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(10/30/97 10:00am)
As the Penn men's basketball team builds toward opening day next month, several players are hurting. The start of practice raised questions of who would and wouldn't be around to get into this swing with the rest of the young team. Several injuries have prevented the Quakers from beginning at full strength. "We're just trying to get everyone on the same page and get ready for that first game," Quakers point guard Michael Jordan said. Junior power forward Paul Romanczuk is on the top of the list of concerns. Last year's team leader in rebounds (5.1 rpg) has been unable to participate in workouts due to a stress fracture near the knee. "I am going to guess that [the doctors] are going to want to bone scan again to make sure until they give him the full go ahead," Dunphy said. The Quakers will be without last year's starting power forward at least until the the third week of November. Romanczuk will miss the Red and Blue scrimmage on November 8, but he should be available by opening night against the Rice. · The first week of practice began without the services of yet another junior forward who was in the spotlight much of last year for the Quakers. Jed Ryan was unable to take part in any full-contact practice due to an elbow infection that manifested itself, causing inflammation. "It is pretty much gone now, so I am back, today is my first day of full contact this year," Ryan said Monday. "My wind might be a little bit down, but other than that I should be good." Ryan's injury occurred off the court, but became worse as he began to workout in basketball situations. Precautionary bandages and wrappings are being used to ensure the elbow will stay healthy. Ryan's 10.7 points and 33 minutes a game shouldn't be in jeopardy though, as his mobility has not been effected and his condition should be back to par within the next week. · From one end of the injury stick to another: After a frustrating year of recovery for junior Frank Brown, the versatile forward is finally at full strength. "I think Frank is going to help us a lot this year," Jordan said. "He is a big, able body, and strong. He will help our rebounding. I am sure he will make a great contribution this year." In his freshman year, Brown contributed adequately, building high expectations for his sophomore year, before it was plagued by injury. He saw time in 27 games, starting five, and averaging 3.3 ppg. Spending essentially the entire year trying to regain health, Brown saw 13 minutes of time in only one game, the 100-82 victory over Lehigh. Brown will certainly be competing for time at the three-spot with Ryan and sophomore Matt Langel. "He has a little rust," Dunphy said. "But he is somebody that is a significant other in our program, and hopefully he is going to have a real good year for us." · Another Quaker whose status is questionable is sophomore Geoff Owens. He has been unable to practice with the team to this point, and is not attending practice. The 6'11" Owens set a Penn rookie record with 40 blocked shots. Owens finished strong last season, and stirred hopes of breaking the Penn single-season record for blocked shots of 51, held by Hassan Duncombe. "I wish I had a definitive status, but I don't," said Dunphy, who would not discuss the nature of the problem. "It is more of a health issue, it is not an injury." Dunphy stated that there is no real timetable for Owens, but that he is being checked out and seeking opinions. · As a final note, practices have focused on the defensive side of the ball. The injuries to the big men, and the leave of absence of Owens, leaves a question about shot blocking and rebounding, but pressure and trapping have been Dunphy's objective. "The focus is definitely on defense," Jordan said. "If the other team doesn't score we have a great chance to win." So, are we looking at Mike Fratello ball out of Penn? "No, we'll still shoot the ball, too," said Jordan, laughing.
(10/17/97 9:00am)
In general, powder blue uniforms and a 1-3 record don't exactly induce fear in the hearts of many. But that this game is a must win as the Quakers head into the Ivy League part of the schedule is enough to make Columbia a scary opponent. This weekend's game with the Lions matches two teams struggling to put the wind back into the sails of their season. "You don't know what to expect. Their team is kind of like us, trying to find their way," Quakers safety and senior co-captain John Bishop said. "Anything can happen." Bishop highlighted the Quakers' losing performance against Lehigh last week. He racked up a career-high 22 tackles, 21 of which came unassisted. His previous best, 14 tackles, was against these same Lions a year ago. Penn's defense will be called upon to raise their game and stop the ball at the line of scrimmage. The Quakers need to shut down sophomore tailback John Toye, who ran for 105 yards on just 23 carries in the Lions' 29-point loss to Holy Cross last week. The task should be somewhat easier on the defense as tackle Mitch Marrow should see some playing time in Saturday's rumble at Wien Stadium. "Mitch is a great player," Bishop said. "If he can come out and play at full strength, obviously he is going to help the team." Marrow's recovery from a viral infection should give the line a little more room to pressure the Columbia ground game. It will be necessary to prevent the same free-running exhibition that Lehigh's Rabih Abdullah put on last week. Abdullah had his best showing of the season with 153 yards on 26 carries. Repeat performances by the linebacking corps should help keep the backs away from Bishop and the rest of the secondary and allow them to read the routes of the wide receivers. "I think this week our focus should be a little bit more on attitude," Bishop said. "We need really to go out with a chip on our shoulder and go out and play with a lot more aggression and enthusiasm than [we] did last week." While the defensive side of the ball has its work cut out for them, the offense has hopes of getting into a rhythm in time for the heart of the season. Quarterback Matt Rader hopes to lead the Quakers into the end zone for more than the one touchdown put on the board in Bethlehem, Pa. "I feel comfortable with the system right now," Rader said. "I think coming in it was kind of rough. I don't think that is a problem now. It is more of an issue of the team getting comfortable with each other, with the receivers and the offensive line, and everybody just getting the job done." The game with Columbia will give the Quakers a chance to focus on finishing the drives they have been capable of putting together and capitalizing in the red zone. Coming into this week, the Quakers have out-rushed opponents, 557 to 458 yards, and have outpassed opponents, 885-782. The Quakers will need to break trends like those set against the Engineers last week, as they were able to put together more first downs than Lehigh (19-18) but only put the ball in the end zone once. "We have put good drives together, but it has been something different every time," Rader said. "It's either a penalty or somebody making a mental mistake. Everyone has got to get on the same page and stop making mental breakdowns." Rader will continue to try to spread the ball to a versatile core of receivers. Sophomore Doug O'Neill contributed with a team-high six catches for 71 yards. John James also got into the act with five receptions and 53 yards. The Quakers will need Jason McGee to continue his comeback to establish a running game against a Lions defense that has allowed 835 yards to opposing running backs.
(10/09/97 9:00am)
Deron Braswell of Lehigh is the first of three top wide receivers Penn will face in the next six games. When the Penn football team faces Lehigh Saturday, the squad will have to try to avoid reliving the past. Unfortunately, the game against Lehigh might just bring back memories of losing a lead in the second half, very much at the hands of Lehigh's Deron Braswell. The Engineers' season has been nothing spectacular thus far. The strategy has been simple, and the results have been equally as easy to read. "Our philosophy is to mix up the up the offense," Lehigh coach Kevin Higgins said. "We can't be successful unless we combine the two parts of our offense." However, at this point in the season, the Engineers haven't been able to run the ball as effectively as they would like. Generally, the offense tries to control the ball and the clock with a lead. But Lehigh (1-3) has been playing catch up all too much. Their answer has been simple: Deron Braswell. Behind in games and trying to put points on the board, Lehigh has turned to Braswell, just as they did last year at Franklin Field. "Deron has an outstanding work ethic and he is a tremendous competitor," Higgins said. "Even though he is only a junior he has showed leadership ability." Braswell had been virtually unstoppable against his opponents so far. He has had 100-yard passing games in three of the first four Lehigh contests this season. He has also averaged nearly seven receptions a game. The Quakers had to learn about Braswell's prowess the hard way. In last year's game, Braswell took over and sent them back to the locker room shaking their heads. After jumping out to an early lead, the Quakers were victimized by Braswell heroics, to the tune of seven catches and 131 yards. The exclamation point was put on the game by the third-quarter touchdown catch that brought Lehigh back to a 28-21 lead, and put the Quakers down for good. "He is probably the best receiver we'll face all year, at least one of the best," Penn senior safety John Bishop said. "He's got good speed and just has a great nose for the ball. If the ball is in the air, he just goes up and gets it." The Quakers go into the game in a difficult position. The offense would like to get out of the shoot and build on the strong performance against Towson last week. However, getting up means letting Braswell try and beat you -- and facing the same predicament as last year. Though crucial for a win, shutting down Braswell doesn't seems to be weighing to heavily on the minds of the Penn defensive unit. The No. 1 task is to shut down the Lehigh offensive side of the ball, Braswell or otherwise. "Every week we put a focus on just knowing where the other teams No. 1 receiver is," Bishop said. "Every time he comes out and lines up for a play we are going to know where he is." The Quakers are well aware that the Engineers haven't had the luxury of a using a running game as much as they'd like. However, if it takes getting ahead to make Braswell do the damage, the secondary is ready to live up to the challenge. "They've got two very good running backs," Bishop said. "In the films we've seen they've been behind early and have had to throw the ball." Higgins doesn't have specific intentions of trying to repeat last year's events. "We know Penn is going to be keyed up against Braswell," Higgins said. "Sometimes he's spotlighted and sometimes he's highlighted, but we know he is not a one-man operation." The Quakers would like to be reminded of that, too, instead of the one-man highlight reel he put together last year. More importantly, Braswell is the first of three stellar receivers Penn will face in 1997. The other two are Brown's Sean Morey and Cornell's Eric Krawczyk. Morey leads all Ivy players in all-purpose yards, scoring and catches in 1997. Krawczyk leads all Ivy wide-outs in receptions thus far. The plan makes sense, but all one can think about is a lofty 21-yard pass into the right corner of the end zone being cradled by one Deron Braswell. The strike that cost the Quakers the game last year may not come again, but the Quakers are willing to test the Lehigh offense and make the No. 1 guy beat them again.
