Sports

• Mason Battles Towson on Wednesday

  Sports October 6, 2009 at 2:05 pm Comments are Disabled

  Kevin Nydam, Broadside Correspondent After an incredible performance shutting out the fourth-ranked Maryland Terrapins last Tuesday, the men’s soccer team improved their record to 6-2. As they near the midway point of their season, the team prepares to play the Towson Tigers this Wednesday at 7 p.m. at George Mason Stadium. The Patriots sit in second place in the Colonial Athletic Association standings, nine places ahead of the Tigers. As the defending CAA men’s soccer champions, Mason has been projected to repeat the achievement this year to win back-to-back conference championships. The preseason CAA poll results predicted Towson to finish in sixth place, one rank higher than the previous season. Mason has a strong offense, averaging nearly 14 shots per game. They have outscored their opponents 14-4 so far in the first eight games of the season. This match will be a true test for the Patriots, who look to move to first place with another conference win. Senior goalkeeper Sean Kelley has already recorded 26 saves in the first seven games, while Towson’s sophomore goalkeeper John Steele has saved 24 shots. The Tigers have played seven games this season and currently sit under .500 with a record of 3-4-0 […]

   

• Patriots Pummel Retrievers: Mason Women’s Soccer Holds UMBC Scoreless

  Sports October 1, 2009 at 2:06 pm Comments are Disabled

  John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor The George Mason University women’s soccer team took on University of Maryland, Baltimore County Retrievers Tuesday night. The Retrievers were winless coming into the match and were winless going out. The Patriots took care of the match by scoring three times in the second half. There was only one goal in the first half at the 12-minute mark, scored by freshman forward Tiana Kallenberger. For the goal, senior forward Annie Lebherz found Kallenberger at the top of the box, who turned for the goal, the first in 33 minutes. “We were getting it in there, but we were a little bit off in our selection or we were a little bit too tight in our outside,” said Head Coach Diane Drake. This shows how, while the Patriots seemed to have countless scoring opportunities, they were unable to capitalize. Drake gave a motivating halftime speech, leading to three second-half goals. The Patriots learned from their dismal first-half showing and attacked with gusto in the second half, and, with heightened communication and hustle. The second half success came to a head when Kallenberger scored the goal after a block, followed 30 seconds later by a score from […]

   

• Revenge of the Patriots: Rematch of 2008 Sweet 16

  Sports October 1, 2009 at 2:03 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ebad Khan, Broadside Correspondent The highly anticipated matchup between the George Mason University men’s soccer team and the Maryland Terrapins will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The Patriots will look to avenge their 2-0 loss on Nov. 25 last season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Terrapins, the second-seed in the tournament, ended the dreams of the Patriot hopefuls, who advanced to the second round of the big tournament for the first time since 1996. Mason’s eight-game winning streak was snapped, sending seven of the Mason’s finest into collegiate retirement. For the Terrapins, they were able to enjoy their 2008 season on top, defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels in the national title game. The senior co-captains midfielder Richard Edgar and goalkeeper Sean Kelley, who were also named to the 2009 Preseason All-CAA Team, plan to lead the young Patriots and seek revenge on a talented Maryland team. Mason started the season 3-2 with victories over the Howard Bison, Presbyterian Blue Hose, and the Richmond Spiders. The Patriots took the runner-up slot in the D.C. College Cup, suffering a 2-1 defeat to the American University Eagles. Mason competed in the Adidas Gamecock Classic in South Carolina, […]

   

• The Worldwide News of Sports

  Sports October 1, 2009 at 2:02 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ryan Dempsey, Broadside Correspondent UFC Ultimate Fighting Champion superstar Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has announced that he will retire from the UFC. Jackson announced his retirement for reasons such as being rushed into fights, past injuries and recent altercations with UFC President Dana White. The altercations with White and Jackson were caused after Jackson accepted the role of B.A. Baracus in the forthcoming A-Team movie, leaving White to scrap plans for the Dec. 12 bout between Jackson and Rashad Evans. “The UFC has done a lot for me but I think I have done more for them,” stated Jackson, the former UFC light-heavyweight champion. “He’s acting like a baby right now, but he’s a grown man,” commented White on KHTK radio. No one knows exactly what this means for the UFC, but there is no question that this story will develop into something interesting in the future. Men’s Tennis Last week, tennis star Rafael Nadal announced that he will again be taking time off from the game. The announcement came after Nadal was seen by doctors. According to CNN News, “Dr Angel Ruiz Cottoro, medical services chief for the Spanish Tennis Federation, revealed the world number two has suffered an acute […]

   

• Mason Looks to Muzzle Huskies

  Sports October 1, 2009 at 2:01 pm Comments are Disabled

  Yasin Jama, Broadside Correspondent The George Mason University women’s soccer team, ranked fifth in the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Polls, will continue their conference tune-up when they host the Northeastern Huskies. The game will be played at George Mason Stadium at 2 p.m. The team is off to a great start with its young roster, winning eight of the first nine games. Redshirt junior midfielder Omolyn Davis leads the team with six goals and has 14 points. Davis is among two other players with 14 points, which includes senior forward Kelly Keelan and freshman forward Tiana Kallenberger. Keelan has four goals and six assists while Kallenberger has three goals and five assists. Fellow freshman goalkeeper Katie Frey earned the CAA Rookie of the Week this week. Of Mason’s eight victories, four of them have come from playing at home, that stat propelled by the fact that Mason has not given up an opposing team’s goal at home. With the exception of Mason’s 3-1 loss to the Pennsylvania Quakers, Mason has been terrific so far in the 2009 season. However, Mason could be facing its toughest game of the season this Sunday when they take on the third-ranked Huskies. Freshman Devin Pets […]

