Red Tops Lions in Ivy Opener

Bolstered by the return of its two starting forwards, the women's soccer team won its first Ivy League game of the season, beating Columbia 2-1 Saturday morning in New York. The Red (4-1-2, 1-0 Ivy) relied on a new formation to disrupt the Lions (5-3-0, 0-1 Ivy) -- ending Columbia's five-game winning streak in the process. After losing its first game of the season on Wednesday to Bucknell, the booters rebounded to clinch this important victory.

"We knew we played well against Bucknell, so we weren't too disappointed about the loss," said freshman Mariye Wick. "It was fine getting the loss out of the way and just getting ready for the [Ivy] season."

While the Red has experienced a lot of physical play in past games this season, it was not a factor against Columbia.

"It was a good, intense game, but my hat is off to Columbia. This was a really good, quality Ivy League game," said head coach Berhane Andeberhan. "I obviously prefer our style of play, but [Columbia] really played a good soccer game, and so did we. We really took the game away in the first half."

The Red implemented a new formation against the Lions, using a hybrid outside midfielder-defender. Sophomore co-captain Whitney Hughes, playing as one of the hybrids, served the ball from the outside in the 13th minute, and junior co-captain Shannon Fraser headed the ball off the post. Junior Kara Ishikawa was there to get the rebound, and she put the loose ball home for her third goal of the season.

Cornell's new formation caught the Lions off guard, and the Red played a possession game that generated scoring chances in the first half.

"It definitely caused a lot of problems for Columbia, in the first half especially. They couldn't figure out what we were doing," Wick said. "I think it caused a lot of confusion. We were really able to use the outside to possess the ball."

Columbia struck back early in the second half, when Bailey Schroeder headed the ball off a Shannon Munoz free kick in the 49th minute to notch the equalizer.

"We got scored upon at a moment when our composure was at its best. They were dominating the game for about 10 to 15 minutes, and during that span, they scored," Andeberhan said. "We just regained [our edge]. I didn't say anything to [our team], they just dug in and retrieved the game and played well until the end."

With time winding down in regulation, the Red won a corner kick in the 76th minute. Junior Kelly Bowen took the kick, which bounced off several players before freshman Kelly Kosco put the ball in the back of the net for her first collegiate goal.

The Red got a boost from its leaders up front -- Fraser and senior co-captain Emily Wyffels both returned from injuries -- and was able to come away with a big league win.

"Their ability is tremendous, but also they're very respected leaders on and off the field," Andeberhan said. "They also have that experience, so when we were playing the possession game, they continue to insist on playing the possession game when distractions happen. Even though they didn't play the whole time, we were very happy to have them back."

Women's Ivy Season Opens With Columbia

Although it lost its first game of the season on Wednesday, the women's soccer team enters tomorrow's Ivy opener at Columbia (5-2, 0-0 Ivy) having given up just two goals all season. The Red (3-1-2, 0-0 Ivy) will face a Lions squad that is currently riding a five-game win streak, during which it has racked up five shutouts.

On Wednesday night, Bucknell only needed one quality scoring chance to clinch the game against Cornell, netting a goal in the sixth minute of play. The Bisons capitalized after winning a corner kick, as Krista Lee Gentile headed home a rebound after Meaghan Ferris's initial shot went off the crossbar. The Red put the pressure on the Bucknell defense in the second half, but was unable to find the back of the net. Junior Kara Ishikawa nearly netted the equalizer in the 64th minute, but her shot rang off the crossbar. Despite the loss, head coach Berhane Andeberhan was very pleased with the team's play.

"It was our best game, I was very pleased. The cruelty of soccer gets shown glaringly again. Our kids generated a lot of offense and we defended well. [Bucknell] scored one very good goal and we actually had a lot more scoring chances," Andeberhan said.

