100 Years of Loyola Basketball

Loyola Athletics will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of Greyhound Basketball during the 2008-09 season. The season-long celebration will begin with festivities on opening weekend of November 14-16, 2008. Included as part of the weekend-long event are a pair of opportunities to watch the Greyhounds play in Reitz Arena. The season opener will be held Friday, November 14 when Loyola hosts Mount St. Mary's in what will be the 164th game in the most-played rivalry in the state of Maryland. Festivities will conclude on the afternoon of Sunday, November 16 as the Greyhounds entertain Tennessee State. Sandwiched between will be a gala event for all men's basketball alumni on Saturday, November 15.

Greyhound basketball fans have the opportunity to be a part of the celebration by voting for Loyola Basketball's All-Century team. The 20-man squad will be announced and honored during the 100th anniversary weekend. The All-Century Team will be announced at the Greyhounds game vs. Tennessee State.

Fans should vote for two players from "The Early Era" (1908 to 1936), 5 players from "The Reitz Era" (1937 to 1961), 6 players from "The Classic Era" (1962 to 1981) and 7 players from "The Modern Era" (1982 to 2008).

Voting will close on November 7 – To vote visit the link below…
http://loyolagreyhounds.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/all-century-team-voting.html

Courtesy http://loyolagreyhounds.cstv.com

Men's Soccer Stays Unbeaten

As Fall is now officially upon us, Diane Geppi-Aikens Field had chilly temperatures and good crowds this past weekend to see the Loyola Men’s Soccer Team notch two more victories. Friday’s 4-1 and Sunday’s 3-1 decisions over Marist and Siena now give the Greyhounds, currently ranked #8 nationally, a record of 12-0-1.

The ‘Hounds will almost certainly see climbs in its home attendance and national ranking as wins continue to amount and streaks continue to grow. Unbeaten in their last 21 matches, Loyola, now 4-0 in conference, has won their last 11 MAAC games dating back to last season.

Tremendous success brings recognition, and Tennant McVea, after scoring his first goal of season against Siena, has been named to College Soccer News’ National Team for his outstanding performances. The junior sweeper was named to the MAAC first team last year and was honored as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. More accolades will be bestowed upon the Greyhounds tomorrow as the NSCAA National Poll is released and the MAAC will hand out its Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week Awards.

Here’s the link to NCS’s National Team, featuring Tennant McVea…
http://www.collegesoccernews.com/index_files/Page6133.htm

And last week, junior Milos Kocic was the subject of a feature profile article done by the Baltimore Sun, its link is below…
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/other/bal-sp.kocic17oct17,0,4798235.story

Loyola Sports Talk Hosts' NFL Pick'em

Chris Bonetti’s Selections:
TENNESSEE -9 @ Kansas City
SAN DIEGO PK @ Buffalo
NY JETS -3 @ Oakland

Peter Crispino’s Selections:
MINNESOTA +3 @ Chicago
CLEVELAND +7.5 @ Washington
SEATTLE +10.5 @ Tampa Bay

Ben Epstein’s Selections:
CINCINNATI +9.5 v. Pittsburgh
INDIANAPOLIS -1 @ Green Bay
DENVER +3 @ New Enlgand

Chris Harrington’s Selections:
INDIANAPOLIS -1 @ Green Bay
SEATTLE -10.5 @ Tampa Bay
DENVER +3 @ New England

Matt Mullen’s selections:
SAN DIEGO PK @ Buffalo
DALLAS -7 @ St. Louis
INDIANAPOLIS -1 @ Green Bay

Standings after Last Week:
T1. Crispnio (9-6)
T2. Harrington (8-7)
T2. Bonetti (8-7)
T4. Epstein (7-8)
T4. Mullen (7-8)

Loyola has its very own Top 10 Team

The Loyola College Men’s Soccer Team, fresh off their trip to western New York - which produced two more shutouts, moved up in this week’s NCSAA Poll to #8. Their lofty ranking places them ahead of such traditional national powerhouses as Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia, UConn, and Indiana.

