Delivering American University's news and views since 1925 | Friday, May 7, 2021
The roar of the crowd, the cheers from the sideline, the ball goes up ... and into the hands of the receiver. Touchdown! For just under 20 years, this was a common sound on campus, but football is now reserved to the television screen. Ever wonder about AU's long lost Football team? It seems like it never happened, but not long ago football players once wore an Eagles uniform.
The Wide World of Club Sports takes a look at the Men's Rugby team.
Nothing went according to plan for AU Men's Soccer this weekend. First, Hurricane Isabel tore through the mid-Atlantic, shutting the school down for Thursday and Friday. Then, Saturday's match at George Mason was changed from a night game to a day game, and moved to an intramural field.
Sports briefs on wins by the Cross Country and Field Hockey teams and AU Alumni fest for Tennis players.
After AU Volleyball dropped its first two games Saturday night against No. 15 Michigan State's watertight defense, the Eagles might as well have been left for dead, but they just refused to die. The Eagles (3-8) staged a ferocious comeback in the last two games and fought off game point four times, but it was not enough to overcome the Spartans (8-2), who won the match 3-1 (30-19, 30-22, 34-36, 30-26).
As of now, Ohio State running back Maurice Clarrett's future remains uncertain. Suspended by OSU for the 2003 season for violating NCAA rules, he has several options. He can transfer to I-AA Grambling, where he would not be forced to sit out the start of next season.
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. While prospects for other D.C. teams may be bleak, it's safe to say that the Freedom have no chance of repeating.
The Sports desk reports that three AU athletes were honored this past week for their performances.
It's rare that big-money schools send their elite teams to AU's tiny corner in Northwest, D.C. A variety of St. Francises (Pennsylvania and New York) will drop by but nary a St. John's. Heck, Maryland won't even make the jaunt into the city, although maybe that's for the best, lest Terps fans storm Bender Arena while Eagles fans stay in bed to watch "Crossfire" reruns.
AU Field Hockey came out playing flat under an overcast sky Sunday at the Terrapin Invitational in College Park, Md. But sunlight eventually broke through, along with the Eagles' offense. AU (4-1-0) used an explosive second half to complete a 4-0 smacking of Rutgers (3-4-0).
Sports briefs from the Eagle Sports desk: a winning week for Mens' Cross Country at St. Mary's Invitational
Freshman Alison Doyle is the new goalie for the Lady Eagles and she has held her own in her first few games. Since taking over the starting role she has done her best to make the fans forget that former player Jen Liese, who transferred to Penn State, posted a 1.59 goals against average in her two years here at AU.
Sports columnist Jesse Epstein waxes on the excitement of a new Fall season for sports fans.
The rainy weather at the beginning of the game between AU and Loyola seemed indicative of both teams' seasons so far. Both AU and Loyola had been early favorites to compete for titles in their respective divisions, but at Saturday's game both teams got off to a lackadaisical start with a record of one win and three losses.
It's a fact of life that accidents happen, and for AU Tennis star Katarina Kollarova, she's most thankful that she "accidentally" picked up a tennis racket and began what is quickly becoming one of the most dominant tennis careers in the Patriot League.
Sports briefs on the Men's Golf team's win at the AU Classic and senior Laura Miller being awarded the PL Defensive player of the week.
AU Volleyball is 32-0 in two seasons of Patriot League play, sweeping all but six of those matches, and has made the NCAA Tournament the past two years. The team returns four players this year who last fall earned all-league honors, including Karla Kucerkova, the 2002 Verizon Academic Player of the Year.
AU Women's Soccer fans probably expected AU sophomore midfielder Simone Konig to be the offensive force in Wednesday's match. Instead, it was GW forward Kim Warren, who scored one goal and started two others en route to a Colonial victory, 3-1.
Sideline Scholar columnist Jesse Epstein remarks on American professional sports since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
