Senior Forward Dior Lowhorn goes up for a reverse layup during the Dons practice this week. Photo by Matt Steinbach/Foghorn

Coach Rex Walters gave the Dons a message of hope and improvement after the Dons 91-77 exhibition win over Cal State University Monterey Bay on Saturday. “If we get better we have a good chance to do some great things” he said.

The young Dons, whose game consisted of some fast paced offense and defense, are looking forward to a strong season. Coach Walters explained, “We want to be [fast paced]. But we need guys to stay out of foul trouble, we need to get a little more solidified back up play, and we need more solid play from our wing spots.” Dominance of the underneath and the opening of the outside shots is how the Dons came to victory over the Otters.

Both teams began the first half with a tight man to man defense that caused a quick passing game for both teams. Aside from a few bad passes, most of the game was fairly tight knit for both the Dons and the Otters.

However, in the first half, the Otters climbed back into competition with the Dons by a couple good 3 point shots from Keith Wilson. But the Dons responded by trying to open up outside shots to the guards and wings and having a good inside presences with Senior Forward Dior Lowhorn and Freshman Forward Perris Blackwell.

After a brief timeout by Monterey Bay, USF responded with a tighter defense, which brought more pressure from a full court press.

Monterey Bay tried to regain momentum going into the half by screening and breaking through the inside of the man defense of the Dons. However, the Dons responded well with a couple of 3 point and underneath shots by Sophomore Forward Angelo Caloiaro.

The first half was a real fight for owning the paint by both teams. The intensity of both teams hard work had several timeout interruptions to reset and re-establish a foundation to work off of. However, the first half ended with a score of 50-36 USF over CSUMB.

The second half saw the same intensity of the first, but by five minutes into the second half the Otters had switched into a zone defense to try to slow down the Dons presence in the inside and force a perimeter game for the Dons.

A couple of three point shots by Senior Forward Blake Wallace, reopened the inside game for USF and the tireless defense continued their pressure game forcing a few bad shots by the Otters.

However, with 6:24 left to play the Dons saw a very comfortable lead dwindle to 73-63. The defense of the Dons seemed to slow down, while the production from the offense began to slow down. Lowhorn explained,  “We should have been more spread offensively. But defensively, we got to do better because we shouldn’t have allowed them to score seventy-seven points.”

Still, even with a win to open the season, the Dons are aware of their need to improve as Sophomore Forward Angelo Caloiaro said “I’m just happy we got the win. But overall as a team we still got to improve and that’s our concern right now.”

One of the things that they wanted to be improved is as Coach Walters explained it, “We did some good things early. But we’re a very young, inexperienced team that doesn’t know how to close out a game. And that understanding that how you extend a lead, is the same as how you got the lead.”

With all the hard work they put in the off-season and the summer  such as, “[taking] a summer class. [And] we’d all hit the gym together, get shots up and work our handles” describes Angelo Caloiaro, the Dons will continue to move in the right direction.

There is no doubt that we should see some improvement, especially if the team abides by the saying of Coach Walters as Dior Lowhorn said “Coach Walters said ‘if you fall, you gotta get right back up and get to the play.’”

Sophomore Molly Hall leaps for the ball in a game against the Pepperdine Waves. The Lady Dons lost 2-1, but not without a fight. Photo by Kendra Liljenquist/Foghorn

The stands were packed with green and gold this past Saturday afternoon in Negoesco Stadium as the women’s soccer team battled in their final season match against the Pepperdine Waves resulting in a 2-1 loss. USF was celebrating senior day during the game, honoring seniors Kelly Pohle, Kristina Hall and Samantha Brand. Even with the loss, the Dons registered their first non-losing season since 2004.

The Lady Dons (7-7-5, 1-6-0 WCC) gave the Waves (11-7-1, 3-3-1 WCC) a run for their money in the first half, as there was much action but the scoreboard remained 0-0. The teams were playing each other well at first, and giving up many opportunities to their opponent. Pepperdine Wave Sophia Medina brought the score to 1-0 thirty-five minutes into the first half with an unassisted, 10-yard goal.  Lady Don goalkeeper Kelly Pohle concluded the match with a total of five saves of the Waves’ total 17 shots.

Molly Hall fired back for the Lady Dons in the 57th minute with an assist from Joan Piasta, blasting the ball from 20 yards away, past Pepperdine’s freshman goalkeeper Roxanne Barker. This was Hall’s third goal of the year, and the only successful one of USF’s four attempted shots of the game. The Dons did well in holding Pepperine for most of the game but they weren’t able to get many shots off.

Both teams fought hard for the lead - but the Waves out shot the Dons 17-4, and in the 78th minute received a penalty kick that brought them to victory. USF sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Garland started the game with one save, before Pohle came into the game to replace her totaling five saves while allowing 2 goals. Pepperdine’s Callie Payetta blasted the ball past Pohle bringing the score to 2-1.  USF tried to tie the game once again and force a tie but they were unable to create the equalizer.

The four total shot attempts were made by a total of three players. Kristna Hall tallied two shots, as Molly Hall and junior defender Ashley O’Brien each tallied one. Although the Dons shot the ball four times, they were unable to get much of them on goal. The Dons only had two shots on goal, one of which they scored.

The Waves tied for fourth in the WCC for the 2009 season, as the Dons finished in sixth place in what was a successful season for USF. This improvement was great for this Dons team because they are young and have shown flashes for improvement in the future. Hopefully the Dons will continue to improve next year but they should be pleased with their efforts this year.

The two teams were quite aggressive and vivid from the beginning to the end despite the weather, and the entire game was balanced, as in the first period, St Mary’s had seven shots, two corner kicks and five fouls while USF had six shots, five corner kicks and five fouls. However, the St Mary’s goalkeeper did not make any saves when our goalkeeper Carotenuto had to make three saves in three minutes.

The 32nd minute was very intense. Rafai Eddy made a brilliant cross from the right flank and Chinn volleyed it to score the first goal of the match - his ninth one of the season.

Unfortunately, the Dons’ joy and hope to win this last home Conference game disappeared in a few seconds, Chinn was punished by a yellow card, and Malcom Alugas from St Mary’s scored one second later when a failed clearance ball was punched in point blank - permitting the Gaels to tie.

Nothing as intense happened, and when the referee blew to signify the end of the first period, we could read frustration on our Dons’ faces.

The second period was also very physical, technical, and fast. The players from both teams were running back and forth on every inch of the field and were taking their chance by shooting as much as possible to put pressure on their opponent, even though our Dons were a little bit superior as they had eight shots against only one for the Gaels, and the goalkeeper from St Mary’s had to save five shots coming from Rafai Eddy (61st), Oscar Englund (65th), Jonathan Levi (69th), Vinny Caloiaro (81st), and Bryan Burke (81st).

From the 76th minute, the Dons could have taken more risks as they were playing at 11 against 10, after Tom Mohoric from St Mary’s received a red card and was ejected, but the score did not change at the end of the official time and both teams had to play over time to try to get the win.

After a short break, the first over time period started, but by contrast with the first two periods, the two teams were less aggressive - probably tired after such an intense beginning - and the game got slower.

None of the teams got opportunities to shoot or to score, except when USF got a corner kick in the 99th minute.

There were definitely more actions in the second over time period, as both teams got two shots each, USF got one corner kick and St Mary’s two. In the 109th minute, the Gael Justin Grider almost made us lose but Carotenuto saved it with class.

The final score was 1-1, and even though it may be frustrating for our men’s soccer, they still played a solid match.

Our Dons still have two more Conference game to play against Gonzaga and Portland next weekend, as they try to end the season on a high note.

Coach Rex Walters and the rest of the basketball staff have been spending a lot of time in that office the past few weeks, in anticipation for the upcoming season. Practice started in late October and it has been constant preparation for the team since then. Before the exhibition season opened last Saturday, which the Dons won 91-77 over CSU Monterey Bay, the Foghorn sat down with Coach Walters to discuss this year’s team.

San Francisco Foghorn: What are the team’s goals for this season?

Coach Rex Walters: Right now we are trying to become a better team day to day. I don’t really get into setting goals for the team for the year; I just want us to get better every day in practice. Last season we competed but we were hurt by our lack of size and depth. This season we want to be more competitive, especially on our home court. Protecting your home court in important and we need to do that this year.

SFF: Your team was ranked fourth in the WCC coaches poll. Do you believe that is a fair ranking for the Dons?

RW: Being ranked first or last would have caught my attention but I don’t put much into this ranking. It means that the coaches in the WCC perceive us as a little bit more improved this season over last year. I don’t put a lot of stock into the rankings. But I think the league will be more wide open this year because there are a lot of young teams this season.

SFF: What have you seen out of your team in practice so far?

RW: The experienced, returning players have a better feel for what we want to do as a team. They have also really helped the youngsters come along nicely. We added more shooting ability and size so our shooting and rebounding should be better this year. But we still have a lot of work to do; we are a young team. Our returning players have only one year of experience with this coaching staff and what we are trying to do. We have to get better every day especially on defense and ball movement. Practice has been more competitive and it makes people better. I’m happy with our recruiting and I’m more positive about the work I’ve seen in practice. The guys are doing a great job of challenging each other.

SFF: What does adding size do for your team, especially for Dior Lowhorn?

RW: First off it helps us a lot on defense, especially in Dior’s case. Last season Dior had to guard players four inches taller than him and this year we won’t be asking him to do that. On offense taller players also guarded him, which just makes it tougher to score. Even though Dior is really good, playing against taller players made it harder for him to do the things you want to do. Adding height allows us to be more of an inside-out team now. It is also going to help us become a better rebounding and shot blocking team.

SFF: What kind of style of play do you envision for your team this season?

