Broadside Sports

Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Head Coach Jim Larranaga has always praised Louis Birdsong’s athleticism. On Wednesday night, the senior forward received the starting nod and thrived from all angles as the men’s basketball team topped the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 77-66 to win its 16th consecutive home game against a conference opponent.

Mason jumped out to an early 12-2 lead, and after the Blue Hens closed the gap to 14-10, the Patriots regained its composure and went on a 17-0 run. Coming off a three-game road trip, the team’s offensive explosion had not gone away, going into halftime with a 38-17 lead.

In the first half, Mason shot on all cylinders, making 6-of-10 shots from long distance. Sophomore guard Andre Cornelius had the hot hand with 12 points on 3-of-4 from behind the arc in the first half.

For the first 20 minutes, the defense completely locked down on the Blue Hens’ two leading scorers: guards Jawan Carter and Alphonso Dawson. Both players combined for just 1-of-12 shooting and two points.

“In the first half, everyone had good intensity,” said Cornelius. “We [were] playing good defense, and we let down a little bit in the second half, but we picked it back up again in the last five minutes.”

The Patriots held the Blue Hens to a 23.3 field goal percentage and blocked seven shots. Birdsong recorded all three of his blocks in the first half.

“[Birdsong is] very aggressive defensively in defending his man, but he also likes to come over and block shots when someone gets beat, so I think he played a typical ‘Louis Birdsong’ game,” said Larranaga. “It was a normal game for him, but he played a lot of minutes tonight.”

Birdsong, who played 24 minutes in the previous three games, logged in a season-high 29 minutes in the win over the Blue Hens.

Birdsong filled in as a starter for sophomore forward Ryan Pearson, who was out with a strained hamstring.

“The main thing was to step up because [Pearson] was averaging double figures, and he has been rebounding and playing defense, so I had to make up for that,” said Birdsong.

After a productive first half, Birdsong, who recorded season-highs with 11 points and seven rebounds, continued to provide the team with strong play on both sides of the court.

Both teams displayed their physicality. With 12 minutes left to play, sophomore forward Mike Morrison, who scored 10 points, went up to grab a rebound, but during the process, he got tangled up with the Blue Hens’ forward Hakim McCullar.

Both players received technical fouls and had to be restrained by their teammates.

The Blue Hens closed within 12 points with four minutes left. Junior guard Isaiah Tate sank a 3-pointer to bring the Blue Hens’ momentum to a halt.

Although the team was outscored 49-39 in the second half, junior guard Cam Long led the team with 18 points after being held to five points in the first half.

Even though Mason had success on the road, improving to 4-4 away from the Patriot Center, the team was able to show as much consistency at home.

“The three road games were very important for our confidence level and also to stay in the race in the league,” said Larranaga. “Coming home is very nice because the students are so supportive.”

The Blue Hens were led by Carter with 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field. Carter added eight assists and two steals, but the Blue Hens were unable to receive any backup.

Center Adam Pegg, who came into the game with 3.6 points per game, scored in double-digits for the third time this season, adding 10 points.

Mason improved to 14-7 overall and 9-1 in the conference, while the Blue Hens dropped to 6-15 overall and 2-8 in conference play.

John Powell, Assistant Sports Editor

Freshman forward Tiana Kallenberger has been devoted to sports and has used her skills at George Mason University to power through defenses to put herself in the running for conference awards.

Before coming to Mason, she played for the Trojans of University High School in Irvine, Calif.

More than a decade ago, Kallenberger’s parents pushed her to play a wide variety of sports, throwing her into the world of an athlete at a young age.

She spent her time playing soccer, basketball and swimming, while involved in student council and some school clubs.

“In the beginning, I had [no skill]; it was just a bunch of running around,” Kallenberger said of the beginning of her soccer career.

Her coaches molded her into an impact soccer player, which became her biggest influence in the game.

“In addition to her exceptional soccer skills and natural athleticism, Tiana is also an extremely hard working and dedicated person,” said her former high school coach Chip Fuller. “Her individual work ethic is very rare in someone so young.”

In high school, this led to Tiana receiving All-League and All-County honors.

This season, she looked to make an impact and bring something different. Her motivation for playing the college game showed as she was constantly running, both in practice and during games.

