On Monday night, AU returned to Bender Area for their first home game of the season against the Great Danes. The Eagles took the opening tip and opened up the scoring quickly, sinking a shot from behind the ark. Albany came back quickly with a three-pointer of their own, before either team could settle into any type of game pace. 

Albany revealed their strategy for the night as they opened up with a three-quarter court press to capitalize on AU’s youth.

“They [Albany] were trying to confuse our young players,” said Head Coach Jeff Jones. “We, however, got out in transition and were opportunistic, especially at the end of the first half.”

Albany continued the strong defense as they forced AU into some bad shots and pushed the ball forward. Senior captain Will Harris was able to knock down a three from atop the arc to lead Albany to a six-point lead.

AU got back into it quickly as sixth man Simon McCormack came back with two straight buckets to pull AU within four. Nick Hendra then lent his hand to the comeback as he dropped home a three from the corner and pulled AU within one. Mike Bersch finished off the run for AU when he was found wide open under the hoop for an easy layup and one point AU lead.

Albany wasn’t going roll over that easily, as they clamped down on the defensive end for the final three minutes and finished trailing 33-27 at halftime.

Coming out of halftime, neither defense was able to get much going, as both teams continued to battle back and forth. Five minutes into the second half, AU continued to lead and leapt 41-34 into the first timeout of the half.

Following the timeout, the tide switched, as Albany came out with a hot hand and went on a 13-2 run. The scoring gave them a four-point lead with six minutes left in the game.

The defenses continued to step up down the stretch, as the teams combined for a total of six points over the next four minutes. Following the final timeout on the floor, AU was able to force an Albany turnover with the shot clock running out. Munoz took the ball down the court for a three-point play.

Albany answered quickly with a layup of its own, taking the one point lead. AU then took the ball and worked the clock trying to find the open shot, but was unsuccessful. With time running out, they were forced to shoot a long floater that failed to go in.

AU’s defense stepped up once again, forcing another turnover that the offense quickly gave back to Albany on the other end of the court. AU would not get another shot to win the game as Albany went on to win.

“I’m disappointed, but at the same time proud of the effort we gave,” Jones said. “If we can scrap like that every game we will win our share of games this year.”

Stephen Lumpkins led the way for AU with 12 points and seven rebounds. McCormack came off the bench to add ten points of his own.

The Eagles will play Florida Atlantic University on Saturday in Bender Arena for their third home game of the season.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com

Monday’s game marked the third-ever matchup between AU and Princeton. The Eagles were unable to grasp the win this time, as Princeton broke AU’s 2-0 all-time streak against the team. 

Things looked good in the opening minutes of game as AU senior Nicole Ryan knocked down back-to-back threes. However, the Eagles fell quickly into Princeton’s rhythm and were unable to regain the lead for the rest of the game.

AU turned the ball over throughout the first half, allowing the Tigers to answer Ryan’s threes with an 18-0 run. Guards Niveen Rasheed and Addie Micir led the scoring. Both players finished the night with double-digit points, as did teammates Krytsal Hill and Devona Allgood.

With 10 minutes left to play in the first half, AU was finally able to trade baskets with Princeton. AU junior Liz Leer led the rally, sinking a jumper and a layup off a pass from teammate Michelle Kirk. AU’s surge cut the Tigers’ lead to 17 points by the end of the half. Princeton led the Eagle’s 34-17 at halftime. Princeton outshot the Eagles in the first half, shooting 42.9 percent from the floor, compared to AU’s 27.3 percent.

AU came out aggressively in the second half with junior forward Michelle Kirk sinking an early bucket from behind the arc. Kirk continued to drive at the boards, slowing chipping away the Tiger lead.

Much like the first half, Princeton challenged AU’s spurt of energy with 16 unanswered points. The shooting streak increased the Eagles’ deficit, bringing the score to 55-24 with 14 minutes left in the half.

Ryan ended AU’s dry spell in the 12th minute, with a three-pointer and a jumper. Ryan led AU with her strong offense, scoring 16 points for the night, including four-of-six behind the arc.

The ball changed hands often as the final 10 minutes ticked off the clock, featuring an unsuccessful attempt by AU to cut Princeton’s lead to less than 30 points.

Eagles guard Nicole Ryan sunk her final three-pointer with 25 seconds left on the clock. Her solid effort throughout the night was ineffective in generating substantial scoring opportunities for her team.

Princeton outplayed AU in all aspects of the game. Princeton shot 50.8 percent from the floor compared to the Eagles’ 40 percent overall. Key to the Tigers’ win was the team’s strong defense, which generated 25 Eagle turnovers and eight steals. At the free-throw line, Princeton went 5-6 on the night, while the AU was only 2-6. Although the two teams were neck and neck rebounding, Princeton was able to connect and use their offensive rebounds better than AU.

AU women’s basketball is now 1-1 on the season and has yet to begin conference play.

The final stop on the Eagles’ season-opening road trip is Brown University, where the team will look to capture their second win of the season on Wednesday.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

The Washington Capitals did just that Monday night with a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Washington is clearly on a mission to win the Stanley Cup. They have lost only one game in regulation at home and only four total. Not only have they vaulted into first place, but they have done it with what many would consider a somewhat mobile M*A*S*H unity.

As of Tuesday, the Caps had six of their players on the injury report. Wingers Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and goalie Jose Theodore are just three of those listed day-to-day. While it is not as serious as being placed on the injured reserve, a day-to-day listing generally means the player has a fifty percent chance of playing. Six of the players from the team’s minor league franchise, the Hershey Bears, were called up.

Jay Beagle, Mathieu Perreault and Michal Neuvirth have been added to the team’s roster. While Beagle and Neuvirth are just stopgaps, Perreault has quickly made a name for himself in this new hockey town.

The 21-year-old Quebec native has five points in just seven games. He notched two goals and three assists, including a game winning assist on a pretty pass to Brian Pothier for the game winner against the Minnesota Wild. The production has been consistent as well, with the young center having only two pointless games.

Support for this superstar-in-waiting exploded inside the Verizon Center. Screams from the upper deck, cheering on the call-up, could be heard on his first shift of the night against the Wild. Those screams even turned to boos when Perreault was hooked and no penalty was called.