RW: I want to be able to push the basketball more this year. Last year we couldn’t run as much as I would’ve liked because we had less dpeth, which made it harder for us to play up-tempo every game. On the defensive side I want more ball pressure. I want to be able to pressure the ball and get turnovers so that we can push the ball up their backs.

SFF: What kind of improvements have you seen from your players?

RW: Dior [Lowhorn] has been really good; he’s been our most consistent player since day one. Kwame [Vaughn] has started out really good but he has to take that next step to continue to improve. Perris [Blackwell] and Moustapha [Diarra] have done well in competing against each other in practice. Perris has a good feel for the game but he needs to improve on getting better position. Dontae [Bryant] has shown great leadership on and off the court especially with the new guys. Blake [Wallace] has been hurt but he has been helping the youngsters out so that they can become more comfortable. Rashad [Green] struggled a little early on but he has really picked it up since then. Tomas [Bruha] has struggled adjusting, he is an international student so he has a lot to adjust to but he is learning. Angelo [Caloiaro] is shooting the ball well; he has been a lot more aggressive with his shot, which is great because he has a nice shot. Nikola [Stojiljkovic] is also making a difficult transition being an international student but he has done a nice job in that transition so far. Each guy on the team has brought something to the table and they all have shown flashes but we need that on a more consistent basis.

SFF: What should we expect from the team this year?

RW: Last year we were a competitive team but we struggled to win games. This year we are more talented and we will be more up-tempo. We will be entertaining because of our style of play. This year we want to play the game the right way, entertaining and fast-paced.

The Women’s Cross Country team celebrates their first ever WCC championship. Photo Courtesy of Alice Baker

Over the weekend the USF women’s cross country team won their first ever WCC title while the men’s team earned a third place finish at the WCC championship race. Women’s head coach, Helen Lehman-Winters won her second WCC women’s coach of the year with the victory. The women’s team has enjoyed a very good season, finishing in the top three in four tournaments this year, including two first place finishes. The Dons were able to finish in first place because four individuals placed in the top 10 in the event. Sophomore Hillary Kigar was the first Don to cross the finish line and finished fourth overall in the event.

“A WCC championship puts the women’s team in higher ranking spots and in the history books,” said Ravi Amarawansa, a junior and member of the men’s cross-country team. “Being a young team (freshmen, one sophomore, and one junior), the squad has a great potential for the future”

The win is great for the cross-country program as it puts them at the top of the WCC for the first time in school history, and signifies that the program is on the rise and will be for the next few years.

Kigar, freshman Heather Zytkewicz, junior Nicole Bower and freshman Evra Krchova all earned WCC first time honors as each individual finished in the top 10. USF represented the majority of the All-WCC first team with the four members, Portland and Santa Clara each sent two members to the team. Overall the women’s performance was dominant and a great win for the program as well as USF athletics.

The men’s side also had a good performance during the WCC championships and they finished in third place on the day. Sophomore Ganbileg Bor, who finished first for the Dons and third overall in the event and was named to the All-WCC men’s first team, paced the team. Sophomore Devin Hopkins earned a All-WCC honorable mention with his 11^th place finish.

“Being in the top three teams at conference has been a consistent outcome over the years. It seems to be our safe zone before the regional meet,” said Amarawansa. The consistently high finish puts the Dons is a good place at the NCAA regionals. Now that the regular season is over, all focus with shift to the NCAA regionals.

“Our goal at the NCAA regional meet is to beat LMU, and establish our standing as a regional top 10 school” said Amarawansa. “As for the women’s team, they will keep rising in ranks in the list of top regional teams.”

If Bor finishes in the top 25 in regionals, he should be a lock to compete in the NCAA nationals. Racing in the NCAA nationals is a big deal because it means that you are one of the best runners in the whole NCAA. Bor would be competing against the top individuals out of every school in the NCAA.

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams have put together outstanding seasons. Their success is great for USF and especially the cross-country program, as it puts USF higher in the national ranks.  USF will look to continue their success in the NCAA regionals and to put label themselves as one of the best teams in the nation.

Freshamn Oscar Englund (8) attempts to steal the bal away from the LMU players. The Dons controlled the game and won by a large margain. Photo by Melissa Stihl/Foghorn

It was one of these rare, sunny and hot, almost sultry, days in San Francisco when the game of our Dons against the Lions of Loyola Marymount started.

Our men’s soccer team tactically, technically, and physically dominated LMU in the first period with 14 shots and four corner kicks for USF, against two shots and only one corner kick for LMU. While missing Omar Elmasri, one of the mainstays in defense against San Diego two days prior, this time everyone was back together even though the team was still missing Brian McEvoy - injured since a couple weeks now.

USF was putting so much pressure on the LMU players that the Lions committed many unnecessary faults, conceded several dangerous free kicks, and got some cards. The ball possession was mainly in favor of the Dons, and LMU rarely worried our defense and goalkeeper, Brendan Roslund, who only had two saves to tend.

The numerous fans (367), probably overcome by this unusual heat, were overall quite calm and quiet, even though they were cheering their team in a startle of surprise during a good action, or simply reacting to a referee’s decision. They also were going back and forth between their seat and the concession stand to get some cold drinks.

While the goalkeeper of LMU had a good first period by having 9 saves, he could not do anything against our best kicker, Conor Chinn, who crucified him thanks to a pass from Bryan Burke in the 21st minute.

Nine minutes later Chinn intercepted a pass, split two defenders and beat the unfortunate goalkeeper one more time, scoring his seventh goal of the season.

At the end of the first period, the score was 2-0 for USF, and the second period was expected to be intense.

Indeed the Lions were more aggressive and played better in the second period, surprising our Dons and employing dangerous strategies. Even the statistics were more balanced: eight shots and one corner kick for USF against, eight shots and two corner kicks for LMU. Also, Roslund had three saves to tend against five for the goalkeeper of LMU. The Lions’ efforts paid, as #7 Phil Da Silva scored in the 64th minute.

But their joy and hopes of tiding did not last for long and the Dons did not get scared or tight as Burke again did a short cross toward Chinn, who completed a hat trick and scored a third goal. The LMU players looked desperate and down, but it went worse when the referee ejected their #26 after he got a red card. LMU had to play the last 20 minutes at 10 players against 11.

When the referee blew the end of the match, the score was 3-1 for the Dons who played a very good game, and who stayed focused until the end despite a brief come back of their opponents.

Next Sunday at 7 pm, the men’s soccer team will have a last home Conference game to play against the Gaels of St. Mary’s. The team hopes many people will come to cheer them and help them to win this game which will be probably tough and intense.

This World Series is expected to be an offensive show case with two of the best offensive clubs in baseball. Philadelphia bringing Ryan Howard (45 HR’s), Jayson Werth (99 RBI’s), and Jimmy Rollins (100 Runs scored and 31 Stolen Bases) and New York, who powered through the playoffs, with Mark Teixeira (39 HR), Alex Rodríguez (100 RBI’s), and Derek Jeter (107 Runs scored and 30 Stolen Bases). Not to mention both teams with some old veterans who are known to be clutch, like Philadelphia’s Carlos Ruiz and Matt Stairs or New York’s Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui.

What’s actually supposed to be a home run show down in the fall classic is actually going to come down to pitching. Both teams are so even in their offense (hitting and base running) that this World Series is going to come down to the few mistake pitches made by either the strong starting pitching or the weak bullpens for both teams.

Though this series will probably be close and every game hard fought, the New York Yankees will probably out last the Philadelphia Phillies. Offense will be equal for both teams, since they both have the best lineups baseball has seen in a while. But regardless of how great Ryan Howard or Alex Rodríguez is in the series, we know that the pitching from both teams is some of the best pitching seen in the World Series for a while. Philly with 2008 Cy Young winning Cliff Lee to match with New York’s 2007 Cy Young winning CC Sabathia, future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez for the Phillies with New York AJ Burnett, and Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels with one of New York’s toughest veteran’s Andy Pettite.

The New York Yankees have an advantage on pitching over the Phillies though. Cliff Lee (ERA 3.22) who will match up well against Sabathia (ERA 3.37) is Charlie Manual’s (Phillies Manager) smallest problem. With Martínez (ERA 3.63) being an old veteran, he has the know how to beat the best, but his 38 year old body can’t be expected to pitch eight or nine, like Lee. Much like Martínez, Hamels (ERA 4.32) who is young and has the strength to pitch a complete game has been known to run into trouble in the late part of the game. With two pitchers unexpected to go complete games, Manual’s job is going to have to be to manage the bullpen well. His key will be to get to his closer Brad Lidge (ERA 7.21); unfortunately that road won’t be easy and even Lidge doe not look like he did in last years World Series. On their opponents’ bench, Joe Girardi (Yankees skipper), will try to have Burnett and Pettite go seven, eight, or even a complete game if possible. However, Girardi has an ace up his sleeve. If Burnett or Pettite can go at least seven innings, he has Mariano Rivera to turn to.

Without a doubt Sabathia versus Lee will be an amazing game. But with both Martínez versus Burnett and Hamels versus Pettite, Manual will need help from his bullpen. However, the Yankees also have the luxury of Joba Chamberlain out of the bullpen rather than as a starter, which will give the Yankees an even stronger pen.

The  Phillies have a chance, but it’s just a feeling that for them to keep up with  Sabathia, Burnett, and then Pettite on a three man rotation they will need three games out of the seven from Cliff Lee, and they will need an amazing game from either Martínez or Hamels to get the fourth win of the series.

This World Series is going to be close. Even though the Yankees have an advantage with the bullpen, anything can happen and “anything” has been known to happen from the 75’ World Series with Carlton Fisk to the 2001 Series with Luis Gonzalez’ bloop hit over Derek Jeter, or even the 2004 ALCS with Curt Schilling and the bloody sock. Whatever the outcome, this World Series is going to be a classic!