(09/25/97 9:00am)
Another change on the Penn football team has Melvin Alexander running the ground attack, not Jason McGee. It seems like Penn has its own "Slash" on the field these days. Like Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart, Penn's Brandon Carson has been proving himself as a multi-talented weapon. In last weekend's game against Dartmouth, the sophomore lined up in the wide receiver slot for the first time as a starter. While it would be a special moment for any player, it was particularly different for Carson. As a freshman, Carson came to Franklin Field hoping to step under center and take snaps at the helm of the Quakers' offense one day. But as a quarterback, he found himself low on a depth chart in constant flux. This year, Carson is on the other end of the receiving game. He now finds himself catching bullets over the middle instead of throwing them. Other than running an option for the Quakers, in the game against the Big Green, Carson flashed all signs of this Stewart-like play. Carson ended the game with three receptions for 37 yards, as well as two carries on reverses for eight yards. He showed extra diversity returning kickoffs for the special teams as well. Though he momentarily caught the turnover syndrome that marred Penn's offense, fumbling a kickoff return, Carson showed big-play ability. Before losing the ball, Carson broke off a 32-yard return. All told, he came out with 97 yards on four returns. · Dartmouth's visit to Franklin Field marked a journey into unfamiliar territory for the Quakers. After a year in which the Penn offense chose Jasen Scott as the first, second and third options, this year's starting running back had never had a game carry. Melvin Alexander came into the game a question mark, looking to prove the rushing attack was still a viable weapon for the Quakers' attack. With Jason McGee falling to injury bugs this year, Alexander's starting role was solidified. After a first quarter in which Alexander accumulated 22 yards on seven carries, it seemed the running game may remain second option. In the second half, however, Alexander reminded the Dartmouth defense that the backs still had to be watched. "I feel that the line blocked the same way they did in the second half as they did in the first half," Alexander said after the game. "Fortunately, I stopped dancing in the second half, and I was fortunate enough to do better the second half. The holes were still there in both halves." Alexander accumulated 43 yards on nine carries, an average of almost 4.8 yards per carry. He also became an option out of the backfield as a receiver, with a five-catch, 19-yard net. Second-half wonder, or Jasen Scott replacement? · The answer: Columbia, Yale, Princeton, Cornell and, yes, Penn. The question: Which Ivy League teams scored less than Dartmouth kicker Dave Regula? In one game, the Big Green senior, whose Akron, Ohio-based family was in the stands, tallied 17 points alone for the Big Green last weekend, as they defeated the Quakers, 23-15. These points included a touchdown, three field goals and two point-after attempts. "I was ready to stick my head in and try and make the tackle," Regula said Saturday afternoon. "All of a sudden I was staring right at the ball, it bounced right to me, I guess I was in the right place, but it's probably not going to happen too much more." No more jokes about kickers not being athletes, for now at least. That's 74 percent of the Big Green points, and more points than 63 percent of the Ancient Eight -- all done in front of his family.
(09/23/97 9:00am)
Penn tackle Mitch Marrow was injured in the middle of the second quarter, but the defense remained as stalwart as ever. When the final score was up on the board and the Big Green had tallied 23 points, the Penn defense would not have been expected to be the most dominating part of the Quakers game. Surprisingly, it was. "I really thought our defense played great considering the field position they were put in," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. In a game marred by turnovers, lack of experience and sloppy play, the Quakers defense played like every down was the most important for 60 minutes. The defense held Dartmouth to five first downs and made new Big Green starting quarterback Peter Sellers look ineffective all day. "Defensively we played great in every category," Bagnoli said, "except creating turnovers and shortening the field up." Going into last weekend's game, one major focus of the Quakers' season was the play of heralded defensive lineman Mitch Marrow. The 6'5", 280-pound behemoth was expected to be the anchor of an experienced defense, and the Quakers high hopes for keeping opposing points off the board seemed high. Not only did the defense keep the game within reach, their play became the Quakers' only highlight. Furthermore, they shut down the Big Green offense without Marrow after midway through the second quarter. "I was proud to be out there with those guys," Penn safety John Bishop said. "I thought they played hard, and that we didn't give up for four quarters." The Penn defense established themselves from the first Dartmouth drive of the game. After two quick rushing attempts by Dartmouth tailback Dylan Karczewski for negative yardage and an incomplete pass, Penn set the defensive tone for the rest of the day. Dartmouth's only route to the end zone came by way of five Quakers turnovers in the first half. The turnovers kept the defensive unit on the field, seemingly forever, yet they held strong in the midst of a series of injuries and severe cramping. Holding the Big Green to only 113 yards and three first downs in the first half, it seemed as though the defense had survived its first test. But with the loss of Mitch Marrow in the second quarter, after the defensive unit had spent more than 60 percent of the game on the field, it seemed as though their stamina and mental fortitude may be at stake. In what seemed to be a gust of second wind, the second-half play proved to be better yet. With Marrow gone, the play of the other defensive linemen, as well as the linebacking corps stepped up its play. Doug Zinser, Larry Rascoe and Justin Gallagher simply controlled scrimmage and stopped the run with Marrow out of the game. Dartmouth gained only 13 rushing yards in the second half, on their way to gaining only 36 total offensive yards. The secondary managed to perform equal wizardry. After Sellers completed 12 of 18 passes for 100 yards in the first half, the Quakers challenged him to continue throwing. With this challenge taken, Sellers watched his numbers dwindle away with only six more completions and 49 more passing yards. The Quakers shut down the Dartmouth offense, although it proved not to be enough. "I guess when you lose a game, whatever side you're on, you didn't do enough," Bishop said. "We didn't get the turnovers, we didn't strip the ball. We came a little short." The upperclassmen proved their leadership qualities, as free safety Bishop began moving all over the field. Bishop filled holes left in the run defense. The senior captain finishes with a team-high seven tackles and three assists. Other standout individual performances were given by Darren MacDonald and Tim Gage. MacDonald came up and made hit after hit on Dartmouth backs, three for losses. Gage epitomized the fight Penn needed to make during the comeback run. One could only wonder what was going on as the senior linebacker continually seemed to be slow getting up. Gage fought through a series of cramps to continue the Quakers' suppression of the Big Green offense. After two kickoff fumbles, and three interceptions thrown on the offensive side of th ball, Penn still found itself within a touchdown and two-point conversion (23-15) because of the efforts of a talented, motivated defensive corps. Although the offense couldn't make the final push, the defense had stood strong. As ugly as the game was last Saturday, it was equally as physical and gave hope for the future of the team. Penn games will be won and lost with defense, unless of course the offense turns over the ball six times a game.