Columbia opened its season with two one-goal losses at the UC Berkeley Invitational. Since then, the Lions have played more than seven hours of scoreless soccer, winning the Governor's Cup last weekend in Albany by defeating Albany and Siena. Tournament Offensive MVP Shannon Munoz was named Ivy League Player of the Week, while Tournament Defensive MVP Cathleen Cimino was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week.

"[The competition] will be on the level of a Lafayette or a Stony Brook, those teams -- a little bit up from Bucknell, although we lost to them. Because it's an Ivy League game, there will be a little bit more emotional intensity," Andeberhan said.

Munoz currently leads Columbia in scoring with three goals and three assists, while four other players have netted a goal this season. Senior Erissa Aronson and freshman Allison Vespa have been splitting time between the pipes this season, and both sport a goals against average under one.

Last year, Cornell defeated Columbia 3-0 in Ithaca in what Andeberhan described as "a straight-up game."

"I feel we can play with anyone playing straight up in our league, and we can compete very well with anybody. We have shown that now for three years," Andeberhan said.

"However, physically we're a smaller team, and even if there was no differential in size, if we're playing a possession game, the unfortunate rule of thumb is to then disrupt us with physical play."

The booters have been working in practice to counteract this physical play so that it does not undermine their tactics during the game.

"[Yesterday] we worked on neutralizing [the physical play] and being more efficient with the ball," Andeberhan said. "If you're more efficient with the ball, there's fewer 50-50 balls when we receive the ball and when we pass the ball, and there will be fewer opportunities to be hit."

2029 Sports Lesson

"Ok, class. Open your history textbooks to Chapter 16: Sports Stories of the Past Century and turn to page 274. Since today is the 25th anniversary of the 2004 NHL lockout, we're going to read about how this labor dispute affected the players and the game of hockey itself."

... and it was clearly shown on the replay that Terrell Owens did not have possession of the ball as he fell out of bounds. Vikings coach Mike Tice then became the first NFL coach of the instant replay era to throw the challenge flag just so he could yell at the refs for messing up a game-altering call.

The Lockout: Hockey Gets Put on Ice

With hockey writers predicting a lockout almost two years in advance, the NHL work stoppage became official on Sept. 16 at 12:00 a.m. The two sides met several times in the weeks leading up to the lockout, but could not work out a deal. The players' union proposed a new plan in the 11th hour, which included a luxury tax, revenue sharing, a five percent rollback in player salaries, and changes to the entry-level salary structure. This plan was rejected by the owners, who wanted a salary cap instituted to limit player salaries.

In the 2003-04 season, the 30 NHL owners reported a loss of $224 million, of which 75 percent came from just six teams. Out of the four major sports, hockey was the only one without a salary cap or luxury tax in place. With 75 percent of the league's total revenue going towards player salaries, the owners needed a cap on salaries to turn a profit.

A last-minute deal might have been reached had the owners and league executives not been watching the World Cup of Hockey, which took place the first two weeks of September in 2004.

Players Move On

With the league's operations halted, many players signed on with teams in Europe and fledgling leagues in North America. Unfortunately for players like Peter Forsberg and Markus Naslund, who had hoped to play in the Swedish Elite League, that league's collective bargaining agreement also had expired, meaning they would have to wait out another lockout if they wanted to play in their home country. Leagues in the Czech Republic and Russia were in similar straights, and for the multitude of players who jouneyed over to Europe, the only option to play hockey was way back in North America.

The Original Stars Hockey League, which formed only a month before the lockout, capitalized on the labor situation in Europe. With its new brand of hockey and a multitude of former NHL players, the OSHL completed eight 20-game seasons in the span of one year, awarding the Assante Wealth Management Trophy to three different teams. The league enjoyed wide success thanks to its free admission and free alcohol at every game. However, hockey fans were irked at the $100 parking fees instituted at every arena.

