View from the Slope

Washington, D.C.: The Haynesworth Hoax  

by Sam Aleinikoff 1 month ago

Three-hundred yards in 70 seconds. That means you have to run a little more than 1/6 of a mile at a 6 minute 51 second mile pace. Then take three and a half minutes of rest (triple the amount of time you just spent running). Now go back and run another 300 yards, this time in 73 seconds. Again, that’s a little more than 1/6 of a mile, this time at a 7 minute 9 second rate. 

Anyone out there think they can do it? That’s what I thought.  For the average, somewhat-athletic human being, this is doable. The bar for this so called “conditioning test” is being set lower for Albert Haynesworth than it would for most high school football players.

Former NFL lineman and current ESPN anchor Mike Golic did it wearing his son’s cleats in high grass, 16 years removed from his playing days. Not to be topped, 61-year old magazine writer James Fallows made it too. Forget sprints, this is a fast paced jog.

So you’re telling me that a 29-year old All-Pro NFL player in the prime of his career cant pass the test? On his pro day at Tennessee leading up to the 2002 NFL draft he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.82 seconds.  I don’t care that he’s a defensive lineman or that he weighs 320+ pounds, this guy is an animal. Forget all the Fat Albert talk, despite his size, he can run.  That’s part of what makes him a pro bowler.

Either new Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan isn’t being a fair judge of the conditioning test or Albert Haynesworth is doing everything he can not to suit up in the Burgundy and Gold this fall. If Haynesworth doesn’t pass as soon as his knee heals (by the way, how did he hurt his knee without even practicing?), something fishy is going on.

 

View from the Slope

Boston: Big Papi Back in the Spotlight  

by Ryan.Engler 1 month ago

Even though I am supposed to be the Boston correspondent I strongly considered writing a post about the Bill Simmons dubbed, “LeBroncolypse” or “LeBacle.” Bill Simmons did a better job than I would have done and the submissions from his readings are very funny, so I urge you to read it. I don’t think any pro athlete has ever turned me off more in my time as a sports fan. “The decision” was disgusting, heartbreaking, egotistical, stupid and unnecessary. I was as uncomfortable watching it as LeBron looked on camera. God damn it I hated everything about it. OK, I got that off my chest in blog form. Phew.

Let’s move on to last night’s Home Run Derby and its winner. When I was a lot younger I loved the idea of the Home Run Derby – mostly because we didn’t have ESPN in my house until I was about 14 so I think I conjured up a more fascinating event in my head than it actually was/is. Last night my roommates and I watched eight of baseball’s supposedly best home run hitters bore us to the point that “Pawn Stars” on the History Channel (which I may add is a very entertaining show) was a more appealing option. Oh wait… You’re saying Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, Alex Rodriguez, Josh Hamilton, Adam Dunn, Joey Votto and surprising MLB Home Run leader Jose Bautista weren’t in it?? That’s one of my problems with the event: you never get the best guys in it at the same time.

But I don’t want to make you think that I hate it – I’d much rather watch it than “The Decision: Part II” to air in the summer of 2013 when LeBron opts out of his deal because the Heat still haven’t won and South Beach isn’t all Bron Bron thought it would be. Hey, after all, what more visible way is there for Big Papi, David Ortiz, to prove to baseball that he’s back than by winning the derby? I didn’t watch him do it, but I am very happy for the guy. Was he on steroids at one point in his career? Yes! But the fact of the matter is, Ortiz proved a lot of naysayers who deemed his career over last May, wrong.

The fact that Big Papi won the Home Run derby is great but really it’s nothing more than a symbol of Big Papi’s revitalized relevance. Consequently, this upcoming off season surrounding him is going to be far more interesting than most projected it to be last year when it was a forgone conclusion that he and the Red Sox would part ways if they hadn’t already. The way his contract is set up, the Red Sox theoretically have all of the control with a $12.5 million dollar club option for next season. Based on recent ESPN reports, it is pretty clear both that Ortiz and the Red Sox have not discussed any type of alternative and that Big Papi has no desire to come back for one year, go through another April of people wondering whether he’s done and hope he can pull it together enough to get a multi-year deal after the 2011 season. Ortiz is going to end up with a 30 HR, 100 RBI this year so it is pretty reasonable for him to want to get that deal done now.

