Beck. "All along, things have been done to address Title IX." Beck also said that construction and improvements have been made to Warren Field -- just not to the extent the female coaches would like. She added that the University has "committed $500,000 to be spent over the next 18 months to address gender equity issues." The athletic department has also promoted the women's soccer coach to a full-time position and is adding more coaches for other sports, Beck said. The 10-page grievance, however, claims numerous services and facilities are substantially lacking. "In many instances, there are significant disparities in the quality, amount, suitability and availability of equipment and supplies (including uniforms and practice gear) provided to women and men athletes," the complaint states. The complaint cites crew as an example of this, because the women's team has eight boats while the men's team has 22. In addition, the softball team's uniforms have not been replaced for at least five years, but the baseball team's uniforms are replaced more frequently, it states. Penn gymnastics coach Tom Kovic said his athletes also suffer from inadequate facilities. "The gymnastics facility is just an open facility divided by a vinyl curtain," he said, describing the team's practice facility in Hutchinson Gym. "[In addition,] the squash players, have to go through the gymnastics facility to get to the squash courts. A kid could easily hurt herself or hurt the squash player. "Also, recreational basketball is being played on the other side of the curtain," he added. "Balls have flown through many times -- the potential for danger is obvious." Incoming Athletic Director Steve Bilsky, who takes office July 1, will now be forced to address the issue of gender equity early in his tenure. "I see it as a farm at Penn, and there's a field that hasn't been used yet," Bower said. "That field is women's athletics, and we hope [the grievance] will be used as a tool for Bilsky to let the field grow and harvest the crops."
(04/27/94 9:00am)
It was just a baseball game. Of course it was an Ivy League contest against Yale, but it was just a game. Dan Galles did not think he'd be able to pitch when he woke up that Sunday morning. He strained a muscle in his shoulder earlier in the week and was having difficulty even throwing a ball, let alone pitching one. But then again, the Elis were in town. Galles went to the trainer where he had the shoulder heated. He took some pain medication and went out and played the game. Galles did not pitch a no-hitter. He didn't even pitch a shutout. It was not one of the greatest pitching performance in Penn baseball history. But it may have been one of the gutsiest. "That Yale game was Dan," Penn catcher Rick Burt said. "He had his worst stuff, but he won't let anything stop him when he's on the mound. He leaves it all on the field, and that was what he did against Yale." This old-fashioned, maybe out-dated, way of playing is what Galles always gives the Penn baseball team in everyone of his pitching performances. Against Yale, he was struggling. He allowed the Elis to get men on first and second in the first inning, but then struck out the final batter in the frame to get out of the jam unscathed. He gave up five runs in the third, but he battled back to pitch a complete game, and gain the victory. "[Galles] was tight the last few days," Penn assistant coach Bill Wagner said following Galles' outing. "He really got himself into a mental toughness warming up and felt half-decent. Then once he got onto the mound?as his arm really got loose, he found himself and pitched real well." It's been performances like this one that have earned Galles the respect of his coaches, teammates and the opposition. It's this type of determination and mental toughness that has earned the junior starting pitcher the nickname "Bulldog." Galles, however, almost slipped through the fingers of coach Bob Seddon. Galles did not come to the Quakers sporting an overly impressive high school record. The Colorado product was not attracting many scouts. Rather, he was just trying to use baseball as a means to go to Wharton. "I wanted to come to school here basically because of Wharton," he said. "My No. 1 intention was just to go to Wharton." So Galles wrote to Seddon, not knowing anything about the baseball program or the history at Penn. Galles sent Seddon some information about himself and talked to the coach a few times. But there was no way Galles could have expected what happened from that point forth. "Basically I just came to school wanting to make the team," he said. "I came here and tried out. I made the team, and I was just happy to be on the team." But that is just where the Dan Galles story begins. Although he may not have been a star in high school, he has slowly developed into one of the most dominating pitchers in the Ivy League. In his freshman season, Galles saw a great deal of action as the team's closer. "I was surprised about how much I got to play. It was a lot of innings for a freshman," he said. "I actually enjoyed coming out of the bullpen. I had never done it before, but the close games were exciting." After a rocky season last year, Galles ended the campaign on a high note -- pitching two consecutive complete-game shutouts. And this season appears to be no different. After picking up two wins during a preseason trip to California, Galles has settled down in league play. Against Cornell, Galles went the distance as he pitched a two-hit shutout. The show continued Sunday as Galles pitched another stellar game -- nine innings, zero earned run. "He simply dominated Princeton," first baseman Allen Fischer said. "He's a very intense player. He's always emotional and very passionate about the game. He's always trying to get the best out of himself. He's a fighter with a lot of guts." And going into this weekend's showdown with Columbia for the Gehrig title, Seddon will once again hand the ball over to Galles with the championship hanging in the balance. But regardless of the outcome, Galles will put it all on the line. But somehow you just figure this warrior will come out on top. "He's a pure competitor," Burt said. "He wants to kill whoever he's playing against. Even if he doesn't have his best stuff, he will give it his all. If I could pick someone who I could have behind me, it would be Dan."
