Cornell Classic Hits Newman Court

Looking for its first win of the season, the women's basketball team welcomes Bucknell, James Madison, and Winthrop to Newman Arena for the Cornell Classic, beginning tonight. The Red (0-4, 0-0 Ivy) will take on Bucknell (1-3) at 7 p.m., while James Madison (1-3) squares off against Winthrop (1-1) at 5 p.m. The consolation and championship games will be held tomorrow at 5 and 7 p.m. respectively.

The Red looks to continue its strong play from Tuesday's night game against Colgate. Cornell went on a 13-2 run in the second half, but could not close the gap, and the Raiders won 77-63.

"I think we played a lot better on Tuesday night, and I think it was a good stepping stone, and I really expect us to come out playing the same way, playing with the same level of intensity," said head coach Dayna Smith. "Bucknell is a good team, but I think if we come out and do the little things and play aggressive, we have a good chance of getting our first win game."

Four of the Red's five starters reached double figures, with senior Tanya Karcic leading all scorers with 19 points. Senior tri-captain Karen Force had her best game so far this season, racking up 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting, went 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, and made each of her four free throws. Senior tri-captains Lauren Kilduff and Katie Romey scored 11 and 12 points, respectively. This was the first game that the Red had four players in double figures.

"Those four seniors need to do that on a consistent basis, and we need one or two other players to round it out for us. Our point production is increasing but it needs to go up even higher," said Smith. "We need a couple of people to come off the bench and make some easy shots, we need to finish some lay-ups, and we need to make our free throws. I think if everyone can do their little part, then things are going to come together."

Senior Dani Aretino dominated the glass, as she led all players with 12 rebounds. Force, who was hindered in the team's previous games by injury, shined on Tuesday night, and was a major presence for Cornell on the floor.

"It was what our team needed. She played a little bit like her old self, and it was huge. It gave us an emotional boost, and points-wise we need her production. She was just a good point guard on Tuesday night, and I think if she can duplicate that, then we're going to do pretty well," said Smith.

Bucknell comes into the Cornell Classic after dropping its last game to Bowling Green on Wednesday. The Bison handily defeated the Red in the teams' last meeting 2001 in Lewisburg, Penn. The Red notched its second win against Bucknell in the teams' 12 meetings in the 2000 Cornell Classic final.

The Red will need to key in on Bucknell co-captain Desire Almind, who racked up a career-high 33 points against Bowling Green, while shooting 88 percent from the floor. An All-Patriot Team selection last season, Almind is averaging a double-double with 20 points and 13.2 rebounds a game. Freshman guard Lindsey Hollobaugh is second on the team in scoring and rebounds, and was named Patriot League Freshman of the Week for her performances in the team's first two games.

"I think we have to respect Bucknell's go-to players, but we need to set the tone. I thought our preparation for the Colgate game was very good, we were focused. We had three very good practices prior to that game, so when we prepare for Bucknell, we need to come in ready to compete, be focused, and take that into the game," said Smith.

Winthrop and James Madison will meet for the first time since 1976. Both teams have a lot of youth, with Winthrop starting four freshman, and James Madison starting three. James Madison has never faced Cornell, while Winthrop dropped its only meeting with the Red during the 2000-01 season.

After being on the road for the first four games of the season, the Red is looking forward to its first home contests.

"Just being here this week, not having to travel, and sleeping in our own beds, it's been a huge advantage for us, and our players are very, very excited to have our home court advantage back in play," said Smith.

M. Soccer Season Full of Ups and Downs

The men's soccer team's 2003 season was a roller coaster ride from the very beginning. After putting together a five-game unbeaten streak in mid-October, the team dropped its next six games, then the season strongly with a tie against third-place Columbia. While the Red struggled to score in the latter half of the season, the team played with tremendous tenacity, finishing the season with a 5-9-2 record (2-3-2 Ivy League).

Of the team's 16 games, only three were decided by more than two goals, including the Red's 4-1 win in the season opener over St. Bonaventure.