This past weekend the ‘Hounds picked up two more victories over a regionally ranked Niagara team, 1-0, and fellow MAAC foe Canisius, 5-0, to push their record to 10-0-1 on the season. Loyola is now only one of three schools without a blemish this year, along with #1 Wake Forest and #2 Northwestern. The two shutouts also gave them 8 blank sheets in their 11 games, and push their unbeaten streak to 19 over the last two seasons.

Baltimore will get their first chance to see their top10 team this coming weekend as the Greyhounds will take on Marist - Friday at 4:30, and Siena – Sunday at 1, both games will be played on the Evergreen Campus on Diane Geppi-Aikens Field.

'Hounds Lax wrap-up from Collelouri Classic

This past Saturday the Loyola Men’s Lacrosse Team’s preseason schedule concluded with its participation in Collelouri Classic. The ‘Hounds played three shortened scrimmages against Princeton, Hofstra, and St. Joseph’s… and Loyola Sports Talk’s very own Pete Crispino was on hand covering the action for Inside Lacrosse. The link to ‘Pino’s article is below, it’s a must read…

http://blogs.insidelacrosse.com/2008/10/12/colleluori-classic-early-game-observations/

Koppens granted 5th year, will play for 'Hounds in '09

The Loyola Men’s Lacrosse Team got a very early Christmas gift when the NCAA granted Shane Koppens a 5th year of eligibility. Koppens, the ‘Hounds leading point producer last season, originally had his request turned down by the clearinghouse but Loyola appealed the decision and Friday’s ruling will be the final one on the matter.

Koppens was a 1st Team all ECAC selection and was named an Honorable Mention All-American after scoring 19 goals and dishing out 24 assists last spring. He will be required to sit out Loyola’s first two games of the season against Notre Dame and Towson, but will be raring to go for the rest of the year, which is shaping up as a quite a promising one for the Greyhounds.

Loyola Sports Talk Hosts' NFL Pick'em Week 6

Chris Bonetti’s Selections:
NY JETS -6 v. Cincinnati
INDIANAPOLIS -4 v. Baltimore
DALLAS -5 @ Arizona
Survivor – the WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Peter Crispino’s Selections:
DETROIT +13 @ Minnesota
PHILADELPHIA -5 @ San Francisco
DALLAS -5 @ Arizona
Survivor – the ELIMINATED

Ben Epstein’s Selections:
DETROIT +13 @ Minnesota
CHICAGO -3 @ Atlanta
DALLAS -5 @ Arizona
Survivor – ELMINATED

Chris Harrington’s Selections:
DENVER -3 v. Jacksonville
PHILADELPHIA -5 @ San Francisco
DALLAS -5 @ Arizona
Survivor – ELIMINATED

Matt Mullen’s selections:
WASHINGTON -13.5 v. St. Louis
PHILADELPHIA -5 @ San Francisco
DALLAS -5 @ Arizona
Survivor – the WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Standings after Last Week
T1. Crispnio (7-5)
T1. Harrington (7-5)
T2. Bonetti (6-6)
T2. Epstein (6-6)
T2. Mullen (6-6)

"Parade of Gold" and "Star Spangled Salute" will take place Saturday

14-time Gold Medalist and Towson’s very own Michael Phelps, as well as Loyola student and fellow Beijing Olympian Katie Hoff, will be headline Saturday's “Parade of Gold.” The parade will start in Towson at 3PM at the intersection of Burke Rd. and York Road and continue south towards the city on York Road in front of the thousands expected come out for the event. Another Loyola student, Phil Scoltz, who competed in the Paralympics, will also have a part in the festivities amongst other Maryland Olympians and Paralympians. Also, on hand will be Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley and Baltimore’s Governor Shelia Dixon. No parade is complete without a few marching bands so high school students Milford Mill Academy, Loch Raven, Parkville, Towson, and Dulaney High Schools will provide entertainment.

After the parade runs its course the celebration will move downtown to Fort McHenry for the “Star Spangled Salute to Michael Phelps.” NBC’s Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush will host the event, which will include a performances by the Naval Academy’s Concert Band and the Morgan University Choir, Q&A with Phelps, and a video montage of Phelps incredible performance in Beijing followed by a fireworks display over the Harbor.

It will surely be a proud day for all of Baltimore City and County as they say thank you to those hometown heroes who made the 2008 Beijing Olympics that much more captivating with their inspiring performances.

