Loyola Sports Talk Hosts' NFL Pick'em Week 4

Chris Bonetti’s Selections:
CAROLINA -6.5 v. Atlanta
TENNESSEE -3 v. Minnesota
GREEN BAY +1 @ Tampa Bay
Survivor – the CAROLINA PANTHERS
Georgia 21 – Alabama 17

Peter Crispino’s Selections:
CLEVELAND +3.5 @ Cincinnati
SAN FRANCISCO +5 @ New Orleans
MINNESOTA +3 @ TENNESSEE
Survivor – ELIMINATED
Georgia 28 – Alabama 13

Ben Epstein's Selections:
TENNESSEE -3 v. Minnesota
WASHINGTON +11 @ Dallas
PHILADELPHIA -3 @Chicago
Survivor - the JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Georgia 31 - Alabama 24

Chris Harrington’s Selections:
SAN DIEGO -7.5 @ Oakland
WASHINGTON +11 @ Dallas
PHILADELPHIA -3 @ Chicago
Survivor – ELIMINATED
Georgia 35 – Alabama 10

Matt Mullen's Selections:
SAN DIEGO -7.5 @ Oakland
PHILADELPHIA -3 @ Chicago
PITTSBURGH -5.5 v. Baltimore
Survivor - the PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Georgia 23 - Alabama 13

This Weekend's 3 You Gotta See

1) College Football - #8 Alabama @ #3 Georgia, Saturday, 7:45 – ESPN: Two big time heavyweights representing the SEC West and SEC East will square off between the hedges under the moonlight in Athens, GA. The blacked-out Bulldogs may have the best two NFL prospects in QB Matthew Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno and the home crowd – buuut – Alabama will have the superior coach on their sidelines. This is the sort of game Nick Saban always has his team playing at a very very high level. Is the rise of the Tide upon us a year early or will this really be the first of many big notches on Georgia’s belt on their way to the title?

2) The Chase for October Baseball: It strikes me as truly unbelievable that every year after 159 games playoffs spots are always still up for grabs. This year I guarantee the baseball season will go beyond 162 before the 8 playoff teams are decided. So far fans in Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Boston, Los Angeles, and the North Side of Chicago can relax, take a deep breathe and watch their teams rest and set rotation this weekend. However, 3 spots are still up for grabs and 5 teams still alive – even if you’re not a fan of the Phillies, Mets, Brewers, Twins or White Sox, this weekend’s games will be overwhelmingly dramatic.

3) NFL – Baltimore @ Pittsburgh, Monday, 8:30 – ESPN: This is the most intriguing game to me this weekend in the National Football League. The “I’m Wacko for” Joe Flacco led Ravens have been the biggest surprise to me so far this season. Can you believe if Baltimore can go to Pittsburgh and get a W, they will be 3-0 in division before October 1st? I’m also very interested to see how the Steelers play without their starting tailback Willie Parker and their best run stuffer DT Casey Hampton. Which is the real Black and Gold team, the one who manhandled their opponents in Weeks 1 and 2 or the one who was physically dominated in the trenches by the Eagles in the Keystone State showdown last Sunday?

Under the Radar Bonus Pick
College Football – Maryland @ #20 Clemson, Saturday, 12Noon – ABC: Both these squads are 3-1 and have generally flown under the eye of the national audience the last few weeks. Clemson was blown-out in their hyped opening weekend matchup with Alabama and has quietly won their last 3 games. While Maryland went to Middle Tennessee State and caught a big L, but bounced back with decisive home wins over a then ranked Cal team and Eastern Michigan. These teams tend to have a flare for the dramatic when they get together, especially in Death Valley. Call it a hunch, but I think this one could be a very very good game in the ACC’s Atlantic Division and the winner will be right there with Wake Forest to vie for the division title.

Men's Lacrosse Releases '09 Schedule

Coach Charlie Toomey and his defending ECAC champion Loyola College Men’s Lacrosse Team have announced their schedule for the upcoming 2009 season. Seven games on Diane Geppi-Aikens Field and seven games away from the Evergreen Campus compose the extremely challenging docket, which includes games against 3 of the 4 teams who played in last year’s Final Four.

The ‘Hounds will open up against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame on a neutral field in Atlanta, GA. Then after a Baltimore County rival matchup with Towson on DGA Field Loyola will hit the road for a difficult 3 game road trip, starting in State College, PA to take on Penn State then going to Loudonville, NY to play Siena (who came down to Baltimore and upset Loyola last season) before concluding with Duke in Durham, NC on March 7th. Other road games will take place against Rutgers, Georgetown, and the Charles Street Showdown against the Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins.

