A Red View of the NHL

The NHL season is nearly upon us, and there is a multitude of Cornellians in the league, including commissioner Gary Bettman '74. Here is a preview of some teams with a Cornell connection.

Atlantic Division:

New Jersey Devils: Congrats, you won your third Stanley Cup in nine years. It's too bad no one was there to see it, as the Devils have the eighth lowest attendance in the league. Maybe it's because New Jersey fans are apathetic or don't care for hockey. Or maybe it's because the Devils employ the mind-numbingly boring trap system.

Cornell Connection: Joe Nieuwendyk '88 was a member of last year's Cup winning team.

New York Rangers: For once, the Rangers didn't break the bank with free agent signings over the summer. They did, however, commit the heinous act of drafting Dartmouth sophomore Hugh Jessiman with the 12th overall pick. With a roster full of over-the-hill all-stars, maybe the Blueshirts will finally make the playoffs. Maybe.

Cornell Connection: The Rangers drafted Cornell rival Jessiman and recently signed former Harvard captain Dominic Moore.

Pittsburgh Penguins: They should just rename the team "Mario Lemieux and the Random Scrubs." Seriously, can you name another player on the Penguins? The team dumped most of its payroll and traded away its starting goalie. It also traded up in the draft to grab goalie prospect Marc-Andre Fleury at No. 1, who would probably have been available at No. 3.

Cornell Connection: Kent Manderville '93 is a member of the Penguins.

Northeast Division:

Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs have the youngest GM in the league in 36-year old John Ferguson Jr. and recently signed Nieuwendyk. After not waiting three hours in line to see the Stanley Cup this summer, I'm rooting for the Leafs so that Joe will bring the Cup back to Ithaca and maybe the line will be shorter.

Cornell connection: Ken Dryden '69 is the vice chairman of the Leafs.

Southeast Division:

Atlanta Thrashers: The Thrashers are one of the youngest and most talented teams in the league with stars like All-Star Game MVP Dany Heatley. Hopefully for him, he'll avoid the Madden Curse as he is on the cover of EASports' NHL 2004.

Cornell Connection: Stephen Baby '03 plays in the Thrashers' minor league system.

THE REST OF THIS COLUMN WAS DELETED ON THE SUN WEBSITE, SO I BRING YOU THE UNEDITED VERSION IN ALL ITS GLORY:

Central Division:

Detroit Red Wings: After an embarrassing first-round sweep at the hands of the Ducks in last year’s playoffs, the Red Wings hope to bring another Cup back to the Motor City. With the unretirement of Dominic Hasek, the team now has two tenders under contract at $8 million each, along with the league’s best backup, Manny Legace.

Northwest Division:

Colorado Avalanche: With the arrival of Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, the Avs’ offense is nothing short of ridiculous. However, the big question mark remains in goal, with the retirement of goalie legend Patrick Roy. Can David Aebsicher backstop this team to a Cup? I don’t think so.

Minnesota Wild: It was a good year for the “State of Hockey.” The Wild advanced to the Western Conference finals and the Golden Gophers won its second straight national title. With the Wild’s top two scorers still unsigned, the team is in for a rough start. The Gophers meanwhile are poised to make a run at another national title.

Pacific Division:

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: When the Ducks made the playoffs last season, one fan told his girlfriend that they would get married if the Ducks won the Cup. After Game 7 of the Finals, he proposed anyway. Geez buddy, you were given an out and you didn’t take it!

Dallas Stars: The Stars’ blueline took a big hit with the loss of captain Derian Hatcher, who signed with Detroit. The team does have one of the best goalies in the league in Marty Turco, who now has some postseason experience under his belt. After falling to the Ducks in the playoffs, the Stars are definitely out for revenge.

Phoenix Coyotes: The Coyotes have new uniforms, a new arena, and a new goalie signed in David LeNeveu ’05. Unfortunately, the team doesn’t have much else.

Picks: Daily Sun hockey guru Mike Pandolfini predicted last year that Minnesota and Anaheim would make the playoffs. In light of making my own picks, I have consulted him.

“I don't really know anything about hockey anymore, but I'm going to say that the Rangers will not win the Stanley Cup this year. In addition, I’ll say the Islanders will also not win the Stanley Cup. I’ll go as far as to say that the Devils might win the Stanley Cup along with teams such as Detroit, the Ducks, and the Stars.”

Thanks Mike, as always, for your insight.

As everyone heads home for Fall Break next weekend, I’ll be looking forward to watching the Rangers’ season opener next Friday. Oh wait, my mom decided to get the YES Network over MSG. Thanks, Mom.

