That will do it as the time winds to 0. The Lions finish their three-game home stand 2-0-1 and record their fifth shutout. The final score is 5-0.This is Brendan Monahan signing off. Thank all you listeners for following.*****Penn State's Diego Correa scores on a free kick. 5-0 Penn State. 5 minutes left*****Lee, Parr and Casais are the only two second-half starters left in the game. 8 minutes left*****Cost, Yeisley, and Fetrow are substituted out of the game.*****Cost passes to Faria at the 18 yard box. Faria flicks back a no-look dribbler to Cost, but Cost's subsequent shot is saved. 15 minutes left*****Arment crosses to Faria who heads the ball inside the left post and into the back of the net. It's Faria's first Penn State goal. 4-0 Penn State. 18 minutes left*****Casais slide tackles Penn's Alex Takakuwa who then fell to the ground. Casais never misses a beat in that area. 20 minutes left*****Smallwood replaces Costigliola and Rafael Faria substitutes for Hertzog after the goal.*****Braga passes up to Hertzog who then forwards the ball to Yeisley at the middle of the field. Yeisley shoots from 14 yards out which dribbles through Berg's legs and into the net. 3-0 Penn State. 24 minutes leftCost hesitates near the 18 yard box and makes some Penn defenders miss. He winds up and fires at the net but Berg is there for the save. 25 minutes left*****It's 2-0 Penn State with 27 minutes left to play.*****Cost's free kick, from 20 yards, passes Penn's wall of defenders and goalkeeper Ben Berg for a goal.*****Braga feeds Hertzog in the middle of the field who falls after being pushed. This sets up a free kick.*****Penn midfielder Nick Unger lets up a wide-open goal from 16 yards out.*****Penn player Jake Levin lies on field after Warren Gross jumped up to catch the ball and collided with him. Levin eventually walked off on his own. 38 minutes left*****Hertzog received a good scoring chance, but the ball deflected off the goalie who came out of the net. 40 minutes left*****Lions receive their first corner kick. Braga's corner is deflected. It goes to Costigliola who boots it over the net.*****It's the start of the second half, and the Lions come out with the usual crew. Forwards are Yeisley and Hertzog. Arment, Costigliola, Cost and Braga take midfield. Fetrow, Lee, Casais and Parr provide the defense.*****This is Collegian writer Brendan Monahan. I'll be bringing you the second half live from Jeffrey Field. Here are the half time stats:ShotsPenn 3PSU 8Corner KicksPenn 2PSU 2SavesPenn 2PSU 1FoulsPenn 6PSU 5*****
The half ends with the score still Penn State 1 - Penn 0. I'll sign off and let Monahan run down the first half stats during intermission.
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Gross makes a nice play to snag a long throw just by the goal, and the clock rolls under 1 minute.
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Penn's Michael Kozak gets the Quakers' first chance. He beat Krispin on the right wing and took a shot from just outside the box, but Gross lets it go over the goal.
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Penn State has had a couple of chances in recent minutes, but miscommunication and/or bad passes have derailed them. Under 6:30 left in the half.
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Another free kick here for the Nits, about 25 yards from goal. Braga bends it in but the Lions can't find it as it's bouncing in the box. 11 minutes left.
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Free kick here for Penn State, Costigliola set to take it. Yeisley got his head on it, but the ball bounces away from Matt Smallwood, and Penn clears.
With 15 minutes on the clock, Cost comes in, as does Treavor Gelsinger, who replaces Corey Hertzog.
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Things got a little hairy there for the Lions, as the ball was bouncing around a couple times in the box, but Penn wasn't able to muster any hard shots and Yeisley is ultimately able to clear. 17 and change on the clock.
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Hertzog almost gets Penn State right back on the board, as Braga provides a beautiful overhead through ball for Hertzog, but Berg saves the shot.
Cost getting ready to come in for Smallwood in the 27th minute.
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In an eery repeat of earlier in the night, Frank Costigliola takes the ball away in midfield and makes a run. This time, though, Penn State converts, as Costigliola gets the ball to Hertzog in the box, and Hertzog crosses to Yeisley, who finishes for his fifth goal with 22:19 on the clock.
1-0 Penn State
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First sub of the night: Mackenzie Arment comes in for Vincent Salvatico in the 23rd minute.
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Hertzog takes a deep throw for Penn State, throws it clear across the field into the Penn penalty area, but there's an offsides call, so Penn goes the other way with it.
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Yeisley registered the first shot on goal of the night in the 18th minute, but it's saved easily by Penn's Ben Berg.
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Penn State called for a foul, as Mark Fetrow simply ran over a Penn player near midfield. A free kick for Penn coming, but Penn State clears easily.
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Matheus Braga creates an opportunity for Penn State in the 12th minute, getting around a defender on the sideline and breaking to the middle of the field. He then cut back, but his shot went wide.
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Off the resulting corner, Mark Fetrow popped the ball out to Costigliola at about 30 yards. Costigliola looped a pass in for Matheus Braga, who got behind the defense. He crossed the ball on the ground, but it evaded Corey Hertzog and then Jason Yeisley couldn't put his shot on goal.
Yeisley took a hit and stayed down for a minute, but he's back up and will stay in the game.
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Penn State with most of the early possession. In the fifth minute, their first real chance comes from Frank Costigliola, who took the ball away in midfield and beat a defender to make a run at goal. However, he was closed down and his pass, and then shot, were blocked.
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Penn is in blue and will go left-to-right for the first half. The Nittany Lions are in white.
Interestingly, both goalkeeper are wearing the same green Nike jerseys.
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Hello loyal readers, and welcome back to Jeffrey Field for another Penn State soccer match.
I'm Ben Skalina, and I'll blog the first half and then hand it over to Brendan "Money" Monahan for the second half.The Nits are taking on the Penn Quakers tonight. Justin Lee is in the lineup, and Drew Cost is on the bench. We'll see how much Cost will play tonight, but Matt Smallwood will start in his place.Penn State leads the alltime series, 19-6-3. The teams last met in 2007, for a 3-2 Penn State victory.
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With two wins each over No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 12 Central Oklahoma to start the season, the Lions are picking up right where they left off last season. In an early season rematch of last year's title game, Lindenwood will try to cement its place atop the rankings and prove its preseason No.1-ranking was deserved.
