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(11/20/97 10:00am)
"Team effort" was the catch phrase among freshman rowers Saturday at the Belly of the Carnegie in Princeton, N.J. Unlike most regattas, in which each team enters its fastest-possible boat, this competition tested a team's depth. Each team entered two boats, designed to race at equal speeds. The combined times of the two boats were calculated to determine the winner of the Belly Bowl. Crews entered freshman boats in the men's lightweight and women's heavy and lightweights. This year's winner, with a combined time of 1:32:05.55 was Princeton. Penn was second with 1:33:41.28. In the men's heavyweight, Penn's first boat finished second, in 14:00 -- 21.88 seconds behind Princeton (14:19.49). The next Quakers boat was fourth (14:24.52), following Princeton's other boat (14:24.02). Keith Sutter, who stroked Penn's second-lace boat, called the race a good indication of "how competitive the league is." "These guys don't fool around," Sutter said. In a promising sign for the future, Penn finished with just three seconds separating them from Ivy League crews such as Yale, Columbia, Brown, and Cornell. "We did the course with no real problems, but it was unfamiliar," Penn coxswain Thatcher Milholland said. "Their home-course advantage may have been why Princeton got the best of us." Penn's loss to the Tigers give it something to think about this winter. "We're looking to avenge our loss," Sutter said. Come springtime, the Quakers will not have to wait long. Their first match will be against Princeton. The Tigers also won the men's lightweight race, placing boats in first and third place. Penn's first boat was eighth in 15:01.83, while its second placed 13th in 15:16.09. In the women's heavyweight, Penn's boats finished fifth (17:06.50) and 18th (17:30.46). "I was hoping to blow people away and have them say, 'Oh, my gosh look at Penn'!" Penn freshman coach Susan Hermann said, "but we did very well." Rachel Pringle, who rowed in the fifth-place boat, agreed with Hermann, calling it a "good race over all." Like the male rowers, though, she expressed regret at losing to Princeton. "We were only 3/10 of a second behind them so that was kind of frustrating," Pringle said. "But our goal was to balance the novices with the experienced rowers and I think the novices did a great job." Both Hermann and rower Zoe Chamin agreed that the second boat's 18th-place finish was a disappointing way to end the season. "I thought they'd do better but it was a learning experience," Hermann said. " A lot of them had never rowed outside of Philadelphia." Chamin blamed the performance on a "rough, disorganized and crowded start" as well as an error in evaluating a boat from Virginia. "The boats were supposed to be even, but it's natural that one will be slightly faster," Chamin said. "When a UVA boat passed us early we thought it was their weaker one, so we got discouraged. It turned out to be the stronger one, though." The race concluded the fall season for the Quakers, who will now move on to winter training. While such indoor activities as erg tests and weight lifting are challenging, a trip to Tampa, Fla., after New Year will highlight the season and provide a chance for some water training and team bonding.
(11/06/97 10:00am)
Penn has beaten clubs, schools and even national teams this year. "Undefeated" is not a term most people associate with Penn's athletic teams this fall. The Quakers men's freshman heavyweight crew team, however, would challenge that point. Having defeated numerous colleges, clubs, and national teams thus far this season, the Quakers boast titles from the largest, most competitive regattas as they approach their final race this weekend. The Penn rowers started their season with a victory on the Schuylkill at the Navy Day Regatta. Their winning time of 13 minutes, 23.45 seconds began what has been a very successful season. "There's a lot of talent in all our boats," Penn coxswain Hugh Dornbush said. "We really didn't know what to expect from ourselves or the competition this fall, but we're happy with how things are going so far." Next the Quakers traveled to Cambridge, Mass., for the Head of the Charles. In one of the most prestigious regattas of the year, Penn took first place, ahead of Brown, Harvard, Yale and other tough competitors. Penn's time of 15:22.42 secured its first-place finish in front of St. Catharine's Rowing Club by less than a second. "It was awesome," stroke man Keith Sutter said. "The Charles was our biggest victory this fall." Back on their home course again, the Quakers next victory came in defeating such competitive crews as Syracuse, Brown and Princeton at the Head of the Schuylkill. Their winning time in the contest of 31 boats was 13:23.45 "We've got some competition really gunning for us now," Sutter said, referring to Brown and Princeton. The Quakers will see those crews this weekend at the Belly of the Carnegie for their final fall race on November 15. That weekend's events will be slightly different from previous regattas. Each team will enter several boats of eight rather than solely their top boat. The teams' combined times will be counted. "Normally we just enter our top guys, but there's a different emphasis on this race," Penn coach Larry Connell said. "We'll enter two or three boats with the hope that the second and third will improve." While the race marks the end of the fall season, the work is just beginning for the Quakers. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us until spring," Sutter said. "We have a possibility of doing really well, but we have to train all winter if we want to do well in the big races." As for the varsity heavyweights, the next challenge will come in Princeton, N.J., this weekend. Both the men's and women's teams will compete against the rival Tigers crews as well as top competition from the Big 10 in the Princeton Chase, the final regatta of the season.