Loyola Sports Talk Hosts' NFL Pick'em Week 5

Chris Bonetti’s Selections:
INDIANAPOLIS -3 @ Houston
CAROLINA -9.5 v. Kansas City
NEW ENGLAND -3 @ San Francisco
Survivor – the DALLAS COWBOYS
THE Ohio State University 31 – Wisconsin 13

Ben Epstein’s Selections:
INDIANAPOLIS -3 @ Houston
TENNESSEE -3 @ Baltimore
DENVER -3 v. Tampa Bay
Survivor – the GREEN BAY PACKERS
THE Ohio State University 24 – Wisconsin 17

Chris Harrington’s Selections:
BUFFALO +1 @ Arizona
CINCINNATTI +16 @ Dallas
NEW ORLEANS +3 v. Minnesota
Survivor – ELIMINATED
Wisconsin over THE Ohio State University

Matt Mullen’s selections:
INDIANAPOLIS -3 @ Houston
SAN DIEGO -6.5 @ Miami
NY GIANTS -7 v. Seattle
Survivor – the CAROLINA PANTHERS
THE Ohio State University over Wisconsin

Standings after Last Week
1. Harrington (6-3)
T2. Crispino (5-4)
T2. Mullen (5-4)
T2. Epstein (5-4)
5. Bonetti (3-6)

This Weekend's 3 You Gotta See

1) The Major League Baseball Playoffs: Can the Cubbies regroup and turn their luck around in Hollywood? Will the Brewers get off the mat at home after their ace was knocked out in Philly? Can the Rays keep their dream season going after a resounding Game 1 victory over Ozzie and the Sox? And will divine intervention come through and help the Angels get over the hump against the defending world champion Red Sox? This is in spite of TBS having the worst coverage in the history of baseball on TV. I have major issues with (in no particular order of annoyance) Chip Carey having no clue, Craig Sager hurting my eyes with his wardrobe, Frank TV commercials – enough said, and finally Cal, Eck, and Curtis Granderson - really good at baseball, really bad in the studio.

2) College Football - #14 Ohio State @ #18 Wisconsin, Saturday, 8:00 – ABC: Hands down the most intriguing matchup in the college game this weekend. I’ll step out on a limb and guess that beers and brats will be consumed at alarming rates at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin absolutely needs this game to stay in championship contention after a devastating loss in the Big House last weekend after leading by 19 at half, can PJ Hill bounce back in front of the hometown crowd? As for the Buckeyes, watch out America. I’ll lay this out there right now – Like it or not, Ohio State will run the table in the Big 10 and will be right there for national championship game contention. My reasoning, when they were blown out by USC in the Coliseum, it was Terrelle Pryor’s first real game and it was played without their starting tailback Beanie Wells, the best RB in the country. Last week, starting for the first time together, the Bucks ran up 250 rushing yards and I believe as Pryor gains more experience and Wells gets more healthy this team will solidify itself as the Big 10’s best. Apologies Penn State fans.

3) NFL – the Tennessee Titans @ the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, 1:00 – CBS: No real big time juicy games in the professional ranks this week. Last week I thought Baltimore going to Pittsburgh would be a classic – and it was. This game will be almost a carbon copy. While dominating defenses and game management offenses may be a little boring at times, they do create exciting endings. I feel as though now, after over 4 years in Baltimore, I’m finally appreciating the Ravens D and just how good it is. No one in the NFL brings it harder and more intense than its leader, Ray Lewis. Off the field, like him or not, whatever – but on the field he is a man possessed. Steelers rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall fractured his shoulder by not falling awkwardly – but by just the sheer force of a textbook shoulder-to-shoulder hit by #52… think about that and let it sink in. He broke the man’s shoulder on 1 hit, scary.

Under the Radar Bonus Upset Pick – Top 10 Big 12 Teams Going on the Road, in Conference: Last week I nailed one when I called Maryland over Clemson in Death Valley. This week I may be copping out a little taking 3 chances, but I guarantee at least 1 of 3 Big 12 heavy favorites will go down on the road on Saturday. Keep an eye on #4 Missouri @ Nebraska, #5 Texas @ Colorado, and #7 Texas Tech @ Kansas State. Like the SEC, teams in the Big 12 are cannibals and over the length of the conference schedule they will devour each other alive as the few try to make a run for a national title. Lincoln, Boulder, and Manhattan are tough places to play for anyone, especially when you’ve got a target on your back.

