Basketball: Men's

   From what the experts are saying, Penn State may need a miracle Wednesday night to beat Jordan Williams and the University of Maryland - or maybe just one of the football team's linebackers. At least, that's what ESPN's analyst Dana O'Neil thinks will help get the job done. Last night marked the opening of the 12th annual ACC/Big Ten showdown and college basketball enthusiasts can get their fix over the next two nights as teams in each conference square off against each other for the ultimate bragging rights. After being beat down by the ACC for the first 10 seasons, the Big Ten finally won the Challenge for the first time last year. This year could make it two in a row with the Big Ten being considered the best conference in all of college basketball this season. However, the conference got off to a rocky start Monday night when No. 18 Minnesota lost at home to an unranked Virginia team.    

   Overall, the ESPN crew of experts (Jay Bilas, Fran Fraschilla, Doug Gottlieb, Andy Katz, Diamond Leung, Joe Lunardi, O'Neil and Jay Williams) has the Big Ten slightly edging out the ACC but anything can happen. For Penn State against Maryland, it appears that may be the Nittany Lions best hope going into the game. Each of the eight analysts predict Penn State losing the game, despite playing at the Bryce Jordan Center. Half of those reporters pick Jordan Williams as the reason why Penn State won't stand a chance as the sophomore forward is a beast to be reckoned with in the post. The consensus opinion is that Maryland is too physical and strong for Penn State to keep up as the Terrapins have looked impressive early on while the Mississippi game showed where the Lions flaws are. A big turnout of fans should show up at the Bryce Jordan Center Wednesday night and even if they don't get the best basketball game, they'll at least get to see a blossoming star in Williams. If you don't believe the hype, then just check out this video of Williams showing a backboard who's boss...in high school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh_oIvJyGNY

Check back at the end of the week to see how the Big Ten fared against the ACC during the 2010 Challenge.

-Alex

Basketball: Men's

Ice Hockey: Men's

Another Tuesday and another ten questions for a Penn State Icer. This time, we decided to interview junior forward Paul Daley. Daley has caught fire of late scoring four goals in the team's last two contests. His three goals against Towson marked his first career- hat trick.

1. What was your main reason for coming to Penn State?

A: People always say you know where you want to go when you visit the campus. When I visited Penn State, i got that feeling.

2. If you could see one musical artist live at a concert, who would it be?

A: John Mayer. I love him and I have never seen him live.

3. What is the last movie you saw in theaters?

A: The Town.

4. Which NHL player most resembles your style of play?

A: Ryan Callahan of the New York Rangers. He's physical, works hard and doesn't always get the recognition.

5. Funniest teammate?

A: Tim O'Brien.

6. What do you feel is the most exciting individual play in hockey?

A: A penalty shot. I think it's the most exciting play in sports.

7: What's the best meal in State College?

A: Cozy Thai.

8. What's your favorite hobby other than hockey?

A: I'm a big college football fan.

9. If you could eat dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would they be?

A: Adam Graves, former New York Ranger, Dave Matthews and Lou Holtz.

10. Describe coach Balboni in one word.

A: Intimidating.

Sports Editorials

Overall standings:

Steve Hennessey, sports editor: 90-56 (61.6%)

Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president: 89-57 (61%)

Paul Casella, assistant sports editor: 88-58 (60.2)

Alex Cohen, Paternoville president: 78-55 (58.6%)

Athletes: 78-55 (58.6%)

Christian Ragland, UPUA president: 77-57 (57.4%)

Zack Kreiger, SPA executive director: 83-63 (56.8%)

Students: 79-67 (54.1%)

Week 12 picks:

New England @ Detroit:

New Orleans @ Dallas:

Cincinnati @ NY Jets:

Minnesota @ Washington:

Tennessee @ Houston:

Jacksonville @ NY Giants:

Pittsburgh @ Buffalo:

Carolina @ Cleveland:

Green Bay @ Atlanta:

Kansas City @ Seattle:

Miami @ Oakland:

St. Louis @ Denver:

Philadelphia @ Chicago:

Tampa Bay @ Baltimore:

San Diego @ Indianapolis:

San Francisco @ Arizona:

Volleyball: Women's

It has been an up-and-down season for the No. 7 Penn State women’s volleyball team. The Nittany Lions have played some great matches, such as their four-set victory against now-No. 1 Florida on its home court in Gainesville, Fla. and their recent win against Illinois. The Lions have also struggled at times, losing consecutive road matches against a pair of unranked teams, Purdue and Indiana, in early October. Just as the regular season is coming to a close, Penn State is hitting its stride, riding a 12-match winning streak into its final regular season weekend. With today being Thanksgiving, I thought it would be a fitting time to list five things Penn State women’s volleyball fans should be thankful for this season:

5. The recent struggles of Illinois: Early in the Big Ten season, it appeared the Fighting Illini were the team to beat in the conference. Illinois broke Penn State’s string of 65 consecutive conference wins in a five-set thriller Sept. 24 at Huff Hall in Champaigne, Ill. The Illini went on to win 12 of their first 13 Big Ten matches, with the lone loss coming at Michigan. However, Illinois All-American outside hitter and senior leader Laura DeBruler suffered a season-ending tear of her anterior cruciate ligament and was ruled out for the remainder of the season Oct. 12. The injury has proven costly to the Illini as they have lost three out of their last five matches and in even in each of those two wins they dropped a set. When Penn State swept Illinois Nov. 13 at Rec Hall, the Illini looked like a much different team than they did earlier in the season. But then again, so did the Lions, who are now the conference leaders.

4. The play of freshman Deja McClendon: Last year’s graduation of Megan Hodge, one of the best players in Penn State history, and the ACL injury Darcy Dorton suffered in the spring left a void at the outside hitter position. Freshman outside hitter Deja McClendon stepped into a starting role from day one and has played beyond her years. McClendon has carried a larger load than freshmen are accustomed to, but has handled it well. She is seventh in the conference, first among underclassmen, with a .325 hitting percentage and is 10th in kills. She appears destined to have a great career at Penn State and will be a key player in the postseason.

3. The senior class: Blair Brown, Alyssa D’Errico and Arielle Wilson are trying to do something almost unheard of in collegiate sports — finish their careers by winning an unprecedented fourth consecutive national title. The trio of senior co-captains, along with seniors Cathy Quilico, Fatima Balza and Jessica Ullrich, have been extremely valuable to the program. In the last four seasons, Penn State is an astounding 134-6.

2. Russ Rose: Year after year, the legendary coach brings in the best talent in the country and grooms them into champions. With nine freshmen and a new starting setter, this year hasn’t been as easy as the past three for Rose, but he has found a way to coach his team to success. Earlier in the season, the Lions were 3-3 in the conference and it appeared a fourth straight national title might not be in the cards. But after reeling off 12 straight wins and moving to the top of the conference standings, the No. 7 Lions have as good of a shot as anyone to make the Final Four and vie for another national title.

1. The road to the Final Four goes through Rec Hall: The same place where the Lions have won 90 consecutive matches, dating back to Sept. 1, 2006, is going to host the NCAA Regional semifinals and finals, with the winners going to the Final Four in Kansas City, Mo. “Defend our house” is the team’s motto while playing at Rec Hall, and I predict they will continue to do that, all the way to the Final Four. 

-Jake Kaplan

Volleyball: Women's

There have been times this season when Penn State coach Russ Rose has had five underclassmen on the floor at one time. 

That number only figures to grow next year.

On Tuesday, Penn State announced the signing of three players to National Letters of Intent. Dominique Gonzalez, Aiyana Whitney and Nia Grant will all join an already young Nittany Lion squad next season. Next year's roster figures to have 13 underclassmen, including outside hitter Darcy Dorton, assuming she redshirts this season after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament last spring.

"I think all three of the players are the kinds of student-athletes who will make great contributions to the Penn State program," Rose said of next year's incoming freshmen in the press release. "They will have to adjust to the speed and intensity of the collegiate game, but have the talent to become great collegiate volleyball players."

