Amy Frizzell & Kevin Fiorenzo, s s orts editors Athletic Events Saturday Men's Tennis @ Baldwin Wallace 7 p.m. Men's Tennis @ Baldwin Wallace vs. Thomas More 9:30 p.m. Women's Basketball vs. Pitt-Greensburg 6 p.m. Men's Basketball vs. Pitt-Greensburg 8 p.m. Wednesday Women's Basketball @ AMCC Tournament TBD Thursday Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving @ ECAC's TBD Friday Women's Basketball @ AMCC Tournament TBD Men's Basketball @ AMCC Tournament TBD Club Schedule Saturday Club Volleyball vs. Edinboro/Grove City @ Edinboro noon Intramural Schedule Men's, Women's and COED Swimming Entry Deadline Today 4 vs. 4 COED Volleyball Entry Deadline Feb. 27 II I I I I I_ I' II ! 1 I 1 . II I I I by Amy Frizzell sports editor After a disappointing end to its season last year, the men's tennis team is looking forward to a fresh start. It will be traveling to Cleveland on Saturday for a double-header against Baldwin Wallace and Thomas More. During the 2003 season, the Lions lost their season opener to Baldwin Wallace, which ultimately provided the fuel for a seven-match winning streak. During this streak, the men downed conference rivals Penn State Altoona and Pitt-Greensburg. The Lions ended their season with an overall record of 12-4 and a conference record of 4-2. Unfortunately, the team could not keep the fire burning as it took third place in the AMCC Championships, just after Altoona and Frostburg. "It was a combination of things," said coach Jeff Barger of the team's third place finish. "We weren't putting away matches when we had the chance." This year the team is looking for a fresh start. After the loss of its No. 2 player and captain Mike Oey, No. 4 player and captain Jake Hillman and No. 6 Aaron Whiting, the team will be looking to some new faces to fill the empty positions. Junior Ryan Deimel will be returning as the team's No. 1 , junior John Marini will return to fill Oey's position at while sophomore Jon Barber will be holding down his posiion at No. 3. Freshman Brian Espin will take over Hillman's station at No. 4. Rounding out the line-up is sophomore Kevin Fiorenzo at No. 5 and freshman Matt Meyers at No. 6. Stepping in at third doubles for Fiorenzo is freshman Garrett Grenek. To return to the No. 1 spot the team is making some changes "We're a little more strict this year," said Barger. Reasons Wh The Yankees professional After a semester off, I've returned to list the rea sons why things are the way they are in sports or what needs changed. I'll start with a topic near and dear to mi corazon, George Steinbrenner's New York Yan kees. 1. A-Rod. The Yankees' recent signing of Texas Rangers superstar and future hall of famer Alex Rodriguez proves that Major League Baseball is to tally out of whack. Alex Rodriguez was almost traded to the Boston Red Sox earlier in the year in an equi table trade for both teams involved. But, although it was a trade both teams wanted, the players association said no. Both teams would have benefited but it was not allowed to happen. When teams and the players involved all want to make a deal it should happen. Of course if you're the Yan kees, your trade goes right through. 2. A-Rod. I'm sorry, but this trade is wrong on multiple levels. It shows that professional baseball needs to have a salary cap. Not having a salary cap hurts the game in two ways. First it makes it so that there are juggernauts like the Yankees who have a step up on the competition before the first pitch is thrown. Granted, you can over come the odds, as the Marlins did last year, but you shouldn't have things stacked so high against you. Club hockey finishes season against Allegheny The club hockey team completed its second season against Allegheny on Saturday. by Amy Hiles staff writer On Saturday the hockey team was defeated in a match-up against Allegheny College by a score of 7- 4, marking the end of its second season. Behrend played a strong first period, out shooting =~~ '~ ~. x~~ ~t<. Friday, February 20, 2004 "The guys are going to have to be on time and ready to work if they want to be successful." The Lions are scheduled to play 10 matches before they start conference play, seven of which will be played during their trip to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina over Spring Break. Barger feels that facing teams like Upper lowa and Vassar during the trip will give the men some good experience playing together before returning home to start AMCC play against Pitt- Greensburg. "We're starting earlier with three matches in February and seven in Hilton Head, we've never done that," said Barger. "We'll be in midseason by the time the rest of the teams in the AMCC even start their seasons." While some players feel the schedule could lead to the team becoming burnt out others are looking forward to the amount of play. "1 think Hilton Head will give us a lot of experience," said Barber. Recently the team was faced with its first challenge, when three players were declared ineligible. Though this will not directly effect the line-up, Barger still feels that the event is a set back for the team. "I'm disappointed in the staff for their irresponsibility to the ineligibility of members of this team," said Deimel. "It's going to be hard to recover from a blow this because we were all pumped up." Though the team suffered this setback, it Scott Soltis limitless amounts of money at players. 