The home slate will feature the previously mentioned Towson game, then contests against a newly classified D1Bryant College, and conference games against St. John’s UMass, Hobart, and Fairfield. On March 28th the 'Hounds will conclude a four game home stretch with a matchup against the defensing national champion Syracuse. The last time the Orange came to Loyola they were handed a loss in an 11-10 classic, which came down to an Alex Peatty stop of a point blank shot from a 'Cuse attackman.

Loyola won the ECAC last season with a 7-6 overall record, but sported a 6-1 mark in conference securing them a spot in the NCAA Tournament where they were eliminated by Duke in the first round.

The breakdown:
Home – Towson, Bryant, St. John’s UMass, Syracuse, Hobart, Fairfield

Road – Penn State, Siena, Duke, Rutgers, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins

Neutral – Notre Dame

ECAC - @Penn State, v. St. John’s, v. UMass, @Rutgers, @ Georgetown, v. Hobart, v. Fairfield

Non-Conference – v. Notre Dame, v. Towson, @Siena, @Duke, v. Bryant, v. Syracuse, @Johns Hopkins

Poll: Who is the favorite to win he SEC Championship in Atlanta later this season?

Before this past weekend’s game at Jordan Hare Stadium between Auburn and LSU the SEC had an unprecedented 5 teams ranked in the AP top 10: Georgia, Florida, LSU, Auburn and Alabama. This week, perennial doormat turned contender, Vanderbilt entered the top 25 with a record of 4-0 (a feat they couldn’t even manage with All-World Broncos QB Jay Cutler). So the question begs to be asked – whose the favorite to win the SEC Championship game in Atlanta in December… Let us know what you think by voting to the right of the page, and putting your comments below.

Loyola Sports Talk Hosts' NFL Pick'em Week 3

Chris Bonetti’s Selections:
SAN FRANCISCO -4 v. Detroit
NEW ENGLAND -12.5 v. Miami
NY JETS +9 @ San Diego
Survivor – the BUFFALO BILLS
Auburn 20 – LSU 14

Peter Crispino’s Selections:
HOUSTON +5 @ Tennessee
MINNESOTA -3.5 V. Carolina
DALLAS -3 @ Green Bay
Survivor – the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
LSU 20 – Auburn 13

Ben Epstein’s Selections:
DETROIT +4 @ San Francisco
ARIZONA +3 @ Washington
MINNESOTA -3.5 v. Carolina
Survivor – the DALLAS COWBOYS
LSU 13 – Auburn 9

Chris Harrington’s Selections:
NEW ENGLAND -12.5 v. Miami
Cincinnati +13.5 @ NY Giants
TENNESSEE -5 v. Houston
Survivor – ELIMINATED
Auburn 28 – LSU 14

Matt Mullen’s selections:
WASHINGTON -3 v. Arizona
NEW ENGLAND -12.5 v. Miami
SEATTLE -9.5 v. St. Louis
Survivor – the SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Auburn 23 – LSU 17

Standings after Week 2
T1 - Crispino (2-1)
T1 – Epstein (2-1)
T1 – Harrington (2-1)
T1 – Mullen (2-1)
5 – Bonetti (0-3)

Loyola to Proudly Host the 2008 Diane Geppi-Aikens Memorial 5K Run and 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk this weekend

The 6th annual event will be held Saturday starting at 8:30 on DGA Field and proceeds will go the Aikens Children Trust Fund. Present will be a litany of present and former Greyhound athletes all to honor the spirit of Diane Geppi-Aikens, the legendary former head coach of the Women’s Lacrosse Team. Before succumbing to Cancer in 2003, Geppi-Aikens led the ‘Hounds to an astounding 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in her 15 seasons at the helm and had her ladies ranked #1 in the nation in her final season.


For more information about Ms. Geppi-Aikens and how you can register online to help out or participate you can click the link to the Loyola Athletics website below.


http://loyolagreyhounds.cstv.com/genrel/090808aaa.html

Greyhound team on the road for the weekend

While Women’s Soccer, Tennis, and Volleyball will all be in action this weekend, none will compete in the friendly confines of the Evergreen Campus. Both the Soccer and Tennis squads will be in Lewisburg, PA to take on Bucknell and participate in the Bucknell Invitational respectively. As for the volleyball team, they will be in New York City for matches against MAAC opponents Iona and Manhattan Saturday and Sunday.

Men’s Soccer will be in Emmitsburg, MD to take on Mt. St. Mary’s for their first of two road trips within the state; next weekend they will head west on the Beltway to Catonsville to take on the Retrievers of UMBC.

