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(09/12/97 9:00am)
Returning all 11 starters, the Quakers will have a better shot at beating Harvard, who will be missing two starters. After spending the past two weeks seeing just themselves in preseason scrimmages, the Penn men's soccer team is anxious for a few fresh faces. Finishing last season on a tear, the Quakers hope to continue their winning ways as they face Harvard in Cambridge, Mass., tomorrow at 1 p.m. in their season opener. Last season, the Crimson shut out the Quakers on Rhodes Field, 2-0. Although not controlling the game, the senior-dominated Harvard team stopped the Quakers' offense en route to their victory and eventual Ivy League championship. "They had a particularly good first half against us down here," Penn coach George O'Neill said. "They scored two very good goals. We had a couple of good opportunities in the second half and just could not put them away." For Harvard, the new year will bring many new faces, as five of the Crimson's starters from last year graduated. The absence of sweeper Lee Williams because of a groin injury, and defender Andrew Linquist, due to a red card in Harvard's final game last year will also add to Harvard's personnel problems. Harvard coach Steven Locker feels the Crimson's inexperience will be a factor. "It is definitely a huge concern for us," Locker said. "We are hopeful that we are going to be able to field a competitive team against Penn in our opener and just kind of battle it out, because it is not the same Harvard team of the past. We have had a lot of holes to fill and there is nowhere near the talent or depth that we have had in the past." Although Harvard might not be as strong as usual, O'Neill knows that the Crimson, who reached the quarterfinals of last year's NCAA Tournament, will still be a very formidable opponent. "I don't see them dropping off very much at all, O'Neill said. "I think they will still be a very competitive team and a very skillful team." During the game Harvard will rely on defender Ricky Le, forward Tommy McLaughlin, and goalie Jordan Dupee to pick up leadership void left by the graduating seniors. Locker stresses that his team will play their own game and will try not to allow the Quakers dictate the momentum. "We try to face the game in a logical manner," Locker said. "We don't necessarily focus in on individual type teams or individuals within a team. We try to focus in on more what we are trying to do and hope that will yield us the kind of result that we like." On the other hand, Penn comes in with the same 11 that started last year's game. Trying not to mimic last year's 1-5 start, the Quakers feel their positive attitude will help them continue their winning ways. "The attitude was not bad last year at the beginning of the year," Penn senior captain and midfielder Read Goodwin said. "After we let down a few games, it just seemed that everyone was saying, 'Oh, this is going to be the same as it always was.' Once we started winning, everyone has realized that we can do this. That attitude has carried over. Everyone has come in this year ready to go. The basic attitude seems to be we can do this as long as we put our minds to it. That is something that has not happened here in my four years." Although it is the season opener, both teams know that it will be an important factor in determining the 1997 Ivy League champion. For the Quakers, the game will allow them to prove last year's 7-1-1 streak that ended the season was not a jinx. So far Penn has enjoyed being considered a major contender in the Ivy League. "In many ways this could be the biggest game of the year," Quakers senior captain Brad Copeland said. "It is the first game of the year. It is the first Ivy League game. We have a lot of goals set for this year. We want to win the Ivy League. We want to get into the tournament. If we don't beat Harvard, we are going to be hurting ourselves immediately. This game we are taking very seriously."
(09/10/97 9:00am)
After starting the Quakers' last game of 1997, Brian Russell left in pursuit of a Division I scholarship. Coming off their first winning season since 1984, the Penn men's soccer team has spent the last nine months anticipating the beginning of the 1997 season. Behind the effort of captains Read Goodwin, Brad Copeland and Morgan Blackwell, the Quakers look to be top contenders for the Ivy League crown and the automatic NCAA tournament bid that comes with it. Unlike the 1996 season's 1-5 start, the Quakers plan to pick up where they finished off, going 7-1-1 in last year's concluding games. With their 4-3 Ivy League record in 1996, the Quakers tied Cornell and Yale for second place, while Harvard took the crown. "Everybody has come back in great shape," Penn coach George O'Neill said. "We are continuing from where we left off. They are coming in with the same attitude that they had in the final half of the season when they went 7-1-1." In entering his fifth season, O'Neill's squad is returning all 11 starters. Included in those starters, Blackwell, Copeland, Goodwin and sophomore Brian Foote each earned 1996 Ivy League honorable mention status. After offseason surgery on his knee, sophomore Mike O'Connor, the 1996 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and second team All-Ivy member, returns in goal for the Quakers. The 1997 offense will be led by Blackwell, who finished second on the team in scoring (six goals, two assists), along with senior Jason Smoke and juniors Matt Huebner and Austin Root. In the midfield, Goodwin, Foote and last year's leading scorer, junior Gregg Kroll (five goals, five assists), will see most of the action. Sophomores Reggie Brown, Jason Karageorge and David Bonder challenge them and each other for starting roles. On defense, the depth becomes Penn's greatest asset, as Copeland, senior Mark Schwartz, juniors Ralph Maier and Steve Cohen and sophomores Ted Lehman and Tom Hughes will share time keeping the ball out of reach of the opponent's offense. Penn believes its overabundance of quality players should give it leverage over many of its opponents. "It is a huge advantage -- not only because we are returning all of these guys with experience but also because we are returning six or seven guys on the bench that can compete for a starting spot," Foote said. "The team is really deep. I think you are going to see a different starting lineup a lot of the time, because we have so much depth." In preseason play, Penn defeated Division III Mercer County Community College and tied Princeton last Friday, 2-2. "We saw a lot of positive things, but we also saw some rustiness that only games will rectify," O'Neill said. "In particular, the general attitude of the team in listening to everything said and trying to make it happen was positive." Highlighting this year's schedule, the Quakers open at Harvard this coming weekend and play national No. 2 Cornell at home October 12. The Quakers, ranked third in the Mid-Atlantic region behind Rutgers and Penn State, have a chance to defeat the 11th-ranked Nittany Lions September 26 at College Park, Pa. With only a couple weeks of structured practices, the Quakers feel their team has come together. Coming from a program that has never expected tremendous success, the Red and Blue have taken any pressure on them to win and transformed it into an excitement of playing soccer this season. "We are super-excited, because we are starting to get the recognition that we deserve," Foote said. "We see ourselves doing nothing but going to the NCAA Tournament and winning the Ivy [title]."
(09/09/97 9:00am)
Going 7-1-1 in their final nine games, the Quakers hope to start the 1997 season in the same fashion. Coming off their first winning season since 1984, the Penn men's soccer team has spent the last nine months anticipating the beginning of the 1997 season. Behind the effort of captains Read Goodwin, Brad Copeland and Morgan Blackwell, the Quakers look to be top contenders for the Ivy League crown and the automatic NCAA tournament bid that comes with it. Unlike the 1996 season's 1-5 start, the Quakers plan to pick up where they finished off, going 7-1-1 in last year's concluding games. With their 4-3 Ivy League record in 1996, the Quakers tied Cornell and Yale for second place, while Harvard took the crown. "Everybody has come back in great shape," Penn coach George O'Neill said. "We are continuing from where we left off. They are coming in with the same attitude that they had in the final half of the season when they went 7-1-1." In entering his fifth season, O'Neill's squad is returning all 11 starters. Included in those starters, Blackwell, Copeland, Goodwin and sophomore Brian Foote each earned 1996 Ivy League honorable mention status. After offseason surgery on his knee, sophomore Mike O'Connor, the 1996 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and second team All-Ivy member, returns in goal for the Quakers. The 1997 offense will be led by Blackwell, who finished second on the team in scoring (six goals, two assists), along with senior Jason Smoke and juniors Matt Huebner and Austin Root. In the midfield, Goodwin, Foote and last year's leading scorer, junior Gregg Kroll (five goals, five assists), will see most of the action. Sophomores Reggie Brown, Jason Karageorge and David Bonder challenge them and each other for starting roles. On defense, the depth becomes Penn's greatest asset, as Copeland, senior Mark Schwartz, juniors Ralph Maier and Steve Cohen and sophomores Ted Lehman and Tom Hughes will share time keeping the ball out of reach of the opponent's offense. Penn believes its overabundance of quality players should give it leverage over many of its opponents. "It is a huge advantage -- not only because we are returning all of these guys with experience but also because we are returning six or seven guys on the bench that can compete for a starting spot," Foote said. "The team is really deep. I think you are going to see a different starting lineup a lot of the time, because we have so much depth." In preseason play, Penn defeated Division III Mercer County Community College and tied Princeton last Friday, 2-2. "We saw a lot of positive things, but we also saw some rustiness that only games will rectify," O'Neill said. "In particular, the general attitude of the team in listening to everything said and trying to make it happen was positive." Highlighting this year's schedule, the Quakers open at Harvard this coming weekend and play national No. 2 Cornell at home October 12. The Quakers, ranked third in the Mid-Atlantic region behind Rutgers and Penn State, have a chance to defeat the 11th-ranked Nittany Lions September 26 at College Park, Pa. With only a couple weeks of structured practices, the Quakers feel their team has come together. Coming from a program that has never expected tremendous success, the Red and Blue have taken any pressure on them to win and transformed it into an excitement of playing soccer this season. "We are super-excited, because we are starting to get the recognition that we deserve," Foote said. "We see ourselves doing nothing but going to the NCAA Tournament and winning the Ivy [title]."