The World Hockey Association did not enjoy similar success. Thanks to a substandard website and the loss of the AVCO Trophy, the league floundered in the first months of its season. Commissioner and former WHA great, Bobby Hull, resigned in mid-2005 to go play for the Detroit franchise of the OSHL. Isiah Thomas, having failed to get the New York Knicks to the playoffs, took the reins, and the league folded soon after.

The Next One And The Next Next One

Eric Lindros, whose career was plagued by numerous concussions and sour dealings with the Philadelphia Flyers, found himself short on money after investing a substantial amount of his savings in the WHA. Taking a page from Jose Canseco, Lindros started a service where people could pay him $10,000 to hang out with him for a day. Unfortunately for Lindros, a group of about 100 Flyers fans signed up for the first slot. Needless to say, by the end of the day, Lindros had sustained his seventh and eighth concussions.

Sidney Crosby, the young hockey protégé from Nova Scotia, was left in a bind after the lockout. With the NHL in no hurry to return, and Isiah Thomas owning his rights, Crosby gave up the game in 2006 and switched over to basketball. After spending the summer at Steve Nash’s basketball camp, Crosby received a scholarship to play point guard at Duke. After leading the Blue Devils to four straight national titles, Crosby was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the first pick of the 2010 draft. He has since led the Clippers to eight 30-win seasons, much to the delight of new owner Frankie Muniz.

CURLING: CANADA’S OTHER NATIONAL PASTIME

Distraught over the loss of their beloved sport, Canadians found solace in the new National Curling League. The NCL started with six franchises, named after the six former NHL teams. The league was able to secure the naming rights after agreeing to give the NHL half of its advertising revenue. At the 2006 Winter Olympics Games in Turin, Italy, Canada was the strong favorite. However, Team Canada lost in the gold-medal game when former New Jersey Devil Scott Gomez, who learned how to play the sport a week prior to the Games, led the United States team in a thrilling upset.

“For homework tonight, I would like each of you to write a two-page essay on how the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup in the 2023-2024 season, the first NHL season after the lockout ended. References to the Rangers’ 1994 season are a plus.”

Lady Booters Win Two

While many Cornellians sought refuge from the downpour on Friday night, the women"s soccer team battled the elements and defeated St. Bonaventure, 2-1, under the lights of Berman Field. The Red (3-0-2, 0-0 Ivy) welcomed the sunnier weather in Ithaca yesterday morning, as it wrapped up the weekend with a 2-0 win over Robert Morris (0-4-1). 

Friday night's game saw the end of the booters' shutout skein, as the team allowed its first goal of the season after 400 minutes of scoreless soccer. After scoring only one goal in its first three games of the season, Cornell's offense came to life over the weekend, netting four goals and taking 50 shots.

The Red dominated possession during the first half against the Bonnies (6-2), but was unable to find the back of the net.

"We were trying to solve the scoring problem, so we were hoping to get more quality chances on the goal. We felt against Binghamton that we had chances, but just not the kind that were going to result in a goal," said assistant coach Gretchen Zigante. 

In the second half, the Red made some adjustments to its formation, moving junior Kara Ishikawa up from midfield to play behind the forwards, and shifting senior Natalie Dew up to play as a defensive center midfielder. 

The Red ended the scoring impasse in the 57th minute, as sophomore Caitlin Oliver collected a rebound from five yards out, and shot the ball towards the top of the left post for her first career collegiate goal. 

In the 69th minute, freshman Molly Easterlin served a shot toward the goal from the far right side. With the ball heading wide of the left post, classmate Kara Lewis redirected the shot past St. Bonaventure goalie Lisa Eberhart to notch her first collegiate goal as well.

The rain grew heavy at times throughout the match, but both teams played through it, and the field conditions did not have much of an impact on the game.

"You just focus on the game, you try to ignore the rain. This field plays really well whether it"s pouring down rain or not. It was still a good soccer game," Zigante said.