He was originally called to replace an injured Ovechkin, with the idea that he would return to Hershey when he was no longer needed. That plan was quickly averted after Perreault’s stellar performance and another rash of injuries. No team likes injuries, but in this case it helps Washington because they do not need to make a tough decision on whom to send down to the minor leagues.

While the injuries allow the Caps to keep Perreault, it is too bad a few of their best players had to go down for him to stay. The oft-injured Semin is yet again struggling with a wrist ailment, which is a shame because the Russian star was just starting to heat up and get back into his groove offensively. Mike Knuble also joins Semin on the sidelines, as he will be out several weeks with a broken finger.

Knuble’s injury hurts the Caps the most because of his play on the man advantage with Ovechkin. He was added in the offseason because of his knack for standing in the net and he has not disappointed. He has five goals and 10 assists so far this season – many of them coming on the same line as Ovie. Knuble’s ability to score at will took a pedestrian first line that was unable to get any chemistry going and transformed it into a scoring threat.

Head Coach Bruce Boudreau had to do some quick thinking before his team’s game against the Rangers. With three of his top forwards out of the lineup, Boudreau had to do some line shuffling. Captain Chris Clark ended up being placed on the top line to fill in for Knuble.

It will be the captain’s first action on the top line since he played with Ovechkin three seasons ago. His next two years were filled with injuries, and the leader was moved to the third line and into obscurity. That ended at the beginning of November, when Clark went on a four-game points streak in which the team went 3-1. The journeyman’s return was completed when he scored in the 11th round of a shootout against the New York Islanders to secure the victory.

The Washington Capitals have continued to win despite losing some of their best players. Home games at the Verizon Center have continued to sell out, and the Caps have continued to dominate on their own ice. If this is what the team looks like with a sub-par lineup filled with rookie call-ups and rejuvenated veterans, one can only imagine what happens when Semin, Knuble and their other injured regulars return to the lineup.

Times like these are when teams learn what they are made of. If they can grind through injuries, then they are a championship-caliber team. Washington has clearly made a statement that they are that kind of hockey club.

You can reach this staff writer at atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.

Weis accepted the position with an unmistakable confidence bordering on arrogance. Everyone remembers reports of him telling his players that they will have a “decided schematic advantage” in every game they play. At a press conference announcing his first recruiting class, he exuded confidence in his ability to out-coach his peers.

“They’ve had their advantage, because I came into recruiting late,” Weis said during one of his initial press conferences. “But now it’s X’s and O’s time. Let’s see who has the advantage now.”

In Weis’ first game as coach, he led his unranked Irish against the No. 25 Pittsburgh Panthers. The Notre Dame offense put on a show, torching the Panthers defense for 42 points in their 42-21 victories. 

It was an important victory, but perhaps the biggest moment in Weis’ coaching tenure came on Oct. 15, 2005. On that Saturday, Pete Carroll led his top ranked USC Trojans into Notre Dame Stadium for a game with No. 9 Notre Dame. The game had as much hype as any in recent memory, as ESPNews even televised the Friday night pep rally. The Trojans won by three, thanks to the “Bush Push,” in which star tailback Reggie Bush pushed quarterback Matt Leinart into the end zone for the winning touchdown.

Shortly after the game, Notre Dame pushed all their chips into the middle of the table. Using only a sample size of seven games, Charlie Weis signed a new 10-year deal. As ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported, the deal made him the highest paid coach in college football at the time and is under contract through the 2015 season. Irish brass felt this move was needed, fearful that Weis’ early success could cause him to be coveted by the NFL.

Fast-forward to 2009 and the honeymoon is over between Weis and Notre Dame fans. The stats have been repeated endlessly. His record stands at 35-25, the same record former coach Bob Davie had when he was fired. His .583 winning percentage is the same as Willingham’s when he was canned.

Last season, ND lost a November home game to a 2-8 Syracuse Orange team after leading by 10 at the start of the fourth quarter. This year, they lost to Navy for the second consecutive time in South Bend. Prior to those two recent losses, Golden Domers had been able to pencil the Midshipmen in as an annual win as they had beaten them 43 consecutive times.

Weis has a 1-8 record against top 10 teams and a 4-12 record against teams ranked in the top 25. Against USC, the toughest team on Notre Dame’s schedule every year, he has three losses and two moral victories.

When he took the job, Weis’ perceived strength was his coaching and many felt he would need to learn how to recruit. In fact, the opposite has been true during these last few years.

Despite posting a 3-9 record in 2007, the worst in school history, Weis was able to land the No. 2 recruiting class according to Rivals.com. After a 7-6 season last year, the recruiting class came in at No. 21.

Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick will be faced with a tough decision when the season ends. Will he buyout the remainder of Weis’ contract in favor of a new head coach? Matt Hayes of the Sporting News reported that the buyout is worth $18 million. This means that it could cost between $25 million and $30 million to bring in a whole new coaching staff.

If any program can afford do this, it’s Notre Dame. They are the only school that has its home games broadcast nationally on network television. They clearly have the resources to orchestrate a buyout in hopes of returning the program to the top 10. When asked about the issue, Swarbrick has said that the amount of money is “not a factor.”

This past Saturday, the Fighting Irish traveled to Heinz Field as Weis’ coaching career came full-circle when the Irish yet again faced the Panthers. His coaching performance was exceptional in that 2005 opener against Pittsburgh, leading ESPN’s Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit to praise his offensive game plan. Just like in 2005, this year’s game was broadcast nationally by ABC and featured a ranked Pittsburgh team against the unranked Irish.

It was much different this time though, as Notre Dame fell 27-22. The media descended on Pittsburgh this time to report the downfall — not the debut — of a coach. There are two games left for the Irish: a home game against the Connecticut Huskies this Saturday, followed by a road trip to Palo Alto, Calif., to take on the suddenly surging Stanford Cardinals on Nov. 28.

In a press conference on Nov. 17, Weis commented on his job status.

“Oh no, I don’t think that any decision’s been made because I probably would know, and I don’t know,” Weis said.

Swarbrick should have a decision in mind by now. Weis has coached 60 games, so a decision should not be based on how he performs in the final two. At the start of December, we will see if Weis will get one more year to return the Irish to glory.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

The Bison got on the board early, with just over 15 minutes in the first half. Bucknell’s CK Kumah passed to Brendan Burgdorf off of a corner, who headed it past AU goalie Matt Makowski to take a 1-0 lead.

