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(07/23/98 9:00am)
There are those who have no idea what the UA is or does -- i.e. 90 percent of the student body; those who couldn't care less about what it does (the administration); and finally, you have your other branches of student government, who like to obsess over every little thing the UA does or doesn't do. So, who's to blame for all of this? Well, it all depends on who you talk to. For those pre-frosh not yet acquainted with the wonderful world of Penn politics, here's lesson number one: there is always someone to blame. And remember this next rule, you must always, always complain about something, but never, ever do anything about it. When in doubt, just pass the blame on. In the last few semesters, this blame passing has become so prevalent that it is now the official "sport" of the student government here at Penn, and the cycle begins anew with each Sunday night UA meeting. Members of the body may spend an entire 50-minute session debating and voting on an issue, only to have the resulting resolution completely disregarded by both their fellow students and the administration. For example, when the UA passed a resolution in February opposing the vending ordinance the University had recently submitted to City Council, it had absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the decision process. In fact, vending has been severely limited on campus due to the same bill that the UA voted to oppose ("UA criticizes U. over vending ordinance," DP, 2/17/98). With no evident progress from week to week, the UA is touted as "ineffective" and the search for a scapegoat begins. While the UA faults the administration for not taking student views into account, it's hard to blame University President Judith Rodin for choosing to ignore the advice of a body which is a fairly homogenous and an inaccurate representation of the student body. And the mud-slinging simply can't end there, as non-Greek members of student government point to the heavy Greek presence on the UA as the underlying reason behind the body's general futility, further dividing the campus among already pronounced partisan lines. Well, for once, maybe, just maybe, no one is at fault. Try as it may, without fundamental changes, the UA will never be able to achieve the necessary results to placate its critics. In its role as an advisory board without any direct legislative power, the UA -- and its student body constituents -- are at the mercy of the administration and will never have a real voice in the issues that matter. The current infrastructure of the UA is simply not effective, but unfortunately, the remedy is out of the hands of its members. The only road to empowerment for the UA is to get one of its members appointed to the body where the real decisions are made -- the University Board of Trustees. In 1994, the Board of Trustees approved the appointment of four non-elected Pennsylvania officials in return for $35 million in state funding. So, if the the state can have a four-fold say in University issues, why can't we the students, who pay hundreds of millions a year in tuition, have just one voice?
(06/11/98 9:00am)
Despite the advent of a Spectaguard bike patrol, fewer guards raise concerns about campus safety. Now, Spectaguard officers will join the ranks of Penn Police and University City District safety ambassadors who use bicycles to look out for crime and increase residents' feelings of safety. But the strategy will only be effective if the simultaneous cuts in Spectaguard's walking force do not serve to make the campus and community less safe. Students and other community residents have not only grown accustomed to seeking Spectaguards in the areas where they live, but the security officers' very presence is viewed by many as a sign of safety. Walking around campus in the middle of the night, it is not uncommon to see at least one Spectaguard on patrol. And that's the way it should be. Crime has, in general, seen a consistent marked decrease since the fall 1996 crime wave. It would be a shame if cutbacks now made criminals feel welcome in the area around campus. We should not have to wait for another string of robberies in order to have the proper number of Spectaguards. Hopefully, the new Spectaguard bike patrol will fill the void by allowing guards to be more mobile and cover a greater amount of space in less time. But if that is not the case, we encourage the Division of Public Safety to bring back additional guards.
(06/01/98 9:00am)
Evanston, Illinois "This one is very gratifying," Baker said after the game. "You've got the icing on the cake, and then you put a little extra on it." The Quakers (14-5, 5-2 Ivy League) sent a message to the Ivy League and the entire region by capturing the ECAC title for 1997 with wins over Dartmouth and Yale at Rhodes Field on the final weekend of the regular season, November 15 and 16. "Our program has arrived," Baker said. "People are going to look and say Penn is a quality team." The Red and Blue's 2-1 victory in the championship game was especially sweet because it was against the Elis (12-6-1, 5-2). Two weeks before in New Haven, Conn., Yale ended the Quakers' hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, handing Penn a devastating 4-3 loss. The last game with the Elis was Penn's chance to get revenge. "Beating Yale was redemption for us," Penn co-captain Tina Cooper said, "since losing to them was the reason we didn't get in the NCAA Tournament." The first half of the 2-1 victory over the Elis belonged to the Quakers. Penn outshot Yale 9-2 before the intermission and had several opportunities to score. "Our main objective was to come out hard the first 20 minutes," Penn midfielder Kelli Toland said. Yale finally began to threaten 30 minutes into the first half. Until that point, Penn goalie Annie Kluetmeier had not been seriously challenged. Within two minutes, however, Kluetmeier was knocked to the ground twice when she came out to punch dangerous Yale crosses. Kluetmeier, who had missed 2 1/2 weeks before this weekend due to concussions, was slow getting up. The junior goalie stayed in the game after the first fall. The second knock, however, was too much for her. "Everyone in the league knows Yale is a dirty team," Cooper said. "It pissed us off that they would crack her like that." Baker refused to "speculate" on the intentions of the Yale players. "Whether it was deliberate or not, they didn't hold back," Baker said. "I think she suffered a concussion on the first [hit] and the second one just knocked her more loopy." Amy Jodoin, who had started three games in Kluetmeier's absence, came off the bench for the injured starter and played the rest of the match, recording four saves. After controlling the game for 35 minutes, the Quakers finally broke through with a goal off a corner kick set up by Jill Callaghan. Penn forward Andrea Callaghan, who was named the tournament's MVP, put away the rebound from a shot by Penn defender Ashley Kjar. "We were all over them [in the first half]," Baker said. "We were unfortunate not to be up by more than a goal." The Quakers put more distance between themselves and the Elis with a goal six minutes after halftime. The second half was more evenly matched than the Penn-dominated first half. Yale's offense came to life with eight shots. The Elis, however, failed to capitalize on the increased chances until the last 10 minutes. The championship game marked the last in the career of Penn senior Darah Ross. Penn's leading career scorer ended four years of being on a team that has traditionally been the doormat of the Ivy League with the biggest win in the program's history. "It was that much better to have [Ross] leave with a win in a championship," Jodoin said. Penn advanced to yesterday's championship game with its second win over Dartmouth (10-8-2, 5-2) this season on Saturday. The 1-0 win looked as if it would go to overtime with five minutes left. But then Stevens beat three Big Green defenders and forced a corner kick when her shot was tipped over the crossbar by Dartmouth goalie Kristen Luckenbill. The ensuing corner kick bounced to Konstanteras, a Penn midfielder, who rifled a shot to the left side of the goal. Luckenbill was able to make the save, but deflected it toward the middle of the open net. Stevens was there to put away the loose ball. Penn, Yale and Dartmouth came into the tournament tied for second in the Ivy League. With victories over both teams, the Quakers established themselves as the second best team in the Ivy League, behind Harvard. Winning the title in its first postseason tournament ever, the youthful Quakers, who started five freshmen in the tournament games, have a lot to look forward to in the future. "We hope this will be a stepping stone to bigger and better things," Cooper said. But for right now, Penn can enjoy the extra sweet taste of an ECAC championship.
