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
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