The Behrend Beacon
Who would've thought Frostburg was
the team Behrend would've caught? Af
ter five straight years of finishing second
to the Bobcats, the women's cross coun
try team, despite being made up of only
freshmen and sophomores, captured the
AMCC title. The men finished second to
Frostburg in the finals, although two
weeks later they overtook Frostburg at the
NCAA Mideast Regionals. The women,
not to be outdone, had their best show
ing ever at the Regionals as well. Things
are still looking up for both teams, as the
core players will return for newly hired
coach Dave Cooper's sophomore sea
son.
Some of the seniors who led the way
Sarah
Peterson
Laura
Furko
It has been a memorable four years for these senior athletes. Whether they led teammates by example or vocal leadership, these players left their marks not only on record books but on the
underclassmen who will someday take their place. The seniors have seen it all, from AMCC championships to NCAA postseason berths to brand-new Behrend sports. Now they leave behind close-knit
friendships with teammates and coaches alike as they will soon head into the working world full-time, something we all dread yet anticipate at the same time. The coaches have their work cut out in
replacing these all-star athletes, who gave 110 percent day-in and day-out. The memories will never fade.
Fall Season Wrap-up
The streak is no more. After winning
four straight AMCC crowns, the women's
tennis team finished a distant third in this
year's tournament. The Lions were for
tunate to get that far after a loss to Penn
State Altoona on Sept. 22 dropped their
record to 2-7. Behrend dug deep during
an eight-day stretch in late September,
early October, when they played six
games, going 4-2. The Lions finished the
season 8-9 following two more wins, in
cluding a dominating shutout against
AMCC foe La Roche. The Lions will have
to make up for the leadership of five top
notch seniors who leave several holes in
the Lion lineup.
Talk about picking up steam. After suf
fering through several opening -season
volleyball tournaments that ran their
record to 6-8, the Lions piled up win after
win after win throughout the rest of the
season. It all culminated in the confer
ence championships, where the Lions
destroyed Pitt-Bradford and then
Frostburg for the conference hardware.
The Lions mauled their conference oppo
nents during the season as well, except
for Penn State Altoona, including numer
ous 3-0 wins. The Lions, who graduate
two players, will have a challenge in the
2002 season, as a 22-10 record chasing
their tails. No matter, because after the
turnaround new coach Kellie Diehl took
the team through, the Lions expect to fill
the athletic department's wall with many
more conference title plaques.
Angela
Albertson
Dan
Falk
Friday, December 7, 2001
Up, down, and all around, that's how
the vertigo season went for the men's
soccer team. After starting the season
7-2, and almost getting ranked in the
nation's top 25 for Division 11l schools,
the team's roller coaster season hit a
hill higher than Millennium Force.
Behrend went winless in its next five
games. The mid-season woes ended
in a 4-0 shutout of La Roche, and the
Lions went on to win their next four
games, giving up a goal in each one.
The Lions, though, came up short in the
AMCC title game, losing 2-0 to
Frostburg a year after falling to them 1-
0 in overtime in the title game.
You can't win 'em all. The women's soccer team found this out on Oct. 28,
when it lost to Frostburg 4-1 in the AMCC finals. The loss not only marked the
first time Behrend did not win the conference crown since 1996, but it was the
first time EVER the Lady Lions lost to a conference opponent. They are now a
"meager' 31-1 in conference play. The Lions' season was headed for disaster
after a 1-5 record, but they rebounded to win four of their next six games, in
cluding a scoreless double overtime tie against Grove City. Things did a turn for
the worse when they lost three games in a row, including two in California,
before they won the last five games right before the title game. Their season
wasn't a complete disappointment, though. The team did get to make a racquet
on 'The Price is Right" (well, in the crowd, at least). Sorry to say, Bob Barker did
not hand out a new car to any of these players.
Lennys
Redondo
Jon
Harding
It's not the most publicized sport in
college athletics, but the men's golf
team quietly put together a solid all
around season. The Lions placed sec
ond in their invitational at Peek n' Peak
Sept. 20 and then on Oct. 3 the golf
guys placed fourth in the conference
championships. Sure, it may not seem
like much of an accomplishment, but
considering there were no juniors or se
niors on the team, the Lions performed
above expectations. The linksmen now
have to contend with their own shad
ows, as the expectations placed on
them for next season are nowhere near
this season's level. The team it. cer
tainly up to the task though, since they
hardly knew each other in August but
meshed as well as a team could within
a month.
Chris
Lightner
Christine
Charnock
behrcolls@aol.com
A win! A win! After enduring a rather
difficult, 0-22 freshman season in 2000
(if you call opponents outscoring you 331-
85 difficult), the men's water polo team
won three games in 2001. Okay, so they
were all against Mercyhurst, which just
started its water polo program. The Li
ons also lost two other games to the
'Hurst, albeit by one point in both games,
on their way to a 3-19 record. Consider
ing Behrend stayed competitive against
teams that have been on the water polo
map for years, their record is a little mis
leading. Since many of their top playes
still have a couple more years of eligibil
ity left, the Lions know in a few more years
the sky will be the limit.
PEST
BEHRE
LIONS
Brianne
Engelbert
Allen
Haywood
TATE