(06/01/98 9:00am)
St. Paul's High School '97 West Barnstable, Mass. Following a term characterized by divisiveness, excessive absences and what some consider to be a general lack of productivity, members of the new Undergraduate Assembly hope to accomplish much of what their predecessors seemed to let fall by the wayside. Although UA members and other student leaders cited several positive aspects of the outgoing body's tenure, the 1997-98 group had a relatively short list of accomplishments. At the end of their term in April, UA leaders listed progress in obtaining new recreation facilities and dining options among the successful causes the body had championed over the past year. But other issues, such as increasing Spectaguard hours to allow parties to stay open longer, took up hours of meeting time without resulting in any real progress. Despite a relative lack of accomplishments, then-College junior and former UA Vice Chairperson Samara Barend defended the UA last year, explaining that the body's lack of legislative power makes it difficult to affect change. "I think the root of the problem is that the [students and administration] expect that each UA meeting should produce big results -- it just doesn't happen that way," Barend said. "Our meetings are more about communication and ideas." Last September, members outlined a number of goals for the UA: increasing its visibility, becoming more inclusive of other student groups and working on more concrete objectives. According to then-College junior and former UA Chairperson Noah Bilenker, his assembly made some progress in these areas but still had a ways to go. Despite the UA's collaboration with the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education to set up "leadership luncheons" which bring together student leaders from many other student groups, he acknowledged there is still the need for more interaction between different student groups. Barend also emphasized the need for more "outside" input, particularly from those who are not involved in student government at all. Another issue facing last year's UA was the overwhelming presence of Greek members -- approximately 20 -- in the body following the spring 1997 elections. Many members of the University community feared that Greek issues would dominate the agenda. And as attendance problems plagued the body last winter, some members blamed the absences on Greek rush and pledge events. Although several Greek-related initiatives, such as the request for increased Spectaguard hours were introduced, UA members said the Greek presence did not overshadow other issues. "I don't think [Greeks] really influenced the agenda," Barend said. "A positive thing that actually came out of it in that the UA has established a better relationship with the [InterFraternity Council] and [the Panhellenic Council] than ever in the past." But then-Wharton senior and former Student Activities Council Chairperson Steve Schorr, a former UA treasurer, said he was disappointed with the assembly's allocation of $30,000 to the IFC in March.The decision to fund the IFC's "Greek Weekend" and other events effectively removed $30,000 from SAC's budget, which goes to fund different student groups. "One of the more unfortunate things about this year's UA is that they followed through on their promise to give money to the Greek system," Schorr said in March. "They've never done that in the past and it really hurt many groups in SAC." Three weeks after the UA voted to allocate funding to the IFC, a group of students decided to protest the decision, asking that the $30,000 instead be used to finance SAC events. The Nominations and Elections Committee, which runs UA elections, added a referendum to the ballot in the UA elections, which took place at the beginning of April. The referendum allowed the student body to decide how the money was to be allocated. But at a hearing following the elections in April, the NEC invalidated the referendum, claiming that the campaign for the measure had violated the rules governing election publicity. The referendum was thrown out because the NEC agreed with then-College junior and IFC President Josh Belinfante's claim that SAC's publicity in favor of the referendum consisted of "half-truths, extortions and dishonest statements." The NEC also disqualified 10 UA candidates for various violations of the rules governing elections. Nine out of 12 UA incumbents were re-elected, while 18 of the 25 total seats went to Greek candidates. The election saw the highest voter turnout in several years -- at least 33 percent of full-time students -- according to NEC officials. There was more controversy later in April when the new UA convened to nominate and elect its executive board. The race between the three candidates for chairperson -- Barend, then-College sophomore and former UA treasurer Bill Conway and then-College junior Jeremy Katz -- was closely watched due to rumors that Katz, a Zeta Beta Tau brother, had solicited votes from the nine other ZBT brothers recently elected to the UA. However, fraternity ties ultimately proved insufficient to elect Katz, as Conway managed to edge him out after an unprecedented five ballots. Barend was eliminated from the race in the first vote. Then-College freshman Mike Bassik won the position of vice chairperson; then College freshman Jonathan Glick ran unopposed for treasurer. Then-College freshman Allison Hersh beat out then-College freshman Melanie Liebner for secretary, formerly held by then-College sophomore Sara Shenkan; and then-College junior David King was elected University Council representative.