USF boxer Will Woods sends in a heavy right hook against his opponent Kyle Wulff of Stanford during the Hilltop Cup on Friday night. This was the fifth annual Hilltop Cup event for the USF boxing club. Photo by Melissa Stihl/Foghorn

On Oct. 23, in War Memorial Gym, the Koret Fitness Center held their annual Hilltop Cup boxing showcase. This event invites boxers from surrounding boxing clubs to compete in an authentic ring and to raise money for the Saber es Poder Scholarship. Spectators can even sit ringside to catch all the action.

This year boxers were invited from Stanford, Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, Santa Clara, San Francisco State, and many others. This event increases these boxers’ chances of reaching the national competition level. Eight boxers from USF were scheduled to fight on Friday night, but USF’s Max Haffner, who was scheduled for the main event match could not compete as his opponent San Jose State’s Alan Cheng did not show up. USF’s Ramsay Ayloush’s match was then made the main event at the Hilltop.

All of USF’s competitors took home belts on Friday night in front of two world champions, three-time World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and the IBA Female Bantamweight Champion Anna “The Hurricane” Julaton. Along with those special guests, the Hilltop welcomed Bay Area native Fatima Yusuf David who was a finalist on American Idol to perform at intermission along with others.

One of the most memorable matches of the night was USF’s Nicole Ward’s fight against San Francisco City College’s Rebecca Wilhelm. These two were the only women featured on Friday’s ticket. Ward fought tough and it showed. Her fight only went two rounds as she knocked out her opponent and walked away with the belt. “It felt awesome. I was surprised to get the knockout right away,” said Ward. “I train every night. It’s a lot of work.”

The main event featuring Ayloush was the other fight that stood out for spectators as Ayloush took on San Francisco City College’s Hefner Miranda. Ayloush fought hard giving his opponent hard blows. The crowd chanted “Rambo! Rambo!” as Ayloush threw blows. After three rounds it was obvious Ayloush took his opponent and he walked away with the belt and the main event win. “I am just honored to be able to box for the school. Every night I have been working hard.” When asked what his next move will be Ayloush said, “Wherever the good coach takes me.”

Ayloush was referring to the coach of the boxing club at USF, Angelo Merino, who has been coaching boxers since 1989. Merino’s coaching definitely helped his team Friday night as they walked away with seven belts. Although this is the boxing club’s only event this semester, Koret offers a boxing bootcamp that is free to students and Koret members, and after Friday night it seems it would be quite the workout.

Gonzaga

The Gonzaga Bulldogs lost six players after last season, including Josh Heytvelt, Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye and Micah Downs, all of whom were crucial to the team’s success last season. But as always, Gonzaga has found a way to rebuild the team with talented freshmen and solid veterans, whom they will count on to step up into bigger roles this season. Senior guard Matt Bouldin is the leader and best player of this Zags team. Last year he averaged 13.6 points per game, 4.1 rebounds per game, 3.4 assists per game and 1.5 steals per game. Bouldin does everything well on the court and should be able to carry the load on this team. The player that will most likely emerge as the second leading scorer is Junior Steven Gray, who averaged 9.1 points despite playing only 27 minutes. With the added minutes, he should score a lot more for the team, as he doesn’t have great players ahead of his this year, like Austin Daye and Micah Downs. The Bulldogs also added a great recruiting class, which includes Kelly Olynyk, a highly rated recruit from Canada. Gonzaga added four freshmen to the team, and all of them should contribute to the team. With all the talent and veteran leadership, Gonzaga will easily win their 10th straight WCC title.

Portland

Last season the Portland Pilots had a breakout year as they won 19 games after three straight losing seasons. They finished the season in third place in the WCC, which was a huge improvement for them. The Pilots are returning nine upperclassmen to their team and they will rely on their experience to lead them to another successful season. Portland is a fun team to watch because their offense is fast-paced and relies on the three-point shot. Their best player, senior Nik Raivio, is a great shooter/scorer and a leader for this team. Raivio averaged 16.1 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game last season. He is a dangerous player and among the best in the WCC; the success of Portland’s team will depend on his play. A big problem for Portland last season was their lack of size. Portland starts three guards in their offense because of their ability to shoot the three. But they give up rebounding and post defense and scoring by going with a small lineup. They were able to add some size by recruiting power forwards John Bailey and Ryan Nicholas and center Riley Barker. If their big men can improve, then Portland will be very hard to beat.

Saint Mary’s

St. Mary’s lost their best player, Patrick Mills, to the NBA draft after last season. The loss of Mills is a big for St. Mary’s as he was their leader and most explosive player. Last season Mills did not play for nine games due to injury and the Gaels went 6-3, but with him in the lineup they were 20-3. Saint Mary’s also lost five seniors including forward Diamon Simpson who was a three time All-WCC first timer. Losing those players will be tough to overcome but this team still has some talented players. They will be led by six foot eleven senior center Omar Samhan who was the second leading scorer on the team last season, averaging 14.1 points per game while also snagging 9.4 rebounds per game and blocking two shots a game. The Gaels will be banking on senior guard Wayne Hunter and junior guard Mickey McConnell to emerge as second and third scoring options. The success of Saint Mary’s team will be how well they replace the production of Mills and Simpson.

University of San Francsico

The USF Dons had another losing season last year but they showed vast improvements from the previous seasons. Coming into the season, the Dons have essentially the roster, as they did not suffer many significant losses. The team is young but led by WCC scoring leader and senior forward Dior Lowhorn. Lowhorn had another outstanding season last year as he managed to score 20 points per game despite playing through double and triple teams for much of last season. Senior forward Blake Wallace had a nice first season for the Dons as he finished fourth on the team in scoring with 8.5 points per game. He is a big man who can shoot the three, which is always a dangerous weapon on offense. If he can have a good season, that would do a lot to improve the team this year. Sophomores Kwame Vaughn and Angelo Caloiaro contributed a lot to the team last year as freshmen. With their improvement and the addition of Rashad Green, who was redshirted last year, the Dons have solid young players. USF also did a great job during the recruiting season to sign highly-rated recruits Dominique O’Connor and Perris Blackwell. They also signed big men Tomas Bruha and Moustapha Diarra to add depth and defense along the front line. Coach Walters has quietly built a solid, deep team that should be competitive in the WCC and may surprise some people.

Santa Clara

The Santa Clara Broncos are coming off another solid season as they went 16-17 on the year. After the season they lost their best player, John Bryant, to the NBA draft. Bryant, who was named conference player of the year last season, averaged 18.1 points per game, 14.2 rebounds per game and 2.5 blocks per game all while shooting .596 from the field. His size and play will be difficult to replace, but with his loss the Broncos are improved in their speed and athleticism. They will be led by sophomore guard Kevin Foster who averaged 14.7 points per game last season while setting a season record for most three pointers made with 85. Foster’s shooting will have to lead the team this year if they hope to compete for the top of the WCC. The Broncos will have to rely on youngsters to make up for Bryant’s loss. Sophomore Marc Trasolini and freshman Niyi Harrison are the most likely players to step in for Bryant. These players add more athleticism to the team, which was something they were lacking in Bryant. If the team can adjust styles with ease, they will be very competitive.

As usual, the doubles matches started at 8 a.m. Like at St Mary’s, players were sent to two different sites to play; the pair Mekpoh-Wartenburger was isolated on the second site, but played probably their best doubles together. While they should have won against a too often inconsistent team of UC Davis, they lost tightly (8/6). At the same moment on the other site, the Reed-McMahon and Gratian-Akerbrant doubles teams fought bravely against solid Washington and Cal players, respectively 8-5 and 8-4.

Our girls had to play their singles quite early after their doubles matches, except for freshman Blair Reed and sophomore Andrea Gaitan who had had a bye and were supposed to play in the afternoon.

The morning round was a good one with wins by juniors Julia Wartenburger against a UC Davis player (6/2-6/3) and Cecilia Gratian against a Cal Poly player (6/3-6/1). However, freshman Alana McMahon, junior Jessy Mekpoh and freshman Melinda Akerbrant played well against good players from Stanford, Cal and Washington State.

In the afternoon, only Gratian won her second round easily against a girl from Washington State (6/2-6/1), while Wartenburger had a tough match against a Portland player and lost it 6/1-6/1.

Gaitan also had a tough match against a very good player from Cal, and Reed had to fight very hard to win her first round against an Eastern Washington player (3/6-7/5-6/4) in almost four hours.

Reed was supposed to play her second round - already delayed - the same day around 6:30 p.m., but a general blackout prevented all the last matches to be played. The referee announced the matches would start or be finished on the Saturday.  The Lady Dons were back to San Francisco at 10 p.m.

On Saturday, the women’s tennis team arrived a little bit later than the previous day, as they did not have to play the doubles. However, several of their singles started quite early.

Gratian finished her nice process against an impressive Stanford player (6/2-6/3), but she still tried to defend her chances admirably. Reed, tired and sore from the Friday, failed against a solid Cal player, quickly and neatly.

In the consolations draw, McMahon did a very last good match against a Santa Clara player, winning it 6/0-6/4. For her first match in the same draw, Akerbrant defeated easily an Eastern Washington player (6/2-6/2). Her second match was harder and high in intensity; she gave her best against this girl from Oregon but lost very closely 4/6-6/4 (13-11).

Overall, that was a good weekend and our Lady Dons ended their last fall tournament well.

In three weeks, they will spend a three-day weekend in San Luis Obispo to play team games against three other teams and finish to prepare next season.

Jessy Mekpoh is a member of the women’s tennis team.