So what is going to happen? The Red Sox will forever be in debt to Ortiz for what he has provided the franchise in his seven and half seasons with them and especially for his role in helping the Red Sox take down the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. As long as he’s still producing, I would hate to see the two sides part ways. Giving him a multi-year deal is risky however and I don’t know whether Theo Epstein will be willing to do it. Ortiz will be 35 this off season (or so he says) and it is unlikely he’d still be producing at a high level at the end of, lets say, a three year deal. I don’t know. I hope it all ends well. Too many Red Sox stars have departed in less than pleasant circumstances. No matter what happens, when it happens, there is one thing I am confident of: There will not be a one hour special devoted to his decision and he will not crush the city of Boston the way LeBron singled-handedly destroyed the city of Cleveland.

View from the Slope

Cleveland: Final Thoughts on LeBron  

by Sam Aleinikoff 1 month ago

A few friends are getting together to play some basketball. That’s all this is. Three guys like each other and have fun playing on the same team. Is that so wrong? Because that’s the situation right now.

On Thursday night, the world came down hard on LeBron. Dan Gilbert was the ringleader and the people of Cleveland were his minions. I was no innocent bystander; I hypocritically chastised them all while calling James out in their same flippant manner. But we were wrong.

The juxtaposition of two images, his shaken look during “The Decision” and his utter joy at an introduction in Miami the following night, made that abundantly clear.

As was the case in the Tiger Woods saga, we were angered that an athlete didn’t live up to the persona we had cast upon him. Sure, he took part in building that image and the self-proclaimed nickname “The King” certainly played a role, but how can we fault him for falling short of hopes that we had ignorantly laid out for his future.

The truth is that he passed up on more money, shut out his hometown and gave up on chasing the likes of Jordan and Magic in the race to all-time great status. But in an age where loot, loyalty and legacy usually hold court, this decision wasn’t just about a reckless desire to win as many championships as possible. It came down to having fun.

LeBron decided to treat basketball like the game that it is. While he may have been cowering away from misplaced lofty expectations, he was also serving as a reminder of what the game largely is supposed to be.

Playing for the love of the game has become the biggest cliche in sports, but not often do athletes actually back it up. Amar’e’s price was $100 million. Kobe just wants to win. But LeBron puts a premium on having fun. Sure winning is part of that fun and, of course, LeBron is getting his. Playing with his Redeem Team pals isn’t exactly a talent downgrade from Cleveland and $110 million over six years is no minimum wage. But LBJ said it himself: he made the decision to take his game to South Beach because that’s where he thought he would be “happiest.”

Regardless of his reasoning though, he understood the backlash he would face after “The Decision.” If LeBron is willing to look past all the money he left on the table, the personal ties he no doubt shredded and the questions about his leadership that have arisen, we should too. If LeBron is willing to forego hogging a team’s entire spotlight, we should let him. If the ultimate competitor that would seemingly tell him to stay home isn’t the loudest voice in his head, we shouldn’t try to change that. It might not be what Jordan, Magic, Bird, Isiah or even Kobe would have done. But who are we to tell LeBron to follow the same path that other players with similar basketball ability traveled.

It wouldn’t be fair to put the future of a league or a city on his shoulders. LeBron might have asked for that responsibility with his actions, but we shoved at him like it was a game of hot potato. And even though our reactions made it seem as if Cleveland and the NBA were doomed by LeBron’s move, the reality is that both will be just fine.

His decision wasn’t one that ruined the game of basketball or threw the sports scene in northeast Ohio under the bus for another fifty years. The intrigue surrounding the Heat will be able to carry the NBA if needed and Dan Gilbert is ready to revitalize the Cavs. Despite all the curses, promises and hate in his letter that much was clear.

After a few days’ analysis, this actually seems to be a change that betters the NBA. The players took basketball back from the owners. Three guys got together and decided, to hell with the business I want to play ball. And despite the hundreds of millions of dollars being thrown their way, they stuck together. Good for them. Even more so, good for the league.

This wasn’t LeBron being a mercenary as I originally thought. Whether he meant to or not, he was closer to acting as a martyr. His public image may be forever tarnished. His advertising dollars could be significantly diminished. His shot at being considered with the all-time greats might have gone down the drain. But what do we get out of it all? A reminder that basketball should be fun.

It’s a simple message, and one we could use in an increasingly financially-oriented sport. Maybe it’s not what we expected from the player who convinced us all that he was chasing greatness, but it’s too bad that LeBron had to take such a hit because we were surprised.

