Broadside Sports

Fernanda Bartels, Staff Writer

The last couple of weeks were midterm evaluation period. It is time for midterm evaluations in the classroom and also on the court. Besides finals period, midterms are the second most stressful part of the semester. All the deadlines for major projects, papers, presentations and exams seem to accumulate in one week.

If you are lucky, your “hell week” may be spread in two weeks. It is exam after exam on top of endless homework. We also encounter the exhaustion of the college routine around midterm time. The lack of sleep reaches its limit, and there never seems to be enough time. Thank God for Thanksgiving Break, otherwise we would not survive finals.

The weather also changes by the middle of the semester to contribute to the chaos and stress around midterm time. With your immune system low because of the nights you spent awake studying, or in my case the poor-quality sleep I get during flights and bus rides, a simple weather change can put you in bed. All of these factors combined help set the context for midterm evaluations.

Just like in the classroom, we have just passed the middle of our volleyball “semester.” We have played nine out of 14 conference matches and we are close to the end of the season. By the middle of the season, the teams have shown who they are and what they are willing to bring to the court.

Some teams break down, others rise to success. Some teams let their guard down, others become more aggressive. For example, our rival James Madison Dukes, ranked ninth in the conference, beat the Delaware Blue Hens, the top ranked team. Does that mean JMU passed their midterm exam? For me, their victory against Delaware was huge, but it is only a “bonus question” they got right on the exam.

So what is our midterm grade? Considering that we are ranked fourth, have played some tough teams and have felt comfortable winning, I would give us a B+. We are a B-rated and not an A-rated team, because we are not ranked first or second, but I would give us a “plus” for being consistent and for how far we came along in terms of progress.

The question is whether we are strong and focused enough to make that B+ become an A by finals time. It will all depend on how we face the rest of the season. If we keep doing our “homework,” by taking care of our game and keeping our level of play, we will definitely raise our grade to an A.

Sophomore middle blocker Kelsey Bohman recorded nine blocks as Mason totaled 12 team blocks in their 3-0 sweep over the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks on Friday night. Sophomore outside hitter Noelle Fanella added a double-double with 14 kills and 14 digs. Mason improved to 18-7 overall, and despite staying in fourth place, the competition among the top four teams tightened as the Delaware Blue Hens dropped a five-set thriller to the VCU Rams.

Mason is just a half game behind the two second-place teams, Rams and William & Mary Tribe, but after Friday night, Mason closed the gap to one game on the Blue Hens. Mason hosts the Georgia State Panthers at the RAC tomorrow night. The Panthers are another tough customer despite not having a good showing in conference play thus far. Not only will Mason try to prevent the upset to solidify a top four spot, but the team looks to contend for a spot on top of the standings by the season’s end.

Ryan Comer, Broadside Correspondent

A new intramural sport is literally sweeping through college campuses. Quidditch, the beloved wizard sport in the Harry Potter series, is now accessible to Muggles: no magic needed!

Some of you may be wondering: “How do you play Quidditch without a flying broomstick?” I, myself was curious, so I sat down with the president of the Quidditch Club at George Mason University, Katie Dever, and executive board member Chloe Kingsley-Burt, and asked them.

They explained that the Muggle version of the game is actually very similar to the version in J.K Rowling’s books (albeit, without flying broomsticks). There are, as in a normal Quidditch game, seven players per team: three chasers, two beaters, one keeper and one seeker.

Bludgers are replaced by a more benign ball (a dodgeball), however, as the girls explained, it is still a contact sport.

“You can punch someone in the face and not be ejected,” explained Dever. However, “you will have to sit out for a penalty period.”

Indeed, the game sounds exciting, even more so when you factor in the Golden Snitch. Because of a shortage of actual flying Snitches, Muggle Quidditch uses a person (usually a track athlete, explained Kingsley-Burt) with a tennis ball in a sock attached to their back.

The teams’ seekers have to catch the tennis ball, “kind of like flag football,” explained Dever. What makes the Snitch so intriguing is that he can go anywhere on campus. “The Snitch could be here in the Johnson Center,” said Dever.