"I think you can look at our season at three different stages. We got off to a good start against St. Bonaventure, dropped a few games after that as we were trying to find our lineup, and figure who would play in certain spots for us, and then we went on a five-game unbeaten streak, and confidence was high," said head coach Bryan Scales. "Then when we went into that middle stretch of the season in October, which is always a difficult time for anyone on the team with prelims and all sorts of distractions, and we just couldn't score goals and couldn't finish off our chances.

The Red placed three players on the All-Ivy team. Senior tri-captain Ian Pilarski became the first Cornell midfielder to be named to the first team since 1986, and finished the season with four assists. Pilarski's 15 career assists places him fourth on the all-time list. Junior Peter Lynch was named an All-Ivy honorable mention, and was one of the most solid performers on the team throughout the season. His goal in the opening minutes against Penn was all the offense the Red needed, as it shut out the Quakers.

Transferring from Brown at the beginning of the year, junior goalie David Mahoney was also named an All-Ivy honorable mention. He notched four shutouts on the year, including two in conference play, and registered a 1.54 goals against average, starting every game for the Red.

Of the team's wins this season, none was bigger than the Red's 1-0 defeat of the then-No. 15 Yale Bulldogs in New Haven, Conn. This was the first win at Yale for Cornell since 1978.

"It was a big win for us. Yale finished second in the league, we were their only loss. For us to win down there [for the first time] in 28 years, that's a big mental hurdle that the guys were able to get over," said Scales.

The team's five seniors -- Pilarski, Evan Wiener, Arturo Solis, Matt Blumenstyk, and Kaj Hackinen -- all provided veteran leadership during some of the difficult portions of the season.

"I thought that the seniors did a remarkable job, especially when things weren't going well. Those guys have all been four-year players for us, so they put so much into this program that they weren't going to just hang out and take the foot off the pedal when things weren't going will towards the end of the season," said Scales. "They drove the group, they pushed everybody in practice, they did all the things on the field and off the field that I expected of them, and they'll be missed."

While the team heads into the long offseason, the coaching staff and players are starting to prepare for next fall. In the past, Scales has visited European clubs to study and learn new training techniques.

"We watch a lot of professional games, we may go abroad at some point and spend some time with some clubs, we may go out to Chicago to spend time with Dave Sarachan ['76], to watch the Chicago Fire for a little bit, so it's to be determined. We're always on the lookout for new ideas and different points of view."

A Time-Honored Red Hockey Tradition

Two images stick out in my mind from last November's Harvard-Cornell game at Lynah: Noah Welch falling down at the Harvard blue line, giving up a 2-on-0 breakaway and a Cornell goal; and my friend sneaking a huge bell fish into the rink by taping it to his leg. The amount of discomfort he endured was quite high, but it was all worth it (maybe he'd argue otherwise) when he finally tossed the mammoth fish onto the ice.

Throwing fish before the Harvard game is a time-honored tradition and this year marks the 30th anniversary of the custom's creation. The whole thing began after Cornell upset top-ranked Harvard at Watson Rink in January 1973. During the game, a clever Harvard student tossed a dead chicken at Cornell goalie Doug Elenbas '73, mocking Cornell's Ag school. This didn't sit too well with the Lynah Faithful, who responded by hurling fish at the Crimson during the Cornell-Harvard contest the following month at Lynah Rink, making fun of Boston's fishing industry. A live chicken was also tied to the Harvard net, and while that tradition is gone, the fish-throwing lives on.

Last year, the University tried to kill this tradition. Mary Beth Grant, the Judicial Administrator, wrote in The Sun last November that fish throwing would no longer be allowed, after a Harvard player was struck in the face mask during the national anthem before the Red's 6-3 drubbing of the Crimson on Feb. 1, 2002. Grant asked everyone to leave the fish at home, and her request, of course, was not followed.

When the Harvard players skated onto the ice last November, they were greeted with the customary fanfare of fish. Clearly, the students were not intimidated by Grant's attempt to squash tradition, and I hope the administration has learned its lesson. What does it say about our school when it wants to put a damper on the biggest campus sporting event of the year?

Our annual tossing of fish was the second-ranked fan-thrown projectile in all of college sports in a recent issue of Sports Illustrated on Campus, and is something to be proud of. You can bet that Harvard coach Mark Mazzoleni wishes that his team had half the support that the Red has.