While the rain had little effect on the players' footing, the wet ball proved to be a problem for both Eberhart and Cornell goalie Katie Thomas. With six minutes left in regulation, Thomas saved a St. Bonaventure shot from the right side, but Jacquee Boyle knocked in the rebound to cut the Red's lead to one. Kerry O'Malley nearly notched the equalizer for the Bonnies with 15 seconds left, as her shot from the right side banged off the top of the crossbar.

With the rain subsiding on Saturday, the Red had markedly better weather for its match against Robert Morris. 

"When we played Friday, we lost a bit of our game in the second half. [Yesterday,] we wanted to stay focused the whole game and be able to possess the ball and do our short passing a lot more," Zigante said. "In the second half, that was our big focus to try to accomplish that, and it resulted in a lot of shots on goal." 

The Red started its scoring early, as Ishikawa notched her second tally of the season in the 21st minute. After winning a corner, the ensuing kick drew out Robert Morris goalie Irene Petrou, and the ball ricocheted off several players before Ishikawa got a handle on it. She tried to knock the ball in the open net, but a Robert Morris defender blocked her initial shot. Fortunately for the Red, Ishikawa was able to collect her own rebound and connected on her second shot.

With the Colonials pressing late in the second half, the Red put the game away with 10 minutes left in regulation. Freshman Jackie Stromberg recovered the ball outside the Robert Morris box, and fed it ahead to Oliver, who had an open look at net. Oliver did not waste her scoring chance, as she buried the ball in the right side of the net for her second goal of the season.

Sophomore Katrina Matlin started in goal for the Red, but only had to make one save to earn her third shutout in as many games this season.

While many Cornellians sought refuge from the downpour on Friday night, the women"s soccer team battled the elements and defeated St. Bonaventure, 2-1, under the lights of Berman Field. The Red (3-0-2, 0-0 Ivy) welcomed the sunnier weather in Ithaca yesterday morning, as it wrapped up the weekend with a 2-0 win over Robert Morris (0-4-1).
Friday night"s game saw the end of the booters" shutout skein, as the team allowed its first goal of the season after 400 minutes of scoreless soccer. After scoring only one goal in its first three games of the season, Cornell"s offense came to life over the weekend, netting four goals and taking 50 shots.
The Red dominated possession during the first half against the Bonnies (6-2), but was unable to find the back of the net.
'We were trying to solve the scoring problem, so we were hoping to get more quality chances on the goal. We felt against Binghamton that we had chances, but just not the kind that were going to result in a goal,' said assistant coach Gretchen Zigante.
In the second half, the Red made some adjustments to its formation, moving junior Kara Ishikawa up from midfield to play behind the forwards, and shifting senior Natalie Dew up to play as a defensive center midfielder.
The Red ended the scoring impasse in the 57th minute, as sophomore Caitlin Oliver collected a rebound from five yards out, and shot the ball towards the top of the left post for her first career collegiate goal.
In the 69th minute, freshman Molly Easterlin served a shot toward the goal from the far right side. With the ball heading wide of the left post, classmate Kara Lewis redirected the shot past St. Bonaventure goalie Lisa Eberhart to notch her first collegiate goal as well.
The rain grew heavy at times throughout the match, but both teams played through it, and the field conditions did not have much of an impact on the game.
'You just focus on the game, you try to ignore the rain. This field plays really well whether it"s pouring down rain or not. It was still a good soccer game,' Zigante said.
While the rain had little effect on the players" footing, the wet ball proved to be a problem for both Eberhart and Cornell goalie Katie Thomas. With six minutes left in regulation, Thomas saved a St. Bonaventure shot from the right side, but Jacquee Boyle knocked in the rebound to cut the Red"s lead to one. Kerry O"Malley nearly notched the equalizer for the Bonnies with 15 seconds left, as her shot from the right side banged off the top of the crossbar.
With the rain subsiding on Saturday, the Red had markedly better weather for its match against Robert Morris.
'When we played Friday, we lost a bit of our game in the second half. [Yesterday,] we wanted to stay focused the whole game and be able to possess the ball and do our short passing a lot more,' Zigante said. 'In the second half, that was our big focus to try to accomplish that, and it resulted in a lot of shots on goal.'
The Red started its scoring early, as Ishikawa notched her second tally of the season in the 21st minute. After winning a corner, the ensuing kick drew out Robert Morris goalie Irene Petrou, and the ball ricocheted off several players before Ishikawa got a handle on it. She tried to knock the ball in the open net, but a Robert Morris defender blocked her initial shot. Fortunately for the Red, Ishikawa was able to collect her own rebound and connected on her second shot.
With the Colonials pressing late in the second half, the Red put the game away with 10 minutes left in regulation. Freshman Jackie Stromberg recovered the ball outside the Robert Morris box, and fed it ahead to Oliver, who had an open look at net. Oliver did not waste her scoring chance, as she buried the ball in the right side of the net for her second goal of the season.
Sophomore Katrina Matlin started in goal for the Red, but only had to make one save to earn her third shutout in as many games this season.
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Women Booters to Battle St. Bonaventure and Robert Morris