(04/22/94 9:00am)
Quakers play 4 against Princeton Dan Galles knows what it will take for the Penn baseball team to win the Gehrig Division and earn a trip to the Ivy League playoffs in Middletown, Conn. Facing a four-game series at Princeton tomorrow and Sunday at 1 p.m., Galles and the first-place Quakers face a critical test which will determine the outcome of their season. "This is going to be the biggest series of the year," Galles said. "We need to take three out of four." The winner of the Gehrig will play the Rolfe champion in the second-annual Ivy playoffs. The winner of that series will challenge the Northeast Conference champion for a berth in the NCAA tournament. Last year the Quakers were in a similar situation -- they needed to take at least three games against Princeton in order to stay in the postseason race. But Penn split with the Tigers and came up one game short of Columbia, which slipped into the playoff series against Yale. "We talked a little about last year," second baseman Derek Nemeth said. "We've taken a lot of lessons from last year and we're going to make sure we don't do it again." The Quakers will enter the series riding a five-game winning streak during which Penn has been enjoying overpowering pitching performances from its starters. Since the Quakers staff has given up only four runs in its last five outings, it may be hard to believe this is the same staff which gave up 45 runs in a four-game weekend series with Dartmouth and Harvard earlier this season. The pitching may be the key for the Quakers this weekend. Which staff will show up -- the one that baffled Cornell for four games last weekend or the one that was pounded in New England? "Everything was different this week," Penn catcher Rick Burt said. "I'm hoping the pitchers just turned the page and put it all behind them. [Against Cornell] they came in with intensity and they came to win. "They started the season slowly, but now they're rolling. I think they'll be ready to go this weekend." The staff is led by Ed Haughey, the reigning Ivy League Pitcher of the Week. Haughey's followed closely by Lance Berger, Mike Shannon and Dan Galles. Their task this weekend will be to contain the explosive Tiger bats. That must start with Princeton's Michael Ciminiello, who boasts a .355 average, five home runs and 25 RBI. "We have to get men on base and score some runs," Ciminiello said. "We have to make sure we don't get shut down." But the Penn pitchers did just that last weekend against the Big Red. But the team is clearly not being carried solely by the pitchers. In fact, the Quaker bats are hitting with a collective .326 average, 19th nationally in Division I. Right fielder Tim Shannon, who has also made some terrific diving catches, paces the Quakers with a .395 average. "We have the most confidence going into this Ivy weekend since I've been here," said Burt, who is in his second season with the Red and Blue. "When our defense, offense and pitching come together, there isn't a better talent in the league." How confident are the Quakers? According to Nemeth, several members of the team are already looking for summer housing in West Philadelphia, confident Penn's season will be extended into the postseason. Standing in the Quakers' way, though, is a formidable Princeton opponent. Nemeth knows there's no love loss between these two. "We really don't like each other," he said. "And then when you realize we lost to them last year, that plays a big part in the rivalry."