While there would be a total of 30 shots in the game, the one goal was enough for the Bison to claim an NCAA Tournament birth. Bucknell held a shot advantage over AU with 16, while the Eagles had 14.

Defense proved to be key and it kept the game close. Of AU’s 14 shots, the Bucknell goal keeper blocked five of them. The Eagles’ defense kept the game within reach, blocking seven shots and only forcing Makowski to save four balls.

The close game led to a physical game. There were a total of 27 fouls in the game. Of those five of the were yellow cards and there was one red card. AU junior Jamie Davin and senior Dor Yasur were both issued yellow cards.

With 10 seconds left in the match, red shirt senior Cooper Bryant was issued the game’s only red card, resulting in an ejection. According to the Patriot League Red Card Report, Bryant was removed from the game for using abusive language toward a referee.

The Eagles made an attempt to tie the game in the final minutes. They had five of the last six shots on goal and only allowed three shots in the last 20 minutes. Head Coach Todd West also attempted to get something going by switching up the personnel on the field. He had five substitutions in the final 20 minutes.

AU drops to 9-7-3 on the season and 3-3-1 in conference play. It is an improvement over last year’s team, who had a 6-9-3 overall record. This season is the second time in four years that the Eagles captured a part the Patriot League Regular Season Title.

The Patriot League All-Tournament Team was announced immediately following the game. Seniors Cameron Petty, Colin Zizzi and Bryant were the only members to receive the honor.

AU’s loss marks its final game of their season. The team will have no more games on the schedule until their spring scrimmages during second semester.

You can reach this staff writer at atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.

Updated: 11/16/09 4:30

Maryland wasted no time by scoring in the first eight minutes of the game off of a penalty corner. Amellet Rischen put the ball in play, passing to Megan Frazer who buried it for her 13th goal of the season. The Terrapins never looked back going on to score two more goals in the first half and three unanswered in the second half.

Despite the 3-0 deficit, the Eagles continued to fight. Their persistence paid off with three minutes to go in the half. Senior Anne-Meike De Wiljes snuck a ball past the UMD goalkeeper to give the Eagles some momentum going into the half. It was her eighth on the season. Juniors Kristin Gebhart and Anne van Erp had the assists.

While AU was able get some offense to going at the end of the half, Maryland looked unaffected and scored their fourth goal nine minutes into the half. They would go on to have eight more shots and two more penalty corners, capitalizing on AU miscues.

AU Head Coach Steve Jennings wasted no time, making personnel changes early and often. He made 21 changes total in the game, compared to Maryland’s 16. Despite the mixing and matching of players, the team only managed seven total shots and five on goal.

Saturday’s contest was one of AU’s most physical games of the year. There were six total Player Cards in the match. Two AU players had cards, while four different Maryland players were disciplined. Despite UMD’s big lead, they seemed be playing in a more physical style and earned one green and two yellow cards in the last 15 minutes.

The loss drops AU to 12-9 on the season and 3-3 away from Jacobs Field. This is the third time AU has played the Terps in three years and has gone 0-3. Saturday’s game was the only one that AU was never in position to win, losing the other two by scores of 2-1 and 3-0.

It was the team’s seventh-straight Patriot League Championship and NCAA Tournament bid. AU has never had a double-digit loss season since 2001 and has never lost more than one conference game since 2002.

AU will lose six members of this squad to graduation. They include two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year De Wiljes, three-time Second Team All-Patriot Leaguer Savannah Graybill and three-time Second Team All-Patriot League goaltender Alyssa Poorman.

The win keeps UMD a perfect 21-0 on the season. They advanced to the second round where they played No. 10 seeded Drexel University Sunday. Drexel was the only upset of the first round, defeating No. 5 seeded University of Connecticut 3-2.

You can reach this staff writer at atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.

Everything was going smoothly for the men’s squad as they ended the first half with a 31-20 lead. Sophomore forward Riley Grafft led the Eagles in the first half, as he scored 12 points and pulled down four rebounds.

AU’s offense as a whole was efficient in the first half. They shot just over 54 percent from the field and were perfect from the free throw line.

Their defense was even better. The Eagles limited the Red Flash to 25 percent from the field and under 20 percent from three point range.

But everything fell apart for the Eagles in the second half. St. Francis hit the AU defense for 45 points en route to their 65-61 victory. After trailing by as many as 13, a 14-4 run by the Red Flash cut the Eagles lead to three with just under 12 minutes remaining. A layup by freshman forward Will Felder gave St. Francis its second lead of the game, 44-43, with 7 minutes, 37 seconds remaining.

Just over a minute later, junior guard Nick Hendra regained the lead for AU as his 3-pointer made the score 48-47.

The Red Flash scored the next six points, but the Eagles came storming back as Stephen Lumpkins’ free throw with 2:46 remaining knotted the game at 53.

With the score tied at 57, Felder sank a clutch 3-pointer with 50 seconds remaining to put St. Francis ahead for good.

AU freshman guard Daniel Munoz and Red Flash senior wing Devin Sweetney then matched each other’s two free throws before Blake Jolivette would hit a layup to pull the Eagles to within one point.

A St. Francis turnover gave AU the ball with 21 seconds remaining, but Hendra misfired on a 3-point attempt. Sweetney was fouled and hit his two free throws, but it was still a one-possession game as the Eagles trailed 64-61.

AU again turned to Hendra, but his second consecutive 3-pointer was off the mark. Freshman guard Chris Johnson made one of his two free throws to seal the 65-61 win for the Red Flash.

Grafft led AU with 14 points, while Hendra and Lumpkins both chipped in 10 in the defeat. Lumpkins grabbed eight rebounds while Munoz dished out four assists.

“There were a lot of good things that we did tonight, and I think we got better,” Men’s Head Coach Jeff Jones told AU Athletics. “As the game progressed we had a chance to win, but it came down to St. Francis making the plays.”

It was a more enjoyable night for the women’s basketball team. They used a strong, 38-25 second half to defeat Howard 71-59.

The Bison took a slim 34-33 lead into the locker room at halftime as they closed the first half on an 11-3 run. Howard did most of its damage from the free throw line, hitting 11 free throws to AU’s four. Both teams shot under 40 percent in the first half.

