To The
Edge
Athlete of the Week
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Coming in next week’s
issue is this year’s first
athlete of the week.
This is your chance to
get to know some of
the special sports stars
at Behrend. Look for
this box every week
that our athletic teams
are in action. The sport
season kicks off with
soccer this weekend.
Make sure you go out
and support your fel
low students as they
show their Behrend
pride and take no pris
oners on the field.
Intramural Calendar
- Deadlines for tennis
Slow pitch softball
Sand volleyball
Today -
Sept. 6 Play starts for tennis
(schedules also released)
Play starts for slow
pitch softball
- Play starts for sand
volleyball
Sept. 7
Sept. 8 Deadline for golf
tßefvcend Sspxwting.
Herb Lauffer Soccer Tourna-
September 1
Behrend Vs. New Paltz 2:00
Hiram Vs. Hobart 4:00
September 2
Consolation game 11:00
Championship Game 1:00
Women
September 2
Behrend Vs. Albion 3:00
Hiram Vs. Bethany 5:00
September 3
Consolation Game 12:00
Championship Game 2:00
Other Events
September 1-2
Volleyball at Cortland Tourna
ment
September 2
Men’s and Women’s Cross
Country at Buffalo State Invita-
September 5
JV Soccer at Westminster 5:30
September 6
Volleyball at Brockport 7:00
Women’s soccer Vs. Wooster
4:30
September 7
Men’s Soccer at Fredonia 4:00
Next week check out the scores
for these games in The
Scoreboard. This spot will still
have Behrend events listed.
The Behrend sport season kicks off with
a couple of defending AMCC champions
by Douglas Smith
sports editor
The athletic department will be
busy this weekend as the soccer
season gets underway with the
Herb Lauffer Tournament. Both
the men’s and women’s soccer
team will be in action over the
next three days. The Beacon has
prepared a preview of these two
highly competitive teams to get
you ready for the upcoming sea
son. Let us first take a look at
the women.
Women
This will be the sixth year that
the Behrend Lions soccer team
has competed in NCAA Division
lllaction. They have claimed the
last three Allegheny Mountain
Collegiate Conference titles and
are looking for much more this
year. Coach Dan Perritano is 63-
23-9 with the Women’s team and
an impressive 18-0 in AMCC
play.
“We haven’t lost a conference
game yet and it being my last
year, 1 hope that we keep that
streak alive because we are the
team that the other conference
teams want to beat and that makes
them very fired up for our
games,” Jill Barbisch said.
The women return a strong
crew of seniors and will show
they have enough experience to
succeed. They are returning four
all conference players from last
year. These players are Amy
Larocca, Diane Holtsford, Jill
Barbisch, and Katie Giles. The
team is also guided by 1999
AMCC Player of the Year Laura
Furko and Freshmen of the Year
Michelle Gutting, who had 18
goals in 1999. The women’s soc
cer team is returning eight start-
There is a lot of expectation for
this team. Barbisch hopes to re
main undefeated in the AMCC
making sure they beat Allegheny.
She also would like post-season
play, preferably the NCAA.
“I’ll take the ECAC though if
that is what we do,” says Barbisch
reluctantly.
The men’s team is coming off
a 12-7-1 record from last year and
also captured the AMCC title.
Their experience level may even
be slightly higher than the
women’s teams as the core group
of seniors is really the key to this
team’s performance. Still each
year the conference seems to get
The Behrend men’s soccer team relaxes before the Herb Lauffer Tournament. photo by jeff miller
Coach Dan Perritano stands among his players at Thursday’s practice
harder so the challenge is there.
Co-captains James Martin and
Tommy Sieg lead this team. Mar
tin was co-MVP last year. Sieg
has a knack for making big saves,
which will be depended on for the
Behrend Lions to have a great
showing this season. Speedy se
nior Dave Kowalczyk will also be
a large part of this team’s success.
Behrend’s fearless net-minder awaits a si
PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER
Sieg states, “We have a lot of
dedicated players on our team.
We all have the same goal, which
is to win! I think that the pres
sure has risen each year since I’ve
been here. When I was a fresh
man we broke the school record
for wins and won the AMCC.