(05/28/98 9:00am)
The lure was the challenge of joining the efforts begun by Managing Director of Public Safety Tom Seamon and Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush in responding to the 1996 crime wave. In addition, there was the formidable task of trying to minimize crime in a unique setting -- an Ivy League institution in an urban environment. The responses the managing director and the chief of police arrived at combined textbook solutions with several imaginative ideas necessary for issues indigenous to the campus and the surrounding area. Those responses included increasing the number of uniform police and detectives and, more importantly, elevating the hiring standards and improving in-service training and initiating a special response team and a bicycle patrol to increase mobility and visibility of uniform police officers in areas with the highest potential for crime. Physical and technological changes such as improved lighting, enhanced blue-light emergency phones and building access control improvements on campus, as well as the new police headquarters and a completely revamped communications center, will equip the department with cutting edge crime-fighting tools. Reaching out to the community through the special services division, a PAL center, the liaison between the college houses and the police and the University City District have helped as well. If I were to rattle these aggressive changes off in answer to a question on a police exam, it would be laughed at as an idealistic wish-list. But -- go figure -- it worked! Crime, especially violent crime, is down significantly. The word is definitely out in the criminal grapevine. (Yes, there really is a criminal grapevine!) Penn is no longer a target-rich environment. If you commit crime here, chances are you will be arrested on the spot, and, if not, the detective unit will probably identify and apprehend you later. However, all of these cutting-edge improvements are worthless if students, staff and faculty don't assume their share of personal responsibility -- ranging from not leaving items unattended and locking doors behind you to using common sense when walking about late at night. I have seen much improvement in these area, as well. But I was surprised to see how large a role alcohol plays in many student-related incidents. An overwhelming percentage of student-on-student violence this year involved alcohol abuse. Especially frightening were the number of serious hospital cases involving alcohol poisoning. We were fortunate no one died. Several times, alert and caring friends saved another student's life. In one instance in particular, a graduate fellow decided to have a student transported to the hospital after the lad nodded out several seconds after they spoke. The student was near death when admitted, and it is clear that the GF's concern saved the student's life. It is so important to watch your own intake as well as your mates'; the person who you think is just passing out may be approaching respiratory arrest. It's better to be safe than sorry. When in doubt, call the police. To make a long story longer, I haven't one regret. It has been an interesting and exciting year. I had the opportunity to plan for and meet Chinese President Jiang Zemin, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former President Jimmy Carter and Robert Redford. I have to admit that I miss working the street a little bit. Firearms trafficking investigation was exciting (sometimes a little too exciting) and, I felt, very important. I didn't know what to expect working at a college campus, but the adrenaline rush of a chase or an arrest has been replaced by additional responsibility and the enjoyment of meeting so many great people. I still get a buzz from walking around campus meeting the people at Penn -- students, faculty, staff and neighbors. It is the best part of my job. I especially enjoy attending those campus events that mark personal milestones for students, from Convocation through Commencement. The administration works tirelessly to plan and stage these events, and when done right they seem effortless. It's a lot of work, but the look of excitement in the eyes of participating students is invigorating and makes it all worthwhile. The idea of turning this area into a hub of activity is very exciting as well, with Sansom Common, new restaurants and bars, movie theaters, housing and schools. Since I have a background in education, I especially like the idea of improving the neighborhood schools to attract home-renters and owners. In addition to moving to the new Public Safety building, I look forward to working with the revamped communications center and obtaining additional crime-fighting tools such as a photo-imaging machine linking Penn with the city's criminal photo database and a system which will give us the capability to process paperwork here, and interview victims and witnesses on campus as well. It's a great time to be here experiencing a little bit of history. I am looking forward to next year already.
(04/22/98 9:00am)
The Daily Northwestern EVANSTON, Ill. (U-WIRE) -- Wearing a double-breasted navy blazer, olive slacks and a terse expression, former Northwestern men's basketball player Kenneth Lee pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago to charges related to point shaving during the 1994-95 season. Also on Monday, Judge Charles Norgle Sr. scheduled another status hearing in the cases of former NU basketball player Dewey Williams and alleged gambler Brian Irving for May 4. In court, Irving's attorney, Gene Steingold, raised the possibility that his client would settle the case out of court. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins confirmed that fact but declined further comment. Lee, 24, of Louisville, Ky., entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit sports bribery. After Monday's arraignment, Lee was released on a $4,500 personal recognizance bond. Lee is expected to testify against Williams and Irving in exchange for the government's recommendation for a reduced sentence. In a separate case, Lee may also testify against former NU football player Brian Ballarini. According to the grand jury's original indictment, Ballarini allegedly threatened Lee with physical harm if Lee did not pay off gambling debts owed to Ballarini. As part of his plea agreement, Lee also agreed to cooperate with the FBI and NCAA for up to five years on programs designed to educate students and athletes about the dangers of gambling. Without a recommendation for downward departure by prosecutors, Lee could face from 10 to 16 months in prison. As part of his plea agreement, Lee agreed to postpone his sentencing until after all other trials related to the case are concluded. Lee and his attorney, Paul Wagner, left the Dirksen Federal Building through as secured exit and could not be reached for comment. Prosecutors, though, said the guilty plea was significant. "Now we have the first student-athlete involved in this conspiracy pleading guilty," Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Vogel said. "From that standpoint, we now have people on both sides of the scheme." Lee is the second man to plead guilty to charges of plotting to fix three NU basketball games in February and March 1995. On April 9, Kevin Pendergast, the scheme's alleged ringleader, also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sports bribery. In their respective plea agreements, Pendergast and Lee each admitted to having participated in an arrangement whereby Lee would ensure that NU lost selected games by more than the posted point spreads in exchange for cash payments from Pendergast. Lee averaged just 6.3 points in the three fixed games, well below his 13.1 scoring average in Big 10 games that season. And despite being NU's best three-point shooter that year, Lee converted only 1-of-8 shots from beyond the arc in the three games in question. Moreover, Lee admitted to having recruited Williams and another teammate -- unindicted co-conspirator Matthew Purdy -- to help with the point shaving scheme in exchange for cash payoffs. On March 1, 1995, with Pendergast and other gamblers having bet up to $20,000 on the game, the Cats lost to Michigan by less than the posted point spread and, from there, the scheme unravelled. Prosecutors said that on or around the date of the Michigan game was the last time Lee and Pendergast were in contact. Lee began cooperating with the government's investigation in June 1997. "From the government's standpoint, gambling has become a serious problem on college campuses," Vogel said. "It's particularly dangerous because students have access to other student-athletes. How many people can approach Michael Jordan -- not many."
