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."

Sophomore Duo Shines During Summer Play

While most other college students were trying to make a few bucks this summer, sophomores Andrew George and Sean Shannon of the men's soccer team were playing with and against some of the best collegiate soccer players in the country. As members of FC Delco Arsenal of Dowington, Penn, the two helped the team capture its second straight United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) National Title.

Starting at the state level in early June, the team faced just three other teams, and had no trouble advancing to the regionals.

"It always seems that the toughest teams are in the same bracket early on. Our toughest game [in the regionals] was actually against the [Baltimore Bays] and that ended up 1-1," said George.

DELCO and the Bays both posted 2-0-1 records with identical scores, meaning that the teams had to face each other in a penalty shootout to move on to the regional semifinals. Shannon was the fourth shooter for the team, and connected on his shot. His teammate followed suit, hitting the last shot to advance DELCO to the semifinals.

Playing against Rockville Center ProExcel from Eastern New York, George and Shannon were matched up against a familiar face, fellow Cornell teammate Bryan Jonas. But it didn't slow down DELCO.

DELCO defeated Rockville 2-0, and advanced to Nationals with a 6-1 win over the Brooklyn Italians.

"Nationals was unbelievable. There's only four teams, and they're all the top teams in the country," remarked George. "It was a great way to end it, playing against these great teams."

George and Shannon once again faced one of their Cornell teammates, in junior Steve Reuter, a member of Sockers FC. After losing a close game to Sockers FC, the team bounced back against Oklahoma, but had some troubles with Colorado.

Down 2-1 in their last round-robin game with five minutes left, DELCO needed a tie or win to move on.

"There was just tons of home support from our home area at the game, it was pretty cool," said Shannon. "There was a younger girls team from our club and a lot of other teams came down to watch us. The place erupted when [we scored the tying goal.]"

With the tie in hand, the team moved on to the finals, where it faced Sockers FC once again. Reuter, however, was not in the lineup because he was playing with his PDL team. Although it dominated the first half, DELCO was down 1-0 until late in the second, when it netted two goals in the span of five minutes to clinch the championship.

"It's completely different from last year. Last year, we walked through it, we won the national final 5-1. This year was just so much more intense," commented George.

"This one meant a lot more. No team on our club has ever repeated before, so we really wanted to do it," said Shannon.

After competing all summer, both players come into the season in great shape and are ready to help the Red climb to the top of the Ivy League.

"We're really fit going into the season," says Shannon. "We're really sharp because we've been playing all summer, so it helps us out going into the preseason."

While most other college students were trying to make a few bucks this summer, sophomores Andrew George and Sean Shannon of the men's soccer team were playing with and against some of the best collegiate soccer players in the country. As members of FC Delco Arsenal of Dowington, Penn, the two helped the team capture its second straight United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) National Title.

Starting at the state level in early June, the team faced just three other teams, and had no trouble advancing to the regionals.

"It always seems that the toughest teams are in the same bracket early on. Our toughest game [in the regionals] was actually against the [Baltimore Bays] and that ended up 1-1," said George.

DELCO and the Bays both posted 2-0-1 records with identical scores, meaning that the teams had to face each other in a penalty shootout to move on to the regional semifinals. Shannon was the fourth shooter for the team, and connected on his shot. His teammate followed suit, hitting the last shot to advance DELCO to the semifinals.

Playing against Rockville Center ProExcel from Eastern New York, George and Shannon were matched up against a familiar face, fellow Cornell teammate Bryan Jonas. But it didn't slow down DELCO.

DELCO defeated Rockville 2-0, and advanced to Nationals with a 6-1 win over the Brooklyn Italians.

"Nationals was unbelievable. There's only four teams, and they're all the top teams in the country," remarked George. "It was a great way to end it, playing against these great teams."

George and Shannon once again faced one of their Cornell teammates, in junior Steve Reuter, a member of Sockers FC. After losing a close game to Sockers FC, the team bounced back against Oklahoma, but had some troubles with Colorado.

Down 2-1 in their last round-robin game with five minutes left, DELCO needed a tie or win to move on.

"There was just tons of home support from our home area at the game, it was pretty cool," said Shannon. "There was a younger girls team from our club and a lot of other teams came down to watch us. The place erupted when [we scored the tying goal.]"

With the tie in hand, the team moved on to the finals, where it faced Sockers FC once again. Reuter, however, was not in the lineup because he was playing with his PDL team. Although it dominated the first half, DELCO was down 1-0 until late in the second, when it netted two goals in the span of five minutes to clinch the championship.

"It's completely different from last year. Last year, we walked through it, we won the national final 5-1. This year was just so much more intense," commented George.

"This one meant a lot more. No team on our club has ever repeated before, so we really wanted to do it," said Shannon.

After competing all summer, both players come into the season in great shape and are ready to help the Red climb to the top of the Ivy League.

"We're really fit going into the season," says Shannon. "We're really sharp because we've been playing all summer, so it helps us out going into the preseason." - See more at: http://www.cornellsun.com/node/16308#sthash.xwksNZKk.dpuf

Like Football, This Space for Sale

Checking out the NFL schedule for opening week, I came across an interesting matchup: the Bank One Bears against the 49ers.

Now when did Bank One, a banking company when last I checked, acquire a football team?