At 5-foot-6, Gonzalez is listed as a libero and a setter. She was a letter winner in all four of her years at Sandra Day O'Connor High School in Helotes, Texas and also plays for the Alamo Volleyball Association in her home town of San Antonio, Texas. She was a 2009 AAU All-American and has twice been selected to the All-Texas team. 

In the press release, Rose said Gonzalez, who attended Penn State's volleyball camp multiple times, has the ability to play all of the back row positions. Rose loses back row starters Alyssa D'Errico and Cathy Quilico to graduation after this season.

Whitney is a 6-foot-5 outside hitter and is mere days removed from leading her team to a state title at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan in Old Tappan, N.J. Whitney, a two time first-team All-State selection, figures to compete with current freshmen Deja McClendon and Ariel Scott, and sophomore Darcy Dorton for time at the outside hitter position next season.

Grant is also an outside hitter, a position Penn State figures to have some depth at next season. Grant, a Warren, Ohio native is 6-foot-2 and was the District I Volleyball Player of the Year as a junior. She was named to the Under Armour All-America watch list before her senior season. However, a foot injury cut her senior season short. 

Rose said Grant has the potential to play in any of the three positions in the front row for the Lions. Grant, whose father African played football for the Miami Dolphins in 1990, could compete for playing time early, as well, as Rose loses both of his starting middle hitters, Arielle Wilson and Fatima Balza, to graduation this year.

"Nia was a little banged up this year so she didn't play a full high school season," Rose said. "We've had her in camp for a few years and she can touch [10-foot-6] and [10-foot-7]. She has the potential to play all three front row positions for us."

-Jake Kaplan

Wrestling

Sports Editorials

What a difference a week can make. After most of our pickers were sub-.500 in Week 10, everyone but assistant sports editor achieved double digit win totals to improve their win percentages. Sports editor Steve Hennessey grabbed sole possession of first place with an unprecedented 14-2 week. He leads Nittany Lion Fund president Jim Regan by a mere 0.6 percent, with one game separating the two. Paternoville president Alex Cohen remains tied with the athlete spot, as him and Penn State wrestler Frank Molinaro both registered 11-5 weeks.

Here's a look at the updated rankings:

Overall standings:

Steve Hennessey, sports editor: 90-56 (61.6%)

Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president: 89-57 (61%)

Paul Casella, assistant sports editor: 88-58 (60.2)

Alex Cohen, Paternoville president: 78-55 (58.6%)

Athletes: 78-55 (58.6%)

Christian Ragland, UPUA president: 77-57 (57.4%)

Zack Kreiger, SPA executive director: 83-63 (56.8%)

Students: 79-67 (54.1%)

Volleyball: Women's

In her final regular season home weekend, Penn State libero Alyssa D’Errico got something new.

D’Errico, fellow senior Blair Brown and freshman Deja McClendon helped the Lions sweep the weekly Big Ten awards for their performances in Penn State’s wins against Ohio State and Northwestern.

For the first time in her career, D’Errico was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after tallying match-high digs in both contests. She totaled 33 digs in the two matches, while notching three service aces.

Meanwhile, Brown and McClendon each earned their respective awards for the second straight week. Brown was Big Ten Player of the Week for the third time this season, while McClendon was named Freshman of the Week for the fifth time.

Brown led the Lions with 35 kills in the two matches, and she was second on the team with 21 digs. McClendon finished the week with 21 kills and 10 digs.

CONFERENCE PICTURE

The No. 7 Lions (25-4, 15-3 Big Ten) are now in the driver’s seat to earn their eighth straight Big Ten championship. Despite having four set points Saturday, No. 10 Illinois (22-6, 14-4) dropped a five-set match to No. 15 Minnesota (22-8, 12-6). The Illini’s loss dropped them a full game behind the Lions.

The Lions also moved one spot ahead of Illinois in the RPI rankings. Penn State is No. 3, and the Illini are No. 4.

Penn State has two road matches to finish the regular season. The Lions travel to last-place Iowa (7-20, 2-16) Friday before finishing the season with a tough road test at Minnesota. After some injury problems bothered them early in the season, the Golden Gophers have won eight of nine matches.

While the Lions will have their hands full with Minnesota, Illinois has two tricky road matches at Indiana (19-11, 7-11) and Purdue (19-10, 10-8).

Penn State’s task is simple. If they win both remaining matches, the Lions are Big Ten champions. If the Lions should drop a match and Illinois win both, the two teams would be co-champions.

-Ryan Loy.

Volleyball: Women's

The Nittany Lions won their 12th consecutive match Saturday and, in the process, took sole possession of first place in the Big Ten, as Minnesota upset Illinois at Huff Hall. However, Penn State didn't budge in Monday's AVCA Coaches Poll.

The Lions remained No. 7, as most of the nation's top-8 teams stayed put. The only difference in the top of this week's rankings is the position of California and Stanford. The two Pac 10 teams swapped spots after California beat Stanford on Friday night. Florida, Cal, Hawaii, Stanford and Nebraska make up this week's top five, in that order. Florida received 50 first-place votes, while Cal received nine and Hawaii tallied one.

In the Big Ten, Illinois dropped one spot to No. 10, while Minnesota jumped four spots to No. 15. The only other Big Ten team in the rankings is Michigan, which moved up one spot to No. 19. Northwestern, which was ranked No. 25 last week, dropped out of the poll after road losses at Ohio State and Penn State, both of which were sweeps. Purdue, Northwestern and Ohio State all received votes.

Penn State closes out the regular season with two road matches this weekend. The Lions take on the last-place Iowa Hawkeyes at 2 p.m. Friday, before matching up against Minnesota at 9:30 Saturday night. With two wins, Penn State would be guaranteed its eighth straight conference title.

-Jake Kaplan

Basketball: Women's

Freshman guard Maggie Lucas helped the Lions improve to 4-0 with two victories last week, and she received some recognition for her play in the process.

Lucas was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for her play in the Lady Lions' wins against Oakland and South Carolina. She averaged 13.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals in those victories.

It was Lucas' late-game production that helped the Lions escape Oakland with a 96-89 overtime win. She scored the final 11 points in regulation to cap Penn State's comeback from a 12-point deficit.

Sunday, Lucas hit two 3-pointers en route to 14 points in the Lions' 78-48 win against South Carolina. She showed some ability to make plays in that game when she inbounded the ball to herself off a Gamecock player, which led to a Penn State basket.

The Narberth, Pa. native is 11th in the Big Ten with 15.3 points per game. Lucas and the Lions travel to Riviera Maya, Mexico on Thursday for three games in the Caribbean Challenge.

-Ryan Loy.

Sports Editorials

With another Thursday night football game, we have an early start to the NFL week. After a disastrous week for most of our participants last week, the race is wide open with a two-way tie at the top and other pickers setting well within striking distance. This weekend, as always, presents a fair share of games that are complete toss-ups when it comes to making selections, so it should be interesting to see what the standings look like come Monday night. Below are the updated overall standings, sorted by percentages, and the week 11 picks.

Overall standings:

Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president: 79-51 (60.8%)

Paul Casella, assistant sports editor: 79-51 (60.8%)

Steve Hennessey, sports editor: 76-54 (58.5%)

Athletes: 67-50 (57.3%)

Alex Cohen, Paternoville president: 67-50 (57.3%)

Christian Ragland, UPUA president: 64-53 (54.7%)

Zack Kreiger, SPA executive director: 71-59 (54.6%)

Students: 69-61 (53.0%)

Week 11 picks:

Chicago @ Miami:

Buffalo @ Cincinnati:

Arizona @ Kansas City:

Green Bay @ Minnesota:

Washington @ Tennessee:

Cleveland @ Jacksonville:

Houston @ NY Jets:

Baltimore @ Carolina:

Detroit @ Dallas:

Oakland @ Pittsburgh:

Atlanta @ St. Louis:

Tampa Bay @ San Francisco:

Seattle @ New Orleans:

Indianapolis @ New England:

NY Giants @ Philadelphia:

Denver @ San Diego:

Basketball: Men's

Jarelle Reischel will attend Rice University next year, Big East basketball insider Adam Zagoria reported on his blog Wednesday night.

