The Hawk Newspaper
November 7, 2012
Page 15
Sports
76ers reign supreme >> King, p.16
I feel on the professional level we are football crazy, but for it to be considered the sport of the city it needs to reach a deeper level than that. The Phillies Well what about the Phillies? They have been the only team to win a world championship in the last 29 years. They had this town wearing red and screaming “CHOOCH!” at the top of our lungs. Baseball has to be the sport of the city, right? ‘Cause we have high hopes… Not quite. In recent years, the city has been mesmerized by this team, from its “never quit” attitude to their blue-collar approach to the game. Minus a few outbursts from Cole Hamels, the team doesn’t really have any egos and is a team you can easily fall in love with. Baseball even holds water in the college and high school rankings. Jaime Moyer has pitched at a high school, college (here on Hawk Hill), and a pro-level in this town. Mike Trout is from this area and he might be one of the best we will ever see when it’s all said and done. The reason why I can’t give them the nod is because baseball might hold the most fair-weather fan base we have in the city. I don’t mean this as a mean thing or even a shot at the fans, really. The die-hards are there, but I can recall in 2005, when you couldn’t fill up Citizens Bank Park at all. Management couldn’t give away tickets fast enough. That continued pretty much until 2007 with the first playoff appearance since 1993. Then Phillies fans became the best fans in baseball… until now. After this year’s poor showing, I am certain attendance will fall as well as merchandise sales. This team won’t be the loveable winners we are used to, and (as Philadelphians) our affections will turn.
Men’s soccer battles Temple in tough defeat GARRETT MILEY’ 15 Hawk Staff
The Saint Joseph’s University men’s soccer team finished its season Saturday with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Temple University. Overall, the Hawks finished their season at 5-11-2 overall and 1-5-2 in the Atlantic 10. Though the Hawks outshot Temple 18-13, they were unable to find the back of the net as Temple keeper Dan Scheck made an astonishing 12 saves. Andrew Dodds scored a first half goal for Temple in the 21st minute. The Hawks were able to keep the pressure on and hold Temple off the board again until the 85th minute, when Temple’s Chas Wilson was able to send home a goal assisted by Ryan Bradbury, putting the nail in the coffin of the Hawks’ season. Temple upped their pressure in the second half as they recorded five corner kicks, as opposed to
This assures me that Philadelphia is not a baseball town. This again isn’t a slam against Phillies fans, but when your friends who know nothing about baseball start wearing Utley shirts… to quote Bill Engvall, “Here’s your sign.” The Flyers So it has to be the Flyers town. They are the pillars of consistency, making the playoffs 18 of the past 21 years, going to a few Cup finals in the process. You can count on them to play good hockey as well as on dedicated fans filling up the Wells Fargo Center every night. “The Sporting News” has ranked them the most “intimidating fans in hockey” on a few occasions. This is a hockey town, right? Right!?! Nope. I LOVE THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS. They may be my favorite team in this city, and it is really hard for me to pick favorites. But here’s the issue with hockey: it’s only present in this town on a pro level. High school hockey in Philadelphia, or the surrounding areas for that matter, is almost non-existent. A few good teams but nothing citywide, no real leagues. Ed Snider has started a youth hockey program in the city that is meant to have more players from the inner-city start to play the game. It’s a nice move and will help build a solid hockey community in the city. But it’s not there now, and it will take time to be there. College-wise is the same thing: no one is seriously into hockey. As much as I love the sport, it doesn’t rule the day in Philadelphia. How about the Philadelphia Union? … I’m kidding. The 76ers This town belongs to the game of basketball. Yes, the 76ers haven’t been that relevant in about 10 years. No, they have no super stars to speak of. No, they are not going to win a championship in the fore-
one in the first half. The Owls finished a strong season on Saturday at 10-5-3 overall , and 6-12 in the A-10. Tim Lazorko, ’16, continued his strong freshman season with five shots on goal against the Owls, finishing with five goals, five assists and 46 total shots within the season. Andrew D’Ottavi, ’13, made five saves in net for the Hawks to conclude his third (and final) season in net. Captain Tim Brennan, ’13, ended his career for the Hawks on Saturday after 66 starts for St. Joe’s. Brennan had one goal and 15 total shots this season for the Hawks. Next season looks bright for the Hawks as they will return ten starters, with Lazorko as a strong piece to build around. The Hawks’ 5-11-2 record is their best since their 2008 campaign when the team went 5-8-2. This season was the best in terms of wins for head coach Don D’Ambra, ’94, as well.