M. Soccer Renews Physical Colgate Rivalry at Berman

After four straight games on the road, the men's soccer team returns to the friendly confines of Berman Field, as it faces Colgate tonight under the lights at 7 p.m. The Red (2-3-0) snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday, defeating American, while The Raiders (1-4-3) dropped a heartbreaker in overtime against Lafayette in their Patriot League opener.

"It will be nice [to have a game at home]. It's kind of foreign territory for us right now. We've been living in hotels for the past three weeks, it'll be nice to be able to come out and play at home in front of our own fans," said head coach Bryan Scales.

The booters fought an uphill battle on Saturday, as they played a man down for the majority of the second half. Freshman Tom Marks was booked for his second yellow card in the 46th minute, while three others received yellow cards in the first half.

After junior Steve Reuter was tripped in the box in the 56th minute, junior Scott Palguta collected the rebound from his own penalty kick, and put it past the American keeper to give the Red a 1-0 lead it would never relinquish.

Colgate played a three-hour contest against Lafayette due to lightning delays. After giving up two goals in the span of five minutes, the Raiders tied the game with 90 seconds to go in regulation on a Brian McDermott tally. Lafayette scored eight minutes into the extra session to come away with the victory.

The Raiders' starting goalie Jon Brunell came out of the game due to injury five minutes into the second half, and was replaced by Will Martin. The two combined for nine saves, as Lafayette outshot Colgate, 16-4. The Raiders are winless in their last four games, tying St. Francis and Canisius at the Oneonta Tournament last weekend. Their only win of the season came against St. Joseph's.

Peter Bourquin is the Raiders' leading scorer with four goals in the year, four different players have each recorded an assist. In net, Will Martin has seen the majority of playing time, recording a 3.70 goals against average.

Last year in Hamilton, the Red came away with a 2-1 victory, and looks to build on its win against American.

"The team is excited to have won that game [against American], they'll forget about it after today. They know they have an important regional matchup against Colgate," said Scales.

Reuter, who was hurt in the contest against Coastal Carolina, came off the bench during Saturday's game, and could start tonight.

The Red opens its Ivy season this Saturday at Penn.

Palguta leads M. Soccer to win on penalty kick

Thirty seconds into the second half of Saturday's game, the men's soccer team found itself in a precarious situation, as freshman Tom Marks was booked for his second yellow card of the game. Undermanned for more than 20 minutes, the Red (2-3-0) persevered, and bested American (3-4-1), 1-0.

"The guys put in a terrific performance, they had the cards stacked against them," said head coach Bryan Scales. "They're excited to get a win on the road against a very good team. American is a terrific team and it was definitely a confidence boost for [us]."

The physical contest was marked with 26 fouls and seven yellow cards, with the Red booked for five. American outshot the Red 12-5 in the first half, but neither team converted.

Playing a man down early in the second half, the Red responded to the challenge.

"[After Marks went out] they didn't panic, they know what to do. It didn't ruffle anybody, they really stepped it up defensively, they put together a real solid performance," remarked Scales.

Junior Steve Reuter, who was injured last weekend against Coastal Carolina, came off the bench and drew a penalty in the box seven minutes into the second half. Junior Scott Palguta took the ensuing penalty kick for the Red. The shot went low left, and American goalie Thomas Myers blocked it, but Palguta came in quickly and knocked home the rebound.

"It felt great to get the gamewinning goal in such an important game. I think I scared everyone and myself by having the initial penalty saved, but I was fortunate to get to the rebound and finish the second chance," said Palguta. "It wasn't a work of art, but a goal is a goal, and we'll take them any way we can get them."

The Red withstood the Eagles' onslaught, as Cornell's back four put up its best performance of the season, facing 11 shots and five corners in the second. In the 72nd minute, the booters caught a break when American's Andrew Herman got booked for his second yellow card of the game. With 10 aside for the rest of the game, the Red held on for the win, snapping its three-game losing streak.

"I thought our back four were spectacular. We knew once we went down a man that we were going to give them some scoring opportunities, but the defense did great in only allowing them difficult chances and keeping their forwards' backs to goal," remarked Palguta.

Junior David Mahoney recorded his first shutout at Cornell, making 11 saves.

"Mahoney was outstanding, I can't say he was really tested. I think they had 23 shots but most of those shots aside from maybe one or two were about 20 to 25 yards out. David gobbled up all the shots that came his way," said Scales.