(10/30/97 10:00am)
Missed opportunities were the theme of the Penn men's soccer game yesterday at home against Villanova. After 120 minutes of tough, aggressive and often violent play, the Quakers had to settle for a draw in overtime against their Philadelphia Soccer 7 opponents, making for a disappointing, scoreless afternoon. "I think we are a far better team," Penn coach George O'Neill said. "We played well and had lots of chances, but we couldn't finish." The Quakers were visibly frustrated in the game's early minutes, as offensive breaks eluded them amidst midfield chaos. Senior Steve Cohen mustered the occasional attack but it was typically solo, thus non-threatening to the Wildcats' defense. A physical match from the start, the frequent hard hits and tackles resulted in an injured Villanova player and several minor scuffs and penalties. Midway through the first half, Villanova's Conor Porter was carried off the field after a collision with Penn's Jared Boggs. As the half progressed, the Penn offense put together more organized attacks. By the final minutes, it looked as if they would surely score as junior Matt Huebner's skilled footwork led to a close shot and a Cohen follow-up. But neither found its way to the net, and Penn finished the half without a goal. Fortunately for the Quakers, defensive efforts of Austin Deng, Brad Copeland and Marc Schwartz kept Villanova scoreless as well. Challenged by Penn at every turn, the Wildcats were forced to take difficult shots from long ranges and odd angles. "He defended really well," O'Neill said of Deng who was playing in a new position. Deng was quick to acknowledge the teammates who assisted him. "I was nervous, but Copeland and Schwartz helped me a lot," the freshman defender said. As the second half began, the Quakers picked up the aggressive offense initiated just before the close of the first. Shots by junior Ralph Maier, Steve Cohen and Read Goodwin kept the Wildcats on their toes. Perhaps the Quakers best scoring opportunity came with 33 minutes remaining when the Villanova goalkeeper, Matthew Westfall, in a position where he could not use his hands, was forced to kick the ball directly to Blackwell in the center of the field. "He kicked me the ball and I shot it too early," Blackwell said. "I should have held it but I tried to put it over his head and I shot it too high." The last two minutes of regulation gave rise to two Villanova corner kicks and a shot that deflected off the goal post. Fortunately for the Quakers, tough defense and the time's expiration precluded a Wildcats goal that would have decided the game. Still scoreless, the match instead went to overtime. Penn dominated the 30 overtime minutes with its organized passing, teamwork and defense. Whereas Villanova did not get a single shot off, Penn had several scoring opportunities. But despite their efforts, they still could not put together a goal. As time ran out, several offsides calls hurt the Quakers while in scoring position.