(09/15/97 9:00am)
Defeat Manhattan College between losses to Syracuse and Central Connecticut at Syracuse Invitational The Penn volleyball team came home with its first win of the year under its belt, however, two losses came attached as well. In a tough weekend series, three matches in two days proved to be enough of a road trip. The Quakers (1-2) showed that there is a lot to work on and just as much to build on early in the season. Although only one victory came of the showing, the Quakers demonstrated promising resilience at this point in the 1997 season. "We would have felt better coming back 2-1 instead of 1-2," Penn coach Margaret Feeney said. "But coming out with the five-game win against Manhattan -- that we did showed a lot." Starting the road trip with Syracuse on Friday night, the Quakers faced the task of playing a "big, athletic team," in Feeney's words. Syracuse downed the Penn women in three straight games. With scores of 15-8, 15-4 and 15-6, the Orangemen proved to be just too much. "I think we just have a few wrinkles that need to be ironed out," Penn junior Sue Sabatino said. "I think we kind of just took it as our first tournament and first game and didn't get down." The Friday night match did not have long to settle in the players' minds, as they had to face Manhattan at 10 a.m. Saturday. This result proved to be better for the Quakers. "I thought we played well against Manhattan," Feeney said. "The middles showed that they are going to be very strong for us this year." These middle blockers proved to be virtually unstoppable. Juniors Karen Lewis and Sabatino had their way with Manhattan blocking and defensive schemes. Sabatino tallied 11 kills in the five-set victory, while Lewis compiled nine. Significant offensive firepower also came from the hitting of Jackie Morris with 10 kills. "It was a lot of fun playing them," Sabatino said. "Usually when the middle gets going, that means the passing is going well." The outside hitting of Diana Meek and K.C. Potter also helped fill in what was a battered hitting core for the weekend series. Both players had seven kills in the Manhattan match. The hitters were somewhat depleted due to the injured status of Angie Whittenburg. Whittenburg was unable to partake in practices last week, but contributed to the offense with superb passing. "I think any little injury is going to affect your game," Feeney said. "Your ability to play volleyball is going to be hindered." The five-game match with Manhattan was one in which the Quakers fought back from behind. After losing two of the first three, they won the last two games by scores of 15-11 and 17-15. The last game of the weekend gave the Quakers a similar match, but this time they came out on the other side of the decision. The nightcap on Saturday paired them with Central Connecticut. The upside to the loss was once again a strong showing by the middle blocking core. "Even in the loss to Central Connecticut, they couldn't stop our middles," Feeney said. Sabatino amassed a total of 20 kills, while Lewis and Morris both put 11 on the board. The turning point of the match came in the fourth game. With the Quakers going up 2-1 in games, and looking to put away the match, "our serve reception broke down," in the words of Feeney. The Quakers fell subject to a 10-point service run, falling 9-15 in the fourth contest. They were unable to regain their momentum for the last game and fell, 7-15. The service reception was strong in the mind of Feeney for the rest of the weekend. Led by the play of defensive specialist and senior co-captain Megan McKay, who had 12 digs against both Manhattan and Central Connecticut, some good defensive play emerged for Penn. Senior Heather Tillett, another Penn captain, got the nod at setter all three contests, and led a solid weekend of ball control for the Quakers. This week will be one to work on defense, according to Feeney. They will try to prepare for New Hampshire, Navy and Drexel at this weekend's Quaker Classic. The Red and Blue will look for redemption at home, and a new result in front of the Palestra crowd.
(09/12/97 9:00am)
Penn faces Syracuse, Central Conn., and Manhattan - three teams they haven't faced before. The volleyball team has a weekend that evokes thoughts of the famous Pieter Breughel painting, The Blind Leading the Blind. The result probably won't be the same, but taking on three opponents that no one on the team knows anything about, doesn't sound too good -- at least at first. The Quakers haven't played these teams during any of the players' careers, and it is too early for scouting reports to tell much. Still, eighth-year Penn coach Margaret Feeney doesn't foresee any of the three -- Syracuse, Central Connecticut and Manhattan -- as a great worry. "It'll be a little bit of a rough road in the beginning, maybe, with Syracuse being in the Big East, they will be real athletic," Feeney said. "But we can come come out of this tournament 3-0." The Quakers will look to their newly elected captains to keep the fire burning throughout the weekend. Heather Tillet, Megan McKay and K.C. Potter hold the honors, which were given out just yesterday. As a senior, junior and sophomore, respectively, the three give the team a nice balance of youth and experience as leaders. The three will be important to the success of the team, as primary players in the Quakers' nucleus. In a weekend when the team will be feeling around to get a rhythm for the year, none of the three seem any less than ecstatic to be playing this competition. "I think we need to keep our communication up, and if things start to break down, we have to return to the basics -- passing, talking and communicating," McKay said. "We play so much better when everyone is loud and fired up." With the rest of the country able to begin practice August 13, all three opponents have had more drilling time than the women. All three have begun match play as well, which the Quakers haven't. Syracuse comes into the weekend with a 4-3 overall record. In their last match against Siena, the Orangemen earned a victory in three straight games. What little the team does know is about the Orangemen. "We know that Syracuse makes mistakes in their hitting," Tillet said. "And that they are an athletic team." Feeney's "keep it simple" approach should allow the Quakers to figure out the Syracuse approach quickly. Focus on ball control and defense should allow the Quakers to capitalize on any such hitting errors. Tomorrow will bring a day much like the workouts of two weeks ago. Manhattan will be the opponent at 10 a.m., and Central Connecticut will take their shot at 5 p.m. Central Connecticut brings a 1-7 record into the match. The Quakers look to have an immediate advantage on paper. Slightly bigger and holding an advantage in the experience category, the match should be a good way to finish the weekend. Feeney will potentially field a lineup with two women new to the program. With some pending injuries, both Diana Meek and Angie Whittenburg may get the starting nod. Whittenburg, a sophomore transfer from Texas, has been unable to practice due to an injury. Senior outside hitter Jessica Luftman is also questionable for a start tomorrow due to injury, but will be available to play. Feeney feels comfortable with her outside hitting core for the year with Luftman and Meek having strong showings in practice. The middle blockers, Potter, Sue Sabatino and Karen Lewis, and the defense of McKay and Katy Stock are all expected to contribute as well. In all facets of the game, this weekend will prove a good tune-up for the Ivy League season. "The Ivy League conference is getting stronger and stronger. We have Ivy League teams beating Big East teams; we have Ivy League teams beating Atlantic-10 teams," Feeney said. "We are no longer the doormat of the East Coast." Regardless of the how the games against these three unknown opponents turn out, they will be a good starting point for the Quakers' season. Match play can finally start for the team and begin a season filled with high hopes. "I think we just need to come out confident. We've all worked really hard this preseason," Potter said. "I am just really excited to start playing." This simple desire to play should give the Quakers a boost for the weekend and beyond into the league season.
(09/08/97 9:00am)
Four new faces join the Quakers, including two frosh and two sophomores. The women's volleyball team hopes to be the first to bring winning ways back to the Palestra floor in the '97 season. The march towards the "w's" started August 27th as workouts commenced in Weightman Hall, and culminated with a scrimmage against Drexel last Wednesday. During the five-game match, Penn coach Margaret Feeney and the rest of the Penn squad saw promising results. "As a team we were happy with what we were able to accomplish in a week's time," Feeney said. "I thought we had relatively good ball control which has really been a point of emphasis." In her eighth season at the helm of the Quakers, Feeney would like to see certain points of emphasis stay throughout the season. Ball control, defense, and consistency head the short list of goals. Led by a solid core of returning players the Quakers should be able to sustain the desired level of consistency quickly. Senior setter Heather Tillet, a returning starter, will give the Quakers such ball control. Tillet led the team in assists, as well as service aces, with a total of 37. "We have real strong middles," Feeney said. "If you are strong in the middle that will help our outside and right side hitters." Key returnees at the middle-blocker position include juniors Sue Sabatino and Karen Lewis, as well as sophomore K.C. Potter. The three should stop plenty of opposing kills from touching the Palestra floor. Local product Sabatino, returns to the Quakers as the Ivy League leader in blocks. With her 64 recorded solo blocks and 124 total, Sabatino solidifies a tough defensive front line. Lewis and Potter both showed the ability to step up in key situations in the '96 season. The two will be key ingredients in maintaining a defensive mentality and a strong blocking core. "I think our practices have been geared towards the defense," Sabatino said. "Our offense will improve as the blockers can open up more for the hitters." The offensive attack, although admittedly less of a focus, should nonetheless be tough. Led by senior team leader Jessica Luftman, the outside hitting should be steady and reliable. Luftman gave the team 185 kills last year. She exemplified the digging style that Feeney stresses, also contributing 229 digs, second on the team. The Quakers look to fill a solid lineup with some new blood after losing some old including outside hitter Abby Daniels, called a "big loss" by Tillet. The returnees will be aided by four fresh new faces, adding desired depth. "I feel real good with the incoming class because they've all got experience," Feeney said. "So they've hit the ground running." Penn's roster will include four new women -- freshmen Amy Schultz and Diana Meek, Angie Wittenburg, a sophomore transfer from Texas, and sophomore walk-on Karen Whitie. "I think they're going to be able to contribute a lot," Tillet said of the new players. "They seem to mesh pretty well. They're going to do some good things." The Quakers head into this week's practice looking to get a starting lineup solidified before the weekend's tournament in Syracuse. The Quakers will start the tournament with the Orangemen as their first real competition. They will then test themselves against the likes of Manahttan and Central Connecticut. If a starting lineup can mesh, the Quakers could find themselves in the middle of an Ivy League title race. In a league full of "parity", as Feeney put it, there is as much room for this group of players to step up as anyone else. "If this team continues to work hard, and things click and gel for us, then I think we could definitely be vying for an Ivy League championship in November," Feeney said.