Some like to comment on the role of female reporters in sports. There have been countless times where I have heard men say that they do not trust female sports broadcasters because most do not know what they are talking about, or that  if the broadcaster is attractive, they do not really care what she’s saying. After a few weeks working in a sports newsroom in downtown San Francisco, I have seen what it’s like to be the only woman in the office and what kinds of things women encounter when in a man’s world.

Constantly having to prove yourself is the name of the game. Mixing up a team a player is on or not knowing a part of a statistic can hurt when trying to prove you can be one of the boys, and could discredit your sports knowledge. If a male does this, it’s forgotten, but each mistake made by a woman is just another reinforcement of the assumption that women do not know as much about sports as men do. Sometimes even if a woman does know her sports, men believe it’s because we like watching the attractive men in tight uniforms.

Women’s work and knowledge in sports can be as good, if not better than male broadcasters’, but some male broadcasters might not want to admit it or give credit where it’s due. For example, while working in the sports media office, one of my bosses complimented me on the work I had been doing so far for the TV station. My male coworker then said to me, “I think he likes you more than your work,” meaning he complimented me because he found me attractive, not because my work was valued. If I was a male, my coworker might have said, “Nice job, dude,” or nothing at all. That same coworker also had the nerve to ask me out on a date after our shift was over.

As a woman in the sports world this kind of behavior is expected from men and is something women realistically have to deal with, but shouldn’t have to. Women have never been seen and treated as equals in the sports world. Women’s sports do not get as many viewers as men’s athletics do, and some sports like baseball and football still do not allow women to play. Nevertheless women love these sports just as much as men do, and even though women have been shut out of being players, women can still remain part of the game by being involved with the media surrounding it. If stereotypes, discrimination and sexual harassment are worth enduring for the love of the game, then it is in my opinion that women might have more love and desire to stay involved with sports than men do.

If, when I leave USF find myself working in anything other than sports, I would assume something went terribly wrong along my life path. Even though some annoying male habits may make for some less than ideal situations, a career involving sports would make up for it because I feel that I’m not working at all when I am doing what I love to do.

The girls of St. Mary’s imposed themselves early in the game, using a highly attackive 4-3-3 formation which relied on the strength of their wingers to make penetrating runs on the flanks. Supported by a tough combative midfield, the Gaels tested the USF back four time and again in the opening minutes, but the defense did not break.

The momentum of the match suddenly shifted in the 20th minute, when senior midfielder Kristina Hall served a splendid assist to Molly Hall who punished the visitors by hammering the ball past Gael goalie Tara Larson. The goal was a result of a lethal counterattack in which the Hall-Hall tandem exploited a hole in the central defense to put USF up 1-0. It was the first goal of the season for Molly Hall. After the goal, the Lady Dons enjoyed the majority of possession and were able to dictate the tempo of the game for the remainder of the first half.

The Gaels returned to the field with a thirst for goals and again they imposed their pressing game effectively. Fourteen minutes into the second half the St. Mary’s pressure paid off, when the Dons’ defense was caught going backward on the edge of the penalty box. Defender Ashley O’Brien was forced to commit a back-pass to goalie Kelly Pohle, resulting in an indirect free kick for St. Mary’s from a dangerously close position. After a quick pass from Tara Larson, Jessica Menzhuber fired the ball past Pohle to tie the score. It was Menzhuber’s ninth goal of the season, affirming her status as one of the most prolific goleadoras of the WCC. This time, momentum shifted in the visitor’s favor, as the goal allowed them to find the same confidence with which they started the game.

USF responded with a tactical change, moving O’Brien from defense to the midfield, switching freshman Ashlyn Mazur from central defense to left back, and inserting the tall sophomore Kelli Woodard to fill the gap left by Mazur. By moving attack-minded players up the field, Coach Mark Carr demonstrated the Dons’ unwillingness to settle for yet another tie.

With tight midfield skirmishes characterizing the remainder of the match, the 1-1 result held to the end of regulation time, turning the contest into the sixth overtime battle for the Lady Dons. USF attacked the Gael defense relentlessly, at times having as many as four players playing along the front line in an effort to avoid another tie game. The Gaels replied with physical defense, distancing the ball from their goal at every opportunity. With the clock winding down on the first overtime, St. Mary’s seemed resigned to play a second period of extra time.

The Lady Dons did not share that sentiment and profited from the lapse in Gael intensity. After sophomore striker Keonna Robinson had a attempted goal saved, USF launched forward with a final attach. Woodard launched a tantalizing ball above the heads of the Gael defense for Molly Hall. Hall, burning past the defenders, coolly chipped the ball above a charging Larson and into the net ending the match. A golden goal for the Green and Gold gives USF a winning record and three precious points in the WCC classification. The Lady Dons play their next two games at Negoesco against Santa Clara on Oct. 16 and San Diego on Oct. 18.

Sophomore Felipe Cabrera attempts to swing in a cross towards the goal against Gonzaga. Photo by Kate Greenspan/Foghorn

Over the weekend the USF men’s soccer team was shut out by the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 2-0. USF was unable to capitalize on their chances as they were held to zero goals for the fifth time this season. The Dons had many chances to score during the game, as they shot the ball a total of 15 times with six of those shots on goal. Gonzaga’s goalkeeper senior Scott Barnum did an excellent job of preventing the attacking Dons from scoring a goal. The Dons were aggressive throughout the game, as they were constantly looking to attack Gonzaga’s defense. But the defense of the Bulldogs was stout and did not let USF capitalize on its chances.  Seniors Conor Chinn and Jonathan Levi stood out the most for the Dons as they both recorded three shots.

Gonzaga scored midway through the first half with a goal at the 21^st minute. The goal was a nice one as Ben Funkhouser scored his fourth goal of the season with a blast into the upper-right corner of the net from 16 yards out. The lead proved to be enough for the Bulldogs as they played safely to protect it. A large reason why Gonzaga was able to control the game was because USF was playing a man down for the entire second half. Sophomore defender Omar Elmarsi was given a record card with about 10 seconds left in the first half. The loss of Elmarsi proved critical for the Dons as they had to adjust to compensate for a loss of a player. Anytime you are down a player you have to change your game plan and the other players have to help more in all areas of play. Perhaps the Dons were a little fatigued after playing a game on Friday night. The previous game as well as losing a player contributed to the level of fatigue. Gonzaga was also fresh as they had a week off prior to visiting USF. This is the third consecutive week that USF has played a Friday game then hosted a Sunday game against an opponent who had a weeklong rest. At the 78^th minute of the game, Gonzaga added the game clinching game as Forward Tye Perdido scored at point blank range on a broken play.

With the loss the USF Dons fall to a 5-7-1 overall record and a 2-4 record in the WCC. The Dons played great against Portland on Friday winning by a score of 1-0 but they couldn’t repeat their success on Sunday. USF did play a solid game as they were constantly attacking, trying very hard to score a goal but ultimately playing a man down hurt them. The Dons play two games during Halloween weekend as they host San Diego on Oct. 30 and Loyola Marymount on Nov. 1.

Cecilia Gratian anticipates a shot from her opponent during the St.Mary’s tournament. Photo Courtesy of Jessy Mekpoh Junior

Day 1

The women’s tennis team left the foggy, big city of San Francisco at 6 a.m. last Friday to play the St. Mary’s invitational tournament in the small and isolated town of Moraga.

They started warming up while the sun rose up from behind the hills surrounding the campus. The sky was clear and pretty, announcing a hot and sunny day.

As in the Berkeley tournament two weeks earlier, several high-ranked teams were ready to play, such as Cal, Stanford, and Washington State. Every single player was focused and the Lady Dons knew it would be a tough and long day.

The girls did not start well with the doubles, as the three pairs lost. Gratian-Akerbrant and Mekpoh-Wartenburger’s matches did not last long, as both teams lost 8-1 respectively against Cal and Pacific. Reed-McMahon’s opponents had a harder time as our Lady Dons scored 5 games.

Our Lady Dons did not have time to moan, as the girls had to play their singles right after the end of their doubles.

Freshman Blair Reed and sophomore Alana McMahon played in the Moraga Country Club - a classy and luxurious tennis club which welcomed some singles on the first day.

Even though they were two miles away from their other teammates, Reed and McMahon won their first singles round respectively against LMU (6/4-6/2) and Sacramento State (4/6-6/0-6/1).

On the St. Mary’s courts, only junior Cecilia Gratian got an easy win against a player from Portland (6/4-6/0).

Hardly an hour after the first singles round, all the girls (except Reed) had to play a second match both in the main and consolation draws.

Unfortunately, Gratian and McMahon lost their second round respectively against players from Stanford and Cal.

In the consolation draw, due to an opponent injury, Akerbrant was able to play another match on the Saturday.

Day 2

The Lady Dons arrived at the same time as the previous day, warmed up on the same court, and started their doubles at 8 a.m.

It was as hard as the day before for the pair Gratian-Akerbrant who lost 8-1 against Santa Clara players. However, the pairs Mekpoh-Wartenburger and Reed-McMahon played better, showed more consistency, good phases, and a high level of positive energy; despite the improvement, each pair lost 8-4 respectively against solid Gonzaga and St. Mary’s teams.

When the Lady Dons were done with doubles, they waited and cheered for teammates Reed and Akerbrant; who had a singles match to play in the consolation draw.

With a slow and hard start, Reed was defeated 6/0-6/4 by a player from Pacific.

Akerbrant’s match was an hour delayed, against a girl from Santa Clara,  and when the match began it was just in time to play under the burning sun. Our player played amazingly well, beating her opponent quickly and neatly 6/2-6/2. It was a nice way for Akerbrant to finish the tournament.

Next Friday, the Lady Dons will go playing at Stanford which will be the last tournament of the fall semester.