The commitment was also confirmed on Reischel's Rivals.com profile page.

Last week, Big East basketball blog NBE Basketball Report wrote that Reischel, a 6-foot-6 senior forward from Point Pleasant Beach (N.J.) High School, had narrowed his college decision down to three schools -- Rice, Seton Hall and Penn State.

In the article, Reischel was quoted as saying "Penn State’s facilities are just amazing. One of the best facilities I’ve ever seen."

Reischel also said Penn State's coaching staff "is good.”

The Nittany Lions have already signed four players to their 2011 recruiting class. Patrick Ackerman, Peter Alexis, Ross Travis and Trey Lewis will join the Nittany Lions for the 2011-12 season. The four commitments came on the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period.

In his Nov. 10 press conference, Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said the team had sent one more offer out, and was waiting to hear the status of that player.

Wrestling

The Penn State Nittany Lions remain the No. 6-ranked team in the country in this week's USA Today/NWCA coaches poll. Cornell remains the No. 1 team in the country with Oklahoma State at No.2, Minnesota at No. 3, Wisconsin at No. 4 and Boise State rounding out the top 5.

The Big Ten also has six other teams ranking in the top-25 with Iowa at No. 7, Illinois at No. 10, Ohio State at No. 12, Michigan at No. 16, Northwestern at No. 21, and Purdue at No. 22.

Penn State also has seven individuals ranked in the top-20 in their respective weight classes. Freshman Andrew Alton is ranked No. 12 at 141-pounds. Frank Molinaro remains No. 3 in the country at 149-pounds, despite not wrestling last weekend, while redshirt freshman David Taylor comes in at No. 6 at 157-pounds.

Redshirt freshman Ed Ruth is ranked No. 14 at 174-pounds, while Quentin Wright dropped to No. 6 at 184-pounds after a loss to Joe Kennedy from Lehigh. Junior Cameron Wade remains as the No. 9 heavyweight in the country after a loss to No. 1 Zach Rey from Lehigh.

Cracking the top-20 for he first time is redshirt freshman Jake Kemerer who beat then-No. 11 Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh.

Players of the week

Also in the Big Ten, wrestlers Kyle Dooley, 157-pounds from Illinois, and Sean Boyle, 125-pounds from Michigan were voted Big Ten wrestlers of the week. Dooley defeated then No. 11 Dan Gonsor from Missouri giving the Illini an 18-13 victory. Boyle helped Michigan to a 17-15 win over No. 14 Pittsburgh on Sunday. Boyle earned an 8-5 decision over the No. 14 ranked Anthony Zanetta. Neither team has had a Big Ten wrestler of the week since 2008.

Basketball: Men's

The Lions secure the victory in the final minutes as St. Joseph's poor shooting continues. It wasn't a pretty win but the Lions got the job done. A positive side was the team's ability to get scoring from other players when Battle wasn't on his game. It was a big question mark heading into the season to see if Penn State could survive if Battle struggled and it appears players like Jeff Brooks and Dj Jackson will be able to step up. This was a game Penn State should have run away with after its run late in the first half but it was never able to. Brooks ended the game as the leading scorer with 17 points. Battle added 15 while Jackson added 11. This team may be 2-0 early on but things will get tough when some better opponents come to town. Nevertheless, a win is a win and Penn State now has two of them under its belt.

Final Score

PSU 66-57

***

The Lions pick up six points over the last minute and a half to extend their lead back to nine. Penn State's perimeter defense continues to be shaky however. Battle finally just hit double digits scoring.

Lions lead 57-48 with 2:36 left in the game

***

St. Joseph's chips away at Penn State's lead and cuts it to only six with just over four minutes left. The Penn State offense is struggling right now and it appears the Lions don't have that killer mentality they had against Lehigh. This game could have been over quickly had the team come out quickly in the second half.

Penn State leads 51-45 with 4:12 until the final buzzer.

***

The Lions unable to run away with this one like they did Friday against Lehigh. Instead, the lead has hovered around nine to 11 points so far. Battle looks pretty frustrated at times while turning the ball over. On a sidenote, Cameron Woodyard has played some significant minutes in the second half after playing seven minutes in the first. Brooks continues to do well for the Lions with another basket to give him 14. However, he picks up his fourth foul of the game. The Lions pick up a couple baskets in a row to increase the lead to 13.

Penn State leads 47-34 with 7:51 minutes remaining.

***

Not much else offensively for Penn State as the Lions only pick up one basket over the last three minutes of play. Taran Buie hits a jumper while Cameron Woodyard adds a free throw made. Penn State's perimeter defense looks to be a shaky area tonight as St. Joseph's has found some success on the outside. Jeff Brooks has entered double figures tonight with 10 points as Battle hasn't done much. Is it a matter of time before he kicks it up into high gear or will this be a quiet night for the senior guard?

Lions lead 37-28 with 12:50 left.

***

Jeff Brooks starts things off for Penn State in the second half just like Jackson did in the opener. Brooks hits two early baskets before picking up his third foul. After going back to his original starting five, DeChellis puts Oliver back into the game less than three minutes in. After his last two seasons were plagued by injuries, Oliver appears to be the first man off the bench going forward for Penn State followed by Buie. A little over four minutes into the second half, the Lions offense has stalled yet again. Other than Brooks' first two quick baskets, Penn State has converted nothing. Again though, St. Joseph's continues to struggle to score also.

Penn State up 34-23 with 15:40 left in the game.

***

A last second tip in credited to Buie caps off a nice Penn State run to end the half. Another dunk by Brooks pumps up the crowd while the Lions start to get production from a few other players. Jackson and Jones leads the way with seven points while Brooks and Battle each have six. Buie also has four points despite making a couple early mistakes that didn't please DeChellis. If St. Joseph's continues to shoot like it has been and Penn State carries over its success over the last few minutes, Penn State should take care of business. Battle will need to start picking his game up in the next half like he did against Lehigh. Despite getting nice production from the other players, this is the type of game a player at Battle's caliber should be taking over. DeChellis must have said something to his team about its excessive 3-point attempts because the Lions have cut down over the end of the half. It'll be fun to see how Penn State responds to its run over the last few minutes.

Penn State leads 30-19 at halftime.

***

Penn State finally starts to make something happen with a pair of quick buckets after some more lackluster play. Battle races up the court for a lay-up for the first one. Afterwards, Battle makes a nice pass to a surging Jeff Brooks who throws down an emphatic one-handed jam that gets the crowd into it. Let's see if Penn State can keep the fans and themselves into it.

Lions lead 22-17 with 3:33 until halftime.

***

Drew Jones ends the scoreless drought for Penn State with a mid-range jumper and a soft lay-in right after. However, Penn State continues to not do much on offense. The team has taken and missed two more 3-pointers and haven't been able to find an open Talor Battle on the perimeter at times. Jackson leads the way with seven points while Battle still only has one basket. The senior guard started out slow last Thursday too and picked it up in the second half. Let's see if he can do the same and a little bit earlier tonight. Defensively, Billy Oliver has been a bright spot with his hustle play. He has taken a charge, forced a turnover and made a nice heads up rebound. Nevertheless, DeChellis can't be too pleased with his team's performance this half. The only difference between today and Friday is St. Joseph's inability to make its shots too.

Game tied at 13 with 7:24 in the half.

***

DeChellis makes a couple subs after the game break and brings in Billy Oliver and Taran Buie for Drew Jones and Frazier (Frazier left with two early fouls). Neither player makes much of an impact though as Penn State is unable to connect on a basket for over the next three minutes. Luckily for Penn State, St. Joseph's has been unable to capitalize on the Lions lack of offense. Both teams are shooting horribly and the last few minutes have been tough to watch. Penn State is shooting only 21 percent and the Hawks are shooting an even worse 17. The only difference has been St. Joseph's ability to get to the free-throw line. The Hawks have six points from the charity stripe. Offensively, Penn State is getting to obsessed with shooting from downtown. The Lions have taken eight 3-pointers this early on and they only made the first one. Let's see if they make any offensive adjustments with St. Joes struggling too.