Halftime adjustments were key as the Eagles opened the second half with a 13-4 run to take a 46-38 lead. The Eagles would extend the lead to 17 after junior Michelle Kirk made a steal and layup for two of her 17 second half points. A subsequent layup by junior guard Ashley Yencho stretched the AU lead to 71-52. The Bison would make the final score respectable as they scored the game’s final seven points.

One half can make all the difference, as the Eagles shot 55 percent in the second half while Howard shot just 28 percent. AU also shot the ball well from deep, as they were 6-15 from three while Howard was a dismal 2-14.

Leading the Eagles was Kirk, who finished with a game-high 25 points to go along with seven rebounds, two steals and three assists. Junior forward Liz Leer connected for 18 points while corralling eight rebounds.

“It was a good team effort tonight,” said Women’s Head Coach Matt Corkery. “We made some adjustments at the half that were good for us.”

The men will next host Albany in their home opener on Monday, Nov. 16, while the women will travel to taken on Princeton the same night.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

The life of a rookie is a difficult one that rarely reaps any sort of benefits until at least their sophomore year if not later. This year, however, the NBA has been graced by an exceptional rookie class that is making huge contributions each and every night. Hours are filled with studying film, listening to veterans’ tips, lifting weights and getting in shape for the more physical and demanding professional level.

This year, the surprise has come from the sheer mass of rookies that are playing a major part in the league.

The top picks are not making any noise in the league — at least not yet. Number one overall draft pick, Blake Griffin, averaged an impressive 13 points and eight rebounds per game in exhibition play and was said to have the potential to be considered an elite player in the game. Some think Griffin might be the key in turning around the disaster that is the LA Clippers.

Then, in true Clipper fashion, Griffin broke his kneecap. Griffin was initially ruled out indefinitely, though since his initial prognoses, it looks like the former college player of the year will be out for at least six weeks.

Then there was the fifth overall pick in Ricky Rubio. Rubio was a highly touted point guard out of Spain who, when drafted, was deemed as the starting point guard for a rebuilding Minnesota Timberwolves team. Rubio, however, decided the NBA was not for him and packed his suitcases back to Spain.

Out of the first five draft picks, Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden, Tyreke Evans and Rubio, only Evans is having a significant impact for his team. Evans is averaging 17 points a game in about 33 minutes of playtime.

Everyone except those in the top five have had the biggest impact and look like they are going to be the determining factors in how well teams will do down the stretch.

The biggest surprise has been Brandon Jennings who was picked tenth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. Jennings signed with an Italian team where he played one year after high school, then became automatically eligible for the draft despite not playing in college. The point guard is averaging 26 points per game in just about 33 minutes of action. His most impressive performance this season was when he scored 55 points against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.

There always seems to be one player that has people worried about whether their college skills will translate to the more competitive NBA. This year, that player is Stephen Curry. During his three-year tenure at Davidson, Curry made a habit of drawing double-teams and still burning them for an average of 27 points per game.

Many feared Curry’s string-bean stature and loose style would not make for a good NBA player. Those critics have been proven wrong. Curry is averaging nine points a game, shooting 50 percent from behind the arc and contributing two steals and four assists per game.

The biggest question for this season had to be how the former Tar Heels would fare in the NBA. Four ‘Heels were selected during the draft and many questioned if they could handle a slower, more methodical half-court game after playing in a fast paced full-court Roy Williams offense for the previous few years.

Each player thought he was ready to compete. Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington were each selected in the first round and Danny Green was selected in the second round.

Lawson has been the most impressive thus far serving as the back up to Chauncey Billups. In just about 21 minutes of action per game, Lawson is averaging ten points. He also is offering a big spark off the bench for the Nuggets. Lawson’s most impressive moment probably came on Friday night when he drove the lane and went up and dunked over the LA Lakers 7-foot D.J. Mbenga.

Hansbrough suffered an injury in preseason but has played on a limited basis in the last three games. He is already averaging 11 points per game. That number is sure to rise as the season continues.

Of course, there will be bumps along the road and stretches where the rookies will have to go through learning curves. This year’s rookie class looks to be one of the best in NBA history and that is going to become even more evident over their careers.

You can reach this columnist at sports@theeagleonline.com.

The Eagles had two tough road games against conference opponents over the weekend. They needed to win both games and the Black Knights to lose in order for AU to claim the PL regular season.

With a 15-11 record, the volleyball team needed a win at Colgate on Friday. They lost their previous game to Colgate 3-1 on Oct. 3 in Bender Arena. AU got the better of Colgate this time, winning 3-1 and notching their seventh-straight win. After starting the season 0-5, AU had put itself in position to host the tournament.

Senior Claire Recht had a match-high 16 kills with 20 points and junior Magdalena Tekiel had her third triple-double of the season, notching 13 kills, 13 digs and 13 points for the Eagles. The team had a total of 53 kills, four aces and 11 blocks in the road victory. AU won in four sets, 25-13, 25-23, 20-25, 25-16.   

With the win, AU improved to 16-11 record overall, 10-3 in the conference and an impressive 6-4 on the road. The Eagles were tied with Colgate after Friday’s game for the second seed in the conference, with both teams having a 10-3 record in PL play. 

After playing in upstate New York, the team traveled to Lewisburg, Pa., to play the Bucknell Bison. On Oct. 2, AU beat the Bison 3-0, but this time it was not so easy for the Eagles. 

After a tough first set, where the Eagles came back from being down 20-15 to win the set, the Bison cruised in the second set 25-15. AU needed to gain some momentum if they wanted any chance to win the match. 

They got that momentum back from senior Cynammon Burns, who opened up the third set with back-to-back service aces, giving AU a 4-0 lead. AU went on to win that set 25-17 and then they carried that momentum into the fourth, winning 25-18. The Eagles had a total of 49 kills, seven aces and 12 blocks in their final regular season game. Tekiel led the team with 12 kills and freshman Krysta Cicala led the team with 41 assists and eight digs. 

Bucknell finished its season with an 8-18 record and 4-10 in the conference. With their eighth victory in a row, AU finished 17-11 and 11-3 in conference play. Despite that, they did not win the regular season championship. Army took the championship after beating Lehigh University.