The Men’s Cross Country team jumps out to a quick start but they were unable to finish high in Oregon against nationally ranked competition. Photo courtesy of Nicole Bowler

The USF cross country team had a busy weekend as they ran in two events, the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Springfield, Oregon and the Doc Adams Invitational at UC Davis. At the Dellinger Invitational the men’s side placed 10th against a nationally ranked field. Although the men’s side did not have any stand-out times, they ran a solid race considering their competition. The men’s race featured top ranked teams such as No.9 Alabama, who won the race, No. 12 BYU, who finished second and No. 8 Portland, who finished fourth. The women’s team had more success than the men’s side as they finished in 6th place, beating out nationally ranked Portland. Freshman Eva Krchova led the lady dons with a time of 17:30 in the women’s 5k (3.1mi course), her time placed 26th. For the second straight race, Krchova finished with the best time for the Dons, who overall had a solid outing in Oregon against top ranked competition.

The team did a better job the next day at the Doc Adams Invitational at UC Davis. The men’s team finished in third place at the event, which was a great performance for the team. There were some outstanding individual performances, such as that of sophomore Colin Hopkins, who led the men with 25:49 in the Men’s 8k (5 mile course), which was 6th place in the competition. Michael Barnes also did well finishing in seventh with a time of 26:00. Sophomore Tyler Alvarez finished in the top 10 as well during the race. On the women’s side, Alice Baker performed well as she got 21:53 in the women’s 6k, which was good for 2nd overall. The women’s team didn’t have a full squad, which prevented them from placing in the event.

The next event for the Dons is the San Francisco State Invitational on Oct. 9 in Golden Gate Park.

Sophomore Alana McMahon waits at the net to return a serve from the opponent. Photo courtesy of Jessy Mekpoh

The women’s tennis team got up at 5 a.m. last Friday to get an early start on the weekend. The team was headed across the Bay where they played for two days in Berkeley for the invitational tournament.

The competition started on a sunny  Friday, while competitive teams from around the Golden State, Nevada and Utah arrived and began warming up.

Act 1

At 8 a.m., the Lady Dons played doubles, but the Wartenburger-Akerbrant and Gaitan-McMahon USF teams were easily defeated. Only the Reed-Mekpoh pair got a tight win (8-6) against a BYU (Utah) team.

Between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., the women’s tennis team played their first singles. Unfortunately, most of them failed against top-ranked players for whom this tournament was a preparation before the All-Americans tournament. The All-Americans tournamnet was going to oppose all the best college teams of the United States. It turned out to be a tight loss for juniors Cecilia Gratian and Julia Wartenburger who respectively lost 7-6/2-6/3-6 and 2-6/6-0/3-6.

Nevertheless, freshman Melinda Akerbrant was the last hope for USF in the main draw, thanks to her win 3-6/6-3/6-4 against a Sacramento State player. After two hours spent on the court during her first singles, Melinda had to play her second singles - or third match of the day.Hardly an hour and a half later, Akerbrant succumbed to fatigue and her opponent’s skill, ending her progress in the tournament.

The players who had lost in the morning had to play in the consolation draw, and in five matches, four went in three sets, while only Gratian and Wartenburger got a win.

Act 2

Saturday, 5:30 a.m.  Sore and tired, our Lady Dons were going to get in this new day of competition.

The morning doubles were tough, not only for the Reed-Mekpoh pair who fell against a solid and experienced Berkeley team, but also for the USF doubles teams playing in the consolation draw. However, Wartenburger, Akerbrant, Gaitan and McMahon played better than the previous day, and they felt like they had improved a little.

11 a.m. It was sunny and even hotter than Friday as Wartenburger, freshman Blair Reed and the four other players who had lost the previous day started their singles. Unfortunately, they were all defeated, Wartenburger, Reed and McMahon going in three sets.

At the end of the day, Coach Hilary Somers was quite satisfied by this tournament. “I think it was pretty good for a first tournament, especially because the level was high with several ranked teams,” Coach Somers said. “Also, I felt like the girls improved compared to yesterday: less tightness, more game. Now, each girl can set her goal accordingly for next season.”

Next week, the Lady Dons will play at the Saint Mary’s invitational, where the level of competition should be a little bit lower than in Berkeley, but where the competitiveness and intensity will be the same.

Senior Anna Berger prepares to slam the ball. As a student-athlete and volleyball team captain, Berger is a leader on and off the court. Photo Courtesy of USF Athletic Department

This past weekend the USF lady’s volleyball team defeated Santa Clara University 3-0 during the Dig Pink match up. The Dons dominated the game against their longtime rival. With the win, they get their first win in the WCC, which puts them at the top of the conference. But before the game, the Foghorn sat down with team co-captain Anna Berger. The senior shared her goals, what the life of a student-athlete is like and the team’s expectations for the season.

San Francisco Foghorn: What is the normal day like for you during the volleyball season?

Anna Berger: During the season I have weights two days a week, I start at 8:00 a.m. and go until 9:00 a.m. Then I have class during the day, and I’m taking 16 units of classes. The team has practice too and we all try to be there an hour before, so we show up at 2:00 or 2:30 p.m. Practice starts at 3:30 and we stay until 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. Then there’s mandatory study hall for three hours. It’s a busy day but you learn about time management and balancing your schedule; I think that’s very important.

SFF: What are some of your goals for the season?

AB: Win WCC. It’s very obtainable and I think we can do it, working and competing every day in practice. One of the main goals is having a lot of energy and also having fun in practice. The biggest thing is practicing how you play, having competitive energy and having fun in practice is going to benefit us later on. As times get tougher you have to dig deeper.

SFF: You are a captain this year; what’s it like being a captain? Is there extra pressure? How do you handle it?

AB: There’s a lot of responsibility with being a captain on the team. It is an important duty; girls look up at you as more than a teammate. If anything extra is needed with the team or if there are any problems with the team, they come to me. I have to help the team go in the right direction by holding people accountable for their responsibilities and with what they do on the court. Being a senior, people already look up to you on the court and whether you realize it or not your actions affect everyone on the court, which is exciting for me because as captain I can control that and that’s an important part of the game. I don’t think being a captain is more pressure, it’s an exciting role to take on as a player because you can step up and help your teammates go in the right direction. With a lot of experience like myself, I can help my young teammates out.

SFF: Last year was very successful for the team; how does the team plan on matching that success for the rest of this season?

AB: It’s hard because we had a lot of close losses at War Memorial and in our tournaments this year. It’s really important for us to focus on our conference, that’s what we did last year. It’s a big difference losing and winning by a few points, which some people say is luck, but I don’t think it is. When those games flip over, luck goes our way a little. I think we can be a very competitive team this year, despite the fact that our preseason hasn’t gone the way we wanted. We played a lot of really competitive teams and that stands out. And if you win conference then you go to the tournament, that’s our main goal right now. Our conference is competitive but I think we have upside and we have some experienced girls that can bring us far this year.

SFF: How would you sum up your career at USF?

AB: It’s been a big career and a long one but it’s been fun. I’ve gone through a coaching staff change and I really love the new staff. I’ve learned that I am a student athlete and compete a lot but we learn a lot about ourselves too. You make best friends, that’s the most important thing that people miss. You make life-long friends no matter what. My career here keeps going up, there hasn’t been a huge plummet, it keeps getting more exciting, and that’s the best part of being a student athlete.

SFF: Thank you and good luck this season. Go Dons.

In 1951 the USF football team had nine players that were drafted into the NFL, three of whom were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Linebacker Burl Toler went on to become the first African-American on-field official in the NFL, as Coach Peter Rozelle went on to become the NFL commissioner.

The ’51 Dons were a perfect 9-0 with an average winning score of 32-8, but were not allowed to play in a postseason game because the team had two black players, Toler and running back Ollie Matson. The team was asked to attend without Toler and Matson, an offer that the Dons unanimously rejected.

Without a bowl check to fund the program, USF was forced to drop the football team in 1952.

So that’s that. We’re in 2009 and USF does not have a football program due to the aftermath of students standing up to racism in 1951. USF has a moral obligation to bring back this program on the basis of nostalgic pride and alumni respect. The University has done its best to honor the ’51 team by giving of an honorary degree at the 2006 commencement ceremonies.  Kristine Setting Clark wrote a book in 2002 “Undefeated, untied, and uninvited: a documentary of the 1951 University of San Francisco Dons football team” to honor and remember their legacy. However, are these gestures truly enough?

Reestablishing a football program seems like the perfect solution to honor and remember the ‘51 Dons, but unfortunately is deemed impossible. Funding a team would cost millions of dollars, and USF simply does not have the finances to do so. The average annual cost for college football teams ranges between 2.5 - 4 million dollars a year, not including the expense of  building a stadium.

Many schools view football teams as more of an investment rather than a financial burden. Tom Yeager, NCAA commissioner, commented on the expensive sport, “If it was straight accounting, it’s not going to make money, but what it does potentially for the identity of the student body, the affiliation on campus, getting alums back on campus, the pride, that’s the immeasurable part of it all.”

Colleges that have great football programs are known to have equally great academic programs. The aforementioned UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Boston College are three examples of prestigious universities with known football teams. Vince Lombardi once said, “A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.” Football creates that school spirit that is necessary for a well-rounded education. Even those who are not football fans must agree that this football-created school spirit is beneficial to the prosperity of USF. Financial support from student and athlete alumni would increase, providing funding for new and/or improved academic programs.

The numbers of prospective students would multiply due to the advancement in athletics and academics. The USF mission is “To educate hearts and minds to change the world.” Remembering the ‘51 Dons through reestablishment is possibly the most constructive way to honor this mission.

Some of the greatest athletes in NFL history studied here at USF: Gino Marchetti, Ollie Matson, and Bob St. Clair, who are all in the NFL Hall of Fame.