View from the Slope

Cleveland: What “Loyalty” LeBron?  

by Sam Aleinikoff 2 months ago

I am not from Cleveland.  I have never been to Cleveland.  In fact, the only time I’ve even been to the state of Ohio, I posed for a picture outside of a Columbus bar in Michigan Wolverines gear.  As a native of Ann Arbor and a resident of the D.C. area, sports teams in the Buckeye state have been my lifetime nemeses.  But on Thursday, for the first time, I could sympathize with LeBron’s home state.  The only problem?  He couldn’t.

While he was busy promoting The King, he forgot the region that’s been loyal to his highness for the last seven, check that, eleven years.  Since high school they’ve been eating out of the palm of his hand and he payed them back like he was Marie Antoinette.  He might as well have said “Let them eat cake.”  That’s how oblivious LeBron was of his kingdom.

ESPN provided the drama by reporting where sources said LBJ was going, then dedicating an hour to revealing that “Oh my god! The rumors were true!”  And LeBron provided the comedy, pretending that he actually cared about his hometown.

He didn’t have to stay.  It would be unfair and presumptuous for anyone to tell the man where he has to play basketball.  But what he made clear was that in a team game he was only looking out for number one.  Or should I say number six?

How fitting is it that the same year LeBron shows he can’t stack up to Jordan by changing his number from MJ’s famed 23, he also shows he’s no match by jumping ship to try to win one the easy way.

I get it.  He felt his NBA championship clock ticking and wanted to go somewhere to win now with hopes of building a legacy like that of the aforementioned hall of famer. If LeBron finally does it in Miami though, he becomes the guy who could only win on a team full of all-stars.  Where does that leave him?  In this era, not only behind Kobe but now second fiddle to D-Wade too, who will always have at least one more title than James as long as they’re both in South Beach.

I know LBJ is all about the business side of the NBA.  He wants to be a brand.  He wants to start a club. He wants to a billionaire.  He wants to be more than just a basketball player. And in order to get there, he needs rings.  But I expected a little respect for the game that he hopes will take him to such heights.  The one where you play as a team to reach a common goal.  Not the one where you quit on your teammates, conforming to a common standard in a league already full of mercenaries.

If LeBron had any guts he would’ve stayed in Cleveland for the long haul. That’s what all-time greats do. But instead he was selfish and cowardly.  He left a place in need for what he thought was his personal benefit. 

“I want to do what’s best for LeBron James and what LeBron James is going to do to make him happy [sic],” he said in third person during an ESPN interview with Michael Wilbon. Somehow he didn’t realize that what’s best for the LeBron James he wants to be in the history books is to stay at home.

He had the chance, like Jordan, Magic and Bird, to follow the team path that in a me-first game has proven to be the way to NBA greatness. Clearly, his tatoo saying “loyalty,” is only skin deep.

LeBron James should have stayed in Cleveland, the place that he needed just as much as they needed him.  He needed to be a leader of a championship team and, in a time of financial and athletic upheaval, they needed a champion. For a guy who said he wanted to be like Muhammad Ali he certainly failed as the people’s champ.

But worse than botching the choice was the utter disgrace ESPN called The Decision. Could James have sounded any more arrogant? This was a PR nightmare.

“It’s been real heavy because I know a lot of people look up to me, because of what I’ve done for the city of Cleveland, that area, what I’ve done for that franchise and for my teammates,” he said after announcing his intentions to sign with the Heat.

As cocky as he sounds, the truth is that James did a lot for Cleveland.  Since drafting LBJ seven years ago, north-east Ohio has gotten just three winning seasons from the hapless Browns and Indians combined.  LeBron almost singlehandedly has given them six. 

And that’s why if you’re a Cleveland fan, or even more so a Cleveland owner, you say thank you, zip your lip and get on your way.  I know you’re angry and it stings, but no matter how many jerseys you burn or how many spiteful, irrational letters you write, he’s not coming back.  LeBron James made himself look foolish; you don’t need to go and do the same.  Unfortunately for the city, one sports calamity was followed by another.  First your star left you.  Then your team management went crazy.

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE,” Cavalier’s majority owner Dan Gilbert wrote in an open letter to the team’s fans.  (The all-caps were his, not mine.)

He followed it up with a similarly nutty “some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.”  Mr. Gilbert, explanation please? 