(04/22/97 9:00am)
Maybe, as Penn coach Gene Miller suspects, the Spring Fling atmosphere kept the Quakers' from playing their best. The Penn men's tennis team looked to rebound from a two-loss weekend in New England with a homestand against Brown and Yale. The Quakers marched through the weekend with a only a split to show for their efforts. Hoping to climb back into the Eastern League hunt, standing at 4-2, the weekend seemed like a must-win proposition. However, the split still leaves the Quakers (13-9, 5-3 EITA) with an inkling of hope going into the season finale with Columbia next Saturday. "The mix is anyone's guess," Penn coach Gene Miller said of the standings. "We have to come out and play the exact opposite as we did against Yale and more like the previous weekend." The league mix became shuffled this weekend when Harvard, the league leader, fell to a Princeton team the Quakers disposed of earlier this season, 4-3. Friday gave the Quakers momentum, and hope for the two victories, as they disposed of Brown with relative ease, 6-1. "The guys played very well against Brown," Miller said. "Everyone played as they should have." The Penn attack came out in usual fashion, rolling over the Brown duos in all three matches. The No. 1 combination of sophomore Udi Kish and junior Marc Fisicaro led the charge with a 8-5 game tally. The singles lineup then played an equally effective match to put the contest out of the Bears' reach. All but one Quaker disposed of his Brown counterpart. Fisicaro once again headed the charge with a 6-3, 6-3 win. The negatives of the match fell into the Quakers' laps all at once. No. 1 singles player Michael Klatsky not only fell to his Bears opponent, but also suffered cramps that would keep him out of the Saturday match with Yale. The freshman is the second player to be taken out of the lineup due to physical problems in the last several weeks. Senior Joel Silman, who played No. 1 through No. 3 this year, has been unable to play the last three weekends due to injury. The Brown win brought one minor loss to the team before the match with the Elis on Saturday. The Quakers were unable to sustain the momentum from the day before. In an uncharacteristic performance, Penn lost a close match by the count of 4-3. "In the singles they definitely played well, but since we came out sluggish we were affected," Miller said. The doubles play, usually a strong component of the Quakers winning efforts, failed to earn a point for the team. The No. 1 team of Kish and Fisicaro lost by the same tally that they gave them the victory the day before, 8-5. The third team, a first time pairing this year of sophomores Tejas Patel and southpaw David Schwartzman, was also unable to emerge victorious. The lone doubles team to win its draw was the No. 2 tandem. The team of senior co-captains, Brad Goldberg and J.J. Cramer, continued its consistent play of the year. "Because they had done so well at doubles points all year, they expected it to just happen," Miller said. "But [Yale] had the fire in their eyes and we got surprised." The singles play was unable to pick up the slack. Fisicaro's baseline attack led him to a second straight victory, 7-6, 6-2. The senior leadership brought home the two other Penn points. Cramer, and his big serve came in with a "W," as did Goldberg for the second straight day. The inconsistent play of the Quakers brought the question of the Spring Fling atmosphere to the forefront. "It may have been the social distractions last weekend, we'll never know," Miller said. "But, carrying away some of the best tennis we played all year, we came out flat for whatever the reason and we'll all have to answer for that." The answers, whatever they be, simply produced a loss. "I don't know what happened against Yale, I am still trying to figure that one out," Fisicaro said. "The guys sacrificed too much not to be focused. Everyone seemed pretty disciplined." The Quakers go into their last match of the weekend with a glint of hope for making the regionals. "We did some things this year that I've never seen a team do," Miller said. "I think our team has sort of changed the balance of power in the league by pushing everybody." The Quakers will look to make their season meaningful with a win against the Lions.
(04/21/97 9:00am)
After the Penn baseball team won the first game, 5-4, the squad lost on a homer in the seventh of the nightcap. Big Red, big rain, big rally, big home run. That pretty much sums up the Penn baseball team's weekend. The Quakers traveled to Ithaca, N.Y., to face Cornell, in what was to be a four-game weekend. Saturday's doubleheader was rained out and rescheduled for today. The two games played yesterday produced a split, both determined by one run. The Quakers sent Armen Simonian to the mound in the first matchup. "Armen has had better games, but he pitched well," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. "He won the game for us. That was his job and he did it." Simonian pitched a complete game, working himself out of some jams along the way. The junior got through the first flawlessly after letting up a hit to Cornell's leadoff man, Michael Macrie. The Quakers' attack came early and often. Penn wasted no time scoring, as first baseman Russ Farscht started a first-inning rally with a one-out double. Mark Nagata and Jeremy Milken then followed suit, putting two more doubles past the Big Red, giving the Quakers a two-run lead. Penn then added to their leads with a manufactured run in the second. After a sacrifice bunt by second baseman Oliver Hahl to advance Drew Corradini, freshman Kevin McCabe singled in the third Quaker run. The Big Red then struck right back for their first run of the game in the second. Cornell catcher Eric Kirby got a hold a Simonian pitch and sent it over the rightfield fence for a solo shot. "I felt pretty sharp. The location of some of the pitches could have been better," Simonian said of his performance. "I have had good stuff [the last two games], but the location is the important part." Cornell got on the board next, in a big fourth inning. After an error by Hahl, Simonian let another runner on, setting the stage for Cornell's David Jacobs. "It didn't effect me too much," Simonian said of the error. "We've been playing such good defense, I didn't really worry about it too much. I made a mistake up in the zone to a pretty good hitter, and he just met it on the good part of the bat." Simonian's mistake translated into the Jacobs bomb to centerfield, and a three-run tally for the Big Red, giving them back the lead. Cornell would score no more, and the Quakers regained the lead in the sixth. Penn scored twice and went ahead for good, as Glen Ambrosius singled, scored and drove in a run. Simonian's complete game effort was enough, as the the Quakers held on for the 5-4 victory. The second game stayed equally close. A.B. Fischer got the starting bid in the tail end of the doubleheader. Penn kept the bats warm during the break after the first game, scoring in the first again. "One of our goals was to score early, and we did it in both games. But we should have had another on Nagata's hit," Seddon said. With Simonian (playing rightfield for game two) on second base, Nagata hit a laser to rightfield. Unable to judge to the ball, Simonian looked to tag up, but the shot fell out of the air and hit the fence. "It looked like a homer, but then it dove," Seddon said. "Minor baserunning mistakes hurt us," Simonian said of the play. "We were aggressive as a team, especially with the bat." The aggressive bats translated into only two more runs for Penn, leaving the rest to Fischer. After Cornell pulled ahead with consecutive scoring innings in the fourth and fifth, Penn came back to tie the game in the sixth. Ambrosius came up big with the stick for the second time. His leadoff double put him in scoring position for a Dave Corleto RBI single. With the game tied, the Quakers put the ball in the hands of Fischer in hopes of finding the same ability to complete the game that Simonian showed earlier in the afternoon. "Fischer notched a good game, but it turned out not to be good enough," Seddon said. Not good enough resulted in a one-out, game-winning homer by Cornell shortstop Bill Walkenbach. The Quakers left the field shaking their heads in disbelief, as they saw game two slip from under them. "You lose on a home run in the bottom of the seventh, on a ball the left-fielder had in his glove, you are going to be disappointed," Seddon said. The Quakers now find themselves in a must-win situation in today's make up of the Saturday rainouts. Penn will try to keep the bats alive behind juniors Alex Hayden and Ed Kimlin, making his first career Ivy League start, and avenge the Cornell's late heroics.