Men’s Golf after a 15th place finish at the Ron Moore Invitational in Colorado will be idle. The Mulieri brothers, senior Mike and freshman Jay, lead the ‘Hounds as they tied for 44th place in the individual competition.

Men's Soccer to head west to take on the Mountaineers

The Men’s Soccer Team, now ranked 17^th in the nation in the latest NCSAA poll, will be traveling west on Saturday afternoon to take on arch-rival Mt. St. Mary’s. The trip will mark the Hound’s first time back to Emmitsburg since all the way back to the fall of 1988. In the series between the two schools, which dates back to 1954, Loyola holds a dominant 21-4-1 mark. Kickoff is set for 1PM.

The Greyhounds come off a 1-0-1 week, keeping alive their now 14 game unbeaten stretch. Last weekend’s game resulted in a 3-1 win over George Washington in D.C. with goals scored by Phil Bannister, Ben Hanson, and Glenn Leitch.

However, Loyola could not find the back of the net in a 0-0 tie with William & Mary on DGA field Wednesday afternoon. The Tribe proved to be a worthy opponent and in last week’s national rankings they appeared in the “Also Receiving Votes” section. Milos Kocic and the back line kept W&M attackers at bay throughout regulation and the two 15-minute overtime sessions, which ended while darkness and an autumn chill took over the field. The shutout was Loyola’s 4^th in 6 games this season – a statistic the ‘Hounds led the entire nation in last fall.

Loyola Sports Talk Hosts' NFL Pick'em

The NFL season has finally commenced and after a great Week 1 on the field, the Loyola Sports Talk hosts are ready to start a little game we call “NFL Pick’em.” In the next 16 weeks each host will make 3 picks against the spread and choose 1 Survivor Pick and at the end of the year we’ll tally them all up and see who really knows what they’re talking about. As an added bonus, because we like our listeners and readers so much, we’ll also be giving our predicted final score of the college football game of the week – this week, the “Collision in the Coliseum.” Without further ado…

THE PICKS FOR WEEK 2

Chris Bonetti’s selections:
NY JETS -1.5 v. New England
DALLAS -7 v. Philadelphia
SAN DIEGO -1.5 @ Denver
Survivor – the NEW YORK GIANTS
USC 41 – The Ohio State University 13

Pete Crispino’s selections:
NEW ORLEANS pk @ Washington
GREEN BAY -3 @ Detroit
BUFFALO +5 @ Jacksonville
Survivor – the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
USC 28 – The Ohio State University 17

Ben Epstein’s selections:
BUFFALO +5 @ Jacksonville
KANSAS CITY -3 v. Oakland
NY GIANTS -8.5 @ St. Louis
Survivor – the HOUSTON TEXANS
USC 38 – The Ohio State University 17

Chris Harrington’s selections:
KANSAS CITY -3 v. Oakland
TENNESSEE +1 @ Cincinnati
INDIANAPOLIS -1.5 @ Minnesota
Survivor – the KANSAS CITTY CHIEFS
USC 35 – The Ohio State University 20

Matt Mullen’s selections:
GREEN BAY -3 @ Detroit
NY GIANTS -8.5 @ St. Louis
JACKSONVILLE -5 v. Buffalo
Survivor – the NEW YORK GIANTS
USC 45 – The Ohio State University 21

Busy Weekend ahead for Greyhounds

The Loyola women’s soccer, tennis, volleyball and cross country teams as well as the men’s soccer, cross country, and golf teams will all take on competition this weekend.

Women’s Soccer (0-3-1), the defending MAAC Champs, will have two opportunities to pick up their first victory of the season as they will host a pair of home games this weekend on DGA Field, taking on VCU Friday afternoon at 4:30 and the Indiana Hoosiers Sunday afternoon at noon.

Women’s Volleyball (2-6) will spend the weekend in northern New Jersey and will play 3 matches in the span of 2 days. Coming off a win in their home opener against Morgan St. the ‘Hounds will take on Sacred Heart Friday, and have a pair of matches Saturday as they will take the court against UMBC and the weekend’s hosts NJIT at 10AM and noon respectively.

Women’s Tennis and the both Cross-Country teams will all compete in in-state tournaments as the ladies will hit the courts in the Towson 4+1 Tournament on the Tigers’ Campus and the harriers will run in the Navy Invitational in Annapolis.

The defending MAAC champ Men’s Golf Team, led by Coach Tom Biedleman, will take aim at the Ron Moore Tournament team title in Denver, Colorado in their first action of the season. The Greyhounds will compete against the likes of Ohio St., Iowa, Iowa St., Hawaii, the Air Force Academy, and hosts, the University of Denver, in this seventeen team tournament to be played Sunday-Tuesday.