How popular is Muggle Quidditch, then? The girls explained that there are over 200 teams worldwide and around 70 in North America. There are already four non-Intercollegiate Quidditch Association affiliated teams at Mason (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff) with starting rosters.

The club has a Facebook group with around 65 members, so there is plenty of interest at Mason. However, the girls say that even more people would show interest if they were not “afraid of being thought of as a dorky kid.”

The group, at this point, is not an official club at Mason.

“We have plenty of people interested,” said Dever, “we just need a teacher sponsor.”

The girls plan on starting games in the spring, regardless of the club’s official status. Their overall goal, however, is to become affiliated with IQA and compete against other schools across the nation. In fact, there is even a World Cup that the team would compete in if it qualified.

If anyone is interested in joining the club, you can e-mail gmuquidditch@yahoo.com or search “GMU Quidditch” on Facebook.

“Don’t judge it,” said Dever. “It’s something fun.”

Patrick Wall, Style Editor

Monday Night Football features division rivals with a lot to prove tonight as the Washington Redskins play host to the neighboring Philadelphia Eagles.

Last week was forgettable for both teams. The Eagles’ normally potent offense sputtered against the Raiders’ defense and could not muster a touchdown in an embarrassing 13-9 loss in Oakland.
Playcalling was largely to blame, as the Eagles ran the ball only 12 times all game.

“[The] Raiders out-coached us and they outplayed us in every phase of the game,” Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid said after last week’s game. “[They] did a heck of a job and we didn’t. And it hurts.”

Play calling has also been an issue for the ‘Skins. General Manager Vinny Cerrato stripped Head Coach Jim Zorn of his play calling duties following last week’s 14-6 home loss to the then-winless Chiefs.

Washington’s locker room has been a somber place in recent weeks. Several players openly questioned the team’s direction last week.

Cornerback Carlos Rogers made news when he called out team owner Daniel Snyder, saying that everyone in the organization was responsible for the team’s struggles, starting with Snyder.

Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell will be starting on Monday, even though he took a seat at halftime for veteran signal caller Todd Collins.

The Redskins swept the Eagles last year, and have won three of their past four meetings. In Week 16 of last season, the Eagles needed to beat Washington to secure a playoff birth.

In dramatic fashion, Washington’s LaRon Landry and Fred Smoot stopped wide receiver Reggie Brown at the goal line as the Skins won, 10-3.

Anyone who follows the NFC East knows that statistics do not mean a whole lot in division games.

“Whenever you play a team like this, you know that you are going to get their best and you’re going to compete at a high level,” Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said last Thursday.

“You want to match their intensity and come out with the best results.”

Monday night’s showdown looks to be a low-scoring affair. Both teams are in the top five in total defense and passing defense.

The Eagles may have to rely on running back Brian Westbrook, who has seen his workload decrease this season with the addition of rookie LeSean McCoy.

For Washington, the switch in play callers might work in running back Clinton Portis’ favor. Portis is seventh among running backs in total yards with 447 yards and a rushing touchdown.

Portis is Washington’s second all-time leading rusher, less than 1,000 yards behind the great John Riggins.

In the end, Monday night is about getting the win.

“We are playing against a team that really doesn’t care what happened in the past couple of weeks, because I am sure they are trying to forget what happened in the previous weeks,” McNabb said Thursday.

“When you play against a team that you see twice a year, for your first opportunity you want to kind of make your mark and you want to kind of set a statement. That goes for both teams,” said McNabb.

John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor

The George Mason University Patriots soared past the William & Mary Tribe 3-0 Friday night, led by junior midfielder Omolyn Davis’ hat trick.

The Patriots picked up the win in overtime, winning for the first time in Williamsburg since 2000.

The Patriots (12-4-2, 4-3-2) are in fifth place in the Colonial Athletic Association, now ahead of the Tribe (10-7, 4-5) in the season’s overall standings and in conference play.

A Tribe member, junior defender Kaitlin O’Conner nailed a goal off freshman goalkeeper Katie Frey’s hands at the 50-minure mark for the first Tribe goal of the game.

The Patriots, never down during the entire game, allowed a goal with 54 seconds left in the game, sending the contest into overtime.

