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(11/21/97 10:00am)
The Penn men's basketball team opens 1997-98 against towering Rice. Boxing out for rebounds and fronting the defender down low are the kind of hard-nosed plays that are ignored in the box score. But it is these skills that will determine Penn's fate tomorrow at 4:45 p.m. at the Palestra when the Quakers kick off the 1997-98 season. Visiting Rice (0-2) brings a young and dangerous team from the WAC that likes to play post-up basketball. Although the Owls lost 65-53 to Florida State in their Friday opener, and 88-61 to No. 4 Kansas on Monday, the Owls will keep Penn on its toes -- literally. Rice head coach Willis Wilson starts his three towers -- 6'11" center Alex Bougaieff, 6'9" forward Jarvis Kelley Sanni and 6'8" forward Derek Michaelis -- in the frontcourt, with the 5'10" Mike Wilks and 6'4" Robert Johnson seeing extended time at the guards because of an injury to senior Bobby Crawford. No matter who Penn coach Fran Dunphy sends to the floor to guard the Owls, the Quakers are noticeably smaller. "They're a pretty good team with good size," Dunphy said. "They may see our situation and their eyes might light up." Playing a two-forward, three-guard set, the Quakers yield six to 11 total inches, depending upon which members of Penn's five-guard rotation are on the floor. With center Geoff Owens out for the season, and power forward Paul Romanczuk recovering from a stress fracture of the knee, Dunphy turns to 6'7" junior Jed Ryan and 6'6" senior George Mboya to play down low on Bougaieff and Sanni. "We have to play bigger than we are," Ryan said. "Offensively, my strength is still being able to go to the perimeter and bring the other team's center out. But, at the same time, I'll have to play a little more on the block." Penn's lack of size down low is a concern. However, the Quakers have precedent for keeping opposing centers in check with shorter defenders, like past Red and Blue players 6'9" Tim Krug and 6'6" Eric Moore, manning the middle. What's rare is that Penn is starting three guards, meaning that one of them will match defensively with Michaelis. This matchup can't bode well for the Quakers. Michaelis, an athletic freshman who passed up a contract with Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks expansion team, plays both hardball and hoops for Rice. The two-sport standout has shown ability to score in the paint, averaging 20.0 points per contest playing down low in high school. At 6'6", Frank Brown is Penn's tallest among the guard rotation and should match up best with Michaelis. But when the junior sits, it's a crapshoot to see who covers the Rice forward. Matt Langel, a 6'5" sophomore, as well as 6-footers Michael Jordan and Garett Kreitz, all may match up defensively at some point with the 6'8" frosh. "There may be a time when Kreitz is matched up with Michaelis," Dunphy said. "But there's not much we can do. We can't shrink him and grow Garett before the game." Covering Sanni may prove an even more challenging task. He can potentially draw double teams in the paint, creating an open shot for Rice's outside game. On Wednesday, Sanni was unstoppable, eating up 6'7" Kansas forward Paul Pierce for 25 points and 11 boards. If the Jayhawks couldn't stop him one-on-one, in isolation, it does not appear likely the Quakers can even contain him. There are different approaches to keeping a bigger offensive player off the scoreboard. "You have to make up for a lack of size with a little more intensity," Ryan said. "By frustrating the guy. If he catches the ball on the block, there's nothing you can do being six inches undersized, because everybody jumps the same." If the Penn defense is able to prevent these entry passes down low, it may become a whole new ball game. While Michaelis and Sanni have the height in their favor, both players will struggle getting to the perimeter to guard against the Quakers' three-point shooting. Neither Ryan nor Mboya should have problems dribbling the ball around Bougaieff, who is naturally slow of foot. "We're not looking at them different than anyone else," Mboya said. "They're a little bigger than us, but we just have to box out and rebound." Despite the lack of size, if Penn keeps Rice off the backboards, they'll have a shot of finishing on top on the scoreboard.
(11/17/97 10:00am)
Nothing went right in the Quakers' loss Harvard, which was coach Al Bognoli's worst defeat in his career as Penn's coach. and Matt Wurst BOSTON -- It was a frigid Saturday afternoon when the Penn football team took one last stand at the Ivy League title. But on the muddy sludge of Harvard Stadium, Penn was turned away by a Crimson avalanche that plowed over the Quakers, 33-0. Harvard, which hasn't won an Ivy League title outright since 1956, arrived on its home tundra with a mission. And while the weather conditions made such basic tasks as snapping the football and punting challenging for the Quakers, the Harvard offense ran as smoothly as on a warm September day. Although Penn junior Jim Finn recovered his own fumble on the game's opening kick, the Quakers' sloppy start foreshadowed events to come. Penn's offense went 18-and-out on its first six drives, with the opening play a halfback option pass that Crimson defensive pressure forced Finn to throw away. "We may have thought that initially they were a little desperate after that opening play," Harvard defensive end Chris Smith said. The Crimson offense, however, needed no desperation gimmicks, marching the ball methodically up-field on the Quakers. Crimson back Chris Menick spun into the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown run, capping off an eight-play, 73-yard drive that placed Harvard ahead, 7-0. The drive was highlighted by a 40-yard Rich Linden strike on to Jared Chupalia that sailed over the head of Quakers cornerback Joe Piela. Harvard scored again before Penn could complete a first down. After slowly gaining in the battle for field position, Crimson senior Colby Skelton returned a Jeff Salvino punt to Penn's 43-yard line. On a fake reverse, Linden rolled out and hit Chupalia for a 33-yard gain. A Penn penalty on the end of the play moved the ball to inside the Quakers' five. After three consecutive holds by Penn's defense, the Crimson elected to go on fourth-and-one, where Linden hit a wide-opened Chris Eitzmann in the end zone. "We had 11 men on scrimmage," said Penn coach Al Bagnoli, who suffered his worst loss and first shutout in six years in charge of the Quakers. "We obviously didn't have coverage." On the ensuing kickoff, however, the Quakers began showing signs of life. Penn returner Bruce Rossignol scampered to the 35-yard line returned Giampaolo's kick, eluding Harvard downfield coverage by faking a lateral to Finn. Finn then broke free to the outside on a pair of draws, and caught a screen pass out of the I-formation on fourth-and-three for a first down. Just as the Quakers appeared to get back into the game, Penn quarterback Matt Rader threw a fourth-and-four pass to Finn at the first down marker which bounced off the arms of his receiver and into those of cornerback Glenn Jackson. He ran it back 67 yards for a touchdown. A missed extra point left Harvard up 20 going into the locker room at the half. Harvard got the ball to start the second half and picked up right where it had left off. Menick led the Crimson drive down the field, which was capped by a four-yard touchdown on a keeper by Linden, as Harvard went up 27-0 with 11 minutes remaining in the quarter. To add salt to an already deep wound, Harvard added another touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter. Linden found Tom Giardi in the end zone for Harvard's second touchdown on a fourth and goal of the game. Harvard missed another extra point, but that had long since ceased to matter. "The bottom line is we didn't need 33 points to win this football game," Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. By outgaining the Quakers 362 yards to 114, Harvard secured a share of the Ivy League championship for the first time since 1987. With this win, Harvard heads to last-place Yale on Saturday just a win shy of its first unshared Ivy League title in 41 years. And for the Quakers, any hopes of an Ivy League title are as gone as the Harvard Stadium grass, destroyed by a weekend storm.
(10/30/97 10:00am)
Jack Siedlecki has never had to follow an act like legendary coach Carm Cozza in his football career. It's not easy being the man that replaces the legend. Former Yale football coach Carm Cozza patrolled the Elis' sideline with class for 32 years, earning 179 victories and nine Ivy League championship rings. Neophyte Yale coach Jack Siedlecki, who spent the past four seasons coaching at Amherst, can't boast the same past as Cozza. Siedlecki has never spent more than five seasons coaching at any one place, and he only possesses a championship ring -- from the Division III level in 1990. "Amherst is a great place," Siedlecki said. "But Yale is Amherst times five. It's five times bigger, and they play a higher level of football." Even more difficult than replacing Cozza, Siedlecki joins a program where the players themselves need replacing. Since Yale's 1987 Ivy League championship season, the Elis have been in steady decline. Yale possesses the worst record in the Ivies over the past five years (10-25) and has not has not had a five-win season since 1990. Recently, things have gotten so bad in New Haven, Conn., that social security couldn't have sounded better to Cozza. Siedlecki, the two-time American Football Coaches Association District I Coach of the Year, has already turned around the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Amherst football programs. Who's to say that he can't pull the same miracles at Yale? "I think we've already done a lot to establish a new identity," Siedlecki said. "We know that they finished in last place, but one of the things in the league -- and Penn is a good example -- is that even if you are on the bottom, you're not that far out, just three or four recruits." The first step that Siedlecki, 45, took to improve the Elis was surrounding himself with a new coaching staff, hiring Columbia offensive line coach Keith Clark as offensive coordinator and Penn secondary coach Rick Flanders to run the defense. Siedlecki also brought 1993 Harvard graduate Joel Lamb with him from Amherst to coach the quarterbacks and hired Penn coordinator of football operations Duane Brooks to coach defensive line. "It was very important to surround myself with guys that have lots of experience in this league," Siedlecki said. "We've already made changes. They were 4-3 [on defense]. We are 3-4. They are passing. We are traditional run. The X's and O's are very different." Even if Siedlecki doesn't have experience on his side, he has intellect in his favor. The Yale coach understands that he can't turn the program around overnight and has the Elis taking things one game at a time. After every contest -- win or lose -- Siedlecki meets with his team on the field and discusses the game. Despite the Elis' continued struggles, Siedlecki demands both he and his players face the music, so they can appreciate winning all the more when it comes. "I walked into [a press conference] last Saturday as disappointed as I've ever been," Siedlecki said. "But I'm going to be there -- for the press and for my players. I meet with my team on the field after every game to keep things in perspective, analyzing the game and moving on." The cerebral coach doesn't need immediate victories. He knows that a team must build from the top down. Once the coaching staff is in place, players are recruited that can turn things around. But it takes time, as Siedlecki's 7-9 combined first-season records at Worcester and Amherst shows. To build a winning program, Siedlecki -- like Cozza -- must be in it for the long haul.