(09/05/97 9:00am)
For the past three years, goalkeepers coach and soccer legend Bob Rigby has devoted his fall afternoons to the Penn men's and women's soccer teams. After spending years playing with some of soccer's greatest, Rigby now uses his all-star background to improve the Quakers' keepers. Rigby played collegiate soccer at East Stroudsburg where he earned All-American honors as a senior and was selected to the inaugural Senior Bowl. A year later in 1973, the Philadelphia Atoms of the then upstart North American Soccer League drafted Rigby with their first round selection. Playing alongside current Penn men's soccer coach George O'Neill, a former professional in Scotland, Rigby earned national recognition when he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated after Philadelphia defeated Dallas in the Soccer Bowl his rookie year. "We pulled a big upset, and I was surprised as everybody else to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated," Rigby said. "You don't realize the impact of being on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Even 25 years later, I get 10 or 15 of those sent to me a year to sign and send back to people." In his 13-year professional career in the NASL, Rigby played with and against soccer's greatest, including PelZ. From 1974 to 1982, Rigby traveled around the world as a member of the U.S. National Team. Rigby was also one of the first Americans to be offered a professional soccer job overseas. When the NASL folded in the mid-1980s, Rigby ended his professional career and opted to coach high school soccer. A year later, Rigby got out of soccer all together. "I was burned out and did not want to be around the game at all," Rigby said. "I missed it, and I enjoyed teaching and training goalkeepers. I wanted to do it on my terms. I didn't enjoy the other aspects of a coach's life." O'Neill had kept in contact with Rigby and admired his character, and a few years later, he offered Rigby the position as goalkeeping coach. "I can't say enough about him," O'Neill said. "He is a magnificent human being. He is a perfect athlete. The leadership, character and integrity that he has as a human being he takes to the training field. He is a great person to be around." Rigby credits his success through his hard work. His coaching style mimics his philosophy. Using on-field demonstrations as well as working out with the players he coaches, Rigby works hard to get the most out of the players. "As a goalkeeper I always went at it very intensely," Rigby said. "The kids work real hard. One of the tenets for me is that you have to train your butt off. The position demands that." The players respect Rigby and are aware of the difficulty of his practices. "You want to die afterwards," Penn sophomore goalkeeper Mike O'Connor said. "A couple of guys have thrown up afterwards. It is crazy, but it is worth it. After that you are ready for anything. He pushes you to your limit." Rigby's style has created a large impact on Penn's soccer programs. Quakers women's soccer coach Patrick Baker credits much of the development of the women goalkeepers to Rigby. "He treats every goalkeeper the same. From our standpoint, having our girls train with the guys is great, because he pushes our group just as he does the men's team," Baker said. "I think that has been a huge reason why two out of the last three years the most improved player on our team has been the goalkeeper." As for the men's team, O'Connor became the first Quaker to receive Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors as well as being selected to the All-Mid-Atlantic Team. The sophomore goalkeeper credits Rigby for part of his success last season and as being one of the main factors in his decision to come to Penn. "He mentally prepares you," O'Connor said. "Division I soccer is a lot different than high school. From day one, he works you to the brink of exhaustion. By game time, you are ready for anything. He was very instrumental in getting me ready for the next level." Rigby not only spends time motivating young soccer players but also young adults. During the day, Rigby works at a high school crisis center for kids affected by addiction, depression and abuse. "When I looked around and there were a lot of kids in school that were struggling academically, behaviorally, and every which way," Rigby said. "The schools were pretty brain dead when it came to the issues that were precluding these kids for doing well." Rigby has enjoyed his time helping the Penn goalkeepers and is impressed with the improvement of both teams. As person who understands first-hand the popularity of soccer, Rigby urges the students to endorse the Quakers' soccer teams by coming to Rhodes Field, tucked next to the expressway. "I think that they are both moving in a positive direction," Rigby said. "I would really like to see the students come down and support these teams. I think the kids deserve it and it is like a 12th player on the field. Even if your are not into soccer, it is about as rural of a setting that you are going to get in West Philadelphia."
(08/29/97 9:00am)
The 1992 Penn grad was selected No. 12 in the 1991 draft, but still completed his engineering degree. CHICAGO -- In six years, 1992 Penn graduate Doug Glanville has gone from prospect to ballplayer. Second on the team with a batting average of .303, the former Quaker has also assumed the role of leadoff hitter for the Chicago Cubs, contributing 65 runs, 27 runs batted in, 18 stolen bases and three home runs to his team through 117 games. Selected in the first round (12th overall) by the Cubs in the 1991 June amateur draft, Glanville, who turned 27 last Monday, first earned the attention of the Major League scouts in the summer of 1990 while playing in the prestigious Cape Cod League. The praise from the scouts about his defensive skills, speed and ability to hit for average led to his selection by Baseball America to its preseason second team All-American team. Following his junior year at Penn, Glanville's 3.3 GPA in addition to his baseball talent earned him first-team GTE Academic All-American honors. After being chosen in the 1991 draft following his junior year at Penn, Glanville signed with the Cubs with the provision he be allowed to finish his degree. With his academic motivation, the current Chicago Cub graduated from Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science in 1992. Even after spending his last five years playing professional baseball, Glanville still recognizes the importance of his Ivy League education. "It is important, in that for one it gives me some security if things don't work out," Glanville said. "The second is the academic environment. The thought process to be a better player is helped by a school that teaches you to approach things better." In winning a starting job as leftfielder for a Major League team, Glanville made many stops on his way from Philadelphia to Chicago. Glanville spent his first two years in A ball, playing for minor league teams in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Dayton, Ohio, among others. After spending a year and a half at Double-A Orlando, the 6'2", 170-pound Glanville moved to Triple-A Iowa. Although not playing in front of 20,000-30,000 people each game in the minor leagues, the pressure to perform well was always there. "In the minor leagues, it's tough, because everyone is in the same boat," Glanville said. "Even though you are competing against your opponent, you are kind of competing with each other trying to get a spot on the team. It is tough at times. You definitely have some frustrations coming through the minor leagues, but it is part of the process to pay your dues to get here." In his second year at Iowa, Glanville's .308 batting average, 53 runs and 34 RBI in 90 games earned him a promotion to the big leagues. Glanville played in his first major-league game on June 9, 1996, and recorded his first hit on the next day. After being sent back down to Iowa for a month and a half, the former Quaker was again called up on September 3 and has remained in Chicago ever since. While appearing in 49 games last year, Glanville hit .241 with 10 runs, 10 RBI and one home run. Coming into the 1997 campaign, Chicago Cubs manager Jim Riggleman had the dilemma of picking a leftfielder. In centerfield the Cubs had veteran Brian McRae, while in right was the Windy City favorite, Sammy Sosa. Riggleman initially chose to divide the duties of leftfield with Glanville and Brant Brown. "It was tough to platoon," Glanville said. "You have to stay sharp. You might not be in there for three or four days in a row. I did a lot of work in the cage early. I worked with some of the coaches. It is hard to be as productive as you can be when you play sporadically. I stuck it out." With Brown's natural talents at first base, and Glanville's better offensive numbers, the platooning situation has changed to Glanville's promotion to an everyday starter. "We were platooning him," Riggleman said. "He did a good job. He worked hard everyday to be prepared for the opportunity to play everyday if it came. The opportunity did come, and he has taken advantage of it." Not only his impressive numbers, but Glanville's defensive play has also earned him the respect of his teammates. "He is probably one of the better defensive outfielders in the league," said McRae, who has since been traded to the New York Mets. "He has a real strong arm, and he can play all three outfield positions. He is fun to play with because I don't have to worry about anything in leftfield. He can run balls down, and we communicate well. This is my third year of seeing him play, and I am impressed with the improvement he has made over the last couple of years." Even with the pressures of performing, Glanville loves playing the game. As a rookie, the former Quaker looks up to current Cubs leaders Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace, and learns from veteran role players Dave Clark and Dave Hansen how to prepare for particular situations. The higher level of intensity and play at the major league level also intrigues Glanville. "You play against [Kenny] Lofton and [Barry] Larkin, and it is like they are coming at you at all times," Glanville said. "I like those types of guys with speed. But probably one of my favorite teams to play against is the [Colorado] Rockies. Those guys are incredible hitters. They are not only powerful, but intelligent, hitters." With a few years left on Glanville's contract, Riggleman and the rest of the team seem to have found a leftfielder they can depend on. "He has been great," Sosa said. "Last year he did not have that much opportunity. This year he has come through. He is a pretty good lead-off hitter. He can run. He can throw. He can do everything. I believe that we have one guy that we don't have to worry about for a long time." In about a combined year as a major leaguer, Glanville has been through more than some players go through in a career. He has seen and lived through the best of what baseball can offer while playing in Wrigley Field. From catching balls in the ivy to listening to Harry Caray's singing seventh inning stretch, the former Quaker has found his place as a Chicago Cub.