In high school, Kallenberger gained all-conference honors beginning in her sophomore year, and was named one of the “2009 Ten Players to Watch” on her county newspaper’s website.

Her biggest college soccer moment of the short season came when the team went to the William & Mary Invitational and beat the University of California, Santa Barbara 3-1.

“It was big beating a West Coast team,” Kallenberger said of the game, adding that she knew most of the team and many players from her home state of California. Located in Irvine, Calif., University High School is less than 200 miles from Santa Barbara.

Off the field, Kallenberger was the freshman, gaining the “responsibilities” that come with the job.
The most common of these were carrying the balls and pinnies for games and practices.

On the field, however, she set a tone with her work ethic, making sure to encourage the entire team.

“She is a fun person to be around,” said Fuller. “She has a bubbly personality and is a friend to everyone. I personally enjoyed having had the privilege to coach such an exceptional young lady.”

Obviously, her efforts were noticed both in high school plays and during her freshman year at Mason.
“I wanted to make an impact and bring something different to the team,” Kallenberger said. “I loved it . . . it was the best experience.”

This encouragement, along with the encouragement from her other teammates, brought everyone together on and off the field, creating the bond of a family that every successful team must share.

“We had amazing team chemistry, even through the difficulties,” Kallenberger said of the team atmosphere and chemistry. “[Coach Diane Drake] puts a lot into the team and tries to have one ‘fun’ practice each week.”

This was exemplified the most by the team’s record.

In the 2008 season, the team only managed to accrue five wins.

The team tied a conference record by doing nine games better than the previous season, going 14-4-2.

“I felt that I could come out to show that a freshman can start and can play well,” Kallenberger said in response to realizing the team’s conference record single-season improvement in wins.

Kallenberger, who was spoken of by Drake as “the complete player,” truly showed that a freshman can start, play and make a big impact on the team.

However, Kallenberger was sure to speak of her entire team: Drake, who turned the season around, Katie Frey, the freshman goaltender who recorded eight shutouts and senior midfielder Omolyn Davis, who scored a hat trick and was awarded multiple awards for her season play.

This freshman has made a difference already, but the team, the coaches and the fans expect bigger things from her in the future.

Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Already one of the largest universities in the state of Virginia and the school with the largest attendance in the Colonial Athletic Association at the men’s basketball games, George Mason University has renewed its competitive rivalry with Virginia Commonwealth University to a whole new level: to obtain the most new Facebook fans.

In a span of 22 days, the two schools will partake in the first-ever Facebook Face-Off, a contest to bring in the most new fans.

The contest, which began at noon last Tuesday, will conclude at the same time on Saturday, Feb. 9.

The winning school will be revealed at halftime during the men’s basketball game between Mason and VCU.
The idea for the Facebook Face-Off originated from a contest between Louisiana State University and Texas A&M University for football, which led to Tammy Berwanger, the project manager in the VCU Department of Marketing, introducing the competition in the CAA last November. Both schools got on board with the contest.

“Late last year, someone from the marketing department at VCU contacted us about it,” said Tara Laskowski, manager in the Office of Media and Public Relations.

“They’ve been doing work in social media and on Facebook. They thought because George Mason and VCU are the two largest schools in Virginia, it might be fun to have a friendly competition between the schools.
“We thought it was cool because we are trying to use Facebook more as well. We already know most of our students are on Facebook, and it’s a good way to get information about Mason.”

Fans who participated in the Facebook Face-Off will also have the opportunity to four premium seats at the Homecoming game on Feb. 20.

To enter for free tickets to the Homecoming game, fans will also have to write their favorite Mason tradition on the contest’s Facebook wall.

Participants will have until noon on Feb. 9 to provide their answer. The winner will be randomly drawn and notified by Feb. 15.

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia reported 32,067 enrolled at Mason and 32,434 at VCU last semester.

Both schools received recognition in the U.S. News & World Report for 2009.

Mason was ranked as the top national university to watch while VCU School of the Arts received a #1 ranking for public university school of arts and design in the country.

As of last Friday, Mason exceeded the 10,000-fan mark while VCU had over 15,000 fans. Mason brought in approximately 2,000 new fans, but VCU has doubled its lead since the competition began last week.