LeBron did try to save face. “At the end of the day I feel awful that I’m leaving. I feel even worse that I wasn’t able to bring an NBA championship to that city,” he said to Wilbon.

LeBron, sympathy wasn’t necessary and won’t fix the gaping whole that you left in the state of Ohio. All I ask for is the truth.  It’s not that you couldn’t win a championship in Cleveland, it’s that you wouldn’t.  You quit before it was played out.

Now you’re stuck in Miami, the place where you can never live up to expectations, the city that will never love you like your hometown once did.

View from the Slope

Boston: Pissing off the Injury Gods  

by Ryan.Engler 2 months ago

I don’t know what is more frustrating: the Brett Farve-esque, ubiquitous coverage of the LeBron James and co. free agent bonanza that has taken over Sports Center or watching the Red Sox unbelievable resurgence this season marred by a disabled list that closely resembles Baghdad. The free agent speculation is killing me as much as the Injury Gods are killing the Sox. Seriously, I am not sure what would surprise me less: If ESPN reported that LeBron’s dinner order of deep dish Pizza means he may be leaning towards Chicago or if the Red Sox team plane crashed.  Let’s talk some Sox though.

Since April 20, the Red Sox have the best record in baseball. They have gotten nothing out of opening day starter, Josh Beckett. Mike Cameron’s injury riddled season has rendered him about as useful as the Internet in the building I am living in this summer (which may rival the earliest iterations of AOL dial-up for speed). Jacoby Ellsbury, a guy who stole 70 bases last year and was arguably the best lead-off hitter in the game, has played in only nine games this season.

That was essentially what the Red Sox were dealing with up until about two weeks ago. Then the Injury Gods either got drunk and lost control or Theo Epstein did something really terrible to get them angry. They say west coast trips can be brutal, but in a single three game series against the San Francisco Giants, the Sox lost three of their most important players to injuries: Dustin Pedroia on Friday June 25th with a broken foot, Clay Buchholz the following day with a hamstring problem and then Victor Martinez with a broken hand in the Sunday game. When Jason Varitek, Martinez’ backup broke his foot just a few days later, the situation was becoming laughable.

So lets see where we’re at: Their opening day starter (Beckett), their up and coming ace and team ERA leader (Buchholz), the top three guys in their opening day line-up (Ellsbury, Pedroia and Martinez) and their backup catcher (Varitek) are all on the disabled list. We haven’t even mentioned yet Daisuke Matsuzaka’s two stints on the DL, Manny Delcarmen and Jeremy Hermida’s current stints or J.D. Drew, who has shockingly avoided going on the list at any point this year but who has probably the most sensitive hamstrings in the history of sports and has missed seemingly every other game with some nagging injury.

So that begs a number of questions: How the hell are the Red Sox only a game and half out of first place in the best division in baseball? How do they lead the major leagues in runs scored? How do they have three starters with at least nine wins? How is Adrian Beltre (who single handedly injured at least two and maybe three of the current disabled Red Sox) not in jail?

To me the answers to these questions are two-fold. First, they have gotten tremendous production from some likely and unlikely guys. Kevin Youkilis and his 1.000 OPS and Jon Lester and his 10 wins, 118 Ks and 2.76 ERA have been every bit of what the Red Sox thought they would be. But how about Big Papi? People thought once again when he started slowly that he was washed up. Far from it; the big, jolly DH has accumulated 17 Home Runs and 54 RBIs. Not bad for a guy whose career was said to be finished. What about Adrian Beltre? The Red Sox signed him for his defense and he is leading the team with a .341 batting average and 165 total bases. Buchholz has more than made up for Beckett’s production. And yes, all three of those guys (Ortiz, Beltre and Buchholz) are headed to Anaheim for the All-Star game next week. Marco Scutaro, Darnell McDonald and Daniel Nava (who has been an
unbelievable story thus far) have been outstanding role players as
well.

The other part of the answer is the manager, Terry Francona. There are
always those naysayers, who no matter what the sport is, will argue
that the manager/coach does not matter. I don’t agree with that and
certainly not in this case. Francona is the quintessential player’s
manager. He is great at integrating new guys into the locker room and
balancing playing time and he never throws his guys under the bus. For
a team that has started its opening day lineup only four times this
season and has only one player who currently holds his opening day
spot in the lineup (Youkilis batting 4th) there has been very little
consistency in Boston this baseball season. The key constant has been
Francona. Tonight he is parading out a lineup that includes Eric
Patterson, Bill Hall and Kevin Cash. Tomorrow he is sending rookie
Felix Doubrant, who will be making only his second big league start,
to the mound. Thus far, I would love to see the argument against
Francona for manager of the year given the adversity his club has
faced. I just hope he and the Red Sox can keep it up as they begin to
get some of these guys back.