Although AU failed to claim top honors in the regular season, they can redeem themselves with two victories in the Patriot League Tournament. Two wins at West Point would earn them the right to play in the NCAA tournament. AU will play Colgate in the first round, while Army will play Lehigh.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

Although the 0-0 score for the majority of the first half resembled the score from last year’s match, AU controlled the play and time of possession. The Eagles had seven shots in the period, with five penalty corners but was unable to capitalize on any of its chances because of the goaltending by LHU’s Erin Terreson, who made four saves.

With 34 seconds remaining in the half, AU’s Anne-Meike De Wiljes finally got a shot by Terreson. She converted on a penalty corner from point blank range with a hard shot to the right side giving AU a 1-0 advantage.

LHU had one shot on goal in the period and no penalty corners while the AU defense, led by De Wiljes, withstood every LHU attack and continuously sustained the pressure in opponents’ zone.

AU’s leading scorer, junior Christine Fingerhuth, added to her season totals with a goal 11 minutes into the second half. She swept her shot at the top of the circle past the LHU goalkeeper, for a 2-0 AU lead.

“I received the ball at the top of the top of the defense from Rachel Carney,” Fingerhuth said. “And I saw that I had space to pull right, so I pulled right, saw the space and tried to hit the far post and it worked out really well.”

Despite the early goal for AU, Lock Haven came out in the second period with renewed energy, engaging their offense more in the AU end. LHU managed the ball more than they had in the early stages of the game, earning a penalty corner and five shots. Less than five minutes after AU’s goal, LHU cut their deficit in half, scoring off a rebound at the right post.

“I thought about calling timeout — the tempo of the match had changed about 10 minutes before they scored, and I was very worried about that, but we got a goal in that period and I thought the pressure was really on them,” AU Coach Steve Jennings said. “I just kind of evaluated how we were handling that mentally and psychologically, and we looked like we were all right so I just let it roll and kept playing.”

The offense had more chances to add an insurance goal in the latter half of the game with two penalty corners, but one went wide of the net and the other was kicked aside by the Lock Haven keeper. For the remainder of the game, AU’s defense quieted the LHU offense, preventing them from getting any open looks in front of the net. LHU had eight shots in the contest, but only two on goal.

AU will square-off against undefeated University of Maryland in College Park on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. AU lost to Maryland 3-0 earlier in the season.

Regardless of the opponent, Jennings remains confident.

“At the end of the day, we have one of the best teams in the country, and I think we’ve shown that throughout the year,” Jennings said. “We’ve played some of the toughest teams right down to the wire, and so what we have to do is be able take care of the little extra things inside our own circle and the attacking circle to be able to get [the win].”

Since 2003 AU has never advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In that span they have also played UMD twice in tournament play, with two shutout losses. Last year’s squad lost to Wake Forest University in the first round of the tournament 7-1.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

Five Eagles scored double-digit points on the afternoon and every player but one recorded at least four rebounds. It was a balanced performance with AU excelling at both ends of the floor. Junior forward Liz Leer led the Eagles with 22 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocks, while fellow upperclassmen Ohemaa Nyanin chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds of her own.

AU came out firing on all cylinders in the first half, jumping out to an 18-2 lead in the game’s first five minutes. Their crisp, high-tempo style of play proved to be overwhelming for the Division III Marlins. AU’s lead increased with each passing tick of the clock. Strong defense translated to easy layups for the home team on multiple occasions. Coupled with a poised half-court offense and comfortable possession in the low post, AU shot 66 percent from the field in the first half and went to the locker room up by 39 points.

Unfortunately for Virginia Wesleyan, the second half didn’t provide much of a change and the Eagles continued to dominate on both ends of the floor. Leer and Nyanin helped AU explode out of half time to open up a 50-point lead with 16:26 remaining in the second half. What led to success in the first half proved to be just as effective in the second and the Eagles eventually cruised to a 98-34 victory. Sophomore guard Ebony Edwards had a strong performance for AU as she recorded nine points, three boards and two assists in the second half alone.

Despite the fact that the Marlins are a division three team, AU looked strong across the board in almost every aspect of the game. The Eagles finished with statistical advantages in points off turnovers, second chance points, bench points and shooting percentage. The most important stat is that the Eagles absolutely owned the paint, outrebounding the Marlins by 30 and outscoring them in the paint by 52.

AU returns both of its top scorers, Leer and fellow junior Michelle Kirk, to the starting lineup after a 19-12 season last year and a crushing loss in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Many predict the team to bounce back this year, despite not being picked to win the Patriot League.

Head Coach Matt Corkery wants the team to get back to basics this year. He has stressed defensive play and easy paint points throughout practice this year. He is 19-12 in his tenure at AU.

The Eagles next game is against cross-town rival Howard University on Friday at 7 p.m. It is the team’s first non-exhibition game of the year. AU faced the Bison last year and defeated them 77-50 in Bender Arena.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

Sophomore center Stephen Lumpkins had a game high 21 points and completed a double double with 10 rebounds for the Eagles. On top of his double double, he had four assists, three blocks and two steals.

Freshman point guard Daniel Munoz also chipped in with 15 points, including eight free throws in the last minute. He also had one steal and one rebound. However, Munoz had two turnovers and no assists on the night.

The Eagles were relieved to come back with a strong game after a loss to Randolph-Macon on Tuesday.

“We had fewer guys that had the deer in the headlights look,” said Head coach Jeff Jones.

Jones said that Lumpkins is the central focus of the offense this coming season.

“We always want to have an offensive focus. The last couple of years that focus was Garrison Carr and we had everybody playing off the sets we had,” Jones said. “This year we want Stephen Lumpkins to be that focus. We want him to get a lot more touches.”

Jones has already seen improvement in Lumpkins through two exhibition games.

“You can see a difference in him,” Jones said. “With all the work he put in over the summer, he had a very good preseason. Now he can really look me eye to eye, whereas last year he looked at me out of the side of his eye.”

After six members of last year’s back-to-back Patriot Championship team graduated, the team must look elsewhere for production.

“It’s a lot different than last year,” Lumpkins said. “Last year we had all those seniors, and I was coming off the bench. We weren’t really looking to throw the ball inside. Last year we shot a lot more threes.”

The Eagles begin the regular season on Friday, in an away game against St. Francis. St. Francis is in a similar situation as AU, as they also lost five seniors after last season.