Hawks lead 11-7 with 11:36 left in the half.

***

We're almost five minutes into the game and the Lions are playing much better in this one early on then they did against Lehigh. They aren't necessarily playing great as they've forced a few shots, but they are playing with much more urgency. The score is tied at seven apiece and D.J. Jackson leads the way for Penn State with five points, including a nice 3-pointer to open up the game. After Jackson made another shot, Battle connected on an easy lay-in off of a Tim Frazier outlet pass. The Lions need to hold on to the ball a little longer and wait for better shots. Battle has forced a few ugly 3-point attempts. They have also committed three early fouls

Game tied 7-7 with 15:15 left in the half.

***

Hey there Lions fans, Alex Angert here again to bring you updates throughout tonight's Penn State men's basketball team. Talor Battle and crew are taking on historic Philadelphia powerhouse school St. Joseph's tonight here at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Lions are fresh off of a solid win last Friday against Lehigh. However, things didn't look that up for half of that game as the Lions came out flat before turning it on after halftime. As for St. Joseph's, Phil Martelli's young squad is coming off of a loss to Western Kentucky. This isn't your typical St. Joseph team as the Hawks are coming off their worst season under the former National Coach of the Year in his 16 years as the head coach. The key to tonight's game is going to be how coach Ed DeChellis' team opens this game up. In the opener, the Lions came out unenthusiastic and lackluster as Lehigh built an early lead. This is a home game Penn State should win and it will be important to come out quickly. Another major factor to watch will be how DJ Jackson and Jeff Brooks follow up last weeks game. After starting out slow against Lehigh, the two seniors came alive in the second half and powered Penn State to a victory. If they both have another big game and provide some scoring depth behind Battle, the Lions could easily open up the season at 2-0. Stay tuned for updates after major breaks in play through the game.

Basketball: Men's

Penn State enters game two of a season-opening four game homestand when it hosts Saint. Joseph's at 7:30 tonight at the Bryce Jordan Center. Here's a preview of what to expect: 

Ice Hockey: Men's

After I finished my article on the goalie controversy taking place on the Icers, I was also able to talk to freshman goaltender Mathew Madrazo and his thoughts on the situation.

Madrazo also said he plans to continue to work hard and thought he fared well in his start against Rhode Island. But, the result ended in an Icers' loss and Madrazo knows the most important statistic is wins and losses. If Madrazo can start to gather some wins in the upcoming weeks, the job may become his to lose.

Ice Hockey: Men's

Here, at Between the Pipes, we have decided to bring back 10 question Tuesday. Today, I interviewed freshman goaltender Mathew Madrazo. Madrazo, who is the youngest player on the Icers' roster, has provided a nice change of pace lately in the net. He is 1-1 this season and has conceded just six goals on 66 shot attempts. Madrazo recently got the nod against No. 11 Rhode Island last Saturday and saved 35 of 37 shots in the loss.

1. What was your main reason for coming to Penn State?

A: Academics was the main reason, also to play hockey.

2. If you could see one musical artist live at a concert, who would it be?

A: Bob Dylan.

3. What is the last movie you saw in theaters?

A: The Social Network.

4. Which NHL goalie most resembles your style of play?

A: Marc-Andre Fleury even though he is not on my favorite team. Go Rangers!

5. Funniest teammate?

A: Definitely Ryan Seibolt.

6. What do you feel is the most exciting individual play in hockey?

A: A penalty shot.

7: What's the best meal in State College?

A: Wings Over Happy Valley.

8. What's your favorite hobby other than hockey?

A: Watching soccer.

9. If you could eat dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would they be?

A: Mark Messier, Bob Dylan and Ronald Reagan.

10. Describe coach Balboni in one word.

A: Scary.

Sports Editorials

After a pretty wild week in the NFL, not many of our pickers had the best week. We now have a tie on top of the leaderboard after the overall leader, Jim Regan, struggled to a lowly 5-9 record, for crying out loud. Assistant sports editor Paul Casella is putting the pressure on Regan, as is sports editor Steve Hennessey, the week's top picker.

As a reminder, out of fairness to those who have not missed any weeks of picking, we actually will not be dropping each person's one worst week. We are basing the overall standings on percentages, not counting missed weeks as either correct or incorrect picks.

Here's a look at the standings after this week:

Overall standings:

Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president: 79-51

Paul Casella, assistant sports editor: 79-51

Steve Hennessey, sports editor: 76-54

Athletes: 67-50

Alex Cohen, Paternoville president: 67-50

Christian Ragland, UPUA president: 64-53

Zack Kreiger, SPA executive director: 71-59

Students: 69-61

Week 10 standings:

Hennessey: 8-6

Ragland: 7-7

Kreiger: 7-7

Arianna Coletta, student: 6-8

Casella: 6-8

Cohen: 5-9

Regan: 5-9

Edgardo Goas, men's volleyball team: 5-9

Volleyball: Women's

After two more wins this past weekend, including a clean sweep of No. 9 Illinois, Penn State (23-4, 13-3) moved up one spot to No. 7 in Monday's AVCA Coaches Poll.

Florida, whose lone loss came earlier this season at the hands of Penn State, remained at No. 1. The rest of the teams ahead of the Nittany Lions also stayed put.

The Lions remain the top-ranked Big Ten team. Illinois stayed at No. 9, while Minnesota moved up three spots to No. 19, jumping Michigan, which slid four spots to No. 20. Northwestern is No. 25 and Purdue and Ohio State are receiving votes.

-Jake Kaplan

Basketball: Women's

There is 3:26 left and the Lady Lions lead 90-19. We are about to head down to the press room, but check tomorrow's Collegian for coverage of this blowout.

****

With 7:36 left in the game, Penn State is up 84-19. All 10 Lady Lions who have played have scored and three are in double digits. Penn State has 11 3-pointers, two short of the program record. 

****

Penn State keeps piling onto the score. With 11:38 left, the Lady Lions lead 74-17. Three players are in double figures. 

****

The second half has started and Coquese Washington begins the half with Bentley, Greene, Wolfe, Womack and Trogele on the floor. Womack joins the 3-point party, hitting her first field goal of the game. The Lions are 10-for-12 from beyond the arc. Gray hits her first shot from inside the arc. She leads all players with 20 points. Bentley nails a short field goal before a timeout is called on the floor as Shereen Lightbourne of Rider is slow to get up. The officials take a timeout with Penn State up huge, 64-14 with 15:30 remaining.

****

Gray leads all players with 18 points (all coming from 3s). Lucas has 13 points on 5-7 shooting. Rider has six more turnovers (20) than points (14). If you are not at the BJC, I have no way of describing the awesomeness that is the halftime show. One guy with 4 life-size Michael Jackson dolls attached to him via sticks. Performing some classic MJ songs, as well as "the worst songs of the 90s." If it's possible to outperform that Lady Lions' first-half shooting, that guy just did it. The Amazing Christopher is his performing name.

****

Out of the break, Nickson drives and his fouled while shooting. She hits both foul shots. The Lions defense looks better than the exhibition. Maybe Rider's offense has a little to do with that, as well. They just traveled for the second straight possession. Lucas hit a jumper in between. With the shot clock winding down, Lucas throws up a 3-pointer. Before the ball was even on its way down, she was running back on defense. The freshman knew it was good when it left her hand. The Lions lead, 47-14. Lucas keeps the momentum going, as she drives to the bucket and gets the basket and a draws a foul. She gets the foul shot to rattle home. Womack appears to strip the ball cleanly, but she was called for the foul. Rider in the double-bonus, but the Broncs miss both free throws. Gray ends the half with another 3-pointer, and the Lions have a 53-14 halftime lead.

****

Lucas punches the ball away to Bentley, who finds Gray for another 3-pointer. Lions now lead 31-10. Trogele gets into the 3-point action and puts the Lions up 34-10. Rider continues to struggle at the free throw line, and Gray continues to light it up from 3-point range. After a 20-0 run by Penn State, Rider finally makes a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to a mere 37-12. Gray is making a case to be the best shooting No. 12 at Penn State. She just hit her fifth 3-pointer. Lions lead, 40-12, with 3:55 remaining in the first half.