(10/23/97 9:00am)
The Bears' wide receiver has already amassed 116 career catches - just 84 short of the Ivy record. Midway through his junior year, Brown receiver Sean Morey has already rewritten the Bears' record book. The 5'11", 180-pound wide-out captured Brown's single-season touchdown record with 14 last season, and currently stands first all-time in Bears touchdown receptions with 28. In his five 1997 games, the first team All-Ivy receiver has once again amassed impressive numbers -- 36 receptions, seven touchdown catches and a league-best 714 yards. Morey currently stands just eight catches behind Robert Torbert's all-time Bears' mark of 128. He is also rapidly approaching the Ivy League mark of 200, held by former Penn receiver Miles Macik. "They're similar in the they both are the best receivers in the league," said Brown coach Mark Whipple, comparing Morey to Macik. "They both make big plays. I don't think that it's a coincidence that when Penn lost Macik, their offense went down. If we lost Morey to injury, our offense would go down too." Even though Morey is six inches shorter and weighs 20 pounds less than the former Penn standout receiver, his quickness and ability to make dazzling catches cancel out his comparative lack of size and strength. Morey, who ran 100 meters in 10.84 as a high school senior, was former Brown quarterback Jason McCullough's favorite target in '96 and has again emerged as the receiver of choice for Brown's rookie quarterback, James Perry, this season. If the acrobatic McCullough made the deep pass to Morey into an art form, Perry has certainly followed, transforming the deep route to Morey into a Bears' tradition. Perry, who at times has struggled adjusting to the college game -- as shown by his league-high 11 interceptions -- tends to throw the ball with more confidence when it's headed toward Morey. As a result, the young quarterback relies on his star receiver more than a veteran signal caller typically looks upon his No. 1 option. "We are forcing the ball into him so much," Whipple said. "He's made it a lot easier [for Perry] than it was for Jason when he became the starter three years ago." In recent weeks, it's been tougher for Morey to get open downfield, with teams trying to double- and triple-team him -- daring Perry to complete passes to his other targets. It's likely that on Saturday both Penn cornerbacks, Joe Piela and Larrin Robertson, will pay special attention to Morey, challenging the Bears' offense to find other ways to move the ball downfield. But like most elite receivers, Morey wants the ball whether or not he's double-teamed, irrespective of double coverage downfield. "I expect the ball on almost every play," Morey said. "I'd be lying to you, any receiver would be -- or they shouldn't be playing -- if they say that they don't want the ball." Morey continues to get the ball plenty -- not because he calls for it, but rather because that's the design of the offense. Whipple's strategy focuses on airing the ball out. Brown's leading rusher, Mike Wall, is 11th in the Ivies rushing the football, with just 42 carries for 178 yards. But four Bears are in the top 20 in catches -- Morey, Wall, Gordon Nangmenyi and Steven Campbell. Whipple, a former Brown quarterback, deploys an offensive style that exploits the strengths of his quarterback and receivers. In a league dominated by teams that rush the football, the Bears perennially challenge their opponents with an air attack. It is just this strategy that initially attracted Morey to play his collegiate football in Providence, R.I. "Whipple's offense obviously caters to wide receivers," Morey said. "For example, our fullback (Wall) caught 46 passes last season." But going to the air attack doesn't mean that the bombing will succeed, as evident by Whipple's 15 losses in three and a half seasons. The key is having receivers who can get open before the opposition's linebackers get to the quarterback. With linebackers Tim Gage and Darren MacDonald playing big on defense this season, Whipple is counting on quick cuts from Morey downfield to take the burden off Perry. "Penn is the best defense we've played overall," Whipple said. "I think they're better than Princeton, and Princeton did a number on us. We are going to have to find ways to get the ball into him in the end zone."
(10/06/97 9:00am)
Joe Piela and James Finn supplemented their defensive duties with successful stints on special teams. Saturday night against Towson, Penn juniors Jim Finn and Joe Piela emerged as sparkplugs for the Quakers, whose sputtering early season performance desperately needed ignition. In the season's first two weeks, Penn mishaps had led to gift-rapped plays for the opposition, with the Quakers offense unable to hold onto the football, and solid downfield punt coverage as scarce as grass in the Quad. Saturday, Finn and Piela turned the tables on the opposition. The defensive backs turned return specialists provided an equal scoring output to the Tigers' entire team, adding 180 yards and 14 points to the Quakers' output, despite playing just a combined one down on offense. "When you make an error against Penn, it's going to get glamorized," Towson coach Gordy Combs said. "Going into the game, we knew that." Finn was the first to capitalize on a Tigers' miscommunication. With seven minutes, 11 seconds left in the second quarter, Penn ahead 10-0 and an upcoming first-and-10 from the Towson 11-yard line, the defensive back/kick returner made an entry into the Quakers' backfield. On his first and only play from scrimmage, Penn quarterback Matt Rader handed Finn the football on a sweep right. The 6'1", 215-pound back dashed to the outside, ahead of the Tigers' linemen. With no Towson corner moving outside to attempt a tackle, Finn sprinted into the end zone unscathed. The touchdown and ensuing kick put the Quakers ahead by 17 points, a deficit too hefty for the Tigers to surmount. "Running the ball is what I've done all my life," said Finn, who played running back at Bergen (N.J.) Catholic High School. "So, it's not that much of a change. It's like riding a bicycle. Once you do something, you don't forget." Finn made his mark again just after halftime on special teams. Penn elected to receive the second-half kickoff, which Towson placekicker George Perdikakis booted toward Finn on the four-yard line. After a nifty move to the outside, Finn found a hole to the right and sprinted 41 yards until Tigers defensive back Ken Kraemer made the tackle along the sideline. While the Quakers' offense followed Finn's return with three failed plays and a Jeff Salvino punt, Finn's monstrous return reset the tone, forcing the Tigers to start their first second-half drive from deep within their own territory. "The first two games we didn't have much luck on kickoffs," Finn said. "So [the coaches] are making a big effort on the kickoff return team." On special teams, it wasn't a spectacular first half for Finn's counterpart, Piela, who fielded four Towson punts for 11 return yards. But after halftime, the 5'10" defensive back heated up, emerging as a big-time playmaker. In the third quarter, Piela knocked down a Smith fly-pattern pass intended for feature back Jason Corle. Then, less than two minutes into the fourth, Piela erupted for a perfectly timed interception, which he ran down the left sideline 24 yards for a touchdown. The pick was Piela's third in as many games, ranking him second in the Ivy League in that category behind Columbia free safety Chris Tillotson. "The heart of their team was that No. 19," Smith said. "He just stayed back and made great plays." Piela struck again late in the fourth. After a late Towson rally cut the Penn lead to 24-14, the Tigers set up for a two-point conversion. Smith dropped into the pocket and was hit by a mass of Quakers' defenders, fumbling the football as his head collided with the hard, Franklin Field turf. After a scramble, Piela emerged from the pack with the ball and ran down the sideline 83-yards with it for a two-point play. The run-back put a dagger in the hearts of the Tigers' comeback attempt. "I was on the other side of the field covering the fullback," Piela said. "And the next thing I knew, it was bouncing around, and I kind of got a lucky bounce in my hands. I got into the free and was gone." While Towson may not play to the same level as either Dartmouth or Bucknell, Finn and Piela's emergence provided auspicious signs for Penn's prospects in upcoming Ivy League games. Last season, defensive back was a sore spot for the Quakers. Considering the 1996 coverage difficulties, the development of Finn, Piela and seniors John Bishop and Larrin Robertson into formidable defensive backs was questionable. Bagnoli's quick fix to the secondary included dropping the man-to-man coverage for a zone package, mixed with blitzing and drop-back options. Finn and Piela's arrival on special teams was just as much a surprise. But the early struggles of Brian Bonanno and Brandon Carson returning the ball forced Penn special teams coach Ray Priore to consider alternatives. But Saturday night, the duo got the job done in all capacities. Now that special teams finally appears running, expect Penn coach Al Bagnoli to continue calling on both Finn and Piela to make the big plays defensively and on run backs.