Freshman forward Tiana Kallenberger was credited with assists on the first two goals.

“Tiana continues to play much older than a freshman. Our seniors continue to lead this group. I am very proud of their character,” said Head Coach Diane Drake of Kallenberger’s success in feeding the ball throughout the game, as stated by GoMason.com.

Kallenberger was also given a yellow card in the 86th minute by referee Andrew Chapin.

Senior forward Theresa DeLucca was also credited with an assist on the first foal of the game.

Oddly, there was only one offside call for each team throughout the entire game, showing the special attention paid by the forwards on each team.

The focus of the game was on Davis, who earned her eighth, ninth, and 10th goals of the season, with the final goal of her hat trick coming five-and-a-half minutes into overtime.

The Tribe took 20 shots on Frey. She was able to stop five shots, allowing only two goals all game.
The Patriots only took 10 shots, but were able to make the most of them, scoring three times during the night game.

The Patriots, playing in front of 215 fans of the game, scored in each half, as well as overtime, of course.
After the game, the team matched their highest win total since the 2000 season with 12 wins.

One more win would give the Patriots their highest win total since their 14-win 2007 season.

The Patriots played their last road game at Old Dominion University Sunday afternoon.

Mason looks to wrap up their regular season with a win over the Towson Tigers at 4 p.m. this Saturday.

Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Caution: The gym floor may be slippery.

The women’s volleyball team committed a few errors early in the match and had trouble staying on their feet, but the team (17-6, 6-2) swept past the Towson Tigers (25-23, 25-22, 25-17) on Friday night, winning their fourth consecutive match.

With the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens falling to the last-place James Madison Dukes in a huge upset on Friday night, Mason remained third in the Colonial Athletic Association, but crept closer to the conference leader. The two powerhouses clashed at the RAC on Saturday. For Mason, they are competing on all cylinders in what turns out to be an enjoyable season.

“It’s always more fun to win, and we’ve been working really hard,” said sophomore outside hitter Noelle Fanella. “It’s really showing, and I think a lot of people are really excited about how well we’re doing. Compared to last year, it is a lot more fun.”

After Mason took a 5-3 lead in the first set, the Tigers responded with the next six points and eventually built a 16-12 lead. Mason committed five attack errors in the Tigers’ first 10 points. While staying positive, Mason came together and went on an 8-2 run to take a 20-18 lead. Both teams battled back and forth, but Mason prevailed to take the first set, 25-23.

“Anytime we fall behind, we just want to get back into our play by staying focused,” said sophomore libero Katrina Boryc.

From the very beginning, the players started slipping on the floor. In one instance, senior outside hitter Rebecca Walter, who was away from the ball, slipped on the floor and eventually started carrying her own towel.

“The slippery floor was mostly because of us,” said Boryc. “It was because we were working hard. It kind of happens every single game, but it’s normal for us.”

Mason fell behind early in the second set with the Tigers taking the first three points, but as Mason rallied, the team never looked back. Mason led by as much as five points in the second set, but the Tigers did not give up easily. The Tigers closed the gap to 23-21 late in the set. A powerful kill from Fanella put the icing in the second set.

Boryc recorded 15 digs, but Friday’s match marked her first career kill at the collegiate level. She and her teammates celebrated her rare kill as Mason took a 19-14 lead in the second set.

Carrying a two-set lead, Mason jumped out to a 7-1 lead, but the Tigers fought back to pull within 7-5. Mason prevented a rally from extending the match as they cruised through the third set, 25-17. In the third set, Mason posted a .333 attack percentage.

“Towson definitely showed up ready to play, and we started a little bit slow.” said Head Coach Pat Kendrick. “I thought in the second set we were a little bit slow, but we were able to carry the momentum through to the third.”

Fanella, along with Walter, led Mason with 11 kills apiece. Fanella entered Saturday’s match against the Blue Hens second on the team with 193 kills. Fanella, who is equipped with a powerful serve, continues to develop in just her second year. She added 14 digs on the defensive side.

Junior middle blocker and outside hitter Holly Goode, who earned CAA Co-Player of the Week honors last week, tallied nine kills to add onto her team-leading 229 kills.