(07/24/97 9:00am)
The 1992 Penn SEAS graduate has gone from platooning in leftfield to an everyday starter and a team contributor. CHICAGO -- In six years, 1992 Penn graduate Doug Glanville has gone from prospect to ballplayer. Second on the team with a batting average of .298, the former Quaker has also assumed the role of leadoff hitter for the Chicago Cubs, contributing x runs, y runs batted in, z stolen bases and j home runs to his team in their first v games. Selected in the first round (12th overall) by the Cubs in the 1991 June amateur draft, Glanville, age, first earned the attention of the major league scouts in the summer of 1990 while playing in the prestigious Cape Cod League. The praise from the scouts about his defensive skills, speed, and ability to hit for average led to his selection by Baseball America to its preseason second team All-American team. Following his junior year at Penn, Glanville's 3.3 GPA in addition to his baseball talent earned him first-team GTE academic All-American honors. After being chosen in the 1991 draft following his junior year of school, Glanville signed with the Cubs with the provision he be allowed to finish his degree. With his academic motivation, the current Chicago Cub graduated from Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science in 1992. Even after spending his last five years playing professional baseball, Glanville still recognizes the importance of his Ivy League education. "It is important, in that for one it gives me some security if things don't work out," Glanville said. "The second is the academic environment. The thought process to be a better player is helped by a school that teaches you to approach things better." In attaining a starting job as leftfielder for a major league team, Glanville made many stops on his way from Philadelphia to Chicago. Glanville spent his first two years in A ball, playing for minor league teams in Geneva, ?, Winston-Salem, N.C., and Dayton, Ohio. After spending a year and a half at Double A Orlando, the 6'0'' ? Glanville moved to Triple-A Iowa. Although not playing in front of 20-30,000 people each game in the minor leagues, the pressure to perform well was always there. "In the minor leagues, it's tough, because everyone is in the same boat," Glanville said. "Even though you are competing against your opponent, you are kind of competing with each other trying to get a spot on the team. It is tough at times. You definitely have some frustrations coming through the minor leagues, but it is part of the process to pay your dues to get here." In his second year at Iowa, Glanville's .308 batting average, 53 runs, and 34 RBIs in 90 games earned him a promotion to the big leagues. Glanville played in his first major league game on June 9 and recorded his first hit on the next day. After being sent back down to Iowa for a month and a half, the former Quaker was again called up on September 3 and has remained in Chicago ever since. While appearing in 49 games last year, Glanville hit .241 with 10 runs, 10 RBIs and one home run. Coming into the 1997 campaign, Chicago Cubs coach Jim Riggleman had the dilemma of picking a leftfielder. In centerfield the Cubs had veteran Brian McRae, while in right was the Windy City favorite, Sammy Sosa. Riggleman initially chose to divide the duties of leftfield with Glanville and Brant Brown. "It was tough to platoon," Glanville said. "You have to stay sharp. You might not be in there for three or four days in a row. I did a lot of work in the cage early. I worked with some of the coaches. It is hard to be as productive as you can be when you play sporadically. I stuck it out." With Brown's natural talents at first base, and Glanville's better offensive numbers, the platooning situation has changed to Glanville's promotion to an everyday starter. "We were platooning him," Riggleman said. "He did a good job. He worked hard everyday to be prepared for the opportunity to play everyday if it came. The opportunity did come, and he has taken advantage of it." Not only his impressive numbers, but Glanville's defensive play has also earned him the respect of his teammates. "He is probably one of the better defensive outfielders in the league," said McRae, who has since been traded. to the New York Mets. "He has a real strong arm, and he can play all three outfield positions. He is fun to play with because I don't have to worry about anything in leftfield. He can run balls down, and we communicate well. This is my third year of seeing him play, and I am impressed with the improvement he has made over the last couple of years." Even with the pressures of performing, Glanville loves playing the game of baseball. As a rookie, the former Quaker looks up to current Cub leaders Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace, and learns from veteran role players Dave Clark and Dave Hansen how to prepare for particular situations. The higher level of intensity and play at the major league level also intrigues Glanville. "You play against [Kenny] Lofton and [Barry] Larkin, and it is like they are coming at you at all times," Glanville said. "I like those types of guys with speed. But, probably one of my favorite teams to play against is the [Colorado] Rockies. Those guys are incredible hitters. They are not only powerful, but intelligent hitters." With a few years left on Glanville's contract, Riggleman and the rest of the team seem to have found a leftfielder they can depend on. "He has been great," Sosa said. "Last year he did not have that much opportunity. This year he has come through. He is a pretty good lead-off hitter. He can run. He can throw. He can do everything. I believe that we have one guy that we don't have to worry about for a long time." In about a combined year as a major leaguer, Glanville has been through more than some players go through in a career. He has seen and lived through the best of what baseball can offer while playing in Wrigley Field. From catching balls in the ivy to listening to Harry Caray's singing seventh inning stretch, the former Quaker has found his place as a Chicago Cub.
(06/01/97 9:00am)
Penn's top-seeded sophomore squash player was limited due to mononeucleosis. South Bend, Ind. During the event, the spotlight shined on the play of one person, returning champion Jessica DiMauro. Winner of the Constable Invitational, the top-seeded Penn sophomore was heavily favored to repeat, as she came into the tournament with a mark of 15-0 in all matches. DiMauro, afflicted with mononucleosis, knew the road ahead was tough with a talented field. Unfortunately for DiMauro, she realized that the only thing harder than winning Intercollegiates was winning it two years in a row. The weekend started out well for DiMauro, who breezed through the rounds of 64, 32 and 16. In the quarterfinals, DiMauro unexpectedly met Princeton's Blair Irwin, who defeated Trinity's top seed, Gail Davie. After defeating Irwin 10-8, 9-1, 9-2, DiMauro moved on to the semifinals for the rematch of last year's championship against Harvard's Ivy Pochoda. After defeating her two times already this year, the third one was equally a charm as DiMauro rolled on, winning in four games. "Against Ivy Pochoda, Jessica played some of her best squash of the tournament," Holleran said. "Jessica was really fired up and dominated that match. She felt that Ivy was more of a threat to her than Katherine in the final." Then on the final day of the tournament came the final match of the year. In the matchup of No. 1 versus No. 2, DiMauro found herself in a match against Princeton's top player, senior Katherine Johnson. Not only would it be Johnson's last career match but also her best. After losing to DiMauro in the finals of the Constable Invitational in January and again in their dual match in February, the tide turned in March. Johnson jumped all over the nervous DiMauro, defeating her in a five-game battle 9-1, 9-6, 4-9, 5-9, 9-4. "I was not up for the match," DiMauro said. "I was so relieved that I had beaten Ivy that I had not paid attention that I still had to play another match. I can't figure it out." Also along for the ride was freshman Katie Patrick, who compiled a 12-0 record while playing in the second spot for the Quakers this year. Patrick also won her matches in the rounds of 64 and 32. After defeating Yale's Edie Sonne 9-6, 9-1, 3-9, 9-6, Patrick met Lindsay Wilbur of Harvard. During the five-game match, Patrick kept trying to come back, but in the end it was too late. For the tournament, Patrick finished in the 13-through-16 grouping. "The match I lost to Wyant was a mental lapse," Patrick said. "I started thinking too many things and got nervous and lost. After that it was hard to get going again." The tournament ended sophomore Dana Lipson's year on a positive note. In the round of 16, Lipson met up with her rival, Princeton's Elise O'Connell. O'Connell outfought Lipson, winning 9-7, 9-6, 9-4. Moving into the consolation bracket, Lipson won two matches, placing her in a match against Davie. Davie quickly put ended Lipson's tournament. "I have always had an ongoing thing with O'Connell since juniors, so I was excited to play her," Lipson said. "When I played Marshall I wasn't nervous and could hit my drop shots. Against Davie it took me too long to get into it." Also representing the Quakers at the tournament were sophomore Lindsay Moss and freshman Patti Lin. Moss improved on last year's performance winning her first match. Following her victory, Moss lost to Brown's Devon Kennedy and then again to Yale's Marion Ringel. Lin lost her first match to Dartmouth's Jenny Johnson, but came back to defeat Franklin and Marshall's Kate Crimi in consolations. Middlebury's No. 1 Betsy Dripps ended Lin's weekend, defeating her 9-5, 9-4, 9-0.
(06/01/97 9:00am)
South Bend, Ind. Holding the Quakers (6-6, 3-3 Ivy League) to their lowest scoring game of the year, the Princeton defense proved that it is the nation's best. Penn failed to score for a span of almost 40 minutes from the middle of the first quarter to the end of the third. "I thought we played well in spurts," Penn senior attackman Jon Cusson said. "Once we started attacking we were getting some good shots. We would liked to have finished off our shots a little better. They make you move a lot -- it is tough to play against." The Tigers' defensive plan of moving quickly to cover the man with the ball shut down the Quakers' ability to move well in transition and pass the ball to the player in front of the net. Princeton's aggressiveness was evident in racking up 12 more ground balls and two more face-offs than Penn. "We are very athletic at the defensive end," Princeton coach Bill Tierney said. "It takes a lot for a team to score on us by using an individual. We played good solid team defense. We tried to put pressure on them. We knew they were young and got away with it at times." Keeping the Quakers in the game for as long as they could, Penn goalie Matt Schroeder had one of his best performances of the year. With 14 saves in the first half, Schroeder allowed the Quakers to go into halftime with thoughts of a an upset, down only 6-1. Still playing a remarkable game with a total of 22 saves, the Princeton offense proved to be too much. "I thought Matt was terrific tonight," Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale said. "Matt's three best games this year are probably Princeton, Virginia and Syracuse -- the three best teams, by far, on the schedule. It is nice to know that you have got a guy that can rise in a big game like that. I think the rest of the team fed off Matt." Anchored by the junior corps of Chris Massey, Jon Hess and Jesse Hubbard, the Tigers offense ran rampant through the Quakers' defense. Outshooting Penn 50-18, Princeton held an offensive advantage all game. For the Red and Blue, the final goals of the season were scored by Cusson, senior midfielder Pete McGill, junior middie Joe Mauro and freshman attack Chris Wolfe each with a goal a piece. Dishing the ball out for assists were Cusson, junior captain attack John Ward and sophomore middie Bart Hacking, each with one. This year, only Princeton and Brown will represent the Ivy League at the NCAA tournament. With their first undefeated season since 1935, the Tigers will receive the top seed in the tournament, including a first-round bye. In search of its fourth national championship, Princeton will have to face a combination of the country's other top teams -- Virginia, Syracuse and Johns Hopkins. "I think there are four or five teams in the country who could win this," Tierney said. "I don't look at us and say that we are undefeated, so we are the favorite. We beat Hopkins by one goal in overtime and Virginia by one goal in overtime. I think those teams have improved as we hope we have. It is going to be a tough one." In their most successful season this decade, the Quakers started to gain the respect of other colleges, ending the season ranked 24th in the nation. En route to their fourth place finish in the Ivy League, the Quakers defeated Cornell on March 29, ending their 17-game Ivy League losing streak. Including impressive victories against Dartmouth and Yale, the Quakers suffered the agony of defeat in close losses against Brown and Harvard. "Marc has brought guys into a system that really works," Tierney said. "Penn has a lot of good lacrosse players that are willing to listen to him. There is a lot of respect here and you can see it. They like each other a great deal. That is going to be key. You are going to see Penn battling for the Ivy League championship in another year or two. There is no doubt in my mind." On the offensive end, Cusson, Ward and Ivy League Rookie of the Year Pete Janney, helped lead the Quakers to a successful year. Cusson finished out his college career ranked fifth as in all-time scoring for Penn with 155 points and fourth in career assist with 77. This year, Cusson scored 19 goals and handed out 35 assists, finishing third in the nation with 2.92 assists per game and 15th in the country with 4.5 points per game. As he graduates, Cusson will leave behind him many fond memories. "I am fairly happy with this year," Cusson said. "We won some games in the Ivy League again which has been rare since I have been here at Penn. I think the team is on the upswing. I am excited that I had the chance to work with the new coaching staff and be a part of the resurgence of Penn lacrosse." "Jon took the quarterback role of the team from the first day I talked to him in the summer," Van Arsdale said. "He relished the role and handled it extremely well. He quietly went about his business and kept us in line at the offensive end of the field." Even without scoring a goal in the final game against Princeton, Ward set a Penn record by averaging three goals per game. In scoring 36 goals and 14 assists this season, Ward tied Penn's all-time mark for career goals, set last year by Andy Crofton(109) and reached sixth place on Penn's all-time scoring list with 144 career points. Finishing ninth in the nation in goals scored, Ward hopes to improve next year and continue to lead Penn on its upward moving pace. "It was a good year," Ward said. "I don't think we have anything to hang our heads about. We got better and better each game and each day. I think for next year there should be even higher expectations in the Ivy League and out of conference games." Many new faces added to the success of the Quakers. Starting his first game at Penn, Janney quickly became an important part of this year's team, scoring 27 goals and nine assists. Suffering an injury against Syracuse, Janney was replace by freshman comrade Chris Wolfe whose heroics helped key the Quakers in their win over Yale. In the midfield, Billy Reidy aggressiveness earned him the face-off man position. On defense, the Quakers improved giving up an average 11.4 goals per game compared to last year's 13.2. Junior Joe Siedlecki, sophomore Ziggy Majumdar and Junior Brian Dobson allowed the Quakers to stay in most of the tight matches until the end of the game and did not give up large goal leads. Along with Cusson, the three other senior graduating are Ed Hanover, Al Patton and McGill. In their years here at Penn, the four seniors have seen the program change in many directions. Most important, their leadership was a key factor in the Quakers' improvement this year. "It has been an awfully positive season," Van Arsdale said. "The four seniors poured their hearts out on the field every game." For Van Arsdale, his first year at Penn was one of comparative success. His experience as assistant head coach at Virginia has helped make the Quakers once again competitive in the Ivy League. With the best winning percentage out of Penn's last three coaches, Van Arsdale has brought something to a program that it has not seen in a long time, victories.