Jones said he does not see a change coming to the starting lineup and said that he will most likely go with the same starters that he went with on Sunday. That said, he said he would not rule out any last minute changes.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

John Lee Hancock’s new film, “The Blind Side,” tells the inspiring true story of Michael Oher, the Baltimore Ravens’ rookie starting left tackle.

For those who do not know of Oher (played by Quinton Aaron), he grew up in Memphis, Tenn., where the Touhy family took him into their home. Michael attended a Catholic high school, where he learned to play football. After developing a very impressive skill set, Oher was recruited by NCAA powerhouses and eventually made his way to the NFL as the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft.

The movie opens with a clip of the night Joe Theismann had his career ended by Lawrence Taylor, one of the most vicious blind side tackles in NFL history. The movie then jumps to Memphis where we find Oher being accepted into a highly competitive and prestigious Catholic high school, despite a very poor academic record.

As the story progresses, the teachers discuss Oher’s resilience. It is not until Leigh Anne Touhy, played by Sandra Bullock, offers Oher a place to stay that the viewer gets a sense of Oher’s personality. Oher is a very compassionate, gentle person despite his enormous figure, 6 foot 4 inches at 309 pounds.

Touhy’s and Oher’s relationship becomes more central to the story and for the first half of the movie, there are very few actual football scenes. After working with his teachers, who have slowly warmed up to Oher, despite his initial resistance, he achieves a C grade average and becomes eligible to participate in athletics. At long last, the movie shifts direction from melodrama to sports film.

The scenes switch dramatically, as Oher is slowly taught proper football techniques and skills. He has trouble conceptualizing these skills until Leigh Anne steps in and relates football to protecting his family, something to which Oher can understand. It is not until his first game that Oher gets some attention.

After Oher’s friend and brother-figure, S.J. Touhy, sends a video of Oher’s first game, he is placed into a high school all-star game. Impressive would be an understatement to describe how he played. At this point, he has scouts trying to recruit him — so much that some recruiters even visited him at his house in Memphis.

The recruitment process is hilarious, as schools lay it all on the line for Oher in their offers. The coaches each make cameo appearances, and they are all on the appropriate team at the time the story takes place. It is fun to see Nick Saban recruiting for LSU, Lou Holtz at South Carolina, Tommy Tupperville at Auburn and Houston Nut at Arkansas.

Despite all of the attention, the process really came down to two schools for Oher: Tennessee and Ole Miss. Oher ended up choosing Ole Miss, the Touhy’s alma mater and a school with which they were active boosters. This choice came under scrutiny by the NCAA, who thought the Touhy’s took Oher under his roof in order to get him to play at Ole Miss. Following an NCAA investigation, this was proven not to be the case.

Even though it had a slow beginning and a few liberties were taken in telling the story of Oher’s rough history, the movie is well-made. The biggest surprises probably come from Bullock and Tim McGraw who play the Touhys. Each play the role of Southern-family stereotypes very well. Their compassion and love for Oher comes through clearly.

If you are either looking for a touching story of overcoming tragedy and achieving triumph or a good old fashion Southern football story, this movie has both, and it will please most any type of taste in movies. So get the friends together and go check out “The Blind Side.”

You can reach this writer at
sports@theeagleonline.com.

Sarah Kiely, Brooke Forsythe and Alexis Dobbs have committed to the Eagles during the early signing period. They are the first recruits to sign a letter of intent to play for the basketball team this season.

All three have been recruited for their individual abilities, as well as for what they bring to the team. Kiely is 6 feet tall and, according to Corkery, is the most all-around player of the three, with good defensive instincts and a good perimeter shot.

“There are not many players out there that have the versatility that Sarah has,” Corkery told AU Athletics. “Sarah has great athleticism and will thrive in our up-tempo style of play.”

Forsythe is a 6-foot-2 center that averaged 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in her senior season at Cloverleaf High School in Lodi, Ohio. Corkery said that she brings a combination of size, strength and mobility to the squad. He went on to tell AU Athletics that he will be looking for her to add new dimension to the post game.

The final recruit is Alexis Dobbs. She is a 5-foot-6 guard from Berea, Ohio. While attending Hathaway Brown High School, she was named First Team All-District, First Team All-Private School and First Team All-Area Northeast Ohio. She is also her high schools’ all-time assist and steals leader.

“Alexis is an energy player with the ability to push the tempo on offense and create pressure on defense,” Corkery told AU Athletics. “She will be a leader on the floor from day one.”

The women’s basketball team went to the National Invitation Tournament last year, where they fell to James Madison University 61-59 in the first round. AU opens its season at Howard University on Friday. The Eagles won their exhibition opener over Virginia Wesleyan College 98-34 on Sunday.

You can reach this staff writer at atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.

AU junior Steve Fittery defeated Penn State University’s Jame Vollrath in the finals by a score of 13-4. He was a perfect 5-0 on the day at 157 pounds. He also took down Josh Fitch of Lehigh University, Issac Fagbuyi of American International University, Scott Sechler of Bucknell University and Hadley Harrison of Clarion University.

To go along with Fittery’s win, Sophomore Thomas Williams went 3-1 in the tournament. Williams finished second for his weight class, weighing in at 133 pounds. He defeated Devin Cook of Clarion, Sean Brown of University at Buffalo and Brandon Sansom of Washington and Jefferson University. His only blemish came when AU fell to conference rival Jordan Thome of the Army Academy 3-1.

Senior Mingo Grant was the only other Eagle to finish on the podium of the event. Weighing in at 285 pounds, Mingo went 4-1 on the day. His victories featured wins over Carl Bucholz of Rutgers University and Devin Cook of Clarion. He fell in the finals by a score of 8-4 of Daniel Craig of Lock Haven University.

The victory does not count toward their overall record, as it was an exhibition tournament. The red, white and blue will open up their regular reason November 15th at the ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill, N.C. AU has had at least one All-American wrestler every season since 2004.

Wrestling has AU’s only National Championship in school history. Alumus Josh Glenn claimed the title in 2007, defeating Kurt Backes of Iowa State.

You can reach this staff writer at atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.

Saturday’s win came on the heels of the Eagle’s 7-1 victory over Lehigh University in the semifinal round the previous day.

The match against Lafayette was a rematch of a game AU lost during conference play. With this loss in the back of his mind, AU Head Coach Steve Jennings challenged his team to focus on the future.

