Easy layup for AU over winter break
Sometimes a five-game losing streak is just what a team needs to awaken a sleeping giant. And that sleeping giant is the AU Women's Basketball team, picked to finish second in the Patriot League.
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Sometimes a five-game losing streak is just what a team needs to awaken a sleeping giant. And that sleeping giant is the AU Women's Basketball team, picked to finish second in the Patriot League.
Learn Dr. Joni Comstock's name. AU's new athletic director takes over today and with her at the helm, bounds are limitless and excitement is high.
The AU Women's Basketball team bounced back from its first defeat of the season to beat Mount St. Mary's 72-62 Wednesday night in Emmittsburg, Md., to improve its record to 3-1 on the young season.
The AU Women's Basketball team opened its season with a weekend sweep of UNC-Asheville and Howard at Bender Arena.
The AU Athletics Department cut all Swimming and Diving scholarships last week, a move that will reallocate funds to other athletic projects.
If Friday night is any indication of the AU Women's Basketball season, then the first Patriot League championship may be on its way to Bender Arena.
Six months from now, Kobe Bryant, Dany Heatley and Maurice Clarett, three of the greatest athletes in the world, could be in jail.
Before long three of the greatest athletes in the world Kobe Bryant, Dany Heatley and Maurice Clarett could be behind bars.
This year, Wrestling head coach Mark Cody has reason to be excited as his team prepares to improve upon last year's two win season.
The weather wasn't the only thing hot this weekend, as the Men's Soccer team defeated the Army Black Knights, 2-0 Saturday on Reeves Field. Junior Andrew Herman, who scored a goal and registered an assist on 12 shots, led AU offensively. "Andy was very good today," Head Coach Todd West said. "He creates a lot of chances. When he's playing well, his pace is real tough to deal with." The Eagles got on the board in the fourth minute as Herman drew a crowd of Army defenders and delivered a pass to freshman Garth Juckem, who tallied his first goal of the season. That goal set the pace for the game as the Eagles tightened up on defense and didn't allow Army to attack. With the score still 1-0 in the 17th minute, AU junior goalkeeper Thomas Myers made a difficult save on a one-on-one opportunity. He then got rid of the ball quickly to junior midfielder Charlie Koniver, who set up Herman for the second AU goal a minute later. "That [save] was a huge play for us, because it turned out to be a two-goal difference," West said. "If they score there, we're in for a dogfight the whole game." While Herman was the offensive star for the Eagles and Myers was solid in goal, the best game came from AU junior midfielder Shawn Kuykendall, who continued his stellar play. "Shawn's kind of like a point guard on the field for us," West said. "He came up big today." The Eagles dominated the shots on goal, getting off 16 against Army 'keeper Matt Wesmiller, while the Knights only managed six for the game. The key to the Eagles' defensive domination was their midfield play, anchored by Juckem, Kuykendall and sophomore Gordon Templeman, whose physical play earned him a yellow card but sent a message to Army as he took control of the midfield all game. The win comes at a great time for the Eagles, who improved to 7-8-1 overall and 2-4 in the Patriot League. While not mathematically eliminated from PL playoff contention, gaining a berth is unlikely. However, the Eagles could still qualify for the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team. Even if no postseason is in the future, West sees reachable goals for this team. "We think we're a winning team and I want us to get to .500," West said. West's Eagles will finish up their regular season when they host the Lafayette Leopards Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. A win would even their record at 8-8-1 and lead them into next year on a winning note.