(04/17/97 9:00am)
Coming off two losses on the road, Penn hosts Yale and Brown. Penn comes home to the Lott Courts this weekend, after a grueling road trip through New England brought them two tough losses. The Quakers suffered the first to Harvard on Friday, in a 5-2 showdown. Leaving Cambridge, Mass., Penn took the road north, hoping to change its luck against Dartmouth. Lady Luck didn't show, though, as a second loss in two days made the trip back to Philly a little longer, after what many players deemed a "must-win match." "Against Harvard, it looked like two equal teams were competing out there," sixth-year Penn coach Gene Miller said. "It was the first time they have really gone out and played like that against a Harvard team." This weekend brings a chance for renewed opportunity. Brown marches into University City to get the tennis team's version of "Fling" started at 2 p.m. on tomorrow. The Elis of Yale will pick up the Saturday slot in a noon contest, which should prove to be the tougher of the two. Brown has posted a 6-7 record overall, 0-4 in the EITA. Brown coach Bob Woods puts a young team on the court. With only one senior on the team, the Bears sport one of the few lineups in the Ivy League considerably younger than Penn. "I think this year there is going to prove to be much more depth in the league than in past years," Miller said. Brown suffered its tough EITA losses to opponents quite familiar to the Quakers. Princeton drubbed the Bears in a 6-1 decision, while the other three losses were all 4-3 outcomes. The service academies both had their way with Brown, as did the Big Red of Cornell. "I just want to duplicate last weekend," said Miller. "They played some of the best tennis that they have played all year." The Elis' talented lineup could give the Quakers some problems. "They are a pretty talented team, pretty good, but they are inconsistent," Quakers junior Marc Fisicaro said. The No. 2 singles player, Fisicaro will have to face one of those talented, but inconsistent, Elis for his singles match. Also a junior, Andrew Tang has taken on most of the responsibilities at No. 2, posting a 5-7 mark. Troubles have not been completely absent, however, as fellow junior Mark Warken has been asked to step up in two matches at the slot. The Quakers will look to capitalize on the doubles play that has been a consistent weapon for them. Yale is a combined two games under .500 at all three doubles spots. "We were doing all the right things (last weekend), and I think that will make its way into this weekend," Miller said. Penn's tennis team won't be relaxing this weekend. After two difficult losses last weekend, the Quakers need a victory. "Every match is a must win for the team at this point," Fisicaro said. The Quakers want to be the opening act on tomorrow and be the "Toasters" for a couple hours against Brown. "The last two years we have been away for [Spring Fling]," Fisicaro said. "It should be a little more fun to play at home." The Quakers will look to get back on track and improve on their 4-2 EITA record -- and stay in the hunt for a regional playoff position.
(04/14/97 9:00am)
Sometimes the best isn't good enough. That was the case as the Penn men's tennis team lost both matches last weekend on a long road trip to New England. "I haven't really seen our guys play straight down the board as well as they did," Quakers junior Marc Fisicaro said. Fisicaro and the rest of the Red and Blue played tough but were unable to overcome the odds, as they traveled to face two of the elite teams in the Ivy League -- Harvard and Dartmouth. Penn received a sign that the weekend would turn in this ominous direction right at the beginning. For the first time in eight matches, the Quakers surrendered the doubles points to their opponents. Penn uncharacteristically lost all three of the doubles contests in close fashion. Even the No. 1 team of Fisicaro and Udi Kish lost, 8-6. The No. 2 squad of Brad Goldberg and J.J. Cramer took the match into extra points. The senior co-captains tried to pump life into the Quakers but lost the effort, 9-7. The singles were unable to pick up the slack, losing all but one match. The singles play was simply not able to overcome the Crimson abilities. "I felt like I played pretty well and had some chances. I just couldn't capitalize on some key points," said Kish, Penn's No. 1 singles player. One Quakers highlight was the match play of Goldberg. In a confrontation of the two captains, durability came to the forefront. Goldberg played his opponent even through two sets. In the third, Goldberg came up big, winning 7-6. The second Penn point was earned by sophomore David Schwartzman. The second-year Quaker turned in a strong straight set showing, 7-4, 6-0. Penn left the match with a defeat, in need of a mental turnaround, and knowing the trip to Dartmouth would bring yet another tough opponent. "It was great for us to know that they beat Columbia because it made us even more conscious of how good they were," Kish said. The Penn doubles got back on track, winning three straight matches. Both the No. 1 and No. 2 teams won with ease. Kish and Fisicaro gave up only three points in their match. Cramer and Goldberg played even better with an 8-2 defeat of Dartmouth's Matt Fuller and Avery Rueb. "Morale was pretty high, but we obviously knew it wasn't over," Kish said of the doubles play. With only three indoor courts available, the first three singles unfolded in front of the rest players. Kish lost his match in two close sets, 6-4, 7-6. Goldberg, the third player, also lost a tough one in the first round of play. Taking the match to three sets, Goldberg was also unable to hang on, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Fisicaro, playing second singles, was able to keep the score tied for the Quakers. The Penn junior won in two sets, 7-5, 6-4, giving the bottom three singles players a chance to make the difference. Penn was unable to capitalize, as the No. 4 through No. 6 players played close matches, but came up short in all three. "It gave Dartmouth a little more momentum, because I was the first to win, and they got their two points right before the last three players took the court," Fisicaro said. Cramer lost a heartbreaker in three sets, as he was unable to capitalize on a service for match point. Up 6-5 in the third set, Cramer held serve for the match, but opponent Rob Simik came back and took the match, 7-5. "The Dartmouth players played above their head from what they showed in the fall," Fisicaro said. The end tally came up against the Quakers, 5-2, and made the weekend a wash for Penn. "We left our hearts on the court. Sometimes each and every player gives his best and you still come up on the losing end," Kish said. "Obviously, it was disappointing." The Quakers' weekend ended a run of wins in the Eastern Intercollegiate Tennis Association, and made the next weekend of play a must win situation if Penn is to reach Eastern regionals.
(04/10/97 9:00am)
Over-scheduled LaSalle sent freshmen to the mound and Penn feasted. Penn baseball coach Bob Seddon taught an old baseball lesson, with new students, in yesterday's game at Bower Field. "Pitching dictates the game, it's that simple," Seddon said. "We got good pitching today." The Quakers disposed of the La Salle Explorers by a score of 15-2 in a seven-inning contest. Penn (11-13-1), seeking redemption after an 8-7, 16-inning loss last week, took command through its young pitchers. This effort was put together by a committee of underclassmen. Three freshman and one sophomore combined to allow only two runs on two hits. Freshman Kevin Johnson got the starting nod, and allowed La Salle's only runs, but came out with the win. The Explorers' surge came courtesy of senior centerfielder Brian Schaller, who doubled driving in two runs in the first inning. Penn scored six runs on one hit in the bottom half of the first, giving them all the offense they would need. Penn junior Joe Carlon led off the bottom half of the first with one of five Penn walks that inning. With two runs in on walks and hit batters, sophomore Shawn Spiezio stepped to the plate. "He threw [Penn outfielder Drew Corradini] a first pitch fastball right down the middle," Spiezio said. "I thought he'd do the same. I was just anxious to hit." With the bases juiced, Spiezio got the 0-0 fastball, and made La Salle pay. The Penn second baseman sent the ball towering over the rightfield fence into the batting cage area, for a grand slam. Sophomore Ray Broome then entered the game and put together two innings of hitless baseball, keeping the Quakers in control. "Broome can help out the staff if he can throw strikes consistently," Quakers assistant coach Bill Wagner said. Broome controlled the La Salle lineup, facing seven batters and allowing no hits. The Penn hurler also racked up three strikeouts in the process. The final three innings saw two more freshmen split time on the mound. La Salle stepped to the plate in the fifth against a hard-throwing Anthony Napolitano. Overpowering the hitters, Napolitano struck out the first two Explorers batter he faced. The freshman righty left the contest with four strikeouts and no hits allowed. "Napolitano hasn't seen enough innings since we got back form Florida, but he pitched well today for us," Wagner said. The final Quaker to throw was John Dolan, who mowed through the seventh in 1-2-3 fashion. Dolan put a definitive end to the game, striking La Salle catcher Mark Duffy out on an 0-2 curve, his bread-and-butter pitch. The La Salle game also marked an opportunity for Seddon and his Quakers to get a good look at the rest of the freshman class. "[Freshman catcher Jeff] Gregorio had a good day. He's got a a nice arm and he is coming around as a freshman," Wagner said. Gregorio provided much of the offense after the first inning, doubling twice with three RBIs. This contest marked a new lineup change for Penn. Quakers sophomore Russ Farscht played his first game at first base, bumping junior Trent Nagata out of the lineup. "Right now Mark (Nagata) is our DH and Russ is at first. Trent will back up both of those positions," Seddon said. "If Russ struggles, Trent will play. Obviously, that can all change." The move proved to be of little problem for Farscht, as he contributed a hit and two runs to the Penn cause. Penn's domination of this game gave the coaches some liberty to try new defensive alignments. Seddon moved Spiezio to third and brought in Oliver Hahl, a freshman from Cincinnati, to play second. Late in the game, the Quakers infield was a snap shot of the future, lining up a freshman at each position. "Spiezio and Hahl are going to battle it out for second base right now," Wagner said. "[Glen] Ambrosius is an extremely mature player for us at third base." The youth movement played a huge role in this seven-inning romp, as the freshman class provided a much-needed lift in the Penn game. "It felt good to blow them out. We needed a good win before this weekend," Spiezio said. The Quakers scored 15 runs, and made as many changes over the course of the game. In the end, the youth was able to prove the age-old golden rule of baseball: good pitching beats good hitting.