(04/20/94 9:00am)
Penn seeks revenge against LaSalle Two weeks ago, he was scheduled to make his first collegiate start against St. Peter's. The rain made sure that game did not happen. Last Wednesday, he was once again scheduled to make his Penn starting debut. But neither the Penn baseball team nor Lehigh would play in the downpouring rain. Yesterday, the weather was perfect and the sun was out. Unfortunately for freshman pitcher A.B. Fischer, Lehigh's trip to upstate New York was delayed due to the weather this weekend, and the contest against the Quakers was cancelled. So finally, the long-awaited starting debut of Fischer appears as if it will happen this afternoon when Penn (17-9-1) hosts La Salle (3:30 p.m., Bower Field). The national weather service predicts a partly sunny day, breezy and a little cool, with a high in the mid-60s. In otherwords, it appears to be a perfect day for baseball in the friendly confines of Bower Field. "Missing all of these starts has been very frustrating," Fischer said. "To think I could have started two weeks ago and two more times just kills me. I almost think someone's trying to tell me something." The only person trying to tell Fischer something is coach Bob Seddon. "A.B. Fischer has pitched well for us in relief," Seddon said. "He won't go long because we want to make sure he's available for this weekend." But if Fischer follows in the footsteps of his fellow hurlers from this past weekend, it may be hard for the Penn skipper to pull him early in the contest. This weekend the Quaker staff pitched four complete games -- two shutouts and two no-hitters were taken into the fifth inning -- and junior Ed Haughey was even named Ivy League Pitcher of the Week for his efforts (9 innings, 2 hits, 10 strikeouts, 0 earned runs). Fischer is ready. "I've been a starter all my life," Fischer said. "I'm happy to finally get a shot to start here. I haven't started yet, and I'm just happy the coaches saw something in me." What the coaching staff saw was a lively arm capable of overpowering its opponents. Fischer is currently second on the team with a 3.18 ERA, including 13 strikeouts in just 11.1 innings. He has also kept Quaker opponents' bats in check as he held them to a .233 batting average. As if this experience was not enough, Fischer has been tested in pressure situations before. He has already twice entered games with the bases loaded and two outs. "I've pitched in six games in relief," Fischer said. "I just try to go out and say, 'I'm better than this hitter. No one's going to get a hit off me.' " But another part of this game will concern something that Fischer did not experience -- revenge for last season's 7-6 Explorer victory at Veterans Stadium. In that contest, the Quakers seemed to have the game won going into the bottom of the sixth with a three-run lead. However, La Salle came back behind four sixth-inning runs to squeak out the victory and overcome a Tim Shannon home run in the process. "We blew the game at the Vet," Seddon said. "I will definitely remind the guys about that game before we play [today]." In that contest, the Quakers were plagued with the same problem that cost them games earlier this season -- a lack of intensity in the final innings. "We've just got to keep the intensity up the entire game instead of slacking off," outfielder Tim Shannon said after the loss last year. Because of this sense of revenge and Fischer's enthusiasm with his first start, this seemingly meaningless midweek contest instantly picks up more importance. And with the Quakers coming off a four-game weekend sweep of Cornell and facing a vital four-game series with Princeton Saturday and Sunday, Penn is hoping to simply keep on winning. In order to achieve this goal, the red-hot Quaker bats will have to stay that way. After an explosive weekend, sophomore sensation Mike Shannon now leads the Penn batters with a .500 average. He is also tied with third baseman Mark DeRosa with two home runs to lead the Quakers. Beyond Shannon, seven regulars are hitting over .300, and the team is batting a combined .326. This combination of hitting and pitching may prove to be exactly what it will take for the Quakers to win this afternoon. Penn knows with a key matchup with the second-place Tigers looming in the immediate future, if the Quakers can win today and continue their four-game winning streak, they might be able ride the momentum into the weekend. However, a loss may cause the exact opposite result. So obviously, this game takes on much more importance in the context of the Gehrig Division race. "It's very easy to overlook a midweek game," first baseman Allen Fischer said. "But when we get down there, we'll focus on our goal for the day. We've been known in the past to take midweek games too lightly, but we'll be ready to play." As long as the forecast is correct, the Quakers will have the opportunity to avenge last year's loss. If not, Fischer's starting debut may have to be postponed yet again. · Sophomore catcher Joe Piacenti missed this weekend's games due to a strained muscle in his shoulder. Although he practiced with team yesterday, he has still not been cleared to throw a ball.