The four-game home stand continues for the women's soccer team, as the Red (1-0-2, 0-0 Ivy) welcomes St. Bonaventure (5-1) and Robert Morris (0-4-1) to Berman Field this weekend. The booters will face off against the Bonnies tonight at 7 p.m. and will take on the Colonials on Sunday at 11 a.m.

Facing intra-state rival Binghamton on Tuesday night at home, the Red saw its third straight game head to overtime. In the second overtime period, freshman Kelly Kosco took a shot from the middle of the box that was heading for the back of the net, but Binghamton goalie Kristie Bowers made a diving save in the air to preserve the tie. When the game ended minutes later, the booters notched their second scoreless tie of the season, with sophomore goalie Katrina Matlin recorded her second shutout on the year.

While the team has only scored one goal in the young season, several players are battling injuries. Freshmen Dani Haigh and Jackie Stromberg started up top for the Red on Tuesday, while back on defense, classmate Leslie Campbell has played with the maturity of a seasoned veteran.
With only one day of practice to prepare for this weekend's games, the booters need to put the tie behind them, and get ready for a tough stretch ahead, during which they will play three games in six days.

"Tactically, we don't have to do too much. We just need to collect our thoughts. We have played four games in three games." said head coach Berhane Andeberhan, referring to the three overtime games the team has played this season.

St. Bonaventure comes to Ithaca after winning its own tournament, the Adidas Classic, last weekend. In its two games in the tournament, the Bonnies registered 12 goals, while only surrendering two. Tournament MVP Heather MacDougall tied a school record for goals and points scored in a game, netting four goals and an assist. She was named Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week for her effort.
MacDougall is second on the team in scoring with eight goals and two assists, while Kerry O'Malley leads the squad with nine goals and six assists. In goal for the Bonnies, Lisa Eberhart has recorded an 0.83 goals against average along with four shutouts.

Robert Morris is still looking for its first win of the season, after losing two of its last three games in overtime. In the consolation game of the 2004 Quality Inn & Suites Classic, the Colonials were outshot by host Charleston 24-1, but freshman goalie Jessica Onufer put up 11 saves before giving up the game-winning goals 30 seconds in the first overtime. Three of the Colonials' netminders have seen considerable time in goal, while its offense has only generated three goals on the year.
The Red will have one more non-conference game this Wednesday against Bucknell, before it opens its Ivy slate next Saturday at Columbia.

W. Soccer Plays to A Scoreless Draw

Scoreless ties in soccer are the ultimate stalemate, and for the women's soccer team, they are becoming very familiar, as the Red (1-0-2, 0-0 Ivy) played to a double-overtime draw against Binghamton (3-1-1) last night on the pitch of Berman Field. All three of Cornell's games this season have gone to overtime, with the Red recording its first scoreless tie in the season opener against Stony Brook.