While throwing fish at the beginning of the game is strongly encouraged, do not attempt to throw more fish before the start of the second and third periods. The refs will be all too happy to give Cornell a bench minor penalty, which happened two years ago after someone tossed a lobster among other seafood onto the ice before the second period. Of the past four Cornell-Harvard games, all but one has been decided by one goal, so you don't want to be the idiot that could cost the Red the game.

Of course, the fish throwing won't be the sole focus of the evening. The Red looks to gain some momentum going into the heart of its conference schedule, and what better way to start that string than by beating two of the top teams in the conference.

If you told me at the beginning of the season that the Red would still be winless at Lynah at this point of the year, I would have laughed. Hopefully, the team will take care of business against a very good Brown team on Friday night, and come into Saturday with the home-win monkey off its back. There's no understating the importance of Saturday's game. Last season, the only difference between the Crimson and the Red in the ECAC standings was Cornell's two wins over Harvard.

While Cornell has avenged its previous losses to Harvard with a big win at home, this time, it will be the Crimson out for revenge. Not a single Harvard player has forgotten the team's 0-3 showing against Cornell last year, including the overtime loss in the ECAC championship game. Noah Welch certainly hasn't forgotten his "defensive miscue." On a lighter note, I would like to personally thank Mr. Welch for one of the most amusing moments I have ever seen at a sporting event. Not only did his poor skating skills lead to the game-winning goal, but it also got the entire crowd back in the game.

If you want your choice of the best seafood in Ithaca for the game, you'd better head down to Wegman's as soon as possible before they sell out. Also, be sure to hide it effectively, as the ushers will be checking you before you enter the rink.

Lady Cagers to Face St. Francis

After opening its season at the Indiana Classic this past weekend, the women's basketball team continues its non-conference slate tonight against Saint Francis at 7 p.m. in Loretto, Penn. The Red (0-2) dropped contests to Indiana and Indiana St. over the weekend, while the Red Flash (1-1) lost to North Carolina-Chapel Hill and rebounded to beat North Carolina-Greensboro.

The cagers were outpaced by Indiana in the first half of the tourney opener, but put forth a strong effort in the second. Senior Tanya Karcic racked up a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Against Indiana State, the Red got off to a better start, but the Sycamores went on a 15-1 scoring run to go into the break ahead.

"They didn't give up and they played with a lot of pride. We knew coming in here that there were a lot of talented teams, and we just want to learn from what our experiences were and take some good and bad," said head coach Dayna Smith of the team's effort at the Indiana Classic.

In its season opener against No. 13 UNC, Saint Francis put up only 44 points, but responded with an 80-point effort against North Carolina-Greensboro. Junior center Beth Swink, a first-team 2002-03 Northeast Conference selection, is averaging 21 points per game, along with 10.5 rebounds. The Red Flash return two other starters in NEC Defensive Player of the Year Tonjee Ward and Karen Hewitt.

"Saint Francis won their conference last year, they're an NCAA tournament team year after year, and they're very experienced. They have a new coach and a new offensive system, so we're not quite sure what that's going to present for us," remarked Smith. "Going into [last] weekend, we knew we were playing bigger, stronger teams, and we needed to step up the level of play. It's a different tempo of play, and I hope we can duplicate that when we go play Saint Francis."

NEC Coach of the Year Myndi Hill left Saint Francis in the offseason to take the head coaching position at Manhattan. New head coach Jill Poe takes over the program after serving as an assistant coach at Duquesne for seven seasons.

Still, Smith is confident in her team.

"We played a Big 10 team that really gets up and down the court, and was aggressive and strong, and if we can play the way we did in the second half against Indiana, if we play that way against St. Francis, we have a good chance of knocking off a good team," said Smith.

W. Cagers Drop Pair in Indiana

The women's basketball team faced its first Big 10 opponent in program history this weekend, dropping a tough contest to Indiana, 75-41, in the opening game of the Indiana Classic on Saturday. The Red (0-2) then fell in the consolation game yesterday to Indiana State, 89-58. Senior Tanya Karcic put forth two solid efforts on the weekend and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

On Saturday, Indiana exploded after scoring only seven points in the first six minutes, going on a 29-2 run. The Red put up only nine points in the first half, with Karcic putting up five.