(04/04/94 9:00am)
Trailing and with the game on the line in the bottom of the sixth, the Quakers found themselves in an unfamiliar situation. After two consecutive games in which Penn took early leads only to throw them away late in the contest, this time the Quakers were in the position to make a comeback of their own. Penn had to try to comeback in its final at bat. After falling behind to Brown 4-2, the Quakers came to bat in the bottom of the sixth Friday afternoon. Center fielder Sean Turner started things off with a solid hit up the middle. Brown starting pitcher Stu Perry walked the next batter on four pitches, and then junior Michael Green laid down the perfect bunt to load the bases with no outs. With the entire Quaker dugout on its feet, Penn then began to hit Perry. After third baseman Mark DeRosa hit a sacrifice fly, junior Allen Fischer knocked the ball into right field to tie the game at 4. But the Quakers were still far from finished. One more hit later and Perry was pulled. Former Phillie and Brown skipper Bill Almon had finally seen enough. He called for the lefty, but freshman Aaron Simmons (1 out, 3 runs, 4 hits) was unable to stop the bleeding. Although he got the first batter out, the next four all hit safely, and Almon was forced to call for the third Bear pitcher of the inning. But it was too late. Penn 10, Brown 4. "It was a good come-from-behind win," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. "That really catapulted us through the day. We were down, but then we started to hit the ball well and we went on to win?.It was a total team effort." But Friday was not the only day affected by that inning. The following afternoon, the Quakers hosted two-time defending league champion Yale. The Elis, who scored six sixth-inning runs last year to squeak past Penn 6-5, held a 5-1 advantage heading into the sixth. After Yale was retired in order, the Quakers found themselves in what is becoming familiar territory. "We were pretty pumped," starting pitcher Dan Galles said. "They're not quite what they were last year, but they're still a good ballclub. We felt like we owed them something [for last year's Yale sweep]." In the bottom of the sixth, the excitement started once again. The Penn dugout rose to its feet. The crowd started getting louder. First baseman Mike Shannon walked. The second half of the sibling combination, Tim Shannon, bunted for a single. Four pitches nowhere near the strike zone later, the bases were loaded with no outs. Yale coach John Stuper went to the mound and called for senior Russell Peltz, who promptly induced catcher Rick Burt to ground into a double play. But then the Quaker bats really came to life, and there was little Peltz could do. Penn shortstop Eddie MacDonald got a hit. Designated hitter Rob Naddelman crushed a double down the third base line. After Peltz intentionally walked Turner to load the bases, senior left fielder Dave Goldberg came up to the plate. This was the situation kids dream about. The bases loaded. Two outs. Penn down by one. Smack! With Goldberg's two RBI single to right, the Quakers took their first lead of the game. Penn added one more run in the inning to take a 7-5 lead, which was enough for the win. Galles put the Elis away to wrap up the victory. "The first game, we finally put a bunch of runs together," Turner said. "It was just everybody getting a hit. A hit there, a walk there. We need to get a bunch of hits and be more consistent throughout the game instead of leading up to one inning for all our hits." This weekend was the stuff dreams are made of. This is the stuff Ivy titles are made of.
(03/31/94 10:00am)
Penn coach Bob Seddon couldn't have asked for any more. In a midweek game, Seddon chose sophomore Mike Shannon, not a regular starter, to pitch before 60,000 empty seats at Veterans Stadium. Shannon gave Seddon six strong innings and left having staked the Quakers to a three-run lead. He gave it everything he had. By effectively changing speeds, Shannon kept the Delaware hitters off balance for the majority of the game. Shannon set the first batter of the game up with fast balls, only to strike him out with the slow stuff. He found similar success with the Blue Hens' cleanup hitter, left fielder Tom Lafferty to end the first inning. Although he allowed Delaware to score a run and temporarily take a one-run lead in the second, the run more appropriately belonged to Penn freshman Mark DeRosa, who came closer to hitting the empty seats behind first base than finding Quaker first baseman Dave Krzemienski on a seemingly routine ground ball. After regaining his composure after the second, Shannon (6 innings, 6 hits, 0 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk) went back to work, and never allowed a Blue Hen to get past second base for the remainder of his six-inning stint. He made Delaware look foolish as he had the Blue Hens swinging in front of pitches, behind pitches or just taking strikes all afternoon. "Mike was doing great," Penn catcher Joe Piacenti said. "He had a lot of pop on the ball. He was getting the curve over for a strike and was changing speed a lot. When you do that, the hitters can't sit back and wait on the fast ball." But when Shannon left, with the Quakers still clinging to a 4-1 lead, the fun really began. Senior reliever Mike Komsky looked impressive as he shut the Blue Hens down in order in the seventh. But unfortunately for the Quakers, the same cannot be said of the eighth. Komsky was ripped apart like a pi-ata on Cinco de Mayo. While Shannon spread out six hits over six innings, Delaware reeled off five hits in the eighth to tie the game at 4. "We blew it," Seddon said. "The relief pitching didn't hold.?Komsky pitched a good seventh and then he didn't fare well in the eighth. They had a couple of end-of-the-bat hits." But if Komsky's three runs in two innings had Seddon looking for the antacid bottle, junior closer Mike Martin's ninth must have driven Seddon to look for a bottle of scotch. Seddon handed the ball to Martin for the ninth with the score notched at 4. It didn't take long for Martin to get into trouble. Martin hit the first batter. The next bunted successfully for an infield hit. Then Delaware shortstop Deron Brown loaded the bases on a fielder's choice. So with the bases juiced, Martin faced the Blue Hens' star, third baseman Cliff Brumbaugh, who promptly hit the ball into deep center field for an easy double, clearing the bases. "I really don't have any excuses," Martin said following the Quakers' 7-4 loss. "It was just a bad inning.?I went out there and they just ripped the ball. I got the ball up a little bit and they punished me for it." After those final two innings, in which the Quakers were outscored 6-0, Seddon had a right to ask for more.