After playing four straight games on the road, the booters return to Berman Field for a nightcap against upstate rival Colgate tomorrow at 7 p.m. The Red will face Penn in its Ivy opener on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Men's Soccer Visits American

The men's soccer team hits the road again this weekend, as it travels to Washington, D.C. to face American (3-3-1) tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. The Red (1-3-0) is coming off two tough losses at the Bradley Invitational last weekend in Illinois, falling to No. 21 Coastal Carolina and Florida Atlantic. The Eagles are winners of two straight, after defeating George Mason last weekend.

"American is a very, very good team, and we've played a bunch of good teams now, and unfortunately, we're 1-3," said head coach Bryan Scales. "The guys are learning stuff as they go along."

Against Coastal Carolina, the Red suffered a huge loss, as junior forward Steve Reuter went down with an injury 15 minutes into the game. One of the booters' offensive weapons, Reuter scored two goals in the season opener against St. Bonaventure. Sophomore Pape Seye came in to replace Reuter up top, and registered four shots.

"Steve is day-to-day, they tell me. We're not quite sure what his status is," remarked Scales. "Steve thinks he might be able to play. I'm not so willing to risk him right away. If he can't go, then Pape will be the guy that we throw up there."

In the end, Coastal Carolina's Joseph Ngwenya was too much for the Red to handle, as he netted a hat trick to put Cornell away, 3-0. Junior goalkeeper David Mahoney stopped seven shots in the loss.

Hoping to bounce back against Florida Atlantic, the Red had the go-ahead goal disallowed on an offsides call. Down 1-0, freshman Ryan Imamura scored his first collegiate goal on assists from junior Peter Lynch and freshman Tom Marks at the start of the second half. The Owls scored with five minutes left to notch the victory.

American looks to continue its stinginess on defense this weekend, as it has allowed only one goal in each of its last three games. In net for the Eagles is junior Thomas Myers, who has a goals against average of 0.97 for the season and has started in all seven contests. Leading the offense for American are juniors Peter Philipakos and Andrew Herman, who are first and second in scoring, respectively.

Philipakos netted the lone goal against Georgetown in the D.C. College Cup in August, giving the Eagles its second-ever tie against the Hoyas. Freshman Salvatore Caccavale leads the team with three assists.

Having played two teams in each of the first two weekends, the Red will be able to solely focus on tomorrow's game.

"It's easier to play one game fitness wise and physically," commented Scales. "We're going to work on some specific things and taper the guys down for this weekend and get them ready."

Having faced several good teams already this season, the booters look to gain momentum going into the Ivy portion of their schedule, which starts next weekend.

"We're going to go for a win on the road again. The schedule has not been kind to us, and that's just the way we set it up," said Scales. "[American will] be a very good team, and we're looking forward to playing them."

M. Soccer Splits Two

Eight yellow cards were booked during Friday's game, but after being down 1-0 at halftime, the men's soccer team (1-1, 0-0 Ivy) scored four unanswered goals to put St. Bonaventure (0-4-1) away. The team then dropped a close contest to Loyola (3-2) at the Maryland SoccerPlex.

"We decided at the beginning no matter what happens just to remain calm and stay confident, and just realize that we're a better team than them," said junior Scott Palguta of the game against the Bonnies. "Nobody got their heads down when they scored, everyone just continued to battle."

St. Bonaventure struck first in the 36th minute, as Jahmal Cameron slipped through the defense and fired a shot from the right that hit the upper left corner of the net. The Red had some chances later in the half, but could not capitalize.

Five of the eight yellow cards came in the first half, two for the Red and three for the Bonnies. A small fight erupted as senior tri-captain Ian Pilarski and Nick Blair battled for the ball on the sideline in the 42nd minute.

"It's important if the other team comes out very physical in a game that you have to match it, especially in individual battles. It's always good to keep your mark on your opponent," said junior Steve Reuter.

Palguta started the scoring for the Red early in the second half, as he was awarded a penalty kick. He buried the shot to the left of St. Bonaventure goalie Mike Krupka to tie the game at one.

"Once you get that equalizer, it's anybody's game now, and we realized we could shut the door," remarked Palguta.

Reuter had several good scoring chances and finally hit the back of the net in the 66th minute. Sophomore Andrew George passed across the front of the goal from the left side to a waiting Reuter on the right, who tapped it in the open net.

In the 77th minute, Pilarski chipped a high pass from the midfield to Reuter, who beat the lone defender back and scored on the breakaway.

"Their back four was pushed so far upfield that they were leaving a lot of space behind," commented head coach Bryan Scales. "When we were able to hold our runs and have runs come out of deep in the midfield, we were able to get on a couple of breakaways."

With under two minutes left, the men tacked one onto the final score as junior Kyle Jones took a corner kick from the left of the goal and sent the ball toward the right post. Senior tri-captain Evan Wiener was there, making a sliding shot to tap it in.