****

A few sloppy plays by both sides lead to a pair of turnovers out of the break. Make that a trio of turnovers, as PSU throws a pass away. Rider makes it four turnovers in a row with a double dribble. Gray ends the turnover streak by hitting a 3-pointer from the corner. Trogele runs the floor, receives a pass and lays it in to put the Lions up 28-10. Timeout.

****

Trogele drives and lays it in to give PSU a 15-5 lead. After a Rider basket, Trogele comes down and hits a jumper. Rider then hits a 3-pointer, but Lucas scores her first points with a mid-range jumper. Womack gets fouled on a fast break layup and splits the foul shots to put PSU up 20-10. Lucas comes down on the next possession and hits a 3-pointer. PSU leads, 23-10, with 7:43 left in the half.

****

Renee Womack is now in the game for Trogele. Maggie Lucas also enters the game for Bentley. The Lions miss three shots right around the basket. Bentley re-enters for Gray. Nickson gets a nice pass down low and puts it in to give the Lions an 8-1 lead. Womack has her shot blocked but gets it back and is fouled on her next attempt. She makes both foul shots to put extend the Lions' lead to 10-1. Rider gets another bucket, but turns it over again the next time down the floor. Greene gets her second foul of the game is replaced by Wolfe. Rider misses both foul shots. Gray hits the first three of the game to give the Lions a 13-3 lead during the under 12:00 timeout.

****

The Lions get a steal on the opening possession, and immediately go to Greene on the offensive end. She was fouled and hit both free throws. Wolfe hits a 15-foot jumper to give PSU a 4-0 lead. Greene picks up a foul and is replaced by Mia Nickson. It was a shooting foul and Rider made 1-2 free throws. Nickson immediately gets the ball down low and lays it in for two points. Penn State has forced four Rider turnovers so far. Timeout on the floor with 15:50 left in the half. Penn State leads, 6-1.

****

After their double-overtime victory Friday, the Lady Lions compete in their home opener against Rider. Here are the starting lineups for both teams:

Penn State-
G Alex Bentley
G Zhaque Gray
G/F Julia Trogele
F Marisa Wolfe
F Nikki Greene

Rider-
G Alyssa Parsons
G- MyNeshia McKenzie
G- Dior Brown
F- Carleigh Brown 
F- Caitlin Bopp

Basketball: Men's

The Lions played pitiful in the first half of this game and there is no excuse. With a senior team playing in their final home opener, the four experienced starters should have been beyond fired up coming out. After such a miserable season last year, confidence is going to be key and the team needed to start on the right foot. D.J. Jackson apologized after the game and Jeff Brooks admitted to opening-night jitters.

Regardless, the Lions should never have come out that flat. Yes, Lehigh is a very talented squad and a loss against them would not have been something to be ashamed about. However, Penn State failed to put any offense together whatsoever in the early minutes of the game. On the defensive end, the Lions faulty perimeter defense proved to be their weakness. Players were finding open looks, but they weren't taking the highest percentage shots. An early injury scare to Talor Battle didn't help either, but no one else stepped up. A final second 3-pointer by Battle possibly saved such a horrid first half.

Second Half- A+

The Lions played tremendous in the second half. Offensively, everything started to click. Whatever coach Ed DeChellis said at halftime must have really worked as the light went on for every player. The players came out with an intensity we didn't see in the first half. Jackson's offense provided a second scoring option behind Battle while Billy Oliver and Jeff Brooks also reached double-digits. Tim Frazier was creating electric plays on offense while Brooks was a monster on the weakside block. Shots started to fall but that's because the players started taking smarter chances. The crowd got fired up but it was because the players were finally into the game. As a collective team, the Lions played with a purpose and proved they wanted to win. An opening game blowout like we were about to witness in the first half would have killed any shot at a redemption season. The way the team played in the second half gives hope for this season as long as the players don't come out unenthusiastic early on as the season goes on.

-Alex

Basketball: Men's

After a nice lay-up, Battle comes out of the game with 21 points. He is replaced by his half-brother Taran while Billy Oliver comes out for the senior Steve Kirkpatrick. Oliver finishes the game with 10 points. Four Lions finish in double-figures as Jackson gets 14 and Brooks gets 10. It appears as if this one is over as the Lions take care of business in the second half. Stay posted for our grades after the game.

Lions win 70-56

***

Penn State continues to dominate in the second half as it has built a commanding double-digit lead. Jeff Brooks has started to open things up with a few big baskets as the Lions are connecting on all cylindars. The Lions appear to have found a balanced attack and have been successful finding the open player.

Lions lead 57-43 with 4:54 in the game.

***

PSU has played with much more fire and heart this half compared to the first. It was surprising to see them come out kind of uninspired in the first half to open up the season but the early deficit may have been a wake up call for them. They are starting to hustle much more and have been getting much better looks. After Lehigh drains an open 3-pointer, Taran Buie decides to go to the bank and hits one of his own for his fifth points of the game. The Lions have opened up their biggest lead of the game as they are now up by nine. Battle and Jackson are leading the way in double figures as the Lions' offense has come alive. Whatever DeChellis said to the team at halftime seems to be working as Penn State is playing much more like a team in the second half.

PSU up 49-40 with 7:54 remaining until the final buzzer.

***

After a timeout, Battle starts things off with a big 3-pointer to give the Lions their first lead since early in the game. The senior guard appears to have found his scoring touch which the Lions are going to need if they want to be successful in this one. Tim Frazier with a really nice pass to a streaking Battle, who lays it in to extend the Lions lead to three. Another nifty assist by Tim Frazier on a Drew Jones lay in forces Lehigh's coach to call a timeout. Both the Lions and their fans are getting into this one now as Penn State is starting to heat up. Battle is taking over and the role players on the Lions are starting to play their roles on defense and offense. Jones is stepping it up on defense, Jackson is adding another scoring threat and Frazier is making things happen with the ball. Let's see how Lehigh responds after this timeout and if Penn State can keep the intensity up.

Penn State is leading 40-37 with 11:48 left in the game

***

After playing 15 minutes in the first half, Billy Oliver starts the second on the bench as the original starting five opens things up. Jackson muscles his way to the hoop and drains a lay-up while getting fouled (made the extra point). Jackson drains another basket that cuts the lead to only one. The Lions appear to have found their shot during halftime as they've drained their first three shots of the half before Battle barely missed an open 3-pointer. After Jackson gets called for a foul going for a block, Drew Jones makes a clean one not too long after that gets the crowd excited. Jackson continues to lead the Lions in the second half as he picks up his seventh point in less than four minutes. Battle drains a 3-pointer in the corner to tie the game back up for the first time in a long time. Jeff Brooks gets into the action with an emphatic block to give PSU possession. The Lions are starting to heat up as DJ Jackson has given the Lions another scoring threat on the floor. Battle leads the way with 12 points followed by Jackson's eight.

Game tied at 33 with 12:57 remaining

***

-Coach Ed DeChellis spoke a lot Wednesday about the importance of taking great shots and not settling for good shots. So far tonight the Lions haven't waited for the great shot to come. They have had open looks but they haven't been the best option on the floor.

-Penn State has done an excellent job shutting down Lehigh star CJ McCollum, who hasn't played much because of foul trouble, but it's allowed Anthony D'Orazio go off for 14 points.

-The team got a scare when Talor Battle went down with an injury and had to be escorted to the locker room. He was able to come back a few minutes later and get back in the game. He has nine points but the thought of him being out was pretty scary for this team as his offense is needed for the Lions to run.

-Other than Battle, the Lions have had six other players score points. However, none have scored more than two. Battle can't do it all on his own and someone else is going to need to add another scoring touch with Chris Babb not around anymore.

-The Lions perimeter defense was a big concern heading into the season and, judging by the first half, it is something that appears to definitely haunt this team. Lehigh has hit four shots but it's also taken a number of other good looks. Against some of the more better shooting teams in the Big Ten, this could be a major problem.