Even though Mason still trails VCU, the school is using a number of tactics to attract more fans.

“We are providing the information on Facebook and trying to encourage the fans we have now to share it with their friends,” said Laskowski. “We are also handing out flyers at the Johnson Center and at the home games.”

Information regarding the Facebook Face-Off can be found at http://beatvcu.gmu.edu or http://www.facebook.com/georgemason.

Yasin Jama, Staff Writer

The men’s basketball team continued its hot streak in conference play this past Tuesday in Hempstead, N.Y., defeating the Hofstra Pride 90-72. Mason (12-7, 7-1) extended its win streak to four games and won its second straight road game. The team won its fifth straight against the Pride (9-11, 2-6).

Junior guard Cam Long led the Patriots with a career-high 27 points and seven assists, shooting 9-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range. In his last game, Long matched his career high of 24 points.
Mason also received key contributions from the three sophomores on the team.

Scoring in double figures were forwards Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison with 19 points and 10, respectively, and guard Andre Cornelius with 18.

Pearson nearly recorded his second double-double of the season, falling one rebound shy.

Mason started the contest red hot from the floor, similar to last weekend’s game against the James Madison Dukes.

On Tuesday night, Mason shot 46.7 percent from the field, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range. Mason closed the first half with a 13-6 run to hold a 38-30 lead. Mason never trailed in the second half, building their lead as much as 20 points. The Patriots shot tremendously well in the second half, making 66.7 percent on 24 attempts.

Hofstra struggled from the field throughout the contest, shooting only 39 percent in the first half and 40 percent in the game. Hofstra had two players with 20 or more points in the contest.

Guards Charles Jenkins and Chaz Williams recorded 26 points and 20, respectively. Jenkins raised his scoring season average to 18.6 points after the loss.

After the VCU Rams routed the William & Mary Tribe with a 22-point victory, the conference leader was nailed down to three teams: Mason, Old Dominion Monarchs and the Northeastern Huskies.

It was crucial for Mason to win on the road, improving their overall road record to 3-4 and 3-1 in the conference.

Mason wrapped up their road trip Saturday, against the Towson Tigers.

Entering the game, Mason was a perfect 15-0 against the Tigers since Towson’s inception in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Chris DeMarco, Staff Writer

Blue Jay Flies South
Roy Halladay is considered to be one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last decade. Many top-tier teams were in hot pursuit of his services at the trading deadline last season, but no one could seem to match the ridiculous asking price that then-Toronto Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Riccardi was asking in return. One of those teams in pursuit of Halladay was the then-defending champs Philadelphia Phillies. The Blue Jays were asking the Phillies to give up their top prospects, and the Phillies initially balked at the idea and turned to the Cleveland Indians, landing Cliff Lee in what was considered to be the top move of last season.

Since contract negotiations stalled with Lee, the Phillies finally made the deal for Halladay happen by sending top prospects Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor to the Blue Jays. The Phillies immediately agreed on a three-year, $60 million extension with Halladay. This move marked the second big deal since July in which the Phillies landed a former Cy Young-winning pitcher. This was one of many moves the Phillies needed to make to remain the top team in the National League. With Halladay under contract for the next three seasons following the upcoming season, the Phillies will remain the team to beat in the National League.

Phillies Trade Ace Away
Cliff Lee was by far the most dominant pitcher during last postseason. His pitching, along with Chase Utley’s clutch hitting, are the only reasons the Phillies kept up with the Yankees in the World Series. When the news broke that Lee was going to be traded to help replace all the prospects the Phillies had given up in acquiring both Lee and Halladay, it came as a shock to the baseball world. The move could be considered a bad trade for the Phillies because, had they kept him, their rotation could have possibly included three former Cy Young Award winners in Lee, Halladay and Pedro Martinez.

A Phillies loss is definitely a huge gain for the Seattle Mariners. With the acquiring of Lee, the Mariners are now the front runners to win the American League West Division.

With the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim losing a lot of key players, the Mariners are now the team to beat with the best one-two punch at the front end of their rotation in Felix Hernandez and Lee. With the Mariners overachieving to a respectable 85-77 record last year, one can expect that the acquisition of Lee will only help that 85-win total go up this upcoming season.