With two of the booters' forwards hampered by injury, freshmen Dani Haigh and Jackie Stromberg started up top, and classmate Tracy Wooster also saw playing time in the second half.

"We need to get healthy, but I'm not using that as an excuse," said head coach Berhane Andeberhan. "We need to teach [Dani and Jackie] a few things tactically, but their skill and effort was tremendous, and Tracy too, all three freshmen. It's very hard to do it with freshmen, but these kids are wonderful."

While Cornell dominated possession in the first half, Binghamton's Danielle White had the best scoring chance when her shot from the right side of the goal dribbled just wide of the left post late in the half. After the break, the Red adjusted its formation due to the extra players Binghamton kept back on defense, bringing up an extra forward. The Bearcats responded with several scoring chances in the opening minutes of the second half.

"We tried to get into an offensive set, but the girls did not have time to practice it much," Andeberhan said. "We wanted to go into a 4-3-3, but our forwards didn't know when they needed to help out at midfield, so once we went back to a 4-4-2, we settled down."

The Red's defense shut down the Bearcat forwards in the second half, making quick clears whenever Binghamton tried to move the ball up the side. 

Freshman sweeper Leslie Campbell made the biggest defensive stop for Cornell with five minutes to play in regulation. Binghamton's Kelly Burnham brought the ball up the right side on a breakaway, and Campbell sprinted in out of nowhere, breaking up the play with a slide tackle.

"[Leslie]'s a pro, she is not a freshman," Andeberhan said. "The referees at the last game wouldn't believe me when I told them she was a freshman. She is very calm, very steady. She just doesn't make any wrong decisions. We're very fortunate to have her." 

Cornell had several good scoring chances in the two overtime periods, but Bearcat goalie Kristie Bowers literally saved the game for Binghamton in the 105th minute. Freshman Kelly Kosco took a hard shot from the middle of the box that was heading for the back of the net, but Bowers made a diving save in the air to preserve the tie.

With nearly a half of sudden-death play under their belts, the booters will be more prepared for the tough games they will face against their conference foes later in the season.

"The kids already know that they have the fitness. In terms of fitness and tenacity, it's amazing. Since I've been here, we've never had a kid with this kind of tenacious play," Andeberhan said. "There were a few times when we made a bad mistake, where in the past, it might have have broken our backs, but we just kept playing, I'm very pleased with that. If you know you have the energy, then you can just keep going."

Lady Booters Host Bearcats

In its first 206 minutes of play this season, the women's soccer team had yet to fish the ball out of its own net, putting up two shutouts against Stony Brook and Lafayette. The Red (1-0-1, 0-0 Ivy) hopes to maintain its excellent defensive play when it welcomes Binghamton (3-1) to Berman Field tonight at 7 p.m. for the team's home opener.

The Red notched its first goal of the season against Lafayette on Sunday when junior Kara Ishikawa scored from 18 yards out after a failed clear attempt by the Leopard defense in overtime. Cornell senior Katie Thomas saw her first action of the season in goal, recording her 11th career shutout. The game was a physical one, with 23 fouls called between the two teams.

"In our games, I think we'll continue to face this, because of our style of play and unfortunately because of the state of college soccer,' said head coach Berhane Andeberhan. "It's just really rough play and very physical, and our kids handled it very well. We kept our composure and kept playing."

While the booters did not score in regulation during their first two games, the team has generated numerous scoring chances thanks to a new offensive scheme. This tactic, dubbed the "Ishikawa offense" by Andeberhan, was implemented against Lafayette with excellent results, as Ishikawa moved up from the midfield to play behind the two strikers.

"Once we got into the overtime, we said, 'Let's go for the win. It might backfire on us, but let's go for it." Immediately, we started creating a lot of scoring chances, and then of course [Ishikawa] scores. It was a very exciting finish," Andeberhan said.