No one on the Tigers recorded double-digit kills, but outside hitter Britney Loomis led them with seven kills, giving her exactly 200 kills for the season. The Tigers fell to 0-6 on the road.

With the win, Mason increased their chances in qualifying for the CAA Tournament. The last time Mason played in the postseason was in 2006, and the last time the team finished in the top four was in 2004. With a consistent showing day in and day out, Mason is eager to revisit the CAA Tournament.

“It feels really good [to be competing for a tournament berth],” said Kendrick. “It was something that we set out as one of our team goals was to be one of the top four teams, and I think to this point that we played like a team that deserves a shot.”

Mason has played equally well on the road and at home. The team improved to 6-2 at home.

“I think we have shown that we can play in any gym, which is good because we certainly don’t know where the conference tournament is going to be,” said Kendrick. “It’s a little challenging sometimes to go play in another gym because [we’re] not as familiar with it. Right now, I think we’re taking care of the ball really well and moving the ball all around. Fernanda [Bartels] is doing a good job distributing the ball to the hitters, and the players are coming up with big plays when they need to.”

Winning on a consistent basis and enjoying strong team chemistry, Mason appears to be headed in the right direction. Even a slippery floor cannot stop Mason in its tracks.

Ryan Dempsey, Staff Writer

NFL

Former Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson believes the Bears did everything in their power to keep him from signing with another team.

Benson was released in June 2008 after being arrested two different times for alcohol-related issues.

Benson will finally come face-to-face with his former team, as his new team the Cincinnati Bengals, host the Bears. Benson has insisted that he is not out for revenge, despite having bad feelings.

“I heard all the rumors that were said coming out of Chicago,” Benson said. “Even the Bengals told me all the things, that they would call and inquire about me and get nothing but negative things.

Just that I didn’t work hard, that I was, I guess, a prima donna or I didn’t work hard on the field, just wasn’t focused, just anything negative that they could say, it was said. I’m sure that contributed largely to me not getting picked up right away.”

NBA

There are a lot of things a team can do in attempts to improve their team, but what about relocating?

The New Jersey Nets, who have not had a winning season since the 2005-06 season and who have started the season in last place, are considering moving their team to Newark while their new Brooklyn stadium is being built.

The Star-Ledger reported Thursday that “the Nets were considering playing regular-season games at the Prudential Center, as long as they do not have to pay an $8 million penalty to get out of their lease at the Meadowlands.”

The Nets have already had some transitioning issues as Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov agreed to invest $200 million to acquire 80 percent of the NBA team and 45 percent of the arena project.

MLB

It seems that Major League Baseball umpires cannot get anything right, missing clear calls in nearly every game of the playoffs this season. The inconsistency of calls could be why the MLB is breaking tradition and sticking with only experienced umpires for the World Series.

At least two first-time World Series umpires have been on the last five World Series’ crews. Starting in 1983, the only crew that did not include a new World Series umpire was 1997.

Hopefully using more experienced referees will increase the correct calls being made, but even that is no guarantee.

What the MLB needs is the ability to give teams an allotment of instant replay challenges.

Until something changes, the game of baseball will be flawed with errors of referees who believe their opinion and call is the only thing that matters.

Cody Norman, Broadside Correspondent

The George Mason University men’s soccer team lost its second-straight Colonial Athletic Association game, losing to the Hofstra Pride by a final score of 2-0 on Wednesday night.

After the loss, the Patriots’ record fell to 8-5-1 overall and 3-3-1 in CAA conference matches. With 10 points, the Patriots are in sixth place in the conference with only four contests remaining in the 2009 season.

On the other hand, the Pride continue to hold the lead in the CAA standings. Despite having a 7-5-1 overall record, five of their wins have come against conference opponents.

The Pride took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half after a 25-yard shot by midfielder Rob Youhill found the upper-right corner of the net. Youhill notched his fifth goal of the season.

They added to their lead in the final minutes when Hofstra forward Johannes Grahn beat senior goalkeeper Sean Kelley on a penalty kick for the final goal of the contest. Grahn added his team-leading sixth goal of the season.