(03/04/98 10:00am)
By Brett Cohen Throughout the season, Penn has lived and died by the three point shot. When the Quakers struggled from the outside, their offense falls apart. Two weeks ago at Princeton's Jadwin Gymnasium, Penn's offense was shut down as its outside shooters failed to hit the big shots. The Quakers found themselves in a similar situation last night against the Tigers. Nineteen minutes into the game, the Red and Blue had managed only 19 points to Princeton's 37. Penn, the second best three point shooting team in the country, was missing its outside chances, whether or not they were open looks. The difference last night, however, was that the Quakers rediscovered an inside game to push the eighth ranked Tigers to overtime before falling 78-72. "It seemed like they watched tapes from last time," Princeton center Steve Goodrich said. "They saw us kinda playing zone and they said 'screw it, lets play our man offense and get the ball inside.' " It was more by necessity than choice that Penn coach Fran Dunphy resorted to his inside game. The Tigers, who boast the nation's top scoring defense, were once again forcing Penn's top shooters out of their rhythm. Matt Langel and Garett Kreitz combined to go 2-for-13 from three-point range, including 0-for-6 in the first half. "If you look up the season stats, Princeton does not give up high-percentage shots from outside," Dunphy said. "They were not giving up good looks." In the previous game at Princeton, the Quakers were unable to consistently get the ball into the hands of forward Paul Romanczuk, even though he went 4-for-5 from the field. This time around, Romanczuk proved to be an unstoppable force down low, using a variety of post moves en route to 22 points -- including 17 after break. "We needed an inside presence," Dunphy said. "Paul is our most consistent inside scorer, but we need to develop another scorer down there." Penn may have found a promising inside scorer for next season in junior George Mboya, who played his most inspired offensive game since arriving at Penn. Playing within the Quakers' offensive scheme and picking his spots, the 6'6" forward scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. Together, he and Romanczuk scored 16 points in a 25-7 run that tied the game at 44. "We would like George to be that active all the time," Dunphy said. "He is not the most comfortable offensive player." The Quakers inside game was also reflected in Penn's best seasonal performance on the glass -- racking up 12 offensive rebounds to only two for Princeton. The Quakers' physical play down low led to 17 critical second chance points that allowed Penn to remain close to the Tigers. "In a close game, everybody starts to play tighter," Goodrich said. "Anything can happen." Goodrich learned that the unpredictable can happen, as he picked up four personal fouls in a span of seven minutes in the second half. Romanczuk played as if he was possessed, aggressively attacking Goodrich to score a lay-up or force the foul call. Goodrich scored 33 points in 36 minutes for Princeton, but his foul trouble forced him to the bench for eight minutes late in the game. "Obviously our inside game helped us get Goodrich out of there," Dunphy said. When Goodrich was in the game, he proved to be nearly unstoppable. At one point, he had 18 points to Penn's 19. But Mboya effectively limited Goodrich's production in the second half, holding him to only three shots and denying the entry pass down low. When Mboya fouled out with five minutes to go, Goodrich was able to reassert himself as an inside presence. "Mboya going out of the game was critical for us," Dunphy said. Penn saw its chances to pull out the game vanish when Romanczuk followed Mboya to the bench halfway through overtime when he fouled out. After that point, the Quakers were unable to return to their post game in an effort to get Goodrich out of the game. Princeton coach Bill Carmody instructed his center to keep himself in front of Romanczuk and force the Quakers to pass over him. The strategy worked throughout the end of regulation and overtime, allowing Princeton's top player to remain on the court while three Quakers fouled out. "One of the things that you have to look at is that they did a tremendous job fronting Paul down low," Dunphy said. "They wouldn't let him get the ball down low." On a night when Penn's perimeter couldn't find its rhythm, the post play of Romanczuk and Mboya kept the Quakers in the game. Unfortunately, their foul trouble in the final minutes was one of the key factors that prevented Penn from completing the upset.