#2 Illinois (2-0) vs. #1 Lindenwood
On the other hand, with a series sweep of Michigan State to start their season, the Illini will welcome the No. 1 team in the country into their home rink. Certainly a pair of early regular season victories wouldn't exactly avenge last year's loss in the national championship game, but it would sure make a statement to the rest of the ACHA and likely earn Illinois a No. 1 ranking in the next poll.
#3 Penn State (0-0) vs. Towson
The reloaded Icers start off their season with a pair of home games against the Towson Tigers. After losing 12 players from last year's team, Penn State will need some of its 13 new players to step up and make an immediate impact. Also, it should be interesting to see if Teddy Hume is in net for both games, and if so, how he holds up playing two games in one weekend.
#4 Delaware (0-0) @ #23 West Viriginia
In a matchup of ranked teams, Delaware looks to prove itself as a top-5 team and national title contender, while West Virginia will be playing strictly to prove they belong. Then again, these rankings are only preseason rankings and aren't based on any game action yet, so who knows where any surprise contenders may come from?
#5 Oklahoma (0-2) - Idle
#6 Ohio (4-0) vs./@ Washington & Jefferson College
With two wins each over Mercyhurst and Youngstown State by a combined score of 22-3, the Ohio Bobcats will look to continue rolling this weekend against Washington & Jefferson College. With Ohio's first real test, at least looking at the schedule on paper, coming next weekend against Penn State, the Bobcats are looking for a 6-0 start before their clash with the Icers.
#7 West Chester (0-0) vs. Rutgers, vs. William Paterson
West Chester looks to ease into this season with a pair of wins against two teams not on anyone's radar. After playing Rutgers at home Friday night, West Chester will welcome ACHA Division II William Paterson to town. William Paterson is no stranger to playing ACHA Division I opponents on the road after playing a pair of games in Liberty last weekend. Unfortunately, the Pioneers are no stranger to the lamp going off behind their net either, giving up 24 goals to Liberty in losing those two games.
#8 Iowa State (0-0) vs. Indiana
The Cyclones are looking to start off their season with a win -- and they're looking to do so in front of a full house. How's this for a promotion night? Anyone who lives in a residential hall gets $1 off admission AND whichever hall has the most students attend gets a free pizza party afterwards. Pizza and hockey, can't go wrong there.
#9 Liberty (4-0) vs. #19 Penn State - Berks
After starting off the season with four wins against two ACHA Division II opponents, Liberty will play its first game against a fellow Division I team. Despite outscoring William Paterson 24-6 in its two wins, Liberty only beat Davenport by a combined score of 14-9, including a 7-6 nailbiter in the season opener.
#10 Rhode Island (2-0) vs. Navy
The Rams started their season with a pair of wins over Rutgers last weekend and look to remain undefeated this weekend as they welcome Navy to the Brad Boss Ice Arena. Navy, however, comes into the weekend with a record of 3-1 and will look to make a name for itself as a team worthy of being in the top-25. Currently, Navy is not ranked, but is receiving votes.
The new AVCA Coaches Poll came out Monday and there was some shake up with regards to the Big Ten teams in the top 25.
The Lions remained on top with 50 of the 60 first place votes.
Michigan jumped from No. 8 to No. 6 after sweeping Indiana and beating Purdue 3-2, both on the road. The Wolverines were helped by two home losses by Nebraska who dropped from No. 6 to No. 10.
Minnesota also jumped one spot to No. 8 after sweeping Iowa and Wisconsin at home over the weekend.
Illinois moved up three spots to No. 12 despite being swept by the Lions Saturday night.
Michigan St. fell from No. 16 to No. 23 after losing twice in its opening weekend.
The Big Ten is shaping up, and the top teams are starting to become more clear.
Might want to mark your calendar for Oct. 16 when Penn State travels to Ann Arbor.
In continuing to try and provide as much coverage of the team as possible, we have launched the newest source for Icers information -- the Daily Collegian's very own Icers twitter!
Personally, I'm new to the whole Twitter thing, so we'll see how that goes, but we'll utilize it to provide quick hits of information and any updates we come across. There is a link to our twitter below, and we hope to soon have our twitter page visible on the side of the blog right on this page.
Daily Collegian's Icers twitter:
http://twitter.com/Collegian_Icers
Also, goalie Teddy Hume brought it to my attention today that he, also, is on Twitter. He seemed pretty excited about the whole idea, and I'm sure he'd love any followers he could get.
For those of you who followed us last year, you know how this works, and for those of you new to the blog, welcome. This is a segment we used to call Ten Question Thursday, but since we're starting it today, I suppose it's called Ten Question Tuesday. Well, for now at least.
Here's how this works: Each week we'll pull one of the guys on the team or a coach aside and ask them ten questions, some hockey-related, some not so much. Then, we'll post them here for all of you to get to know these guys a little better and usually to provide a couple laughs.
We've got plenty of new questions, new faces and plenty of guys we didn't get to last year, so this should be an interesting weekly segment throughout the year.
Despite having TQT last year, we somehow managed to let Coach Balboni slip through the cracks of people we interviewed, so I made sure not to let that happen this year.
And here is our first TQT of the season, Icers fans meet head coach Scott Balboni:
1. Who are your top three favorite bands right now?
A: Top three bands right now? Probably Metallica, Good Charlotte, LFO.
2. Who is your favorite Penn State athlete, not on the Icers?
A: Sean Lee.
3. Whose name are you tired of hearing in the news?
A: I'm not really much of a news guy to be honest, I don't really care (laughs).
4. If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A: (laughs) Uhh...probably "Eye of the Tiger" from Rocky.
5. What's the best Disney movie of all-time?
A: I can't even think of any right now. What do I watch with my kids? I don't know...
Paul: No answer?
No answer. I'll have to get back to you on that one.
6. Who is the funniest guy on the coaching staff?
A: John Segursky.
Paul: Any reason?
Driest one-line humor around.
7. Best meal in town?
A: I'd say the G-man (laughs).