Hopefully the Red Sox will present the Injury Gods with some kind of olive branch and maybe even persuade them to break A-Rod’s leg, Jeter’s foot or perhaps pull C.C. Sabathia’s stomach. If they don’t, I may get so fed up that I go back to “LeBron watch.”

View from the Slope

Washington, D.C.: Superheroes in the District?  

by Sam Aleinikoff 2 months ago

The newest crop of D.C. superheroes has arrived. Strasburg, McNabb and Wall are here to save the day. They hold office on a diamond and a pair of rectangles rather than in an oval, but the way that Washington fans have reacted you wouldn’t have known.

Strasmas has already lasted 27 days instead of the traditional 12, and after just three starts the 21-year old phenom was already breaking previously unheard of psuedo-records.  

McNabb arrived, Campbell was shipped out and suddenly the Redskins were Super Bowl contenders.

The worst-to-first stories have been playing out in minds across the district for weeks. A pair of 100-loss campaigns are being erased from our collective memory by a couple of 100 mile per hour fastballs. A 4-12 season, swept away by a four-time NFC East division champion. And most recently, a crime-filled embarrassment of a year stolen away by a master of thievery, and well, just about everything else on the court.

Washington is a city of sports optimists. Only in our nation’s capital could a team that has had more seasons with five or fewer wins (5) than playoff appearances (3) in the last 17 years hold what is rumored to be the NFL’s longest season ticket waiting list.  

It’s not just football though. Gilbert and Co. were supposed to de-thrown King James. Say what you want about the Cavs problems, but after consecutive 60-win seasons, it’s clear that Cleveland got the best of that brief rivalry.

For the Nationals, it’s been a promise of the days to come. “We’re building through the draft,” we’ve heard time and time again. And with Strasburg’s arrival we’ve seen a big piece of the puzzle on the field. But long before the rookie hurler came to town, the city erected a sparkling new stadium and fans flocked to the park around league-average rates despite back-to-back seasons as the worst club in the majors.

Cautious optimism is not part of the D.C. lexicon. But if there ever was a time to add the phrase to our city’s vocabulary, it’s now.  

Stephen Strasburg has been dominant at times through six appearances.  He’s struck out 53 batters in less than 37 innings of work. But in his starts, the Nationals are just 3-3.  It doesn’t matter how dominant Strasburg is if the rest of the team can’t score a run.  Literally, in his last four starts the Nats have not scored a single run during an inning which Stasburg was on the mound. 

Donovan McNabb has said and done all the right things since being acquired by the ‘Skins. But with question marks at virtually every offensive position other than tight end, how effective can the six-time pro-bowler really be this season? 

As for John Wall, he’s a 19-year old kid who’s barely had time to put on his new Wizards jersey. And the NBA isn’t about to kowtow to a team led by an unproven teenager and an ostracized criminal.

The signs are no doubt encouraging.  Even the most pessimistic of Washingtonians had to get that feeling of excitement in his or her gut when Stasburg first toed the rubber.  The same should hold true for McNabb’s first snap and Wall’s opener.  

But let’s think back to 2005.  Alex Ovechkin had just joined the Capitals.  And despite 52 goals, 54 assists and a Rookie of the Year Award that season, they still missed the playoffs.  The same could hold true for our newest residents.  Instant fixes don’t come along that often in professional sports.

Top-tier talent is in the District, and yes, that is reason to rejoice.  But each member of the new trio is human.  And three mere-mortals do not suddenly make the most disappointing, underachieving sports town in recent history the next sports Mecca. Superman, Batman and the Incredible Hulk haven’t quite convened in the nation’s capital. But give them a few years and, most importantly, a supporting cast and we may witness some super-human results.

View from the Slope

New York: Lebron’s Dilema  

by Jake Mastbaum 2 months ago

So before I start this blog, I need to make one thing clear.  New York is the greatest sports city in the world.  I don’t care what Sam tells you about D.C. or what Ryan tells you about Boston, it’s all here in New York.  While there are no rational arguments to debate this point, as July 1, 2010 is finally upon us, one question remains, will LeBron be joining the big city?