"[Indiana was] pretty much over aggressive with their defense and pretty much brought us out of our offense. On the offensive end, they went on a scoring spurt where they couldn't miss a basket," said Cornell head coach Dayna Smith.

The Red changed its offensive strategy in the second half and went on a run of its own late in the game after the Hoosiers stretched their lead to 41.

"We changed up our offense a little bit, we went to more of a motion offense. We tried to create some different things because their screen defense was so good," remarked Smith. "We got some things going in the offensive end, got some emotion and energy generated, and really started playing better defense."

With the cagers' 21-12 run over the last eight minutes of the game, Indiana only outscored the Red by three in the second half. Karcic put up a double-double, with 18 points and 13 rebounds, and was 2-for-3 from behind the arc.

"On the stat sheet, you could tell she scored some points, but I was more impressed and happy with her defensive effort. She did a great job against their tall forwards. She moved her feet well, and got some good rebounds for us," said Smith.

Senior tri-captain Karen Force chipped in seven points and four rebounds. After shooting only 13.3 percent in the first, the Red shot nearly 50 percent from the floor in the second half.

The Red jumped out to a 5-0 lead against Indiana State yesterday, but the Sycamores responded with a 15-1 tear midway through the half. Senior tri-captain Lauren Kilduff led all players in scoring at the break with 10 points, but the Red found itself down by 15 going into the intermission.

"We were playing well for the first eight, nine minutes, battling right with them. We had the lead a little bit and we were breaking their press pretty well. Indiana State just turned it up a notch, and we just didn't respond," said Smith.

Indiana State extended its lead to 30 eight minutes into the half and shot 50 percent from the field. Senior tri-captain Katie Romey was a bright spot for the Red, as she scored 11 of her 18 points in the second half. She was one of three Cornell players who reached double-digit scoring.

"I thought Katie and Lauren had much better games [against Indiana State]. They looked for things, they penetrated to the hoop. Indiana State played a zone the entire game, so they took a lot of nice, open shots. They set it up before they caught the pass, and they knocked them down, and anytime they do that, they're going to be good shooters," lauded Smith.

Karcic racked up another double-double, with 10 points and 16 rebounds, along with seven assists. Force had a tough night, as she was 0-for-6 from the field, but connected on both of her free throw attempts. She only played 22 minutes, despite feeling the affects of her injury in the offseason.

"She's a tough kid, and she played through a lot of pain, and that's something we're going to have to learn to manage," said Smith. "She's still our leader on the court. The offense just wasn't there for her, but hopefully it will change down the road."

The Red will travel to Loretto, Penn. tomorrow to face St. Francis, and will open its home season against Bucknell on Dec. 5.

W. Bball Opens at Indiana Tournament

The women's basketball travels to one of college basketball's most famous gyms this weekend, as it opens its season at the Indiana Classic against host Indiana at Assembly Hall tomorrow at 6 p.m. The Red faces its first Big 10 opponent in program history in the Hoosiers, and will play either North Texas or Indiana State on Sunday.

"Playing at Assembly Hall, where Bobby Knight coached, I think there's a lot of excitement for our players right now, and going out to the Midwest, it's a different brand of basketball," said head coach Dayna Smith. "They get a packed house, so the environment is going to be something that our players haven't seen too much of and it's big-time college basketball for women's college basketball. We're looking forward to enjoying the trip and see what we can learn about ourselves."

The Red is coming off a 10-17, 4-10 Ivy season, the first with Smith at the helm. The team graduated two forwards from last year's squad, in Lynell Davis '03 and Ify Ossai '03, but returns its entire backcourt. The trio of senior captains Karen Force, Lauren Kilduff, and Katie Romey leads an experienced and talented group of players. This will be a homecoming of sorts for Force, who is from nearby Columbus, Ind. While all three captains will be starting at guard, the Red will look to seniors Dani Aretino and Tanya Karcic to start at forward.