***

Penn State continues to struggle to find a touch on offense and a few questionable calls helps Lehigh secure its lead. With time running down in the first half, Talor Battle hits a huge 3-point basket to give the fans something to cheer about and the team something to keep their spirits up going into the half.

The Lions are down 27-21 at the half. Stay tuned for some halftime thoughts.

***

D'Orazio continues to torch the Lions as he hits another 3-point basket. That now makes three 3-pointers for Lehigh in the first half. Penn State has given them a number of open looks from downtown and the Lions perimeter defense looks like it can be a major weakness. As I write that last statement, D'Orazio hits yet another 3-pointer. On the opposite end of the court, Penn State continues to have open looks but they aren't great shots like DeChellis said he wants his players to take. They are open good looks with other options out there for the Lions to explore. Battle hits a pair of free-throws but the Lions trail by eight. The Lehigh offense has looked good so far and it's been without their star scorer McCollum.

Lehigh 22-14 with 4:17 left in the first

***

With Battle out of the game, DeChellis goes with a lineup of Buie, Frazier, Oliver, Jackson and Brooks. Oliver shows some range and drills an open three to cut Lehigh's lead. Trying to make it two in a row, the Chatham native comes up short on his next attempt. Timeout on the court. The Lions haven't looked too impressive yet through this game with or without Battle on the floor. The defense started out solid but has since allowed Lehigh's freshman Anthony D'Orazio to unload for eight points. The offense has looked like a mess as they've only hit four shots through 13 minutes. Battle is back and looks ready to head back on the floor for Penn State.

Lehigh up 14-9 with 7:03 in the first.

***

After McCollum picks up his second foul and heads to the bench, the Lions aren't able to capitalize on the star's absence. After allowing their second three of the game, Talor Battle goes down hard after going for a lose ball. The senior guard is in obvious pain on the bench and is helped off the court and into the locker room by his teammates. This will be big for the Lions to see if they can survive without Battle. It's unclear the extent of Battle's injury or what exactly he hurt but Penn State is going to need to find some offense without him.

Lehigh leads 12-6 with 8:28 remaining in the first half

***

Billy Oliver comes into the game for Jeff Brooks with just over five minutes gone by in the half. Oliver will be a key part of the team this season as he is expected to be the first big man off the bench. It'll be interesting to see how he plays in this game after migraines kept him out last year. DJ Jackson gets called for a foul and Brooks comes back after only two minutes on the bench. Freshman Taran Buie replaces Tim Frazier and he gets a warm reception from this crowd. The fans seem excited to the half-brother of Talor Battle as he gets a big cheer from the crowd. The fans seem really into this one as they erupt in cheers after it appears Drew Jones converts an and-one play, which is later called an offensive foul. A timeout is called and Penn State needs to find some offense after scoring only four points in over eight minutes of play. Too many fouls and an inability to convert their open looks are crippling the Lions right now. On the positive side, Penn State has shut down Lehigh star C.J. McCollum.

Penn State leads 4-3 with 11:37 left in the first.

***

The lineups are announced and the Penn State squad looks pretty unenthusiastic when their names are called except for Battle. Lions win the opening tip off and the game is under way. Lions miss their first three shots - none from Battle- but get the first points of the game and season with a battle turnover. Sophomore Tim Frazier shows he wants to be in the starting lineup forcing a jump ball and making a couple hustle plays on both ends. The Lions are playing a little too fast at times and not settling down. Battle has two points and Drew Jones has the other two as the Lions lead 4-3 with 15:35 remaining in the first half.

***

Hey there Lion fans. This is Alex Angert live Press Row at the Bryce Jordan Center joined by fellow men's basketball writer Emily Kaplan. We're a few minutes from tip off here at the BJC and we've got a pretty good atmosphere right now. With freshmen getting in for free, there's a solid amount of students here tonight. As we said in today's season preview, this is going to be a big year for Penn State basketball after the last two were polar opposites. Unable to build off of the 2009 NIT Championship season, the Lions struggled mightily last season. This season is Talor Battle and crew's last shot at making some noise and it could easily be coach Ed DeChellis' last as well. Be sure to follow Hardwood Hits all game long on Twitter as Emily provides up to the minute tweets about tonight's contest. Lehigh should be a good first test for this veteran Lion squad. It is by no means a gimme season opener for Penn State and it would be a big win for the Lions tonight. Keep checking the blog all game long as I'll try and give updates every major stoppage of play. Stay tuned Penn State fans. Time for the National Anthem...

Sports Editorials

As the NFL enters week 10, it's a tight race at the top of the Collegian's NFL Pick 'Em standings. Jim Regan leads the way, sitting one game ahead of Paul Casella, but plenty of others are within striking distance.

Another 7-6 from Casella could open the door for the athletes, represented by men's volleyball player Edgardo Goas this week, who sit only three percentage points out of the lead. Alex Cohen is within striking distance, as well, and the rest of the contestants are no more than two big weeks away from the top of the leaderboard.

There are a lot of intriguing games this week that could easily go either way (Houston/Jacksonville, Miami/Tennessee, Baltimore/Atlanta, Pittsburgh/New England - just to name a few), so the picks should vary quite a bit. Updated standings and picks are below:

Overall standings:

Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president: 74-42 (63.8%)

Paul Casella, assistant sports editor: 73-43 (62.9%)

Athletes: 62-41 (60.2%)

Alex Cohen, Paternoville president: 62-41 (60.2%)

Steve Hennessey, sports editor: 68-48 (58.6%)

Christian Ragland, UPUA president: 57-46 (55.3%)

Zack Kreiger, SPA executive director: 64-52 (55.2%)

Students: 63-53 (54.3%)

Baltimore @ Atlanta:

Ragland: Baltimore

Cohen: Baltimore

Krieger: Baltimore

Regan: Baltimore - I know that Atlanta is favored at home here, but I've been picking the ravens all year long and I'm fully prepared to do it for the remainder. Despite facing the "best of the NFC" (psh, yeah right ESPN)... the Ravens will prove tonight that the Giants are #1.

Hennessey: Atlanta

Casella: Atlanta

Ariana Coletta, this week's student picks: Baltimore

Edgardo Goas, men's volleyball player: Baltimore

Detroit @ Buffalo:

Ragland: Buffalo

Cohen: Buffalo

Krieger: Buffalo

Regan: Buffalo - Congrats Buffalo! Woo hoo!

Hennessey: Buffalo

Casella: Detroit - I don't like Buffalo, and every loss for them makes me a happy man. It would be perfect if I could have that feeling 16 times this season.

Coletta: Detroit

Goas: Detroit

Cincinnati @ Indianapolis:

Ragland: Indianapolis

Cohen: Indianapolis

Krieger: Indianapolis

Regan: Indianapolis - Spread is far in Indy's favor. Even if I foolishly thought the receiving core of the Bengals had a chance here, I need to stick to my roots and bet smart here.

Hennessey: Indianapolis

Casella: Indianapolis

Coletta: Indianapolis

Goas: Indianapolis

NY Jets @ Cleveland:

Ragland: NY Jets

Cohen: Cleveland

Krieger: NY Jets

Regan: NY Jets - Wanted to take Cleveland last week and I was persuaded not to... shame on my roommates. Still, I think the Jets are good enough to force the Browns back to their losing ways.

Hennessey: NY Jets

Casella: Cleveland - The Jets continue to escape games they shouldn't win with victories. Should have lost to the lowly Lions last week if it wasn't for Detroit's kicker getting hurt and the Lions later missing an extra point, only to lose in overtime. Aside from that one, the Jets only beat the lifeless Broncos by four and the Dolphins by one score.

Coletta: NY Jets

Goas: NY Jets

Minnesota @ Chicago:

Ragland: Minnesota

Cohen: Minnesota

Krieger: Minnesota

Regan: Minnesota - Both of these teams are pretty mediocre in my mind, but I think the Vikings have that kind of loose-cannon offense that will work against the Bears. Some turnovers on defense will let the Vikings keep possession and walk away with a much-needed win on the road.