(03/24/94 10:00am)
Last night, after Penn coach Fran Dunphy met with his players and assistant coaches, junior guard Matt Maloney sat still in his high rise dorm room. He was being comforted by Eric Moore and Andy Baratta, but nothing will make this pain go away but time. Maloney was depressed due to the announcement that Penn coach Fran Dunphy will be leaving the Quakers. "I thought for sure he'd be here until at least our class graduated," Maloney said in reference to Dunphy's departure to take the helm at La Salle. "When I transferred here, he promised me he'd be here for at least as long as I was here. This hurts now, but I know it will go away, especially come January 13." The other players expressed similar sentiments about missing Dunphy, who had coached the Quakers to two consecutive undefeated Ivy League titles during his five-year tenure. The players also, however, wished their coach well, with the exception of one game, next season's La Salle-Penn matchup January 13. "I think coach will do well wherever he goes," Penn junior guard Jerome Allen said. "[The La Salle-Penn game] will be very emotional for all of us. It will be hard to see him on the other bench, but we'll still do our best to win that game. I just can't believe he left us before [the junior class] graduated." Dunphy addressed his players and assistant coaches last night. Assistant coach Fran O'Hanlon, who had been rumored to be leaving the Quakers for the Boston University head coaching position, appears to be the favorite among the players to take over at the helm for Penn after Dunphy officially leaves. "O'Hanlon should be hired [to replace Dunphy] today," senior captain Barry Pierce said. "There's no question about it. He's the most qualified candidate and knows our system extremely well. There isn't a more qualified candidate in all of basketball." The announcement of Dunphy's replacement is expected to be approved by Athletic Director Steve Bilsky shortly. But the players are strongly behind O'Hanlon. "O'Hanlon is the best person for the job," sophomore forward Tim Krug said. "Who else is there out there? O'Hanlon should be our coach next season, no doubt about it." But no one will know the whole impact of Dunphy's departure until next season, which starts November 15 in the preseason NIT, which coincidentally Dunphy arranged for the team. "We're all going to miss him," Allen said. "I'm just shocked by all of this. What is going on here? I hope coach does well at La Salle, but I really can't believe he left us. He's been the greatest and I just hope La Salle realizes what they're getting. He's not just a great coach, but he's a great person."