(09/24/97 9:00am)
Bucknell's Chris Peer takes over for graduated tailback Rich Lemon as the pivotal offensive player. Heading into this season, Bucknell senior running back Chris Peer had made just one collegiate start -- and as luck would have it, the start came against Penn. Bucknell coach Tom Gadd inserted Peer into the starting lineup, replacing injured tailback Richard Lemon, Bucknell's all-time leading rusher last year in Lewisburg, Pa. The 5'11", 205-pound Peer carried the ball 34 times against the Quakers' defense for 95 yards. And although the Bison fell to Penn, 30-21 in overtime -- Peer's surprising contribution kept the Bison within reach. Although Peer has been part of Gadd's future plans since joining the varsity roster in 1995, the back has spent the past two seasons on special teams as a return specialist and back-up punter. Until this season, Peer watched from the bench as the Bison played offense -- knowing that until Lemon graduated, he didn't stand a shot of advancing to No. 1 on the depth charts. In Bucknell's 1996 Patriot League championship season, the 5'8", 160-pound Lemon rushed for 796 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to a Bucknell best 4,742 yards and 37 touchdowns during his career. Peer contributed little in a limited role backing up Lemon. "He's not Rich Lemon," Gadd said. "Richie was a kid who was very quick -- cut very well. Chris is more of a power, slashing runner. He doesn't have the big play ability, but he'll take it in a little harder." But October 5 at Christy Matthewson Stadium -- in his only 1996 start -- Peer began to change the way he was perceived with his 95-yard rushing performance against the Quakers. This season, Peer is off to a fast start as the feature back in the Bison' offense. The senior quickly silenced skeptics by rushing 27 times for 171 yards in the season opener against Duquesne -- an astounding 6.3 rushing average. The North Huntington Pa., native's performance led the way en route to a 23-16 victory on a day when Bucknell starting quarterback Jim John was a putrid 5-for-21 throwing the football. And while in last weekend's Patriot League opener -- a 23-21 Bucknell victory over Lafayette -- Peer rushed for just 50 all-purpose yards, he still managed his way into the Leopards' end zone for a two-yard touchdown. While Peer will never catch Lemon's dynamic records, the powerful back has already shown that he can move the ball against Penn's defense, a feat Lemon never managed, even despite his domination of Patriot League linemen. "The one thing you have to be able to do is run the football on [Penn]," Gadd said. "We haven't been able to do that. So much is being able to control the line of scrimmage." In the past two seasons, Gadd's team has come closer to victory. In 1996, it took a 41-yard field goal by Jeremiah Greathouse with 27 seconds left on the clock to put the Quakers up on Bucknell for good, 20-19. Last year, it required the college football's newly inserted overtime for Penn to finish on top. "Both games have been really well-played," Gadd said. "We are trying to build the kind of success that Penn already has." If Peer can repeat last season's solid effort versus the Quakers running the football, the Bison stand a shot at defeating Penn -- one accomplishment that not even Lemon, the Bucknell legend, could accomplish.
(09/17/97 9:00am)
While Penn's All-Ivy linebacker Tim Gage was sidelined in 1996, Darren McDonald emerged as a star. Penn senior Tim Gage was supposed to be the Quakers' leader on the field last season. But a broken foot on the first day of preseason confined the team captain to a seat on the bench. Gage, a 1995 second-team all-Ivy linebacker, wouldn't step off the sidelines all season. "Linebacker is a very volatile position," Penn linebackers coach Todd Orlando said. "If we ask a guy to be physical in every practice, injuries are going to happen." For the 6'2", 235-pound Gage, a broken foot resulted in an end to his season before it even began. But rather than end his Penn football career on a low, the captain spent the season doing his job from the sideline and then petitioned for a fifth year of eligibility. "It's a lot different being on the sidelines than on the field," Gage said. "I was able to pick up a lot more as far as tempo, attitude and how to correct last year's mistakes. It's going to be a lot easier this season, being able to see last season what happened." Gage watched from the sidelines as then-sophomore linebacker Darren MacDonald emerged from deep on the 1995 depth chart into a dominating force. The 6'1", 220-pound Naples, Fla., native recorded Gage-like stats -- 64 tackles in just seven games -- en route to a second team All-Ivy season. And with the Ivy League's acceptance of Gage's eligibility petition, second team All-Ivy linebackers Gage and MacDonald unite at last on opposite sides of Penn's 5-2 defensive set. This season's linebacker tandem gives the Red and Blue their first season with two returning All-Ivy linebackers since their undefeated season in '93, when Pat Goodwillie and Andy Berlin fortified the Quakers' dominating defense. "I think me and Tim complement each other a lot," MacDonald said. "With us together, we'll be a lot stronger and a lot more experienced than last year." In 1995, Gage had 90 tackles and two sacks. Along with his hard-hitting style and solid defensive coverage, Gage provides leadership and a strong work ethic. After spending '96 shadowing defensive coordinator Mike Toop, the 6'2'', 235-pound linebacker should know the Red and Blue defense cold. "Timmy's gone through a lot of things working off the foot injury," Orlando said. "He adds experience in his understanding of the defense." Behind Gage and MacDonald on the depth chart, the Quakers present 6'3", 230-pound senior Mark Van Meter and 6'2", 230-pound sophomore James Hisgen. Both reserves are likely to see action and also serve as valuable insurance policies, given Quakers linebackers' propensity to get hurt. Injuries created the opportunity for Van Meter to start most games last season and he responded, finishing second on the Quakers with 10 sacks. The Huron, Ohio, native was a major contributor, playing through a shoulder injury and still recording 61 tackles. "Mark's a kid we feel comfortable putting on the field," Orlando said. "He has a lot of experience. For him, he's in a different mode this year, but we are still comfortable with him." Unlike Van Meter, Hisgen played sparingly in '96, stepping into the line-up only when MacDonald's knee forced him out. In limited time, the neophyte had seven tackles and showed promise for '97. The Quakers will also regain the services of junior Brian Hamilton early this season. The 5'11", 210-pound linebacker is in final stages of recovery from a spring 1996 knee injury that caused him to sit out all of last season. With five new starting quarterbacks in the Ivy League this season, Orlando's linebackers will be called upon to mix it up between blitzes and drop-back coverage. And with the return of Gage opposite MacDonald, opposing quarterbacks can't be too excited about a meeting with the Quakers.
(09/09/97 9:00am)
In 1996, Penn ran the ball 70 percent of the time. Now it's time to look to the air. In its annual football preview, The New York Times picked Penn quarterback Matt Rader, a junior transfer from Duke, to carry the Quakers on his shoulders back atop the Ivy League. Did someone in the Times research department jump the gun on this prediction? At the time of print, Quakers head coach Al Bagnoli hadn't yet announced his starting quarterback. Senior Tom MacLeod, who threw for five touchdowns and 720 yards in 1996, had regained starting consideration after the best spring practice of his career. The Times, however, correctly inferred that Bagnoli would eventually announce Rader as his starter. The junior's upside is tremendous -- completing 85 of 150 passes last season at Duke for 905 yards and five touchdowns. "At this point, Matt will be our starter," Bagnoli said. "We are confident that our quarterback situation is as good as any we have in the league. The speed you see in the ACC when you are playing Florida State or Virginia or North Carolina or Clemson is more than you're going to see in our league." Linebackers in the Division I-AA Ivy League aren't as quick on the blitz as in the major Division I-A conferences. The added time to sit in the pocket should help Rader improve upon the '96 statistics that he accrued playing for Duke. Last season, Penn's overall record fell to 5-5 -- the worst in Bagnoli's five seasons with the Quakers. The loss of receivers Miles Macik and Felix Rouse, who graduated in 1996, coupled with an injury to Mark Fabish and the early season struggles of quarterback Steve Teodecki forced the Red and Blue offense to run the ball more than 70 percent of the time. "Our goal is to go back to what our normal offense was," Bagnoli said. "Last year wasn't the typical Penn offense. It just wasn't a good situation with an inexperienced quarterback and inexperienced wide receivers." Although new to the Ivy League, Rader -- who started seven games last season as a member of the 0-11 Blue Devils -- brings immediate experience and leadership to the Quakers. The 6'4'', 235-pound quarterback is accustomed to a pressured environment and has already amassed his share of clutch performances. In a career game, Rader completed 27 of 49 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns against Northwestern last season. "The reason I chose Penn was, No. 1, because of the education and, No. 2, because of the football program," Rader said. "Offensively, we run all of the same sets and some of the same pass plays [as Duke]. But we run a lot of different routes than I'm used to, a lot of quick routes to the running backs." Realistically, it will take time for Rader, as for any new quarterback, to learn all the intricacies of the Quakers' offense. Bagnoli isn't expecting magic from his transfer overnight, but rather plans to ease Rader into the full-time quarterback position. With two experienced quarterbacks, the Quakers afford the luxury of changing signal callers, even though Rader is the starter going into the season. "I don't think we want to put a quarterback or any player in a position that's more pressure than already exists," Bagnoli said. "This year, we'll probably go a little bit against what we traditionally have done and get both quarterbacks into the game. There's just some things that Tommy's more comfortable with than Matt." As for McLeod, the 6'1'' senior can claim to be the best back-up quarterback in the Ivy League. The Kettering, Ohio, native adds another dimension to the Quakers' offense with his ability to move around in the pocket and run the option. He also serves as a valuable insurance policy in the event that Rader suffers an injury.