Hennessey: Chicago

Casella: Minnesota

Coletta: Minnesota

Goas: Minnesota

Houston @ Jacksonville:

Ragland: Houston

Cohen: Houston

Krieger: Houston

Regan: Houston - Poor Texans, such promise at the start of the season and now it is all slipping away. The Jags are a decent squad, and at home they have a major advantage, but the gut feeling is that the Houston running game will find a way to win.

Hennessey: Jacksonville

Casella: Houston

Coletta: Houston

Goas: Houston

Tennessee @ Miami:

Ragland: Tennessee

Cohen: Miami

Krieger: Miami

Regan: Tennessee - A lot of good matchups this week, here's another. I feel like the Titans aren't as hot as their record would suggest, but then again the Dolphins continue to let me down whenever I talk them up. Out of spite, I'm choosing the road team.

Hennessey: Tennessee

Casella: Miami - Miami has had some tough losses this year, but have played one of the toughest schedules out there. The last six weeks, the Dolphins have played the Jets, Patriots, Packers, Steelers, Bengals and Ravens in that order. Yikes.

Coletta: Tennessee

Goas: Tennessee

Carolina @ Tampa Bay:

Ragland: Tampa Bay

Cohen: Tampa Bay

Krieger: Tampa Bay

Regan: Tampa Bay - Carolina still can't live down that horrific defeat to the G-Men many weeks ago. The Tampa Bay defense is sure to bring flashbacks worse then Vietnam.

Hennessey: Tampa Bay

Casella: Tampa Bay - Carolina is awful.

Coletta: Tampa Bay

Goas: Tampa Bay

Kansas City @ Denver:

Ragland: Kansas City

Cohen: Kansas City

Krieger: Denver

Regan: Kansas City - I'm legitimately excited for the Chiefs, not since the days of LJ have they shown such promise. Denver, on the other hand, hasn't found that power running back that typically supercharges their offense in down years. KC stays hot on the road.

Hennessey: Kansas City

Casella: Denver - The Chiefs aren't as good as their record, and neither are the Raiders. The Broncos may be as bad as theirs, but Orton's arm will get them another win or two this season.

Coletta: Denver

Goas: Kansas City

St. Louis @ San Francisco:

Ragland: San Francisco

Cohen: St. Louis

Krieger: St. Louis

Regan: San Francisco -I am OFF the Rams bandwagon, I still toss and turn at night to know that I was once on that party train. Let's stick with the home team and try to ease the painful memories.

Hennessey: St. Louis

Casella: St. Louis - Not sure why Regan has all the hatred for the Rams. Aside from the blowout loss to Detroit, the Rams have lost three of their four games by a COMBINED seven points. One score in each of those games away from being 7-1? How scary of a thought is that?

Coletta: St. Louis

Goas: San Francisco

Seattle @ Arizona:

Ragland: Arizona

Cohen: Arizona

Krieger: Arizona

Regan: Arizona - Pretty terrible matchup. I'm going to go with the home team here again because, much like the Carolina Panthers, the Seahawks just experienced the best team in the NFL and they are probably still losing sleep due to emotional grieving.

Hennessey: Arizona

Casella: Arizona

Coletta: Seattle

Goas: Arizona

Dallas @ NY Giants:

Ragland: NY Giants

Cohen: NY Giants

Krieger: NY Giants

Regan: NY Giants - Fox Sports has Giants as their #1 team, maybe after this ESPN will too. It's about time... giddy up.

Hennessey: NY Giants

Casella: NY Giants - The easy schedule continues for the Giants. Sorry Regan and Hennessey, but got to call it how I see it. The Giants have one win over a team with a winning record this year - the Bears - and were handled pretty easily by the other two winning-record teams they played, the Colts and Titans.

Coletta: NY Giants

Goas: NY Giants

New England @ Pittsburgh:

Ragland: New England

Cohen: Pittsburgh

Krieger: Pittsburgh

Regan: Pittsburgh - Patriots think they are the best in the league, but having tens of thousands of yinsers yelling nonsensical garbage into your ears for four quarters of football is too much for anyone to take. Steelers defense will have a good one here.

Hennessey: Pittsburgh

Casella: New England

Coletta: Pittsburgh

Goas: Pittsburgh

Philadelphia @ Washington:

Ragland: Philadelphia

Cohen: Philadelphia

Krieger: Philadelphia

Regan: Washington - Washington at home on Monday Night. That's a tough game for anyone.

Hennessey: Philadelphia

Casella: Washington

Coletta: Philadelphia

Goas: Philadelphia

Ice Hockey: Men's

When I was writing my last article profiling the architects of the new ice arena, I found ice technician Tim Moore's explanation about how he plans to create the best ice in the country particularly interesting. We couldn't fit it in the story, and as such, I have reproduced it here. Check it out:

There are a series of compressors that refrigerate a liquid solution that is a mix of water and antifreeze. That mixture is circulated through tubes that are buried in a concrete slab under the ice. The temperature of the concrete slab then sets up the temperature at which the ice freezes.
The efficiency of ice is kind of a misnomer. What we’re talking about is really the equipment that brings the ice to you. There’s a couple 100 moving parts associated with the refrigeration units to move the fluid throughout the ice. It goes out at 14 degrees comes back at 16 degrees so it is very, very cold. A lot of equipment is needed to keep that temperature 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
We always use American made compressor products which are very, very efficient. We have developed some temperature control systems and some process control systems that allow us to modulate the equipment so you're not moving any more equipment that you need to keep the ice at a specific temperature. The efficiency comes from manipulating the hardware and the air systems above the ice as opposed to the ice itself.

-Tim Moore, ice technician of Penn State's ice arena

By Anthony Barton

Sports Editorials

Out of fairness to those who have not missed any weeks of picking, we actually will not be dropping each person's one worst week from the overall standings, despite considering doing so. Instead, we will base overall standings on percentages, not counting missed weeks as either correct or incorrect picks. With that being said, below are this week's standings, as well as the updated overall standings.

Overall standings:

Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president: 74-42 (63.8%)

Paul Casella, assistant sports editor: 73-43 (62.9%)

Athletes: 62-41 (60.2%)

Alex Cohen, Paternoville president: 62-41 (60.2%)

Steve Hennessey, sports editor: 68-48 (58.6%)

Christian Ragland, UPUA president: 57-46 (55.3%)

Zack Kreiger, SPA executive director: 64-52 (55.2%)

Students: 63-53 (54.3%)

Week 9 standings:

Cohen: 10-3

Regan: 9-4

Hennessey: 9-4

Kreiger: 8-5

Dylan Brown, student: 8-5

Casella: 7-6

Ragland: N/A (didn't submit picks on time)

Athletes: N/A (didn't submit picks)

Volleyball: Women's

For a first time since the Oct. 4 AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, the Penn State volleyball team is the highest ranked Big Ten team.

The Nittany Lions climbed one spot to No. 8, while Illinois dropped three spots to No. 9 after its loss to No. 24 Northwestern.

The Lions had been ranked No. 9 for the previous four polls, but never moved up despite winning eight straight matches.

Florida remains No. 1, with a record of 22-1. The Gators lone loss came to Penn State early in the season. Stanford, Hawaii, California and Nebraska round out the top 5.

In addition to Penn State, Illinois and Northwestern, Big Ten teams Michigan (No. 16) and Minnesota (No. 22) are also ranked. Indiana, Ohio State and Purdue each received votes.

-Ryan Loy.

Basketball: Men's

COMING OFF THE BENCH:

DeChellis got the entire roster involved early, playing all 12 guys in the first half. Freshmen Taran Buie and forward Billy Oliver were the first to come off the bench following the first media timeout. It looks as if those two will see the most time off the bench with Tre Bowman, Jonathan Graham and Cammeron Woodyard all picking up the rest of the minutes.

The bench didn’t accomplish much in the first half, scoring just three points on 1 of 13 shooting, but picked it up to score 19 in the second half. DeChellis tested his bench at the end of the game as Tim Frazier was the only starter on the court coming out of the final media timeout.