(03/16/94 10:00am)
Every March, the media tells the tale of some collegiate basketball team which is surprising the world. This team wasn't even supposed to be in the NCAA Tournament. The team consists of walk-ons and athletes other schools never wanted. This team, however, managed to upset teams with substantially better athletes. This team hit a last-second shot that would dwarf David's upset of Goliath. But during the last five tournaments, all the media said of the Ivy League representative was that it almost accomplished the impossible. While the collegiate world is bickering over a 14th basketball scholarship, Princeton, a team which has no athletic scholarships at all, came within one second of toppling the nation's top-ranked team. Over the last half-decade, though, the Ivies have yet to win a single tournament game. But the Ancient Eight has lost those five games by a grand total of only 19 points. And every one of those games was winnable. "You always prepare to win," Princeton coach Pete Carril said. "I don't know a single coach who goes into a game expecting to lose. Our guys were so psyched up, and they saw that we were the underdogs. But the Ivy League has always given a good account of itself." No one has ever claimed the Ivy League has not put on respectable performances. Yet the fact remains since 1989 the Ivies have been finding considerable trouble getting over that next obstacle. That year, Princeton faced Georgetown, the nation's top-ranked team. The Hoyas boasted a stifling defense and an offensive arsenal consisting of Alonzo Mourning, last year's second pick in the NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets, and Charles Smith, a 1988 Olympian. But regardless of the odds -- the Tigers were 23-point underdogs -- they had a chance to win this game. Princeton's Kit Mueller took the last-second inbounds pass and put up the shot which would have won the game for the Tigers. Attempting to avoid the 6-foot-10 Mourning, Mueller let the desperation shot fly. It landed well wide of the basket, but was Mueller fouled? "That last play of the game -- we'll have to take that up with God?when we get there," Carril said following the devastating one-point loss. After that heart-wrenching combat, the Tigers returned to the battlefield the following season against Southwest Conference champion Arkansas. Princeton, showing the maturity gained from the previous season's heartbreaking loss, captured a 56-55 lead with 6:25 to go. But from that point forth, the Hogs edged out the Tigers and stole a 68-64 win over 13th-seeded Princeton. "Pete Carril has forgotten more basketball than I'll ever learn, and his team plays the way he tells them," Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson raved following the near upset. "Like [Georgetown coach] John Thompson told me, 'Whatever you do, you don't want to play them.' " The trend had begun, two NCAA Tournament contests and two nailbiting losses for the Ivies. As the following seasons continued, and the hole got bigger, the Ancient Eight played this same role over and over again. The next year saw something slightly different. After coming so close in the previous two tournaments, Princeton played well enough during the regular season to break into the AP Top 25. And with new respect came an eighth seed in March Madness. Although the Tigers were the favorite when they took on Villanova, the tournament brought out every ghost from the closet. And in the process, the Wildcats hit a shot with .7 seconds to play to slip past Princeton. One more tournament, one more close game, but still an Ivy loss. The Tigers went into the following year's NCAAs knowing they could play with any team in the country. After all, they had lost the three previous tournament games by a total of seven points. So when Princeton challenged its third Big East team in four years, Syracuse, the Tigers were ready. The score was tied at 23, but then Princeton had trouble finding the basket. The Ivy representative did not make another field goal for 10 minutes. Although the Tigers tried to get back into the game, they still lost, 51-43. "We saw this as a very winnable game," said Princeton guard George Leftwich, who had been around for all four NCAA losses. "I don't know how to explain what went wrong." It was more a matter of what went right, for the Orangemen that is. Syracuse forward Lawrence Moten connected on 8 of 10 shots for a game-high 23 points. Last year, it finally appeared as if the Ivy luck would change. The league had a new representative -- Penn. It was not a team based on back-door cuts and a gimmick offense. The Quakers came out and matched every opponent with athletic ability. Penn tried to outplay the opposition, not trick it. And when it was announced the Quakers would play Massachusetts, the Ivy League looked primed to finally get over that hump. But it wasn't to be. The Quakers continued the four-year-old streak set in motion by Princeton and lost, 54-50. "We don't want to hear competitive anymore," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said after the heart-breaking loss. "We want to hear victorious." But for now, the Ivies will have to settle with competitive for at least one more day. The Quakers will have a chance tomorrow against Nebraska to break free from the shackles holding the Ivy League. The albatross dragging Penn and the Ivies is the lack of national respect that comes from not winning in the Big Dance. "The league really hasn't won in the tournament," Penn junior center Eric Moore said, "so we don't deserve the respect yet." But if the Quakers and the Ivy League want to hear every television reporter from Philadelphia to Beijing talking about this year's NCAA Cinderella team, it all starts with a win 7:34 p.m. tomorrow.