(Editor's note: This answer may or may not have been influenced by the fact that Balboni is part-owner of the G-Man as of last year.)http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2009/01/23/gman_sold_to_penn_state_ice_ho.aspx
8. If you had to coach somewhere other than PSU, where would it be?
A: Providence.
9. If you could pull off the ultimate prank on anyone on the team, coach or player, who would it be and why?
A: That's interesting. He's gone now, so I can't say Brandon Rubeo. So I'll have to go with Timmy O'Brien because Timmy will probably get the most people on that kind of stuff throughout the year.
10. What's the most exciting play in hockey? Big hit, short-handed goal, OT goal, penalty shot, big save?
A: I'm going to have to say big hit. A big hit that changes the game.
Can we give the Angels a fail? The ballclub won the AL West division title and, as customary, celebrated in a champagne shower. That's fine, but these alcoholic Angels might have crossed a line in their celebration -- they doused the jersey of former player Nick Adenhart in the stuff. Adenhart, a former starting pitcher and top prospect, was killed in April by a drunk driver. Classy move guys. I'm sure that's what a guy killed by a drunk driver needs more of -- alcohol.
Some other things important and not so important:
- Jake Delhomme continues to dominate...himself. That 54.3 passer rating through three games is just unsightly. Maybe the Panthers can bring Rodney Peete back. He's got nothing to do, just like the Carolina receivers.
- I love how ESPN can't get off the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, even when the network openly admits the most recent series meant nothing. Hey, idiots, heed your own advice and leave well enough alone. There are other teams out there, y'know.
- I did OK in my fantasy hockey draft last week. Henrik Zetterberg was my first round pick. I like my defense but completely forgot Phil Kessel will miss the first month of the season. Oh well.
Video of the week: The Seahawks new lime-green jerseys. Some find them hideous, but you just can't take your eyes off of them.
Bubba Jenkins is entering his senior season at Penn State and is undergoing a change in coaching regime with Cael Sanderson taking over the head coaching position.
One thing that hasn't changed, however, is his commitment to ensuring his hairstyle sticks out.
The 149-pounder discussed the madness behind his hair with the wrestling beat writers at practice Monday.
Sophomore Corey Hertzog was honored today by the Big Ten Conference for his two-goal week, as he earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.Hertzog scored the team's only goal off a Jason Yeisley cross in Wednesday's draw with Lehigh, and scored Penn State's first goal and the eventual game-winner in yesterday's 2-0 win over Michigan.Hertzog's goal yesterday was the result of two fantastic passes, first from Matheus Braga to set Yeisley loose on the right side, and then from Yeisley across the penalty area for the redirect and the score.This is Hertzog's second weekly conference honor: he earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Oct. 13 last year for his two-goal effort against then-No. 17 Ohio State.Hertzog now has the team lead with five goals, and is tied with Yeisley for the team lead in points with 12.-SkalinaComments
A few things from Week 3 of the NFL season we thought were cool (and one thing that definitely wasn't):
1. Mike Vick wasn't the only person to play for the Eagles on Sunday. (No really, it's true. Usually there were at least 10 other Eagles on the field, no matter what the announcers said.) Sophomore wideout DeSean Jackson made a crazy catch (go to about the two-minute mark) in the second quarter and ran 64 yards for the touchdown. What's even freakier is that 64-yarder -- by no means an easy task -- was his shortest scoring play of the season. Jackson caught a 71-yard pass against the Saints in Week 2 and returned a punt 85 yards to the house in the opener. Now that is a big-play weapon. As long as he remembers to hold on to the football, that is.
2. So the Seahawks unleashed a new uniform style against the Bears. Here's a link to the game's photo gallery, but be warned: Prolonged exposure may cause blindness. Egads, what a frightening choice of color. At least Seattle got its comeuppance, as the Bears beat the home team 25-19.
3. Come to think of it, a lot of teams had some interesting apparel Sunday. There was the Texans' all-red atrocity, the cringe-worthy Jets throwbacks (the Jets' unis are on the right; the old Oilers threads were fantastic), and just being on the field every week puts the Bills and Bengals in contention for the "Worst of the Week" award.
4. And let's not forget those Detroit Lions, who finally got off the schnide and won a game. Congratulations to them, and to anyone with the fortitude and wisdom -- ahem -- to actually pick them to win.
5. Last but never, ever least, we have Princess the Camel's pick of the week. Princess decided to further show her New York bias and went with the Giants over Tampa Bay. Oplinger was the only one to pick the winless Bucs, proving once and for all that he's dumber than a camel.
The ACHA recently announced details for the 2010 ACHA Men's Division I All-Star game. This year's game will take place at 8 p.m. March 20, 2010 at the Arrington Ice Arena at Adrian College. Tim O'Brien was Penn State's lone representative for the game last year, playing for the Blue team, who lost to the White 6-3 in Wooster, Ohio.
On an Island All by Itself
With the University of Alaska joining the ACHA in the Women's Division II for this season, Alaska became the 49th state currently represented in the ACHA. Quick math tells me that leaves only one state without at least one team playing in the ACHA. Any guesses? Pono! (or "correct" in Hawaiian**). Hawaii, understandably, is the only U.S. state not participating in the ACHA, but with obvious travel obstacles, that doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon.
** - I am not fluent in Hawaiian, nor do I know any Hawaiian words other than "aloha." I relied entirely on an internet translator, so if anyone has a correction feel free to e-mail it.
Don't Look Now
Coach Scott Balboni has posted the following records in his three years as the head coach at Penn State:
~ 31-6-2
~ 31-3-4
~ 32-8-1
Once again, a little bit of quick math will give you the number 94 in the win column. With 35 regular season games, the ESCHL League Playoffs and (potentially) the ACHA tournament on this year's slate of games, six wins seems like a relative lock. Balboni's 100th win could come as soon as Friday Oct 17 at West Chester if the team starts 6-0. If the team happens to slip up against Towson, Ohio or West Chester, however, Balboni would have a chance to win No. 100 the following Friday night at home against Drexel.
That's all we got for now. With the regular season quickly approaching (starts this Friday night against Towson), there will surely be more content to come.
For those of you looking for the features from last year's coverage (i.e. Ten Question Thursday), they will be returning this year, starting this week hopefully.