Binghamton comes to Ithaca after knocking off Lehigh in its home opener on Friday 1-0. Freshman Kim Povill leads the team in scoring with two goals and one assist, while sophomore goalie Kristie Bowers has recorded a 1.25 goals against average in four games for the Bearcats.

"We haven't played [Binghamton] in a couple of years," Andeberhan said. "They had a close game against St. Bonaventure recently, so that's kind of a common factor we have, as we did fairly well against St. Bonaventure last year. It should be fun to be home."

While the team graduated three key defenders from last year's team, the Red's newcomers in the back have made the transition to the college game smoothly, and the use of team defense has proved successful so far this season.

"We want our goalkeeper to start our offense, and we want our forwards to start our defense. Our forwards start our defending; they may not necessarily win the ball, but they put pressure on the other team,' Andeberhan said. "Whatever the other team does to advance the ball, it"s under pressure, which means our midfield can pick it up."

Qualms About Summer Games

Twelve hundred ten hours is approximately 50 days -- no, that's not the amount of time you're going to have to wait on the hockey line this year. It's total coverage of the Athens Olympics that NBC aired over a 17-day period. Thanks to the $793 million NBC shelled out to buy the rights to air the games, the American viewing public was treated to a six-channel blitz of the Olympics for two straight weeks, while quality shows such as North Shore and Quintuplets were sadly put on hiatus.

Overall, 929 medals were awarded in 301 events, and I successfully watched about 15 of them, none of them live. For the first time ever, the American public could watch rhythmic gymnastics and modern pentathlon simultaneously. (Trivia time! Name all five events in the pentathlon. Winners will receive a copy of the 2004 men's pentathlon final.)

While the Athens Games were the most entertaining Summer Olympics in recent memory, there are still some qualms I would like to address.

First -- the over-hyping of swimmer Michael Phelps. It is the media's duty to responsibly and fairly cover and report an event or person, and unfortunately, the media failed Phelps in this regard. The frenzy surrounding the 19-year old during the weeks leading up to the Games created a huge burden that was impossible for him to live up to. Every day from every media outlet, it was Phelps Central. By the start of the Games, I was ready to believe that not only would Phelps win gold in his eight swimming events, but he would also medal in field hockey, handball, and trampoline. But then the dream came crashing down.

In the 200-meter freestyle, which featured the showdown between America's Chosen One and Aussie Ian Thorpe, Phelps swam a personal best in the final. However, this sordid effort was only good enough for bronze. Never mind that this wasn't even one of Phelps's strong events, he let the whole country down by not beating Thorpe. An entire generation of young swimmers was left crying in front of their televisions as Phelps stood on the lowest level of the podium, while we were forced to listen to "Advance Australian Fair."

Ok, so maybe that's taking it a little too far, but I was only trying to emulate the media's unrealistic portrayal of Phelps. Clouded from view by the dashed hopes of the diehard swimming fans in America is the real accomplishment Phelps achieved at the Games: he won a record-tying eight medals. That feat took 17 races in eight days, a ridiculously busy swimming schedule.

After setting an Olympic record and taking gold in the 200-meter individual medley on August 19, Phelps had little over 30 minutes to prepare for the semifinals of the 100-meter fly. How did he respond to the quick turnaround? Another Olympic record in the span of under an hour. Maybe Phelps will only be remembered for failing to win seven gold medals, but I think we owe him a lot more than that.

On to Paul Hamm, who became the first American ever to win gold in the men's gymnastics all-around competition. Hamm's victory came into question when it was discovered that the judges gave bronze medallist Yang Tae-young a 9.9 start value instead of the correct 10.0 for his parallel bars routine. This extra tenth would have propelled Tae-young to the gold medal. The South Koreans tried to appeal the results, but were told that they should have first filed their appeal before the next rotation began during the competition.

Another media frenzy erupted, and Hamm was unfairly pressured by the president of the International Gymnastics Federation to give up his gold medal, in what would be considered "the ultimate demonstration of fair play."