The Patriots missed on their best scoring opportunity just moments prior to the Pride’s first goal.

After a cross from the right sideline found sophomore forward Draymond Washington inside the penalty box, Washington took a low shot at the goal but Hofstra goalkeeper Greg Cumpstone smothered the ball to keep the game scoreless.

Washington, who entered the game tied for the lead on the team with four goals, nearly tallied his fifth of the season.

Mason trails the Pride by six points in the standings, but they are still fighting for a spot in the conference tournament.

Mason will need to catch up to the William & Mary Tribe, who are currently fourth in the CAA with 13 points, to clinch a spot in the tournament.

The team will have two tough opponents in the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks and Old Dominion Monarchs in the final two games of the regular season.

The Patriots returned to action against the Georgia State Panthers on Oct. 24 for a 7 p.m. kickoff at George Mason Stadium.

Fernanda Bartels, Staff Writer

There are two things in particular that make volleyball more enjoyable for me.

The first one is the people involved in the sport: Teammates, coaches, fans, supporters, alumni, parents, friends, trainers and even the opponents. These people make the experience of volleyball memorable.
Because I am a “people person,” I really value these interactions and try to take the most of them. For me, the interaction with people transforms simple moments into something extraordinary.

Twenty years from now, when I look back over my collegiate volleyball years, I am positive that I will still remember every person that made a difference for me during those years. Maybe I will remember a joke someone made during a trip or a habit one of my teammates had. I hope I can also remember matches that stood out or the unbelievable plays that are worth telling my kids.

For me, the opportunity to visit different places is the second thing that adds the most to the experience of playing volleyball. This season, we had the opportunity to walk around Boston. We went downtown to walk around the markets, try some local food and do some shopping.

Other than Boston, during my years at Mason, I had the chance to see a little bit of Indiana, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and other states on the East Coast. As an international student, I appreciate every opportunity to learn and experience the American culture.

Besides the road trips, we also have the opportunity to meet people from various parts of America and different countries. I live with my two Australian teammates, Rebecca Walter and Sam Simmonds. This past summer, I went to Australia to visit them. I had free accommodation and tourist guides in two different parts of Australia because of volleyball. Bec and Sam are graduating next spring, and we have considered travelling throughout America before they head back to Australia.

We would have places to stay throughout the country because of volleyball–going from Pennsylvania to Hawaii, passing through Illinois, Nebraska, Arizona, Washington and California.

Because of the popularity of the sport in Europe and in other parts of the world, there are several opportunities to play overseas. It is just a matter of connections. Hopefully, America will not be the final destination of my volleyball journey.

As my volleyball career continues, I hope to collect more cultural and interpersonal experiences in my suitcase. They are my souvenirs and constitute the core of my memories. I am hoping to have a diverse collection of them.

Yasin Jama, Broadside Correspondent

The George Mason men’s soccer team continues CAA play as they host the Georgia State Panthers on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Mason enters the game with an 8-3-1 overall record and a 3-1-1 record in conference play.

Mason has won six of the past seven games, with their only loss coming at home to the Towson Tigers. The Patriots are led by a potent offensive attack from junior forward Victor Freeman. Freeman is among two players that lead the team in goals.

Freeman has four goals, three assists, and 11 points. The other leader in goals is sophomore forward Draymond Washington, who also has four goals, two assists, and 10 points.

However, goalkeeping has been a major key for Mason’s early success this season. Senior goalkeeper Sean Kelley leads the CAA with 43 saves and is second in the league with five shutouts. When Kelley is playing well, the team is tough to beat.

The Patriots will face a very young and struggling Panthers squad, which enters with a 3-5-1 record and a 1-4-1 record in conference play. Two of those three victories were on the road.

Freshman Gimel Gordon is the team leader with three goals and seven points. With the team only having three seniors and 13 freshmen, defense and penalties have been problems for Georgia State.

During their last nine games, the Panthers have been outshot 115-84 by their opponents. Also, the Panthers committed 24 more fouls than their opponents.

Look for the Patriots to take advantage against a very weak Georgia State defense.