It seems fitting that as a Knicks fan I start off this blog with a nice little rant about the greatest NBA Free Agent of All-Time.  I mean, come on, for the last two years all I’ve been hearing about is Knicks management justifying there horrendous teams by saying that they’re just going to sign LeBron and all will be well.  Well it won’t be that easy.  Everyone on this planet wants LeBron James.  Everyone wants LeBron James, the guy who has won nothing in his career.  Everyone wants LeBron James, the guy that quit on his team in the playoffs and got his coach fired.  EVERYONE WANTS LEBRON.

Now if I’m LeBron James, I don’t know if I would sign with the Knicks.  Frankly, I don’t know if I would sign with any team.  I would simply stay a free agent forever.  Think about it, has anyone ever made more money and gotten more media attention for doing nothing?  I said it once already but it’s worth repeating…LeBron is the greatest NBA Free Agent of all-time.  Stay that way my friend and sign your one-way ticket into the NBA Free Agency Hall of Fame, it’s that simple, and you’re so close.  LeBron, your value has never been higher.  Everyone wants a piece of you.  Why throw it all away by signing with a team?  Seriously.  Just stay put and enjoy the high life my friend.

Now, if LeBron ignores my recommendation and actually does sign a contract to play with an NBA team next year (which I highly advise against) there is only one situation that would work best for him (besides of course playing with the Knicks – for the simple reason that John Starks and some real estate lady told you to: http://bit.ly/9WlsKG).  I have read a lot of stories, articles, blogs, and rumors about this guy over the past however many days and there was one that I read, thought about, and realized, that’s it!  Trey Kerby, of “Ball Don’t Lie” may have unlocked the answer for LBJ.  Don’t sign with one team, sign with six!  http://yhoo.it/b1Eehr.  LeBron doesn’t have to pick one, he can just play for them all.  That should guarantee him a title, right?

View from the Slope

Welcome to View from the Slope  

by Sam Aleinikoff 2 months ago

It seems fitting that Cornell’s first national sports blog launches on such a momentous national holiday.  On this Fourth of July we celebrate life, liberty and the pursuit of blogging.  And with that in mind, Cornell students across the United States (or for now just the Eastern Seaboard) are officially free to start blogging about their home-town sports passions.

Big Red Banter

Notre Dame drops Cornell 12-7 in Final 4  

by Alex.Post 3 months ago

Notre Dame goalie Scott Rodgers makes one of his season-high 16 saves against the Big Red.

Cornell came into this years’ NCAA tournament having lost 16 seniors last year. No one expected much of them this year and even though they didn’t make it to the Championship game on Memorial Day, the 2010 Big Red lacrosse team have a lot to be proud of.

Going into the game Cornell was prepared to take on Notre Dame senior goalkeeper Scott Rodgers. In a post-game press conference, Rob Pannell said that they thought, “the place to be was back up high” when shooting on Rodgers.

But Rodgers had 16 saves, a season-high. Cornell’s Head Coach Jeff Tambroni added, “coming in here against Rodgers, we didn’t want to be overanalyzing his technique or his size. We just wanted our guys to shoot and shoot confidently when they had the opportunity because of our success in the past few weeks. To his credit he really played well, but I just know that when you take nine shots on cage and only have one goal you’re not going to come out feeling all that good about yourself.”

Taking lots of shots in the first half of a game and going into the break on top can be detrimental to a team’s morale, and even though the Big Red was 0-4 this season when they trailed at the half they did not give up.

With Cornell down three coming entering the third quarter, Ryan Hurley set up a play for Ross Gillum to score which cut the lead to two. But Neal Hicks of Notre Dame answered Gillum.

Notre Dame senior attack Neal Hicks registered four goals during the course of the game, marking a season high for Hicks, and tying his career high.  Hicks is the sixth player in Notre Dame school history to score four or more goals in an NCAA Championship game. 

The end of the third quarter was sloppy on both ends of the field and entering the fourth period Notre Dame held an 8-5 lead. A deficit of just three goals allowed Cornell to still have hope, but near the beginning of the fourth quarter the Fighting Irish’s Steve Murphy, thanks to a superb defensive play, scored to push the lead to four. Senior Ryan Hurley of Cornell was not ready to let his season end and scored with 6 minutes and change left in regulation. Notre Dame called a time out right as the Big Red was gaining back some momentum, again down just 3.