In June, the Chicago Bears agreed to a multi-year sponsorship deal with Bank One Corp. to become the Bears' presenting partner. While selling stadium rights is now the norm, the Bears were unable to sell the naming rights to the newly renovated Soldier Field because it is a National Historic Monument. Fortunately for them, they reached an agreement with Bank One, and now Soldier Field will be littered with signage that reads "Bears Football presented by Bank One."

Now that the team name can be "presented", the only bastion in sports that remains (somewhat) commercial free is the uniform. Sure, the logo of the apparel company is on the jersey, but it is not displayed prominently. But sometime soon, I guarantee the team's logo will be displaced for some corporate sponsor.

If you think this will never happen, you obviously haven't looked at a European soccer jersey. You will be hard pressed to find the Manchester United crest on its jersey at first glance, as the Vodafone logo is prominently displayed across the center.

Just think of the possibilities here; the Yankees logo could easily be shrunken to accommodate a more prominent larger Adidas logo.

Don't stop at the uniforms, though. Maybe instead of the National Football League, it should be EA Sports presents the National Football League? All the major awards and trophies would be in play too. The Heisman Trophy is already sponsored by Suzuki, why not the Vince Lombardi Trophy or the Stanley Cup? If the O'Brien Trophy -- you know, the NBA Finals trophy-- were sponsored, people would actually know what its name was.

College football has taken the lead in the sponsorship department. Not only is the BCS Trophy sponsored (by Sears of all companies), but also almost every single bowl game has a corporate entity attached. We now have the opportunity to watch such wonderful games as the Continental Tire Bowl and the GMAC Bowl on New Year's.

College basketball could stand to make some more money by selling the naming rights to each different round of the NCAA tournament. How does the Nokia Play-In Game or the Tostitos Sweet 16 sound?

Then again, corporate naming rights can only bring in so much money. Manchester United has taken great strides in alternative money sources. The team offers a full line of financial products, such as mortgages, credit cards, and savings accounts. You can even earn bonuses when the team is doing well! They also have an official team betting partner, Ladbrokes.com (I'm not making this up), and of course a dedicated MU television station, appropriately labeled MU.tv.

Last Thursday the team opened up its own movie theater in attempt to further integrate itself into every aspect of its fans' lives. There is also an official team video game (not EA Sports' FIFA series, ManU has developed its own game).

What's next, weddings on the pitch at Old Trafford?

Of all the sports team in the U.S., the Yankees would have the best chance of being able to offer similar services. The team already has the YES Network, which could be used to pitch Yankees Mutual Funds and the Yankees Travel Agency.

This summer, the Red Devils (Man U, for you non-soccer buffs) sold its franchise player, David Beckham, to Real Madrid for $45 million. This happens over on this side of the pond, but not with big-time players. Maybe if it did, the Texas Rangers could find a team to buy A-Rod (Perhaps the Mets? They did clear out all that payroll). If this was more fashionable, the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators could have sold of some of their players off to avoid bankruptcy.

With every team trying to become a big moneymaker, it is the fans that suffer in the end, as ticket prices continue to climb out of the (semi) affordable range. Four tickets to a Knicks game at the uppermost part of the Garden cost $124, and of course that doesn't include parking, food, etc. Across the river at Shea, the Mets have introduced a ticket-pricing plan where box seats for a game against the Yankees cost $15 more than the same seats for when the Brewers are in town.

While it becomes increasingly more expensive to attend games in person, at least you can still watch your favorite team on television. Well, except if you're a Chicago Blackhawks fan, in which case there are no home games on television at all. Team CEO Bill Wirtz came up with that brilliant idea, and attendance skyrocketed this season to seventh lowest in the NHL.

So as the NFL season starts up this Thursday, be sure to mark September 29 on your calendar. That's when the Bank One Bears play their first game at the new Soldier Field on Monday Night Football. Or maybe by then it will be "Boom! Tough Actin' Tinactin" presents Monday Night Football.

Sharks Sign Swede

After a successful hockey career on the East Hill, Doug Murray '03 has taken the next step in his career, recently signing a contract with the NHL's San Jose Sharks. Murray, a two-time All America defenseman and a Hobey Baker Award Finalist in 2002, was drafted by the Sharks in the eighth round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

"[Signing with the Sharks] is a step towards a dream come true," said Murray. "It's been a dream of mine to play in the NHL since I started playing hockey as a kid."

This past year, Murray served as co-captain along with classmate Stephen Baby '03, and helped lead the Red to its first Frozen Four appearance in 23 years. Murray recorded five goals and 20 assists, while helping to establish the Red's defense as the best in the country, with a mere 1.36 goals allowed average. The Bromma, Sweden native had quite a following among the Lynah Faithful, as several Swedish flags could be seen in the stands during most games.

With training camp on the horizon in September, Murray participated in the Sharks' summer development camp from July 9-12 at Logitech Ice in San Jose. He was one of six blueliner prospects at the camp, and there are currently five defenseman on the San Jose roster. If Murray does not make the Sharks after training camp, he could be sent to the Cleveland Barons of the AHL or one of the Sharks' other minor league teams.

"I want to use the summer to put myself in a position to get a spot on the team," remarked Murray. "I need to concentrate on what I can control."

Current Cornellians in the NHL include the three-time Stanley Cup champion Joe Nieuwendyk '88 of the New Jersey Devils, Brad Chartrand '96 of the Los Angeles Kings, and Kent Manderville '91 of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Murray will look to join them when training camp starts in mid-September.