(09/09/97 9:00am)
The beauty of college football -- as is traditionally the case -- is the building of a rivalry that develops over the course of a hard-fought schedule. The season begins with the division's elite trying to out-perform common opponents. As the weeks wear on, fans begin to both pin their eyes on the hometown scoreboard, and sneak a glance at their rival's results. When inevitably neither team suffers an upset, the stage is set for that climactic, late-season matchup between the division's finest -- the game for all the marbles -- the one that ends with crashing down goalposts. But what would happen if football's traditional scheme of events were inverted -- with the division's elite meeting in week No. 1 instead of late in the season? Welcome to the 1997 version of Ivy League football -- a season turned upside-down. Caution to any Penn students planning on foregoing the September 20 season opener against Dartmouth -- you are only missing the biggest game of the Ivy League season. By leaps and bounds, the Quakers and Big Green stand above the pack in the Ancient Eight. Defensively, both squads boast units that will wreak havoc on the Ivy League -- a division marked in '97 by rookie quarterbacks and inexperienced rushers. Penn returns nine defensive starters from last season, including NFL prospect Mitch Marrow at defensive line and the dominating Tim Gage at linebacker. The Big Green return seven, highlighted by first team All-Ivy linebacker Zack Walz -- who finished 1996 with 111 tackles -- and Lloyd Lee, also first team All-Ivy, who picked off seven passes in '96. These players will enjoy a season of tremendous success and padded statistics, taking full advantage of the inevitable offensive mishaps in a league that has just three starting quarterbacks returning from last season. The victor of this season opener at Franklin Field controls its own destiny toward a championship, playing a schedule that should permit them to go the rest of the way unscathed. It's highly unlikely that such inexperienced offenses -- those of the Ivies' other six teams -- can drive the ball downfield against either Penn or Dartmouth's experienced defense. The loser's only chance of a championship banner is finishing the season 6-0 and banking on a dark horse team pulling off an upset. Among the rest of the Ivies' teams, only Harvard -- who returns 11 defensive starters -- leaves any reason to be looked at as that dark horse candidate. The Crimson defense, anchored by second team All-Ivy selections Tim Fleiszer, Chris Smith and Jeff Compas, are the favorites to finish third in the Ivies. Harvard, however, will likely do no better than that since the Crimson quarterback Rich Linden is an interception waiting to happen -- throwing eight in '96 as compared to just four touchdowns -- and featured running back Chris Menick just isn't Eion Hu in the backfield. But with the solid defense, the Crimson keep the Ivy League football fan's hope alive of an upset which would give the season meaning beyond the first week. The Ancient Eight's other five teams -- Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Princeton and Yale -- just don't have much to bring to the table in '97. A combined 16-19 last season, one may expect these teams to perform respectably. Each team, however, has substantial obstacles to overcome. Brown was 4-3 in '96. That's not bad for a team whose lone highlight in 41 years of Ivy League football was a 1976 tie for the championship. But the Bears lost first team All-Ivy quarterback Jason McCullough to graduation. McCullough was the Bears' offensive savior last season, throwing for a league best 2,609 yards and 23 touchdowns, as compared to his replacements -- Anthony Ames and James Perry -- who threw a combined three passes in '96. Also 4-3 last season, Cornell returns its quarterback, Scott Carroll. But he was a non-factor in last year's campaign, as the Big Red relied on Bushnell Cup winner Chad Levitt to carry the offensive load. Levitt led all rushers with 13 touchdowns and 1,435 yards. Without him, the Big Red offense is as inept as Brown's without McCullough. Columbia also returns its quarterback, Bobby Thomason, to a team 5-2 in '96. But gone from the Lions is the team's defensive stars, Marcellus Wiley and Rory Wilfork who were NFL draft picks. Last year, even with the two future pros, the Lions were shellacked 40-0 by Darmouth. Without Wiley and Wilfork, this defense will get slaughtered. Finally, among the weakened Ivy League, there's Princeton (2-5) and Yale (1-6). With records that poor in '96, it's tough to imagine things will get worse. But for the Tigers they do. Losing Palmer Stadium to construction means Princeton will play all of 1997 on the road -- making the six-hour bus trips to Harvard and Dartmouth, and the four-hour trip to Brown. Now that's a tough schedule! And the Elis begin the this season's campaign without football genius Carm Cozza, who had manned their sidelines for 32 seasons and brought 12 championships home to New Haven, Conn. With this much established, it is unlikely that football fans will find their traditional, close divisional-race in the Ivy League this season. By the same token, however, all this drama combined into this September 20 season opener will leave the winning team's fans turned upside down with joy.
(09/08/97 9:00am)
A young corps of offersive linemen hopes to be as successful as the line was in 1996. Last season, Penn running back Jasen Scott made his way into the record books as just the fourth Quakers back to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. The senior first-team All-Ivy pick became the talk of Franklin Field, reaching the end zone 11 times in 10 games. As Scott eclipsed all expectations for single-season yardage and touchdowns, the line's blocking for the 5'10'' back often went unnoticed. Anonymity isn't uncommon for offensive linemen, often overshadowed by the backs and receivers, who make the glamorous plays and score touchdowns. But then again, nobody ever said offensive line is a glamour position. "It all starts with the offensive line," Penn right tackle Chris Riley said. "There aren't many running backs who can play well in a game when the offensive line isn't playing well. In a way, their success relies on the offensive line." Last season, line was the strength of the Quakers offense. From left to right, 340-pound Sears Wright, 280-pound Mark Fleishhauer, 270-pound Mike Soyster, 250-pound Matt Julien and 280-pound Riley were a force to be reckoned with. Wright, Julien and Fleishhauer, however, all graduated last year, leaving seniors Soyster and Riley as the only linemen with starting experience. The newcomers bequeath the uneasy task of replacing Julien and Wright, both All-Ivy selections, and Fleishhauer, an academic All-Ivy. "They are going to need to get themselves into some realistic experiences," Penn offensive coordinator Chuck Priore said. "They need to get into the thick of the fire and make some decisions on the move." Seniors Chris Cooney and Adam Conish are likely to step into the vacated guard positions. The duo share an almost identical physique, both measuring in at 6'2'', with Cooney tipping the scale at 260 and Conish at 265. Cooney will have one more year of football eligibility after this season, while for Conish, this season is a now-or-never shot at Penn's starting lineup. "With Adam Conish coming back and Chris Cooney's being around, we are pretty veteran on offensive line," Riley said, "even though we just return two starters." In addition, sophomore Carmelo Rubano (6'2'', 265) and junior Jesse Simonin (6'1'', 270) will see playing time at the guard positions. With a strong performance in the preseason scrimmages, either player may earn a shot at the starting lineup. Between the two guards, Soyster adds skill and experience. At the start of last season, the center position was a big Red and Blue question mark, with the State College, Pa., native trying to make the shift from defensive line. But with a year of experience under his belt, Soyster has established himself as stable in the middle, irrespective what quarterback is playing behind him. "At center, you're more worried about your defensive back and who you have to block than [the quarterback] behind you," Soyster said. On the outside, Riley returns to his familiar home at right tackle with sophomore Jason Lebron (6'6'', 290) the all-but confirmed starter on the left. Riley, a Morristown, N.J., native, hopes to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Sean, who earned second-team All-Ivy honors in his senior season at Dartmouth. Sophomore Mike Bertolino (6'5'', 260) also figures at tackle, likely sharing time with Lebron and serving as season-long competition for the starting right tackle position. A strong offensive line, dominating its defensive counterparts, has been a staple of Penn football since coach Al Bagnoli took the Quakers' reigns in 1992. Although often unnoticed, the line seems to get the job done. There's no better evidence of this than the fact that no matter who the ball carrier -- whether it be Terrance Stokes as in 1993-94 or Aman Abye and Deion Camp and Scott in '95, or Scott and Rick Granata in '96 -- the rushing game has consistently averaged better than three-and-a-half yards per carry. If this year's line can match those of previous Bagnoli squads, neophyte running backs Jason McGee, Bruce Rossignol and Melvin Alexander should have no trouble carrying the football into the end zone and propelling Penn to the top of the Ivy League.
