Sports

• Dreary Weekend Ends With Injury, Women’s Soccer Loss

  Sports September 26, 2011 at 8:15 pm Comments are Disabled

  WILLIAMSBURG, Va.-Over the weekend, the George Mason men’s and women’s soccer teams opened conference play on a strong note. On a dreary Friday night, the weather held long enough for the Patriot women (at that time, 3-3-3, 0-0-1) to take Old Dominion (at that time, 3-4-2, 0-0-1) down a peg with a 4-4 tie. The Monarchs dominated in the first half with possession, but could not get on a scoring run until late in the first half. Senior midfielder Alyssa Anderson cleaned up a shot from junior forward Tiana Kallenberger to even the match at 1-1, but Old Dominion went on to score two goals in the last four minutes of the half to take a 3-1 lead into halftime. “We weren’t able to train in the rain so that was kind of an issue for us,” Head Coach Diane Drake said. “They were a much stronger team physically and athletically than we were told. I think our girls came in a little bit flatter than they should’ve.” Second half scoring was sparse for more than 25 minutes before Kallenberger streaked on the right side and played a cross on the face of the goal to junior midfielder Mary Kate […]

   

• MLB Rookies Make Noise in September

  Sports September 26, 2011 at 8:14 pm Comments are Disabled

  Isn’t it great when baseball season starts? It finally feels like the long, cold winter is beginning to thaw when pitchers and catchers report; and by the time the 30 teams take the field for the first games of the year, I feel a profound jubilance that reinvigorates me like nothing else in the world. That’s what makes this time of the year so difficult — school is in full swing and I’m working all week so I can’t follow America’s national pastime in the way I feel it deserves. This is the absolute cream of the season, especially this year when the wild card races are so close. As it stands now, Tampa Bay, Boston and Los Angeles are neck and neck for the American League wildcard while Atlanta and St. Louis are at the top of the heap in the National League race. San Francisco, who won the Fall Classic last year, is four games out with an anemic offense and little hope. So it goes. In addition to the wild card races, September means prospects are starting to get called up to the show for their first cup of coffee. Let’s start with Jesus Montero of the […]

   
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  Women’s Volleyball Tops VCU Rams 3-1

  Sports September 26, 2011 at 8:13 pm Comments are Disabled

  The George Mason University women’s volleyball team earned their first conference win of the season Friday against the VCU Rams (4-11) in an exciting 3–1 victory. The team was looking confident following a double win at the Thunder Invitational last weekend in Huntington, W.Va. Coach Pat Kendrick commented on what they gathered from the invitational: “I felt we were starting to get our act together in terms of how we wanted to be on the floor … kind of the overall attitude we needed as a team when we ran into difficult times or when things weren’t going well, and so I thought it was a good point for us to start the conference schedule having had that tournament last weekend.” Aside from the intra-conference rivalry between the two teams, there is deeper history that goes back to the 2009 CAA championship when third-seeded Mason defeated first-seeded VCU. Coaches and players, especially upperclassmen, were aware of this going into the game. “We ended the invitational well so we used that to our advantage,” said senior outside hitter Noelle Fanella, who made an impressive 13 digs and scored the final point in the last set. During the second set of the […]

   

• Mason Point Guard Andre Cornelius Arrested

  News1, Sports September 26, 2011 at 7:38 pm Comments are Disabled

  Andre Cornelius, senior point guard for the George Mason University men’s basketball team, has been suspended from the team pending the outcome of credit card fraud and larceny charges, resulting from his arrest Friday, Sept. 16. Mason has since announced that Cornelius will be subject to a judicial review in addition to a criminal trial. “[Cornelius] has been summarily suspended pending the outcome of the legal proceedings and an investigation by the university’s Office of Judicial Affairs,” said Maureen Nasser, director of communications for the athletic department. Cornelius appeared in court Tuesday, Sept. 20 for his arraignment at the Fairfax County Courthouse. He did not have to answer to any charges at the arraignment, but the defendant did introduce his attorney, Councilman Manuel A. Capsalis. A basketball team manager also accompanied Cornelius at the arraignment hearing. It is unclear at this time why the team manager was present in the courtroom. Both Cornelius and his attorney are expected to return to the Fairfax County Courthouse for the preliminary court hearing scheduled for Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. According to the Mason Police Botter for Sept. 16, Cornelius was arrested by Mason police for credit card fraud and credit card larceny. […]

   
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  Fifth-Year Senior Takes Advantage of Opportunities That Come With Playing Collegiate Soccer

  Sports September 19, 2011 at 6:09 pm Comments are Disabled

  Casual newspaper readers do not see the names of defenders in the headlines of their sports section. For that matter, neither do soccer enthusiasts. But George Mason University’s men’s soccer coach Greg Andrulis has relied on fifth-year senior Eric Zuehsow for the most of his career. While Draymond Washington was a forward when he came in with the Patriots and was reeled back, as were junior Paul Andrews and sophomore Alex Herrera, Zuehsow has shown off his defensive work as a long-time fixture of the Patriots defense. That is not to say that his style of play has stayed the same. “My first year, I was battling fitness. My second year, battling injuries,” Zuehsow said. “It was, ‘I’m two years into this, it’s kind of tough.’ I had a good summer going into my junior year and finally got things rolling again.” He found his start in the game as most college and pro players have. He started micro soccer when he was young and worked his way to playing club soccer and defending for Broad Run High School. It was in Ashburn that he caught the eye of Andrulis and his coaching staff. When looking for colleges, he put […]