The Evil Empire Strikes Again
Just when we thought the Yankees could not possibly add anymore stars to their already stacked lineup, they do it again.

After being involved in a three-team trade, the Yankees landed All-Star outfielder Curtis Granderson from the Detroit Tigers.

With the move, the Yankees strengthened the weakest part of their lineup. The most important aspect of this move is the fact that the defending world champions upgraded themselves and put them in line to have an excellent shot at defending their title.

The Yankees were already solid prior to the trade and now have a tough lineup from top to bottom.

Also, with adding Granderson, they get younger. They let the 36-year-old Johnny Damon and the 35-year-old Hideki Matsui walk after they acquired Granderson.

Those are some pretty huge shoes to fill because both were vital to the Yankees defeating the Phillies in the World Series last season.

However, the one-time All-Star should not have any problems making up for what both Damon and Matsui have contributed over the years.

Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

It Takes Two to Close
After exhibiting a reluctance to spend money last offseason, many teams have taken a different route this winter, signing relief pitchers – not even the premium guys – to multi-year contracts. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signing Fernando Rodney for two years and $11 million to consolidate the back-end of the bullpen poses a challenge for Brian Fuentes.

Despite picking up a career-high and major league-leading 48 saves, Fuentes blew seven save opportunities and had his lowest strikeout rate in his career. The Rodney acquisition may signify the Angels’ distrust in Fuentes holding the closer incumbency without a little competition.

With the Detroit Tigers last season, Rodney converted 37 of 38 saves. Known for his mid-90s gas, Rodney saw his groundball rate swell to 57.9 percent with his effective changeup. Yet, in spite of the positive aspects from 2009, Rodney still struggled with his control. He walked 4.88 batters per nine innings (BB/9), an improvement from 6.69 BB/9 in 2008, but in addition to a plunge in his strikeout rate, his strikeout-to-walk ratio actually decreased as well. Rodney’s role for 2010 is undetermined since Fuentes will likely reprise his role as the closer, but the Rodney signing does not make up for the losses of John Lackey and Chone Figgins.

Risky Business for the Diamondbacks
In his major league debut as a 20-year-old, Edwin Jackson was the kid who outpitched the future Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson and the Arizona Diamondbacks. After six years, the kid returns to where he began his major league career, in Arizona. In a three-way trade with the Tigers and the New York Yankees, the Diamondbacks acquired Jackson and another pitcher, Ian Kennedy. Last season, Jackson had a surprisingly dominant start as opposing batters hit in the low .200s off him in the first three months. Then, he was no longer unhittable as he regressed to his normal rates.

The Diamondbacks shored up their rotation with Jackson and Kennedy, neither of whom are as valuable as the pitcher they gave up. Max Scherzer, the Diamondbacks’ first round pick from the 2006 draft, emerged as a solid strikeout pitcher. Now, Scherzer can further develop into a solid starter with the Tigers. Kennedy, another first round pick from the 2006 draft class, had an abysmal 2008 season at the major league level and missed most of 2009. Kennedy still has room for potential, but the Diamondbacks are major risk takers in unearthing the high reward in the former Yankees’ pitching prospect.

On Top of the Hill in Washington
Before their prized pitching prospect Stephen Strasburg walks down the red carpet, the Washington Nationals seek to bolster the rotation.

Even after signing veteran Jason Marquis, there are still many voids in the rotation. John Lannan is not necessarily an ace, but he is the Nationals’ best pitcher from last season.

Marquis and Lannan draw similar comparisons and even though Marquis has the edge in experience, the Nationals would be in a similar predicament if they were to consider Marquis for the ace slot. This situation does not provide much of a shock for a perennial last place team.

In Marquis’ case, he induced more groundballs and gradually improved his home run allowed rate from 1.62 home runs per nine innings (HR/9) in 2006 to 0.63 HR/9 last season. Signing Marquis for two years and $15 million may provide good value to the Nationals, but this also creates a problem for their future.

It came down to the wire to settle on a contract with Strasburg, and for the upcoming draft, the Nationals are expected to select the 17-year-old phenom Bryce Harper with the top pick.