(04/09/97 9:00am)
No one is sure which version of the Penn men's tennis team will appear this weekend. Penn hopes traveling to the northern climates this weekend won't cool its game down. The Penn men's tennis team will face its toughest two-day stint of the season this weekend when they head north to take on Harvard and Dartmouth. The Quakers will have their work cut out for them in a road trip which will make for hard travel hours and tough opponents. "It's a very long and winding trip, so we've got to be ready," sophomore Udi Kish said. "We can't be mentally tired before we even get there." This idea is recognized by all of the players, though, and the winning attitude has become more the focus than the difficulty of the weekend. Penn coach Gene Miller reflected on the past Harvard matches by saying, "We tended to lose the match before we ever got there." However, the 13-5 Quakers seem to have an entirely new approach, especially considering the 4-0 record in Eastern play. "They are getting the killer mentality in the doubles points and starting to in the singles, just like in the last match; they are going for the jugular," Miller said. "They are going into this match excited. Penn's four-game win streak in the EITA has not surprised them, or the rest of the competition for that matter. "You have a coach who has worked extremely hard and who has assembled a group of players who has worked equally as hard, so they deserve what they are starting to achieve," Harvard coach David Fisch said. The Crimson (9-5, 1-0 EITA) come into the match after a respectable start. But Harvard has plummeted from its preseason rank of 17th in the nation to its current No. 37 position. The five-week drop in ranking, as well as the lack of Eastern league play leaves them with much to prove. Their only league win came at the disposal of Army, a team Penn also handled last weekend. The Quakers are confident they can create more questions about the Harvard game. "There are teams that have beaten them that didn't belong there, and teams that they have handled really well," Miller said. "We just have to go out and compete." The players bring similar feelings to the table about this matchup. Knowing Harvard is an attacking team that likes to put away opponents early, the Quakers are looking to extend the points to take the match. Penn junior Marc Fisicaro sighted them as having a team of "mostly serve and volley players." Miller feels Penn can dictate the style of play simply by staying in the points for more than four or five strokes, disrupting the straight away, coming to the net style of play. Saturday will be still more pivotal for the Penn squad, regardless of the Friday match. "It would be nice to come out of the trip with two wins -- if we do then we control our own destiny," Fisicaro said. "But the Dartmouth match is huge. Either way it is a must-win match." Miller describes the Big Green as a team displaying a mixture of play. Several of their players bring big serves every time. Dartmouth keys around two or three big players, who will dictate their competition that day. "All the guys keep saying that all we have to do is be better than Harvard one day, but even then we have to go to Dartmouth the next day," Kish said. Dartmouth will bring a 9-3 overall record to the courts in New Hampshire. This will be their first EITA contest, a factor that will help Penn, since Dartmouth has yet to see Eastern play. The Big Green have chalked up their "W's" against teams such as Loyola Marymount, College of the Desert (Ca.) and Providence. Their setbacks came at the hands of San Diego, Utah, as well as Penn in the fall. The trip will be tenuous for the Penn team as a whole. Kish stressed the level of preparation that the upperclassmen on the team have been emphasizing. "The Penn program is a program to be reckoned with in the Ivy League," Fisch said. Friday Penn will go into Cambridge and in the words of Miller they "would like to see what color the chameleon will show up as."
(04/07/97 9:00am)
Penn lost only three singles matches all weekend and did not drop any doubles matches. The Quakers just keep winning. After last weekend's matches with Army and Cornell, Penn has improved to a 13-5 record overall, and 4-0 in the Eastern International Tennis Association. "We are as confident as we've been all year," sophomore David Schwartzman said of the Penn men's tennis team. Victories over Navy and Princeton the previous weekend extended the Penn overall win streak to four games, and set the stage for the showdown on the Lott Courts with these two foes. "We've got to go into each match trying to win that one, and just let the record take care of itself," Quakers senior co-captain J.J. Cramer said. This approach paid dividends, helping the Quakers handle Army, 5-2, and the Big Red, 6-1. The pace of the Cornell match was established by the strong team doubles play. Penn's three doubles teams swept the boys from Ithaca, no team losing more than five points in its effort. The No. 1 team of sophomore Udi Kish and junior Marc Fisicaro pounded away at Army's Rae Cho and John Johnson. The unique two-back style of the doubles tandem worked well as they hit enough passing shots to give them the 8-5 edge. Cramer and fellow captain, Brad Goldberg, likewise made quick work of their opponents at No. 2. The No. 3 team of Schwartzman and Dominic Rioux continued to work their chemistry winning 8-3, and improving to a 4-1 record together. "Against Army, we got a little sloppy and had few too many three-set matches," Cramer said. The singles lineup hit some bumps along the way to the win. No. 1 singles player Kish and No. 6 Jordan Szekely were the only two players to take their opponents in straight sets. Kish beat Rich Michalski at 6-2, 6-4, while Szekely disposed of his opponent in swift fashion, 6-1,6-1. "We felt like we were starting to peak (in the Cornell match). If we knew we should beat a guy 6-1, we did," Cramer said. Saturday brought the Big Red to the Lott Courts. Looking to keep their EITA win streak alive, the Quakers were determined to send Cornell back to New York losers. The doubles teams looked as if they might never lose again. Stringing together a seventh consecutive team doubles point, Cornell showed little ability to stay with the Quakers. Sixth-year Penn coach Gene Miller once again shifted the lineup, relying on team depth to overcome the change. The No. 3 team paired Schwartzman with fellow sophomore Szekely for the first time this season. They subsequently won their first match together, 8-6. No. 1 and No. 2 doubles turned in what has become a habitual performance. Kish and Fisicaro won 8-5, and Cramer and Goldberg walked off the court having given up only four points. "The doubles point has turned out to be real important, even though it doesn't always seem like it should be," Schwartzman said. "If we are going to win next weekend (at Dartmouth and Harvard) we are going to need to win the doubles points." Penn's singles play then improved on the sloppy play of the day before. Every Quaker victory rolled in straight sets, no player losing more than four games in any of them. Strong Penn performances were turned in by Cramer, 6-1, 6-0, and Goldberg, 6-3, 6-1. "Everyone is pretty psyched up. We see that we have a talented team, but also a team that hasn't yet reached its potential," Cramer said. Penn's 4-0 EITA start has given the Quakers the building block for the rest of the season. "Taking each match with a grain of salt," in the words of Cramer, the Quakers will hope to keep the Eastern win streak alive next weekend. Penn should be tested in what has been touted as "The Match of the Season," with Harvard, as well as traveling to the friendly hills of New Hampshire to challenge Dartmouth.