The two Tom's (Copain and Kinslow) and myself will also be shooting a season preview video, which will be posted here this Thursday. We'll preview the schedule, toss out some predictions, give you some players to watch and who knows what else we'll pull out.
Under one minute here. Hertzog takes a spill between whistles, courtesy of Saad, but no call. Gross boots it away one last time...and the clock runs out. The final score is 2-0, and a huge win for Penn State.
Check tomorrow's Collegian for full coverage of today's game.
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Costigliola earns a yellow card for delay of game. Clock rolling under 3:30 here. Coach Barry Gorman subs Diego Correa in for Costigliola to avoid any further troubles, but the senior did yeoman's work in the center of the field today.
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Hertzog makes a Michigan defender look foolish on the right wing, and his ground cross is almost gathered inside the 18 by Yeisley, but Blais pushes the ball to the side to defuse the chance.
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Saad lines up a direct free kick from about 25 yards for UM, but his attempt goes high and the clock is under 6 minutes.
Some defense for offense subs for PSU, as Patrick Krispin comes in for Vincent Salvatico.
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Fuzetti takes a blast from outside the box for Michigan, but Gross easily parries the shot. Clock under eight minutes here, and it's desperation time for the Wolverines.
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Gelsinger breaks free and wins a loose ball chase, but his cross is blocked for a PSU corner.
Costigliola bends the corner in beautifully, and Yeisley elevates at the back post and hammers a header into the net.
Penn State leads, 2-0, with 10:41 remaining.
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Michigan has been probing the Penn State defense, but nothing doing. Of course, as I typed that, UM's Justin Meram makes several PSU defenders miss before his shot is blocked. The ensuing corner goes for naught, and PSU still leads in the 79th minute.
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Braga has really been creating some opportunities for Penn State, making a couple runs into the Michigan end and freeing up his teammates with sharp passing.
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Good work by Treavor Gelsinger, pressuring Michigan into giving up a corner.
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UM's Hamoody Saad controls the ball on his chest in the box, and the ball comes to Jeff Quijano, whose shot goes way high over the PSU goal.
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Andres Casias makes another clutch slide tackle, closing down a breaking Michigan player and booting the ball away.
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Michigan amping up the pressure a little bit here, as now they have to get at least a goal to leave Jeffrey with a point. A sideline scrum earns Michigan's leading scorer, Mauro Fuzetti, a red card.
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Hertzog gets Mackenzie Arment in on the fun there, as he flicks it across the defense to the PSU winger, but Arment's lefty shot goes wide.
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That's Yeisley's team-high fourth assist of the year, and Hertzog's team-high fifth goal. Braga also credited with an assist on the play.
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Wow, a stunning goal for Penn State. Braga took Andres Casias' sliding clear, and from his own side of midfield, led Jason Yeisley all the way across the field into the Michigan end. Yeisley controlled the ball and stopped short just outside the 18, and then gently crossed the ball to Corey Hertzog, who tapped the ball into goal by Blais.
1-0 PENN STATE, 53rd minute
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In the 50th minute, Frank Costigliola gets PSU's first shot on goal as he corrals a loose ball about 35 yards from the goal and takes a long shot, but doesn't get much on it. Easily saved by Michingan's Chris Blais.
Now Matheus Braga wins a direct free kick for the Lions at about 25 yards. Big opportunity here. Braga's shot gets through the wall but is saved easily by Blais.
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Michigan with a corner kick here in the 49th minute. We'll see what they can get.
Nothin' doin on the corner for Michigan, and Matheus Braga clears the ball, so Michigan will reset.
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Ready to start the first half. The usual starting 11 is back in for Penn State, with Jason Yeisley and Corey Hertzog up front and Matheus Braga and Mackenzie Arment on the wings. Matt Smallwood is playing in the central midfield spot that Drew Cost usually patrols, as Cost was injured Wednesday during the Lehigh game.
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Good afternoon, and welcome to the first post in the Daily Collegian's soccer blog, Blogging, Kicking and Screaming. I'm staff writer Ben Skalina, and I'll be joined all season long in the Jeffrey Field press box by Brendan Monahan as Penn State looks to break back into the NCAA tournament.
It's currently halftime of the team's Big Ten opener with Michigan, with the score tied at 0. It was a tentative first half, as both teams made sure not to give away anything in the back.
So last week wasn't our greatest week. Clark's 11-5 record led the way, but Miniaci and his 6-10 week pulled us down to 55-41 (57 percent) on the week. Ouch. That puts us at 123-69 (64 percent) on the season. Still better than Clark's final grade in Math 22, but not good enough. Give us a break though. Early season picks are hard because you never really know how good anyone is. You can't tell us you really thought the Bengals were going to beat the Packers. Can you? No excuses though. We don't do that here. Let's get to the picks...
Clark (21-11)
Ravens over Browns, Redskins over Lions (settle down Rorabaugh), Texans over Jaguars, Falcons over Patriots, Packers over Rams, Giants over Bucs, Jets over Titans (welcome to 2009 Tennessee fans), Eagles over Chiefs, Vikings over 49ers, Saints over Bills, Bears over Seahawks, Steelers over Bengals, Raiders over Broncos, Dolphins over Chargers, Cardinals over Colts, Cowboys over Panthers
Miniaci (18-14)
Ravens over Browns, Redskins over Lions, Texans over Jags, Falcons over Pats, Packers over Rams, Giants over Bucs, Titans over Jets, Eagles over Chiefs, Vikings over Niners, Saints over Bills, Seahawks over Bears, Steelers over Bengals, Broncos over Raiders, Chargers over Dolphins, Colts over Cardinals, Cowboys over Panthers
Rorabaugh (22-10)
Ravens over Browns, Lions over Redskins (That's right, I said it.), Texans over Jaguars, Patriots over Falcons, Packers over Rams, Giants over Bucs, Titans over Jets, Eagles over Chiefs (only because the Chiefs REALLY suck), Vikings over 49ers, Saints over Bills, Bears over Seahawks, Steelers over Bengals, Broncos over Raiders, Chargers over Dolphins, Colts over Cardinals, Cowboys over Panthers (damnit)
Oplinger (18-14)
Ravens over Browns, Redskins over Lions, Texans over Jaguars, Patriots over Falcons, Packers over Rams, Buccaneers over Giants, Titans over Jets, Eagles over Chiefs, Vikings over 49ers, Saints over Bills, Bears over Seahawks, Bengals over Steelers, Denver over Oakland, Dolphins over Chargers, Cardinals over Colts, Cowboys over Panthers
Gentile (24-8)
Redskins over Lions, Packers over Rams, Vikings over 49ers, Patriots over Falcons, Jets over Titans, Eagles over Chiefs, Giants over Bucs, Ravens over Browns, Texans over Jags, Bears over Seahwaks, Saints over Bills, Steelers over Bengals, Raiders over Broncos, Chargers over Dolphins, Cowboys over Panthers
Rung (18-14)
Redskins over Lions, Packers over Rams, Vikings over Packers, Jets over Titans, Patriots over Falcons, Chiefs over Eagles, Giants over Bucs, Ravens over Browns, Texans over Jaguars, Bills over Saints, Bears over Seahawks, Dolphins over Chargers, Steelers over Bengals, Raiders over Broncos, Colts over Cardinals, Cowboys over Panthers
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Now, I'm all for offensive, classless humor. But that's besides the point.