(10/28/97 10:00am)
The Penn men's lightweight crew finished third, just behind the New York Athletic Club and the U.S. National team. Placing at or near the top of every race, the Penn crews defeated prestigious rowing clubs, rival Ivy League crews and other tough competitors at the Head of the Schuylkill last Saturday. Finishing the championship eight behind Rutgers (14 minutes, 51.6 seconds) and the Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association (14:34.2), the Penn women placed third among 21 boats, finishing in 14:59.3. "Going into the race, it was hard to know what to expect," Penn coach Barb Kirsh said. "Looking at last year's fourth-place finish, we knew we wanted to do equal or better than that. I was pleased that when the athletes got out of the water they were excited." Due to opponents' ever-changing lineups and the constant uncertainty as to whether they were utilizing their best athletes, Kirsh was hesitant to speculate about her team's future success. From an objective standpoint, though, things look promising for the Quakers this spring. The crew finished among Rutgers and Syracuse on Saturday; last season Rutgers placed sixth at Eastern Sprints and Syracuse was fifth. The Quakers only defeated one team in last year's Sprints. "Our program is strong right now," Kirsh said. "We're going out and racing hard. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from my athletes so far this season." In the freshman race, the Penn women's novices placed first in 15:36.48, ahead of Princeton and Georgetown. The rowers accomplished a remarkable feat in beating the Tigers. "They're traditionally pretty good, so defeating them indicates we're doing well," Quakers novice coach Susan Herman said of the win. "Most of the coaches can't remember the last time we beat them." Penn entered two boats in the novice race. The second one's finish of 16:27.34 placed them fourth in the field of 23. Grabbing two of the top five positions "illustrated the team's depth," according to Herman. "You really can't do much better than that," she said. The Penn men's freshman team was also victorious, keeping its undefeated record in tact by defeating Syracuse, Brown and Princeton with a time of 13:23.45. "We had some difficulties early in the race that resulted in our having to start again," Penn stroke Keith Sutter said. "After that, though, we got it together and rowed really well." In the men's lightweight race, Penn's finish in 13:11.59 was good for third behind the New York Athletic Club and the U.S. National Team. "We were disappointed because we lost by less than a second to the second-place team," Penn captain Joe Melchiors said. "We made a lot of progress from the Head of the Charles, though. We changed the lineup, and it was nice to see that we have a lot of guys that can step up and make the boat go fast." Finally, in the feature event, the men's championship eight, Penn finished fourth in 13:06.0. Defeating 23 crews of such teams as the Naval Academy and Boston University was a significant achievement. Penn's second boat in the race placed 10th in 13:34.9. Penn's next race, the Princeton Chase will take place on November 8. The contest will offer the men's team a chance to defeat its rival, Princeton, and the women some competition against Big Ten teams new to the sport.
(10/23/97 9:00am)
Strolling down Locust Walk, it is hard to ignore the bitter temperatures accompanying the fall season. Students bundle up in fleece jackets, turtle necks and wool hats to make their 10-minute walk to class a bearable one. Warmth is not so easily found, however, by the Penn crew team. Suffering the Schuylkill's frosty currents and relentless winds every day at practice, it shows the motivation of teamwork and success to keep them coming back for more. The Penn men's heavyweight rowing team is getting ready for its spring season with every practice this fall, whether it involves an erg test or a water workout. Two-, four- and eight-man combinations force each rower to evaluate his strengths and weaknesses. "Having the guys row in pairs really shows us their capabilities," said Penn coach Andy Medcalf of their practicing techniques. "When they go in eights, it's sometimes hard to tell who is really effective. With only two rowers, though, it's obvious. It's like a bicycle; if one of them starts to soften up, the boat stops." But while the fall season mainly consists of training for the spring, weekend races make it a competitive one too. These contests allow the coaches to experiment with new lineups and combinations and evaluate the team's improvement. Thus far, Penn has competed in the Navy Day Regatta and the Head of the Charles and this weekend will host Navy, Brown and Temple at the Head of the Schuylkill. "This weekend is one of the three biggest fall races. We're going to try to attack more than we did at the [Head of the] Charles," said senior coxswain Mark Redding. "We should do well on our home course." The Quakers will enter two varsity boats in the heavyweight-eight this weekend, and they will also start several four-man boats. Some rowers will double up, competing in both types of races. "We're going to experiment with different lineups. It's also important to see how the young guys are coming along," said Medcalf. Following the Head of the Schuylkill, the Quakers next goal will be defeating Princeton in the Princeton Chase on November 8. Princeton has been a Penn rowing rival for several seasons. In fact, the two teams managed to tie -- a rowing anomaly -- once last season. "They've been good," said Medcalf. "We're hoping to get back at them in New Jersey."