To avoid another last-minute drama session, the Nationals could have settled for cheaper options because Marquis only makes the Nationals a marginally better team.

Fernanda Bartels, Staff Writer

The men’s volleyball team started their season last Saturday against Lees-McRae College. The Patriots finished last season with a 14-16 overall record and a 5-7 conference record. With new faces and a changed lineup, the team looks to be as strong as ever.

“We are going to be a more evenly balanced team than we were last year,” said Head Coach Fred Chao. “We won’t be necessarily as big, especially in our outside hitter’s slots, but I think the quality of the volleyball players that we are going to have in those positions is going to be very good.”

Senior outside hitter Luke Maloney and junior outside hitter and libero Eric Lucas are key players on the court.

“[Maloney and Lucas] are our best overall volleyball players,” said Chao. “We are going to need them on the court on whatever capacity” said Chao.

Lucas switched his position from libero to outside hitter for this season. He was the starting libero last season, leading the team with 309 digs, the highest single-season total in school history and the second-best total of all time.

After having a great season in 2009, Maloney enters his last season at Mason. He was ranked 21st in the nation in aces per set in 2009 and second on the team with 35 service aces.

Both players will play important roles this season with the absence of last year’s graduates, Kyle Gramit and Brandon McLaughlin. Senior opposite hitter Ben Nichols will have to fill the void for Gramit ,while senior opposite hitter Ryan Kwiatkowski will make the switch from the setting position.

Maloney and Lucas are the main defensive players of the team. Lucas had an average of 2.83 digs per set last season, while Maloney added 151 digs. In order to have a strong defense, the team has put up a consistent block.

“I’m still counting on our blocking to score some points,” said Chao. “We are a [well-disciplined] blocking team, and defensively we can dig a lot of balls around our block and just take more swings. I think we are going to have more chances to win points.”

As middle blockers, sophomore Shaun Sibley, freshman Piotr Dabrowski and sophomore Lance Rogers are the main responsible players for putting up a solid block. Sibley, Rogers and Dabrowski will be fighting for a middle blocker starting position on the team. Dabrowski, who recorded a school-record 108 blocks in his junior year at Glenbard East High School in Lombard, Ill., is one of the freshmen to watch.

Dabrowski, outside hitter Mark Jones and opposite hitter Robert Stoeckinger are three players from Volleyball Magazine’s Fab 50 List. Along with Dabrowski, freshman setter Javier Perez will be fighting for court time.

“[Perez] is just a fantastic volleyball player,” said Chao. “He is a great setter, from a variety [of] different views [and] he locates the ball well. He influences everybody in such a positive way that [it] doesn’t matter who is on the court with him; they are going to try to play the best for him.”

The Patriots open their conference events with a pair of matches on Feb. 5th and 6th at the RAC against the Springfield Pride and Princeton Tigers, respectively.

Chris DeMarco, Staff Writer

The past decade of baseball has been deemed the “Steroids Era” of the game. Over the past four years, the game’s writers have had a very difficult decision to make in regards to one of the faces of that era.

Four years ago, Mark McGwire became eligible for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was unable to receive the required 75 percent, getting around 23 percent each year.

This begs the question: should those who have taken steroids deserve to be elected into the Hall of Fame? I believe so, and numerous other respectable writers in the game believe so as well.

For as long as I have followed baseball, steroids seemed to have been involved in the game.

In the case of McGwire, he took steroids that were deemed “legal” and took them during a time in baseball in which drug testing was not mandatory. Steroids do not always make you hit the baseball better or help you play in the field.

They do not enhance your hand-eye coordination, which many argue that the most important skill needed to be successful in the game. All they do is make you bigger and buffer.

Also, as we have seen over the last couple years, many players have used steroids or human growth hormones to help recover from injuries.

Along with McGwire, other possible future Hall of Famers Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez have admitted to doing this.

I think McGwire has fully earned his place in the Hall of Fame. Many prominent writers like Buster Olney, Jayson Stark, and Tim Kurkjian, all of whom have voted for McGwire each year, strongly believe that McGwire has earned his admission regardless of his use of steroids. Current Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt believes that McGwire deserves to be let in.