(03/04/94 10:00am)
Quakers travel to Cornell, Columbia Just two nights ago, Jerome Allen grabbed hold of the basket on the west end of the Palestra floor and hoisted himself up on top of the rim. The junior guard was the first to start the celebration as the 25th-ranked Penn men's basketball team clinched its second consecutive Ivy title and berth in the NCAA Tournament. But this weekend, the test for the Quakers will be to see if they can come back down to earth after that emotional win over Princeton and put away two feisty Ivy foes in Cornell and Columbia. "I think our kids understand these are some more occasions for us to show we're a good basketball team," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "I hope we'll finish the year with two good wins and go into the NCAA Tournament on a good note." The Quakers will get a little rest before these games commence this weekend. Because of spring break, Penn will not play its usual Friday-Saturday Ivy schedule. Instead, the Quakers will tip off at Cornell's Newman Arena Sunday (WOGL 1210-AM) at an unusually-early 2 p.m. After a hotly-contested contest in the beginning of February at the Palestra between these same two squads, Penn realizes it will be in for a battle. The Quakers were able to contain the majority of the Big Red attack last time, however senior forward Justin Treadwell, who leads the Ivies with an average of 16.3 points per game, almost singlehandedly carried Cornell to victory as he paced the attack with 28 points. Treadwell scored from all over the court. In the second half, he scored 19 of the Big Red's first 21 points after the break. He laid it in on fast breaks, drilled short jumpers, crashed the offensive boards and tipped the ball in, and even took it outside and sunk floating bombs from long distance. "We must defend him better than we did last time," Dunphy said. "He's one of the better players in the league. I don't know if we can stop him, but I hope we can control him this time." This task will be left up to the big-man rotation of senior Andy Baratta, juniors Shawn Trice and Eric Moore, and sophomore Tim Krug. The most interesting aspect will be to see if Moore, who effectively shut down Princeton scoring machine Rick Hielscher Wednesday, can continue his stifling defense in Ithaca. Whichever big man does not find himself lucky enough to guard Treadwell will still have his hands full with the rest of the Big Red frontcourt, which crashes the boards with reckless abandon. Treadwell, along with senior forward Zeke Marshall (6.9 rebounds per game) and junior Brian Kopf (5.6), lead the Cornell rebounding attack. This could present a problem for the Quakers, who have routinely been outrebounded in their last several contests. After this duel with Treadwell and his crew, Penn will continue its quest for its second consecutive perfect Ivy season. The Quakers will conclude their season with a final stop in the Big Apple, at Columbia's Levien Gym Monday evening (7:30 p.m., WOGL 1210-AM). The last time these teams met, they were tied at the Palestra with just three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first half. The Quakers, however, exploded in those final moments prior to the break and went on a 13-4 run that continued into the second stanza to grasp control of the game for good. In that contest, budding Columbia freshman C.J. Thompkins exploded for 18 points as he consistently drove past Allen, who was nursing a sore shoulder at the time. Thompkins, who appeared to be on the verge of Ivy greatness, has struggled since that coming out game. "I have to give him credit, he's a pretty good athlete," Dunphy said. "But he hasn't been quite the same since that game. I hope we can contain him a little bit and just play better defense." Even if the Lions don't find a great deal of support from Thompkins, they most likely will try to get the ball inside to their leading scorer. Senior forward Jamal Adams (12.7 ppg, 8.3 rebounds) has paced Columbia throughout the season and has tried to help the young club mature. "We're going to use a help defense on Adams," Dunphy said, referring to the extra attention the Lions' leading scorer will draw. "We'll try to make him pick up his dribble. We have to play aggressive defense." And in order for the Quakers to continue their quest to repeat as undefeated Ivy League champions, they will need to get support from their perimeter players on the offensive end of the floor. Allen, who shot an abysmal 1 for 12 against Princeton, especially will need to pick up his offense. "Jerome struggled against Princeton," Dunphy said. "But I think you have to give a lot of credit to the Princeton defense." The real story will be senior forward Barry Pierce, who will be playing in his final regular-season games of his collegiate career, and in the process should break into Penn's all-time top 15 career scorers. Pierce, who has already scored 1,182 points while wearing the Red and Blue, needs to add just six more points to pass Jeff Neuman on the all-time scoring list. And with so much riding on these games, there is no better time for the Quaker captain, who has played in every game of his four-year collegiate career, to lead Penn into the Big Dance. This is the time for Pierce to make sure everyone returns to earth in time for these final two games.