Way to pass the buck there, Mr. President. There is a reason there is no video replay for gymnastics. While the review of Tae-young's routine showed that his start value was wrong, it also showed another huge mistake that would have actually lowered his score. In the parallel bars, a gymnast is only allowed to make three holds during the routine, and the tape clearly shows that Tae-young had four holds, an automatic 0.2-point deduction. You can't fairly go back and review only one part of one routine. That would be like an NFL referee using video review to call a pass complete, but failing to realize that the receiver stepped out of bounds during the catch. This whole fiasco has evidently cost Hamm the thing he really wants--a place on the Wheaties box.

Finally, a brief word on the men's Olympic basketball team. There has been much criticism over the "Dream Team's" bronze-medal showing, and most of the blame is being unfairly placed on the players. Given the circumstances, I think it was unrealistic to expect the domination exhibited by the past Dream Teams. There is no way a group of players thrown together a few weeks before the Games can meld into a cohesive unit and adapt to a different style of basketball after playing a full NBA season.

This wasn't our first choice team by a long shot, but don't blame the players for having the audacity to want to play in the Olympics after so many other players passed. Blame Larry Brown for quitting on his team in the middle of the first round. Blame the selection committee, who brazenly ignored players that fit the mold of the international game, choosing instead to focus on marketing the NBA's young stars. Maybe the disappointment will convince the committee to give Fred Hoiberg and Michael Redd a call in 2008.

There are so many other stories from Athens that this column could go on for several more pages. If you have a lot of time to kill, (say, on the hockey line?) drop me a note. I've got all 1210 hours of Olympic footage on 200 convenient video tapes or one DVD for only three payments of $39.99.

Women's Soccer Ties Stony Brook, 0-0

Despite the 0-0 on the scoreboard after 110 minutes of soccer, the women's soccer team (0-0-1) still took away a lot of positives from its season opener against Stony Brook (1-1-1) on Sunday. The Red faced a surprise when it arrived at Stony Brook's field, as the team was not informed that the match would be played on an artificial surface. This setback did not faze a Red lineup which featured four freshmen.

"There was a little bit of nervousness obviously in the beginning of the game, but once we settled down, we played very well," said head coach Berhane Andeberhan. "We had a little bit of an edge in the first half, but it was relatively even. In the second half, we played very well, and in the overtime, we were parked in their half. We just couldn"t find a way to get the ball into the net."

With the new personnel on the team, the Red has more flexibility in its tactics this season, and this was put into practice against the Seawolves. Junior Kara Ishikawa moved up to play behind the two strikers in the latter part of the second half and the overtime period, which generated a lot of scoring chances. Freshman Molly Easterlin was slotted at the left midfield/fullback position, where she provided defensive help, but was also able to attack.

Stony Brook did not rely on its midfield to set up attacking chances in the Cornell zone, instead preferring to settle the ball in the backfield and then it up to the Seawolves' quick forwards.
Sophomore goalie Katrina Matlin's preparation in the offseason was evident during the game, as she made several excellent saves to keep the game scoreless.

"There was one distance shot, bending toward the far post, and at the last moment, she just came flying in and flicked it out. She distributed well, she seemed very calm, and did a good job," Andeberhan said.

On the other side of the field, Stony Brook goalie Cindy Bennett continually stoned the Red's scoring attempts, registering a total of 11 saves in the match.

"[Stony Brook's] goalkeeper was excellent. Somebody said she had been in the national program, and it shows. We were going to have a score a good goal, we weren't going to get anything cheap, but we had some chances," said Andeberhan.

In all, eight freshmen saw playing time in the match. Many of the newcomers came to Cornell from very competitive teams and leagues, so they were able to adapt to the high-pressure environment of college soccer. The team's defense is a very young group, but they were able to help register the clean sheet for Matlin.

"[Freshman] Leslie Campbell, our sweeper, basically helped solidify our defense. Our defense played great, and she was an important part of it," Andeberhan said.