(04/23/97 9:00am)
With the bases loaded in the ninth, Penn baseball freshman Oliver Hahl got the game-winner. Penn second baseman Oliver Hahl has not seen much playing time this season. But whenever the Quakers freshman has stepped into the batter's box, he's made it count. Yesterday afternoon, the rookie second baseman stepped up to the plate in a situation which baseball players of all levels stay up nights dreaming about. The scene was the bottom of the ninth, a 10-all tie, bases juiced and nobody out. Lehigh's left-hander James Phillips had just intentionally walked Penn catcher Dave Corletto to load the bases for Hahl. All the frosh needed to do was to knock the ball out of the infield, and fleet-footed outfielder Drew Corradini could cross the plate -- a simple task of execution -- and the Quakers No. 9 hitter would potentially go home a hero. Phillips, the 5'11" southpaw, got out in front of the Hahl 1-and-2, making the challenge all the more difficult. Phillips' fourth delivery, a high fastball had Hahl fooled; he popped it up onto the train tracks behind Bower Field. But on pitch No. 5, Lehigh catcher Micah DaMato made the mistake of setting an outside target. Phillips delivered a fastball and Hahl went with the pitch, slicing it toward right field and sending Mountain Hawks right fielder Adam Millsom back. Millsom made the grab in short right and threw on the money to DaMato -- but not before Corradini could slide under the tag, and the Quakers could sneak away with an 11-10 win. "The pitchers were putting the ball away from us," Penn captain Joe Carlon said. "We are trying to go with it where it is pitched." The Engineers had tied the game against the Quakers in the top of the eighth after Lehigh shortstop Patrick McElwee singled off Penn's Todd Mahoney, and second baseman Daniel Spisak hit a high chopper to third -- which Penn third baseman Glen Ambrosius charged and threw over the head of first baseman Russ Farscht for a two-base error. Penn coach Bob Seddon then turned to his closer, Travis Arbogast, who surrendered an RBI base hit to Lehigh star hitter Benjamin Talbott. After Talbott's single, however, Penn's hard throwing right-hander took over. Arbogast caught Mountain Hawks' cleanup hitter Keith Treonze looking on a brilliant fastball over the inside corner of the plate. Arbogast then threw a fastball high and tight to Lehigh's Chad Kusko, which the Mountain Hawks first baseman bunted on a line-drive in front of the plate. Arbogast sprinted off the mound and made a head-long dive to snare Kusko's bunt. He then threw on to Ambrosius at third to complete the 1-5 double play. "When you've got a guy at third in a tight ballgame like that, you can only hope to throw it up and in to hit him or make him pop it up," Arbogast said. "Sometimes the luck goes our way." But it seemed something more than luck was working for Arbogast, who got the Quakers out of a jam in the eighth and allowed just a walk to Daniel Kulp in the ninth en route to earning the "W." The right-hander was the only Quakers pitcher not to yield a run as well as the only one to retire Treonze in his five trips to the plate. The three left-handers that proceeded Arbogast each struggled against the middle of Lehigh's order, namely Talbott and Treonze. Quakers starter Ray Broome allowed three runs to cross the plate in the first inning before setting down over the next two. Mike Greenwood pitched a strong fourth and sixth, but allowed base hits to Talbott and Treonze in the fifth -- each who came around to score. Mahoney allowed the same duo to cross the plate in the seventh. Offensively, the Quakers' bats came out rocking. Ambrosius broke out of his slump with a two-run homer over the left-centerfield fence in the first inning to cut the Mountain Hawks' lead to 3-2. That was just one of three hits on the day for the Quakers third baseman who finished the day a triple short of hitting for the cycle. "Ambrosius is getting excellent extension -- using the whole field," Penn hitting instructor Dan Young said. "He's going to the opposite field and leftfield." Centerfielder Drew Corradini also added three hits, including the clutch double the other way to lead off the ninth. Farscht -- whose single in the ninth moved Corradini to third -- entered the game for Trent Nagata in the sixth, and singled in his only two at-bats. Carlon and designated hitter Mark Nagata each also added two hits. Defensively, however, things were less spectacular for the Quakers, who committed three errors which translated into the same number of unearned runs for the Mountain Hawks. The Quakers' fielding plays did include the awesome, such as a great double play started by Carlon on a Phillip Stambaugh ball hit up the middle and a beautiful basket catch by Shawn Spiezio in right, reaching over the Quakers bullpen. But they also included the awful, such as two costly throwing errors on choppers to the left side of the infield in the eighth. Penn's 11-10 victory over Lehigh was not one of the prettiest games played at Bower Field. Nonetheless, the rocky road that set the stage for ninth-inning Quakers heroics may just give the Red and Blue the momentum they need heading into this weekend's do-or-die series at home against Princeton.
(04/14/97 9:00am)
The Quakers easily took two games from Brown on Saturday but then gave two right back at Yale. For doubters of the age-old adage that pitching is 90 percent of the game, Penn's performance on this weekend's trip north should have done much to change your impression. On Saturday, at Brown's Aldrich Field, Penn bats jumped all over the Bears' pitching for 19 runs in two games en route to a 8-0, 13-2 doubleheader sweep of the Bears (5-18, 2-4 Ivy League). But yesterday, Yale coach John Stuper sent his ace, Sudha Reddy, and off-speed pitcher Eric Gutshall to the mound. The same Penn batters that racked up 21 runs against the Bears on Saturday struck out 15 times in yesterday's twin-bill, suffering two tough losses to the Elis (14-13, 7-0) by scores of 6-2 and 5-0. "There's a world of difference," Penn junior pitcher Ed Kimlin said. "Brown was really struggling. Yale pitched well. They weren't overpowering, but they pitched really well." On Saturday in Providence, Penn coach Bob Seddon sent seniors Alex Hayden and A.B. Fischer to the hill. Hayden pitched a masterpiece in the opener, staying out of trouble by getting ahead in the count. The crafty 5'10" right-hander held the Bears scoreless on just six hits, striking out five and walking none. Hayden was especially effective against the middle of the order, holding the Bears' third and fourth hitters --Peter deYoung and Andy Donnelly -- to a combined 0-for-6. At the plate, the Quakers bats struck early and often. Penn got on the board with a quick two in the top of the first. The Quakers added to their lead by striking for two more against Ballard in the fourth. The Red and Blue added four more in the final two innings off a tired Ballard who was forced to go the distance because the Bears are carrying just five active pitchers. "Hayden has now shown that he can be a winner in that top four," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. "He pitched a beauty. That's two in a row for him." In the second game of the twin-bill, Fischer took the mound. The senior, like Hayden in the opener, mowed down the heart of the Bears order consistently, holding DeYoung and Donnelly to 0-for-3 each at the plate. After allowing the Bears two runs in the second inning -- including a solo blast off the bat of shortstop Chris Mercer -- Fischer settled down to bagel the Bears for the final five en route to a 13-2 complete game victory. Offensively, the Penn bats supplied Fischer with a large cushion, scoring their Ivy League season-high 13 runs. The five and six slots in the Quakers order were especially effective. Catcher Dave Corletto added two hits, including his third home run of the year, which broke a two-all tie and put the Quakers ahead for good. Penn's Russ Farscht went 4-for-5, driving in three runs while playing his natural position of first base. In yesterday's opener, the tables were turned against the Quakers, as the Yale offense had Penn starter Armen Simonian up against the ropes for most of the game. The middle of the order was Yale's rallying point with cleanup hitter Keith Caggiano going 3-for-3 and Ben Johnstone, Rick West and Jimmy Bryan adding two hits each. The Quakers' ace managed to work his way out of jams in the early innings to allow Penn to stay knotted at two through four innings of play. But in the bottom of the fifth, the Elis' bats came alive and shelled Simonian for three big runs. On the mound for Yale, Reddy showed no effects of pitching four innings in the previous day's rainout. The freshman backed up his honor of last week's Ivy League Pitcher of the Week by yielding just seven hits and walking nobody in his complete game victory. Even despite throwing four innings on Saturday, Reddy appeared to strengthen rather than tire in the late innings. "I don't think that he's that good. Gutshall's tougher," Seddon said. "But he's got good location and throws strikes. In the second game, Gutshall took the mound and his fantastic slider bewildered Penn batters all night. The Quakers struck out 11 as Gutshall scattered just three hits. Even though the Yale starter walked seven, his stuff was so strong that he escaped the game without yielding a run. On the other end, Penn starter Mike Greenwood could not get out of the first inning. Seddon was eventually forced to pull his senior left-hander after he allowed five runs to cross the plate in two -hirds of an inning. While Greenwood -- once the potential ace of Penn's rotation --struggled to get anyone out, junior middle reliever Ed Kimlin found a way to keep the Ivy's top hitting team off the base paths. Kimlin allowed no runs on just two hits in the final five-and-one-third innings of play. This outing will earn the junior from Alexandria, Va., more time on the mound as the Quakers make their stretch run at a playoff spot. "He definitely will step up," Seddon said. "Greenwood is struggling and that puts that fifth spot up for grabs." As the final weeks of the season approach, the Quakers post-season fate will rest largely on their pitching. If Penn hopes to contend with the class of the Ivy League, the Quaker starters will need to match pitchers like Reddy and Gutshall for a full seven innings.