King's Island, an amusement park in Cincinnati, thought it would be a good idea to force classless humor on families and children. For its Halloween display, the park created several celebrity likenesses. Except all of these celebrities are dead, and some are depicted as such.
Those offended easily probably wouldn't like the park's idea and many have already voiced anger over the display.
The display includes scenes of Steve McNair, Michael Jackson and others. Ted Williams in a freezer might be good for a few laughs, but overall, the idea was tactless. I find it funny, and the people at the park obviously thought it was too. However, it was just not a smart/good thing to do, especially in a place for kids. The amusement park should've known better.
Check out Friday's Collegian for a look at the rest of the Nittany Lion freshmen class.
In other news, Mark Perry is now a coach at Cal Poly. He made the move in July, but I just discovered it on the Web. Instead of jumping on as a lower level assistant at a more visible wrestling program, I'm sure Perry figures that he'll be able to develop his coaching skills at a school like Cal Poly.
Response was good to last week's, so I think this is here to stay.
Looks like the Milton Bradley era in Chicago is done. The disgruntled outfielder was suspended for the rest of the season by the club after GM Jim Hendry said he'd have enough of the outfielder's complaining and ranting. Bradley signed a three-year $30 million deal with the Cubs last offseason and the team will probably look to deal him in the offseason. Sure, Bradley has only himself to blame. And yeah, he didn't play nearly as well as was expected of him. However, he did post a very solid .378 on-base percentage. He shouldn't have been the scapegoat for the Cubs' poor season. Other players were hurt (Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto) or didn't play well at all (Mike Fontenot, Alfonso Soriano). The blame should fall on Hendry, who handed out bad contracts the past few years. It will be an interesting offseason on the Northside.
Some other things important and not so important:
- So Plaxico Burress gets to start his two-year prison term. He shot himself and got two years. Michael Vick killed dogs and got two years. Something wrong with this picture?
- The Kentucky high school football coach accused in the heat-related death of one of his players was acquitted of all charges. Is it just me, or does anyone else think of Tom Berenger as Bear Bryant in ESPN's Junction Boys?
- My fantasy hockey draft is tonight. I'm weighing my options with my first pick. I have a feeling it won't go over too well.
Video of the week: Tyrone Carter splattering his and Greg Olsen's brains all over the sideline:
1. The Rams scored their first points of the season Sunday, giving them a grand total of seven. Four different MLB teams scored more than seven runs in their games Sunday.
2. The Raiders' nine-play, 72-yard, game-winning touchdown drive to boost them over the Chiefs included three incomplete passes, a sack and three false start penalties on Oakland. Only the Raiders.
3. The Cowboys' new stadium comes complete with room for 105,000, a giant video board that gets hit by live punts, a mediocre team and cage dancers. That's right, cage dancers.
4. Princess picked against the Jets last week, but wised up this week, picking New York to beat the Patriots. Her correct pick means only one thing: We can now tell who is worse at picking games than a camel. That prize goes to Miniaci, Rorabaugh and Gentile this week, although with Princess's track record, she is bound to beat us all at some point.
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Notre Dame and Michigan State played Saturday afternoon. While this was just another game involving a Big Ten team for most of the Penn State student body, we here at Make Plays remember it for a different reason.
You see, three years ago, Mike Valenti, a Michigan State radio host, took the microphone for 15 glorious minutes on The Sports Inferno. Why was he ranting? Michigan State had just given up a 16-point lead with just more than eight minutes to play in a sopping wet Spartan Stadium. Brady Quinn and the No. 12 Fighting Irish put up three late touchdowns to stave off the upset and win, 40-37.
Valenti went off on his show, even though he was hoarse from the night before. Among his cries was a comparison to Teddy Ruxpin, a lambasting of former Michigan State defensive coordinator Chris Smeland and, of course, the plea for then-quarterback Drew Stanton's supporting cast to "Make Plays!" From this, our humble blog was born.
Recently we have discovered even more from this rant, and quite frankly, it put a spring in our step. So thank you, Mike Valenti, for giving us a reason to get excited for Notre Dame-Michigan State every year. We will do our best to make plays every day.
Led by Gentile's 15-1 mark, we were a combined 68-28 last week. Oplinger (who claims to know "nothing" about pro football) finished last at 8-8, though we should subtract points for him trying repick the Steelers-Titans game along with his Sunday picks. Check out this week's picks...