(02/19/98 10:00am)
The Associated Press Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, under pressure to bring New York City's crime-fighting success to Philadelphia, appointed a former New York deputy police commissioner to lead the city's 6,000-member force yesterday. Rendell announced the appointment of John Timoney just five days after the resignation of Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Neal, who was badgered by increasing criticism from City Council members and state representatives who wanted to see a focus on drug dealing and nuisance crimes. ''[Timoney is] a policeman's policeman and a cop's cop,'' Rendell said. ''I thought we were at a critical juncture in the future of the city's Police Department." Timoney, the brogue from his native Ireland still clear in his speech, said he will be a hand's-on commissioner, learning the force by walking the streets, riding in cruisers and showing up in districts in the middle of the night. ''I think the next 22 months are going to be a lot of fun,'' he said. Philadelphia consistently falls among the top 10 safest largest cities in the country but has fallen short of New York's success in the past several years, according to FBI statistics. Major crime -- which includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and car theft -- dropped about 14 percent from 1995 to 1996 in Philadelphia. Timoney quit the New York police last March one day after Mayor Rudolph Giuliani appointed former Fire Commissioner Howard Safir as police commissioner. Timoney, apparently bitter about not getting the job left by his mentor, William Branton, described Safir as a ''lightweight.'' In choosing Timoney, Rendell passed on at least two Philadelphia candidates: Deputy License and Inspections Commissioner Edward J. McLaughlin, a former police officer, and Deputy Commissioners Dexter Green and Sylvester Johnson.
(02/19/98 10:00am)
The Associated Press Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, under pressure to bring New York City's crime-fighting success to Philadelphia, appointed a former New York deputy police commissioner to lead the city's 6,000-member force yesterday. Rendell announced the appointment of John Timoney just five days after the resignation of Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Neal, who was badgered by increasing criticism from City Council members and state representatives who wanted to see a focus on drug dealing and nuisance crimes. ''[Timoney is] a policeman's policeman and a cop's cop,'' Rendell said. ''I thought we were at a critical juncture in the future of the city's Police Department." Timoney, the brogue from his native Ireland still clear in his speech, said he will be a hand's-on commissioner, learning the force by walking the streets, riding in cruisers and showing up in districts in the middle of the night. ''I think the next 22 months are going to be a lot of fun,'' he said. Philadelphia consistently falls among the top 10 safest largest cities in the country but has fallen short of New York's success in the past several years, according to FBI statistics. Major crime -- which includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and car theft -- dropped about 14 percent from 1995 to 1996 in Philadelphia. Timoney quit the New York police last March one day after Mayor Rudolph Giuliani appointed former Fire Commissioner Howard Safir as police commissioner. Timoney, apparently bitter about not getting the job left by his mentor, William Branton, described Safir as a ''lightweight.'' In choosing Timoney, Rendell passed on at least two Philadelphia candidates: Deputy License and Inspections Commissioner Edward J. McLaughlin, a former police officer, and Deputy Commissioners Dexter Green and Sylvester Johnson.
(12/05/97 10:00am)
The Associated Press HARRISBURG (AP) -- For years, Joe Moerder says he tried to warn adults from buying booze for underaged drinkers, to no avail. "I say, 'I know you're not drinking all this.' They say, 'Don't tell me -- you just have to sell to me'," said the owner of Big Jack's Brewers Outlet in Pottsville. But since May, with Moerder's cooperation, undercover agents have made two arrests at his business in a pilot sting operation in Schuylkill County. "Cops in Shops" uses $500,000 in federal grants to pay officers overtime and has been tested for the past six months in Schuylkill County, where reported successes are anecdotal. It will be expanded to 45 counties and municipalities by the end of 1998. The program, which began in Delaware in 1991, is intended to ultimately curb drunken-driving fatalities, said Stephen Schmidt, education director for the state Liquor Control Board. In 1996, state police arrested 2,548 minors for underage drinking and cited 318 businesses for sales to minors. That same year, there were 1,275 drinking drivers under age 21 involved in alcohol-related crashes, up 6 percent from 1995, according to the state Transportation Department. Cops in Shops -- coordinated by the Liquor Control Board and the Transportation Department -- allows beer distributors, bars and wine and spirit shops to voluntarily work with officers, who rotate to each business. Posters plastered on windows, coolers and cash registers also warn potential violators that undercover police could be on the premises. The program will officially kick off in Lancaster on Friday, where about 30 retailers will work with 15 police departments.
(06/01/97 9:00am)
Last fall, a University biochemist was fatally stabbed, and a student was shot in an attempted robbery. East Brunswick, N.J. A researcher was stabbed to death and a gunman shot and wounded a student last fall in unrelated incidents amid a crime wave that saw more than 30 robberies on and around campus in the month of September alone. University biochemist Vladimir Sled, 38, was stabbed to death Halloween night as he walked home from work with his fiancee, University researcher Cecelia Hagerhall, near 43rd Street and Larchwood Avenue, a few blocks from campus. Eugene "Sultan" Harrison and Bridget Black allegedly attempted to rob Hagerhall of her purse while a third suspect, Yvette Stewart, waited in a get-away car. According to a statement Stewart gave to police several weeks after the robbery, the three were high on crack cocaine and were driving to Billybob's restaurant at 40th and Spruce streets when they began searching for someone to rob in the University City area. Black allegedly stabbed Sled in the back five times when he tried to prevent Harrison from stealing Hagerhall's purse. Philadelphia Police arrested the suspects after obtaining photographs taken by automated-teller-machine security cameras when Harrison and Stewart allegedly attempted to use, without success, Hagerhall's ATM and credit cards. Sled, a well-respected researcher in the University's biochemistry and biophysics departments, turned 38 just days before his murder and left behind a 12-year-old son. In a bitter irony, when the elder Sled