   

• Unlike the NFL, NBA Lockout May Be For Real

  Sports September 19, 2011 at 6:07 pm Comments are Disabled

  The autumn season is one of my favorite times of the sports year. It marks the beginning of the football season – NCAA and NFL; the end of the baseball playoffs; and, my personal favorite, the tip-off to the collegiate and professional basketball seasons. Every single night there is bound to be an intriguing sports spectacle available on the television screen. Unfortunately, however, the National Basketball Association could throw a wrench in the anticipation of sports fans throughout the nation. Similar to the National Football League this offseason, the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement has expired and owners have locked out the players, jeopardizing the beginning of the professional basketball season. To the casual fan, this doesn’t seem like such a big deal. Hell, the NFL season started on time. But it is not that simple this time around. I was never convinced that the NFL was going to miss significant time due to the collective bargaining disagreement. The two sides were never really that far apart. Their argument, more or less, consisted of one rich man agreeing to give another rich man an extra couple bucks for ice cream. This NBA lockout, though, is incredibly complex. The two sides, the […]

   

• Fantasy Football Weekly

  Sports September 19, 2011 at 6:05 pm Comments are Disabled

  Cheers Matthew Stafford The Detroit Lions quarterback had an impressive 294 yard, four touchdown outing against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs this past weekend. If healthy, Stafford can be the catalyst the Lions need to make their first postseason appearance since 1999. Jeers Chris Johnson Again? Thats right. Johnson rushed for 53 yards on 24 carries and averaged 2.2 yards per carry in Sunday’s win against the Baltimore Ravens. It was Johnson’s second consectutive game in which he ran for less than 100 yards. The Titans did win the game, but the fourth best rusher from 2010 has been nothing more than mediocre thus far. Hopefully, this is his last appearance of the season in “Jeers.”

   
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  Clock Ticking on Nike Mags Availability

  Sports September 19, 2011 at 6:04 pm Comments are Disabled

  22 years ago, when “Back to the Future Part II” hit theaters , Nike designer Tinker Hatfield designed and unveiled the most famous shoe never made available to the public: the Nike Mag. Unavailable, that is, until now. Marty McFly’s infamous kicks are now being auctioned off on eBay by Nike to raise money for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Fox’s role as McFly, and the unforgettable hover board scene, helped solidify the shoes as one of the most recognizable of all-time. According to back4thefuture.com, each shoe features “electroluminescent outsole, space-age materials and a rechargeable internal battery good for 3,000 hours.” Many notable celebrities have already bought their own pairs, including San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Kevin Durant, and rappers Tinie Tempah and Kid Cudi, who bought four pairs for himself. As of Sunday night, there are only 150 pairs left, with each auction starting at $0.99, and shoes are going fast. With the Nike Mags in the limelight, here’s a list of other top rated shoes of all-time, according to kicksguide.com:

   

• Fantasy Football Weekly

  Sports September 12, 2011 at 2:30 pm Comments are Disabled

  Cheers Cam Newton The No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft stunned fantasy owners with a 422-yard, 2 TD pass performance in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. Newton, who became the first NFL player to throw for 400 yards in a debut, will face a stout Green Bay Packers defense next week on the road. How Newton performs will be laid heavily on the backs of his offensive line against Clay Matthews and the defending champion Packers. Jeers Chris Johnson The Pro Bowl running back had one of his worst rushing performances of his career, rushing for a measily 24 yards on nine carries and caught six passes for 25 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Johnson will have his hands full against Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens run-stuffing defense next Sunday in the Titans home-opener. If you were to choose a week to sit Johnson, this would be the one.

   

• Kickoff to football season a great and Patriotic success

  Sports September 12, 2011 at 2:30 pm Comments are Disabled

  Football is a huge part of American culture. A vast majority of people, men and women, across the United States use football as a means of social gathering. They get set in a routine during the fall, allotting a good chunk of their day to sit in front of a TV, whether at home or elsewhere, to catch a full day of touchdowns and hard hits from their favorite players and teams. Thus, the opening kickoff for any football season is special. It is a just cause for anticipatory countdowns, similar to Christmas or New Year’s Day. But the 2011 football season may have been the most special football kickoff that the National Football League has ever hosted. Conveniently falling on Sept. 11, the ten year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 2001, this year’s opening kickoff was about the gathering of American people remembering American heroes while enjoying America’s favorite game. And it was 100 percent successful. With former Secretary of State Colin Powell standing by as an honorary captain, the families of fallen heroes, police, firefighters and players joined together to hold a massive flag that spanned the entire length of the field. It was simply incredible. In […]