(04/04/97 10:00am)
Penn junior Armen Simonian will see time at three positions this weekend. It's a good thing that Penn junior Armen Simonian learns quickly, because once again Quakers coach Bob Seddon is putting him to the test. Simonian, the team's pitching ace, has mastered many positions in the field since joining the Quakers. Last season, Simonian spent much of his time at third base when he was not on the mound. Late in the season, however, the 6'1'' right-hander made the move from the hot corner to second base. At the start of the 1997 campaign, Seddon again shifted Simonian -- this time to first, because the NCAA approved West Virginia transfer Glen Ambrosius' eligibility appeal. The result was more than Seddon could have hoped for, as he could now protect his star pitcher's arm from excess work. The move has paid off as the right-hander's 2.60 earned run average is the team's best. Last weekend, he hurled a complete game shutout against Columbia en route to his second Ivy League Pitcher of the Week title in as many weeks. But Simonian is on the move once again. The Emerson, N.J., native is scheduled to pitch the first game of Friday's home doubleheader against Dartmouth (4-6, 0-0 Ivy League). He will then play right field -- his fifth starting position as a Quaker -- in the second game. Seddon plans to use Simonian at right field again during Sunday's doubleheader against Harvard (5-6, 0-0), also at Bower Field. "At the beginning of the season I thought that I would be at third," Simonian said. "But I played some right field last year. The idea is to keep your main pitcher on the right side of the field." Simonian's versatility has made him, in Seddon's own words, "the most valuable player on our team." Batting out of the No. 2 slot, Ambrosius has been the ideal table setter for the Quakers. The newcomer leads the Red and Blue with six stolen bases and is second on the team in runs scored. Ambrosius was also batting a team-best .333 before going 0-for-8 from the plate in Wednesday night's 16-inning marathon loss to La Salle. "Since I've gotten here, [Seddon] has given me every opportunity to play," Ambrosius said. "That's all I can ask for. It's just been fun playing here so far." With the unquestionable success of the Ambrosius project, Seddon will press his luck by moving Simonian again -- now to the outfield, opening up a starting position for sophomore Russ Farscht. Farscht has emerged from deep on the Quakers' depth chart into a solid hitter. Since the season-opening tournament out West, Farscht has hit the cover off the ball -- leading the Quakers with a resounding .529 slugging percentage. Last night, while batting in the No. 3 slot in the order, the sophomore was one of only three Quakers to muster a base hit off La Salle starter Damian Derico. But despite his offensive success, Farscht, a natural first baseman, has struggled defensively in the outfield. If Simonian fares better at handling fly balls in the swirling winds of Bower Field, the Quakers will have improved their defense without losing Farscht's potent bat in the lineup. This weekend's twin bills against Dartmouth and Harvard, as always, will be one of the more important weekends in Penn's season. Last year, the Quakers (9-9-1, 2-1-1) made the trip North, winning three out of four and outscoring their opposition for the weekend, 37-10. But that does not mean that this weekend's game should be a cakewalk for Penn. Both teams have the upperhand on the Quakers in the all-time series. "When you play games out of division, you have to win the games," Seddon said. "There isn't any jockeying for position." Dartmouth coach Bob Whalen has developed his share of major-league talent over the years, including Astros catcher Brad Ausmus and Padres catcher Mark Johnson. This season the Big Green are led by Andrew Spencer, a left-handed hitting outfielder who has posted a .360 career batting average in three Ivy League seasons. Harvard, which won the Red Rolfe Division last season, features Peter Albers, the incumbent Ivy League Player of the Week. Albers, a powerful left-handed first baseman, batted .615 for the week. Over his four-year Ivy League career, the Harvard captain has been a very streaky hitter. When he is seeing the ball well, Albers is as dangerous as any hitter in the Ivies. "We are going to treat him like any other three or four hitter," Seddon said. "If need be, we aren't going to pitch to him. One player isn't going to beat us." The intended rotation this weekend is Simonian and A.B. Fischer against Dartmouth, followed by Mike Greenwood and Alex Hayden on Sunday. Seddon needs just one victory this weekend to capture his milestone 500th win. If Simonian's move to the outfield is effective, however, Penn could win three or four this weekend, putting them in prime position in the Lou Gehrig Division.
(03/19/97 10:00am)
The Quakers will keep an eye to the sky to see if bad weather will postpone their home opener against St. Joseph's. After struggling last week in California against nationally ranked opponents, the Penn baseball team is anxious to return home to Bower Field and face the less-talented St. Joseph's Hawks (4-7-1) this afternoon. Penn coach Bob Seddon is convinced that the Quakers' low batting average and high earned run average is more a testament to the strength of their opponents than a result of the loss of Mark DeRosa's clutch hitting and Mike Shannon's two-way heroics. "We played very high competition," Seddon said. "We could have played Dartmouth's schedule which isn't very impressive and just win some games." But an opponent tougher than any team they faced out west -- the weather -- may prevent the game from taking place. At the conclusion of yesterday's practice, the Quakers performed one additional drill -- unrolling the tarpaulin onto the field. The tarp will likely stay on the field all day tomorrow. Although Penn (3-6) is scheduled to take on St. Joseph's in their home opener at 3 p.m., forecasts call for a mixture of rain and snow. Seddon expects the storm to hit before his team can take the field. Even though the Quakers are anxious for their home opener, a rainout may work out to be a surprise blessing for the Red and Blue. If the skies hold up this afternoon, Seddon is faced with the dilemma of who to pitch. Each member of the four-man starting rotation, seniors Mike Greenwood and A.B. Fischer, junior Armen Simonian and sophomore Ray Broome, is slated to start one game this weekend. And the coaching staff is wary about sending one of the freshmen to the hill. So if the weather clears, the Penn coach will instead rely heavily on the bullpen to pitch the middle innings, with starters Fischer and Greenwood getting some work in the early innings. Travis Arbogast, Penn's closer, is slated for the ninth. Fischer earned a complete game victory in last week's 9-2 victory over Portland. The righthander should keep the Hawks off-balance with an assortment of off-speed and breaking pitches. The staff's ace, Greenwood will follow Fischer onto the mound. Greenwood got roughed up for seven earned runs in five innings last Monday against Cal State-Northridge. Despite the poor results, he was throwing all four of his pitches over the plate. "I was fairly satisfied with my performance," Greenwood said. "But not with the results." Arbogast has been hit hard this season, allowing seven earned runs in just four innings pitched. Last season, Arbogast earned Penn's Outstanding Rookie Award, posting a team-best 3.00 ERA in 21 innings pitched. Offensively, Seddon will not announce a starting lineup until he sees if the Hawks send a righty or lefty to the mound. But either way, the coach has kept the top five spots in the order more or less in tact thus far, with centerfielder Drew Corradini leading off, followed by third baseman Glen Ambrosius, Simonian at first base batting third, left fielder Jeremy Milken fourth, and shortstop Joe Carlon fifth. Two pleasant surprises for the Quakers have been Ambrosius' speed on the bases and the newfound pop in Carlon's bat. A transfer from West Virginia who will also play football, Ambrosius has been the sparkplug to the Quakers offense. Last season Penn was conservative on the base paths, with no player stealing more than six bags. Ambrosius has already been quite the thief this season, swiping four bases in his first nine games. As much as Ambrosius has surprised the Quakers with his foot speed, Carlon's increased bat speed was even less expected. Last season, Carlon hit just three home runs in 144 at-bats. But after spending the winter working out with the team's weight trainer, Rob Izza, it looks that Carlon will add some pop to the middle of the lineup. "It is a pretty intense weight training program," Carlon said. "As a team, our strength has increased, and I think it showed on our trip." Carlon already has matched his three long balls from last season in just 28 at-bats. If Carlon can keep up this pace, it will make up for some of Shannon or DeRosa's lost production. Today's scheduled contest will provide a strong indication of how the 1997 Quakers will fair in the Ivy League. The question now is if the weather will let this game be played.
(03/05/97 10:00am)
The Penn women's basketball team first faced Princeton in the 1974-75 season, when the Quakers lost a pair at the Jadwin Gymnasium, 44-35 and 43-39. Over the course of the past 22 years and 40 meetings, the Tigers have evolved from being just another Ivy League opponent into the Quakers' arch-rival and chief nemesis. Jadwin -- Princeton's home court -- is one of the few places where Penn coach Julie Soriero boasts a winning record (4-3). But over the years, the Tigers (6-19, 5-8 Ivy League) have pulled off their fair share of victories over Penn, including a 48-45 nailbiter last Tuesday at the Palestra. Penn trails 29-11 in the all-time series. This season, the rivalry between the two teams from opposite sides of the New Jersey Turnpike delves deeper than just conferences, location and past history. When Penn (6-19, 2-11) travels to Princeton tonight, the Quakers will meet a team that is nearly a mirror image of themselves. "I don't mind the challenge of playing a team like Princeton," Soriero said. "Even though they have five solid players, they are sporadic." Both the Quakers and the Tigers are young teams with unfulfilled expectations. At the season's start, Soriero hoped the Quakers would step things up to the .500 mark with the addition of Street and Smith Honorable Mention All-Americans Shelly Fogarty and Chelsea Hathaway to the starting line-up. But instead, Penn will need a win to match its three league wins of a year ago. Princeton coach Liz Feeley also thought her team could take it to the next level. The second-year Tigers coach recruited All-Ohio forward Erica Bowman and All-South Jersey center Leigh Washburn to Old Nassau with the hopes of building on last season's 9-5 league season. But instead the Tigers are just 5-8 this year, only good enough for sixth place in the Ancient Eight. The Tigers and Quakers are two of the Ivies most well-rounded teams. Both teams lack the one standout offensive force in a league dominated this season by individual performances. "It's for an element of pride and to shake off some frustrations," Soriero said. "Its not so much a must win but rather a chance to show that although we came up short, we've still come along way this year." Last Tuesday when these teams met, the Princeton full-court pressure gave the Quakers problems. But as the game progressed, the Tigers' pressure improved, and baskets became harder to come by for the Quakers, who shot just 26.8 percent from the field. "We worked on breaking the press a lot," Tarr said. "We expect them to come out with a full-court man-to-man press. It's not a hard press to break. we just have to take our time and make our cuts." This week in practice, the Quakers also worked on a press of their own. Rather than opening up with a traditional man-to-man defense, Penn will open in a three-quarter-court trap. The contest will also mark the end of the careers of Penn co-captains Tarr and Deana Lewis, the leaders of the Quakers team both on and off the court. But it won't be easy for the Quakers. Like her senior counterparts Tarr and Lewis, Princeton senior Kim Allen would like to end her career with a victory and will give it her best effort to avenge an 0-for-4 shooting effort last Tuesday.