Junior David Mahoney, starting his first game for Cornell after transferring from Brown, made six saves.

"David gives us an experienced guy back there. He's great in the air at catching balls, he knows when to slow things down, he knows when to speed it up, and we're glad we got him," praised Scales.

Against Loyola, the Red found itself down two goals after the first half. In the eighth minute, Omar Alfonso sent the ball to Kevin Nash, who hit the left post, after which the ball deflected off of Mahoney to make it 1-0. Alfonso scored the Greyhounds' second goal in the waning minutes of the first half.

"It was clear during this game that we didn't have the energy that we had on Friday night," said Scales. "It's difficult to come down here and play a game in less than 48 hours after playing a game on Friday, but having said that, the guys battled back from a 2-0 deficit early in the second half."

In the 52nd minute, Palguta got his head on a free kick from Pilarski and put it past Loyola keeper Dan Mulcahy to pull the men within one. Freshman Nick Leonard later got a header on another Pilarski free kick to notch the equalizer.

Alfonso put the Red away, however, beating Mahoney on the ground in the 75th minute.

"There was a lot of little details that we didn't take care of today that I think were a result of fatigue," said Scales. "They were things that we usually do pretty well and we'll watch the tapes of today's game and start to gear up for next weekend's tournament at Bradley."

Despite the loss, Scales is very optimistic after the team's performances this weekend.

"This is a good group, and I think they're going to be a good team, so we're disappointed [with the loss] but they're going to get past it," he said.

Palguta Steps Up for Booters

Most people remember their high school prom and graduation. Junior Scott Palguta of the men's soccer team doesn't. Actually, he didn't even attend his prom and graduation. He was in Europe, playing against some of the best European youth teams.

"I don't regret it one bit, it was a great opportunity. We got to go to Europe and play some of the best youth club teams in the world. It was a tremendous experience," said Palguta.

After playing back last season, Palguta has been moved up to midfield, where he will have a bigger hand in the offense. This move has already paid off, as he has netted two goals in the first two games of the season.

With the Red down 1-0 in the season opener last Friday, Palguta nailed a penalty shot, which was the first of four unanswered goals. In Sunday's game against Loyola, he headed a free kick from senior Ian Pilarski past the Greyhound keeper.

"In the midfield, you need to have a little nastiness in you, and he's developed a little nasty streak, and that's exciting for our team. He's going to really help us in the midfield," said head coach Bryan Scales. "I know he's excited to play in there and get forward, cause he likes to get forward and score goals"

Playing back as a freshmen, Palguta helped anchor a defense that only allowed 15 goals all season. He also made big plays on offense, as he scored the game-winning goal against Syracuse after being moved up to forward in double overtime.

"In my Cornell career, that was my most special moment so far," said Palguta.

For the past two summers, Palguta has played for the Cape Cod Crusaders of the Premier Development League, helping them win back-to-back national titles. He played the most minutes on the team, and recorded a goal and two assists. In the Eastern Conference Final against division rival Vermont Voltage, Palguta netted the equalizer, and the Crusaders rolled to a 4-2 victory to advance to the finals.

If you come to any game at Berman Field, two people you'll always see are Palguta's parents.

"They really didn't miss a game all summer. They traveled to Cape Cod seven or eight times and to Vermont on several occasions, and haven't missed a game yet at Cornell," said Palguta. "It's always great to show up at a field and no matter where I am to be able to look up and see my parents there supporting me."

Playing for the Crusaders during the summer also gave Palguta the opportunity to work with kids on the Cape at soccer camps run by the team.

"We always had, week in and week out, tons and tons of little kids that came [to our games]," remarked Palguta.

This season, Palguta is ready to help the team turn heads in the Ivy League.

"He's one of the top players in our league, I think, and he's just got to prove it," said Scales.

Palguta's skills on the pitch could lead him to the pros after his time on the East Hill is done, but right now his focus is on this season alone.

"[Playing pro] is definitely something that's in the back of my mind. I'd love to do it, I've always dreamed of doing it, but I can't really be consumed with that type of stuff right now," said Palguta. "The only thing I'm focusing on right now is to do what I need to do to help this team win a championship."

Writers Gone Wild: Hockey Line Edition

Sun Sports Writers Mike and Jon have gotten hockey season tickets for the past three years. Here is an account of this year's line, starting with Jon:

Friday, 2:15 p.m.: Arrival

I leave my last class and head over to the Lynah/Biotech Building area. A line of people extends the entire length of the side fence of Alumni Fields. Luckily, my friend Will and his brother Charles are near the front of the line. I stumble down to them; the people around me don't appear happy that I am joining the line in front of them.