(03/04/94 10:00am)
Quakers travel to Cornell, Columbia Just two nights ago, Jerome Allen grabbed hold of the basket on the west end of the Palestra floor and hoisted himself up on top of the rim. The junior guard was the first to start the celebration as the 25th-ranked Penn men's basketball team clinched its second consecutive Ivy title and berth in the NCAA Tournament. But this weekend, the test for the Quakers will be to see if they can come back down to earth after that emotional win over Princeton and put away two feisty Ivy foes in Cornell and Columbia. "I think our kids understand these are some more occasions for us to show we're a good basketball team," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "I hope we'll finish the year with two good wins and go into the NCAA Tournament on a good note." The Quakers will get a little rest before these games commence this weekend. Because of spring break, Penn will not play its usual Friday-Saturday Ivy schedule. Instead, the Quakers will tip off at Cornell's Newman Arena Sunday (WOGL 1210-AM) at an unusually-early 2 p.m. After a hotly-contested contest in the beginning of February at the Palestra between these same two squads, Penn realizes it will be in for a battle. The Quakers were able to contain the majority of the Big Red attack last time, however senior forward Justin Treadwell, who leads the Ivies with an average of 16.3 points per game, almost singlehandedly carried Cornell to victory as he paced the attack with 28 points. Treadwell scored from all over the court. In the second half, he scored 19 of the Big Red's first 21 points after the break. He laid it in on fast breaks, drilled short jumpers, crashed the offensive boards and tipped the ball in, and even took it outside and sunk floating bombs from long distance. "We must defend him better than we did last time," Dunphy said. "He's one of the better players in the league. I don't know if we can stop him, but I hope we can control him this time." This task will be left up to the big-man rotation of senior Andy Baratta, juniors Shawn Trice and Eric Moore, and sophomore Tim Krug. The most interesting aspect will be to see if Moore, who effectively shut down Princeton scoring machine Rick Hielscher Wednesday, can continue his stifling defense in Ithaca. Whichever big man does not find himself lucky enough to guard Treadwell will still have his hands full with the rest of the Big Red frontcourt, which crashes the boards with reckless abandon. Treadwell, along with senior forward Zeke Marshall (6.9 rebounds per game) and junior Brian Kopf (5.6), lead the Cornell rebounding attack. This could present a problem for the Quakers, who have routinely been outrebounded in their last several contests. After this duel with Treadwell and his crew, Penn will continue its quest for its second consecutive perfect Ivy season. The Quakers will conclude their season with a final stop in the Big Apple, at Columbia's Levien Gym Monday evening (7:30 p.m., WOGL 1210-AM). The last time these teams met, they were tied at the Palestra with just three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first half. The Quakers, however, exploded in those final moments prior to the break and went on a 13-4 run that continued into the second stanza to grasp control of the game for good. In that contest, budding Columbia freshman C.J. Thompkins exploded for 18 points as he consistently drove past Allen, who was nursing a sore shoulder at the time. Thompkins, who appeared to be on the verge of Ivy greatness, has struggled since that coming out game. "I have to give him credit, he's a pretty good athlete," Dunphy said. "But he hasn't been quite the same since that game. I hope we can contain him a little bit and just play better defense." Even if the Lions don't find a great deal of support from Thompkins, they most likely will try to get the ball inside to their leading scorer. Senior forward Jamal Adams (12.7 ppg, 8.3 rebounds) has paced Columbia throughout the season and has tried to help the young club mature. "We're going to use a help defense on Adams," Dunphy said, referring to the extra attention the Lions' leading scorer will draw. "We'll try to make him pick up his dribble. We have to play aggressive defense." And in order for the Quakers to continue their quest to repeat as undefeated Ivy League champions, they will need to get support from their perimeter players on the offensive end of the floor. Allen, who shot an abysmal 1 for 12 against Princeton, especially will need to pick up his offense. "Jerome struggled against Princeton," Dunphy said. "But I think you have to give a lot of credit to the Princeton defense." The real story will be senior forward Barry Pierce, who will be playing in his final regular-season games of his collegiate career, and in the process should break into Penn's all-time top 15 career scorers. Pierce, who has already scored 1,182 points while wearing the Red and Blue, needs to add just six more points to pass Jeff Neuman on the all-time scoring list. And with so much riding on these games, there is no better time for the Quaker captain, who has played in every game of his four-year collegiate career, to lead Penn into the Big Dance. This is the time for Pierce to make sure everyone returns to earth in time for these final two games.