(02/26/97 10:00am)
With just 0.2 seconds left in regulation, Penn senior Amy Tarr threw an inbounds pass from under her own basket to teammate Colleen Kelly. The junior shooting guard, in one motion, caught Tarr's feed and fired up a three-point attempt. But her heave clanked off the front of the rim, and Princeton (5-18 4-7 Ivy League) escaped from the Palestra with a narrow 48-45 victory. Kelly's shot -- which landed just a bit short -- is symbolic of how both last night's game and the season have gone for the Red and Blue, who fell to 6-17 overall and 2-9 in the Ivy League. "Too little, too late," is how Penn coach Julie Soriero described her team's play. Princeton headed into the locker room at the half clinging to a two-point lead, 23-21. But Old Nassau rattled off the first eight points after the intermission, and Penn never recovered. It wasn't until Kelly hit a trifecta with 5:01 left that the Quakers began to chip into the lead. Even then, the Red and Blue were never able to cut the deficit to three points. "You have to catch it and shoot it all in the same motion [with 0.2 left]," Kelly said. "I did that and it was just short of the rim." Defensively, Penn played one of its finest games of the season. Six different Quakers recorded a steal and Princeton centers turned the ball over eight times. After a Leigh Washburn turnover late in the first half, a perplexed Princeton coach Liz Feeley jumped up screaming, "Leigh, stop dribbling! Stop dribbling, damn it!" But offensively it was a different story for the Quakers. Penn shot 25.8 percent from the field in the first half and an equally putrid 27.6 percent after the break. Maldonado and Kelly -- Penn's leading scorers -- shot a combined 7-for-34. Tarr (2-for-3) was the only Quaker to shoot above the 50-percent mark. The Tigers' full-court pressure had a lot to do with the Quakers' inability to establish an offensive flow. But things were not much better for Penn at the foul line where, unguarded, they shot just five for 13 in the first half. "Princeton just outplayed us," Soriero said. "We work on our shooting and talk about intensity. Its a shame that in the first half we shot 40 percent [from the line]." Offensively, the Tigers were led by a pair of freshmen. Five-foot-10 guard Kate Thirolf scored 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Forward Erica Bowman chipped in 10 and five assists. Defensively, Princeton was led by Washburn, who blocked a career-high six shots in just 13 minutes off the bench. Six-foot-one starting center Lea Ann Drohan and Bowman added three more blocks each for the Tigers, who blocked 12 shots to the Quakers' four. "Shot blocking is like a last resort," Drohan said. "I don't go as a shot-block as my defense. It's a second effort." If there was a positive in last night's Quakers loss, it was the excellent play of co-captains Tarr and Deana Lewis in their final appearances at the Palestra. Tarr helped get the Quakers off to an auspicious start by firing an in-bounds pass to Kelly, in the game's opening seconds, who relayed it ahead to point guard Chelsea Hathaway for a wide-open lay-up. The 5-foot-9 guard played the roll of inbounder for the Quakers and also took control of much of the ball-handing duties, allowing Hathaway to post-up down low. "We thought that they were going to come out with pressure so we came out with the fly play," Tarr said. "After that, they backed off and let us get the ball in bounds." Lewis returned to Penn's starting lineup last night after coming off the bench in the Quakers' past three games. The 6-foot-1 center was unable to get an offensive game established against Drohan and Washburn, but she was excellent on the boards. Lewis pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds on a night when Maldonado was held to just 5. There were moments with Tarr and Lewis on the floor when the Quakers' offense started to click. Despite her poor shooting, Kelly gave the Quakers many second chances at the hoop with five offensive rebounds. Center Jen Houser swiped two balls off the glass in seven minutes. And forward Shelly Fogerty went for eight points in the second half.
(02/20/97 10:00am)
The final buzzer had sounded in the North Merrick-North Bellmore basketball league's season opener, but not a single person moved from his seat. It was a Sunday afternoon in December 1988. Before the game, parents wondered whose fifth- and sixth-grade boys were more talented. But when the game ended, it was a girl, to many fans' shock, the coach's daughter-- Chelsea Hathaway -- who stole the show -- scoring 17 points against her all-male competition. Eight years removed from the musty schoolhouse gym in North Merrick, N.Y., Hathaway currently serves as the point guard for the Penn women's basketball team. The frosh is still turning heads on the basketball court. At the point for Penn -- a team just 3-23 a year ago -- the newest Quaker has already helped the Red and Blue earn six victories. Stronger than most Ivy League women, the 5-foot-9 guard has found the knack for driving to the hole and breaking down opposing defenses. She is the blue-chip prospect that Penn coach Julie Soriero so desperately needed after losing All Big-5 center Natasha Rezek to graduation. It seems that not much has changed for Hathaway since her elementary school days, when she dominated the court at Old Mill. It appears like just another case of a great basketball player coming to a school with a losing record and helping to turn things around. But this, in fact, is not the case. It was a bumpy, winding road that brought Hathaway to Penn -- a road that included two junior highs and two high schools in a six-year span. And it's a road that Soriero hopes will end with Hathaway finding a four-year home at Penn. "We have a list of kids who are in the eighth grade right now, who when we can legally recruit them we will," Soriero said. "I first heard of Chelsea Hathaway in the middle of her junior year. I knew she had solid grades and was interested in us. I was at the AAU [Amateur Athletic Union] Tournament in Dallas, Texas, on July 1 and I remember calling [Hathaway] for the first time from outside a McDonald's restaurant. I spoke to her father for 40 minutes, and she was out playing basketball." It is no surprise that Chelsea's father, Brion Hathaway, kept Soriero on the phone for nearly an hour. The former AAU coach had steered his older daughter, Leslie, toward Lehigh 11 years prior, and then to Belgium, where she played professionally. He had taught Chelsea basketball from the time she was 3-years-old and was willing to do anything -- and move anywhere -- to give Chelsea the chance to compete in basketball. "After every game, Chelsea calls her dad," Hathaway's roommate, Jen Houser said. "They always talk extensively about the game." Chelsea started playing competitive basketball in the AAU league, which her father describes as a "Junior Olympic-type program." She then played junior high school ball at Salk -- before moving to Farmingdale, and then back to Salk. "Part of the reason why we switched from Salk was tennis," Brion Hathaway said. "Chelsea was also a big-time tennis player and it was partly because of the commitment to tennis." When Hathaway graduated from junior high, she enrolled in St. Mary's, a Catholic school on Long Island with a reputation for basketball excellence. The two-sport high school star was ranked No. 2 on Long Island in tennis and started immediately on varsity in basketball. In just two years, Hathaway had made herself one of the standout athletes on Long Island. But she began to worry that she was getting better and the competition wasn't. So, after Chelsea's sophomore year of high school, the Hathaway family picked up and moved again. This time, the Hathaways left Long Island in favor of Queens, N.Y., where the family had lived when Chelsea was born. This enabled Hathaway to attend Christ the King -- New York state champions seven years in a row, and the same school that Leslie attended 11 years before. "I don't have the same history as most kids," Hathaway said. "I'm glad to get to sample a lot of schools." Although Hathaway arrived in the top-flight basketball program, there was a place in the rotation waiting for her when she arrived. Head coach Vincent Cannizaro knew Brion Hathaway from their coaching days in AAU. He coached Chelsea briefly in junior high at AAU and remembered her as both a competitor on the court, and before that, as the 3-year old who followed Leslie around to all of her games. In her junior year at Christ the King, Cannizaro played Hathaway off the bench at four different positions but primarily at power forward. Surrounded by high-caliber players, the future Quaker took her game to the next level -- improving her passing and rebounding. But it was a difficult transition from St. Mary's to the improved competition at Christ the King. And whenever things would get difficult for Hathaway on the court, she would spend time with her pets. "All the times when things were bad, Chelsea would spend time with her dogs," her father said. "She loved to teach them new tricks." The following season, when Hathaway had become acclimated to the setting at Christ the King, Cannizaro inserted her as a starter, switching between power forward and point guard -- a position that gave Chelsea the power to run the show. She responded by averaging 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game -- helping Christ the King to a No. 2 finish in the nation. By the start of her senior basketball season at Christ the King, however, the pressure was off the Street and Smith Honorable Mention All-American, who had accepted early decision to play basketball at Penn, and still enjoyed playing tennis in the spring. Throughout high school, Hathaway had moved around from place to place to help foster her athletic career. But when it came time to make a college decision, the standout high school player did not to let a basketball team's record affect her decision. "I didn't pick a basketball school," Hathaway said. "I looked at Ivy League schools. I chose a school that I wanted to go to. I just wanted to make any contribution that I could to the team." For Soriero, the successful recruitment of Chelsea Hathaway provides hope that even at an Ivy League school -- where scholarships are prohibited -- there's still the opportunity to recruit a player from one of the elite high schools. Hathaway joins freshmen Shelly Fogarty and Jen Houser as the foundation for future Quakers teams. And while the Red and Blue will likely not rise to No. 2 in the nation like Christ the King, Hathaway may help the Quakers rise to the top of the Ancient Eight. In return, Hathaway hopes to find a home -- about the only thing that the 5-foot-9 guard is yet to experience -- for the next four years in the Quakers backcourt.