(06/01/97 9:00am)
Penn's top-seeded sophomore squash player was limited due to monoeucleosis. South Bend, Ind. During the event, the spotlight shined on the play of one person, returning champion Jessica DiMauro. Winner of the Constable Invitational, the top-seeded Penn sophomore was heavily favored to repeat, as she came into the tournament with a mark of 15-0 in all matches. DiMauro, afflicted with mononucleosis, knew the road ahead was tough with a talented field. Unfortunately for DiMauro, she realized that the only thing harder than winning Intercollegiates was winning it two years in a row. The weekend started out well for DiMauro, who breezed through the rounds of 64, 32 and 16. In the quarterfinals, DiMauro unexpectedly met Princeton's Blair Irwin, who defeated Trinity's top seed, Gail Davie. After defeating Irwin 10-8, 9-1, 9-2, DiMauro moved on to the semifinals for the rematch of last year's championship against Harvard's Ivy Pochoda. After defeating her two times already this year, the third one was equally a charm as DiMauro rolled on, winning in four games. "Against Ivy Pochoda, Jessica played some of her best squash of the tournament," Holleran said. "Jessica was really fired up and dominated that match. She felt that Ivy was more of a threat to her than Katherine in the final." Then on the final day of the tournament came the final match of the year. In the matchup of No. 1 versus No. 2, DiMauro found herself in a match against Princeton's top player, senior Katherine Johnson. Not only would it be Johnson's last career match but also her best. After losing to DiMauro in the finals of the Constable Invitational in January and again in their dual match in February, the tide turned in March. Johnson jumped all over the nervous DiMauro, defeating her in a five-game battle 9-1, 9-6, 4-9, 5-9, 9-4. "I was not up for the match," DiMauro said. "I was so relieved that I had beaten Ivy that I had not paid attention that I still had to play another match. I can't figure it out." Also along for the ride was freshman Katie Patrick, who compiled a 12-0 record while playing in the second spot for the Quakers this year. Patrick also won her matches in the rounds of 64 and 32. After defeating Yale's Edie Sonne 9-6, 9-1, 3-9, 9-6, Patrick met Lindsay Wilbur of Harvard. During the five-game match, Patrick kept trying to come back, but in the end it was too late. For the tournament, Patrick finished in the 13-through-16 grouping. "The match I lost to Wyant was a mental lapse," Patrick said. "I started thinking too many things and got nervous and lost. After that it was hard to get going again." The tournament ended sophomore Dana Lipson's year on a positive note. In the round of 16, Lipson met up with her rival, Princeton's Elise O'Connell. O'Connell outfought Lipson, winning 9-7, 9-6, 9-4. Moving into the consolation bracket, Lipson won two matches, placing her in a match against Davie. Davie quickly put ended Lipson's tournament. "I have always had an ongoing thing with O'Connell since juniors, so I was excited to play her," Lipson said. "When I played Marshall I wasn't nervous and could hit my drop shots. Against Davie it took me too long to get into it." Also representing the Quakers at the tournament were sophomore Lindsay Moss and freshman Patti Lin. Moss improved on last year's performance winning her first match. Following her victory, Moss lost to Brown's Devon Kennedy and then again to Yale's Marion Ringel. Lin lost her first match to Dartmouth's Jenny Johnson, but came back to defeat Franklin and Marshall's Kate Crimi in consolations. Middlebury's No. 1 Betsy Dripps ended Lin's weekend, defeating her 9-5, 9-4, 9-0.
(06/01/97 9:00am)
South Bend, Ind. Holding the Quakers (6-6, 3-3 Ivy League) to their lowest scoring game of the year, the Princeton defense proved that it is the nation's best. Penn failed to score for a span of almost 40 minutes from the middle of the first quarter to the end of the third. "I thought we played well in spurts," Penn senior attackman Jon Cusson said. "Once we started attacking we were getting some good shots. We would liked to have finished off our shots a little better. They make you move a lot -- it is tough to play against." The Tigers' defensive plan of moving quickly to cover the man with the ball shut down the Quakers' ability to move well in transition and pass the ball to the player in front of the net. Princeton's aggressiveness was evident in racking up 12 more ground balls and two more face-offs than Penn. "We are very athletic at the defensive end," Princeton coach Bill Tierney said. "It takes a lot for a team to score on us by using an individual. We played good solid team defense. We tried to put pressure on them. We knew they were young and got away with it at times." Keeping the Quakers in the game for as long as they could, Penn goalie Matt Schroeder had one of his best performances of the year. With 14 saves in the first half, Schroeder allowed the Quakers to go into halftime with thoughts of a an upset, down only 6-1. Still playing a remarkable game with a total of 22 saves, the Princeton offense proved to be too much. "I thought Matt was terrific tonight," Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale said. "Matt's three best games this year are probably Princeton, Virginia and Syracuse -- the three best teams, by far, on the schedule. It is nice to know that you have got a guy that can rise in a big game like that. I think the rest of the team fed off Matt." Anchored by the junior corps of Chris Massey, Jon Hess and Jesse Hubbard, the Tigers offense ran rampant through the Quakers' defense. Outshooting Penn 50-18, Princeton held an offensive advantage all game. For the Red and Blue, the final goals of the season were scored by Cusson, senior midfielder Pete McGill, junior middie Joe Mauro and freshman attack Chris Wolfe each with a goal a piece. Dishing the ball out for assists were Cusson, junior captain attack John Ward and sophomore middie Bart Hacking, each with one. This year, only Princeton and Brown will represent the Ivy League at the NCAA tournament. With their first undefeated season since 1935, the Tigers will receive the top seed in the tournament, including a first-round bye. In search of its fourth national championship, Princeton will have to face a combination of the country's other top teams -- Virginia, Syracuse and Johns Hopkins. "I think there are four or five teams in the country who could win this," Tierney said. "I don't look at us and say that we are undefeated, so we are the favorite. We beat Hopkins by one goal in overtime and Virginia by one goal in overtime. I think those teams have improved as we hope we have. It is going to be a tough one." In their most successful season this decade, the Quakers started to gain the respect of other colleges, ending the season ranked 24th in the nation. En route to their fourth place finish in the Ivy League, the Quakers defeated Cornell on March 29, ending their 17-game Ivy League losing streak. Including impressive victories against Dartmouth and Yale, the Quakers suffered the agony of defeat in close losses against Brown and Harvard. "Marc has brought guys into a system that really works," Tierney said. "Penn has a lot of good lacrosse players that are willing to listen to him. There is a lot of respect here and you can see it. They like each other a great deal. That is going to be key. You are going to see Penn battling for the Ivy League championship in another year or two. There is no doubt in my mind." On the offensive end, Cusson, Ward and Ivy League Rookie of the Year Pete Janney, helped lead the Quakers to a successful year. Cusson finished out his college career ranked fifth as in all-time scoring for Penn with 155 points and fourth in career assist with 77. This year, Cusson scored 19 goals and handed out 35 assists, finishing third in the nation with 2.92 assists per game and 15th in the country with 4.5 points per game. As he graduates, Cusson will leave behind him many fond memories. "I am fairly happy with this year," Cusson said. "We won some games in the Ivy League again which has been rare since I have been here at Penn. I think the team is on the upswing. I am excited that I had the chance to work with the new coaching staff and be a part of the resurgence of Penn lacrosse." "Jon took the quarterback role of the team from the first day I talked to him in the summer," Van Arsdale said. "He relished the role and handled it extremely well. He quietly went about his business and kept us in line at the offensive end of the field." Even without scoring a goal in the final game against Princeton, Ward set a Penn record by averaging three goals per game. In scoring 36 goals and 14 assists this season, Ward tied Penn's all-time mark for career goals, set last year by Andy Crofton(109) and reached sixth place on Penn's all-time scoring list with 144 career points. Finishing ninth in the nation in goals scored, Ward hopes to improve next year and continue to lead Penn on its upward moving pace. "It was a good year," Ward said. "I don't think we have anything to hang our heads about. We got better and better each game and each day. I think for next year there should be even higher expectations in the Ivy League and out of conference games." Many new faces added to the success of the Quakers. Starting his first game at Penn, Janney quickly became an important part of this year's team, scoring 27 goals and nine assists. Suffering an injury against Syracuse, Janney was replace by freshman comrade Chris Wolfe whose heroics helped key the Quakers in their win over Yale. In the midfield, Billy Reidy aggressiveness earned him the face-off man position. On defense, the Quakers improved giving up an average 11.4 goals per game compared to last year's 13.2. Junior Joe Siedlecki, sophomore Ziggy Majumdar and Junior Brian Dobson allowed the Quakers to stay in most of the tight matches until the end of the game and did not give up large goal leads. Along with Cusson, the three other senior graduating are Ed Hanover, Al Patton and McGill. In their years here at Penn, the four seniors have seen the program change in many directions. Most important, their leadership was a key factor in the Quakers' improvement this year. "It has been an awfully positive season," Van Arsdale said. "The four seniors poured their hearts out on the field every game." For Van Arsdale, his first year at Penn was one of comparative success. His experience as assistant head coach at Virginia has helped make the Quakers once again competitive in the Ivy League. With the best winning percentage out of Penn's last three coaches, Van Arsdale has brought something to a program that it has not seen in a long time, victories.