3. George Steinbrenner. For the lack of a more eloquent term, this man is an ass. So there's a ri valry between New York and Boston, fine. So your team just landed the big player that the other guys wanted, ok. You don't have to go off and say things like the Red Sox owner John Henry doesn't care enough about the Boston fans to make deals like the A-Rod trade. This was yet another classless comment from a classless man. Allegheny. But the Gators managed to get two goals past junior goaltender Jon Stull. However, junior Mike Fritts was able to came back and put one in the net before the end of the period. The first period ended with Behrend trailing with a score of 2-1. Not only did the Behrend men play a strong first Sophomore John Marini and the men's tennis team will open their season on Saturday with matches against Baldwin Wallace and Thomas More. are ruining 1 asebal Secondly, it makes it virtually impossible for small market teams such as the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Montreal Expos to ever sign a big name player. If the Yankees can pay someone $l5 million to play for a year and the Pirates can offer $2 million, where will the star go? This trend will continue and the salaries will continue to go up un til teams like the Yankees are not allowed to throw The Behrend Beacon maintains its enthusiasm "I'd say were going to strong," said Espin. 4. Derek Jeter. Honestly, he bugs me. He was so smug and happy when the Yankees signed another player in his position. Granted later it came out that they would be moving Rodriguez to third base, but still no passion from Jeter. He reminds me in a way of Tim Duncan: great talent, but no apparent passion for the game he loves. Also, his popularity is annoying; if he played in Milwaukee he would not be in nationally televised ads, would not have hosted Saturday Night Live and would not be con sidered one of the three best shortstops in baseball today. 5. Lots of I's in this team. When you think of a team it is a collection of people out to reach a com mon goal. That's why they say there's no I in team. The Yankees however, are a collection of merce naries, not a cohesive unit. Their very existence stands in direct opposition to the concept of a team. I remember when I was a kid looking up to the killer B's of the Pirates: Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and Jay Bell. They made up the core of a team for a few years in the late 1980 s. Now players don't stay to gether; they chase the money. Granted, Bonds and Bonilla did that years ago, but it is much worse now. I would be scared to buy one of my nephews a jer sey of any player as frequently as the Yankees buy them up. period, they returned to the ice and dominated the second period, out shooting Allegheny once Junior James Wyble provided the first goal of the period. Freshman DJ Craven netted a goal for Behrend before sopohomore Joe Persang scored on a breakaway. Allegheny was able to pick up two goals also that period, ending it 4- 4. "We played well the first two periods," said freshman Josh Grumski. "Then we let up in the third." And let up they did. The Lions took on too many penalties, forcing them to play short handed. This gave the Gators an opening to score three more goals, ending the game at 7-4. "We never gave up," said freshman Daren Douglas of the team's efforts. "I think we played well." The Lions ended their second season with a losing record but high hopes for next season. "We could have done better," said Grumski of the season. "Bounces didn't go our way." "We just need to work harder, we have potential," said Douglas. "We need to get in shape, lift and skate harder for next season. That's all we can do," said Wyble. Not only was this game an ending to the hockey season, it was an ending to a college hockey career for seniors Josh Smith and Justin Taylor. "Losing Smith and Taylor is a big loss," said Wyble. "They're the heart and morale of the team." "Those are some big shoes to fill," added Douglas. Page 9 for this season. be strong. Strong to very
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