was 12 years old, his father died of a serious illness. In an unrelated incident, Christopher Crawford, 20, of Wilmington, Del., pleaded guilty to attempted murder, robbery and criminal conspiracy in connection with the September 25 shooting of College senior Patrick Leroy -- in a robbery attempt -- and five other armed robberies. Crawford and Albert Bandy, an accomplice, have appealed their April sentences for 20 to 40 years in prison, while the third person involved in the crime, Christopher "Big Boy" Jones, was sentenced to 20 to 60 years in jail for driving the get-away car and participating in several other armed robberies. Attorneys for Crawford and Bandy said the two were under the influence of drugs during the robberies and the shooting, which occurred on the edge of campus at 40th and Locust streets. As Leroy, College senior Leonard Dunn and Wharton senior Cameron Reilly walked north on 40th Street from Smokey Joe's Tavern, Crawford and Bandy approached them and warned them not to run. When Bandy told Leroy not to flee, Leroy -- a Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brother -- retorted "don't tell me what to do." Bandy then told Crawford to "shoot that motherfucking pussy." Leroy fled south from the scene and Crawford shot him in the lower back. Leroy's shooting was one of more than 30 robberies and attempted robberies in September 1996. Managing Director of Public Safety Thomas Seamon said in late September that police arrested suspects in connection with two-thirds of the robberies. The crime wave sparked outcries from students for improved safety and security measures. And more than 500 parents attended a safety forum last November, with many of them yelling at and booing University President Judith Rodin and Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell when the officials tried to discuss possible solutions to crime besides a heightened police presence. The Division of Public Safety hired 14 new University Police officers in March and is slated to hire five more after their graduation from the Philadelphia Police Academy this summer, bringing the total number of officers to approximately 100. But sources said only six University Police officers were on patrol when Leroy was shot. In an unusual incident last November, a Drexel University student was critically injured after she fell 13 stories while attempting to rappel out of a window down Graduate Tower B on the Penn campus. The woman and another classmate were visiting another Drexel student who lived in the dormitory with 20 other Drexel students as part of a pilot housing program between the neighboring universities. Penn officials said after the incident that they would reconsider the program.
(06/01/97 9:00am)
Last fall, a University biochemist was fatally stabbed, and a student was shot in an attempted robbery. East Brunswick, N.J. A researcher was stabbed to death and a gunman shot and wounded a student last fall in unrelated incidents amid a crime wave that saw more than 30 robberies on and around campus in the month of September alone. University biochemist Vladimir Sled, 38, was stabbed to death Halloween night as he walked home from work with his fiancee, University researcher Cecelia Hagerhall, near 43rd Street and Larchwood Avenue, a few blocks from campus. Eugene "Sultan" Harrison and Bridget Black allegedly attempted to rob Hagerhall of her purse while a third suspect, Yvette Stewart, waited in a get-away car. According to a statement Stewart gave to police several weeks after the robbery, the three were high on crack cocaine and were driving to Billybob's restaurant at 40th and Spruce streets when they began searching for someone to rob in the University City area. Black allegedly stabbed Sled in the back five times when he tried to prevent Harrison from stealing Hagerhall's purse. Philadelphia Police arrested the suspects after obtaining photographs taken by automated-teller-machine security cameras when Harrison and Stewart allegedly attempted to use, without success, Hagerhall's ATM and credit cards. Sled, a well-respected researcher in the University's biochemistry and biophysics departments, turned 38 just days before his murder and left behind a 12-year-old son. In a bitter irony, when the elder Sled was 12 years old, his father died of a serious illness. In an unrelated incident, Christopher Crawford, 20, of Wilmington, Del., pleaded guilty to attempted murder, robbery and criminal conspiracy in connection with the September 25 shooting of College senior Patrick Leroy -- in a robbery attempt -- and five other armed robberies. Crawford and Albert Bandy, an accomplice, have appealed their April sentences for 20 to 40 years in prison, while the third person involved in the crime, Christopher "Big Boy" Jones, was sentenced to 20 to 60 years in jail for driving the get-away car and participating in several other armed robberies. Attorneys for Crawford and Bandy said the two were under the influence of drugs during the robberies and the shooting, which occurred on the edge of campus at 40th and Locust streets. As Leroy, College senior Leonard Dunn and Wharton senior Cameron Reilly walked north on 40th Street from Smokey Joe's Tavern, Crawford and Bandy approached them and warned them not to run. When Bandy told Leroy not to flee, Leroy -- a Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brother -- retorted "don't tell me what to do." Bandy then told Crawford to "shoot that motherfucking pussy." Leroy fled south from the scene and Crawford shot him in the lower back. Leroy's shooting was one of more than 30 robberies and attempted robberies in September 1996. Managing Director of Public Safety Thomas Seamon said in late September that police arrested suspects in connection with two-thirds of the robberies. The crime wave sparked outcries from students for improved safety and security measures. And more than 500 parents attended a safety forum last November, with many of them yelling at and booing University President Judith Rodin and Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell when the officials tried to discuss possible solutions to crime besides a heightened police presence. The Division of Public Safety hired 14 new University Police officers in March and is slated to hire five more after their graduation from the Philadelphia Police Academy this summer, bringing the total number of officers to approximately 100. But sources said only six University Police officers were on patrol when Leroy was shot. In an unusual incident last November, a Drexel University student was critically injured after she fell 13 stories while attempting to rappel out of a window down Graduate Tower B on the Penn campus. The woman and another classmate were visiting another Drexel student who lived in the dormitory with 20 other Drexel students as part of a pilot housing program between the neighboring universities. Penn officials said after the incident that they would reconsider the program.