Soccer Teams to start MAAC Play this Week

This weekend on DGA Field the Women’s Soccer Team will host a pair of games against Iona and Fairfield to kickoff their ’08 conference schedule. Loyola is the defending conference champion and will head into MAAC play having won their last two matches over Villanova and American. Their tough preconference schedule has them well prepared for the rigors of playing familiar opponents, and Coach Katherine Vettori expects her group to keep their momentum going. Kickoff against the Gaels will be at 4:30 this afternoon and Sunday’s game against the Stags will begin at 1PM.

As for the 16th ranked Men’s Soccer Team, they will have a one more test to pass before they get started in MAAC play. They will take the field at home in DGA Field against Quinnipiac Saturday afternoon at 1 o’clock, which will conclude their preconference schedule (pending if the UMBC game is made up or not). Already having played high caliber opponents the schedule gets no easier as Loyola will have the unenviable task of starting in conference on the road taking on the two Buffalo schools, Niagara next Friday and Cansius next Sunday.

In the past weeks action, after being rained out against UMBC the ‘Hounds collected a hard fought 1-0 victory over the Princeton Tigers on Wednesday afternoon. Eddie Dines was able to knock a header in with 12 minutes left to play to give Loyola the winning tally. As what is now expected the defense was stellar and frustrated Tiger attackers all afternoon. Now time to update the streaks… The win ups the Greyhounds unbeaten streak to 16, the shutout is their 12th consecutive at home, and they have now won 22 of their last 23 overall and 15 straight on DGA Field – Unreal.

Loyola Sports Talk Feature - The Cubs Hope Still Has Hope

Where were you on the afternoon of May 6, 1998? Don’t remember? That’s OK, personally, neither do I. While for you and I and most people that date doesn’t stick out more than any other, I guarantee you that’s not the case for baseball fans on the North Side of Chicago. That afternoon probably seemed very ordinary for the 38,000 plus that filled Wrigley Field for what they thought would be another weekday matinee. However, when the masses left the friendly confines they did so with a sense of hope they had never felt before in their lives. That afternoon Kerry Wood, then a rookie, used his 98 mph fastball, devastating changeup, and wicked breaking ball to strike out 20 Houston Astro batters.

The Major League Baseball Playoffs commence this afternoon and only 8 teams are left to vie for the opportunity to accept the Commissioner’s Trophy as World Series Champions. The Chicago Cubs have not quenched the sweet taste of victory champagne at the end of a season since 1907 – an astounding 101 seasons ago. The Cubs have been the National League’s best team from Day 1 and will look to continue their success when they start their NLDS against the Dodgers this evening.

The Cubs history has been cursed with a myriad of disappointments and curses – 100 loss seasons, the Course of the Billy Goat, and most recently the Bartman incident. They have entered postseasons with the NL’s best record and fielded many teams with great players – Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Ryne Sandberg to name a few. However, none of Cubs teams could get the job done.

Kerry Wood’s career has been emblematic of the ups and downs of Cubs fans’ emotions over the years. Wood seemed destined for Cooperstown in the same mold as fellow Texas fireballer Roger Clemens, and when he teamed with fellow hotshot prospect Mark Prior Cubs mania had never been at a higher level. But plans for Cy Young’s and championships have been derailed by injury after injury and it has left the Cubbies as desperate as ever and Wood a reliever.

Wood’s story is more than 10 years in the making and unfortunately has resembled a rollercoaster more than a fairytale – but there is still hope. Wood finished this season with 34 saves as the Cubs stopper and as runner up for National League Comeback Player of the Year. The pinnacle of his career took place his rookie season in that 20-strikeout game. Here’s hoping that he can replace that with something even more special – fulfilling the hope and promise he gave Cubs fans by closing out a World Series Championship. Funny, both moments could happen on the exact same spot, a place which Wood has seen the most thrilling highs of highs and the most saddening lowest of lows… the pitcher’s mound at Wrigley Field.