Opportunity. With every new era comes an abundance of opportunity. Here at AU, we are about to embark upon a new era, under a new athletic director. Tom George's successful tenure is history and AU prepares for a new AD to take over the Patriot League program. Before we look to the future, let's focus on what we have now: Both the Men's and Women's Basketball teams are on the cusp of NCAA Tournament appearances. The Men's Soccer team has struggled this year, but is young and has a very promising future. Both Cross Country teams, Lacrosse, Women's Soccer and Men's Tennis return this year as defending PL champions. The new AD will enter with a promising core to work with. However, there's always room for improvement. Here is one AU fan's opinion on what the new AD needs to have to achieve success in league play and beyond. Experience This is always the argument, experience versus youth. Because many of AU's coaches have achieved success on their own, the new AD's biggest challenge will be stimulating fan interest. Thus, the new AD must have experience turning programs around and dealing with college-aged students. While the argument can be made that a young AD would breathe new life into the program, so would an established person with an impressive resume and previous success. Guts Whoever takes over must be willing to take chances and risk a little bit up front for the future gain. George's ideas of Phil Bender days and bus trips to important road games may not have paid off with overwhelming success, but there's no doubt that they increased support, if only for a day. The new AD must continue this and expand, adding promotions and gimmicks to get people in the stands. AU sports are a great product, and if fans would come once, they would come back again and again. Thus, an AD who can attract a big crowd up front will gain in the long run. Commitment AU won't lead the league in attendance this year, and maybe not even next year. We may not make any NCAA Tournament appearances, and we could lose every game we play. Regardless, the athletic director must stay committed to this program. AU is a rising national power in several sports, and it coincides with the increasing respect and popularity the University is getting as a whole. A successful athletics department will only add to the appeal of AU on a national level. Whoever inherits the post must work with what we have here and add to a solid core. The Screaming Eagles are an impressive fan base that truly care about AU sports. If the new AD can attract interest in the programs on campus, recruits will be more apt to come play in front of 5,000 people than in front of 500. And with increased numbers of recruits come more wins. The road is long and even winding at times, but the athletic director post here at AU is a dream job. Many of the programs have coaches on long-term contracts who have established success on a national level. The facilities are top-notch, the athletes are young and hungry and the student body is filled with potential. While it will be a challenge, AU storming onto the national scene is upon us. All anyone could ask for is an opportunity. And whoever the new AD is will have the opportunity of a lifetime. My advice to AU President Benjamin Ladner and his staff searching for George's replacement: Find an individual with experience, guts and commitment, and someone who has a passion for this job. Bring him or her to AU and the Eagles will be flying high in no time.
The young coach and the two starters sat dejected, tears freshly dried, biting on their bottom lips.
We can all stop crying now. The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs will not meet in the World Series. With both teams five outs away from the Fall Classic and with three-run leads, the Curse of the Goat (Cubs) and the Curse of the Bambino (Red Sox) struck again as a fan and a struggling third baseman sent the two Cinderellas home with no glass slipper.
Ahhh, sportsmanship: The root of all evil in the athletic universe! What, you say? Can he really be saying that sportsmanship is bad? That's right, sports nuts, gentlemanly play and handshakes are so yesterday. Now we want fights, we want skirmishes and we want Warren Sapp running through opposing teams' stretching lines. Why? It's because conflict sells, and the more fighting, the more cash.
Athletes live for defining moments, the one instant in which their name is forever etched into the annals of time. Just this past week, we saw Pedro Martinez's defining moment as he pitched his Boston Red Sox into the ALCS.
During this upcoming basketball season, halftime entertainment may be hard to come by.ÿEagles' fans are used to seeing the AU dance team perform various numbers in their blue velvet jumpsuits; however, lack of funding and fan interest has caused the team to fold.
There are certain athletes that can inspire a nation, such as Rulon Gardner did in the Olympics. There are athletes who have inspired leagues, like Michael Jordan in the NBA. However, for some reason, it's rare that a student-athlete ever single-handedly inspires a university. However, at AU, sophomore mid-fielder Freddy Llerena of the Men's Soccer team has provided the Eagles (and the entire campus, for that matter) with a reason to pay attention.
The AU Volleyball team lost all three matches this past weekend against Arizona, New Mexico St. and the University of California-Santa Barbara at the Arizona Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
Last month, the Washington sports world celebrated its first championship in years as the Washington Freedom won the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) championship in the league's third year.
Each year, summer provides a lull for every sports fan. We find ourselves excited for Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays games because, quite frankly, there's nothing better going on in the sporting universe. But, in the next six weeks, that will all change.