“I think if you are only focusing on revenge then it gets really difficult,” Jennings said. “We focused on what we needed to do and made adjustments based on our performance [on Friday]. Fortunately, we were good enough to get it done today.”

Sticks battled early on as both teams attempted to control the game’s momentum. Christine Fingerhuth, Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, came out strong and generated the Eagles’ first scoring opportunity early in the half. Despite three consecutive shots on goal, the Leopard defense held strong.

On AU’s half of the field, sophomore Tatum Dyer denied many Leopard attacks, effectively clearing the ball up the field to teammates. Dyer and the rest of the Eagle defensive were successful in protecting the goal throughout the first half of play, causing AU goalie Alyssa Poorman to only make a single save.

Possession of the ball continued to shift between the two teams throughout the first half. It was not until the final minute before halftime that AU’s consistent attacks paid off. After a penalty corner skimmed just wide of the Leopard’s goal, Fingerhuth gained possession of the ball and drilled it passed Lafayette goalie Kelsey Andersen. The goal gave AU a 1-0 advantage heading into the second half.

During the second half of play, the Eagles fought for the ball with new aggression. Continuous pressure resulted in a second goal for the home team in the 27th minute. Freshman Melissa Casale capitalized on a pass from teammate Savannah Graybill to extend AU’s lead with a crisp shot into the goal.

Yellow cards against Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Anne-Meike DeWiljes and junior Shay Smith gave the Leopards a one-player advantage for most of the second half. The Eagles stepped up to the challenge and responded with increased defense on both occasions.

Lafayette was unable to capitalize on two consecutive penalty corners and the team finished the game with only two shots on goal.

“I would say the key to the win was discipline in the game plan and a balance between being hard when we needed to be,” Jennings said after the win. “I think we were balanced in a lot of different ways, and that made it really difficult for our opponents today.”

In addition to winning the Patriot League Championship, four players were recognized as All-Tournament Team Members and DeWiljes was named Tournament MVP.

Although proud of the win, senior Dewiljes is not ready to retire her stick quite yet.

“Right now [winning the Championship] is the highlight, but I don’t want this to be the highlight,” Dewiljes said. “This is not the end of my senior year.”

The Eagles will face the Northeast conference champions this coming Tuesday at Jacobs Field. Whoever emerges from the match victorious will continue on to the NCAA Championship Tournament.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

You cannot blame the Vikings for such a signing. They would have talked Fran Tarkenton out of retirement before starting Tarvaris Jackson again. You cannot blame the 40-year-old gunslinger, either, for re-signing.

As Favre explained at his first Vikings press conference, “if [the Vikings] are willing to take this chance, then I am too.”

Needless to say, that chance has paid off. Favre leads the NFL with 16 touchdown passes, sports a 106.0 passer rating and is quickly approaching 2,000 passing yards this season. On top of that, he has completed game-winning TD passes against both San Francisco and Baltimore coupled with a season sweep of his former Green Bay Packers. As his stats have boomed, the prosthetic hip jokes have faded away to reveal the startling truth: he can still play ball.

Marvin Harrison is jobless, while guys like Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie are scoring touchdowns. This goes to show that being old is considered a detriment in sports — and for no apparent reason. Across the sporting world, older athletes are putting this unfounded myth to rest and impacting their teams more than ever.

A great example of this is a mile above sea level in Denver. The Broncos are 6-1 and have one of the league’s best all-around defenses, currently ranked second in the NFL. It’s easy to praise Elvis Dumervil and the Denver pass rush defense, but the real source of dominance has been the unshakable coverage of the Broncos’ secondary. Comprised of safety Renaldo Hill, 30; cornerback Andre Goodman, 31; Pro Bowler Champ Bailey, 31, and fiery Brian Dawkins, 36, Denver relies on experience and discipline to shut down opposing passing games.

Football isn’t the only sport where this is happening, either. In San Antonio, the only knock against the Spurs is that they are too old to compete anymore. Most consider Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and newcomer Antonio McDyess to be past their sell-by dates. Yet every year, the Spurs are contending for an NBA Championship — and this year is no different. In baseball, Tim Wakefield is still throwing his knuckleball in his 17th season. The Red Wings just recently said goodbye to Chris Chelios after he turned 47.

New England Patriots linebacker Junior Seau has been around since before I was born and Kevin Faulk looks as though he has been catching screen passes since the Revolutionary War. Yet somehow both are still successful players in a league dominated by youth.

All that said, the best evidence for elderly success is the recently-concluded World Series between the Yankees and Phillies. In the decisive Game 6, the Phillies put their championship hopes in the aging right arm of 38-year-old Pedro Martinez. His counterpart, Andy Pettitte, is no youngster either at age 37. Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon each played pivotal roles in the series, while Hideki Matsui’s seven RBIs won him World Series MVP honors. All three are 35 or older. In fitting fashion, Mariano Rivera closed out the game over two innings to clinch another Yankees championship. He turns 40 in a few weeks.

It is easy to look at rising stars like LeBron James, Adrian Peterson and Derrick Rose and declare that youth is the key to long-term success, but what fans overlook is the value of a seasoned veteran. Fans shrug at the offseason signings of productive journeymen and drool over the potential of first-round draft picks when, in reality, fans should be doing the complete opposite. With medical treatments evolving and technology improving, players can vastly outlive their so called “primes” and remain productive well into their 30s and beyond.

Players like Brett Favre have proven that age is no longer a barrier to athletic success. Some players choose to bow out while they are still relatively young, but a majority stick with it until they are either unwanted or physically unable to play. It is a testament not only to the wonders of modern medicine, but the wonders of the average athlete’s determination and love of the game.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

The Eagles were looking to clinch the Patriot League Season Championship, but were unsuccessful. Despite the loss the team still clinches a bid to next weekend’s Patriot League Tournament.

AU didn’t come out with the energy they had during the rest of their season, with only two shots on goal in the first half. Both teams struggled, however, thanks to the hard-nosed defense from both sides.

In the 18th minute, the Eagles crossed a ball into the goal box, which was deflected by the Raiders defense. The ball sat dead in front of the net, but the Eagles couldn’t put it in the net and Colgate’s defense sprinted to kick the ball away out of danger.

AU’s defense stood its ground, despite allowing some risky offensive plays for Colgate to execute. In the 23rd minute, the Raiders offense dribbled the ball shy of AU’s goal box and took a shot that missed just wide right.