Since then we have broke the
school record for wins again and
won another AMCC title. Each
year we expect more from our
selves, which helps us concen
trate on our goals. For myself and
others it is our last season to play
soccer for Behrend. We want to
go out winners and expect a lot
from ourselves. Therefore, we
have a lot of pressure on us, but
love that, and it drives us to play
our best every time we step on the
lot in pracl
field knowing it will all be over
before we know it.”
For both squads winning the
AMCC title is the top priority.
Coach
Perritano said that there is po
tential for the postseason, but the
teams will not be looking ahead
to that. “Our practices have gone
:ry good. The preseason went
ell. We had some minor inju-
ries all around, but both teams
will be ready for the weekend,”
stated Perritano.
Co-captain Martin stated that
he is ready for any possible ris
ing pressure level.
“Everyone on the team knows
their role, and we all have the ex
pectation that we will try our
hardest. With that expectation the
results will almost always be
positive. It’s been that way for
the last three years 1 have been
here, and nothing has changed
this year. If anything, it’s more
exciting and fun knowing you
have a chance to win every
game.”
The depth on these teams is un
believable. Coach Perritano says
that there is no real set pattern for
substitutions, but he knows he can
be confident when someone
needs a breather. The bench for
both teams is very strong. The
bench may be a key element to
this weekend’s tournament. The
Herb Lauffer Memorial Tourna
ment becomes a stepping-stone
for the rest of the season. To get
that trophy under your belt means
to build confidence. The trophy
is a very good start and is a sign
of things to come in the season.
At least that is the premise of win
ning this initial tournament.
However, midfielder Mark
Szewczykowski has much more
in mind than just winning the
tournament. He says, “With the
caliber of players we have this
year, I believe our potential is
endless. Our first and most impor
tant goal is winning our confer
ence, the AMCC. The ultimate
goal I am seeking this season is a
national championship for
Behrend. I want our team to have
their picture in Soccer America,
a well-known soccer magazine,
holding the trophy, and everyone
having big smiles. Soccer play
ers usually don’t smile, when they
get their picture taken so this pic
ture would be one none of us
would ever forget.”
Some students may be a little
skeptical about watching soccer.
Some may even be telling them
selves that the walk is longer with
the teams playing on the Behrend
Fields. Well Coach Perritano has
this to say about your skepticism.
“Just come watch one game. The
teams will play hard for you and
it is a wonderful environment up
there. You can bring a lunch and
?it up on the hill and enjoy hard
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1,2000
PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER
work out on the field.”
Think about some of the things
that these two teams have to go
through playing in Erie also. The
weather is so unpredictable. Rain
will be fierce as the season
progresses and at one point last
year snowflakes fell on the play
ers. In 1997 in the conference fi
nal at Frostburg the teams
struggled through ankle deep
mud. Support from us seems to
be the least you can do.
Martin adds to this point, “The
weather in Erie can be bad but
there is nothing you can do about
it. You just have to play the game
the best you can and look forward
to a nice hot 45-minute shower
after the game.”
Laura Furko remembers one
hazardous game last year.
“Last season during the ECAC
playoff game against Villa Maria
really showed how unpredictable
and treacherous Erie weather can
be. With ice, rain, and hail we
struggled through a 90-minute
game plus double overtime. It
was the worst field conditions we
have ever experienced. However,
we managed to run with the
icicles stuck to our feet and came
out with a 2-1 victory.”
The men kick off the tourna
ment Friday at 2:00 PM. The
tournament goes through Sunday
with the women's championship
game at 2:00 pm.
Martin knows the importance
of a good fan base. He politely
states, “The Behrend soccer team
would appreciate any support
from the faculty and students at
Behrend this year. The new Be
hrend soccer fields provide a
great atmosphere to watch a
game, and our team will give the
fans a great 90 minute experi-
ence.”
Szewczykowski explains, “You
cannot win a playoff spot in Sep
tember, you can only lose it. We
finished last season with eleven
straight victories, and no playoff
bid. We had four overtime games
in our first five games. This is
where any support is crucial. We
need people to come out and en
courage us on the field, especially
early on in the season. I can only
promise fans two things: one, we
will show you good soccer, and
two, we will pour our hearts out
on the field for 90 minutes or un
til the very last whistle is blown.
Hope to see you out there.”
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