Clark (10-6): Falcons over Panthers, Saints over Eagles, Texans (gotta stick with my super bowl pick) over Titans, Vikings over Lions, Jets over Patriots, Jaguars over Cardinals, Raiders over Chiefs, Redskins over Rams, Packers over Bengals, Bills over Bucs, 49ers over Seahawks, Steelers over Bears (yes, they're my other superbowl team, but no Urlacher means no win over Pittsburgh), Broncos over Browns, Ravens over Chargers, Cowboys over Giants, and Dolphins over Colts
Miniaci (12-4): Falcons over Panthers, Eagles over Saints, Titans over Texans, Vikings over Lions, Pats over Jets, Cardinals over Jaguars, Chiefs over Raiders, Redskins over Rams, Packers over Bengals, Bills over Bucs, Seahawks over 49ers, Steelers over Bears, Browns over Broncos, Chargers over Ravens, Giants over Cowboys, Colts over Dolphins
Rorabaugh (14-2): Falcons over Panthers, Saints over Eagles, Titans over Texans, Vikings over Lions, Patriots over Jets, Jaguars over Cardinals, Raiders over Chiefs, Redskins over Rams, Packers over Bengals, Bills over Bucs, Seahawks over 49ers, Steelers over Bears, Broncos over Browns, Ravens over Chargers, Giants over Cowboys, Colts over Dolphins
Oplinger (8-8): Panthers over Falcons, Saints over Iggles, Texans over Titans,Vikings over Lions, Jets over Patriots, Cards over Jags, Chiefs over Raiders, 'Skins over Rams, Packers over Bungles, Bills over Bucs, Niners over Seahawks, Stillers over Bears, Browns over Broncos, Ravens over Chargers, Cowboys over Giants, Colts over Dolphins
Gentile (15-1): Falcons over Panthers, Eagles over Saints, Old Oilers over New Oilers, Vikings over Lions, Patriots over Jets, Jags over Cardinals, Raiders over Chiefs, Redskins over Rams, Packers over Bengals, Bills over Bucs, Seahawks over 49ers, Steelers over Bears, Broncos over Browns, Ravens over Chargers,Giants over Cowboys, Colts over Dolphins
Rung (9-7): Falcons over Panthers, Saints over Eagles, Texans over Titans, Vikings over Lions, Jets over Patriots, Jags over Cardinals, Chiefs over Raiders, Redskins over Rams, Packers over Bengals, Bills over Bucs, Seahawks over 49ers, Steelers overs Bears, Broncos over Browns,Chargers over Ravens, Giants over Cowboys, Dolphins over Colts
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Well, it's that time of year again. They've sharpened up their skates, taped up their sticks and taken the ice for another season in the ACHA.
And as the Penn State ACHA Division I Icers return to the ice, we too return to Between the Pipes. We hope you've missed BTP almost as much as you've missed the hockey itself, although we know that is not only unlikely, but rather pathetic and irrational.
So anyways, on Monday night, the Penn State ACHA Division I Icers finalized their roster and coach Scott Balboni settled on 30 players that he thinks will give the team its best chance to win its first championship since the 2002-03 season.
As you may (or may not, for who knows what reason?) have read in the Collegian, all returning Icers that tried out for the team made the cut. So, despite the departure of 12 seniors from last year's team, there should still be plenty of familiar faces for those dedicated fans to look for this year.
As always, we hope to bring you plenty of content, both hockey and non-hockey related, about some of your favorite Icers and hopefully we can help you get to know the new guys and learn a little bit about the names you may not be so familiar with at this point.
Below is a complete list of the 2009-10 Penn State Icers. Broken down first by returning players and new additions, and then broken down again by position.
Returning Icers:
- Carey Bell
- Taylor Cera
- Chris Cerutti
- Kurt Collins
- John Conte
- Paul Daley
- Dave Herel
- Teddy Hume
- John Jay
- Matt Kirstein
- Tim O'Brien
- Ryan Paradis
- Dan Petrick
- Marek Polidor
- Chris Pronchik
- Nick Seravalli
- Steve Thurston
New Additions:
- Mike Broccolo
- Brian Dolan
- Ryan Erbe
- Dan Ivanir
- Michael Longo
- Dan Loucks
- Dominic Morrone
- Rich O'Brien
- Dustin Roux
- George Saad
- Eric Steinour
- Mac Winchester
- Joseph Zitarelli
By Position
*Note: Players are listed at each position alphabetically, the order does not represent depth chart positioning or line associations in any way.
Not many people thought the Bills stood a chance against Tom Brady's crew. However, the Bills were in it -- and winning -- until they, well, dropped the ball. Leodis McKelvin fumbled a kickoff return, choosing to run with the ball rather than take a knee in the endzone. Bad decision. But the second-year player said if he had to, he do to it over. He'd still run it out of the endzone. I'm sure Bills fans appreciate that.
Some other things important and not so important:
-The Cubs are looking to shop Carlos Zambrano in the offseason. The righty pitcher is due more than $50 million over the remainder of his contract. While getting that contract off the books and receiving solid prospects in return would be good idea, trading the ace with no potential replacement in sight would ultimately not be a good move for a playoff-caliber team marred by injuries and under-performance.
-Tom Brady doesn't want to talk to Suzy Kolber. That's a shame. I'm sure Joe Namath is disappointed in the young gun slinger.
-Those of you who were upset by the loss of Fire Joe Morgan can now rejoice. The main contributors of that site will be taking over Deadspin tomorrow, Sept. 16. It should be a blast.
And MMA opponents are finding out he's a capable fighter, not just a top collegiate wrestling talent.
Check out this video from his latest fight, a July 26 dual with David Baggett at the Ultimate Cage Fighting Championship's "Rumble on the River," the first-ever MMA fight in Pittsburgh.
Phil Davis absolutely dominated his latest opponent to improve to 4-0 in his career. Davis, a national champ his senior year, used a lot of his wrestling techniques in his dominating win back in July. If he unveils good stand-up fighting ability, he has the potential of being unstoppable. (Almost as intimidating as our former wrestling writer, Julie Reis's mug shot)
After 13 games in the 2009 NFL season, there's already been a number of interesting happenings:
1. Drew Brees picked up where he left off last season, out-gunning the Lions with 358 yards through the air and six touchdowns. And to think I could have had him on my fantasy team.
2. Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme turned the ball over five times (four interceptions and a fumble) against the Eagles today, and was promptly dropped by nearly 12,000 fantasy teams on Yahoo Sports.
3. In the call of the day, Gus Johnson goes crazy during the Broncos' 87-yard, game-winning touchdown.
4. And finally, for everyone who follows Our Thoughts everyday, Princess, the Popcorn Park Zoo camel who became deadly accurate picking NFL games last season, missed her first pick of the season, incorrectly choosing the Texans over the Jets. That puts Rorabaugh, Gentile and myself at 1-0 vs. Princess this year.