FREE THROW TROUBLES RETURN

The Lions were unable to do much offensively in the first half, but even when given an opportunity for some easy points, the Lions were unable to take advantage. The Lions shot just 5 of 13 (38 percent) from the free throw line in the first half and finished 11 of 19 (58 percent). “Horrendous first half,” DeChellis said, cutting off a reporter who asked about the free throw issues. “We were about 70 percent in practice the last two weeks. … We left a lot of points on the free throw line again.”

TURNOVERS HAUNT PENN STATE

The first half was filled with a litany of turnovers for both teams. East Stroudsburg and Penn State both committed 10 turnovers in the half, and the Nittany Lions finished with 16. “We’ve been plagued in practice with turnovers,” DeChellis said. “We’re not taking care of the ball and it plagued us again in the first half. The ball seemed like it was gonna explode in our hands.”

Volleyball: Women's

For the first since November 2008, a Penn State player was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

And the nearly two-year drought was broken by a freshman.

Rookie middle hitter Katie Slay was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, conference officials announced Monday. The last Nittany Lion to win the award was now-senior Arielle Wilson on Nov. 10, 2008.

Slay also earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after her standout performance in the Lions' pair of road wins against No. 15 Michigan and Michigan State last weekend.

The 6-foot-6 North Carolina native recorded 10 blocks against the Wolverines on Friday, which tied for the fifth-highest single-match total in the Big Ten this season.

She then tallied six blocks in Penn State's four-set win over Michigan State on Saturday.  In both matches combined, Slay tallied 17 kills on .593 hitting.

Both awards are career-firsts for Slay.

-Emily Kaplan

Ice Hockey: Men's

The American Collegiate Hockey Association released their third top-25 ranking this season, dropping the Penn State Icers four spots to No. 8.

The Icers rebounded after losing their last two of three games by finishing off a sweep last weekend against West Chester. Before the series, the Icers fell to Ohio and Liberty.

Lindenwood remained at the top spot, followed by Davenport and Arizona State to round out the top three.

Rhode Island, the Icers' next opponent, found itself ranked just outside the top-10 at No. 11.

The Icers have now fell in the last two editions of the ACHA's top-25 ranking.

Sports Editorials

Below are the overall standings, not taking into consideration dropping each person's worst week yet, and the week 9 picks.

Overall standings:

Paul Casella, assistant sports editor: 66-37

Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president: 65-38

Athletes: 62-41

Steve Hennessey, sports editor: 59-44

Christian Ragland, UPUA president: 57-46

Zack Kreiger, SPA executive director: 56-47

Students: 55-48

Alex Cohen, Paternoville president: 52-38

Week 9 picks:

NY Jets @ Detroit:

Miami @ Baltimore:

New England @ Cleveland:

San Diego @ Houston:

Chicago @ Buffalo:

Arizona @ Minnesota:

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta:

New Orleans @ Carolina:

NY Giants @ Seattle:

Indianapolis @ Philadelphia:

Kansas City @ Oakland:

Dallas @ Green Bay:

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati:

Ice Hockey: Men's

Junior forward Nick Seravalli will make his season debut tonight against West Chester after recovering from reconstructive groin surgery.

The 5-foot-8 forward will provide a boost to the Icers' offense.

Last season, as a sophomore, Seravalli experienced a breakout season scoring 20 goals and notching 16 assists.

Seravalli confirmed his status through a text message Thursday night.

Due to the Icers' long-time success against the Rams, taking down the opposition 40 out of 44 times, I expect coach Scott Balboni

to try and give Seravalli some quality minutes to get back into game shape.

Another thing to watch for tonight is some of the younger players on the team, such as freshmen Ryan Seibolt and Andrew Duvall, getting quality minutes throughout the game.

Volleyball: Women's

D’Errico is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in business marketing and holds a 3.31 grade point average. The Lions' starting libero also leads the team with 38 service aces and her 0.49 aces per set currently ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th in the nation. Her 135 career service aces rank seventh all-time at Penn State. 

Ice Hockey: Men's

Sports Editorials

Despite entering Sunday with a three-way tie, the Collegian's NFL Pick 'Em contest now has one person alone in front. After a 10-3 week, assistant sports editor Paul Casella has taken a one-game lead over Nittany Lion Fund President Jim Regan. Below are the standing for week 8 and then the updated overall standings.

Overall standings:

Paul Casella, assistant sports editor: 66-37

Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president: 65-38

Athletes: 62-41

Steve Hennessey, sports editor: 59-44

Christian Ragland, UPUA president: 57-46

Zack Kreiger, SPA executive director: 56-47

Students: 55-48

Alex Cohen, Paternoville president: 52-38

Week 8 standings:

Casella: 10-3

Ragland: 9-4

Regan: 9-4

Hennessey: 9-4

Landis: 8-5

Kreiger: 6-7

Pete Lagasse, student: 6-7

Maddy Evans, women's soccer player: 6-7

Cohen: N/A (didn't submit picks)

Volleyball: Women's

Despite two more victories against Big Ten opponents this past weekend, Penn State (19-4, 9-3 Big Ten) remained No. 9 in Monday's AVCA Coaches Poll for the fourth consecutive week.

Florida stayed at No. 1, garnering 47 first-place votes, while California moved up one spot to No. 2. Stanford and Hawaii also jumped up one spot each to Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, after Nebraska lost at Texas in four sets last Wednesday. The Cornhuskers dropped to No. 5 this week.

At No. 6, Illinois is the lone team ahead of Penn State in the Big Ten standings and the lone team in the conference ahead of the Lions in the rankings.

Click here for the rest of the poll.

-Jake Kaplan

Volleyball: Women's

For the first time of her senior campaign, opposite hitter Blair Brown was honored as the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week for her play this past weekend. The Nittany Lions' co-captain shares the recognition with Minnesota middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer.

Brown was awarded for the second time of her career after leading the team with 39 combined kills in Penn State's sweep of Indiana on Friday night and the Lions' 3-1 win against Purdue on Saturday night. Brown was especially effective in the match against the Boilermakers, tallying a career-high 23 kills and 13 digs.

Through Penn State's 43 matches this season, Brown is second in the conference with 179 kills and 205.0 points.

-Jake Kaplan

Basketball: Men's

The Associated Press announced its 2010-11 preseason All-America team Monday, and just like the preseason Top 25 Poll, the Big Ten was well-represented.

Purdue senior JaJuan Johnson was selected by the 65-member national media panel to the first team while five other players from the conference received votes. Penn State senior guard Talor Battle -- the only BCS conference player to lead his team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals last season -- was not one of them.

Johnson, a 6-foot-10 Indianapolis native, averaged 15.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.1 per game for last year's Boilermakers, who made the third round of the NCAA tournament. 

Kyle Singler, a 6-foot-8 senior forward from the defending national champion Duke Blue Devils, was the leading vote-getter and only repeat selection.

North Carolina's Harrison Barnes became the first freshman to make the list since voting began before the 1986-87 season. 

Here's a look at the complete list (Big Ten players are in bold): 

Kyle Singler, Duke, 6-8, senior, 62 votes

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State, 6-0, senior, 

Jimmer Fredette, BYU, 6-2, senior, 49 

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue, 6-10, senior

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, 6-8, freshman

Others receiving votes: Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech; Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech; LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor; Austin Freeman, Georgetown; Elias Harris, Gonzaga. John Henson, North Carolina; Kyrie Irving, Duke; Brandon Knight, Kentucky; Anthony Jones, Baylor; Kevin Jones, West Virginia. Kalin Lucas, Michigan State; Jon Leuer, Wisconsin; Shelvin Mack, Butler; Demetri McCamey, Illinois; Marcus Morris, Kansas. Mason Plumlee, Duke; Nolan Smith, Duke; Jared Sullinger, Ohio State; Durrell Summers, Michigan State; Isaiah Thomas, Washington; Trey Thompkins, Georgia; Kemba Walker, Connecticut.

-Emily Kaplan