“We kind of sat back offensively,” said Coach Todd West. “I challenged them at halftime to go after the Raiders’ defense.”

The Eagles looked to improve their offensive performance while maintaining the strength of their defense in the second half. Unfortunately, it took the offense a while to increase the tempo and get a chance at scoring. Due to AU’s failed attempts to score, Colgate took advantage in the 58th minute. 

Alex Weekes received a pass from teammate Mike Carzi and drew AU goalie Matt Makowski out of the net, which allowed him to chip the ball into the back of the net to put the Raiders up 1-0.

The goal looked as if it had sucked the energy right out of the AU team. They were able to cross the ball into Colgate’s goal box, but their shots were either too weak or cleared by the opponent’s defense.

AU’s best chance came in the 27th minute when AU passed consistently to give junior Nick Kapus a shot on goal. In the last two minutes, Makowski left the goal box to desperately help out the offense score a goal. Yet, the Eagles were unsuccessful at notching the equalizer, suffering their third loss at home.

The Eagles had eight corner kicks, compared to Colgate’s mere two. The Eagles’ Jack Scott, Mike Worden and David Menzie saw little action due to flu-like symptoms. Junior Daniel Shannon took four out of the team’s 10 shots, but couldn’t find the net.

The loss meant the Eagles would not gain home field advantage for the PL tournament next weekend. The team will now have to play at Bucknell.

“This loss is very frustrating — we created chances but didn’t take advantage of them,” West said after the game. “I’m frustrated that our guys aren’t taking care of chances to score a goal.”

The men’s squad will head to the PL tournament with Lehigh, Lafayette and top seed Bucknell. They will play their first game of the tournament this Friday.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

There were no late-game heroics for the Eagles like there were in the semifinals when AU scored the winning goal with less than a minute to go.

AU dominated the Raiders on the stat sheet, out-shooting the Raiders 11-8 with four shots on goal. Despite AU’s offensive advantage, it was the defense that proved key in Colgate’s win. In the 105th minute, Patriot League Rookie of the Year Ashley Walsh challenged and stopped Eagle forward Kelsey Brasher to keep the game scoreless.

Eagle goalkeeper Arianna Efstathiou provided an equally impressive showing, making three saves. One of those saves kept AU’s championship hopes alive in the 102nd minute. Efstathiou came up in the box and challenged the streaking Raiders winger, taking away a game-winning goal.

While she didn’t win the Tournament MVP, AU senior forward Brasher was the Championship game’s best player. Brasher, who has been one of the Eagle’s best players all year, had two shots on goal, with seven total.

Despite being ranked second in the Patriot League standings, AU was the clear underdog. Not only did Colgate hand AU one of their two losses during the regular season, but has now won seven games in a row. To go along with their regular season dominance, the Championship victory gave the Raiders their 11th PL Title.

The Patriot League Women’s Soccer All-Tournament Team was announced after the game. AU had three players named to the team, including Brasher, sophomore goalkeeper Efstathiou and freshman midfielder Michelle Montilio.

With the victory, the Raiders get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The selections and pairings will be announced on ESPNews tomorrow at 8 p.m.

Overall, the season has been a vast improvement over last year’s disappointment. AU finished with an 11-10 record with a 5-2 conference record, a six game improvement from last year’s record of 5-10-4 with only a 2-2-3 PL record.

Sunday’s loss marks the last game of the women’s soccer season. They will resume practice and spring exhibition games next semester.

You can reach this staff writer at atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.

AU beat Holy Cross Friday night 25-14, 19-25, 25-14 and 25-11. They also went on to be Army 25-22, 25-22, 21-25 and 25-21.

AU came into the match riding a wave of outstanding play that occurred over the last three weeks. Since a highly-contested 3-2 loss to Army, the Eagles have only dropped one set.

“We are not thinking about where we are or where we are going,” said Head Coach Barry Goldberg. “We are just looking to get good.”

In the opening set against Holy Cross, AU started with a quick 4-0 run. The Eagles made use of a 6-0 run following a block to pull away and take the set.

The second set started off with a 3-0 AU lead. However, Holy Cross was determined not to fall that easily as they fought back to win 10 of the first 16 points and force AU to take its first timeout. The Eagles could not get anything going and lost the set.

AU continued their sloppy play coming out of halftime, while Holy Cross jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Following a referee miscall, AU was able to tie the match at 4-4 and traded points until the Eagles pulled away with a 10-0 run. AU took care of business from there, finishing the set off with ease.

The fourth set had the most competitive start of the game, as the teams had to work hard to win a point. After getting an 11-7 lead, the Eagles did not look back, winning the match off a Holy Cross hitting error.

Juniors Angelina Waterman and Cassandra Ricketts led the Eagles with 16 kills, but it was Ricketts who separated herself by contributing four assists, eight digs and two blocks to the effort.

“As the season has gone on, Krysta [Cicala] and I have gotten used to each other,” Ricketts said. “We have worked hard in practices together, and it’s starting to show.”

Saturday’s match against Army started with teams trading points back and forth until Waterman took serve at 8-7. She served up three straight points and gave the Eagles the lead they needed in the first set. Despite rallies by the Black Knights, they could never get closer than two points, giving the Eagles a win in the first set.

The second set started with the teams trading points back and forth. However, it was the serving of the Eagles that made the difference in the set. Coming off a time out with AU leading 18-9, Army was able to get some momentum of their own, going for seven straight points to pull within three at 20-17. However, junior Magdalena Tekiel drove a bad pass back into the ground to win the set.

After dropping the third set, things continued to look bleak for the Eagles. Nothing seemed to be working as Army continued to maintain a four-point lead. Things turned around for the Eagles after Goldberg subbed in freshman Bianca Richardson.

Following an AU side out, Richardson was handed the ball to serve. Richardson helped the Eagles to a 7-0 run and a two-point lead. From there, it took good team defense by AU and two errors on the last two points by Army for the Eagles to take the match.

Magdalena Tekiel led the way with a team-high 16 kills, while Cicala added 42 assists, 7 digs and four blocks to the victory. Claire Recht led the Eagles in blocks for the second straight game with six.

The Eagles will travel to Colgate University on Friday, followed by a match at Bucknell University, to finish up the regular season.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.