"We haven't really focused in on a true starting lineup, we have a staring six or seven rotation, we have a few injuries that we're trying to manage right now, so we're going to have to see who's healthy and who can go, and we'll be flexible in what we need to do," said Smith.

Last season, Force became the first junior in program history to be named to the All-Ivy first team. She was fifth in the league in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game. Kilduff and Romey started in half of the team's games last season, while Aretino started in 19 contests. Karcic's playing time was limited last season due to injury, but she comes into the season fully healthy and ready to contribute.

Indiana's head coach, Kathi Bennett, served as an assistant coach for the silver-medal winning USA Pan American Games team this summer. She and the Hoosiers look to return to the NCAA tournament, as it swept through the 2002 Big 10 tournament en route to winning its first ever Big 10 title and a trip to the NCAA tournament. Last season, the Hoosiers fell to Penn State in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.

Indiana will be without its only senior, Jamie Gathing, who is out for the entire season due to injury. The Hoosiers are the fourth-youngest team in the nation, and could start two freshmen against the Red.

"We know Indiana is a Big 10 team, they have a lot of size, they can get up and down the court, and they're going to be more physical than us just from a beginning standpoint, but we're going into this season we're excited to get going, to play against somebody else other than our own teammates," said Smith.

Indiana State made it the National Invitational Tournament last season, falling to Ball State in the first round. The Sycamores return seven letterwinners from last year's squad, which claimed a share of the Missouri Valley Conference title.

North Texas advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament, before falling to Western Kentucky. The Lady Eagles are led by Sun Belt Player of the Year candidate Kim Blanton, who led the team in scoring and offensive rebounds a season ago.

The Indiana Classic is the beginning of a tough stretch of non-conference games for the Red.

"These games coming up are going to be a great test for us, the most important thing is that we have toughened up our schedule, and we did that for a purpose. We need to learn from these teams, we need to learn to play at a high level, to get up for games, and I think in the end, when we face our Ivy League opponents, we're going to be much more prepared this season," said Smith.

The Red will travel to Pennsylvania on Tuesday to face St. Francis. The team will play its home opener on Dec. 5 at the Cornell Classic against Bucknell.

The women's basketball travels to one of college basketball's most famous gyms this weekend, as it opens its season at the Indiana Classic against host Indiana at Assembly Hall tomorrow at 6 p.m. The Red faces its first Big 10 opponent in program history in the Hoosiers, and will play either North Texas or Indiana State on Sunday.


"Playing at Assembly Hall, where Bobby Knight coached, I think there's a lot of excitement for our players right now, and going out to the Midwest, it's a different brand of basketball," said head coach Dayna Smith. "They get a packed house, so the environment is going to be something that our players haven't seen too much of and it's big-time college basketball for women's college basketball. We're looking forward to enjoying the trip and see what we can learn about ourselves."


The Red is coming off a 10-17, 4-10 Ivy season, the first with Smith at the helm. The team graduated two forwards from last year's squad, in Lynell Davis '03 and Ify Ossai '03, but returns its entire backcourt. The trio of senior captains Karen Force, Lauren Kilduff, and Katie Romey leads an experienced and talented group of players. This will be a homecoming of sorts for Force, who is from nearby Columbus, Ind. While all three captains will be starting at guard, the Red will look to seniors Dani Aretino and Tanya Karcic to start at forward.


"We haven't really focused in on a true starting lineup, we have a staring six or seven rotation, we have a few injuries that we're trying to manage right now, so we're going to have to see who's healthy and who can go, and we'll be flexible in what we need to do," said Smith.


Last season, Force became the first junior in program history to be named to the All-Ivy first team. She was fifth in the league in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game. Kilduff and Romey started in half of the team's games last season, while Aretino started in 19 contests. Karcic's playing time was limited last season due to injury, but she comes into the season fully healthy and ready to contribute.


Indiana's head coach, Kathi Bennett, served as an assistant coach for the silver-medal winning USA Pan American Games team this summer. She and the Hoosiers look to return to the NCAA tournament, as it swept through the 2002 Big 10 tournament en route to winning its first ever Big 10 title and a trip to the NCAA tournament. Last season, the Hoosiers fell to Penn State in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.