Cornell, in an act of desperation sent goalie AJ Fiore out to try to force the turnover leaving an empty net. The Irish capitalized and scored to make the count 10-6. Andrew Irving of Notre Dame scored soon after and then with just about two minutes left, Grant Krebs added another to double up what had been a three goal game just two minutes earlier.

With one minute left Pannell and Hurley symbolically connected for one final goal, but with a 12-7 win Notre Dame will advance to appear for the first time ever in a National Championship game. Pannell said he “was kind of happy we were able to end that game on the right note with me feeding him for a goal. It felt good to have that happen.”

Cornell had more shots on net, fewer turnovers and won more ground balls, but in the end, they had fewer saves and netted fewer goals. 

Notre Dame Head Coach, Kevin Corrigan, noted in the post-game press conference, “I would have said that if we got the opportunity to make the playoffs we would be a dangerous team. I just thought we had the talent all year; we were just a little inconsistent. I believe in this team and I knew we could do this.”

Big Red Banter

Cornell Lacrosse Tops Army 14-5, Advances to Final 4  

by Alex.Post 3 months ago

By Alex Post

Slope Sports

The theme of the game was growth; and Cornell showed they had clearly grown up this season. The Big Red took on Army on Sunday prepared to play a complete game; and that’s just what they did to move on in the NCAA Tournament to the semifinals next weekend in Baltimore.  

In the first quarter Cornell started off strong winning the face-offs and keeping possession for much of the period.  The Big Red scored four goals before Army could put up one, but with 2:04 left in the first, Jeremy Boltus of Army was able to finally put one past Cornell goalkeeper AJ Fiore. 

At the start of the second quarter Ryan Hurley, who scored twice in the first for Cornell, received the first penalty of the game but then assisted on a Steve Mock goal and scored one more of his own to complete an early hat trick. Hurley had a record breaking day for the Big Red, passing Sean Greenhalgh on the Cornell career goals list to assume second place all-time with 138. Also, with his five points including a fourth goal coming in the final quarter, Hurley surpassed Jon Levine to move into third place in Cornell history for career points. 

Army would not give up despite a 5 point second period deficit. They began to consistently win face-offs, but were unable to convert possessions into goals in the second quarter until 7:58 left when Devin Lynch scored and then a huge penalty against Cornell with 4:13 left took sophomore Rob Pannell out of the game and gave Garrett Thul an opportunity to score. The lead was narrowed to just 3 with less than four minutes remaining in the half. 

When Pannell returned to the field though, he immediately set up a play behind the net that led to another Mock goal. As the teams left at the half, Cornell led by four.

The Big Red had been known to fall apart in the second half, but with only a four point lead in a high pressure situation Cornell returned in the second half with as much effort as they did at the first whistle. “Today we were able to keep possession in the first and second half” said Rob Pannell.  The prolonged possessions allowed the Red to give their defense a break and focus on the offensive end. 

When asked about their ability in this game to play as well in the second half as they did in the first, Coach Tambroni said “every time Army made a play our guys believed we were gonna make a play.” 

Tambroni’s comments were evident in the third quarter. When Army scored a man-up goal at 9:06, Cornell retaliated three times over, twice by Pannell, to give them a cushiony 11-4 lead.  “When it got to 8-4, they made it 9-4,” was how Joe Alberici, the Black Knights head coach, put it. 

In the final period Cornell began to turn the ball over more often, but Army was again unable to turn the added possessions into points. Jeremy Bollus said that Army “rushed things” near the net.  Fiore’s 11 saves didn’t help the Black Knight’s cause either.  

With 7:42 left in the game Army called a timeout after Mike Branzino scored for the Big Red to push the Cornell lead to 13-4.   Alberici stressed that they wanted to show who they were and make their fans proud by playing through the final whistle, but in the end “they came up short.” 

Not only did they come up short, but Cornell came out strong and stayed strong. They scored again with 6:13 left to make the lead 10.  The Black Knights were able to net the final goal of the game, but in the end it was Cornell who came away with a 14-5 victory to the final four the second consecutive season and the third time in the last four years.

Rob Pannell said of Cornell that they were “becoming a family right at the right time” and now that they’ve gotten to this point in the post-season the “sky’s the limit.”  Next up for the Big Red is a semifinal matchup with Notre Dame on Saturday at 4 PM at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

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