Apparently, there was some sort of "official" unofficial list of people who were there but got dispersed by the cops. The list nowhere to be seen, as some clever student grabbed it, jumped into a car, and sped away.

3:00 p.m.: Local Hockey Nut

The crowd is growing unruly, as people try to cut in line. We meet Ari Baum '07, who seems to know the hockey team. They let him cut in line for some reason. He offers us "hockey literature" while we are waiting.

3:30 p.m.: Unofficial Line Police

A group of students tries to take control of the unofficial line. Some of them are wearing the Lynah Faithful shirts from last year, which makes them think they have authority over us. Note to self: if I show up next year with my Lynah Faithful shirt and wear pants, maybe people will be dumb enough to listen to me.

3:45 p.m.: The Holy Rope

It appears as if people are trying to put a rope up around the line. Cathy and Mike, the final two members of our group, arrive just in time, as it looks like the mob is starting to get violent. Mike sneaks under the rope, but Cathy is accosted, at which point Will starts screaming. I guess people will listen to whoever is loudest.

Some kid name Gabe, who appears to be the ringleader of the unofficial line police (or idiot brigade) tries to make a speech to everyone. Here is an excerpt:

"I wanna preface this again by saying that you do not have to listen to me, I'm a student just like you, my name is Gabe. This is Alex. Alex was generous enough to go down to the hardware store and buy 100 yards of rope.

I don't care if it's your friend. I don't care if it's my mother, whose name is Simone. If she crosses this rope, I want you to look her straight in the eye and say, 'Simone, not on my watch.' Hopefully now and forty-five minutes from now everyone will stay orderly and enforce the rope. Do not let anyone cross that line."

I now feel a renewed patriotic duty to enforce the rope at all costs. God bless you, Gabe and Alex.

3:45 p.m.: Chaos

Now there is a yellow rope fencing in the unofficial line thanks to Gabe and his cronies. This just causes people to spread out more and make the line more chaotic. Anyone who comes anywhere near the rope is immediately screamed at. Another student starts screaming at a friend of mine further down the line because he is walking back and forth. My friend proceeds to ignore the idiot and walk back to his group.

4:00 p.m.: Um, yeah

The people in front of us start chanting, "Not on my watch! Not on my watch!" We laugh hysterically. It's amazing how stupid people can get after only waiting on a line for a couple of hours. I think next year, there should be someone with a high-pressure hose to spray people if they start doing stupid things on the line.

4:45 p.m.: Finally

We move to the official line. The unofficial line now extends all the way around to Berman Field. Some of these people will obviously be turned away.

5:00 p.m.: Chillin' with Ari

Mike and I have a nice chat with Ari about Cornell hockey. Here is a sample:

"I've been waiting 18 years to sit in Section B, I've been sitting across from Section B for 18 years. I'm a local, but I know more about this program than [expletive] all these people put together. I can name any player that's every played here from the last 20 years. I've been waiting for this my entire life."

Ari later had his line number canceled, as he missed the Saturday morning line check.

5:30 p.m.: OW!?

Mike gets struck in the head by a huge mat that the football coaching staff is trying to heave over the fence. Dave the Zamboni Driver walks by the line.

Mike's Viewpoint

6:00 p.m.: Size matters

The grand troupe of adventurers (or nerds with nothing better to do than sit on a hockey line for 24 hours) finally made its way into the Ramin Room in the late afternoon. After taking advantage of the large amount of space available because we had the early line numbers 50-54, we nearly incited several brouhahas when things started to get crowded. Our group literally took up about 20 X 20 square feet of floor space. Fortunately, few were ready to start any real brouhahas due to the size of our group and the fact that hockey fans are friendly.

7:00 p.m.: Soccer

I decided to attend the nearby soccer game, considering that I do cover the team for the paper and all.

9:00 p.m.: A brouhaha to remember

After returning from the soccer game cold and hungry, I realized that there was no way that I was going to go a whole night without wings. Truly the brilliance of allowing one person to hold two line numbers showed through the circumstances. My good friend Will (who I like to call Dafoe, due to his uncanny similarities to actor Willem Dafoe) and I immediately drove to Wings Over Ithaca. Of course, our break from the line was not going to escape complaints from our other group members.

9:30 p.m.: Hunting for Chicken

Has anyone ever noticed that Wings Over Ithaca is in that shopping center in East Hill plaza? Well, I hadn't. (Jon: "I told you this before you left.") It took us about 30 minutes to find the place. Needless to say, a brouhaha was inevitable considering the amount of time we took getting wings.