Many people forget what McGwire has done for the game of baseball. The chase for Roger Maris’ single-season record of 61 home runs between McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998 rejuvenated baseball following the lockout a couple years earlier that almost critically crippled the game for good.

With McGwire chasing the record, people started caring and watching baseball again.

It has been speculated that it is possible that some of the current Hall of Famers could have used steroids during a time in which they could not be detected or were legal.

A lot of the current Hall of Famers were known cheaters (i.e. Gaylord Perry). So why is it any different from what McGwire did when it was legal to do when he did it? It isn’t.

The baseball writers are trying to make a point. In doing so, they have been able to bar certain players from the Hall of Fame.

Do not keep someone who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame out of it. At the time, what McGwire did was something that was legal.

The only thing that he does not have that other admitted users like Rodriguez do have is time. He cannot play another 5-10 years and essentially help people forget what he did.

In no way am I saying that what McGwire did is right, but steroids are a part of the fabric of baseball. There is no way we are going to rid the game of it.

Instead, we should just accept it as part of the game and let those who deserve to be elected into Cooperstown in, whether it is McGwire, Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens.

These are players that helped keep baseball as America’s pastime, so why shun them for something that was legal for a long time?

Unfortunately, it seems that the stubborn electors will not waiver their ignorant mindsets all because Jose Canseco tarnished the game in a sleazy way to make a buck.

John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor

Since the team’s run in the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four, the George Mason University men’s basketball team had not played an opponent ranked as high as the fifth-ranked Villanova Wildcats.

While many were expecting them to put up a relatively weak showing with a young team against a strong, experienced team in Villanova, the Patriots came to Puerto Rico and appeared to be in complete control of the game until the final seconds, losing on a 3-point shot with 15 seconds left in regulation.

Mason opened with a strong showing, maintaining ball control and time of possession throughout the first half. Showing his clock awareness, sophomore guard Andre Cornelius held the ball with great shot clock awareness, making shots as the clock ran out from the 2-point area to deep beyond the 3-point arch.

Consistency in free throw shooting also led to a controlling lead. Led by junior guard Cam Long, who made all of his six free throws, Mason went 27-of-37 at the line in the game.

Lack of ball control led to Villanova making runs in the second half. Mason’s aggressive game speed got the best of them as they played a bit out of control in the second half.

In addition, Long did not play most of the second half due to leg cramps, leaving the team without their star player.

Responsibility was not to fall on freshman forward Luke Hancock, who kept consistency in his arsenal, making electrifying offensive plays under the bucket to give Mason a fighting chance as they saw their lead diminish.

The out of control play seemed to bite both teams as the game went on with Villanova losing four players to foul-outs and Mason giving too many free throw opportunities to their opponent.

While not many Villanova players made the most out of this opportunity, Villanova junior guard Corey Fisher made 14 of his 18 free throws to keep Villanova within a possession or two of the lead.

In the final minute, Hancock made a free throw to give the Patriots a 67-63 lead, but Villanova freshman forward Isaiah Armwood came off the bench to make a 3-pointer. Combined with the 3-pointer from his teammate on the last possession, this gave Villanova a 69-68 lead.

On the following possession, with only 17 seconds remaining in the game, Mason called a timeout, but was unable to get a shot off in the remaining 13 seconds.

Sophomore forward Ryan Pearson, who entered the game as the team’s leading scorer, led Mason with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Mason contained Villanova’s top player, Scottie Reynolds, who committed a game-high eight turnovers.

Despite being in control for most of the game, Mason was unable to take advantage of the Wildcats having three of their starters foul out.

In the second game of the ESPN Puerto Rico Tip-Off, the Patriots lost to 19th-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 70-62. The Yellow Jackets were led by forwards Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors, who scored 18 points and blocked three shots apiece.

Freshman forward Kevin Foster led the Patriots with 15 points and nine rebounds in the game. Cornelius was the only other Mason player to record double-digit points with 11 in the game.

Long was ineffective in the second game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, shooting 2-of-10 from the field and committing six turnovers.

After amassing a 17-9 lead in the first half, the wheels began to come off the wagon as Mason could only make 35.8 percent of their shots to Georgia Tech’s 46.9 percent.