Indiana will be without its only senior, Jamie Gathing, who is out for the entire season due to injury. The Hoosiers are the fourth-youngest team in the nation, and could start two freshmen against the Red.


"We know Indiana is a Big 10 team, they have a lot of size, they can get up and down the court, and they're going to be more physical than us just from a beginning standpoint, but we're going into this season we're excited to get going, to play against somebody else other than our own teammates," said Smith.


Indiana State made it the National Invitational Tournament last season, falling to Ball State in the first round. The Sycamores return seven letterwinners from last year's squad, which claimed a share of the Missouri Valley Conference title.


North Texas advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament, before falling to Western Kentucky. The Lady Eagles are led by Sun Belt Player of the Year candidate Kim Blanton, who led the team in scoring and offensive rebounds a season ago.


The Indiana Classic is the beginning of a tough stretch of non-conference games for the Red.


"These games coming up are going to be a great test for us, the most important thing is that we have toughened up our schedule, and we did that for a purpose. We need to learn from these teams, we need to learn to play at a high level, to get up for games, and I think in the end, when we face our Ivy League opponents, we're going to be much more prepared this season," said Smith.


The Red will travel to Pennsylvania on Tuesday to face St. Francis. The team will play its home opener on Dec. 5 at the Cornell Classic against Bucknell. - See more at: http://www.cornellsun.com/node/10491#sthash.lvGrHR0W.dpuf

A Force to Be Reckoned With

Most players have a superstition, a quirky ritual that has developed over the years. Senior Karen Force is no exception. The three-time captain is out on the court long before other players, honing her skills and soothing her nerves. It's this combination of superstition, leadership, and hard work that have made Force the player she is today.

Force is undoubtedly a leader on the stat sheet. She led the team in points, assists, 3-pointers, and steals last season. But she has also developed into a vocal leader on the court as well, and that will be essential to the team's success.

"I like to play the point because the ball's in your hands, and you see everything, and it gives you the opportunity to be a leader," said Force. "You call the plays, you've got a lot of thought processes going on all the time, you need to see things from other people's positions all the time, and being in that kind of position, and being able to so many things at the same time is awesome."

Playing the point puts Force in control of the offense, and she is also one of the best shooters on the team. Her impact doesn't stop at the perimeter. If you glance at last season's stats, there is one that jumps out at you -- free throw attempts. Force reached the line almost 100 times more than her closest teammate.

"I think our offensive set this year allows more penetration from my position, and that just develops into me getting fouled more often in shooting situations. I think I was just more aggressive this past season," remarked Force.

Driving to the inside is one of the things Force likes best when she's up on offense, and she will be able to do that frequently this season.

"I really like to penetrate, it's a lot of fun, whether you penetrate full up, penetrate all the way for a lay-up or a dish, I get juiced from stuff like that."

With the new coaching staff coming in last season, Force had to learn new offensive sets in addition to filling the void in the backcourt left by Breean Walas '02 and Do Stevens '02. She did so in remarkable fashion, becoming the first junior in Cornell history to be named to the All-Ivy first team. Force was the league's fifth-leading scorer, with 15.1 points per game, including 17.9 ppg in conference games.

In Smith, Force has a mentor who knows her position better than anyone, as Smith was one of the best point guards in the country in during her college career. Because of this, Smith is tough on the point guards, but that has helped Force improve her game a lot.

"Being point guard to point guard, it helps me a lot because she's gone through a lot herself, so she can help me learn from what she learned," said Force.

Force had the added challenge of recovering from knee surgery over the summer. Despite this, she comes into the season fully ready to lead the team to further success this year.

"There's still ways you can improve, whether it be in the weight room or stand-still things on the court, but I've done everything I can to improve," said Force.

With the start of the season approaching, Force is looking forward to seeing the hard work the team has put in pay off on the court.

"How many wins you want, the championship, you have to build to that, and I think we've got the mindset and the passion to do that. Day by day, we'll get there, and I'd love to see that progression. That would be awesome."