10:00 p.m.: The Live Band

Whoever came up with the live band idea wasn't really thinking about the negatives that come up when you mix loud live music and a large group of tired people already on the brink of brouhaha. When I returned from getting food, I noticed a band that hadn't been there before making a good deal of ruckus. It's not that its music was bad (really, no offense, whoever you were); it's just that no one really seemed to want to hear it.

An anonymous source -- whom I will only refer to as Line number 677 -- argued coherently, "This band has been playing forever, and they suck."

Note: The definition of coherently has been altered to "drunkenly" temporarily.

11:00 p.m.: I am not Matt Damon

No night with nothing to do is really the same without No Limit Texas Hold 'Em. As a self-proclaimed Hold 'Em expert (also known in some circles as "the sucker"), I brought my chips and cards to the line expecting hours of rollicking booty-slapping fun (what?).

After thinking that I was really cool for a few minutes, Gene Nighman '81 told us that we were allowed to go home. After everybody files out, some kid next to us starts jingling his keys for five minutes. We glare at him angrily. Since all our crap was on the floor already, the group decided that playing poker would be much more constructive than actually leaving and going to do something fun. Fifteen hands and three stacks of chips later, I realized what a mistake that was (Jon: "How about when I took all your money on two straight hands?")

Saturday, 3:00 a.m.: Why smart people went home

Because they didn't want to sleep on Astroturf.

8:00 a.m.: Homeward bound

Our shift was over. I headed home to fall asleep with massive back pain.

Cornell Football: Believe It

It's college football season. That means roaring crowds, blaring marching bands, colorful mascots, and tailgating. It's hail mary passes, last-second field-goal kicks, and students tearing down the goal posts. While you may have been watching all the action from your couch the past few weeks, this Saturday will be your first chance to see it live.

That's right, Cornell football opens its season this Saturday.

Now you may be thinking, 'Ivy League football? I'll pass,' but let me tell you, you don't know what you're missing. I got my first taste of C.U. football at the "Schoellkopf Sellout" of 2000 and have been hooked ever since.

Quick, how many national football titles has Cornell won? If you said zero, you're wrong. If you said one, you're also wrong. In fact, the Red has won four national titles, in 1915, 1921, 1922, and 1939. It may have won a fifth title in 1940, if not for a controversial play against Dartmouth.

Ranked No. 1 for most of the season, the 6-0 Red came into this penultimate game looking to blow by 3-4 Dartmouth. In a tightly-fought game, the Green (known as the Indians back then) went up 3-0 on an early fourth quarter field goal. The Red came back with a stellar drive, reaching the Dartmouth six-yard line with little under a minute left in the game. Three running plays later, Cornell was a foot from victory, but got called for a delay of game penalty.

When the fourth-down pass fell incomplete, Dartmouth thought it had pulled off an amazing upset. However, the head referee lost count of downs, and gave the Red the ball and another fourth down. Capitalizing on its fifth down, Cornell scored on a pass into the endzone, and "won" the game 7-3.

After reviewing the game film, the referee admitted to accidentally giving Cornell a fifth down. However, since the game was already recorded in the record books, the result could not be overturned. In a demonstration of true sportsmanship, Cornell head coach Carl Snavely and University president Edmund Ezra Day sent a message to their Dartmouth counterparts, conceding the game to the Green.

Here's another quiz, how many times has a Cornellian been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated? The answer: five. Legendary Cornell goalie Ken Dryden '69 made three cover appearances as a member of the Montreal Canadians in the 70's. In June 1962, the Cornell varsity crew graced the cover, and finally, the November 1, 1971 cover featured running back Ed Marinaro '72.

Marinaro led the nation in rushing in 1970 and 1971, and was also first in the country in 1971 for all-purpose yardage and scoring, with 1932 all-purpose yards and 24 touchdowns. The Red cruised to an 8-1 record in '71, capturing its first Ivy title, and Marinaro was taken 50th overall in the 1972 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. After a six-year career in the NFL, he appeared in the TV drama Hill Street Blues from 1981-1986.

Flash forward to the "Schoellkopf Sellout." The Red faced Yale for Homecoming, with governor George Pataki (a Yale alumnus) attending the game. With Cornell down 23-17 and facing fourth down deep in Yale territory, Ricky Rahne '02 connected on a pass to Joe Splendorio '01 for the first down. Rahne hit Splendorio again soon after that to put the Red up by one.