It just seems natural that USF have one of the greatest football programs in the country. Unfortunately, with the country in such economic turmoil and with USF being a small, private institution, financing a football program is impossible. The idea must be put on the back-burner while we make priceless efforts to keep this legacy alive.

Chaos erupts as Brown and USF players scrabble to locate the ball on a cross. This sums up the afternoon, as the game was a thrilling one. Photo by Akima Brackeen/Foghorn

“We need to prepare very hard to compete effectively in the conference,” said men’s soccer coach Erik Visser after the two weekend games.

Friday, 7 p.m. The organization staff didn’t expect to see so many people - about a thousand - in the bleachers, attending the game that pitted our men’s soccer team against San Jose State’s.

Despite a freezing and foggy night - which could have numbed the players - an intense, technical and fast fight started between the two teams. Both of them had several opportunities to score without making it, until Josh Boemecke from San Jose crucified our goalkeeper in the 73rd minute.

But his joy lasted only twelve minutes, as USF’s best attacker Conor Chinn tied on a header after a pass from Justin Warren. Warren: remember this name, because he had an important role in what happened next.

The score was 1-1 at the end of the official time, which forced the two teams to play overtime. The Dons were very aggressive from the beginning, but their efforts were not rewarded at the end of the first overtime.

At the 103rd minute, defender Adam Nowak from USF crossed toward Justin Warren - yes, the same Warren who permitted Chinn to tie - who scored and released his team, his staff and the fans. The Dons and their fans - who filled the field - celebrated their victory, jumping, singing, yelling, screaming and hugging each other.

While our players went back to the locker room, the fans stayed on the field, some of them laying on it, intoxicated by victory. They were satisfied, and so was Coach Erik Visser. “In overtime, the team showed the mentality of winning. With four starters out, three of them captains, we showed a lot of toughness and guts. After being down 1-0, we scored twice to get the win and that’s a good sign,” he said.

We were about to see if coach Visser was right, as the Dons had to play against Brown two days later.

Last Sunday, when the game started at 2 p.m., the weather was incredibly sunny and hot, and from the beginning the Bears of Brown University were very aggressive. The ball possession was mainly in favor of Brown and the Dons got only a few opportunities to score. However, despite smart game phases, the Bears were unable to finish them and were taking too many risks. Their shy boldness punished them. In the 18th minute, while they discovered themselves during an attack, a favorable counter-attack permitted Conor Chinn to score the first goal of the game and his fourth goal of the season.

The Bears’ misfortune didn’t end at that point: two of their players were sent off, leaving nine against 11.

But neither Brown’s fans - to whom we should present the rewards of cheerleading and sportsmanship- nor the players were discouraged. With courage, the Bears took advantage of a lack of communication between the defenders of USF, and tied - thanks to Dylan Remick - eight minutes before the end of the game.

The double overtime was intense and both teams got opportunities to make the difference. However, goalkeepers Paul Grandstand for the Bears, and Brendan Roslund - who sidelined Franco Carotenuto for injury - proved themselves by saving their teams’ day.

The referee blew. Final score: 1-1.

This time, coach Visser was not satisfied. “It’s a disappointing tie for us. We started out very strong and played very well the first half, but the momentum strangely shifted for Brown when they had players ejected and we stopped playing both times. We had plenty of opportunities to walk away with the win.” And when askedabout the WCC, Visser answered: “We are aware now of where we’re at and this week we need to prepare very hard to compete effectively in the conference, which is going to be stronger from top to bottom than it has for quite some time.”

Next Friday, the Dons are playing their first West Coast Conference game against Loyola Marymount, on Sullivan Field.

It is true hand sanitizers are not a mirror substitute for soap and water.  But they do not promote the spread of germs by allowing those not killed by the sanitizer to mutate into a sort of “super germ,” as some believe.  That’s just silly.

According to the Centers for Disease control, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are effective in killing fungus, bacteria, and viruses as long as hands are not “visibly soiled.”  Alcohol does not effectively cut through grime, so dirt, blood, feces, or other bodily fluids have to be washed off with soap and water before the sanitizers can be effective.  According to Elaine Larson, professor of pharmaceutical and therapeutic research at Columbia’s nursing school, sanitizers must contain at least 60% alcohol to be effective at all.  Purell, the hand-sanitizer brand used in USF dispensers, contains 62% ethyl alcohol.

Purell claims their product “kills 99.9% of germs,” but don’t be naïve and take their numbers to heart.  Get real with yourself.  You know darn well whether or not your hands are clean.

The biggest criticism of alcohol-based hand sanitizers is that they leave skin dry.  What makes Purell popular is that it has moisturizers in it so that it does not give you flaky or dry skin.  I ran to the bottom floor of Phelan just before writing this for one last test, and my hands are clean, soft and flake-free as we speak.   The reason, in addition to the moisturizer, is that alcohol evaporates completely in a short time.

Once the alcohol has evaporated though, the party is over.  No flaky skin, but no super, all-day cleaning power either, which means you will have to drench your hands with Purell several times to really get those paws squeaky clean. But if you want to kill all your hand germs, go wash your hands.

Historically quarterbacks have always been evaluated by two main categories: statistics and Super Bowl wins. Dan Marino dominates basically every important passing statistic but he never won a Super Bowl, which hurts his ranking on the all-time greats list. While Joe Montana didn’t have the greatest stats, he won four Super Bowls in his career and is often labeled one of the most clutch quarterbacks ever. Both Marino and Montana have cases to be labeled as the best quarterback ever but the answer to the argument depends on what you think is more important, Super Bowls or statistics. To me, quarterbacks should put up great stats as well as lead their team to championship wins, since that is the goal of every team.

Statistically, Manning places in the top 10 in career passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating, among others. He has thrown for at least 3,500 passing yards and 25 touchdowns every season he has played. Manning has been a starting quarterback since the first game of his career and he has yet to miss a game. He has also been selected to nine pro bowls as well as winning three AFC MVPs. There is no one more consistent than Manning when it comes to statistics and winning regular season games. The man is a statistical machine, it seems like he easily produces the best stats every single year. You know what you’re going to get from him every season.  But he has struggled in the playoffs and high-pressure situations throughout his career.

It took Peyton Manning seven seasons to win his first Super Bowl in 2004. His career postseason record is 7-8, certainly not the numbers of the best quarterback ever. For years Manning has been criticized for his inability to perform under high-pressure situations and must win games. It seemed like every year ended the same way for the Colts, Manning leaving the game with his patented disappointed look on his face. Sure, he is not a very clutch player but he is a great quarterback. Just look at what he has already done this season, leading his team to a 3-0 start in a season where they have a new, inexperienced coach. He is the leader and coach of the Colts and has been for 12 years. If you watch Manning play, you see how he coaches the team on the field. He continuously calls audibles, changing the play to adjust to what the defense is doing. His ability to read defenses and call an offense is unmatched in the NFL. He may be the smartest and best prepared quarterback ever but to be considered the best he needs more rings.

The match started off with a bang for Cal as several players had scoring opportunities in the first five minutes of the match. Cal’s midfielder Davis Paul scored the first goal of the night in the 13th minute after a questionable non-offside call from the officials.

USF saw this goal as a chance to retaliate and executed a fantastic counterattack. USF’s junior forward, Bryan Burke, beat Cal’s tightly packed defense and attempted to score a goal. Burke shot from the corner of the box as USF fans stood to their feet to watch. He missed the goal by inches sending the ball too wide.

USF continued to struggle in the defensive and offensive areas while Cal’s units remained tight and organized. Due to a USF foul in the 21st minute inside the penalty area, Cal defender, A.J. Soares, was able to score another goal bringing Cal to a 2-0 lead into halftime.

Determined to score in the second half, the USF offense started strong only to lose possession quickly to Cal. In the 49th minute a Cal corner kick found its way to defender A.J. Soares who blasted a shot into the back of the net bringing the score to 3-0. Despite the three goals on Cal’s part, USF goalkeeper Brendan Roslund was able to save a record five shots for the match including a fantastic save in the 30th minute.

Senior Conor Chinn excited many USF fans in the 55th minute as he took a shot from the center of the box. The ball went wide and ended up in the side of the net, disappointing all who thought it was a sure goal.

Although USF was able to take 11 shots against Cal, none of them found the way to the back of the net. Senior forward Jonathon Levi paved the way for the Dons with 4 four shots with only one of them on target. Sophomore midfielder, Victor Wennberg added three to the total, while senior forward Conor Chinn and junior forward Bryan Burke added a shot apiece for USF.

After the match, Head Coach Erik Visser commented, “this is the best Cal team that I’ve seen in 10 years. They played with a lot of confidence and a lot of rhythm. Yes I’m disappointed but Cal was the better team tonight. Their execution was fantastic. I was pleased with the team that we continued to fight and did not give up. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes and prepare for our match at Stanford.”

The USF Dons will continue to play in the Bay Area Classic when they travel to Stanford Sunday night. The match is set for 7:00 PM at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.

Although other teams are 2-0 and playing above expectations, the 49ers are really the only 2-0 team that was looked over in the preseason that has been dominant over its opponents so far. The Jets have also been surprising but they at least had a winning record and a shot at the playoffs last year, while the 49ers finished below .500. So if you are one of those people looking to root for the surprise team of the year, look no further than Candlestick Park and pick the 49ers bandwagon to hop on. If their history doesn’t entice you, then here are 10 reasons why you should jump on the 49ers bandwagon.

1. Defense

The 49ers defense has been amazing so far this year. They are 5^th in points allowed per game at 13 pts/game, 9^th in yards allowed per game and 3^rd in rush yards allowed per game. The stout defense of the 49ers held the high scoring Arizona Cardinals to only 16 points as well as also slowing down the solid Seattle Seahawks offense to 10 points, after they scored 28 points in a week one win versus the St.Louis Rams. The 49ers defense looks promising for the first time in years, with playmakers at every aspect of defense; the secondary, linebackers and the pass rush. With the talent they have and the way the defense is playing as a unit, don’t be surprised if they finish in the top 10 in overall defense when the year is over.