(02/20/97 10:00am)
This week's edition of Ivy Roundup is dedicated to those three refs who "officiated" last Saturday's Penn-Yale game. Well, they can call it officiating if they want, but then again they can call SUNY-Ithaca an Ivy League college. Who's to stop them? The Phantom Foul of the Week We at Roundup don't know, maybe the refs wanted to celebrate the centennial matchup between Penn and Yale, because their officiating screwed things up enough to send the Ivies backward 100 years. The problem was neither Owens nor Lyren committed a foul. The only thing foul on the court was Yale center Daniel Okonkwo's haircut. Come on, Roundup knows it was throwback weekend, but Philadelphia hasn't seen a full-grown afro since Julius Erving retired. The refs should have thrown a 'T' on Okonkwo. And another on his barber, and one on Gabriel Sargent Hunterton. And what the hell, one on his parents for giving him the middle-name of Sargent (if you don't believe that's his middle name, check out www.yale.edu. Roundup can't make this stuff up.) "I thought the officiating was good," Sargent said via phone. But look at the source. If Hunterton says the refs were good, that just proves they SUCK. The Wrecking Ball of the Week By the way, Princeton is tearing down Palmer Stadium, home of 80 years of football. Show's how much they respect the Ivies. Could you see Penn tearing down Franklin Field? Of course not. They don't tear down stadiums at real Ivy League schools. But since it's Princeton, Roundup says bring on the wrecking ball! But why stop with Palmer Stadium? An intrepid Roundup staffer called Tom from Admiral Awards, the company involved with tearing down the stadium and -- get this -- selling it off piece by piece. Roundup wonders who would buy a brick from Princeton's football stadium when Brian Earl will just shoot one up for you? Actually, let's keep with the spirit and set the wrecking ball lose on the Jadwin Gymnasium while we are in the "let's destroy what sucks" mood. "I don't usually work in that field," Tom said. "Call back tomorrow." By the way, any Penn student looking for a community service project, the wrecking ball is still at Old Ivy and its just an hour trip from Penn. And nobody guards the ball at night when the dorks are in studying ( disclaimer: Roundup will take no responsibility for any freshman who follows through on my suggestion. But we will find it funny). Before Roundup decided that nobody would buy a brick, however, we checked with our new "friend", Sargent. "Honestly, I didn't know they had another gym," the Annoying One said, "But you find out that you are almost always wrong." Good filler, Sarge. I 'll recommend you be promoted to lieutenant. The Whipping Boys of the Week Finally, we move from sucks to sucks worse and take a look at the ever- so-talented Brown Grizzly Bears. The Quakers took mercy on this Lehigh-esque team with Vigor's younger brother and only beat them by 11. But Dunphy suited up the entire JV team just in case he wanted to make things a little bit more challenging. Unfortunately,. there's more talent on Penn JV than Brown. Brown vs. Row 5 Chairbacks Seats 8-13 would be a better matchup. And even then, Roundup favors the chairbacks to win in a nailbiter. That's all for this zany edition. We at Roundup hope the refs from the Yale game enjoyed reading this -- maybe now they'll have half a clue about Ivy hoops.
(02/19/97 10:00am)
Things have not gone well for the Penn women's basketball team lately. After back-to-back losses at Brown and Yale this weekend, the Quakers' losing streak stands at five. Penn coach Julie Soriero was irked enough by her team's play that she pulled starters Shelly Fogarty, Colleen Kelly and Deana Lewis from the lineup on Saturday night against the Elis. "The problem has been consistency," Soriero said. "I don't have any idea yet who is going to start this weekend." Penn's shooting has gone ice cold. Granted, Kelly -- the Quakers' long-range bomber -- is suffering from the after-effects of a concussion. And Fogarty has been playing for weeks with a bone bruise on her knee. But there is no explanation why the Quakers -- fifth in the Ivies in shooting percent at 40.6 percent -- have hovered around the 34 percent mark over the past four games. · But every cloud has its silver lining. For the Quakers, hope comes in the form of junior power forward Michelle Maldonado, who throughout the Red and Blue's five-game losing streak has remained top five in Division I rebounding at 10.8 boards per game. "I think its a real tribute to Michelle," Soriero said. "If you are the coach and you know that someone on the other team is ranked in rebounding, you will do anything to keep this kid off the boards." The 5-foot-10 forward was a question mark heading into the season. Injuries limited her to just 456 total minutes on the hardwood during her first two seasons. As a result, Maldonado averaged just 4.1 boards per game over her first two seasons. But the forward showed promise after returning to the Quakers lineup late last season, pulling down an auspicious 12 rebounds in Penn's 73-58 victory over Columbia. As a result, when Soriero learned her 6-foot-4 center, Carrie Fleck, was taking a year off from school, Maldonado earned a chance to start at power forward for Penn. Since the season opener against St. Francis, Penn's power forward has been simply unstoppable on the boards. Throughout the Quakers' entire five-game losing streak -- a streak marked by inconsistent play -- the one constant has been Maldonado's 10 boards each night. "A lot of [rebounding] comes from being in the right place at the right time," Maldonado said. "While the ball is in the air, you keep moving your feet and realize where it is really quick. Then you make a huge leap." This may sound simple, but Maldonado's task is especially difficult since she also is the No. 1 option in the Quaker offense. As the Red and Blue's leading scorer (15.4 points per game), Maldonado often waits for the ball behind the perimeter. This increases the distance she must travel quickly to pull an offensive board off the glass. · The future looks bright for Penn. Although co-captains Lewis and Amy Tarr will be lost to graduation, the Quakers nucleus of Maldonado, Kelly, Fogerty and point guard Chelsea Hathaway will return. In addition, Street and Smith Honorable Mention All-Americans Diana Caramanico and Chandra Nelson were admitted to Penn early decision. Both players will play for Soriero next season. Caramanico and Nelson, both 6-foot-1, will add some size to a small Quakers line-up. Caramanico is currently the leading scorer and rebounder at Germantown Academy, where she plays both guard and forward. Nelson is the Potomac Conference's top scorer at 17.7 points per game. Like Caramanico, the Tucker County High School star is also strong on the boards, averaging 9.0 rebounds per contest. Also accepting early decision to Penn are 6-foot-3 center Jessica Allen and 5-foot-8 guard Claire Cavanaugh. Among this season's freshman class, just one frosh, Hathaway, was accepted early decision.
(02/17/97 10:00am)
The Quakers are 0-4 on the road in the Ivies this season. Don't expect the Penn women's basketball team to make travel plans anytime soon. This weekend's road trip to Providence, R.I., and New Haven, Conn., has reminded the Quakers that there's no place like home. Penn (6-14, 2-6 Ivy League) began the Ivy League season by splitting its first four games at the Palestra. But since the Red and Blue have ventured away from their own hardwood, the wins have ceased. With this weekend's losses at Brown (12-9, 7-2) and Yale (8-14, 4-6), the Quakers fell to 0-4 on the road in the Ivies. On Friday night, Brown guard Vita Redding welcomed the Quakers to the Pizzitola Center with a shooting clinic. The nation's No. 3 scorer bucketed 12 of 27 shots from the field for a game-high 25 points. Redding's 15 second-half points proved to be the difference, as the Bears pulled away to an 81-64 victory. Redding's performance, however, was not to be outdone by her teammate and scoring counterpart, Liz Turner. The Bears forward nailed 12 of her 21 points in the first half to help Brown build a 45-40 at the break. In the second half, Turner cooled, but Redding -- like the Energizer Bunny -- kept on going. And on the other end, no Quaker could hit her shots. The Pizzitola Center rims apparently tightened on the Quakers, who shot just 25.7 percent after intermission. Penn forward Michelle Maldonado -- who led the way with 16 first-half points -- shot just two of 10 from the field in the second half. And Chelsea Hathaway, Colleen Kelly and Shelly Fogarty shot a combined two for 13. In an ideal world, Penn coach Julie Soriero would have just clicked her heels together three times and returned the Quakers to the more friendly confines of the Palestra. But instead, Saturday night at Yale, Soriero attempted to change the Quakers' road luck by adding three new faces to the starting lineup. Junior Hope Smith made her second start of the season at shooting guard, while senior co-captain Amy Tarr and sophomore walk-on Hadley Perkins debuted in the frontcourt. Despite the changes, a pair of foul shots by Yale's Katy Grubbs and Katie O'Leary put the Elis ahead to stay, 61-58. But Saturday night at Yale's John J. Lee Amphitheater saw the emergence of Perkins as a force for the Quakers. In her first career start, the 5-foot-11 forward paced the Quakers with three-for-seven shooting from the field. The sophomore also grabbed a career-high seven rebounds, including four on the offensive end. "I expected to be a bench player," Perkins said. "I knew that I would have to work very hard because I was a walk-on." Perkins's strong play inside the paint complemented well with Maldonado, who shot 7-for-8 from the field and added 10 rebounds in 31 minutes. Lewis also contributed up front, with six points and five rebounds in just 15 minutes on the floor. Part of the Quakers' success up front can be attributed to their point guard. Hathaway had little trouble getting the ball down low against the Elis. The freshman finished with eight assists, while turning the ball over just once. But neither Smith nor Tarr could add a spark to the offense, while Kelly and Fogerty responded poorly to their benching -- shooting a combined 2-for-18. In the second half, Elis forward Katy Grubbs scored 15 of her 27 points, as the Elis began to pull away. This weekend, the Quakers return home to the Palestra to face Harvard and Dartmouth. There is no doubt that now the Penn women's basketball team will appreciate their own home court now more than ever.