(04/03/97 10:00am)
The Penn men's tennis team will take Army into the trenches for battle tomorrow. The Cadets will visit the Lott Courts tomorrow at 2 p.m., weather permitting, and try to hand the Quakers their first Eastern Intercollegiate Tennis Association loss of the season. Saturday, Cornell will try to walk away from the City of Brotherly Love with a victory as well. The Quakers hope to have something to say about that, though. Coming off consecutive wins last weekend, Penn has jumped out to a 1-0 start in the Ivy League and a 2-0 start in the EITA. Penn handled a tough Princeton team masterfully, scrapping out a 4-3 win. The following day, the squad from Navy fell prey to the Quakers, losing in a match that defined the early part of the EITA schedule, 5-2. "No one was really too high from the Princeton match because we expected to beat them," Penn co-captain Brad Goldberg said. Penn then went out and showed the Midshipmen that the Princeton match was only the beginning. "If we had been too up (about the Princeton win), it would have showed up in the Navy match," Quakers No. 2 singles player Marc Fisicaro said. This weekend provides the next test. "Cornell is very tough, and Army is just as good or better, so both of these matches will be like facing two more Navies," Penn coach Gene Miller said. The two upcoming opponents have pieced together impressive records this season. The Big Red will step onto the courts with a 10-3 mark overall, including a 1-0 record in the EITA. Cornell's lone Eastern win also came over Navy. Cornell was able to get by 4-3. The numbers don't tell the whole story, though. Army (13-1) has produced an impressive record via a below-par non-league schedule. The Cadets have put together their latest string of three victories with defeats over St. John's, Bucknell and Fairleigh Dickinson. Army's lone loss came at the hands of Harvard, a team that finished at the top of the EITA last year. Last year's Cadets match still looms over the Penn players, as they came away on the losing end. In what the players jokingly call "Grudge Match '97," Penn hopes to avenge a defeat that was highly unexpected. "We need to focus on this weekend, and what we can't do is look ahead to next weekend with the Harvard and Dartmouth matches," Quakers senior Joel Silman said. "The Cornell team is much different than last year," Miller said. "They thought they were outclassed, and they gave up at times. But they are fighting hard this year." After an 0-8 showing last year in the EITA, this year's Big Red squad is showing a new team approach. Penn will need to keep the "momentum flowing," in the words of Goldberg. On the heels of two huge victories and a four-game win streak, the Quakers will look to further establish themselves among the teams to beat in the EITA and Ivy League. "We can't have any let-ups," Miller said. "We need to continue being business-like and playing it by the numbers." The Quakers will hope to keep the pace on the Lott Courts and chalk up another "W" in the 1997 season.
(03/31/97 10:00am)
Penn grounded Navy and tore apart Princeton Penn walked into New Jersey last Friday, proving to the rest of the Ivy League that the Tigers are tamable, and the Quakers plan to do the taming. This weekend, the men's tennis team went on the road and came home with two huge victories. Playing at Princeton, N.J., against the Tigers and at Annapolis, Md., against Navy, Penn came away with defining victories, 4-3 and 5-2, respectively. The Quakers and Tigers both headed into the match with momentum. Penn strung together a two match win streak last week, defeating Saint Joseph's and Swarthmore. Princeton (5-7, 0-1 Ivy League) was returning to play their first Ivy match, after earning a huge upset at Minnesota then the 43rd-ranked team in the nation, by a margin of 4-3. With the stage set for the showdown, and both teams flying high, the play lived up to all expectations, except those of the odds makers. "No one outside the team expected us to win, but we knew we could play with them," Penn senior co-captain Brad Goldberg said. The Quakers went out and set the tone with strong doubles play that nearly boosted them over a tough Penn State squad the previous weekend. The Quakers' No. 1 doubles of team of sophomore Udi Kish and Marc Fisicaro was unable to get into the victory column. The No. 2 and No. 3 teams picked up the slack with big wins propelling the team. The No. 2 team of Goldberg and fellow senior captain J.J. Cramer took charge with an 8-3 victory over Ahn Ahn Liu and Kevin Woo. The strong duo of sophomore David Schwartzman and freshman Dominic Rioux continued their consistent play of late with a convincing 8-6 defeat of Patrick Sweeney and Jeff Schachter. The Quakers then went out in search of dissecting the Tigers' typically baseline style of play. The strong effort of Fisicaro at No. 2 got the team on the right track. Fisicaro gave Penn one of the three needed singles points for victory, with a 6-3, 6-2 win over David Schonbraun. Goldberg also stepped up big, winning his match by a count of 6-3, 6-2. Goldberg's match exemplified the attack style of play that the Quakers used to defeat the Tigers. "With the majority of the team playing a baseline game, we were not overly surprised by their style. I knew in my match I would have to come to the net and attack," Goldberg said. The third singles point was earned by freshman Michael Klatsky at the No. 6 position. Klatsky continued his fine season with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat over Shai Ingber. With the defeat of the Tigers under their belt, Penn hoped to carry the same level of play into Maryland when it faced off against a much improved Navy squad. "At first we were all elated to have defeated Princeton, but coach reminded us of a story about an old team that had beat Princeton, and literally went into their next match with victory hats on, and lost," Rioux said. "Then we knew we had to go into the match ready to play." The Penn team proved they were up for the challenge, as they took yet another doubles point, en route to a 5-2 win. The doubles lineup overcame a minor lineup change, as Penn coach Gene Miller searched for a way to fill the hole of a resting Kish. The number one team of senior Joel Silman and Schwartzman, was unable to add to the charge in the doubles bracket. The No. 2 and No. 3 teams again picked up the slack though, as Miller's combinations proved to be the winning formula. With the absence of Kish, Miller shifted Fisicaro to the No. 2 spot with Cramer. Goldberg, usually matched with Cramer was then moved to the No. 3 spot with Rioux. The team didn't miss a beat as these two tandems brought the Quakers the doubles point, once again. The Quakers then used their singles depth to put Navy away. The No. 1 and No. 2 spots, of Fisicaro and Silman were unable to stake out there prey, as both came away with loses. Penn went unfazed as the bottom four singles spots then swept their matches for the necessary points. The attack was once again led by Goldberg at the No. 3 spot. Goldberg went to a third set, but came out on top with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win. Cramer, Klatsky and Scwartzman earned the remaining victories in swift fashion. "We established ourselves, but now we need to continue it the next two weekends, and then we'll be fine," Rioux said. The Penn team proved that they could tame the Tigers and ground the Navy.
(03/28/97 10:00am)
The junior sees time at the No. 2 and 3 singles spots. "Junior Mark Fisicaro helped lead the Penn?" Well, not exactly. See, it is Marc with a "c," and he has definitely helped lead the Quakers charge into virtually every match played since he came here three years ago. At six feet tall, he isn't exactly hard to miss. His opponents tend to agree when he drives his punishing ground strokes by them for winners, something he'll try to do this weekend, at Princeton today and Navy tomorrow. So why is it that no one can even get the spelling of his name right, when all he seems to do is help the team win? Well, ask anyone on the team, you'll get the same answer. He's a "silent leader." Fisicaro is content playing his heart out, and leading by example -- then maybe someone will tell people how to print his name right. "He's the kind of guy I count on so much, I don't need to spend as much time with him as I might with the other players," Penn coach Gene Miller said. Miller looks at Fisicaro now, and is drawn to the same qualities that made him so intent on making this recruit wear the Red and Blue. "I might have to work with his skills, but when it comes to winning, I don't need to help him, he knows how to do that," Miller said. Fisicaro, now a junior, exhibited these qualities before he even reached the college ranks. The soft-spoken kid from Clementon, N.J., led his high school team as captain his senior year. Fisicaro's game was good enough that he knew a high caliber of tennis was in his future. "I wanted to go to an Ivy, and Penn had a good team moving in the right direction," Fisicaro said. His freshman season brought success right away. Penn began the season hovering around the 98th rank in the country. Aided by Fisicaro at the No. 3 singles spot, the team got as high as 44th in the nation. Fisicaro recalls the defeat of Princeton his freshman year as one of the best moments in his career. "My freshman year was tough getting used to academics and tennis," Fisicaro said. "I just go out there and try to play as hard as I can, and I won't be happy until I win every point in the match." It is just this combination of modesty and determination that has made his career so successful. Most would be satisfied to step in freshman year and be the last player on the court, pulling out the decisive point, against Yale and Columbia, and helping his team beat Princeton for the first time in 25 years. Not bad for a frosh. But, Fisicaro wanted to be better. "When he came in he was only a baseliner, but he has developed every aspect of his game. He can come to the net, and hit a slice and drive return now that he didn't have," Miller said. The work payed off. Sophomore year brought bigger things, to an already accomplished player. Going 5-4 in the spring season, and continually adding to his baseline game, Fisicaro earned All-Ivy first team and All-EITA first-team honors. Fisicaro also finished the season as the No. 22 singles player in the region. But the individual glory wasn't his focus. Fisicaro kept working at his game, hoping to help the team win in new ways. He worked on his serves and volleys, eager to move into a doubles position. "I didn't like sitting on the sidelines for the doubles point. Somehow, someway, I wanted to get on that court and help the team win," Fisicaro said. His game has taken on new meaning this year. Having several of what Miller called "break out" matches, with straight set, 6-0, 6-0, defeat at Rutgers, and crushing victory a#t Swarthmore, Fisicaro gives the Quakers a key element to their winning season (9-4 this spring). Fisicaro's role this season has gone much beyond his "W's." He has elevated his leadership role to a whole new level, being labeled a "franchise player" by Miller. "I knew I needed to be more of a leader, and gain respect. Since I am a quiet player, I try to do my leading on the court." While the wins keep coming, Fisicaro, to some, has taken on almost a coaching role. "There was one match he didn't play in Florida, when he just stayed on my court helping me. It is sometimes easier to take advice from, especially since he can give a player's perspective," Penn freshman Michael Klatsky said. With the heart of the Ivy League season about to begin, Fisicaro will undoubtedly ask himself, and his teammates to play at another level. "By the time I graduate, I want this team to be expected to contend for the Ivy League title every year, in the same breath as Princeton without hesitation," Fisicaro said. It is no surprise that this is the only legacy that Fisicaro wants to leave at the Lott Courts after graduation. The consummate team player, he hopes only to be remembered as one of the players that got Penn to the next level of competition. After all he has given to Penn, maybe they will spell his name with a "c" when all is said and done.