(05/16/97 9:00am)
With three Ivy League wins and a .500 record, the Quakers appear to be on the upswing. Spoiling the Penn men's lacrosse team's hope of making it to the NCAA tournament, Princeton, the defending national champions and currently No. 1-ranked collegiate team, defeated the Quakers on Franklin Field, 15-4. Ending the Quakers' season, the Tigers (11-0, 6-0) captured their third-straight Ivy League title and are currently starting their road to the NCAA Finals at College Park, Md., in defense of the national title. Holding the Quakers (6-6, 3-3 Ivy League) to their lowest scoring game of the year, the Princeton defense proved that it is the nation's best. Penn failed to score for a span of almost 40 minutes from the middle of the first quarter to the end of the third. "I thought we played well in spurts," Penn senior attackman Jon Cusson said. "Once we started attacking we were getting some good shots. We would liked to have finished off our shots a little better. They make you move a lot -- it is tough to play against." The Tigers' defensive plan of moving quickly to cover the man with the ball shut down the Quakers' ability to move well in transition and pass the ball to the player in front of the net. Princeton's aggressiveness was evident in racking up 12 more ground balls and two more face-offs than Penn. "We are very athletic at the defensive end," Princeton coach Bill Tierney said. "It takes a lot for a team to score on us by using an individual. We played good solid team defense. We tried to put pressure on them. We knew they were young and got away with it at times." Keeping the Quakers in the game for as long as they could, Penn goalie Matt Schroeder had one of his best performances of the year. With 14 saves in the first half, Schroeder allowed the Quakers to go into halftime with thoughts of a an upset, down only 6-1. Still playing a remarkable game with a total of 22 saves, the Princeton offense proved to be too much. "I thought Matt was terrific tonight," Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale said. "Matt's three best games this year are probably Princeton, Virginia and Syracuse -- the three best teams, by far, on the schedule. It is nice to know that you have got a guy that can rise in a big game like that. I think the rest of the team fed off Matt." Anchored by the junior corps of Chris Massey, Jon Hess and Jesse Hubbard, the Tigers offense ran rampant through the Quakers' defense. Outshooting Penn 50-18, Princeton held an offensive advantage all game. For the Red and Blue, the final goals of the season were scored by Cusson, senior midfielder Pete McGill, junior middie Joe Mauro and freshman attack Chris Wolfe each with a goal a piece. Dishing the ball out for assists were Cusson, junior captain attack John Ward and sophomore middie Bart Hacking, each with one. This year, only Princeton and Brown will represent the Ivy League at the NCAA tournament. With their first undefeated season since 1935, the Tigers will receive the top seed in the tournament, including a first-round bye. In search of its fourth national championship, Princeton will have to face a combination of the country's other top teams -- Virginia, Syracuse and Johns Hopkins. "I think there are four or five teams in the country who could win this," Tierney said. "I don't look at us and say that we are undefeated, so we are the favorite. We beat Hopkins by one goal in overtime and Virginia by one goal in overtime. I think those teams have improved as we hope we have. It is going to be a tough one." In their most successful season this decade, the Quakers started to gain the respect of other colleges, ending the season ranked 24th in the nation. En route to their fourth place finish in the Ivy League, the Quakers defeated Cornell on March 29, ending their 17-game Ivy League losing streak. Including impressive victories against Dartmouth and Yale, the Quakers suffered the agony of defeat in close losses against Brown and Harvard. "Marc has brought guys into a system that really works," Tierney said. "Penn has a lot of good lacrosse players that are willing to listen to him. There is a lot of respect here and you can see it. They like each other a great deal. That is going to be key. You are going to see Penn battling for the Ivy League championship in another year or two. There is no doubt in my mind." On the offensive end, Cusson, Ward and Ivy League Rookie of the Year Pete Janney, helped lead the Quakers to a successful year. Cusson finished out his college career ranked fifth as in all-time scoring for Penn with 155 points and fourth in career assist with 77. This year, Cusson scored 19 goals and handed out 35 assists, finishing third in the nation with 2.92 assists per game and 15th in the country with 4.5 points per game. As he graduates, Cusson will leave behind him many fond memories. "I am fairly happy with this year," Cusson said. "We won some games in the Ivy League again which has been rare since I have been here at Penn. I think the team is on the upswing. I am excited that I had the chance to work with the new coaching staff and be a part of the resurgence of Penn lacrosse." "Jon took the quarterback role of the team from the first day I talked to him in the summer," Van Arsdale said. "He relished the role and handled it extremely well. He quietly went about his business and kept us in line at the offensive end of the field." Even without scoring a goal in the final game against Princeton, Ward set a Penn record by averaging three goals per game. In scoring 36 goals and 14 assists this season, Ward tied Penn's all-time mark for career goals, set last year by Andy Crofton(109) and reached sixth place on Penn's all-time scoring list with 144 career points. Finishing ninth in the nation in goals scored, Ward hopes to improve next year and continue to lead Penn on its upward moving pace. "It was a good year," Ward said. "I don't think we have anything to hang our heads about. We got better and better each game and each day. I think for next year there should be even higher expectations in the Ivy League and out of conference games." Many new faces added to the success of the Quakers. Starting his first game at Penn, Janney quickly became an important part of this year's team, scoring 27 goals and nine assists. Suffering an injury against Syracuse, Janney was replace by freshman comrade Chris Wolfe whose heroics helped key the Quakers in their win over Yale. In the midfield, Billy Reidy aggressiveness earned him the face-off man position. On defense, the Quakers improved giving up an average 11.4 goals per game compared to last year's 13.2. Junior Joe Siedlecki, sophomore Ziggy Majumdar and Junior Brian Dobson allowed the Quakers to stay in most of the tight matches until the end of the game and did not give up large goal leads. Along with Cusson, the three other senior graduating are Ed Hanover, Al Patton and McGill. In their years here at Penn, the four seniors have seen the program change in many directions. Most important, their leadership was a key factor in the Quakers' improvement this year. "It has been an awfully positive season," Van Arsdale said. "The four seniors poured their hearts out on the field every game." For Van Arsdale, his first year at Penn was one of comparative success. His experience as assistant head coach at Virginia has helped make the Quakers once again competitive in the Ivy League. With the best winning percentage out of Penn's last three coaches, Van Arsdale has brought something to a program that it has not seen in a long time, victories.
(04/30/97 9:00am)
Top-ranked Princeton invades Franklin Field, as the Quakers hope to keep a winning record. The Penn men's lacrosse team made its mark on Franklin Field Sunday in defeating Yale, 18-9. For the first time in six years the Quakers (6-5, 3-2 Ivy League) will finish with at least three wins in the league, and for the first time since 1989, the Quakers will not end the year with a losing record. The lopsided contest did not exactly start to the Quakers' liking. Starting the game sluggishly, the Elis (4-9, 1-4) opened a 4-3 lead at the end of the first period. With the defenses overpowering the offenses, the attackmen remained futile in the second period. Behind two assists of senior captain Jon Cusson and the excellent face-off skills of freshman Billy Reidy, the Quakers took a brief 5-4 lead. Coming back with a pair of its own, Yale regained the lead, 6-5. But Penn's crafty senior midfielder Pete McGill sent the game into halftime tied at six. After picking up the ground ball, McGill faked a shot, causing the defenders to shift, which freed freshman attacker Chris Wolfe next to the net for the score. "We were surprised at how well they came out," McGill said. "We panicked on offense and started throwing it away. We were not making the right looks and were not patient enough. We couldn't hold on to the ball on offense or put the ball into the net." After talking over their first-half problems in the locker room, the Quakers came back out fired up for the second half. "At halftime coach told us we had to start running harder," senior captain middie Ed Hanover said. "They beat us in ground balls in the first half. We were trying to go for some risky passes early on. Coach told to start possessing more." Coming into the game, the Quakers had been outscored in the third quarter by a margin of 39 to 21. Penn knew it had to step up its play. It did. In the second half, the Quakers put on their best performance of the year. The second half was not about runs, it was about domination. In every aspect the Quakers destroyed any hope the Elis had of going back to New Haven with a victory. "We came out a little slow," Wolfe said. "We didn't have our legs under us. As the game progressed and as the game went on, we started to get momentum, and we started to get into a groove. Everybody was moving fast. The ball was moving. We were finding the open guys on crease, and we were making it happen." Limiting Yale to only three goals, both the Quakers defense and offense had little problem in carrying out their game plan. After ending the third period down 11-7, Yale scored in the beginning of the fourth to close the gap to three, but the Elis were not heard of again until after the game had been decided with only a few minutes left in the game. "We wanted to play good team defense and communicate," Penn sophomore defender Ziggy Majumdar said. "The first half we weren't doing that great, because we weren't talking enough? We were doing a good job pressuring them and taking away the inside. We were sliding the right way. They had no one to feed it to." Across the boards, the Quakers put on a spectacle. Penn showed their hustle by racking up 51 ground balls compared to Yale's 33. Behind Reidy's big day, the Quakers captured 21 out of the 30 faceoffs. "Billy was outstanding facing off for us," Van Arsdale said. "He gave us a little spark at the beginning of the second quarter. Through the third and the fourth the time of possession was in our favor due to Billy." Led by senior captain Jon Cusson with six assists and junior captain John Ward with four goals and two assists, the highly touted Quakers attack came through again. Also making major contributions were junior middie Joe Mauro who scored three goals and dished one assist and Hanover who added two goals and an assist. The player who added the most was Wolfe, filling in for injured freshman attackman Pete Janney, who saw only limited action after missing all of last week's practices. Although making a few minor mistakes, Wolfe's solid play adds another dimension to the Quakers offense. "I practiced hard all week," Wolfe said. "He told me I would get a shot today. I wanted to hustle, work hard and make it happen." Although Van Arsdale was impressed with Wolfe's performance, he has not decided who will be given the start in today's game against Princeton. In their outstanding play Sunday, Ward and Cusson inched closer to attaining their respective accolades. With his 36 goals so far this season, Ward has tied Andy Crofton's career goal mark at 109. Including his 49 points this season, Ward also ranks sixth on Penn's all-time career scoring list. At his current pace of 3.3 goals per game, Ward would also break the Penn record of goals per game in a season currently held by John Shoemaker at 2.9 in 1987. Cusson currently ranked sixth nationally with 2.75 assists per game and has moved up to the fourth spot on Penn's all-time career assist leader board with a total of 76. Cusson's Ivy League-leading 52 points put him one ahead of Ward at the fifth spot on the Penn all-time list. Although the Quakers made their mark Sunday in defeating the Elis, they will have their chance to make history as they take on the undefeated, top-ranked, reigning NCAA champions Princeton (10-0, 5-0) tonight at Franklin Field. For the Quakers, an improbable win would not only give them a winning record in both their Ivy and overall records, but a victory could also give them a bid into the NCAA tournament. For the Tigers, a win would give them their third-straight Ivy League crown and would put them one win away from finishing the season undefeated. Coming into the match, Princeton touts the best all-around team play in the nation. With an offense led by last week's Ivy League Player of the Week, attackman Jon Hess, and first-team All-American attackman Jesse Hubbard, Princeton seldom has problems outscoring their opponent. "In general, our approach has been that we know we can score goals," Princeton coach Bill Tierney said. "We have done that in the past. Our approach lately has been to try to find out what the other team is trying to do to us and to react to that." To slow down Princeton, the Quakers know they will have to play strong defensively. During practice this week, Van Arsdale also make sure the team focuses on keeping control of the ball, always looking for the best opportunity to take the shot. "We are going to throw a couple of different defenses at them, maybe some zones and some man-to-man," Majumdar said. "They have a high-powered offense. If we play the way we did against Yale, I think we will have a chance." Although Princeton is highly favored to win the battle, Tierney knows that Van Arsdale has changed the team around. Princeton will not expect as easy of victory as last year's 19-4 rout.