With no timeouts and under a minute to play, the Elis drove down the field to the Cornell 17. With two seconds left in the game, the Yale field goal unit trotted onto the field to put up the game-winning 32-yard kick. As the ball went up, I put my head down in disbelief, only to look up and see the kick miss wide left. The crowd roared in celebration, the freshmen rushed the field, the band played Davy, it was an incredible scene.

This would be the first of three one-point victories by the "Cardiac Kids." At Harvard, the Red rallied from a 28-0 halftime deficit to win 29-28 when Splendorio blocked the game-winning field goal in the closing seconds. Princeton's kicking game failed too in the end, as its kicker slipped and missed a point-after attempt with 11 seconds left in the game.

Rahne left Cornell with virtually every school passing record, while last season, Keith Ferguson '02 passed Splendorio to become the program's all-time leader in receiving yards. He also holds the school reception record.

For you youngins, this Saturday is "Freshmen on the Field," when all the first-years storm the field after the game. If you miss your chance, you'll have to wait three years for "Seniors on the Field," at the season's last home game.

So roll out of bed on Saturday and head over to the Crescent for the 1 p.m. kickoff. Drive your car over and tailgate with alumni. Most importantly, cheer till you're hoarse. The team has been training for months, and they're ready to take the field. I hope you'll join me in supporting them.

M. Soccer Opens Season With Weekend Pair

The pitch of Berman Field will be illuminated tonight, as the men's soccer team opens its season against St. Bonaventure (0-3-1) at 7 p.m. The team will then travel down to Maryland to face Loyola (2-2) for a Sunday contest at noon. With an experienced group of veterans, as well as a strong freshman class, the Red hopes to start the season off on the right foot this weekend.

"We're excited to play. The guys have had a pretty hard preseason, and it's been a good preseason, so they're ready to start. We're just looking forward to a game," said head coach Bryan Scales.

While this will be the first game for the Red, both St. Bonaventure and Loyola come into this weekend's contests with substantial game experience.

The Bonnies notched a 2-2 tie against Syracuse on Wednesday, when sophomore Ryan Mahoney scored with three minutes left in the game. Last weekend, St. Bonaventure hosted the SBU Adidas Classic, at which it fell to Albany and Maine.

Senior Jahmal Cameron leads the team in scoring with two goals, while freshmen Kevin Omokhua has a goal and an assist. In goal, senior Mike Krupka has started two games, with junior Sean Eyde also seeing playing time.

Loyola faced No. 1 Maryland on Wednesday, and was shut out, 4-0. They Greyhounds only registered one shot on goal. Loyola went 1-1 in last weekend's Battle of Baltimore, defeating Navy in overtime, then falling to UMBC. Junior forward Kevin Nash has netted a team-high three goals on four shots, and junior Greg Peters has started all four games, making 18 saves.

In goal for the Red will be a new face, junior David Mahoney, who is a transfer from Brown, while junior Peter Francis serve as the backup.

"Both those guys have had a good preseason, and David's been sharp, so right now he's the starting guy," said Scales. "Peter, along with two of the freshmen will compete for the starting spot. We're pleased with all of their progress."

With three preseason games under its belt, the Red is ready for this weekend's battle-tested opponents.

"I think they're read to go, it's a matter of them being able to make adjustments during the game." Scales said.

"I'm very comfortable with having our experienced guys making the decisions out there."

The booters hit the road next weekend for the Bradley Invitational in Illinois, where the team will face Coastal Carolina and Florida Atlantic.

Returning to the National Stage

Coming off a disappointing 4-8-4 mark a year ago, the men's soccer team looks to regain its form this season. With an experienced group of upperclassmen returning and a solid freshman class coming in, the team is ready to challenge for the Ivy League title.

"The good thing about our group right now is that we have some depth at almost each position," said head coach Bryan Scales. "It's been very competitive throughout preseason so far at each position to get on the field. We've got two, or sometimes three, guys battling for one spot, which is healthy for the program."

Goalkeeping

After losing Doug Allan '02 to graduation, the Red has several goaltender possibilities for the coming season. Junior transfer David Mahoney has been named the starter, while junior Peter Francis will back him up. Mahoney transferred from Brown, where he made four starts in two seasons. Two freshmen, Drew Lessard and Jason Reed, round out the goalkeeping corps.

"We'll decide on a starter before our first game … and see what happens," said Scales. "They've all been working extremely hard, and we'll see where that leads us."

Defense

Senior tri-captain Evan Wiener will be the leader in the back for a young defensive group. Sophomore Robert Russell is coming back after missing all of last season due to an injury. Several freshmen will also be looking to stake out starting positions in the coming season.