(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)
The Penn baseball squad dropped its second playoff game in as many years. West Hartford, Conn. Penn and Princeton played their second Gehrig playoff in as many years, after Cornell took two games from Princeton in their four-game series, and Penn lost its continuation of a suspended game against Columbia. Both teams finished the regular season with identical 10-10 Ivy League records. Penn took three of four games from the Tigers during the regular season to earn home-field advantage, but the one game the Quakers' dropped was to Princeton ace Tim Killgoar, who held the Quakers to one run in the final game between the two squads. So it wasn't surprising when Killgoar took the mound on May 7. Over seven innings, the sophomore southpaw allowed just six hits and three runs over seven innings. More impressively, Killgoar held Penn's three, four and five hitters -- Armen Simonian, Mark Nagata and Jeremy Milken -- hitless. Nagata, the Ivy League batting champion, would get the only hit from those three batters -- a double in the bottom of the ninth against Princeton reliever Brian Volpp. "Killgoar's good," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. "He's tough. He's off-speed a lot. He's won five in a row, he's 5-1 in the league. He's legit." The only Quakers batter to look good against Killgoar was captain Joe Carlon, who went 3-for-3 from the plate, despite sustaining an ankle injury in the fourth inning. The shortstop caught a ball from Penn first baseman Russ Farscht, but was forced to tag Princeton's Matt Evans out at second and was unable to turn the double play. On the tag, however, Carlon's foot got caught and twisted under the sliding Evans. Carlon played through the injury, however. "You can't come out of a game like this. It would hurt, but it wasn't a career-ending injury or anything. I just rolled my ankle, and there was a little pain," Carlon said. But with such limited offense, it was the baserunning mistakes that killed the Quakers. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Carlon stepped up to bat with one out and the bases loaded. Carlon ripped a single to leftfield to drive in two runs, but Oliver Hahl tried to make it from first base to third on the play. The Tigers on the left side of the playing field had no trouble catching Hahl in a rundown shortly after leaving second. The result was two outs and a man on first. Third baseman Glen Ambrosius would ground out to Killgoar to end the inning. The second mistake was much worse. Down 5-3 with no outs and men on first and second in the bottom of the eighth, Ambrosius put down a perfect bunt off Volpp. However, freshman Kevin McCabe froze at second base, and was an easy out at third for Evans charging in from first. Simonian then hit into a double play to end the inning. "With a man on first and second with no outs, we really expected to score a run. And when we didn't, it really took the wind out of our sails," Carlon said. That play was a catalyst for the destruction of the Penn defense. In the top of the ninth, Penn would give up six more runs to put the game way, way out of reach at 11-3. Reliever Travis Arbogast beaned three batters to lead the bases, and A.B. Fischer, who relieved Arbogast, beaned yet another in a season-ending debacle. By the time Nagata led off the bottom of the inning with his double, all hopes had faded. So the Quakers are now forced to look toward next year, which will display a lot of competition in several positions. For starters, the pitching staff will be completely revamped. Of the four Quakers graduating, three of them -- Mike Greenwood, Alex Hayden and Fischer -- were all starting pitchers in the past two seasons. While Simonian will return as the staff ace, Seddon also mentioned that Arbogast could be moved up into the starting rotation. Junior Ed Kimlin has shown he can pitch in the Ivies, but the rest of the staff, both in the starting rotation and in the bullpen could be made of of freshmen. Several current Penn pitchers could have suited up for their last game despite not graduating, as Seddon hauled in eight pitching recruits this year. Also returning from taking a year off from school is Sean McDonald, who saw a lot of action in relieve and during midweek games last season. In addition, the entire infield could stake claim as the most experienced in the Ancient Eight next year, as the Quakers will be returning everybody. The only position lost outside of the pitching staff is leftfielder Jeremy Milkin, who takes with him a slew of RBIs. Several Quakers will go abroad to play summer ball. Simonian will be living at Ohio State, where he'll play for Columbus of the Great Lakes League. Carlon could play in the Alaskan League, and if not, he will join catcher Dave Corleto in the Illinois Bat League. · Princeton faced Harvard in the Ivy League Championships May 10 and 11 in Cambridge, Mass. The two teams split the opening games of the best-of-three series, Princeton took the first game, 2-1, before falling in the nightcap, 4-2. The deciding game on May 11 was an embarrassment to the Orange and Black. Killgoar would pick up the loss for the Tigers, but the Crimson exploded for 20 hits, including a second-inning grand slam to cruise 22-4. Not since 1974 has Harvard had a 30-win season, as the Crimson finish out the season 30-13, 18-2 in the Ivies.
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The Quakers lost to Brown, but eked out a win over the Elis. Voorhees, N.J. The Bears have not lost a match all season and are on their way to winning the Ivy title. They were determined to continue on their winning path against Penn. The Quakers were prepared for the challenge, but Brown didn't give in. "It was a very tight match, even though it was 8-1," Penn sophomore Julia Feldman said. "We all had very close matches. Personally, I got off to a slow start, and it was really hard to get back into it. They were just on, and sometimes there's nothing you can do. We did the best we could." The Bears dominated the singles play, winning all six matches. At that point, even if Penn swept the doubles, it was impossible for the Quakers to hand Brown its first defeat. But the No. 2 doubles team of sophomore Karen Ridley and senior co-captain Lara Afanassiev earned Penn's only point of the day by defeating their opponents, 8-6. "We really wanted to win, like everyone else, but we were really focussed and really intense," Ridley said. The results on April 19 were much more positive for Penn. When the Quakers met the Elis last year, the match came down to the last point, so they knew Yale was not to be taken any more lightly than was Brown. "We wanted to end the season on a positive note and with a winning match," Ridley said. And that they did. After Anastasia Pozdniakova, Ridley and Alana Gold secured wins at the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6 spots, respectively, Penn and the Elis fought for the overall win in doubles action. The Quakers were ready, for this was not the first time this season pressure was placed on them to dominate the doubles matches after splitting the singles. Sophomore Brooke Herman and Pozdniakova came out on top in the third slot, and when Gold and Feldman won their match at the No. 1 spot, Penn's victory was secured. "We were tougher than them," Feldman said. "It was a great feeling to win." Although the regular season is now over, the Quakers must continue to train in case they are one of the eight teams to qualify, based on overall record, for the NCAA Eastern Regionals to be held May 2 and 3 in Syracuse. They will not know if they will be competing until after next weekend, which is the conclusion of every remaining team's season. But, the pressure is off of Penn now -- all the Quakers can do now is practice and wait.