(04/18/97 9:00am)
A Penn win over the Orangemen would be a shock, as Syracuse leads the all-time series by a resounding 18-game margin. Trying to rebound after a tough loss against Brown last weekend, the Penn men's lacrosse team travels this weekend to Syracuse, N.Y. In playing one of their best competitors this season, the Quakers (5-4) will be on stage in front of their fiercest crowd of the year at the 50,000-seat Carrier Dome. Winners of four national championships in the past decade, coach Roy Simmons, Jr.'s fifth-ranked Orangemen (7-2) are in the middle of another solid year. In its meeting with Penn, Syracuse started slow in the first half, but finally came away with a 20-11 victory, the Quakers second worst loss of the year. In the overall record of the series between the two teams, Syracuse holds a staggering 19-1-1 advantage. Even after the 13-8 loss against Brown this past weekend, the Quakers' attitude is still positive. After a solid week of practices, Penn is ready to go head-to-head with the Orangemen. "We were a little disappointed up at Brown, taking a loss up there," Penn senior midfielder Pete McGill said. "It got us down, but we will bounce back. We'll be ready for the 'Cuse." One goal for Penn tomorrow is slowing Syracuse's fast-paced offense. Led by junior All-American Casey Powell, a player considered one of the best in the nation by Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale, two-time All-American senior captain Rob Kavovit and Doug Jackson, Syracuse has put up high numbers on the scoreboard, including a 19-7 win over Rutgers last weekend. "They are a traditional run and gun team," senior captain Ed Hanover said. "They have never been a team to play patient or smart lacrosse. They think they have better athletes and just try to go up and down the field. They don't care where the ball is. They just want to play offense." The Quakers know defeating such a perennial powerhouse is a large task. Earlier this year, Syracuse suffered one of its worst losses to Brown. Van Arsdale feels if the Quakers keep control of the ball and make Syracuse mishandle the ball, like Brown did, Penn too will come out victors. "Brown did a real nice job of executing a very deliberate offense," Van Arsdale said. "As they got the lead, they frustrated Syracuse a little bit. Syracuse tried to come after them and left themselves open behind it. It was not anything magical they did. They played with some confidence. It is up to us to approach it sort of the same way and try to execute a similar plan to what Brown did." In preparation for the Orangemen's explosive attack, Penn held a scrimmage Tuesday against MAB Paint, a club lacrosse team in Philadelphia. According to Van Arsdale, the Quakers fared well against the team composed of many former college All-Americans and US Team members. After the giving up eight straight goals last week to Brown, Penn's defense made some changes over the week. Not only will the defense be involved with slowing down Syracuse, but McGill said that the middies and offense will also help by keeping better control of the ball. "We have put together a few different defenses, so we can get them out of their game," Quakers junior defender Joe Siedlecki said. "We'll try to mix it up putting in a few different zones and man-to-man defense scheme. Hopefully we can keep them out of their game and make them guess what we are doing." For senior captain Ed Hanover, it will be a ride back home for the Camillus, N.Y., native. "This would definitely be the biggest win of my career," Hanover said. "Being from Syracuse I have always wanted to beat Syracuse." With only three games left, including the one this weekend, the Quakers know they will have to come up with some positive results in those games to have a .500 record.
(04/16/97 9:00am)
Freshman Pete Janney is third on the Quakers with 33 points. In the middle of their most successful season in the last five years, the Penn men's lacrosse program has definitely taken a turn in the right direction. One of the key ingredients that has allowed the Quakers to emerge again is a player that the team hopes to build on in years to come -- freshman attackman Peter Janney. With the loss of Penn's all-time points and goals leader Andy Crofton to graduation, the Quakers had a huge hole to fill this year. Coming immediately onto the scene for Penn was Janney. A standout offensive player for Severn High School in Severna Park, Md., Janney came with a solid lacrosse background, including First Team All-County accolades his junior and senior years. "Pete developed into the type of player any coach would like to have in high school," Janney's high school coach Charlie Toomey said. "He became a leader on the field. Certainly a threat for opposing teams to worry about. He hit the weight room and became a physically bigger as well as a more talented stick-wise player." Awarded the Mulnix Award as a sophomore and senior for being the top attackman at his high school, Janney led his team with 41 goals and 26 assists in 15 games. Playing on a 6-9 team, Janney was familiar with having to fight hard for each win. "Severn has been in a rebuilding stage for the last few years," Toomey said. "Pete has always been one of those kids to always draw the top defensemen. That is a large part of why he has developed into the type of player he is." Also in his first year, Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale had a fresh perspective on everything -- not only the freshmen. Despite coming to Penn with a natural ability to play lacrosse, it was Janney's hustle on the field and his dedication in the weight room that first impressed Van Arsdale. Watching Janney's progression before the season and his stellar play in the preseason matches, the decision to start the freshman was not that difficult for Van Arsdale. "You are a little concerned sometimes when you put a freshman up in a big role like that," Van Arsdale said. "We did not have a whole lot of veterans to turn to. The thing that he has done is played with a little confidence and poise. I think that is sort of the unknown with freshmen." Coming into a struggling program with a new coach did not deter Janney's hopes of playing on a competitive team. With a successful team this year, the Red and Blue have enjoyed defeating Cornell and Dartmouth, giving the Quakers a 5-4 overall record with a 2-2 Ivy League. "I was excited about playing for Coach Van Arsdale," Janney said. "I heard good things about him coming from Virginia. With a program like that (national runner-up in 1996), I expected our program to turn around during the time I am going to be here. We have had a good season this year and can hopefully pick up these last three games." With his first start against St. Joseph's March 1, Janney assumed the role as a starting attackman and has not since backed down. His impressive offensive display against the Hawks in his debut even caught the eye of his teammate, attackman and junior captain John Ward. "Obviously, there were a lot of nerves involved in wanting to play your best in your first college game, but for him to come out and score five goals and two assists? " Ward said. "Seven points in your first college game, what more could you ask for?" For Janney, it has taken adjustments from high school to compete at this level. Even going up against some of the nation's best so far including Virginia, Navy and Harvard, Janney has scored 26 goals and dished off for seven assists. His effectiveness is due, in part, to Ward and senior captain Jon Cusson. Ward and Cusson, also standouts since their freshman years, have found a common chord playing with Janney as the three starting attackmen. Only playing together for a few months, Janney and Cusson have built a strong rapport with each other. Janney has been the target of most of Cusson's team-leading 26 assists. "Pete Janney is very explosive and has the potential to score a lot of goals," Cusson said. "He plays well of the ball. For a freshman, it is hard to come in and carry the ball, but he carries the ball really well? He is probably one of the major targets of all of my passes this year. He has a knack for finding a seam and getting in there. He makes a hard catch and finishes the ball really well. His biggest attribute is his ability to score in a tight situation? Peter stepped right in and filled a position that really needed to be filled and did a great job." With their similar styles, Ward, who leads the team with 29 goals, and Janney have shared most of the scoring. Playing on the field beside Ward and Cusson, Janney usually attracts the opposing defense's third guy. This match-up usually leaves Janney with an advantage. Janney's consistent on-field play has earned him the respect of his fellow teammates. "He stepped right in," Ward said. "If me or Jon messes up, he is not afraid to let us know. We need that. We are an attack-oriented team. That is three guys on the field, not just a senior and a junior. If he has a good matchup he'll let us know. We have confidence that he can take the ball and put it in the back of the net." Even for Janney, his ability to blend right into the picture has surprised even himself. Fitting in with the team and playing alongside his fellow freshman players have eased the transition into college ball. "The college game is definitely a lot faster of a pace," Janney said. "The guys are bigger and the ball moves a lot quicker, which I like. It's a lot more fun to play? Billy Reidy has also stepped in at midfield. Jared Tuller and Billy Fowler have also stepped it up at defense. We are always together and try to hang out. We are all real tight and that is important in a team." In the coming years, with the loss of Cusson, Janney will be looked on not only as more of a team leader, but also to get the rest of the team active in the game. Being used as mostly a goal scorer this year, Janney knows how his role will change, and tries to make those improvement to get them there each day. "John Ward and I will have to pick up the feeding game a little bit and distribute the ball a little more," Janney said. "We are going to have to concentrate less on scoring and more on getting the ball to our other guys." With a great work ethic and the desire to win, it has taken little time for Janney to have a large impact on the Penn men's lacrosse team. Although the Quakers have enjoyed recent success, it will be up to these younger players to continue the rebuilding of the program.