"We've got a number of different freshmen who we think can play back there [such as] Ryan Imamura [and] Brian Scruton," explained Scales.

Midfield

After being moved around a lot in 2002, star defenseman Scott Palguta will play in the midfield this year. The team will ask him to produce more offensive opportunities than he did in the backline. Joining him are the other two tri-captains, Ian Pilarski and Arturo Solis. Two other returning midfielders are juniors Peter Lynch and Kyle Jones.

"We've got a lot of guys who can play in the midfield right now," said Scales. "I don't expect we'll have a lot of guys that [will have to] play 90 minutes with players on the bench who can come in and do a great job."

Forwards

Junior Steve Reuter returns to the offense after being the team's second leading scorer in 2002. He will be counted on as a leader up front. Sophomore Andrew George, who led the team in scoring as a freshman, will play a much larger role himself. This is also an area where freshmen will have a chance to get involved.

"Nick [Leonard] is going to be a good player for our team [as he] learns the ropes," commented Scales.

This summer, five members of the Red captured national championships with their club teams. Sophomores Sean Shannon and George helped their team, FC Delco Arsenal, capture its second straight USYSA National Championship. Pilarski, Palguta, and Reuter played for the Cape Cod Crusaders in the Premier Development League, which also won its second straight national title. Palguta and Pilarski were members of the 2002 squad as well.

The trio will attempt to parlay its successes of this summer into a breakout season back on the Hill. The experience gained will likely prove invaluable, as the PDL featured many of the top collegiate players in the country.

Cornell will take a game-by-game approach for the season and will not overlook any of the teams on its schedule.

"We want to win a championship and we want to get to the National Tournament, but we know it's going to take 16 Cup finals to get there," remarked Scales. "We're not going to look ahead and we're not going to worry about what's happened in the past."

On Top of His Game

Spain is known for its rich history, beautiful beaches, and wealth of cultural experiences. But to senior Ian Pilarski, Spain means soccer. After witnessing firsthand the passion that the Spanish have for the game, Pilarski hopes to bring this passion to Cornell this season. With the men's soccer team poised to make a run at the Ivy League title, he will be a pivotal part of the team's success this season. Playing at the midfield, Pilarski is an all-around threat, who commands the respect of his teammates with his athleticism on the field.

But, as any good athlete will tell you, to be the best, you need to stay on top of your game year round. Pilarski knows this all too well.

He spent the summer with the Cape Cod Crusaders of the USL's Premier Development League, the top amateur league in the country. Along with juniors Scott Palguta and Steve Reuter, Pilarski helped the Crusaders capture the PDL National Championship. He and Palguta were also members of the 2002 squad, which also captured the national title.

"Playing with some of the best players in the country definitely helped us prepare better," remarked Pilarski. "It just makes you sharper, makes you think quicker on the field. [Living with Palguta and Reuter all summer,] we learned more about each other and how we play, so hopefully we'll reflect that this season."

Over the summer, the team compiled a 12-4-2 record, with Pilarski recording nine assists, fourth best in the league, along with two goals.

Breaking into the starting lineup his freshman season, Pilarski emerged as an offensive threat with two goals and two assists in 2000. The following season, he led the team in assists with seven, also adding a goal, while earning an All-Ivy Honorable Mention nod.

Despite the team's disappointing run last year, Pilarski continued to shine. While the Red struggled to find the back of the net, Pilarski generated lots of scoring chances and was named to the All-Ivy second team.

"Everything that happened last year just seemed to prepare us even more for this year. Every loss -- it's almost like we want to get revenge on every team that beat us last year," commented Pilarski.

A dedicated worker on and off the field, Pilarski was named one of the captains for this year's squad.

"He's a great leader for the team, really committed, really focused, and just really positive all the time about everything," said sophomore Sean Shannon. "He's a great guy to have as a leader because he's always confident in himself and he leads by example."

As a midfielder, Pilarski has been given free reign to create scoring opportunities in the offensive zone.

"Preferably, I like to receive the ball on the outside, and I like the upper left or right section of the field. It's my kind of area where I can cut players in and cross balls in."

Looking back at his career, Pilarski points to his goal against Harvard last season in the pouring rain as his favorite moment on the field. Off the field, he values the friendship and solidarity of the team.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed the past three years, and hope to make this senior year a memorable one and carry the team as far as possible," said Pilarski.

As the season opens today against St. Bonaventure, Pilarski and the rest of the team are looking for a strong start to a successful year.

"This year, everyone gets along, there isn't a certain clique, which is very important for team chemistry," said Pilarski. "We're a very tight and close-knit group, and the camaraderie is higher than ever."