They had their picks in before the games started, but we're posting late because we were in meetings...
Rorabaugh
NFC East: Giants
NFC North: Packers
NFC South: Saints
NFC West: Seahawks
NFC Wildcard: Bears, Eagles
NFC Title: Giants
AFC East: Patriots
AFC North: Steelers
AFC South: Colts
AFC West: Chargers
AFC Wildcard: Titans, Texans
AFC Title: Patriots
Super Bowl Champs: Patriots
As for the rest of the games: Miami 20, Atlanta 14; Baltimore 31, KC 13; Philly 23, Carolina 17; Denver 35, Cincinnati 27; Minnesota 21, Cleveland 14; Jets 20, Houston 16; Indy 34, Jacksonville 21; NO 38, Detroit 24; Dallas 20, TB 10; SF 28, Arizona 24; Giants 21, Washington 20; Seattle 31, St. Louis 21; Chicago 24, GB 20; NE 42, Buffalo 28; SD 34, Oakland 17.
For the Super Bowl, as much as I'd love to say my Eagles will put it together, I just don't see it happening with that offensive line and without Jim Johnson. I think the Giants improve on last season and claim the NFC's slot in the Super Bowl, while the Patriots bump off the Steelers in the AFC title game. In the Super Bowl XLII rematch, I think the Pats win in a true vengeance game, 17-14.
Tom Brady and his Pats get revenge on the G-Men this year.
NFC East winners: Giants - Yeah, they don't have Plax, but I'm expecting to see Nicks fall into that No. 2 role nicely and quickly become a favorite target for Eli. Defensively, that front seven is healthy and nasty. It'll come down between the blue men from Jersey and the Eagles, but I think the Giants will take it.
NFC West winners: Seahawks - This division might be the second worst in football. The 'hawks get their QB back, and defensively I think this team can compete. The Cardinals will give these guys hell, but Hasselbeck and The Housh are the X-Factors here. 8-8 may be good enough win this division again.
NFC South winners: Saints - I don't care how bad that defense is because there isn't a defense in the league that should hold Drew Brees and his Saints under 21 points. His receivers are young, his running game found its identity late last year and I expect the Saints to roll to 10 wins.
NFC North Winners: Packers - Sleeper pick for MVP: Aaron Rodgers. Most people were too busy watching Favre over on the East Coast to witness Rodgers sucessfully handle No. 4's torch in Green Bay. He has an incredible wideout group here and there is leadership among the young receivers in Donald Driver. The 3-4 scheme the defense switched to can't be any worse than how this defense performed last year. I'm expecting 12 - yes, 12 - wins from the Cheesemen.
Wildcards: Eagles, Vikings - It's no seceret, I'm an Eagles fan. But they can't keep up with the Giants with their God-awful lnebacking corps and all-about-me offensive line. McNabb should have a hell of a year (4,000 yards, 32 TD's, 12 INT. You heard it here first), but Westbrook will probably miss about five games as usual. For Minnesoata, I had this team here before Favre. He will not be the savior of this team, but he will make them better. It's the defense I like up in the Twin Cities. The Williams Wall manhandles any running attack it plays and the secondary is above average. And, of course, All-Day Adrian Peterson will be the best player in the NFL this year. That should help this team's chances.
AFC East winners: Patriots - The Pats won 11 games last year with a nobody at QB. People want put Cassel on a throne, but I think his success had more to do with Belichick being the best coach in the league. Brady's healthy, and this team is livid it missed the playoffs despite winning 11 games last year. Remember what happened the last time New England had a little extra motivation? (See: Spygate, 16-0).
AFC West winners: Chargers - This is the worst divison in football, and that should help a Chargers team that really doesn't need a helping hand to be successful. I really think L.T. gets his head together and puts up another MVP-worthy season. Phillip Rivers has turned himself into a franchise QB out there on the West Coast and the defense has talent at nearly every position. The only thing holding back San Diego this year is Shawn Merriman running around beating women and their terrible head coach in Norv Turner.
AFC South winners: Colts - Does it really matter who the head coach is when Payton Manning is your QB? He's still the best in the NFL and his receiving corps is solid. The run game could use some work here, however. Still, this is a team that knows how to win. I'm thinking 11 wins.
AFC North Winners: Steelers - The Ravens will give my least-favorite team a run for their money, but Pittsburgh is just old reliable. The offensive line is a little better than last year, Fast Willie is healthy and Big Ben continues to be the best game pacer in the league. Santonio Holmes should really breakout this year if the Super Bowl was any sort of precursor. The defense is still wicked, as always, and Timmons' speed will give offenive coordinators another headache.
Wildcards: Ravens, Jets (Yes, Jets) - Uh oh, AFC - the Ravens have an offense now. Flacco became a true franchise player in the last half of last season. The plethora of running backs in Baltimore should keep oppoisng defenses gassed and keep the Ravens D resting on the sideline. And how 'bout that Ravens D? Ray Lewis is back and Ed Reed is still the best defnesive player in the game. Enjoy, Ravens' opponents. The Jets are my sleeper pick here. Mark Sanchez will be a Top-10 quarterback in the NFL by seasons end, I'm calling that now. Shonn Green, Tommy Jones and Lil' Leon Washington make that backfield one of the best in the AFC. Defensively, I really like the addition of Lito Sheppard. He was a Pro Bowler in Philly before falling into Reid's dog house. I'm calling 10 wins for the Jets.
The NFL season is now upon us. The Steelers take on the Titans tonight to kick off the season and we here at Make Plays are going to give our insight on this event, as well as make some predictions.
Clark: Tennessee had a nice run last year, but with the departure of Albert Haynesworth and with Kerry Collins reflexes being a year older, the Titans are no match for the defending champs. I'm more interested to see the passing of the fantasy torch, as Hines Ward and Wille Parker should be phased out in favor of Santonio Holmes and Rashard Mendenhall.
Prediction: Steelers 24, Titans 10
Miniaci: The Titans had a magical run last season that ended abruptly in the playoffs. And the Steelers? Well, they were hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February. This is a match of two tough teams, and don't forget how the Steelers want revenge for the stomping of the Terrible Towel. I like the defense for both teams, although the Titans lost Haynesworth in the offseason. Still, they have a solid secondary and a good LB corps. So what it comes down to is the offense. And Big Ben is much better than PSU alum Kerry Collins. This will not be a high-scoring affair, but it will be a close one.