The Patriots did go on a late run however, making a 24-9 run late in the second half, but were still unable to overcome the Yellow Jackets, losing by eight.

The third and final game of ESPN’s Puerto Rico Tip-Off against the Indiana Hoosiers took place yesterday afternoon at 10:30 a.m.

Both teams entered the game winning their first two games and losing their last two. Guard Maurice Creek came into the game leading the Hoosiers with 16.5 points per game on 53.2 percent shooting from the field. He also averaged 2.5 3-pointers per game.

Mason topped the Hoosiers 69-66 after not allowing a hoosier field goal for almost three mintes after the game.

Donald O’Mahony, Staff Writer

Skipping senior year of high school, being away from family, living in another country and speaking a different language for a chance to play soccer requires commitment and a strong passion for the game.

For some, this decision would be difficult, but for freshman midfielder Derek Markheim, the choice could not have been easier.

Markheim spent the last two years in France with the youth academy at Amiens FC, a professional soccer team currently in the third division. For him, this was an opportunity to work towards his childhood dream.

“A manager saw me at a tournament I was playing in,” said Markheim. “He came up to me and said he thought I had what it takes to make it with his club and asked if I wanted to go to France.”

Although the decision was easy for Markheim, his parents were not as immediately enthralled with the idea.
“It was hard for them, but they knew how badly I wanted to be a [professional] player,” said Markheim. “They were willing to let me chase my dreams.”

At first, the biggest struggle for Markheim was living in a country with no knowledge of the language.
“The first two months were the most difficult for me because I didn’t speak a lick of French,” said Markheim. “During that time, I tried to learn on my own, but then I started taking classes, and now I am fluent.”

The language barrier may have been the most difficult part, but the training schedule was a close second.
“The club rules were very strict. You had to be on time for everything. I had breakfast at 7 [a.m.], training at 9 [a.m.], lunch at [noon], more training at 4 [p.m] and dinner at 7 [p.m.]. On top of that, I took classes and had mandatory study hall at 8 [p.m.].”

Despite the difficult schedule, Markheim saw definite improvement in all areas of his game.

“The competition was phenomenal. I learned a lot from both the players and the coaches,” said Markheim.
“They were educated very well tactically, technically, and mentally. I was presented with ideas and strategies that I had never seen in the American game.”

Markheim’s growth as a player during this time gave him the opportunity to train with the American under-20 national team.

“[Training with the U-20 team] was incredible. I got to meet people from all over the country,” said Markheim. “I loved the players and the diversity. In a setting like that, you really get to see the different styles and attitudes of people from all over the country.”

The U-20s played three matches in England against the reserve teams at Manchester United, Liverpool, and Bolton.

The experience is something that Markheim will remember for the rest of his life.

“It really touched me to be on the same field as some of these players that I grew up watching. I even got to meet [Cristiano] Ronaldo,” said Markheim. “I got goosebumps. This is my dream happening in front of me. It seemed unreal. It was one of the most inspiring moments of my life.”

Markheim was surprised to see both his father and brother in attendance for the matches.

“To have the two people that are most responsible for me playing soccer there with me at such a landmark moment was most important to me,” he said.

Looking back, it is clear to Markheim that he made the right choice.

“I would do it all over again. This is my lifelong dream. These experiences have bettered me and given me confidence that I will succeed if I keep working,” said Markheim.

Perhaps Markheim’s most interesting thought came from his time with the national team.

“We have a lot of talent and I believe we can win a world cup in the near future if we play together as a team,” said Markheim.

That prediction may be a bit of a stretch, but who could have predicted that Markheim would have been through what he has by now.

Markheim completed his first season with Mason, scoring one goal and recording one assist.

Markheim tallied his first collegiate goal in a 2-0 win over the Presbyterian Blue Hose on Sept. 11.

Markheim, one of 10 newcomers on the team this past season, had his season cut short after the team failed to qualify for the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.

Unable to replicate last season’s success, the team will look to rebound in 2010.

With the necessary talent to go along with his determination, the person most responsible for Markheim’s success in the future might just be the person he sees when he looks in the mirror.

Va tout droit, jeune homme. Go straight, young man.