(04/14/97 9:00am)
The Quakers broke their two-game winning streak, as the swuad fell to Brown on Saturday. Unimpressed with the Quakers' recent success, the Brown men's lacrosse team showed Penn what it takes to be successful in the Ivy League this past weekend. Penn's loss not only ended its three-game winning streak but also ended the 11th-ranked Bears' two-game conference losing streak. With an enthusiastic demeanor after their two previous Ivy League wins against Dartmouth and Cornell, the visiting Quakers (5-4, 2-2 Ivy League) took an early 3-1 lead that lasted until the middle of the second quarter. By using a zone formation, the Quakers defense was able to stop Brown's explosive attack in the early going. "We came out ready to play," Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale said. "We played very well for the first third of the game and put ourselves in a position to have a winable result against a good team." Unwilling to succumb on their home field, the Bears (4-5, 1-2) turned things around. Led by attackmen Tom Collard, Jed DeWick and Brett Frood, Brown rattled off five goals in five minutes. Regaining the momentum, the Bears took with them a 7-4 halftime lead into the locker room. "They caught us by surprise," Penn defender Brett Bodner said. "We were just trying to regroup. Going into halftime, people were down, but coach picked us back up... We changed our defense to a man to man. They took advantage of that. We were sliding well, but their shooters were shooting them in good spots." Frustrated by giving up the early lead, the Quakers were unable to regroup -- giving up three more goals to Brown after the half. The Red and Blue did not show signs of life until 7:03 left in the third quarter when senior Pete McGill scored a goal with the assist from freshman Bill Reidy. "We came unravelled a little bit," Van Arsdale said. "Everybody panicked. Lacrosse tends to be a game where teams will have that. We have gone through that this year but not like the run that Brown put on us." After ending the Bears' eight-goal streak, the Quakers found themselves in an hole, down 10-5. Giving up two more quick goals to Brown, Van Arsdale switched goalies in hope of regaining the momentum. After his first start of the season, Quakers sophomore Shane Lavery was replaced by sophomore Matt Schroeder. "Over the last couple of weeks Shane has been good in practice," Van Arsdale said. "The reason we went to Matt was things were starting to get a little out of hand, and we wanted to make a change." Regaining their composure, the Quakers were able cut the lead back down to five after two straight goals from senior Jon Cusson and freshman Peter Janney. The fourth quarter resulted in little progress from both teams, only scoring a goal apiece. "We tried to settle it down on offense and be patient," Bodner. "It was a scramble. It was pretty even in the second half. We were just trying to get good shots." For the Quakers, junior defender Brian Dobson felt that their dry spell between the second an third quarters cost them the game. Not being able to clear the ball and stop Brown's fast break, the Quakers gave the Bears many extra opportunities to score. "If we would have put four quarters together, we would have easily beaten Brown," Dobson said. "We just had some break downs on both ends. It happens." In scoring for the Bears, the trio of Frood, DeWick and Collard prevailed over Penn's defense, each yielding three goals apiece. In controlling the score, Brown also had a large advantage in face-offs won, ground balls and shots. Even after a successful stint, the feeling on the ride home from Providence was still too familiar for the Quakers. In hope of changing the program around, the Quakers know they will have to compete well in their three remaining games, including highly ranked Princeton and Syracuse.
(04/07/97 9:00am)
For the first time in five years the Quakers have a winning record (2-1) in the Ivy League this late in the year. In a game it led from start to finish, the Penn men's lacrosse team defeated Dartmouth Saturday, proving to the rest of the Ivy League that they have gone in one year from being bystanders to contenders. Faced with a similar situation as in last year's game, the Quakers (5-3, 2-1 Ivy League) instead showed their relentless desire to win by spoiling the Big Green's (1-4, 0-1) hopes of a comeback. The 15-12 victory gave Penn its first winning record in the Ivy League since April 1, 1992, when the team lost to Yale after opening with a win against Harvard. Coming into the game first-year Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale knew it was going to be a shootout. The Quakers had the better of what offense there was early on and took a 3-1. In the second period that changed as a total of 12 goals were scored, sending the teams into halftime with Penn still leading 10-6. "In the second quarter, it was just trouble communicating with the defense," Quakers defenseman Ziggy Majumdar said. "It was kind of shaky in the beginning. We needed to talk through that. We have a better mental game this year because we have an attitude to win. Our coach is a big part of that." Midway through the third period, as expected, Dartmouth went on a 4-1 run that lasted until 6:59 remained in the game. Led by three goals in that stretch from Dartmouth senior attackman Brian Merritt, a 1995 second team All-Ivy player and All-American honorable mention, the Big Green dwindled the Quakers lead to one, 12-11. The Quakers failed to move over and pick up Merritt when he got past the defender on him. "They weren't sliding," Merritt said. "If they don't slide, it makes it a lot easier on us. One of us would beat our guy and there would be no help. All of my games with these guys during my career have been close. You just try to tie it up, but we couldn't get that equalizer? It is good to see Penn back up again, because they have been down for a few years." With the high expectations instilled by Van Arsdale, Penn answered the gut check. Set up by senior leaders, middie Pete McGill dished the ball to attackman Jon Cusson, who was cutting in front of the net for the score. The move silenced the large Dartmouth crowd and changed the momentum for the last time, leaving it on the side of the Quakers. "It was key," McGill said. "It shows that we know how to win. Last year they would make a run like that, and we would not be able to put it down. We didn't know how to win. I think we are going to get a lot more respect and teams like Brown and Princeton are not going to overlook us." Dartmouth's defense failed to stop the Quakers solid attack led by freshman Pete Janney (4 goals, 3 assists). The tri-captains also made major contributions including junior John Ward (3 goals, 3 assists ), senior Jon Cusson (two goals, 3 assists), and senior Ed Hanover (2 goals, 1 assist). "Our offense seem to have our way when we had the ball," Van Arsdale said. "Our attackmen played fairly patiently. Ward and Cusson getting shut off all day made the right plays each scoring on backdoor cuts." We need to be better in the last couple minutes of the game, and we expect to win that kind of game. It is one to savor and be happy about. With the competition we have coming up, we need to be better, and we can be better." Although not able to contain Merritt, who finished with five goals, the Quakers' defense shut down senior stand out Scott Hapgood who only recorded one assist. Replacing the scoring of Hapgood was sophomore Brandon Henry who had three goals and one assist. Dartmouth's total of 12 goals was far below their score of 21 last year. "We graduated 10 seniors last year," Dartmouth coach Tim Nelson said. "The difference this year compared to last year was that we had more depth last year and they have more depth this year." Besides the score, the rest of the statistics were basically a wash. Penn had the slim advantage in ground balls (36-35) and shots (46-44). Both sophomore goalies had similar success with Dartmouth's Andrew Dance outsaving Penn's Matt Schroeder (15-14). With their first win against Dartmouth in four years, the Quakers have given the school something it has not seen in the past half decade, a winning men's lacrosse team. Led by one of the better attacks in the country and an emerging defense, Penn hopes more surprises are still to come.
(04/04/97 10:00am)
The Quakers are favored to beat Dartmouth, which faces a brutal bus journey to West Philly from New Hampshire. After winning their first Ivy League game in three years against Cornell last weekend, the Penn men's lacrosse team feels they still have a lot to prove. Tomorrow at 1 p.m. on Franklin Field, the Quakers (4-3, 1-1 Ivy League) will try to show the rest of the league that they are a team to be reckoned with, as they face Dartmouth (1-3, 0-0) -- a team Penn has lost to the past three years. Last year, when the Quakers visited the Big Green, they came back with a frustrating 21-14 loss. Dartmouth's loaded attack got unleashed in the second half, scoring 15 goals, after trailing 9-6 at the half. This year, the tides have turned. Dartmouth's second-half magic did not work against SUNY-Stony Brook last weekend as they fell, 13-10, after going into the half knotted at six. The Quakers' defense, led by junior defenders Brian Dobson and Joe Siedlecki, also showed that the times have changed by stopping a late Cornell resurgence last weekend. "I thought our defense played their best game of the year last Saturday," Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale said. "It was not the case of one individual stepping forward and shutting somebody down, but it was a collective team effort. I think it is going to be the same thing again this Saturday." One thing that has not changed for Dartmouth is its talented attack. Heading up its attack are high school teammates Scott Hapgood and Brian Merritt, both seniors. Each have been named second team All-Ivy and honorable mention All-American, Hapgood in 1996 and Merritt in 1995. Hapgood, a first team All-Ivy defensive end in football, also led the country with four goals per game last season. As it learned at the Cornell game, communication is a necessity for Penn's defense. Organized with more efficient slide packages, the Quakers' defenders will try confuse Hapgood and Merritt and try to deny them the ball. In making up for last year's blown opportunity, Siedlecki feels the Quakers will have to stop Dartmouth's set plays and fastbreaks. "This year we have our heads on our shoulders -- we know exactly what we are supposed to do and when we are supposed to do it," Siedlecki said. The Dartmouth defenders will also find themselves with their hands full. The Quakers' offense, led by the trio of senior captain Jon Cusson (15 goals, 28 assists), junior captain John Ward (24 goals, 5 assists) and freshman Pete Janney (20 goals and four assists) will try ignite the Quakers right from the start. "Dartmouth is probably not going to come out and play us straight up," Van Arsdale said. "They may come up with some type of gimmick defense. Whether it is playing a little more zone or shutting off someone like Jon Cusson, trying to limit his touches with the ball. If they do come at us straight up, I feel we do have an advantage." After the win against Cornell, Van Arsdale is glad they had the week off to allow the team to refocus. With offensive powers on both teams, the game should be high scoring. With the homefield advantage, the Quakers have one main luxury -- not having to travel to New Hampshire. "I talked to [Dartmouth coach Tim] Nelson earlier in the week, and he said, 'This is the worst trip in college athletics'," Van Arsdale said. "That in itself gives you a little bit of an advantage." Coming into the game, Penn finds itself in an unusual position for an Ivy League game -- favored to win. With Dartmouth's demise over the past year, the Quakers will try to show the Ancient Eight that there is another powerhouse team in the league.