(10/21/97 9:00am)
Coming off its first-place finish at the Navy Day Regatta on October 11, the Penn men's crew team faced many of the same rivals at last weekend's contest in Cambridge, Mass.: The Head of the Charles. The oldest race of its kind, it has traditionally taken place only on Sunday. This year's turnout of nearly 5,600 competitors and over 3,000 spectators, however, gave rise to two full days of racing. With each of its three-mile trials this fall, the Quakers are looking to improve for the spring season when they will compete in a series of crucial 1 1/4-mile contests. Racing in the most prestigious and competitive event of the day, the Championship Eight, Penn's heavyweight team placed fifth behind the U.S. National Team (13 minutes, 58 seconds), Harvard, Princeton and Northeastern. "We would have liked to have beaten Princeton and Northeastern, but we'll see Princeton again on Saturday," said Quakers stroke Tom Rymes, referring to this weekend's home race, the Head of the Schuylkill. Rymes rowed the course at 34 strokes per minute. Penn senior captain Joe Swift, currently out with a broken foot, called this performance a "good sign for this early in the season." Penn was pleased with its time of 14:25, which kept them in close proximity to the race leaders. "Only 10 seconds elapsed between Harvard's second-place finish and ours so we were excited about that," Quakers senior Dixon Gillis said. "It was one of our best finishes in a while." The three-mile head races -- the fall trials competitions -- are much longer than the 2,000-meter spring competition races, and thus the difference in times are much greater. In the lightweight race, the Quakers' finish in 15:12 placed them seventh in the field. "We rowed where we wanted to," senior coxswain Justin Slatkey said. "We were able to stay with the crew in front of us until the very end." Penn's most impressive performance, however, came from its freshman heavyweight team, which won the Youth Eight in 15:22. Beating Brown and Harvard by three and seven seconds, respectively, the victory marked Penn coach Larry Connell's third in this event. "It was certainly a feather in our cap to win such a big race," Penn rower Keith Sutter said. "We have to keep fighting all season, though. We'll see a lot of those crews at the Schuylkill." Penn's confidence from the Head of the Charles and its home course advantage should be a tremendous help in its 2 1/2-mile race this weekend.
(09/18/97 9:00am)
Junior Steve Cohen stole a road victory for the Quakers with a goal in overtime. "We've still got time, let's fight it out!" screamed Reginald Brown from the Penn men's soccer bench yesterday. Hot, tired and down two goals -- it looked bleak for the Quakers in their final 15 minutes against local opponent La Salle. But Penn listened to its midfielder and pulled out a 4-3 overtime win in a Soccer 7 showdown. After a scoreless first half full of fouls, injuries and missed opportunities, both squads came out ready for the second 45 minutes of play. Penn (2-0) was without starting forward Morgan Blackwell, whose twisted ankle caused him to leave the game early, and midfielder Henry Chen, another starter, who received an eye injury. La Salle (2-2-1) struck first, as Cesidio Colasante scored just minutes into the half. Colasante, called "pro material" by Penn coach George O'Neill, attacked the Quakers all afternoon with his smart passing and aggressive play. Down 1-0, Penn responded quickly as sophomore Ted Lehman's shot off of a deflection found its way to the net. But the tie didn't last long as Colosante, one of the nation's leading scorers over the past few seasons, scored again on the next possession. Minutes later another La Salle goal put the Quakers down, 3-1, with a difficult comeback to put together. "I was just thinking, one goal at a time," Penn senior captain Brad Copeland said. "We just had to stay tough and keep pushing." Senior Read Goodwin did just that, scoring to begin a Penn run with seven minutes remaining. Next Brian Foote's dribbling through multiple defenders assisted a David Bonder goal. Several key saves by goalie Mike O'Connor filled the final minutes and then, miraculously, the Quakers were going into sudden death overtime. After 16 overtime minutes, Penn's Steve Cohen finally scored "the golden goal," a term referring to the shot that ends the game. Reginald Brown's steal led to Cohen's breakaway and, ultimately, to a Quakers victory. Cohen also scored the game winner against defending Ivy League champion Harvard last Saturday, a game which vaulted Penn into front-runner status in the league. The La Salle victory sends a further message to the league. "This is a huge win for us," O'Neill said. "It was a tremendous team effort." The Quakers are currently ranked No. 21 in the nation and will face Dartmouth, a recent La Salle victim, on Sunday in their Ivy League opener at Rhodes Field.