2. Coach Mike Singletary

What is there not to love about coach Singletary? He’s not afraid to eject the teams’ prima donna (Vernon Davis) from the game or pull down his pants in the locker room and show his backside to send a message. Sure, he’s a little extreme, but his fiery ways have worked so far. He demands respect from his players and they give it to him, which is already more than Mike Nolan accomplished when he coached the 49ers. It’s evident that Coach Singletary’s fieriness and discipline have rubbed off on the team when you watch them play. The team competes and fights on every play, just like Singletary used to do when he played linebacker for the Chicago Bears. Besides his fieriness, Singletary knows the game football as well as anybody. An example of this was in week one when the Arizona Cardinals were driving on the tired 49ers defense for a score. Singletary sensed that his defense needed a breather and some inspiration, so he called a timeout and gave his defense a break as well as some inspiration. Whatever he said or did worked because the 49ers held the Cardinals to a field goal on the drive. The next time the 49ers got the ball, they scored the winning touchdown. Singletary knows how to coach and he knows how to win; he’s shown that much so far.

3. 2-0 record overall and in the division

Even though it’s early, every win counts. Getting off to a good start is important even though the season is long. By winning two games against division rivals to start off the season, the 49ers put themselves in a good position to win the division. The 49ers are the only 2-0 team in the division and they play the struggling Rams in two weeks. They should be able to beat them and go 3-0 in the division.  With that division record, it would be a huge disappointment if they didn’t finish on top. The real test for the 49ers will be this week when they play the Vikings, but if they can beat them, they should be able to compete against anybody.

4. Frank Gore

Frank Gore is the centerpiece of the offense and he looks ready to carry them all year long, if he can stay healthy of course. Even though he struggled in week one, rushing for only 30 yards, he still managed to score two touchdowns. But this past week against the Seahawks, Gore proved that the Cardinals game was a fluke. Gore exploded for 207 yards on only 16 carried, while also rushing for two 75-yard plus touchdowns. He showed burst and break away speed that I didn’t even know he had. The success of the offense depends on Gore. If he stays healthy and performs, then the 49ers are a dangerous team, but if he gets hurt, then they look mediocre.

5. Patrick Willis

Young Ray Lewis, as I like to call him, is arguably the best linebacker in the league. In only the third season of his career, Willis has been dominant since day one.  Willis is really one of the most exciting and fun players to watch in the league. He is there on every tackle and he flies all over the field. His speed, reactions and hard hitting ability are what make him so great. He is the leader of the defense and a pro bowl player.

6. Nate Clements

The 49ers’ number one shutdown cornerback has been solid so far this year after being criticized by coach Singletary for being beat too much.  Besides his smooth style of play, Clements is emotional and plays with a ton of passion. He is a crowd pleaser who will do anything to get the fans out of their seats. His tackling skills are some of the best for a cornerback, as he routinely helps in stopping the run with his up-ending, leg-hitting tackles. He even returns kick sometimes.

7. Shaun Hill Just Wins.

Shaun Hill is about 100-3 when he starts games for the 49ers. Okay, it’s more like 10-3 but the point is, he wins and he gets the job done. His game might not be the prettiest, but he somehow pulls off wins. Watching him will make you want to pull your hair out, but just remember that if the game is close, he will win it.

8. Solid Offensive Line

The offensive line is finally starting to develop into a pretty solid group. And the great part is that the linemen are all pretty young, meaning they will still get better. They are opening holes for the running game and allowing Gore to burst big runs. Every good team has a good offensive line and I believe the 49ers finally have one. One area they can improve in, however, is pass protection, as Hill has been sacked too much so far.

9. The Faithful are back

The 49ers fans are finally back to their rowdy and passionate ways. Without a good team to cheer for in years, the slightest taste of success is making the 49ers fans show their love for the team again. On opening day last weekend for the Seahawks, the stadium was loud and enthusiastic. There was red everywhere and people were standing for most of the game. This is what the fans have always been like and it’s good to see them back to this way.

10. The 49ers will make the playoffs

I’m going to go out on a limb and say the 49ers will finish 10-6 and win the division, sending them back to the playoffs for the first time in over five years. There is something about this team that screams out “winners” and I think Singletary will lead this team back to the playoffs in his first year as head coach.

Number 28 (name not listed in box score) guards the ball against a UNLV defender. Photo by Akima Brackeen/Foghorn

There was a change of time for the women’s soccer game: originally scheduled at 7 p.m. last Friday, the match started at 5 p.m. It was a very sunny and warm day when the Lady Dons began to play against the Rebels of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

From the first 30 minutes, UNLV was very aggressive, trying not to lose the ball, searching for strategies, dribbling and trying their luck, but USF’s defense was ready, focused and aware of their opponents’ skills. After these first 30 minutes, our defenders found time to catch their breath when the attackers started to impose their rhythm. Unfortunately, their assaults were not convincing enough, and while the attackers of UNLV lost in efficiency, their line of defense was very well organized and hard to break through.

Physically, the game was intense, fast. As the match started balancing out, the two teams had to run back and forth everywhere on the field. Players from both sides also committed more faults, conceding several dangerous free kicks.

In the bleachers, men, women and children cheered their teams.

“Go USF!” or “Go UNLV!” was heard throughout the stands.

Someone shouted, “Come on #30, get up and play soccer!”

Another yelled at the referee, “Are you serious! How much did they pay you?”

At the end of the first half, both teams left the field and their fans to rest and discuss strategies in the locker rooms.

During the second half the Lady Dons dominated more, not letting the Rebels impose their rhythm and being aggressive from the beginning. All players showed amazing expenditure of physical energy, aggressiveness and intelligence though, in order to unhinge the opponent and score.

The weather became colder, but did not prevent the fans from being enthusiastic, passionate and talkative.

Around the 80th minute, USF and UNLV’s players showed signs of tiredness by being a little less fast and committing more faults; this did not benefit anyone and the ladies had to play overtime - twice ten minutes - to try to win this game.

The real opportunity the Lady Dons had to score occurred during the first overtime period, only a few minutes after it started. #8 Ashley O’Brien was about 23 feet, alone in front of the goal, but her kick veered left and roll off the game area by brushing the post.

At the end of the game, head coach Mark Carr said, “We had a solid performance tonight. We were terrible in the first half, but we turned it around in the second half. We should have won the game, but we’re not conceding goals, so we’re putting ourselves in a good spot.”

Next home game will be played on October 11th against St Mary’s. This game will open the West Coast Conference competition.

Recently, during the 17th annual San Francisco invitational, Amarawansa pushed his limits, achieving a swift time of 25:42.70. His triumph, along with the success of his fellow teammates, helped to push USF’s men’s cross country team to 2nd place. However, he speaks hopefully of his abilities and challenging himself to a greater level.

“I know my times are not what they could be but I’m working on it,” he said. “I definitely want to improve.”

Without a doubt, Amarawansa has shown exceptional talent since he arrived at USF three years ago. His freshman year, he placed third at the Sundodger invitational, achieving a personal best of 26:04. He was also the only USF freshman to run on the WCC and West Regional team and placed 37th . The next year he beat his personal record at the Bronco invitational with a time of 26:03 and once again ran at the WCC championships.

Amarawansa also runs the 1500 for USF’s track and field team. Freshman year he placed fourth at the National Athletic Conference Championships in the 5000 and was the runner up in the 1500 at the Woody Wilson Invitational. He also achieved his new personal best in the 1500 at the Brutus Hamilton with a time of 3:58.34. Sophomore year he beat his personal best at the Woody Wilson Invitational running the 1500 with a time of 3:54.77, granting him 5th place. At the Aggie Open he dominated the competition, placing first in the 5000 finishing in 15:01.46. He then went on and achieved 12th place and once again outdid his personal best with a time of 14:58.62 in the 5000 at the Cal Nevada Inviational.

The secret to his success? Amarawansa says he eats plenty of carbohydrates. But it’s the rigorous and frequent practicing that puts him among the best. Besides every weekday morning, the cross country team can also be seen running around campus four afternoons each week in heavy preparation for the current season. To relax before matches, Amarawansa practices playing the sitar, which he has been playing for 12 years.

Amarawansa has been running since the 5th grade, giving him 10 years of practice and preparation for USF’s cross country team.  He takes inspiration from his grandfather, who ran cross country for Dartmouth college and was a freedom rider during the civil rights movement. This encouraged Amarawansa’s psychology major and passion for social justice. He hopes to one day work with helping the homeless population of America.

Although the year has just begun, Amarawansa holds optimism for the current season and upcoming meets.

“We are all working really hard and we have a great new group of people coming in.” He said, “We are doing really well so far too.”

Hopefully, if he continues pushing himself further in the upcoming meets, Amarawansa will only reap more awards for himself and for his team.

Reigning WCC player of the year Connor Chinn has his sights set on doing it agian. Foghorn Archives

Number 11 of the USF soccer team, attacker Conor Chinn impresses fans with the quickness of his moves and his ability to score!

One of the mainstays of the team, Conor had what was probably one of his best seasons last year. Despite his busy schedule, Conor agreed to answer our questions between two practices.

San Francisco Foghorn: Hi Conor! Thanks for being there. Let’s start with the essentials. When and why did you start playing soccer?

Conor Chinn: I started playing when I was very little, probably when I was 5 or 6. I am a very competitive person and I love the sport in general. Soccer is a game of both skill and physical abilities; it also is a game that involves using your brain most of the time.

SFF: You are a fifth year senior at USF. What does that mean exactly?

