Sports

Minor league is major help

The Washington Capitals' minor league affiliate, the Hershey Bears, have managed to stay atop the American Hockey League's Eastern Conference despite a constantly changing roster. One of the biggest problems AHL teams face is that they never know when their most important players maybe called up to the NHL.

AU lacrosse triumphs over rival Lafayette

Junior midfielder Amanda Makoid's hat-trick, along with multi-goal efforts by four other Eagles, helped the AU women's lacrosse team capture a 12-11 victory over Lafayette College Saturday afternoon. The win was the first in Patriot League play for the Eagles, who improve to 1-3 in league play and 2-8 overall on the season.

Do small schools have a chance against elite?

This year's NCAA tournament has seen more near upsets this year than ever before, which may be a sign that the difference between a No. 1 seed and a No. 16 seed has become smaller, but in reality it is just a smokescreen. On the first two days of the tournament, we saw Villanova University having to come back against a weak AU team and the University of Pittsburgh barely escape East Tennessee State University.

Escape D.C.'s spring bustle on scenic paths

As winter's harsh winds morph into spring's sweet smelling breeze, there is no better time or place to enjoy a run, walk or bike ride than spring in D.C. Unfortunately, this is also the time when tourists flock the streets to hail D.C.'s beloved cherry blossoms.

WBC: Classic or clunker?

The warming weather, the budding flowers and the chirping birds can only mean one thing: its time for baseball. Every year, millions of fans across the country, myself included, look forward to this time as the point in the year when the ground thaws, the days grow longer and the crack of a wooden bat against cowhide ball fills the air.

Diamonds in the rough

When drafting your fantasy baseball team this year, there are several players you should highlight. Every fantasy owner knows about Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, and Manny Ramirez. These players will earn plenty of points but these are the guys that will win you a championship.

When a fan cannot cheer

What is a journalist to do when the team he must cover has changed from just an average squad to his alma mater's program? The simple answer is to leave everything to the action on the court. As a sports journalist, I cover teams I have some prior investment in.

Capitals' slide continues

With only a handful of games to go it might be time to hit the panic button and start worrying about the Washington Capitals play. The season end near its end, closing the playoff race is anything but over in the Southeastern Division. The Capitals have won only five of their last 12 and have allowed the Carolina Hurricanes to sneak back into the playoff race.

Wrestling brief

Redshirt junior Mike Cannon recorded his second straight All-American status with an eighth-place finish in the 174-pound weight class while teammate junior Kyle Borshoff earned his first career All-American award by placing seventh in the 149-pound weight class at the NCAA wrestling championships this weekend.

Lacrosse brief

Despite a career-high four goals from freshman Lauren Schoenberger, the Eagles fell for the fifth consecutive game on Saturday, losing to Patriot League rival Lehigh University, 21-7. The loss drops the Eagles to 0-3 in league play and 1-7 overall on the season.

Sounding off on Eagles

"I am most proud of the championships, getting here twice when nobody gave us a chance."- Senior forward Frank Borden "My heart goes out to all the AU fans who came out to support us today."-Sophomore forward Nick Hendra "I want to support the home team and they have had a great season and I don't want it to end.

Photos from Philly

(Mid)-major problem

PHILADELPHIA - Coach Jeff Jones summed it up best when he said the AU men's basketball team left everything on the court. Every player played his heart out and gave it his all, but in the end the team couldn't stack up against the Villanova University Wildcats.

Women's bball brief

For the second straight season, the AU women's basketball team lost a nail-biter in the first round of the Women's NIT, falling to James Madison University 61-59 Friday night. After a 6-0 scoring run by AU tied at 59 with 2:28 to play, James Madison's Sarah Williams hit two free-throws that proved to be the eventual difference in the game, as neither team was able to score a basket the remainder of the match.

AU starts strong, fades fast

PHILADELPHIA - For 20 minutes, the proverbial clock seemed stuck at 11:59, keeping the Cinderella dream alive for the AU Eagles in their bid to defeat the Villanova University Wildcats Thursday night. Yet, as the final buzzer sounded, that clock finally struck midnight, ending the dream of a historic upset on the way to a 80-67 loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Sports briefs

NO. 2-RANKED CANNON LEADS AU WRESTLERS INTO NCAA TOURNEY Nationally No. 2-ranked and EIWA conference champion senior Mike Cannon will lead a trio of AU wrestlers to the NCAA championships taking place this weekend in St. Louis, Mo. Cannon, who finished the year with an undefeated record of 30-0, will look to capture his first-ever national championship in the 174-pound weight class.

Heading off to Philadelphia