Prediction: Steelers 21, Titans 17
Rorabaugh: This whole thing with the "Revenge for the Towel Stomp" is completely ridiculous. People are making it seem like the Steelers are going to take out all their frustrations from LenDale White's thrashing of a Terrible Towel in season's meeting. Come on. Do you really think Blitzburgh needs added motivation? Tennessee's defense has a huge gaping hole in the middle of its line after losing Albert Haynesworth, and adjusting to that will take some time. The Titans won't be able to get to Roethlisberger much, and this one will be a grind-it-out win for the black and gold.
Prediction: Steelers 17, Titans 9
Oplinger: The Titans' running game will provide just enough offense in this battle of two strong defenses.
Prediction: Titans 20, Steelers 17
Gentile: The Titans don't have Albert Haynesworth, but the Steelers have a healthy Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker. It should be interesting to see how Tennessee plans to stop the historically dominant Pittsburgh ground attack. And as always, the Steelers' defense will spell trouble for its opposition. With Kerry Collins again under center with a lack of weapons to toss to, I don't expect much of a showing from last year's 27th-ranked Titans passing offense tonight. I'm rooting Tennessee, but feeling Pittsburgh.
Prediction: Steelers 31, Titans 13
Rung: The Steelers may be a Super Bowl favorite again this year, but they won't look like it in Week 1. The Titans won't be as good as they were last year, and they'll give the defending champs a fight before falling late.
Just when you thought we were gone, we decided to pull a Favre. That's right, just hours before the NFL kicks off the 2009 season, we've decided to dust off the ole keyboard and come back for another season. We'll have our NFL predictions later today, and with the MLB playoffs and the start to the NBA and NHL seasons right around the corner, we'll give you all the new, analysis and opinion you want...and probably some you don't want.
So sit back and enjoy our coverage. We'll bring it to you through December, even if our Carpal Tunnel gets the best of us.
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Brian Shea, Joe Britt and Chris Hogan will be the captains for the 2010 Nittany Lion lacrosse team, according to a press release from the athletic department on Saturday.
The trio was named captains after a team vote, the release said. Britt and Shea are seniors and Hogan is a redshirt junior.
"We are very pleased with the selection of Brian, Joe, and Chris to lead the 2010 squad," Lion coach GlennThiel said in the statement. "They are intense, emotional, and outstanding contributors to the program. Each man will do a great job of motivating the squad to do what it takes to wade through the Colonial Athletic Association schedule as we look to secure an NCAA bid this spring."
Hogan led the team in goals last season with 29, and also tallied five assists. The Wyckoff, NJ native was also the post-season unanimous selection for Offensive MVP by the Crosse Check blog.
Britt is one of the vocal leaders for the Lions so that's not a surprise pick at all.
Shea started more than half of the games for the Lions last season and scored ten goals and also put together seven assists for the squad.
The Lions begin their Colonial Conference regime this season after a long stint in the ECAC. A schedule is not yet available on the team's website.
With the passing of the honorable Ted Kennedy, Massachusetts is wondering who will replace the longtime senator.
How does Red Sox legend Curt Schilling sound?
The retired pitcher, who helped bring Boston its first World Series in 86 years, said Wednesday he has "some interest" in Kennedy's empty Senate seat.
The 42-year-old New England resident said on his blog, "To get there, from where I am today, many, many things would have to allign themselves for that to truly happen."
Though he is a registered independent, Schilling has long been a Republican supporter, and campaigned for George W. Bush in 2004 and John McCain in 2008.
If he does decide to run, Schilling would probably get a lot of support from Red Sox Nation. After all, it was Schilling and his infamous bloody sock that in 2004 helped vanquish the hated Yankees and sweep the Cardinals for the team's first championship since 1918. He then stuck around long enough to help the Sox win another title in 2007.
Schilling certainly has no trouble getting his opinions heard, although the ease at which he seems to start controversies will probably need to be altered if he does decide to enter the political realm.
I don't want to do it, but as a die-hard Phillies fan, I guess I have to hate Jim Thome now that he's a Dodger.
This is a totally forced hatred that I'm still coming to terms with. I've admired the country-strong slugger since even before he signed with Philly in 2003. He's carried himself like a true professional throughout his 19-year career, something few athletes these days that say. There's nothing to link him to any kind of performance-enhancing drugs (at least, not yet).
Thome's arrival in the City of Brotherly Love marked the team's transition from perpetual bottom-dweller to eventual World Series champion. He hit 96 of his 564 career dingers in red and white pinstripes, and helped pave the way for Ryan Howard at first base.
When Thome left for Chicago in 2006, I was sad to see him go, even though I knew it was the right move for a team ready to make its move. I followed him from afar as he blasted balls out of US Cellular Field.
But now that he's on a team that will certainly give the Phils their biggest challenge en route to another pennant? I feel I have to root against him, even though I secretly want him to keep on slugging. I want to see him get to 600 career home runs, but if accomplishing that feat means I have to see him in Dodger blue, deep down I'll be a little angry. After all, Los Angeles already has an historically good power hitter.
I wish Thome all the best, at least until he faces his former team again in October.
Some news before the Spikes finish up their series with Batavia tonight.
Maurice Bankston was officially placed on the 7-day Disabled List effective August 30. Bankston, 22, hasn't pitched since Aug 9. The righthander was 2-4 with a 2.34 ERA in nine starts with the Spikes. He's now the fourth Spikes player on the DL, joining Jose Hernandez, Carlos Silva and Andy Vasquez.
Alan Knotts also became the latest Spikes player to be called up after he was assigned to Single-A West Virginia today. The 24-year-old righthander was 3-2 with a 4.78 ERA in 17 appearances this season.
To fill the two roster spots, righthanded pitchers Brent Klinger and Diomedes Garcia were assigned to State College from the Gulf Coast League Pirates. Klinger, the Pirates' 21st round pick in 2008, made eight appearances (five starts) in the GCL, going 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA. Garcia was 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA in 10 games with the GCL Pirates.