(03/27/97 10:00am)
The Quakers had no trouble defeating Swarthmore and St. Joseph's in recent matches. The "not Penn State" chants came to Levy Pavilion, when the Penn men's tennis team took on the Nittany Lions in the battle for state bragging rights last weekend. The match with Penn St. is an annual event, with the winner taking home the Holmes Cup for a year. The PSU matchup was only half of a dual match that also included St. Joseph's. Penn met the Lions in the earlier of the two matches on Saturday. The Quakers were unable to take the "W" and the cup, losing a tight match, 4-3. "Penn State is one of those teams that is able to get the most out of each of the players' abilities, so they play tough even when they aren't as talented as their opponent," Penn senior co-captain J.J. Cramer said. This proved to be true against the Quakers. The Penn team started on the right track, taking the doubles point. The doubles team of senior co-captains Cramer and Brad Goldberg was able to pull out a tough match, winning, 9 -7. The other doubles win was by Dominic Rioux and David Schwartzman, who took their opponents to a tiebreaker before winning, 9-8 (7-5). Penn's momentum did not carry through the singles matches. Sophomore Udi Kish and senior Joel Silman were unable to capture victories at No. 1 and No. 2. Quakers junior Marc Fisicaro got the team back on track with a victory at No. 3 singles, defeating Colin Smeeton, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4). The only other Penn victory came from freshman Michael Klatsky, who won in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4. The remaining singles matches went the way of Penn St., as they edged out the Quakers in the end, giving Penn their fifth loss of the Spring against seven wins. "It was a great college tennis match, and one of the best doubles points I have ever seen in a tennis match at this level," sixth-year Penn coach Gene Miller said. The evening match showed a completely different set of results as the Quakers team took on St. Joe's. The match headed the way of Penn in a decisive shutout victory of 7-0. "The St. Joe's match was great for the Big 5, and as a way of trying to get the city community involved in tennis," Miller said. The doubles teams made fairly quick work of capturing the point for Penn, as Miller gave some experience to his freshman class. The front four doubles players were all from the new class, headed by Dennis Baden and Brett Meringoff at No. 1. All three teams took their matches, and gave Penn a good start. The singles lineup contained a few familiar names, such as Rioux, sophomore Jordan Szekely and Schwartzman. These three earned straight set victories at the top three singles spots. No Penn player lost a singles match against St. Joe's, giving the squad a shot in the arm for Tuesday night's match at Swarthmore. "It is more important to establish a winning attitude, always trying to be better and an do more every time," Miller said after the weekend match. The Penn team made this theory into practice Tuesday night, and destroyed the Swarthmore squad, 7-0. "The team went out and took care of business, and didn't go through the motions," Cramer said. "We went out to get the match over as fast as possible, and before we knew it people were already walking off the courts with wins." No Penn player lost a match. The doubles teams mixed up a little bit, pairing Fisicaro and Cramer together, as well as Goldberg and Rioux. Neither team took long to develop chemistry as both won easily (8-4 and 8-5, respectively). The singles players showed even less difficulty, as no Quaker was taken to a third set. No singles player even lost more than four games in a set. The Red and Blue will now face their most crucial weekend of play, meeting both Princeton and Navy this weekend. Both matches will be away. The Quakers will look to start the Ivy League season off on the right foot, and "not be Penn St.," as the Lions bowed out to Princeton earlier this year.
(03/18/97 10:00am)
The Quakers only won one match against four top-ranked teams before defeating Rutgers 6-1 over spring break. The Florida sun didn't shine on the Penn men's tennis team over spring break, as they were handed four losses in five matches. The Quakers (7-4) opened their Florida trip with a 7-0 loss to the No. 10 team in the country, South Alabama. No Penn singles player even won a set, and the doubles teams were equally ineffective. "We went into the heart of these teams' backyards, having to adjust to the weather, and they just won easy sets that we couldn't," Penn coach Gene Miller. The squad then geared up to face three native teams, South Florida, Florida International and Miami. The contest with South Florida provided no better result, as the Quakers lost 6-1. Competition improved with several tight matches, and a victory by freshman Michael Klatsky (6-4, 2-6, 6-4). Strong performances were also turned in by Penn senior co-captain Brad Goldberg at No. 4, and No. 1 doubles team Udi Kish and Marc Fisicaro. Fisicaro and Kish were unable to win their match at No. 1 doubles, but took the opponent to extra points, losing 9-7. "We need to work on getting more determined when things get bad, and we are starting to do it -- they need to believe more that they can beat these teams," Miller said. The trip then took them to face a tough Florida International team, who shut Penn out of the team scoring, 7-0, for the second time during the trip. Miller looked to change things a little, moving senior Joel Silman into the No. 1 singles position. "Any of these three guys -- Marc, Udi and Joel -- can compete at that level, so I rotated the spot to see what it would do," Miller said. Silman was unable to win a tough match (6-4 ,6-4). He was not alone however, as no singles player was able to capture a victory. Sophomores Jordan Szekely and David Schwartzman made good runs, taking their opponents to three sets before losing. "These teams were just better than us on these days -- on a different day, the result might have gone our way," Kish said. The sole victory of the match for the Quakers was that of the No. 3 doubles team of Schwartzman and freshman Dominic Rioux. The duo defeated their FIU opponents, 8-5, but the victory went for naught as the other two doubles combinations lost, giving up the team point for Penn. Miami was the next obstacle standing in Penn's way. For the fourth straight time, the Quakers came away on the short end. Once again, the team was shut out, losing every match. Goldberg was the only player to take his match past the second set, but winning the first was not enough, as he fell, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. "Their breakthrough is going to come when they realize they can win the breaks and not give in at the crucial points of the match," Miller said. Penn looked to give the spring trip some redeeming value when they faced Rutgers in their final match. "The complexion of the match was entirely different. We used the four matches before to our advantage," Kish said. The team went out and destroyed the New Jersey team Miller had been worried about. Miller switched the lineup, this time in the doubles bracket, starting the Schwartzman and Rioux team at No. 1. This move payed dividends as they started off the match with a victory (8-5) that would set the tone for the day. The doubles swept all three matches, giving the Quakers the first doubles point of the week. The team simply "went for Rutgers' throats" according to Miller, as all but one of the singles players won and Penn took the match, 6-1. Silman continued to play well at No. 1, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, and Kish destroyed his opponent in the No. 2 spot (6-0, 6-2). Fisicaro had what Miller called a "coming out" match with a 6-0, 6-0 victory. The Quakers will have to take the momentum from the last match into this weekend's dual with Penn State. With the difficult part of the schedule behind, the Quakers will need to prove they can now play above the heads of the Ivy opponents with the experience of this trip.