As for the undefeated Men’s Soccer squad (4-0), they will take their #23 national ranking to the District to take on George Washington University Saturday at 3PM.

Good luck to everyone and be sure to check loyolagreyhounds.com for results.

Men's Soccer Keeps the Ball Rolling

Two more games, two more victories for the now ranked 23rd ranked team in the country – the Loyola men’s soccer team. While many of us were watching the NFL’s opening games last Sunday, the Greyhounds were busy defeating their Baltimore County rival, the Towson Tigers, 2-1in front of an outspoken and unforgiving group of students who made the trip up Charles Street.

Loyola found themselves trailing for the first time in the young season after Towson scored with about 10 minutes remaining in the first half. It was the first - and only - goal allowed by goaltender Milos Kocic and the Loyola defense this year. However, sophomore forward Phil Bannister, a freshmen All-American last Fall, would provide an answer, burying a shot with under 2 minutes left before half to knot the score at 1 at intermission. It wouldn’t be the only time Bannister got the best of the Tiger defense; he scored the game winner in the 88th minute as the game looked on its way to OT. Bannister tallied on a header that found the back of the net off a pass headed by teammate Eddie Dines.

On Wednesday back on the Evergreen Campus the Greyhounds played host to the defending Atlantic Sun champs, Campbell University. The game was a perfect model of what has made this team so successful over the last two seasons – score first and play great defense. Dines, a sophomore midfielder picked up the lone goal of the game minutes into the second half and the back line of Josh Taylor, Glenn Leitch, and Tennant McVea did the dirty work in front of Kocic to insure victory. The shutout was the team’s 3rd in 4 games this year and dating back to last season its 10th consecutive on the DGA turf.

This 'Hound is an Inspiration to All

Three of Baltimore’s own, Michael Phelps, Carmelo Anthony, and Katie Hoff, with their performances in Beijing, stirred the emotions of everyone watching back in the United States. Our jaws hit the ground in amazement of Phelps’ unparalleled performance in capturing an astonishing 8 gold medals. We all felt proud of the way Carmelo’s “Redeem Team” conducted itself with class in winning both on and off the court. And I think we all felt a little disappointed for Hoff, just a 19 year old, whose quest for a myriad of golds “only” produced a couple bronzes.

Wearing smiles on their faces throughout no matter what the outcome, it certainly was a pleasant breath of fresh air. However, as inspirational as we found their shows of brilliance – their stories do not come close to comparing to Loyola’s very own Phil Scholz.

If you are not familiar with the Greyhound sophomore’s story please click on this link … http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3207492 . This article was originally written by Loyola student, Matt Kiebus (a proud St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City alum), for The Greyhound back in December 2007, but once ESPN got word of it, they brought the story to light on its website where it could be appreciated by a national audience.

Scholz, who is blind and has faced countless health issues in his tremendously successful yet still very young life, will begin his 5-event schedule at the Paralympic Games in Beijing this Tuesday. There, he will attempt to bring back as many medals as he can in the 100 Fly, 400 Free, 100 Free, 100 Back, and 50 Free – and in turn make us just as proud, if not more, than Phelps, Anthony, and Hoff combined.

It’s not everyday a Greyhound athlete can make a huge impact on a national scene, much less an international one – but in this case, no matter the result, with his courage he already has.

Check back here, as well as loyolagreyhounds.com, in the coming week, for the results of his trip to the Far East.

Good luck Phil – and Taxi!

Men’s Soccer Season Kicks Off on the Right Foot

This past weekend junior goalkeeper Milos Kocic posted back-to-back shutouts, while junior forward Jamie Darvill collected 3 goals and the MVP award at the conclusion of the Black and Decker Classic. Loyola prevailed in both their matches playing as host on DGA Field, a pair of 2-0 decisions over Fordham and Hartwick College, to give the team a 2-0 record after the first weekend of play.

Their stellar performance lead to a rise in the national rankings, ascending to 26^th in the just released polls, and individual hardware for both Kocic and Darvill as the MAAC recognized them as Defensive and Offensive Conference Players of the Weeks respectively.

It seems they have picked up right where they left off from last fall; the stingy Greyhound back line has now registered 16 shutouts in their last 17 outings and “The Dogs” have now won their last 12 games played in front of their home fans. If these results are a harbinger for the rest of the season the Greyhounds could make climbing up in the national polls a regular occurrence on the Evergreen Campus.

The men’s next game will be this coming weekend as they will take the team bus a few miles north on Charles Street to take on the Towson Tigers in a Sunday afternoon altercation scheduled for 2:30PM.