seeable future. But this town is a basketball town, and some would argue the Mecca of basketball in America. Let’s start from the bottom. Some of the local high schools, even the ones closest to Saint Joseph’s, has created some of the best basketball talent the world has ever seen. From Wilt Chamberlain at Overbrook High School, Kobe Bryant hailing from Lower Merion High School, and Rasheed Wallace at Simon Gratz and Jameer Nelson products of Chester High. Bryant and Chamberlain are considered two of the top five players of all time, hailing from high schools six miles apart. This team has bred ball players and keeps on breeding them. Looking at most major college programs, there is a good chance a Philadelphia player has been recruited to that team. Almost all the state championships in basketball come from the area. In high school, basketball is king. But look at the Big 5 and City 6, the Palestra: the first NCAA tournament ever was held in the historic gym. Four of the six Philadelphia colleges have been ranked in the top 50 programs of the last 50 years. No other city has that distinction. Finally let us not forget about the 76ers, boasting the third most wins of any NBA franchise, as well as third most playoff appearances. In 2001, this was their town, and it was in a way I haven’t seen ever again. This town above anywhere else is hungry for good basketball on all levels; you can’t say that about any other sport here. Philadelphia is a basketball town first and foremost. We love all of our teams with passion and intelligence like no other city. But if we break down the process to its meat and potatoes, round ball is king.
Young and determined, field hockey will bounce back ROSEMARY MARTIN’14
Hawk Staff On Sunday, Oct. 28, the Saint Joseph’s University field hockey team hung up their uniforms and equipment for the last time in the 2012 season. On paper it was a tough season ,but the Hawks worked tirelessly from the start and showed what St. Joe’s Athletics is all about. The 2012 season officially began on Aug. 24, but the Crimson and Gray started training much earlier than this. The Hawks lost five seniors, but gained six freshmen who were determined to make their mark during their first year. The Hawks also had nine returning sophomores who were ready to dust off their cleats and show what they learned during their rookie season. The three juniors and four seniors, lad by co-captains Leigh Deininger ,’12, and Abby Hoover, ‘12, used their experiences on and off of the field to guide the team in the right direction. The Hawks bonded through countless hours of practice, team meetings, bus rides, and much more. As the seniors reflected during their
senior game, over the past few years, this group became their family. After opening mid-season in 2011, the Ellen Ryan field was the team’s home from the first day of pre-season until the last practice before facing Temple. The Hawks played twelve games here, going 3-9; they were 1-6 on the road. Their overall record was 4-15 and 1-6 in the A-10. However, these numbers are not a reflection of the hard work the Hawks put in to each practice and game. They struggled at times, but bounced back relentlessly and continued to hang tough through close games. The Hawks faced four ranked opponents this season and held their own in all of the games. They lost in overtime to CAA Champions, Drexel (ranked 24th) 2-1 on August 31st, they lost 6-3 at Virginia (ranked 7th) on September 30th, they lost to Richmond 1-0 (ranked 17th) on October 19th, and were beaten by UMAS (Ranked 19th) 5-1 on Sunday October 21st. Other highlights of the season included the Hawks second consecutive victory over cross-town rival Villanova 2-1, and a victory over
conference foe Saint Louis ,1-0. Jordan Martin, ’15 led the Hawks in scoring with seven goals. She also notched two assists. Martin was named to the A-10 All Conference Second team. Teammate Rachel Brosious, ’16 was named to the All-Rookie team and tallied two goals on the year. Meghan Githens, ’13, received A-10 Academic Honors for the second consecutive year thanks to her tireless efforts and record shattering season. She notched three goals and five assists in her last season with the Hawks. Kate Mitchell, ’14 stood tall between the pipes all season and recorded her first collegiate shutout against Saint Louis. Head coach Finegan and the Hawks should be proud of the performance they put forth each day throughout the season. They struggled at times but were resilient and always put forth their best effort. There is so much budding youth talent on the team and they can only get better. The Hawks are sure to work hard until the opening game next year, and we’ll be anxiously waiting the start. Until then, we’ll have to reflect on the memories of this year.
Make sure to pick up our BASKETBALL PREVIEW next Wednesday, 11/14!