CC: A fifth year senior means you redshirt a year so you save an eligibility year for another year. I transferred from Seattle University in 2005, after completing my freshman year there, but I redshirted and did not play that year. So when I came to USF, I still had four remaining eligibility years left. This is my fifth year in college, hence the fifth year senior.

SFF: What are you majoring? Is it hard to manage both studies and sports?

CC: I am a business administration major, and I will be graduating in December. It is a lot of time and commitment, but if you do your work and stay on top of your studies it is manageable.

SFF: Your last season was pretty impressive with 17 goals scored. Was that a record? Have you been awarded?

CC: My goals last year was a tie for second most goals scored in a single season, and it was a great achievement but I would like to keep it up this season as well. I was named West Coast Conference (WCC) player of the year last season, so I suppose that was an award for my play last season!

SFF: You guys won the WCC last year. How did you feel?

CC: Winning the WCC after being projected to finish fourth in conference is a great testament to my teammates on and off the field as well as our entire coaching and athletic staff who did not stop working during the season.

SFF: USF men’s soccer team is ranked 25. Do you feel more pressure on and off the field?

CC: There is definitely an added pressure by being the top team; everyone will be gunning for us, we will not be able to fly under the radar like last season. But before a game, I try to focus on the game and get into a calm state of mind.

SFF: The team already won two games. Do you feel confident about this season?

CC: Our team is very talented and if we play the way we know we can, we will be very good. Players like Bryan Burke, Jonathan Levi, Leon Williams and Victor Cortez, just to name a few, who we hope will have an outstanding year, are players that can make the difference.

SFF: What are your plans after you graduate?

CC: I am focused on this season right now, and what happens after will be worked out after the season.

According to an article on Sports Illustrated’s website, Ann Killion reported that the guaranteed payday that SJSU received was in the “high six-figures.” Money is a great compensation for losing by 53 points, and so is being nationally televised. SJSU gets exposure, which can help them recruit more efficiently in the future, and the money they receive helps the athletic department. For USC, playing against an over-matched opponent is a good way to start the season because it helps transition players into the season. They re-acclimate themselves to the speed of football again and a win in the first game is a confidence booster. It’s a win-win for both schools.

Here is a question for the USF athletic department: is this something they consider for our sports teams? In 2004, Santa Clara University men’s basketball opened their season again at the time number four ranked University of North Carolina. That year UNC won the national title and Santa Clara, an unranked team beat them in their season opener. SCU was like SJSU in this game, an underdog facing a powerhouse for a season opener. This game allowed SCU to play in front of a national audience, helping them in the recruiting aspect. And it certainly helps that they pulled off the improbable upset. That’s the thing with sports; even in games like this, where one team has a clear advantage, an upset can always happen.

Wouldn’t it be great if USF hosted Kansas and beat them in War Memorial? I’m sure there would be a full crowd in that game. Everyone watching the game on TV would see this incredible upset and USF would get exposure all of the country.  Like I said earlier, but this point actually needs repeating, this exposure would help tremendously in recruiting. The more popular a team is, the easier it is to recruit athletes.

This could be a way to help USF sports get to the next level. Although we have talented players, our school doesn’t get the same recruits that Gonzaga and St.Mary’s get. Those schools have more well-known sports programs because they receive more exposure. And they rightfully deserve the exposure they get because they win games and compete at the highest level. USF sports are improving and I am pleased and optimistic about what the basketball program has done, but we still are not competing for a national title. It would be exciting to watch a championship contending team and it would return our school to the glory days. Maybe a few “paycheck games” and the occasional big upset can get our team back to that level again. It’s just an idea, but maybe it’s worth a shot.

Number 11 Connor Chinn hits a volley inhopes of scoring a goal. The Dons lost 2-1. Photo by Cass Kraughoff/Foghorn

This past foggy Friday night in USF’s Negoesco Stadium, the men’s soccer team suffered a 2-1 loss  to the Sacramento State Hornets. This was the first loss of the season for the Dons (2-1-0), who had a rough beginning in the non-conference game against the undefeated Hornets (3-0-1).

Green and gold fans rose to their feet chanting in the 32nd minute when senior midfielder Jonathan Levi strategically scored the first and only goal for the Dons with an assist from junior forward Bryan Burke.  Levi took his second shot of the night from the “V,” bringing the Dons to a short-lived lead.

The Hornets quickly fired back with freshman Max Alvarez not four minutes later. Alvarez struggled in the box  before finding an open window, bringing the score to 1-1. In the 39th minute Alvarez fired a shot 20 yards from the top of the box into the open goal, bringing the Hornets to the lead. This pair brought Alvarez to his fifth goal for the Hornets this season.

The first half was one of many upsets for the Dons and fans, as the Hornets gained the advantage due to a seemingly frazzled defensive end. USF head coach Erik Visser explained in an interview for usfdons.com, “”I give Sacramento State a lot of credit. We were sloppy in the first half. We gave up two goals on poor defending. I think we were agitated and we were out of synch and did not play our game.”

The Dons burst into the second half with strong offensive force, determined to once again take the lead. Visser said, “I think we dominated the second half, we hit the post twice”. In total the Dons outshot the Hornets 16-6, a number that dramatically grew in the second half when the Dons outshot the Hornets 11-2. Six of the Dons’ total shots were made by sophomore forward Felipe Cabrera, three were made by senior All-American Conor Chinn, and another three were made by Levi. Oscar Englund and Victor Wennberg each had an attempted shot, as Burke added 2 attempts to the Dons’ 16.  Visser said, “I can’t fault the effort of our team, especially in the second half.” Despite the strong defensive power in the second half, the Dons were unable to score for the remainder of the game.

Franco Carotenuto (1-1-0), USF senior goalkeeper, suffered the loss for the Dons as the Hornets’ senior goalkeeper Ryan Kenny posted five saves. Seven corner kicks were made by the Dons, in comparison with just one made by the Hornets. Visser said in conclusion, “Our team battled hard, had some bad luck, but that’s the way the game goes.”

This week’s National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas Far West region poll ranks USF as No. 15 nationally, as they were No. 5 in the NSCAA Far West region poll entering the game. The Hornets ranked No. 8 this week.

The Dons fire off again this Thursday, Sept. 17 when they host No. 10 Cal in the 2009 Bay Area Classic at Negoesco Stadium. The match is set for 7 p.m. against the Berkeley Bears.

Junior Sarah Mandala spikes the ball as freshman Hadley Simmons, Senior Haley Carroll and Sophomore Erin Bragg wait for the return. Melissa Stihl/Foghorn

Texas A&M swept the USF volleyball team on Sept. 6, the day after the USF/Asics Challenge finished.  During the first set, the Dons took the early lead by going up 4-0.  However, Texas A&M answered with six consecutive points.  Texas A&M and the Dons kept it closer until Texas A&M opened up their lead 15-8.  Texas A&M won the set 25-15.

The second and third sets proved to be disappointments.  In the second set, the Dons maintained a lead throughout most of the set.  The Dons had a few scares throughout the set; however, Texas A&M took over the lead when they won four consecutive points to make the score 16-15.  The Dons would regain the lead at 23-22, but they were unable to hold onto the lead and they lost the set at 25-23.

Junior Alaina Sully sets the ball for Hadley Simmons. Melissa Stihl/Foghorn

The Dons came back into the third set realizing that they needed to win the third set to stay in the match.  The Dons held onto the lead for most of the set until Texas A&M won five consecutive points to go up 15-10.  The Dons did tie the set at 21; the crowd’s cheers became louder.  Even though the crowd became more involved into the set, the Dons lost the set 25-23.

Junior outside hitter Sarah Mandala led the Dons with 15 kills, while senior outside hitter Anna Berger had 8 kills.  Senior libero Haley Carroll led with 12 digs and Mandala had 9 digs.

The Dons will host California State University Bakersfield on Sept. 26 in War Memorial Gym.

Football is not all about athleticism—it’s like a chess match between two teams with different ways to play the sport. Whoever wins the chess match wins the game. It’s all about calling the right plays and executing them. The best teams are the ones that force their opponents to play their style of football. It’s fun to watch the way games unfold because it is always a battle of who executes their style of play the best. Other sports do this too, but NFL football is the ultimate team sport because every person has to do their job to help the team succeed. For example, in baseball, a pitcher can pitch an amazing game and dominate it, leading his team to victory. But in football every part of the team has to work, or else the team won’t win. Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the NFL but if he didn’t have a good offensive line or good widereceivers, he wouldn’t be as dominant.  Even a dominant I’m excited to watch team competition at its highest athletic level once again.

Fantasy football is also a very large contributor to why I’m excited for the season. It allows fans to feel like they are part of the NFL because they own players similar to the way a team does. It’s your own team, which you control. What sports fan has never dreamed about that? Every sport has a fantasy sport associated with it, but fantasy football is the most popular. There are people I know who have become more interested in the NFL after playing fantasy football. The excitement and fun it brings is unexplainable unless you play it.  And it’s not just watching your players perform and winning your match-ups that makes it enjoyable; the draft is the most exciting part. It’s a whole day event that is dedicated to football and more importantly picking your future championship fantasy team. From the pre-draft barbeque to the five-hour long draft marathon, it’s simply an amazing day of fun. It’s hard to not be excited about the NFL season after drafting your fantasy team. Just like in anything else, you want to see how well you did. Honestly, this is the largest reason why I’m excited for the NFL season, I can’t wait to repeat as champion in my league.

I will definitely be one of the millions of people watching the season kick-off, because there is nothing better then football season—but only if it includes fantasy football as well.  There is nothing better than watching your fantasy players and your favorite team play on Sunday. Fantasy football makes you watch more games because you want to watch your players succeed. More games equals more entertainment, I’ll take that.