   

• Double Feature: Conference Home Openers: Mason Hosts Conference Games This Weekend

  Sports October 1, 2009 at 1:59 pm Comments are Disabled

  John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor George Mason University: The volleyball team has made a strong showing this year so far, coming back from a dismal season. Finishing their non-conference schedule, the Patriots went 11-4 before opening up their conference schedule. Mason took two of three matches at the West Virginia Invitational, before dropping the finale to the West Virginia Mountaineers. Mason won eight consecutive sets before dropping the last three to the Mountaineers. The win surge has come on the back of a staff writer and defensive specialist. Junior setter Fernanda Bartels earned the Co-Defensive Player of the Week award. This is the first weekly award of her career and the second Patriots’ award of the season. She was second on the team in digs and blocks in the West Virginia Invitational. The Brazilian recorded 36 digs, 11 blocks and 101 assists in the tournament. Bartels leads the CAA and is second in assists per set. Another defensive star is Kelsey Bohman who earned the Co-Defensive Player of the Week award two weeks before her teammate. The Patriots have tallied the most non-conference wins since their 1996 season and hoped to ride on the back of this recent success as […]

   

• Mason Lances Longwood: Kelley Holds Lancers Scoreless

  Sports October 1, 2009 at 1:56 pm Comments are Disabled

  John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor The George Mason Universitymen’s soccer team took on the Longwood Lancers Wednesday night. The Patriots recorded only one goal in the first half but a second-half offensive surge led to a 4-0 win. Going into the game, Longwood had only scored only one goal, for a record of 1-3-2, with two no-score tie games. On the opposite end, Mason entered the game with a 3-2 record, backed by senior goalkeeper Sean Kelley. In the first six minutes of the game, the Lancer sophomore goalkeeper Joel Helmick was injured and taken off the field after colliding with a Mason player. This set the tone for the game as many more players were taken off the field due to injuries from both teams throughout the game. Neither team showed any urgency to score during the first half, as each team took only four shots. Lancer freshman backup goalkeeper Ben Eanes managed one save, while letting one other ball through. Kelley, on the other hand, made two saves, not letting any pass him by. Coming back from last year’s season-ending injury, sophomore defender Eric Zuehsow took the ball from redshirt junior forward Irvin Martinez and knocked it in […]

   

• Phillies Look for Repetition: Phillies to Defend Last Season’s Title

  Sports October 1, 2009 at 1:55 pm Comments are Disabled

  Chris DeMarco, Staff Writer The New York Yankees accomplished a back-to-back World Series title in grand fashion: winning it three consecutive times from 1998 through 2000. Since then, no team has accomplished such a feat. The Philadelphia Phillies will have their shot this year. Last year, not even the die-hard Phillies’ fans expected to win the World Series. When they did, it was extremely bittersweet for all fans of Philadelphia sports teams. I would know, since I have been living and dying with Philly sports for 22 years, and I was ecstatic when they won. What really epitomizes the Phillies’ remarkable run is the support they receive from their fans. For example, my father jumped through the roof when Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske to win the World Series. My father has been a Phillies’ fan forever. After all the years of heartbreak, his reaction said it all. It had been too long, and now we expect it again. In order to keep Phillies’ fans happy, the Phillies have to do a couple things and hope that some things fall in their favor again. The biggest key to winning another title will ultimately hinge on the pitching of the […]

   

• The Goode Side of Hollyball: Junior Lives the Goode Life at Mason

  Sports October 1, 2009 at 1:53 pm 1 comment

  Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor Junior middle blocker and opposite hitter Holly Goode claims that she was really bad when she first encountered volleyball in high school. Goode, who needed just two years of experience prior to joining the George Mason University women’s volleyball team, is finally at the breakout point of her career as a full-time starter. Entering the season’s conference opener, Goode led the team with 129 kills and a .312 attack percentage. Goode has been on a tear lately, recording double-digit kills in the past five matches. During that span, she averaged 3.15 kills per set and posted a .361 attack percentage. “Sometimes if I play well the first game with my hair a certain way, I will [have the routine to] do my hair that way [for upcoming games],” said Goode. Goode had a career-high 11 kills against the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks last season. She already surpassed that total five times this season. Goode registered 17 kills in just the second match this season, a five-set thriller against the Georgetown Hoyas in the D.C. Volleyball Challenge. Goode, an exercise science major, arrived at the Fairfax campus two years ago and immediately fell in love with the campus. […]

   

• Leaving Out Lester: Southpaw Makes His Pitch for the Cy Young

  Sports October 1, 2009 at 1:52 pm Comments are Disabled

  Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor Take the following blindfolded taste test: Pitcher A, valued at $23 million according to FanGraphs, posted a 16-6 record with a 3.21 ERA last season, and Pitcher B posted an 18-3 record with a 2.90 ERA, but was valued at $14.9 million. Which pitcher was considered for the AL Cy Young award last season? Unlike last year, Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester faces a stiffer competition this season. Dominating the AL, Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke is the frontrunner to win the award, the first for a Royals’ pitcher since David Cone won the Cy Young 15 years ago. Like Cone, who won in the shortened season due to the infamous strike, Greinke faces a situation in which the skeptical voters may reluctantly select a representative from the team that currently sits in the cellar of the league. I will avoid the Greinke discussion, which emerges in the media everyday, and rather provide an argument for Lester to be considered in this year’s ballot. This season it has been a complete turnaround in the wrong direction for Lester’s teammate Daisuke Matsuzaka, although he recently had one of his best outings since returning from […]