(03/24/97 10:00am)
Penn's Ivy League losing streak hits 17 games in the 14-11 defeat. The Ivy League sorrows of the Penn men's lacrosse team continue. After travelling Saturday to Ohiri Field in Cambridge, Mass., the Quakers (2-3, 0-1 Ivy League) came back empty-handed, losing to Harvard, 14-11. The loss kept Penn's Ancient Eight losing streak intact, now totalling 17. The Crimson (3-1, 1-0) dominated most of the game, building up several multi-goal leads against the Quakers. To Penn's credit, the Red and Blue never gave up, coming back to tie the game at six going into the half. With many opportunities to take the lead in the game, especially in the second quarter, the Quakers were unable to break through. "They had a few explosive spurts," Quakers freshman middie Billy Reidy said. "They worked the ball around pretty well. We kept our composure and came back with a few spurts of our own. It wasn't enough to come out with a win." The Crimson came out taking the lead in the second half, followed by another Quakers resurgence to tie it at nine after three quarters. In the fourth, Harvard put the game out of Penn's reach, outscoring the Quakers 5-2. Coming into the game, the Quakers knew they were going to have to play well on defense and do all of the little things to be successful against Harvard. The Quakers did do the little things, out performing Harvard in ground balls 49-40, shots 46-35, and faceoffs 19-8. Unfortunately for the Quakers, they could not stop Harvard's explosive defense. With the absence of sophomore defender Brett Bodner, due of his father's sickness, the Quakers defense was unable to successfully run its game plan. He was replaced by freshman Jared Tuller. "We were scrambling around a little bit trying to find ourselves defensively," Van Arsdale said. "I thought the one guy that defensively emerged was Jared Tuller. Jared played their best player, Mike Ferrucci, and did a pretty good job on him (two goals allowed)." The most significant contribution to Harvard's victory came from its goalie, Rob Lyng. Only allowing 25 percent of the Quakers' shots into the net, including 22 saves, Lyng helped the Crimson on many different levels. Van Arsdale was impressed with Lyng's performance but also felt that the Quakers did not take advantage of all of their shooting chances. "Complaining about your shooting or the other goalie in lacrosse sounds like a golfer complaining about their putting," Van Arsdale said. "We had numerous opportunities to score goals with people in good position. Their goalie either made the big save, or we did not shoot the ball particularly well. I think that it was a combination of the two." "There were a few miscommunications," Reidy said. The Quakers' scoring was again dominated by their starting three front-runners, including junior captain John Ward with five goals and one assist, senior captain Jon Cusson with one goal and three assists, and freshman Peter Janney with three goals. Junior middie Joe Mauro and sophomore middie Mark Kleinknecht each added one goal. Although Harvard came into the match ranked 17th in the nation, the Quakers felt disappointed with the loss. In their first Ivy league game of the season, Van Arsdale felt that the team learned a lot about itself. With the Ivy League season now officially underway, the Quakers success will depend if they know enough not to have to learn anything else in the future.
(03/21/97 10:00am)
It was two coaches and 16 games ago that Penn won a league game. Let's just say it's been a while. When the Penn men's lacrosse team meets Harvard (2-1) on Saturday, they will try to break what seems to be a curse of not being able to win in the Ivy League. The last victory for Quakers (2-2) came April 2, 1994, when they came back to defeat Cornell, 10-9. That was 16 games ago. Last season, the haunted Quakers suffered incredible come-from-behind losses to Cornell and Dartmouth. With the coming of the Marc Van Arsdale era, Penn has stuffed the memories of the past into a closet, only thinking about this year and the future. This past summer, Terry Corcoran left Penn after leading the Quakers to two winless seasons in the Ivy League. Filling in the position as head coach is Van Arsdale, a six-year assistant coach at Virginia. When Van Arsdale came to Penn, he also brought his winning attitude. "The practices this year are much more different," Penn senior captain Ed Hanover said. "Guys go a lot harder in practice. They know that we can win and do well in the Ivy League. It was horrible looking back at the end of the season, counting all of the teams we should have beat. This year we have team closure." Van Arsdale, giving the streak little attention, has helped focus the team's motivation to win. He feels the Quakers will only succeed if they can play well for the whole 60 minutes of each game. With the competition in the Ivy League, Van Arsdale knows that most will come down to the wire. "It is going to be critical for us to find ways to win the one- or two-goal games," Van Arsdale said. "I am certain that we are going to be in a bunch of them in the league. How we can play in the last 10 minutes of a tight game is going to go a long way in determining how successful we are." The Quakers have also changed their expectations. According to Hanover, Penn's goal is to finish second in the Ivy League and be selected to play in the NCAA Tournament. Considering Penn has not had a winning season in the Ivy League since 1989, finishing second in one of the toughest divisions in the nation will be a tough task. For the Red and Blue, that mission starts this weekend in Cambridge, Mass. "I think we have put a certain amount of pressure on ourselves to play the way we are capable of, regardless who we are playing," Quakers senior middie Al Patton said. "We are pretty hungry when it comes to the Ivy League games. The streak doesn't add much pressure. The main pressure is us living up to our own expectations." After finishing second last year in the Ivy League and receiving a bid to the NCAA Tournament, the 17th-ranked Crimson are coming off a disappointing 10-9 loss earlier this week to Hartford in overtime. Harvard's offensive-oriented team is led by junior attackman Mike Ferucci, selected to last year's All-Ivy Second Team, who has already scored 13 goals in its three games. "They are a very slick and potentially explosive team offensively," Van Arsdale said. "They tend to have good speed in the middle of the field but are not overly physical." After a week of preparation, Van Arsdale feels the team is ready to put forth the effort it will take for them to win. He thinks it will be key for the Quakers to capitalize on face-offs and for the offense to exploit their advantage over the Harvard defense. According to Patton, Penn will come out on top if they do the things they know they have to do. As the Harvard match approaches, not only does it signify a new year for the lacrosse team in the Ivy League but, maybe, a new era.
(03/18/97 10:00am)
The Quakers lose to fourth-ranked Navy, but defeat Bucknell. While the rest of the school was enjoying its vacation working on a tan, the Penn men's lacrosse team worked up a sweat, battling some of the toughest competition in the country. With games against last year's NCAA Tournament runner-up Virginia (3-2), fourth-ranked Navy (4-1), and last year's Patriot League champion Bucknell (1-1), the 2-2 Quakers' break was far from lax. The week started out with a home contest on Saturday, March 8, against the Midshipmen, who came into Franklin Field with a 3-0 record. After concentrating a week on the game, the Quakers, 1-0 at the time, felt they were prepared for their first real challenge of the season. For Navy, coming in with three-one goal victories over UMBC, Washington College and UNC, including two of them being decided in the final minute, the Penn match followed form. The outcome of the game was not decided until three seconds remained in the game, when the Midshipmen sophomore Jamie O'Leary sent his third goal of the game into the back of the net. Penn started the game with a 3-1 lead but ended the half tied with Navy at four. Similarly, Navy took command in the second half and, in two minutes, surmounted a 7-4 lead. The determined Quakers would not be set back as junior John Ward added his third goal of the game with less than five minutes left to give the Quakers an 8-7 advantage. "We put ourselves in a position to win a game against an awfully good team," Van Arsdale said. "They made some good plays at the end of the game, and we did not close it out. It proved to ourselves that we can play with the good teams out there." Then the final minute came, and along with it, the Midshipmen. Following Brad Gilroy's goal for Navy was O'Leary's which led to the visitors' celebration. In 15 days this season, Navy's four wins equal their total of all of last year. "It was one of those games you have to put behind you real fast," Ward said. "It was pretty disappointing. We had them down and we really should have sealed it up." On Wednesday came Van Arsdale's homecoming to Virginia, a team for which he was an assistant coach for six years. The Cavaliers, an addition to this year's schedule, had never beaten the Quakers, losing their two previous meetings. Of course, the most recent one dates to 1931. Still, Virginia was highly favored in the matchup, coming into it ranked fifth nationally and with a 1-2 record -- having lost by one goal on the road to both top-ranked Princeton and third-ranked Syracuse. Virginia scored early and often, opening a 5-2 lead in the first period and an 8-2 advantage at the half. The Quakers struggled trying to compensate for the superior speed and dominant physical ability of Virginia. The Quakers lost 17-6. Not only was it the first meeting between the two teams in a while, it was the first time Van Arsdale felt what it was like going against the team he had helped coach. Although the team did lose, the first-year coach felt it was a positive experience. "Being familiar with Virginia and knowing what they were going to do and their players' strengths, the challenge was being able to stop it," Van Arsdale said. "It is the kind of game that can serve us down the road. It was awkward knowing the kids of the other team so well and having such a good relationship with the other coaching staff." Virginia coach Dom Starsia and the Cavaliers team still feel the void left by Van Arsdale's departure. Impressed by the play of the Quakers and sophomore goalies Matt Shroeder and Shane Lavery, Starsia was still confident in his team's ability, even with the insider knowledge of Van Arsdale. "It was anxious in the beginning," Starsia said. "Marc and I are pretty close. He was only an assistant in title. We owe much of our success to Marc." Even after the two roller coaster losses, the Quakers still had their best stuff ready for the Bisons Sunday in Baltimore. Coming in with the country's longest winning streak, 13 games dating back a year and a half, Bucknell had a lot riding on the game. Unfortunately for Bucknell, Penn was hardly impressed with the streak, starting the game by scoring six straight goals. By the time the Bison had realized they were playing in Baltimore it was too late. Taking out their week's frustration, the Penn defense allowed only three goals, while the offense scored 13, led by Ward's four goals and senior captain Jon Cusson's five assists. "We came out fired up," Ward said. "We jumped all over them from the opening gun, and we just never gave them a chance to get in the game." Being in the one of the toughest conferences in the country can be hard on a team. In preparation for their Ivy League competition, the Quakers feel having a tough non-conference schedule will give them the mental and physical preparation they need.