(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)
The Quakers lost to Brown, but eked out a win over the Elis. Voorhees, N.J. The Bears have not lost a match all season and are on their way to winning the Ivy title. They were determined to continue on their winning path against Penn. The Quakers were prepared for the challenge, but Brown didn't give in. "It was a very tight match, even though it was 8-1," Penn sophomore Julia Feldman said. "We all had very close matches. Personally, I got off to a slow start, and it was really hard to get back into it. They were just on, and sometimes there's nothing you can do. We did the best we could." The Bears dominated the singles play, winning all six matches. At that point, even if Penn swept the doubles, it was impossible for the Quakers to hand Brown its first defeat. But the No. 2 doubles team of sophomore Karen Ridley and senior co-captain Lara Afanassiev earned Penn's only point of the day by defeating their opponents, 8-6. "We really wanted to win, like everyone else, but we were really focussed and really intense," Ridley said. The results on April 19 were much more positive for Penn. When the Quakers met the Elis last year, the match came down to the last point, so they knew Yale was not to be taken any more lightly than was Brown. "We wanted to end the season on a positive note and with a winning match," Ridley said. And that they did. After Anastasia Pozdniakova, Ridley and Alana Gold secured wins at the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6 spots, respectively, Penn and the Elis fought for the overall win in doubles action. The Quakers were ready, for this was not the first time this season pressure was placed on them to dominate the doubles matches after splitting the singles. Sophomore Brooke Herman and Pozdniakova came out on top in the third slot, and when Gold and Feldman won their match at the No. 1 spot, Penn's victory was secured. "We were tougher than them," Feldman said. "It was a great feeling to win." Although the regular season is now over, the Quakers must continue to train in case they are one of the eight teams to qualify, based on overall record, for the NCAA Eastern Regionals to be held May 2 and 3 in Syracuse. They will not know if they will be competing until after next weekend, which is the conclusion of every remaining team's season. But, the pressure is off of Penn now -- all the Quakers can do now is practice and wait.
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Baltimore, Md. Ross opened the scoring one minute, 25 seconds into the contest, and the Quakers (4-7) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. Lafayette got on board with 15:08 remaining in the period, but trailed 11-5 at the half. The Leopards cut the lead to 14-9 with 12:14 to play, but would get no closer. Ross scored all four of her goals in the first half. Ending with 17 points on the season, Ross always had her eye on goal. Penn goalie Sue Back made 12 saves. Back played all 60 minutes of almost every game, and could be counted on by her teammates to ward off the toughest opponents. "We played really well as a team in both the game against Yale and against Lafayette," Back said. "Our skills and enthusiasm were up. We wanted to have a strong finish to the season, and we accomplished that." This season has been a frustrating one for the Quakers who don't feel they were ever able to display the full extent of their ability. Penn lost its first game against its toughest opponent, No. 4 Loyola, but played an aggressive first half and proved to be stronger competition for the Greyhounds than expected. Penn's improvement was more evident in its second game against Cornell. Both teams were primed for the game -- the Big Red out for revenge and the Quakers looking for a repeat performance. Penn won by a goal, scored by middie Sue Pierce, in sudden-death overtime. Pierce led the team with 21 goals and 12 assists. The Red and Blue were, however, less concerned with their games than with the sudden sickness of tri-captain Curran Kelly. Kelly, who became ill just before the match in Ithaca, N.Y., suffered from an unknown virus and was unable to play for weeks. The Quakers entered the Temple game unfocused and concerned about their teammate. After their second loss, the Quakers decided that they would have to prove that they were a better team than they had recently demonstrated. They entered the Harvard game determined to win for Kelly and for themselves. Indeed, Penn left Harvard victorious for the first time in the program's history. Additionally, the win moved Penn into the NCAA rankings for the first time. After an easy win against West Chester, however, the Quakers fell to Dartmouth by 10 goals. A slow start caused two more Ivy losses against both Princeton and Brown. The Tigers double-teamed recent scoring threats Pierce and tri-captain Amy Tarr, forcing the Quakers to look for other options. Tarr is a solid player who is looked to for leadership. In the game against Brown, attacker Jamie Schemberg, finally demonstrated her shooting potential and scored three goals. Tied with Ross for scoring in the Ivy League, Schemberg scored a goal in almost every game. The Red and Blue followed these matches with a win against Columbia but were unable to continue a winning streak. Rutgers was a disappointing one-point loss in overtime, but freshman Brooke Jenkins had a particularly good game. Jenkins scored three goals and retrieved many groundballs. Jenkins, referred to as the team quarterback, has proven herself an invaluable player. Finally Penn suffered a two-point loss in its final Ivy match against Yale, despite aggressive play and two seven-point comebacks. Attacker Emmy Hansel scored two goals against the Elis and displayed her tell-tale speed. Throughout the season, the Quakers relied upon Hansel to retrieve the ball from their defensive end and take it all the way to goal. "We played really good games against tough competition. It's unfortunate that we didn't come up with more wins in the close games like Rutgers and Brown," Back said. "Our overall record could have appeared better -- it could have just as easily have been 7-4 as 4-7."
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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.
